Capitol Hell Author Spotlight

This off-beat, funny novel captures and shares what it is like to be a young staffer working on Capitol Hill.

When recent college graduate Allison Amundson, a small town girl from South Dakota, lands the highly sought after job of scheduler to the newly-elected and rising star of the United States Senate, Senator Anders McDermott III, she thinks she is on the fast track to success.

However, she quickly learns that crazy co-workers, a high maintenance boss, an over-the-top family and an unexpected Presidential bid make Capitol Hill seem even more dysfunctional than portrayed on TV. In fact, it is Capitol Hell.

The second Allison sets foot in the prestigious Senate Russell Building, things begin to go awry. Allison soon realizes her co-workers consist of a Chief of Staff who has little to no control over the antics in the office, a Press Secretary who is not only pompous, but who is constantly primping and preening, and worst of all the Senator himself, who cares more about his rise to fame than the people of Minnesota. As Allison struggles to juggle a new career, her blooming love interest in Cam (a quiet but loyal Legislative Assistant), and her ever-declining bank account, she is comforted only by her co-worker Janet, a fireplug who spends the majority of her time on-line dating, trying to land a Senator of her own. 

Just as Allison and Janet begin to figure out the ins and outs of Capitol Hill, their lives are turned upside down when Senator McDermott announces his bid for President of the United States. Soon, Allison and Janet find themselves at the center of one of the craziest campaigns in history, and hilarity ensues.

You can snag your own copy on AMAZON!

Alicia Long is originally from Hartford, South Dakota, a small town just outside of Sioux Falls.  In 2003, she received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  Upon graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work on Capitol Hill.  While working on Capitol Hill, she served for United States Senators Norm Coleman (MN), John Thune (SD) and George Allen (VA).  She also served in various capacities, including scheduler, legislative correspondent, legislative aide, intern coordinator and caseworker.    While working on the Hill, she became proficient at mastering the metro system, crashing the nearest receptions, and acting as a tour guide for friends and family.

Alicia loves finding good deals on fashion, funky high heels, and opts for wearing Calvin Klein dresses and a blazer in lieu of a suit any day.  You can often find her out to happy hour with friends, checking out local shops or at the beach.

Her bucket list includes: going sky diving, traveling the world, mastering the New York Times crossword puzzle and marrying Green Bay Packer Quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Alicia currently resides in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia with her German Shepherd/Black Lab mix, Sarge.

Jayne Jones, a graduate of William Mitchell College of Law, left Capitol Hill to work for the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she was the Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the House. 

Following her drive and compassion to teach others about the legislative process and drafting legislation, Jayne is starting a summer academic program for teens to master public policy and the legislative process. Additionaly, Jayne teaches political science at Concordia University. 

Jayne is full of life and loves reality television. She wholeheartedly believes in living each day to the fullest and loves a great sale for funky jewelry and skirts under $20. She thrives on meeting current and former United States Presidents, cheering for the University of North Dakota Sioux hockey team, catching Alaskan halibut, securing emergency medical visas for orphans and aiming to win her family’s salsa making contest! 

On her bucket list: being on the Wheel of Fortune, going to happy hour with Kelly Ripa, and figuring out how to boil corn-on-the-cob for that oh-so-darn-good buttery taste.

She is currently planning her wedding on a shoestring budget and resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.

You can connect with Jayne and Alicia on:

TWITTER / WEBSITE / GOODREADS

Welcome ladies! Lets talk about your book Capitol Hell! Is there one character in your novel that you feel the most passionate about?

Jayne: Easily, Janet Johannson. Janet hails from northern Minnesota before moving to DC to work on the Hill for US Senator Anders McDermott. Janet is a very naïve, an over-thirty-year-old virgin who finds herself in an internet dating relationship with a blind US Senator.  She’s crazy about him. Too bad, it’s not vice versa. Like a typical politician all he wants is “personal favors.” 

Alicia: Janet is fun, but I have to say I am partial to Allison.  One might say we have a lot in common. ;)  Allison hails from South Dakota and really wants to make a difference in the world.  She get’s herself into all sorts of shenanigans on the Hill, but for the most part she keeps her cool.  I think anyone who is fresh out of college and trying to navigate their first demanding job can relate to her.

What aspect about this character was the most difficult to envision? The easiest?

Jayne:  Janet is a hoot but her mind is constantly thinking about sex. For a virgin, it doesn’t make much sense! I think some of the off-the-wall sexual humor was difficult. HA. The easiest is super easy. I’m from northern Minnesota; fell head over heels for politics, elections and campaigning. Left good ol’ Minnesota and went to work on the Hill. I’m still very naïve but I’ve never dated a blind US Senator.  Hmnnn.

Alicia: I don’t know if any part of Allison was hard to envision.  She is a twenty-something year old Hill staffer who is flat broke, works long hours, is distracted by her office-crush, and who is constantly in over her head.  Haven’t we all been there?? ;)

During the birth of your novel, was there any point where this character took an unexpected turn?

Jayne:  I think Janet stays true to herself. She easily could get caught up in Hill antics and quite frankly, lose her virginity to a US Senator. Thankfully, that doesn't happen! Maybe we can all pitch in and get her a Match.com membership!

Alicia:  Allison also holds to herself.  At times she puts up with more crap than she should from her co-workers and her ever-demanding boss, but hey, that’s what you do when you are in your twenties just trying to make it in our Nation’s Capital! 

If this character suddenly sprang from the pages, what questions would you have for him/her?

Jayne:  Um, you don’t know how funny is actually is!  Did Karma, the Senator’s wife, really stick her hand up the condom vending machine at the political rally stop?

Alicia: What’s going on between you and Cam (her office crush)??

Is there a particular passage or scene from your novel that you feel embodies this character the best?

Jayne: “Oh my God, you frickin’ pansy,” I said before I answered the phone. “Hello.”

There was a long silence and then I could barely hear Jenkins ask, “Janet, is that you? ”

“Um, yes, sir, this is Janet,” I lied, looking at Janet who was perched on the bed, white as a ghost.

“Don’t call me sir, my love kitten,” he said. I felt sick. “Purrrrr.” “That sounds like you, my love kitten. Are you ready to get frisky? ” he asked, laughing. “How are you? ” I asked. “Missing you and wondering what you’re wearing tonight, my little pet,” he said. I could barely control my laughter and felt nauseous. “Don’t be silly, Senator,” I responded as I stared at Janet. “You heard about Nancy tonight? ” he asked. “Yes, we just saw the news and I wondered what you thought,” I asked as I tried to disguise my voice. “It sounds like my love kitty has a cold and needs some warm milk to smooth her throat,” he said.

Alicia: After little sleep, I woke up before my alarm clock went off at 5:45 a.m. Without hesitating, I quickly checked my BlackBerry for any overnight messages. Shit. Seventeen unread messages from McDermott. I fell back onto my bed to scroll through them. They read, in order:

1:45 a.m. Tennis balls? LOL. Anders. 

1:46 a.m. Need home number for Chairman Jenkins. 

2:15 a.m. Hello? Are you there? 

2:16 a.m. I need Jenkin’s number now. 

2:19 a.m. Jenkins! Damn it Jenkins! 

2:25 a.m. Answer me. Did you receive my messages? 

2:55 a.m. Call me. 

3:30 a.m. Rose, pls talk to Allison about being more responsive to my needs. Improvement necessary. 

3:31 a.m. Schedule lunch with Jenkins for tomorrow.

3:33 a.m. Karma will need a ride to the airport. 

4:00 a.m. Anyone home? Anyone working for me? Do I pay your salary? 

4:15 a.m. Need kids’ school schedule faxed to Karma. 

4:55 a.m. How many frequent-flier miles do I have? Karma? Kids’ account? 

5:12 a.m. Apartment is out of decaffeinated coffee. Karma would like some this morning and prefers fresh beans. Can you have Cam drop some off?

5:15 a.m. Allison? Allison? Earth to Allison? Come in, Allison. 

5:16 a.m. Charles, need Jenkins’s number and lunch plan. 

5:30 a.m. Did not sleep well. Pls. have driver pick me up at 9 and have Cam leave coffee with concierge.

And a terrific top-of-the-morning to you, Senator Asshole—I mean—Senator McDermott.

I dressed quickly and on my morning commute I tried desperately to fight back tears. Charles kept telling me that my position was one of the most sought-after in the Senate. According to him, it was either scheduling for McDermott or he could help me land a job as the official Senate elevator girl. Apparently that gig had a uniform, including hat.

Alicia and Jayne have been awesome enough to provide 

a PB copy of their book to giveaway! 

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Cat Thursday #9

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats!

Hosted by THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT

Hello my fellow cat lovers!! 

I've been so slammed with work lately, 
and all my kitty photos are piling up!

So, I picked some of my favorites from the week.

Hope you enjoy!

My little girl finds the best sleeping spots.

How comfy does she look?? ^^

Where do your darlings sleep?

Author Spotlight Post - Linda Cadose - Interview

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx, by Linda A. Cadose, 

is a YA mystery adventure novel set in Giza, Egypt. 

The book follows archaeologist Dr. Cliff Post and his friend Dr. Abdul Saad who discover a hidden chamber in the Great Sphinx. Inside of the right paw they find ancient scrolls and 13 crystal skulls that form a supercomputer.  This great discovery soon takes a dangerous turn when Drs. Saad and Post are followed, spied on and eventually kidnapped. On this extraordinary adventure, readers learn information about not only the Great Sphinx but also about Egypt, its mysteries, and the study of archaeology. 

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx is the first book in a series featuring the tales of American archaeologist  Dr. Cliff Post. Follow him in later books as he visits underwater pyramids and goes to Jerusalem. 

You can purchase your own copy on

AMAZON

Linda Cadose is a retired respiratory therapist who is now a children's book author. She likes to travel, enjoys reading, and loves history. She has been to Egypt and has visited all of the historical sites she discusses in her book. Linda currently resides in Carver, MA. For more information, visit HER WEBSITE.

Hello Linda! It so great to have you here! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

My main inspiration for The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx was my trip to Egypt. I have always been interested in Egypt since a was a student in Mr. Sawyer's Social Studies Class. I vowed that when I grew up I would travel to Egypt.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Self-publishing was my first choice, but I found editing difficult.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I chose to hire a professional editor to edit my work because I wanted objectivity and accuracy. You can't be objective about your own work. The change we agreed to make was to change the villains from Islamic terrorists to one archaeologist who steals antiquities. We decided that using Islamic terrorists would make the book too violent.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I don't think that my habits are unusual but here are my writing habits: 1. I write a summary then 2. I write a description of each character and 3. finally I write a fluid outline.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

The Hidden Chamber In The Great Sphinx 

Chapter 5

The rest of the school year crept by for Cliff. He hadn't realized how much he was

looking forward to his upcoming sabbatical until he got back from Cairo

and went back to work. Talking about Egypt and being in Egypt 

were a far cry from one another, and the short time he'd spent there made him want to be back immediately. He was in one of his afternoon classes giving a lecture, and he kept glancing at the clock. "The Giza plateau is a mile square and was leveled by human hands. The plateau is 130 feet above the Nile Valley. It is only half a degree off from being perfectly level. Any questions so far?" Cliff asked his students as he paused in his lecture to make sure he wasn't losing them. A student raised his arm, and Cliff pointed to him.

"Professor, I understand why the Egyptians made the pyramids, but what was the purpose of the Great Sphinx?" "That's a good question, Peter. The Great Sphinx guards the pyramids of Giza," Cliff told the student and pointed to another student who had her arm in the air. "Dr. Post, what exactly is a sphinx? I've always thought it was, like, a cat," the young lady wanted to know. Some of her classmates giggled. "Settle down, guys. That's a good question, too. Does anyone know the answer to Stephanie's question?" Cliff looked pointedly at some of the students who'd giggled when Stephanie asked her question. "You, there. Thomas. You seemed to be very amused by Stephanie's question. Should we take it that you know the answer?" "Well, isn't it, like, I mean, doesn't it have the body of a lion and the head of a man? I think it's something like that," Thomas said and the smile was gone from his face now that he found himself in the hot seat. "Correct," Cliff told Thomas. "The word sphinx comes from an Egyptian phrase which means 'living image' or statue. It is a sculpture carved out of a sandstone knoll. The Great Sphinx is 240 feet long, just a little under 14 feet wide and stands 66 feet high. It wears a Pharaoh's headdress, which is denoted by the cobra on the forehead. "The Sphinx's nose was shot off with a cannon by Napoleon's troops and is now housed in the British Museum. At one time, the Great Sphinx was painted dark red. The eyes were painted black, and the headdress was painted white. The Sphinx is situated so that it faces the rising sun on June 21st, the summer solstice. 

Thanks so much for sharing this with us Linda!

Look for my review of The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx,

 coming soon!

Indie Author Spotlight - William Harlan - Interview & Giveaway

Antioch 

A Fantasy Novel with Zombies!

By William Harlan

"Armageddon is arrived."

Threatened by an unnatural plague that raises the dead, an ancient order of mystics must choose between keeping its secrets and saving humanity.

Kind of like Star Wars with zombies.

You can snag your own copy on:

AMAZON / SMASHWORDS / iTunes 

B&N / KOBO / SONY

William Harlan lives in Houston Texas with his wife, Carrie, and son, Adrian.  He is an “A” ranked Gouken on XBox live Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition and is also an unaccomplished songwriter.

Connect with William on:

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS

Welcome to the Spotlight William! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

I love role playing games. With "The Circle" series I want to create a place that lets me tell Dungeons and Dragons style adventure stories with my own slant. Antioch basically introduces my version of the paladin class and an undead creature, the bauran. That's a skeletal way of looking at it, of course.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Yes. I don't like the idea of someone else owning or controlling my work. The worst part of the process has been my self doubt. When I feel like I'm a bad writer and that I shouldn't have tried, that I shouldn't have emptied years of myself into this first book, that's a terrible feeling.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I do most of the editing myself. I take a lot of advice from my wife as well. She suggested a rearrangement of chapters that I felt made the book stronger. That was probably the biggest change after the first time I let someone read it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I wore earplugs for the majority of writing this book. My computer was in a small alcove in the hallway between the living room, where my wife tended to watch Real Housewives (Arrgh!), and my son's room, from where "Hey, dad!" came like an alarm every five minutes. My earplugs were indispensable.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

My favorite part is chapter thirteen, but posting that would be a spoiler. I have an excerpt from chapter four if you like (attached).

Excerpt from chapter 4 - Lost Son

A warm, orange fire flickered in the pit. Pockets of sap snapped and hissed. Daniel propped a useless roasting spit against the oak. He hadn’t managed to catch any fish. Sitting on one of those huge roots, thinking about food and his family, hands hurting so badly he hated the rope, Daniel quit. He’d just go home, apologize and eat. By then he’d forgotten why he’d run away in the first place.

That was when he heard footfalls in the forest. He searched and called out, “Pa? Is that you?” There was no answer except for an added urgency in the approach. Horace was coming to the oak. Daniel recognized him through the lowering gloom by the size of his shadow. “Pa!” His father had never come to get him before. Horace always waited for Daniel to break. The boy smiled and thought, not anymore. Now you’re too old! You’re too old and need help with the chores. Ha ha, Pa! Daniel’s smug grin narrowed into suspicion as he studied his father’s stride, a staggering charge.

His eyes went wide. “Drunk on some!” He shimmied up the rope, regardless of his hands. “Oh no you don’t, Pa!”

Horace grabbed the rope below, but it was too late; Daniel had reached the tree house and pulled himself through the opening. The boy tried to bring the rope up too but it stuck in his father’s grip. Daniel scowled down at him. “Fwah! You can’t get up it anyway. Even if you did you couldn’t fit through the hole! You can go on home. I’m never coming back!”

Daniel plopped down, folded his arms and frowned at the rope. Horace’s drunken slant showed in its tension and waver. Over a few silent minutes, the boy started to imagine fishing from a raft, an oak tree for a pole and a sea monster on the line. He narrowed his eyes and decided to wait him out, refusing to speak.

After half an hour, he started to think his father had fallen asleep. Daniel tugged on the rope. Horace still held it tight. The boy went back to frowning.

That night the campfire’s glow came up from the hole and around the edges. The platform was like a lily pad on a pool of light, and Daniel was the toad. His wide, big-eyed frown watched the rope stay tight and wavering. He thought it was very strange. What’s he doing? Is he angry? Is he sorry? He tugged the line again. “Pa?” His father had come and was down there waiting for him. It had to mean something.

Despite the things said in anger, Daniel always planned on going home. Every time he’d run off before, he’d been welcomed back. So, he spent much of his time away thinking about how to word his grievances upon return. Though the circumstances were odd, with his father having come to him rather than Daniel crawling home in defeat, it seemed like the right time. He gave Horace the prepared speech.

“Pa, if you’ve got to give me a wallop, you shouldn’t call it a spanky. That’s disrespectful to me. I’m grown up, or near there, and you shouldn’t shame me like that in front of Becca. You always say to say sir and be respectful, but you should too. I don’t mean calling me sir, but being respectful.”

As Daniel waited for a response, guilt began to replace his draining frustration. He said things before he’d been knocked out of the kitchen that night. Part of him felt he deserved a wallop. “Pa, I’m sorry about what I said the other day, about Ma. I didn’t mean it.” He wanted to see his father’s face. He needed something other than silence. But, descending the rope still felt like a bad idea. He lay down and waited for Horace to speak.

Daniel woke up in the morning, in the forest’s dappled light. The rope was the same, tight and wavering. It wasn’t just strange anymore. It was frightening. “Pa?” He crawled over to the hole and looked down at his father’s blank, smoking stare. A cold weight settled in his stomach.

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Indie Author Spotlight - AZ Green - Interview & Giveaway

Beasthood (The Hidden Blood Series, #1)

New Adult Shapeshifter Novel

May 22, 2013

Meet Jaz. She's not girlie, she's not sweet, she's not a pushover. She's feisty, she's stubborn, she's determined. She's broken and she's haunted. She thought she was human. She thought wrong.

Trapped in a world she can't escape, living with a community she resents, she soon discovers the walls of her kind are riddled with chilling secrets. As the mysteries begin to bleed through the cracks, Jaz finds herself sucked into a whirlpool of lies, secrets, murder and deceit, causing her to rethink everything she had at first believed.

What is the price of knowing too much? Well, Jaz is about to find out...

You can snag your own copy on:

AMAZON

A.Z.Green was born in 1989 and raised in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. She met the love of her life aged 16 and moved to London, finally settling down near Brighton. She has written various novels and short stories in her lifetime but has only recently decided to publish. She writes a wide range of genres such as dark fantasy, romance, thriller, historical fiction, dystopian, horror and paranormal. Her books tend to fit better into the New Adult genre as they usually have a more mature theme. Beasthood is her first published novel.

You can connect with AZ on:

TWITTER / GOODREADS / BLOG

Welcome AZ! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

The inspiration of Beasthood is a mixture of three things, a dream, an actor and my imagination. The beginning part of the story (during Jaz's journey to Deer Creek) was based roughly on a dream I had, which sparked my inspiration to create this novel. The character that is one of my favourites, Driver, is based on an actor who has the similar voice, calm and frowning disposition and appearance as him. Though the actor is a fair bit older than Driver's character. If you're curious, look up Mark Strong, and imagine a younger version of him. His role that I think closely resembles Driver (though I wrote this before the film) is the role of Jacob Sternwood in Welcome To The Punch. My imagination created all the other things such as the beast shape-shifting creatures, their village, the whole mystery. I must admit, even I surprise myself with some of the things I come up with.

Was self-publishing your first choice? 

For this book yes. I had written a novel before Beasthood that is still in the editing process. I had sent that book to a publishers, then a few days later I started writing BH. When I got a rejection email six months later from the publishers I was so into writing BH I carried on and put my other novel on hold. I just decided BH would be better self-published so I had more freedom. I don't know why, I had considered sending that to a publishers too but the self-publishing just sort of happened. I don't regret it.

What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

The moment I put it up. That day I was all nerves, I wanted to get it right. The hard part is knowing what format is better to convert to the kindle format. I made the mistake of converting my word doc to a PDF file and then uploaded that to amazon. It completely messed up the formatting. I was getting paranoid when two people refunded it. I checked it for myself, saw the mess and discovered using a word doc to upload to amazon was a better option. The whole issue with page breaks before a new chapter was a hassle. But I think the formatting is fine now. That's the hardest part about the publishing process. The hardest part after that is getting it noticed and promoting it.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? 

Yes. I had help from friends who read through it for me though. They aren't professional proofreaders as such but they've read enough books to know what mistakes to find. It's always helpful to have a fresh pair of eyes go through your work.

What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?
The biggest change was a decision I was painstakingly deciding on about a character's fate. I wasn't sure whether to kill them off or not. It's a hard decision to make and I think I made the right one. It was important to the plot of not just this book, but the next in the series. 

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development? 

I wouldn't know if my habits are unusual but I occasionally record my voice on my phone when I'm playing out conversations I plan to write. I speak out-loud without the recorder too, and try it over and over again so I get an idea of what I want the characters to say in that scene. It helps me ground the situation and practice different ways of going about it. Character interaction is important to me. As for everything else, I write my ideas on paper then onto my laptop. Another technique I've used but not so much with Beasthood is spider diagrams to develop characters. With Beasthood I used the family tree approach and wrote down all the members of the Deer Creek community currently living there (not including those who live outside permanently/ temporarily at that time) and I gave them all names, relationships and a short description of their appearance and character. As I involved some of them in the novel I would go back to the family tree and add more info about them the more I developed them as I went along.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of? 

Now that is a tough one! My favourite scenes are probably the ones with Nik and Jaz or Driver and Jaz. But then I like the scenes with Jaz and Carr, and also with Alf. I also like Garik's scenes, he was a great character to write. So I'll try and choose wisely here. Okay I've decided on an adrenaline pumped scene. I would do the lovey dovey ones but I'll leave you all hanging on that front. 

This is a long extract from Chapter 7. It is while Jaz is in the car travelling to Deer Creek and she is overcome with sickness and feels drowsy. I've always loved this scene, writing it and reading it back. It is a favourite also amongst my readers. 

Her feet and ankles were throbbing and the strange pressure made them feel like they were swollen with blood, about ready to explode. Her head was pounding, her stomach was so fragile; the little jolts as her capturer’s boots hit the ground at each step made her want to throw up again. Her whole body was bruised and sore from the struggle and the exertion she’d put it through. Her chest was feeling the worse of it. She still hadn’t recovered from being winded.

Everything hurt but that wasn’t what worried her.

She felt faint and dizzy and couldn’t think straight. She was exhausted; inches from a deep and long sleep. It made her panic.

Her breathing quickened, becoming uneven and increasingly weaker.

She wheezed in pain at the pressure her panicked breaths put on her bruised chest and winded lungs. Soon the tiredness corrected that. She tried to fight it but she could feel her consciousness slipping away with each step the driver took.

The driver marched further up the dirt road, carrying her close to his chest. He glanced down at her with a pained expression in his eyes.

As he got nearer to the two idiots that couldn’t even perform a simple task of staying hidden, his expression became furious and very frightening.

He was disgusted with himself and everyone else for letting it come to this.

The plan had been to get her in the building and let her sleep while they got down to business; no panic, no problem. The drug would keep her sedated for several hours. Only now she’d wake up in absolute fear. He’d only agreed to do this if he could be the one to break everything to her gently, and slowly. Now the very site of him would horrify her. He clenched his jaw tighter, grinding his teeth.

The plan had totally been fucked up thanks to Barry and Norm for their incompetence. He gave the two men the full force of his glare as he strutted towards them. He walked as if he wasn’t carrying a ten stone burden. That amount of weight was nothing to him.

The two men stepped aside warily as he stormed between them. He stopped just as he walked past them to growl, “You fucked it up. Youwill be dealt with, make no mistake about that.”

The two men held their heads down and warily shuffled several paces behind him.

The aunt and uncle were staring from their place by the car.

By then Jaz had lost consciousness and her eyes were completely shut, her mouth half open as she’d tried to cry out. Her furrowed brow had flattened out now as her mind was lost to the world of sleep. “I hope you’re happy,” he addressed them in a low snarl.

Aunt Erica opened her mouth to speak but her husband squeezed her arm in warning. The sight of the menacing glare on the driver’s face, and her husband’s firm hand made her close her mouth hastily.

The driver stormed forward, leaving the car behind. They weren’t far from the village now. “Let’s get this over with,” he barked loudly, though it wasn't really clear who he was talking to.

Broken Fate Release Day Blitz

A Broken Fate (A Beautiful Fate Series #2)

By Cat Mann

New Adult Paranormal Romance

OUT NOW! AUGUST 26, 2013

Purchase A Beautiful Fate on Amazon / Purchase a A Beautiful Fate on BN

Coping with the traumatic experiences Ava endured with the Kakos is more challenging than she ever imagined it to be. She finds herself struggling to remember the details of her time kept away with Damien Kakos and when the memories assault her mind, she is plagued with crippling fear. There is something in the back of Ava’s thoughts screaming at her, telling her that the fight with the devil’s brood has not yet ended.

Newly married, Ava and Ari deal with issues involving trust, honesty and faith in one another and as they plot their course for a new life together, they discover that their individual wants and needs don’t exactly match. Ari’s promises to Ava begin to break. Some of the Alexander’s family secrets are revealed and Ava realizes that she needs to keep her friends close, and her enemies even closer. A Broken Fate, the second novel in The Beautiful Fate Series, dives further into Ava and Ari’s nail-bitter of a story and adds even more suspense, mystery, romance and thrills. This series is impossible for any reader to resist. 

 ~  Teaser ~

I stood there alone for what felt like ages. I hate what I had done to my marriage. I hate who I’d become. I had isolated myself from everyone I know, from everyone who has come to love me and accept me. Misha was right. I was ungrateful, spoiled and selfish. I was going to die, this I knew. No. 7 would come for me and I would accept him. I would accept my death. My family would be the ones who would suffer, they would be the ones who would end up hurt and would cry for me. Just like they had every other time I faced death, every other time I turned away from them, lied to them and betrayed their trust.

~ Quote ~

Ari- “You are beautiful, Ava, even in defeat.”

Ava-- “I was a big, fat liar.”

    ~ About The Author ~

Cat Mann has lived her entire life in central Illinois, but her interests and passions span the planet. She loves skiing, French music and working with the written language.

A self-proclaimed hermit, she is happiest at home reading, writing and scouring the far corners of the internet for new musical artists -- artists she skillfully weaves into her tales of the offspring of ancient Greece. She is happily married to her amazing and awe-inspiring best friend, Derek Mann, and together they have created two beautiful daughters.

A Beautiful Fate is Cat’s first novel in The Beautiful Fate Series. The second installment of The Beautiful Fate Series, A Broken Fate, will be available summer 2013. Visit Cat on Facebook and keep up with Cat on her blog.

You can connect with Cat on:

Blog / Facebook / Goodreads 

Indie Author Spotlight - S.M. Blooding - Interview & Giveaway

Fall of Sky City

Book 1 of the Devices of War Trilogy

A New Adult Fantasy Steampunk Adventure

Published by Blooding Books

April 5, 2013

In a world governed by the opposing forces of the mystical House of Tarot and the tribal Great Families, Synn is caught in the crossfire.  He witnesses the slaughter of innocent people, and the devastating murder of his father. This act awakens his Mark of power, a Mark greater than any the world has seen in a very long time.

Queen Nix thought she won a great prize when she destroyed Synn’s father, the leader of the strongest Great Families. She had no idea she’d be doubly blessed by capturing his son. However, before Synn can become her treasured weapon, before she can use him to bring the rest of the world to its knees, she must break him and bind his soul to hers.

She does her job with brutal brilliance. Synn’s mind is broken and his soul is seared to hers in an unbreakable bond.

That doesn’t stop him from wanting to be free. She may have broken his mind and claimed his soul, but he will find a way to destroy her.

Experience a world of ships that sail the clouds and cites buried beneath the ocean, and survive the fiery battle brought forth by those who control the forces of nature!

You can snag your own copy on:

AMAZON

SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, Ms. Bird, the Chicken and SistaPITA. It's quite the zoo. She’s taken a break from the piano, which Ms, Bird is quite happy about, and now knows more than one word in Arabic. Basically, she can say hello, good-bye, give it to me, and hurry up!

She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.

She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!

You can contact the author on:

Twitter / Facebook  / Website/blog / Goodreads

Hello SM Blooding! And welcome to the Spotlight! Is there one character in your novel that you feel the most passionate about?

It’s a tossup between two of them, my hero and my villain, but in the end, I’d have to say my hero, Synn El’Asim. He’s a young man struggling to do what’s right, but the definition of “what’s right” keeps changing as he gains more life experience. 

For me, it’s just a lot of fun to experience this with him. I know it sounds silly, but it makes me feel better about myself knowing that he’s making a few of the same discoveries I did. The silly part is that he’s an imaginary character. The reality is that he’s real enough that there are several others who can relate to him, what he’s experiencing, discovering and his reactions to his plans. It’s almost like we bond through him. Do I sound completely lame or what? LOL!

What aspect about this character was the most difficult to envision? The easiest?

He’s a man. I’m not. It took me a good year to be able to hop into his head. It still took me an entire book to really figure out how he thinks, why he reacts the way he does. 

When your hero is a woman, there’s a lot more going on in her head. In order for her to be a hero, she has to work harder, be right all of the time, be strong all of the time, kick herself for having a moment of weakness. A female has to be 150% awesome 100% of the time. 

Synn looked pretentious when I tried that with him. He looked like a supreme princess. It was awful. So I had a few heart-to-hearts with a couple of down-to-earth men and realized that everything’s simpler for a man. At the same time, though, it’s a lot more difficult. So, on one hand, it was easier for me to write in his voice. He can be scared and shrug it off instead of having to over-analyze it. But…there really is a lot more expected of him. 

So the hardest part was trying to figure out how to think like a man. The easiest part was thinking like a man. 

During the birth of your novel, was there any point where this character took an unexpected turn?

Um, yes. I started off this book with an outline. The first few times I attempted to write the book, he laughed at me. I had the wrong voice. I didn’t understand him. He fought me the entire way. 

Once I figured that out, I put on my author cape and proudly showed Synn my outline. He looked at it and said, “That looks great.” We hadn’t even made it into the first scene before he took off and did precisely what he wanted to do. It made the book a bit more of an adventure. He didn’t know what he was doing, so I sure as heck didn’t. All I knew was that Sky City had to be taken down. I had originally planned that it would be more political. He….well, he changed everything. Just everything. I outline him anymore, but I do reign him in sometimes because he can be a bit of a blowhard-egghead sometimes. 

If this character suddenly sprang from the pages, what questions would you have for him/her?

There would be no questions. I’d likely slap him. I’m at a place in the story where he’s really pissing me off, and I’d like nothing more than to pull his head from his butt…with my boot. 

But it sure would be nice to just sit down and chit chat with him. His life story is running almost constantly in the back of my mind, so I almost feel as though there aren’t any questions left to ask. But if we were to enter into conversation—one that I didn’t feel I controlled because he’d be outside my head—I think I’d learn a lot more. 

Is there a particular passage or scene from your novel that you feel embodies this character the best?

“Why doesn’t Synn just surrender?” one of the younger council members asked, standing up. “Why should the rest of us suffer while the Hands try to get him back? What makes him so special?”

I had no answer for that. I was beginning to think the same thing. But was that reason, or was it the voice, my compulsion?

Mother looked to me to defend myself. 

I rose and cleared my throat. “I might turn myself in. I had thought I could do more good out here. There is a chance that if I remain in Nix’s care, I might become a weapon for the Hands, not a tool for the betterment of the world. I have no wish to condemn others to die so that I might hide. In doing so, I help no one, certainly not myself.” 

The man sat down, unnerved. 

That wasn’t my intent. I honestly had no idea what I should do. “We, as leaders of our Families, have a huge responsibility. We are responsible for the life and safety of our Family members. Our actions—all of them, big and small—have great impact on the world around us.” 

The man with the silvered pointed beard rose to his feet. “I hear your words, young El’Asim. You have truly aged since last we met.” 

I bowed my head. “I have learned much.” 

Joshua stood. “Bu’ we have also learned much about the Hands.” He took my shoulder and pushed me back in my seat. “Attack we must them.” 

Mother raised her hand. “You may speak Handish. It hurts trying to understand what you’re saying.”

Joshua let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I mean no disrespect.” He turned back to the circle. “We know tha’ their ships are made of metal.” 

“And our weapons cannot breach their hulls,” someone shouted. 

The silver bearded man sank into his chair, listening intently. 

“Because you do no’ know where ta strike.” Joshua paused, a smirk on his lips. “I do. We can teach you.” 

There are many things I love about this passage. One is that we get to see that Synn isn’t as self-assured as he appears to be. To be honest, he doesn’t even realize he appears to know what he’s doing. 

The other thing I love about this is that he inspires those around him and he doesn’t even do it on purpose. People who had been comfortable sitting around doing nothing about their situation are suddenly standing up and coming up with ideas. Joshua’s developing weapons. The Family elders are coming up with survival plans. None of it is intentional, but I love this passage for showing that he’s just like us, but he has the gift of inspiration without utilizing it on purpose.

~ GIVEAWAY ~

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Indie Author Week - Kat Micari - Interview & Gvieaway

Penumbra – a novella by Kat Micari

A NA Urban Fantasy

Published April 10, 2013 

Fed up with the dirty city and a disenchanting life as a fashion model, Beauty's world is at least safe. But the illusion of safety shatters the night that she frees herself from her self-imposed fears only to be thrust into the magical underbelly of the city, where forces that want to save humanity and evil beings that want to feed off humanity’s despair fight for balance and power. 

Driven from both the comforts and the trappings of her old life, now hunted by a cadre of sinister, rat-faced business men, Beauty's only hope is to join with a strange magical ally. Together, with the help of fae creatures in unlikely guises, they must seek out an enchanted, improbable artifact that can heal the city before evil tips the balance, once and for all. 

This powerful coming-of-age fairy tale follows the path of a young heroine who chooses to take fate into her own hands for the first time in her life, and of the consequences that her choice has on the magical beings of the city.

Penumbra is available for $1.99 at:

SMASHWORDS / AMAZON

Kat Micari is an author and artist living in the northeast of the United States with her husband, son, and two cats. She enjoys reading a clever turn of phrase, walking in nature, and dancing to the music of the universe. Above all, she loves creating and encouraging others to create.

EMAIL / BLOG / FACEBOOK / TUMBLR / TWITTER

Welcome to the Spootlight, Kat! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel?

The main inspiration for Penumbra is a short story I wrote over a decade ago.  Heavily reworked, this short story is now a large chunk of the first chapter that deals with Beauty's frustration with the modelling world and her emotional breakthrough.  I first wrote the short story during a period when someone had gifted me a subscription to Vogue Magazine (US), and I was both attracted and repelled by the models and the fashions and dealing with body issues.  This was the period in the late 90s when "heroin chic" was in style.  Unfortunately, not a whole lot has changed since then.  But once I wrote the short story and shelved it, I kept getting pulled back by the main character, and eventually this improbable fantastical story of magic and power and finding oneself grew.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process?

Self-publishing was my first choice.  I want to see what I can do on my own.  I'm kind of a control freak.  I also love collaboration though, so I'm not saying "never" to any type of project or any kind of deal, as long as it's one where all parties are treated as professionals and with respect.  As far as the self-publishing process goes, the most nerve wracking part was making sure everything formatted the way it was supposed to.  Thankfully, I had help, but I was still cursing out my computer and had to re-upload to Smashwords three or four times until I was satisfied.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters?

I do edit my own work, but I also have a writer as a husband, and we edit each other's work.  I have a close circle of writer friends that I can (and have) called on, but really, my husband and I are so anal that we tend to catch almost everything between the two of us.  We also occasionally rely on my mother for an extra set of eyes as she worked as a legal secretary for years and years and is used to making lawyers sound smarter than they really are!  The editing process is long and involves several go-arounds, including a thorough line-by-line edit, where I try to take each sentence individually and then see how it fits in each paragraph.  

In Penumbra, the biggest character change was to the Controller.  He was an info dump with not much personality in the first couple of edits.  He perhaps is a bit too much of an info dump still, but at least he does it in his own voice now.  The biggest story change was to punch up the last seven chapters to the level of chapter one.  Since chapter one was based so much on the short story, it was thoroughly polished, and it took a lot of work to get the subsequent chapters up to snuff.

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

No.  Oh, I used to, but since I carve out my writing time while working (from home now, which gives a little more flexibility!) and taking care of a toddler, I can't afford the luxury.  I do like writing with a coffee or tea available, and I do like listening to music without lyrics.  But I've learned to snatch the 15-30 minutes to write whenever and wherever I can.

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of? If so, include the excerpt below!

Yes!  For some reason, I amuse myself greatly with the following scene.  Beauty has been given a drug to forget the previous night and her quest, but the pigeons (who are fae in disguise) are trying to get her to remember.

Heading back home, she keeps her head down on the subway, avoiding eye contact.  No one tries to approach her, but she feels tense all the same.  She elbows her way up the subway steps and walks towards her apartment.  She sees a pigeon doing loops around her head and walks a little faster to avoid any possible droppings.  Another pigeon joins the first and they both make a dive towards Beauty.

“Hey!” Beauty yells, throwing her arms up over her head.  The birds rise again without making contact but swoop for another dive at her.  A third and fourth pigeon join the fray, and Beauty runs for her apartment building as the pigeons follow close behind.  A fifth and sixth pigeon run in Beauty’s wake, heads bobbing, wings spread, which causes several passersby to turn and laugh.  Beauty makes it to her front door.  The doorman closes it before the pigeons get inside.

The doorman snickers.  “Friends of yours?”

“Nice,” Beauty replies.  She shudders involuntarily and heads for the elevators.  

In her apartment, Beauty curls into her armchair and tries again to remember the previous night.  Nothing comes.  The details of the party seem sharp, but everything after the moment she walked out seems erased.  She balls up her fists in frustration and punches a pillow.  Her phone rings.  It’s her mother.  

“Hi mom... yes, I got your message... no, I was busy, I just got back in... a shoot... yes, that photographer you love... sure, maybe I can introduce you to him the next time you come to town... yes, I’ll try to come home for the holidays if I’m not working... no, I’m not being short with you.  Mom... mom... look, mom...” Suddenly, she hears a light tap.  Tap, tap.  Tap.  Persistent tapping at her window.  She looks up and sees a pigeon working at the glass with its beak.  Then another.  Then another.  They begin to come by the dozen, and soon the space outside her windows is filled with pigeons, climbing the screens, tapping at the glass, flying to hover right in front of her.  Their eyes seem intelligent, and they cock their heads this way and that in an attempt to get Beauty’s attention.

“Mom, I’ve got to go.”  Beauty hangs up her phone and runs from window to window.  “Go away!  What are you doing?  Just leave me alone!”  The birds continue to flock to her apartment.  Their bodies block the sunlight, creating shifting patterns with their shadows.  “What do you want from me?” Beauty cries.  The birds begin to coo and trill in response.  Beauty backs away and runs to the bathroom.  Locking herself in, she fights to keep herself from crying.  This is ridiculous.  I can’t believe this is happening.  It can’t be happening.

~ GIVEAWAY ~

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