Mike Hartner on His Favourite #Authors & Favourite Genres @MHartnerAuthor #AmReading #Historical

Who is your favorite author?
It’s a close battle between Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Alexandre Dumas, and Victor Hugo

What book genre of books do you adore?
Historical Fiction, and YA Romance

What book should everybody read at least once?
The Count of Monte Cristo. By far the best revenge novel in history.

Are there any books you really don’t enjoy?
Many books are mood items. I don’t deliberately look for Satanic, or Halloween books, but vampires and others are an occasional read.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you?
I hope my obituary will show me surrounded by people who love me, and will say that I made a difference.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?
I was born in Miami, grew up in Montana and Saskatchewan, and now live in Vancouver, BC.

How did you develop your writing?
First, by writing poetry, and then by listening to others tell stories.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
My muse. She brings in the lead characters from my books, and gives me the opportunity to listen, transcribe and elaborate.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?
More and more in today’s world, I have to say marketing. Publishing is going through a Renaissance, where nearly everyone can be published. But very few books get exposed because not everyone is a good marketer. And what works for one author or book may not work for another.

James Crofter was ripped from his family at age 11. 
Within a year the prince was a pauper in a foreign land. 
Is nature stronger than nurture? And even if it is, can James find the happiness he so richly desires? 

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Genre - Historical Fiction, Romance

Rating – PG

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#ReviewShare #Mystery #Romance - Treasure Me (Liberty, #1) @ChristineNolfi

Treasure Me by Christine Nolfi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am the author's 100th book review on Amazon and that is certainly an achievement. This wonderful book leaves you wanting to hop on the next bus to Liberty, if only it were that easy. You have those laugh out loud moments when the characters are fun but you also have the those moments when the characters start to reflect and you connect with them on a stronger, emotional level.

What is particularly striking is the chemistry between the characters. Add to this humor and mystery, you have a definite page turner. Birdie Kaminsky's strengths are not easily seen by the reader and it is easy to dismiss her as a nobody. But as her thoughts come out in the open, Treasure Me teaches the reader an important lesson, don't judge too quickly.

If you like Gemma Halliday and Amanda Quick, you will definitely like Christine Nolfi. She's a charming cross between the two and the Liberty Series has a new fan.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.

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IF I FORGET YOU by Michelle D. Argyle @michelleargyle #YA #NALit #Romance

 

"Beautiful prose, interesting characters, and sizzling romance make this book simply unforgettable. I adored it." -- Kasie West, author of The Distance Between Us

 

"Avery may have a bad memory, but I will never forget this book." -- Natalie Whipple, author of House of Ivy & Sorrow

 

"Achingly sweet and beautiful, If I Forget You stole my romantic reader heart." -- Cassie Mae, bestselling author of Switched

Avery Hollister is a little more than absentminded. She has trouble remembering faces, names, and dates without her piles of lists and Post-it notes. When she heads off to college it takes her a week to realize the guy she's crushing on is, in fact, three different guys. With a faulty memory and three men who have no idea she's mixed them up, Avery doesn't know how to fix the mess she's made. But she knows she has to try, even if it means losing a love not even she could forget.

 

**If I Forget You is considered clean New Adult/Young Adult fiction appropriate for adults and young adults. It contains adult themes and issues.**

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Genre – Contemporary New Adult Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Website http://michelledargyle.com/blog/

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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Website http://www.doramachado.com/

Rising Tide: Dark Innocence #Excerpt by Claudette Melanson @Bella623 #Paranormal #AmReading

And today, of course, the sun was shining miserably on my head, as I quickly headed for the oak-tree shaded bus stop.  In my rush to get out of the house, I’d forgotten to put on my dark sunglasses, but I dug them out of my pack now, twisting around awkwardly as I made my way into the comforting shadows.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Katie Parker coming out of her house across the street.

“Great,” I muttered under my breath.  Placed beside Katie’s blonde, tanned perfection, I looked all the more irregular.  I tried to put on a happy face anyway and be sociable, a definite struggle for me.

“Hi Katie,” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.  I refused to ever say ‘good morning,’ as I hated mornings and saw nothing good about them whatsoever.  I didn’t expect much in the way of a reply.  Katie, annoyingly perky in her cheerleading uniform, was miles away from my end of the social spectrum.  So, I was shocked when she turned her bright blue eyes on me dazzlingly, and spoke to me in a way she never had before this day.

“Hi Maura!”  She was so chipper, it was stifling.  “Beautiful morning isn’t it?”

I wondered briefly what she would say if I shot back:  “Actually, I like the rain,” like I was thinking.  I thought better of it and replied, “Sure is.”

“Aren’t you excited about prom?” she bubbled.

Oh, so that was it.  She was overexcited about prom and probably just needed an outlet for venting all her pent up enthusiasm.  Prom was in a few weeks and no one had asked me, not that I really wanted to go.  The thought of my pale shoulders exposed in some fancy dress made me cringe.  I tugged at the edge of one of my long sleeves unconsciously in response.

CHOSEN AS ONE OF 400 FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF THE AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARD FOR 2014!!!

ARE YOU A FAN OF VAMPIRE ROMANCE?

Rising Tide will sink it’s teeth into you, keeping you awake into the wee hours of the night

Maura’s life just can’t get any worse…or can it?

Isolated and sheltered by her lonely mother, Maura’s never been the best at making friends. Unusually pale with a disease-like aversion to the sun, she seems to drive her classmates away, but why?

Even her own father deserted her, and her mother, before Maura was born. Bizarre physical changes her mother seems hell bent on ignoring, drive Maura to fear for her own life. And her luck just seems to get worse.

Life is about to become even more bewildering when her mother’s abrupt…and unexplained…decision to move a country away sets off a chain of events that will change Maura forever. A cruel prank turned deadly, the discovery of love and friendship….and its loss, as well as a web of her own mother’s lies, become obstacles in Maura’s desperate search for a truth she was never prepared to uncover.

Featured on one of the most popular health blogs on the internet as a giveaway!

Be sure to check out the blog on Maria Mind Body Health to win a free copy today! Go to Mariamindbodyhealth.com and check out the blog Chicken “Wild Rice” Soup for your chance to win!

Offered as a giveaway on Goodreads!

Head over to Goodreads for a chance to score a free copy today!

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Genre – YA Paranormal Romance

Rating – PG

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Website http://claudettemelanson.wix.com/author

Belinda Vasquez Garcia On Writing as a Form of Personal Therapy @MagicProse #Suspense #Romance

Writing for me is always a journey of exploration. As I’m creating the story, I’m waiting with baited breath to see what happens next so writing adds excitement to my life. Laughter is good therapy, and I often laugh at the antics of my characters and some of the doozies that come out of their mouths. I sometimes cry as I’m writing an emotional scene. A good cry now and then is therapeutic and cleanses the emotions. Writing to me is fun and entertaining. I always learn something during my research.

I usually develop a love story in my books to give the novel a heartbeat, and because I am a closet romantic. I confess that I often fall in love with some of my characters, especially the male leads. It was particularly fun to create the love story of Mandy Balboa and the flawed Christopher Michaels in I Will Always Love You.

I often visit Manhattan to see family and love the city. Like everyone else around the country, I was devastated when the terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center. Writing I Will Always Love You a few months after the 9/11 attacks helped me to deal with the tragedy and my feelings. Everything was still fresh in my mind. However, I chose not to publish the book until recently.

I Will Always Love You centers on the love story between the characters. It takes place two weeks after September 11, 2001. Manhattan and the tragedy is merely the setting, a place for two lost souls to come together. The book was a way for me to cope with my feelings, and to honor the victims and Manhattan.

I come from a dysfunctional family. My father was a bigamist and abandoned my family when I was 11. My mother died when I was 16. I found that writing The Bigamist & The Womanizer, Memoirs of My Father provided therapy. As I get time, I am working on a memoir entitled A House of Sticks.

Words come from the heart. Writing about a certain matter helps me deal with a situation. People who visit a therapist talk about issues to help in understanding and dealing with life. Writing can, also, help get bugs out of a person’s system; perhaps not in one take, maybe not forever, but writing can be like a good cry. You feel better about it.

Reading can help accomplish the same thing. Even fiction can be a self-help book.

The last thing Miranda ever expected was to see her brother's ghost at the fallen Twin Towers.

It's bad enough survivor Christopher Michaels scares her with claims that if one dies violently, his ghost will haunt the place that holds his name. And to top it all, one of those thousands of ghosts follows Miranda to her hotel. The only certainty is the ghost grabbing her under the covers is not Jake.

Their parents' deaths separated Miranda from Jake when they were kids. Michaels insists Jake brought them together and it's no coincidence that of thousands mourning at Ground Zero, it's his best friend she bumps into. Some best friend. Michaels is more like a moocher. The cheapskate never has money, just a blood-stained wallet he broods over. Miranda has no choice but to hang out with the weird Michaels in order to unravel her brother's past.

As Miranda spends time with Michaels, she begins to wonder who he really is. Against her better judgment, Miranda becomes emotionally entangled with Michaels, a bitter alcoholic with a secret linked to her brother and that blood-stained wallet.

I Will Always Love You is part mystery, suspense and romance, a novel that will keep the reader turning the pages!

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Genre – Suspense, Mystery, Romance

Rating – PG

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Website http://belindavasquezgarcia.com/

Forty 2 Days (The Billionaire Banker) by @GeorgiaLeCarre #Romance #MustRead #Excerpt

‘‘You taste and smell the same, let’s see if you feel the same,’ he says, and, lifting me slightly off the ground, grasps my thighs and spreads them wide apart.  My shoes fall off with a dull thud.  He returns my bare feet to the ground soundlessly.  His large hands grab my hips and tilt my lower body so it is perfectly aligned with his cockhead.  For a second I feel him tease me by running it along my clit and then he drives into me.

The impact makes me shudder and my breath catch in my throat.  My mouth opens in a soundless cry.  I draw a breath quickly.  Prepare myself for the next swift thrust of pleasure.  It comes before I am ready.  This time I cannot help it, I utter a strange cry, but my muscles are already clenching him and sucking him even deeper into my body.

He sets up a rapid pace.  Every wild plunge into my depths has me jerking in response.  Slowly I am lifted higher and higher until I am standing uncomfortably on the tips of my toes, my hips tilting higher and higher, wanting more and more of the gloriously thick invasion.  My thighs and calf muscles are so tense they start to ache and my heart is beating so fast I feel it thudding like a drum inside my ribcage.  My sex becomes a greedy, hungry mouth sucking at him.

I force myself to hold my body in the same position while he hammers into me until, with one last painful thrust that I register at the base of my womb, he calls my name and finds his climax.  His cum is slick and hot inside me.  For a second his nose nuzzles in the crook of my neck and then he rouses himself and pushes away from me.

I don’t turn to face him, but slowly set my heels down to the ground and push myself away from the wall.  I will gather myself a tiny bit more before I turn again to face his condemnation.  I feel weak, raw, bruised, abused, vulnerable, but…satisfied.  I should have felt shame, but I don’t.  I love this man.

I turn around slowly.

He is dressing quickly.  While buttoning his shirt with his back to me, he says, ‘I will get Laura to send you a morning after pill.’

A stray thought.  A bit late for that, mate.  If he knew.  If he only knew.  I say nothing, suddenly feeling my nakedness.  Soon he will be dressed and I will be the only naked one in the room.  I begin to walk to the bathroom.

‘Wait,’ he orders. I long to cover myself, but I do not.  He cannot humiliate me.  I will not allow it.

When he is fully dressed he turns and looks at my exposed body. It is masked well, but it is still there, the hunger.  Still now.  When he has just been satiated.  So much remains that my eyes widen.  It is the same for me: I want him again.  I am just as helpless to the call of his body.

But he turns away from me.

I watch him go to the side cupboard and pull out a book.  It is covered in leather.  Looks like a journal.  He tosses it on the bed next to me.  ‘This is for you.  I want you to keep a record of everything I do to you.’

‘Why?’ I whisper.

‘For my reading pleasure?’

‘That’s just sick. I’m not doing it,’ I say.

As if I am a life-size doll he picks me up and tosses me on the bed.  I land on my back with a bounce, but I stare up at him defiantly.

He stands over me.  His face is hard and forbidding.  Very gently he touches the necklace.

‘You’re nothing but skin and bone,’ he says, almost to himself.  His hands reach for my ankles and lifting them up he opens my legs into a V.  Turning his head to one side he kisses my right ankle and runs his hot, velvety tongue along my calf.  My breathing quickens.  At my knee he stops and sucks the tender skin at the back of it, and then that cunning tongue licks on to my inner thigh.

‘How much do you want me to taste you?’ he whispers.

As an answer I moan and try to push my sticky legs further apart.

‘No, ask me nicely.’

‘Yes, please,’ I beg.

‘Please what?’ he asks enjoying his dominance and control.  His finger lightly circles my wet opening.

‘Oh God…please, please… Taste me,’ I beg shamelessly.

‘Will you write your journal?’

‘Yes, yes, I will.’

He straightens his arms and holding my trembling legs open wide he looks at my sex, swollen and drenched with both our juices, a glistening treasure.

‘Cunt,’ he dismisses, and letting go of my legs leaves the bedroom.

Beyond the seductive power of immense wealth lies... Dark Secrets

Devastatingly handsome billionaire, Blake Law Barrington was Lana Blooms first and only love. From the moment they touched his power was overwhelming. Their arrangement quickly developed into a passionate romance that captivated her heart and took her on an incredible sexual journey she never wanted to end.

The future together looked bright until Lana made a terrible mistake. So, she did the only thing she could... she ran.

Away from her incredible life, away from the man of her dreams, but she should have known a man such as Blake Law Barrington was impossible to escape. Now, he's back in her life and determined that she should taste the bitterness of his pain.

Shocked at how rough the sex has become and humiliated that she is actually participating so willingly in her punishment, she despairs if she will ever feel the warmth of his touch--the solidity of his trust again? And even if she can win his trust, loyalties are yet to be decided, and secrets to be revealed--secrets that will test them both to their limits.

Will Lana be able to tear down the walls that surround Blake's heart, and break him free of the brutal power of immense wealth?

Can Blake hold on to Lana's heart when she discovers the enormity of the dark secrets that inhabit the Barrington family?

Lana has always believed that love conquers all. She is about to test that belief...

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Genre – Erotic Romance

Rating – PG-18

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#ReviewShare #Romance #MustRead - The Impossible Wish by Christine Nolfi @ChristineNolfi

The Impossible Wish by Christine Nolfi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a novel that takes on the hard topic of the relationships we have with people around us. When our past catches up with us, do we run because the new people in our life wouldn't understand or do we stay because we are assured of their trust and faith in us?

Birdie is a hoot. A wholesome, realistic character whom I'm sure the author has spent endless hours in making sure every reader will be able to take away a little bit of Birdie. Each of the characters are also very much alive on every single page of The Impossible Wish.

The author's writing is filled with charming details of setting, emotion, color and life. The plot is well-thought out and detailed. Any reader with a heart is capable of becoming emotionally invested in the story, plot and characters.

If I had to pick one negative thing about the book, there were minor sections where it felt as if the author was repeating herself. Even if she used different words, the same idea was being driven into the reader's head when once was enough. Otherwise, this was a well-written, believable story that is also heartwarming and deep.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


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Lauren Linwood on #Writing & A Game of Chance @laurenlinwood #Romance #TBR

*Can you share a little of your current work with us? A Game of Chance is a western with a twist. It doesn’t have any cowboys in it. It doesn’t take place on the Great Plains. Instead, it’s set in the very cosmopolitan city of San Francisco, which rivaled large European cities of the time. It’s the story of twins separated at birth, with the father taking the boy that was born and leaving the mother to die. After he leaves, she gives birth to a second boy before her death. Many years later, these twins will come across each other in California. The novel revolves around mistaken identity.

*Can you tell us about your main character? My hero Jed was raised by a midwife after his mother died in labor, but what he doesn’t know is that a baby was born just minutes before him and taken away by his father. He’s a Civil War veteran and now a gambler who’s made his way to San Francisco, a very cosmopolitan city back in 1870. My heroine Lily is the daughter of the most famous whorehouse owner in the city, and she’s been kept isolated away from that life, first with a governess and then attending boarding school back east.

*How do you feel about self-publishing? I’m not interested in it at this time. I’m happy that it’s opened up avenues for many writers to get their work out to the public, but I’m happy that my publishing house (Soul Mate Publishing) handles things for me such as editing, formatting, and cover design. That way I have more time to concentrate on the writing part. Those in self-publishing have to divide their time more between those activities.

*Do you find the time to read? I will always make time to read. Reading takes me to new places. I have adventures. I learn. I laugh. I cry. It challenges me. Informs me. Guides me. There will always be a place in my life for reading.

*Who do you admire? First responders and those who serve in our nation’s military. I believe those are the most noble calling.

*What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? It’s by Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher—“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” This quote really speaks to my heart. As a writer, I could be overwhelmed thinking about producing an entire novel, but something like that doesn’t happen overnight. Every book ever written started with that first word, then first sentence, then first paragraph. Alone, those few words don’t seem like very much, but together, putting paragraph after paragraph, chapter after chapter, taking your time crafting plot and characters—it all adds up to a wonderful whole. Breaking down any difficult task in life into smaller, more manageable steps is the best way to accomplish your goals.

*What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? My daughter is, and always will be, mine and my husband’s greatest accomplishment. She’s creative, passionate, nurturing, intelligent, humorous, and caring. To see I had a small hand in the person she’s become is simply breathtaking.

*What genre are you most comfortable writing? Right now, I’ve only written romances. That’s a very comfortable fit for me. Someday I would like to stretch and try other genres, though.

*Who or what influenced your writing once you began? Stephen King is a master at creating believable characters, and I try to do the same. Romance novelists such as Amanda Quick, Karen Robards, and Mary Jo Putney inspired me with their stories and characters, as well.

*Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it? I had to research a lot about poker! My hero Jed is a gambler, and he’s very good at what he does. I learned about all kinds of poker hands. Now would I make a great poker player? Probably not. My face is an open book and would probably advertise what I held in my hand.

*What is your greatest strength as a writer? I think my stick-to-it-ness is my strongest quality as a writer. I’ve stayed with writing for a long time and no matter how down I got or what the odds were, I kept persevering. I knew one day that stubbornness would pay off!

*Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? I have experienced writer’s block and have found the best thing to do is simply walk away. Close the file on the computer and don’t come back to it for a long time. Start a new project with new characters. Eventually, ideas for the problem begin to formulate, and inspiration can come in mysterious ways.

*How did you come up with the title? Since it’s about a gambler, I thought A Game of Chance was an appropriate title. The hero takes lots of chances throughout the novel, and his best bet winds up being one about love.

Lily Frontiere returns from a costly European trip to find her mother has accumulated large gambling debts. Things grow worse as her mother’s health deteriorates and she can no longer run Lucky Lil’s, the most famous whorehouse in San Francisco. Though Lilian shielded her only child from house life by sending her away to boarding school, Lily takes over and poses as Madam Lil. Her intelligence and astonishing resemblance to her mother help, but she’s entering a world she knows little about. Lily tries to extract the house from impending financial ruin until a handsome stranger turns up with the deed to Lucky Lil’s in hand.

Gambler Jed Stone journeys to California to track down Simon Morgan, the man responsible for his best friend’s death. Arrested for robbery and murder upon arrival, he is shocked to see his face on a wanted poster. Jed escapes before his hanging, unaware that the man guilty of those crimes is the twin brother he never knew existed. In a case of mistaken identity, Jed acquires Lucky Lil’s in a rigged card game his twin is meant to win. Jed asks Madam Lil to stay on as he learns the business. 

Lily clashes with the new owner over ways to make the establishment profitable, yet she is attracted to the charming risk taker at the same time. Jed is fooled by Lily’s charade until he stumbles upon the real Madam Lil and learns the truth behind Lily’s deception. His admiration for Lily blossoms into love. But Simon Morgan seeks both Lily’s hand and ownership of Lucky Lil’s—and he will go to any means to possess both. Will Jed foil his nemesis while bringing his outlaw brother to justice? 

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Genre - Western Historical Romance

Rating – PG

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Connect with Lauren Linwood on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.laurenlinwood.com/

#Free Colorworld by Rachel E. Kelly @colorworldbooks #Romance #Kindle

Wen knows what love looks like. Since her mom died over a year ago, she’s seen it every day on her orphaned younger brother’s face. Wen’s made good on her promise to her mom that she’d take care of Ezra, even quitting her carefree party-girl ways to become a hard-working college student so she can provide for him. 

Wen knows what love feels like, too. Because when she touches people, she feels what they do. "Uniquely perceptive" is what her mom called it, and Wen’s not going to argue; she doesn’t know any different. 

But an energy therapy study changes not only what Wen knows about her unusual gift; it also changes her. Now, instead of feeling emotions, her touch brings death to others. No one is safe around her, especially Ezra. 

Wen turns to energy healers for help. And that’s where she meets him: Mr. Tenacious and Audacious, Gabe Dumas. He knows about love, too; he speaks it in ways Wen has never experienced. And he’s never even touched her. 

With her heart unravelling, Wen discovers a world only she can see. It may offer hope for her condition… or it may be better left hidden. 

*Intended for 16 and up

Amazon Kindle US

Rating – PG13

Genre – Romance / Sci-Fi

4.6 (19 reviews)

Free until 15 January 2014

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.

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Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Rating – PG-18

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Website http://www.doramachado.com/