Justice (Deck of Lies, #1)

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The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2)

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Death (Deck of Lies, #3)

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Judgment (Deck of Lies, #4)

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Hope's Rebellion

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Showing posts with label guest posts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest posts. Show all posts

Guest Post: Why I Love Writing Fantasy

Author Diantha Jones is stopping by the blog today on the official Oracle of Dephi tour to give books away and talk about her favorite genre! 

Reality sucks. That’s pretty much why I fell in love with fantasy books.


Don’t get me wrong, I’m a realist. But when it comes to my literary adventures, I want them as far out of this “real” world as possible. I’m a lover of make-believe, the imaginary, and the impossible. In fantasy books, I get all of that and so much more.

It was not a complicated decision when I decided to write my first series. Fantasy, it was. And Greek mythology? Definitely. After months and months of research and study, I sat back and let my imagination do the rest.

Boy, what a workout that was.

However, the results have been beyond satisfying. Not only do I get a daily dose of fantasy every day I sit down to write, but for that same length of time, I get to be the characters I write about and live in their world. Even if just for a few hours. It’s how I stay sane (or my version of sane) and make it through the day. It makes me happy. It keeps me smiling and I love life simply because I know that I have an escape from it.

And in the end, what’s more fantastic than that?


Oracle of Delphi Giveaway 
Prizes are listed



Prophecy of the Author's Genius Contest  
Solve the prophecy, win a $25 Amazon Giftcard 
(must guess the classic book title and author)


 








About the Author


Diantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions of American bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mother says she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (of books, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook, being hypnotized by Netflix or on a mission to procure french fries.   
The Oracle of Delphi fantasy series is her first series. She is also the author of Mythos: Stories from Olympus, a companion series, and there is another fantasy series in the works. She also writes (new) adult fantasy/paranormal romance under the name A. Star. Invasion (An Alien Romance) is her first title released under this pen name. Future releases under A. Star include, the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.


Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Pinterest  |  DJ's Book Corner

Email Diantha Jones at: theauthor (at) diantha-jones (dot) com

Blogger Book Fair Guest Post: What Are Cozy Mysteries?

 Amy Saunders is visiting the blog today to answer a very important question: what are cozy mysteries?


I blame my mom for my mystery fetish. Every day around three, we flipped on the TV and watched reruns of '70's and '80's mysteries. My favorites included Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, Hart to Hart, and McMillan and Wife. All essentially cozy murder mysteries in TV form. So it's no surprise that's what I wound up writing.

But what are cozy mysteries? To unravel what makes a mystery cozy, let's deconstruct my favorite TV mystery series ever - Murder, She Wrote. How does Murder, She Wrote incorporate these basic elements: a murder, a sleuth, a setting, and suspects (one of whom is guilty)? As you'll see, that's key to making a cozy mystery...cozy.  

Somebody Has Got to Die. On Murder, She Wrote, you see some of the players at the beginning and what they're up to (usually not good), and then the chosen Red Shirt of the episode is found dead. You may see the body, but they skip over the actual killing part. That's rarely (if ever) featured in cozy mysteries.
  • Key element one: the murder happens off-stage.  

Leave This Murder-Solving Biz to Me. Jessica Fletcher, lead character on Murder, She Wrote, is a mystery author and therefore knows more about this stuff than the police or FBI or CIA - combined. She means mystery-solving business. And no amount of threats of severe punishment if she doesn't stop interfering will deter her. She is the only one with a high enough IQ to solve this thing!
  • Key element two: leave the case-solving to the least qualified person you can find.  

Welcome to the Smallest Town with the Highest Murder Rate. Ah, Cabot Cove, Maine, the prime setting of Murder, She Wrote. So many people got killed in this town of like 500 people that eventually they had Jessica start traveling to spare CC more atrocities. She even moved to NYC for a while so they had more people to choose from to get whacked. (Those were my favorite episodes, but I digress.)
  • Key element three: cozy mysteries often take place in smaller towns or cities.  

You Murderized Sooooo Much. So Jessica questions the suspects and shakes their business out all over the place, until finally we come to The Confession. The Confession generally happens after Jessica has proven with her Super Sleuth Powers that So-and-So must be the killer. So, naturally, they start blabbing all the details. Then all is right with the world again and Jessica and Friends share a more lighthearted exchange before the end credits roll.
  • Key element four: you have a few suspects, most with deep dark secrets, and a big group confession at the end.

Those are just the basics, but you get the picture. Like my sis says, cozies feature the "lighter side of murder." They don't take themselves too seriously, and that's the fun of it. The fun of reading (or watching) cozy mysteries, and definitely, for me, the fun of writing them!


A note from Jade: Win one of Amy's books, and fall in love with the cozy mystery genre! 



 About the Author
 
Amy Saunders writes cozy mysteries and is the author of The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, as well as three standalone mystery novels. Auf'd, book two of The Belinda and Bennett Mysteries, just hit virtual shelves in June. Her novels betray her soft spot for humor and romance - and the ocean. When she's not writing, you may find her baking, reading YA sci-fi/dystopian novels, or dancing around to her new favorite alt rock or pop song. 





Blogger Book Fair: Interview and Giveaway with A. K. Taylor

A. K. Taylor is visiting the blog today with her character Neiko to give books away and introduce you to her Neiko Adventure Series. A. K. has won many awards for her writing, so be sure to enter the giveaways and get her books free!


 Escape from Ancient Egypt

Seeking his revenge on Neiko for exposing him, Francesco banishes Neiko into ancient Egypt just like he did her friends eleven years ago. During her stay there, she unravels the mystery of what happened to her four friends. Now she's faced with a bigger problem--how to get home. After a series of unfortunate events, Neiko is now entangled with Pharaoh Ramesses II. Francesco also comes to make sure their fates are sealed. Can Neiko and her friends beat impossible odds and return to Hawote and back to the present?





Neiko's Five Land Adventure
The Indians and the Crackedskulls are locked in the turmoil of war and presently in a stalemate. Her enemies, Raven and Bloodhawk, have come up with a scheme to up the ante and break the stalemate into their favor. Neiko later finds out that a land she thought she had only imagined is actually real and contains a legendary and otherworldly evil within it. After a standoff with the malevolent Ramses the Dark Pharaoh in Hawote, she is trapped in Qari by his strange and powerful magic. Trapped in another universe and in a place that is not exactly the way she imagined it, she must somehow find a way to teleport home. That is easier said than done; the odds are overwhelmingly against her and her scorpion cobra-companion Quickstrike as they must travel to find the answer and avoid Ramses' allies, traps, and tricks. Can she come back home and escape the evil that seeks to claim her and turn the tables on her enemies?


Interview with Neiko, star of the series:


JV: I hear that you still like to play with toys. Do you have a favorite?

Neiko: Yes, you heard right. I guess you can say it’s like a secret (well not any more) guilty pleasure. There are some people that won’t understand why an 18 year old would still do something like that. If King Tutankhamen can do it so can I, I always say. In some ways, he and I have the getting an important job and title at a young age thing in common. It can play havoc on you a little and your maturity level. People will say: It’s not ‘normal’. Nothing about my life is normal really. People who say that didn’t weren’t six years old in warrior training, nor did they fight their first battles at age eight. It’s not like I can go hang out with friends whenever I want to since our enemies can blend in just as easily as we can, and they are always looking for a chance to ambush so they can take me. I also lost a bit of my childhood because of all that, and being a stressed out teenager can make someone do some interesting things to release that stress and unwind—like the Tut thing I mentioned earlier. You can also say I do things like they do on “The Big Bang Theory” way before that show made it cool. I am a nerd at heart, so sue me. I was a nerd before nerd was cool—yeah, kind of like that country song. I heard someone mention something about the chieftains and my friends ‘condoning’ it. We’re all friends and that’s what friends do—understand. The chieftains find the stuff I talk about interesting and just wonder where it all comes from. They do it for my benefit and health so I can continuing to defend them. I don’t perform my best stressed out or ticked off. Who would?

Yeah, I do have a favorite: my Ramses action figure even after I find out he’s real and really, really scary. I found that toy during a battle where I was holing up in a barn trying to elude capture (not in this story—a prequel). I always knew it was special, but later I find out why it is and that it was not sold in stores or even made on my own planet…


JV: Why do you prefer to conduct your adventures in the woods?

Neiko: Hawote is located in the woods of the US, Canada, and Mexico, and it is a hidden land that coexists with those countries. The woods offer cover, so the land an all its workings stay hidden. Truthfully it’s much harder to hide things in an urban area—too many US (or CA or Mex) authorities. Think about that the next time you go into a rural area and come across a large stretch of forest!


 JV: You play the French Horn. What style of music do you play?

 Neiko: I play just about anything—pretty much what the Band Teacher or the Choir director puts in front of me. I am an awesome sight-reader. Jazz, funk, movie themes, classical, church music, blues, marches. I also do concert and marching band. Yes I do field drill and parades and cantatas. I’ve been known to participate in a professional orchestra and a college summer band a few times. Done honor bands as well!

I seem to like doing everything the hard way, so naturally I chose the most difficult brass instrument known to man.


JV: Where did you get the name Neiko?

Neiko: I got my Indian name when I discovered my hidden and ancient heritage, which is a plus to finding out I was the “Chosen One”. I also learned about the ancient prophecy about the Chosen One that actually cost one of my ancestors—Chief Fierce Wind by name—his life and the displacement of my tribe to the Southeast to where we are living today. They fled the wrath of the evil Aztec emperor-warlord Tezcatlipocacoatl who lived way way before Tenochtitlan was ever built—to give you an idea how long ago that was. My author will get into all that in the next few books and a possible prequel (one of two) to Neiko’s Five Land Adventure. Anyway, my name comes from very ancient (even before Fierce Wind and Tezcatlipocacoatl) Greyhawk that means “Strong One”. It seemed like the perfect fit for me and my calling as the Chosen One.


JV: Your mom doesn't seem to "get it." Have you ever thought about involving her in your play time?

 Neiko: *eye roll* Tell me about it. I don’t think there is any way possible for her to get it—sometimes things seem like they are implanted in if you get my drift. When I get to play with my eight-year-old cousin, I can get away with it a little bit more since I’m entertaining a kid. If I’m lucky, maybe my little sister will be into that when she’s old enough to play with more than passies, teething rings, and Duplo blocks.

Not a bad idea involving her, but I can’t even talk about it with her without her getting all bent outa shape. Getting her to play is a lost cause. My friends and even the chieftains understand better about that than she does.

I will eventually be able to lay them down after going to the Five Lands for REAL. That did wonders in jumpstarting my maturity level, but not so much for my stress level.


JV: What's Raven's deal? Why is he determined to have you in his family?

Neiko: It’s more about his son Bloodhawk more than him. But from Raven’s standpoint, there’s a lot going on with that. One, I have been picked by Bloodhawk and approved by Raven as the perfect candidate to carry on the next generation, if you get my drift. I am both strong and beautiful—suitable qualities for a Crackedskull queen, which will make a suitable child to be a prince—before it’s over with they want to make it children, but the curse put a damper on their plans since I would die in childbirth, and Bloodhawk is picky—he didn’t like any of the girls from his own tribe for starters. Guaranteed a son says the mantra of the curse, and he will have wings, eagle feet and eyes, and really large stature just like them. Plus, my resistance is just a turn-on, and that’s just my luck with those type of guys and ladies’ men.

 Two, from a strategic standpoint it would look good for the Chosen One to be married to his son and future heir to the throne. That would make the Seven Tribes buckle down to his rule and then he can carry on in taking over the entire land of Hawote. Yes the ol’ cliché domination thing. He doesn’t care about taking over the world, just Hawote. He might throw in the resident Outsiders on the North American continent as a freebie, if he got bored--but I would think the Outsiders would notice a full-scale takeover and war and might become a have-to. They would be wondering what is happening with all the Indians all of a sudden? I don’t think the government would sit out and let it pan out, do you?

Even at his great stature--yes nine feet--the US military could take him out with a tank, bazooka, RPG, or something (not even titanium armor could stop that), so he might have to resort to some different strategy and finesse in taking on Outsiders than just storming the wall and public attacks like he does with other Indians.


JV: Do you ever plan to stop having adventures?

Neiko: Nope. Don’t plan on it. I plan on being around for awhile. There will be tons of adventures some day; it’s just a matter of AK getting them published. *sigh* Publishing sure is slow and have to be so careful. If I ever quit, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself and would be bored slap outa my mind! I don’t know if I can do ‘normal’!




About the Author

A.K. Taylor grew up in the backwoods of Georgia where she learned about nature. She enjoys hunting and fishing, beekeeping, gardening, archery, shooting, hiking, and has various collections. She also has interest in music, Native American history and heritage, Egyptian history, and the natural sciences. A.K. Taylor has been writing and drawing since the age of 16. A.K. Taylor has graduated from the University of Georgia with a biology degree, and she shares an interest in herpetology with her husband.





Blogger Book Fair Spotlight: E.M. Tippetts




Synopsis

Alex had everything when he was with Madison. But the darkness within him wouldn't go away.

After two years apart, he returns to Pelican Bluffs and to the girl he never wanted to leave. Madison wants to give their love another chance, but Alex can't fight fate.

He is what he is.

Ruined. Crazy like his mother. And Madison deserves so much more. When his secrets spill out into their small town, Alex has a choice to make. Hide away in the darkness forever, or let love in.




Author Q&A

Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.

1. I'm half Chinese; my father's family immigrated from Shanghai in the 1940's

2. My father's a glider pilot, so when I was a kid I spent a lot of weekends hanging around the airport and flying planes.

3. I've got more names than you can shake a stick at. I was born Emily Mary Mah and my Chinese family gave me the name Shi Yue. Then when I married my husband I got the last name, Tippetts, so I can do a lot of different pen names and still have them be my real name.

What book are you currently reading, and in what format?

Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams, as an ebook. I'm going to serialize it for him so I'm reading to find the best places to break each episode.

Do you have a book that you read over and over?

The Bible and the Book of Mormon, but I assume you mean a novel. When I was a kid it was King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry. Nowadays I never find time to re-read a book, though!

Is there a book you know you’ll never read?

The rest of the Twilight series. It just isn't my kind of thing.

You’re deserted on an island. A genie appears and gives you six wishes. You can’t wish for more wishes, and you can’t wish to be home. You can only wish for three specific items and three people to have with you. What are your wishes?

A computer with magical internet access so I can keep writing. A study home to live in that won't require a whole lot of maintenance. A boat and fishing equipment.

The people are easy. My husband and two boys!

If you could time travel, where would you go first and why?

To the future, past when I can expect to live naturally, simply because there'd be no other way for me to find out about it.

What are you currently working on, and when can we expect to see it for sale? (title if you have it and a synopsis)

The title is Break It Up and it's a new adult romance. Kyra Armijo (whom some readers will know from my Someone Else's Fairytale series) gets the chance to work on a documentary about the chart topping boy band, Triple Cross. As part of the job, she goes on tour with them in Europe where she strikes up a romance with one of the band members. Since she assumes it's all an act on his part, she doesn't bother to tell him about her racy past, which would destroy him if the tabloids found out. Things get awkward when she realizes he's being sincere, and even more awkward when one of the other band members tries to compete for her attention.

Excerpt from Love in Darkness

Available from:


About E.M. Tippetts

Emily Mah Tippetts writes romance as E.M. Tippetts and science fiction and fantasy as Emily Mah. She is a former attorney with degrees in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University and business law from UCLA. These days she lives in New Mexico - the place where she grew up - with her family.

She also designs book covers and formats paperbacks and ebooks for her company E.M. Tippetts Book Designs.



Blogger Book Fair is Back

Check in to the Blogger Book Fair, and book your trip to far away places!

July 22-26, 2013

Authors and Book Bloggers, Sign ups for the July 2013 Blogger Book Fair will close on June 15 at midnight central time, so get your registrations in to participate!

As of 5/31/2013, we have:

Authors: 89 Books: 233 Bloggers: 14 If you haven't yet registered, you can find all of the information on the Blogger Book Fair page.
  1. Check out the Code of Conduct
  2. Fill out either the Author Sign Up form or the Blogger Sign Up form (Deadline June 15)
  3. Kayla will match everyone with hosts and send out this information to you after sign-ups close
  4. Check out the events--all authors are eligible to participate in the events, and if you have an event you'd like to host, just fill out the simple Event Sign Up Form--all of this information can be found on the Events! page (Deadline July 8).
  5. If you're interested in hosting a giveaway to drive traffic to your site, sign up via the Giveaway Sign Up form (Deadline July 15).
  6. And if your book will be FREE or $0.99 for the duration of the Fair, you can sign up on the Free and $.99 Book Sign Up Forms (Deadline July 15).

 

Events:

as of 5/31/2013

Art Fiction Gala hosted by Lucie Smoker

Does your fiction promote the visual arts--through featuring an artist, painting, sculpture, performance art, etc? Then, consider entering Lucie's Art Fiction Gala. The Art Fiction Gala is a virtual celebration of fiction that highlights the visual arts. Dress up in your finest, pick up some friends--a bottle of wine--and sample mind-blowing fiction that crosses the line between literary and visual art. Plus a gallery of art featuring reading. More information & entry instructions

 

Three Wishes hosted by Kirstin Pulioff

Introduce your characters to the world. Kirstin Pulioff invites you to ask your main character, "If you found a magic genie lamp, what would be your three choices?" More information & entry instructions

 

Flash Fiction Challenge II hosted by Thomas Winship

Get ready to exercise your flash fiction muscles. For the Flash Fiction Challenge II, Thomas Winship will provide an opening line. From there, entrants will craft a flash fiction piece of approx 500 words. Entries will be displayed on Thomas' blog Vaempires during the BBF, spread out evenly across the five days, in order of receipt. More information & entry instructions
 
Snapshot Synopsis Contest hosted by Fel at The Peasants Revolt
Challenge: chisel your synopsis down to 50 words or less. Voting will be open throughout the fair for visitors to vote on their favorite Snapshot Synopsis. More information & entry instructions

 

Reader's Choice Awards hosted by Sherri at Shut Up & Read

All books registered for the Blogger Book Fair are automatically entered into the running for the Reader's Choice Awards. Voting will be open from July 22 to July 25. More information

 

Indie Soap Box Files hosted by Shah Wharton

Take a turn on the Soap Box. Shah invites speculative fiction writers to write a guest post about being an indie (or hybrid) writer. More information & entry instructions Restrictions: Speculative fiction writers only

 

Monster Menagerie hosted by Noree at Trip the Eclipse

What's your favorite monster or supernatural creature? Feature your creature in a flash fiction piece (500-800) words to be featured on Trip the Eclipse. Visitors will vote on their favorite piece. More information & entry instructions
 
Ways to Help:
Blogger Book FairDonate to the Blogger Book Fair via the BBF Donation Fund. To help get the word out about BBF, we would like to place ads on Facebook, Goodreads and other places, but to do, so we need a little help. We'd also like to have some BBF sponsored giveaways, so money donated would also go toward prizes. NO MONEY WILL BE KEPT BY ANY ORGANIZER OR PARTICIPANT. Spread the word! Share the Fair on your social media accounts and show off the Blogger Book Fair logo in your blog's sidebar.

Join us on:

Guest Post: Writing Takes Work

Today I'm pleased to host Sarah-Jane Lehoux. She's stopping in on her Sevy Series Blog Tour to talk about the hard work that goes into writing. 


When people learn that I’m an author, at some point in the ensuing conversation, they’ll say, “I could never write a whole book!” To which I say, “Of course you can. IF you actually tried.”

Anything You Can Do...

See, humans are born with an imagination. We are born with the ability to remember past events and ponder on the future. We have a brain that can learn and grow and reshape pathways and all sorts of other neat stuff. It’s pretty impressive, the human brain. 

I could look at a doctor and think, “Oh, I could never do what she does!” But you know what, yeah, I probably could. Sure, some people inherently lean more towards certain professions than others, but that’s just the start. What comes next is years of hard work, trial and error, and *GASP* learning. 

I very much believe that anyone can become a writer, if they put in the work. Because that’s what writing is. Work. Damned hard work. It’s not as though I just sit down and BAM!!! Instant book. It takes practice. It takes a lot of frustration and a lot of days where I want to repeatedly bang my head against my desk, a la Sesame Street’s Don Piano.  

You’ve got to crawl before you can walk. And you’ve got to write pages and pages of crap before the words start forming a more pleasing structure. 

At the end of the day, it’s all about desire. How badly do you want this? 

I decided long ago that being a writer was what I wanted, and I continue to push forward, through setbacks and successes alike, because I’m not giving up on what I want just because it’s a difficult road. After all, a dream is just a goal without a plan. 

So dream big and plan wisely. And that’s how you write a book. 



About the Author

Sarah-Jane Lehoux has always had a passion for storytelling. From grade school tales of cannibalistic ghosts, to teenaged conversations with God, to her rebellion against adulthood with fantasy kingdoms and fairy magic, she has attempted to share her love of the quirky and unconventional with her readers.

She currently resides in Southern Ontario with her husband and her horde of Machiavellian cats. In addition to her own writing, Sarah-Jane works as an editor and freelance cover artist.



Books by Sarah-Jane



Happily Ever After Doesn't Come Without a Price

In the crumbling city of Eloria, there are two indisputable facts. First, everyone has a dream. Secret, seemingly unattainable, altogether irresistible, it is the kind of dream that aches and, at times, burns. For most, it will forever remain a teasing enigma, but there are those for whom dreams grow into obsession. Which brings us to the second indisputable fact: everyone has a price. Protestations of morality have little meaning when confronted with the all-consuming passion of the soul. Better judgment is pushed aside for the chance to obtain the unobtainable. The only question remaining is just how much a person is willing to sacrifice in order to get what they want.

Sevy has always been a quick study in the wicked ways of Eloria. Since childhood, she has eked out a living for herself with the help of her sticky fingers and her indomitable spirit. She has no qualms about taking what she desires, and when the unrequited love of her life is mysteriously murdered, Sevy will stop at nothing to get him back. Elvish black magic, necromancy and demonic pacts are of little consequence if it means she can once again have her beloved at her side. But is she willing to murder her only friend to get the job done? Is there a line that even this selfish, self-proclaimed bitch is not prepared to cross?


There is More Than One Road to Redemption

Sometimes the past can't be forgotten. Sometimes the truth refuses to be buried. And sometimes the dead won't stay dead.

It began as a simple request: Journey to the Northern Jungles and bring a wayward son back to the safety of his farm and family before the racial tension that is building between humans and dark elves erupts into civil war. But life is never simple for Sevy, and she soon finds herself entangled in a bloody battle of good versus evil, love versus hate.

Old friends and enemies reunite, familial bonds are broken, and loyalty is tested. And in the midst of the steamy, sultry jungles, the ghosts of a serial killer's victims come out to play. Sevy, as petulant and irascible as ever, must overcome her personal demons in order to expose a madman and bring peace back to the kingdom. But just how much of her sanity must she sacrifice to help her friends? And how can she save anyone when she can't even save her own soul?




Never Trust a Liar, especially when they're telling the truth.

Starting over isn’t easy, especially when the world isn’t ready for you to change. Sevy, thief turned assassin turned mercenary, isn’t having any fun adjusting to a normal, law-abiding life. Luckily for her, an old partner in crime arrives with an irresistible proposition: a getaway to a tropical island, an adventure of a lifetime, and an amazing friendship ready to blossom into an even more amazing romance.
Things are looking up for Sevy. That is, until a pack of maniacal fairies with a taste for human flesh arrive on the scene.
Now she must unravel a web of magical intrigue hidden behind the outwardly idyllic atmosphere of the islands of Belakarta. Nothing is as it seems, and no one can be trusted. Trapped under the spell of a handsome and mysterious stranger, Sevy must fight fairies and tricksters to regain her freedom.
Or spend an eternity as a sorcerer’s plaything.