Party Time!: Book Feature and Excerpt with The Ace of Diamonds by Vogue

Synopsis:

Since his release from prison, Brookstone’s most notorious drug lord, Jay Santiago, has been hard at work rebuilding his life and empire. With two businesses under his belt and one in the making, Jay is readily known as one of New York’s elite men. While the root of his financial status lies in the newly rebuilt Santiago cartel, Jay is determined to expand his wealth. After reconnecting with an old comrade, he believes that he has found the one thing that could increase his fortune and allow him to leave behind the dangers of his criminal enterprise for good. However, as Jay’s new business venture begins to come to fruition, he quickly learns that the one material object that he loves the most could lead to his biggest downfall yet.

Excerpt:

Jay focused the conversation on the real reason he had come to Dallas. He had recently linked up with one of his old comrades who had helped him put millions into a new investment, one he wanted Lotus to help him with. His plan was to use their connection to his advantage.

“I figured since I’m Hector’s son you would help me.”

Lotus was taken aback. “Help you? Help you with what?”

Jay knew what he said next was going to send Lotus into a fury. “I need a warehouse,” he told him, quickly.

“Oh no,” Lotus said, taking off his seatbelt. “Stop the car, Arnold. Pull over.”

Jay unbuckled his seatbelt as well. He grabbed Lotus’ shoulder, in an attempt to calm him down. “Lotus, come on, listen to me. I know you helped me with this before, but I need another one. I mean, you sold me the building for Blue Magic. I’m making honest of the restaurant, aren’t I? I promise you, I will—” Jay was interrupted as Lotus screamed in his ear.

“Are you out of your mind? What are you getting into now?”

“I can’t go to anybody with this project. I don’t need a lot of ears or eyes on this. I trust you, Lotus. I know you won’t publicize this sale like you do the others. I know you will take the warehouse out of your company’s listings way before the sale is even complete.”

Lotus shook his head, nervously. He knew if Jay was asking for a warehouse then there was probably some illegal operation about to go down inside of it. The last time he had sold him one, he ended up using the space to house illegal drugs and weapons. Now, he wanted one again. Certain Jay was still running a drug cartel, Lotus didn’t want anything to do with it. His days of working alongside a criminal enterprise were long gone.

 

 

 

The Ace of Diamonds is currently available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

self-published series that rock: giveaway!

Since I began self-publishing my books in 2011, I have had the opportunity to not only connect with a slew of talented and self-published authors, but also read some incredibly original and compelling works of art that might never have seen the light of day without self-publishing. When my husband bought me my first Kindle for Christmas 2010, I didn’t even know self-publishing was out there. The first book I downloaded was Shadow on the Sun by Richard Matheson. The reason I picked that novel over several other Matheson books I hadn’t read was because it was priced at $7.99, far cheaper than any of his other novels available on Kindle at the time.

In early 2011, however, I discovered the wonderful world of self-publishing, and I realized that I didn’t have to squander my son’s future college tuition just to fund my reading habit. More than three years later, I read almost exclusively self-published authors. Don’t get me wrong- I still read traditionally published books as well, but I take every opportunity to support a fellow self-published author. This habit has saved me money because self-published ebooks are usually cheaper than traditionally published ebooks, and it’s also enabled me to take risks with my preferred genres without worrying that I could be throwing money away. (A mediocre $2.99 ebook hurts far less than a mediocre $12.99 ebook, if you catch my drift.) I used to be a solid romance and fantasy reader. Now I’ve branched out into reading horror, mystery, and thrillers, just to name a few, and I’ve also developed a particular affinity for Jane Austen retellings.

My favorite genre, without a doubt, is paranormal/supernatural romance. On April 12^th, I’m venturing into the world of vampires and werewolves with my new book Blood Lust, and to celebrate my new paranormal romance series, I’ve compiled a list of five book series that all meet specific criteria: the books must be self-published, and they must focus on paranormal or supernatural happenings.

1. The Sanctuary Series by Charlotte Abel

I received the first book in this series as a gift from the author in exchange for an honest review, and I became an immediate fan upon reading. River’s Recruit, book one in the series, throws us headfirst into a community of shape-shifting humans called New Eden. These humans “merge” with wolves at puberty in order to gain the ability to shift into that animal. River is the female lead, and the story gains traction when, despite her misgivings, she recruits an outsider (sexy former US Army soldier, Jonathan) into her community of shape-shifters. Soon she finds that her heart is at risk along with her place in New Eden, as Jonathan wants to leave- and he doesn’t want to leave her behind.

2.  Zombie Fairy Tales by Kevin Richey

I’ll admit that this series isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I know there are lots of horror fans out there who will find this vastly appealing. Kevin Richey takes well-known fairy tales (Cinderella, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, etc) and rewrites them as short stories- with zombies. In the first book, Cinderella’s story, poor Cinderella is worked literally to death by her cruel stepmother and step-sisters, but she rises again as a zombie, and exacts her revenge in gruesome ways. Full disclosure: although I don’t know Kevin Richey, I totally feel a kinship, as he is a fellow self-published Arizonan.

3.  A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Vampire, the first book in Bella’s series, took the Kindle world by storm, and I’m happy to report that the series’ second installment, A Shade of Blood, is set for release tomorrow, April 8^th! Bella wasted no time in initiating her readers into the Blood Shade, a secretive, mystical island occupied by vampires and their human slaves, where sorcery keeps the sun at bay and allows the vampires to move freely about the island at all times of day. Our heroine, Sophia, is kidnapped by vampires for the purpose of becoming part of a harem for the angst-ridden vampire prince, Derek, but her compassion and feisty personality catch his attention, and friendship blossoms. A Shade of Vampire was just a teaser, but it got me hooked- I can’t wait to read A Shade of Blood tomorrow!

4. Lady of Toryn trilogy by Charity Santiago

Yes, I’m putting my own series on this list. Why? Because I genuinely think it’s worth your time! The Lady of Toryn trilogy is a #1 bestseller for fantasy anthologies, and it's a genre-mashing, adventurous romp through an alternate universe filled with natural magic, ninjas, assassins and vampires, not to mention a heroine who can kick butt with the best of them. The first book, Return, opens with Ashlyn Li, Elder Heir of the kingdom of Toryn, discovering that during her three-year absence from civilized society, her kingdom has started a war, with the new Lord of Toryn, Devlyn, seeking world domination. Ashlyn must rejoin the friends who helped her save the sun three years ago to defeat Lord Devlyn and bring peace to Toryn again. Ashlyn also struggles with her conflicting feelings towards two very sexy men- a stoic vampire that she’s loved for years, and a wise-cracking assassin who is determined to win her heart.

5. Vampire for Hire by J.R. Rain

I’d be very surprised if you haven’t read these books already- but if you haven’t, be sure to pick up the first book, Moon Dance, immediately! J.R. Rain hits it right on the mark with Samantha Moon, a soccer-mom-turned-vampire who must deal with the demise of her marriage due to her vampirism, while trying to work as a Private Investigator to pay her bills. I bought the first four books as a boxed set on Kindle, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series very soon.

And if you’re still itching for more fun, supernatural reads when you’re done with these series- stop by and check out my book Blood Lust, available April 12^th on Amazon Kindle. Don’t forget to click here to enter my giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card- you can buy any one of these series with that prize!

When Friends Become Lovers....Plus Giveaway

  “How long has it been since you’ve slept with someone?”  His fingers smoothed her hair from her forehead.

“At least two months.  You?”

“You don’t want to know…not now.”  He kissed her, but she pulled away.

“We said we’d be honest with each other,” she reminded him.  “Or does that only apply to certain questions?”

“Just trust me on this one.  I’m single; that’s all you need to know right now.”  He reached for her, but she rolled away.  “Damn it, Natalie….”

“Just answer the question.  You’re single, but you have, what, a favorite call girl or something?”

“Do you really have to know this right now?”

“What’s the problem, Brian?  You’re the one who asked me about my prior sex life.  Don’t you think I have the right to ask about yours?  Unless you have a habit of picking up hookers,…thank God you bought the condoms the other night.  At least you care enough to practice safe sex.”

“I don’t pick up hookers.  I don’t do that.”

“Then what’s the problem?”  She reached over and turned on the light.  “Do you or do you not have sex with anyone on a regular basis?”  Natalie hugged the blankets to her chest.

“I-okay, you want to know?  Fine, I’ll tell you.”  Brian sat up and faced her, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light.  “Yes, I get together on a semi-regular basis with a woman who I met a few years ago.  We have an arrangement, and meet once a week for a drink and to relax a little.  There’s nothing serious going on; we just talk and enjoy each other for a couple of hours.  Is that so bad?”

“Are you…..never mind.  I guess I don’t have the right to ask.”  Natalie bit her lip.

“Am I going to see her this week?  I don’t know.  I told you this wasn’t going to be anything more than just a weekend thing, Natalie.”

“I know. I’m sorry I pushed the issue.”  She snapped off the light, but stayed curled up on her side of the bed.  “I guess I walked into that one.”

“No, I’m the one who started it.  I’m not going to apologize for my lifestyle…”

“And you shouldn’t have to.  You’re right. This is nothing more than a weekend fling.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

Available at Freya's Bower

Remember to leave your contact info in a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Class Reunion!

Bad Juju: Do You Know Your Zombies?

Bad Juju: On Sale for .99/4.2 avg review

Do You Know Your Zombies? 
With the so-called zombie apocalypse approaching, one must be educated about the different kinds of zombies before prepping for defense. First, there is the most common and believable-the human that turns into a zombie because of mental collapse, disease, infection, and/or radiation. They stagger around dazed and confused and cause panic to others. Then there is the man-made monster kind or the kind Hollywood and horror authors like me tend to capitalize on. Zombie interest continues to fascinate the world. Jeffrey Dahmer drilled holes then poured acid down his victim’s heads in hopes of creating his own zombie. His madness didn’t work. Can man make his own zombie? Are these monsters real?
According to Wade Davis, author of The Serpent of the Rainbow, zombies are real. They are a product of the Voodoo religion. He was originally hired by a pharmaceutical company to find out about the drugs Voduists used in their death rituals. He believed that datura also known as zombie’s cucumber was a plant that could medically make one who ingested it appear to be dead for a certain length of time.
Sounds like the stuff Juliet used to fake her death. Could Shakespeare known about the magical zombie-making plant? Datura or sometimes Cimora, a close relative of Datura’s, eventually wears off but leaves the victim in a state of confusion, highly susceptible to the art of persuasion. Presto! A zombie slave is at the captor’s disposal. Mr. Davis didn’t just find his datura flower, but witnessed zombie phenomena as he immersed himself within the Haitian culture. Bad Juju is a unique blend of horror, romance, and fantasy.

Datura Plant

Besides The Serpent and the Rainbow, I read volumes of other Voodoo material and watched hours of TV specials. Some of the terms I learned can be found below:
Bokor: A wizard who practices black magic, a zombie maker.
Loa: deity/spirit
Ghede Family: A family of loas known as the spirits of the dead. Three barons rule the family. Baron Samedi is the loa of resurrection.
Baron Kriminel is the most feared loa associated with cannibalism and souls. He’s honored on The Day of the Dead.
Baron LaCroix is the loa of the dead and sexuality.
Poppet: Voodoo doll
Ti-bon-ange: “little good angel” The part of the soul that represents a person’s individuality.
Gros-bon-ange: “great good angel” Part of the soul that is collected into a reservoir of the Cosmos or spirit world.
Baka: Voodoo spirits in animal form.
Loup Garou: werewolf
Djab: a devil Dessounin: Death ritual that separates the gros-bon-ange from the body.
Bizango Society: Secret society of Vodouists. They have Freemason-like qualities such as aprons, secret handshakes, oaths, hierarchy, and symbols. Legend states they change into animals at will. They are known for stealing black cats and boiling them to death for Voodoo services. They drink each other’s blood from a human skull chalice.
Dina Rae
http://dinarae.co
www.dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com

Fairy Tales by Dawn Ireland

I thought it would be fun to put snippets of fairy tales at the start of each of my chapters in The Perfect Duke, so I did some research.  I looked at The Brother’s Grimm  and discovered many of their tales are gruesome. I mean, really, did they have to punish the wicked sorceress when she came to the wedding by heating metal shoes and making her dance in them until she died? And that’s only one of their less than savory endings for “the villain” in a tale. And speaking of the bad guys, why were so many of them women? (I know, I know, it was the view by society of the day. Women were tempting and evil.)

All this made me realize two things. I would never read the original fairy tales to children. I’d be afraid to. Even the Hans Christian Anderson love story about the tin soldier with one leg, who falls in love with the paper ballerina, ends badly. Some of these stories would give children nightmares.

My second realization?  I needed to write my own one-liner’s based on fairy tales. And I had fun with that: quotes from Prince Charming, thoughts from one of the seven dwarves and lines that could have been found in the stories.

Of course, I’m not the first to have fun playing with fairy tales. How many of you watch Once Upon a Time or went to see Enchanted? I enjoy both of them. I think Once Upon a Time is very well written and every time I think I know what will happen, they surprise me. My favorite character is Mr. Gold/aka Rumplestiltskin.  Who do you like: Snow, Prince Charming, Hook, Belle, the Dwarves or one of the other entertaining characters?

Giveaway-Halo of the Damned themed prizes

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's a little bit of background about the trilogy series:

The first book, Sway is an easy read, a simple introduction into Jessie's world.   It's an honest portrayal about a teen who is severely hard of hearing and struggling to get through high school.  Sway is a rare insight into the world of a young person living with a disability where the reader essentially walks a mile in Jessie's shoes. 

From the very beginning we watch Jessie as she tries to find her place in the society.  We begin to see her change and make interesting decisions based on what happens to her.  Gradually, her path in life begins to shift and goes towards a new direction in Compass.  She becomes more aware of who she is as a young person. The third book, Destiny,  becomes a pivotal turning point that sets her on the right path where she becomes empowered and emerges a stronger person.  By the way, the titles Sway, Compass and Destiny all reflect a sense of direction. 

Throughout all three books I've incorporated visual symbolisms or representations that feature hope.  Stars play a big part in Jessie's world.  Whenever she is struggling, especially during those dark emotional times in her life, there is usually a sign to help her stay strong such as the appearance of a special spirit guide or messages given to her such as "To reach the stars, all you have to do is Believe."  There is a sense of magic woven into the fabric of these stories.

Here's the synopsis for Sway, the debut novel in the trilogy series:

There was something different about Jessie. She struggled to fit in at school, surrounded by a web of lies and deceit...until she met Ethan.

Based on a true story, the novel Sway is about a hearing impaired teenager named Jessie who tries her best to blend in at school. Every day proves to be a test of her resolve when she is constantly plagued by the ruthless pranks of her classmates who are determined to make her life miserable. When a handsome stranger arrives in the nick of time, Jessie wonders if he is too good to be true. Is Ethan’s attention genuine, or will he betray her trust, too?

Sway has topped the charts as a TOP-50 bestseller at Kobobooks.com.

Synopsis for Compass, Book 2 in the series:

Being a teenager is hard enough. To be hard of hearing on top of that is like being stuck in the middle of a never ending soap opera.

In Compass, the sequel to Sway, Jessie's life begins to change its course, sending her toward a new reality. When her world is suddenly ripped apart by an angry rival, the one person she trusted to stand by her side simply walks away. With her composure shattered, Jessie questions everything she believed about herself, and as her life takes her on a new path, it turns into a perilous journey full of surprising twists and turns.

Compass has been a TOP-20 Bestseller at www.allromanceebooks.com!

Book links: http://www.jennifergibson.ca/jennifers-books.php