Fall in love with The Mystic Series!

 

 

   

 

 

These three amazing stories written by talented author, B.C. Burgess, feature an iconic love story that leaves you breathless and wanting for more!

 

I adore the love story between Quin and Layla, which includes the magical components of a world we can only dream about.

 

If you love romance, mystery, danger and a lot of really cool magic, you will love this series as much as I do!

 

 

 Synopsis:

 

A Magical Journey of Epic Romance

Layla
After three years caring for her dying mother, Layla Callaway learns she was adopted under unusual circumstances. Following a cryptic message to seek her birth family in Oregon, Layla uproots her life to find out the truth about her past. And herself.

Quin
Quin's natural charisma is attractive to plenty of women, but he longs for the one he's been dreaming of his entire life. When that day arrives, not only is he breathless, he's confronted with the challenge of a lifetime - an innate need to keep her safe and forever by his side.

The Enemy
Through manipulation and dark magic, Agro uses the powers of others to elevate his supremacy and wealth. When he discovers Layla didn't die at birth, he sets out to find and possess her.

Stretching from coast to coast and teeming with loathed villains and beloved heroes, The Mystic Series is rich with emotion, magic and intrigue. Whether the reader is laughing, crying or falling in love, they'll find themselves invested in Layla's fate through the rich dialogue and emotionally driven characters that weave the web of this fiery tale.

 

 Synopsis:

 

 A Magical Journey of Epic Romance

 

Layla
According to the fairy tales Layla Callaway read as a child, she'd stepped into one. She suddenly has the extended family she always wanted, a beautiful home in Oregon, and the ability to perform astonishing magic. But her perfect world has a price, and she may end up paying with her life.



Quin
Quin Kavanagh wants nothing more than to shed his playboy past and devote himself to Layla, but his womanizing reputation threatens to destroy their budding relationship and shatter his dreams.

The Enemy

Obsessed with Layla's immense power, Agro eliminates leads on his way to Oregon. But there's a stranger lurking much closer to Layla's new home, and he's closing in quicker than anyone knows. Leaving a trail of tragedy in their wakes, both wizards crave what Layla has, and they'll stop at nothing to get it.

Stretching from coast to coast and teeming with loathed villains and beloved heroes, The Mystic Series is rich with emotion, magic and intrigue. Whether the reader is laughing, crying or falling in love, they'll find themselves invested in Layla's fate through the rich dialogue and emotionally driven characters that weave the web of this fiery tale.

 

 Synopsis:

 

A Magical Journey of Epic Romance

Layla
Layla Callaway has found comfort in her new role as a coven member, and she’s declared her love for the heartthrob who led her home, but as beautiful as her life appears, it’s shadowed by the evil threatening to rip it away.

Quin
After years of meaningless flings, Quin Kavanagh has finally found love in Layla and yearns to keep her close, but the strength and longevity of their relationship is tested by Finley, a powerful wizard who promises to rid Layla’s life of danger… then claim her as his reward.

The Enemy
They’ve attacked once, leaving Layla with grievous injuries, and the worst has yet to come. The Stranger has drawn closer than anyone knows. And with the disappearance of his lieutenant, Agro is on a rampage, determined to get his witch… or make her family pay.

Stretching from coast to coast and teeming with loathed villains and beloved heroes, The Mystic Series is rich with emotion, magic and intrigue. Whether the reader is laughing, crying or falling in love, they'll find themselves invested in Layla's fate through the rich dialogue and emotionally driven characters that weave the web of this fiery tale.



Today we welcome Tricia Drammeh as she talks about her career and her book,

The Fifth Circle!

AM: When did you get serious about writing? 

TD: I’d always had a vague idea of wanting to write a book and had even tried to write one several years ago. About three years ago at the age of thirty-nine, I finally finished a novel, The Claiming Words. It was a mess, but it was finished. From the day I finished writing that first draft, I knew writing was my thing. It’s what I wanted to do, even if I didn’t make any money doing it.

What is your viewpoint of the current trends going on in the publishing world?

I think self-publishing is the next big thing. With traditional publishers accepting fewer and fewer new authors every year and cutting back on marketing budgets for those new authors, self-publishing gives writers a chance to get their book published. It’s also a way for the author to retain total control over their manuscript. I think big publishers need to make some major changes if they want to continue to attract talented, innovative authors. And, I think the plague of independent publishers that seem to pop up overnight is a serious threat to newbie authors—they can’t do anything for the author they can’t do for themselves through self-publishing, and in many cases these new presses and their inexperience can do way more harm than good. 

How has that affected how you went about publishing?

When I first began to send The Claiming Words out to agents, I received enough rejections to break my spirit. It was very humbling. In my mind, landing an agent and a big publishing deal was the only way to go. At the time, there was still such a stigma - I think that's still true to a certain extent. I ended up publishing The Claiming Words with a small press. I found myself in a strange limbo where I didn't have control over my book (to run freebies, fix errors, etc) AND I didn't have the advantages of using a traditional publisher such as a shelf space in bookstores. It was the worst of both worlds. So, when I was ready to publish The Fifth Circle, I didn't even consider querying agents or submitting to a small press. I did what I should have done with my first book - I self published.

Do you have any favorite genres?

I tend to gravitate toward young adult paranormal books with sparkly covers. I love fantasy in any form or sub genre. I also read mysteries, literary fiction, the classics, romance, and thrillers.

The Fifth Circle

Sean is no stranger to darkness. He's overcome a dangerous addiction, struggled with mental illness, and faced relentless bullying by his peers. His best friend, Alex, has always been there for him, but when he falls in love with her, he replaces his online gaming obsession with a possessive interest in her.

Alex's survival depends upon her ability to lock memories of her troubled childhood deep inside her mind, but an unhealthy relationship with Sean causes dark visions of her past to rise to the surface. Sean's obsession and Alex's complacency collide, resulting in tragedy.

Together, Sean and Alex live in a hell of their own making. One will escape at the expense of the other. Both will discover why Dante chose to condemn the Wrathful and the Sullen in the Fifth Circle of Hell.

Contact Links:

Website: www.triciadrammeh.com

Blog: blog.triciadrammeh.com

Twitter @triciadrammeh

Amazon page http://www.amazon.com/Tricia-Drammeh/e/B008UI2CE6/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17726228-the-fifth-circle

Product Links


Kindle http://www.amazon.com/The-Fifth-Circle-ebook/dp/B00C5HYO44/ref=la_B008UI2CE6_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1366344645&sr=1-3

Author Vivienne Mathews stops by and chats about publishing trends, her writing career and her book,
The Sons of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune, Part One

 

 

AM: What inspired you to become a writer?

VM: - As long as I can remember, I've been making up stories. It started out as rhymes in toddler-hood, then short stories in grade school. By the time I hit high school, I couldn't be seen without a notebook. Pen to paper. It's always been a sick and desperate need for which I should probably be medicated.

When did you get serious about writing?

- Even though I've always been a storyteller, I didn't get serious about the work of writing until about four years ago when I pulled out the forgotten first draft of The Sons of Masguard. Prior to then, I'd been listening to the market, writing dark fantasy and supernatural fiction because I felt it was the only way to be relevant. I was feeding the novelist need, but I wasn't enjoying myself. It's difficult to throw yourself full tilt into something like that. Rediscovering this silly little adventure with its noble characters and outlandish ideas reminded me how much I loved losing myself into the world of juvenile fiction and letting my imagination run mad. I refocused my attention then and there, and I haven't looked back.

What is your viewpoint of the current trends going on in the publishing world?

- That is a GREAT question. It's definitely an exciting time to be a writer, isn't it? Everything's a bit of a gamble right now, because we have no idea what platforms are going to win out, in the end. I like to think that a balance can be found between the e-landscape and large publishing houses where availability, pricing, and quality are concerned. The major publishers can provide an assurance of quality that (sadly) self and indie publishers can't, but the bigger houses can't compete with indie prices. A compromise has to exist somewhere. I trust the market to find it eventually, but it's going to take a few years, I think.

How has that affected how you went about publishing?

- I've always leaned toward the indie side of things, so the new resources -- KDP, Smashwords, blog promotions -- did a lot to convince me that hanging onto my book rights was the proper course. For me, at least. It certainly isn't for everyone!

Synopsis:

The first installment in a new series from Vivienne Mathews, this anthropomorphic tale is sure to strike a chord with fans of “Redwall,” “Watership Down,” and “Warriors.” Centered on a rivalry between two otter captains and the ancient threat that brings them together, it is an adventure-fantasy on the open sea, described by the author as “’Wind in the Willows’ with pirates.”

*******************************************

A haunting mist has settled on the harbor beneath Secora Tor. Tasked with unlocking its mysteries is the stoic otter Captain Marshall, an accomplished military figure and heir to the greatest explorer in the kingdom’s history. As he sifts through myth and reality, his dangerous journey grows ever more complicated when he learns that McKinley the Marauder – pirate, nemesis, and general miscreant – has ambitions that could put his mission at risk.

Now, accompanied by a gypsy mercenary, a dishonored knight, and a family of thieves – and tailed by the evil wolf Baron Von Ulric, who has ambitions of his own – their paths converge in an uneasy alliance, becoming a race against time as they travel to the legendary island of Mosque Hill, each of them hoping to reach an ancient artifact before it is too late. Each of them desperate to stay ahead of the secrets that they keep.

What will they lose along the way?

And where will they turn when they realize that nothing is as it seems?

Links:

eBook: www.amazon.com/Sons-Masguard-Mosque-Fortune-ebook/dp/B00CCID3ZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366179400&sr=8-1&

Hard Copy: http://www.amazon.com/Sons-Masguard-Mosque-Fortune-Volume/dp/1484120167/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366179400&sr=8-2

Twitter: @viviennemathews

Blog: http://viviennemathews.blogspot.com

Author A.J. Walkley stops by to chat about her writing career, and her current work in progress, Vuto!

 

 

 

My name is A.J. Walkley and I'm the author of Queer Greer, Choice and the forthcoming Vuto. I currently blog for The Huffington Post out of Arizona, though my heart will always be on the East Coast where I was born and raised.

I have considered myself a writer as far back as I can remember; ever since my parents bought me a journal in the 4th grade, I haven't been able to put my pen down. I constantly feel compelled to write. Just recently, for instance, I was on a plane ride from Phoenix to Dallas when a lovely older woman started talking to me; she told me an hour-long story about how she had extricated herself from an abusive 40-year marriage. It was an incredible story, and as soon as we parted ways, I immediately took out my laptop and began to write it down, embellishing and filling in the parts that she hadn't in the telling of it. I am constantly collecting stories from the world around me and I'm always thinking about what I want to write about next.

My third book, Vuto, will be published in the next several months and I am very excited about it. The story was inspired by my time in the U.S. Peace Corps, stationed in Malawi, Africa. During my time there I became aware of several customs that I had never heard of before, like wife inheritance -- if a husband dies and leaves his wife, she is "inherited" by a male member of his family as an additional wife. One of the strangest traditions from my Western point of view was the two-week rule associated with births. When a woman in a Malawian village gives birth, she must care for her child for its first two weeks without the assistance of her husband; if the child dies during that period of time, the father will never acknowledge he had a child at all. This custom formed the basis of the plot of Vuto. The title character has already buried two children before by herself and we meet her when she's giving birth to her third. Like the first two, this daughter also dies before that two-week mark. Vuto refuses to bow to tradition any longer, overcome with the grief of yet another loss, and forces her husband to acknowledge the baby. This leads to Vuto's banishment -- overseen by a Peace Corps volunteer named Samantha. Samantha takes Vuto in and, when Vuto's husband learns that she has not truly left the village limits, he comes to Samantha's home in the night. Samantha fights to protect Vuto and kills her husband in the process. The two women must go on the run from the village and the Peace Corps, facing many struggles along the way.

Connect with A.J.!

Kickstarter: http://kck.st/17oRhLx

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJWalkley
Website: http://www.ajwalkley.com

Blog: http://ajwalkleyblog.wordpress.com/

After going through many recipes, it's time to announce the contest winner!

And the winner is.....

Molly and her Lemon Berry Muffin Recipe, with runner up of Shanna's Cheesecake Recipe!!!!!

THANK YOU ladies for sharing your winning recipes, and also to everyone for the many recipe submissions!!!

Our guest today is Jade Kerrion and her newly released book,
When the Silence Ends!

 

 

Author: Jade Kerrion

Guest Post Title: The Power of Ordinary

Young Adult novels abound with extraordinary protagonists. I’m sure that in your travels through books, you’ve met the child of destiny who’s fated to end a war and unite two worlds. You’ve probably also met the quiet kid who doesn’t quite fit in, who discovers his amazing super powers and uses them to save the world. Of course, there’s the protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious world that coexists alongside her reality, populated by sparkly vampires and handsome werewolves.

I’ve found two major themes running through most YA novels: the first, as I noted above, the extraordinary teenage protagonist, and second, the adults are frequently the enemy, ranging from indifferent parents to murderous despots. Neither of those observations particularly align with my observations of life.

I don’t know about you, but most days, I feel pretty ordinary. When I did go to school, I was something of a geek and somewhat lacking in hand-eye coordination (which is why I danced ballet instead of playing sports involving balls of any sort.) My superpower was an ability to excel on standardized tests (try writing that into a book…) And I don’t know how you feel about it, but adults weren’t really the enemies. Yes, my parents were (and still are) occasionally tiresome, but they were always supportive and loving. The worst thing you could have said about my teachers is that some of them were boring, but still, they were all decent people. Adults have never been the enemy—at least, adults should never be perceived collectively as the enemy. As an adult now, I should know.

So, when I set out to write a YA spin off my award-winning Double Helix series, featuring Dee and her twin brother, Dum, I wanted my readers to appreciate adults in more roles than that of the enemy. Some of them are, of course, but like the real world, there’s a vast spectrum of them; some adults even become Dee’s friends and mentors. More importantly though, I wanted my readers to appreciate the power of ordinary.

Dee, the protagonist of When the Silence Ends, is ordinary. She’s seventeen years old, and she has ordinary concerns that include holding down two jobs to pay the rent, making sure her brother gets to his speech therapy class, and wondering how to pay for college. She lives in a world populated by extraordinary people who possess psychic powers, but unlike Bella who had the good fortune to be loved by a vampire, Dee can never become that kind of extraordinary, now or ever.

Is it possible to write a book about an ordinary person having an extraordinary effect on the world? Of course! We see those heroes around us every day—people, just like us, making an extraordinary difference in our world. I think those heroes have several traits that make them special.

They know how to work with others. Rarely are heroes solitary loners. More often than not, they’re talented leaders who understand the value of listening as much as they do the importance of speaking. They inspire with their vision, but they are not too proud to listen to advice or accept help. Most importantly, they care for something beyond themselves.

Dee is that special person—a perfectly ordinary person, surrounded by psychically talented mutants—who finds her own brand of extraordinary. Inspired by her love for her brother Dum, and armed with nothing more than her wits and pepper spray, she navigates the social and political minefield of a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution. In so doing, she changes her life and the lives of those around her.

Here’s to a celebration of being normal and to the power of ordinary. Three cheers for Dee. If she can do it, so can we.

When the Silence Ends (Blurb)

When you choose your friends, you also choose your enemies.

Seventeen-year old Dee wants nothing more than to help her twin brother, Dum, break free from the trauma in their childhood and speak again, but the only person who can help Dum is the alpha empath, Danyael Sabre, whom the U.S. government considers a terrorist and traitor.

The search for Danyael will lead Dee and Dum from the sheltered protection of the Mutant Affairs Council and into the violent, gang-controlled heart of Anacostia. Ensnared by Danyael’s complicated network of friends and enemies, Dee makes her stand in a political and social war that she is ill equipped to fight. What can one human, armed only with her wits and pepper spray, do against the super-powered mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution?

America, nevertheless, is ripe for change. Exhausted by decades of belligerence between humans and their genetic derivatives, the clones, in vitros, and mutants, society is on the verge of falling apart or growing up. Which path will it choose, and can a mere human, her sassy attitude and smart mouth notwithstanding, light the way to a better future?

In her quest to help her brother become normal, Dee will learn what it means to be extraordinary. When the silence ends, the celebration of life, love, joy, and hope will inspire feet to dance and hearts to sing.

When the Silence Ends is the Young Adult spinoff in the award-winning Double Helix series.

Buy Links (e-books)

When the Silence Ends: Amazon / Amazon UK

Buy Links (paperbacks)

When the Silence Ends: Amazon / Amazon UK

 Author biography:

Jade Kerrion unites cutting-edge science and bioethics with fast-paced action in her award-winning Double Helix series. Perfection Unleashed and its sequels, Perfect Betrayal and Perfect Weapon, have been described as “a breakout piece of science fiction” and drawn rave reviews for their originality and vision. Her latest novel, When the Silence Ends, is a Young Adult spinoff the Double Helix series.

Connect with Jade Kerrion: Blog / Facebook / Twitter

 

A warm and cozy welcome to today's guest poster,  Tara Ison, author of
A Child Out of Alcatraz!!
 

 

AM: What inspired you to become a writer?

TI: Tropes! Really - it wasn't the opportunity for creative expression, or intellectual wrangling, or any passion for sentences and stories - it was every "writer cliche" in the world. When I was a kid/adolescent I absolutely adored movies that showed writers and the writing life, because it looked so glamorous and intense: long sunset walks on the beach in front of a charming Cape Cod house; the Parisian garret; the writer's furrowed brow and slug of Scotch; the black manual typewriter going plunk plunk plunk. And the great sloppy classic clothes! Complicated relationships with complicated lovers! Cocktails at the Algonquin with your sassy editor! I wanted to be a writer long before I started to write.

Of course, the "writing life" is nothing like those superficial images, but by the time I realized I wasn't going to be living on cigarettes and sex and wine in a Parisian garret, I actually had fallen in love (well, love/hate) with the actual writing process: the opportunity for creative expression, the intellectual wrangling, the passion for sentences and stories...

  

If there was anything else you could do (other than writing) what would that be?

Professional knitter. I am an obsessive, compulsive knitter. Which has a relationship to the writing, I think - I get very meditative when I knit, and usually I'm meditating on some tangle of story or character that has frustrated me (and sent me fleeing from my computer to the couch with needles and yarn.) Knitting allows me to physically "work things out," to create something in a non-intellectual/literary, more concrete/tangible way. I feel satisfied and fulfilled and accomplished watching the rows take shape, and then I return to the computer...where I usually find the tangle has untangled there, too.

Who, or what, is the driving force that keeps you going?

As I said, writing for me is a true love/hate relationship - I would rather do absolutely anything than sit down to write - a combination of laziness and the evil, discouraging voices in my head, I suppose - but when I finally do, I go fugue-state. Hours disappear and then I blink awake again and stumble to the kitchen for food. There are only two things that actually get me in the chair: a deadline (usually), and something I simply cannot shake out of my head: an image, a sentence, a little speck of sand or pebble in  my shoe I try to ignore but that turns out to be a tiny tiny jewel I am forced to reckon with and focus on and nurture as the most beautiful shining thing in the world.  

What is your viewpoint on the current publishing trends?

Oy. Trying to stay optimistic. I actually am, though - I think small/indie presses are on the side of the angels, now, the true believers in challenging, innovative literature, and they are amazing. But I really do struggle with the relationship of literature and technology - I try to appreciate the "ebook" as a tool for increased accessibility, but a book, to me, will always be paper and ink, tactile, sensual, the literal object.

Do you have any upcoming events or book promotions?

I do - a new novel coming in June 2013 from Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press, called Rockaway. It's about an artist who has sort of exiled herself to a beach house in Rockaway, NY, for a summer to try and figure out her life (family issues, her work, an odd new relationship with a older musician.) There you go - an artist walking on the beach! (She's a painter, not a writer, though...) I wrote it before Hurricane Sandy, and what's happened there is so heartbreaking - Rockaway got hit hard. I hope in some small way, the book honors that incredible community. Thank you for asking!

About the Author:

Tara Ison is also the author of the novel The List (Scribner, 2007), Rockaway, forthcoming from Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press, and the short story collection Ball to be published by Red Hen Press. Her short fiction, essays, poetry and book reviews have appeared in Tin House, The Kenyon Review, The Rumpus, Nerve.com, Black Clock, Publisher's Weekly, The Week magazine, The Mississippi Review, LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, the San Jose Mercury News, and numerous anthologies. Tara is also the co-writer of the cult movie Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead. She is the recipient of many awards, including a 2008 NEA Creative Writing Fellowship and a 2008 COLA Individual Artist Grant. Ison received her MFA in Fiction & Literature from Bennington College and is currently Assistant Professor of Fiction at Arizona State University.

www.taraison.com

Tara Ison would love to discuss the book directly: info@taraison.com, @AlcatrazChild on Twitter

For press inquiries and review copies please contact:

Darlene Chan dchanwork@gmail.com, 323.839.2788