Sunday 21 August 2011

Author: Winslow Eliot

A PERFECT GEM
Bad things happen to other people. Not to us. Crista's husband says this often, right up to the day his car goes off the cliff, killing him. Then she learns he was married to someone else. She's fired from her job and evicted. She and her two children move to Tahton, the small town she fled 25 years earlier, vowing never to return. As she begins to recover from the shock of betrayal, his ‘real’ wife contacts her, looking for something valuable…that Crista doesn’t even know she has.

What will readers like about your book?
Any reader who enjoys romantic, suspenseful page turners I hope will like A Perfect Gem. My books are written for pleasure and entertainment. My greatest joy is when a reader tells me they stayed up all night reading one of my books. I write to make readers happy. I have a happiness guarantee on them – if you don’t like it - and you’ve bought it from my website – I’ll give you a 100% refund.
J

What inspired you to write it?
Two things came together one hot summer afternoon: First, I was driving along a quiet country road after a fabulous encounter with a wonderful man - Bernie Fallon (author of 'Goodology.') At the time he owned the Public Market in my village, and he's very much like Gareth in 'A Perfect Gem.'

Then, on my way home, I noticed a small, handmade sign by the side of the road that said "Crystals and Gems" and a funny arrow pointing up a driveway I'd never seen it before, even though I know this road by heart! Of course I pulled in. There was no one around, so I went around the side of the house to a small barn in the back and there were these two odd-looking gentlemen with a barn full of the most amazing crystals and gems you've ever seen. (This is all true, I swear.) I spent hours and hours with them, touching the stones, learning all about them, sitting in the sun as I held one, talking about their travels... That whole experience seems other-worldly. Afterward, I tried to get in touch with them, but never saw either them or that barn again.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?
Yes – PURSUED will be published in fall 2011. Here’s the blurb: “A storm–a disaster–a theft. When Kale Trenton’s most valuable possession is stolen, investigative reporter Leigh Gardner vows to go to the ends of the earth to bring it back. She chases every lead, explores every possibility, and hunts down Kale’s rival, Peregrine, to find it. How far will Leigh go to bring it back, and will she survive?”

Who are your favorite authors?
I have so many! Daphne Du Maurier, Georgette Heyer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. But probably the author who has had the most influence is my grandmother, Ethel Cook Eliot. She wrote wonderful children’s books (The House Above the Trees, The Wind Boy). She also wrote teenage mysteries, way before the term Young Adult was coined. She’s mystical, romantic, wise, and, best of all, a good story-teller. That’s my ideal writer.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I’m a belly dancer!

Thanks so much for sharing a bit about yourself, Winslow. I'm really looking forward to reading A Perfect Gem.

If you’d like to learn more, here’s Winslow’s website and you can find her books at Amazon and Smashwords.

Winslow Eliot's Author Bio:
My greatest pleasure is entertaining readers with tales of romance and thought-provoking posts about writing in general, and poetry, teaching, and inspiration in particular. My free online newsletter, WriteSpa – Oasis for Writers, welcomes visitors from all over the world. Besides writing novels and my WriteSpa, I teach high school English (not sure if that’s a hobby or a job, or both!).

Monday 15 August 2011

Fantasy Romance Author - Amanda Leigh Cowley

Soul Protector is a fast-paced fantasy romance. In part one of the Soul Protector series, Gracie discovers she can switch into other people's bodies.

Unaware she has a visible aura, she gets abducted by a monitor, Dan. He introduces Gracie to the world of Soul Protectors, but while she admires what they do, she isn't brave enough to embrace switching herself.

She falls for Dan, but finds he has hang-ups of his own. When Gracie does finally pluck up the courage to switch again, she uncovers a dark secret; one that shocks her to the core.

Hi Amanda! What will readers like about your book?
Soul Protector is a fantasy romance with twists and turns, so hopefully you will be hooked, but unable to predict the outcome.

What inspired you to write it?
I’ve always wanted to write a book, but when I tried in the past, I gave up after the first chapter. Then I had one of those days where everything was going wrong, and I was worried about a family member (illness – but they’re all better now). I just wanted to escape into someone else for the day and leave my worries behind – and that put the idea for Soul Protector in my head. The idea just grew and grew, and I couldn’t type fast enough…

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?
Yes. Part two in the Soul Protector series is my work in progress. I hope to have it available in digital format and paperback by the end of this year.

Who are your favourite authors?
I like Kelley Armstrong, Richelle Meade, Stephenie Meyer, Kazuo Ishiguro and Marian Keyes.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I have the world’s worst sense of smell. It’s shocking. I was on plane once, and when I came out of the toilet, the air hostess sprayed me with air freshener. I was a little put out to say the least – but my husband told me the gentleman who came out before me had left a really bad smell, and the air hostess ran off to get the freshener; no once could believe I’d wandered in, (oblivious), while they were all gagging.

Amanda Leigh Cowley lives in Northampton, UK, with her husband, two sons and a shaggy dog. In addition to helping her husband with the admin side of his business, ferrying the kids between football (soccer!) matches, and writing articles online, she has managed to fulfil a burning ambition to write a book. Soul Protector is her debut novel.

You can find out more by checking out Amanda's blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com

Soul Protector is available to buy from Amazon and Smashwords

Saturday 13 August 2011

I Predict a Riot


Petrol is non-existent and there has been no food on the supermarket shelves for weeks. People are hawking produce in the streets and goods are traded as British coin is currently worthless. People want food, alcohol, tobacco and medicine. Pharmacies and hospitals have been emptied of stocks. Supplies, supposed to be on their way, just aren’t getting through to their destinations. Electricity, phones, gas and water are functioning, but only intermittently and people are hoarding bottled water.

We’re lucky to be in a small village and not a big town or city where there are riots and looting. It’s a surreal time where a person can be stabbed to death for a pack of cigarettes.

I know the London riots have been bad, but we haven’t reached this stage yet. My new novel Outside explores what could happen if things really did escalate out of control.

What are your views on the riots? Why do you think they happened and could the government have done anything to stop them sooner?


Sunday 7 August 2011

Huge Ebook Giveaway - 24 Titles - 48 Winners!

All you have to do is shoot over to one of these blogs to enter:

After The Book  

OR  

JeanzBookReadNReview




As soon as each blog reaches 100 followers, the first winners on that blog will be drawn. First winner drawn gets first pick of the ebooks on the list.

 
The eBooks:
  1 The Bringer - Samantha Towle Twitter
  2 Raven - Suzy Turner Twitter
  3 Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) - Shalini Boland Twitter
  4 Beautiful Evil – Robbi Sommers Bryant Twitter
  5 Bloodletter - Angel Haze
  6 Piercing Through the Darkness - Emerald Barnes Twitter
  8 Black Wood - Jayde Scott  9 A Job From Hell - Jayde Scott Twitter
10 Coexist (Keegan’s Chronicles) – Julia Crane Twitter
11 Legacies of Talimura (War of the Witch) - Angel Haze Twitter

12 Scorpio Rising (The Scorpio Series) - Monique Domovitch Twitter
13 Ruby and the Mix Games (Hue Series -Vol 1) - Joseph Seegitz Twitter
14 Paranormal Doorway to the Triquetra - Lenore Wolfe Twitter
15 Dark Warrior - Lenore Wolfe
16
Salt Bowl Death – Cypher Lx Twitter
17 Nalia and the Potion Maker (Nalia, Book 1) - Queenbe Monyei Twitter
18 Chasing Destiny - Linda Eble Swain Twitter

19 Darkest Before Dawn – Cypher Lx
20 Caged In Darkness - J.D. Stroube Twitter
21 Crossroads - Mary Ting Twitter
22 Forever Sunshine - Collette Scott Twitter
23 Outside - Shalini Boland Twitter
24 Fairy Circle - Johanna Frappier Twitter

Saturday 6 August 2011

Vampires In The Cotswolds

I just did my very first book signing for Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series)! It took place in Gloucestershire (the setting for most of the book) at That New Shop, a gorgeous little gift boutique that sells all sorts of beautiful things.  

Owners, Amara and Sue, put a great sign in the window 'Vampires In The Cotswolds' and set me up with a chair and table right in the centre of the shop.


I was nervous before we started, but everyone was so lovely and friendly that I ended up having a great time. Special thanks to Paulette and Tracie for chat, coffees and that deliciously decadent cupcake!

We sold out halfway through the morning and had to take orders, so apologies to those people who didn't get a copy straightaway. But there's another box of books winging its way to the shop as I type. It should be there next week.

I hope to do plenty more book signings in the future. My aim is to arrange them at all the locations in the novel. So next stop Paris, then Cappadocia...

Thursday 4 August 2011

Raven by Suzy Turner

Lilly's life is strange. She has odd parents and only one friend. But when Lilly’s parents disappear, things get even stranger. Everything she knows is taken away from her and she begins to realise that she isn’t who she thought she was. The story had me flipping the pages to discover Lilly’s family secrets and I wasn’t disappointed.

Suzy Turner’s writing flows and the story pulls you in with its intrigue and mystery. The characters are compelling and the plot unfolds into an exciting and dangerous adventure.

I can’t wait for book 2 and I’m really glad it’s going to be about Lilly’s friend, December Moon. She’s a character I wished we’d seen more of in Raven, so it’s brilliant we’ll get to find out who she is. All in all this was a fantastic read!

Raven is a refreshingly different novel suitable for children, teens and adults alike. You can find it in the following places:

Amazon for Kindle
Barnes & Noble for the Nook
Smashwords

Suzy's website: http://www.suzyturner.com/