Monday, September 28, 2015

Out of Time by Shona Husk


1. How did you get started writing?
I always wrote as a child, but as an adult I didn’t get started until I was on maternity leave, and even then it was several years before I decided to aim for publication.

2. Name three things on your desk right now.
My planner so I know what I’m doing monthly and daily. My phone…because I like to have it nearby—although sometimes I put it at the other end of the house so I can work without the distraction. Chocolate, leftover from my morning tea :)

3. Hamburger or sushi?
It depends on how I’m feeling. Sometimes there is nothing better than a nice gourmet beef burger with salty fries. But I do love California rolls with smoked salmon.

4. If I were your favorite cookie I would be what flavor?
I love Donna Hay’s chocolate brownie cookies with peanut butter frosting. They are so good! https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/sweets/biscuits-cookies/brownie-cookies-with-peanut-butter-frosting

5. Open your new release to any page and tell us what is happening.
The hero and the heroine are getting intimate, or trying to, but they are also negotiating boundaries. She knows that he has a bit of a raunchy past and she doesn’t want to be a statistic. 

6. Heels, flats or sneakers? (or nothing at all)
Flats or sneakers. I only wear heels for special occasion or conferences.

7. Tell us one tip you would pass on to new writers.
Read widely and write often. That’s kind of two tips but they are equally important.

8. Plotter or pantster?
Plotter without a doubt. I like to get to know my characters before I jump in and have an idea about what the main turning points will be in the story.

9. What is your favorite movie or book and why?
I’m really enjoying the Natural History of Dragons series by Marie Brennan at the moment and the Dresden files by Jim Butcher. They both have excellent world building that sucks you into the story, even though the two series couldn’t be more different in other ways.

10. What's next on your writerly horizon?
I had a paranormal romance, Taming the Assassin, just come out and in October my first m/m romance, Kelly, is out as part of the Secret Confession: Backstage mini-series. I also have a new sci-fi romance series starting with Desire to Fall which I’m super excited about.


Out of Time
The fabulous New Adult series from Shona Husk continues: he wants to shut out the world; she wants to invite it in…

Mike Peterson has learned the hard way that the good really do die young. He and his mum only have each other, and now she’s losing her second battle with cancer. He wants to stay with her; she wants him to keep following his dreams. He doesn’t have long to decide and the rest of the band is waiting on him. Whatever choice he makes, he will lose.

Living at home has become impossible for Ava Brand. Her very religious, very traditional grandmother would like to see her married off to a nice Indian boy. But Ava wants to make her own choices. Meeting Mike gives her a chance to rebel.

What starts off as easy rapidly becomes complicated, as their problems expand and emotions bubble to the surface. Neither has time for complicated, as Ava’s family discovers her extra-curricular activities and Mike has to make incredibly hard choices. But love never waits for the perfect time, and Mike and Ava are going to have to decide if they’re playing for fun, or playing for keeps.

Buy Links:



About the author:
Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back.

With over forty published stories, ranging from sensual to scorching, she writes contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

You can find out more at www.shonahusk.com 



--oOo--
‘I don’t know why I texted you.’ Her lips curved into a small smile before she pinched her lower lip between her teeth, as if to stop it from spreading. ‘I just wanted to get out and thought that if you were close by …’
‘And here I am.’ This wasn’t awkward at all. What were they doing?
She nodded and her gaze skimmed over him. ‘And here you are.’ She took a step closer.
He could reach out and touch her, yet he didn’t. He hadn’t been this hesitant in a very long time. But Ava wasn’t some random chick whose name he didn’t know or couldn’t remember. Her name was etched inside his skull. ‘Did you want to go for a walk?’
‘Why not.’ She flicked him another little smile.
Why not indeed, he wasn’t sure what else they were going to do. This was outside their usual activities. They walked down the road a bit toward the foreshore. He was aware of her arm when it brushed his. And while they had sat close after a ride, this felt different.
How different did he want it?
He wasn’t sure. He liked what they had and that they could talk and there were no complications. But his fingers brushed her hand and then her fingers were linking with his and then they were holding hands before they reached the grassed foreshore.
Around them people moved, walking from wherever they’d parked their car or jumped off the bus. She wouldn’t want to be down here when the show started, not when she could be watching from her balcony with her friends, plus they’d wonder where she was. He glanced back up the road toward the hotel.
‘Guess I should go back.’ She didn’t sound entirely convinced.
‘I’ll walk you.’ He didn’t care if he missed the whole thing. They went back the way they’d come.
They were almost there when she stopped. In that heartbeat, he knew this was about to get complicated and he wasn’t going to do a damn thing to stop it. He’d wanted her the first time he’d seen her. The heat of the evening was on his skin and her touch was under his skin.
If she invited him up, he’d follow.
Fuck. He had no condoms.
Maybe she did … but the thought brought him up short. He liked her. He didn’t just want to sleep with her. If he did that, then what happened next? Did they go back to just being friends … is that what had been happening, or had she wanted more from the start?
It was complicated already. He’d been pretending otherwise because Ava was a very pretty distraction.
A quick screw never brought this headache, neither had making love with a girlfriend. He wasn’t sure he remembered how to do that. It had been too long.
She looked up at him and stepped closer. ‘I remembered why I texted you.’
‘Uh-huh.’ He’d kind of got that. He was sure his heart was about to self-destruct in a frenzy of lust and anticipation.
He put his hand on her waist. He knew she was all lithe muscle. Her riding gear had given him plenty to think about in the shower. She probably wouldn’t find that flattering. After giving her a moment to pull away—she didn’t—he drew her a fraction closer.
Neither of them moved. Her lips were tilted up, and her fingers were locked around his. He drew in a breath. If he crossed the line, he wouldn’t be able to uncross it. He didn’t need this. His life was a mess that he couldn’t afford to screw up further. His dick pulsed. It had only been a month, not even a full month. It wasn’t going to drop off if it didn’t get used.
‘Kiss me,’ she whispered.
Any resistance he’d had was shattered by those two words. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. All other thoughts melting away.
She wanted him and he needed her. But he didn’t rush the kiss and neither did she. It slowly deepened from first kiss to more. Her free hand slid over his chest to land on his shoulder. He closed the last few centimetres between them.
Still she didn’t pull away.
There were too many people around to do more here. But he moved against her, leaving no doubt about what he was thinking. She gasped then swayed her hips.
He wanted to pick her up and have her against the nearest wall—which had been his first thought the first time he’d seen her. Her hotel was only metres away. He was pathetic, drawing boundaries, only to ignore them when he changed his mind.
Her tongue found his ring. Then her teeth gave it a gentle tug. She gave a little laugh as he growled.
‘You like that one?’
‘Mmm. Do you have any more?’
No, he didn’t, and this is where things usually took a dive. But he wasn’t drunk and neither was she. And they weren’t strangers. But he didn’t want to give up all his secrets too soon. ‘Maybe, maybe not.’
She was still pressed against him. Her body moulding to his. She reached up and took another kiss. ‘Guess I’ll have to wait to find out.’
Her fingers slid free from his and then she was drifting out of reach. She took a couple more steps back, her eyes still on him.
He covered the distance in a few quick strides. Kissed her again. Harder this time; then drew back, knowing there wasn’t going to be anymore tonight. It was better this way. No sex to make a mess of things. It was fairly obvious that it was on both their minds. ‘Enjoy the fireworks.’


Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Lost Causes

LOST CAUSES
by Mia Marshall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Aidan Brook has spent months living with the horror of what happened when she lost control of her magic. Now she is searching for a way to manage her immense power, but she only hits one dead end after another.

On the run from a council intent on her death, Aidan, the bear shifter Mac, and the rest of her friends find themselves on a desperate chase across deserts and oceans in search of answers. Along the way, they encounter a living myth and a dual magic with secrets of his own—and they learn that the cure may be more deadly than the disease.

To save her own life, Aidan will need to confront the most dangerous foe she’s ever faced…herself.

LOST CAUSES is the fourth book in the award-winning Elements urban fantasy series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Excerpt Four:

“This may not be the best time for a heartfelt apology.” Sera’s tone was dry, but her dark eyes held no hint of humor. They weren’t focused on me, either. All her attention was reserved for the tall man with a gun standing before us.

I knew little about guns. They were one of the few ways to instantly kill any elemental, even an old one, so we tended to be big believers in gun control. It was a handgun, rather than a shotgun, and it didn’t look like one of the modern blocks of metal I saw in most action movies. If anything, it looked more like the six-shooters from old westerns.

The stranger slid his eyes to me, though the gun never wavered. He was outnumbered, and my appearance only tilted the scales further in our favor, but he showed no sign of nerves. “Come on, then. Join your friends.”

A growl rumbled through the night.

The man was smart enough to move his eyes toward Mac. “You’re weighing the odds right now, aren’t you? Figuring out how fast you can move versus how fast I can pull the trigger. I’ll give you a hint.” He swung the gun to his right until the barrel pointed straight at me. “Not fast enough.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Mia Marshall is the award-winning author of the Elements urban fantasy series. Before she started writing about imaginary worlds, she worked as a high school teacher, script supervisor, story editor, legal secretary, and day care worker. She has lived all along the US west coast and throughout the UK, where she collected an unnecessary number of degrees in literature, education, and film.

These days, she lives in a small house in the Sierra Nevadas, where she is surrounded by a small but deadly feline army.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/thismiamarshall
Facebook: http://facebook.com/miamarshallwrites
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Mia_Marshall
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thismiamarshall

BUY Links:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Mia-Marshall/e/B00DJWDGXE/

B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Mia%20Marshall%22

Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mia-marshall/id541399965

Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/search?query=Mia%20Marshall

NOTE:  The first book of the series, BROKEN ELEMENTS,  is now FREE!!!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Mia Marshall will award a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.



<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1245">Win a $50 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>


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Monday, September 7, 2015

The Day Before: Liana Brooks

The Day Before
by
Liana Brooks
1. How did you get started writing?
In grade school, in the suburbs of Chicago, there was a yearly Young Authors Competition. Writing a story was a requirement from kindergarten on. That sparked the idea that not only could I make up my own stories, but that I should. I scribbled down ideas off and on for years and finally started writing regularly after I graduated college.

2. Name three things on your desk right now.
Rocket Racoon (lego) – a stack of books about writing – a glass of water

3. Hamburger or sushi?
SUSHI!!!! We moved to Alaska in January and I can finally get amazing sushi as often as I can afford it. I'm in heaven! P.S. – buy my books so I can afford sushi

4. If I were your favorite cookie I would be what flavor?
Triple chocolate chip, there are dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips in there. It's delicious.

5. Open your new release to any page and tell us what is happening.
Page 74... the older sister of a missing college student talks the heroine about her sister and the heroine learns that the missing girl put the wrong address on her work application

6. Heels, flats or sneakers? (or nothing at all)
Hiking sandals when it's warm enough. Fuzzy, funky coloured socks for indoors. Hiking shoes for everything else.

7. Tell us one tip you would pass on to new writers.
Be yourself. There's no use copying trends or trying to imitate a famous author. You can't build a career as an imposter. Be yourself, write what you love, write what you want to read, and make a place for yourself.

8. Plotter or pantster?
Panster until chapter 3. Once I know a book has legs I stop and plot it out.

9. What is your favorite movie or book and why?
I have so many favourites... let's say ONE FOR THE MONEY by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie is a funny, fun to read about, and the storyline is intriguing. It's a comfort read that I pick up when I need a laugh.

10. What's next on your writerly horizon?
Sam and Mac's adventures continue in CONVERGENCE POINT and I am busy editing that so it is actually something you want to read. After that I'll be writing Book 4 for the Heroes and Villains novella series.





Author Bio
Liana Brooks once read the book GOOD OMENS by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and noted that both their biographies invited readers to send money (or banana daiquiris). That seems to have worked well for them. Liana prefers strawberry daiquiris (virgin!) and will never say no to large amounts of cash in unmarked bills. 
Her books are sweet and humorous with just enough edge to keep you reading past your bedtime. 
Liana was born in San Diego after bouncing around the country she's settled (temporarily) in the great wilderness of Alaska. She can be found on Twitter (@LianaBrooks), on FaceBook, and on the web at www.lianabrooks.com.
---oOo---
Blurb

A body is found in the Alabama wilderness. The question is:
Is it a human corpse … or is it just a piece of discarded property?

Agent Samantha Rose has been exiled to a backwater assignment for the Commonwealth Bureau of Investigation, a death knell for her career. But then Sam catches a break—a murder—that could give her the boost she needs to get her life back on track. There's a snag, though: the body is a clone, and technically that means it's not a homicide. And yet, something about the body raises questions, not only for her, but for coroner Linsey Mackenzie.

The more they dig, the more they realize nothing about this case is what it seems … and for Sam, nothing about Mac is what it seems, either.

This case might be the way out for her, but that way could be in a bodybag.

A thrilling new mystery from Liana Brooks, The Day Before will have you looking over your shoulder and questioning what it means to be human.

                                                                               ---oOo---

Buy & Social Links


HarperCollins – http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062407658/the-day-before







FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liana-Brooks/278779308851471

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lianabrooks

Newsletter: http://lianabrooks.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=675dc6fb70db402b9a2b27c97&id=71396c63a4





---oOo---

Excerpt


Friday May 17th, 2069

Alabama District 3

Commonwealth of North America



With an asthmatic wheeze the engine died. It figured. Stuck in a man’s craw, it did. This truck had been his daddy’s and his pappy’s, and before the Commonwealth government forced him to replace the diesel engine with the newfangled water doohickey, he was certain he’d pass the truck onto his son.
He’d been playing under the hood of trucks since he was six and now he was stranded. Embarrassing, that’s what it was. He climbed out of the cab to check the engine out of habit. The ice blue block of modern fuel efficiency stared back. Three hundred bucks it’d cost him, straight from his pocket.
Oh, there was a government subsidy, all right. A priority list. Major Population Centers, they said. Unite the countries of the Commonwealth on a timeline, they said. And what did all that mean?
It meant the damn Yankees got upgraded cities and free cars before the ink was dry on the Constitution and what about the little man? Nobody thought about the working class. No one cared about a man covered in oil and grease anymore.
He thumbed his cellphone on. No reception. Figured.
So much for the era of new prosperity. He’d hoof it. There was a little town about five miles down the road where he could call Ricky to bring a tow truck. It would have been cheaper to pay the diesel fines than get all this fixed.
Off schedule. Over budget. Son of a –
He stared at the distant trees. Well, it wasn’t going to get any cooler.
He grabbed his wallet and keys from the cab of his truck. The tree line looked like a good spot to answer a call from nature, then he’d see if there weren’t a shortcut through to town. A meadowlark sang. Not a bad day for a hike. Would’ve been better if it weren’t so dammed hot, but at least the humidity was low. He wouldn’t like to walk in a summer monsoon, not at his age with arthritis playing up.
Under a sprawling oak he unzipped his pants. As an afterthought, he glanced down to make sure he wouldn’t stir up a hill of fire ants.
A hand lay next to his boots.
He blinked, zipped his pants slowly, and turned around. "Hello?"
Cicadas chirped in answer.
"Are you drunk?" The quiet field that looked so peaceful only moments before was now eerily sinister. He nudged the hand with his foot. It was swollen and pale and crusted with blood, just like a prop out of a horror movie.
Maybe it was a good idea to run to the next town.



Liana Brooks



Coming April 28th, 2015


Available for Pre-Order