It’s been some time since I’ve updated. I want to thank you all for your support since the launch of Second Life. I’m still finishing up Servant of the Three, but in the meantime, I’d love to see you on Friday! I’ll be at the World Dracula Symposium celebrating the 120th anniversary of Bram Stoker’s Dracula! There will be tons of vampire authors, book signings, and amazing keynote speakers. Click here for more information. Hope to see you there!
Bloggers Needed!
If you’re interested in reviewing my latest book, please sign up for the blog tour here. Blog tours are a great way to discover new authors, win prizes, and get FREE BOOKS! Sign up today!
It’s time for a Second Life!
I’m thrilled to announce that as of this moment, Second Life, the sequel to my first book, Second Death, is LIVE! It’s been a long time coming, but now you can finally learn what happens next for both Mike and Claire.
Also, if you’ve previously purchased Second Death on Amazon as an ebook, you can now get the updated version absolutely free through a Kindle program called Matchbook, or through Kindle unlimited. Or if that doesn’t apply, Second Death will be available for $0.99 for a limited time only… so what are you waiting for?
When Meghan Monroe went missing, her twin brother Mike swore to find her. The harder he looked, the less he seemed to find until he came across a book called The Collector. If his hunch is correct, his professor, Claire Wallace, holds the key to finding his sister. But no one knows better than Claire that finding Meghan might be the least of Mike’s worries.
After he ignores her warnings to go home and forget about the book, Claire must make a choice: let Mike’s discoveries lead him to certain death, or face down her own demons to help him. Knowing The Collector is much more fact than fiction, Claire must decide whether to protect the secret she has kept for eighty years, or reveal her true nature to save another girl from sharing the same dark fate.
Available HERE at Amazon.com
She thought her trials were over…
When she ended the Second Life of the serial killer turned vampire responsible for her own transformation, Claire assumed she’d be able to move on with her life. The “man” was a literal monster, and the world would be better off without him.
If only the rest of her world shared that opinion.
With the help of new allies Claire must race against the clock to prove her acts justifiable… or risk following her tormentor to the grave. And as for Mike, whose rescue was the catalyst for her current troubles, what kind of life will he awaken to? And will he ever forgive her for her actions that night?
In the thrilling sequel to Second Death, the story of Claire Wallace and Mike Monroe continues to unfold, immersing readers in the complex and often brutal world of the supernatural. A world that exists all around us.
Available at Amazon.com in Paperback and Kindle formats.
Cover Reveal: Me!
I actually hadn’t planned on releasing this, and it shows. However, certain things have to fall into place for certain other things to fall into place, so here we are. My second novel in the Second Series, Second Life:
She thought her trials were over…
When she ended the Second Life of the serial killer turned vampire responsible for her own transformation, Claire assumed she’d be able to move on with her life. The “man” was a literal monster, and the world would be better off without him.
If only the rest of her world shared that opinion.
With the help of new allies Claire must race against the clock to prove her acts justifiable… or risk following her tormentor to the grave. And as for Mike, whose rescue was the catalyst for her current troubles, what kind of life will he awaken to? And will he ever forgive her for her actions that night?
In the thrilling sequel to Second Death, the story of Claire Wallace and Mike Monroe continues to unfold, immersing readers in the complex and often brutal world of the supernatural. A world that exists all around us.
Coming March 2016, exclusively at Amazon.com
Holiday Hiatus
Hello everyone! For the past five weeks I have been fighting some kind of super virus that has landed me in the hospital on more than one occassion. As such, my authorly duties have fallen behind, so I have decided to take a brief hiatus for the rest of the month so I can recover.
When I return, we’ll pick right back up with featured authors and book reviews, and hopefully some firm dates on Second Life and my NaNo WIP, Servant of the Three. Until then, I wish you all the best this holiday season. See you in 2016!
Featured Author: Holly Hudspeth
I met Holly through our massage therapist, oddly enough. I was talking to her about books I like, what I write, etc., (because for some reason when I lay down I get logorrhea,) and she said, “You need to meet Holly, you two are peas in a pod.” And seriously, this woman is one of my author soulmates. One of the funniest things about her is how much she reminds me of my husband, which is also one of the many reasons I adore her.
Take it away Holly!
Because it’s the first question everyone asks, why did you want to become a writer?
I have loved reading ever since I can remember, and I have a crazy imagination. When I was a little girl, I would fall asleep by writing stories in my head, and that continued on into adulthood. Also, recently I saw a post on Facebook that said “I wrote my first book because I wanted to read it” and that couldn’t be more true for me. I had no expectations when I wrote my first book, I just wanted to get my story out there and see what happened. I couldn’t be more excited about how people have embraced it.
Because it’s the second question everyone asks, where do you get your ideas?
I grew up watching a lot of fantasy-based movies and TV shows, and was a gamer from about age 5. RPG’s and fantasy games were (and still are!) my favorite. It started on Atari, and then I upgraded to NES etc, so fantasy was my whole world. I would start fleshing out characters and worlds in my head from a super young age, and it just got bigger and more elaborate over the years. I pull ideas from literally every aspect of my life these days. You can see inspiration everywhere you go!
How many books have you written to date?
I have four published books right now, with the fourth book in The Skyy Huntington Series coming soon. The Lie and The Countess were published in 2013, The Pursuit in 2014, and Guided by Moonlight in 2015. Book four in the series will also be 2015.
Can you pick a favorite? If so, which one?
The Countess is probably my favorite, with Guided by Moonlight a close second.
Can you tell me a little about your favorite character to have written?
I loved embellishing on Elizabeth Bathory. She was really nasty in real life, so adding fantasy elements to her history was SO much fun. I am not sure she is my favorite character, but she was fun to write. I think my favorite character is either Aiden, or Lucius.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am a pantser mostly. I will have certain plot points I know I want to hit, and always know how my book will start and end, but everything in between just “happens”
How do you write? With music? Silence? In the morning or late at night? Are your characters voices in your head, or do you see scenes like a movie? Do you need to work things out on paper first? What process do you prefer, (Scrivener, Snowflake Method, Scaffolding Method, a bulleted outline in Word)?
When I write, it totally plays out like a scene in a movie for me in my head! I write in Word, though I would like to try Scriviner. I wish I had some fancy, elaborate answer for you, but my manuscripts are pretty much basic. I write it all out, then edit, then send it to editor, then edit again. I can’t write to music with words, and am a huge classical music fan, so most of the time I put on either classical music, or movie scores. Some of my favorites are Elder Scrolls Online soundtrack (terrible game, great soundtrack) Gladiator soundtrack, Braveheart soundtrack, Pompeii soundtrack. As for when I write, that is all over the place now that I have a son, but I have to schedule it so I am not interrupted…so either after he is in bed at night, or if I get someone to watch him during the day.
What are your top three favorite books or series?
Seriously? You’re going to make me pick favorites! Evil! Lol….well for series I loved Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. Tessa Dawn’s Blood Curse series is AMAZING, and she is such a wonderful person! She gave me some advice when I first started out, and will cherish it forever. Jeanne Kalogridis wrote a series back in the 90s that I liked a lot, The Diaries of the Family Dracul. It’s hard to just pick a few!
Who are your top three favorite authors in your genre?
Tessa Dawn, Elizabeth Hunter, Karen Marie Moning
Do you have a book boyfriend/girlfriend? If you have more than one, (because, well who doesn’t?) please list your top three.
Aiden from my own series is kind of my crush.
If you could interview your favorite literary character, what would be the one question you’d ask?
Dracula: How exactly do you turn into mist or fog?!
What is the one part of writing you dread? Editing? Reviews? Marketing? Talking to fans?
EDITING, EDITING, EDITING! This SO MUCH! I cuss up a storm when I have to edit. I hate Word. I hate editing.
What have you found to be the best way to overcome this?
There really isn’t a way to overcome it. Even after you send your book off to be edited, you still have to go over it, and make the final decisions. Ugh.
If you could go back to the day you finished the first draft of your first book, what advice would you give yourself?
Pay for professional editing, instead of trying to wing it and hope for the best! I had no idea my first book would take off the way it did, and I am a perfectionist, and there were some editing issues that embarrassed me.
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Getting to travel and do live book signings and events. Meeting and interacting with both new and established fans is SO much fun. That, and actually realizing that I am a PUBLISHED AUTHOR, that actually sells books….I still can’t believe it! Dream come true!
You walk into a bar and happen to sit next to your favorite author. What’re you going to say, besides gushing?
Tessa Dawn: “What are we drinking? Because we’re gonna be here a while!”
I asked Holly for a bit about her most recent book. This is what I get… probably because I made her start choosing favorites! ; >
It is way too much to put into a small blurb. My series is fast-paced and reads like a movie. You can check out a book trailer, and buy all my books on my Amazon page. If you want very detailed explanations of the series, my website has all that!
About Holly:
Holly Hudspeth is a Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance author living in Texas. The Skyy Huntington series is a dark fantasy romance adventure that consists of three books: The Lie, The Countess, and The Pursuit. Book 4 will be out in late 2015. Guided By Moonlight – Lucius’ Story is a stand-alone dark fantasy novel based on a secondary character from The Skyy Huntington Series.
Holly’s passion for literature began from the first moment she learned how to read, and she has been writing short stories for the last 16 years. She enjoys writing fantasy, paranormal, romance, and horror stories, and has also created short stories based on avatars she played in online video games such as Everquest and World of Warcraft. She also likes to weave in historical figures and facts into her novels.
In her spare time, Holly likes to play video games, collect comic books, go to renaissance fairs and comic cons, travel, garden, and spend time with her family and friends. She and her husband currently reside in Fort Worth, Texas with their young son Gavin, and their 4 dogs which are spoiled rotten.
Holly loves to hear from her readers, so if you enjoyed The Skyy Huntington Series, please feel free to give her your feedback! And as always, if you read a book you enjoy, be sure to support the author with a great review on Amazon.
If you are an author looking to do a blog swap or would like your book featured on Holly’s blog, please contact via email.
You can connect with Holly on both Twitter and Facebook, as well as her website.
Thank you Holly!
Charming: A new Seven Series novel by Dannika Dark
Once again it’s time for me to host Dannika and put on my fangirl shoes. Honestly, I never get tired of this woman’s work. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do, and be sure to leave a review!!
Charming
(Seven Series, #6.5)
by Dannika Dark
After seven hundred years, Prince has acquired everything a Packmaster could desire. But when he meets the enchanting Nadia Kozlov, he realizes there’s one thing he doesn’t have: answers. Prince owes his life to a man he hasn’t seen in centuries, and Nadia holds the key to his whereabouts, because that man is her father.
Destinies collide when Nadia’s sister shows up unexpectedly. Katarina is a skilled bounty hunter, hot on the trail of a nefarious outlaw who turns out to be Prince’s old nemesis. Prince teams up with Nadia’s sister to track down the Mage, but the real game of cat and mouse is already underway as sparks fly between Prince and the cunning bounty hunter.
The only trouble? Nadia wants him too.
In the Seven series timeline, this full-length novel is 6.5.
However, Charming can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone.
Available for purchase at
For all buy links please visit
Dannika Dark’s Website
The SEVEN SERIES
About the Author
Dannika Dark was born on a military base in the U.S. and spent her youth traveling abroad. She developed an interest writing poetry and song lyrics early on, eventually gravitating toward a job that involved writing procedural training documentation. In her spare time, she wrote novels before she decided to pursue a career in publishing.
In addition to writing about supernatural worlds, Dannika is passionate about graphic design and creates all her own covers and series art. When not writing, she enjoys indie music, movies, reading, Tex-Mex, strawberry daiquiris, heaps of chocolate, and unleashing her dark side.
All of her published books to date are written in the same universe and contain material suitable for adults only.
“For me, writing is all about blending genres to break out of the confines of predictability, but it’s what I love to do.”
Danni
You can find Dannika at
To receive exclusive content and be the first to know about upcoming releases, please sign up to receive her newsletter.
Featured Author: Roger Emile Stouff
Remember when I mentioned my author support system? Well now you get to meet them!
First of all, I’m not going to lie. Roger is family. Not “like family,” actual family. He’s my first cousin, once removed (I had to Google that.) Anyway, I met Roger when I was in my teens and thought he was a “cool” adult (this is damn near a miracle as far as teens are concerned.) Actually almost twenty years later, it still applies. I don’t know if writing runs in all families, but it sure does in mine. Word to the wise: if he mentions something his dad said, pay attention. I adored my Great-uncle Leonard, and the man was a wellspring of wisdom.
Take it away Cuz!
Because it’s the first question everyone asks, why did you want to become a writer?
Thank you for inviting me, Emily. I knew since grade school that I wanted to write; I devoured Black Beauty and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and promptly rewrote the Jules Verne classic to my liking! Later, as a teen, I got somewhat more original, thankfully, with short stories, usually horror, and by the time I was in my twenties I was firmly embedded in sci-fi/fantasy. But within the last few years, I’ve found myself writing more mainstream fiction, at least, mainstream for me.
Because it’s the second question everyone asks, where do you get your ideas?
Everywhere! I grew up in a Native American and Cajun family that spoke of spooks and creatures such as the rougaroo, a Cajun werewolf thing that supposedly inhabits the swamps of my homeland in south Louisiana. My Indian forebears spoke of such things as Neka Sama, a beast that lurks in the swamp and makes a whistling sound accompanied by something like beating on a hollow log, and was known to yank children into fires. Typical ghost stories—visitations, sightings, eerie events—were also abundant. Later I was inspired by the sci-fi and fantasy greats, especially Ray Bradbury and JRR Tolkien, then Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I fell into the mainstream market when I read a news story regarding eminent domain abuse that completely hacked me off, and it turned into my novel “A Divide Beyond Reason” that was intended to be one book only, but has stretched into a series.
How many books have you written to date?
Goodness, this is going to take up some bandwidth!
“Native Waters: An Indigenous Fly Fisher’s Journey Across Time and Water” Memoir, 2012
“The Great Sadness: Indigenous Angling and the Loss of Home” Memoir, 2012
“Carry Me Away: A Quest For Wild Places” Memoir, 2012
“Chasing Thunderbirds” Short stories, 2012
“Losing Home: A Native Waters Compendium” Abridged version of the previous three memoirs, 2014
“With Reservations: Musings From the Other Side” Humor, 2014
“For There Is Still The Sky” Fantasy, Allidian Saga, Book 1, 2012
“The Dark Lands” Fantasy, Allidian Saga, Book 2, 2012
“Fortresses” Fantasy, Allidian Saga, Book 3, 2012
“There Will Come A Beast” Fantasy, Allidian Saga, Book 4, 2014
“Firekill” Science Fiction, 2012
“The Thunderchild Fables” Science fiction, 2012
“A Divide Beyond Reason” Fiction, Lawson’s Peak book, 2012
“A River Named Vengeance” (Sequel to “Divide”) Fiction, Lawson’s Peak book, 2012
“Dead Witch in the River: A Lawson’s Peak Mystery” Mystery, 2015
“Those Who Carry Fire: A Lawson’s Peak Mystery” Mystery, 2015
“Finding Lazarus: Askuwhetea, Days of the Watcher, Book 1” Fiction, 2015
Coming soon: “Something Broken: A Lawson’s Peak Mystery”
Can you pick a favorite book?
Harry Middleton, author of several wonderful outdoors books, best of all being “The Earth is Enough”
Tell me a little about your favorite character to have written.
I love them all! If pressed, I’d have to say Lazarus Askuwhetea, an old Indian who first appeared in the “Lawson’s Peak” books.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Absolutely a pantser! Funny thing is, it usually works out great. Usually.
How do you write? With music? Silence? In the morning or late at night? Are your characters voices in your head, or do you see scenes like a movie? Do you need to work things out on paper first? What process do you prefer, (Scrivener, Snowflake Method, Scaffolding Method, a bulleted outline in Word)?
Started in Word, hated it; went to LibreOffice, loved it! Finally learned Scrivener and will never, ever go back.
What are your top three favorite books or series?
Wow, that’s even harder than figuring out my favorite character of my own books. Let’s see…Craig Johnson’s “Longmire” books; “Boy’s Life”, Robert R. McCammon; “The Stand”, Stephen King.
Who are your top three favorite authors in your genre?
I’m not even sure what my genre is! The first two Lawson’s Peak books, coming of age, family drama, who knows? They were hard to shoehorn into a genre. The mysteries, of course, were easier. So…Craig Johnson, for sure, helluva mystery writer. Harry Middleton, because like mine, his books are mostly set in the outdoors. And top it off with Nez Perce warrior and orator Chief Joseph, my personal indigenous hero.
Do you have a book boyfriend/girlfriend? If you have more than one, (because, well who doesn’t?) please list your top three.
Among my own characters—Lomasi, “Pretty Flower,” an indigenous woman who married one of my three main characters. Someone else’s work, Arwen, perhaps?
If you could interview your favorite literary character, what would be the one question you’d ask?
Gandalf, “Lord of the Rings,” and the question would be, “Why didn’t you just get the dang eagles to bring Frodo to Mordor???” (Of course I know, then there wouldn’t be the whole rest of the epic!)
What is the one part of writing you dread? Editing? Reviews? Marketing? Talking to fans?
Writer’s block!
What have you found to be the best way to overcome this?
Lots of staring at a blank screen, combined with coffee, chocolate and an occasional adult beverage. Or my dad’s advice on just about anything such as that: “Just walk away from it until it all comes around right.”
If you could go back to the day you finished the first draft of your first book, what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t be stupid, go to law school. Just kidding! Probably, “Watch for Amazon to introduce Kindle self-publishing and get in there first!”
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
All of it, even the pains and frustrations. Best of all, is feedback from happy readers who want more. Nothing more rewarding than that.
You walk into a bar and happen to sit next to your favorite author. What’re you going to say, besides gushing?
“Hey, Harry, aren’t you dead?” (Harry Middleton died in 1993.)
Thank you so much for being the first in the series Roger!
About Those Who Carry Fire, the second book in the Lawson’s Peak Mystery Series:
Deep in the back country of the southern Appalachians, a small settlement of Native Americans has existed in self-imposed isolation for three centuries with little contact with the outside world. But when someone, or some thing, burns Madeline Day Star’s cabin, and her with it, Sheriff Gordon Bredenbury searches for a murderous arsonist while desperately trying to keep the secret of that hidden village he’s kept safe for more than fifty years.
When the home of Carolina Proud Horse is also burned a few days later, Gordon reaches a horrid realization: there is an Indian killer in Yona County, and it appears to be the resurrection of an ancient indigenous spirit.
Gordon pursues a killer, flesh or spirit, and soon learns there are also other fires: the fires carried in the hearts of those he holds dear.
About Roger:
Roger Emile Stouff has been an author and journalist for more than thirty years and pens the award-winning column “From the Other Side” in the St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune.
He was featured on the television show “Fly Fishing America” in 2006, and was writer and narrator of the documentary “Native Waters: A Chitimacha Recollection” on Louisiana Public Broadcasting in 2012. Based on his memoirs, “Native Waters” and “The Great Sadness,” the show is now showing on public broadcasting stations nationwide, was nominated for an Emmy and was recipient of a Bronze Telly Award.
He is the author of the fiction novels “A Divide Beyond Reason” and its sequel “A River Named Vengeance” that both question the strength and boundaries of friendship and loyalty. A spinoff from those books, “Dead Witch in the River” is a mystery featuring many of the original characters.
Stouff also has written science-fiction and epic fantasy novels with co-author Kenneth R. Brown, including the first four books of “The Allidian Saga”, a series in the works.
He is the son of Nicholas Leonard Stouff Jr., last chief of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, and Lydia Marie Gaudet Stouff, daughter of a Cajun farmer.
You can connect with Roger on Facebook, and at his websites Shadowfire Books and Native Waters.
Review: Sin Eater 1.6
Oh these boys. These boys are going to drive me up a wall. Can you go into a book and knock some sense into people? Please tell me you can, because I need to.
The demons are still making your skin crawl, like they do. People are still making decisions that have you screaming at them, like you do. And there’s a great little blip at the end that had me clapping. All in all another well balanced and well paced episode that has me excited to see what happens in the final episode.
The only downsides I can think of were one typo, probably due to the aggressive, and reader-centric publishing schedule, and the number of characters involved. As of episode six, I almost needed to go back and look at previous episodes to keep track of everyone; not a problem for those of you who read the entire thing together. But if you were waiting for two weeks between each episode or are putting space between them going forward, your dance card is getting a little full for a serial in my humble opinion.
As of this posting, you can purchase episode 1, episode 2, episode 3, episode 4, episode 5, episode 6, and episode 7 simply by clicking on the episode you want, or click here to pre-order the entire season. You can learn more about author Jessica West here, and more about author PK Tyler here. Stay tuned for each episode’s review!
Brink of Dawn by Jeff and Erynn Altabef
Welcome to the Brink of Dawn Tour
Authors Jeff Altabef and Erynn Altabef
My Review:
Once again Jeff and Erynn have done it. This book was so well written, the transitions between authors seamless enough they could be a single entity. The story is fast paced, picking right back up from where Chosen left off and kept me page turning until the last. Worth mentioning is the excellent interplay between the other fellow Chosen, which had me snickering on more than one occasion. Although I sometimes felt I was left with more questions than answers, I’m excited to see what’s coming next in this excellently filled-out universe.
About the Book
Follow-up to the multiple award-winning Wind Catcher:
They walk among us as if they are gods.
Only the Chosen know what they are.
Only the Chosen know to fear them.
And only the Chosen can defeat them.
Juliet Wildfire Stone and her best friend, Troy Buckhorn, barely escaped their sleepy Arizona town alive. Now they’re speeding to New York City to find the three other Chosen. The Chosen must band together to face an ancient foe that threatens all humanity.
Yet Juliet doesn’t know whom to trust, and strange things are happening in the City.
The Chosen will be tested, their resolve questioned, and their flaws exposed. Each must decide whether he or she will fulfill their destiny—or run. To defeat the enemy, they must stop battling among themselves and overcome their own struggles.
Only one can lead them. Will Juliet embrace her powers in time?
Brink of Dawn picks up where the multiple-award-winning first book in the Chosen series, Wind Catcher, left off, but it can also be read as a stand-alone novel. Continue the adventure! And be sure to watch for the third and final installment in this exciting series, Scorched Souls, to launch in late 2016.
About the Authors
Jeff Altabef is an award winning author who lives in New York with his wife, two daughters, and Charlie the dog. He spends time volunteering at the writing center in the local community college. After years of being accused of “telling stories,” he thought he would make it official. He writes in both the thriller and young adult genres. Fourteenth Colony, a political thriller, was his debut novel. Evolved Publishing has published Jeff’s second thriller, Shatter Point, which won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Fall 2014 in the category of Best Thriller.
Jeff’s first young adult novel, Wind Catcher: A Chosen Novel will be published in March by Evolved Publishing. He’s extremely excited that his daughter, Erynn Altabef, is his co-author on the Chosen Series. As an avid Knicks fan, Jeff is prone to long periods of melancholy during hoops season. Jeff has a column on The Examiner focused on writing and a blog designed to encourage writing by those that like telling stories.
As an avid Knicks fan, Jeff is prone to long periods of melancholy during hoops season. Jeff has a column on The Examiner focused on writing and a blog designed to encourage writing by those who like telling stories.
About the Prizes
We’ve got great prizes for this tour including signed paperbacks AND a 6 month subscription to Kindle Unlimited! You can enter multiple times & every day if you want!
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writerreese: 