by Sarah | Jul 19, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
ALFIE BLACK has everything he needs to pass scrutiny as a rock star. He’s a drop dead gorgeous specimen of a man. Rough around the edges and still flawless to look at. Alfie is a jaw dropping, panty melting, tattooed bad boy. Add tall and athletically toned with a fabulous face, eyes and smile, and it’s easy to see he’d be going places. Ticking most of the boxes required as the lead singer in a band,the last part of the equation many not have mattered much. However, Alfie is an incredibly talented singer and musician.
Women want Alfie. Men want to be Alfie.
So, gifted Alfie is given opportunities to progress both as an artiste, with his band Crakt Soundzz, but also to share his passion and pass his knowledge on to others at music college. Alfie’s journey in life should be going in one direction, but his sole focus is on taking care of his responsibilities.
Circumstances in the background dictate what he needs. And what he is willing to accept. This is something he isn’t willing to compromise on. Focused and determined, the last thing Alfie needs is a distraction. What Alfie wants and what is happening in his life are poles apart, but he is determined to keep going no matter what. For now, he thinks it’s enough. That is, until he meets Lily, the English girl who arrives at college to study music in Miami.
Lily is Alfie’s equal in many ways, musically gifted, stunning and in a different league to any girl Alfie has ever known. She is focused and driven. Single minded about her one passion in life. Music. The only thing Lily has ever wanted in life is to play and to play well.
When Lily’s journey crosses Alfie’s life path, what ensues for the both of them is a complex ride of emotions and feelings. Neither of them, despite all of their combined attributes are equipped to deal with. Alfie is emotionally locked down, both from past experiences and his current situation.
Lily is sexually naive and inexperienced. When their world’s collide there are far reaching consequences for the both of them, which neither expected. How can Alfie and Lily be together?
Alfie shares his thoughts, feelings and emotional conflict in his story. (Lily’s Story The Everything Trilogy)
[vimeo 99942622 w=500 h=281]
Love With Every Beat by KL Shandwick from Once Upon An Alpha on Vimeo.
I am married with two grown up children. I live on the outskirts of London. Writing has come relatively later in life for me, my main career being within the social and health services setting for many years as an independent professional. Please check out my website for my full bio.
by Sarah | Jul 16, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
Top Ten lessons Carew Papritz learned from living in a tent for a year.
- Don’t touch the walls of the tent when it’s been raining.
- Don’t leave food in your tent unless you like mice.
- You won’t die without TV.
- Make sure your fire is out before you go to bed.
- You always dream better with fresh air.
- Sound travels through the walls of a tent . . .
- Food tastes better.
- Some friends think you’re adventurous . . . some think you’re homeless.
- The grass is greener but it also makes your feet wet.
- You’re the richest person on earth . . .
Synopsis
A tragedy begins.
A husband and wife separate.
He’s dying. She doesn’t know.
She’s pregnant. He can’t return.
Now he races against time—
In the solitude of a mountain cabin.
In a faraway mountain range.
Trying to finish . . .
For his children—
his captivating stories and memories,
turned into practical, moral, and spiritual instructions,
now their “guidebook to life.”
For his wife—
his intimate words of great love and deep regret,
now his journey of redemption,
now her passage to forgiveness.
Ultimately, he gives his final gift
to her, to them,
and now,
to us all.
*~*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carew lives life as a series of great tests of the spirit. Born with an adventurer’s heart—a fierce and undying curiosity to see and explore the world—he takes to his challenges as if they were fatefully created just for him. He is determined to be a Renaissance Man in an age that lauds the specialist. As seen by his writings and songs in The Legacy Letters, he is fascinated with the human condition and chronicles it by immersing himself in all its endless variations.
WEBSITE: http://thelegacyletters.com/
TWITTER: @LegacyLetters
by Sarah | Jul 15, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
A themed book tour through Prism Book Tours.
We’re launching the BOOK TOUR for
Second on the Right
by Elizabeth Los
Come visit the world of Captain Hook!
JULY TOUR SCHEDULE:
14 – Launch
15 – Kelly P’s Blog
Coffee Books & Art
Dividing by Zero
Musings of Immortals
16 – Sarah’s StoryLines
17 – Mary Terrani.com
18 – All That’s Written
The Wonderings Of One Person
Christy’s Cozy Corners
20 – My Life, Loves and Passion
21 – Bookish Outsider
22 – My Devotional Thoughts
23 – Bookworm Lisa
24 – The Written Adventure
25 – Dalene’s Book Reviews
27 – Grand Finale
Second on the Right
by Elizabeth Los
Adult Fantasy
Paperback, 506 Pages
May 9 2014
Spawned from an ancient promise, treachery and intrigue follow the protagonists through our world and one lost to the waves. Bound by an invisible bond, they are thrust into a fantastical world of pirates and demons.
James Benedict is a just man haunted by evil. Pushed to the edge, everything stripped from him, a new man arises . . . a man whose name strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it: “Captain Hook”.
Eileen Davis was a timid woman. Through a fateful cruise she finds herself in the company of the Captain of the Mistral Thief. With his guidance, and the meddling of the local barista, she eventually finds her inner strength.
Will the two of them unite through time to fulfill the promise of their ancestors or will tempers ignite leading all to failure?
True love’s magic is not to avoid changes,
But to navigate them successfully.
Amazon – Barnes & Noble – iTunes – Smashwords
Excerpt:
Eileen woke with a start. Carefully, she peeled back the privacy sheet. A lump caught in her throat. The cabin door was open. She frowned. In the dim moonlight, a shadow stood just within the captain’s quarters. It moved. Her heart raced. She blinked, then stared. The dark silhouette glided silently. She watched, unbelieving. The shape loomed over the captain. She released the sheet.
He doesn’t know. He’s still asleep. I have to do something. But what? Her thoughts rattled through her mind. She had to be quick.
As quiet as possible, she slipped from her hammock. Her stocking feet made no sound. She crouched. Her fingers slid down her leg until they found her dagger. She removed the blade. Her hand trembled as she pulled back the sheet. Squinting, she could make out the shape. She rose. The floor creaked under her shifting weight.
Red eyes stared at her from across the room. They seemed to float in midair. She held her breath. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She blinked. The eyes grew larger. She looked to the door. When she looked back, the eyes were closer. She panicked. The shadow lunged towards her.
Eileen screamed. “Captain! Captain, wake up!” She stomped on the floor boards and yelled, “Smythe! Anyone! The captain’s in danger!”
The creature howled.
Eileen swung her dagger at the intruder. He slid to the right. She slashed. He slipped to the left. She thrust. Her blade met air. He moved with little effort. And now, he drew closer. She slashed haphazardly. She hit nothing.
The shadow hissed. She felt a rush of wind. The creature flew at her. A powerful blow to the chest, her back slammed into the wall. She tried to defend herself. Another rush of wind and her dagger was knocked out of her hand. Her head hit the wall. Sliding to the floor, she felt cold. She heard a raspy inhalation. Looking up she was met with red eyes that glared at her. A cold breeze wrapped around her. She tried for her dagger, but it was gone. As she struggled for breath, her hearing diminished. The shadow loomed over her. Eileen’s vision tunneled until darkness enveloped her and there was nothing.
More About Second on the Right and Its Author, Elizabeth Los
What is your motivation behind this series?
I wrote Second on the Right in answer to a challenge set by a friend : make a villain the hero.
Why did you want to write it?
I enjoy the fantasy, almost daydreaming part of it. Thinking up new stories and writing them out has always been of great enjoyment to me. It even serves as a stress relief!
What do you hope readers will take with them when they read your book?
I hope readers will be able to sit back and enjoy the ride. I love books that take me on a journey full of twists and turns. If a reader gleans a message from the story, great! But otherwise, I just want it to be fun. I hope they find themselves liking Hook as I always have.
Do you have a favorite scene?
That’s a tough one to answer! I like the creepiness of when Pan enters Captain Benedict’s quarters and Eileen cries out to wake up the crew. But I also enjoyed writing the fight between Captain Benedict and James, when James was angry about Benedict taking advantage of Eileen.
Share something about you that is unique – maybe about how/where you write… or favorite snack foods?
Favorite food would probably be something unique! I love, love, LOVE having salad with a little balsamic vinegar and oil, placed on top of a thin crust pizza (pepperoni and mushrooms – my favorite). I love the combo of the pizza and salad.
About Elizabeth Los
I began writing fan fiction short stories in 2010 as means of escape. Every night, after ten hours of work and once the children were finally tucked in bed, for the fifth time, I would sit at my laptop and let my imagination flow through my fingers. Typing over eighty words per minute, my stories quickly began to form from novellas into full length novels. I used writing as my therapy, my release for stress.
Website – Goodreads – Facebook – Twitter
Tour-Wide Giveaway
– $20 Amazon gift card and an ebook of Second on the Right (INT)
– Signed print copy of Second on the Right (US Only)
– Ends August 3rd
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Sarah | Jul 14, 2014 | Book Spotlight, Guest Authors, Writing
| HOMEPAGE | Goodreads |
| Amazon | AmazonUK | BN | Kobo |
Description:
Being in love with a zombie bites, but that won’t stop true love. Horror High School: Return of the Loving Dead is like no zombie book you’ve ever read. Meet Amber Vanderkamp, senior at Stephen E. King High School. Amber is poised for class valedictorian when she graduates this year and has her sights set on the New York Center for the Performing Arts for college. Everything is wonderful in Amber’s world. She always gets the lead in her high school’s plays and is counting on the lead role in the school’s upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet to get a college scholarship for theater That is until her well-ordered world is thrown into chaos when her boyfriend, Zach Williams, dies and comes back as a zombie. But she simply can’t turn her back on the love of her life, can she? How does she deal with the pressure? And will she remain committed to the boy she once considered her soul mate and future husband? Especially when her mother (with secrets of her own) is encouraging her to wait and experience more of the world. And her flighty best friend, Jasmine, is acting even more peculiar ever since Zach has become a member of the undead club. Add in the class bullies, Caleb and Darla, who seem to be doing everything in their power to ruin Amber’s life and Zach’s existence, and all of the elements are present for a page-turning romp through a world where zombies, or “living impaired loved ones,” are a part of everyday life.
—
About the Authors:
Araminta Star Matthews is an author, educator, and instructional designer in Central Maine. Born a ginger to a pair of geek parents (one, a lover of all things Stephen King, the other a tabletop gamer and Tolkein-fan), Araminta has always been a bit of an odd duck. Her books typically feature strong, young women who are brilliant, clever, funny, and weird. Her books include Blind Hunger, Write of the Living Dead, Before Black Mask, Before Weird Tales, and The Warehouse. Her notable shorter works include “Bark of the Covenant,” in One Night Stands, “The All-Consuming Hunger of Love” in Dark Moon Digest, “Under My Skin” in Zombies Need Love, Too, and “Every Time a Bell Rings,” in Slices of Flesh. She lives in Central Maine with her miraculous dogs, Devo the whippet and Crivens the Jack-Chi, and her partner, Abner Goodwin.
Find Araminta Star Matthews Online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
Stan Swanson is a Bram Stoker award finalist and author of eight books including Forever Zombie (a collection of short stories), Write of the Living Dead (a highly-praised writing guide written with Araminta Star Matthews and Rachel Lee) and Return of the Scream Queen (co-authored with Michael McCarty and Linnea Quigley). He is also editor/publisher for Dark Moon Books and Dark Moon Digest. Upcoming titles include Horror High School: Return of the Loving Dead (the first book in a young adult horror series co-written with Araminta Star Matthews), Dead Sparrows (a collection of apocalyptic poetry) and The Methlands (a horror novel co-written with award-winning author Joe McKinney).
Find Stan Swanson Online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
by Sarah | Jul 13, 2014 | Books, Holiday, Tuesday Tales, Writing
Welcome back to Tuesday Tales! This weeks prompt is to be inspired by this picture. As always with word prompts, we were restricted to 300 words. I managed to come in right under count at 297.
This week’s prompt fell into my current WIP for the Holidays in Lake Point series, Witch Way.
Felicity walked along the outside of the circle. With great care she set a candle at the northernmost point, a safe distance from the nearby tall dry grasses of the rest of the small clearing. “Earth.” Above the candle she set a moonstone to represent the element.
She followed the arc to the eastern edge where she placed another candle they’d made themselves. The feathers dancing along the outside of the wax representing their element. “Air.”
“Fire.” To the south she set a red candle that needed no further help for its element. To the west she set another candle, and her aunt arrived out of the woods just in time with the small wooden bowl filled with water from the creek. “And water.”
In the middle of the circle she set the final candle for spirit and sighed. After her date, Patty had insisted on a small ritual to help clear Felicity’s head. Although she knew this was for her, the doubts and fears plaguing her made her know success would be tough. “Can’t I sleep on it first, Patty? I don’t feel clear enough for this.”
“There is a full moon tonight, just look up there. The moon has always been your guide, you know this. How many nights did I find you wandering, trying to chase it through these hills?”
“I know. I’ve always felt that connection. I’m just tired and…”
“I’m glad to see you’re struggling with acceptance here, but you don’t have to do so alone.”
“I’ve learned at your knee, Patty. I’m not focused enough for this to do any good.”
Patty touched her head. “You’re not doing anything. I am doing this one all on my lonesome, you need to be grounded and cleansed. You’re a mess.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
by Sarah | Jul 12, 2014 | Books, Masked Hearts, Publishing Credits, Secret Cravings Publishing, Writing
Welcome back to the Weekend Writing Warriors!
I’m back with my travelling wild west show story, Masked Hearts.
Skipping ahead a little ways. After some hemming and hawing, Minnie agreed to speak with Roy if he woke early enough to avoid them being caught by Mister Rawlins. He did manage, and met her by the creek.
After a little struggle, Minnie revealed some of her past. In the course of conversation, Roy asked if there were sometimes white men and women were part of the tribe, as wife or husband, or the like. Minnie admitted there sometimes were, and when asked (by him) acknowledged that one of them was a fur trapper:
“Why do you ask such things? You said you’d tell me.”
“That fur trapper,” He had to force the words out; the cracking in his voice so unusual it drew Minnie’s intense gaze back to him. “Did he and the woman have a child? A son?”
Her brows drew together, a frown creasing her lips down, “Yes.”
“Was he taken away?”
“Why?”
*Creative editing used this week to fit in the 8.
*~*
If you want more of these wonderful two…pick up a copy!
| Amazon | SCP | BN | ARe |
Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.
Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.
As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found.
*~*
Head back on over to the Weekend Writing Warriors to read many more wonderful offerings!
