Returning April 5th - Shades of Death

Shades of Death

Re-releasing April 5th, 2013

Publisher: XoXo Publishing

Click HERE to read the complete first chapter

Blurb:

Death has many shades and shapes... Deep within the ageless Carpathian Mountains, an ancient evil wakes. Imprisoned many centuries ago, the creature has waited, patiently, for the one destined to grant her freedom. Arienne Lereaux has studied the preternatural menace called "vampyre" for most of her life. She is an expert in the field. Loosely affiliated with a secretive organization called The Institute of Paranormal Research and Investigation, she turns to them when she unearths what may be the first representation of the vampyre ever to exist.

The enigmatic and attractive Head of the Institute, Adam Raven, has spent a lifetime tracking the clues left by his mother's disappearance in the mountains of Romania nearly twenty years past. When Arienne arrives at the secluded island headquarters of the Institute, he wonders if she holds the key to finding his lost mother. But before too many days pass, the city of Vancouver is rocked by a series of grisly murders. As it races to find the culprit, the Institute faces an evil unlike any it has encountered before...

In the middle of their hunt, another branch of their network is making a scientific breakthrough in genetically heightened telepathy. The team responsible may soon hold a weapon that will have world powers at their door—until their lead scientist vanishes after leaving Toronto to consult Raven and his people. Ancient myth is suddenly not myth, and evil may take many guises before the Institute can restore the delicate balance that was destroyed the night Arienne stumbled into a remote castle in the mountains half a world away…

Short Excerpt:

        “It’s incredible,” Adam breathed as he ran a reverent hand across the ancient tome.

        “It’s supposed to contain the history of vampyres, in all their guises and species,” Arienne informed him, her gaze vaguely uneasy as she stared at the aged hide bindings of the book. Drawing in a deep draught of air, she steeled herself for the shock that always accompanied opening the ancient volume. Her fingers shook imperceptibly as she raised the cover and placed it back against the smooth surface of the conference table.

        A sharp, piercing pain lanced her chest and she clenched her teeth while she waited for it to lessen into something bearable. Adam’s hand on her arm made her flinch, a response she softened an instant later when she smiled and nodded reassurance.

        “There is a strong spirit within the book,” she whispered, unaware of the lilting rasp of her voice. “It strikes, almost physically, each time I open these pages.”

        Adam nodded, then smoothed his fingers over the yellowed parchment. The Raven family signet ring that adorned his left hand glowed for a split-second, creating a flare of fleeting fire. Arienne’s dark eyes widened, but she said nothing.

        “The language is a mystery,” Arienne murmured. “I have been attempting a translation for months.” She touched his hand, her fingers a bare breath of contact on his flesh when she traced warm skin and the veins that pulsed beneath its surface. “I want your help, Adam,” she stated. “To translate the book.”

        Adam smiled and lifted her fingers to his lips, the kiss a whisper of touch.

        “Derek Knight is the our master of cryptography,” he told her. “We should see if he can be lured from the S.I.G.H.T. project long enough to offer his expertise.”

        Arienne’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “S.I.G.H.T.?”

        “I’ll show you the basics of the prospectus later,” he promised. “In the meantime, I’d be happy to help,” he assured her. “But, I do feel Derek’s talents would be of more use to you.”

        “Do you think we’ll find what I’ve been looking for, Adam?” she enquired, her tone layered with a multitude of resonances.

        “We may find things that answer questions we’ve not yet thought to ask,” he surmised. “Especially if this book is what you believe it to be.”

        “Professor Knight’s help would be welcome,” she smiled, then walked to the window.

        Adam left the room, and she smiled. Again, the blaze of red fire sparked back from her reflection, and the voice that murmured into the silence was not Arienne’s.

         “Find the good Professor... bring him to me...”

* * *

        The dampness in the night air gave it a texture that clung to the couple who walked hand in hand along a shadowy, misty path. Stanley Park was usually filled with people, but the inclement weather was dissuading all but the most intrepid health-nuts; and those looking for a place to meet. A place that enhanced the rendezvous with the thrill of illicitness. Possible discovery was an erotic lure to many...

        Whispers passed between the two people who flitted through the lugubrious gloom, headed toward a secluded sanctuary deep within the confines of the park.

        A spirit trailed them... Hungry... Eager...

        The woman laughed softly, tone seductive and enticing. She held out her hands and her smile invited. The man grinned, stepped into her embrace.

        “Cecilia,” he murmured quietly, once they were safely hidden in the darkness of the gloom. He kissed her, long and intimately, enjoying her enthusiastic response. She encouraged his caresses, guided his willing hands over her curves.

        “Jason?”

        Confusion colored her breathless voice, and her eyes glazed as she sought the source of a sudden, inexplicable terror. The moment passed in the space of heartbeats, and the phantom that trailed them drew near.

        Over Jason’s shoulder, Cecilia smiled, expression tainted with macabre pleasure.

        He sputtered once... without seeing the distortion of the face of his would-be lover. He died, twisted into her grasp as her form merged with his.

        Long minutes later, she dropped the lifeless husk of his body and leaned back against the side of the building. Her breathing was ragged, still rough with excitement. She laughed, and ran.

        The nearby woods acted as shelter, then witness to the second destruction...

Coming Soon in PRINT

Grow up or go away

Today was not one of the stellar days in my world, in business terms a lot was going on that should never happen in a solid publishing house. Much has been said, and many egos have been bruised by harsh truths and realities. I’ve decided to take this to my personal space, not continue attempting to speak on the business list of the publisher in question. At the end of the day, a few voices have entered the crazy to return things to a reality most professional authors recognize and respect.

This is not an easy business we are in. In the midst of literally thousands of authors in countless publishing houses, we are each seeking to be heard and noticed. Ego is misplaced to think you are anything “special” to have a published book to your credit. That part these days is the easiest part of the business. The real work is the dedication and time that is required to build presence, brand, and reputation. There is no magic trick that makes you better than your peers except honest talent. Some people are born to tell stories, others have to tear them from their minds piece by piece. There are no right ways or wrong ways to do the writing. There IS a wrong way to conduct yourself afterward.

Many of the experienced authors who are at mid-level success are getting more and more exasperated and frustrated with the new generation of people coming into this business. Not because of the competition, but because of the general disdain and lack of class or manners that comes with the new breed of author. Public image is a hugely important thing in a public presence job. Those little hissy fits you throw, they tarnish your credibility. The artist you are rude and arrogant with–people hear about that. Readers don’t warm to anyone who abuses their peers, and you’d have to write something Pulitzer worthy to undo the damage your misplaced ego will do to you if you can’t learn a little humility.

A publishing house has the right to expect you to work for your mutual success. They invest time, resources, and money in every book they publish. To let that book sit on a website while you twiddle away your time on Facebook playing games is not only detrimental to your sales, it’s highly unprofessional and shows a complete disregard for the trust your publisher has placed in you. Respect is earned, and if this is your attitude, you will get precious little from any publisher you are privileged to work with again, now or in future.

I don’t intend for this to become a rant, so I’m going to close it with an observation that might bear consideration for more than a tenth of a second. The day you accept responsibility for your failures as well as your successes, you just MIGHT begin to be a writer with a future. Until then, you would be better served to take your toys and find a play group with a nice sandbox where you can all bitch about how nasty the real writers are to you. None of us are threatened by your brilliant talent, but I know I can speak for many when I tell you this–we ARE damned tired of your excuses, your abuse of this professional, and your self-absorbed grandiose perceptions of your importance.

Grow up or go away. It really is that simple.

Oddities & entities BLOG Tour

About the Author:

Roland Allnach has been writing since his early teens, first as a hobby, but as the years passed, more as a serious creative pursuit. He is an avid reader, with his main interests residing in history, mythology, and literary classics, along with some fantasy and science fiction in his earlier years. Although his college years were focused on a technical education, he always fostered his interest in literature, and has sought to fill every gap on his bookshelves.

By nature a do-it-yourself type of personality, his creative inclinations started with art and evolved to the written word. The process of creativity is a source of fascination for him, and the notion of bringing something to being that would not exist without personal effort and commitment serves not only as inspiration but as fulfillment as well. So whether it is writing, woodwork, or landscaping, his hands and mind are not often at rest.

Over the years he accumulated a dust laden catalog of his written works, with his reading audience limited to family and friends. After deciding to approach his writing as a profession, and not a hobby, the first glimmers of success came along. Since making the decision to move forward, he has secured publication for a number of short stories, has received a nomination for inclusion in the Pushcart Anthology, built his own website, and in November 2010 realized publication for an anthology of three novellas, titled Remnant, from All Things That Matter Press. Remnant has gone on to favorable critical review and placed as Finalist/Sci-fi, 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards; Bronze Medalist, Sci-Fi, 2012 Readers Favorite Book of the Year Awards; and Award Winner-Finalist, Sci-Fi, 2012 USA Book News Best Book Awards. Roland’s second publication, Oddities & Entities, also from All Things That Matter Press, followed in March 2012. It, too, has received favorable critical review, and is the recipient of four awards: Bronze Medalist, Horror, and Finalist, Paranormal, 2012 Readers Favorite Book of the Year Awards; Award Winner-Finalist, Fiction/Horror and Fiction/Anthologies, 2012 USA Book News Best Book Awards.

His writing can best be described as depicting strange people involved in perhaps stranger situations. He is not devoted to any one genre of writing. Instead, he prefers to let his stories follow their own path. Classification can follow after the fact, but if one is looking for labels, one would find his stories in several categories. Sometimes speculative, other times supernatural, at times horror, with journeys into mainstream fiction, and even some humor- or perhaps the bizarre. Despite the category, he aims to depict characters as real on the page as they are in his head, with prose of literary quality. His literary inspirations are as eclectic as his written works- from Poe to Kate Chopin, from Homer to Tolkien, from Flaubert to William Gibson, from Shakespeare to Tolstoy, as long as a piece is true to itself, he is willing to go along for the ride. He hopes to bring the same to his own fiction.

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK

About the Book:

‘Oddities & Entities’ is a surreal, provocative anthology of six tales within the supernatural/ paranormal/horror genres, exploring a definition of life beyond the fragile vessel of the human body. The stories are: ‘Boneview’, in which a young woman struggles to balance her ability to see through people with the presence of a supernatural creature in her life; ‘Shift/Change’, in which a hospital worker struggles to regain his memory as he is confronted by a series of desperate people; ‘My Other Me’, in which a lonely college student finds himself displaced from his body by his alter ego; ‘Gray’, in which a frustrated man is stunned to discover a little creature has been living in his head; ‘Elmer Phelps’, in which a brother and sister find themselves linked in a strange reality by a bat bite in their youth; and lastly, ‘Appendage’, in which a cynical mercenary is hired by his son to protect a research lab on the verge of a stunning discovery.

Praise for Oddities & Entities:

“Oddities & Entities” by Roland Allnach, categorized as horror fiction, is unlike any other horror fiction I have ever encountered. The book is comprised of six stories, each of which is written a cut above the norm. There are no recognizable monsters in these stories, no sophomoric zombies, no evil ancient vampires, and none of the standard fare I have become accustomed to in the horror genre. I do like the usual run of the horror genre, but this book is written with thoughtful intelligence, for an intelligent adult reader. I do not mean to imply sexual situations or coarse language. What I mean is, any intelligent reader, capable of deep thought, will find this book irresistible. The six individual stories are as unlike as any six stories can be, yet each one is so sufficiently well-written that, if sold as individual short stories, I wouldn’t hesitate to award 5 stars to each of them.

To say I like this book is a crass understatement. Each story drew me in and evoked my empathy for various characters. These stories forced me to actually think beyond what I was reading. Each premise was unique, at least in my experience; I have never encountered any other stories that even approach the situations these present with authority and authenticity. If I could boil down my perception of this book into a single word, that word would be WOW! Roland Allnach’s first anthology, “Remnant”, which I have also read, was placed as a finalist in the Science Fiction category in the 2011 National Indie Excellence Awards. I absolutely expect “Oddities & Entities” to follow suit. If you read only one book this year, make it this one. Be prepared to have your comfort zone challenged.

– Readers Favorite (ReadersFavorite.com)

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Oddities & Entities Tour Page:

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/01/15/pump-up-your-book-presents-oddities-entities-virtual-book-publicity-tour/

Book Blast: Dylan's Song

DYLAN'S SONG

By

p.m. terrell

BLURB:  

Dylan Maguire returns to his native Ireland with psychic spy Vicki Boyd. Their mission: to locate and extract a CIA Agent who disappeared in Dublin while on the trail of a known terrorist. But when Dylan receives word that his grandmother is dying, he is plunged into a past he thought he’d left behind forever. His mission and the dark secrets he’d sought to keep hidden begin to merge into an underworld that could cost him his life. He must now confront his past demons and the real reason he left Ireland—while Vicki harbors a secret of her own.

Suspense Magazine says, “p.m.terrell’s writing is powerfully written and masterfully suspenseful; you have to hang on for the ride of your life.” Midwest Book Review says the Black Swamp Mysteries series is “page-turning action, unforgettable characters, breathtaking descriptions and unexpected plot twists.” And syndicated reviewer Marcia Freespirit says the series is “riveting, spell-binding, sexy and intense!”

 Excerpt:

The bogs were no place to be during the witching hour.

Dylan had grown up with stories of the bogs at night. The ground percolated; it lived and it breathed. There had been many a time when he was harvesting peat in broad daylight that he’d heard a whisper at his ear or felt hot breath on his neck, only to find there was no one near. Now as he rode his horse in silence, he felt that presence tenfold; there were eyes watching them. The intermittent tuffs of heather swayed in the growing storm and he found himself watching them with narrowed eyes, waiting for the plants to morph into sinister creatures that claimed this land after the sun went down.

He knew there was a simple reason why animals were required in lieu of an all-terrain vehicle and he was glad Sam had taken this unique land into consideration when planning the mission. He could feel the hooves beneath him sinking into the spongy earth; a wheeled vehicle wouldn’t have stood a chance, especially as they ventured from the area farmed for its peat to one far less stable.

A mist began; a slow, fine spray that he knew well. One moment the air was still and dry and the next, as though they’d passed through a curtain, the air swirled around them, the moist haze further inhibiting their ability to see. It was said many a man lost his internal compass in the Irish mist; it taunted as it grew into monstrous shapes, turning the landscape into something foreign and active.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 16 books. Vicki's Key, one of the first books in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, was one of five finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense) and 2012 USA Best Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense.) River Passage, an historical work based on her ancestor's migration to Fort Nashborough in 1779-1780, won the 2010 Best Fiction & Drama Award. The Nashville (TN) Metropolitan Government Archives determined it to be so historically accurate that they entered the original manuscript into their Archives for future researchers and historians.

Prior to becoming a full-time author in 2002, terrell founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her clients included the United States Secret Service, CIA, Department of Defense and federal and local law enforcement. Her specialty is in the areas of computer crime and computer intelligence. Her experience in these areas have greatly influenced her books' plots.

She is the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation, whose slogan is "Buy a Book and Stop a Crook" and whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She founded Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money to increase literacy and reduce crime.

For more information on Book 'Em North Carolina, visit www.bookemnc.org and www.bookemnc.blogspot.com.

Visit p.m.terrell's WEBSITE

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Serpentine Tongue NEW from Kayden McLeod

Hey Readers!

Kayden McLeod is thrilled to announce that Serpentine Tongue, a fantasy menage has now been released!

Watch The Trailer

Serpentine Tongue

by Kayden McLeod

Genre: Fantasy Menage (Dragon shifters, fae)

Publisher: New Dawning Book Fair

Buy-Links:

Amazon

All Romance

Bookstrand

Smashwords

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Summary:

Life is full of choices. Siobhan thought she’d never see another Sidhe. Until a blue dragon the size of a small mountain falls into her life, wounded and ailing. When the beast turns into a man, Siobhan has a choice: heal him at the cost of exposing her greatest secret, or let him die. Fallon and Dearg thought they’d spend their lives as Seelie Knights, but treachery of the heart brings a reviled fate crashing upon them. They’ve become the first dragon shifters in fae existence, and they have to trust Siobhan in order to survive. Now, she has to choose: Fallon, Dearg…or both?

Excerpt:

Fallon pumped his legs, racing across the meadow under a halo of arrows poised for his back. The Seelie Queen’s archers claimed to be the strongest, fastest, the best.

He was stronger, faster.

The Queen had no one to blame but herself. She cursed him for his “serpentine tongue,” or so she’d once referred to the organ dominating his mouth. Once, she’d used the term as an endearment.  Now, she cursed him. Once upon a time, when they’d met in what he’d mistaken for love, turned out to be lust. Lust for power, greed and good, hard sex. No more.

Her loss, his gain. The truth had come out. For the better, anyway. Next time they’d meet, he’d kill her. He possessed no other choice. His serpentine tongue had spoken the words proclaiming her impending death. Failure to keep his promise was to be foresworn from court, if not killed for being an oathbreaker by powers much greater than he.

The first mattered little to him. The second, well, he wasn’t so sure.

The Queen’s Knights, his brothers in arms, wove through the archers on their winged steeds, some of them attempting to ensure the latter option.

“Fallon, halt!” Garbhan, Captain of the Queen’s Knights, barreled ahead of the others. He cried his plea over the thunderous legion of hooves. “If you stop this flight, I could speak to Druantia about a pardon.”

Fallon tossed his blue-black hair over one bare shoulder. He sneered. “Do not make promises you cannot keep. You might be fucking her royal highness, but she will not forgive this.”

Garbhan growled something lost to the wind. No matter. Fallon was disinterested in empty promises.

His lungs burned, his thighs screamed, tossing the shredded material of his breeches that hung precariously over his hips. He’d never cross the meadow, into the lush undergrowth of the forest. They’d catch him on their magickal steeds long before.

One way out for the likes of him.

He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He hated his enforced ability, but he’d have to use his other form. He jackknifed in mid-leap, snarling at the horses. Garbhan’s reared, kicking out his front legs. Fallon dodged the sharp slashes aimed for his chest.

“Where is Dearg?” Garbhan spat on the ground, as if to rid himself of the distaste of Fallon’s best friend. Nervously, he glanced at archers, who fell back while their Captain conversed. “At least let us bring him back, and I will allow you a full day’s head start.”

Fallon struggled to calm himself. The shift tearing through his body took far longer than it had last time, wasting precious seconds. “I do not know where he went after we left the castle. We went our separate ways.” Too close to a lie. The truth, they’d been forced apart.

Maghnus, always an overzealous guard, dropped from his Pegasus. “Silver tongued beast, tell the Captain of the Queen’s Knights where your friend ran with his tail between his legs.”

“I cannot tell you what I do not know,” Fallon wheezed through the burning fury inside his belly that knew no end. Oh, for Goddess’ sake! Why would the change not come upon him?

Maghnus swung his sword, slicing through Fallon’s ribs. His flesh split, a ripe melon under the blistering sun. He threw his head back and roared, the noise gaining volume and momentum, bleeding into a bellow that shook the trees ringing the meadow.

His eyes burned as his face elongated. His back arched, cracked. Size tripled, then that quadrupled.  He towered above them, half man, half beast as the minute changes reformed his body. At last, it was done.

His snout billowed steam. The Knights fell back, not knowing the secret of his form. Let them think he could blow fire.

“A dragon!” An archer squealed.

The Queen’s secret, for good or bad, had come to light. Fallon startled that the rumors had not yet filled every ear at the Seelie court. For he had been cursed in front of all the nobility. Gossipers and liars, the lot of them.

Garbhan cut the air with his sword, toward Maghnus. He showed not a care. Unlike the others, the Captain knew Fallon kept his wits, even as a dragon. “Have not a fear! This cretin had angered him.”

Fallon hesitated to kill his fellow Knights. They’d grown and trained together, fought for one another. The archers mattered not to him.

“That is a Sidhe no longer!” Maghnus stumbled back, as Fallon rose on his muscled hind legs. “This is what the Queen has done to him?”

“You were there, Maghnus.”

“He did not do this at court!”

Fallon spread his wings across the meadow. His long, thick neck curled over Maghnus, cutting him off from his peers. One crystalline triple iris complete with slit pupil caught the Knight’s.

He didn’t bother to perform a communication charm. His face said it all.

Cut me again, dullard. I shall bite your head clean from your shoulders.

The Knight shuddered, his sword falling to the ground. He’d wet himself, the reek pungent to his oversensitive sense of smell. Inside, Fallon wondered how he’d ever stomached the wretch. His death would be a mercy to his brothers. A true Knight hath no fear of any man or beast.

Blood gushed between them, running down Fallon’s metallic green chest. The shift had ripped open the wound, enlarged the serrated edges. Not the first time he’d been wounded in battle. Not the last either. He’d see this to be true.

Fallon whipped his barbed tail, colliding with Maghnus’ side, tearing through his armor. Maghnus tumbled through the air into three horses, including his own. Fallon uttered a shattering roar, a gust of steam. The warriors scrambled, screaming “fire.”

How little they knew. Not even the Captain understood. Fallon was a water dragon. Ice, to the fire that was Dearg.

He leapt, and damned near fell back to the ground. Perhaps, his wounds surpassed his previous assessment. His limbs deadened, the bone structure of his wings threatened not to keep him airborne for longer than a minute or two. That’s all he needed.

The knights made no move to follow him, as they calmed their steeds.

Arrows flew, tiny sticks to a beast such as him. The beast barely felt them enter his hide.

The man was altogether a different story.

*****

Kayden Mcleod

Rewriting The Laws of Fantasy and Paranormal 

When The Bullshit becomes Bullying!

I was going to let this go, despite my “it’s not fair that he gets away with this” attitude. That is until the key phrase was said. “He’s gone thank God, that is unless you do something to upset him.”

That is a fearful remark made by someone who is recovering from many years in an abusive relationship. The ‘someone’ is a former author who threatened and used personal information to get his way when his crapola books were terminated.

I was all for exposing him, naming him and showing the world exactly what kind of a creep this wannabe is. I even resigned from my position within the publishing company so that I could do the grand exposé.

I’m still willing to put myself out there and invite him to come after me with his blubbering talk of legalities. The reality is, this man is a coward, he doesn’t have the guts to stand up to me or anyone else that would look him in the eye and decimate him with his own words. All of his talk of legal action was a bluff. He didn’t have a legal leg to stand on, he knows it, I know it and the lawyers know it. However I am not going to give him any free publicity.

Now I have to admit, I think this thing with ‘bullying’ is a wee bit over the top. I think people have to learn to stand up for themselves. Your kid coming home from school saying that little Joey called them a poo poo head is not bullying at its finest. Little Joey might have been having a bad day, or gasp, your kid might have been acting like a poo poo head.  I was taught to stand up for myself, so when I got called a poo poo head, I learned to either consider the source and let it or, or I would walk up to them and ask what the problem was.  That is called problem solving, and I really wish I would see more of it, as I fear for the upcoming generation.

However, when the antagonist worms their way into your life the game changes. He came in, under the guise of friendship, offered all kinds of ‘help’ sang our praises and even made romantic overtures. All the while assuring any and all information exchanged is “IN CONFIDENCE” then months later, when things aren’t going his way, he would bring up the fact that you had said this or that and he had the emails to prove it.

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t hang on to emails when we have a discussion about fears, doubts or you just generally having a bad day, unless I have nefarious plans or an inkling this could come back to bite me. That was a huge red flag and the next one was this idiot going off on the person who had made a comment on their own Facebook page.

When I pointed out it was her page and she was entitled to post what she wanted, and the post by the way was generic, it did not name names, he went back in and did a screencap to show that I had “liked” her comment. Nothing else was in the email just that screencap. All systems went on high alert, I knew exactly who and what I was dealing with at that point. 

I knew this man was abusive and I have much too often seen this “game” that men like him play. After pointing out to him that he had gone to someone else’s wall to get that screencap and that frankly what this person and I think and share on her page was none of his business, I also gave him my one and only warning. I told him “Do NOT get into a pissing match with me, you will lose.”

That worked well, he knew he would get nowhere with me.  So he moved on, or rather tried to move around me. He went to the CEO of the company and began working on her insecurities. He told her that another author and myself had an agenda and that we could not be trusted. He went on to say, that the only person she could trust was him, that for whatever reason, the author and I had it in for him. He was looking out for her, he had her back, and the list of lies went on and on with his usual boring diatribe.

Apparently he forgot one key thing. We are not paranoid in that we talk daily to each other and yes sometimes about each other. The email was shared with me and the other person mentioned. I took the time to think about it, and decided based on his current sales, that we would not contract any sequels to his one published book. The decision was not made out of anger. He was pushing to have the sequel published and his first book had sold a dismal 10 copies, with the CEO buying most of them when she tested the shopping cart. He bought two or three copies himself. When a book does not sell, there is no point in publishing the sequel, and if he had thought it through he would have realised that by terminating the first book, he could present the entire package elsewhere.

Well the whining and roaring and snivelling and veiled threats over that termination were and are laughable. We still had one book of his in publication. That was to remain but he managed to screw that up as well and the order came to terminate that one also. Well papers went out and the threats came in. He used his personal information to intimidate the CEO and it worked. I think she would have been fine if I could have stayed in the fight, but this creep knew I am scheduled for a mastectomy sooner rather than later and we are damned sure he was waiting until he knew I was not around, to ramp up his game. Despite me being more than ready to stand my ground, she went to the lawyer and he gave her bad advise in my opinion. “Give him what he wants.”

My question was why? He had nothing, no legal standing. I showed everything to my own lawyer who basically called him a joke. Her lawyer felt like this guy was bad news and that is the only time I agreed with him. But there is a difference between bad news and actually having a legal case. Authors are terminated every day for any one of a variety of reasons. Wouldn’t it have looked wonderful in court when this guy is screaming foul over us terminating him for lack of sales and I show the sales and the fact that the owner of the company bought most of his books? IF it had ever made it to court, because no lawyer worth his salt would have agreed to represent this moron.

The company lawyer stated his concern was for the lady involved and how bad she was stressing over this.  I agreed to whatever she wanted to do because I care for her. However my own principles don’t allow me to “do whatever the other person wants so as to not stir things up.”

However the more I thought about it, the more I knew this course of action had been just plain wrong. Giving in to the bully does not stop the bully. It only empowers them to be a bigger bully. It also makes you go deeper into a victim state.

I did the only thing I felt comfortable doing. I quit the company, so that I could expose this creep for what he is. A low down slimy lying bastard who preys on women, or anyone he sees as being weaker than him. He can be quite charming until you don’t do things his way. Then his true colours emerge.

So here it is, I am throwing down the gauntlet so to speak. If this creep wants to come after me, have at it. I informed his new publisher of his ways and wish his former publisher had done us that same courtesy. There are any number of sites that list bad publishers, agents, and the like. There needs to be one for authors as well. The man is a liar, and that was proven to his current publisher as he was listing his books with the company I used to work for as being out of print. Until yesterday they were still listed everywhere as there were no termination papers signed.

I see that they are down off most sites except Amazon who may hang on to the titles for a while longer.

I may go back to the publishing company, but what is written here is as an individual, and has nothing to do with the company.

My name is Penny Adams and I am standing up to a bully.

Cover Art Award - Votes Needed!

BIG NEWS - the stunning Kayden McLeod cover for my novel OUT OF THE PAST is up for an award. I need votes for this amazing cover, so PLEASE, if you would, drop over and vote - it's a gorgeous cover as you can see. Voting closes next Monday, and all you have to do is register at the site, confirm your email, then vote - nothing more: http://indtale.com/cover-contest

This is a three-part award, so there will be a second round of votes at the end of the month.

Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale!

Welcome to Tom Weston's Feathered Book Blast! Here's your chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash PLUS an autographed copy of his new fantasy, Feathered: Being a Fairy Tale! Feathered is the 3rd book in the Alex and Jackie Adventure Series and we're so happy to bring you not only a great giveaway but tell you all about Tom and his new book. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents and ends on March 29. THE BOOK Whenever Alexandra Caroline O’Rourke, AKA Alex, met with trouble, she generally blamed her younger sister, Jackie. And Alex’s sudden engagement to marry a Viking prince, against her will, probably classified as trouble. If nothing else, a wedding held in 11th century Ireland would make it difficult to invite her friends from San Diego. Regardless of blame, Jackie was the only person who could help Alex, but Jackie was still in the 21st century. And Jackie had her own problems, which included uncooperative fairies and strange songs which only she could hear. But most of all, if Jackie could not find a way to make it rain, marauding Vikings would be the least of their worries, because this is Feathered: being a fairy tale and this is an Alex and Jackie Adventure.

Purchase your copy:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

The Author Award winning writer and film-maker, Tom Weston, returns to the fantasy genre for his 3rd novel in the Alex and Jackie Adventure series, FEATHERED: BEING A FAIRY TALE. Originally from England, Tom now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Before turning his hand to fiction, Tom had a successful career as the CEO of a consulting company, conference speaker and writer of industry articles and business books. But determining that the business world lacked a sense of humor, Tom decided to hand in his jacket and tie and instead turned to the world of literature. His novel, FIRST NIGHT, set in Boston during the New Year’s Eve festival, introduced the unlikely heroines, Alex and Jackie, and the ghost of a 17th century Puritan named Sarah Pemberton. FIRST NIGHT won an Honorable Mention in the Middle-Grade/Young Adult category, in the Writers Digest 17th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards. The sequel to FIRST NIGHT, called THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG, was published in January, 2010. As with FIRST NIGHT, THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG is also a supernatural mystery, with a blend of humor and history that has become Tom’s trademark. Following the publication of THE ELF OF LUXEMBOURG, Tom turned to the medium of film to produce and direct the award winning animated short, THERE BE MONSTERS!, based on one of his TALES FROM THE GREEN DRAGON TAVERN. Tom also wrote the critically acclaimed and award winning, Historical Fiction novel, FISSION, based on the true life story of scientist, Lise Meitner. Tom is now working on a new animated short called DANCING DAISY DAY.

Visit Tom Online:

WEBSITE | TWITTER

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon GC or Paypal Cash and an autographed copy of his book, FEATHERED!!! (Ends March 29, 2013)

a Rafflecopter giveaway