12 Days Of Doggie Christmas

The 12 Days of a Doggie Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas my doggie stole from meeee:

12 Christmas Cookies

11 Strands of Ribbon

10 Cups of Coffee

 9  Decorations

 8  Christmas Cards

 7 UPS Workers

 6 Strands of Garland

 5 Candy Caaaaanes

 4 Calling Friends

 3 French Toast

 2 Carmel Turtles

And a Part of the Christmas Turkeyyyyy…

Cat Calling: Confusing the Asshats.

I know the cat-calling thing has come up a lot lately. So, I thought I'd give my take on it.

From what I've read the conversation seems to be going something like this.

Women: Cat-calling makes us feel degraded, angry, and, at times, afraid. It would be nice if the offenders (generally men) would cease and desist.

Some Men: I never really thought about it that way. I will cease and desist.
Some other Men: I never did that anyway.
Some other Men: Well, it happens to guys too.

And then we have the asshats. The ones who tell us that we should take it as a compliment. That if we didn't dress a certain way, it wouldn't happen (bullshit by the way), and my favorite rage inducing asshat, you know you secretly like it.

So ladies, I've come up with a few ways to deter said asshats. Are you ready? Here goes:

Situation One: Asshat has cat-called you. Stop. Look at asshat with bewilderment. Urgently whisper: You can see me? You're not supposed to be able to see me. *press finger in ear, like they do on cop shows* I've been compromised. No! Do not use the terminate method! We have not reached that point. *look at said asshat* What are you waiting for? Run!
Proceed with the rest of the day.

Situation Two: This can be used if you have an extra few minutes. Asshat approaches. Freeze. I mean it stand completely still, don't even move your eyes. Just stand like that. This will confuse the asshat and he will wonder off.

Situation Three: Start talking to an imaginary person. Nod like you're answering. Ask questions. In general, act like a crazy person. If the asshat is still around, tell him politely that you are in an important conversation with the Emperor of Mars and you don't have time for earthly conversations.

Situation Four: Bark at them while other wise acting completely normal. No explanation required.

Situation Five: Tell asshat you would love to stay and converse but that your probation prohibits you from having a close relationship with any male. Your anger management teacher thinks you're making great strides, but there is always a chance of another "incident".

Happy Walking Ladies.

The Dog, The Ducks, and The Idiot Chasing Them Both

One wrong decision in a day can completely set you up for failure.

Like leaving the garage door up because you think, ah well, I just have to run in, get the dog, and take her to the vet.

Except the dog freaks out when you grab her leash for some reason. She tears through the house and hits the door to leading from the house into the garage. You don't think much about it cause she can't open that door.

Except she does. So now she is tearing through your neighborhood, looking over her shoulder at you like, HAHAHAHAHAHA.

So you go after her. She's decided that she wants to eat the ducks. But the ducks do not want to be eaten. So they go around, and around, and around the pond after each other. And you, like an idiot, go around and around and around trying to get the dog. It's like the merry-go-round from hell, with the ducks in the middle, and you and the damn dog on either side. A neighbor comes out and sees you. You think he's going to help.

Except he doesn't. So you think, if I bring out the other dog and feed him ham she'll get jealous, just like she always does, and come over.

Except she doesn't. So now you are staring across the pond from each other. You watch helplessly as your pain in the ass dog goes swimming through the muck. Finally, you realize that maybe one of your more friendly neighbors will help. Two people can corner her. So you knock on their door. The neighbor laughs at you, but agrees to help.

Except the dog has had enough of the ducks and shoots through the neighborhood. You watch as she speeds off. You curse a lot. Your neighbor just shakes his head.

Except apparently her little doggie brain couldn't handle the possibility of loosing a duck dinner, because miraculously, she comes back.

Now you and the neighbor have ham treats to give to the dog, when really all you want to do is strangle her. You and the neighbor split up, hoping to trap the escapee.

She sees the neighbor. She likes the neighbor, but she sure as hell isn't going to let the neighbor catch her. So as the neighbor gets closer, she gives him the HAHAHAHAHA face, and runs off.

This time though, she has made a mistake and cornered herself by a concrete block. Where you are waiting.

So you thank the neighbor profusely, run inside, towel off your soaking, stinky, fur exploding from everywhere, dog. You have no time to change clothes if you are going to make it to the vet. So you just load up and go.

All because of one decision to leave the garage door open.

Book Release!!

We've got a hot one today! This blog tour has it all. Writing tips, an excerpt, and the cover. *fans self*

First the cover, cause we all love awesome covers. Especially with hotties on the front.

Nice, huh? Want to learn more? Of course you do! Keep reading.

Kindling the Past

by M.S. Kaye

Kindle is fighting to survive on her own, to break free from her possessive and violent ex-boyfriend, and trying not to let her best friend, Anna, know she’s in love with her husband. Most of all, she fights the visions she sees of the past—she doesn’t believe in that kind of stuff.

Then Anna is shot and killed.

In their grief, Kindle and Ty, Anna’s husband and Kindle’s Taekwondo instructor, grow closer. Although Kindle is careful never to let him too close, he helps her learn to accept that her visions are real. Eventually, the truth about Anna’s death breaks through into Kindle’s visions, and she must find a way not to let it destroy her.

Pre-order at a 20% discount: 

http://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php

Before rushing off to by this book, keep reading for more a great writing tip and more about this author.

Quick Tip 7:

The Strong Silent Type

We all love the strong, quiet man. Descriptions should be just like those favorite heroes of ours—powerful images in few words.

The reader won’t remember fifteen details, but they will remember one powerful one. And if you catch the right details, you don’t need all the rest—the reader’s imagination will fill them in for you, which helps suck them into your story.

“Spanish moss swayed in the trees above the gleaming headstone.”

Does it matter how big the headstone is, what kind of trees hold the moss, or if the stone is close to the drive? Nope—those unimportant details would just dilute the image.

 I’ve put together ten short, easy writing tips to share. Follow my tour to see them all. Tour stops will be posted on my website: http://booksbymsk.com/?page_id=616

BIG OL' EXCERPT IN 3...2...1 GO!!!

Excerpt:

Prologue

I fought the visions. My mother used to tell me my expression turned stupid when I had them, but I didn’t care about that so much anymore. I hated when the visions were true somehow, actual bits of the past. I didn’t believe in that kind of stuff.

Chapter 1: Fight

“She’s such a snob,” one of the young women whispered on the other side of the locker room.

I stayed faced away, trying not to hear their gossip. I tugged my jeans on and pulled my shirt over my head. When I glanced in the mirror to fix my hair, I barely saw the dark brown framing my fair skin—only the way the other girls looked at me. I bent over to pick up my shoes.

“The guys don’t even ask her out because she’s so stuck up.”

I didn’t understand why they thought like this about me, but I didn’t much care anyway. As soon as I had my shoes on, I threw my gear bag over my shoulder and walked out.

Master Trahem was on the workout floor sparring with Mr. Schmidt. Master Trahem’s uniform was starting to come open, and sweat glistened on his well-built chest.

I looked away.

“Bye, Kindle,” Mrs. Trahem said as I passed the front counter. “See you tomorrow.”

I smiled at her, one of the few people I reserved my genuine smile for. She was a big part of the reason I came in early to help every day, her and her atrocious typing skills. She always held her fingers above the keys like a fisherman wielding a spear, as if expecting them to squirm out from under her aim.

But honestly, helping with data entry was just an excuse—Mrs. Trahem was the best person I’d ever known, and I felt calmer when I was around her.

“You’ll be there early, right?” Mrs. Trahem added. She tucked her silky dark hair behind her ear. There was a grace to her movement. No wonder Master Trahem had married her so quickly. At twenty-nine, she was a few years older than me but looked just as young.

“Definitely.” Then I kept walking. Before I gave into the urge to turn and watch Master Trahem.

The girls from the locker room followed me out into the parking lot. I sat in my car and started the engine.

While I drove the forty-five minutes home, I fought to stay awake. At least traffic at nine-thirty at night was thin. I always missed rush hour. I left my apartment before six every morning and didn’t return until after ten. Being tired felt normal.

As I pulled up to my building, I examined each car. I knew to whom each of them belonged, as well as half my neighbors’ friends’ cars. The girl across the hall traded boyfriends every week. She drove me nuts.

I had no way of knowing what Chris was driving. I had to know which cars were supposed to be here in order to know if there was a new one. Most of my neighbors drove beaters like me, and Chris had always liked something flashy. But with him, I couldn’t depend on consistency. He was smart.

I recognized all the cars tonight. I parked under the streetlight and kept the door locked while I pulled my gear bag onto my lap and slipped the strap over my shoulder. Keys ready, I jumped out of the car and jogged up the steps. I hated apartment buildings in Florida. The halls were open, no security doors to block unwanted visitors from knocking on your front door, from lurking in shadowy corners.

Within about ten seconds, I was up the stairs, down the hall, and at my door. Just being able to move quickly without running out of breath was worth the cost of Taekwondo classes. I felt more confident, less scared.

My door unlocked, I glanced down the hall one more time then slipped inside. I closed the door, locked it, and flipped the lights.

I was not alone.

He was right there, tall, thick, and blond as always. I was seeing as clearly as if through acid. I blinked to make sure he was really there. I always did that. It was stupid.

Chris was always there.

And finally Ms. Kaye herself (AKA Ms. Awesomesauce)

Author Bio:

M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband, Corey, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.

Contact M. S. Kaye at: 

www.Facebook.com/BooksByMSK

www.Twitter.com/MSKosciuszko

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7222522.M_S_Kaye

Now go get that book!!!!

It Could Have Been Me

Recently, I was asked to give a speech to an auditorium full of high school students. I've never stood in front of a large group and spoke before. Unless you count elementary school plays, which I don't.
The topic was to be about Young Adult books and reading, something that high school kids would just be dying to hear about, right? Of course not. So I knew that in order to make it interesting, I would have to make it personal. So I did. And part of that speech I would like to share with you.

What you may know already is, my book, Awakenings, is about two sisters who are kidnapped by human traffickers. The older one, Evie, is murdered but comes back from the dead to seek revenge and to save her sister.  But what you may not know is that a scene from that book came from my real life. You can probably guess that the coming back from the dead is not the one I'm talking about. (Or is it?)

No, the scene in which I am referring to is the one where Evie and her sister are running from the traffickers pursuing them. They grasp hands and run for their lives. This actually happened.

Now, in the book the girls are running from the men who have raided a hotel. The real life event wasn't as dramatic, but here it is.

When I was little, around six or seven, I was outside my house picking flowers for my mom. For as little as I was, that day is extremely clear in my mind, I can even remember what I was wearing.  It was sunny, and warm. I was in a purple shirt striped with different colors on the chest. We had wild buttercup flowers that grew by our house and that was what I was collecting. As I bent over to pluck another flower from the ground, a car slowed to a stop in front of my house.

I stood up and watched as a tall man in a dark three piece suit, opened the passenger door and got out. I remember a cold coil of fear tightening in my stomach. As I stared at him, he raised a camera, took my picture, got back into the car and drove off.

I ran back inside and told my mom about it but he was gone by time she made it out. She told me to stay inside the rest of the day and that was the last we saw of him. Until two weeks later.

Behind our rickety old house, we had a narrow dirt alley way. It wasn't used very often, but occasionally a car would drive through. On this day, my sister, who was around nine or ten at the time, and I were playing on our rusty old swingset. I was swinging when we heard the familiar sound of gravel crunching beneath a car.

My sister ordered me off the swing as the car inched its way up to directly behind our house. I immediately got off and joined her in the yard. When the car came to a complete stop, my sister and I were already very alert. When that man in the three piece suit stepped out of the car and into our yard, my sister yelled, grabbed my hand, and we took off running.

I don't know how close he got to us, because we were screaming and didn't look back. Our old dog went ballistic as we blew past her, probably sensing something was wrong. We had a back door that couldn't easily be seen from the alleyway, and we charged through it. My sister slammed it shut and threw the lock.

We nearly collided with my mom, who had heard us and was already making her way to us. We were out of breath but managed to squeak out what had happened. Mom quickly went to a window and peered out. The only thing she saw was the settling cloud of dust his car had left behind.

My sister and I were so very lucky. But sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if we hadn't made it to that door? My anger at that man is part of the reason why so many bad things happen to the bad men in my book. That's part of the reason why I wrote the book that I did, because really it could have been me.

New Release - Vision of Shadows

Look at what is out now! The cover is awesome and the story looks fantastic! Check it out.

See? Isn't it pretty? Read on to find out more.

Blurb: 

Is Bristol Blackburn about to meet the love of her life...or her killer? 

After the death of her parents, Bristol Blackburn's life is thrown into chaos and she's forced to move to Spirit, a small town where shadows are stirring. As she learns to navigate her new school and figures out how to keep her psychic abilities secret from her family, Bristol comes face to face with the boy who makes a regular appearance in her dreams: the gorgeous, possibly deadly, Payne McKnight. Soon she’ll find out if Payne will be the love of her life, or the end of it — and she has no idea which possibility scares her more.

And that's not even the worst of it. Strange shadows are haunting her dreams, and they're up to something that could put Bristol and the lives of everyone she loves in jeopardy.

You can add Vision of Shadows to your to-read list on Goodreads: 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108617-vision-of-shadows 

You can find more about Vision of Shadows on the Entranced site, you can also find the buy links here as soon as Vision of Shadows is available:

http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/imprints/rush/vision-of-shadows/ 

Also Vince wrote about picking character names. Something that is super hard for me. 

What’s in a name?

One of the first things I decided on when I started Vision of Shadows were the names of my characters. I had been trolling some baby site names (Wow, hope that doesn’t sound creepy!) and I came across a little article on two different women who had named their sons Payne. They had both thought that it was an interesting and unique name. Plus, they got to introduce their sons as their “Little Payne.” I instantly fell in love with it and knew I had to have a character named Payne. I kept trying out different last names until I thought of McKnight. I just seemed perfect. Payne McKnight.

One afternoon, I was watching football and saw the roster of the NY Giants flash across the screen. They have linebacker named Chase Blackburn. Both names stood out to me as particularly cool. I eventually put the name Blackburn together with the first name Bristol and had my main character, Bristol Blackburn. 

As I started to develop the concept for the story, I knew I was going to have two families with a generations old feud. Those families would be the Blackburn’s and the McKnight’s. I quickly came up with the names of the Bristol’s immediate family. I remembered that article where I read the name Payne and recalled that one of the women had stated that her husband liked the name since he had grown up with such a normal name, Mark. Something clicked in my head. (Or the hamster fell off the wheel!) Bristol’s uncle was christened Mark. I decided his young sons would be named Simon (He’s smart and I was thinking of that old game Simon Says) Zach, and their grandfather, Greg. All fairly basic names that just seemed to work. I still had the name Chase in my head, wanting to come out and I always wanted to use the name Blasé, which I had heard used in the Harry Potter book. 

Somewhere along the line, it occurred to me that the McKnight family would all have very unique names. It would become important that there would never be a Bob or Stanley McKnight.  Payne’s grandfather was originally named Victor, but that just wasn’t McKnight enough. So he was re-christened Varick. 

Whenever I needed names, even names used in passing, I’d google Unique Baby Names and find a bunch of baby naming sites and start scanning for names that stood out. Balthazar, Hunter, and Archer just to mention a few. It became woven into the fabric of the story.

As the series has progressed, I’ve always paid very close attention to names. And when I’m out and about, if I hear a name that’s unique and different, I file it away. You never know when it’s going to come in handy. 

So anytime I hear a name that piques my interest, I think, “Hey now. That could be a new character!”

Find out more about the author.

About the Author:

Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, Vincent Morrone now resides in Upstate NY with his wife. (Although he can still speak fluent Brooklynese.) His twin daughters remain not only his biggest fans, but usually are the first to read all of his work. Their home is run and operated for the comfort and convenience of their dogs. 

Vincent has been writing fiction, poetry and song lyrics for as long as he can remember, most of which involve magical misfits, paranormal prodigies and even on occasion superheroes and their sidekicks.

As they say in Brooklyn: Yo, you got something to say to Vincent? 

Check out http://vincentmorrone.com/ where you can learn about Vincent and leave him a comment.  You can also connect with Vincent on Twitter https://twitter.com/Vince524 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Morrrone.

You can find and contact Vincent Morrone here: 

Website: http://vincentmorrone.com/ 

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Morrrone 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vince524 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7143975.Vincent_Morrone 

Vincent also participates in a group blog called YA Rush which consist of YA and NA Entranced authors. You can find YA Rush here:

Website: http://yarush.com/   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YArush1  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YArush6  

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/yarush6/ 

Cover Reveal!!!

I love, love, LOVE, Cover Reveals! And this is a good one….

Look at all the pretty!

Makes you want to know more doesn't it? Well, here you go!

Kelsi always Knows when bad things are coming, but even she never thought she’d lose her husband at only twenty-three. Since he died, she’s been living her worst nightmare. 

Her nights are filled with dreams of a Dark Haired Man, but her days are full of guilt, because the Man fills her with longing and confusion, promising to give her all she needs, all she wants, all she feared she’d never have again.
If only the dreams would stay in her head where they belong. 
Kelsi starts seeing the Dark Haired Man in her waking life, shadowing her wherever she goes. And when her mysterious new neighbor, Aiden Hardt, knows about the Man in her dreams, Kelsi worries she can’t trust her own mind.
He’s not what he seems.
But even Aiden’s cryptic words don’t frighten her as much as the way she feels around him. Kelsi must sort through her emotions and figure out what’s real before she can ever hope to have a normal life again.

Here's more about the lovely Author!

About the Author

Barbara was born and raised in Southern California, but left to explore the world courtesy of the U.S. Navy. After traveling the world, she forced herself to live a humble life in in San Francisco, New York and Norfolk, Virginia. She now calls San Diego home and you won’t pry her out with a crowbar.
She would be the first  to tell you her husband, Henry, is the inspiration for all the romance, and the real Charlie - who is as cute as he sounds in her books - is a terrorist. When not working for the U.S. Navy, she can be found running, reading or writing. She firmly believes a well rounded diet consists of coffee, scotch, chocolate, popcorn and Luna Bars. In that order. 
She's a graduate of CUNY and Penn State - and manages to write a decent line here and there despite those burdens. 
Social Media Links
https://twitter.com/bak229

http://nofilterinstalled.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/NoFilterBetweenBrainandMouth

Adorned by Georgeann Swiger

This looks like a good one! And look at that awesome cover! Keep reading to find out more.

Blurb:

When seventeen-year-old Anya finds out she’s actually an angel being trained to protect humanity, she discovers that becoming an angel has nothing to do with wings and haloes. For Anya, becoming an angel has to do with death—her death.

Micah, the angelic soldier ordered to protect her until she transitions from human to angel, promises her death will be a glorious experience as long as she follows his rules. But getting Anya through this life and to the next isn’t as simple as Micah expects. His job becomes even more difficult after he unwittingly performs a miracle that exposes Anya’s hidden angelic light.  

With her secret out, Hell’s legions begin targeting her. Unfortunately, Hell’s minions are the least of Micah’s worries. He’s more concerned about the forbidden human emotions he’s developed toward Anya.  Even more troubling, is she seems to love him too. And giving in to those feelings, could mean dire consequences for them both.

You know you want to know more…so here is more! 

Excerpts:

1

Micah sits in the chair at the head of the table. He lowers his head and mouths something under his breath before snatching the fork from the table.  

“What happened to you?” I ask. “Did you change your mind about running away?”

“I didn’t run away.” 

When he lifts meatloaf to his mouth, I pull his plate toward me. “I’m tired of waiting for you to tell me what’s going on.”

He swallows. “I’m from the Triad.” 

“Is that a foster home?” 

“What’s a foster home?” He tastes his mashed potatoes.. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“I’m not hungry. Just tell me what’s going on.”

After he chugs his iced tea, he gets up and squats in front of me, balancing on his toes. No emotion crosses his face. The odd vibration in the room sends a tremor over my skin. Something’s off.  When Micah finally speaks, his voice is flat and emotionless. “I am an angel of the Lord, and your new guardian, here to escort you into the Kingdom of Heaven.”  

I stare at him until the truth dawns on me. Micah’s crazy. How did I not see it to begin with? No sane person would be running around naked in a thunderstorm. That old Simon guy was probably with some mental asylum. He should have put Micah in a straightjacket when he had the chance. Now I’m locked in the dining room with a big strong psycho.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” The scar in his Micah’s eyebrow deepens when he tilts his head to the side to study me. “When you enter the Kingdom you’ll become an angel.” He seems at ease, like a serial killer waiting to strike. “I intend to make your human death the most wonderful experience of your life.”

“My…human death?” Even though my voice cracks, I manage to force myself to smile. I glance at the locked doors and slowly scoot my chair away from the table. 

He touches my knee. “I’m happy to tell you, you won’t be stuck here much longer.”

When I think enough distance is between us, I use all my strength to shove him down and run for the door.

When I look over my shoulder, Micah gets to his feet, glaring at me. 

“Stay away from me!” My trembling hand can’t get the key to cooperate. I keep trying to get the key in the lock, but it slips out of my sweaty fingers and drops to the floor. I pound on the door. “Aunt Celeste!” I scream.

When I look back, Micah sits at the table, flicking his finger on the butter knife, making it spin it like an airplane propeller. His lips form a tight line. He slams his hand on the table, causing the butter knife to fall to the floor. “Sit. Down. Anya.” 

“Aunt Celeste, help me!”

2

I step onto the back porch, trying to make out what’s going on in the dark. When another flash of lightning reveals three figures clinging together, approaching from the pasture, I yell, “Is that Micah with you?” 

Celeste hollers back. “Yes, but he’s not well! Get some towels and a dry blanket!” 

I run up the kitchen stairwell and grab three towels from the bathroom and the comforter from my bedroom. I make it back downstairs in time to see Simon and Celeste helping Micah into the house. He leans on their shoulders, shuffling his feet as he staggers through the foyer.

“Dang, you look mangled.” Eli laughs, making it sound like a big joke When Aunt Celeste and Simon lower Micah to the couch in the parlor, he moans as he sinks into the cushions and falls to his side. His bare leg and muddy foot jut out of the wet blanket.

When Simon touches Micah’s forehead, the short uneven breaths Micah sucks through his teeth become even more pronounced. 

“You’re burning up,” Simon says. “How could you be so stupid?”

“Give me the towels, darling, and put the blanket down,” Aunt Celeste says. “Shut the door as you leave.”

“I want to know what’s going on. What happened to Micah?” I try to push past her to get to him, but she catches my arm, stopping me.

“Micah will be fine. But he doesn’t have any clothes on,” she says. “You can come in when we get him settled.”

Eli puts his arm around my shoulder and turns me toward the foyer. “Oh, come on beautiful. I’ll wait with you.”

Eli closes the pocket doors and flitters around the foyer like a nosy little dog. 

“What happened to Micah?” I ask. 

“Oh, don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine.”

“He didn’t look fine.” 

Eli’s golden eyes twinkle. “Trust me.”

“Who are you?” 

He ignores me and noses around the foyer, putting his fingers all over the glass sculptures. 

“Is that Simon guy with social services or the police or something?” 

He bends over and blows his hot breath on the crystal ball sitting on a pedestal near the front door. “Something,” he says. When he reaches out to touch the glass orb, a high-pitched scream coming from the parlor makes me freeze in front of the closed doors.

Eli slides past me and puts his back to the doors. “I think they’re done.” He pushes the doors open an inch and peeks inside, allowing a hint of a smoky odor to escape the room. When he opens the doors all the way, I can see Micah slumped on the couch with my comforter around him. 

“Is he okay?” I say.

Micah glances at me, then shuts his eyes. 

I look at Aunt Celeste. “I want to know what’s going on.” 

She fumbles with her pearl necklace and looks away, seeming to fight the urge to run to me. 

Eli flutters to her side. “Celeste, you’ve done a fine job. But Micah can take it from here.” 

Micah’s eyes pop open. His face turns as white as the daisies on my comforter.

If you want to purchase this in all its awesomeness go here.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Adorned-Trinity-Souls-Georgeann-Swiger-ebook/dp/B00G1OFBX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382353568&sr=8-1&keywords=adorned+georgeann+swiger

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/adorned-georgeann-swiger/1116999945?ean=9781301770632

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Adorned-The-Trinity-of-Souls/book-FFPpkiTb8kWoW2Ij6U44HA/page1.html?s=VydjqMVMukWPhqd38cnqkg&r=1

More about this author

Georgeann Swiger earned her degree in journalism from West Virginia University, and then spent five years as an anchor/reporter at WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, WV.  After having children, she left television news to be a stay at home mom. During that time, she discovered creative writing was more fun than writing about real life tragedy.  Imagining interesting characters and having them come to life on the page is now her passion. When she’s not writing, she works as a substitute teacher.  She lives in Reedsville, West Virginia with her husband, two kids, a beagle dog and a temperamental cat who tries to rule the house.

Shadow Born Blog Tour and Character Interview

Quirky & Random Interview Questions Answered by Raffin of SHADOW BORN:

Me: First of all, thank you Jennifer, for having us as guests on your blog. I’m Nicole Camp, and I’ll be interviewing Raffin Tys of the book “Shadow Born” releasing October 14th from Entranced Publishing. And Mr. Tys has kindly agreed to answer some fun questions for us on this blog post today. 

Raffin: Please call me Raffin, when you say ‘Mr. Tys’ I think my dad is here for the interview. 

*chuckles quietly*

Me: Alright Raffin, are you ready to start the interview?

Raffin: As ready as I’m going to be. This is my first interview.

Me: Ever?

Raffin: Ah yeah, pretty much. 

Me: Well, lets start off by asking what is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?

Raffin: Humanly speaking, Texas style menudo. Tripe is pretty rubbery when you try to chew it. Otherwise, consuming energy is pretty weird at times, as are the different sources it comes from. Yeah, I absorb and eat energy like people drink their morning coffee.

Me: Speaking of beverages, do you prefer coffee to tea or hot chocolate?

Raffin: On Earth, I like Rootbeer. It’s my favorite soda. I know, I sound like I’m like twelve or something - but I like sugar. 

Me: I have a chocolate addiction myself, so you’re not alone with the sugar thing. Now, next quirky question; if you had to go on a dangerous adventure, Raffin, who would you take along and why?

Raffin: It totally depends on how dangerous the adventure is. But Kurtax would never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t take him along. He’s this big sort of glowing alien guy in the book. Anyway, he’s seen all kinds of battles in his lifetime. He’s definitely got your back in a fight. But he’s way more of a sugar fiend than I am.

Me: Really?

Raffin: Oh yeah. If there’s candy or something sweet left out, it’s like gone. You have to be quick with fresh baked cookies and stuff when he’s around.

Me: Speaking of being quick, If you were given thirty seconds on television to say something, what would it be?

Raffin: I don’t really like being in the spotlight, so It would probably be something stupid, like ‘hi’ before ducking my head into my shoulders and quickly walking off camera. 

Me: So no public service announcement jobs for you anytime soon.

Raffin: I don’t think people really want to hear the words, “You don’t really want to know what’s out there-”. So yeah, no announcements from me anytime in the near future. 

Me: What is your idea of an incredibly romantic date?

Raffin: Any time spent alone with my girlfriend, Ari. She is incredibly sexy, and she can’t see it. It doesn’t matter what we do, even just talking is great. As long as I’m with her it doesn’t matter.

Me: I think every girl in American is wishing you were single right now. 

Raffin: Okay, next question.

Me: If you could go on a date with with someone famous, who would it be and why?

Raffin: No idea, again I don’t really like being in the spotlight, and anything celebrity just screams ‘in the spotlight’. And here I ended up being a sort of hero of my own story - go figure, right?

Me: Do you have a favorite song?

Raffin: Oh boy. I listen to a lot of different music from a lot of different worlds. My mom has soft rock playing on the radio in the house on Earth because that’s what her parents listened to when she was a kid growing up. But other than that I don’t constantly play any one type of music.

Me: If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Raffin: I like the energy rich planet Navea. It’s warm and the best vacation spot, that is when there aren’t invading aliens threatening it. Plus there’s a palace, well two palaces actually. But that is kind of a tricky subject to get into.

Me: How so?

Raffin: It’s talked about a lot in Shadow Born, so you’ll see if you read the book.

Me:  Alright, well why don’t you tell us seven things about yourself that we probably don’t know yet.

Raffin: Seven things? Okay, here it goes...

1.) I’m not a fan of jalapeño peppers. 

2.) I like the color black because it lets me blend in with the shadows. And I’ve spent a lot of time doing that.

3.) I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I feel kind of short sometimes, because I look up to everyone in my immediate circle of friends and family, except for my mom and my girlfriend, Ari. 

4.) I actually tried filing my Raffulan fingernails down as a kid, so that I wouldn’t keep shredding the bed spread. But my nails were tougher and sharper than the metal file I tried to use.

6.) I’m not a hero. Everybody seems to think I am, but I’m not. I’m just trying to do the right thing when situations arise or things go horribly wrong.

7.) I love Halloween. It’s the one day of the year when I don’t need a disguise or hooded clothing. And every year when I go out just as I am - I get congratulated on my ‘costume’. 

Me: Okay, I’m going to ask a more personal question this time. If you had a choice to be Human and only Human for the rest of your life, would take it?

Raffin: When I was younger, absolutely. Being half human and something else when your a kid on Earth is a total pain in the butt. You have to keep yourself hidden all the time. People tend to panic when they find out about something they don’t understand. In my experience, anyway.

*pauses*

But I’ve learned that I have a lot of strengths I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t something ‘else’. That said though, I wouldn’t be me without my human experiences. 

Me: Okay, going off the strength thing, what is your greatest fear?

Raffin: Uh, yeah - pass on that one.

Me: Now, being our ‘hero’ who would you say is your greatest enemy?

Raffin: Actually I am kind of my own worst enemy, but I won’t give too much away, you’ll have to read the books to find out more about that.

Me: Last question Raffin, finish this sentence: ‘On a good day’...

Raffin: On a good day nothing goes wrong, and I can sit back and enjoy it. That or I get to visit the planet Navea and hang out at the palace in the city of Aria. 

-Well that’s it for the interview questions, thank you so much for having us as guests on the blog. It was a blast! :)

For more adventures you can check out SHADOW’S RISING a Free prequel to SHADOW BORN at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/301172 

or visit my website https://sites.google.com/site/shadowbled/ for sneak peeks, cover art, and blog tour information.

SHADOW BORN Book blurb/synopsis: 

Eighteen-year-old Raffin has been in hiding on Earth since before he was born, but he’s more comfortable in the shadows anyway. He’s part of one of the most hated races in the universe. It’s a secret he’s forced to keep from everyone he meets. 

On his first day at a new high school, Arianna Val crashes into his world, literally. One tumble on the track field and suddenly she’s acting like they’re best friends. Worse, Raffin doesn’t mind her invading his shadows — and that’s before he realizes she knows his secret. But, she’s not quite human, herself and her very life force is what Raffin needs to survive. 

Can he trust her to keep his secret? Can he trust himself with Ari when his body yearns to drain her soul? Assailed by memories of death and destruction that aren’t his own, Raffin has to come to terms with the truth. He is shadow born.

A little more about the author and how to connect with her. :)

Author Bio:

 Author Nicole Camp has written three books to be published by Entranced Publishing. Her first book, "Shadow Born" will release Oct. 14th, 2013; followed by "Shadow Throne" in Spring 2014.

Nicole is an ice cream lover, who lives in Arizona with her family and pets. When not writing, she likes to explore the world through photography, snapping pictures of her surroundings.

More Social media links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicolShadowbled 

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7032173.Nicole_Camp 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.camp.shadowbled 

Steamy Cover Reveal! *Fans Self*

Ana's romances rock my world, and induce...erm....pleasant dreams. Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Definitely add this to your Goodreads list so you don't miss out on the steamy dreams.

 A LATE THAW

Author: Ana Blaze 

Publisher: Entranced Publishing

Imprint: Kissed

Genre: Contemporary romance

Release Date: November 11^th 2013

Blurb:

The town’s too small for Kiley St. Claire’s reappearance to be a surprise, still seeing her hits Cole Thomas like a punch to the gut. She ripped his heart apart when she turned to ice and ran away all those years ago. Now that she’s back, Cole’s going to say his piece and move on.

Even if she does look damn good in that uniform.

Kiley St. Claire is back in the small town of Barrett, Vermont, for one reason and one reason only: to earn some cash so she can survive her final semester of grad school. She’s not there for the sexy Christmas tree farmers.

Even the one who once held her heart.

Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17830852-a-late-thaw

Giveaway: 

Ana Blaze is giving away a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (winner’s choice) and an e-copy of her contemporary romance novella THE BEST MAN. 

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About the Author:

Ana lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, Ikea, and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears that someday she’s going to learn how to play the guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office.

How to follow Ana, and you know you want to follow Ana!

Author Social Media Links:

Blog: http://anablaze.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ana_blaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnaBlazeLove

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/anablaze/