The Crease Blog Tour

The Crease Blog Tour

She’s unique. Different. The moment we met I was gone. Long gone. From her pink hair to her vintage Converse sneakers. I have to have her and I always get what I want. Even if it means my dark secret could be exposed. My addiction to her might ruin my career. Maybe even my life.

I’m the most badass goalie the NHL has ever seen and my save percentage is inspiring. Almost as impressive as my chiseled body and ahem…other huge assets. I can snag any explosive rebound, any one-timer from the point and anything else that flies my way. I’ll lead my team to the Stanley Cup or die trying.

But my desire for Kylie puts my Hall of Fame career on the line. That and him. A vicious sociopathic blast from the past that I thought I’d never have to see again. And never wanted to. I’m a rich, famous hockey player—she’s a personal assistant. On paper we don’t fit. But there’s one place where we fit. Like a glove.

I have a stellar career and family obligations so I know I shouldn’t get involved with her. It’s too perilous. I can’t fall…risk losing my heart. But for the first time, I woman sees me. The real me. Not some walking wallet that distributes Benjamins like a malfunctioning ATM. And I sure as hell want her. Her tempting curves beg me to take it all.

But she’s been hiding something from me too. She has a secret that threatens to destroy us both. Even worse than mine. And so the superstar goalie is actually afraid. Because if either of those secrets see the light of day, it’s over.

Done.

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Colleen Charles Page

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Biography

Two truths, one lie is one of my favorite games. It's so much fun! No really ... let's play. I'll go first:

1) I once sang the national anthem for college basketball.

2) I've been hit on by Bill Cosby.

3) My horse won an Arabian National Championship.

I answer all e-mails personally so contact me at the address below and we'll see if you're right ;). Then, you can test my skills.

In the meantime, I'll be writing stories with sassy, curvy heroines and swoon worthy bad-boy book boyfriends who have an a**hole edge and hearts of gold. I might sprinkle in some romantic comedy along the way. By my side will be my fur posse and a Starbucks.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, enjoying and recommending the steamy romance stories stories that I write. When you share my work with others, it's so rewarding. Your word of mouth is my very best friend ... that, and your reviews. There is nothing more important to me than all of you.

I love to hear from my readers and answer all communications personally. You can find me at:

www.colleencharles.com - FREE FULL-LENGTH EXCLUSIVE NOVEL for new subscribers
https://www.facebook.com/Colleen-Charles-1505026199744713/
https://twitter.com/booksbycolleen
colleen@colleencharles.com

Colleen Charles is the award winning author of EIGHTEEN #1 best selling steamy romance books on Amazon. She specializes in ice hockey romance, second chance romance and curvy girl romance. Her books feature alpha male bad-boys, are written in a series and are not intended for readers under 18.

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Savannah Verte Blog Tour

Savannah Verte Blog Tour

Writing Process

My writing process to me is pretty straight forward. Once I have a story idea, I talk it out, out loud, for days, sometimes weeks. Once I have it refined in my head, I start researching key locations or any factual data that I will need, before I turn to the plot wall and my sticky note stash.

I’m a plotter. I learned the hard way that I cannot pants a book to save my life, the story gets away from me and goes rampant on tangents. Once I have the main characters identified, and the key transitions, I start working the board backwards so I know I end up where I plan to go and put the pieces in place arc by arc. In several of the books I’ve written, there are multiple story arcs, so I break each down one by one and put them up on the wall, before stepping back to see if I’ve left any major holes, or breaks in the flow. I can see by the color coding that I’ve learned to use if I have a pile up of action in one place or a lag in another. Hopefully, this keeps the story moving all the way through and doesn’t leave places for the reader to get bored.

Before I sit down to actually write, I plug into something instrumental that lends itself to the mood of the story and ‘read’ the board scene by scene to make sure I don’t have odd transitions between arcs, or have somehow have put a scene from one arc ahead of where it should fall in relation to another. More than once at this point I’ve had to pull an arc down and replot it to get it to flow and fit with the rest of the tale being told. Once I sit down to write, it’s too late. The story becomes fluid and jumbled then and I can’t see the timelines clearly. This final ‘read through’ for me is critical, and can sometimes take hours or days to get through.

Once the wall is up and done, it’s time to write. Block by block and scene by scene, I purge the story to words. As each element of the scene is incorporated, I take the sticky note down and turn it over. I don’t look back. Usually, within a couple of weeks, the whole story board is blank again and I have the rough draft done. I run a quick spelling and grammar check, print it off, and shelve it. After a few weeks, or days if I’ve been working on something else, I take it back out and read it with my red pen in hand. I make the corrections I’ve encountered, then I’m done and it’s off to the editor.

After the plotting, the waiting game is the longest part for me. I actively distract or pamper myself now so I don’t go stir crazy, or fall to the temptation to interrupt the editor working. Once I have the edits back and incorporated or declined, the book is formatted and off to betas for go time and it’s time for me to start working on another story.

Viva Zapata & the Magic 8-Ball

Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Four women face their flaws, fears, and futures when they meet in person for the first time on a girl's weekend in Las Vegas. Each gets a bit more than they bargained for as they get to know one another over three days in Sin City. Truths come out to prompt change as they learn that life is less about the cards in their hands than the way they play the game.

In the end they realize there is more about them alike than different and anything is possible with friends who support their journeys. Three days, a Mexican revolutionary, and a Magic 8-ball that came along for the ride later, they each leave Las Vegas different than when they arrived.

Sometimes what happens in Vegas can't stay.

One liner: Sometimes what happens in Vegas can’t stay.

Purchase Links:

Amazon:  paper- www.amzn.com/0692493867

                 Ebook- www.amzn.com/B01217QQVQ

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/viva-zapata-the-magic-8-ball-savannah-verte/1122380025?ean=9780692493861

BAM:  http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Viva-Zapata-Magic-Ball/Savannah-Verte/9780692493861?id=6782216317791

Book Of Time

Urban Fantasy Suspense

Blurb:

February 1950

It’s been thirty years. Every available Custos, and able bodied member of White Diamond, have once again converged in New Orleans. The Book of Time is to be passed to a new Keeper on Mardi Gras Day.

One group comes to make certain the exchange happens, align the next guardian, and keep them safe for the next thirty years. They had nearly failed before. They cannot repeat their mistakes.

The other group rallies to take the book and use it to change the world. They almost had it and the Keeper who could read it in 1890. In 1920 they botched every step and never had a chance. The book and the Keeper hadn’t been seen since.

One liner: Whomever controls the book controls the world, but the book is missing.

Purchase links:

Amazon:   Paper- www.amzn.com/1535370793

                 EBook –  http://amzn.to/2ggoXa2

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book-of-time-savannah-verte/1124259896?ean=9781535370790

BAM:  http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Book-Time/Savannah-Verte/9781535370790?id=6782216317791

Biography

A lifelong lover of words and reading, Savannah Verte hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to write when she grows up. Born and raised in the upper Midwest, Savannah’s gypsy spirit and never quit attitude keep her busy and seldom idle. For so many reasons, Savannah considers herself a ‘Contemporary Vagabond’ when it comes to writing and hopes that others find her diverse offerings as enjoyable to read as they are to write. 

Her first release in decades, Viva Zapata & the Magic 8-Ball began the journey August 1, 2015. Her short story, What they didn’t know, was featured in the January/February BTS magazine, and she co-authored a paranormal piece, Kingdoms Fall, which came out in early 2016. Her next two solo ventures, the first two books in The Custos series -Book of Time & Book of Change also released in 2016. After that, she’ll be working on her competition piece, Chasing Daylight for Cherry Adair’s Finish the Damn Book Challenge, she has an upcoming anthology work called Immortal Alchemy, and an untitled short story for a charity anthology that is a TBA release. There is a long list of titles to come after those are done too.

As the primary owner and driving force behind Eclectic Bard Books she considers herself immensely fortunate to see writing from varied perspectives as she endeavors to publish the authors rostered there. Working with other writers, Savannah gets to expand her horizons every day as someone brings a new idea to the table and the brainstorming begins. There is something addictive about the creative process for her and helping other authors embrace their dreams make hers a reality daily.

That’s the official Savannah, the unofficial version is just a girl who loves experiencing life with every twist and turn it takes. When she was born, she had such fine, light hair that her mother used to tape bows to her head so people would know she was a girl. She’s had a host of crazy unrelated jobs- everything from cake decorator, dry cleaner, and insurance agent to Emergency Room assistant, bartender, crime lab tech and bouncer. Savannah loves air hockey but completely sucks at it. She loves good jazz, good scotch, and antiques but also old rock, a quiet tea, and a tidy home. She’s completely technology impaired and can get it after she’s broken the computer or done it ass-backwards a few times… Thank Gods that there are some amazing meme creators that let her pilfer images or she’d be lost. Lime green is her color, the rhinoceros is her logo & philosophy, and she’s completely mad about seeing new authors try. 

Follow Savannah on Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsavannahverte

or on her webpage My Revolution: www.savannahverte.com

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Harrow's Gate Blog Tour

Harrow's Gate Blog Tour

At twenty two, Leland is excited about his foray into the adult world, as his father Franz Niva sends him on a low risk assignment to learn the family business of shipping. Along the way, his father’s right-hand man Carter Wayne keeps a close watch on Leland, and his own son Tommy, as the two friends work, and experience life together. 

In the far, and exotic city of Tiquan, Leland and his friend Tommy Wayne take their liberty from the ship to explore the cobblestone streets bathed in the city’s yellow gas lamps. There, in an upscale hotel they find three very flirtatious ladies. 

As Leland’s eyes meet Ella’s, the world falls hush, and two beating hearts echo with passions that will bring two warring houses together. But, there is little time to bask in spring’s young love, as a greedy and spiteful nation, Burkermuran, levels its bombs and war machine upon the ill-prepared citizens of Tiquan. 

Ella, and her two friends find themselves at the mercy of vicious Burker agents, only to be rescued by Leland and Tommy. This sparks a fearful escape from the burning Tiquan, into the hinterlands of the continental interior. 

Pursued from the sky and on the ground, the lovers find themselves in league with a rogue sky captain - more noted for his smuggling than his kindness. Those inexperienced youth will find themselves tested by their enemies, a mystical oracle, the desert and the Desert Ghosts that dwell there - and from the ashes of war, they will rise stronger and wiser than they ever imagined possible.

Buy on Amazon for 99 cents!

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Lawrence BoarerPitchford Page

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Biography

Lawrence BoarerPitchford is the author of such works as Thadius, The Lantern of Dern Blackhammer, Sawbones, In the World of Hyboria (Book 1 Grim Determination and Book 2 The Ties that Bind), as well as the cheeky novel Tales of Mad Cows and Brothels. 
Lawrence works and lives in the Sacramento region of California.

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Black Bead Blog Tour (Guest Post)

Happy Thanksgiving! I am super excited to share this fantastic book with you today. The cover is awesome, the blurb is intriguing, and I LOVE the guest post written by J.D. Lakey! Check it out and tell me what you thought in the comments. Cheers!

The Best of List

by J.D. Lakey

Harlan Ellison - A Boy and His Dog: best short story turned into a bad B movie

Ursula Le Guin – The Earthsea trilogy: best wizard story ever

C.J. Cherryh - The Faded Sun trilogy: best warrior-cult story and a cosplay that nobody will ever guess.

Anne McCaffrey - Dragonsong: the best series of books that made you want to own a tiny dragon

Joss Whedon – Firefly: best writing for a scifi TV series

Joss Whedon – Titan A.E.: best scifi animated movie that I had no idea he helped write until I looked him up

Steven Moffat - Doctor Who: best Britsh Scifi TV series (best doctor - Christopher Eccleston, the Ninth doctor, David Tennant, the Tenth doctor, a close second)

C.J. Cherryh - Fortess in the Eye of Time. The best high fantasy book where I have actually highlighted and underlined my favorite quotes

Patricia Mckillip - The Forgotten Beasts of Eld: best female wizard protagonist plus talking animals and a dragon

Vonda N. McIntyre - Dreamsnake: best book based on a better short story

Best series in the Stargate Universe: 1. Stargate Universe, 2. Stargate Atlantis, 3. Stargate SG-1 (scariest Stargate monsters: 1. Replicators, 2. Wraith, 3. Goa'uld)

Ann Maxwell - Fire Dancer Trilogy: best trilogy that made me wish I had written it

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse Five: best movie and book that made me want to read everything an author ever wrote featuring the author's alter-ego, Kilgore Trout

JK Rowling - Harry Potter: best political satire disguised as a kids book

Rockne s. O'Bannon – Farscape: TV series. best aliens, sentient star ship, and crazy love story

Sheri S. Tepper - The Gate into Women's Country: the book whose surprise ending planted a seed in my brain

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimon - Good Omens: what happens when two of your favorite authors meld minds.

Issac Asimov - Caves of Steel: Everything you ever wanted to know about robots

Robert Heinlein - Have Spacesuit Will Travel: The adventure is everything

Philip K. Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep: best book title ever and then they made it into a movie that did not suck

Ray Bradbury – The Martian Chronicles: a prophet when it came to Mars, the ghosts of Mars paid him a visit

Frank Herbert: Dune. Enough said

Honorable Mentions and Cautionary Tales:

George R.R. Martin - Game of Thrones. A 7 book series that probably should have stopped at three

Phillip Pullman - The Golden Compass: a trilogy in which the author had a psychotic break between book two and book three and ended up writing himself into a deep, dark hole

“The premise of Black Bead is wonderful, and it was a fun, short read I happily breezed through. It was refreshing to read new sci-fi with an original plot, on a new planet.” Carly Courtney, Sci-Fi Addicts.com

BLURB:

On a savage, outlying planet an enclave of psionically-trained humans have built a utopian, matriarchal society that lives in harmony with all life. Leaving behind the polluted and corrupt world in which they lived, they colonized a new home far from the eyes of the galactic empire. Shielded from the rest of the galaxy by the dangerous beasts that inhabit their lush, forested world, the village lives a simple life under their Home Dome. But their goal was more than just to live in peace – they wanted to create the perfect human who could bring peace to the galaxy. Rather than merely cloning themselves, they began to manipulate genes in order to create a race of mutants with enhanced telepathic powers.

Under the direction of the ruling witch coven, each child of the Windfall Dome is tested at a young age to asses their abilities – a test which can plot the course for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, Cheobawn – the daughter of the ruling First Mother to the dome – is marked with the Black Bead on her Choosing Day, a symbol of bad luck and shame. It seems the child the mothers had placed so much hope in would not be the future ruler they had hoped for. Yet there is something powerful about her that the elders don’t understand.

Finally of age, Cheobawn is chosen to join a pack to act as the psychic Ear on a foraging mission outside the dome. She knows this is her chance to prove herself. But something sinister stalks them and each member of the pack must draw on their unique strengths and a lifetime of training if they want to survive to see another day.

In her visionary new series The Black Bead Chronicles, author J.D. Lakey invites you to journey along with Cheobawn, Megan, Tam, Connor, and Alain as they use their wits and their Luck to unravel the mysteries of the deceptively bucolic life beneath the dome in this coming of age metaphysical science fiction adventure.

Amazon Kindle Unlimited 

AUTHOR BIO:

J.D. Lakey was born and raised on the high plains of Montana under an endless sky and as far from civilization as anyone in the twentieth century could get. There she explored the finer nuances of silence and the endless possibilities of the imagination. The stories were always there. The shifting of fortunes finally granted her the time to gather all the stories and give them flesh.

An avid reader of science fiction and comics, she currently lives in San Diego, California where she divides her time between her writing, commuting on the I-5, and spending time with her delightful grandchildren.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JDLakeyAuthor/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6015788.J_D_Lakey

Website http://jdlakey.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/darkvstar

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/J.D.-Lakey/e/B004XMKYSE

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Resilient Ruin: A memoir of hopes dashed and reclaimed

Resilient Ruin: 

A memoir of hopes dashed and reclaimed

A teenage girl breaking free. A cunning classmate on the prowl. Can she recover after they collide?

Orphaned as a child, fourteen-year-old Laura finally rebels against her abusive guardian. No longer willing to tolerate the violent tirades and imprisoning restrictions at home, Laura lives on dreams, rock ’n’ roll, and kisses in moonlight. She believes whatever comes next can’t be worse than what she’s already endured.

Her hope for a normal life is ripped away when a predator reels her in. With her heart shattered and her confidence destroyed, Laura plunges into a downward spiral. Substance abuse and risky sexual behavior lead to depression and years of heartbreaking consequences. Laura’s dark path begins to threaten her survival. Yet survive she does, with little of what she longs for, but all that she needs to start building a better life.

Resilient Ruin: A memoir of hopes dashed and reclaimed is a deeply moving personal story. It pops with details of American life in the Sixties and Seventies and takes readers on a rocky but ultimately inspiring journey. If you like tales with brave, unaffected heroines; striking scenes and characters; and pacing that keeps you turning page after page, you’ll love Laura McHale Holland’s masterful memoir of survival and learning to forgive.

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Editorial Reviews

In Resilient Ruin, Laura McHale Holland demonstrates that a cruel, dysfunctional upbringing doesn't need to destroy us. Many will resonate with this book and perhaps come to a place of forgiveness for our own actions and those of our abusers. People are going to love this story of redemption and rebounding. -Ana Manwaring, Petaluma Post columnist Resilient Ruin captured my attention from the first sentence and kept me engaged to the last word. Laura's story teaches an important lesson: to be a hero in your own life, you must not blame the past or unfortunate circumstances; you must take responsibility for your actions and move forward to achieve your own goals. - Nancy Pogue LaTurner, Author of Voluntary Nomads and Transit of Venus Resilient Ruin is not your everyday growing up story. I couldn't tell where it would lead next. I literally couldn't put this masterful book down. It is heartbreaking, but it is also about hope-that no matter how bad things get, there's always hope, and if we look hard enough we will realize we are never truly alone. - Jennie (Shi) Marima, Author of The High Road and Rundo the Elephant

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Biography

Laura McHale Holland is an author, editor and storyteller living in Sonoma County, Calif. She is thrilled to announce that her latest book, Resilient Ruin: A memoir of hopes dashed and reclaimed, will launch Nov. 1, 2016. The Kindle version is now available for pre-order at the special launch price of $.99 right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KP5AMZ2. Laura's first book, Reversible Skirt, won a silver medal in the 2011 Readers Favorite book awards. Her flash fiction collection, The Ice Cream Vendor's Song, won honors from Readers Favorite, as well. Laura's third book, the anthology Sisters Born, Sisters Found, contains work from 76 writers representing every continent except Antarctica. It won a gold medal in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and was a finalist in Foreword Reviews' IndieFab Book Awards. Laura's stories have appeared in The Best of Every Day Fiction Three, Wisdom Has a Voice, and several Vintage Voices anthologies. She has also written features for NorthBay biz, the Noe Valley Voice, and the original San Francisco Examiner. She posts work in progress, interviews with other authors and occasional book reviews on her blog at http://lauramchaleholland.com. And she loves chocolate, always has, always will.

Author of Reversible Skirt, a double award-winning memoir

Author of the memoir Resilient Ruin: a memoir of hopes dashed and reclaimed

Author of The Ice Cream Vendor's Song, a flash fiction collection

Editor of Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood

Winner in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and finalist for IndieFab Book of the Year

Get a free ebook at http://lauramchaleholland.com
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