Welcome Guest Author, Susan Arden!

Today our special guest author is Susan Arden, who will allow us to listen in (OK, eavesdrop!) on an intimate conversation from her soon to be released (April 1st!) new book, Tempted by Trouble.

First of all, just check out the cover!

Tempted by Trouble by Susan Arden    

Contemporary Western Romance that sizzles!

When a woman is the magnet for the wrong man, it takes a bad boy to break old habits.

Character Interview: Dr. Carolina Rodriguez
Story: Tempted by Trouble
Heroine: Dr. Carolina Rodriguez, large animal vet specializing in cattle disease
Minor Character: Sam (Cynthia) Cainwright. Carolina’s cousin from Miami.

Sam: Holy Jesus! Caro what the hell happened? Don’t weasel on me.  I’ve got five minutes before Rob comes back.

Carolina:  **grimacing, stares at wall** Nothing. Uhh…aren’t you supposed to be on a Pacific Island honeymoon?

Sam: Don’t try and change the subject. I saw you sitting with that man. All night in the corner. Too cozy if you ask me.  And then…

Carolina: It’s not what you think. We were only talking.

Sam: 411. Now. Don’t force me to call the primas. They’ll string you up. What the heck were you doing with that man in the empty room down the hall from the reception?  I saw him come out. He looked like he was ready to punch a wall.

Carolina: Fine, but it’s complicated. Don’t. Call. The. Cousins. 

(They’d blow my cover and mom would howl so loud Flagler Street would rumble. Deep breath.  

Hard to do with chest constricted by what feels like yards of barbed wire.) 

Really, he JUST told me things.  (Things that I can’t get out of my mind.)

Sam: Liar! He was ready to bore holes into the hotel and all you did was speak?

Carolina: (Silence. Heart drops into stomach) Okay. There was more. We kissed. And he’s the guy from the parking lot.

Sam: (Pause). Excuse me. The one with the zipper issue?

Carolina: It gets worse.

Sam: How in the world can it get worse? You end up making out with the man who you know is bad news. Jeez, he’s an epic disaster. Carolina, spill the beans!

Carolina: (Swallowing hard.) **whispering** He’s my boss.

Sam: No! You’re joking. The man who hired you to go out to Texas…Rob’s college buddy?? What were you thinking? You’ve positively lost your mind.

Carolina: It’s impossible to describe. Being around him is like molten lava with iron filings and I’m the wrong metal. Standing next to him…it’s a raw force. Damn. I don’t know how to describe the way he makes me feel.

Sam: You mean the way he makes you forget. Common sense.  He’s absolutely the wrong man for you. Don’t do this. You’re asking for trouble. Boatloads.

Carolina: I know. He’s …really the worst. Total bad boy. He’s so arrogant, demanding, controlling. (LOUD thought bubble: And his mouth melts my skin). I’ve signed a service contract. I’ve no choice but to go. It’s only two weeks. I already know this is a recipe for disaster. But this is short term. I’m not a fool. I’m going out there to help Matt with his cattle problems and coming right back.

Sam: If you don’t. I swear the cousins and I are going to do bodily harm to him. Expect to hear from me. And don’t you dare avoid my call, Cuz.

Carolina: (Rolling eyes). I’ll be home before you. Try and enjoy yourself with your husband. You’re on an exotic island. Hugs and kisses. Sam, thanks for worrying.

Sam: Familia Caro. Always. Mwah! 

Tempted by Trouble

By Susan Arden    Publisher: Crimson Romance    Release Date: April 1, 2013

Available on Amazon for Pre-release Ordering. Click Here To Order Now!

NaNoWriMo 2012 Entry Picture Perfect (Story grew and become two separate novels)

CATCH SUSAN HERE:

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http://susanarden.com

Thank you for joining us today, Susan (and Carolina and Sam, too!).  We look forward to reading more about Carolina and her boss, Matt and don't have long to wait until the release date of April 1st...AND...it is available for pre-release ordering right now!

Welcome Guest Author, Erin Moore!

I want to give a warm welcome to our Guest Author for this week, Erin Moore!  Erin's brand new book, Kissed by Moonlight, was just released and we are so happy to have Erin here today to tell us not only about Kissed by Moonlight (of course!) but also to learn a little more about werewolves in general.

The stage is yours, Erin!

The Werewolf as Archetype…

…and why we can’t get enough of them.

You may be wondering, what is an archetype?  For those of us who weren’t English majors, it is “in Jungian psychology, a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.”  [Dictionary.Reference.com]

What that means is that the archetype must be a symbol or image that all cultures share.  The Jungian idea of the Trickster is often linked to shape-shifters, but werewolves are more than tricksters.  They speak to something primal and elemental in all of us:  the ability to change from human into pure animal.  And, by being animal, these werewolves are doing things that we cannot.  They are reacting on instinct, allowed to express their “shadow” selves and be the animal that is inherent in all of us.

The rise of modern fantasy (and paranormal romance!) has given us werewolves who retain their essential human consciousness after they shift, allowing us to empathize even more with a being that must live continually on the margins of society, forever doomed to liminality and secrecy.

In my own writing, the idea of a love story between two werewolves from warring clans, sort of Romeo and Juliet for shifters, took shape.  Morgane and Aelric emerged as these two dark, perhaps slightly damaged characters, who were very much marginalized within society and even within their own families.  It is their status as outsiders and their own fight to be recognized that defines their relationship with each other and with the world around them.  Morgane pretends that the world around her will just come to accept her animal nature, while Aelric believes he can fight through the perceptions of humans.  This tension, along with their sexual attraction for each other (of course – it IS romance), carries the story.

So why do we care that these werewolves are something more than themselves?  Because when we wonder why we can never get enough Taylor Lautner, or why we fall in love with the characters on True Blood, we know it is because they are expressing some deep part of ourselves. The animal is within all of us.

Blurb from Kissed by Moonlight:

Morgane has problems with men. Being a werewolf, and wary of humans, it’s inevitable. But when she meets the intense and enigmatic Aelric, she falls hard. She’s never experienced feelings like this before: desperate for his touch, crazy for the feeling of his skin on hers, and ready to surrender to him heart and soul.

Aelric has never had a problem with women; he’s a master of seduction. So when his alpha orders him to seduce Morgane for information about her clan, he accepts. He’s entranced by her supple curves and soft lips, but for once, he wants more than just her body. He wants her for his mate. But he can’t reveal his true identity, or his intentions. For he’s part of a rival clan of werewolves intent on the domination of Morgane’s pack. And dark forces are gathering that might destroy their fiery relationship…

Thank you so much for joining us today, Morgan and all the best of luck with Kissed by Moonlight!

Here are Morgan's links for Kissed by Moonlight:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance eBooks

Welcome Guest Author Ally Shields!

  

Author Ally Shields' latest book, Fire Within, was just released on Friday and is already a big success!  Congratulations Ally and welcome!   We are so glad that Ally and her main character (a witch named Ari) have taken time out of their busy schedules and are able to join us today.  Take it away Ally and Ari...

Thanks very much for inviting me to talk about my new book, Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2).  Since the urban fantasy series is really about my witch heroine Ari, I brought her along. I thought it would be good for readers to know something about her, and she's agreed to answer a few questions about the things in her closet. I bet she has some surprises for us.

Q-1  What's your favorite pair of shoes?

Ari's ACTUAL Closet!

Ari:  I have these really wicked looking black leather boots with three inch heels. Ryan always kids me that I can't run in them, but I can run in anything that looks that good!

Q-2  Do you have any hats?

Ari:  What's a hat? No, I have a hood on my winter jacket. I have scarves.

Q-3  Speaking of scarves, wool or silk?

Ari:  Wool. I only wear them for warmth. Of course, I do have a couple of silk cloths that I use in my witchcraft.

Q-4  Blouses or tailored shirts?

Ari:  Both. But in the summer I much prefer t-shirts. I wear blouses for dress up or girlie days with my BFF Claris.

Q-5  Jeans or slacks?

Ari:  The only slacks I own are some semi-formal silk ones. I wear jeans most of the time, even in the summer. If I have to take someone down, the jeans offer more protection to my skin than shorts would.

Q- 6  Do you prefer neutrals or lots of color ?

Ari:  Green is my favorite top color, but I really like black and white together. Most days though I wear neutrals.

Q-7  I just thought of a related question. I know you wear a charm bracelet, do you have other jewelry?

Ari: Post or stud earrings. I even have one pair of diamond studs from an old boyfriend, but I never wear them.

Q-8  What do you have in your closet that you wouldn't find in... say mine?

Ari: Well, that's easy. A derringer, a stiletto, silver bullets, herbs and potions, and all kinds of witchcraft paraphernalia. It's a full closet!

You're right, I have none of those extra things. :) Thanks, Ari, for spending time with our readers. Now let's tell them about Fire Within, the second book in the Guardian Witch series.

Book Blurb:

A hidden evil stalks the city...

Fire witch cop Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. When a second vampire dies, Andreas, the sexy, charismatic vampire she dated and split from eight months ago, joins her in the hunt for the real killer.

But Riverdale may have a special kind of serial killer who's looking around for its next vampire victim. The roles of hunter and hunted become blurred. And while unterHunAri might feel like killing Andreas at times, she doesn't want anyone else to do it...

Review quotes for Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1):

"Vampires, werewolves, and witches oh my! In a journey through a magical world... a witch named Arianna will have you lost under her spell." I Heart Books - 5 stars

"If you love paranormal and a good mystery, then I can't recommend this book enough." Paranormal Romance Guild - 5 stars

"I can't wait for the rest of the series from this exciting new author because I will definitely be reading them all." The Romance Studio - 5 stars

Buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Guardian-Witch-ebook/dp/B00BQN1YUU/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-within-ally-shields/1114797385?ean=2940016295343

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-firewithin-1112003-139.html

Author Bio:

Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest, along the Mississippi River, the setting for her urban fantasy series. After  a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time writing in 2009, and Awakening the Fire, the debut novel in her Guardian Witch series, was released in September 2012.  Ally still lives close to the Mighty Mississippi with her Miniature Pinscher, Ranger. When not writing or reading, she loves to travel in the US and abroad. Way too often she can be found on Twitter.

Contact links:

Website: http://allyshields.com

Blog: http://allyshields.com/blog.html

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AllyShieldsAuthor

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527209.Ally_Shields

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allyshields

I've really enjoyed our visit! If your readers have questions, I hope they'll leave a comment or visit my website.

Absolutely and thank you so much Ally, we've loved having both you and Ari and now we know what witches keep in their closets!  (You just never know what you'll learn from reading this blog.)  Best wishes for continued success and we look forward to having you back again soon (Ari, too!)!
 

Welcome Author Cindy Borgne!

Actual photo of Mars taken by Nasa's Curiousity Mars Rover.

Enhanced-color image shows differences in the terrain.

Author Cindy Borgne is here today to discuss her two books “Seer of Mars” and its sequel “Visionary of Peace.”

1.                 Tell us about the first book “Seer of Mars”

At sixteen, Ian Connors happens to be the secret weapon of a powerful military faction bent on conquering all humans who have colonized Mars. His job is to use his psychic ability to uncover secrets or hidden bases of other factions. Ian not only uncovers a valuable hidden mine through his visions, but also Kayla, a woman he sees himself with in the future. The only problem is she's on the enemy side.

Ian heads out into a battle to save Kayla. Instead, he discovers the death and destruction his visions can bring when in the wrong hands. Ian vows to never let anyone use him again. His goal is to escape and live in peace, but his superiors monitor him closely and defectors are known to mysteriously disappear. Deep down, he longs to be with Kayla. Despite his age, inexperience and few allies, he refuses to give up. He must outwit a cunning admiral and save Kayla from his own people or he will remain a pawn and forever separated from those he loves.

2.                 What inspired you to write “Seer of Mars?”

I started out wanting to write a story about a character with psychic ability. Then I thought what if he was caught in a situation of being used by someone with power. What if he didn’t realize at first, but when he did he was still forced to do things he knew were wrong? What would he do?

The idea of putting this all on Mars came about when I’d heard about companies building rocket-like planes capable of going into orbit around the Earth. I thought maybe one day it would be corporations that go to the moon or even Mars. I needed conflict, of course, so in my story the corporations were abandoned by Earth. In order to survive, they turn against each other.

3.                 I understand you just released the sequel “Visionary of Peace”.  Can you tell us a little about it?

Ian Connors had planned to use his visions to spy on Marscorp in order to maintain peace, but flashbacks and nightmares make it impossible. Since two years of peace have passed due to a stalemate, Ian decides to try and live a normal life, until one day he has a vision so horrifying he has no choice but to become the seer he once was or Vallar will have no future. While he struggles to regain his ability, the Marcs plot to capture him alive in order to complete a deal for their return to Earth.

4.                  Can you tell us more about the themes of each book and how they tie together?

The theme of the first book is about being stubborn, but in a good way. It’s about the fight to not give up no matter how small you feel or what challenge you are facing. There is also the theme of how it is important to trust again, even when that trust was once betrayed. The second book is about overcoming fears and forgiving others for a greater purpose. Both books shadow these themes.

5.                 Why Science Fiction?

I like stories that are about something different or unusual, so my writing leans toward that genre.  Although, my stories aren't what I would call hard science fiction, they are more speculative and mainly about the characters and how they deal with the situations I get them into – the poor things.  But don’t worry, I do cover the technology. I just don’t go overboard with too much info.

6.          Do you write in any other genre?

I have another novelette called "TransShifter" that I consider to be paranormal fantasy. It's about a shapeshifter who finds out there is more to being human than she realizes...while getting into all sorts of trouble. This story is currently free on Kindle. I have also tinkered with writing a steampunk story about Native Americans. You could say I like to be different, and I'm open to other genres as long as it's about something unique.

AUTHOR'S BIO:

Cindy Borgne lives in the Detroit, Michigan area with her two kids and one stubborn, yet somehow lovable basset hound. In 2011, Seer of Mars was a finalist in the Readers' Favorite contest. She won an honorable mention for short fiction from Writer's Digest. Her short story ThunderSnow was chosen as an editor's pick at Eloquent Stories.

CONTACT LINKS:

Connect with Cindy Borgne: Blog/Facebook/Twitter

BUY LINKS:

Seer of Mars: Amazon/Amazon UK

Visionary of Peace: Amazon/Amazon UK

TransShifter:  Amazon

Thanks for being with us today, Cindy and the very best of luck to you!  Please come back and visit again soon!

The Lost Pleiad

                       The Lost Pleiad

O! How calm and how beautiful--look at the night!
The planets are wheeling in pathways of light;
And the lover, or poet, with heart, or with eye,
Sends his gaze with a tear, or his soul with a sigh. 

But from Fesole's summit the Tuscan looked forth,
To eastward and westward, to south and to north;
Neither planet nor star could his vision delight,
'Till his own bright Pleiades should rise to his sight.
They rose, and he numbered their glittering train -- 
They shone bright as he counted them over again; 

But the star of his love, the bright gem of the cluster,
Arose not to lend the Pleiades its lustre. 

And thus, when the splendor of beauty has blazed,
On light and on loveliness, how have we gazed!
And how sad have we turned from the sight, when we found
That the fairest and sweetest was "not on the ground." 
          

John Brainard, 1796-1828

Pleiad  (ˈplaɪəd) 
 
— n

one of the Pleiades (stars or daughters of Atlas)

American Psychic Edgar Cayce...Most Suppressed Modern Day Prophet?

The following info. on Edgar Cayce is from Catalyzing Change

Edgar Cayce (1877-1945)

For those unfamiliar with Edgar Cayce, he was an American psychic who said he had the ability to tap into the Akashic Records while in a hypnotic trance. He gave over 14,000 readings and it is said that he only got one wrong, when he accidentally gave a reading for a twin of another. He spoke of topics from our ancient history & Atlantis, our future, extraterrestrials and the secrets hidden under the Sphinx of Egypt in the Hall of Records.. For healing, all Edgar Cayce needed was the name and address of an individual anywhere in the world in order to give a detailed medical diagnosis and treatment. He may be the most suppressed modern day prophet.

Cayce’s Three Atlantean Halls of Record were located in Egypt near the Sphinx, underwater in the Bimini area, and in the Yucatan area possibly near the ancient Maya city of Piedras Negras (Spanish for Black Rocks) in Guatemala. The latter location was not specifically named in the readings, but from clues and details given in several readings, researchers in the 1930s determined Piedras Negras to be the correct location. The Cayce readings state that the records were saved prior to the final destruction of Atlantis around 10,500 B.C. Stone tablets, linens, gold, and other artifacts are stored in the Halls. The records relate the entire history of humanity including the beginnings “when the Spirit took form or began the encasements” in physical bodies in the ancient lands of Mu and Atlantis. They also contain information about the ancient practice of building pyramids.

 

Links to additional videos on Edgar Cayce:

Search for Hall of Records:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81GaDf-SEBg

Yucatan Hall of Records: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxvap-XRDWY

Edgar Cayce on Atlantis:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhEjcwp7T44

Documentary:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWOGZwXK5fY