Hurry Up and Wait! Those Long Months Between Editing and Reviews; Carol Oates

I recently turned in the final edits on my next release, Iridescent (Ember #2). This is my third full-length novel release and, to be honest, it doesn’t get easier.

Oh, I don’t mean the technical stuff. Writing improves over time, grammar, structure, plot, showing instead of telling, they can all be improved. It’s letting go. Hitting that send button each time I take a step toward ARCs.

The butterflies are dancing in my stomach and even now, I can think of a million changes I should have, could have, would have made. Sadly, publishing doesn’t work that way and authors all have to push their baby bird (novel to everyone else) out of the nest, where they will either fly or sink without trace. Hopefully fly.

My preferred method of dealing with it is chocolate and a new project. So for now, I’m off to enjoy a Toblerone and to work on my next manuscript.

Iridescent (Ember #2) is expected to release from Omnific Publishing, October 2012.

Ember #1

Amazon

When Candra Ember wakes up in hospital after a dangerous encounter with a red-haired woman, she is shocked to discover that seeing a winged boy wasn’t her imagination. Candra is exposed to a world of rivalry and sacrifice she never knew existed, and the aftermath of a war to save humanity thousands of years ago. Soon she finds herself relentlessly stalked by Sebastian, a beautiful and arrogant Watcher Angel and romantically pursued by his darkly seductive rival, Draven. Ultimately, dubious about her own goodness, Candra’s very existence compromises a tentative peace in the city of Acheron.

About the Author

Carol Oates has never been one to remain still for long. After her mother’s mad dash to the hospital through the empty city streets of Dublin, Ireland, Carol made her debut into the world in the early hours of Christmas morning. Since then her pace has not slowed down in the least.
Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb of north Dublin known as Clontarf; famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story of “Dracula.” This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. When that passion was combined with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, the supernatural, as well as an active and vivid imagination, Carol Oates, the author, was born.

Find the Author

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Non Fiction Book Feature: Battlegrounds: America’s War in Education and Finance: A View From the Front Lines, Todney Harris

Synopsis of Book:

Hello! I just thought that I would take a moment and explain the reason why I decided to dedicate myself to writing this publication. First, let me introduce myself. I am an African American male who has dedicated my life to servicing America’s youth as an educator. I have learned a great deal about education and the children of America during my career. My specialty is the content area of History and related subjects. I have worked at both the middle level and at the high school level. I can state for the record that I have enjoyed my career and the interaction with the youth for the last thirteen years. During this time, I have seen changes in this
wonderful country of ours that has had a definitive effect on education. These changes in America are the inspiration for this book. The reason why I have written this book is due to the fact that America’s economic classes (lower, middle and upper) as well as America’s most important institution education, focuses and revolves around the economic philosophy of capitalism. The economic social structure and educational structure in America was created due to the growth of industrialization in this country. The book focuses heavily on economics and it role in the American educational system. There are probably a few people who are wondering why a teacher in America would write a book that talks about America’s economic system due to the fact that I am not a college professor or a teacher of economics. In essence, I am serving as a primary source. I am speaking in a forthright manner regarding the effects of economics on our educational system. It is my hope that everyone enjoys the reading. I also hope that my thoughts that I have written are taken seriously.

5 Questions with Todney Harris

Visit the Authors Website 

Blatant and Egregious Promotional Post

Welcome to the Liz Crowe Promotional Machine. Pardon me while I toot my own horn.

SWEAT EQUITY, the second Stewart Realty book received a TOP PICK award form The Romance Reviews. Here is what they had to say about this book--that may I say was very difficult to write.
Talk about drama, drama, drama with almost all the characters from Floor Time. You have Sara and Jack fighting each other's feelings. Then you have Blake and Rob in their own spat, with Blake not over his first love and Rob tired of being a substitute. Then you have Craig trying to get Sara to forget Jack with amazing sex. Then you have Heather digging her nails into Jack and he seems to let her. Then there is Suzanne and there are some sparks going on between her and Blake and even Craig.

What is it about Jack that I can't seem to get? I want to kill him, strangle him but at the same time I just want to do as Sara did and put my arms around him and not let go. Talk about a big time Alpha male that knows how to get into a woman's head and stay there. I hate that when I think he is headed in the right direction with Sara, he sticks his foot in his mouth so deep that he totally screws things up. I get so frustrated with him I want to scream at him and tell him to tell her how he truly feels. But when he does that, he screws up big time. Maybe he needs not to talk and shut the hell up and basically just say, "Yes dear, I understand, I love you, too", but where would the fun be in that?

Now for Sara, what the hell is she doing with Craig? Fine, friends with benefits but she needs to understand that his feelings are more than just that, as he is actually falling in love with her. She needs to make up her mind and stop listening to her brother Blake and follow her heart. Quit comparing her relationship to her mother and father because that is not how she should handle it. Sara loves Jack but something keeps pulling them apart and it's hard to see them getting together anytime soon or maybe not at all. She has no many damn theories in her head that I also want to strangle her. I just want to shake her and tell her just get together with Jack and have your happily ever after. Let go of Craig and let him be happy with someone who is not in love with someone else. Quit listening to your brother and make your own decision and don't worry about what other people think.

This is truly not the happily ever after I was hoping for after the somewhat engagement that happened in Floor Time. It seemed that everything exploded in this book. Characters were everywhere and each seemed to have his own problems. The amount of raw emotions and sheer passion is so passionately written it's absolutely wonderful. Applause for Ms. Crowe.

I felt so confused throughout this book but at the same time could actually see it happening in real life. It seems that Jack and Sara hit so many roadblocks in their relationship but they are the ones that are creating them and they have only themselves to fault for that.

Talk about a cliffhanger in this book! I can't wait to go home and buy the third book in this series to see if Jack and Sara get together. But most importantly, see how it all comes together and how it ends. I have developed my own happily ever after conclusions for all of the characters but let's see if any of my own conclusions are what the author comes up with.

I urge readers to pick this book up, but if you have not read the first book in the series, Floor Time, I encourage you to read it first. This absolutely the best book I have read this year.


Sorry...I LOVE that last line.


Very gratifying to say the least.
And a new review from a popular book blogger for Essence of Time: Stewart Realty book 4:

*WARNING – Do not attempt to read this book without having a massive amount of tissues ready.  This review contains no spoilers 

Essence of Time is, without a doubt, the best book that I have read this year.  Liz Crowe continues to amaze & astound me with her spot on writing, superb character development & her ability to evoke such emotion from within the pages of her books.

HOLY FUCK.  Those were the words that I said very loudly as I was in the throes of an ugly cry upon finishing this book.  Never have I experienced a book like this.  Within its pages, one of the most beautiful love stories that I’ve ever read, is told.  When you are done, you will not be the same.  You will not look at another book the same way again.  For me, it is now the book that all other books are judged against.  It is a MUST read and I implore everyone to read this series ♥

We get glimpses of Rob Frietag & Blake Thornton’s relationship throughout the first three books of the series.  You know there is a strong relationship between them and you see them falter some in Closing Costs.  Liz did such a wonderful job in creating & shaping these secondary characters that I became invested in them and had to know more.  There were always hints about their past and about the circumstances that brought them together but, in Essence of Time, we finally get to see it – and it was magical!  There is never a question of should they be together, how long will they be together or even are they right for each other.  You know that they are truly soul mates and that their paths, no matter how crooked they seemed, would always lead them to each other.

I loved all the backstory!  The book starts out with Rob & Jack in college and ends in the present.  You’re given both Rob and Blake’s pasts and how their previous relationships have shaped them.  You see glimpses & get history of characters that give you a whole new insight into their personality & psyche.  Your eyes are forced opened to the horrific pasts of other characters and, hopefully, your views will be changed by it.  I started this book with a few preconceived ideas in my head and I thought I was prepared for what possibly lay ahead.  I was completely & utterly blindsided by the reality.  I am devastated, I am pissed off, I am heartbroken – but I’m still in love with this book and wouldn’t change a thing.

If you are as interested in the music that goes hand in hand with this book as I was, please check out Liz Crowe’s Essence of Time playlist on YouTube. 

That is from Alyssa Hesperia Matthews, of Hesperia Loves Books.

OK here are what you REALLY WANT...the buy links!

both in print and ebook! http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=liz+crowe+stewart+realty#/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stewart+realty+liz+crowe&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Astewart+realty+liz+crowe

Book Feature: Nightfire, Alyson Burdette

Genre: Paranormal Romance

When a murder shakes the small town of Peninsula, all eyes are on Olivia Townsend. She may look eighteen, but the townspeople can sense there’s something darker hiding behind her pretty eyes. Olivia knows the smart thing to do is to get out of town. Suspicious neighbors can only mean trouble for a vampire. But leaving becomes much more difficult when William, a mysterious man from her past, arrives. Finding out what brought him back is a temptation Olivia just can’t resist. William’s kindness and interest in Olivia only makes leaving harder. As she starts to fall for him, she’s forced to decide if sticking around is really worth the risk of being discovered. Of course, her mystery man has a secret of his own-and he’s not talking.

Excerpt:

I head downtown. The parade is short, I can wait it out. Perhaps being out in the open will make me seem a little more social, more likeable, a little less likely to be a murderer. I walk down to Main Street, find an open area and wait for it to begin. The first float, a large John Deer tractor carrying a trailer stacked with hay bales, makes its way down the street. Across the road something shiny catches my attention. Something gold. Jane bounces along the sidewalk followed by my new obsession. Just when I thought I could break free of him, he has to make an appearance.

“Olivia!” Jane shouts and waves at me.

I glance around and consider pretending to not see or hear her, but she makes eye contact before I can slip away.

“Hey, come sit with us.” She waves me towards them and I see little option but to follow her instructions. I dart across the street in between the tractor and all twelve members of the high school band.

“Hey.” I try to smile, with little success.

“Hello,” William says. Hearing his voice makes the trip across the street worthwhile.

I set my bag down on the grass and sit on the curb, several feet away from both of them.

“I didn’t know you were coming to this.” Jane watches the next two floats go by, apparently interested in the parade. “We could have met up with you earlier and gotten breakfast or something.” She reaches back as she speaks and grabs William by the hand. I hate how it makes me feel. I hate that she can affect me.

“This didn’t really seem like something you would be into.” I gesture towards the giant snake making its appearance as the grand finale of the parade. Two people walk in front of it throwing candy and glitter towards the crowd.

“Well, there’s not a lot to do around here. I figured going to a festival would be better than just sitting at home.” She leans into William, resting against his chest.

“You’ve obviously never been to this festival.” I try to make light of the situation. Try to joke, pretend I’m happy. All the while she is stealing glances at him and grinning like someone deeply in love.

“Is it really that bad?” she asks, flicking a strand of hair between her fingers.

“Only if you’re a snake.”

Jane looks confused. William smirks at me but says nothing. I realize it’s a good time to try to leave. I pick up my bag from the ground and throw it over my shoulder.

“I should get going. Nice seeing you guys.” There. Nice and civil. Not hard at all. Until I hear his voice.

“Wait, why don’t you come with us?” He arches his eyebrows in a curiously attractive expression. Why does it have to be him inviting me? It would be so fun to tell Jane no. William, on the other hand, is another story. I don’t know how to tell him no.

“I really should get going.” I tilt my head towards the street, trying to emphasize my need to go.

“Oh please come. Just for a little while. It’ll be so much more fun with you there.” Jane’s big smile is friendly. Authentic.

I want to leave. I need to leave. But I see how he is looking at me. He looks curious or hopeful or something along those lines. I’m probably staring back at him the exact same way.

Visit the Authors Website: AlysonBurdette.blogspot.com
Follow the Author on Twitter

Buy on Amazon

Buy from Publisher

Alyson is giving away one free digital copy of Nightfire. Readers interested in entering can leave a comment on this blog post with their e-mail address and one comment will be selected at random. Good luck!

Erotic Corner - Dominant Vs. Alpha

In a discussion with publicist Sharon Aviles, we’d discussed my teaching romance authors how to write BDSM and incorporate the elements of the Lifestyle into their romance stories.  She’d said that the interesting thing was in traditional non kinky romances, we call Dominant males, Alphas. 

Sure they may not be kinky but both men have to take charge of situations.  Both men feel the need to control and the underlying reasons behind this need for control is generally the same.  A belief that his way can guide his heroine into safety feeds his need to be a leader.  I teach this often in my course on how to write from the male point of view.  It’s aimed at romance authors but the lessons still apply to a broader spectrum of fiction writers. 

Often times both men will be in powerful positions either as corporate CEOs or highly trained military experts, these men are used to getting their way. 

In the bedroom we see similarities too.  Whether he’s using ropes and handcuffs, spankings and scarves, or just good old fashion strength to make his point, he’s still on top.  His goal is pretty much the same, drag something from the woman that she wants to give but doesn’t know how.  She’s generally afraid to ask and that fear is often masked as stubbornness or anger.  Sometimes it’s blatant fear.

As a guide, the dominant male must guide the submisisive on their journey towards inner peace, as the alpha male must show the reasons he's overprotective.   Bondage becomes a tool used to strip away control and bring out emotions needing to be dealt with while the Alpha male may use consensual force to do the same.  In effect, he's binding the heroine and making her choose another path, one that leads to growth, rather than stunted movement.  Different plot devices can show us these traits from both sides.  Using the react vs respond method of character development talked about on WriteSEX, we can get this accomplished as writers. 

His ability to see past her defenses as an alpha male or Dominant is what spurs him on to guiding her.  It’s not until he’s learned to grow through the plot that he realizes he’s guiding her as she’s guiding him, but that’s another article.  In the end, the two types of men are really one and the same.  Our labels are just for publisher and reader convenience as they help us define the characters for the appropriate markets.

Buy Gift Of Her Submission from Amazon

Sascha Illyvich

Erotic Romance Author – http://saschaillyvichauthor.com
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/SaschaIllylvich
Erotic Expert – http://www.writesex.net

Book Feature: Saving Mary, Deidre Havrelock

If you’re a fan of supernatural fiction then you will be captivated by this true story about a spiritually sensitive girl and the path that led to her possession. Part one of a two-part series, Saving Mary is the story of a modern-day Mary Magdalene—the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.

Deidre Daily is drawn to anything seemingly spiritual, desperately seeking a spiritual existence. But inside this vibrant girl hides a terrified child who sincerely believes she has married the devil. Through a series of spiritual encounters her fear turns into reality, and she ends up possessed.

Deidre’s fascinating memoir relays her story from childhood to adolescence: invisible eyes leering at her from the corner of her bedroom, horrible nightmares tormenting her, and her desperate attempt to find God—only to end up possessed. It is a candid account of possession from a first-person perspective. This dark memoir brings to light an intricate world of deceitful spirits hell-bent on manipulating and damaging an innocent girl’s life, not only through her dreams, but also through seemingly every-day encounters.

Buy on Amazon

Visit the author's website: www.deidrehavrelock.com

Deidre is currently on tour with the VBTC. Follow the tour here 

Ebooks Are For WHAT?

Doing a little pre posting magic as on Wednesday I will be deep into my first day at the RomFest 2012.


It's been brought to my attention that there is still a contingent of folks unwilling to accept that e-publishing is for real.  

Now, obviously these persons don't have any friends in the NEWS publishing business or they would not continue to spout such nonsense, but beyond that let me just say this:  Get with the plan people, seriously.


I will admit to not being a purist either way. I bounce between hardback/paperback/epubs fairly regularly.  And love the flexibility of it.  I also LISTEN To books as I spend a fair bit of time on the road. And I was once a book hoarder. I had shelves and shelves of the things. Once.  I have whittled the collection down to 2 bookshelves these days and see books as things not to collect but to enjoy and move on.


I have my fair share of coffee table books, yes. And I will always maintain that children's picture books are best left off the e-book format but that's just because I love the pictures in so many of them.


But honestly, to make the claim that "ebooks are for porn and real books are for real" is sort of like saying "I'll never drive one of those nasty cars. My horse is so much better" as far as I am concerned.

Reminder: I like books in both formats. But I see the writing on the wall and truly believe that we are headed in a e-pub only direction.


I understand the dilemma with the whole "e-self-pub" boom.  While there are many (many) excellently written and thoughtfully/carefully edited examples of self-published books, I will say that in the last month I have gagged on my fair share of horrifically written and obviously NOT edited examples of "screw those picky publishers and their nagging editors. This is the next Gone With The Wind...."


It drags e-publishing down frankly, and pisses me off. But it's out there and isn't going away.


In the meantime, let's all hold hands and repeat after me: The world is round. It revolves around the sun. Rome wasn't built in a day and E-pubs are NOT just for porn anymore!

Here is the link to the original article. Be sure and note the "careful" editing in the title....oy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9334525/E-books-are-for-porn-but-real-books-with-survive-says-award-winning-author.html


Will be reporting in from RomFest along the way!
cheers
Liz

Book Feature: Bondage Ballet, Summer Daniels

( Summer's Journey: Volume Three )

Genre: True Romance / Erotica

The third volume of this continuing True Romance / Erotica series follows Summer's journey as she continues to explore an erotic alphabetical education with Mark.

“Over the next few days, my thoughts turned occasionally to what Mark might have in mind for our coming meeting. Naïve as I was about sex up until this point in my life, I did have unlimited internet access and an inquisitive nature. I was aroused by a lot of what I found and appalled by some as well."

Come continue my journey of sexual self-discovery with me. See through my eyes and feel through my touch.

Approximately 5,600 words – this third volume continues the explicit erotic education of Summer and is meant for mature audiences only.

Excerpt:  

Picturing an old pair of sweats and a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea awaiting me, I drove slowly through the early morning rain toward home.  My mind drifted as I replayed the previous evening in my head.  Mark had been a pleasant surprise to me – confident, sexy, funny and in control.  He conducted my passion and played the strings of my desire like a symphonic scientist.  As I thought about his hot breath, first on the back of my neck and then later on my inner thighs, my nipples pulsed in time with the windshield wipers.  Given that at least one of those nipples was being held closely only a short time ago, I mentally berated myself for removing it from Mark’s grasp.

Arriving home, I went inside and put the tea kettle on to boil before heading to my bedroom to change.  Slipping the little black dress over my head, I stood naked for a moment and contemplated a long, hot shower.  Deciding I wanted to savor Mark’s scent on my skin just a little while longer, I slipped on some old comfy sweats and headed back to the kitchen.

Pouring boiling water over my Earl Grey, I looked around the empty room.  A sudden realization came to me that my grand idea of being alone to savor the memories of the previous night had left me just that – alone.  Somehow the house seemed a little more empty than usual. 

Buy on Amazon

 

Hi I’m Stacey. A new face behind the scenes at Authors Promoting Authors. I’m coming on board to help out with the administration of this fabulous resource. I’ll be the contact person for Authors wising to promote their work and will also post the book features on our blog every Tuesday and Thursday.

I too am a writer. I write Young Adult Fiction, most of my stories fall into the Urban Sci-Fi or Urban Fantasy genres. My current WIP is set in a dystopian world and is a fast paced story about a 17 year old girl’s struggle to find knowledge and truth in a world that is nothing like it has always appeared to be.  At this stage I am unpublished but am hoping that status will change sometime in the near future as I begin the process of submissions.

I look forward to helping all of you promote your work.

Book Feature: Shades of Murder, Lauren Carr

Question: What do you get the man with everything?

Answer: When that man is the heir of the late mystery writer Robin Spencer, retired homicide detective Mac Faraday, you get him cold case to solve.

In Shades of Murder, Mac Faraday is once again the heir to an unbelievable fortune. This time the benefactor is a stolen art collector. But this isn’t just any stolen work-of-art—it’s a masterpiece with a murder attached to it.

Ilysa Ramsay was in the midst of taking the art world by storm with her artistic genius. Hours after unveiling her latest masterpiece—she is found dead in her Deep Creek Lake studio—and her painting is nowhere to be found.

Almost a decade later, the long lost Ilysa Ramsay masterpiece has found its way into Mac Faraday’s hands and he can’t resist the urge to delve into the case.

A world away, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; former JAG lawyer Joshua Thornton agrees to do a favor for the last person he would ever expect to do a favor—a convicted serial killer.

The Favor: Solve the one murder wrongly attributed to him.

Joshua finds an unexpected ally in Cameron Gates, a spunky detective who has reason to believe the young woman known to the media only as Jane Doe, Victim Number Four, was the victim of a copycat. Together, Joshua and Cameron set out to light a flame under the cold case only to find that someone behind the scenes wants the case to remain cold, and is willing to kill to keep it that way.

Little do these detectives know that the paths of their respective cases are on a collision course when they follow the clues to bring them together in a showdown with a killer who’s got a talent for murder!

Buy on Amazon

Visit Lauren's website to download a free copy of Lucky Dog--a Mac Faraday short story and while you are there, enter Lauren's Name the Porn Star Contest!

 http://mysterylady.net

Lauren is currently on tour with the VBTC to follow the virtual tour, go here