relationships

Ask An Author: How do you deal with bad reviews?

/ H.N. Sieverding / 1 Comment

 

This is the first of my “Ask An Author” posts.  Today, I’ve asked my panel of published authors the question, “How do you deal with bad reviews?”. If you’re an author and want to participate, too, feel free to leave your answer in the comment section. We’d love to hear it!

 

“Shrug my shoulders and continue to be a better writer. A review, even from a professional reviewer is an opinion. Everyone is entitled to theirs even if it disagrees with yours and other reviews.”

– Lindsay Downs

“I’ve come to realize the only way to deal with bad reviews is not to read them. (Something else that’s easier said than done). If that doesn’t work: ice cream or chocolate.”

– S.L. Stacy

“First, evaluate if the reviewer has a point.  We’ve all read things we didn’t like.  If that can be true for us, then it can be true for others who read what we’ve written.  Learn from bad reviews, provided you have fairly evaluated if they are correct or at least logical.  Also, keep in mind that in order for someone to give you a bad review, they must have read your work.  That’s a positive.  And don’t be afraid to reach out to that person and thank them for reading and reading carefully.  Invite them to share any further reviews, positive or negative, with you personally.  It’ll make it more likely they’ll read more of what you’ve written.”

– Decker Schutt

“I vent to friends, treat myself (usually a cupcake), then try to learn from it.”

– Tricia Andersen

“I used to read them, but now I’ve found its better just to NOT read them.”

– H.N. Sieverding

“I have been lucky so far in one way by not having bad public reviews, but then again it is hard to actually get any reviews these days without paying lol. I think you have to learn to ignore trolls, do not reply to them but take any constructive criticism on board and learn from it.”

– Paula Acton

 

Meet the Authors

Blog Hop for Seditious’ Release!

/ H.N. Sieverding / 2 Comments

Facebook_Emily_(1)


Seditious, the fourth book in the Light-Bearer Series, is out for pre-sale! So, hop over to Amazon and check it out HERE. Also, check out details about a giveaway for the blog hop at the end of the post!  Prizes and giveaways?  Yes, please!  It’s definitely a party, so come celebrate with us!

The Light-Bearer Series is a Young Adult, Paranormal Romance.  It’s got all the cool stuff.  Vampires and angels, as well as adventure and action that will keep you turning the pages. I’m a fan of the angel/vampire thing, and it’s also something I’ve used in one of my own series as well.

So, learn more about Seditious by reading it’s book description, and an excerpt from the book. Be sure to check out the other participating blogs at the end of this post.

perf5.500x8.500.inddBook Description: Life at the Castle Charmeine is blissful until reality of the ruling the Elder Council of the Blood-Hunters causes dissent. An unexpected depth to both Tabbruis and Dmitri’s personalities humanizes both men.

This novel shows a side to Tabbruis and Charmeine’s relationship which will throw any reader of The Light-Bearer Series off kilter. Seditious is the continuation of their romantic and turbulent love story and mission on Earth to battle Lucifer’s minions!

Lord Cromwell is a lethal Blood-Hunter who has escaped the Elder Council Prison. He sends his beautiful agent to cause destruction to those who live at the Castle Charmeine.

Bathsheba is a deadly, sexy, and vicious siren who threatens Charmeine and Baby Hunter. Not just with her present actions, but, with the past she shares with Tabbruis and Dmitri. However, the family works together to unravel Bathsheba’s deadly secrets.

Just when you think they are in the clear, a more heinous and ominous villain waits in the wings to tear apart our ill-fated lovers, Charmeine and Tabbruis.

Seditious is a heart wrenching and exciting story of passion, betrayal, and redemption you will not want to miss!

Excerpt:

Charmeine knew this beautiful woman was a very powerful Blood-Hunter. She felt Baby Hunter kicking and fought to control her anxiety.

“Ah, yes, very good gentlemen. We have her now.” The mysterious woman told the men in a thick, French accent. She gazed with wide spellbinding eyes at Charmeine. She looked like a cat ready to pounce on her prey.

The man who held Charmeine pushed her to go out the terrace doors.

She knew this was a kidnapping and worried for Baby Hunter. Charmeine struggled to gain some kind of fighting advantage.

The Light-Bearers practiced their self-defense skills with her daughter, Sandra, and worked on how to get out these hand-binding holds. After Charmeine’s encounters with Pascal, she never wanted to feel helpless again.

With speed and accuracy, Charmeine used her power to fly up backwards over the head of the Blood-Hunter. She broke out of his grip. Immediately, she leveled him with a powerful and fierce bolt of white electricity which stunned him into a stupor.

Percival took this opportunity to sweep the legs of the man who held him. He stunned his assailant, and made him fall down in pain with a green charge which ran through his body.

“Use your light for Athena!” Charmeine yelled to Percival.

Percival threw a green lightning bolt at the man who held Athena.

Within a second, the Blood-Hunter was on the ground. A green current cursed through him.

 “Halt!” the Blood-Hunter woman demanded.

Charmeine looked up and a hand gun was aimed at her belly.

The woman widened her indigo eyes with her fangs exposed. She threatened, “You really never know where a bullet will go? Do you?” she laughed.

Her maniacal giggles curdled Charmeine’s blood. She could tell the Blood-Hunter woman was telling the truth.

“Yes, the bullet could just land somewhere very unhealthy for your unborn spawn.” She circled Charmeine like a shark swimming around its prey. “Not that hurting spawn of this Light-Bearer scum would matter,” she quipped in a matter-of-fact way.

Charmeine began to feel waves of nausea and fought the urge to be sick.

“The offspring is just a by-product.” With a sinister laugh the woman scoffed, “Yes, a by-product which should be tossed aside and thrown away like the trash it is . . . as soon as we cut it out of you!”

She began to laugh with a vicious tone and stuck the gun in Charmeine’s belly ready to pull the trigger.

Find Emily here:

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Check out the other blogs in the hop!

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And enter to win the prizes below here.

  • Autographed Copy of SEDITIOUS – US, UK, CAN, AUS
  • Autographed Copy of CHARMEINE, MACTUS and ACCENDO – US, UK, CAN, AUS
  • A $25 Amazon Card

New Release: Redemption For a Dark Soul

/ H.N. Sieverding / Leave a comment

scpblogtour

Is Proud to Present

 Redemption For a Dark Soul

by Nicole Campbell

About the Author

A long time ago Nicole decided there were too many perfect characters in the books she read. She decided that she would add imperfections to her characters to make them feel more real, even if it was only in her own heart, but she hopes you enjoy reading about them as much as she loves creating each and every one of them.

Whether in the foothills of the Laurel Highlands in Southwest Pennsylvania or in the little worlds of her own making, Nicole is happy to be at home with her husband, her children, and rambunctious dogs. After all, every day is an adventure and you should live it as such. Tomorrow is never a guarantee – live for today and be sure to tell those you love that you love them. You never know when you won’t have that chance again.

Never stop dreaming – never stop believing – If you want the moon and stars – go get them… They won’t just land in your lap without a little bit of help.

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redempBlurb: 

Jaeger Reineiner is a vampire on a mission. No more lurking in shadows or hiding in the middle of nowhere – the tattooed, pierced black denim and leather clad bad boy wants a more normal life. He wants to win the heart of the little Goth spitfire he feels can redeem the red from his soul – the red stain of blood from centuries working as an assassin for hire.

Emily O’Connell, the youngest Deputy Coroner in state history hasn’t had time for love until Jaeger walked into her life and she couldn’t imagine him walking out. When his psychotic past hunts him down to kidnap her, cause chaos and bloodshed, and use her as bait to get to him, Emily will fight for him and beside him.

Is Jaeger’s love for her strong enough to find her in time? Will Emily’s love for him prove pure enough to redeem his soul?

Buy Links:

Secret cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=shopping_cart&number_of_uploads=0

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Excerpt 1

Jaeger thought of Emily constantly. It was true there was nothing but black in his wardrobe, but he’d begun adding chains and spikes to switch between Badass Biker Assassin ‘just-leave-me-alone-and-I’ll-let-you-live’ look to be a little more Goth like Emily. He hoped she took the change in his look as a compliment, and not as being a copycat or creepy. He inhaled her scent—jasmine, vanilla and woman—it made his head spin. “Alone at last,” he chuckled.

Emily sighed as she tossed the magazine to the table. “So we are.”

His blood pressure shot up when she coyly looked down at her lap, then slowly back up at him through her lashes, lowering her voice to just above a whisper.

“Jaeger, thank you again for finding Marlin and bringing him home to Mary. She was so worried she’d screwed up their whole relationship.”

Jaeger shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. There’s almost nothing I wouldn’t do to help him or Paul. They’re my brothers. I’m already happier here in Pennsylvania than I ever was in Ontario. The scenery is much prettier.”

Emily’s jaw dropped a little and she started to blush. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Why?” Emily immediately went on the defensive. With her record-of-accomplishment of users and liars, it was almost natural for her to question anyone’s motives.

“Because there’s something about you that caught my attention, caught me when I first saw you and heard your voice. I’m told women today like honesty, so I’m being honest. I’m not used to attempting to win a woman. The women I was used to, years ago, weren’t big on the word kind of discussion.” He waggled his eyebrows to be sure she got his meaning, and laughed when she narrowed her eyes at him. “Paul and Marlin said you know about us—you’re aware of our family kind, I should say. You should know that we’re all hunters at heart. Just some are better at it than others.” His German accent became thicker the more he was aroused by a woman, a hunt—or in this case, both—or a fight. He smiled at her nod of understanding. “I am glad you understand all this. Know this as gospel truth, my Emily. As I said, there is something about you that has caught me, and I will catch you.”

“You plan to lead me into temptation then?” Emily laughed, with a devilish twinkle in her silvery-grey eyes. “Or is it the other way around?”

He wanted so much to pounce on her, to wipe that cocky grin from her face, make her whimper for him and prove who would win the temptation game. “Temptation? I cannot be led into temptation, my dear girl. I am temptation.”

Emily only laughed, as if she’d figured everything out beforehand and already made up her mind. “You are temptation? What if I’m not so easily led?” The challenging gleam in Emily’s eyes was too much for Jaeger to deny.

“Then I shall have to prove I’m worth it.”

Emily laughed. “Men are after one thing. When they finally win that pussy prize and get tired of it, or see a prettier piece of ass walking down the street, off they go. You want me to think you’re different, or that you’re not another one of the out-of-work bums looking for a new cash-mama to take care of him so you can lay on my couch watching television all day.” She shook her head. “You’ve got a long hard road ahead of you, buddy. This girl don’t trust men any farther than she can throw them. There are just way too many bad experiences when the word trust was involved.”

“Buddy? I am not ‘buddy’! I am Jaeger Baldwyn Reiniener. Would it impress you to know that was once the Markgraf of Speyer? I ran an entire city-state, like an emperor or a king.” He laughed bitterly.

Emily shook her head. “Are all you guys some kind of European royalty? Damn! But no, Jay, it don’t impress me.”

He smiled. “Jay? I think I like this shortening of my name. Especially with that foul alcohol on the market. People add ‘meister’ to my name all the time, and find it funny. I think I will like to use Jay.” His grin broadened. “I also like a woman who isn’t impressed by something so silly and outdated. You are a smart woman, my Emily. Your intelligence shows in your eyes.” He drew a finger down her cheek, causing her to lower her eyes and hide them from him. “Why do you hide from me now? They are an amazing color. In all my centuries, I have very rarely seen silver eyes in a human woman. I like to see them sparkle with laughter, and can’t help but wonder…do they darken to the grey of storm clouds when you get truly angry, or caught up in the throes of passion and lust?”

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Excerpt 2

Jaeger looked down to find devotion shining in Emily’s eyes back up at him. His heart swelled with his cock, but he didn’t want to finish in her mouth—even if it was what she had planned for right now. Her wicked little tongue flicked over his Prince Albert, making his knees go weak. Pushing her back gently, Jaeger pulled her up against his chest to kiss Emily deeply, holding her as close as he could. He shut the water off, since it was starting to go cold, and lifted her out of the shower to set her on the vanity top beside the sink. As they both dripped onto the tile floor, Jaeger toed the throw-rug under them to keep from slipping around, then pulled her to the edge of the counter and kissed her hard. He pulled back and smiled. “Thank God the other woman on this floor is damn near deaf.” He smiled as he knelt before her, and his face disappeared between her legs. He kissed her inner thighs, alternating left and right. Each kiss landed a little higher until he reached his goal, and without delay Jaeger busied himself licking and sucking Emily’s clit, gently tugging on her hood ring until she had a death grip on the edge of the vanity counter and panted his name. Panting wasn’t good enough for him. He stood and pulled Emily against his chest, kissing her deeply while his fingers toyed with her hood ring. Almost roughly, he spun her around and bent her against the counter, entering her in one firm thrust.

Emily screamed his name as her first orgasm crashed over her almost immediately. She wasn’t expecting his rough handling, and she liked it. Looking into the mirror at him, Emily could see that his eyes were bloody red, and it triggered a smaller orgasm to know he was that turned on, that hungry for her. “Oh, fuck me…” she said on a long drawn-out moan.

Jaeger checked himself. He didn’t want to feel as if he’d taken her against her will. He’d felt and heard her orgasms, but he didn’t want to hurt his precious Emily or get too rough with her. She wasn’t turned, she couldn’t handle him losing control. Leaning against her back, he set his teeth on the back of her neck and clamped down hard to mark her, before easing up his thrusts to lift her legs like a wheelbarrow. “Flip over, baby.” Still buried deep inside her, Jaeger helped her turn over to face him and set her ass on the counter. He smiled against her panting mouth when she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips.

Emily wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was so afraid I was going to lose you,” she whispered. She kissed him with a hunger that would leave her lips swollen and bruised, but she didn’t care. “I love you Jaeger. I need you. I’ve never learned how to really love anyone but Mary, and that’s a different love. I just know I don’t want to be without you, ever.”

Jaeger slid his hands under her ass and carried her to her bed. They were both still wet, but neither cared. “I’ve never truly loved, either. We will learn together. I’ll not let you go. Not when I feel that you are the one to make me a better man, the one I’ve searched for to redeem my reddened soul. My heart is yours, Emily. You make me feel whole.”

She unlocked her ankles and slid back on the bed until she was centered, and stacked a couple of pillows under her head. Spreading her thighs and looking into his eyes, Emily beckoned him closer.

Jaeger’s eyes held the predatory gleam she loved as he smiled. “Ich bin da loei, sie zuessen, bis sie schreien.” At her puzzled look he chuckled and continued. “Vador a mangiare fino a quando non sigrido.” When Emily rolled her eyes at him, Jaeger pounced on her, his hands splayed across her hips to hold her still. “I said I’m going to eat you until you scream. First in German, then in Italian.” He gave her one long slow lick then looked up at her. “Then I want you to ride me baby. Be my cowgirl, and show me what it means to feel alive.”

For hours they went at each other like rabbits—if rabbits got freaky, that is – from licking here, stroking there, changing positions until finally Jaeger stood Emily on shaky legs beside her bed. He had her hands on the wall, slightly bent over as he entered her slowly and pulled her right leg back up almost around his hip.

“Yes, Jaeger, yes!” Emily panted, barely able to keep herself up. She could feel the orgasm building. “Don’t stop, baby!”

Jaeger grunted. “Not stopping till you come for me, love. Give it to me.” He groaned, feeling her inner walls tighten against him, making him hyper-aware of his piercings.

No more words were coming from Emily. She moaned and screamed as ecstasy took control of her body. She’d been trying to tell him she loved him, but the words wouldn’t form in the midst of orgasm. As her body tightened around his, and her cream began to flow in time with her screams and violent body shudders, Jaeger threw his head back, bellowing his own release deep inside her, his own body shuddering almost as violently. He caught Emily before her jelly legs gave out, and flipped them both to her bed.

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Where to find Nicole:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicole-Campbell

http://nicolecampbellromance.com/

 

Other books by Nicole Campbell:

  • Arabian Night Walker
  • Loving A Dark Soul (Dark Souls Book 1)
  • Salvation for a Dark Soul (Dark Souls Book 2)-(Ebook and Print)
  • Teacher’s Pet: Let’s Make Music Together
  • Devil’s Devotion
  • Tori’s Yule
  • Warriors of the Veil: Flower Fae Series Book 1

 

Guest Post: Cynthia Arsuaga

/ H.N. Sieverding / 2 Comments

Today, I have a guest blogger, so everyone say hello to Cynthia!

Make sure to leave a comment on this post for chance to win a FREE ten dollar gift certificate to Secret Cravings Publishing.  And who doesn’t want to win that?!

So get ready to learn more about Cynthia and read a very steamy excerpt from her book, Echoes in Eternity.  And I know you all love those kind 😉

Hugs,

~H.N.


c Cynthia Arsuaga

Let me first introduce myself and then get to the fun stuff. I’ve been writing about four years after helping my husband, Mike with the series he was writing, The Other Kind. I’m a retired business owner and quite frankly had nothing to do. Mike’s story expanded to seven more full-length novels eventually. I helped him format and edit in order to submit to publishers. During the process, I had my own ideas for stories and began to write for fun. Before I knew it, my first manuscript was completed and I submitted to one publisher and accepted, shocking me. The Cougar and Her Vampire was my first written and accepted but another one I wrote after, Born to Be Wild, released first. The rest is history with five full-length books and one novella and one short story released as of this date. I have another full-length book and the first of a series of short stories due out this fall through next year. I’m working on another series which my publisher is considering. We’ll soon find out on that. Many more are under Works in Progress. Don’t we all have them kicking around in our heads? Generally, my ideas come to me out of nowhere. I never thought I’d write about vampires, but my daughter introduced me to her library of paranormal books and I was hooked. I have since created two totally different vampire worlds and each is a series, Born Vampire and Forces of Beauty. The Born Vampire series is edgier, dark, and as some reviewers have suggested not for the faint of heart. The other series is edgy, but I think more palatable. I’ve also branched out to a contemporary fantasy with reincarnation elements and mythology, Echoes in Eternity, as well as a paranormal with a twist, Nightfall: Fantasies Fulfilled. Both stories are recent releases and I’ll share Echoes in Eternity today. Along the way, Mike and I collaborated on two books, Top Dog (originally titled My Life as a Dog) and the sequel recently released, Love and Death in the Big Easy.

 

“A Life Lived in the Past, A Present Life Lived in a Lie, One Woman in Love With Two Men, A Destiny Echoed for Eternity.”

echoesBook Description:

What if, all your life you have lived a lie? Your best friends know the truth but don’t tell you. Your grandparents are really strangers. Your new boyfriend is part of a secret society headed by his brother. To top everything off, they convince you that you are the reincarnation of an ancient goddess of a lost continent capable of saving humanity.

Take a journey starting from the distant past to present day—New York and Paris, to an archaeological dig site in Egypt, and to Surrey, United Kingdom. Layla McKenna discovers a life lived before and accepts the love of two men as she fulfills her destiny echoed in eternity.

ADULT EXCERPT:

Layla was into her workout about ten minutes when her thoughts wandered to Jake and Ronan. She didn’t know how she’d handle the situation with them considering the attraction to both. Having one interesting guy would have made her feel giddy, two only made for anxiety. Jake was tall, muscular, obnoxious as hell at times and loving others, and damn, he was sexy with those baby blues. I could swim in those eyes! A take-charge guy, she felt safe with him. Conversation flowed easy, once they started talking and the flirting, fun and carefree. Ronan was tall also, muscular, reserved, a great dancer, and a powerful businessman. Between the two men, he wielded the power and that in itself was an aphrodisiac. Last night, she almost gave into his charismatic charm. She made the right decision. Didn’t I? Stop second guessing. Stop it!

In walked Jake. Layla glanced up and there he was, all six feet two inches of hunkalicious man. He smiled in her direction. “Good morning, little one.”

She returned the smile with one of her own. Although she didn’t hear what he said with the ear buds on, she surmised he said, ‘Good morning’, so returned the same greeting.

Dressed in long gym shorts and a tight white T-shirt, she admired how each showed off his muscular arms and well-defined abs. He had an interesting tattoo on his shoulder peeking through the top edge. Hmm, I wonder what it is. She picked up the pace of her jog to control her arousal at the sight of his physique. He began his workout on the bench press. She watched him lie on the bench, spread his legs and power the weights. The slow and deliberate repetitions made her heart race faster than the treadmill workout. She knew he put on a show for her and pretended not to look. After five minutes, he moved to the free weights. She ogled the rippling flex of his biceps as he worked the weights. Periodically he glanced her way to catch her staring. When their eyes locked on for more than a few seconds, a wicked grin turned up on one side of his lips. They continued the flirtatious glances until Jake finished the weight routine.

Jake finally stepped on the treadmill beside her and after a few minutes of jogging in unison, her timer went off. Crap, what bad timing! With the workout finished, she realized the time to leave drew short. If she used the sauna and steam bath facilities, shower and then dressed, she’d just make the nine o’clock meeting, even though she’d rather stay and flirt with Jake.

Deciding to forego the sauna and go straight to the steam room to save time, she stripped down, put on a towel, and went into the hot space. The steam was a welcome treatment needed to purge the effects of the rich food and naughty thoughts. A week of restaurant fare and too much wine made her feel sluggish. She sat on the wood bench, leaned back, closed her eyes and drifted away to meet her dream man. Could she make him Jake? The hunky image loomed fresh in her mind and would be easy to do. In the dream, she lay on the bed, naked, picturing him coming to her. Briefly returning to reality, she heard the door to the steam room open and close, but paid no attention to who entered, as she became too immersed in thought to care.

The person knelt close to her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t open your eyes, little one.”

She jerked in surprise but did as commanded and kept her eyes closed.

Jake gently kissed and caressed her neck, licking and flicking his tongue from the back of her earlobe down to the hollow of her shoulders. She smelled the manly sweat from his workout and felt the morning stubble of his beard. Being early morning, she thought he probably was the type who didn’t shave until after his workout and shower. Prickly against her skin, she didn’t mind the sensation. The sensuality of the moment took away the discomfort.

Jake opened the towel across her body. He gently laid her down on her back. As she lay naked before him, one leg dangled over the edge of the lower bench and the other leg bent at her knee, leaning against the upper bench. He knelt down close and again urged her to keep her eyes closed. His hands gently moved down her arms to rest along the sides of her achingly swollen breasts, cupping them in the palms of his hands. He tugged at her nipples, nudging them to hard, throbbing peaks of red with the hot wet tip of his tongue.

A gasp released between her heavy breathing as the heat from his titillations began to build to a flaming inferno throughout her body.

His tongue traced a path between the cleft of her breasts down her belly to the navel. She took in a deep breath. He drank the small amount of moisture which pooled in her navel, a sensation she never experienced before—erotic and provocative. The hot steam, mixed with her perspiration tickled the sensitive skin. She put her hands on his shoulders and shifted position by lifting and parting her legs. She ached for him and wanted him to see every part of her womanhood, desperately wanted to savor every inch of pleasure he had to offer.

Layla watched him drink in her beauty and smell her essence, pure animal lust gleamed in his eyes. He opened her wet pussy lips with his fingers and explored the sweet spot with his tongue for what seemed like hours. The sensation slowly built, taking her closer and closer to release. She fought hard to keep from reaching her peak and feverishly wanted him inside. She pulled on his shoulders to bring him up and closer.

Her voice caught, unable to speak. Surprisingly, he seemed to instinctively know what she wanted and raised his body over hers and gently eased down on her. His broad chest pressed against her breasts as he kissed her hard and passionately. Their tongues met and she could taste her sweetness with his. She wanted him, all of him.

“Jake, I want you now,” she whispered, urging him with her hands curled over his shoulders.

He grabbed her hips and lifted them up slightly as he drove deep inside her fiery furnace. She moaned as his rock-hard flesh invaded the lubricated sheath, and wrapped her legs around him to pull him deeper inside.

Before she realized what happened, he covered her mouth, muffling the moans. They moved in sensual rhythm, twisting, obeying an instinct they hadn’t known they possessed. She arched her hips to meet his thrusts, harder, deeper, bringing her to a climactic release of pleasure, shuddering with clenching spasms. A few thrusts later, he followed with his release as he poured himself into her with a groan and quiver of his body.

Both collapsed from exhaustion and lay in each other’s arms for a few moments until they caught their breaths. Jake sat up pulling Layla upright and alongside him. Jake grabbed a towel, covered her, and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. She watched him stand up and put a towel around his waist.

“Now, that was the kind of morning workout I live for. I’ll see you at the meeting, little one,” he said and left the steam bath.

Speechless, she watched him leave, feeling relaxed and content. Half-naked, she could see how well defined his body was, muscles that rippled down his arms, his flat stomach and strong legs. Then she saw the tattoo on his shoulder, which appeared to be a sword. She made a mental note the next time she saw him to ask about the significance of the design.

She sat on the bench for a few minutes to gain her composure.

“Morning workout is right. Damn, that’s what I call a quickie detox! Exactly what I needed.” She realized they just had unprotected sex. Ohmigod! I can’t believe I was so stupid! Add getting tested to my things to do. “Speaking of meetings, I’m going to be late. She jumped up and rushed to the locker room to shower and change. She hurried back to her suite to finish getting ready. As she closed the suite door behind her, she glanced at her watch which read nine ten. The professor would chide her for being uncharacteristically late.

BUY LINKS:

Secret Cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=23&products_id=351

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Echoes-in-Eternity-ebook/dp/B008EMKFHE/ref=la_B00589RZNS_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1348588056&sr=1-11

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/echoes-in-eternity

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-echoesineternity-851561-143.html

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echoes-in-eternity-cynthia-arsuaga/1111383706?ean=2940014629270

WHERE TO FIND ME:

Blog: http://romanticwordsbycynthia.blogspot.com
Website: http://cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com
Publisher Page: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=1&zenid=7ea916acb5075615d6f30b6f25e77c3e
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaArsuaga?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#%21/CynthiaArsuaga
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4715026-cynthia-arsuaga
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cynthiaarsuaga/
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cynthia-arsuaga/30/101/49b
Vampire Book Realm: http://www.vampirebookrealm.com/cynthia-arsuaga.html
Amazon Author Central: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/profile?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Romance Books 4 Us: http://www.romancebooks4us.com/Romance%20Author%20Cynthia%20Arsuaga.html

 

Author Interview: J.H. Mull

/ H.N. Sieverding / Leave a comment

image001J.H. writes in several genres so to give him a label just doesn’t cut it, so let’s just say he’s multi-genre-al.  His latest novel is Touching Home, the second book in his series about Jack Hundo Lane.

He’s currently doing research for a series he’s working on titled Confederate Breed, based on two of his ancestors and their experiences in the Civil War and life afterward.

He lives on the Georgia coast with his wife and soul mate as well his cat, Snowflake. He’s held a variety of positions from army officer and CIA operative to stock broker and electrical engineer.

Ready to learn more about J.H.?  Well here we go…

1.  What genre do you write and why?

I write Contemporary Fiction to Erotica and everything in between, whatever I’m interested in at the time. And I write under several pseudonyms, only recently have I published under my name–J. H. Mull.

2.  What character from a book you read or wrote would you love to meet?

Stuart Woods character Stone Barrington. My characters? Well, that’s hard, because most are based on people I know and have known.

3.  What is the best review you’ve ever gotten?

Five stars for A Captain’s Story. The reviewer said she cried at the ending.

4.  Who has been the most supportive person of your writing?

Easy, my wife and soul mate. She, an English Major from the University of Georgia, is my editor, and my biggest critic. She keeps me from having three arms in my writing or two left feet, even a foot long tongue sometimes.

5.  Do you have any other talents besides writing?

I sketch, paint, and make up stories. A young boy can have any outcome he wants in a story he constructs. Writing is my third career. The first, the U.S. Army, the second, a stock broker with several major investment firms.

6.  What is the hardest thing about writing a book?

The ground work that goes before I start writing. If one is going to write a western he best know about horses, how to saddle one, how to ride one, and what to feed one. I’m not a pantster I do an outline, a timeline, and character sketches before I start writing. But then that’s when the fun begins.

7.  Where do you find the most inspiration for your writing?

My family and my own experiences mostly. My Great…….great grandmother, Mary Elsberry, and her two sons left London with General Oglethorpe in 1732. They landed in what is now Savannah, Georgia in 1733. Her great, great grandson married a Creek Native American in 1833 and lay claim to ten thousand acres in North Georgia. He was my great, great grandfather. My family has fought in every war our country has waged since the beginning—sometime not on the winning side. I have fought for my country on three continents. Rhodesia being one place. Like I said not always on the winning side.

8.  What is the best passage you have ever written?

The best and most difficult was the paragraph describing the killing of Michelle in An Occasional Warrior. I must add, the funniest is a scene in Sex, Money, and Betrayal, describing a real estate agent having sex with a developer. She gets her foot caught under the gas pedal in his SUV as they are in his front seat, then gets her leg wedged between the seat and his door. That’s when they discover three young boys are watching.

9.  Is there any real life person/event that has inspired you to create a book/story/character?

Easy—my grandfather. What a character he was. He was born six years after Custer was killed by the Sioux at the Little Big Horn. He was a Creek Indian, scouting for General Pershing, when he went into Mexico after Poncho Vila in 1916. He was the first Indian elected sheriff in Georgia. He had five children and ran a farm, all while working as a trouble shooter for the railroad. He was a character!

10.  What is your advice for newbie authors?

Look inside yourself to see what you have to write about—write about what you know. I know this is an old thing but true. If you grew up on a ranch you know how to saddle a horse, how to ride one, and how to take care of one.

11.  How many stories have you written?

Under my own name, six. Under pen names over sixty.

12.  Who is your favorite character you’ve created and why?

It would have to be Jack Hundo Lane, who is mostly based on my experiences in the military and the intelligence service.

And to top off this interview, I leave you with a tease of J.H.’s book, Touching Home.  Hope you enjoyed the interview!  Check out his book and give this post some likes to show some love.  Come on…you know you wanna!

“Ain’t no use leaning on that horn. I could hear that ratty truck of yours coming a mile off. How you doing, Patrick?” John said, coming out of the barn. The lean, wiry man, as tall as Pat, had a flat, hard stomach and grinned as he walked toward his friend, drying his hands on a well-worn cloth. His skin was dark and weathered like Pat’s. They were both Upper Creeks.

“Fine, John. You?” Pat looked at his hands. “Problem?”

“Can’t complain. I’m alive.” He held out his hand. “My mare’s having a hard time with the foal.”

“Good. Need help with the mare?”

Annie jumped down from her seat and went around to Pat, clutching his leg tightly.

“Might, but she won’t come until around midnight.” He turned his attention to Annie. “Cute kid. Ain’t yours though—whose is she?”

“No, but I’m all she’s got. Jack sent her to me. I’ll come back around then.”

“I’d appreciate the help. She ain’t his neither. How’d he come by her?”

“That young pretty veterinarian coming?”

“Yeah, but she’s a small woman. Won’t be much help if we have to pull the foal.”

“Don’t sell her short. She’s a good vet.” Pat smiled. “Jack bought the girl in Bangkok for five dollars.”

“I thought he was in Vietnam?” John took out his makings and rolled a cigarette.

“He is. Does it matter? She’s here now.”

“Guess not. Five dollars? Got a good price—that can’t be more than ten cents a pound.”

“That’s about right.”

“What’s she good for?”

“Doting over’s about all, so far.”

“Well, she’s a cute little thing. What’s your name, little sister?”

“She doesn’t speak a word of English. Somehow she seems to understand sign language.”

“Do say.” John squatted down and took out a stick of gum. He held it out and signed to Annie. She stepped forward far enough to take the gum, then moved back to Pat’s side. “Well, I’ll be damn. She’s smart.” He stood.

Author Interview: Virginnia De Parté

/ H.N. Sieverding / 2 Comments

“By writing about the future I have the pleasure of waiting for science and technology to catch up with my imagination.”

-Virginnia De Parté

LovesRedHeart_SMVirginnia is the author of Love’s Bright Star, Love’s Red Heart and A Talent for Loving, all three books part of a series about genetically altered humans.  Besides writing futuristic romances, she also writes poetry, haiku and tanka.

I asked her some questions to get to know her better.  Read on and find out more about Virginnia. 

1. What genre do you write and why?

I write futuristic romance about genetically altered people. I find it easier to design situations, imagine technical advancements and create the quirks of genetically altered people – than to write in the ‘here and now’ and have the story become dated within a year.

2. Why do you write?

I’ve always written long emails, long letters, long messages, and had a fertile imagination. At last I have found space in my life to indulge myself and put all the characters that inhabit my head, out on paper.  They write their own stories, once I get them started.

3. Do you have any other talents besides writing?

Yes, I spun wool fibre and knitted the yarn for many years. Because I became bored with white, brown and grey fleeces I took up dyeing the spun yarn and moved on to dyeing other fibres and threads from there. I’ve spent time as a quiltmaker, using my dyed fabrics – but all that has been abandoned to allow me more time to write.  I also write poetry and try to use this skill in my prose, without overdoing it.

4. What is your advice to newbie authors?

Persevere, don’t give up. Be brave!  You have to be brave to put your work out for the world to read. Before it gets to the world’s stage you have to allow it to be critiqued. You need fresh eyes to read it and spot the plot holes and errors.  You have to take this on the chin, make the corrections and try harder. You wouldn’t send your child on stage dressed in ripped untidy clothes, messed hair, and scuffed shoes. Neither should you let your manuscript be viewed as a final edition until it has been polished for typos, grammar, spelling (American v. English), and other errors, such as point of view changes and change of tense.

5. Who is your favorite character you’ve created and why?

It must be Stella Corban, granddaughter of William and Belinda, daughter of James and Siobhan. She can become invisible behind her rainbow curtain; jump between locations (like her grandfather); and “see’ the people she cares about when they’re troubled.  She is tall, graceful (cat genes from her mother) has blue/green eyes with a hint of lavender (from her grandmother). She is loyal and caring and the safety of the family is her priority as she lives and works among ‘normals. ’

She is a newborn in Love’s Bright Star, a six year old in Love’s Red Heart, and I am presently writing her romance, in which her love for a ’normal’ could put her family’s safety at risk if he discovers she is genetically altered.

ATalentforLoving_SMAnd to end the interview I leave you with an excerpt from Virginna’s, A Talent for Loving. 

She looked at him as he gazed out to sea. His thick brown hair hugged his head and small curls tucked around his ears. She tightened her arm around his waist and leaned into his chest. So far the day has been lovely. The view from the touring bus was so much better with higher expansive views than travelling the Great Ocean Road by car. There’d been several stops for photo opportunities, but this pause in the journey allowed everyone an hour to walk and explore, to feel the sand between their toes, and fill their lungs with ozone-laden sea air

“The surf’s building. There’s a blow on the way.” He pointed to the south. “See the breakers out there? They’re coming closer by the minute. I bet the wind gets up when they get closer to shore.”

She followed his gaze and looked out to sea before glancing back to the surf below them. Could that black dot be a seal? Or was it a surfer in a wetsuit? Oh God! No! She shook his arm and prodded his shoulder.

“Wills, is that a person in the surf? Whoever it is seems to be going out rather than swimming in. What do you think?”

Together they peered, watching closely until an arm was raised. Then a flailing and the dot disappeared.

“I think it’s a child. Here.” He pulled free, tore off his jacket and tossed it to her. In a second his shirt came off and he’d stepped out of his trousers and shoes in one fluid movement. Another breath and he’d gone. All that remained beside her were his dropped clothes.

He’d jumped.

She quickly bent and folded the garments, hanging them over her arm and, tucking his shoes into the crook of her elbow, she hugged all of them to her chest. She stood up, her heart racing with fear as she guessed what he’d done.

Sure enough when she looked there were now two black dots in the surf, one larger than the other. Already the surf had grown and running through the waves a channel of calm water cut its way out past the breakers. Its smooth surface looked deceptively calm to anyone who didn’t know how to read the surf. This strong strip of undertow would have pulled the child out and she could see William moving across the surf, parallel with the breakers, away from the slicing strip that threatened to pick them up and carry them further out.

She hadn’t even known he could swim. Surely he must be a strong swimmer? Why else leap into climbing surf? Another hole in the knowledge she had of William’s abilities.

Alone on the cliff edge she stared in horror, realising the danger he’d put himself in and she locked her gaze on the two black dots and concentrated as hard as she could. Would it work? Anything was worth a try, because standing here, windswept and abandoned, clutching the wooden railing with her one free hand wasn’t going to be of any use to William if she didn’t try and do something. With everything to lose if it didn’t work she locked her gaze onto the spot in the roiling water where he’d been visible a second beforehand and took her consciousness into the surf to search for him.

Author Interview: Lena Hart

/ H.N. Sieverding / Leave a comment

 

BecauseYouAreMine_SM (1)Lena is the author of, Because You Love Me and soon to be released, Because You Are Mine.  She’s a Contemporary Romance author, who focuses on relationships between interracial couples.  She believes it’s important to present strong black heroines in her stories and also show that love can be found anywhere, regardless of any cultural or social barriers there may be.  And unlike other romances her stories come with a hint of mystery and danger added to the mix.  And who doesn’t like danger?! I do…

 

“Keep reading. Keep writing. And never give up!”

-Lena Hart

1.  What is your favorite book?

I read in different genres so I have quite a few favorites in each. But for contemporary, I have to say it would be one of Catherine Coulter’s earlier works, Beyond Eden. It’s an intriguing romantic suspense that took me on a roller-coaster ride the first time I read it!

2.  Do you have any other talents besides writing?

I love cooking. I think I may have been a chef in a previous life. I cook anything and everything, from ethnic dishes, such as Caribbean, Asian, to healthy – and not-so-healthy – dishes. I also have a mean sweet tooth so I’m always trying my hand at baking cookies, cakes, and pies.

3.  Introduce us to your muse.

My muse keeps me on my toes! She’s a complete scatter brain, easily distracted, and stubborn. But she’s never without good ideas, which she likes dropping on me at the most inconvenient times – like in the shower, cleaning, on the treadmill, or dozing off to sleep. And it’s hard to get her to buckle down and focus on one story, which is why I have a growing to-be-written pile. But when I put my foot down, she tends to work with me and the stories unfold effortlessly. She’s hard to work with but she’s all I’ve got.

4.  What’s harder to write; a beginning or an end?

The beginning. For me, it’s harder to write because you don’t know when and where to start the story so the reader gets hooked. Timing is everything and, as a writer, you need to hook, engage, and inform all in the first three pages!

5.  Any tips for writing a great love scene?

Hmmm… I tend to write my love scenes in bed. It’s a bit annoying because I have to transfer my writing from my desktop to my laptop but it’s hard for me to get in the “mood” (with my characters) when I’m sitting at an upright, rigid desk. Writing a great love scene is all about getting in the mood 🙂

Check out her book, Because You Are Mine, which is available now!  I don’t have an excerpt to share with you but I’ll leave you with a blurb about her new book!

Excerpt from Because You Are Mine  

“He crouched down in front of her, fighting the urge to lean down and kiss her smooth, graceful neck. She was a natural beauty, and in sleep she was achingly so.”

Betrayal cuts deep, especially when it comes from someone you trust. And no one understands this better than Cara Sinclair’s old love, now new boss, Drake Ross. Growing up, these two shared an undeniable bond until they found themselves in a fight for their lives. Twelve years later, fate conspires to bring them back together. Yet, while Cara is torn between chasing a lost love, or pursuing another, Drake is left more uncertain of the truth and his feelings for the girl he believed betrayed him. But the love that binds them proves impenetrable. And when light is finally shed on the secrets that haunt them, Cara and Drake will soon discover that danger still lurks… and betrayal cuts deeper than they could have ever imagined.