Happy Halloween!
Guest post from my son!
Guest post from my son!
I’m sorry to see the Blog Tour for Heart Search is coming to an end. But, I’m thrilled to be a part of it and what better day than Halloween. So pull up a chair and stay for a “spell.” (Pun intended!)
Congratulations on your debut release of Heart Search. Thanks so much for allowing me to be a part of your Blog Tour Carlie. I’m thrilled to be able to help spread the word for your wonderful book.
Thank you, Laura. It’s been an exciting time, that’s for sure! It’s me who should be thanking YOU for taking part in the Blog Tour, not the other way around – I’m honoured that you wanted to be involved and your support means a great deal. I’m so happy you liked my book – as a writer that’s the best validation of my work.
I know you’re very busy so let’s get started with our interview shall we?
Absolutely! Fire away!
Could you please tell us something about your book and what inspired the story?
Sure. Heart Search: Lost is about a young couple, Remy and Joshua, who are on the verge of getting married. Joshua gets bitten by a vampire and begins to change. When he hurts Remy twice, he can’t live with what he’s done to her and disappears a couple of days before the wedding leaving just a note.
Remy is understandably distraught and after encouragement from her twin sister, decides to try and find him. She embarks on a long, lonely journey where strange things begin to happen.
In the meantime, Joshua has transformed into an immortal, found his maker and is introduced to coven life and feeding from humans. He also discovers he possesses some amazing talents. He becomes embroiled in coven politics and a power struggle ensues leaving him literally fighting for his life.
The book ends on a cliff-hanger.
As for what inspired the book, it was actually gifted to me by my Muse. She plonked the idea in my head one day and as I was thinking about how I could write it, Remy and Joshua stormed into my head and demanded I tell their tale. They were very persistent and wouldn’t leave me alone until I agreed. Once I started writing, they took over – they wanted the story told their way.
A question I keep forgetting to ask. How did you pick the time period for your book?
I didn’t pick it – Remy and Joshua did. They told me it was set in ‘present day’ and wouldn’t let me deviate from it. When I was thinking about how I would write it (before my two MC’s charged in), I was mulling over some of the advice I’d read about writing what you know so I think I’d have written it the way they wanted anyway.
Did you write Heart Search on your computer or the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper. and do you have a ritual when writing?
I do all my writing on my laptop. The only time I use pen and paper is when I’m out and get some inspiration, I jot it in the notebook I always carry with me.
I don’t really have any rituals as such. I usually make sure I have a fresh cup of tea by my side and as my computer is waking up I close my eyes and ask my Muse to guide me and that’s about it.
Assuming you have time, what are you reading now?
Funnily enough, I’ve read more in the last four weeks than I have for the last 2-3 months. This is mainly due to the fact that I can’t sit for very long at the moment and have to lie almost flat for a while a couple of times a day, so when lying down, I’ve been reading.
At the moment I’m reading ‘Dead Until Dark’ by Charlaine Harris (the first in the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series). I’m hooked on the TV show (I wonder why that is – maybe it’s got something to do with vampires. [laughs]) and now I’ve started on the books.
Do you have a favorite genre you like to read?
Oh, that’s an easy one – fantasy &/or paranormal.
Do you get most of your books from a book store or on-line, and do you prefer physical copies or e-books?
I like to support book stores as much as possible and they are my first choice. I much prefer printed copies to e-books – there’s just something about being able to touch the paper and the smell of a book. Although I do read from my Kindle and can see the portability advantages, give me a paperback any day!
Can you tell us where you’re at with the rest of the series?
Are you trying to get a spoiler from me, Laura? [Laughs] Tough luck! I’m keeping it securely under wraps for now. I have started writing book two in the series and am at the beginning of chapter fourteen. I’ve had to put it on the back burner whilst doing the Blog Tour, but I’m going to be a NaNoWriMo rebel and use the month to write my 50,000 words for the second book. My plan is to finish the chapter I’ve started and begin NaNoWriMo from chapter fifteen – no cheating that way!
How did you celebrate your debut release of Heart Search?
If my circumstances had been different I might have had a party, but having had surgery on my spine ten days before the launch, it wouldn’t have been a good idea. I was still on medication so couldn’t drink alcohol either (damn it!). [Chuckles]. My daughter and I had a lovely meal, just the two of us and some non-alcoholic drinks to clink glasses with. It was a lovely evening.
Is there anything else you would care to share with us?
Ooo now there’s a leading question. This could take me in all sorts of random directions . . . Hmmm, well I could share that I’m in the early planning stages of the book I intend to write after the Heart Search series is finished. It will be a fantasy novel in honour of the lovely lady I use as my avatar. She gives me lots of inspiration and I think she deserves her own book. I’ve got some serious world-building to plan and magic systems to create before I start writing it though.
Five Fun Shorts!
Favorite Junk Food?
Easy one! Pizza – preferably Hawaiian, with loads on juicy pineapple on it. And it has to be deep pan too.
If you could be an animal, what would you be?
Not so easy – I’m stuck between two. I love dogs, but particularly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (I had one as a child and she was beautiful) and I also love Dolphins with a passion. Hmmm, I think I’ll go with a Dolphin – the thought of discovering the depths of the ocean and all the beauty which lies there coupled with the possibility of swimming with mermaids and mermen is very attractive right now.
Favorite Holiday?
I have to say, I love Christmas. I still get a big kick out of watching my daughter open her gifts on Christmas morning, even though she’s in her twenties now. I love decorating the house and the dream of actually having a white Christmas. I also love the traditional yuletide drinks and fare.
Do you prefer your movie theater popcorn buttered or not buttered?
Ah, we have different popcorn over here in the UK. We have sweet or slightly salty popcorn in our movie theatres (we call them cinemas) and I prefer sweet.
How do you like your steak cooked?
a) rare – it could moo
b) medium rare
c) medium
d) medium well
e) well done – tough as cowhide!
I like mine well done, but NOT as tough as cowhide (and if it’s cooked right, it shouldn’t be)!
Thanks for fitting me into your busy schedule Carlie. I’m looking forward to more great reading from you in the future.
Thank you so much for inviting me here today, Laura. I’ve had a great time answering your questions and I hope your followers enjoy reading about me. Now where’s that cup of tea you promised me??
You can read my 5 star review of Heart Search here .
Guest post with short story by Carlie here .
Excerpt from Heart Search here
Carlie M A Cullen was born in London. She grew up in Hertfordshire where she first discovered her love of books and writing. She has been an administrator and marketer all her working life and is also a professional teacher of Ballroom and Latin American dancing.
Carlie has always written in some form or another, but Heart Search: Lost is her first novel. This is being launched 8th October 2012 through Myrddin Publishing Group and work has started on book two: Heart Search: Found. She writes mainly in the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres for YA, New Adult and Adult.
Carlie is also a professional editor.
Carlie also holds the reins of a writing group called Writebulb. Their first anthology was published September 2012.
Carlie currently lives in Essex, UK with her daughter.
http://twitter.com/carlie2011c
You can purchase your copy of Heart Search (Book One: Lost) by clicking the links below.
Amazon US http://amzn.to/OLwU59
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/PhC0Gu
When Joshua Grant vanishes days before his wedding his fiancée Remy is left with only bruises, scratch marks and a hastily written note. Heartbroken, she sets off alone to find him and begins a long journey where strange things begin to happen.
As Joshua descends into his new immortal life he indulges his thirst for blood and explores his superhuman strength and amazing new talents while becoming embroiled in coven politics which threaten to destroy him. But Remy discovers a strength of her own on her quest to bring Joshua home.
Fate toys with mortals and immortals alike, as two hearts torn apart by darkness face ordeals which test them to their limits
Phantom Warriors: RIOT
by Jordan Summers
Riot is a Phantom Warrior, a shifter, from the planet Zaron. He has been sent here by the Atlantean King Eros to find a mate. Females are rare on Zaron and in their travels the warriors discovered that the females on Earth were a compatible species. It’s vital to save their race from extinction.
At six and a half feet tall and 280 lbs. Riot is a bear of a man. Most females are afraid of him. He doesn’t hold out much hope of finding a mate until he spots Nina. Could she be the one?
Nine Whitetail is one of the People of the Cherokee Nation. She has a lot on her plate right now. Her veterinary clinic needs more customers or she’ll have to shut her doors, her beloved grandfather, Harold Twofeathers, lies dying in the hospital, and the damn poachers are back in the Rocky Mountain National Park, setting deadly snares and traps in the hopes of nabbing a bear or two.
To top it all off, her best friend Kim is getting married soon and will be moving away. The two friends go out in the woods one last time, seeking the poachers traps and destroying them. They end up running from flying bullets and separate to confuse the poachers hell-bent on killing them.
Nina gets turned around in the forest and stops to catch her breath. Out of the shadows steps a huge bear. No bear could possibly be this massive. Her grandfather told her the legend of the Great Bear who will take you to the stars, never to return. They are the size of Woolly Mammoths.
When the bear speaks to her, Nina’s certain the bear is either the one of legend or she’s losing her mind.
What a rush. This is a fast-moving story. It’s complimented by well-developed characters and a great plot line. It may be about two souls seeking love, but there is so much more going on.
I don’t know how the author did it. She managed to introduce me to a new world, gave me action, adventure, suspense galore, plus made me fall in love with the characters. I even felt a connection to the peripheral characters . And the ending, it was different. Near the end I was thinking, “I don’t want it to end,” and it didn’t. Not right there. Jordan wrapped it up so nicely, putting a bow on top. I can’t wait to unwrap the other stories in this series.
Four stars for this one!
Oh yeah, forgot to mention. I didn’t realize this was a series and was so happy when I found out it was. The other thing I found out was it was the sixth book in the series. Yes, that means they can all stand alone! Love it.
I know what I’m going to be asking Santa for on Christmas. Good thing I’ve been a good girl!
I would recommend this to mature readers as there are some explicit sexual scenes in the book.
About the author and where to find her:
Jordan Summers is an ex-flight attendant with a penchant for huge bookstores and big, dumb action movies. She prefers quite dinners with friends over maddening crowds. Happily married to her very own Highlander, she splits her time with her husband between two continents.
Jordan Summers finished her first book in 2002, which finaled in the ‘Daphne Du Maurier‘ contest. She went on to sell eight fantasy books to Ellora’s Cave Publishing, two to Kensington, Brava, three to Tor, one to Harlequin Blaze, two to Mammoth books, and one to Pocket books. Her latest paperback release is Blood Lite 2: Overbite (9/2011), an anthology put together by the Horror Writer’s Association.
Jordan has twenty-six published books to her credit, both N.Y. and Indie. She is a member of Novelist Inc., International Thriller Writers, Horror Writer’s Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America. Learn more at jordansummers.com.
To purchase any of Jordan Summers’ books click on the images below.
Check out her awesome cover art!
Phantom Series:
Other Series:
Dead World
Atlantean Quest
The Ghost Hunter Chronicles
Lords of the Night
Moonlight Kin
and many other books which you can find here .
I will be posting my review of Adrift in the Sound in November.
Just wanted to let you know it’s free on Amazon. Go here to get your copy! Don’t wait.
Please make sure the book is still free before you hit purchase.
Adrift in the Sound
by Kate Campbell
In 1973, frazzled Seattle street artist Lizette Karlson tries to pull herself together and turns to the Franklin Street Dogs for help. This low-life tavern softball team is a horrifying choice for a fractured spirit like Lizette, who’s only trying to stay warm and make it through another rainy night. The Dogs think she’s a head case and don’t realize that while Lizette’s beautiful, talented, and a bit off kilter—she’s also cunning and dangerous.
Lizette wants to make it with top-Dog, Rocket. He’s fixed on next door neighbor Sandy Shore, the little snake dancer who strips for soldiers coming home at the end of the Vietnam War. Everybody sleeps with everybody—whatever gets you through the night—it’s a sexual free-for-all until Sandy turns up pregnant and the scene go haywire.
After witnessing a murder and getting kicked out by the Dogs, Lizette is on the run again, crisscrossing Puget Sound. She hides out on Orcas Island and paints in a secluded cabin owned by her childhood friend Marian, a gifted midwife who recently inherited her family’s ranch. On the island, Lizette works with Lummi tribal leaders Poland and Abaya, who stick to their cultural values, guard their family secrets and offer her unconditional love. Along the way, Lizette sorts out crippling secrets in her own past, unwittingly makes a splash in the New York art world—and finds the only thing that really matters.
If you lived through the free-love 60s, if you’ve ever wondered what happened the day after the music died, ADRIFT IN THE SOUND picks up the beat and offers unforgettable insights into a turbulent time in American history. It’s a story about fighting the tides, surviving the storm, and swimming for shore.
Readers are calling ADRIFT IN THE SOUND an important exploration of the resilience of the human spirit in a radically changing world. In both lyrical prose and gritty street language, Kate Campbell rocks our understanding of contemporary history and challenges our fiercely held beliefs. She reshapes old myths and creates new folktales to delight our imaginations.(less)
A novelist, a journalist, an adventurer, Kate Campbell grew up in San Francisco and has lived and worked throughout California and the West. Like every good Westerner, she can swim, ride and shoot. Her novel “Adrift in the Sound,” was a finalist for New York’s 2011 Mercer Street Books Literary Prize. Her new book for writers: “Between the Sheets: An Intimate Exchange on Writing, Editing, and Publishing,” chronicles the final editing of “Adrift in the Sound” through a spirited exchange with her editor and co-author Thomas T. Thomas. An award-winning journalist and photographer, Campbell’s environmental and political writing appears regularly in newspapers and magazines throughout the U.S. She lives in Sacramento and, in addition to writing fiction and poetry, publishes the Word Garden blog at kate-campbell.blogspot.com. |
Tiger Paw has won the 2012 Royal Palm Literary Award for Best Thriller from the Florida Writers Association!
Here’s what the judges had to say about Charles A. Cornell’s debut novel:
Tiger Paw is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller— an intriguing story that grows exponentially from a serial killer case to a worldwide conspiracy involving financial corruption and religious zealotry on a grand scale. A well researched narrative with vivid descriptions that bring the story’s settings to life. Interesting twists and turns. An excellent debut thriller! – Royal Palm Literary Award Judging Panel
The judges for the Royal Palm Literary Awards were drawn from the FWA’s membership of current or retired teachers, librarians, professional editors, college professors, published authors, former RPLA winners, journalists, and presidents of writing and reading groups from both Florida and from states across the USA.
The announcements of the Royal Palm Literary Awards were made at the Florida Writers Association Annual Conference & Awards Banquet held in Orlando, Florida on October 19 – 21, 2012.
About Tiger Paw:
As a serial killer wreaks havoc on Wall Street, dismantling a corrupt financier’s empire one body at a time, FBI profiler Scott Forrester uncovers the deadly secret of a demon-worshipping Hindu cult that is determined to change the very fabric of society. Firmly in their assassin’s crosshairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart their satanic plan?
Tiger Paw is a thriller cloaked in mystery, psychological suspense and international intrigue. A story of people who have sold their souls in exchange for wealth and power. A story of greed, deception, and revenge. And a story of one man’s struggle to triumph against the greatest evil he has ever faced.
Tiger Paw is available in paperback or e-book wherever books are sold.
For the Signed First Edition Paperback Giveaway go here
For my review go here
For Sherry’s great review go here
Click on the image below to purchase.
I just love a movie that’s got campy fun, lots of one-liners, and some really grotesque and creepy parts.
One of my favorites is
Here are some of my favorite scenes!
This poor guy doesn’t have a clue. He goes from couch potato to spider slurpie in seconds!
Attention all shoppers!
The shoppers after the announcement!
Can you see me?
Can you see me now?
Do I look fat?
The trick is to not fall off guys!
Almost got it. Just a little more.
Got any doughnuts?
I really can’t stand spiders, believe it or not. But this movie was so fun and had so many great actors in it. This is only a small part of my list of favorite scenes. The trapdoor spiders gave me nightmares and the ones sliding down the phone lines made me crack up. You could here the spiders sometimes. Almost like they were talking. It was just a great big funfest.