Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Announcing the Editing and Proofreading Services



Today, I would like to announce my new Editing and Proofreading Services for fiction and non-fiction writers.

For detailed information on the services offered, as well as the pricing, please look at my 

Please spread the word and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Monday, April 21, 2014

Quote of the Day

Sunset in the mountains by Yelena Casale


Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

 ~ Lao Tzu

Friday, April 18, 2014

Friday Art & History Feature - The Vikings of History Channel & Lagertha

Vikings poster for Season 2 (History Channel)

I'm a big fan of the History Channel's Vikings, which is currently in its second season, and has already been renewed for the 3rd season.

Vikings does a beautiful job of setting up dark, moody atmosphere in each episode. The morality and the choices of these Vikings are often teetering on the edge of good and evil, only its not seen as good and evil but a fact of life. They live by different rules and they die by different rules. The ruthlessness of vikings is well documented, but this is how they survived, how they conquered and how they lived.



The show also does a formidable job of bringing strong women to the forefront of the story, whether the shield-maiden (warrior) Lagertha, the first wife of the powerful Ragnar Lothbrook (the main character of the show), or princess Aslaug, Ragnar's second wife, whose strength lies in her maternal instincts and character.

Lathgertha by Morris Meredith Williams, 1913
The historical Lagertha comes to us through the 12th century Danish work of history called Saxo Grammaticus. The account in this tale talks of Ragnar meeting this shield-maiden when she fought, along with other abused women, on his side when he came to avenge the death of his grandfather, Siward. She is described as a skillful fighter, her hair loose around her, fighting with the courage of a man. The legend continues with Ragnar courting Lagertha, and her setting two wild beasts on him to protect her home, which he ends up killing, so winning Lagertha's hand in marriage. He had a few children with her but, still not forgiving that she set beasts on him, he eventually divorces her and marries another woman. While this tale is considered a fiction for the most part by scholars, it clearly shows how she was perceived as a noted warrior and courageous personality. There are a few different theories about the real Lagertha, which all lead us to believe that she held considerable power and was possibly a ruler in her own right.


In the Vikings TV show, Lagertha is played (superbly, I might add) by Katheryn Winnick.



Do you enjoy Viking history? Do you watch The Vikings on History Channel? How do you like it?

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance Book Blitz & Giveaway

Book & Author Details:

Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance
Authors: Alyssa Day, Bonnie Vanak, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Erin Quinn, Felicity E. Heaton, Jennifer Ashley, Laurie London
Publication date: April 14th 2014
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
Eight hot paranormal romances by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Alpha-male bad boys will fulfill your darkest, most deadliest desires in these stories about shifters, werewolves, vampires, magic, special powers and other realms. But only if you dare…
Featuring the bad boy heroes of:
BODYGUARD by Jennifer Ashley
ALEJANDRO’S SORCERESS by Alyssa Day
BEWITCH by Felicity Heaton
DARKNESS FALLS by Erin Kellison
ROGUE’S PASSION by Laurie London
THE FORBIDDEN LIFE OF ALEX MOORE by Erin Quinn
THE MATING HEAT by Bonnie Vanak
TRAPPED by Caris Roane

Purchase:


 

Excerpt from ALEJANDRO’S SORCERESS by Alyssa Day

Poe’s Avenue, Virginia, FBI Paranormal Operations Division HQ
Alejandro cocked the shotgun they hadn’t been able to force him to give up and followed his teammate into the burnt and jagged opening in the side of the building, hoping that—for once—there weren’t any trolls.

He hated trolls.

“Clear,” Mac, already moving through the narrow hallway, called back to him. It was Mac’s turn to go first. They kept score.

Lately he’d been keeping score on a lot of things. Like time. The year, two weeks, and five days since he’d seen the sunlight outside of the academy, for instance.

Not that he was counting.

Anyway, the year-long course at the FBI’s sister division, P Ops, had kept him plenty busy.

“Shotgun!  You coming or scratching your ass back there?”

“No, my friend, I was just thinking of asking your sister to scratch it for me,” Alejandro said. “She reaches all the itchy parts so well.”

“I will kick your ass if you get any of your itchy parts anywhere near my sister. Or she’d kick it for you. Jenny scares even me.”

The sound of Mac’s Glock firing three shots in rapid succession caused Alejandro to break into a run as he slapped his night-vision goggles in place.

“On my way,” he called, not bothering to try to be stealthy. “Save some for me.”

He caught the shifting glimmer of light in the corner of one eye and whirled around, aiming and firing in one smooth motion. Whatever it was, he missed. Too short to be a troll, so there was one mercy. If he were the type to have nightmares, he’d still be having them about the last one’s breath. Green, moss-covered teeth. What the hell was that about?  Toothpaste was cheap.

“Shotgun!  Could use a little help here!” Mac sounded just the slightest bit out of breath, which was unusual for the man who’d beat the all-time speed record for the FBI’s obstacle course at Quantico in an inter-agency competition. Alejandro had won a hundred bucks on that one.

He took off running, cocking the Remington as he moved. The vampire who jumped him five feet down the hall took a blast to the head. Alejandro vaulted over the vamp’s disintegrating body, not wanting the acidic slime of decomposing vamp on his new shoes.

A high-pitched scream warned him of the approach from overhead of a deadly Mngwa, but he had a silver throwing knife at hand. One lethal toss later, a couple hundred pounds of mutant killer cat lay on the floor, blood gurgling out of its throat.

He skidded to a stop at the end of the corridor, not willing to rush headlong into a blind turn, and Mac called out to him again, his deep voice rough and strained. “Alejandro, if you’re coming, now would be a really good time.”

Alejandro instantly switched from student-taking-his-final-exam mode to deadly-predator mode. They had a code between them, he and Mac. They were only Alejandro and Maxwell to each other in the event of a dire emergency. Whatever faced Mac around that corner was no training-ground obstacle. Somebody had set a trap, and Mac was caught in it.

Alejandro was going to kick somebody’s ass for this one.


Who is your favorite bad boy of Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy?
Comment for a chance to win one (1) ebook copy of Dark and Deadly.
 Open internationally. Winner will be chosen at random. Prize will be sent on May 14th by Xpresso Book Tours.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Release Day - Fight For You by Magan Vernon

HAPPY RELEASE DAY MAGAN VERNON!!!

Fight For You

Magan Vernon

Cover
synopsis
Nicky Ragusa lives his life inside the cage, circuiting the underground ring to escape his fate as the mafia prince. When Jackie Marks crashes into his life, he’ll take the fight outside the cage.
But the battle for Jackie’s heart comes with a steep price. Nicky’s father has wanted him to take over the family business for years, and the time for running is over. Now Nicky is right where his father has always wanted him: in the middle of a war.
All Nicky has ever wanted to do was fight. Now all he has to do is fight for her.
Buy Links
about the author
Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media
Author PIc
Tour Host - Brenda

Friday, April 11, 2014

Cover Reveal - Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway and Giveaway

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway

presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Call Me Grim
The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake -- and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn't shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron's the local Grim Reaper... and he only saved Libbi's life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place.
And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark... but only if she accepts Aaron's job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.
add to goodreads
Title: CALL ME GRIM
Publication date: November 11, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Elizabeth Holloway
Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author
Elizabeth Holloway
Elizabeth Holloway is a registered nurse living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children, Bam-bam the dog, and Tinkerbell the cat. CALL ME GRIM is her first novel.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Chapter-by-Chapter-header---Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!



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Thursday, April 10, 2014

Guest Post by Elizabeth Corrigan, Author of Raising Chaos

Today, Elizabeth Corrigan, the author of Raising Chaos, is stopping by on her Raising Chaos tour to explain her views and twists on worldbuilding Christianity in her books. Look for the Giveaway at the end of the post.


Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo

Add it to your Goodreads shelf


Worldbuilding Christianity

I don’t remember when I heard someone suggest that the Bible may have happened differently than what is explicitly stated. I’ve seen the movie Dogma many times and consequently know that the 13th apostle, Rufus, was left out of the Bible for being black. (Actually, I’m pretty sure that if this were the case, a good many of the apostles would have been left out of the Bible for their dusky skin.) I read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, which informed me that Jacob’s daughter Dinah wanted to have sex with the guy who her family killed for raping her. And I’ve read my children’s Bible, which decided to tone down the bit about Moses killing the worshipers of the golden calf by saying he just made them drink water with gold in it (so they would have died of heavy metal toxicity anyway). 

When I decided to feature angels and demons in Oracle of Philadelphia, I knew I had to include some of the versions of the Bible stories and characters that had floated around in my head. For example, I envisioned the Archangel Gabriel as a kind, generous, holier-than-life kind of guy and Michael as something of a jerk, so I made them prominent figures in the plot. But my interpretations of the Bible and its veracity became more than just flavor for the story. They became the basis of the entire world. My characters had witnessed and participated in Biblical events. The tales from Scripture were the defining moments in their lives. And things didn’t always happen as the Church taught.

In some cases, I didn’t make up anything new to the Bible stories, but I told them from the point of view of someone who experienced the events. The language of the Bible is often distant and epic-narrative style, so when I rewrote the stories in concrete terms with details and emotions, the results sometimes surprised me. Before I had Bedlam talk about the Israelites in the desert, I never understood that they had escaped from slavery only to kill each other for temporarily worshipping the wrong god.  I’m working on some similar stories for book 3, and have come to realize that the ten plagues of Egypt wreaked an insane amount of suffering on a lot of innocent people.

For other back stories, I did imply that the Bible got some stories wrong. In the case of the virgin birth, I indicated this was somewhat deliberate on the part of historians—no one wanted to know that Mary’s family didn’t react very well to her pregnancy. In other cases, I attributed the changes to the natural ebb and flow of the oral tradition. People forgot about the nephilim in Abraham’s story and just remembered angels visiting his wife and God ordering him to kill his son. 

I guess the best way to describe it is that I treat Christian scripture as mythology instead of religion and consequently feel comfortable playing with it in the same way I might Greek or Norse myths. I do sometimes worry that people will be offended. But then I remind myself that I can always tell them that my book, unlike the Bible, is shelved in fiction.


Elizabeth Corrigan has degrees in English and psychology and has spent several years working as a data analyst in various branches of the healthcare industry. When she’s not hard at work on her next novel, Elizabeth enjoys singing, reading teen vampire novels, and making Sims of her characters.
She drinks more Diet Coke than is probably optimal for the human body and is pathologically afraid of bees. She lives in Maryland with two cats and a purple Smart Car.

 


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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Quote of the Day



The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; and, after an era of darkness, new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again, and yet live on, still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead.

~ Clarence Shepard Day

Friday, April 4, 2014

Cover Reveal - Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

Today, I'm excited to bring you the cover reveal of Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil, an agent-mate! And what a gorgeous cover it is!

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
VWeavil_CrownofIce_M9B_eCover_1800x2700
Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.
Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal.
A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts -- to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.
CROWN OF ICE is a YA Fantasy that reinvents Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" from the perspective of a young woman who discovers that the greatest threat to her survival may be her own humanity.
add to goodreadsCrown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil
Publication Date: December 16, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books
Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author
Vicki Weavil
Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she's gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She's currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university. Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.
Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumbler
Chapter-by-Chapter-header---Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Quote of the Day

 
 
If you are caught unprepared by a sudden rainstorm, you should not run foolishly down the road or hide under the eves of houses. You are going to get soaked either way. Accept that from the beginning and go on your way. This way you will not be distressed by a little rain. Apply this lesson to everything.
 
~ Hagakure, The Book of the Samurai

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Sunset Rising by S.M. McEachern Book Blitz - In the (Un)likely Event of Apocalypse Advice & Giveaway



Sunset Rising by S.M. McEachern
(Sunset Rising #1)
Publication date: November 12th 2013
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Synopsis:

February 2024: Desperate to find refuge from the nuclear storm, a group of civilians discover a secret government bio-dome. Greeted by a hail of bullets and told to turn back, the frantic refugees stand their ground and are grudgingly permitted entry. But the price of admission is high.
283 years later… Life as a slave in the Pit had never been easy, but for seventeen-year-old Sunny O’Donnell it was quickly careening out of control. Her mother was killed in the annual spring Cull, leaving her alone with a father who decided to give up on life.  It’s not that she blamed him for grieving, but if they didn’t earn enough credits to keep their place inside the Pit, they would be kicked out into a world still teeming with radiation. That left her to earn the credits for both of them.  It didn’t help that her boyfriend, Reyes Crowe, was pressuring her to get married and abandon her father.

Sunny didn’t think life could get any worse, until she was forced upstairs to the Dome to serve and entertain the elite at a bachelor party. That's where she met Leisel Holt, the president's daughter, and her fiancé, Jack Kenner. Now Sunny is wanted for treason. If they catch her, she'll be executed.

She thought Leisel's betrayal was the end for her…but it turns out it was just the beginning.

Sunset Rising is Book One of a series. 

Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Rising-S-M-McEachern-ebook/dp/B009G3ZIO0

And now...some tips and advice



In the (un)Likely Event of an Apocalypse
  
The Apocalypse. The end of civilization as we know it. Maybe even the complete annihilation of the Earth. 

The thought is terrifying and has fascinated generations for decades. There have been thousands of predictions on how, why and when the world as we know it will come to an abrupt end. It’s the stuff that blockbuster films and best selling novels are made of (mine included!). But could an apocalypse actually happen?  What are the odds? And more importantly, can the human race survive the end of the world? As the author of a post-apocalyptic series, I’ve actually done some research on apocalyptic scenarios and here are a few of my thoughts:

Nuclear War:  Anyone who has read my novel, “Sunset Rising”, knows nuclear war is my apocalypse of choice (I say tongue in cheek). Consider the domino effect of just one nuclear explosion set off above a city: a) buildings and dwellings leveled and set on fire; b) the instantaneous death of anyone inhabiting the city; c) as the city is engulfed in flames, oil and gas stores (in vehicles and tanks) explode; e) the cloud from the firestorm rises into the atmosphere, blocking out the suns rays—the beginning of a nuclear winter; f) radiation fall-out. One nuclear warhead exploding over one city has the capability to wipe out millions of people.

There are more than 17,000 known nuclear weapons in the world, many of which are more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  

In the (un)likely event of a global nuclear war, you might want to be digging out a bunker in your backyard and stocking it with canned food and clean water… In the meantime, you can join campaigns and groups dedicated to abolishing nuclear weapons globally.

Earth hit by an asteroid:  How big does an asteroid need to be to cause global destruction? NASA says anywhere from 1 to 2 km in diameter and up will likely end civilization.  Regional damage at the collision site would cause the most immediate destruction, but it’s the resulting “impact winter” possibly followed by an “ultraviolet spring” that would end life as we know it. For comparison, the asteroid responsible for the mass extinction of the dinosaurs was approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) in diameter.

So what are the odds of Earth suffering a meteorite impact? Pretty good, actually.  Asteroids have collided with our planet in the past so there’s every reason to expect it will be hit again.  In fact, on March 5, 2014, a meteor approximately 98 feet in diameter—big enough to cause regional damage—passed between the Earth and Moon.

In the (un)likely event of a meteorite impact, those people who already have a bunker dug-out to survive the nuclear war have the best chance for survival. Although, if you live in a coastal area subject to tsunamis from the event, forget the bunker and head to high ground. If you’d like a heads-up before the big bang, check in with the “Near Earth Object Program” here: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/

Zombies:  Can a zombie apocalypse actually happen?! The movie, “I am Legend” made it somewhat believable since people were turned into zombies via a rabies-type virus.  And here’s the other thing that makes “I am Legend” mind-blowingly scary—the zombies could run fast!  Biologists keep warning us we’re overdue for a pandemic. Could the zombie flu be the next one?

In the (un)likely event of a zombie apocalypse, you’ll need to be in good physical shape, know how to use a rifle, and make sure you’re a fast runner…or at least faster than your mate ;)

Well, those are just a few ways our civilization could suffer an apocalypse.  Are you prepared? 
Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $30 Gift Card!
AUTHOR BIO
S.M. McEachern (also known as Susan) comes from the rocky shores of Canada’s East Coast.  As a resident of Halifax during her early adult years, she attended Dalhousie University and earned an Honors Degree in International Development Studies with a focus on ocean development.  Throughout her academic studies and early career, Susan had the privilege to work with many developing countries on resource management projects.

Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream for Susan. “Sunset Rising” is her debut novel and the first of many she plans to write.  

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