The Cordello Quest (Fiction Addiction Book Tours)

To win an e-copy of The Cordello Quest. Just leave a comment before 30th July to be in the draw!

Please note:  If you cannot comment on this post, please go to
www.hywelalyn.co.uk
and you should be able to comment there.

It's a great thrill to be part of fellow Brit author, Joanna Gawn's promotional tour blitz today.
Here are the details of her latest release, with Ron Dickerson:

What would you do if you found yourself in another world? If you were told you had a key role to play in the lives of a people you never knew existed? That you had been a part of their legend for centuries? Who would you rely on? The Cordello Quest is a tale of hope, trust and faith. It is a tale of magic and mystery … of making the most of your inner knowing. It is a tale of doing the right thing … wherever you are. It is a tale of tuning in to your most aware self. Most of all, it is a tale of the power of love and light.

The tour hosts are:

Book Hoarder
Today I’m Reading
Supportive Business Mums
Donna’s Room for Reading
Brook Cottage Books
Bookalicious Travel Addict
Hywela Lyn ~ Romance That’s Out of This World
Everything Books and Authors
Me, My Books and I
Victoria’s Pages of Romance

About the Authors

Joanna Gawn is an author, energy-healing practitioner and wife. She loves writing, reading, spreadsheets, National Trust gardens, and inspiring scenery. Dartmoor and Brittany are two of her favourite places. She and her husband are owned by two cats. Joanna is a chocoholic, and is also partial to cake.

Ron Dickerson is a Cornishman with a background in rugby, business and Round Table/Rotary; perhaps not the expected connections for writing spiritual adventure novels! He has a deep love of books and superb writing. He is an intuitive natural healer. He and his wife also have two cats.
Joanna and Ron are currently writing the sequel to The Cordello Quest, entitled Mosaic of Light. They also write short stories (published as ebooks), flash fiction and poetry.

Amazon
Blog
Website
Twitter @lazuliportals
Facebook
Goodreads 

 The Cordello Quest was the recent winner of FABT’s promo blitz giveaway.



'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH                   Also available on Kindle

Lyn's Thursday 'Bits and Pieces'

Happy Thursday.

As part of my on-going promise to tell you a little more about myself, I suppose the first thing is to explain my name - especially as I'm often asked about it and how to pronounce it.

OK - pronounciation first - Hoo-wel-ah (that's about the closest I can get to the phonetic pronounciation!)

When I first started writing (many hundreds of years ago), it never occurred to me that I would want to use a ‘pen name’

 Having graduated from short stories published in magazines, to writing a draft novel or two, several years elapsed during which writing took a back seat to my other passion – horses and endurance riding in the beautiful Welsh mountains.


Not that I stopped making up stories. The back of a horse is a wonderful place for mulling over current plot lines and dreaming up new ones.  Eventually, after I married and moved away from my beloved Wales to England, I dug out my futuristic romance ‘Starquest’ from the drawer where it lay hidden, and after revising it to within an inch of its life, and suffering the usual rejections from agents and publishers in the UK, I decided to submit a query, on-line, to a small  press in the States, (The Wild Rose Press which has gone from strength to strength and has been voted best small publisher for four years running.) At that time, TWRP published all full length novels as e-books first, followed by a print version six months later. (They are now published simultaneously, so the reader immediately has a choice of print of e-book.) Until then I have to admit I hadn't even read a full length e-book, and knew very little about them.  This was only  four years ago, but even then, if you mentioned the word 'e-reader' to most people in the UK the response was a blank look!  I was delighted and somewhat surprised to receive a request for the first three chapters, and then the complete MS, followed a few months later by an acceptance.  Wow!  I was going to be a published author!

I realised I really ought to have a name with a little more ‘punch’ than the name I’d been known by since my marriage.  ‘Lyn’ wasn’t particularly interesting (not to me, anyway) and my surname was Welsh and very short and ordinary

 My maiden name hadn’t been any more interesting, but I didn’t really want to hide behind a ‘pseudonym’ either. Then it struck me.  My ‘real’ first name is Hywela, which is Welsh, and ‘Lyn’ is my second name and the one which I’ve been known by since I was a baby. (Why my parents chose to give me two names and only use the second one, I have no idea.  Maybe it’s a ‘Welsh’ thing.)  It seemed a shame that I should go through life, never having used my first name at all, except on legal documents. Why not use both my Christian names and drop my surname, for authorly purposes, anyway?

So I became ‘Hywela Lyn’ – and I even have a star named for me.  Somewhere in the Orion constellation (my very favourite of all the constellations) is a star called ‘Hywela Lyn’, and I have a star map and certificate to prove it, courtesy of hubby, who gave it me as  a Christmas present.


I suppose it’s a compromise in a way, but a good one, because it means I get to use my real first name which would never be used otherwise!

I think I have the best of both worlds – a name that is different enough to catch people’s attention and show up on the search engines, but it’s still my own name. It’s certainly recognisable, and people do seem to remember it. It’s also a good topic of conversation as I am often asked about the ‘Hywela’ part of it and what it means.  I was actually named after my Uncle, Hywel Alun.  Hywel was a very famous Welsh King, Hywel Dda (Hywel The Good) born towards the end of the ninth century he ruled over most of the country and claimed the title "King of all Wales" Hywela, the feminine form of Hywel is a very ancient Welsh or Celtic name.

Do you have a name that's never used? Perhaps like me you use your middle name - is that by choice or just something that's always been done in your case? And if you're a writer, how did you get your pen name?




'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

                  Also available on Kindle

The Amazon in my Office By Laura Bickle -author ofThe Hallowed Ones

I had a wonderful trip to Ohio (my first visit to the US) in May last year, and loved the beautiful countryside and was fascinated by the peaceful and spiritual lifestyle of the Amish people, so I am really interested in this story and thrilled to have Laura Bickle, author of 'The Hallowed Ones' to the Flight Deck today. First of all, Laura is going to tell us a bit about her 'writing muse'. Over to you, Laura.


The Amazon in my Office By Laura Bickle 

Wonder Woman oversees my writing. Okay, slight exaggeration. I’m sure that the *real* Wonder Woman would have much better things to do than watch me stare at the computer screen, shovel cats in and out of my lap, and swill Coca-Cola. I’m sure that she’d have no interest whatsoever in my barely-legible index cards, my swearing, and the crunching noise my broken backspace key makes. She has better things to do than watch me work – things like saving the planet from alien invaders or plagues of mutant robots.

But she still watches me write. Not her, but a twelve-inch Wonder Woman replica doll, perched on my desk. She’s powerful, fearless of my mistakes and indecision. She doesn’t snicker when I read a run-on sentence aloud. Being plastic, she’s not terribly judgmental.

Wonder Woman is one ally among many in my writer’s nest. My nest is my bit of sacred space. It’s part of a little-used guest room. I made a desk by heaving a six-panel wooden door on top of two file cabinets. I spread large pieces of glass from an old coffee table on top, so that I can slide pictures, notes, and little treasures underneath. My reference books are tucked away on shelves, and a brightly-painted balsa wood dragon spins slowly from a hook on the ceiling. A dream board for my current project is propped up on the desk, containing clippings, sketches, and quotes, a clumsy storyboard that I’d be embarrassed to show anyone. Odds and ends are scattered hither and yon: Tarot cards, sticky notes, cat toys, candles. A cat is asleep in a pet bed under the desk. It’s perfect chaos.

But it’s mine. My writing nest. I’ve learned that having a nest is vital to me, to be able to close the door and focus on writing. I think that, if you honor something by giving it physical space in your home, it takes up more real estate in your head. It becomes real. It reminds me of how important writing is to me every time I walk past it, and my mind immediately jumps to the next scene in my story. And, so, when I sit down to write in that semi-sacred space, I become someone else. Like Diana Prince becoming Wonder Woman, I’m transformed into a writer.

I sit and chew on a pen, staring at the Wonder Woman doll, my silent cheering squad. She reminds me to forge ahead, to be powerful. That if the entire word can be saved from hordes of alien invaders by one woman… one woman wearing high-heeled boots, no less… I can put on my own Wonder Woman boots to power through this story.

 Resolutely, I put pen to paper.

Thank you so much, Laura, I think a lot of authors, including myself, have our own little writing space where our muse 'lives' and helps us with our creations.  Now let's find out a bit more about your book.

THE HALLOWED ONES Laura Bickle Reading level: Ages 12 and up Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (September 25, 2012) ISBN-10: 0547859260 ISBN-13: 978-0547859262

 If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?

In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror…

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenag-ers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a de-cree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?


EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ONE
Elijah looked at the stone, shrugged, put it down. He was a year older than me, but he would do anything I asked. Tall and lanky and sunburned from working outdoors, he cut a handsome figure: dark hair and hazel eyes that crinkled when he smiled. I wasn’t sure what I thought about that yet. We had grown up together. But things were changing. We both could feel it.

He leaned against the fence beside me, staring out at the field. I knew what he was looking at, the same thing I was . . . at what lay beyond the field. At the black ribbon of road just beyond the corn that carried the English to and from their business Outside. They drove their shiny cars down the two-lane highway, intent on going home or to work or school. At this distance, we could barely make out the drivers. Sometimes men or women drove boxy sedans in pressed suits and blouses. Often they would be couples with children strapped into harnesses in the back seat. Other times the drivers would be people around our age, talking on their phones or chatting with friends in the passenger seat. We were too far away to see their expressions. But during the summer, with the windows down, we could sometimes hear snippets of their laughter.

Since the time we were children, Elijah and I had made up stories about the people in the cars. We imagined that they were driving to the movies or going to parties. Once, we spied a sleek black limousine and fancied that it contained men in tuxedos and women in evening dresses. Maybe a group going to prom. It was as far away from our everyday world as we could envision.

“Someday that’s going to be us out there,” Elijah said, gesturing with his chin toward the road.


Read the rest of this chapter

PURCHASE LINK

About the Author

Laura Bickle's professional background is in criminal justice and library science. When she's not patrolling the stacks at the public library, she can be found reaming up stories about the monsters under the stairs.

She has written several contemporary fantasy novels for adults, and THE HALLOWED ONES is her first young adult novel. Laura lives in Ohio with her husband and five mostly-reformed feral cats. For more about Laura, please visit her website at: http://www.laurabickle.com.

More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: http://www.salamanderstales.com/

Laura/ Alayna’s blogs
http://www.salamanderstales.blogspot.com and http://delphisdaughters.blogspot.com

She’s also at Facebook

 

Talisman of El - Guest Post by Alecia Stone

I'm really pleased to welcome fellow Brit, Alecia Stone, to my blog today, to tell us all about her forthcoming fantasy release 'Talisman Of El'

Over to you, Alecia!

Guest Post: Kingdoms of Arcadia

by Alecia Stone

First, I would like to thank Lyn for having me today. It is a great pleasure to be given the opportunity to discuss my novel, Talisman Of El, which will be released on May 20, 2012 by Centrinian Publishing Ltd. I thought I would introduce you all to the kingdoms of Arcadia, the magical land that my main character, Charlie Blake, gets to explore in my book.

Five continents of Arcadia:

Ardenen, Sedona, Ethidor, Agorah, and Koura.

Four Kingdoms of Arcadia:

Earth Kingdom - Illusionists

Air Kingdom - Healers

Fire Kingdom - Psychokinetic (move objects with the mind)

Water Kingdom - Truth Bearers

Four Rulers each govern a kingdom:

King Sol - Ruler of the Earth Kingdom

Headquarters - Ardenen

King Gaddis - Ruler of the Air Kingdom

Headquarters - Sedona

Queen Niemi - Ruler of the Fire Kingdom

Headquarters - Ethidor

Queen Sophia - Ruler of the Water Kingdom

Headquarters - Agorah

People of Arcadia:

Earth

People of the Earth Kingdom are placid by nature. They are stable, disciplined, and concerned with detail. They put physical wellbeing before all else. They value skills and abilities and are realistic, hard workers. At times, they can be too fixed to rules and regulations, which cause them to somewhat lack imagination. They think about what is rather than what could be. They are cautious, preferring established activities over innovative ones.Air

People of the Air Kingdom are great thinkers and are concerned with intellect. They are reflective and are logical thinkers, and though they tend to procrastinate, they rarely make mistakes when they implement their ideas. They are humane but are detached from individuals. Though they tend not to be emotional, they are fair minded.

Fire

People of the Fire Kingdom are martyrs. They are always at the front of the battlefield. They are direct, assertive, and self-expressive. Their mode of thought is intuitive, so they sometimes don't think things through on a logical basis before acting. Nothing hurts them more than being ignored. They are generous but sometimes egoistic. They project a radiant energy that can and does at times overwhelm others. They are often motivated by excitement and intuition.

Water

People of the Water Kingdom are very sensitive to their own feelings and those of others. They are driven by their emotions and what feels right rather than what is rational or practical. They are nurturers by nature and need close emotional relationships. They are unpredictable. They can raise you to the heights of bliss but can also be volatile. Their beliefs are based on feelings rather than reason. They have fixed opinions.

Arcadia's Manifesto:

What?

The protectors of mankind.

How?

Talisman Of El - the most powerful device on Earth.

The Legion Of Light - warriors trained to protect mankind from evil forces. Arcadians must work as one under the leadership of a Chief Ruler to uphold balance and order. Without a Chief Ruler, they subject themselves to a reality consumed by darkness and chaos.

About Alecia Stone

Being a fan of fantasy fiction, Alecia Stone's novel was inspired by her love for paranormal mysteries. She loves to write for it is a means of escaping her reality if only for a moment. Talisman Of El is her first book. She lives in  England, UK with her family.

Author website: http://www.aleciastone.com

Talisman Of El website: http://www.talismanofel.com

Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5227478.Alecia_Stone

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AleciaStoneFan 
Twitter: twitter.com/Alecia_Stone

Thanks so much Alecia, that was really fascinating - and I'm reading an advance copy of your book and really enjoying it, what an original, exciting story!

Guest Post: World Building and Inspiration By Ian Alexander

I'm delighted to welcome Ian Alexander as my guest today as part of his Guest Tour for his  novel  'Once We Were Kings'. Over to you Ian:

For any fan of fantasy—or writer, for that matter—the subject of world building is paramount.  You see, the thing fantasy fans are looking for is a setting that transports them to a different time, a different place, where things don’t work as they ordinarily do in our own.  And yet, they don’t want something so far removed that they cannot identify with it.  Therein lies the elusive balance between imaginative transportation to another realm and resonance with the human experience.  How does a writer bring the two into a convincing balance?

As for world-building, I turn to things I know, and then pull from those that are not commonly regarded as “normal.”  In Once We Were Kings, I structured the two warring kingdoms as vastly different as can be.  I modeled the Eastern Kingdom of Tian Kuo after ancient Chinese civilization, drawing on their mythology, as well as socio-political constructs.  Many of the cultural behaviours and values may seem exotic to those with roots in western civilization, but to those in touch with Chinese traditions, it will seem pleasantly familiar.

For the Western Kingdom of Valdshire Tor, I modeled it somewhat after European medieval culture, blending English, German, and other such lore, and yet, I inserted many Judeo-Christian allusions from The Bible (whose historic roots are from Middle Eastern Civilization.)  All in all, I tried to blend the familiar with the unfamiliar and put a new twist on it.  And yet, because it was written for young readers and those new to the genre of Epic Fantasy, I incorporated well-known elements (dragons, spirit-guides, demons, magic, clash or deities, etc.)  While these are well-trodden tropes, books of which fantasy enthusiasts who have grown long in the tooth may have read too many, those new to the genre have found it a pleasant introduction and as a result have begun reading more.

Many of my followers know that I wrote ONCE WE WERE KINGS at the request of my son, who loves C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.  I must admit that I too love those books and have drawn much of my inspiration from them.  That my book has been compared to them is not only an honor, but a validation of my attempts to bring inspiration and deeper thought in an entertaining package.

If you aren’t a fan of Epic Fantasy, or Young Adult Fantasy, I would like to propose that you might be missing out on some very enjoyable reading.  I wouldn’t recommend delving headfirst into the more challenging 800 page tomes at first.  Try something more accessible.  Young Adult fiction these days is a wonderful way to start because most of the books written in this genre don’t condescend, as if they were merely writing for children, despite the fact that the protagonists are in fact young people.  The writing is not as esoteric as some adult epic fantasy and will therefore be a smoother transition into the genre for new readers.

Might I also suggest you try ONCE WE WERE KINGS, and if you like prequels, please check out FROM THE ASHES, a short novella with some rich backstory to ONCE WE WERE KINGS.


Thank you so much Ian, that was a fascinating insight into your world building.  As a lover of fantasy myself, I can't wait to read your books.

About Ian Alexander:
Winner of the 2011 International Book Awards, Joshua Graham writing as Ian Alexander, wrote this book at the request of his then 6-year old son who is a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, and Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.  The request yielded not only the first book ONCE WE WERE KINGS, but a series, the sequels of which will soon be released.

ONCE WE WERE KINGS is a Young Adult Fantasy novel, but has been enjoyed by thousands of readers worldwide from young adult to senior.  It has been a #1 bestseller on two Religious Science Fiction & Fantasy lists on Amazon and is available in Kindle Edition and Hardcover Edition as well.


Visit the official Ian Alexander Website at: www.ianalex.com  
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IanAlex70
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@IanAlex77

Immortal Becoming - An Interview with Shane and Jess Einar by author Wendy S. Hales

I'm thrilled to welcome Author Wendy S Hales to my Blog today, as part of her virtual book tour.

She's brought the two main characters from her book and is going to interview them for us.

Good morning Wendy, and good morning Shane and Jess.

 

WSH: I’m speaking with Shane and Jess as they cuddle on the couch having a thumb war. I’m here to do a job and interview them, yet it’s difficult not to simply lean back and bask in the glow of their love. Between the time we greeted each other, they sat down and I got my notebook out, the newly bloodmated couple seem to have completely forgotten I’m in the room. Even in this simple game Jess fights dirty … and Shane loves it. If he captures her thumb she tickles him or … purrs at him. (Well maybe that’s her way of growling.) Not that keeps him from winning, if anything he plays harder, driven to force her antics so he can revel in them.

I clear my throat to regain their attention.

Jess: Oh sorry. What was the question? (She blushes slightly, and elbows Shane in the ribs)

WSH: You two are amazingly happy together, yet you’re both so busy in your own lives. How do you find time to keep the flames alive?

Shane: “That’s the wonderful thing about bloodmates. We are always together, even when apart.”

Jess: (rolls her eyes and gives Shane a ‘duh’ look): I don’t think that is exactly what she asked. (She smirks at me) I bought a book called The Art of the Quickie …

Shane: (barks out a laugh) She did indeed. Thank the Fates it is not a textbook … we would fail that grading curve.

Jess: Seriously, we are both extremely busy. We just make the most of the time we’re together. We port to each other at breaks and meals. I don’t think we’re much different then any other duel career couple; we make it work because we love each other.

WSH: Shane, when you met Jess you were horrified by her psychic vulnerability. Why?

Shane: (Furls his brows) I still have nightmares about that. Meeting her was sheer dumb-ass luck. It could have been a rogue … or a Morsdente killer. Her Aunt Moira may have kept her hidden by a paper trail, but if any Volaticus had gotten near her, there would have been no denying her species. Jess had highly developed psychic abilities even before her Becoming.

Jess: (pats his forearm consolingly) We’ve talked about this. We agreed that our meeting and my early protection had to be designed by the Fates. Don’t get all riled up on the past. You know it makes me crazy.

WSH: Shane, we get a view of the Volaticus rogues and a small idea of the Morsdente. What distinguished them from each other?

Shane: Rogues live in a manner that violates the code of the Universe. They are found in every species including humanity. Murderers, subjugators, thieves … a rogue has no honor, places value only on their desires, refuses to see that we are all connected. Morsdente are killers specific to the Volaticus race, predators of any life form that has psychic enlightenment. They are addicted to the psychic high they get by killing at the vein. The Tellus and Aquatie have similar problem individuals within their communities that the SOSC is becoming more aware of as time goes on.

WSH: Jess, in the story you square your shoulders and put on a brave face for Shane when you learned that you are a Hulven and that it meant an Elven/human hybrid race of the Volaticus species. Inside, what were you really feeling?

Jess: That is so hard to describe … I guess the easiest comparative would be—imagine a table set for a formal dinner. Wine glasses, water goblets, plates stacked to accommodate seven courses all on a delicate linen tablecloth. (She indicates Shane with her palm up) Now enter the magician. He yanks the tablecloth off with flourish. Everything inside me clenched for the crash, anticipated the destruction while the dishes spun out of control on the glossy exposed finish. For an instant you think ‘nothing will ever be right again’, … yet inexplicably the dishes settle, undamaged, the placement though slightly different is appreciated more. The whole experience fills you with a sense of awe and gratitude.

WSH: Jess, now that Aymee and Eric know about the other species how are they dealing with the information?

Jess: (chuckles) surprisingly well actually. I think Aymee might have suspected there was more to this world than meets the eye. She’s dabbled in all sorts of crazy things when we were growing up. When I was seventeen she dragged me into a cemetery for a séance. Eric scared the shit out of us by jumping from behind a headstone. Eric had a harder time with it at first. The Mesa PD partnered him with Jerika. That helped him a lot. Jerika is just like any other girl he’s ever known … except she can fly … and she has dentes to drink blood with.

I think the funniest thing is every time Eric and Aymee meet someone new they whisper in my ear. ‘What species are they’? Half the time I have to ask Shane unless they are in ‘true form’. I’m learning the same as Aymee and Eric.

Shane: (laughs sarcastically) Aymee and Eric seem to enjoy the new dating pool hovering around them both.

WSH: Last question. How do you feel about the impending human enlightenment?

Jess: I can’t wait. I hope it happens soon. I hate the idea of the people in my life aging and dying.

Shane: Enlightening is humanities destiny. The enlightening of every species is a difficult time for the entire planet. I only hope when the time comes they will accept the assistance of the Symbiosis of Species Council (SOSC) and allow us to aid them rather than making the same mistakes we did. If they refuse the casualty rate will be catastrophic for all of us … especially humanity.

WSH: Is there anything either of you would like to add?

Shane: (Stands and throws Jess over his shoulder fireman style) Nope. Got other plans for the rest of the day.

Jess: (Squeals in laughter, and meets my gaze) Thanks for writing our story. You’re the best.

Thank you so much Shane, Jess and Wendy.  That was a really fascinating interview and I've loved getting to know more about your and your amazing story.

Author note:

Shane Einar is a five hundred year old Volaticus Elven warrior, sworn to duty and honor. His species has inhabited the earth since the beginning of time. The sources of vampire, elf and fairy myths, Volaticus are in reality something altogether different. He never expected to meet Jess Reed. A female living amongst humanity completely unaware that she is Hulven, a human/Elven hybrid race of Volaticus, or that she is on the cusp of Becoming into her Elven traits. Shane should turn Jess over to the Symbiosis of Species Council, SOSC. His attraction to her along with her ability to enrapture him with a smile bars him from it. He rightly suspects that this female is his bloodmate.

Jess had always been psychic, a painful and confusing fact of her life. With Shane’s loving support she learns to control her abilities and discovers the psychically enlightened species that share this world.




AUTHOR BIO

During my hectic life of working and raising children the call of a story in my mind was not always welcome. The niggling character or plot that refused to leave my thoughts until I would sit down a write something … a synopsis, character profile, anything to relieve the creative pressure. With my children grown, and my husbands loving support I dove head first into the depths of my passion and lifelong dream … writing. It was like a floodgate opened in my soul.

I look out at the Rocky Mountain from my window in Utah. I have been blessed with an amazing family and wonderful friends. My husband and I own a small local coffee shop. I enjoy boating golfing, reading and spending time with my family.

Title – Immortal Becoming

Genre – Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Format – Ebook

Paperback Release – March 1, 2012

Paperback version can be purchased from Wendy's website

Website – www.wendyshales.com

Follow Wendy's book tour HERE

Purchase Links-

Amazon/kindle
Barnes & Noble/NOOK
Smashwords

Email – wendys.hales@yahoo.com
 

'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

                  Also available on Kindle

Denise Tomkin's Book Tour for 'Legacy' - 'The Allure of the Bad Boy

A warm welcome to Denise Tomkins who is stopping by today at what is nearly her last spot on her blog tour.  First of all, Denise, I really enjoyed your book, 'Legacy', especially your yummy dragon-shifter hero Bahlin!


So before we talk more about Legacy, let's hear your views on the 'bad boy' hero we love to - er - well, love!

Every romance seems to have one. Every urban fantasy seems to center around one. Every Regency romance creates one.

The Bad Boy

The one man who seems untamable. The one man every woman wants but who has successfully defied all efforts to bring him to home and hearth.

There are different facets of the Bad Boy—some mildly wicked but still opposed to commitment, and others wholly developed and full of hellfire, determined to never settle down.

What is it about the bad boy that seems to draw us in, that makes writers want to play with him on the page and encourages readers to develop a character crush? I’m not a psychologist but, as both an author and a reader, I have a few suppositions.

(Danger alert: writer philosophizing!)

First, there is a deeply drawn need for us to tame our man. To take that which is wild and uncontrollable and overwhelm him so with love that he cannot help but fall victim to our charms. 

Second, and this is focused at authors, he’s a great deal of fun to play around with. He’s the character who refuses to conform to our standards of etiquette and civility. The Bad Boy is the character who pushes us to ratchet up the tension and to find ways to soften his heart toward the central focus of the book without compromising who he is. He challenges us.

Third, the man who challenges us (both as readers and writers), who forces us to think outside the box in handling him, ignites in us a sense of conquest. We look at the man, fictional or real, who embodies the traits we covet—those of the passionate, slightly angry lone wolf—and we want to heal him. We want to take all the baggage he comes with and sort through it, ultimately proving the final point, which is— 

Fourth, we want to believe love conquers all…even him. We need to believe that, no matter what happens, his loyalty is undivided. And even beyond that, we cling to the idea that love is the only way he’ll find redemption in the harsh light of life, and it gives us hope.

The Bad Boy is the ultimate prize in many a story. He is taken down by a heroine, dismantled brick by brick. He is redeemed and proven worthy of our heroine’s love and affection by, in turn, offering his own version of the same. By this I mean he’s often retained many of the same characteristics that set him apart as a Bad Boy but he’s softened toward the one woman who was strong enough, determined enough, and wily enough to get past his defenses.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to write. I have a series of Bad Boys waiting their turn on the page.

Thank you so much, Denise, I think I'll  just like down in a darkened room for a bit and muse about bad boys and how to tame them!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise Tompkins lives in the heart of the South where the neighbors still know your name, all food forms are considered fry-able and bugs die only to be reincarnated in aggressive, blood-craving triplicate. Thrilled to finally live somewhere that can boast 3 ½ seasons (winter's only noticeable because the trees are naked), her favorite season is definitely fall. It's the time of year when the gardens are just about to pass into winter's brief silence, and the leaves are out to prove that nature is the most brilliant artist of all.

A life-long voracious reader, Denise has three favorite authors. Why three? Because favorite authors are like chips: a person can't have just one. Her little house was so overrun with books last year that her darling husband bought her an e-reader out of self-preservation. He was (legitimately) afraid she might begin throwing out pots and pans to make room for more books, and he didn't want to starve.

Along with reading, Denise loves travel, is obsessed with the British Isles, practices photography, enjoys cooking and looks forward to Christmas as an excuse to bake.

Her debut novel, Legacy, is the first book in The Niteclif Evolutions and will be available in both e-book and print from Samhain Publishing.

You can find out more about Denise by following her on

Author Website
Author Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook Page

Her debut novel, Legacy, is the first book in The Niteclif Evolutions and is available in both e-book and print from Samhain Publishing.

LEGACY  The Niteclif Evolutions


When Fate makes you her bitch, accept it and adapt. Or die.

Looking back on the wish she made on Midsummer’s Eve, Maddy Niteclif should have been more specific. She only wanted to escape the shadowy nightmares that plagued her nights, not to be thrust into a completely altered reality.

If a strangely familiar, sexy dragon-shifter named Bahlin, who causes a never-to-be-mentioned-again fainting spell, isn’t enough to make her question her sanity, his insistence she’s the Niteclif ought to do the job. Prophesied super-sleuth of the supernatural world—a world that desperately needs her help—isn’t a job she’s remotely qualified for no matter what her family tree says.

Catapulted into a very different London ruled by dark mythology, mystery and murder, Maddy makes a few startling discoveries. Paranormal creatures exist. Getting shot really sucks. And her body responds remarkably well to dragon magic—in more ways than simple wound healing.

But in this kill-or-be-killed world, reality bites. And Maddy must choose to go back to what she knows…or stay and fight for the man she knows she can’t live without.

Warning: This book contains a shape-shifting dragon with a Scottish accent, modern and archaic weapons, global inter-species politics that make democracy seem mild, some very steamy sex underground, a severed head, murder, and…oh yeah…a woman caught in the middle of it all.

Legacy: The Niteclif Evolutions, Book 1
Author: Denise Tompkins
Genre: Fiction – Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Published by: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (October 18, 2011)
Age Recommendation: 18+ For Mature Content & Explicit Sexuality
Format: eBook
ASIN: B005IZUXZE

Buy the eBOOK at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes & Noble

Samhain Publishing, Ltd

All Romance

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book even though I found the heroine Maddie a little brash and irritating at times, but I did warm to her and could understand why she was the way she was, and sympathise with her in her grief for the loss of her parents.. There are a wide variety and diversity of characters and shifters introduced in fairly quick succession and it's interesting trying to work out who are the 'bad' guys and gals, and who are actually on Maddie's side, and there is a revelation concerning a well known fictional character which I found very original. The hero, Bahlin, is everything a hero should be, even his dragon form is compelling and attractive! I loved the way he truly did love Maddie, and how he cares for her and puts up with her occasional tantrums and moments of doubt.

It was slightly tricky keeping up with all the different supernatural beings  and I had to be careful not to read too quickly and miss something - this is a real page turner!  There is plenty of action, suspense and sizzling romance, as well as some surprises.  I have to admit the climax really had me shocked and I really didn't  want the novel to  end and was surprised when it did! I had to do a double take to make sure I hadn't missed somehow skipped a couple of pages on my e-reader! What a way to keep one in suspense and make one eager to read the next book  - can't wait!

Denise's Blog Tour organised by:

http://nurtureyourbooks.com/vbtblog/?p=2242

This is the penultimate stop in her tour, but why not check out her previous stops as well as tomorrow's, November 15th – Lisa Ma @ A Casual Reader’s Blog 

• October 18th – Jaidis S. @ Juniper Grove
• October 19th – Florence P. @ Romance Me
• October  19th – Kristen T. @ Seeing Night Book Reviews
• October 20th – Tammy G. @ News and Reviews from the Heart of the Dragons Den
• October 21st – Paula P. @ The Phantom Paragrapher
• October 24th – Laurie J. @ Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
• October 25th – Sheila H. @ The Dark Circle
• October 26th – S.J.W. @ Fantasy Cookie
• October 26th – Jasmyn No. @ Jasmyn’s Reviews
• October 27th – Lea. R. @ Journey Reader
• October 28th – Aparajita B. @ Le’ Grande Codex
• October 31st – Beverly G. @ Everyone Loves A SiNner
• November 1st – Aubrie Di. @ Flutey Words
• November 2nd – Lindsay H @ Everyday Is An Adventure
• November 3rd – Krystal L. @ Live To Read
• November 4th – Shandy S. @ Mama Knows Books
• November 7th – Wendy Mi. @ Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears
• November 9th – Lena Sl. @ Lena Sledge’s Blog…Books, Reviews and Interviews
• November 10th – Krishna A. @ Journey with Books
• November 11th – Farrah K. @ The Book Faery Reviews

'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH 'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH'

                  Also available on Kindle