Official Upcoming Release Schedule!

Due to changes in how my publisher assigns dates, I won't have release dates until I finish the book. I'm currently working on:

Taking the Realm which is book 3 of Sha and Connor's trilogy (previously titled Shaking the Balance)

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Interview with Troy Lambert!

Hello my lovelies and welcome to the last edition of The Lindsay Show for this January! Wow, where has the time flown?! I mean, wasn't it just New Year's Day? Yeesh, guess I've been busier than I thought lol. Today I have the fantabulous Troy Lambert joining me, so grab your coffee or tea and sit back, relax, and enjoy the interview!

Interview

Thank you so much for joining me today Troy! When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

I wanted to be a writer from a very young age. I was a young and advanced reader for my age. It was my escape. I wrote my first full book when I was six, titled George and the Giant Castle. I will be reworking the story and publishing it later this year.


I always find it so awesome when people know from a young age they want to write. I myself didn't discover my passion for writing until fairly recently, so I envy people like you a little bit :) What has been the most difficult part about being a writer? 

Time management, by far. It is hard to balance family, kids, a day job, and endless hobbies and interests with time for writing and nowadays promotions, marketing, etc. Being a writer is a full time job.


Oh yes, time management is still something I have yet to truly learn! Who are your favorite authors? 

Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Kurt Vonnegut, and Steven King top the list. I love John Irving and Ken Follett, plus some new Indie authors like Heath Lowrance, Allan Leverone, Luke Romyn and Tom Isbell to name a few.


I adore Vonnegut's work! He's among my all time favorite authors. What authors inspire you? 

John Irving had a great influence on my upcoming book Temptation. Most inspirational are the indie authors like me out there pushing the edge of genre and convention.


I must confess I've never heard of John Irving but I will be checking him out :) Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it? 

I plan scenes but I always keep an open mind. Many times the character takes over and says “This is what I would really do.” You have to listen to your characters and follow their lead.


I couldn't agree more. There's nothing wrong with planning, but you've got to be willing to let your characters lead if they try to take over. What type of books do you like to read? 

I like mysteries and thrillers, but I enjoy literary fiction as well. I read quite a variety and try to be open 
to reading new stuff. There are some great British authors right now.


Mysteries and thrillers are so much fun! What do you like to do in your free time? 

In the winter I am a skier. I’ve skied almost 30 days so far this season. In the summer I bike, hike, fish, and generally enjoy the outdoors. I am a terrible beginner golfer, primarily because I haven’t put much time into it.


Love skiing but haven't done it in forever. I need to convince hubby to take me skiing sometime :) Where is your favorite place to vacation? 

Glacier National Park tops the list, although I enjoy almost anywhere with mountains. I love the mountain life. Of course, I live where other people go to vacation.


I've never been there but now I'm curious lol. What’s your best Valentine’s day story? 

My wife’s birthday is the day after Valentine’s Day, so you can’t do a combo (don’t try it fellas). So for her 35th birthday got her a Valentine’s gift, and then on the 15th I gave her 35 roses. Although I am highly allergic to them I drove the 20 miles home from work with those roses in my Geo Metro to present them to her. By the time I got home I was nearly blind.


Awww that's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard!! You're a good husband :) And you're right, you definitely can't combine gifts haha. Why did you choose to write a psychological thriller? 

This story snuck out of the dark and chose me. A psychological thriller is what the story turned out to be. I didn’t really think about the genre when I was telling it. After it was written I had to look back at it and decide what it was.


I love that the story dictated what it was going to be :) What has been the most fun about working on your books? 

The fans. I have received incredible feedback that makes me feel humble and thankful. I’ve always loved to tell stories. To see those stories impact others has been the greatest feeling ever.


Fans really can make all the difference! What has been the hardest scene for you to write? 

There is a scene in Redemption (I won’t say which one, but when you read the book you can probably figure out which one) that I couldn’t believe I was writing. It was where the character drove the story. When others read it, they can’t believe what they are reading. It was hard to leave the scene in the book, but it wouldn’t be the same story without it.


Well now I'm intrigued and want to read this even more haha, Do you have any favorite characters? 

Actually Samuel Elijah Johnson is one of my favorite characters ever. I relate to him on many levels.


Since he's one of your favorite characters ever, tell us more about Samuel Elijah Johnson please. 

Sam is a regular guy who got into some trouble as a young man. He’s sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit but he realizes he is far from innocent. His mother believes he is the next prophet or a savior of some sort, and although Sam denies believing it, he often acts like he does. He has a fragile arrogance that gets tested often.


Can't wait to read his character!! In your book, an ex-con becomes an attorney. How did you come up with that idea? 

The whole idea of Sam started as a short story. My favorite question is “what if?” I thought if I was wrongly imprisoned and no one believed my story, what would I do? Law school seemed like a logical way out.


I love asking "what if" because it can lead you down so many varied and interesting paths! With your main character being a lawyer, did you find you needed to do a lot of research? 

I needed to do some. The good part of that is that Sam isn’t as much a great attorney as he’s a great speaker and in some ways lucky. I do have to look up points of law from time to time, but I have a few close friends who are attorneys so usually I can get a good answer from them.


In some ways it's better not to focus on the law parts too much because I find books that are heavy in factual detail on things like the law can get very weighty and aren't as much fun to read. What are some of the ways you touch on the theme of redemption in this book? 

Every character has something in the past or present they have done and that they feel the need to redeem themselves for. Every one of them seeks Redemption in his or her own way. For instance Sam tries to redeem himself from selfish motives and turn his skills into something that helps others.


Wow, this sounds so good. My TBR pile is definitely growing lol. Tell us more about book 2 that’s coming out this March. 

Book two in the series brings back Sam, Peter, and a host of new characters. All of them are tempted by something. And they have to come to terms with that Temptation. There is more at stake than any of them know—perhaps even their very souls.


Well lovelies, be sure you grab Redemption so you're all set for Temptation when it releases! What's next for you? 

This year will be a busy one writing wise. I have already started book 3 in the Samuel Elijah Johnson series, titled Confession. I just completed a coloring book project for the museum where I work. I’m writing a script for a documentary for them, a melodrama for the local community theater, the above mentioned children’s book, and a large non-fiction project later in the year. I also do research and technical writing, so it might be easier to answer what isn’t next.


Wow, you really are set up for a busy writing year! We are unfortunately out of time, but is there anything else you want your readers to know? 

Stay tuned for more of Peter and Sam in Confession and then the prequel to the series titled Transgression (early next year). You can also find my work in a couple of anthologies including one titled Dragonthology published by Untold Press and two more coming later this year. Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and my website. I’m often involved in cool giveaways and just general fun.


Thank you so much for stopping by Troy! It has been a blast and Redemption sounds fantastic!

Redemption...Buy it Now!

What do prison and church have in common? In both places you can learn of your need for redemption. You can even determine to right the wrongs you have done: you can determine to redeem yourself. However, true Redemption is not found inside the walls of a church or a prison. Sometimes you have to go further and do more to find it than you ever imagined.

Redemption is a dark psychological thriller that tells the story of an ex-con turned attorney, an insane man with a secret addiction, and a marriage spoiled by poor choices.

Samuel Elijah Johnson seeks to overcome his past by educating himself in prison. He graduates law school but has no clue what to do next until a fellow prisoner plants an idea in his mind.

Arthur Creed was raised in a strict evangelical church by militantly religious parents. He hides a secret addiction and a secret insanity. His sins come face to face with the rules ingrained into his memory by his parents.

Randy Peterson wants desperately to do the right thing, to be the kind of hero he feels his family deserves. He especially wants to convince his wife’s parents that he’s “good enough” for their daughter.

Things spin out of control. Their worlds all collide with a monumental crash. In the end, can any of them find Redemption?

Temptation...Coming Soon!


Meet Troy!

Troy began his writing life at a very young age, penning the as yet unpublished George and the Giant Castle at age six. He grew up in Southern Idaho, and after many adventures including a short stint in the US Army and a diverse education, Troy returned to Idaho, but the north end of the state this time, where he currently resides.

Troy works as a freelance writer and researcher by night, and the Museum Operations Specialist and Head of Research at the Wallace District Mining museum by day. He truly loves to write dark, psychological thrillers and released Broken Bones, a collection of his short stories, last September to great acclaim and with reasonable success. His new thriller Redemption is available now.

Troy lives with his wife of eleven years, two of his five children and two very talented dogs. He is a skier, cyclist, hiker, fisherman, hunter, and a terrible beginning golfer. The sequel to Redemption, titled Temptation will be released early in 2013.
Connect with Troy


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Interview with Brian Dobbins!

Hello my lovelies! Today's interview is a little bit delayed and I greatly appreciate Brian Dobbins' patience with me :) For those of you who don't know, I was in a car accident on Monday so I'm a bit behind schedule. No worries, I'm fine and working on getting back on track! So without further ado, let's get started!

Interview

Thank you so much for joining me today, Brian! When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Since childhood. I wrote short stories and comic books as a kid.


Oh that's so awesome! Love comics :) What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?

Finding the time to write and market my writing has been the biggest challenge. Writing is the easy part. Except for the editing. Then it has to actually be good.


I 100% agree with you there. If I could agree more than 100% I would lol. Who are your favorite authors?

That's always a tough question for me. There's so many I could name. H.G. Wells, Harper Lee, William Goldman, Robert B. Parker just to name a few. And in no particular order, as they say.


Some of those I haven't heard of but will definitely be checking them out. What authors inspire you?

All the ones I just named, to some extent.


Awesome :) Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?

Both. I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want each scene to accomplish, since I think every scene should drive the story or be relevant in some way. But it's not unusual for those same scenes to take a couple of twists and turns that I might not have foreseen. And dialogue… well, sometimes a character will say something that I just didn't see coming.


Love that approach! I've never been a great planner because it's so much fun to see where your scenes take you. What type of books do you like to read?

I'm a big fan of detective stories. I love noir. Crime drams, suspense, fantasy, westerns, supernatural and science fiction… I read it all.


I think it's great that you've got such diverse tastes; it can make for much more interesting story ideas in my opinion. What do you like to do in your free time?

By "free time", I assume you mean when I'm not working and/or writing. I spend that time (when I have it) reading, exercising, seeing friends, being outside and with my 14-year-old daughter. The young man I think of as a son is grown, so I don't get to see him as much as I'd like, but we get together when we can. I love good friends, good food, good music and good drink, especially when they all happen together.


Aww, that's wonderful! Where is your favorite place to vacation?

Either the woods or the beach. I like quiet, outdoor vacations with quaint, rustic places to hang out in. I'll take a cabin or B&B over big cities and bright lights during a getaway, unless it's to see friends who are there.


I freaking adore the beach! What’s your best Valentine’s day story?

Hmm. I'm not sure. Probably one I would make up. I do make stuff up, you know.


Hahaha, fair enough. Why did you choose to write a thriller featuring witches?

I didn't. It chose me. I was writing comic books for a place called West Street Enterprises when the first version of the story came to me, literally in a dream. I saw it as a live-action double splash page, with the title in big comic book type letters. Initially I started it as a comic book series but the story kept getting bigger, often because of subsequent dreams. Finally the owner/publisher of West Street, Al Tudor, suggested I just write it as a novel and he published it. The prologue and the climax are exactly as I dreamed them. Eventually I reworked it, added about 15,000 words, and was lucky enough for the new version to be picked up by Eric Beebe at Post Mortem Press. Both Al and Eric are the people who are really responsible for the story to ever see the light of day, and I'm very grateful to both of them.


That's awesome it came to you in a dream! What has been the most fun about working on your books?

Just writing them. When the muse is singing and the words are flowing, it's a real blast.


I couldn't agree more! What has been the hardest scene for you to write?

Right now I'm working on the sequel to "Jasmine's Tale" and it involves bad guys who are, among other things, human slave traffickers. That's pretty horrific subject matter, and for authenticity and believability, I've had to include a couple of scenes that were very difficult for me to write. One in particular disturbed me enough that I stayed away from the keyboard for two days.


Oh wow, that would definitely be hard to write. Do you have any favorite characters?

I like most of my characters, but I think Sam Melody, is probably my favorite. He's a straightforward, loyal, hardworking guy who is usually driven by a pretty solid morality. He's often in over his head against very powerful creatures, but he always manages to pull through.


Ooo now I'm intrigued :) Definitely going to be checking out this book! I love the fact that you combined witches with detectives. Where did the inspiration come for that?
As I said, I love detective stories. I thought it would be interesting for a witch to have a husband who did private investigations for a living. It just seems to work, at least for me.


Well, I for one think it's an unique premise and I can't wait to read it. Tell us more about Sam and Jasmine please.

Jasmine Peletier is a witch who has been around for 2500 years. Don't worry, she looks great for her age. Her adventures take her through a lot of historical events before she reaches the 20th Century. Finally she meets Sam Melody, and realizes that he is destined to be the husband for whom she has unknowingly been waiting. They fall in love, get married, and have to contend with other powerful witches who have been battling with her for a very long time.


Hey, no marriage is easy, I mean my husband and I battle super powerful witches too ;) If you lived for 2500 years, what do you think your favorite time in history would be?

I was just talking about this the other day with a friend. I think I'd probably choose Medieval Times or sometime during the Old West. Until it was time to see a dentist or a doctor. Then I'd want to come home pretty quick.


I have to say, I think I'd choose medieval times too. I love reading about that time period. What can we expect from future books in this series?

Magick, mystery, and some good old detective noir, with a lot of humor sprinkled in.


Alright, I'm sold haha. Those are all elements to a great story! Please tell us about your other books.

I also have a western out right now entitled "Corryville", which is set in 1887 Wyoming territory. It follows the trail of a ranch foreman named Ethan Darny, who has suddenly found himself thrust into the life of an unwilling outlaw. The book is loaded with what I hope are some pretty interesting characters. I've started a sequel to this book also, but it's on the back burner for now until I finish the sequel to "Jasmine's Tale".


That sounds so good too! Even more to add to my TBR pile! What's next for you?

Ask me that again after I finish these two sequels!


Haha, will do! Well, we are unfortunately out of time. Before you go, is there anything else you want your readers to know?

I'd like them to know how much I appreciate all their kind words regarding my work. I hope they enjoy every word. There's more to come.


Thank you so much for stopping by The Lindsay Show! And thank you again for your patience with my delay in getting this up :) 

Jasmine's Tale...Buy it Now!

When Sam Melody, a hardworking private detective, meets the beautiful Jasmine Pellitier, the consequences could be deadly. Although Jasmine seems like the perfect woman, she is actually a 2,500-year-old witch… and is being pursued by ancient enemies who will stop at nothing to learn the secret of her powers.

A fascinating marriage of witch-tale and detective yarn, Jasmine’s Tale: Darkness and Light takes the reader from Sam and Jasmine’s adventures in modern-day New York City to her ancient European beginnings and back again, as they try to elude their enemies in a running battle between good and evil.

From ancient times though the Crusades to the Salem Witch Trials and beyond, follow Jasmine and the man she loves in to a final showdown between the powers of Darkness and Light.



Connect with Brian!

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/briandobbinswrites
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jasmines-Tale-Darkness-And-Light/139188712841649
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Corryville/259657977387677

Twitter
https://twitter.com/BrianEDobbins

Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1509379.Brian_Dobbins



Sunday, January 27, 2013

Exciting news to announce!

Hello lovelies! I have some very exciting news about my Mythrian Realm series. I've been stagnant lately and have had trouble with Waking the Phoenix. One issue I've had is setting up the back story for a pivotal plot point (yay alliteration!). Well, I've discovered the perfect solution thanks to the help of my wonderful muse, Carrie Fort.

I will be releasing a novella early this spring (shooting for March but no guarantees) featuring Sha's half brother. This will allow me to introduce the necessary back story without bogging down Waking the Phoenix.

This novella will be set entirely in the Mythrian Realm and will have the same fast pace you all loved from Breaking the Nexus as well as magic, mayhem, and sexy shifters. Yes, you read that right. Our hero is a Chimerae :) The heroine? Half Chimerae, half wind Sorceri. I bet you'd like to know their names, wouldn't you?

My hero will be Achaius Rilke and my heroine will be Saia Makan.

I look forward to bringing you more details soon!

Review of Soul Sister by Janiera Eldridge

Happy Sunday lovelies! Today I'm reviewing Soul Sisters by the fantabulous Janiera Eldridge!! Let's get to it, shall we?

Review of Soul Sisters

About the book:
Publisher: Janiera Eldridge
Price: $0.99
Length: 136 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Description (from Amazon.com):

Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.

However, when the vampire’s leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.

What I liked:

I adored how unique the premise of this story was. Basically, Dana gives her soul to Donovan in exchange for saving the love of her life. In doing so, her soul sister, Ani, is created. Ani is Dana's identical twin except for one key difference: Ani is a vampire. That right there is an awesome concept and so unique from anything I've ever read. Overall I thought this was pretty good, there was some romance, plenty of adventure, and a great relationship. The sisters are over 100 years old and you get flashbacks from present day to when Dana was younger and first gives away her soul. These are handled in separate chapters so it's clear when the flashbacks occur. I felt this was a great way to approach these and I think they really enhanced the story.


What I didn't like:

There are a couple of things that bothered me about this story. First of all, the formatting needs to be redone. Initially I was given a review copy but I bought the book on Amazon since it's only $0.99. Before I get into the formatting issues, let me say that I have a Kindle keyboard. Now, there are no indentations for the start of a paragraph and except in a few places, there's no extra white space between paragraphs. This made it very distracting when reading because it felt like the text all ran together. Additionally, the chapters didn't have definitive breaks so it was easy to miss the heading "Chapter X" amidst all of the text. Maybe it doesn't look so bad on other Kindles, but on mine it made me have to focus a bit more and disrupted my ability to truly become immersed.

My other issue was with the style. The author jumps perspective and sometimes I'd get confused about whose thoughts I was reading. You'd have a large block of one character's perspective then suddenly it would jump to someone else's. With no clear breaks in white space or anything to indicate a section break, it was jarring.


Overall Verdict: 4/5 Blue Duckies!

The story and premise in general were great and really interesting. It definitely kept me reading and I was dying to find out what happened next. I just wish it were better formatted and that the author hadn't jumped perspectives so much. 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Interview and Review with T.L. Frye + GIVEAWAY!!!

Happy Saturday my lovelies! I'd like to welcome a brand new lovely to The Lindsay Show, the fantabulous T.L. Frye! I had the privilege of getting to beta read her awesome fantasy book, The Secret of Magik and Dragons and it is soooooo good. It will be released next week so be on the lookout for it!! First, bask in the awesomeness that is the cover!



Be sure to leave a comment with your email address for your chance to win one of 2 ARCs of this awesome book!

That's right...2 winners!! Everybody do the happy dance :)

Alright, have your coffee or tea ready? Let's get started!

Interview

Thank you so much for joining me! I'm so happy you let me beta read this wonderful book :) When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

In elementary school, we had an assignment to write a short story. I wrote pages and pages and loved it. So did my teacher. She thought it was so good and I fell in love with writing and I continued writing on my own.


Aww that's so awesome! I remember doing a story back in 5th grade about a witch and I loved it. I wonder whatever happened to it lol. What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?
Finding time to do it. Right now, I still have a regular 40-hour a week job as a report editor, and sometimes it saps my writing energy. I have to think about English in two different ways. I also have a teenager, a husband, and a mother with an illness.
Oh wow, you are busy! I think it's fantastic that even with all that going on, you still find time to do what you love. Who are your favorite authors?

J. K. Rowling (of course), Anne McAffery (I still read her on occasion), Victoria Holt (especially when I was a teen), Jennifer Crusie, Kady Cross. These are some authors whose books I’ve bought and read because they wrote them. There are a lot of other authors I’ve read, especially lately, and I’m waiting to see something else from them.

OMG Anne McAffery was one of the very first fantasy authors I ever read and her books are what led me to adore the fantasy genre. What authors inspire you?

J. K. Rowling has an amazing story. So does Stephanie Meyers, I think. But their stories are also a bit cautionary. Both had publishers that, I think, messed with their stories, and they aren’t what they should have been because of that.
I will admit that part of the reason I'm hesitant to ever sign a contract is because I'm afraid the publisher will want to change my story too much. Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?
I am what one of my writing instructors calls a “pantser”; I write by the seat of my pants, as I go. I will do a rough outline once I get into a story, to try to keep my on track, sort of a road map, but there are lots of different ways to get somewhere, and I usually take a lot of detours.
I'm a pantser too! It's much more exciting that way I think :) What type of books do you like to read?

I grew up reading Victorian Gothics, fantasy, and then romance (think Barbara Cartland). I still read romance, but I like lots of different stories. I read YA stuff, though not so much the dystopia. I read steampunk and science fiction, literary if it isn’t too depressing.  I don’t like to cry when I read; but I love to laugh.
I love that mix of genres and I completely agree about not wanting to read anything too depressing. Reading is an escape for me and escapes are supposed to be fun. What do you like to do in your free time?
What free time? I love to read, always have. Though since I decided it was time to start publishing, I don’t have as much time for that as I would like. I have three books started but unfinished beside my bed right now. Two are by independent writers.
Hahah I think becoming an author should come with the warning "you will have very little time to actually finish reading a book once you've written one." Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Anywhere as long as I get to spend time with my husband and daughter without stuff pulling us away. My husband has his car club hobby, my daughter is in theater and art. We all have our own thing and it’s nice to do stuff to focus on each other. My dream vacation, though I have not been there yet, would be a grand tour of Europe.
Oh, that sounds like it would be simply amazing. Why did you choose to write a fantasy novel?

I read fantasy as a teen. Anne McAffery, Madeleine L’Engle, Piers Anthony, and a lot more. I also like medieval romance and that’s kind of like fantasy – it was real, but it isn’t anymore, and folks believed in magic and sorcery.
Well, I must say I'm thrilled you fell in love with the fantasy genre because I adored your book. I LOVED the interaction between the dragon and Alex. What was your inspiration for the dragon’s personality?
Hard to answer. Probably my husband, with a bit of my brother thrown in.

LOL I must admit, I was very curious how you'd answer that. Love your answer! Tell us, if you could have a pet dragon, would you want one? Why or why not?
I don’t think I would want one. My dogs wouldn’t like it much. And if it was like Orion, I know my husband wouldn’t like it! :)
Who knows, maybe the dogs would love to play with it! Hubby might get a little irked but maybe you could convince him to share you with Orion ;) What has been the most fun about working on your books?

I love writing. I can be walking down the street and an idea will pop into my head. They don’t’ always work into a full story, but it happens. And I’ve met a lot of great people since I decided to start publishing – reviewers (like you and Cynthia), artists (like Rene, who did my cover), and other writers. Though I love the writing, the promoting and marketing sucks. It drains the life out of a person.
I think one of my favorite things has been the people I've met too :) You're all such amazing people! What has been the hardest scene for you to write?
In The Secret of Magik and Dragons, it would be that last scene in the dungeon. I rewrote it over and over. I’m still not 100% happy with it – but I think that’s why there’s a second book in the works.
I can definitely understand how it could be a hard scene, but I thought it was very well done. Do you have any favorite characters?

I love J. K. Rowling’s characters in the Harry Potter series. They aren’t perfect, they make mistakes, big fails even. I think this makes them real. It’s the same for Jennifer Crusie’s characters; they are sometimes deeply flawed, and yet you fall in love with them anyway.
Oh yes, J. K. Rowling has some of the best characters I've ever read! Tell us more about how you came up with the premise for The Secret of Magik and Dragons.
Many, many years ago, I told my daughter a bed time story about a dragon that was really a little boy. That story stuck with me. When my daughter was in elementary school, I started writing about him and a girl that turned into Alex. I finished it the first go round when she was in middle school, and her class mates read it and really liked it. I tried sending it to agents but no one bit.
That's awesome that you were able to have her classmates read it :) I'm so glad you didn't let it stop you that no agents wanted to pick it up! The world was so rich in your book. Tell us more about it. Did you draw inspiration from anywhere when you were creating it?
I like medieval periods and stories. Arthur and the round table. Dragons and swords. When I wrote about Alex and Orion, that is the world I saw them in. I’m not sure how Gwennie turned into a gypsy. That kind of just happened. Same with Bertram. They just grew, these characters, and the world grew with them.
I love Gwennie as a gypsy, no matter how it happened haha. Do you plan on writing any more books featuring the characters from The Secret of Magik and Dragons? I really hope you are :)

Yes. I’m working on a sequel now (among many other projects). In it, we’ll meet couple more characters and go on a “road trip.” 

Oh yay! That made my morning :) What's next for you?

More writing! Beside the sequel to The Secret of Magik and Dragons, I’m working on a contemporary teen book, the sequel to Dhampyr Heritage (as E. G. Gaddess) and a bunch of short stories. I think one of these short stories will morph into something bigger – it’s about a girl whose Mom gets cancer. She’s younger than teenage, which is a little different for me.
I cannot wait to see what else you write. We are unfortunately out of time, but is there anything else you want your readers to know?

I have a page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/T-L-Frye , and my website should be ready soon (I’ll post on my Facebook page when it’s ready.)

And don’t forget, if you like Victorian Vampires, check out my Dhampyr series as E. G. Gaddess.


Thank you so much for joining me today!

Review of The Secret of Magik and Dragons


What I liked:

I'm a huge fantasy fan if you didn't know so obviously that was a huge draw for me. I loved the characters of the book, especially Alex and Orion. Alex is so sweet but she's also spirited and Orion was amazing. I never thought my favorite character in a book would be a dragon. When I was younger, I read and reread the Dragonriders of Pern books and in a lot of ways, the relationship between Alex and Orion reminds me of those stories. Besides the characters, there was plenty of adventure to keep things interesting and I enjoyed the pacing very much.


What I didn't like:

As much as I loved the personality of Alex, the name threw me for a loop. In the story, Alex is a girl pretending to be a boy, so the gender neutrality of the name could be why the author chose it. My issue is that it's a very ordinary name and seems out of place within a fantasy. I'm not saying I expect something out of this world, unpronounceable, or totally bizarre, but I guess I was hoping for something a little more fantasy.

The other thing that stuck out was there was a tinge too much description in some parts but that's more of a personal preference. The world is very rich and very immersive, I'm just more of a "dive in and give me action" kind of gal.


Overall Verdict: 4/5 Blue Duckies!

If you're looking for a fun, action packed fantasy, definitely give this one a read! The friendship between Alex and Orion is wonderful and this will definitely keep you entertained!!



Don't forget to leave a comment with your email address to be entered to win one of 2 ARCs!!

Meet T. L. Frye




T. L. Frye lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband and daughter, and two stand-in dragons (her two bullmastiffs.) After 6 years in the Navy, a Bachelor's degree in English, and one child that couldn't find anything she liked to read, she decided it was time to start publishing her stories.


Friday, January 25, 2013

Release Day for Without Consent by Bev Irwin



Release Day / Without Consent by Bev Irwin



Bev Irwin

What an exciting day! And a contest too!

Another release day. Today is the day my medical / police thriller, WITHOUT CONSENT, comes out. So thrilled, I’m doing the happy dance. Glad you could come and join me.

What type of dance would you do? Jive, polka, rumba, or would you be refined and do a graceful waltz?

I’m doing a rock and roll. This is the fifth book in just over a year to be published which leads me to the today’s topic.

What to do while you are waiting for the train to stop at your corner?

The first thing you need to do is decide where you are going?

Do you have a specific genre you love to write and read? Or are you like me and like to genre hop?

I guess it’s my ADD but I like to multitask and I also like to flit from one writing project to the next. Not the most effective way to get the job done but it does keep things interesting.

Usually, I have several projects in varying stages of completion. Right now, in the romance genre I have a contemporary, a medical, and a suspense manuscript nearing completion. Another medical thriller with the same characters in WITHOUT CONSENT is partially written. I have three young adult novels in progress, one of them a sequel to my paranormal young adult, GHOSTLY JUSTICE with Daria and ghost, Amanda.

Now to just get them finished. But I have been so busy with edits and promotion for the books that came out this year that my writing time has been limited. I’m not complaining. It has been an amazing time. I’m so glad I’m ADD and had so many projects to pitch once the train stopped and let me get on.



So how did my journey begin?

It started with a pitch session with Savvy Authors in the summer of 2011. I pitched my medical romance, WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE to Debby at Soulmate Publishing and that book came out in December of the same year. At the same session, I pitched two books to Lauri at Black Opal Books and she contracted me for both of them! The first, my paranormal YA, GHOSTLY JUSTICE, was released in April, the second, a suspense with romantic elements, MISSING CLAYTON, came out in July.

Then, in October, Black Opal Books published IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS, a middle grade/ YA, adventure. This book is about a boy’s survival in Northern Ontario while he searches for his missing father.

And, now today, (I’m doing a drum roll) my medical / police thriller, WITHOUT CONSENT, is being released. Wow! What a ride it’s been.

Now to get back to writing and finishing all those other projects and pray that they also find homes.

But I’m digressing. The point I’m getting at is that while you are waiting for that first amazing contract, you need to be writing, revising, writing, revising... It’s always good when you get a contract to be able to say, “Well, if you like that one...I do have...”

And there you go, possibly not only published but multi-published.

You write, you write some more. Keep that pen moving. You take courses, learn your craft, join on-line groups, go to conferences, meet other authors, network.

Go to conferences in the genres you like to write in. There are a ton of them out there and at different prices and lengths. You can find some that are an afternoon, a day, or even a week. Remember they can be a tax right-off when you do get published.

For myself I really enjoy a good mystery or thriller so I tend to go to conferences like Bouchercon (for writers and readers), Sleuthfest, Book Passages.

Network at the conferences. You never know what will happen. For me one of the most thrilling thing was chatting with Lee Child and him offering to read my manuscript and giving me the book endorsement: “A fine medical thriller.” Now how cool is that?
I’ve met so many wonderful writers at these conferences. You don’t harass them, you chat about life and interests. Respect them and their privacy, but don’t be afraid to approach them and say how much you like their books or their characters.

Do all the prep work so that when the train stops you are ready to leap on board with your bags packed with a variety of the best you can write manuscripts.

And keep dancing. I know I hope to.

Enter the Giveaway Below for a chance to win an eBook of your choice of one of my novels. 



You can check out my other books and an excerpt of each one on my website:

Bev Irwin Website
Black Opal Books
Soul Mate Publishing

Without Consent Links





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Release Day and Review for Wicked Valentine!!

Hello lovelies! Let's welcome April Angel to the blog today to celebrate the release of her latest book, Wicked Valentine!! Let me tell you, it's incredibly wicked. And scorchingly hot. And sexy. And did I mention, scorching? Seriously, you lovelies will need a cold drink or a sexy partner after you read this one! But, let's get to the review shall we?


Review of Wicked Valentine

About the book:
Publisher: Etopia Press
Price: $3.99
Length: 73 pages
Genre: Erotic contemporary romance
Description (from Amazon.com):
Who knew being wicked could be this fun?

Maxwell Stone has wanted Sabrina for over a year. But Nina’s the ultimate professional and has no intention of getting involved. That is, until the night she gets a little tipsy and finds herself begging for his touch.

After an intense night of making Nina’s sexual fantasies come true, Max finds he doesn’t want to let her go. Nina wants Maxwell too, but she won’t put her job on the line for any man. She loves the passion they shared, but when she’s invited to the Wicked Valentine Ball, she decides it’s time to put Max out of her mind. Of course, the last thing she expects is for him to be her escort. And she doesn’t expect to find someone else trying to keep them apart. Permanently…

Reader Discretion Advised: Contains hot sex in public, binding, and dirty talking.

What I liked:

I love Milly Taiden/April Angel's books because they're short, amazing, and sexy as hell. She writes real life characters, not the typical perfect in every way type that so many authors write. I also love how incredibly erotic her love scenes are and I must admit, this one takes the prize. I've read every one of her books and Wicked Valentine blew me away with its blazingly hot chemistry between Max and Nina. 

I will warn you, there is a bit of voyeurism and toys, but I found it added to the eroticism. This had enough plot to keep things interesting and I'm not ashamed to admit, I'm claiming Max as mine. I'm a sucker for a dominant man and boy does Max deliver on that. 


What I didn't like:

One of these days, I'm going to convince April to write longer books. Then again, my Kindle may spontaneously combust if she writes longer books with even more sexy scenes. It'll be worth it though :)


Overall Verdict: 5/5 Blue Duckies!!


When it comes to erotic romance, you really can't go wrong with Milly Taiden/April Angel!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

New Year's Resolutions

Overall, I think New Years resolutions are silly. What is it about the first day of a new year that will make you suddenly change your bad habits? In theory, it's a good concept but few people follow through with them. It cracks me up how as soon as January rolls around, diet plans, gym memberships, exercise gimmicks, and more all run rampant on the TV.

Now, I freely admit that I waited until the New Year to sign up for the gym because I was hoping to get in on some good deals. My husband and I are a little overweight, but mostly we want to get healthy. Neither of us are fans of tons of fruits and veggies so we both need to do what we can to keep our bodies in relatively decent health. He's actually doing a better job than I am right now at exercising, but I had a small victory this morning.

I actually woke my lazy ass up 90 minutes before I usually do so I could meet my friend at the gym!!

Granted, I only worked out for 15 minutes because I was late, but I'm focusing on the fact that I actually took that first step. It didn't kill me to wake up early, the world didn't end because I was out and about, and best of all? I actually felt relatively awake by the time we went into work. I'm going to attempt (keyword being attempt) to go some mornings by myself so I can swim, but my friend and I have a plan to meet a couple of times a week in the mornings so maybe I'll be able to stick with it!

I refuse to call it a resolution though. That'll jinx the whole process.

I've set goals for 2013 for myself. Those are different right? I plan to have my trilogy featuring Connor and Sha done this year, as well as at least one or two novellas. I plan on breaking the top 10k in rankings on Amazon. And I plan to try to relax and enjoy life. You see, I'm one of those people who obsesses over everything. I'm a control freak in all aspects of everything because if I wasn't in control, I'd be wondering what was happening at all times and whether it was being done correctly. That worked just fine before I was an author. Now? Not so much.

I'm proud of myself. I've let go of the reigns to a few wonderful lovelies who will manage aspects that overwhelm me, like social networking. I'm not going to run my next blog tour and will instead let someone else handle all the details. I've realized if my writing is going to take off, I need to write. Imagine that. So my biggest goal for 2013 is to continue delegating some of the work so I can bring the stories in my head to all of you wonderful lovelies. My other goal is to blog more on here. You lovelies who interact with me on Facebook know me pretty well, but as awesome as Facebook can be, I can't babble like this in a status message. I'm pretty sure Facebook would hate me if I did. I love babbling though so this will get interesting.

So, those are my goals, not resolutions. Don't want to jinx it :) Now let's see if I can make this happen!

Interview and Review with Genevieve Scholl!!

Hello my lovelies! We're bring some sexy holiday spirit to The Lindsay Show today with my fantabulous friend, Genevieve Scholl! She's here to talk about her latest release, Love Claus. As if that wasn't enough awesomeness for you, I decided to sneak in a review of her book! So sit back with your coffee or tea, turn on some Christmas tunes, and enjoy the show!

Be sure to grab your copy of Love Claus! At just $0.99 it's a bargain :) 
Genevieve is donating $15 for every $100 in royalties to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease Research!!

Interview

Hey Genevieve! First of all, I have LOVED getting to know you! :) Second of all, freaking loved your book but we'll get to that later haha. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

When I was little, I used to write stories about turtles and bunnies, so I’ve always been a writer at heart I guess. But, in High School I was bullied quite a bit and the stories were the only way for me to express my feelings. In fact, I started out killing the bullies, but eventually I evolved into more subtle revenge lol. So, I guess you could say I’ve always been meant to be a writer.
OMG that's awesome. Who doesn't love turtles and bunnies :D What has been the most difficult part about being a writer? 

I’m not sure really. Since it’s my passion, there really isn’t any difficult part, but to be realistic I suppose there are parts that I love more than others. Being self published, the promotion is a tad bit more challenging, but I find ways.
For me, promoting definitely tops my list of hardest things. Who are your favorite authors? 

Nora Roberts, Lora Leigh, Darynda Jones, James Patterson, and Christy Parks top my list.

Those are all awesome authors :) What authors inspire you? 

Richard Castle

You know, I haven't read any of the books but I freaking ADORE "Castle." See? Even more reason you're awesome :) Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it? 

When I started, I winged it, but now I have my very own murder board!


That's interesting how your style changed. Having a murder board has got to be fun though! What type of books do you like to read? 

I read mostly anything, but romance and paranormal are my favorites.

Those are my two favorite genres. What do you like to do in your free time? 

Free time? What’s that? Lol… In addition to being a writer, I am also a photographer, crafter, artist, and am studying for my Paralegal degree.
LOL I know right? It's fun to still ask that question but I should know by now that none of us actually has any free time. Where is your favorite place to vacation? 

Ireland

You've been to Ireland?! And you've never told me?! I MUST SEE PICTURES! Sorry, Ireland's a little obsession of mine. I'm dying to go one day. We're technically past the holiday season but since this is a holiday themed book I've got to ask anyway. Do you have any special holiday traditions? 

Not really, except my mom and I put up the Christmas tree on Black Friday and take it down on my birthday.
I have a confession. My Christmas tree is still up lol. Why did you choose to write a holiday romance?

Christmas is my favorite time of year and I still believe in Santa Claus, even at the age of 25.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with believing in Santa Claus. Santa is awesome. What has been the most fun about working on your books? 

The beginning. There’s no other feeling like looking at that blank canvas and waiting to paint with your words.
Alright see here's where we differ. The beginnings are by far the hardest part for me. What has been the hardest scene for you to write? 

In Love Claus specifically… I’d have to say it was the first scene with the Reindeer.

It may have been hard to write but it was great :) Do you have any favorite characters?

Santa is my favorite character in Love Claus, because he isn’t like the traditional Santa. He’s conning, sneaky, and just a little bit naughty.
Being just a bit naughty is so much fun! Tell us more about The Naughty North Pole :) 

The North Pole isn’t all snowflakes and candy canes as you would think. There are some naughty behind the scenes moments that you’d never expect.
Lovelies, you're going to love Genevieve's take on The North Pole :) Trent is very sexy. Is he based on anyone in particular? 

Yes, Trent is based on a real person, but unfortunately I’m not allowed to divulge the info :)

Oh, you're just cruel :P Do you plan to write any more holiday (not necessarily Christmas) themed stories? 

I am going to be writing a book in the Naughty North Pole Novels every Christmas until everyone’s story is told. As for other holidays, you never know. I love all the holidays, as you can tell, and if the opportunity arises I just might. I’m thinking St. Patrick’s Day, but don’t tell anyone ;-)
Don't worry, your secret's safe with me! Tell us a bit about your other books please. 

A Mother’s Day Murder: Donna’s Story and A Father’s Day Fatality: Tigria’s Story were my first born babies. They are both mystery romances and take place on the Chokey Reservation. They have everything I love, Native American men, cops, and suspense.
Hear that lovelies? More books to check out! What's next for you? 

I am working on the second and third books in the Naughty North Pole Novels and then I am also working on the first book in a series called The Birds of Paradise.
Well I for one can't wait to see more from you Genevieve!! Anything else you want your readers to know? 

Not really, I just want them to know that I am very grateful for their support!


Thank you so much for joining me today! It has been a pleasure to get to know you better :)

Review of Love Claus

About the book:
Price: $0.99
Length: 78 pages
Genre: Romance
Description (from Amazon.com):

Cindy Gingerman loves the Christmas holiday, but sometimes she feels like she’s the only one. Her parents don’t celebrate, her best friend would rather be in Tahiti than watch the snow fall, and Cindy’s been single for a while. What a depressing Christmas.
Until, Trent shows up at her door dressed like Santa and holding a tree. Something draws her to him and she lets him into her home and her head…
Now, the only question is, will she let him into her heart as well?

Trent Claus knew that Cindy was his destined bride. From the moment he saw her, there was no denying it. The only challenge he had to face was getting her to believe it as well. Can he do it?

“Sweet Cindy…”

He believes he can, until his father falls ill and he has to move his plans along a lot faster than expected. What will Cindy think of his little town and the truth of who he is?
Will she run like his ex-girlfriend had? Or will she stay and make him the luckiest, and happiest, man on Earth?

“Please don’t go…”

What I liked:

This was a nice, fast read. At just 78 pages, I was able to zip through it pretty quickly and these days, I just don't have time to read. I hadn't planned on reviewing it so soon but I made the mistake of reading the first couple of pages and was hooked. I generally don't go for pure romance because I'll be honest, they tend to bore me. Luckily, Genevieve kept me entertained throughout and Trent was damn sexy. I'm claiming his as mine. No one else gets him. Mine. But I digress lol. It was well written and despite the fact Christmas was a month ago, it was wonderful to be transported right back into the holiday spirit. Holiday themed books can sometimes be cheesy, but this felt well balanced and I loved it.

Did I mention this was sexy as hell? No? Cause it is. Very sexy. But, Trent is mine. Sorry, ladies, I call dibs ;)


What I didn't like:

Honestly? I can't think of anything I didn't like :)


Overall Verdict: 5/5 Blue Duckies!


If you're looking for a fun, quick, sexy read, look no further! Just because it's no longer Christmas doesn't mean you can't get into the holiday spirit. And let's face it, if The North Pole is this sexy, I'll set aside my hatred of the cold ;)


Meet Genevieve!

I'm just a small town girl living her dream of being a published author! I'm also a photographer, artist, crafter, etc... I just love to create!


Connect with Genevieve: