Interview with YA novel Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul by Marcus Dino

This Friday interview is with humorous and inspirational YA author Marcus Dino. He’s telling us about Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul and other things.

During the tour, Marcus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a lucky winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Welcome, Marcus. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Who am I who puts thoughts into the head of the eccentric struggling actress/waitress pounding the pavements of Hollywood who calls herself 'Fifi Larouche,' heroine of 'Fifi Anything Goes in the Double Os', 'Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul,' and 'Diary of a Mad Gen Yer?'

I grew up a lover of the great American novel reading books such as The Grapes of Warth, Jaws, and The Godfather. I've also a lover of old Hollywood movies. Somehow the combination of being a lover of great fiction and being a Hollywood movie buff inspired me to create Cheryl 'Fifi' Larouche, Hollywood actress who endures one crazy adventure after another.

I have also had a varied professional life outside of writing, starting out as an electrical engineer working for several large Aerospace companies to teaching math for many years at Los Angeles area middle schools. My teaching career helped me understand what Fifi needs to go through as an actress as the two professions require similar traits,

I also have masters degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Education and am a graduate of Chapman University. I am semi-retired and currently live in Santa Maria California.

Please tell us about your current release.

“Fullfill your destiny Fifi, as you wander through the Wilderness.” Goth her spirit guide tells her. What is 21^st century actress/heroine Cheryl 'Fifi' Larouche's destiny? Is it her burning desire to be the greatest actress Hollywood has ever seen despite getting rejected from audition after another and her father constantly telling he didn't spend 'a quarter of a million dollars to send her to a top liberal arts college to be a waitress?” Is it Fifi's destiny as her spirit guides Goth and Au tell her that life is all about 'spiritual growth not being rich and famous' despite the fact Fifi can't stand than an actress with one tenth her talent land a role she knows she is more qualified for? 

Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul is the third in my 'Fifi' trilogy series after Hollywood novel Fifi and top ten Amazon bestseller in it's category anthology Diary of a Mad Gen Yer, dealing with Fifi's wild and wacky adventures. Like Diary, Evolved Soul is a humorous anthology of short stories, blogs, and poems but Evolved Soul also introduces the power of 'Twitte'r with Fifi's silly tweets' and good practical spiritual adice from Goth and Au, thus the name of the title Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul. Evolved Soul is partially meant to be entertaining YA fantasy with such eccentric off the wall characters not only Fifi and her college professor father Charles, but also a 200 year old English ghost called 'The 200 Year Old Great Writer' and Fifi's best friend Alocki, a brilliant science professsor whom Fifi says is an extraterrestrial from another star system and her equally brilliant but absent minded 'extraterrestrial' partner Helos. It is also a partially a 'spiritual book' with the advice that Au and Goth give. Of course Au and Goth are involved with many of Fifi's silly adventures.

What inspired you to write this book?

What inspired me to write a tweet in Fifi's 'silly tweets' 'Sometimes I just feel like a whole mess of cells that grew a mutated in the 20^th and 21^st century ..You know like a human petri dish...' or 'I used to see a shrink but now that I am in LA I see....a psychic.'

The inspiration to write Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul is just 'sponataneous creativity.' The reader immediately feels and identifies not only with her eccentricity and humor but also the real life struggles that Fifi goes through. Living in Los Angeles and getting a feel for the Hollywood scene I want the reader to get a bird eye's view of not only a Hollywood actress's career is like but what life is like living in LA. After writing Fifi I wanted to do something different in my approach to Fifi's characterization and decided to write 2 anthologies as oppose to sequel/prequel novels in Diary of a Mad Gen Yer and Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul. The silly poems, the silly tweets, the silly blogs all give the reader a fresh new perspective on who Fifi Larouche is as much and in my opinion more in depth than any novel would, There is also the added inspiration advice from Goth and Au that adds a creative advice to Evolved Soul.

Special excerpt:

(Excerpt from 'A Midsummer Night's Silliness')

QUEEN LYMPHAMA

This is a night when strange demons and vampires arrive to doth try to steal the soul of the innocent…Tonight oh Neptune after the party we shall call the Royal Apothecary who will doth conduct a potient out of bat wings and garlic and the tongues of TV talk show hosts and politicians and other vile and smelly things…And whoever I praytell drinks of this potient will scare off all evil souls and who ever drinks of this potient will be strong as anyone who drinketh such foul and smelly stuff would have to be strong…and crazy…Now.. Come my good king and my subjects let us now go to the party at the palace to intake in wine and merriment….

(Image of Ghost from Hamlet appears)

GHOST

What noblest of misfortunes that hath cursed my son Hamlet partakes thou fair Queen? I praytell that I shalt make amends for my son to be of assistance to thee…My son Hamlet at times hath not believed in me…I praytell thou noblest of Queens believe in me as I was once King Denmark…

QUEEN LYMPHAMA

I hath no misfortune oh Ghost of the King of Denmark…I praytell that thou may get into the minds of casting directors of good theater and good movies and good TV shows of which there are so few in 2012 and convince them of my acting abilities…Now Ghost of the King of Denmark a place where they doth are well known for changing men into women and women into men I doth praytell thou join us at the palace for an evening of wine, song, and merriment….

What exciting story are you working on next?

Obviously after writing three books dealing with Fifi's life my next project perhaps will be a screenplay. I'm also looking at converting Diary of a Mad Gen Yer from e book to print, finally I am hopefully entertaining a lot of Fifi's 'followers' on Twitter and Facebook. I try to do at least 2 or 3 tweets a day. Anything that's newsworthy and you can bet your bottom line 'Fifi' will be talking about it. Finally as you can see from the spiritual advice part from Goth and Au I have been interested in spiritually and my book may be a fiction or nonfiction book with a spirituality theme. Of course if it's fiction there is a good chance 'Fifi; will again be involved.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a writer when I was in elementary school and had to write 'book reports.' I think as an elementary school student so many moons ago I liked English actually better than Math. Later on in high school I got more interested in Math, I wish to mentioned I bombed my Verbal SAT and took 'Bonehead English' in college. Writing is a skill, just like teaching, that is squired with time.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I sure wish I has the luxury to write full time. I still have to work part time to pay the bills, but that's why you can see my last 2 books are anthologies. Even if I wrote full time I have to hand it to authors Stephen King or Dean Koontz, I just do not have the imagination or stamina to write a full length novel. I did it once and that's enough. I get my ideas from say my wild and crazy dreams which inspired Fifi's 'silly dreams,' from people I meet, and believe it or not when I'm driving at night or places that I go to such as the supermarket. Where I don't get many ideas is sitting in front of my laptop. Believe it or not listening to classic rock while I'm driving or on my smart phone while I'm working out really stirs my imagination.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Writing Fifi's 'silly tweets' on my smart phone, I absolutely love Twitter. In my new screenplay Fifi tells Jerry her agent as she is struggling to make it as an actress she will has started writing the next Great American Novel while driving 60 mph in her truck on the Hollywood Fwy using her smart phone writing app. Of course when I tweet on my smart phone I make sure that I'm parked

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A doctor, a scientist, an actor, later in college which I know is not a child but you are still 'growing up,' a geologist, a mathematician, and engineer, which I became. As you can see I switched majors. And yes I wanted to be a writer as a kid. Marcus Dino as a named I penned as a kid and wanted to be a great science fiction writer as I loved reading Asimov and Bradbury. I have no idea why that name came to me, just sounds so noble. Obviously like most people I did not have an exact profession as a kid. Ironically I never considered being a teacher until I landed a teaching job as a mid-career and stuck with it.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

The one thing I have enjoyed throughout my life is entertainment. When I read or write fiction or watch a movie or even a TV show (and there are so few entertaining TV shows today), or go to a play, I want to be entertained. This is what I have tried to do in the character of Fifi Larouche. I have tried to make her the most entertaining character I possibly can.

Website  

Evolved Soul can be purchased through major online bookstores such as Amazon and Smashwords. 

You can find me on Facebook and Twitter (over 7,500 followers) username: Fifilarouche

Thanks, Marcus!

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Interview with memoirist Narissa Doumani

I have a special interview with memoirist Narissa Doumani today. She’s talking a bit about A Spacious Life: Memoir of a Meditator, as well as her writing life and other interests.

During her virtual book tour, Narissa will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a lucky winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Narissa Doumani is an Australian author, meditator, and mindfulness practitioner who previously carved out a career as a commercial model and presenter. Narissa is a graduate of the University of Melbourne (Bachelor of Science) and is now the student of a reclusive Thai Buddhist yogi. She is an avid appreciator of desserts and enjoys making them for friends, adores a good book (of course), and is fascinated by the transformative power of storytelling.

Welcome, Narissa. Please tell us about your current release.

A Spacious Life is a story about searching for happiness. It just so happens to be my personal story. I’ve had many advantages in life, such as educational opportunities and a loving family, however I always felt something lacking. I couldn’t make sense of the purpose of my life, and why things sometimes felt so hard, emotionally that is, even though my life looked wonderful from the outside. So I ended up on a path of learning to work with my own mind and emotions through the practices of meditation and mindfulness. It’s given me a deeper sense of contentment, purpose, and connection to others, which I like to think is a story worth sharing.

What inspired you to write this book?

Finding a sense of inner peace within the chaos of life. Is that too cheesy? Really though, I’ve met a lot of warm-hearted and intelligent people who have struggled with the challenges of life the way I had, and by that I mean illness, anxiety, stress, and heartache. They would tell me how overwhelmed they felt by their struggles and emotions. It doesn’t matter how perfect someone’s life might look from the outside, everyone has their challenges. So I wrote this book hoping to spark some conversation and inner reflection about how we go about using life’s inherent challenges as fuel for a positive transformation.

Excerpt from A Special Life:

(From Chapter 9: The Model Life)

Now and again, I worked with challenging personalities, such as the German photographer who wanted to tape my ears to the sides of my head. She was six foot tall and cut an imposing figure. The prospect of standing in front of her lens was intimidating.

I pulled myself together and walked onto set with the steeliness of a seasoned warrior. My armour was a shoulder-padded polyester blend, my war paint MAC Studio Fix C2. But when the German took a test shot of me and barked, ‘Those ears. They are sticking out too much. Can you all see that?’ her words hit me like a well-timed jab-right cross combo. My confidence, along with my ego, was sent reeling.

I was supposed to look like a corporate worker, so the hair-and-makeup artist had slicked my hair into a low bun, and the tips of my ears were protruding, pixie-like, in a way she obviously found less than perfect.

‘Can’t we do something? Bring some gaffer tape!’ she shouted.

I started shrinking. I couldn’t afford to shrink. The client was counting on me to get a good shot. I also couldn’t retaliate. It never pays to antagonise the creative team whose job it is to make you look good. So I took a silent, mindful moment and came back to my breath. In and out, in and out, it connected me to the present.

I considered my ears, two small, moulded lumps of flesh on the sides of my head. Ears were instruments for hearing. Mine worked very well indeed. Why should I be ashamed of them? They weren’t particularly beautiful, but were any ears truly beautiful?

What exciting story are you working on next?

Oh, I’m still recovering from this one! It took me five years of work, on and off, and although it was totally a labour of love I’d like a little holiday before launching into another book. I’m heading over to Thailand for a family wedding next month, which will give me some R&R time. I’m planning to visit my Buddhist teacher while I’m there (he’s a yogi who’s somewhat reclusive and lives in a remote forest area) – he does make a couple of appearances in my book, and who knows, perhaps he’ll inspire a follow-up story!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always been a writer. I believe that if you sit down and put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) because you have an artistic impulse you feel the need to express, you’re a writer. Let’s not make it into some kind of exclusive ‘in club’. Considering myself an author, however, was another story. It wasn’t until I had a complete polished manuscript that other people saw value in, that I felt bold enough to call myself one.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

This is my debut book, so I definitely wasn’t writing full-time. A gal’s gotta earn a living. It’s the hardest thing to balance, I think, for any creative artist. How do you support yourself and still have the time and energy to create art? I’ve been lucky enough to have worked as a commercial model and presenter, which meant sometimes I’d be booked on a job that earned me several thousand dollars in one hit. But those jobs were sporadic and unreliable, so I needed to do lots of ‘in-between’ jobs too, to keep cash coming in. I’ve done everything from handing out flyers on the street to dressing up as the Tooth Fairy for a kids’ event.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

This might not surprise you, but when I’m stuck I take a break and meditate. I find having a head overcrowded with thoughts often doesn’t leave room for clarity or creative inspiration. By sitting quietly and letting my thoughts settle, insights about my work often dawn on me. Who knows where those insights comes from – the subconscious mind, perhaps? After a meditation practice, I can also come back to my writing with fresh eyes and renewed focus.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

It changed at least once a year. When I was six, I wanted to be a jeweller, because a friend of my family was one and had given me a beautiful charm bracelet as a birthday gift. When I was eight, I wanted to be a makeup artist and would practice on my friends with a kids’ mini makeup kit. It’s funny to think I ended up working as a model and having my makeup done quite often, but by then I found it a bit of a chore. I always enjoyed creative writing, but didn’t grow up thinking about it as a career option, only something to be done for the love of it. Don’t ask me where that idealism came from…

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I don’t believe there’s only one path to happiness. We all need to explore what the path looks like within the context of our own lives, and I wish all your readers much success in doing so. I believe every life is precious and that we all have unique gifts to offer the world. Here’s to moving forward, sharing our gifts with abandon… my feeling is that the world needs them now more than ever.

Social media links:

Website | Facebook | Blog 'On the Path' | YouTube | Kirkus Review

Thank you, Narissa!

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Special excerpt from paranormal romance Afterlife or Bust by June Mayes

The midweek spotlight shines on the paranormal romance novel Afterlife or Bust by June Mayes.

During her virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions, June will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a lucky winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. And to increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

June Mayes is a Cape Cod born and bred writer who lived in London for 10 years before returning home. She’s a hopeless romantic with a passion for writing all sorts of genre. Her days are spent juggling family life, walking the dog, writing and reading books, more books and even more books!

Here’s a blurb about Afterlife or Bust:

Lizzie is making the best of her life, er afterlife. She's working hard being a doctor to all things supernatural and for the most part has managed to behave. With her daytime watcher in tow and a very enticing Master Vampire turning up the heat of their romance, things couldn’t be better.

Of course things could get worse and do. Being killed again was not part of Lizzie’s agenda and having to navigate the politics of all things that go bump in the night is just icing on the afterlife cake. But Lizzie has plans. She's going to make her death worth living and she is going to drag everyone else along kicking and screaming.

Excerpt from Afterlife or Bust:

“Sure, I’ll ask them to make an appointment for you, and Bob’s your uncle. All I need is your name. “I smiled and was surprised that my canines were down and in full view. Either there was a threat here I was less than aware of or I was a little hungry. Hmm yup, no bleeding patients yet today. I would need to go in search of an unwary patient or two.

“Cuthbert.” The gargoyle brought me back to what I was doing with that simple pronouncement. “But I don’t have an Uncle Bob.”

“Forget Bob. Your name is Cuthbert?” I repeated, stunned.

“Yes,” he continued to smile at me. Well, it was more a tiny upturn of one side of his lips, which could have been a grimace or gas come to think of it. No, I was going with smile. He did genuinely look a little happier, which was a good sign. I did have to look down and try to school my expression into a calm understanding doctor face before I looked back up at him.

“A gargoyle named Cuthbert.”

“Correct.” Okay, now I know he was smiling. There was a dimple in one cheek and everything. Course it came and went so fast you would have needed vampire vision to see the dimple. But hey, that’s why I was the vampire doctor.

“OK,” I said calmly before leaving the room, closing the door behind me. Godzilla came up as if to discuss something, and I just shook my head at her. Cuthbert the gargoyle. Great.

Social media links:

Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Amazon buy page

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Excerpt from contemporary romance The Truth about Lilly by Christy McKee

The spotlight shines on the contemporary romance novel The Truth about Lilly by Christy McKee today.

As Christy tours her novel with Goddess Fish Promotions, she’ll be awarding a $40 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a lucky winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Christy McKee began her career in TV news and eventually found her way into advertising and finally fiction. She believes a good story should be about characters who win your heart, sometimes move you to tears and occasionally make you laugh. As a reader, Christy hopes you'll be swept into her characters' lives enjoy getting to know them, experience the challenges they endure and be with them when they come out on the other side.

A little bit about The Truth about Lilly:

Disgraced…

Lilly Talbot never imagined she would be starting her life over again. Losing her good name for something she didn’t do has driven her to move into an old lake house she inherited in Vermont. Upon arrival, she is shocked. Half the roof is about to slide into Lake Champlain. Even more upsetting, the man who can fix it will only agree if she trades him room and board for his labor. What will the good people of Haley think of her sharing a house with the handsome bachelor?

A man with a past…

Connor “Mac” McQueen, once one of the infamous Whiz Kids of Wall Street, spent three years in prison for insider trading. Only one thing sustained him during his time inside, the thought of owning Point Cottage, a home he’d fallen in love with years ago. He plans to turn the house into a stunning showcase for his eco-friendly home construction business.

Secrets and lies…

Now someone’s trying to drive Lilly from her home. Is it someone from her past? Mac has secrets of his own-- that could ruin lives if revealed. But if Lilly and Mac are to have a future together they must first delve into the past for answers and accept some difficult truths about each other. Only then, will they know if true love is in their hearts.

Exclusive excerpt from The Truth about Lilly:

His blue eyes twinkled with orneriness as they met hers over the top of his coffee mug. "Nice of you to concern yourself with my comfort." He rolled one of his thick, muscular shoulders. "Might just take you up on it. That bed is a little tight, not much room for a man to maneuver." 

"Ok then." She blew into her mug and took her first sip of coffee, trying to get the picture of Mac maneuvering in his bed out of her head. "I'm going to be up in my studio. We're having your fried chicken and biscuits for dinner tonight."

 "Hmm. I'm going to look forward to that all day." His voice had a rough morning rasp to it that stirred her up a bit. After too many dinners and nights alone, her life could surely use a little stirring up. 

The doorbell rang. Lilly found Brady on the front step. "Morning. Want to come in for some coffee?"

"No, thanks, ma'am. Just need to talk to the boss." He seemed more fidgety than she remembered. "Well, come in then."

"No. Just tell Mac to come out. I'm all dirty."

Odd. He looked perfectly clean and tidy in a fresh t-shirt and jeans.

"Mac." Lilly walked back into the kitchen. "Brady wants to talk to you. He won't come inside. Says he's too dirty."

Mac frowned and walked out onto the porch, closing the door behind him. After a few minutes passed, he came back into the kitchen. "Got to get started." He didn't look at her. "You're going to be inside, upstairs most of the day?"

"Yes."

"Not planning to drive any place this morning?"

"No," she answered. "Is my car in the way or something? Do you want me to move it?"

"No, it's fine." Mac was distracted. "Just leave your keys on the island in case one of the guys needs to move it. Ok? Wouldn't want any of the debris coming off the roof to scratch it."

"Sure." She went over to the small kitchen desk and fished her keys out of her purse. The old Volvo station wagon, used by their gardener, Cesar, for the past twelve years, already had its share of dings and scratches. She doubted the addition of a few more would be noticed.

With her mug and a small orange, Lilly headed up the stairs to her studio.  Knowing the pounding and tearing off would start soon, she put her ear buds on the table, ready to drown out the noise as soon as it began. She tacked three photos of Granny Macabean to the large easel. Sitting on the squeaky metal chair, recycled from the dank basement, she opened her sketchbook to a fresh page. As she worked, the dear old face she'd loved for so many years flowed effortlessly onto the paper.

A half hour later, she realized the house was still strangely quiet. Why weren't the men up on the roof? Did something happen? Dropping her pad to the table, she went downstairs. Where was everyone? She walked barefoot through the living room, through the wide screen porch and out the back door. As she rounded on the stone path, she heard the sound of male voices from the side of the house.

All four men were kneeling beside her car, scrubbing it. What the hell were they doing? "Mac?" She headed down the walkway. "What's this?" Then she saw it. Southern bitch go home painted in hot pink across the hood. She stumbled and almost fell. Talbot whore get out of town, was written along one side.

Icy cold enveloped her, and a freezing tingle shot up the nape of her neck. No. No. No.  This couldn't be happening here—it couldn't. She was brand new in town. No one knew anything about her.  Her knees wobbled and there was nothing close at hand for her to grab onto for support. Dizziness swamped her. Mac was speaking, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. 

 Get it together, Lilly. Don't humiliate yourself in front of these men. With supreme effort, Lilly twisted around and fled back up the walk and up the porch steps into the house.  Weak with relief to be alone, she made it into the kitchen where she bent over the sink, turned on the spigot and splashed cool water on her face. When a big warm hand touched her shoulder, she almost jumped out of her skin.

"Whoa there," Mac's deep voice rumbled. "We'll get that stuff cleaned off. It'll be good as new." He turned her to face him and snagged a dishtowel off the counter. One big hand gently blotted her tears while the other held her shoulder, keeping her close. "Just some damn teenagers with too much time on their hands."

"They knew my name, Mac." Her voice was shrill. "I've been here all of three days and already I've made an enemy." Her knees finally gave out and she slid to the wood floor.

Mac hunkered down beside her. "You're spooked, I get that. But enemy? I think maybe you're over reacting a little."

Was he crazy? She blinked rapidly, trying to focus on him. "Are you kidding? These teenagers knew my name. Hell, they even spelled it correctly." She was trying her best to churn up a good head of anger. Anything was better than being sucked under by her fear of being outed and humiliated. 

Mac hunkered down in front of her and gently took her elbows in his big hands and pulled her to her feet. "I'll give the sheriff a call. He might have an idea about some possible suspects—maybe some teenagers. Could be your car wasn't the only one hit."

"No, no police." She was adamant. "Promise me you won't call them."

"Lilly, they should know." He looked down at her, obviously baffled by her reluctance to involve the authorities.

"Absolutely not. Please ask your men not to mention it to anyone. Please, Mac?"

He stared at her in silence like he was waiting for her to come to her senses. "All right, no police. If you're sure that's what you want."

Social media links:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

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Spotlight on romantic suspense Exposed by Rage by Sherrel Lee

I’m starting the week by shining the spotlight on the romantic suspense novel, Exposed by Rage by Sherrel Lee.

Sherrel is doing a special book promotion with Goddess Fish Promotions and will be awarding a lucky winner a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice). To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

A bit about Sherrel:

Wrangler of a fearsome Yorkiepoo named Rogue (Half Yorkie half Poodle weighing in at a hefty eight pounds). Obsession controlled writer with a passion for making up names and twisting myths. 

Sherrel, as the daughter of an Emmy winning cameraman, learned early in life the dark secrets of creating all those incredible fantasy characters for the large and small screen.

Refusing to be crushed at the discovery the monsters, aliens, and Robby the Robot weren't real, Sherrel's imagination soared. She became a SELF-proclaimed voyeur of special-effects and expert at fictional character creation.

A little bit about Exposed by Rage:

He has a dead body.  She has the seedy connections. To solve the crime they are forced to work together.

To keep her mother’s reputation from destroying her, Ashley Dix Gibson had to learn at an early age to persevere and tune out the lies, gossip, and the bullies.  Detective Michael DeMarco has no desire to team up with a woman with ties to the underbelly of the porn industry but if he wants to solve his case, he has no other options. When Ashley and DeMarco combine their resources to find a brutal killer, sparks of distrust turn into the fires of passion.

Excerpt from Exposed by Rage:

I must have been feeling weak, because instead of rushing out to confront a few of those I wanted to talk to, I invited DeMarco in.  He’d left Braden in charge of the scene and didn’t appear to be in a rush to start the reports he’d have to do.  That thought made me smile.  For once I wasn’t chained to a desk for seventy-five percent of the investigation.  I could get used to being out of the Army and doing things my own way.

“Glad to see the smile.  I know this has been extremely hard on you,” DeMarco said.  “Want to share?”

“I was thinking about Jillie, wanting me to come home.  She kept trying to talk me into the leaving the military.  It took her death to accomplish that.”  Hot, wet tears started streaming down my face.  Appalled, I turned away from DeMarco and stumbled toward the bedroom.  He didn’t say anything or try to stop me, but he did follow me. When I didn’t collapse on the bed, he put his arms around me, gave a gently hug and helped me to sit on the mattress.

Damn.  This was awkward.  The harder I tried to stop crying, the more I leaked tears.  I don’t cry.  I don’t show emotion, especially to guys.  I didn’t want to feel the warmth of his touch and long to put my head on his shoulder.  But I did.  Before I knew what was happening his lips were on mine and I was holding him.  Desperate to keep from drowning.

He pushed back, looking into my eyes.  Reading me like the clichéd open book. 

Social media links:

Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Page | Twitter

Personal message from the author:

--Between March 2 and April 1, 2015 go to my campaign at: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1VT4C9BS6157E

--Browse by Category (romantic suspense) or Search for Exposed by Rage.

--Read the excerpt.

--If you like it, please nominate it for the next round.

--Let all your friends know.

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Interview with women's fiction author Judith Works

Welcome, readers. Today’s special guest is Judith Works. She’s in the hot seat and talking about her new women’s novel City of Illusions.

While she tours this book with Goddess Fish Promotions, Judith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Life was routine until Judith decided to get a law degree. Then a chance meeting led her to run away to the Circus (Maximus) – actually to the United Nations office next door – where she worked as an attorney in the HR department and entered the world of expat life in Rome. The ten years of happy and sometimes fraught experiences are the subject of her memoir, Coins in the Fountain.

Judith has a BS in Psychology, M Public Administration, JD from Lewis & Clark School of Law. She has spent most of her career in Human Resources administration. Judith is a member of Northwest Women Writers, past President of Edmonds Friends of the Library, board member for Edmonds Center of the Arts, vice-president EPIC Group Writers, and a member of PNWA and Willamette Writers.

She continues to travel, having visited over 100 countries in between many journeys to Italy where she always tosses a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure a return to Rome. Judith and her husband now live near Seattle where she is working on her second novel.

Welcome, Judith. Please tell us about your current release.
I recently released City of Illusions, a novel set in the expatriate world of Rome. It tells the story of a young woman who wants more from life than she has. Laura and her husband live in a childless marriage in Seattle. When she finds a one-year job in Rome she jumps at the opportunity in the hope that the adventure will give new life to their now-routine relationship. She persuades her husband to take a leave of absence and move to the Eternal City. But Jake, as a trailing spouse, is adrift as Laura learns her new job. He gets into difficulties and Laura, left alone to cope with the complexities of expat life, finds herself in situations she never imagined. Her journey through the maze of Rome and of her emotional life serve as the backbone of the story.

What inspired you to write this book?
I lived in Rome as an expat for ten years and wanted to relate some of the wonders and challenges of that life beyond those in my memoir, Coins in the Fountain. Some of the scenes are taken from my experiences, especially the food, wine, and ambience of the city. The book was also an opportunity to highlight the crime of antiquity theft, an enormous problem in Italy with almost daily revelations and arrests but the looting continues and Italy’s great artistic and historical patrimony continue to disappear. I was very pleased that a reviewer in Italy wrote that my descriptions of expat life and of tomb robbing was accurate.

Excerpt from City of Illusions:
Derrick took hold of Laura’s elbow and steered her into a room with fourteen-foot ceilings, plump upholstered chairs, and a sofa facing a grand fireplace. The honey-colored, waxed terracotta floors were covered with antique carpets. Heavy draperies framed tall windows.

French doors led to a terrace and a swimming pool covered for the winter. Beyond, a vineyard slept.

Jake followed behind filled with suspicion because Laura accompanied him so readily.

“Here’s home. Not much, but I think you’ll be comfortable.” He smiled at Laura and ignored Jake.

Jake was incensed at the slight and at the overblown luxury of the decor. Damned effete Europeans.

“Let’s have a sherry before I show you your room, where you can change. Better half should be here shortly.” At the sound of his voice a maid came into the room carrying a tray laden with sherry, glasses, and an assortment of snacks.

“Oh, Derrick, what a super…”

Jake cut her off. “I’d rather have bourbon. With ice. Sherry’s not my drink.”

Derrick obligingly went to a drinks cabinet but apologized for the lack of ice when he returned with a full tumbler. Jake continued to ignore Laura, who he knew was silently willing him to be more civil. His attention gravitated to a row of shelves above the fireplace. They held several undecorated black pots, a few more with red figures of gods and goddesses around the bowl, two small bronze statues covered in verdigris, and several marble pieces, including a sandaled foot missing its little toe.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m writing some flash fiction for fun while plotting my next story. It will be partly set in Rome and will have a murder taking place in an Etruscan burial ground. For City of Illusions I have both the obelisks so prevalent in Rome and a copy of a small statuette of an antique flute player to accompany Laura on her journey. Now I have to think of what talisman my protagonist will have in the new book. Suggestions welcome!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

After years of producing boring legal briefs and administrative missiles I finally decided I was a writer when I published the memoir. The success inspired me to continue putting my fingers to the keyboard.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’d like to say I write full time but it’s not true. I am very active in a number of writing groups in my local area including serving on the steering committee for the annual Write on the Sound Literary Conference in Edmonds, Washington, and on the board of directors for our local center for performing arts. I also travel frequently. Will be off to Italy again soon but I have visited over 100 countries so far. I carry a note pad and take loads of photos to capture the moment.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know if it is a quirk, but I keep a pen and notepad beside my bed in case of a midnight thought, but writing in the dark isn’t very effective because I often can’t read it in the morning.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be an artist of some kind, preferably a painter. But I soon found I had no talent so I visit a lot of museums and galleries and look longingly at others’ works. No talent for music either. I (tried) to play the oboe with bad results and put that story in the book. I have settled with a collection of paintings purchased during my travels and listening to music while I write.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I hope readers enjoy the depictions of beautiful Rome and also the story of a woman’s journey to fulfillment.

Social links:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Book Trailer

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Thanks, Judith!

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Interview with co-authors Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross

Today is a special double feature. I’m interviewing co-authors Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross about their novel The Cliffhouse Haunting.

Bios:

Tamara Thorne's first novel was published in 1991, and since then she has written many more, including international bestsellers Haunted, Bad Things, Moonfall, and The Sorority. Her novel, Thunder Road, hit bookstores in September, 2014. Learn more about her here.

Alistair Cross grew up on horror novels and scary movies, and by the age of eight, began writing his own stories. In 2012, he was published by Damnation Books under the pseudonym Jared S. Anderson. Find out more about him here.

In collaboration, Thorne and Cross are currently writing The Ghosts of Ravencrest, a sexy serial novel full of dark shadows, ghosts, witches, and mysteries. The Ghosts of Ravencrest: Darker Shadows contains the first three installments. The fourth installment is The Ghosts of Ravencrest: Christmas Spirits and the fifth is Night Moves. The next installment will appear in April. Their first horror novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting will appear in March, and another, Grandma’s Rack, will come later this year, along with Alistair’s debut solo novel.

Welcome, Tamara and Alistair. Please tell us about your current release.

The Cliffhouse Haunting is the story of the little town of Cliffside in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. Built overlooking Blue Lady Lake in 1887, Cliffhouse was built by the Bellamy family and has been newly renovated by owners Teddy and Adam Baxter-Bellamy and their daughter, Sara. In the 1880s, Cliffhouse served as a restaurant, hotel, cathouse, theater and tavern, and during Prohibition became a hangout for rum runners. Later, its hot springs attracted the wealthy; even presidents have stayed there.

Today, the lodge is famous for its luxurious accommodations, spa, fine dining... and its ghosts.

Although the cathouse and rumrunners have been replaced by a miniature golf course and a carousel, Cliffhouse retains its long dark history; darkest during the Roaring Twenties, when a serial killer named the Bodice Ripper terrorized the town and a phantom, the Blue Lady, was said to walk when murder was imminent.

Now, darkness has returned. There's a serial killer on the loose, and the Blue Lady is again walking the shores of the lake below Cliffhouse.

Police Chief Jackson Ballou has bodies piling up that can't even be considered murder victims, yet he knows they are. The Bellamys are losing maids and guests who hear their names whispered in their ears and see wet phantom footprints padding across the rooms, but nothing is as terrifying as the shrieking laughter that echoes through the halls in the dead of night.

The town of Cliffside, and Cliffhouse itself, is dependent on tourism; every weekend there's something going on, be it a Civil War reenactment, a wine tasting, or Oktoberfest. It's a perfect hunting ground for a serial killer... and the Blue Lady.

Between the murders, the ghosts, Blue Lady sightings, a histrionic writer and a town doctor slowly losing his mind, Chief Ballou's hands are so full that he can hardly pursue his romance with diner owner Polly Owen. And Sara Bellamy may lose her love before they even have their first kiss.

What inspired you to write this book?

We both love ghost stories in all their variations and as we were telling each other some of our favorites, a plot began to form, though we weren’t actively working on it at the time beyond taking notes. Not too much later, we met up to spend a few nights in a haunted cabin in California’s gold country. During those nights some unnerving things happened that got us talking about the book again and we quickly became serious about writing it.

Excerpt from The Cliffhouse Haunting:

“He heard the Lady's laughter, delightful and deadly...

"He turned to enter the staff lounge and wake up the napping night clerk when he caught a whiff of something dark and dank, of deep water hiding moldering roots and limbs of pine trees felled a century or more ago. The scent of rotting wood from boats and rafts sunken when Cliffhouse was new. The metallic bite of lost anchors and the dry smell of bones of men long dead. Gooseflesh prickled up his back. How many are lost out there?"

What exciting story are you working on next?

We have several works in progress. Our gothic The Ghosts of Ravencrest is an ongoing serial novel and it’s filled with ghosts and mysteries. It’s available on Amazon. Another collaborative horror novel, Grandma’s Rack, will hit the press later this spring and Alistair’s debut solo novel will be out this summer.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Always. We both began writing as children.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

We write full time. We work together six days a week, eight to ten hours a day unless we’re up against a deadline, then we hit 12-14 hours and work half-days on Sunday, too. We work in our “virtual office” where we talk via Skype while writing in the Cloud. Most often we create together, literally writing in the same file as we brainstorm and figure things out. 

Sometimes we work on separate scenes and sometimes on separate projects, but we’re still in our “office” where we can run things by each other, edit for each other, and take breaks for a few minutes of laughter now and then. It’s more fun and efficient together, plus it keeps us focused.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Every day, at least twice, we turn on our Skype cameras so our cats can see each other. They love it and have become good friends. They’re hoping to accompany us on our next get together.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Both of us wanted to be writers, though as kids, we flirted with various occupations; fireman, musician, oceanographer, astronomer, and spy.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

We like pie.

Social Media

ALISTAIR CROSS

Website | Twitter | Blog | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Pinterest 

TAMARA THORNE

Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

Thorne & Cross Mutual Accounts

Blog | Thorne and Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! 

Thank you both for being here today! Happy co-writing!