Sunday, June 21, 2015

FREE FOR YOU! Lots of prizes to be won! #MFRWauthor #RB4U


Brand New Romance Catalog! FREE FOR YOU!

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Kayelle Allen— Award Winning Author
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Lucy Felthouse— Award Winning Author
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Denyse Bridger: $10 Amazon GC
Tina Donahue: 3 books from her backlist to one winner
Sharon Hamilton: 1 Seals book, signed and swag (dog tags, ink pen red bracelet and a nice post it note set)
Desiree Holt: Naked Cowboy Bundle (book 1-4)
Cat Johnson: An Audible audiobook download of Kissed by a SEAL by Cat Johnson
Heather Long: A gift bundle of the Fevered Hearts series in eBook
Donna Michaels: $25 Amazon GC
Nicole Morgan: ecopies of Sweet Redemption and Sweet Salvation (Books 1 and 2 of Sweet Awakenings)
Lexi Post: A mask and an ebook of Masque
Jayne Rylon: an autographed collector guide and a One More Chapter, Biggest Lie Ever tote bag.
Paige Tyler: A choice ebook from her backlist
Sabrina York: Tiara

Friday, June 12, 2015

New Release: Haunting The Mayfair #RB4U #MFRWauthor #RomFantasy

Haunting the Mayfair
A sexy Halloween tale

Amazon  •  Google Books  •  Smashwords

Rick loves Cindi, but he worries about her. Apart from his past, there is the very real problem of her insatiable curiosity, so for Halloween he decides to teach her a lesson she’ll never forget...

Rick Leighton is a world-class, sophisticated intelligence operative with a questionable past. He’s tried retiring, leaving it all behind, and for a time he did. But the past has a way of catching up to you, and he was the company whore for a long time when he was an active agent. Much to his surprise he’s fallen in love with the daughter of his mentor, a girl fifteen years his junior, but her love and devotion to him–her acceptance of him–has taught him the kind of love he once scoffed at.

Rick loves Cindi, but he also worries about her. Apart from his past, there is the very real problem of her insatiable curiosity, and for Halloween, he decides to teach her a lesson in being more careful. He lures her to an old hotel that’s been abandoned for decades, and reputed to be haunted. She goes, led by the intrigue and her curiosity, just as he knows she’ll be.

When Rick grabs her in the hallway, her anger is quickly overwhelmed by the scope of his private party and all it entails. In the afterglow of their passion, though, the ghosts of the place become all too real, and Rick’s past clashes violently with the love that defines his present.

When Cindi is taken hostage by a woman he once used and left, one who blames him for the death of her son, blood and death are the only way back to safety.

Excerpt:

You should know better than this.

She couldn’t escape the twinge of conscience that reminded her how often she played out of her league. When her father had retired from the Agency and started his own private investigation business, he’d thought his daughter would be safe from the ghosts of his violent past. More than once though, Cinthya had paid for the deeds and decisions of Joshua Bradley’s previous career. Her relationship with Rick wasn’t a point of reassurance either in the creaking darkness of the forsaken hotel.

There were people who knew Rick and his reputation. Sometimes it was a point of protection, but here that was irrelevant. It was with Joshua’s very reluctant blessing that his twenty-year-old daughter had stepped into a loving relationship with his former business partner, the shadowy, sophisticated and lethal Rick Leighton. The more than fifteen-year age difference was only the first objection her father had voiced when Cinthya had been forced by her own conscience to open up to him—conscience and the undeniable need to share her happiness with the other important person in her life.

Rick’s recent decision to leave Bradley’s Private Investigations and reenter the life of an active operative set up an entirely new array of potential dangers for Cinthya. It was a risk she was more than willing to take, but not something that lessened the worry from her father and Rick.

She leapt back in fright when something clingy and featherlight brushed against her face. With a cry of disgust, she batted away the filmy cobwebs and peered into the shadowy stairwell. She was on the second floor—only one more flight to climb. Then she’d have to find room 313.

Some people claimed the Mayfair Hotel was haunted, and those who lived in the area could tell endless stories about “sightings” and other mysterious events in the ancient edifice.

Another shudder ran the length of her spine when she heard skittering near her feet. Rats! The place had to be infested with rats. She glanced around, her breath still as she searched the growing darkness for the beady red eyes she was sure she’d find watching her. There was nothing staring at her from the blackness of the corners and she sagged against the wall as she gasped for air.

God! Rick was right, I should never have stayed up all night watching horror movies.

He’d consented to sit through the original version of The Phantom of the Opera—he deemed that particular film “a classic”—but Cinthya had been on her own after that. It had been nearing daybreak when she’d finally crawled into bed—and about another thirty seconds before she flew out again, tripping in the sheets and falling flat on her face at his unexpected grab. Rick had almost fallen out of bed himself from laughing at her. He was still laughing when he’d left the apartment earlier this afternoon.

Cinthya dismissed the monsters and ghouls of the previous night and concentrated on locating the room where she was supposed to find her mystery caller. A sag in the weathered wood of the floor creaked in the hollow corridor. She bit her bottom lip to prevent any sound from escaping. Her hammering heartbeat gradually subsided and some of her fear-induced dizziness passed. A chill skittered across her skin when she stared up at the shadowy ceiling, her gaze drawn to the vast network of cobwebs that had been woven over the years. It looked like wisps of cotton, stretched to the point of breaking, except that this thready cloak was dulled with years of dust and grime.

A distinct thud at the other end of the long hallway had her heading in that direction.

When she was still several doors away from Room 313, she was grabbed from behind.

Amazon  •  Google Books  •  Smashwords

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

On SALE for 99cents at Amazon, the best-selling PIRATES collection is back! #RB4U #MFRWauthor #kindle

PIRATES
(Formerly called ROGUES, revised and re-edited)


Three stories, one kind of hero, pirates anyone? Includes the short stories:

Angel-Fire: A short intro to the world of Captain Jack Stanton, an honourable man with a tarnished reputation. Stranded in Nassau, caught up in a pleasant interlude with a barmaid, Jack has a vision that will lead him to his past and his future, if he can survive to get back Tortuga to discover what it all means…

Storm-Singer: The Isle of Nyx has become the dread of all sailors who must dare the waters surrounding the mythical island. Local legends say a vampire prince resides in the ancient castle that can be seen from the harbor of the island. At his side is a powerful sorceress whose song can control and summon storms.
In a desperate attempt to end the eternal threat looming over them, the people of the Aurora Islands sacrifice their greatest treasure, the princess Sarita, entrusting her with the task of seducing and destroying the dark prince who has been plundering their wealth and their people for centuries?

The Phantom’s Lair: Upon her arrival in the pirate port of Tortuga where her father is acting as Governor, Katheryn Hollinsworth is determined to choose her own path, and follow her heart wherever it may take her. On the streets of Puerta de la Plata, she encounters the mythical buccaneer known as The Phantom, and very quickly loses her heart to the handsome rogue.

Jack Stanton is a man who has never fully come to terms with his past, and in the Governor's pretty daughter he finds a most unlikely champion. But when his past threatens her life, and any chance of a respectable future, The Phantom must face the demons of his past, and accept the dictates of his own reawakened heart...

EXCERPTS:

Angel-Fire:

“Relax, Jacques,” she purred softly as she rained kisses over his face and chest. “Let your mind accept the gift I have given you.”

Swept along on a tidal wave of sensuous excitement, Stanton struggled despite her pleas. He made a half-hearted grab for her when her soft lips trekked further downward, and she effortlessly slapped aside his attempt at restraint.

Jack’s hips rose from the bed, the reaction totally beyond his ability to control, if indeed he had truly wanted to stop the barrage of sexual delight pounding through his veins. He twisted, tried to pin her, but laughter met the awkward movement of his sluggish limbs.

Angelique pressed the expanse of his naked chest and pushing him onto his back as she straddled his hips and grinned down at him.

Stanton opened his mouth, but no coherent words passed his lips.

She lowered herself onto his straining erection and his body convulsed with new euphoria. When the surge of sensory pleasure threatened to suffocate him, his mind finally rose and found freedom.

Through a haze of smoke and mist, Jack’s beloved ship, The Scarlet Thorn, sailed away as he shouted obscenities and anything else his fertile imagination offered him. On Thorn’s quarterdeck, the newly appointed Captain DeBeaupre’s laughter rang out and taunted him. Gold, spinning wildly, glittering wickedly, always out of reach. Blood tinged the brilliance of the shining metal and Jack drew back from it. Engulfed in crimson, a skull grinned from the golden surface.
Was this part of the notorious curse that he’d been hearing about for years?

As quickly as the thought crystallized in his mind, it was lost to swirling mist again.

Slowly, the fog cleared and the Thorn, under attack and badly damaged, shrieked rage into his brain, echoing into a darkness that obscured everything.

“Breathe deeply, my love,” Angelique whispered, riding his bucking hips wildly as she held his wavering gaze. “Let my angel-fire bring forth your destiny,” she moaned, losing her hold on his gaze as her desire peaked and exploded.

The Phantom’s Lair:

Stanton stopped a few feet from the two people squared off against each other. The girl’s sword moved like a shimmering sliver of moonlight as she parried and feinted with careless grace, easily deflecting the less disciplined thrusts of her opponent’s blade. She was dressed like a buccaneer, but he sensed she was anything but what she appeared to be. She slipped on wet ground. The drunkard gained an advantage and made to deliver a fatal strike.

Cutlass drawn, Jack intercepted the other man’s sword on its downward arc. Sparks flew as the blades clashed, and Stanton circled until he stood between the woman and her attacker.

“Taking advantage of a lady when she’s down.” Jack shook his head in mock despair, while his mouth curved into a roguish smile. “That’s hardly fair play.”

“Stay outta this.” The sailor snarled in reckless fury. “It’s between me and the lady.” He tried to shove Stanton aside.

Jack pushed back and waited. The stumbling man to recovered and had a new target, as Jack had anticipated. He raised his weapon and edged closer to Stanton.

“Do you really think this wise, mate?” Jack smiled, enjoying himself now.

His opponent lunged.

Jack sidestepped and the other man hit the building and staggered. Jack tapped his shoulder with his sword. The man whirled, growling his fury, and attacked like a madman. Jack hadn’t calculated the ferocity of the other man’s anger, and he was nearly run through.

The swordplay began in earnest, and Stanton had no time to consider if he should have left this situation to the people involved. A few well-chosen steps gave him the advantage and he parried awkward thrusts with more ease as he drove the fellow backward. When he struck the man across the face with the hilt of his cutlass, he thought the contest over. Until a slash of fire tore up his arm and he had scant seconds to realize he’d been struck. Stanton’s annoyance went up another notch and he spun around, intent on ending the impromptu confrontation. The woman spared him further effort when she slammed the back of the sailor’s head with the butt of a pistol and he went down with a groan.

Jack looked at her, a quizzical tilt to his head.

“I didn’t think it necessary to kill a man simply for being stupid,” she explained with a flash of pearly-white teeth. “But I thank you for your assistance, sir.” She stepped closer and peered at her rescuer. He stepped back, sheathing his cutlass, with suspicion in his pale eyes.

“Do I know you?”

“I think not, m’lady.” Jack smiled.

Now that he could see her clearly in the torchlight, Jack knew they had never met. He wouldn’t have forgotten a woman as lovely as this one. The flicker of the torch flames found responding tongues of color in her long, tumbling mane, presently slipping from the leather thong she’d tied at her nape. The cloak she wore was open, and his sharp gaze took rapid stock of her clothes. His earlier opinion was confirmed in his sweeping appraisal as he inventoried silk shirt, close-fitting pants of heavy cotton, polished leather boots reaching her knees, and a wide belt from which hung the scabbard for her handcrafted sword.

“Jack Stanton.” She positioned the pistol at her hip. “You’re Captain Jack Stanton, aren’t you? The one they call The Phantom.”

Jack’s head tilted as he met her bold brown stare. What he saw there amused him. She was curious, and faintly excited by her discovery of his identity. “And you are?” 

Storm-Singer:

Magic thrummed in the icy pitch of the night air. Sorcery and song combined to create a powerful and potent spell, one that promised to be all Jaden had demanded.

Arrah contained her wrath, pushed it into the darkest corner of her soul, as she concentrated on the binding harmony she was weaving with the winds. Power surged within her, and she breathed in the sweet, pure essence of earth-force, captivated now by the mystical rapture that the music stirred and sent spiraling into the night.

Waves rose and battered the ebony shores of the Isle of Nyx, their crashing voice another rhythm of power in the enchantment. The winds coalesced, added their resonant wail to the sounds filling the air, and she shuddered, savage spirit attuned to the maelstrom of forces engulfing her. She shifted the tone of her song, weaving greater torrents of madness into the music, and the night darkened further.

With the blackness came vision.

And Jaden.

She caught his unique scent, heard the whisper of silk moving rhythmically with each step he took toward her. She felt the power of his very presence long before his graceful hand came to rest at her shoulder.

“The Spectre is ready for launch.”

Jaden’s smooth, sensual voice caressed her, as silken and alluring as the power that vibrated within her body. His arms glided around her waist, and the soft, evocative stroke of his tongue on her neck made her tremble. His hands roamed freely over her, everywhere at once, lighting fire and hunger in her veins as he touched and explored familiar curves. She arched away from him, and he pulled her back against the solid steel of his body. When his mouth covered the throbbing pulse at her neck, her voice reached a new crescendo of furious power. She felt the sharp piercing of her skin then their thoughts merged and reached outward as he sought beyond the storm she’d conjured for him.

Long minutes later, he released his hold on her and turned her to face him, dark eyes glittering. He smiled, tenderness in the shift of his perfect features. She kissed his cheek, then bent her forehead to his chest, faintly aware of the stolen heartbeat that was hers, hearing the even cadence that was a flawless echo of each thump of life within her.

“How long will you need?” she asked, her earlier anger faded for the moment.

“We will return before dawn,” he replied with faint laughter in his rich tone.

“Is this treasure worth the risk you take, Jaden?” She wasn’t as certain as he appeared to be. An indefinable and worrisome element that remained out of her reach nagged at her.

“This treasure is far more than gold and jewels, Arrah,” he purred.

Startled, she met his gaze. “What did you see?”

“Betrayal.”

Her eyes grew huge as he smiled down at her.

“Have faith.” He kissed her lips, a slow, erotic caress tasting faintly of blood and magic. “Wait for me.” He winked then vanished in an inky swirl of mist and silken cloak.

Available at: Amazon

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Cover reveal: Haunting the Mayfair #MFRWauthor #RB4U #ebook


HAUNTING THE MAYFAIR
(Formerly Reckless Assignation)
Revised for re-release

Reviews for the original release:


Blurb: A haunted and abandoned hotel on Halloween is the setting for a very private party between two lovers, one of them a world-class, sophisticated intelligence operative who’s trying to teach his young and innocent lady that curiosity can sometimes take you places you’d be better not to go. Amid elaborate trappings meant to scare and entice, Rick’s seduction takes some unexpected but wickedly wonderful twists. But, Rick also has a lesson to learn, when his past collides with his present, and almost destroys everything he cherishes most.

Prologue

Rick Leighton watched from his vantage point on the third floor of the crumbling hotel. His mind was flip-flopping continually as he waited for his careful planning to reward him when Cindi walked into this trap. Further back in his mind was the worry about recent developments on the job. Fifteen years in espionage had left him with more enemies than he cared to think about. Lately, he was increasingly aware of the shadows of his past closing in on his dreams and his waking hours.

He’d left the intelligence field for a few years but inevitably been lured back. He was considered one of the best in the business and, ego aside, he knew he was good at the job. He was something of a legend in his field, and a huge part of it was his successful use of the attraction so many women felt for him. He’d never cared deeply enough for it to be a problem, but he had tired of being the agency whore and it was instrumental in his leaving. Then came the surprise of his life—and his biggest weakness now—the woman he’d fallen in love with so unexpectedly. Her father had been his mentor in many ways and, strained as their relationship was at the moment, Rick knew Josh never stopped protecting Cindi either.

He shook off his concerns the moment he saw familiar golden-blonde hair, focusing his attention on the elaborate game he’d set in place for Cinthya Bradley. Her presence filled him with conflicting responses, part of him furious at her lack of care in answering the mysterious call that brought her to him, and part of him undeniably thrilled by her arrival. He’d been planning this for weeks, and now it was in play.

Drawing back from the window, he smiled and extinguished the single candle that he’d lit while waiting. Deep within the cavernous building, he heard a sound that was suspiciously like a door being opened. He frowned as he considered the direction it had come from, somewhere in the back of the ancient hotel. Cindi should have been at the front.

Cursing softly, he crossed to the laptop computer he had tied in to the temporary security cameras he’d put in place at strategic points in the old building. He flipped through the screens, doing a cursory check on the weakest points of entry. Nothing moved, and he shrugged off the noise. His people had done a lot of work in the old place in recent weeks, and no doubt the floors and walls were resettling. A second thump reached his hearing, coming from the front entrance. He dismissed the earlier sound as he slipped into position. Still something nagged at him, and his thoughts wandered while he waited and tried to convince himself everything was fine.

The Mayfair was an old, old hotel, and a lot of things went bump in the night when winds blew through the smashed-out windows and the various entrances to the place creaked and groaned. He was being overly paranoid. He’d felt someone lurking in the shadows for days, but no one ever revealed themselves. He was suffering from job stress and needed time off. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt ghosts around him. Occupational hazard.

His grin slid into place when he heard the first telltale squeak of the stairs…


Thursday, June 04, 2015

The Argent Star Tour @FrayEmerson @GoddessFish



THE ARGENT STAR
by Emerson Fray

What happens when your decisions affect an entire universe?

Ren Argent wanted to be an archeologist and spend her life exploring the lost cities of Earth. But when a new planet is discovered and her father is appointed King, she has to leave behind everything she knows to rule over a place she’s only heard of in legends.

Not long after her arrival she discovers there are insurgents hiding in the darkened forests and the planet is on the brink of civil war. It won’t be long until the Monarchy steps in to “neutralize” the threat.

Will she be able to stop the hostile takeover? Or will her actions ignite a rebellion across the universe?

EXCERPT:

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked. It was against Maks’s rules, and though Ren had only known her a short time, Ren hadn’t thought Sheridan would break the rules so easily. Yet she still brought Ren to one of the places Maks had forbidden, and didn’t even know about.

“When one is battling a river it is best to travel with the current,” Sheridan replied, a small smirk appearing. She knelt beside Ren and dipped her fingers into the water, swirling them around to create a line of green light. “This place is magic; I thought you could use some magic.”

“Magic isn’t real,” Ren said, although she enjoyed the idea of it. She wasn’t one to shy away from the entertaining tricks, from smoke and mirrors, but she knew it was just that. Tricks. “There’s probably some kind of algae here to create the glow, and maybe some kind of advan—”

“Not everything needs to be explained,” Sheridan said. “Sometimes it just is.”

That made Ren quiet and she kept her opinion to herself. If the people of Novae believed in certain magics then that was fine. She didn’t want them to force their beliefs on her, so why should she force hers on them?

“Thanks,” she mumbled, “for bringing me here. You know, you’re actually really sweet.”

Sheridan blanched, her hand stopping all motion and remaining in the water. “What?”

“You try to hide it,” Ren said, her lips turning upwards, “and you always have those things on your back.”

Sheridan tilted her head to glance at the weapons she was never without. “They’re kamas,” she said before looking back at Ren.

“But I can see it. You act like you couldn’t care less about the world and what people think but you like Novae.” Ren was careful with her words. “You don’t like the Monarchy.”

Sheridan took a deep breath. “I don’t. And neither do you.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Emerson Fray currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario. While most of her stories happen on other planets, she remains on Earth 24/7 hunting down hawks and bugs to photograph, as well as chasing her mother’s dog to reclaim stolen shoes. A self taught Pokemon trainer and coffee lover, she spends most of her valuable time pinning recipes she will never make on boards she will forget about.

Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Blog

GIVEAWAY

Emerson will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Enter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Meet Koos Verkaik, international multi-published author #RB4U #MFRWauthor #RomFantasy

Ladybee Publishing and Evolutionary Publishing
join forces to show the great variety of
Koos Verkaik’s talents!


Koos Verkaik is one of the most productive authors of this time. 

He published over sixty different titles – both children’s books and novels.

Publisher Penny A. Adams: “Koos has been compared to Hans Christian Anderson, if Anderson had more of a fantasy bent. Koos is very well known in his native country of Holland, having been a best-selling author over there for a number of years. LadyBee Publishing is beyond pleased to have the English publishing rights to the amazing series Alex and the Wolpertinger!”

Reviews about Alex and the Wolpertinger

‘Alex and the Wolpertinger - The Monster Inn by Koos Verkaik is a must read. It is a short book but has a large story to tell. Once you open it, it will grab you and hold you down and you'll turn the pages and turn and turn some more until you reach the last one. You'll even find a few twists and turns thrown in. I gave it 5 stars but it deserves more. It would make a great gift to give. It would make a great addition to your child's library or any library's bookshelf. I highly recommend this book to everyone. You will not regret picking up this book. I look for more books from Koos Verkaik.’

‘This is a good book. I thought it was funny when Alex was being shrunk and when he was small he could talk to animals. The old tomcat yelled at him and said my name is not Shabby Tabby Chum. I think this book is adventurous. It was also funny. I liked the way Alex and the cat talked with each other.’

‘Imagine cooking for a greedy glutinous prince who wants to be waited on hand and foot. Poor young Alex creates a specialty of bread and cheese that just about saved his life from this evil prince.

Alex learns Prince Ruff Rumble has captured a magician and is holding him prisoner, demanding that he make gold but his books of magic have been ruined. Here is where Alex and his pet tomcat, Chum begin their wild adventure as they are led on one wild journey after another to find the gold makers and bring them to the prince. To begin with Alex is shrunken by the magician so he can fit into the tiny tunnels that lead into another realm of the Downhills. The spell also granted Alex the ability to understand all the animals including his faithful friend Chum. They enter a magical world where strange creatures lurk, but some help them find their way to the Monster Inn, where they will hopefully find what they came for. The story is riddled with clues all along for Alex and Chum as their fate depends on finding the gold makers. The fatmonster becomes a friend when he offers them help crossing a raging river and a place to sleep for the night. They meet up with Ludo, the Wolpertinger who is friendly and leads the way to Monster Inn. You'll find out why this Wolpertinger is so special and why he wants to help Alex and Chum. Once again, Alex finds himself caught and forced to be a cook at the inn serving a bevy of hungry monsters. He does get some help from the waitresses who are bats and a dragon who can heat up food with his flames. His special recipe of bread and cheese will once again get him out of a mess. The mystery continues on as Alex, Chum and the Wolpertinger get closer to finding the legendary gold makers. Author Koos Verkaik shows off his skill for rich fantasy in this fast paced story peppered with old world style.’

The critics had this to say about Heavenly Vision, published by Evolutionary Publishing

By the end, the author had impressed me so much that I was not sure whether to applaud the brilliance of the character in the story or the creator of that character that is the author. The twist or final pull was that good of a brilliance charm. 

An exciting adventure into a seldom-addressed topic, 19th century Spiritism in Amsterdam. I've read much on Spiritualism and Spiritism in Britain and America in the 19th century (it is, in fact, one of my favorite subjects to the explore), but I wasn't familiar with it as practiced in Holland. In THE NIBELUNG GOLD, Spiritism is as popular a practice among the Amsterdam wealthy as celebrity worship by the masses is in contemporary culture.

Wolf and his partner Jacob are explorers of the unknown and occult, very skillful at uncovering fraud and identifying actual phenomena. But even for such experienced paranormal investigators, the possibility exists of encountering phenomena well beyond their ken.

Once again this master storyteller brings one of his unique characters to life in a story about a little book collector of limited means who had the luck to come across an old Atlas in a second hand bookshop in Amsterdam. Once his historian friend laid eyes on it, he became very excited and life for Jan Glas was never the same again.

As usual Koos Verkaik brings a mélange of quirky characters to life. The good, the bad, but never the indifferent. He then weaves them into a mystical tale that moves between the present and the past of a strange machine that kills at will and a prophecy of doom. His unique writing style holds the reader’s interest from beginning to an end of the world scenario, as he builds the tension during a well plotted fantastical journey full of intrigue and mysteries.

This is another MUST for readers of strange and unique tales from the undisputed master with one of his whacky covers that I love.

Now Ladybee Publishing proudly announces a new Koos Verkaik series:
Saladin the Wonder Horse



It is a series of four books – in the Netherlands it was published by De Hobbit in Alkmaar and each book had a first printing of ten thousand copies!

The series had become so popular, that Koos was asked to write comic scripts of each book and soon Saladin the Wonder Horse was a comic in magazines and albums.


Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Perspective: lessons learned #RomFantasy @RB4U #MFRWauthor



I’ve been giving thought to many things recently. Jobs done, the sometimes unpleasant responses to doing work well, despite it being unpopular. Amid all the negativity and spite that has tried to attach itself to me, several things have become clear–professionals admire other professionals, and amateurs find reasons to turn their issues into yours. I wear many hats, a result of working in a number of areas related to, but not exclusive to publishing. With two talented and dedicated partners and friends, I own and run an internationally read magazine that’s hosted some of the top talents in many entertainment fields. I’ve held the #1 best-seller position for over two years with one of my publishers, and achieved best-seller status with several others. In the past year, three of my books have reached the top ten best-seller lists on Amazon, with one of them landing at the #2 spot for a couple of days. Things to be proud of, to be sure.

Pride is a funny thing, just like popularity. Too much and you lose your perspective. Too little and you lose your ability to strand up straight and control your life. Popularity is a two-sided weapon–too little and you feel like all you’re doing means nothing and is reaching no one–too much and all you see is your small universe, not the bigger picture that is life. Pride can help you shine, or choke your potential to grow and learn.

I’ve gotten weary of people in this business who scream and shout down the walls when things don’t go the way they want them to. Those who congregate on sites to snipe, bitch, and lay waste to their peers for whatever reasons, need to take a closer look at what is motivating their rage, because “the people have a right to know” is a cover for a thousand sins in any business. The people do not have the right to know everything because some aspect of a person’s life is public. There truly is a right way and a wrong way to conduct your business, and public floggings are not conducive to impressing anyone with your real or imagined cause.

Like many of my peers, I’ve had issues with bad publishers, other authors, even over-zealous readers a couple of times. Unlike some, I don’t take the issues public. Nothing taints your credibility worse than “scandal” or attacking other business people. When asked about certain publishers, I will explain my experience, but I have never told anyone they shouldn’t publish with a company because I don’t like them, or any other reason. We each have only our experiences to draw from, and one man’s joy is another man’s sorrow as we all know.

Recently, something has happened that has made me look very closely at motivation, response, and honest emotional reactions to attacks made against me. It doesn’t seem to matter a damn to anyone that some people just aren’t interested in “mud-wrestling” with anyone who happens to have a bug up their butt about someone else. Frankly, I have enough on my own plate without looking for more to add to it that doesn’t involve me in any way! Shit-storms never really blow over, they just change shape and focus, moving on to gobble up any new fuel that people feed into it. Any doubts about that? Look at how many times a day any given social media is filled with virulent attacks and blasts to perceived enemies. For some it’s the only way they can get anyone’s attention, so they don the mantle of “defender” of some ideal that is then perverted and twisted to serve the immediate need of our modern Joan of Arc types.

Martyrdom aside, I have no great ambition to battle the publishing world I want to one day conquer. My dragons have been slain, my fears acknowledged and tamed, hopes embraced and put in the light so they can grow into real dreams attained, not simply aspired to. Until we know ourselves, we can’t really grow into all we want to become. And success should never be clawed at and clutched because it’s been stolen from someone else through manipulation and demeaning. If you think you can win your goals and dreams by tearing apart someone else, you’ll lose everything you think you’ve secured for yourself. Fact of life. Learn it well.


Photo © Pixabay

.@GoddessFish presents The Missing Planets tour #booklast #RomFantasy


The Missing Planets - The Cairns of Sainctuarie
by Hawk MacKinney


Planet Terato has become a member of the assembly of the Confederated League of Allied Star Systems. The Murian Outpost Terato once commanded by His Imperial Majesty’s Lord High Chamberlain Herklo Korvo XXXIV is now Teratoan staffed and under the command of Teratoan Eklam a’Qoc.

From the uncharted reaches between galaxies, attacks of extraordinary weaponry come against Terato and the Myr worlds of the Murians. Terminus Terato’s expanded link-portals and converter power modules are virtually useless. Power loss, defenses, communications and travel are totally disrupted. High Chamberlain Korvo’s unexpected return to Terminus on a mission for His Imperial Majesty leaves him stranded on Terato. Attacks grow more massive, more unpredictable; spread across the worlds of the League, as an isolated Terminus struggles among the shattered rubble and whispering remains of an ancient Polity of star-walkers.

Family and friends are lost, empires and civilizations in disarray, Terminus and Planet Terato almost defenseless. Desperate for answers,  their worlds being overwhelmed by this remorseless aggressor, Eklam and Korvo reach across unexplored space in a despairing gamble and the last reserves of converter star-substrate, seeking one insignificant star system of gas giants and rocky inner planets for possible relics of the elusive Lantaraan Polity.

EXCERPT:

... eastern radials unstable... strengthening vortices opposing orbital realignment...

Parn’s head throbbed as his thoughts forced the converter toward more output. The power graph flattening with the unremitting decline as the quantum particles of the shell alloys began to disassociate. Output had reached max and was slowly dropping.

The sound of crashes and roars still louder—Ek knew Terminus couldn’t stand much more. “Once antimatter reaches the hub, the self-destruct will trigger.”

Screens blinked unresponsive. Drok shouted above the bedlam, “The Downday hasn’t attained minimum horizon-clearance. Targeting beams holding on standby. Unless the moon clears the horizon, the beams could refract; bounce off into space; never engage the receptors.” Converters shrieked like a wounded Teratoan swamp crawler. “Showing orbital irregularities... orbital constants vacillating,” eyes glued to the inputs. Puzzled at the unexpected readings coming from a source near the a’Qoc hamlet. “Receiving quick output bursts from the altar,” his tunic dusted with more debris, rivulets of sweat-puddled the dust-furrows of his face.

Ek said, “What type of altar outputs?”

Drok said, “Plasma components—unfamiliar readings.”

“The hub will lose power once the antimatter penetrates those last banks of converter,” Ek said. “Before we lose hub power I want you to go to the sublevel vaults housing the encode archives. Should a power failure warning be announced while you are there, backup power will last long enough. Be sure you are some distance away from the archive vaults before backup power is exhausted.” Reached a small odd-shaped crystal to Drok, “Use this to deactivate any security scrims, and duplicate the protocol crystals. No matter what you have to do, keep those crystals safe. If Terato survives and a Murian survey team returns, they’ll know what to do with those crystals. Those duplicates might be the only records to survive; their information could be vital for Myraa City—if Myraa City survives.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.

Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention.  Walking the Pet is Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series. The first book in another mystery-thriller series is scheduled for release in 2015. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012. Its sequel, The Missing Planets, has just been released.



GIVEAWAY

Hawk MacKinney will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner - enter below! For more chances to win, follow the tour - all dates are found here: Goddess Fish Promotions