Authors After Dark Paranormal Weekend is coming!

Saturday Book News

Author name: Annette Snyder
Publisher name: Whiskey Creek Press 
Buy link: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=139&zenid=ada9feb8ae1f9dd148318a9498969ea6
Your link/Publisher Link:  http://annettesnyder.atspace.com www.whiskeycreekpress.com
Blurb:

Bradie Carpenter holds dear only memories of love lost. Armed with determination after Grant Blain’s tragic death, Bradie moves forward in life with their son. Without the exclusive Blain family name or the advantage of the family fortune and, diligent to overcome the obstacles of single parenthood, she sets a goal of a better life in the picturesque town of Union.

Andrew “Amen” Packard married too young with an unrealistic view of the future. After a turbulent divorce stemming from pressure of his firefighter career, Amen chooses his heated profession over affection for wife, family and friends.  Not until he meets Bradie does he rethink his decision to exclude love from his life.

Can Bradie discover that money doesn’t always extinguish love?

Will Amen allow a ready-made family near enough to bash towering walls of seclusion?

Is friendship and attraction enough to heal the lives of two souls charred from fate? 

Excerpt:

Bradie stretched on the bed and pulled the blankets over her head. She didn’t have to get up early. Why didn’t Grant consider that when he flicked on the bathroom light?

She heard his morning bathroom noises and initially growled because of the interruption to her sleep, then laughed aloud at the comedy of them. First, a wrestle with the tin medicine cabinet, then a loud bang of the plastic toilet seat, followed by the roaring, watery flush. It wasn’t hard for him to adjust to life in a rundown trailer house after growing up in a luxurious, twenty-room mansion with marble floors and golden fixtures, and that surprised her. Even after leaving outrageous wealth so they could share life together, he was still optimistic. Grant still found enough happiness to wake at six in the morning and get ready for his meager paying job. He still found enough happiness in his life to belt out words to historic show tunes with a mouth full of toothpaste.

As she lay in bed, Bradie giggled.

“You know I used to sing in the school choir.” Grant’s laughter echoed from the bathroom. He spit, conquered the few steps and flung himself on the bed. The metal springs rattled and squeaked as he landed.

She buried her head farther and talked from under the blankets. “With toothpaste in your mouth?” she questioned, her voice muffled.

“It was quite the draw. My fans came from miles to watch me perform.” His overdramatic, singsong reply came as he dug to find her under the covers.

“I’m sure they did.” Bradie chuckled as she fought herself into a blanketed cocoon so he couldn’t reach.

“They…” he began as he struggled to find a way in and reached to touch her warm, bare skin, “…did.” He kissed her.

As thanks to Diana for hosting me today, and in honor of the release of my newest work, Intimate Flames,  I’m offering a great July prize to all participants on this blog.  With your comment, you have a chance to win an autographed copy of Intimate Flames, the  perfect summer afternoon read, a bottle of sunscreen to ward off those harmful rays while you bask in the sun and a cool book tote to store all your picnic or beach supplies.   Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

 

Thursday Book Review

 

There's something about almost dying that makes a girl rethink her priorities. Take Nicki Styx—she was strictly goth and vintage, until a brush with the afterlife leaves her with the ability to see dead people. Before you can say boo, Atlanta's ghosts are knocking at Nicki's door. Now her days consist of reluctantly cleaning up messes left by the dearly departed, leading ghouls to the Light . . . and one-on-one anatomy lessons with Dr. Joe Bascombe, the dreamy surgeon who saved her life. All this catering to the deceased is a real drag, especially for a girl who'd rather be playing hanky-panky with her hunky new boyfriend . . . who's beginning to think she's totally nuts.

But things get even more complicated when a friend foolishly sells her soul to the devil, and Nicki's new gift lands her in some deep voodoo. As it turns out for Nicki Styx, death was just the beginning.

~~~

Dead Girls Are Easy is the first of the Nicki Styx books. A girl, who after a NDE (near death experience), begins to have visits from the afterlife. It's a very intriguing storyline and theme for the books--black magic and voodoo. I'm torn between gushing over the really awesome parts--the details involved in creating the voodoo tangents, the friendship between Nicki and Evan, and her own personality, to the lackluster romance between her and Joe, and the overall creepiness of the voodoo. I wish I felt that the romance had been integral to the story, but it wasn't. This is a great paranormal but don't expect to be blown away by sparks, or fireworks. The relationship aspect seemed too laid back, too back seat. I understand with series books with the same character, it requires pacing, so maybe it was my interpretation. However, if you have an interest in the black arts, are familiar with Atlanta (I'm not), or enjoy a spunky young girl with a new talent (I did) then I'd recommend checking out Dead Girls Are Easy.

This Week: In Diana's Head

 

This week, it's updates for Authors After Dark. More nonsense next week. I promise.

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE HOTEL'S NEW IMPOSED CAPPING, WE HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 1ST TO GET REGISTRATIONS IN FOR THE PRICE OF 160$. FROM AUG 1ST-SEPT 1ST THE PRICE WILL BE 175$ TO COVER THE COST OF LATE ADDED MEALS. WE ARE SORRY FOR THIS, BUT ITS THE HOTEL'S NEW POLICY. PLEASE GET YOUR REGISTRATIONS IN NOW AND PAID BY AUGUST 1ST TO GET THE ORIGINAL RATE!

Date: October 23-25 2009
Place: Holiday Inn, Suffern NY (40 mins outside NYC, 2.5 hours from Philly, 4 hours from Boston MA)
Price: registration is $160 and includes 4 full meals, a cocktail hour, two parties, events, mini events and workshops.

Workshops and events:

Events:
Genre Panels:
Wake up with a Vampire
Faerie Tales (Dragons, Fey and Knights)
Dirty Demons
Shifters Unleashed
Ghosts and the Dead
Witches: Earth Air Fire Water

Mini events: Mermaids and Myth with Judi Fennell and Joey W. Hill
To Love is Divine: Authors of the Loves Immortal Pantheon series
(More being set up as we speak)

Welcome cocktail hour
Candy Shop Mixer and Make your own sundae bar
Masquerade dinner and ball (prizes for costumes)
Book signing Saturday
Publisher Expo Sunday
How to Sunday

Charity Raffle of author baskets to benefit the ACN and local no kill shelter PETS ALIVE!
Baskets from(so far):

Jacquelyn Frank
Bianca D'Arc
Rev. Amy Blackthorn
Stella and Audra Price
Tease Publishing
Mechele Armstrong
Diana Castilleja
Vivi Anna
Sierra DaFoe
Eliza Gayle
Pretty- Scary
Karen Chance
Rosemary Laurey
Georgia Evans
Madeline Oh
Cherry Adair
Joey W. Hill
Mima
Leigh Ellwood
Jory Strong
Nancy Haddock
Chloe Neill
Melina Morel
Stephanie Julian
Judi Fennell
Mark Henry
G.A.Aiken
Shelly Laurentson
Donna Grant
Robin T Popp
Jenna Maclaine

Check the website for full details on everything!
http://www.authorsafterdark.net

Accommodations: $100 a night, double occupancy (So $50 a piece per night)

Registration deadline: August 1st (If you have extenuating circumstances and wish to come, please contact us at registration@authorsafterdark.net)

Website: http://www.authorsafterdark.net

What to expect: Fun, goodies and a lot of fantastic authors. Check the website for the events going on.

AUTHORS ATTENDING:(Final list will be posted on website Sept.15th 2009)
Jacquelyn Frank
Sunny
Joey W. Hill
Stella and Audra Price
Bianca D'Arc
Rosemary Laurey
Jennifer Armintrout
Madeline Oh
Georgia Evans
Mechele Armstrong
Samantha Sommersby
Cat Johnson
Eliza Gayle
Diana Castilleja
Leigh Ellwood
Tilly Greene
Selena Illyria
Adra Steia
Stephanie Julian
Judi Fennell
Kayleigh Jamison
Donna Grant
Robin T. Popp
Linda Mooney
Mima

Questions?: registration@authorsfaterdark.net

Saturday Book News

 

Aiza Clan Shifter Series Combo

TRUSTING DELILAH

Roman Aiza is the second born son of the Aiza clan. He also owns and operates a private security company and has an ongoing contract with one of Florida's most influential residents. He is patrolling at a party when he encounters a woman who will haunt him. A woman who at their first meeting, manages to walk right out of his hands when he follows her for trespassing. She manages to do this without giving Roman a single reason why she is in the depths of the house he is protecting. When he does finally locate her days later, his goal is to prove that his instincts are wrong. She is not the woman that all of his senses are clamoring for.
Yet when the daughter of Roman's largest and closest account is kidnapped and held for ransom, will they be able to build a trust between them? Or will their own secrets keep them apart?

Buy it now!
Available in print here!
Read the first chapter here!

Trusting Delilah kept my attention from first word to last. This is a story that grabs all the emotions and the senses.

Judith Rochelle, Author of Cutter's Law and Redemption.

Excerpt:

He captured her gaze again, his scowl deepening on his darkly glowering face. "I will repeat this only once more: Who are you?"
She met his stare head on, and for the first time, allowed herself to acknowledge the shiver sliding down her back. This man did not like being thwarted. She relented, to a degree. "Believe me, I'm not worth knowing," she told him with a careless toss of her shoulder. She leaned against her desk in a more casual way, crossing her arms, prepared for his next attack.
He stepped back, his expression slackened by her answer. "Not worth knowing?" His tone was no less stunned than the shocked light in his dark eyes.
"That is what I believe I said, so if you'll excuse me," she said, trying to move away from the desk but he stepped up again and blocked her escape. She rolled her eyes. Great! Now she was a stinking challenge. She really didn't need this. She didn't have the time for it.
"Let me get this straight. You were at the party for a confidential purpose, can shoot better than anyone I've ever met, you're a black belt in God only knows what, and you won't even tell me your name?"
"I also speak four languages. Fluently," she offered as a last dig. "And no."
"Trade me," he whispered in a husky tone. He'd somehow inched close enough to block her vision of the rest of the office from around his solid body. Her gaze flicked from side to side, but all she found was shoulders that filled her vision.
Her breathing hitched. "What?" She searched his handsome angular face directly in front of her.
He had moved in, towering over her, but for some reason her brain wasn't picking up the right commands. His arms braced her again, but the threat of violence was gone. Now she felt captured. His dark brooding eyes were hooded. She bit her lower lip, fighting to keep the trembling at bay.
His hot breath whispered over her skin as he leaned toward her. "Trade me. Meet me for dinner. I'll tell you mine in good faith. You can tell me yours at dinner."
She fought the heat that pooled in her belly at his whispered caress. She'd tasted desire, but had never allowed herself the freedom to experience it. The risks were too high, even as tempting as he was. She focused on his features, knowing what she had to do.
"I've already given you a name," she admitted, putting up her last wall. There was no way she was letting him get anything else out of her. He on the other hand, had ensured she would know everything there was to know about him by the end of the day.
"What's that?" he asked, his lips just a breath from her neck. Tingles shot down her spine again, and created a wave of awareness that made her heart trip for a new reason.
Silently she made another apology for what she was about to say, but he was way too close and way too stimulating. In a way she couldn't afford to become entangled in, not in anything that even remotely looked personal. "Son of Frankenstein."

 

A TRUST EARNED

Selene Aiza is a very compassionate woman by nature, and fiercely protective of those she cares for. A renowned doctor with gentle patient skills, she prefers the wild country of western Oregon and the secluded hospital where she can help the people who truly need her assistance. And in the depths of those wooded wilds she can keep her secrets well hidden.
She is safe until the man she encounters by pure chance becomes the hospital's first choice as co-administrator. Her secrets and her very life fall into jeopardy, and only he can save her. He could also destroy her.
"...this one is a must."
Fennel, LASR
Buy it now!
Available in print here!
Read the first chapter here!

EXCERPT:
It was at that moment he knew she wasn’t ill, with her chest rising and falling with ragged gasps.
Her breath was a hot brand against the hand holding her chin. “Bram,” she whispered, a plea of
confusion.
“Selene,” he said, lingering as he stood before her. His head tilted to hers before he realized he
couldn’t stop himself. She gasped as he made contact, a seductive heat that filled him, made him
hungry in a way he had never imagined when his mouth covered hers.
He stepped back in a rush, dropping his hands as if he’d burned himself. Maybe he had. “Oh, God!
I’m sorry,” he gasped. He shook from the power of the kiss, of her lips as they melted against him.
Her eyes flashed at him and she snaked a hand to wrap around his head. “I’m not,” she whispered,
pulling him back down.
She controlled the kiss, the heat, the hunger. It was all Selene as his hands settled at her waist,
holding himself steady. His heart beat with a trip-hammer intensity against his rib cage as she urged
him on. She moaned softly when he pressed himself against her body, the shape of her form filling
him the way her kiss was filling his senses.
She shuddered in his hold when he flicked out his tongue, touching the edge of her soft mouth.
Her reaction shot through him like a liquid fire. He became consumed by her kiss, her touch. He
became lost in her as he took the kiss over from her, feeding off of her. She moaned again, deeper, a
vibration that heated his blood to boiling.
He forced himself to stop, to lift his head. Or he would make love to her.

The King of Pop...

RIP MJ.

1958-2009

BlogTalkRadio interview