Showing posts with label Author Guests. Show all posts

Exclusive Excerpt from Dead Over Heels

, by KT

Today we're happy to be hosting an exclusive excerpt of Dead Over Heels by Alison Kemper. You'll want to get your hands on this one!
Vrrr-vrrr! I find my feet and wave the Weedwacker like a sword. Vrrr-vrrr! The vinyl string spins close to their ashy flesh.
At that moment, my brain seems to unlock. On TV, they’d been joking around, calling the infection “Zombie Flu.” And now I know for sure that’s exactly what’s in front of me. Because these three people look like something straight out of a horror movie. Scabbed, slimy skin, streaked with dirt and blood. Rough, jerking motions.
Jesus. This can’t be happening.
My breath comes fast. I keep my eyes locked on the flesh-eaters. One gal trips over her high heels but keeps reaching in my direction, arms extended, eyes rolled back in her sockets.
Vrrrrrr-vrrrrr! I herd them back, revving the motor into a loud whine. “Take that, flu people!” They retreat into the copse. Vrrr-v—
The motor spins into silence. Oh, no.
No, no, no. Damn thing ran outta gas! For a moment I stand staring at the useless Weedwacker.
“Rawr!”
I toss the machine to the ground and take off.
In two seconds flat, the infected are out of the trees and on my tail, moaning their dadgum heads off. That sound they make—“Rawwwrrr!”—it’s like T-Rex crossed with dying cow.
Or exactly like the sound a zombie makes.
My pulse drums in my ears as I clamber up the steep hill.
Up the hill? Why the hell am I climbing up the hill? Toward the house? Toward that girl? What am I thinking? Now ain’t the time to be a hero. I need to get the hell outta here! Down the road, in the woods—someplace far, far away. These infected people aren’t fast; I could outrun them in two seconds on level ground.
But the girl. Eva, Ava, whatever. She doesn’t know about the flu monsters in her front yard. Her parents are gone. She’s alone in that house. I can’t just leave her.
I scrabble up the incline, my feet twisting on loose rocks.
“Rawr!”
Golfer-zombie’s slap-up behind me, lower down the slope. He might be slow, but I’m slow, too, fumbling up this slant. He grabs and catches my shoelace. Desperate, I thrash out and kick his mouth. Crack. The steel toe of my boot connects with his teeth.
Part of me wants to apologize, but instead I’m screaming my fool head off. A terrified, frantic sound in the back of my throat. Gotta get up this hill.
I reach the crappy, half-rotted steps, concrete crumbling beneath my shoes. Almost there.
“Girl!” I shout. “Hey, girl.”
My feet hit the gravel drive, and I’m sprinting now, leaving the infected still halfway up the hill.
“Evie,” I yell. “Ada!”
No movement at the house.
Damn it all to hell.
I throw myself against the front door, pounding with my fists, kicking with my boots. The infected finally reach the top of the slope and regroup on the gravel driveway.
“Rawr,” they chorus and begin to shamble in my direction.
Crap. The girl’s probably got her iPod cranked up and can’t hear a thing. One last try and then I gotta bolt.
“Girl! Girl! Hey, you,” I holler.
A rattle at the lock and the door swings open. Hair in a ponytail, workout clothes, and sneakers. And attitude oozing from every pore.
“My name,” she says, “is not Girl or Hey you. It’s Ava.”

“Well, Ava, let me in your damn house. There’s zombies out here.”


Author Info:

Alison Kemper writes fun, flirty romances set during a zombie apocalypse. Her first novel DONNA OF THE DEAD (Entangled Teen) spent several weeks on the Kindle YA Humor bestseller list.

Her new novel DEAD OVER HEELS will be released September 29, 2014-- just in time for Halloween reading!

She loves to meet new people and talk books, so send her a friend request or connect with her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.




Find Alison Online:
Website  *  Twitter  *  Goodreads  *  Facebook


Book Info:

The end of the world just might be their perfect beginning…

Glenview, North Carolina. Also known―at least to sixteen-year-old Ava Pegg―as the Land of Incredibly Boring Vacations. What exactly were her parents thinking when they bought a summer home here? Then the cute-but-really-annoying boy next door shows up at her place in a panic…hollering something about flesh-eating zombies attacking the town.

At first, Ava’s certain that Cole spent a little too much time with his head in the moonshine barrel. But when someone―or something―rotted and terrifying emerges from behind the woodpile, Ava realizes this is no hooch hallucination. The undead are walking in Glenview, and they are hungry. Panicked, Ava and Cole flee into the national forest. No supplies, no weapons. Just two teenagers who don’t even like each other fighting for their lives. But that’s the funny thing about the Zombpocalypse. You never know when you’ll meet your undead end. Or when you’ll fall dead over heels for a boy…

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Salvage Blog Tour

, by KT



*Where did you get the inspiration for Salvage?

Some of my inspiration for Salvage – the portions aboard the merchant crewe ship where Ava lives in particular – came from growing up as a preacher’s daughter in a small, rural church. In the town where I lived, everyone knew everyone, and there were very strict expectations about behavior, especially for girls. I wanted to write about the phenomenon of women simultaneously being put on a pedestal, yet also treated as weak or incapable, but when I tried to write about it in a contemporary setting, it felt tired and flat. I’ve always been a huge science fiction and fantasy fan, though. I believe those are some of the best genres for reframing real-world issues in a different light. So in 2009, I wrote a short story called “Bad Matter” that was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Part of that story took place aboard Ava’s ship, the Parastrata. When I finished the story, I knew I wanted to keep exploring that world. Salvage grew out of that desire.

* Is this a stand alone? If not, can you give us any hints for the sequel? If so, what's next for you?

Salvage isn’t part of a series, but I do have a companion novel in the works. It picks up the story of Miyole, who is a little girl in Salvage, when she is a teenager aboard a research ship. I have to be a little bit mysterious about it at this point, though.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

Ooh, I’m really bad at this, but it’s so much fun. Okay, for Ava I’d pick America Fererra. I loved her in Real Women Have Curves and Ugly Betty. For Perpétue, I’d pick Lupito Nyong’o, and for Miyole, Amandla Stenberg, who played Rue in The Hunger Games. (Actually, I think she’s a teenager by now, but this isn’t real and she was an adorable kid.) Soraya would be Gina Torres from Firefly, because nothing is complete without Gina Torres. Now for the love interests. For Luck, I’d pick Richard Madden, who plays Robb Stark in A Game of Thrones, and I think Dev Patel would make a good Rushil. Have you seen how cute he is in glasses?

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

I haven’t really had any bad experiences thus far. I started out writing short stories in my early 20s, which helped me when I moved on to novel-writing and trying to find an agent. I’ve certainly had my share of rejections and rewrites, but those things are part of the process and ultimately made me a better writer. What I have struggled with is juggling writing, my full-time job as a librarian, and grad school classes.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I ate up Rachel Hawkins’s Hex Hall novels, and I also loved Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, by Lish MaBride, which I just found out has a sequel. Both of those series have a great mix of creepiness and humor that reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As far as recent titles, I really liked Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Tucholke, and The Madman’s Daughter, by Megan Shepherd.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

I love worldbuilding. I like bringing together music, myths, traditions, clothes, and food to make a believable culture, and I like reading stories in the worlds other people have created, as well.

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

One time I went hitchhiking on the switchback mountain roads of the Alpujarras in southern Spain. My friends and I were trying to make it to the next town over in order to catch a bus back to Granada. The roads there were only wide enough for one car at a time, with a sheer face on one side and a thousand-foot drop on the other. Going around curves usually meant putting your foot on the gas and laying on the horn so anyone coming in the opposite direction could pull off into the ditch. The driver that gave us a ride had a Bristish pickup truck with a steering wheel on the right hand side of the cab, which meant he had almost zero visibility of oncoming traffic. Thankfully, we didn’t die in a horrible crash or get axe murdered, and we caught the bus on time.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like Salvage if...

. . . you like character-driven stories or science fiction based in sociology and medicine.

Thanks Alexandra!
Author Info:


Alexandra Duncan is a writer and librarian. Her short fiction has been published in several Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy anthologies and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Her first novel, Salvage, is forthcoming from Greenwillow Books in April 2014. She loves anything that gets her hands dirty – pie-baking, leatherworking, gardening, drawing, and rolling sushi. She lives with her husband and two monstrous, furry cats in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Representation by superagent Kate Schafer Testerman of KT Literary.








Book Info:


Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.… 


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Circle of Blood Blog Tour

, by KT


*Where did you get the inspiration for Witch Hunt series?

I was speaking at a convention in Salem and I absolutely fell in love with the town and all its fun stores filled with witch-centric souvenirs. The town has managed to turn the dark history of the Witch Trials into a modern day tourist heaven. While I was there I had the sudden thought that if you were an actual coven of dark magic practitioners that this town would be the perfect place to hide. That was the genesis of the idea for the series.


* Since this is the last book in the series, what's coming next for you?

I always have several projects in the works. I’m pleased to announce, though, that I’m doing a trilogy of supernatural books retelling the Robin Hood legend with my friend and co-author James R. Tuck.


*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

My husband and I love playing this game. Who would you cast? For the Witch Hunt series I could totally see Amanda Righetti (Grace Van Pelt from The Mentalist) in the lead role of Samantha. Her captain would be played by Jackie Earle Haley because I think he’s a brilliant actor and I’d happily cast him in all the films made of my books. Samantha’s wise-cracking partner would be played really well by Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Chuck)


*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

That’s a very broad question! Every writer has their share (often more than their share) of ups and downs in this crazy business. One of the lows was in 2003 when my co-author and I found out that our publisher didn’t want to publish a fifth Wicked book to resolve the cliffhanger we left book four on. For years they said no until one day they suddenly said yes. The series had surged in popularity several years after it was initially published. That whole thing was a crazy roller coaster and one of the highest points was the day I got the call from my editor congratulating me on making the NYT Bestsellers list for a book that had already been in stores for a little over 6 years!


*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I love anything written by Nancy Holder or James R. Tuck.


*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

My books are almost always about people triumphing over the darkest of circumstances. I believe that evil exists but that light always conquers the darkness. I write about that all the time.


*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

I have to say this one is so incredibly hard to answer because a lot of crazy things have happened to me in my life! I can tell you, though, that I have had a wide variety of cool experiences. For example, I’ve ridden on top of a horse, a donkey, a camel, an elephant, and.... a manta ray! When I was five my parents took me on a trip to Tahiti. My dad and I rowed out into the ocean in a canoe and we were quite a ways out when we felt something bump the bottom of the boat. We looked over the sides trying to see what could have hit us but couldn’t see anything. We were bumped again, harder. We looked over the side and saw only darkness for a few seconds until suddenly we saw this massive flash of white and realized that there was a manta ray directly below our boat and that he had just turned over to expose his underside. He then bumped up under the boat again. He was much larger than our boat and he lifted us clear out of the water so we were just balanced on top of him! It was very thrilling! He carried us along for a little ways before setting us back down and taking off.


*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Witch Hunt series if...

you love picking up a book and not being able to put it down until you’ve finished it.
Thanks Debbie!
Author Info:



Debbie Viguié is the New York Times Bestselling author of over a dozen novels including theWicked series and the new Crusade series co-authored with Nancy Holder. Much of Debbie’s writing has a dark edge to it, including her retold fairy tales, her latest being Violet Eyes, a retelling of The Princess and the Pea. In addition to her epic dark fantasy work Debbie also writes thrillers including The Psalm 23 Mysteries and the upcoming Kiss trilogy. When Debbie isn’t busy writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, visiting theme parks. They live in Florida with their cat, Schrödinger.

 Find Debbie Online:






Book Info:


Samantha Ryan—cop by choice, witch hunter by necessity—is about to confront the witch who has been secretly manipulating her life. But her search for the truth about her past may end in her death.…

All her life, Samantha Ryan has been haunted by a circle of blood, which she has tried to keep at bay—ever since she escaped a vicious Salem coven of witches as a child. But now her carefully constructed life has given way to the darkness she might have embraced, had she not run away.

Angry, focused, and more than willing to use her powers on anyone who gets in her way, Samantha travels to New Orleans to confront Lilith Black, the witch who has been mercilessly shaping events around her for months.

But little does Samantha know that her own nightmarish past and Lilith’s are inescapably intertwined—and that what Lilith wants most of all is for Samantha to suffer until her final breath.… 


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Stone Cold Blog Tour

, by KT




*At what point in the Allie Beckstrom series did you know you would write Shame's books?

I think it was somewhere around book six when I knew Shame would be fun as a point of view character. But I also knew his path was leading toward pretty dark things, and I wasn't sure readers would be interested in a flawed, but (I hope) loveable character going through some of the hardest times of his life. When one particular reader (and Shame fan) asked me a particular question, Shame's books snapped into focus for me. That was probably when I was writing book #8 in the Allie series: Magic Without Mercy.

* Since this is the last book in the series, what's coming next for you?

House Immortal, book one of a new trilogy comes out September 2nd! My editor calls it "Allie Beckstrom meets Firefly" and I hope I have captured the essence of that. I call it my Frankenstein farm girl, near-future, gently dystopic, steampunk-light, not-quite urban fantasy, save-the-world fantasy series.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

Oh, man. I suck at this question because I don't keep up with movies stars like I should. So...I'm going to say....cool people. Cool people should totally be the characters from my books. Or just one really cool person with a lot of wigs and costume changes.

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

I started my publishing career writing short stories, which are a very different beasty than novels. After somewhere around six pounds of rejections, and several dozen sales, I decided to give novel writing a try. My first novel, in fact, is based off of a rejected short story.

I came into the urban fantasy genre when it was just picking up steam, and I feel very lucky to have had a chance to write the nine-book Allie Beckstrom series and the two-book Shame spin off series. I also have written three steampunk novels which blend magic, steampunk, and the old west, and now I'm writing a not-quite-urban fantasy near-future fantasy. So to say I'm a fan of the rise of cross-genre work is an understatement.

When I started in novels, ebooks were a fairly new thing, and we were all wondering if anyone would really read for pleasure on a hand-held screen. I've seen the fall of Borders, the closing of excellent genre magazines, the decline of mass market print orders, the rise of self and epublishing, the growth and death of various social media platforms, plus many, many other ups and downs in the industry.

But one thing that has remained constant is that good stories will always find their reader, and writers will always find a way to get those stories in their reader's hands.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I love Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series and Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. I also think ML Brennan's American Vampire books are a great fresh take on vampires.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

That I am always unprepared and panic when people ask me this question. Um: kumquats! For some reason I have never found a way to work kumquats into my books.

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

Maybe not all that crazy, maybe not that interesting...is silly okay? I recently spent one night gnome-bombing my friends and family. Basically, I snuck to all their houses in the middle of the night and anonymously left random gnomes in their yard.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Broken Magic series if...

You like dark heroes who are flawed but doing their damndest to make sure their loved ones stay safe in a crazy world filled with crazy magic that is trying to kill them. Or maybe you'll like it if you are tired of reading books with all those kumquats in them.

Thanks Devon!
Author Info:

Copyright Diane Beals Photography 2010-2011
Devon Monk spent her early childhood tucked behind couches or any other place with low light, “ruining her eyes” and reading. Her love of fairytales turned into a love of adventure, magic, future science, romance, mystery, humor, noir, and anything else she could get her hands on.

Devon has sold over fifty short stories to fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, and young adult magazines and anthologies. Her stories have been published in five countries and included in a Year’s Best Fantasy anthology.  In 2010, Fairwood Press published twenty-two of her short stories in a collection titled: A Cup of Normal.

She is currently writing two series.  The Allie Beckstrom books (Magic to the Bone, Magic in the Blood, Magic in the Shadows, Magic on the Storm, Magic at the Gate, Magic on the Hunt)  are urban fantasy set in modern-day Portland, Oregon where magic is the new technology.  The Age of Steam books (Dead Iron) are steampunk set in the 1800′s American West.

Devon has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by colorful and numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. When not writing, Devon is knitting strange things, remodeling the house-that-was-once-a-barn, or hosting a family celebration.

Find Devon Online:




Book Info:


Marked by Life and Death magic, Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are “breakers”—those who can use magic to its full extent. Most of the time, they can barely stand each other, but they know they have to work together to defeat a common enemy—rogue magic user Eli Collins.

Backed by the government, Eli is trying to use magic as a weapon by carving spells into the flesh of innocents and turning them into brainless walking bombs. To stop him, Shame and Terric will need to call on their magic, even as it threatens to consume them—because the price they must pay to wield Life and Death could change the very fate of the world...and magic itself. 


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Cover Reveal: Sex & the Single Vamp by Robin Covington

, by KT



Cici Trent, vampire and media darling, spends her days finding true love for humans and supernaturals (the “Others”) at her dating agency. But someone is trying to sabotage her business and she needs help. Unfortunately, the best man for the job is the one who broke her still beating heart two hundred fifty-four years ago.

Deacon is a patient vampire. He’s only loved one woman in over three hundred years— CiCi— and she chose another. So when she shows up in his office asking for help, he finally has the chance to lay that demon to rest. He’ll help her, but for a price—a night in his bed.

Adrenaline, mischief, and a little late-night B&E light the passion that even a couple of lifetimes couldn't put out. But Deacon has a secret and when Cici is suddenly mortal, his deception might be the only way restore her immortality. Can love bridge the gap between a heartbeat and forever?


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He rose from his perch on the desk, straightening to his full height, and pressing as much of it as he could against her body. She stiffened at first contact, but as they stood and stared at each other, her body melted into his, softening and warming with the heat they created by just being in the same room. He moved his hand from her chin, skimming the soft skin of her jaw until he speared his fingers into the silken titian strands of her hair. They were slippery and cool against his skin as he burrowed in and palmed her head, tugging her forward. His movements were fueled by need and less smooth than he normally used in the seduction of women, but this was Cici in front of him with her full breasts pressed against his chest and her lips parting on a sound somewhere between a whimper and a sigh.

“I think…” She licked her lips, the wetness triggering a response in him that made his knees buckle slightly. “I think you might be exaggerating this attraction between us.”

“Oh really?” He let his fangs descend, the tension in his body screaming for some release—screaming for her blood. But he never engaged in blood play. It was too intimate for him, a connection with another person that he had no interest in making. Sex was fun. Sex was hot and dirty and very over once the sweat cooled on your skin. But Cici made him want to sink fang and cock into her so deep they were one body. He wouldn’t allow it, but the need was distractingly powerful.

“Happy.” He murmured his nickname for her against the warm column of her neck, his fangs grazing lightly as he blazed a trail of kisses up to her ear. She shivered, her small hands clutching at his shirt and dragging him closer, her legs parting slightly, skirt riding higher, to allow him to insert his thigh between hers and wedge their bodies together. His dick, hard and aching, pressed against her core as they humped slowly in an ancient rhythm that felt new with her. He whispered in her ear. “You are a woman who has pretended to be other people for your country. You have stolen, betrayed, and killed to protect others. You are brave, smart, and proud.”

He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, the flash of blue resembling the purest part of flame. “You’re not a coward or a liar.”

Deacon kissed her then, his mouth coaxing the truth from her that her pride would not let her admit. She opened to him immediately and he took what she offered. His tongue swept inside her mouth, tangling with hers before he retreated to run a fang along the tender skin on the inside of her lower lip. Cici gasped, her hands traveling from his shirt to tangle in his hair, her tug not so gentle as she dragged his mouth his mouth back to hers. This time she led the possession, taking him with a rough need that contradicted her earlier words.
He palmed her ass, the skirt riding up high enough for him to feel smooth skin and give him the fantasy-inducing knowledge that she wore a thong. Cici rode his thigh, the kiss becoming messier and more carnal with each passing second. Deacon wanted to reach down, unzip his cargo pants, and free his heavy length from its current place of strangling torture. It would take no time to push aside her flimsy excuse for underwear and slide inside until she covered him with her warmth.

Now was not the time.
His entire crew was just outside of her shitty excuse for a security door and he would not be caught with his pants around his ankles by one of his men. He pulled back reluctantly, breaking the physical connection, but unable to do anything to sever the tether of emotion that tied them together.

Cici stumbled backward on her high heels, catching herself on the small conference table behind her. She looked dazed, aroused, and delicious.

“You. Wet and willing. In my bed.” He licked his lips, tasting her as he willed his fangs to recede. “Anything less than that and I will go mad. You get me?”

She nodded. “Yes. I get you.”

“No more lies about how we don’t have to do this, that we don’t want to do this.” He could hear Andy walking toward the office down the hallway, but this needed to be said once and for all. “No lies between us as long as your life is in danger. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Cici looked as if she’d just signed away her soul to the devil. He knew what that felt like; he’d done just that two hundred and thirty-nine years ago.


Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her bestselling books. When she’s not writing sexy, sizzling romance she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Joe Manganiello. You can find Robin at her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Newsletter, and Pinterest. Don't send chocolate . . . send eye candy!




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Labyrinth of Stars Blog Tour

, by KT


*Where did you get the inspiration for Hunter Kiss series?

I had a deadline! And deadlines are great inspiration. I was in bed one night and a documentary on the Yakuza aired. I looked at all the amazing body tattoos, thought, “What if they could just…peel off the skin and come alive?” And that was the root of the series.

* How many books are planned for the series? Any hints for what's next?

Labyrinth of Stars will likely be the last full-length novel in the Hunter Kiss series. Are there still stories that need to be told? Absolutely. This isn’t the end of Maxine, Grant, and the boys. Their adventure is only just beginning. But as a writer, it’s time to step back and approach the series from a fresh perspective.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

Oh, my. I’d say that Maggie Q would be a great Maxine. As for Grant, definitely Viggo Mortensen. Though I’d love to hear from readers. Who do you think should play Maxine and Grant?

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

Finishing the writing of a novel, coming up with an idea, those moments when the words flow fast and hard – viewing cover art for the first time, getting revision notes back, seeing my book in print – there are so many joyous moments that it’s hard to contemplate the difficulties. But they’re there, of course. Deadlines can cause stress, along with poor sales, writer’s block – but that’s just part of the job. I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I don’t know where to start. I guess it’s easier to give my favorite authors: Eve Silver, Lynn Viehl, Patricia Briggs, Ann Aguirre, Seanan McGuire, and many more.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

I have a weakness for images of cats on the internet. Also, I love writing about trust, love, courage, friendship, family, weaving all these things into a narrative that embraces characters who are outsiders, isolated, and gives them a place to call home.

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

Quitting the practice of law to write full time? Plenty of people would call that crazy.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Hunter's Kiss series if...

…you enjoy reading about ferocious demons who cuddle with teddy bears, and who are the best, most loyal family a warrior woman could ever ask for.

Thanks Marjorie!
Author Info:


I was born in Philadelphia, spent my formative years in Seattle, and then attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin for my undergraduate studies, majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a minor in Biomedical Ethics. I went to law school at the University of Wisconsin. For more than 16 years I studied and traveled throughout Asia, working briefly at the US Embassy in Beijing, China — and in 2004 I gave up practicing law to become a full-time writer. I divide my time between the American Midwest, Boston, and Beijing, China.

Find Marjorie Online:
Website   *   Blog   *   Facebook   *   Twitter




Book Info:


Tattoos with hearts, minds, and dreams. Created to be the armor that protects my body, these obsidian shadows come alive at night—demons made flesh.

After the Aetar nearly kill Maxine’s unborn child, and a betrayal within her own ranks leaves Maxine’s husband, Grant, poisoned and dying, Maxine is forced to attack a race of beings that possesses almost unlimited power. Doing so will require she make a deal with the devil—the devil that lives inside her—risking both her sanity and her soul as she slowly transforms into something more than human.

But even that might not be enough to save Grant, because the very thing that Maxine is becoming is destined to destroy the world. 


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Conception Blog Tour

, by KT


Excerpt


He concentrated on the door and nothing happened. The cell was so small that the smells of old piss and body odor assaulted him, it was as if the whole space had been soaked in sweat and urine. More disturbing yet, a pulse began to beat in his brain. It sent small stabs of pain into the back of his eyes.

It was a warning.

He ignored it and tried again. His eyes began to water. His brain sent a dagger up this time, and he groaned as it tore through his soft tissue. He wanted to puke. This was so not good.

The room began to spin and he lay down on the cold concrete floor. The smell of piss was stronger here and he retched as quietly as he was able. He was glad – not for the first time – that they had put him in a cell by himself. He curled into the fetal position and stuffed his nose into his armpit but the smell there was almost worse: Spent adrenaline…and fear.

It had been so long since he’d felt fear that when he recognized its stench on him, his immediate response had been a hatred that flared brightly through his entire being.

Those motherfuckers, how dare they? He rolled towards the door and focused on it again, feeding off the hate like a steam engine pulls power from a furnace.

He felt that familiar flexing inside of him, like a muscle contracting in his brain. The daggers were still there but he didn’t give a shit.

The air shimmered and for a second he could see every atom of every element in the room. They were his to control. He ground his teeth, converging his whole being on the door.

The steel vibrated, then began to bow.

His concentration was so fierce that at first he didn’t feel the blood pouring from his nose. It felt like he had swallowed about a quart of it and now he did puke. Suddenly the atoms in the air disappeared and all that was left were black spots. They chased each other down a murky tunnel and he followed them into the darkness.

Then, all went black.

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K.S. Fish was born in San Diego, California. Though he was a single child growing up, he was lucky enough to have worlds upon worlds of brothers and sisters bumping around in his brain. His first short story was inscribed on his mother’s uterus.

However, for much of his youth, he strove to make every wrong possible choice for his life. Subsequently, it was many years until he was able to realize his gift and begin to hone his skill as a writer.

His first book, Conception, amazed readers with its character driven narrative and exciting storyline.

K.S. Fish resides in Georgia with many friends, his goldfish Barney, and a lifetime’s worth of stories to tell.
Find K.S. Online:
Website   *   Twitter   *   Goodreads   *    Facebook



When twelve-year old Tyler Hudgens wakes up in the courtyard, he's buried up to his neck with twenty other screaming, terrified kids. Welcome to Frazier's compound, a place where Tyler and a chosen few will unlock powers in themselves that they could only dream about. Frazier has a plan to turn them into gods, and the only price is the death of 2.5 million people. When a schism occurs in their group, they're all flung into a battle that will test their loyalties and ultimately decide the fate of the world.

David "Whitey" Jones is a brand new reporter, and through chance or fate, he's given the Tyler Hudgens case, a story no one else wanted. As Whitey digs for leads, he discovers The Moby Dick of all news stories; a riveting tale of mad scientists, telekinesis, and betrayal. With his eye on the Pulitzer, Whitey dives into a whole new world that may give him everything he ever wanted; or take his life.

The world's future hangs in the balance, and a new world waits in the wings, on the brink of Conception.

(On sale for a limited time at Amazon for just $0.99)




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Interview with Nikki Rae

, by KT


*Where did you get the inspiration for the Sunshine Series?

The Sunshine Series came from many different places. The initial seed that made me want to explore this idea more started to grow when I went on vacation with my family when I was around fourteen and got really bad sun poisoning. I began to wonder what it would be like if something like that happened to a person every time they came in contact with the sun.

* How many books are planned for the series? Any hints for what's next?

There are three books in this series, and I’m in the process of editing the final book now. It’s intense, and nearly every question is finally answered…and not all of those answers are pretty. After that, there’s going to be a horror/suspense novel that centers around a few characters from this series, but readers won’t have to read The Sunshine Series to understand it.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

Oh, I am SO bad at picking people to play my characters. There is no one person that can embody them because they are made up of a lot of different traits from a lot of different types of people. I guess my vague answer would be this: anyone who can portray real emotions and take the viewer along with them. That’s all I can hope for while writing the book, so it’s all I would be able to hope for if said book was made into a movie.

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

Most of my downs happened early on and stemmed from self-doubt. Once I got over that (hint, you never REALLY get over that), I had, and still continue to have, many ups. People I don’t know message me to say how much they like my work. I’ve met a lot of authors and bloggers and really awesome people. I’ve gotten to speak about my experience in self-publishing at colleges. It’s been so much more than anything I could have ever expected.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I have so many! I guess the top ones are:
The Tale Of The Body Thief by Anne Rice, The Mara Dyer Series by Michelle Hodkin, and The Swoon series by Nina Malkin.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

At first glance, you might think you know what it’s all about, but there is a lot more under the surface. ;)

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

Oh, I don’t have anything crazy. I’m probably the least interesting person like, ever. When I have free time, all I do is read or watch Netflix. The craziest thing I’ve ever done is probably not that crazy at all and always involves leaving my comfort zone. For example, if someone is driving me around and we already have set plans, but they suddenly want to be spontaneous and do something like go to the beach instead, that’s as crazy as my life gets.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Sunshine Series if...

You like books with strong female leads, dark themes, magical realism, and/or stories about how much hell a person can go through and still come out human on the other side.
Thanks Nikki!

Author Info:


Nikki Rae is a student and writer who lives in New Jersey. She is an independent author and has appeared numerously on Amazon Best Seller lists. She is the author of The Sunshine Series and concentrates on making her imaginary characters as real as possible. She writes mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.


Find Nikki Online:
Blog    *    Facebook    *    Twitter



18 year old Sophie Jean is pretty good at acting normal. Sure, she’s not exactly happy, but happiness is nothing compared to being like everyone else. She can pretend she’s not allergic to the sun. She can hide what her ex-boyfriend did to her. She can cover up the scars she’s made for herself. Ignore anything. Forget anything. Then Myles enters her life, and he has more than a few secrets of his own. When accident after accident keeps happening to Sophie, she can’t help noticing that he’s everywhere. That he knows too much. That she’s remembering too much.

It’s one thing covering up her own dark past, but does she really need to worry about people finding out just how much Myles likes her? Or that despite how much she doesn’t want to repeat past mistakes, she kind of likes him back? Not to mention the fact that she now has to conceal that Myles drinks blood-that he says he’s about four hundred years old.

She almost forgot about that part.

But Sophie has no plans to ruin the normal life she has created for herself. She can deal with this little glitch, no problem. Even if word has gotten around to the wrong vampire about Sophie and Myles, even if she’s putting the few people she loves at risk. Suddenly, those who were monsters before are just people, and the monsters? They’re real. Now being a normal human being is the least of her problems. Now she has to stay alive. 
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Pushed Blog Tour

, by KT


*Where did you get the inspiration for the Sense Thieves series? 

I was writing an adult fiction novel in 2008 and young adult lit wasn't really on my radar. Then a friend introduced me to a few YA books, and I began to devour whatever I could get my hands on. Exciting things were (and still are) happening in YA, but one thing disappointed me: a lot of novels featured a girl waiting on a boy to save her. I wanted to see girls who were doing the saving or acting as equals to their counterparts. That inspired me to write a kickass heroine. Remy's healing powers (and her more violent ones) give her the ability to stand up for herself, and I love how brave she is and how willing she is to step up to the plate when anyone hurts her loved ones. I also like that there's a deep personal cost for using her powers because of the abuse she suffered at her stepfather's hands. Her background and abilities are tied closely together and that gave me layers of emotional complexity to explore.

* How many books are planned for the series? Is this the last one? Any hints for what's next if so?

The series is a trilogy. IGNITED, the final book in the Sense Thieves series, releases on May 27. Where PUSHED has a lot of action, IGNITED deals way more with the relationships Remy has developed and the small found family she's created. We also get to see her coming into her powers and finally understanding what she can do. And of course, there's heartache as she deals with the aftermath of the events in PUSHED. For those fans of Gabe (and man, do you readers ever love that boy!), I can promise you that you will see a lot more of him.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

I'm so terrible at casting. I mostly use unknowns for character inspiration. I could see Tyler Hoechlin (of Teen Wolf) for Gabe with a slightly younger version of him for Asher (the brothers look very alike).

I've never pictured an actress for Remy. In my mind, she's not your average pretty girl. She's different, and people are drawn to her for her strength and character, rather than how attractive she is. Honestly, I don't think looks are that important to her either. She's been forged by so many other trials that her appearance falls to the bottom of her priorities.

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

The hardest part of getting published has been giving up control. I am the type of person who wants to organize ALL THE THINGS, and if I want something, I make a plan of action to achieve it. Talent will only get you so far in publishing, though. The rest of it comes down to luck and timing. Having the right story at the right time and having the right agent who can get it into the right editor's hands at a time when they are receptive to it. There are so many factors that a writer can't impact. That was very difficult for me to accept, and I still bang my head against that wall all the time. I've had to realize (daily) that the one thing I can control is the writing, so I've tried to focus on telling the best stories that I can and hoping they get to the readers.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

Lately, I've fallen for two series, the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout and the Significance series by Shelly Crane. Both of these series felt so original and they are full of the hot romance factor that I adore. They both have a kind of forbidden romance element to them, which creates that tension I love to read.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

Is this where I insert shameless pleas to read my books? No? Seriously, I would say that I write about real people that you know and can relate to and usually they are people who feel cut off from others by painful circumstances. Remy (of the Sense Thieves series) and Quinn (of If I Lie) are imperfect, strong girls who are doing the best they can with the hands they've been dealt.

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

I performed in a Super Bowl show with Michael Jackson when I was in high school. My cheer squad was invited to take part, along with lots of other squads. We all acted like it was no big deal at our weekend practices. (And having been teased about my name most of my life, you can imagine I was a little over it.) Then Michael Jackson showed up at our final rehearsal, surprising us by popping out of the stage to sing "Billie Jean." Let me tell you our cool act fell apart in the 2.1 seconds it took hundreds of screaming girls to swarm the stage. I will never forget how cool it was to be on the field staring up at thousands of fans in the stadium.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Sense Thieves series if…

...you like a strong, scarred heroine teaming up with two hot boys to save her family and friends.
Thanks Corrine!

“Asher, lower your guard.”
            “No, you’re right. That was a reckless idea. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking.”
            “You weren’t thinking. You were feeling,” I said, moving closer to him. Trust me. Lower your guard, I repeated in my thoughts. And close your eyes.           
He did as I asked.
            “Promise me you’ll stand still,” I whispered.
            He nodded after a slight hesitation. His heartbeat spiked when I laid a palm on his chest. His skin radiated heat, and I wanted to curl into it, but I took a deep breath. One of us had to be in control, so I raised my mental walls, knowing that when I felt this much, Asher could see through them. I opened my mind and let my imagination go, as I closed my eyes, too.
            I pictured myself touching him the way I wished I could without fear of repercussions. I pushed the coat off of his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. My jacket and his T-shirt followed, leaving miles of skin and muscle for me to explore. I inhaled the scent of the woods mixed with that of Asher. In my mind, I placed one of his hands on my shoulder, bare except for the thin strap of a tank top. Then, mimicking what he’d done to me earlier, I trailed my fingers down his forearm, into the crook of his elbow, up his arm, and very lightly down his side.
            Asher’s real-life chest moved under my hand, as he sucked in a deep breath and I smiled. And then the mental version of me grazed her lips across Asher’s cheek to his mouth, sharing a breath with him. The kiss the imaginary me laid on him could have burned down the forest.
            “Remy,” Asher said.
            He sounded tortured, and I let the images fade from my mind, worried he hadn’t liked what I’d pictured. Back in the reality of the forest, we opened our eyes. My hand still rested against the thump, thump, thump of his heart.
            “You’re not the only one who’s frustrated,” I said.


VALENTINES

Want to send a Valentine to a friend? In the spirit of romance and Valentine’s Day, PUSHED author Corrine Jackson created these Valentines for you on someecards.com. Just follow these easy instructions to send them out.

1. Right click on the card image you like below.
2. When prompted, save the image to you desktop.
3. Attach the image to your tweet or post and send to a friend you adore.





Author Info:


Young adult author Corrine Jackson lives in San Francisco and has over ten years experience in marketing. She has bachelor and master degrees in English, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. Her novels include If I Lie (Simon Pulse) and the Sense Thieves trilogy (KTeen), comprised of Touched, Pushed, and Ignited (5/27/14). Visit her at CorrineJackson.com or on Twitter at @Cory_Jackson.



Find Corrine Online:
Website   *   Twitter   *   Blog   *   Goodreads   *   Facebook


For centuries an ancient evil has slept beneath the streets of New Harbor. This Halloween, it wakes up. An action-packed debut horror novel from talented new writer Matthew Quinn Martin, Nightlife pits a feisty bartender and a mysterious loner against bloodthirsty terrors as alluring as they are deadly.

Nightclub bartender and serial heartbreaker Beth Becker might be a cynic. But when her best friend goes missing Halloween night, Beth knows it's up to her to find out what happened.

Her quest will take her on an odyssey through the crumbling city of New Harbor, Connecticut. Along the way she meets a homeless prophet warning of something he calls the "Night Angel"-a bloodthirsty creature that feeds on the forgotten. And she will form an unlikely bond with a hunted stranger who knows all too well what stalks the streets at night. 

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