"I am ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared to meet me is another matter."
-Winston Churchill
Showing posts with label Bewitching Book Tours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bewitching Book Tours. Show all posts

Friday, June 12, 2015

6 Besties With Author Kate Deveaux - Cockpit Book Tour & Giveaway








6 Besties With Author Kate Deveaux



Kate Deveaux

Please share your 6 bests, telling us from the topics below. Write as much, as little, and provide as many images as you'd like.

1. Best writing wardrobe. I write everyday so it’s pretty much whatever I have on which is usually some sort of tennis skirt and a comfy tee or sweater if it’s winter. A real luxury is writing in my bathrobe

2. Best Inspiration for writing. I find going on vacation no matter how close to home unleashes creative thought. That and a day by the pool work wonders.

3. Best writing place. My favorite chair in my living room, with my laptop, a cup of tea, and a little notebook to jot down things that pop into my head about the plot while I’m writing.

4. Best Pick-Me-Up book. There are a few books that really make me feel good. I have to say a Maeve Binchy such as Evening Class works every time. I’m transported to a different world and immersed in the daily lives of her Dublin characters. Also, Elin Hilderbrand and Wendy Wax are good beach reads and feel good reads.

5. Best secret talent. Now it wouldn’t be secret now if I told you, would it? Okay, okay, here’s one: I have a bit of a photographic memory. I know, that’s like being a little pregnant, LOL, but I do have a pretty good photographic memory. Comes in handy let me tell you.

6. Best experience or writing idea. Best writing idea…go to a coffee shop and observe (and listen). Guaranteed ideas for a book if you sit and watch while you sip your latte.

Thank you so much for having me today!

Always fun stopping by to chat.

Best,
Kate

xx




Cockpit Throttle Up
Book One
Kate Deveaux

Genre: Erotic Romance

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Date of Publication: June 3, 2015

ISBN: 9781419991868
ASIN:

Number of pages: 65
Word Count: 30,000

Book Description:

It seems turbulence isn’t always caused by weather.

Throttle up as past loves collide…

High school sweethearts re unite forty years later at 37,000 feet.

Fifty eight year old commercial airline pilot, Bobbi Cooper, gets a blast from the past when her high school sweetheart, Mack McConnell, appears as one her first class passengers on her 747 transatlantic flight to London.

Used to being in control at all times, Bobbi is reeling from a crummy marriage and she must learn at Mack’s capable hands that losing control can be oh so sexy.




Available at Amazon BN Ellora’s Cave






Excerpt:

There was silence. Then the familiar sensation of her stomach being dragged down, right down to her standard issue black shoes. G force. It was the same every time.
Flicking off the autopilot and taking control of the 747, Bobbi gripped the throttle in her right hand, fearlessly pushing it forward. Slow and even. The plane bounced and shook in the wake turbulence of a passing 767. The muffled sounds of passengers’ outbursts at the sudden drop mingled with the clatter and clang of the galley carts that Bobbi damn well hoped were secured as she’d ordered.
They had to head to higher airspace. Now.
Bobbi knew better than to heed the shrill rapid warnings echoing throughout the cockpit to urgently trim to turbulence penetration airspeed.
Scott, her first officer, nodded as they increased power and held the jet seemingly against its will. Dozens of lights flashed. Air traffic control rattled off a series of confirmations when she pressed the plane higher, the metal creaking as she forced nearly a million pounds of steel and its occupants upward.
Pushing the throttle hard, Bobbi knew smooth air was only a few moments away. Under her guidance, the plane jostled and battled its way through the rough air. A sudden bump, followed by another, then the resulting loud gasp from the passengers.
Holding firm at her command, they broke through the rough air into an eerie smoothness as they glided seemingly effortlessly into calmer airspace.
Bobbi exhaled, only now aware she’d been holding her breath. Turbulence was an everyday occurrence for a seasoned pilot like herself, but this had caught her off guard. A heady mix of bad weather and the wake turbulence of the other aircraft had left her reeling when she tried to steady the 747 inbound for Heathrow.
Scott turned away to double-check some details with the flight engineer seated behind him. Bobbi wiped a trickle of sweat from her brow when he wasn’t looking. As captain of the immense beast, Bobbi couldn’t let her fellow officers—or any crew for that matter—see her sweat under pressure. And that was becoming more of an issue, since hot flashes were now often brought on not by an adrenaline rush from flying but by Mother Nature.
Bobbi Cooper couldn’t believe she would be fifty-eight next year. Where had the time gone?
She knew damn well where it had gone. First a stepping-stone career in the Air Force and then thirty years flying commercial. Enough to establish her as one of the highest-ranking woman pilots in the country as a 747 captain for Atlantica airlines.
“Perfect,” Bobbi said, switching back to autopilot and settling the aircraft into the calmer and higher altitude.
Scott did as she ordered and tinkered with the gauges, she watched. Once she was sure all was under control, Bobbi unbuckled her shoulder harness and rose from her seat, reassured all was secure.
“Keep her on route—I’m stepping back for a moment. You two got it?” she asked, standing behind her first officer Scott and her flight engineer Neville, the new recruit fresh from a small regional airline.
“Sure, Bob, we got it,” Scott said casually, calling her by the familiar cockpit nickname. “Have them send up some coffee while you’re back there.”
Bobbi buzzed for the flight attendant to open the cockpit door. Standard procedure after 9/11. Bobbi peered out through the peephole. It was Sandy, the flight attendant with a penchant for displaying her ample cleavage by wearing her uniform extra tight, so it hugged all her curves. But it wasn’t only her inappropriate dress that annoyed Bobbi. It was the fact she’d also had fucked Bobbi’s husband.
But then again, who hasn’t?
After divorce and company paid-for counseling, Bobbi had come to the realization, and then acceptance, that Sandy was just one on a long list of Greg’s conquests. She did her best not to hold a grudge, but that was a constant challenge, as she ran into Sandy more than she would have liked. Once a century was about what Bobbi could tolerate, although it had been cleared by corporate that they were fine to work together. And they were. Bobbi was a professional. Through and through. She’d fought tooth and nail for her job, and with three and a half years until retirement, with the promise of a cushy pension waiting for her, which she’d only have to marginally share with Greg according to the settlement, there was no way she was going to let Sandy or any of the others put her off her game.
“How’d everyone do?” Bobbi asked Sandy with her cool, composed captain’s demeanor. It was the one piece of her dignity she’d salvaged among the women flight attendants, a good majority of whom had been treated to Greg’s lustful attentions.
Sandy motioned with her head back toward the passenger area. “Fine,” she reported. “Chucker in aisle sixteen and a few more farther back, but they should be fine now.”
Chuckers. That was what they called the passengers who couldn’t hang on to lunch during a bumpy flight. Today had been a doozy, and it wasn’t over yet.
Bobbi noticed with subtle irritation that Sandy’s blouse strained against her perky breasts as she efficiently flicked the switch on the coffee machine. Her bosom jiggled while she scooped ice into a plastic cup and pulled a can of tomato juice out of the galley cart. Shit. Greg really hadn’t had a chance. Big brown doe eyes and a body that wouldn’t quit. The sexy flight attendant was everything Bobbi wasn’t. Not that it mattered now. Greg was on to new, greener pastures. Her ex was consistent she scoffed —his conquests all had one, no make that two things in common— big knockers and tiny, round asses. Men were shit, really. Why she had let herself be demeaned and embarrassed by his bad behavior for as long as she had, she’d never know.
C’est le vie, Bobbi coached herself as she smiled her most innocuous smile at Sandy.
“Plan for a bumpy ride in to Heathrow—there’ll be some more weather ahead,” Bobbi warned her. “Might need more bags.”
“Sure thing, Captain,” Sandy said as she snapped open the lid on the can, poured the tomato juice over ice and handed it to Bobbi.
Bobbi nodded her appreciation and gulped down her customary in-flight refreshment. “I’m going back for a few minutes,” she said, handing the empty cup back to Sandy before pulling back the curtain to first class. “And send some coffee in for Scott and Neville before we head down, please.”
Entering the first-class cabin on her way to the pilot’s rest area located between first class and business, Bobbi scanned the spacious cabin. Most of her passengers were now contentedly dozing, oblivious to the formidable battle she’d been waging in the cockpit to keep them in precariously calm airspace. But that was her job—to deliver five hundred souls safely to London.
Sunlight illuminated the plush first-class cabin through a few half-drawn window shades, but not quite to enough to keep the blinding sun from searing into her eyes. Squinting, she walked down the aisle, passing by the first row.
A collective gasp came from the passengers when the plane hit another deep air pocket. Bobbi reached out to steady herself, placing her hand on the headrest of the second row seat for a brief second, smiling reassuringly at the surrounding passengers. She was their pilot, after all.
The passenger in the nearest seat looked up at her.
Bobbi smiled down, then did a double take.
“Bobbi?” the male passenger asked, looking up at her. “Bobbi…Bobbi Cooper?”
“Yes,” Bobbi said, instantly recognizing his features. Her mind was spinning. Those dark-blue eyes. And that unmistakable voice. Velvety and thick. The way scotch felt when it slid down her throat. She’d know that voice and that face anywhere. Even if it had been forever.
It was Mack.



About the Author:

Kate Deveaux is a contemporary, erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. It was after reading Jane Eyre in high school, that she became hooked on the idea of writing about romance, excitement and drama. Kate has been penning stories, from the sensual to the sinfully sexy, ever since.

A former wedding planner, Kate has always been "in love" with love! She was inspired to transition from writing racy short stories to full length manuscripts after meeting other authors in the romance world at industry workshops, conferences and events. Originally from England, now resides in the U.S. with her husband. When she’s not writing or reading, Kate can be found on the tennis court—yes, there’s even "love" in that game too!









Street Team Kate’s Kittens:








Tour giveaway

5 $10.00 Amazon Giveaways

3 Copies of ebook Bride Undone

3 Copies of ebook Platinum Pleasures

2 Copies of ebook Academy of Love

2 Copies of ebook Sail Away With Me



Link to entry form







Monday, June 30, 2014

Interview & Giveaway: Poison in the Blood by Robyn Bachar




Bewitching Book Tours
Interview at Immortality & Beyond

Welcome to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you a beverage?

RB: Witches brew sounds intriguing. I’ll have one of those, please.



Now that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.

BK: Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.

RB: I see the pine tree in my neighbor’s front yard. At least I think it’s a pine tree. It’s an evergreen of some sort.

BK: Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything in its place?

RB: I like to think of it as organized chaos. I have stacks of papers and junk mail, but I know where everything is.

BK: What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need to write?

RB: Coffee is essential to life. I usually write on my laptop (it’s pink!), because my handwriting is not so legible.

BK: Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background noise?

RB: I need to have noise in order to work. Music is helpful as long as it doesn’t have lyrics (I have a film score Pandora channel for this reason). Usually I write with the TV on and a show in the background. I’ve written a few books to episodes of Ghost Hunters.

BK: Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.

RB: Emily Black, her husband Michael, and his mentor Simon St. Jerome first appeared as vampires in my book Blood, Smoke and Mirrors. They completely stole every scene they were in. I wanted to go back and tell the story of how Michael and Emily fell in love and became vampires, and The Importance of Being Emily and Poison in the Blood were born. (Both books are included in the print edition of Poison in the Blood, so it’s two books in one.)

BK: As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character trying to fight you, how do you correct it?

RB: I skip it and come back to it later. I leave a placeholder for the problem scene in brackets, like [fight scene here]. If a character is being difficult I try to stop and figure out what their Goal/Motivation/Conflict is. Once I know what they want and why it’s easier to figure out how to give it to them (or take it away if I’m being mean).

BK: Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book...

RB: Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Oh wait, that’s laser, isn’t it?

BK: How did your writing journey begin?

RB: My path to publication began with the 2006 National Novel Writing Month. It was my first attempt since high school to write novel-length fiction, and it eventually became Blood, Smoke and Mirrors. Poison in the Blood was my 2011 NaNoWriMo novel. I’m a big NaNo fan, and I try to participate every year.

BK: Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family describe you?

RB: Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Oh wait, that’s S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t it?

BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?

RB: I have a post-zombie-apocalypse erotic F/F/M ménage romance called Bite Me coming out in March 2015. It has vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies, and gratuitous violence against helicopters.

BK: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.

RB: In seventh grade I was second place in an All-American Girl competition.

BK: What can we expect from you in the future?

RB: My second spicy space opera Cy’ren Rising book, Morningstar, will be out in September. The third book in the trilogy, Sunsinger, will be out in December.


This or That...

Coke or Pepsi? Coffee.

Night Owl or Early Bird? Night Owl. I don’t do well before the crack of noon.

Fantasy or Mystery? Both! A wizard did it!

Pen/Paper or Computer? Depends on the context. D&D is better with pen, paper and 20-sided dice.

Pizza or Burger? Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

Rock or Country? Rock.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Swirled, in a waffle cone with sprinkles, please.

Beach or Mountains? Room service.


Thank you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)

Wishing you much success!

BK Walker



Poison in the Blood
Bad Witch:
The Emily Chronicles
Book 2
Robyn Bachar

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Samhain Publishing
E-book: June 18, 2013
Print: June 3, 2014

ISBN: E-book 978-1-61921-587-0
ISBN: Print 978-1-61921-916-8
ASIN:

Number of pages: 272
Word Count: 55,711

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Book Description:

She is honey to his throat…but one sweet taste could part them forever…
Banished from home while her husband adjusts to life as an immortal, blood-drinking chronicler, Emily Black is homesick, heartsick and struggling under the constant sensory barrage of a city drenched in ancient magic. When an old friend asks for her aid in solving a string of murders, she welcomes the distraction, despite the danger.

Justine Dubois is grateful for a seer’s help, and more understanding than anyone of Emily’s plight. As a guardian, Justine commands respect; as a woman, her magic is considered inferior. Together, they are determined to prove their worth to London’s magicians, starting with solving these murders—with maybe a bit of matchmaking on the side.

Long before he met his soul mate, Michael Black made a commitment to join the Order of St. Jerome. He will live forever, forced to watch the woman he loves age and die. As Emily hunts the murderer, Michael struggles to protect her. But if he loses control of his hunger, the greatest threat to her safety could be Michael himself.

Warning: Contains tortured soul mates, scheming faeries, vampire debauchery, deadly parasols, illicit blood-drinker relations, and adorable plot moppets.


Readers can receive 30% off the ebook of Poison in the Blood from the Samhain Store by using the coupon code POISON14 at checkout.


Excerpt:


Normally stepping into a garden would soothe me, but we were still within London, where there was no comfort whatsoever. I looked up at the night sky and wished I were with Michael.
“You have the soul of an artist, Miss Rose. It is a rare gift.” Mr. Paris stroked my hand, and I tugged it free of his arm. I folded both hands before me primly and smiled.
“Again, that is very kind of you.”
“I consider myself a patron of the arts.”
“So you attend gatherings such as this often?” I asked.
“Of course. I am always on the lookout for new talent.”
“I see. Did you know Mrs. Harding?” I tried to examine his aura to determine his reaction, but his magic continued to be so overwhelming that my eyes watered. Mr. Paris must be unspeakably powerful, and I found myself both worried and intrigued. Perhaps he was a sorcerer? One who specialized in darkness?
“I did. Poor girl. What a terrible thing to have happened to her and her family… Tell me, are you working on a second collection of your work?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.
“I am, though I am afraid the subject matter is quite a bit darker.”
Mr. Paris smiled a predatory grin, and my pulse leapt with a thrill of fear. “I am not afraid of the dark, Miss Rose. Are you?”
He stepped closer, but I held my ground, studying him with a curious tilt to my head. “What are you?” I asked.
He blinked, startled. “I beg your pardon?”
“What sort of magic do you practice?” I clarified.
“Oh. I am a librarian, of course,” he replied, and I laughed, unable to help myself. “What’s so funny?”
“You are most certainly not a librarian. Do people truly believe that lie?”
The smile slid from Mr. Paris’s face as his expression hardened. He stepped forward and tried to grab my arm, but Miss Dubois was suddenly between us, a shining silver blur. With a snarl he turned and ran, and the guardian chased him out of the garden and into the street.
Uncertain of what to do, I followed. I stood hesitant at the garden gate, wondering which way they went. My vision shifted, and I followed Miss Dubois’s blazing footsteps. I paused next to a blur traced over the high brick wall of another garden. It was another magical doorway, rather like the one I had discovered near Mrs. Harding’s body outside the Undiscovered Country. Foolishly I raised my hand to touch it, despite knowing full well that doing so could trigger another vision, but a hand emerged from the brick wall and grabbed my wrist.
Overwhelmed with shock, I barely managed a strangled gasp as Mr. Paris stepped through the wall and glared down at me. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“You first.” My voice trembled, and Mr. Paris grinned. He tightened his grip and snapped several small bones in my wrist, and I screamed.
“Who are you?” he repeated.
Something bubbled up within me, a bright plume of prophetic magic that became my answer. “I am your end.” That time my voice did not tremble at all, but was filled with terrible certainty. I would cause Mr. Paris’s death, and I knew it with as much confidence as I knew the sun would rise in the morning.
Something in my gaze must have worried him, because he snarled. Scowling, he grabbed my forearm with both hands and twisted. The bone snapped like dry kindling, and I screamed again. Before he could torment me further Miss Dubois arrived and bashed him with a round silver shield. Mr. Paris vanished into thin air, and the guardian stood near me. One arm bore the shield, while in her other hand she held a sword. How cunning of her. I wanted a sword as well.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
My knees wobbled and began to buckle, but then two dark blurs streaked up to us, and I was suddenly swept from my feet and cradled close in Michael’s arms.
“Darling! What happened?” he asked.
“You caught me.” I blinked—however had he moved that fast? Simon sighed and shook his head at his student, and I sensed that Michael and I were both in for a scolding.
 “Of course I did. I will always catch you. Are you all right?”


About the Author:


Robyn Bachar was born and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, and loves all things related to Chicago, from the Cubs to the pizza. It seemed only natural to combine it with her love of fantasy, and tell stories of witches and vampires in the Chicagoland area. As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors and slaying creatures in MMPORGs.
















Tour giveaway

1 signed print copy of Poison in the Blood

1 $25 Amazon gift card




Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Ringer by Amber Malloy (Book Tour & Giveaway)






The Ringer
Amber Malloy

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Date of Publication: May 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61333-694-6
ASIN:

Number of pages: 184
Word Count: 55,395

Cover Artist: Lacey Savage

Book Description:

Lane Garret is a dead ringer...

Newly single, cheaters decoy Lane Garret is excited about her fresh start and believes everything is at last on track. Unfortunately, her fantasy of the good life is blown away…along with one of her marks. While on a date, Lane not just witnesses a murder but almost becomes a victim. Saved in the nick of time by one hot detective, she wonders if someone wants her dead.

On forced leave due to a pending Internal Affairs investigation, Jackson (Jax) Thornbird agrees to do a friend a favor. Tricked into decoy security, Jax decides one night will be easy enough, but things go awry. When shots are fired, he grabs the girl and leaves the scene of the crime—a rash decision that could ruin his career. However, Jax has a hunch the intended target wasn’t the dead, cheating husband.




Excerpt

It was too dark to see the woman’s face, but Jax recognized something about her. Streetlights ran over the car, creating a quick shadow before slipping back into the night.
He couldn’t get a good read on her face.
Even with her strange blonde hair and oddly matched clothes, Jax remembered the decoy.
This woman reeked girl-next-door wholesomeness, but without direct light he couldn’t place her, underneath the heavy makeup and the two-times-too-small Hello Kitty tank she wore.
“I know you,” she said. It came out in a hushed whisper while they sped down Wacker Drive. The underground tunnel had dangerous twists and turns.
“I-I-I remember—” she stuttered with a bit more panic lacing her voice.
A sedan whizzed past them, missing the sports car by mere inches. To overcompensate for the close call, she jerked the wheel too hard, careening them into a massive spinout.
Adrenaline thrummed through his veins, and Jax reached over to grab the steering wheel.
“Put your foot on the brake,” he instructed as they continued to spin in the opposite direction. She didn’t utter a single word, not even a peep, while Jax maneuvered the car into the slide.
Almost too late to save them, Jax noted very few cars passed them before they spun out over the median divider.
“I know you,” she wheezed. The woman dropped her head on the wheel.
The car idled in the middle of the road as Jax tried to calm her down. “You’re going into shock,” he told her. “I need you to take three deep breaths, hold for five seconds, then exhale. Come on, I’ll do it with you. One.” Getting close to her, he inhaled and waited before he released.
After a moment she began to follow his lead. Once they got through their first repetition, she had calmed down a bit. “Hot,” she said before she snatched the blonde wig off and shook her dark hair loose. The light from the street caught her eyes. Jax gazed into her dazzling green globes.
“Yeah,” he admitted as he stared at her. “I know you, too.”






About the Author:

Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn't pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn't legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she's not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he's faking his French accent.


@authambermalloy












Monday, June 23, 2014

The Cowboy and the Vampire - Rough Trails and Shallow Graves by Hays & McFall Interview, Book Tour & Giveaway





Bewitching Book Tours

Interview at Immortality & Beyond

Welcome to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you a beverage?

Vampire wine please. Two glasses.



Now that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.

BK: Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.

A lovely cherry tree on a small quiet dead-end street in Portland, Oregon. There’s a squirrel racing up one of the branches.

BK: Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything in its place?

A total mess. Both of us. Even when either one of us cleans it up, within hours the piles start to grow again. They must be alive. And have sinister intent.

BK: What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need to write?

No must-haves, just the will, which is not always easy to come by, especially when it’s a perfect day in Portlandia. Like today!

BK: Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background noise?

Clark writes with music in the background, but Kathleen needs silence (Kathleen is genetically unwired when it comes to music, it’s really weird); hence Clark’s earbuds.

BK: Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.

Tucker is a true-blue cowboy, living out his expected life in the grasslands of Wyoming with a good dog, a few cows and a double-wide trailer. Then Lizzie, a big-city reporter enters his life and turns his world upside down. After they fall in love, they learn about her dark heritage -- she has a 2,000 year old vampiric legacy in her veins -- and Tucker brings his cowboy-ways to an epic fight with the undead. It’s a love story for the ages.

BK: As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character trying to fight you, how do you correct it?

Both of us have been writers-for-hire for a long time, and when you are paid to write on a deadline, you learn how to push through any stumbling blocks because rent is on the line. By this time, we can bring that skill -- well, not sure it is a skill as much as an outcome of a hand-to-mouth tortured existence in this neighborhood we call capitalism -- to creative writing too.

BK: Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book...

Fun! We’ll use Clark’s name .

C: Cowboys (the real ones)
L: Love (the true type)
A: Adventure (the rollicking kind)
R: Realistically scary (especially when it comes the undead bloody combat)
K: Kaleidoscopic passion (the unforgettable version)

BK: How did your writing journey begin?

It must have been something both our mother’s ate while we were in the womb because each one of us came out spewing words. Clark cut his teeth on cowboy poetry, inspired by the majestic and seemingly endless mountain ranges surrounding him during his Montana cattle ranch childhood. Kathleen, on the other hand, turned her words toward the microscopic and found post-womb inspiration in geology. Although, now in hindsight, we can say we were both inspired by the natural landscape, especially the American west. This reverence plays out in a big way in the setting of The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection. However, our writing journey together started as test for marriage. We had broken up -- badly -- and before we got back together, we wanted to put our relationship to an acid test. We passed. We just published the third book in the series.

BK: Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family describe you?

For Kathleen this time:

S: Sharp (intellectually)
U: Unhappy (in the tortured Russian writer way)
M: Manic (especially when it comes to planning)
M: Metaphysical (our books have a unique take on consciousness)
E: Empathetic
R: Ready

BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?

Honestly, The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection is probably the craziest. A book that’s compared by readers to Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey, Anne Rice and Neil Gaiman -- well that’s a heady mix, and one that percolates out of a bit of shared insanity, or at least, a shared warped view of the world.

BK: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.

Clark shot himself in the leg accidentally while wearing a sky-blue tuxedo on his high school prom night. He was fine. The tuxedo was ruined.

Kathleen had a near-death experience, the real kind.

Oddly, both of these events permeates our books.

BK: What can we expect from you in the future?

Lots more. We are working on book four of The Cowboy and Vampire Collection. We’ve promised our readers that we will quickly resolve the “issue” that occurs between Tucker and Lizzie at the end of book three. Right now, we are naming a new evil character. Any ideas for evil sounding names?


This or That...

Coke or Pepsi?

Neither. Champagne.

Night Owl or Early Bird?

Depends on the day of the week and how exhausted we are.

Fantasy or Mystery?

Clark: Fantasy
Kathleen: Mystery

Pen/Paper or Computer?

Clark: Preferably paper.
Kathleen: Only computer. She’s forgotten how to write by hand and has terrible penmanship.

Pizza or Burger?

Clark: Pizza
Kathleen: Neither. She’s vegan .

Rock or Country?

Both!!

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate, the darker the better.

Beach or Mountains?

Both. And luckily, living in Portland, Oregon, we are only an hour from both.


Thank you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)

Wishing you much success!

BK Walker




Rough Trails and Shallow Graves
The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection
Book Three
Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Western Romance

Publisher: Pumpjack Press

Date of Publication: May 5, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9838200-4-8

Number of pages: 358
Word Count: 82,900

Cover Artist: Aaron Perkins

Book Description:

Say goodbye to LonePine, Wyoming, a typical small town in the American west with typical small town problems — romantic intrigues, warm beer and vampires.

When Lizzie goes missing on their wedding night, Tucker is forced to team up with his bloodthirsty Russian nemesis to find answers. Crashing through cowboy country, the vampire spirit world and wrecked salmon canneries, they confront an evil more ancient than even the undead — human greed — twisting science into something terrible.

Can there be a happily-ever-after for a cowboy and vampire, or is their unusual love just a delusion? Time to cowboy up.

This is the third book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection.

Available at Amazon



Reviews of the first two books….

Introducing racial issues isn’t the only adjustment the authors have made to the vampire mythos, but it’s more than just the details that set this series apart. Rather, it’s the way the authors utilize those details to create meaningful conflicts and world-altering choices for the characters...the book is first and foremost a thriller, upping the ante in every chapter as bullets fly and relationships strain under the weight of old loyalties and new revelations…with strong writing, funny characters (no irony is lost on one vampiress who takes to sporting a “Future Farmers of America” jacket) and plenty of action, it’s hard to fault the authors for keeping the focus on a story this riveting. ~ Kirkus Reviews

As a vampire novel, The Cowboy and the Vampire is sure to satisfy Dracula fans’ expectations. However, this book has a little something extra to offer readers. A little something that harkens back to the days when man fought against the wild in the name of civilization. Hays and McFall have succeeded in mixing the Western genre tropes with the Gothic conventions to create a zany grey romance.
~ Writastic Thoughts from the Thinking Realm

One of the weirdest stories I have ever read. It’s right up there with Neil Gaiman’s man-swallowing woman parts and talking tents. Instead, here we have rocket-launching, womb-sucking, Bible-bending, non-pointy-toothed vampires. And love. And cowboys. Depending on what you are looking for, that might be a good thing. If I had to liken this book to a movie, it would either be to Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, or maybe more appropriately, Quentin Tarantino’s From Dusk to Dawn.
~ The Avid Reader

The Cowboy and the Vampire: A Very Unusual Romance is one of the funniest and most engaging books I have read in a long time. Jam-packed with adventure, vampires, true love, and a cast of characters you will not soon forget, you find yourself turning the pages thinking, “What more could possibly happen to these two?” And then, you find out. I never imagined the melding of a contemporary western and a paranormal romance could ever be so seamless or so much fun.
~ Bitten by Books

A choice and very much recommended read, not to be missed. Relationships are tumultuous when they may only last a few decades, but when they last eternity, it can get more difficult. “Blood and Whiskey” is a novel of adventure, horror, and cowboys as a follow up to previous novel ‘The Cowboy and the Vampire’, as couple Tucker and Lizzie retreat to a tiny town to of LonePine, hoping to settle down, but the reality of the Vampires on their trail may make that an impossibility. A riveting read that explores many concepts on top of the intrigue of vampires in the lawless lands of the west, “Blood and Whiskey” is a choice and very much recommended read, not to be missed. ~ Midwest Book Review, Micah Andrew, Reviewer

If you’re looking for a combination of sex, blood and Western romance, pour yourself a shot of the good stuff and settle in for a wickedly good read.
~ Renee Struthers, Eastern Oregonian Newspaper
About the Authors:

Between the two of them, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall have worked in writing jobs
ranging from cowboy-poet to energy journalist to restaurant reviewer to university press officer. After they met, their writing career took center stage when they wrote the first book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection as a test for marriage. They passed. Clark and Kathleen now live in Portland, Oregon.



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Tour giveaway

$50 Amazon or BN Gift Card- winner’s choice






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