"I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared to meet me is another matter."
-Winston Churchill

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop - May 25 - 31


Ahhhh.  Summer's finally on it's way!  I can smell the salty air,  see the sandy beaches,  feel the sun on my face!  Welcome to my little corner of the web and Splash Into Summer - hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Page Turners,  thank you Kathy & Pixie. This hop will run from Wednesday, May 25 starting at Midnight through Tuesday,  May 31 ending at Midnight.  Winner will be chosen using Random.org and announced June 1.

June 1 also starts our voting for the Heart Of Eden short story contest so be sure to stop back in to see if you won and cast your vote for your favorite story because it's readers choice awards for the contest :). (See right side bar)

Here is what you can win at my humble abode.


For International:

Up To $10 - Please be sure to check if they ship to you first at The Book Depository

Entry is simple - follow the blog,  then leave a comment with your email address.  Please tell me if your a new follower and if you are please leave your blog link too so I can follow you back.

*If you're and old follower,  please leave a separate comment that you're already following with your blog link for an extra entry.  This is my way to make sure I am following back :).

You can visit any participating blog by visiting the linky below. Happy hopping! Now go win yourself some great books or book items.




Or Link to this page:
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page_04.html

Tuesday Train & Taunt

Hello my fellow peeps & bloggers!  I am so happy Spring is in full bloom and warmer weather is finally here.  Last night was beautiful,  and I'm not even going to complain about the rain.  I'm happy with the warm.  So I know I've been slacking a bit on my weekly features,  but I have been one busy chic!  First,  I started back to school and getting over the shock of learning the classroom and the programs was a shock in itself.  Over this past weekend,  my daughter got hurt and is now on crutches - possibly facing surgery,  my mother is in need of a PCA since my daughter was it,  and my Gram gave us a scare as she took a bus trip to MO and that's where that big tornado hit killing people.  I know I don't vent to ya'll much but here it is.  Boy does that feel good :) - THANK YOU.

So because I'm at work you get this weeks Tuesday Taunt plain (Sorry) and don't forget to hop on the train with me.  I love the train,  it's so relaxing.





Shift by Takumi Yamazaki
Page 74

Can you miagine how much energy it would take to power our while brain at once?  I heard once that it would require the energy of nearly an entire power plant.  Naturally we don't have access to that much energy,  so only 3 percent of our brains will work at one time.


Brain power?  I think our brains might explode if we used the energy from a power plant.  This is a great book though and I think you would like it.  Watch for my upcoming review.

Photobucket

CHOOT! CHOOT!

Hop on the train with me and let's enjoy the ride.  For those of you stopping in off the train,  please be sure to leave a link to your blog so I can follow you back if I don't already.  Have a HAPPY TUESDAY!


Friday, May 20, 2011

Fantasy Fridays & Friday Hops and TGIF!

Fantasy Fridays is a weekly meme created by your's truly :).  You get some eye candy plus a book pick of the week,  usually erotica.  Want to join in the fun?  Just copy the pic above and comment me with your blog link to let me know you're participating.  Also, join me for Follow Fridays and my new hop - Stepping Out of the Pages.









Book Pick of the Week:

Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after her.

The man who haunts her dreams enters her reality, claiming she’s transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.

Battlelines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for her life, but for mankind's as well.
























Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? We all have them...



My Answer:  1.  I am addicted to Iced Coffee.  2.   I sleep with my dog every day (I work Midnights) or can't sleep good.  3.  Every few weeks I go through a stage where I do not want to read one single book.  4. I sing when I drink.  5.  I'm addicted to my computer,  I'd rather work on a book or business than watch TV.

Let's Link Up:




Until next time,

Thursday, May 19, 2011

BLB Ebook Tours - Guest Post with Amber Argyle - Witch Song



Amber Argyle's debut, Witch Song, is a classic fantantasy for young adults. It will be released Sept 1st 2011. 
Amber Argyle grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing her debut novel.

She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters.

She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University.

She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children. 

Welcome Amber and thank you so much for taking time to chat with us today.  Today Amber is talking about Bookmobiles and we introduce her debut novel, Witch Song.

I’m not one of those people who had a book in their hand from shortly after birth until the present time. I don’t have memories of sitting on my mother’s lap while she read me stories. My hometown was too small for a city library. And the school library was dismal. In fact, I didn’t really discover books until my mother bought me the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I read them over and over again, wishing there were more . . .
And then the Bookmobile ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookmobile )began coming to town (or perhaps it always had and I simply didn’t know).  Bookmobiles are stocked with books from larger cities. They would drive around to the smaller towns, loaning out books and then coming to collect them in a few weeks.
That’s when I learned to love books.  
When did you fall in love with books?
The world is changing.
For thousands of years, witch song has controlled everything from the winds to the shifting of the seasons. But not anymore. All the Witches are gone, taken captive by the dark Witch, Espen.

As the last echoes of witch song fade, Espen grows stronger as winter and summer come within the space of a day. Now she’s coming for the one she missed—a shy, untrained girl of fifteen named Brusenna.

Somehow, Brusenna has to succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find Espen. Fight her. Defeat her.

Or there won’t be anything left to save.




Where to find Amber:
 
I love the cover of Witch Song!  Beautiful

      














Until next time,

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Best Seller For A Day with Amber Scott - Fierce Dawn


Today is Best Seller For A Day and in the spotlight is Fierce Dawn by Amber Scott.  Today you can purchase a copy of Fierce Dawn for just 99cents,  along with some other great books such as,  Stolen Dreams by Stacey Kennedy,  Fated by Carolyn McCray,  and Cattitude by Edie Ramer. Not only do you have a chance to get all these books for the price of 1,  you also have a chance to win a brand new Kindle just for partcipating.  Not bad huh?

So check out my review,  then head on over to Best Seller For A Day for all the goody details,  then go and purchase your copy of Fierce Dawn on Amazon.

Fierce Dawn by Amber Scott was absolutely YUMMY!  I loved Scott's take on the immortal realm,  from seekers to changelings to messengers,  just phenomenal.  

A different take which I absolutely loved too was that she reversed roles.  Normally we read in any type of romance,  it's always the male seducing the female.  Not in Fierce Dawn.  This one had the female seducing the male and I loved it.

Sadie Graves knew there was something different about her,  but she just couldn't put her finger on it.  Her family chalks it up to mental breakdown,  forcing her to seek help and medication.

Sadie knows she's not crazy though.  When she meets the hot,  give you writhing dreams Elijah Stokes,  her world endures a drastic change of events.  Sadie is a messenger,  and Elijah is going to help her through the transformation.  

Sadie dreams of Elijah,  painting her dreams so vividly.  Danger is near and someone is after her.  What her dreams were actually doing were prophesizing,  and much to all of their surprise,  her transformation brings more than the mere fact that she may be a messenger.  Not only will her true self be discovered,  but so will many lies,  and of course love.

Scott did a fantastic job in this title.  Fierce Dawn will leave you squirming in your seat as you try to read fast enough to find out what happens next.  Character development was magnificent and you will feel the connection with every character involved,  not to mention an astounding plot.  This is one title you will definitely want to get your hands on.




Find more books by Amber Scott


 So go grab yourself a copy and then get your entry to win a Kindle.  You will love this story and it will only leave you wanting more!
























Until next time,

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Strange Freedom: Blood & Fireworks Release Contest

If you would like to donate any patriotic items or patriotic themed e-books or books,  Kiki Howell is putting together a contest for her newest release - A Strange Freedom: Blood & Fireworks.  You can find all the details below,  and if you know of someone that may be able to help out or has the perfect book please pass this along.  It's free promo for books.

From the Author:
Got a book/ebook or handmade item that has a patriotic/military theme that you would like some promo for? I'm putting together a contest for the week of Memorial Day for the ebook release of A Strange Freedom: Blood & Fireworks.

Email me at howell (dot) kiki (at) gmail (dot) com if interested! I am hoping to have two prize bundles: one ebook bundle and one print book/handmade gifts bundle. All donations will need to be sent to me ahead of time so I can send them out together. 

Note: I would like to have some craft items and promote Etsy shops or other websites as well. Or, if you are an author who does not have a patriotic book released, but would still like to be involved, think of a patriotic craft or item that you could donate. Links will accompany the item description in the contest post.

Thanks,
Kiki Howell
~where love is a mystical thing~



A Strange Freedom, Blood and Fireworks, a novella

Blurb: Can a witch gain her freedom to live as she chooses between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July?  

A man was not exactly what Meranda was looking for when she went to her grandfather’s grave for a ritual of remembrance on Memorial Day.  However, what she thinks is a ghost in the heavy shadows of the night ends up a vampire. 

When Meranda’s grandfather lay dying on a bloody battlefield in WWII, Alexander promised the man he would take care of his family if he got out of the war alive.  Even though he returned to the states a night walker, he has done his best to honor that promise from a distance. 

When Meranda is hurt due to his negligence, Alexander valiantly fights his own desires for her blood to save her.  Only, once she is better, their lives clash.  But, using a little magic, she plans to win their war by the time the fireworks light up the sky on Independence Day.


Genres: Contemporary, Paranormal (Vampire & Witch), Erotic Romance
Adult Content Warnings: Explicit Graphic Language, Toys

Coming May 27th, 2011 in eBook from Excessica Publishing

Best Seller For A Day Tomorrow - Enter to win a Kindle



Tomorrow,  May 18,  Amber Scott is in line for Best Seller for a Day. You will have a chance to get this awesome book and a chance to win a Kindle.



Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after her.

The man who haunts her dreams enters her reality, claiming she’s transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.

Battlelines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for her life, but for mankind's as well.




Stop back tomorrow to see my review of Fierce Dawn, then go over and get yourself a copy for only 99 cents - starting tomorrow!

Visit Amber Online - Amber Scott Books

Blog Tour de Troops - Become a Sponsor or Donate to the Cause




Would you like to sponsor this event?  Maybe you just would like to donate?  Well come on and join us!  Visit Blog Tour de Troops by clicking above or use the Donate link below to give to this great cause.

What could be better than getting a free eBook?

Why, giving one away to the men and women who protect this country!

Just us Memorial Day Weekend when we have a blast blog hopping to dozens of authors sites where each is giving away not only an eBook to each commenter, but another one to a troop!

The commenter can designate a specific soldier they would like their eBook to go to or allow BTDT to select one for them!

Please help us make this Memorial Day one to remember!  #supporttheauthors #supportthetroops

All donations of any size will help to purchase a Kindle for a Troop as well as load it with e-books.  Please help Support your troops :).

The Lineup for the Great Books You and the Troops are in for:








Winners for Book of Lost Souls & (3) Logan's Redemption

Sorry guys.  I was unable to log into this account for a few days even after blogger was back up and running.  I'm a bit behind,  but guess that isn't much unusual eh?  Bet you're dying to know who our winners are right?


For:



#6 

Melissa from Melissa's Meanderings








For:


#7
Christine

#5
Jaidis

#1
Vidisha





Please watch your emails for your winnings!  Enjoy and please stop back in and let me know how you liked the books!  Thanks for stopping in everyone!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

GFP At the Round Table with Rie McGaha - Calen


Rie McGaha


Welcome to the Round Table.  May I offer you a beverage before we begin?
Thank you. I'll have the Tantalizing Tea, please.



Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today.  It's so nice to have you at the Round Table.
I'm very pleased to be here. Thank you for inviting me.

BK:  Please tell us a bit about yourself....
In my real life I'm the mom of 12, Nana of 33 and counting. I rescue abused, abandoned, and neglected animals. In my cyber life, I'm a writer, freelance editor, review editor/coordinator for P&P reviews, review editor for JR reviews, and I promo other authors on 5 different blogs.

BK:  What inspired you to pen this genre?
When I was a little girl, like most little girls, I read all the fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty & Cinderella. As I grew up my reading tastes turned toward the more risqué, but I still liked the fairy tale feel and the happily ever afters, so I wrote a fairy tale for big girls. Calen is the first book in the My Soul To Keep trilogy, which is complete with pink fairy castles, purple unicorns, rainbow waterfalls, and of course, hunky Highlanders.

BK:  What draws you to write in this genre? 
My favorite saying is, "Genres? We don't need no stinking genres!" lol I write what appeals to me at the moment and usually cross genre lines so much in the same story it's hard to pin down a genre.

What inspired your book to be a series?
It didn't start as a series. I wrote it as one book, in three parts but because of the length, the publisher thought it better to publish it as a series.

How difficult is it to write a series?
For me, it's the worst. Especially this one because I had problems getting the other two parts to stand alone when they weren't written that way.

What is your favorite part about writing?
Creating worlds of my own. I'm one of those control freak people, which you have to be when raising 12 kids, and I have no talent to sing or play an instrument or paint, so creating my own fantasies and seeing them come to life in a novel is a great release for me.

Do you have a favorite book in the series?
The last part of the story is called Arion. In the first part Arion is an orphan found by Calen and taken back to live with his family, and is raised as a younger brother. In the second book Arion is raised with cousins, who are actually no blood relation, and because of other story lines, he is supposed to grow up and marry Alley. He grows up and leaves home to explore the world and when he comes back, he knows Alley will be of marriageable age, and he has a plan to get out of marrying her. At least until he sees her and she wants nothing to do with him. The last part was fun to write.

Who is your favorite character?  Which one would you most likely invite to dinner?
When Calen follows the beckoning of a woman from his dreams, he finds himself high in the mountains at a secret land called The Fortress with only female inhabitants. Their leader is Ariella and she's lived a very long time. She's experienced a lot of heartache; a lot of loss and that comes partly from my own life.

Are you finding yourself running into any challenges while writing this series?
Oh yes. Although in a fantasy with witches and special powers, you can do anything you want, but the plot still has to be believable. At one point I came up against a problem with closing a portal to the future but it still had to be open to create havoc for my heroes. I just couldn't get the scene to work and I was getting frustrated, when my youngest son asked what was wrong. So I told him, and he came up with the solution like he had been writing the manuscript. It was great.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
That's hard to say. It can come from real life, or from something I heard or saw on TV, or in one case, when I wrote Blood Line, that story came from a dream my husband had. 

How did you come up with the title for your series?
I hate trying to come up with titles but in this case, I just wanted something as sappy as possible!

What do you like to read when you're not writing?
The latest Alex Cross installment from James Patterson.

Do you have a favorite author/book?
I love the classics and have a lot of books I've read over and over. But I think if I have to choose one book it has to be….okay, I can't choose one, but my top two are Of Mice and Men, and One Thousand White Women.

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?
I don't know. I don't think I'm all that interesting or different but people seemed shocked that I have 12 kids.

What do you like to do for fun?
I love to ride motorcycles, go out on the boat with the family and spend the day on the lake. As long as I'm with my family, it's fun.

What is your favorite food and restaurant?
I love a good rib eye. And my favorite restaurant is Sandstone Garden in Joplin, MO. But I also love Alioto's on the wharf in San Francisco. I love the steamers there.

Can you tell us about any projects you are currently working on?
I am finishing up edits on Caleb & Arion, and finishing up Dancing With Bear: A Love Story, and then I'm taking off on my motorcycle to go hug on some grandbabies. My oldest grandson, Mathew is graduating from high school this year and I will be there for that.

Where can readers find you?
Rie McGaha's Links:

The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews: 

Blogs:

Fun Facts:

BK:  Fantasy or Horror?
Horror
BK:  Day or Night?
Night
BK:  Favorite Drink?
Tantalizing Tea
BK:  Favorite Movie?
China 9, Liberty 37
BK:  What is a must have to write?
TV on in the background
BK:  If you could possess a supernatural power, what would it be and why?
Invisibility. I could go anywhere and imagine all the conversations I would be able to listen in one!
BK:  Favorite Author?
James Patterson
BK:  Favorite Song?
Wish You Were Here/Pink Floyd
BK:  Favorite Saying?
"Genres? We don't need no stinking genres!"
BK:  What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
LOL Oh let's not go there, okay?
BK:  What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?
Entertainment. That's it. I don't write trying to make a statement, or hope people will find the answer to life or a lesson in morality. I just want them to be entertained, taken out of reality for a few moments and live in my fantasy for a bit.
BK:  If someone could describe you in one word, what would it be?
Um, Bear always said I had fangs. I'll leave you to ponder on his meaning.

Thank you so much for being at the Round Table today.  It's been such a pleasure chatting with you and I wish you much success in the future.
The pleasure was all mine. Thank you so much for having me.

When Calen MacLeod begins having dreams of an ethereal beauty who beckons to him, he passes it off as just having an itch he hasn't scratched in a long time. But when he leaves on a journey to find her, following the directions she's given him in his dreams, he begins to doubt his sanity. And when he finds himself high in the Mackinaw Mountains in a secret fortress with unicorns and a pink and white castle, surrounded by women, each one more beautiful than the next, it's a fantasy no man would want to wake up from. But Arianna is the only woman for Calen.

The women of the Fortress have lived in peace, hidden away from the humans who tried to annihilate them all. But now a 500-year-old demon is out to destroy the women's matriarch, Ariella, and he'll stop at nothing to complete his mission. When Calen MacLeod shows up, he throws a wrench into Damon's plans. Never let it be said Damon isn't ready for anything, but when he kidnaps Arianna and takes her to modern day San Francisco, is he ready to meet Calen, who will stop at nothing to save his ladylove?

Excerpt:

The little boy leaned against the remains of what was once his home. He sat for a while and rubbed his hands over his chubby cheeks, smearing more crud across his face. He drew designs in the dirt and occasionally glanced at the bodies of his parents lying not three feet away. He cried sometimes while he sat by his mother, patting her back and telling her to wake up. He didn't understand why she wouldn't wake up; she had never done that before. Neither had his father, who now continued to sleep next to his mother.
He was alone and he was afraid. Everything looked different to him at night, and the forest sounds scared him. He lay between his parents in the dark, sucking his thumb and crying until he finally fell asleep. He had dreams of the men who came into the forest on their big, black horses. He had been in the hut with his mother when they came; his father was outside chopping wood. His mother had grabbed him up, wrapped a fur around him and hid him in the deep, dark corner in the back of their home. She had been very stern with him when she told him to stay there and not make a sound, then she had gone outside, where his father was speaking with the strangers. He remembered the shouts, the sound of the horses' hooves, the ring of steel against steel in the air. He remembered his mother's scream, and that was when he'd crawled out of his hiding place and peeked through the crack in the logs of the hut.
He had seen his father lying on the ground with blood running from his head. And he saw the men ripping his mother's clothes until her skirt hung in shreds, baring her from the waist down. They had tied her hands and threw her over the chopping block and fell on her one by one. The little boy didn't know what they were doing, as they slapped her, shouting and laughing all the while. Her cries and screams scared him, and he covered his ears. The men were strangers to the child, but one stuck in his memory. Tall, with long, dirty hair, he wore all black and had whiskers all over his face, and this man hurt his mother more than the others. The little boy cried as he watched the men, and he saw the flash of a silver ring on the tall man's finger as the man's sword plunged through his mother's back. The blood ran down her body, down the chopping block onto the dirt.
The boy ran then. He ran back to the place where his mother had hidden him in the dark, secret corner of the hut and made himself as small as he could under the furs. He heard the men come inside and their laughter as they tore up the place. They broke what could break, kicked over the table and stools, and cursed when they didn't find anything of value to steal.
"Burn it!" one of the men shouted.
"Nay," the man with ring said. "We don't want to attract attention. Leave it be and mount up. We have to find the boy!"

The little boy was so afraid, he stayed hidden under the furs all the rest of the day until it was nearly full dark. But as night fell, his full bladder drove him out of his hiding place. He had to climb under and over logs that once made up the walls of his home. That was when he found his parents lying on the ground. He stood there crying, and pee ran down his leg. He went to his mother first and shook her, patted her back and called to her over and over, but she wouldn't answer him. He then turned to his father and shook him harder, but he didn't answer either.
As the full moon rose over the forest, he sat down and wailed. After a while he fell asleep and when he awoke, it was still full dark. He shivered, and used the moon's light to make his way back into the hut. Dragging the furs behind him, he went back out to his parents' side. He covered his mother first, laid between them and shared a fur with his father.
The next morning, he searched through the hut and found some bread and dried meat to eat. With no concept of time, the child slept, ate, played in the dirt, and waited for his parents to wake up.
Later the next day the sounds of horses and men shouting startled the boy. Fearing the mean men had returned, he ran into the remains of the hut and slid under the fallen logs to the secret corner hiding place. He heard the horses snorting and the men talking. Their voices sounded grim and low, not like the loud laughter of the ones who’d hurt his mother. Shaking with fear, he lay still and tried to make himself very small so they wouldn't notice him. He heard them as they walked around the hut, and the sound of  the fallen logs being moved around told him they were inside. A very big hand picked him up, but he was too afraid to open his eyes.
* * * *
 Caleb wrapped an arm securely around the child, went back outside, and called out to another man.
"Caleb!"
Caleb turned to find his brother holding a dirty, disheveled child with his eyes squeezed tightly shut. "He must've seen the whole thing, Calen. Poor little guy. What do we do with him?"
Calen shrugged. "Can't leave him here; he'll starve to death. Or worse. Take him back to Margaret. She'll take care of him."
Caleb took the boy from his brother. He gently lowered him to the ground, where the child sat, cross-legged in the dirt. Caleb patted his head. "You wait right here and we'll take care of your Ma and Da."
The boy squinted, opening his eyes just enough to see. Calen and Caleb buried the boy's parents then bowed their heads and made the sign of the cross.. After a brief consult with his brother, Calen went to the boy and sat in the dirt right in front of him. He cleared his throat and looked up at Caleb. At his brother's nod, he cleared his throat again.
"My name is Calen, boy. This is my brother, Caleb. Neither of us will hurt you, so don't be afraid."
The boy stared silently at the dirt. Calen looked over his shoulder at his brother and raised a brow. Caleb shrugged; he didn't know how to deal with a little boy any more than his brother did. Calen tried again.
"I know you've seen some bad things here with your Ma and Da, and no babe should be seeing that, but we're going to take you home with us and you'll be taken care of. So come on now and we'll get to it."
The little boy didn't move. He didn't speak, nor did he give any sign he had heard or understood. Caleb squatted down beside his brother.
"Maybe he's deaf. Can you hear me, boy?" No reply. The brothers looked at each other, so Caleb picked up one of the furs, wrapped it around the boy and hauled him up on his shoulder. After they'd both mounted their horses, Caleb settled the child in front of him. When the sun set they stopped again, built a fire and laid out a bed for themselves with the boy between them. Sharing a supper of oatcakes and dried meat from a pouch, Calen offered some to the boy. He accepted the food without looking at either of them, and drank from the skin of water they offered but still he said nothing. They finished eating, put the rest of the food away, then the three of them lay down before the fire. The child fell asleep in minutes.


Rie is on Virtual Book Tour with Goddess Fish Promotions,  but due to blogger being down she ran it one extra day.  






Goddess Fish Partner

Thursday, May 12, 2011

BLB Ebook Tours - Fun Facts with Deena Remiel - Trinity


Deena Remiel


It was the mystique of Arizona’s history and landscape that called to Deena and catapulted her career as an author. When she’s not writing novels and poetry in the wee, small hours of the morning or in the deep, dark of night, Deena teaches language arts to middle school students. She currently lives in Gilbert with her husband and two children, but New Jersey will always tug at her heartstrings.

http://www.deenaremiel.com
http://brethrenbeginnings.wordpress.com
http://paraposse.blogspot.com
http://plotmamas.com


Welcome to the Round Table.  May I offer you a beverage before we begin? 
Oh yes, thank you! I would love a Tantalizing tea, please. 



Here you go, please enjoy your drink :). 
Mmmm… decadent and tantalizingly delicious!

Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today.  It's so nice to have you at the Round Table. 
It’s great to be here.


BK:  Fantasy or Horror? 
I hate to have to choose because I love them both really. But in all honesty, I adore Fantasy because it can be both beautiful and horrific. I can fall in love with one creature while screaming with fright at another.

BK:  Day or Night? 
As a writer…NIGHT. I need the darkness to set the tone, the mood. Whether a frightful confrontation with Evil or a steamy, sultry love scene, darkness envelopes me and sets the stage for intense writing.

BK:  Favorite Drink? 
Margarita on the rocks, salt on the rim.
Yay another Margarita lover :).



BK:  Favorite Movie? 
The Princess Bride has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it. My husband and I walked down the aisle to the soundtrack.

BK:  What is a must have to write?
I must have Peanut M&Ms next to me and quiet. If I hear music, I’m a goner. When music gets in my head, it has a heck of a time making it back out.

BK:  If you could possess a supernatural power, what would it be and why? 
I would like my Brethren Protectors’ powers to protect the human race. I would have talismans and know all the special incantations to protect humans against Evil.

BK:  Favorite Book? 
The Great Good Thing, by Roderick Townley. It’s a children’s/middle grades book that taught me a lot about strength of spirit, perseverance, reaching beyond my comfort zone, and unconditional love. 

BK:  Favorite Author? 
Oh, so very many, how can I possibly choose? Well, if I must I will, and it’s the paranormal romance author. Ha! That says it all! I’ve adored Sherrilyn Kenyon for so long now, along with Heather Graham, Laurel K. Hamilton, Karen S. Moning, Kim Harrison, and JR Ward. And the list grows of wonderful paranormal authors. How could I pick just one?

BK:  Favorite Song? 
Calling All Angels, by train is my unofficial official theme song for The Brethren. It speaks to me.

BK:  Favorite Saying?
Knowledge is power (from Scholastic Rock!)

BK:  Sometimes while reading a book we visualize a certain actor/actress playing the part.  If your book were being made into a movie,  which actor or actresses do you see playing the part(s)?
I love this question because you’re right. I visualize actors and actresses as my characters. I have imagined Liv Tyler as Emma an Clive Owen as Michael, but I’m open to other’s imaginings as well.

BK:  What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?
 I don’t bake. I don’t have a mixer in my home. Not even a handheld little thing. I hate baking because it is so exact with the measurements. I enjoy cooking instead, following a recipe loosely and coming up with delicious meals.

BK:  What is the craziest thing you've ever done?
I began a writing career! Well, that’s what others have said, but it was really the only choice for me. I had to become an author. I had stories to tell, and still do!

BK:  If someone could describe you in one word,  what would it be? 
Fierce. I am fiercely devoted to my kids, fiercely passionate about writing and the world I’ve created, and fiercely protective of my friends.

One way or another, terror will reign tonight...

School teacher and single mom, Emma Livingston, has been through hell—and back so she thinks. While dealing with the night terrors and active imagination of her five-year old daughter, Hannah, she attempts to lead a normal life. That is, until the demon from those nightmares pays her a visit, too, and threatens both of their lives. Desperate, she reaches out for help—and finds Michael waiting.

Michael D’Angelo is known to everyone in Prophet’s Point, Arizona, as their loving elementary school principal. But to The Brethren, he is the most powerful Protector. Immortal and angelic does not mean he’s without doubts or fears, as protecting Emma and Hannah from Evil tests his ability to fight his tortured past.

As the Trinity is formed, ancient secrets are revealed and faith is tested. When a prophecy is exposed, Hannah becomes the main target and Emma wonders if a normal life will ever be possible again. Hope is like an anchor, but can a mother, her daughter, and an angel overcome the evil determined to annihilate the world?

Excerpt:

A blood-curdling scream shattered the peaceful silence of the wee hours. She roused, instantly alert. Her soul, rocked by the echoing scream, seized up like a blown car engine.
  “Ow! Son of a bitch!” Emma swore under her breath. She kicked aside the inconsiderate Malibu Barbie. “Hannah, I’m coming! Mama’s coming!”
  Her stomach roiled at the terror and desperation in her daughter’s panic-stricken voice echoing through the hallway.
  “I won’t go! I won’t go! No! I’ll never let you take me! I won’t do it! You can’t make me do it! Mama! Help me! Mama!” 
  Well hell, this is something new. Usually, when Hannah was having one of her nightmares, she shrieked until Emma talked her out of it and put her back to sleep. Now she’s talking in her nightmare, too? Completely at a loss, she raked her hands through her hair as she rushed to her daughter, writhing on the bed.
  “Hannah, I’m here. You’re okay. Mama’s here. Wake up, honey. Sweetie? Mama’s here.” She repeated these phrases like a mantra, trying to keep her voice as calm and soothing as possible. But who was she kidding? This newly added dimension of these nightmares was sending her over the deep end herself. She hoped her little one couldn’t sense it.
  “Mama! He’s got me! Save me, Mama!” Hannah pleaded in a frenzy of emotion. It looked as though something was tugging on her arms and she was trying to pull them back. And her eyes were open.
  Crap! She’s never had her eyes open before, either. What the hell was going on?
  She sat next to her jerking body and waved a hand in front of her face. Hannah looked at and then past her, as though there really was someone else in the room—someone seated right next to her. Crap, crap, crap! As she turned to look beside her, she saw a hint of a shadow, but then figured it to be her own. Get a hold of yourself.
  “Honey, wake up. It’s only a dream. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Hannah looked back again at her, and foretold in a chilling tone, “I’ll never be safe, Mama. Not anymore.” 
©Deena Remiel, 2010.

       


Thank you so much for being at the Round Table today.  It's been such a pleasure chatting with you and I wish you much success in the future. 

Thank you so much. I had a great time here today and appreciate you opening your home to me and my Brethren.







Until next time,









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