Spotlight on: Laurel Dewey

About the book:

Betty Craven is the epitome of elegance, class, and perfection. Her prize-winning garden is the envy of her neighbors; her impeccable manners and epicurean skills have made her the “hostess with the most-est.”



But all is not what it seems.



The truth is that this fifty-eight year old’s seemingly idyllic world is quickly disintegrating. Widowed and left with a modest income, Betty’s Colorado gourmet chocolate shop has gone belly up, leaving her floundering for purpose and meaning. Tied to a house in disrepair that she can’t sell, and mired in unrelenting grief for her dead son, this patriotic former Texas pageant queen comes to the shocking and debilitating conclusion that her entire life has been wasted. As that realization hits her hard between her well-manicured brow, the rebellious spirit that Betty has silently kept under lock and key, explodes to the surface.

When that happens, her staunch conservative world changes drastically, causing Betty to question every belief and opinion she’s ever had. The path she chooses is paved with secrecy, eccentric characters, toe-curling love, life-changing events, and a connection to her unconventional garden that she never could have imagined. No matter how hard she tries, Betty Craven will never be the same again.



Author Laurel Dewey — known for her gritty crime thriller series featuring Detective Jane Perry — has created a dynamic, funny, romantic, heartbreaking and controversial novel that will both enlighten readers and challenge them with its unique and timely subject matter.

Praise for Betty’s (Little Basement) Garden:



“Betty`s (Little Basement) Garden is a wonderful novel full of characters we see every day... This would be an excellent book for a reading group or a book club. There is life and laughter, love and friendships, and a spark of the paranormal that brings it all together.”
– Blogcritics



“Compelling, emotional, at times humorous, controversial, heart wrenching, inspirational, and definitely leaves the reader confronting one’s own personal viewpoint after the last word is read. Highly recommend!”
– CMash Loves to Read



“Funny and warm and wonderful. Get to know Betty; you`ll love her.”
– Lis Carey’s Library



“The end result is not only a successful and compelling novel, but also a springboard for important conversations all across America.”
– David Fiedler



“This is a book everyone should read and think about, an issue I truly believe in, and something I believe more people should learn about. Read this book!”
– Now is Gone



“Pick up Betty’s (Little Basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey and prepare yourself for some thought-provoking reading. See what gems you can pick up.”
– Single Titles



“No matter what side you are on, this book is interesting and will have you shedding a few tears and smiling a few smiles.”
– Books, Reviews, etc.

About the author:

Laurel Dewey’s writing career has been anything but predictable. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dewey began her career working in public relations for such celebrities as Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. Her writing talents quickly took her into other entertainment avenues. Dewey was an assistant editor at BOP Magazine, helping launch the blockbuster career of teen pop groups like The New Kids on The Block. During this time, she wrote a string of successful mystery radio plays for Los Angeles radio networks. The plays won Dewey consistent awards and caused one reviewer to write, “Dewey’s flair for creating memorable characters and great stories is a welcome change these days.

”

Not satisfied to write in only one genre, Dewey went on to pen a western novella In the Name of the Land, which was nominated for a Silver Spur Fiction Award. A collection of short stories followed, as did a successful stint writing and producing radio ads and promos.



In the early 1990’s, Dewey relocated to rural Colorado. But her eclectic writing forte continued as she pursued work as a freelance investigative journalist, advertising/marketing promoter and editor of children’s books. In the mid and late 1990’s, two of her books on plant medicine were published, along with 10 booklets and hundreds of articles on alternative health.

During this time, she appeared as a featured guest on over 300 national radio and television programs and lectured extensively across the United States and Canada.



But now the pages have turned again...literally. In 2007, Dewey released her first fiction novel, Protector, a gritty, paranormal crime thriller that follows the rocky life of Denver homicide detective Jane Perry. In preparation for writing the book, Dewey immersed herself in detailed research, interviewing Colorado homicide detectives and traveling on "ride-a-longs" with street cops. The intricate research helped Dewey create a debut novel that is powerful, compelling and utterly original.



The sequel to Protector, Redemption, was released in June of 2009. The third book in the series, Revelations, released in June of 2011. The fourth novel in the Jane Perry series, titled Knowing, wae released in December of 2012. Her standalone book, Betty`s (Little Basement) Garden, was released on June 12, 2012 and is the first fiction novel on the subject of medical marijuana (cannabis) in Colorado. She lives with her husband and two orange cats in rural Colorado.

Connect with Laurel:
Website

 | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | BAM 

Spotlight on: Amy Shojai

On tour with Partners in Crime June 1 - July 31, 2014

Hide and Seek

by Amy Shojai

Book Details: 

Genre: Suspense/Thriller 

Published by: Cool Gus Publishing   

Publication Date: January 2014  

Number of Pages: 254  

ISBN: 978-1621251477   

About the book:

A mysterious contagion will shatter countless lives unless a service dog and his trainer find a missing
cat . . . in 24 hours.

A STALKER hides in plain sight.

A VICTIM faces her worst fear.

AND A DOG seeks the missing—and finds hope.

Eight years ago, animal behaviorist September Day escaped a sadistic captor who left her ashamed, terrified, and struggling with PTSD. She trusts no one—except her cat Macy and service dog Shadow.

Shadow also struggles with trust. A German Shepherd autism service dog who rescued his child partner only to lose his-boy forever, Shadow’s crippling fear of abandonment shakes his faith in humans.

They are each others’ only chance to survive the stalker’s vicious payback, but have only 24 hours to uncover the truth about Macy’s mysterious illness or pay the deadly consequences. When September learns to trust again, and a good-dog takes a chance on love, together they find hope in the midst of despair–and discover what family really means.


“Recommended for anyone who likes a 'bite-your-nails, hold-your-breath' kind of thriller." -- Dr. Lorie Huston, Cat Writers Association President

Read an excerpt:

HIDE AND SEEK

Prologue

Tommy Dietz grabbed the car door handle with one bloody fist, and braced his other hand against the roof, worried the carcasses in the back would buck out of the truck’s bed. Despite the precaution, his head thumped the muddy window. He glared at the driver who drove the truck like he rode a bronco, but BeeBo Benson’s full moon face sported the same toothless grin he’d worn for the past two weeks. Even BeeBo’s double chins smiled, including the rolls at the nape of his freckled neck.

The ferret thin guy in the middle snarled each time his Katy Railroad belt buckle chinked against the stick shift he straddled. Gray hair straggled from under his hat and brushed his shoulders. He had to slouch or he risked punching his head through the rust-eaten roof. Randy Felch’s snaky eyes gave Dietz the shivers even more than the freezing temperatures spitting through windows that refused to seal.

Three across the cramped seat would be a lark for high school buddies out on the town, but the men were decades beyond graduation. Dietz was in charge so Felch could either ride the hump or share the open truck bed with two carcasses, and the new Production Assistant.

Dietz stifled a laugh. Not so high-and-mighty now, was he? The man must really want the job. Vince Grady had turned green when he was told to climb into the back of the truck. Just wait till he got a load of the dump. Dietz remembered his first visit three years ago when he’d been out scouting locations. He wondered how the spit-and-polish Grady would react.

He’d hired locals for the rest of the crew. They needed the work, and didn’t blink at the SAG ultra-low pay scale, the shitty weather, or the stink. In this business, you took anything available when pickings were slim. Then the show got picked up and union fees grabbed him by the short hairs. Amateur talent screwing around and missing call times cost even more money, so he needed a Production Assistant—PA in the lingo—with more polish and bigger balls to keep the wheels greased. A go-to guy able to think on his feet, get the job done. No matter what.

If Grady wanted the PA job, he’d have to be willing to get his hands dirty, and stand up to BeeBo and his ilk. Riding in the open truck bed was illegal as hell, though here in North Texas even the cops turned a blind eye unless it was kids. This was an audition, and Grady knew it.

He had to give Grady props—he’d not blinked, but clenched his jaw and climbed right in when they collected him at his hotel. He’d been less enthusiastic after following the hunters most of the morning, tramping to hell and gone through rough country until his eyes threatened to freeze shut. Something drove the man, something more than a PA credit for piss-poor pay and worse conditions. Hell, something drove them all to work in this unforgiving business. Dietz didn’t care about anyone else’s demons as long as they let him feed his own.

Dietz craned to peer out the back to be sure the man hadn’t been tossed out the tailgate. Grady gave Dietz a thumbs-up. Probably wants to point a different finger, Dietz thought.

Grady wore the official Hog Hell blue work gloves and ski mask—dark blue background and DayGlo red star on the face—or he’d be picking his frostbit nose off the floor.
Prime time in the back woods. Dietz’s quick smile faded. Nothing about this trip was prime, not even the butchered Bambi in the back. Deer season ran November through early January, and it was always open season on hogs, so they were legal for any follow up film footage. The two deer hadn’t looked good even before BeeBo dropped them, but that’s what viewers wanted. Crocodile wrestlers, duck dynasties, and gold rush grabbers with crusty appeal and redder necks.

Nobody wanted actors anymore. Casting directors looked for “real people.” So he’d caught a clue, jumped off the thespian hamster wheel, moved to New York and reinvented himself as Tommy Dietz, Producer. He’d found his calling with a development company relatively quickly.

A movie star face didn’t hurt. Everyone these days had a little nip-and-tuck; it was part of the biz. He’d been selling his version of reality for years anyway, and always came out on top. He hit it out of the park on his third project. Hog Hell kicked off the next step with a Texas-size leap. He’d show them all, those who’d laughed at his dreams, calling him a loser. And he’d make them sorry.

The shabby pickup lurched down and back up again, and its engine growled and complained. Dietz was surprised the seat hadn’t fallen through the floor. The overgrown road the hunters called a pig path consisted of frozen ruts formed from previous tire treads. They damn well better not get stuck out here.

“Don’t worry, she’ll make it.” BeeBo talked around the stub of his unlit cigar. “This ol’ warhorse made the trip so often, she could drive herself. Ain’t that right, Felch?” BeeBo reached to downshift and Felch winced as the other man’s ham-size fist grabbed and jerked the stick between his knees.

Dietz sighed. Out the window, skeletal trees clawed the pregnant sky. Weird flocks of blackbirds moved in undulating clouds, exploding from one naked tree after another to clothe the next with feathered leaves. Spooky.

Thank God the icy weather stayed dry. Heartland, Texas had dug out of a record-breaking snowfall, and the locals hadn’t quite recovered. It put a kink in Hog Hell filming and they’d barely met the deadlines. Delay turned his balance book bloody with red ink.
Back home in Chicago they’d been hit with the same blizzard and so had NYC. But big cities knew how to manage winter weather. Apparently North Texas rolled up the sidewalks with even the hint of flurries. He wondered if BeeBo and Felch knew what to do in the snow, and didn’t want to find out. The thought of hunkering down overnight in the truck with these men turned his stomach.

Dietz adjusted his own ski mask. He’d folded it up off his face so the blue cap hugged his head while the red star painted a bull’s-eye on his forehead. He wore the official coat, too; dark blue and a bright hunter-safe star on the front and back, with the Hog Hell logo. The Gore-Tex fabric crackled with newness, and his blistered feet whimpered inside wet, dirt-caked boots. No way would he wear his new $300 Cabela’s, purchased for photo ops at the upcoming watch party. He had a gun, too. In Texas nobody cared if you carried. They expected it.

BeeBo’s preferred weapon, an ancient short barreled shotgun loaded with deer slugs, contrasted sharply with Felch’s double gun he’d had custom made last season. Felch shot 44 Magnums, and the cut down double barrel rifle boasted enough firepower to take out an elephant, or a charging feral boar hog.

They sleeved the guns in canvas cases stowed in the back of the truck, but the hunters cared far less about their own attire.

BeeBo and Felch would wear official Hog Hell gear at the watch party in five weeks, but not before. Dietz didn’t want them stinking up the outfits. Today they wore wash-faded coveralls, heavy work coats, earflap hats, clunky boots with thorn-tangled laces, and frayed gloves with fingertips cut out. A bit of peeling DayGlo tape formed an “X” on the back and front of each coat after Dietz insisted on the nod to safety, even though he knew the two hunters paid little mind to official start and end dates during hunting season.

That was the point of the original reality program Cutting Corners that focused on people forced to skirt the rules to make ends meet. The unlikely stars of a single episode, though, turned Felch and BeeBo into overnight sensations and birthed the new show after Cutting Corners tanked. The two hunters were experts at skirting rules. Dietz was no slouch, either.

In the truck bed, Grady swayed back and forth. He’d pushed up the ski mask enough to expose his mouth. White breath puffed out in a jerky tempo, and Dietz wondered if the man would pass out. If Grady took a header off the truck bed, the liability would kill the show. “Find a spot to stop, BeeBo. I think our new team member has had enough.”

Felch grunted. “No place to stop till we get there. Unless you want us to get stuck.” He grinned, but the expression never reached his eyes. “You don’t want us lugging that shit back to your hotel. The stink ain’t something you want close by.”

BeeBo guffawed. “Got that right. With all the hunters unloading, it’s what y’all might call a ‘renewable resource.’” He twisted the wheel and the truck bucked, jittering the decades old pine-shaped deodorizer suspended from the rear view mirror. “The critters take care of the stink pretty quick, though.” His hairless wide-eyed face was a ringer for the Gerber baby. “It’s around that next bend. You might even catch a whiff of Jiff by now.”

Dietz wrinkled his nose. The pungent aroma wasn’t assuaged by the air freshener that had probably come with the vehicle. He shielded his head from another thump, and squinted ahead through the crusty windshield. Wiper blades had torn loose on the passenger’s side and smeared the detritus rather than clearing the view. It didn’t bother BeeBo.

The trio remained silent during the final bump-and-grind through the trees. They pulled halfway into the clearing, and Dietz waited impatiently until BeeBo cranked the steering wheel, turned, and backed beneath a massive tree with pendulous clusters decorating the branches. Grady ducked, or he would have been scraped off by low limbs.
Several similar trees bordered the clearing, and another smaller truck squatted at the far end of the area. An elderly man stood in the truck bed and flailed tree branches with a long pole, while the woman dodged and weaved beneath to gather the resulting shower in a bucket.

“What’s that?” Grady wasted no time jumping off the truck bed. He gagged when the wind shifted.

“Nuts.” Felch unfolded himself from the cramped middle seat. “Pecan trees. They’re gleaning the nuts.”

Dietz’s stomach clenched. He pulled the ski mask over his lips and breathed through his mouth, imagining he could taste the odor that closed his throat. Neither Felch nor BeeBo seemed to notice the stench.

Grady wiped his watery eyes. The breeze paused and he gulped a less contaminated breath. “Pecans? To eat?”

The truck squeaked, rocked and grew two inches when BeeBo stepped out. “Back in town they’ll pay $8 to $10 per pound, once shelled. I got my daddy’s old commercial sheller—held together with baling twine and spit, but works okay. I only charge fifty-cents a pound to shell.” He shrugged. “Every little bit helps. It’s too early for most of the big-name commercial farms, but for the gleaners, if ya wait too long the squirrels get ‘em off the trees, or the pigs root ‘em off the ground. Pigs eat lots of the same stuff the deer and turkeys eat, acorns and suchlike. But they get ground-nesting bird eggs, too. Pigs’ll root up and eat damn near anything.” He jerked his chins at Felch. “Gimme a hand.” He lumbered toward the back of the truck and waited by the taillights.

Felch vaulted in the bed of the vehicle, and adjusted his gloves. He pointed. “Smorgasbord, y’all. Hey Slick, you might want to get video of this. Bet your big-city cronies never seen the like.” His yellow teeth gleamed. He bent low, and grunted as he pushed and tugged the black plastic bag to the tailgate, hopped down and joined BeeBo. Together they slung the truck’s cargo into the pit.
Yipping and growls erupted from below. Dietz stayed back, he’d seen it before. This stuff he wouldn’t put on the air. This’d be too much even for the hardcore viewers without the added value of aroma.

Grady covered his mouth and nose in the crook of his elbow. He edged closer to the deep trough, a natural ditch-like runoff that sat dry three-quarters of the year. Piles of gnawed and scattered bones mixed with carcasses in various stages of decomposition. A family of coyotes tried to claim BeeBo’s tossed deer remains, but was bluffed away by a feral boar.

Grady ripped off his ski mask, puked, wiped his mouth, and grabbed his camera with a shaking hand. He spit on the frozen ground and jutted his chin at Dietz. “So?”
Dietz smiled. “You got the gig.”

***
The damn ski mask dragged against his hair so much, the normally clear adhesive had turned chalky. Victor had removed the wig after dissolving the glue with a citrus-scented spray, a much more pleasant olfactory experience than the afternoon’s visit to the dump. A shower rinsed away any lingering miasma, but he gladly put up with the stink, the rednecks, and the sneers. The payoff would be worth it.

Until then, he couldn’t afford for anyone in Heartland to recognize him. His tool kit of fake teeth, makeup and assorted hairpieces kept him under the radar. For the price, nearly fifty bucks for a four-ounce bottle of adhesive, it damn well better hold the new wig in place for the promised six weeks. He rubbed his hands over his pale, bald head and grinned. Even without the wig, she’d be hard pressed to recognize him.
Muscles had replaced the beer gut, Lasik surgery fixed his eyes, a chin implant and caps brightened his smile. He’d done it all, one step at a time, over the eight years it took to track her down. He’d even changed his name and transformed himself into a man she couldn’t refuse.

He’d done it for her. Everything for her.

He dialed his phone. “I want to order flowers. Forget-Me-Nots, in a white box with a yellow ribbon. Got that? And deliver them December eighteenth. It’s our anniversary.”
He listened. “Use red ink. The message is ‘payback.’ Got that? No signature, she’ll know it’s me.” He picked up a news clipping that listed the address, and admired the picture. She was lovely as ever. “Two-oh-five Rabbit Run Road, Heartland, Texas. Deliver to September Day. The name is just like the month.” He chuckled softly. “Yes, it will be a lovely holiday surprise.” He could hardly wait.

About the author:

Amy Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant, and the award winning author of 26 bestselling pet books that cover furry babies to old fogies, first aid to natural healing, and behavior/training to Chicken Soupicity. She is the Puppies Expert at puppies.About.com, the cat behavior expert at cats.About.com, and has been featured as an expert in hundreds of print venues including The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, and Family Circle, as well as national radio and television networks such as CNN, Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 and Cats 101. Amy brings her unique pet-centric viewpoint to public appearances. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed dog viewpoint thriller Lost and Found. 

Connect with Amy:
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book:
     

Spotlight on: K.M. Cholewa

About the book:

Geneva is a 62-year-old woman for whom love is a lesson.

Paris is a 29-year-old man for whom love is a feat.

Tatum is a 34-year-old woman for whom love is a tragedy.

But because love is none of these things, none know love.

Over the course of four seasons in Southwestern Montana, all of that will change.

A poetic journey through the landscape of the human heart, reminiscent of the work of Alice Munro and Richard Ford, Shaking Out the Dead is a novel that will take residence in your soul.

Kudos:

“K.M. Cholewa is a muscular writer. Everyone will find a character to identify with in Shaking Out the Dead and it won’t be the same for everyone. Read it with a friend. Read it in a book group.You’ll want to talk about it. Cholewa’s writing is hard to put down. Praise for a strong voice in literature!”
– Leah Joki, author of Juilliard to Jail

Excerpt from Shaking Out the Dead

By noon, sloppy ice dollops of rain smacked the windshield like bugs. Great gusts of wind shoved the Celica but it bounced back and held its ground. The roads were empty. Tatum’s car buzzed along under the black blanket of sky. Weather-wise, it appeared that the going might get tough so Tatum pulled off the highway at an exit that promised a Genuine Cowboy Town so she could take a break before a potential stretch of white-knuckling it.

But the sign had lied. Beyond the Sinclair dinosaur at the exit was a short main drag. The road was dirt and the sidewalks were wood and raised off the street, boardwalk-style. Beyond the stores’ front doors (some painted to look like swinging ones) were pharmacies, beauty salons, hardware and feed shops. The whole place looked closed and deserted, but it was just an ordinary town, quiet, behind a cowboy veneer. Tatum reached the end of the main drag which ended abruptly in a field. She pulled into the last parking slot on the block and got out to stretch.

“Guess I better hitch up the car,” she said, pretending to tie it like a horse, trying to get into the spirit of things.

They stepped up onto the boardwalk. The dime store had an ancient children’s ride in front of it. An elephant, a pony, and a fish were dressed in circus regalia, saddled and ready to spin in a small circle.

“How do you think a fish made it into the circus?” Tatum asked Rachael.

The silence that followed was promising. Rachael didn’t answer, but Tatum thought she was considering the question. Acknowledging absurdity is one of the first steps towards healing.

“Want to take a spin?” she offered Rachael.

Rachael looked at Tatum and rolled her eyes.

Tatum didn’t care. She wanted to see its action, hear what little ditty it might play. She dug in her pocket for change. A dime slipped from her hand as she dropped the change into the slot. As she bent to retrieve it, she thought of Paris. He always bothered to pick up stray change from a sidewalk. It wasn’t because he was cheap. It was because he was unwilling to ignore its value.

The ride cranked into action. Surprisingly, the ditty was a circus-y version of "Both Sides Now." Tatum would’ve put her money on "When the Saints Go Marching In."

“Rock on,” Tatum said, watching it turn.

Rachael refused to be charmed. She walked away past the ride to the edge of the raised boardwalk. She looked out onto a knapweed infested field, dead and broken, in the November chill.

Tatum stared at the back of Rachael’s head as the elephant, fish, and pony paraded in circles. She was still thinking of Paris and found herself seeing the image of Rachael before her through Paris’ eyes: a child’s silhouette framed on three sides by the wooden walk, the awning above, and the side of the building. The coat open and askew on her shoulders. The kiddie ride in the foreground. The dead field in the distance. But Tatum knew that Paris would see her in the frame, too. He would look at the person looking, see Tatum seeing Rachael. And, if he ever wanted to, he would be able to see Rachael seeing Tatum, too.

A sudden discomfort brought Tatum’s hand to her neck. She rubbed at it, unconsciously. Paris would see her through Rachael’s eyes. Through the family eye.

Families can reduce us, sum a person up in reference to a single bad day in grade school, or excellent grades in math. The athlete. The smart one. The sensitive one (spoken with a sneer). And, of course, the black sheep. It was bad enough having the family idea of her living in her own head, Tatum thought, but at least there, it could remain secret.

About the author:

K.M. CHOLEWA is from Chicago. She writes in Helena, Montana where she lives with a large, black dog. SHAKING OUT THE DEAD is her first novel.

Buy the book:
Amazon |Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Indigo | IndieBound

Spotlight on: Ellen Mansoor Collier

As some of you may have noticed, A Blue Million Books has started organizing virtual book tours. A Blue Million Books Blog Tours is proud to present its first tour with author Ellen Mansoor Collier for the third book in her Jazz Age Mystery series, Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns.

Book Details:

Book Title: Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns

Category: mystery, 268 pages
Publisher: DecoDame Press

Published: May 18, 2014
Available in: mobi, epub, PDF

Tour dates: June 30-July 5 

Content Rating: PG*

About the book:

During Prohibition in 1920s Galveston, the Island was called the "Free State of Galveston" due to its lax laws and laissez faire attitude toward gambling, girls and bootlegging. Young society reporter Jasmine (Jazz) Cross longs to cover hard news, but she's stuck between two clashing cultures: the world of gossip and glamour vs. gangsters and gamblers.

After Downtown Gang leader Johnny Jack Nounes is released from jail, all hell breaks loose: Prohibition Agent James Burton’s life is threatened and he must go into hiding for his own safety. But when he’s framed for murder, he and Jazz must work together to prove his innocence. Johnny Jack blames Jasmine’s half-brother Sammy Cook, owner of the Oasis speakeasy, for his arrest and forces him to work overtime in a variety of dangerous mob jobs as punishment.

When a bookie is murdered, Jazz looks for clues linking the two murders and delves deeper into the underworld of gambling: poker games, slot machines and horse-racing. Meanwhile, Jazz tries to keep both Burton and her brother safe, and alive, while they face off against a common enemy.

About the author:

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of national magazines. During college summers, she worked as a reporter (intern) for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.

A flapper at heart, she's worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine, and was active in WICI (Women in Communications), acting as president her senior year.

Flappers, Flasks and Foul Play is her first novel, published in 2012, followed by the sequel, Bathing Beauties, Booze and Bullets, released in May 2013. Gold Diggers, Gamblers and Guns is the last novel in her Jazz Age Mystery series, published in May, 2014. She lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts, and visits Galveston whenever possible.


Buy the book:  


Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | Amazon (all books) | Barnes & Noble (all books) 

Connect with Ellen:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads 

Participants in the Book Blitz tour:

•    Authors to Watch, June 30
•    BestChickLit.com, June 30
•    Storeybook Reviews, July 1 

•    Tony Scougal, July 2
•    Christoph Fischer, July 3
•    Tales of a Book Addict, July 3
•    Socrates' Book Reviews, July 4

•    Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine, July 5

Featured Author: Felix Whelan

Children of the Good has the highest Amazon ranking so far in the category Christian Futuristic Fiction, and Felix Whelan is here today to talk about it.

About the book:

If everyone on Earth stopped believing in God... Would He still exist? Would He still care?

In a near-future America that looks a whole lot like today...

A foreign-born Antichrist sits in the White House, and through the power of the Presidency, secretly rules the world...

Religion as we know it has been outlawed, and all knowledge of the old beliefs has been wiped from human memory...

A State-sponsored, New Age cult of self-worship has taken organized religion’s place, and controls the hearts and minds of the world. The Gospel of Self denies the existence of objective good or evil, and preaches moral relativism and the virtue of selfishness...

In the Midwest small town of Arkady, a luminous woman begins appearing to children. She tells them a story about a real living Evil that has taken over their world, and of an objective, loving Good that is on its way to save them. Her son – her seed is the mysterious term she uses – will crush the Evil and bring Good back to the world...

But not if President for Life Michael Oglesby has anything to say about it. When a series of prophecies appear to be coming true, with one very special little girl at their center, a hidden Remnant of believers emerge to rally around the child… While forces of darkness mobilize to destroy her at any cost...

Other books by Felix and co-written by Carol Ann Whelan

I Can't Believe It's Vegan! Volume 1 - All American Crock Pot Classics
I Can't Believe It's Vegan! Volume 2 - All American Comfort Food Entrees
I Can't Believe It's Vegan! Volume 3 - All American Comfort Food Desserts
I Can't Believe It's Vegan! Volume 4 - All American Comfort Food Truck Stop, Diner and Lunch Counter Classics
The I Can't Believe It's Vegan! All American Comfort Food Cookbook: Our Top 40 All-Time Favorites
I Can't Believe It's Not Tuna!: 55 Vegetarian Recipes for Mock Tuna Casseroles, Sandwiches, Melts, Burgers, Salads, Pasta Dishes, and More!

Interview 
with Felix Whelan

Felix, this is your first novel. How long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I announced to my mother that I wanted to grow up to be a writer when when I was ten years old, and she promptly bought me one of those old metal manual typewriters at a yard sale and said, “Get to work!” I did, and she was very supportive of my early efforts, retyping stories for me on the sly at her day job in an insurance office, putting them in little binders with the title and “by Felix Whelan” on the front like a real book. Mom was awesome... In high school, I read one of my stories in front of an audience at a Reader’s Theater event and got a standing ovation. I was thrilled! I knew I was on the right path in life. I majored in creative writing in college, with a minor in religious studies, got a few short stories published... Then fell in love, got married, dropped out of school, and promptly forgot all about writing for most of the next twenty-five years! I had a wife, and soon a family to provide for, so off I went into the nine-to-five workforce. When I turned fifty, I started a blog called “Felix at Fifty,” subtitled “a blog about food, faith, family and finding fulfillment at (and after) fifty,” on which I tried to encourage middle-aged folks like myself to “go for it,” live their dreams, express their creativity, find fulfillment. About a year into that project, the irony was too much. Here I was cheering others on to follow their dreams, while ignoring my own... I parked the blog with a “gone writing...” sign, and got to work. Children of the Good is the result.

What’s the story behind the title Children of the Good?

I wrote the first few chapters with just the fictional town’s name, Arkady, as the working title. I had established the milieu in the story of a future without religion, and a luminous woman, the Blessed Virgin, obviously, appearing to children who had no idea who she was or what she might represent... Then one Sunday at Mass, the first reading was from the Old Testament book of Wisdom – “For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and carried out with one mind the divine institution... I had never heard that verse before. The Holy Children of the Good... It just rang and rang inside my head like a church bell at sunrise, and I knew, there’s my title. I shortened it to just Children of the Good because I didn’t think kids born into a culture with no religion would know the word Holy, or identify themselves by it.

Do you have another job outside of writing?

In January, I’ll celebrate my 20th anniversary as an office manager. It is definitely my “second half of life” goal to be a full-time author and pay the bills writing and selling novels – novels that, hopefully, get made into movies! But just to be on the safe side, I think I’ll stay in the workforce just a few more years...

How did you create the plot for this book?

The plot revealed itself in stages. I wrote the first five chapters intuitively, by the seat of my pants, as they say. Once I’d introduced the main characters and the world in which the story takes place, this near future America where the Antichrist has taken over and abolished all religion, I knew I had to flash back and fill in the story of this guy’s origin and rise to power. Suddenly I had ten or eleven chapters, and I was feeling pretty good about actually winding up with a full-blown novel on the other end of this thing... So I hunkered down and outlined the rest of the book, which I found made it much easier to write. I could focus more on the craft of writing well, in the moment with each unfolding chapter, and less on worrying about what was going to happen next in the story.

What’s your favorite line from the book?

One of my favorite “poetic description” lines is in chapter three, the first time we meet the luminous woman. She appears to a group of third graders at a secret cove off the town lake, at night, where all these kids have snuck out and gathered to see if the woman they’ve heard about is real and if she’ll really appear:

A white form the size of a dog drifted toward them on the water, and became a swan as it neared the shore. It did not step up onto the land, but rather halted abruptly, craned its long neck and stretched its ivory wings, then simply vanished as the campsite exploded into light.

Cool, huh?

Very. Which character did you most enjoy writing?

Neil Coleman really endeared himself to me in the course of writing this book. He appears the first time as a nine-year-old kid in that scene by the lake. Then we meet him again and really get to know him when the story jumps forward to when he and John Harper, the novel’s central character, are young adults in their twenties. When we meet Neil as a child, he’s a tough as nails abused kid on his way to growing up hard and mean like his old man. But that lake encounter with the woman changes him, and when we meet him again, as an adult, he’s an awesome young man, smart, competent, brave, humble. He was a lot of fun to write.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Neil Coleman is based on a real kid named Neil that I knew growing up. His dad really did beat him with a razor strap and terrible things like that. He would show us the welts on the playground. But it was a small town in the seventies. We kids didn’t know what to do about it, or that we could do anything about it, or should even try. And our parents, the school, everybody just looked the other way. It breaks my heart now thinking about it. The Neil Coleman you meet in Children of the Good is my prayer for the Neil I grew up with. May his life be so blessed.

Is your book based on real events?

To paraphrase Bill Clinton, that depends on what the meaning of what the word "real" is... One common criticism of Children of the Good is that, for a book set fifty years in the future, the world portrayed is not very futuristic. People drive Fords and Buicks, they talk on cell phones, have big screen TVs, watch funny animal videos on their home computers... All anachronistic present day elements I included in the book very much on purpose. I set the story in the future to make room for the Antichrist's rise to power, and for the establishment of the Special Schools, essentially a global system of prison camps for children that exist to "reprogram" kids caught thinking or behaving religiously into "self-esteem narcissists" with a grand sense of entitlement... But I'm not really making a prediction about the future, here. I'm setting up an allegory about the present. The New Age philosophy the Antichrist imposes in place of Christianity and other world religions is called The Gospel of Self, and it's based in large part on Ayn Rand's famous "virtue of selfishness." It places the center of the human moral compass squarely on one's personal ego and "self-esteem," on what I want, what I need, what I feel... me... me... me... That's the philosophy that rules this "near future" America... Just like, any honest observer would have to admit, it rules American culture today. My 2066 America looks, technologically, a whole lot like USA 2014, because it's really our present day values being explored in the book. The "near future" setting of Children of the Good is an allegory of  what America today has become in the wake of the "Cultural Revolution" of the 1960s – a shallow, narcissistic, amoral, celebrity-worshiping, consumerist, me me me culture that denies the existence of God, and increasingly marginalizes, and even outright persecutes, people of faith. The events of the story are fiction, of course. But the moral environment, the cultural context that gives those events meaning is very real, and very present, right here and right now.

You get to decide who would read your audiobook. Who would you choose?

I very much want to narrate the audiobook of Children of the Good myself. Back in college, in the Creative Writing program, we read everything we wrote out loud in class. We critiqued each other's oratory as much as the writing itself. We learned that all good writing, even fiction, even essays, even memoir, should follow the same basic rule as poetry – which is that to "look right" to the eyes of the reader, the words must "sound right" to their ears, as well. I would never publish a story or novel that I have not read aloud many times over to make sure it sounds as great as it reads. So, I've narrated Children of the Good in the privacy of my home many times, and not to boast, but Morgan Freeman ain't got nothin' on me! All I need now is a few hours in a recording studio... It's more a matter of funding than anything else. Once I've sold enough paperbacks and eBooks to pay for some studio time, watch audable.com for the audiobook!

I will! Who are your favorite authors?


My number one, all time favorite author is Ray Bradbury. I was directed to his books in the fifth grade, by a school librarian. I was ten, and Bradbury's short stories were like nothing I had ever read. He writes in a rollicking prose poetry that is really quite breathtaking in its power to evoke imagery in the reader's mind. Then, there's what he writes about... The stuff of every ten year old boy's dreams – rockets, Martians, dinosaurs, carnival side shows... I'll never forget putting my hands on Something Wicked This Way Comes for the first time, that first experience of Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show steaming into town on a spooky midnight train... Green Town, the Illinois small town where Something Wicked takes place, and where Bradbury's classics Dandelion Wine and The Halloween Tree are also centered, grew into a kind of "oasis" in my imagination, if that makes sense, a place I carry inside me, in my heart, that I have returned to rereading at least one of those books every year for the the last forty years... That's the kind of writer I want to be, a creator of worlds readers carry inside them and remember for a lifetime.

Other authors I love, for wildly varying reasons: Alice Hoffman, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Lauren Groff, Bradley Denton, and Neil Gaiman.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)?

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz, hardback from the library. My wife and son and I watched the movie version last week on Netflix, and we all just loved it. I couldn't help but watch the movie with a writer's eye. I kept thinking, "This is the kind of movie I want made from my books." So reading Odd Thomas is both a pleasure and a study. On the one hand, I'm enjoying the story, of course. On the other, though, I am studying how Dean writes, how he paces the story, how long his sentences and chapters are, how much dialogue there is VS description, how he introduces characters, and like that. I really want someday to see my work on the silver screen. Dean Koontz is a master of writing books that become movies. A wise artist always studies the masters!

For the record, I am by no means a technophobe! Yes, I check books out from the library, and I have hundreds of paperbacks on my shelves at home. But I also have 1,500 or so eBooks on my Kindle. I especially love the convenience of taking my Kindle with me when I leave the house. Getting stuck at the airport or facing a long wait at the doctor's office is far less frustrating when you have a vast library in your pocket, and access to every book ever written anywhere there is Wi-Fi – which these days is everywhere. I think eBooks are great, and they're so much less expensive than paper books. My only issue with the eBook revolution is knowing I will never while away a single afternoon scouring the shelves of a "used eBook store." I love used bookstores. I love the way they smell, and the scintillating promise of buried treasure sure to be found on the very next shelf... I will miss used bookstores terribly when they someday disappear altogether.

Heaven help us if that happens. What’s one pet peeve you have when you read?

I cannot read with noise! TV, music, conversation going on in the room around me. I suspect this is a consequence of spending so much time reading in the library as a kid. I learned to lose myself in books in total silence, no distractions. My kids can read with music blasting and one eye on Facebook, and they seem to comprehend just fine. For me, no way. I do most of my reading in the early morning, before the rest of the household wakes up.


Where do you prefer to do your writing?

After literally decades of wanting to write but never "finding the time," I finally figured out that if I was going to wait around for the right time and place to appear, no writing was ever going to get done. So, if I was serious about writing a novel, I was just going to have to hunker down and do the work, no matter how I felt about the environment or time of day. And so I taught myself to do that, in the course of writing Children of the Good. It's funny really, coming on the tail of that last question, about reading. It's a genuine paradox. I can only enjoy reading a book in total silence, in an undisturbed location. But I can write one anywhere. My "office" is a 16GB flashdrive I carry with me everywhere. Any USB port brings my office to 3D life around me, and I'm off.... I write during breaks and lunch at my day job, on my living room computer with my kids blasting the TV behind me, on a laptop in waiting rooms... If I'm bored at a party, and I spot a PC, I'm not above cranking out a chapter or two while my wife socializes. The great science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, as a publicity stunt, used to set up a desk in bookstore windows and write the most intense, amazing stories while gawkers pressed their noses to the glass. I could do that!

Would you rather work in a library or a bookstore?

Definitely a library. In Disney's excellent 1983 film adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes, Jason Robards plays twelve-year-old Will Halloway's brave, aging librarian dad. That's my dream retirement someday: to be Jason Robards in that movie. To spend my golden years puttering around a big, old library in a small town somewhere, encouraging kids to get excited about pirates and dinosaurs, journeys into space and jungle safari's...

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"If you don't like what you're doing, then don't do it." – Ray Bradbury. I have a bumper sticker with this quote taped to the dashboard of my truck, facing me while I drive!

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

Rocket Man by William Hazelgrove is absolutely wonderful. I am going to read everything this guy has ever written or will write in the future, which is about the highest compliment I know how to give to a writer.

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff. This novel has one of the best opening lines ever: "The day I returned to Templeton steeped in disgrace, the fifty-foot corpse of a monster surfaced in Lake Glimmerglass." How could you not love every word that follows that opener?

Hope and Undead Elvis by Ian Thomas Healy. It's the end of the world and only an ex-stripper and the reanimated zombie corpse of Elvis Presley can save the day. I know it sounds cheesy, but it is so well executed, you'll be turning pages all the way to the end, and thinking about these characters for a long time to come.

What are you working on now?

The next book in the Children of the Good series. The working title, at this red hot moment, and this could change, of course, is Fruitless Works of Darkness – a reference to the New Testament Book of Ephesians. It picks up exactly where Children of the Good leaves off. Nelly Harper, Neil Coleman, and Billy Conner are on the lam, the Antichrist is still in charge and laying plans to seduce little Nelly into his service, we discover a deeper level of the Remnant in Mexico... I'm mostly outlining now, but you can count on book two to take the story to a whole new level, both as gripping narrative, and as theological exploration, from a Catholic perspective. Folks should watch my blog for previews and progress reports!

Will do! And come back when it's done and tell us more about it!

About the author:

Felix Whelan is the co-author, alongside his beautiful wife Carol Ann Whelan, of the I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan! cookbook series. They live in rural Missouri with their daughter, Kate, their son, Conner, and, at last count, twenty dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, and goats overgrowing their one-acre hobby farm. They are vegetarians surrounded by cattle farmers, Catholics surrounded by Protestants, and ex-city slickers transplanted to a town that will never completely trust anyone whose great grandparents weren’t born there... The first book in Felix’s Children of the Good series was released on Holy Thursday, 2014, by NuEvan Press.

Connect with Felix:
Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Featured Author: Remy Landon

My guest today wrote one of my favorite books of 2013 under her real name. Because her new contemporary romance is a little (okay, word is it's a lot) steamy, she's written Point of Submission as Remy Landon. I hope you enjoy my interview with the mystery woman as well as an excerpt from her book.

About the book:

Cassandra Larsen is not the type to give in. But Carlo Leone is not the type to give up. The 27-year-old CEO of a prominent industrial company, Carlo is rich. Powerful. And devastatingly handsome. Tragic events in his past have caused him to be guarded, to view women as playthings in a provocative game he and his colleague created. When Carlo meets 21-year-old Cassandra at the horse stable he owns, he is instantly drawn to her beauty and feisty nature, but beneath her spunk, there is vulnerability and want. She will be a challenge--a perfect candidate for the contest.

Wary of relationships due to her rocky history, Cassandra is determined to resist Carlo’s smoldering eyes and maddening charm. Will she surrender? And will Carlo discover that this has become more than just a game--before it’s too late?

What they're saying:

"A wildly delicious story...Remy Landon, you have a hit here!" ~ Gloria Herrera, As You Wish Reviews

"Great read and brilliant author...desperately waiting on the next book!" ~ Country Gals Sexy Reads

"Entertaining and teasingly hot. Both Carlo and Cassandra will have you flipping pages." ~ Pamela Carrion, The Book Avenue Review

"Cassandra and Carlo's story was mesmerizing...a great page turner. The characters were rich and complex. And I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds." ~ Denise Holley, Books and Beyond Fifty Shades

Interview with Remy Landon

Remy, how long have you been writing, and how did you start?

I was first an avid reader, bringing stacks of books everywhere I went. When I was ten, I wrote a story called The Talking Cat and discovered, to my delight, that writing could be an enjoyable escape for me, just as reading was. I scribbled stories in a thick spiral notebook with doodles on the front, sitting in a yellow beanbag chair in my room and loving that I could create characters and make them come to life. One story became so real to me that I actually cried when I had the character die! The spiral notebook has been replaced by a laptop, but the pleasure I get is still the same. I heard somewhere that you should have a career based on what you loved to do when you were ten...I'd love nothing more than to follow that advice!

Do you have another job outside of writing?

I am currently a middle school teacher. It's been a wonderful profession for me, but I am actively pursuing a full-time writing career.

How did you create the plot for Point of Submission?

I knew that I wanted to write a romance, and I've always liked the combination of a cocky but charming male paired with a feisty female who does her best to resist him. In teaching writing to my students, I tell them that the “formula” for most books is to create a character and give that character a problem or issue. I came up with an issue for both Carlo and Cassandra. Since I know horses, I decided to have Cassandra work in a horse stable and thought since Carlo was rich, he could own that stable. I wanted to add an element of intrigue and decided on the “contest” Carlo and Brock play.

Sounds intriguing! What’s your favorite line from a book?

If I can pick two lines :), I'd say the end of Charlotte's Web – It is not often that someone who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.

The rules can be bent for Charlotte. Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I really enjoyed writing Carlo, because he's multi-faceted. On the outside, he has it all—-looks, brains, charm, success, money—-but inside, he's troubled and dark. I found myself wanting to know him better, if that makes sense. I wanted to show the reader his vulnerable side, and this will be explored further in the sequel.

I also liked writing Estelle Perry, his secretary, because of her dry humor and the warmth she projects, despite her no-nonsense attitude.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

I imagined Carlo to look like David Gandy. David gets my vote for sexiest man alive. I find it helpful to envision real people when I write the characters.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

Cassandra, of course, because I'd get to experience Carlo :).

And what girl wouldn't want to be Cassandra?! Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

I have several favorites :), but one that comes to mind is when Cassandra and Carlo are at the horse show in a private moment. The tables turn when she becomes a bit bold with him, pressing him to tell her what's going on inside him. She senses a rare vulnerability in Carlo and realizes at the end of the chapter that he is probably giving her all that he can. I also like the hayloft scene. Very much ;).


Do you have a routine for writing?

I usually sit at my writing desk, overlooking our porch, front lawn and fields. I like to have a glass of water with ice and lemon, and will sometimes have a Hershey's kiss (dark chocolate) – okay, maybe two. I call those “author vitamins” :). I am usually joined by one of my cats or dogs. I reread what I've written last and will sometimes just sit there for a while to get “warmed up,” and then hopefully, the words start to flow.

Author vitamins! I need some of those. Talk about your journey to self-publication. What steps to publication did you personally do, and what did you hire someone to do? Is there anyone you’d recommend for a particular service?

I had an agent for a book I'd written several years ago. It came agonizingly close to publication, and I decided to self-publish after I'd seen an article on Amazon featuring the success of Jessica Park. While it's a bit scary, it's also very liberating and empowering to be able to do it on my own. My English/teaching background has come in handy in terms of editing...I don't hire an editor for that. I had Michelle Preast of indiebookcovers for my cover art (love her!), and Pamela Carrion of The Book Avenue Review set up my blog tour - she has been absolutely wonderful. I'd recommend my husband as an editor, formatter, staunch supporter and barn builder, but he's too busy doing stuff for me to have time to take on anyone else :).

Does he have a brother? Just kidding. Sort of. What’s one of your favorite quotes?

"Be the person your dog thinks you are." I love dogs so much...I have four of them, all rescues. I love how you can be gone for a half hour or a half day, and their reaction is the same when they greet you at the door.

Very true. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to be around my horses—-my husband and I have a small farm, and he built me the most beautiful barn, which is my happy place, along with Target. I also enjoy walking the dogs in our fields, and I do a lot of networking on Facebook for shelter dogs in need—-sharing them with rescues. Working in rescue has been very eye-opening—-both heartbreaking and rewarding.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently trying to market like crazy...it's challenging, because I'm using a pen name and starting from scratch with no fan base—yet :). I am also beginning the sequel which I'm very excited about.

Excerpt from Point of Submission

Late-day sunlight blazing in from the open door at the end of the barn swathed the visitor in a brilliant glow. Cassandra narrowed her eyes against the glare. It was a man. As he came into view, she could see that he was attractive. Correction: very, very attractive. Perfectly tousled, thick black hair and a broad-shouldered build tapering to a fit waist. His attire was completely inappropriate for a barn: a pristine white dress shirt, dark pants (which looked to be tailored), expensive-looking shiny shoes. A pair of aviator sunglasses hung in the V at the top of his shirt. He walked with confidence and purpose and style. Masculine elegance, Cassandra thought, as color unexpectedly rushed to her cheeks.

    She felt a twinge of excitement edged with uneasiness as he approached. Random men didn't usually visit Windswept Stable, unless they were accompanied by a horse-crazy young daughter or seeking riding lessons for said daughter. This man definitely did not look like a dad.

    Cassandra returned her attention to filling the water pail, then decided it was rude to not at least greet him. Adjusting the valve to slow the stream of water, she turned toward him. He had slowed his steps, looking at the empty horse stalls with a stern, almost brooding expression.

    Anxiety bubbled up inside her with each step he took. Don't be an idiot over some random guy, she chided herself. You should know better by now.

    Cassandra decided he might be lost and in need of directions. When he was two stalls away from her, she addressed him. “Hello. Can I help you?”

    The man stopped. His expression seemed to brighten, his lips parting slightly. He took a few steps closer until he was standing just a few feet away.

    Cassandra drew in her breath. Oh, God. He had a beautiful mouth, a classic Grecian nose and eyes the color of smoke with just a hint of blue, hooded by thick but neatly-trimmed black eyebrows. His face was deeply tanned, a striking contrast to the crisp white shirt, and although Cassandra was not usually a fan of facial hair, the shadow of a mustache and goatee gave him an aura that hinted rebellion.

From Carlo's POV:
    Carlo recalled the image of Cassandra as he sped down Route 72, the cornfields a blur on either side of him. What was it about her that had intrigued him? The obvious answer was her beauty. The uniquely-stunning color of her hair, the way wisps of it framed her delicate face. Those aquamarine eyes that changed each time he looked into them: not only the color, but what they projected: boldness, innocence, allure. And he was quite convinced he had seen curiosity and a hint of arousal. Remembering this made him harden.

    But there was more. It was the contradictions he saw in her: the feisty attitude juxtaposed with the wariness, the confidence opposite the vulnerability.

    Most of all, it was the challenge. He'd known from the moment they met.

    Without taking his eyes off the road, Carlo reached for his iPhone and commanded Siri to send a text.

    There were three words: I found one.

About the author:

Living on a small farm in New England with her husband, Remy Landon does some of her best thinking while mucking stalls. An avid animal lover, she would like to publicly thank her husband for putting up with the pet hair, the dogs on the bed, the things the cats hack up and the repeated requests for goats. It's a wonderful life.

Connect with Remy:
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Buy the book:
Amazon | Smashwords 

Featured Author: Ces Creatively

Ces Creatively is on tour with her new book Reach For Your Light, part 1 in The Light Direction series. Follow the tour to visit some fantastic blogs for reviews, guest posts and the chance to win a huge haul of prizes.

 

Reach For Your Light by Ces Creatively

What they say:

'Emma Williams is searching for a new direction. Leaving behind a dead end career and harrowing relationship in London, she makes a fresh start in Bournemouth bonding immediately with flat mate Denzil and enjoying coastal life.

Falling in love with delicious Jeremy White she soon discovers that her new life is not as uncomplicated as she’d hoped. It may look like she has the perfect beach apartment and gorgeous man of her dreams but when visions of a mysterious stranger become reality and manipulating exes are out to cause trouble in paradise, Em just wants to find the truth in a world of deceit.

Reach For Your Light will take you on a fast-paced roller coaster of hot sex, mind games and supernatural visions that will leave you hungry for more.'

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK - UK

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK - US

   CLICK HERE FOR MERCHANDISE GIFTS  

Interview with Author Ces Creatively

Ces, what’s the story behind the title of your book?

Reach For Your Light has “inspiration” at its heart. In 2006 my son was stillborn at full term, and I almost died too. Writing is great therapy, and I’ve overcome all kinds of adversity since that traumatic milestone in my life and always found “Light” in “Dark Times.” The Light Direction series is a hot paranormal romance, however it’s positive message of finding your way in challenging times is written for and dedicated to my little boy Aarlonzo (in heaven).

That's heartbreaking. How did you create the plot for this book?

The plot has come about from a good old mix of inspirational sources. I’m inspired by all the off the wall series I have enjoyed myself such as Heroes and Alphas (hence the supernatural abilities some of my characters have). I’ve also drawn from personal experience for many parts of the book, places I’ve lived or visited, people I’ve dated, loved or hated. In the first manuscript (which has now been split into three books) the plot sort of found its own way at first draft and has evolved and been fine tuned along the way.

What’s your favorite line from the book?

Oh I have so many, lets go with:

“Iridescent ripples captivate me. Gleams of coloured light waltzing on the water like newlyweds taking their first dance.”

This is from the moment Emma and Jeremy first make love in the swimming pool at his parent’s house.

How do you get to know your characters?

I can see the characters in my mind long before they are written in detail, so when I come to describing them, I already know what they like, who they’ll love, what annoys them, how they look, dress, smell and even taste. Most of the characters bear some resemblance to either myself, someone I know now or have known at some point in my life.

Which character did you most enjoy writing?

I’d have to say Denzil is probably the one I’ve most loved writing because he’s really unique, handsome, a great friend to Emma and just an amazing fun guy all round. I’d choose Denzil if I were the leading lady!

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?

Yes. There are parts of Denzil based on my ex-hubby and now good friend Jay (he knows which bits of the story are true to life and is cool with it). There are several horrible bosses in the story based on real ex-employers too and the ‘Brad from Topaz’ experience is pretty much how it actually happened.

Now that sounds intriguing! Is your book based on real events?

It is fiction, but there are lots of scenes based on reality. It’s good to write from experience. The Light Direction has given a wonderful opportunity for some really novel promotion to incredible small businesses and talented creatives too. The gifts mentioned in the story, jewelery, bags, ceramics, prints, cupcakes, candles, and more, were all created as bespoke merchandise for TLD and so readers can experience the world I have written about in a more tangible way! The holiday cottages the characters stay in are real holiday lets, the restaurants they visit are real places I recommend and there are actors, musicians, singers and photographers mentioned in the script too.

Are you like any of your characters?

I’m like Emma in that she wears her heart on her sleeve and has a lot of love to give the right man. She is me 15 years ago, haha. Katy is unique, creative and stands up for what she believes in, very much a mini me, she also has blue and black hair like me. Beth is my alter ego I think... there are parts of me flickering in her eyes but that outspoken confident woman in me usually hides behind the quiet creative one in reality, haha.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

I’d be Emma because she gets a taste of (nearly) all the handsome men in the story. (Plus it would be like an opportunity to revisit my youth with all the knowledge of today, haha.)

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

Through all the times I’ve read the story, I always love re-reading the scene in Nightclub Topaz when Emma first meets Jez. There is just something so exciting about the first time you are stung with the buzz of a new and mutual attraction that nothing else can quite touch that feeling. Jez had noticed Em before that night and was keen to get to know her; she tries to play it cool, flirting and hoping she’s not imagining the chemistry between them. Things get a little complicated, but they get together in the end and it was worth the wait when sparks fly.

What’s one of your favorite quotes of something the hero says?

I love lots of things Denzil and Jez say but I guess Jamie Jaxx is the silent hero of the book... Jaxx has supernatural powers and Emma has been seeing him in visions throughout the story because they are connected in ways she is yet to discover. He only makes his mysterious appearance into her life towards the end of the story but has a very heroic role as the story continues in book 2, Discover Your Light. Quote Jamie Jaxx in Reach For Your Light: “Better buckle up Em... this is going to be one hell of a ride."

 

About the author:

Ces Creatively is an inspiring mum of three from Poole who loves to spend time at Poole Harbour, Sandbanks Dorset. Juggling being a mum with running graphic design business www.biz-brand-buzz.co.uk, popular website with a book blog www.supportivebusinessmums.co.uk and handmade gifts business www.prettyinspiring.co.uk she miraculously also finds time to write www.the-light-direction.co.uk novel series which she has dedicated to her son in heaven. A tireless champion of small businesses and other authors, Ces has won several awards for supportive innovation and dedicates time every week to promoting others online. In a unique twist, her debut paranormal romance novel The Light Direction - Reach For Your Light features real small businesses and talented creatives.

Connect with Ces:

Website | Facebook | Twitter (book) | Twitter (Ces)

Buy the book:
Amazon |

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