Cate Beauman’s newest release is available now through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Visit www.catebeauman.com for more information and to read excerpts from her best selling series The Bodyguards of L.A. County.

 Death threats and a broken heart…

First grade teacher and single mother Alexa Harris is no stranger to struggle, but for once, things are looking up. The school year is over and the lazy days of summer are here. Mini-vacations and relaxing twilight barbeques are on the horizon until Alexa’s free-spirited younger sister vanishes.

Ransom calls and death threats force Alexa and her young daughter to flee their quiet home in Maryland. With nowhere else to turn, Alexa seeks the help of Jackson Matthews, Ethan Cooke Security’s Risk Assessment Specialist and the man who broke her heart.

With few leads to follow and Abby’s case going cold, Alexa must confess a shocking secret if she and Jackson have any hope of saving her sister from a hell neither could have imagined.

The Unofficial Forever Alexa Soundtrack

Music is a huge part of my writing process. I typically listen to Pandora or YouTube and compile a collection of songs that I feel represent my characters or the situations they face as the novel unfolds. It’s a rare occasion that my creativity demands quiet (And that’s a good thing. I’m a mother of two boys. Quiet doesn’t happen in my house.). Here are a few of the songs that ‘spoke’ to me while I created Jackson and Alexa’s story!

The soundtrack, of sorts, for Forever Alexa:

• All I Ever Wanted by Brian Melo
• Beautiful Words by The Afters
• By Your Side by Lifehouse
• Chances Are by Five For Fighting
• I Still by Backstreet Boys
• Let Me Love You by Ne-Yo
• Inconsolable by Backstreet Boys
• Breathe Me by Sia
• The Mess I Made by Parachute
• All This Time by One Republic

Read an excerpt from Forever Alexa:

Alexa stared out the living room window, watching the sun hover closer to the mountains in the distance. The deep country dark would soon surround her house. The dread of another long, sleepless night tightened the muscles of her shoulders and jaw until they ached. She eyed the Louisville Slugger, now leaning against the side table, as she listened to Olivia’s happy chatter filling the small space. Livy and her dolls were enjoying the tiny glass teapot Alexa had filled with milk, the apple she had quartered, and the graham crackers she set out for an impromptu after-dinner tea party.

“Mommy, come play with us. You can sit by Lucy.”

Alexa turned and gave Livy what smile she could. “Maybe in a little while, sweetie.”

“The graham cracker is very yummy.” Livy held up the golden half of cookie, dangling it like a token bribe, before she took a big bite.

“It looks wonderful, but I have more work to do on the computer.”

Livy turned back to her life-sized baby doll and bit Lucy’s cracker too as the party began again.

Alexa desperately wanted to join in on the fun but couldn’t. There wasn’t time. She had just over twenty-four hours to collect an unattainable amount of money. Sighing, she twisted the blind closed and turned away from the window, wishing the media vans were still parked along the dirt road out front. At least someone would’ve been close by while she waited for daylight again. The fifteen-car pile up on I-81 North sent the reporters and their news crews scattering several hours before. The knocks at the door had ceased. Abby’s disappearance had already been forgotten, and she had no choice but to keep it that way.

Alexa glanced at Livy before she sat down to the laptop she’d left on the coffee table. She’d spent the last two hours researching ransom and hostage situations while dodging non-stop phone calls from concerned friends, co-workers, and of course the press. She’d let the answering machine pick them up until the message box was full. She couldn’t deal with the questions.

She stared at the article she’d read before she had to put the computer down and walk away. The information had been so troubling, so depressing, she’d had to stop. The odds of Abby coming home were dwindling with every minute passing. Mr. Macabee had been correct; if she could get the money and pay the ransom, the kidnappers were likely to demand more and kill her sister anyway.

Alexa closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers against the throb in the center of her forehead. What was she going to do? The media wasn’t an option. The police weren’t either. So where did that leave her? She glanced at Livy again, wiggled her mouse, and typed Evan Cooke Security, LA into her search engine.

Hits for Ethan Cooke Security popped up instead. She followed the link to the website and studied the company’s bold red and black insignia. World renowned security firm, offering the best in close protection. Alexa clicked the mouse again and her heart stuttered.

Jack.

There he was among several other well-muscled men in the professional group photo. She moved her finger to his handsome face and traced it as she clutched the charm dangling from her necklace.

“Excuse me. Can you help me?”

     Alexa glanced up from the books she was checking back in to the college library computer system and lost her breath as she stared into fantastic blue eyes. “What can I do for you?”

     “I have a ten-page paper due for one of my criminal justice classes in—” he glanced at his watch, “less than twelve hours.”

     She measured his charming smile and ball t-shirt stretched over broad shoulders and mounds of biceps. Her smile dimmed—another dumb jock. Why were the cute ones always a disappointment? She knew her eyes chilled as she answered. “Sounds like a personal problem. The Criminal Justice section is along that wall.” She pointed across the room.

     At ease and clearly unaffected by her scolding tone, he edged himself along the enormous desk. “So, do you practice that disapproving librarian look in the mirror?”

      She refused to give in to her smile. “I might.”

     “You’re too young to have that mastered. What are you, a freshman? I’ve never seen you before.”

     “I’m a sophomore, and I imagine you haven’t. I spend a lot of time in the library.” But she’d seen him—Jackson Matthews, junior, football star, frat boy, Mr. Popular with the ladies. Definitely not her type. Not that she actually had a type, because she’d never been on a date. Her grades were too important. Her scholarships were vital.

     He grinned. “I believe I was just insulted.”

     She smiled this time and shrugged. “Maybe.”

    “You’ve gone and hurt my feelings, and I don’t even know your name.”

     “Alexa.”

     “Alex,” he held out his hand. “Jackson Matthews.”

     Her brow shot up as she stared at him. “I know who you are. And it’s Alexa.”

     He stood and glanced at his watch again. “I guess I should get to work. Maybe I’ll see you around some time, Alex.” He flashed her another heart-stopping grin and walked toward the stacks she’d pointed out.

      She let out a long, shuddering sigh and looked down quickly when he glimpsed over his shoulder and smiled.

      The flip-top phone rang, startling Alexa out of her memories. She jumped and caught the laptop just before it crashed to the floor. Licking her lips, she set the computer on the coffee table and picked up the phone. “Hello? Abby?”

“Wrong again, Sister Alexa,” the familiar mechanical voice said.

Her stomach clenched with dread. “What—”

“I said no press.”

“I didn’t talk to them. I swear I didn’t. They followed me. Please don’t hurt her. Please don’t hurt Abby.”

“I saw you on the news, Sister Alexa. Grocery shopping. You look just like her. I had no idea we could’ve gotten two for the price of one.”

She rushed to her feet, grabbed the heavy wooden baseball bat with a trembling hand, and hurried to the entryway to check the lock as her heart rate soared.

“You broke our deal. I’m docking you six hours. You’re down to twenty. Tick tock.”

“No, I didn’t—”

“Twenty hours or we take Olivia next.” The line went dead.

Alexa gasped for breath as a terror like she’d never known constricted her chest. Not Livy. Not her Livy. She collapsed on the bottom stair in the landing, listening to her daughter’s sweet voice as she continued to play in the next room, oblivious to the danger and turmoil destroying their lives.

Alexa struggled to her feet as her body racked with uncontrollable shudders and tears rushed down her cheeks. They had to go; they had to get out of here. She shoved the heavy bench in front of the door as she had last night and dashed up the steps, yanking a suitcase from the small walk-in storage space. She rushed into Livy’s room and pulled clothes from drawers and the closet at random, then hurried into her own room and did the same. She headed for the bathroom next, scooping toothbrushes and toothpaste into the travel bag she had yet to fully unpack from their trip to Virginia Beach.

Alexa started back downstairs but stopped when Gordon, the mournful-looking stuffed frog Livy had slept with every day since her birth, caught her eye. She snatched the melancholy creature off the bed and bolted down the stairs with the cumbersome luggage, setting it by the door. “Livy, we have to go somewhere, sweetie,” she struggled to say, still fighting for each breath as adrenaline coursed through her veins.

Livy looked up from her spot at her small pink table. She was dressed in the princess costume Abby had made her for Christmas. “I’m having a party, Mommy.”

“I know, honey. I’m sorry, but we really have to go right now.” She flipped her laptop closed, dropped it into its case, and grabbed her purse. Next she took several of Livy’s books and shoved them into a small canvas bag. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Livy’s bottom lip turned down and her eyes filled with tears. “Lucy wants to eat her apples. I want to play tea party.”

“Later, honey.” Alexa glanced out at the darkening sky through the edge of the blind. She wanted them long gone from their isolated home. “You can bring your princess dress with you.”

Livy’s eyes brightened. “Okay.”

She held out her hand. “Let’s go.”

Two hours later, Alexa clutched Olivia’s hand as they walked through Baltimore-Washington International, rolling the suitcase and booster seat behind them. She glanced around as they made their way to the ticket counter, fearful Abby’s kidnappers were somewhere close, watching for the perfect opportunity to snatch her daughter away.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” The pretty blonde smiled from behind her computer.

Alexa peered behind her, spotting the two men dressed in black pants and short-sleeved tops standing by the enormous panes of glass, staring in her direction. She picked up Olivia and clutched her tight. Were they here for Livy? “Yes. I need to buy two tickets.”

“And your destination, ma’am?”

What was her destination? She hadn’t thought that far. Her only instinct had been to flee. There was nowhere to go and no one to pick her up on the other end. She and Abby had always had each other, but now she was on her own. She moved her free hand to her necklace and rested her palm against the triangular charm. “LA,” she said in a rush. “Two tickets to Los Angeles, please.”

“We have a couple of open seats on a redeye leaving in an hour.”

She glanced over her shoulder. The men were gone, but that didn’t mean Livy was safe. “Okay, we’ll take them.”

The agent told her her total, and she tried not to wince. This was going to eat into her already strained budget, but what choice did she have? Money meant nothing with Livy’s life in danger. She pulled her credit card free and her heart ripped in two. To save her daughter, she was leaving Maryland and her sister behind.

Did you enjoy the excerpt?  You can read the first three chapters on my website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book here!

About the author:

Cate currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernard, Bear. She is the author of the best selling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County.  Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.

“I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, two years later, I’m working on my fifth novel and I’m an Amazon best selling author.  I’m very grateful for the support and success I have had.  – Cate “

Contact Cate: Amazon Author Page / Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home.  During her career in journalism — as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers – she won awards for producing investigative series.

Her mystery Edited for Death, called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review is available in paperback at Amazon and B&N and on audio at ACX. She’s working on the second book in the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Labeled for Death, out in spring 2013. Her paranormal romance series, SNAP: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, is available in ebook and paperback at Amazon.  The first two books, SNAP: The World Unfolds, and SNAP: New Talent, received 4 stars from PRG.  The third, fourth and fifth books, Plague: A Love Story, Danube: A Tale of Murder  and SNAP: Love for Blood rated 5 stars. The first four books are available in a boxed set at Amazon, B&N and Kobo. She’s writing SNAP: Happily Ever After? for release in summer 2013 and a seventh book in late fall 2013.

How did you come up with the title?

The SNAP name and concept was developed with my daughter. I knew I wanted the series to be about a regular who takes a job at the world’s preeminent celebrity gossip magazine. We though of and rejected several names for the conglomerate, then she said, “SNAP! It can be instant and also what a paparazzi does, snaps pictures.”

What inspired you to write this book?

I was kind of pushed into this series by my daughter and her husband. I’d written and published my first mystery when he said, “Why don’t you write a vampire book” (he reads paranormal and sci-fi by the bushel basket). I said I didn’t know anything about vampires. He said “Go into any chain bookstore and see how big the mystery section is. Then check out the vampires.”

What is your writing process?

I’m pretty much of a pantser, I start on page one, chapter one and write until the end. What that really means is that I know where the destination is but my characters may take a lot of detours getting there. I give them a lot of leeway as long as they’re moving the story arc along. Occasionally, one of them will veer too far off the track, then that scene or scenes will have to be deleted or rewritten, but overall I love it when they develop the scenes themselves.

How long did it take to write your latest release?

Because this is part of a series, I know most of the story that will be told, so this book was written in three months.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I do belong to a critique group. We’ve become very close; open and honest in critiquing each other’s work. We each want to succeed and are now trusting other’s comments as ways to get to our goals. Although we began as a group from Sisters in Crime (we all write mysteries) we’re comfortable enough to bring other genres to the group.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

I did, without much success.  My first book, a mystery titled “Edited for Death” was actually published by a small press, but the SNAP series have all been indie published through Amazon.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?

I think first was the ease! Amazon makes it clear what steps to take. Then there is the control.  I decide what the blurb will be. I can decide to put it in Select, I can decide what day/days to offer free downloads, I can set the price, I can unpublish if I need to make changes. And then there’s the sales and payment options. I can see day-by-day what books are selling and I know that I’ll get a check for those sales in sixty days.

How have sales been? Where have you had the most success?

Sales have been slow because I’m still unknown. I published my first book on Amazon less that 18 months ago, but now I have six titles and sales are gradually picking up. I’ve had the most success from Amazon and each of the books have been in the Select program. I picked up some active fans after SNAP: The world Unfolds was free in September 2012.  I think I had about 15,000 downloads from that promotion.

How are readers/reviewers reacting to your book?

I feel a little like a foreign film that won an award at the Venice Film Festival. Well-reviewed but only playing in three art houses. Not everyone has liked by books, but overall the reception has been wonderful! I have a small but active fan club and sites like the Paranormal Romance Guild are giving my books 5-star reviews

What’s next for you? / What is your next project?

My next project (really current) is to finish the second book in the Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries, “Labeled for Death”.  I’ve written the first few chapters and want to get it finished by early spring.  Then I’m writing the next Kandesky Vampire Chronicle, “SNAP: Happily Ever After?” for late summer and another SNAP book, not yet titled, by the end of 2013.  My schedule is to write at least three book a year, and I have some ideas for a stand-alone mystery and a sci-fi thiller.

Connect with Michele: Website / Facebook / Twitter

That man is my husband, and the water symbolizes the pent-up demand for a dog.

I grew up with dogs. The first dog in my life was Twinkle, a female Pomeranian, who spent most of her life stuck to my side. She lived with family friends when I went abroad to study in the U.S., and then I reclaimed her when I returned (much to the dismay of the daughter of the family who had grown up believing Twinkle was hers. The girl’s first word was “woof.”) Twinkle passed away at the age of 12. Her death left a big hole in my life. She had filled so much of my space and time, and it was odd without her there. I no longer had to look down before setting my feet on the ground for fear of stepping on her tiny paws.

A few months after Twinkle passed away, I adopted Munchkin, a male Pomeranian. All he shared with Twinkle was a common breed; personality-wise, they were poles apart. Twinkle was afraid of strangers and attached herself to me. Munchkin blithely ignored me and went off making mischief whenever he could. Munchkin is now 12 years old and lives with my sister and her family in Singapore.

When I married my husband ten years ago, he made it quite clear that he didn’t want pets. He had grown up with a cat who had to be given away because its fur aggravated his childhood asthma. I think he was done with pets after that, not because he didn’t love them but because he didn’t want to lose them.

So, for ten years, we lived without pets (not counting the two kids, of course, and the occasional fish that has come through our lives.)

My father-in-law called last week and asked us what he could give my younger son for a birthday present that would be memorable. My husband knew the answer, of course. A puppy. We talked about it for a long time. We’d toyed around with the idea of getting a guard dog for the home as well, and finally, we agreed to take a scouting trip to the Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Wellington.

My children fell in love with a Golden Retriever / Labrador Retriever / shepherd mix puppy (~6 weeks old). If you know anything about dogs, then you probably know that the mutt is the worst possible choice for a guard dog. The retriever breeds are so friendly that they’re more likely to escort a robber around the house, flashlight in its mouth, than bark at a stranger.

So…we stopped to contemplate a beautiful pair of sisters–Doberman mixes, about 11 months old. We loved the fact that they were calm and relaxed in spite of the barking dogs all around them in the shelter. And then, we saw the other side of them. The sisters were released into a fenced-in field, and went for each other, play fighting, sharp teeth flashing. At that point, they went from beautiful to downright gorgeous.

I asked my husband, “Two or three?”

I swear, he did it to himself. He suggested the puppy. He suggested looking at the Doberman mixes. All I did was push him over the edge.

We left the rescue that day the proud owners of three dogs. The Doberman mixes, Yin and Yang, are now home with us, and the puppy, Brussel Sprouts (his entire litter was named after vegetables), comes back in 2 weeks.

So, why I am telling you this on my writing blog? Because you should expect to see dogs show up in my stories, as well as in the intermittent blog post. Life, which was always awesome, just got better.

Tell us a little about your book.

It’s sci fi in that it’s futuristic and technological, but there’s a lot of nature and wildlife and wilderness. It’s character-driven, and most of the characters are women seeking connection and relationship. It’s dystopian but not post-apocalyptic. Much of the story takes place in rural Kansas. You can’t be in Kansas without talking about religion, so there are some Jehovah’s Witnesses, and pagans as well. Also, there is no battle between good and evil, and no villain to vanquish. It has political themes, but I don’t think it could be pegged as either leftist or right. It sprawls all over the place. And there are songs, some old hymns, pop music from the 1850s, and others I wrote myself.

How did you come up with the title?

I was very early in the writing process when, one day, while massaging a client, the word “caryatids” popped into my head. I had no idea what it meant. My guess was that it was some kind of insect genus, since I sometimes read about entomology. But it kept repeating, and lasted on an off for weeks, until I finally looked it up. Since I never studied architecture or art history, I had no idea that caryatids are giant statues that make up support columns for the porch at the temple to Athena at the Acropolis. I decided to take it as Divine inspiration and incorporate it into the book.

What inspired you to write this book?

My husband told me about a news story he’d heard on NPR about a fox breeder who had discovered that he could breed foxes to be very gentle, but they were all black and white, because somehow the gene was related to fur color. So I started thinking about people being bred in a similar way, to be easily managed. I had recently had a baby, and birth politics got mixed up in the story, and ideas about how children should be raised, what children need. Another article I saw was about a trend in lifestyles, toward staying home and taking media experiences, rather than going outside and traveling and being active. Living in the Flint Hills of Kansas, I couldn’t help bringing the endless horizon and the prairie into the mix. So all these ideas were sloshing around in my head for a while, and I kept wishing somebody would write a book about them. Finally I realized that there was no other person on the planet who would put all these elements together, and if I wanted to read the book I would have to write it myself.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There are multiple messages, probably some are contradictory, or seem to be, and surely some I’m not aware of. Rather than telling people what’s important about my book, I would be more interested in hearing from readers about what they took from it.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?

Probably. I think I could keep re-writing and changing it forever, especially since it takes place in the future, and the technology changes faster than anyone can keep up with. I had to decide to freeze it in the moment, so I could go on and write other things.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

By far, the hardest part was giving myself permission to do it. Sometimes the house was a wreck, the checking account was overdrawn, and my children were literally begging me to play with them, while I was ignoring it all and writing my novel. It seemed so self-indulgent. Beyond that, I had a lot of internal baggage that I had to jettison so I could move on. I had to change some mental and emotional habits that prevented me from self-expression and completion of projects.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

No. I was very aware of the conventional wisdom that authors simply must have a professional editor, and your friend with an MFA doesn’t count. (My friend was writer Nathaniel Beyer, whose input was invaluable.) The right editor probably could have helped a lot. But I also read some novels by emerging writers who had invested quite a bit in their work, and who wrote very polite, well-edited books which I found less than compelling. It reminded me of Robert Bly writing about people who have done nothing in their lives but study writing, getting advanced degrees, going to workshops, but they’ve never really gone out and lived. They end up like well-trained puppies, who don’t have much to say, but are very good at not peeing on the rug. Except some of the authors I’ve read had lots of interesting life experiences, but maybe their passion got lost in following the rules about writing. I’m not ashamed to say that I probably pee all over the rug. But if I had to choose, I’d never hesitate to sacrifice being well-behaved and playing by the rules for a vibrant, imaginative, brilliant, passionate mess. My hope is to accomplish at least this much.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers? What factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?

I am testing the hypothesis that when we do what we are meant to do, other things fall into place. It was clear to me from the start that the book I was writing would cross genres, and wouldn’t be an easy sell. If I had concerned myself with publishers and agents before the book was written, I wouldn’t have bothered writing a whole novel that had no chance of publication. Instead, I just did it, on faith that something I couldn’t predict would happen to make things work. While I was writing, a revolution took place in publishing, and by the time I was done, people no longer needed agents and publishers. Unknown writers with weird, unclassifiable books had total freedom to make their books available to the world for practically no money. It’s an incredible time to be a writer.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

I published through Bookbaby, who make ebooks available to practically everyone, including Barnes & Noble, kobo, iBookstore, ebookpie, and others.

What’s next for you? / What is your next project?

I think the next piece I publish will be a small collection of short stories I wrote when I first started writing fiction. They’re all from dreams, and I would call them surrealist fiction. Right now, I’m trying to catch up on some personal things I neglected while writing Post Rock. But I’ve come to see myself as having a need to write, so I don’t want to put it off too long. Starla is a character in my book who has a mysterious past, so I might go back and explore her story.

Connect with Rachel: Website / Twitter

Having the confidence to write for public eyes is a learned skill that even the best writers must master. But when you feel that you lack the skill of writing, it is easy for that to get in the way of job prospects and any type of life progression that involves a flair for the written word. It can even impair your ability to achieve fair outcomes in such situations as customer dissatisfaction and undeserved fines. Being able to write persuasively can mean the different between that raise and remaining in your current position, or paying that exorbitant fine that you feel has been unfairly applied.

It is an advantage for you as  writer to appeal to the emotions of your reader. This is the roll of the persuasive writer, to be able to persuade your reader by providing arguments that support your case.

It can also increase your understanding of different texts when you understand how you are being written to. Many newspaper articles apply persuasive writing, particularly in commentaries and letters, and without the ability to read these pieces within their proper context, it can be difficult to understand their meaning. In fact, all writing and literacy skills aid in the reading of texts, from newspapers to business briefs, you can improve your communication skills through improving your writing. There are many different ways you can go about this. You could do an extended course, or simply read more books. A popular option is to undertake a short course, online or in class, and there a bunch of organisations to choose from, like GAPS, among others. Just by taking these steps towards improving your literacy and/or writing skills, you will be taking steps forward in your life and career. Communication is a very powerful tool.

Dimitri Reznak is a Crovir noble and the Head of the Crovir Immortal Culture and History Section. He was born in the ancient Kingdom of Bohemia in 1212 and is a widower. He is the godfather to Alexa King, the main protagonist in King’s Crusade, and is one of the lead characters in the supernatural thriller series Seventeen.

1.  How did you first meet your writer? Want to tell us about him/her?

We first met in November 2010, when I attended a meeting of the Crovir First Council in Prague. This was in Soul Meaning, the first novel in the series. She was lurking near the ruins of an abandoned castle where I met up with Victor Dvorsky and Lucas Soul.

I’m afraid there isn’t a lot to say except that she’s cagey, obsessed with tea, coffee, manga and animes, and is prone to cursing a lot. Oh, and she listens to some very loud music, which I disapprove of.

2.  Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

Not really. I have seen many incredible things during my long and varied immortal life so far, but I never thought I’d wind up in a book.

3.  Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

The discovery of the burial place of the original immortals who gave birth to our races, which takes place in Chapter One of King’s Crusade. I have been searching for them for a long, long time. After so many failed digs, it was truly amazing to discover their final resting place. But the discovery came with a rather…unpleasant surprise.

4.  Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?

Not really. *pauses* Although, I did have a hard and thoroughly unsuccessful time trying to get her NOT to write about that penthouse scene between my goddaughter and Zachary Jackson.

5.  What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

Spend time in my research lab or my estate in Sumava.

6.  If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

See above re: penthouse scene. *sighs*

7.  Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

Well, I obviously cherish Alexa. I’m very close to Victor Dvorsky and Tomas Godard’s grandchildren. Of course, Tom and Marie Fawkes are very dear to me as well, as is Sidney Carrington. And, although it pains me to admit it, Zachary Jackson is a decent man. A pain in the ass, but a decent man nonetheless.

8.  Do have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about?

I would like for the Crovirs and the Bastians to have, if not a joint council, then a meeting one or twice a year where we can discuss and debate any salient points affecting our two societies.

9.If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I would go visit Victor at his estate, enjoy a nice whisky and a cigar with the man, and then beat him at chess.

10.  What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they’ve known you for a while?

I suspect I probably come across as somewhat daunting. As a member of the Crovir First Council, I have a certain…reputation to maintain. I hope I appear more approachable once they get to know and trust me.

11.  What’s the worst thing that’s happened in your life? What did you learn from it?

Hmm. Well, this is still a difficult subject for me to talk about. I lost the love of my life many centuries ago. The decades that followed were the darkest of my existence. What have I learned from it? *smiles sadly* That time heals most ills, eventually.

12. Tell us about your best friend.

*grins* Victor Dvorsky and I first met in 1346, on the battleground at Crécy. He was fighting for the Kingdom of England, and I for the Kingdom of France. Even though the French lost that day, Victor and I were evenly matched. It was the first and only time that we fought on opposing sides. We have been best friends since the end of the 14th century.

15. What are you most afraid of?

Losing Alexa. Although we are immortals, we will eventually expire. I am not afraid of death, but it will be difficult to part with my goddaughter.

17. What’s the best trait your author has given you? What’s the worst?

The best trait she has given me is the art of being a skillful politician. The  worst? I can’t think of one, yet.

18. What do you like best about Alexa King? Least?

Best? Her fearlessness. Least? Her fearlessness.

19. How do you feel about your life right now? What, if anything, would you like to change?

I am reasonably content. I have recently solved the two greatest mysteries of my immortal life, namely the origins of our races and that of my goddaughter. *frowns faintly* But, there is still more to learn about the immortals who gave rise to the Crovirs and the Bastians.

20.  What aspect of your author’s writing style do you like best?

Her action scenes. When she gets going, she gets going.

21.  If your story were a movie, who would play you?

Hmm. I haven’t given that much thought. *grimaces* Maybe Alfred Molina?

22.  Will you encourage your author to write a sequel?

I have no fear there. Seventeen is a series where Victor Dvorsky and I will feature as recurring characters. *smiles mysteriously* There is a reason for this.

King’s Crusade

The perfect immortal warrior.

A set of stolen, priceless artifacts.

An ancient sect determined to bring about the downfall of human civilization.

The exciting, action-packed follow-up to Soul Meaning and the second installment in the supernatural thriller series, Seventeen.

When a team of scientists unearth scriptures older than the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave in the Eastern Desert mountains in Egypt, a mystery lost to the tides of time is uncovered. Heading the expedition is Dimitri Reznak, the Head of the Crovir Immortal Culture & History Section. But the monumental discovery is spoiled by evidence of looting and half the priceless artifacts Reznak has been seeking for centuries have disappeared.

Alexa King is a covert agent for the Crovir First Council. When she is approached by her godfather for a mission that could help elucidate the enigma of her lost past, she finds herself delving into the dangerous and shadowy world of secret religious societies. Assigned by Reznak to assist her is Zachary Jackson, a gifted human and Harvard archaeology professor.

In their search for the missing artifacts, King and Jackson stumble upon the existence of a deadly sect whose origins are as mystifying as the relics they are searching for. From North Africa to the doors of Vatican City itself, they unveil a centuries-old plan that aims to shatter the very structure of civilized society.

With the help of Reznak and a group of unexpected allies, King and Jackson must stop the enemy and uncover the astonishing truth behind the missing artifacts and King’s own unearthly origins before all is lost.

Buy King’s Crusade (e-book):  Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords

Buy King’s Crusade (paperback): Waterstones / Blackwell / Book Depository

Chantel once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Before long, the need to create her own stories took over. She spends her daytime in the clinical profession of medical transcriptionist, but her passion is in the magical hours she spends with her characters in the evenings.

Chantel lives in the western United States. When she isn’t writing, she loves playing cards with her family and snuggling with her lazy kitties.

Tell us a little about your book.

Crime & Passion was a blast to write. Madeline is snarky and funny, and Donovan really captured my heart (even though I actually didn’t like him in the beginning). Although I enjoy the love story, the mystery really drives the story. There are plenty of suspects, and I had fun exploring the motives of each possible killer.

What was the biggest challenge you faced writing this book and how did you overcome it?

Since I’m not a plotter, I had to stay really focused so that I didn’t go off exploring story lines that wouldn’t matter to the overall plot. I didn’t know who the killer was until I neared the end of the book and so it was tempting to spend extra time with each character who presented as a suspect. Luckily for me, I have great critique partners who help keep me on track and let me know when things are straying from my main point.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

I did hire an editor, both for content and proof reading. However, learning from a bad past experience, I also had my group of critique partners act as my first content editors and then had four of my beta readers proofread the final version. Although an editor is helpful, they don’t catch everything and it is important to me to have my book as error free as possible.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

Actually, I never did. I have my eye on a few smaller publishers that I might submit to at some point, but with the way the industry is going and what I’d heard about bad contract deals through traditional publishing options, I decided the best fit for me was to self publish.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yes. My e-books are also available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and All Romance eBooks.

How are readers/reviewers reacting to your book?

There’s nothing I like more than hearing from readers and seeing their reviews. I’ve been pleased by early responses. My readers love the same things about the book that I did so far, commenting on the mystery part, Madeline’s sense of humor, and that they rooted for Maddie and Donovan to get their happily ever after. Of course, part of being a writer is obtaining reviews, and my book is with ten book bloggers/reviewers currently. I’m anxiously awaiting their reactions.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I’ve always been a day dreamer, creating little stories in my head, but never really thought about being a writer. However, one day I couldn’t find a novel on a subject matter I wanted to read, and an idea for a book started in my head. There was no turning back after that. I love writing and can’t imagine not doing it now.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I have several, really. In my genre, though, I absolutely love Jayne Ann Krentz. Her characters are real-seeming people, and I love that in a book. Connecting with and loving the characters is what I read for. Of course, when I want to be scared, I also love a good ghost story, and Stephen King’s Duma Key is quite possibly my favorite book…though it is so hard to pick a favorite!

Have you published anything else?

My first romantic suspense, Always & Forever, tells the story of a suspected murderess who is running from her past. After years of suffering at the hands of her abusive fiancé, Lilly Price is the only suspect when he’s murdered. She moves across country and tries to rebuild her life, but when the past catches up to her, everything she’s worked to achieve could be lost.

What’s next for you? / What is your next project?

I’m currently working on a new romantic suspense, Love & Deception, which will be available in late fall 2013. My hero, Nick Kendall, works for a secret anti-terrorist organization. However, his newest assignment will make him question everything he’s ever known. Sweet Carlie Hollis seems like a soccer mom, not the mastermind plotting the destruction of America. When Nick is ordered to kill her, he has to decide between obeying his commanding officer or following his heart.

Thank you so much for having me here today. I appreciate it!

CRIME AND PASSION

A decorated police officer, more intent on justice than following the letter of the law, lands in trouble when a schoolteacher finds a dead body on the beach.

Officer Donovan Andrews knows how to have a good time—ask any woman in town. But when it comes to men abusing their wives or children, Donovan takes it upon himself to make them regret it.

Madeline Scott is unlucky in love. All she wants is a quiet place to heal, away from cheating, womanizing men. However, her life is far from peaceful once she stumbles across the body and witnesses someone fleeing the scene.

Terror spreads in Pleasant View when the small community hears a killer is on the loose. All evidence points to Donovan, and he realizes someone is trying to frame him. When troubling suspicions from his past surface, even fellow officers believe he’s guilty. Madeline might be the only person who can clear his name, but first he has to win her trust.

The body count rises and no one is safe. The murderer makes it clear Madeline is next. Soon, Donovan’s whole world is focused on protecting her and keeping himself out of prison. The more time he spends with her, the harder it is to fight his growing attraction. Since she’s been burned by love, convincing Madeline he’s interested in something more than hot sex may prove harder than keeping her alive.

Buy Crime and Passion at Amazon

Follow Chantel: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent.

She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

Welcome, Annamaria!

Hello, Jade, thank you so much for hosting the first stop of my blog tour for the second book in the White Swans series—The New Girl in Town.

I’m very excited to present the second book. The short story has already received a few excellent reviews. You can check them out here http://amzn.to/11cTMgb.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was in the middle of writing the novel I’m now editing, Trapped in a Nightmare, when Kendíka appeared in my mind, sitting at a window and staring at three white swans swimming on a lake. For the longest time she just sat, not wanting to tell me her story. I wondered for months if anything would come of this girl sitting and staring out the window. Why was she so sad and confused? I found out almost nine months later when she jumped to her feet and told me her amazing story.

How are your story ideas born?

Some of my ideas come from the weird dreams I have. A couple of pieces I’ve written but not published are born because of a picture I see, or a discussion with one of my daughters. Some stories come from my convictions about a particular subject, and a few take shape because of the simple question ‘what if’.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

My favorite part is the actual adventure that takes place meandering from the beginning of the story to the end. I’m not a plotter, I wait for the characters to act and tell their tale. When I get an idea, I hash out the character, especially the main character, I work hard figuring out a good beginning, and then I need to have an idea of where the story is going to end. Once I have these things in place, I let the story play itself out in my head while it type.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

When the mysterious eyes appeared in the hazy sky, I had no idea what role they would play, major or minor. I didn’t even know if it was one set of eyes or multiple sets of eyes. To whom did they belong? How much would I need to reveal to the reader and how fast before they became uncomfortable with the strangers in the sky? As always, though, the eyes revealed their true selves. This becomes more apparent in the second book.

Everyone zones out now and then and retreat inside themselves. When you do, where do you go?

Whenever I do zone out, and lately it happens less because of all the marketing needed to promote the White Swans series, I seem to find myself in outlandish worlds where crazy things happen, or different worlds unfold before my eyes. Places where there might be wonderful peace or terrible wars and chaos. They are places where dreams become a fantasy reality.

Do these excursions inside yourself ever end up in a new character or topic for a novel?

These excursions don’t always end up in material I use in my stories or novels, but many times they do present interesting characters who after a while, decide to tell me their individual stories from which many of my novels or short stories are born.

Do you ever use real life experiences in your books?

Every story an author writes contains a little or a lot of the writer’s personality and experiences, I believe that’s what makes each author so unique. My life experiences have shaped who I am, how I think, and what I believe, so it’s inevitable that these factors seep into my stories.

As a child, I my father kidnapped my siblings and me and brought us to Italy where I lived and grew up for an amazing six years. After those excitement filled years, my mother, in turn, kidnapped us and brought my sister and me back to the States. This is reflected in almost all my novels—the excitement of new worlds and new adventures. The adjustments my heroes must make to survive in the new world I throw them into.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

Writer’s groups and critique groups are the manna of many authors. These individuals helped me to grow, to see some of my writing flows, character flows. Over all, they helped me to learn many things about the craft I didn’t know. I also learned a great deal from critiquing their works. I believe I’ll always be part of a critique group or writer’s group, because we should never stop learning and as social beings, we do a lot of learning from each other.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

A professional editor is a must if you want to be a credible author. Before publication, a manuscript must be perfect. Okay, it’s impossible to achieve perfection because even great editors are human and miss things at times, but it is an author’s responsibility to make sure their work is as near perfect as possible. Readers don’t want to pick up a novel filled with grammar and punctuation errors, nor do they want to read novels with plot holes and character flows or loose ends. I know I don’t, therefore, I will not subject my readers to it.

What’s next for you? / What is your next project?

Now that the second book is out and the third is soon to follow, it might already be out, I’ll continue to have my hands full trying to publish a book per month to keep the interest of the reader. I’m also working on an adult urban fantasy I’m hoping to publish in the by the end of summer.

Any advice for other writers/indie authors out there?

No matter what kind of author you are, traditional or Indie, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to hire a good editor to make sure you have no plot holes, character flows, or other inconsistencies in your story line. It’s also important for spelling, grammar and punctuation. Let’s face it, agents want to receive an almost clean manuscript, and if you self-publish, then it is your responsibility to make sure you have a perfect manuscript.

Thank you so much for hosting the first stop of the White Swans blog tour. I do hope your readers have enjoyed my visit.

WHITE SWANS: THE NEW GIRL IN TOWN

All it takes is a wish upon a star, and Jillian finds herself in a Regency world she only read about in romance novels. She wakes in an exciting world of adventure and challenges but didn’t expect the new life she received. A maid? OMG!

An ambitious girl, she schemes to rise above her station and become a lady with a title and wealth. She’ll go to any lengths to achieve her goals—even risking the anger of her captors, the hazy eyes always gazing down upon the ancient world. Will her attempts to climb the social ladder get her into trouble?

Buy at Amazon

Check out Annamaria Bazzi’s other novels:

White Swans: A Regency Era: Amazon

Revelation of Abaddon: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

A Simple Matter of Justice: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

* * *

Connect with Annamaria: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Why do we read fantasy? Heck, why do we write fantasy? For me it’s down to the ‘human’ factor. When the chips are down, what’re you going to do. Ask yourself this: ‘would you rather die on your feet, or live on your knees’?

I’ve posed that question to myself many a time. I might be an author, but I still have a day job. I’m a full time serving soldier. From desert sands to icy wastes, rolling hills to as-far-as-the-eye-can-see flatlands, I’ve not only ‘been there’ (and likely bought the t-shirt) but I’ve likely fought there in some capacity, too. Or at least trained. I know men and women who have overcome mortal wounds to rescue comrades under fire. I’ve made friends with those who should see me as an enemy, but instead they want to help. I’ve met soldiers who believe in what they’re doing, even when everyone back home is questioning the outcome of an operation. I’ve seen the respect, the love, and the admiration, of the friends and families back home as they send off their loved ones to war. You, reader, have almost definitely seen the wooden box on the TV when a soldier doesn’t make it home alive.

That’s the human factor.

Standing up and doing something – anything – because someone has to.

The world is not the nightmarish place it seems to be. In amongst all the bad, there’s a hell of a lot of good. Fantasy as a genre allows me to escape the norm, and realise what makes the world such a good and bad place to be.

This has become a far more serious segment than I meant it to be, but it’s something I truly believe in. Characters in fantasy have lives of their own, hopes and dreams, fears and flaws. But, it’s not the narrator’s description of the characters that make them who they are. It’s the way they react to the plot-sized life changing cataclysm landing on their lap.

What if Mr Frodo never delivered the ring to Mordor? What if Harry’s parents didn’t sacrifice themselves to save him? What if Arlen Bales had left his mother out in the night with the demons hunting her? What if Druss the Legend had ignored the called to war in his old age, and abandoned the fortress of Dros Delnoch to its fate?

When the chips are down…

And this is why I love fantasy. I aspire to my heroes – given life blood by ink, and destiny upon paper. I learn something about myself and the world around me with each novel. So let me ask you this:

‘Live with a sword, or die without?’

That’s the question posed by my debut novel, ‘It Began With Ashes’. It’s not about knights in shining armour who ride in to save the day, or damsels in distress held captive by wicked warlocks and witches. It’s a story about real life every day heroes – the boy who looks out for his friends, the father who hides his past to protect his son, the mother who will do anything for her family. More importantly, there’s a man with a very big axe and he knows how to use it.

And that’s why I read and write fantasy. What’s your excuse?

D. E. M. Emrys. Author. Soldier by day, Soldier by night – Writer in between. Knows war to write war.

Connect with D: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Check out D. E. M. Emrys’ books on Amazon (click on the book covers):

Sandra Ramos O’Briant‘s is the author of The Sandoval Sisters’ Secret of Old Blood (La Gente Press,  September 2012).  Her short stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in numerous print and online journals.  In addition, her work has been anthologized in Best Lesbian Love Stories of 2004, What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest (University of Texas Press, Spring 2007), Latinos in Lotus Land: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature, (Bilingual Press, 2008), Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery (Arte Publico (2009), and The Mom Egg (Half Shell Press, 2010).   www.thesandovalsisters.com  has a complete listing and links, as well as excerpts from her novel.

Tell us a little about your book. 

The story is told first person by the Sandoval sisters: Oratoria, Alma and Pilar.  They are distinct personalities and voices.  Each experiences the war years in her own unique fashion.  Their political, spiritual and erotic maturation is also expressed in unequivocal terms.

How are your story ideas born? 

All human foibles are fodder for my stories. The Sandoval Sisters are a compendium of people I’ve met, history I’ve read, and passages in my own life.

How much of the book is realistic? 

It’s well-researched historical fiction, so the background events are accurate.  There are also historical figures: General Kearny, who headed the U.S. Occupation of Santa Fe; La Tules, a local gambling house proprietor who allegedly colluded with the U.S. Army;  Susan Shelby Magoffin, the presumed first white woman to enter the town;  Padre Martinez, published the first newspaper in Taos. Their words are taken from historical accounts of the time, but in the case of Magoffin, I’ve invented a meeting between her and Pilar at a fandango, a festive gathering usually held the night a caravan arrived in Santa Fe.  In that scene, military officers  poke fun at New Mexican women.  To give flavor to what the New Mexican residents, especially the women, encountered, I took some liberties with the historical event.  Latinas of yore might not have been so outspoken as Pilar, who attended the party dressed in leather pantalones instead of a dress and mantilla, but her family background presages that.  It wasn’t common to notate much information about women, much less conquered, foreign women in the mid-nineteenth century in America.  This allowed me greater freedom to create interesting characters who didn’t merely kowtow to their husbands, fathers, brothers and priests.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? 

I’ve always been a daydreamer.  That tendency made it difficult for me in college.  I used a behavior modification technique to break myself of the habit: 15 minutes of homework earned me 45 minutes of daydreaming.  Gradually, I reversed the ratio until daydreaming was no longer a significant part of my life.  Those were my years in business.  When I began to write, my dreams and fantasies returned.  My characters speak to me.  Well, through me.  Their sins and virtues, sorrows and happiness play out in the back of my mind until I can finally sit at the computer.  The images stream and my fingers move.  This is my glory time.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Editing The Sandoval Sisters was torturous, mainly because I discovered a heretofore undiscovered tendency in myself for obsessive compulsiveness.  Even after the editor said it was ready, I delayed publication to pore over it again.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

I learned that motherhood was more important to me than I’d ever been willing to admit.  I have a rebellious spirit, and never envisioned a traditional role for myself. I said that I’d never marry nor have children.  I  married and had two sons. Family was absent in my youth, but part of the Sandoval legacy is devotion to family.  The ancient Sandoval diaries bear witness to this.  In a critique group, I was asked which sister most closely resembles me.  The three sisters represent the female trinity: maiden, mother, crone.  Each sister, no matter what the state of her maidenhead, or whether she’s had children, epitomizes one of those stages. They’re symbolic of my passages.  They flow, there’s a through line connecting each to the other.  My desire is to keep that connection as I travel through life.

Do you have a favorite line or scene from your latest release? 

I’ll let the characters speak for themselves:

Oratoria Sandoval: “She left me in the library, thumbing slowly through the diary of a murderess. If Teresa had read Providencia’s recipes for poisoned pie, instead of Epiphenia’s directions on proper self-flagellation, who knows how the Sandoval history might have changed?”

Alma Sandoval: “I’d been in the grip of ancient memories, reciting a list of family secrets that stretched back for centuries. . . I’d developed an eccentric reputation in Santa Fé, even for a Sandoval.”

Pilar Sandoval: “I’d read a few of the Sandoval diaries. Bunch of whiners and schemers, if you ask me. I like creatures who are half this and half that, in myth’s and biblical stories, not in my flesh and blood relatives.”

Geraldo Quintana:  “Penetration, the young man’s dream, is not all there is to lovemaking.”

Consuelo Benavides:   “You Sandovals think you can take everything. You’ll suffer. I’ll make you pay for what you’ve stolen from me!”

What are the future plans for you and this book? 

The Sandoval Sisters would would make a good mini-series.  Anybody have any ideas on how to write that?

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? 

Marketing is a tremendous time suck, but it must be done.  Recently, I’ve returned to writing short stories, something I continued to do while writing The Sandoval Sisters.  Writing something new, a humorous story or even a surrealistic one, helped me with the novel. It’s like viewing art wherein a slight tilt of the head or stepping back or looking at it out of the corner of your eye, can sometimes reveal whole new vistas.  It’s all about perspective.  Marketing doesn’t allow that because it’s formulaic, so I limit it to specified times. I enjoy the blog hops and intend to host more of them.

How are readers/reviewers reacting to your book? 

My reviews have been excellent and sales continue to grow. Some brief blurbs are on my facebook page and my blog.  Exhilaration thy name is any fan who takes the time to let me know they loved my work.

When Alma flees with her young lover to Texas to escape an arranged marriage with a much older man, she sets in motion a drama that will put the sisters and their legacy at risk. Pilar, a 14-year-old tomboy, is offered as a replacement bride, and what follows is a sensuous courtship and marriage clouded by the curses of her husband’s former lover, Consuelo. She will stop at nothing, even the use of black magic, in her effort to destroy the Sandoval family.

The Mexican-American War begins and Santa Fe is the first foreign capital captured by the U.S. An unbelievable influx of men occurred, but nary a word has been written about how that affected the New Mexican women. Until now.

Buy at Amazon

Connect with Sandra: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter