author interview | fuonlyknew

February 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28

Posts Tagged ‘author interview’

Mischief And Mayhem ~ Author Interview and Giveaway

Posted: April 8, 2019 in giveaways, Interview, Mystery, Romance
Tags: author interview, giveaway, mystery, romance

Title: MISCHIEF & MAYHEM
by L.E. Rico
Pub. Date: July 9, 2018
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Bliss)
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 315
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

Synopsis

Welcome to Mayhem, Minnesota, home of the Knitty Kitty, The Little Slice of Heaven Pie Shop, and O’Halloran’s Pub—owned by the four young women known as The Whiskey Sisters.

In the wake of her divorce, Jameson O’Halloran has gone man-vegan. And this is one diet she’s determined to stick with. Even when her long-lost ex-brother-in-law shows up looking like two scoops of double dutch dipped in chocolate… She’s not giving in. Been there and still wearing the messy T-shirt.

It’s been a decade since Scott Clarke left his family and his hometown, never to return. But when tragedy strikes, he finds himself dragged back to the land of gossip, judgment, and the one woman he absolutely, positively, without a doubt can never have. His brother’s ex is off-limits. He just needs to keep repeating that to himself until it sinks in.

~~~~~

Check out the excerpt:

The shelf is a little too high for my short self, and I’m only able to brush the dishes with my fingertips.
“Oh, here, let me help you with that…”
Before I can object, he’s standing behind me, reaching over me to get the dishes. For a brief second, his front is pressed against my back. His broad, muscled, perfectly sculpted front. I feel a wave of unwelcome warmth beginning under my collar and creeping up my neck.
“Thanks…” I murmur awkwardly, keeping my back to him for a moment longer in an attempt to quash my blush.
“Okay. I’m just going to grab a shower before my brother gets here, if you don’t mind.”
“Nope. Not at all,” I say quickly. “You go right ahead.”
Once he disappears around the corner, I silently smack my palm to my forehead.
What was that, Jameson? Why the blush? He’s just your ex-husband’s brother, that’s all. This is insane. I’ve got to stop this childish behavior. No. More. Men. Remember? No thinking about men. No looking at men. No fantasizing about men.
Especially not that man!
I’m still shaking my head and silently berating myself when I hear him behind me.
“Hey, Jameson, do you happen to know if my dad keeps an extra toothbrush around? I dropped mine in the toilet and…”
I don’t hear the end of his sentence because, when I turn to face him, I suddenly can’t hear anything. I’m too entranced by the sight of him wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
Oh, crap, oh crap, oh crap… I am in so much trouble here. No men. No men. No men… I repeat the mantra over and over again in my head, but clearly the rest of my body isn’t getting the memo.

~~~~~

Enjoy the Q&A With L.E. Rico

.
How did you pick Minnesota to be the location of the Story?
L.E. (Lauren): My primary career is as a classical music radio DJ and when I was in my late twenties, I had the chance to work for a nationally syndicated service called Classical24—which happened to be based in St. Paul, MN. Even though I’d lived all over the east coast, I knew the Midwest was a whole other world, so I was pretty scared when I got there. But the Minnesotans welcomed me with open arms and helped me weather (pun totally intended) my first winters, buying and maintaining my first house and my ongoing struggle with depression. I had friends almost immediately and was totally enamored of the quirky, cool community around me. The polka mass at the local Catholic church, the obsession with hotdish, and the state fair—where everything is on a stick and Princess Kay of the Milky Way reigns supreme, were some of my favorites. Honestly, had I not met my husband and moved back to New York, I’d probably still be there now!

Was it always your intention with this book to do it about a sister and then two brothers?
L.E. (Lauren): Yes. We first see Jameson in book one, Blame it on the Bet and it’s clear that her marriage to Win is in trouble. Knowing that her book would be next, I was already concocting scenarios for her to find love after divorce and by having someone who’s been away for so long, I was able to use him to reintroduce the readers —who may or may not have read Blame it on the Bet—to the whacky town of Mayhem and its quirky residents. Plus, I knew it would make Win craaaazy! And that’s always a bonus :^)

Was it always your idea to have different issues like stroke, adoption, working in foreign countries a part of the story or it just came as the story flowed?
L.E. (Lauren): It all came as the story unraveled under my fingers. My characters often tell me what their stories are, believe it or not! I start off with a very basic idea of who they are and then the events just kind of unfold.

Adoption played into this story. Was that something you researched or did you know someone who went through that?
L.E. (Lauren): I have two uncles who were adopted—the youngest of whom is two years younger than me. He and I grew up more like brother and sister and we’re still very, very close today. And, while I didn’t purposely set out to write a story about adoption, it was easy to paint that kind of attitude that we were raised with—family is family is family, blood or not. In the case of my elder uncle, my grandparents had to fight for him when, mid-adoption, a “white” family was interested in taking him (my grandparents are Latino). Those were totally different times—even though it was just in 1961—and it was a battle but they never backed down. So this idea that Big Win and Marjorie would do whatever they had to do to adopt that child and keep him—and his identity—safe wasn’t foreign to me.

Was the county fair always part of your original story?
L.E. (Lauren): Ohhhhhh yeah… I’ve never seen anything like the Minnesota State fair. The food is all deep-fried and on a stick, the rides are amazing, there are people walking around in bee costumes for the honey judging. And, of course, there’s Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her royal court— the inspiration for my Princess Mary of Midwestern Dairy. They really do make a butter bust of her! How could I NOT include that?! Although, I have to admit that the float catastrophe was all mine.

Do you have a process that you come up with when you are choosing names and personalities of your characters?
L.E. (Lauren): I’ve run through most of the guy names I like so I sometimes use a name generator for help with that. I’ve got a ton of girl names, though. Sometimes I consult a baby names book. The personalities just kind of unfold as I write. I had a good idea of who Jameson, Win and Big Win were based on Blame it on the Bet. Scott was a mystery to me—I had to figure out what it was about him that kept him from coming home and confronting his past for a full decade. Oh, and then there’s little Jackson…God help us all. He was the most fun of all! I’m at a loss for what I’ll do with him as he gets older in the upcoming books!

Do you use daily events sometimes as your inspirations?
L.E. (Lauren): Oh, sure, all the time! The character of Bryan, Hennessy’s boyfriend, is basically me when I first moved to Minnesota. I was the fish out of water—especially when it came to things like winter preparedness and regional foods like lutefisk (yuck!) and cheese curds (yum!). But more than events it’s people I know who inspire my characters. Janet Lahti, the pie-making mystic is actually an aunt of mine. She’s a bit of a psychic and has had some really spooky occurrences over the years. Julie Freddino, aka The Knitty Kitty, is a girlfriend of mine who took up knitting and gave me a pussyhat last year. It gave me the idea for her business and she picked out her own purple hair.

Did you always have big Win getting sick at the beginning in your draft?
L.E. (Lauren): Oh, yeah. In the absence of the late “Pops” O’Halloran, Big Win is the paternal figure here. So when his life is in serious jeopardy, it’s a crisis that sucks them all in—the sisters, Win Jr, Scott—even Jackson is effected by the fall of his “goppa.” So it’s a good thread to bring them all together in shared fear and stress and grief. And with his life on the line, it was an opportunity for me to explore the kind of man he’d been when he was younger—when Scott and Win came along. It was also a chance to really see his incredible strength and the love that comes with that.

Was that scene considered the hook to the story?
L.E. (Lauren): I’m big on starting things right smack in the middle so that the reader is immediately thrown into the deep end. And that image of Big Win on the floor with Jameson giving him CPR and little Jackson wailing in the background—well, it doesn’t get a whole lot more high-stakes than that.

When you began to write this book did you know it was going to be a romance and a mystery?
L.E. (Lauren): Bringing Scott home was easy—his father’s health crisis put him in an impossible position. He had to come back. But that begs the question—if he’s such a great guy, why did he leave in the first place? So, yeah, it was kind of a mystery for me as well while I sorted out what kind of demons might make someone run away from their family—from their life—for a decade.

When do you know that the time in the story calls for humor, like the float scene at the fair?
L.E. (Lauren): Honestly, I didn’t even know I was funny until the reviews came in for book number one—Blame it on the Bet. So it was pretty scary approaching Mischief and Mayhem thinking I HAD to be funny. But I found my way. There were a couple of early drafts that were just way too dark and my editor helped me find my way back to a more lighthearted, funnier place—like Princess Mary showing up at the pub and the iguana on the plane. Of course, there’s always going to be something around the Knitty Kitty. But, yeah, that float scene—it was totally organic and it STILL cracks me up!

If your book was made into a movie who would you have play…
L.E. (Lauren): Yikes! This is always tough for me…

Jameson: Rose Leslie

Scott: Theo James

Win Jr.: Alex Pettyfer

Win Sr.: Treat Williams

What song or songs best describes your couple or book as a whole?
L.E. (Lauren): It’s the theme song from the prologue through to the epilogue—with a generation in between:

“Make You Feel My Love” – Garth Brooks

“Make You Feel My Love” – Adele

What is your next project and when is due out?
L.E. (Lauren): I’ve just released a new, non-Whiskey novel, Counterpoint about two concert pianists who bond over a tragic past, a dismal future, and their love for one another.
2019 will also see books for the remaining two sisters, Walker and Bailey.

lauren

About L.E:
Award-Winning author Lauren Rico also happens to be one of the top classical music broadcasters in the country. Her voice is heard nationally on SiriusXM’s Symphony Hall channel, as well as on radio stations in New York City, Charlotte, and Tampa. She’s even been known to accompany travelers as they fly the skies over Thailand, Oman, and China as part of the in-flight entertainment on several airlines. Her love and passion for classical music have allowed her to breathe new life into the stories of the great composers.

And now Lauren is telling some stories of her own…

Beginning with her erotic thriller, Reverie (Harmony House Productions, 2016), she set out to “put the sexy back in Bach,” creating a riveting tale of passion, deception and redemption set against the backdrop of an international music competition. She rounded out the trilogy with Rhapsody (Harmony House Productions, 2016) and Requiem (Harmony House Productions, 2017).

From there, Lauren partnered with Entangled Publishing, LLC, to create the first in her Symphony Hall series of romance novels, Solo (Entangled Publishing 2017). Her most recent release, Mistletoe in Mayhem, is the third in the five-book Whiskey Sisters series (Entangled 2018). Upcoming projects include two more Whiskey Sisters romances, a follow-up to Solo and a super-secret, as-of-yet-unnamed thriller.

Lauren hopes to bring classical music to a new audience by showcasing it in twisty, steamy stories that grab the reader and keep them turning pages — and YouTubing the music — into the wee hours.

When she’s not on talking on the radio or typing on her laptop, Lauren enjoys time with her husband and spectacularly spoiled mini-schnauzer.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Book Bub

~~~~~

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Progeny by Tosca Lee ~ Interview and Giveaway

Posted: April 3, 2018 in Author Interview, giveaways, thriller, YA
Tags: author interview, giveaway, Progeny, YA Thriller

The release of the paperback edition of Firstborn, the second book in the thrilling House of Bathory duology is March 20. New readers will want to begin their journey with The Progeny. Check it out!

The Progeny

by Tosca Lee

Series: Descendants of the House of Bathory (Book #1)
Category: YA Fiction, 352 pages
Genre: Thriller, (YA-leaning), Slight paranormal
Publisher: Howard Books
Release date: May 2016
Tour dates: March 26 to April 13, 2018
Content Rating: PG

~~~~~

Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee comes a story of love, ancient secrets, and survival. Book 1 in the House of Bathory duology.

When you wake up, you remember nothing. Not your name, or where you were born, or the faces of the people you knew. Just a single warning written to yourself before you forgot it all:

“Emily, it’s me. You.

Don’t ask about the last two years… Don’t try to remember and don’t go digging. Your life depends on it. Other lives depend on it.

By the way, Emily isn’t your real name. You died in an accident. You paid extra for that.”

You start over in a remote place with a new name, a fresh life. Until the day a stranger tells you you’re being hunted for the sins of a royal ancestor who died centuries before you were born.

You don’t believe him, until they come for you. Now you’re on the run.

Every answer you need lies in a past you chose to erase. The only thing you know for sure is that others are about to die and you need those memories back.

But first, you have to stay alive.

Purchase Links: Amazon / Author’s Website

Add To Goodreads

~~~~~

Check out the interview.

On The Writing Trail With Tosca

Tosca Lee image for guest post

The Progeny is so fast-paced, filled with vibrant young characters, masquerade raves and so many costumes—it seems like it must have been fun to write!

It was super fun. I love bringing readers to new places, tugging them to the edge of their seats, and filling their minds with vivid, electric scenes.

It was also fun because my then-fiancé (now husband) and I had so many great conversations about the story’s impossible situations as I wrote it and its sequel, Firstborn. These books represent such a great time in my life—getting engaged, married, and becoming an instant mom to four—that when I look back at them, I not only see the stories, but the events in my own life that unfolded during their writing.

The story travels from the U.S. to several locations in Europe. Did you actually travel to all these places?

I did. I went to Hungary, Croatia, Vienna, Slovakia and Italy. Best of all, I got to take my mom with me. My mom and I have a history of globetrotting together, so it was a fun adventure to go tromping around through castle ruins and churches and city streets with her once again. And YOU can visit each of those places in the story with us as you read at: https://www.pinterest.com/toscalee/real-life-progeny/. (Boards for all my books can be found on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/toscalee.)

Is there anything funny/strange/interesting happen to you while doing research for the book?

Yes! The novel’s backstory is based on the real historical figure of Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time… whom I learned I was distantly related to. (Ack!)

Your books are enjoyed worldwide. How did you get started?

I was writing for a long time before I ever thought of it as a thing. As a young teen, I was an aspiring ballerina and spent my summers dancing out of state. When it became clear that it wasn’t going to pan out for me, I went off to college thinking I’d go into business school as my father did. But talking to Dad during a trip home my freshman year, I blurted out: “I’d really like to write a book.” My dad made me a deal: he’d pay me what I would have made that summer as a bank teller (which I was horrible at) if I’d devote myself to writing my first novel and treat it like a job. So I did. I never sold that book—it’s in the basement with the skeletons—but I sure learned a lot!

What’s the coolest place you’ve been as part of your writing career?

Israel. That was a big part of my research for my novel, Iscariot, but also highly significant to me personally.

But because I’m a nerd, I also have to say Comic-Con. 😀

What are you working on now?

Another thrill ride coming this winter. Get ready to hold on to your hats!

Do you love to write? Join From the Asylum, Tosca’s newsletter just for writers, here: http://bit.ly/subscribetoTosca

~~~~~

Praise

“Be warned: once you start this book, it’s impossible to put down!”
– Maria V. Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of Poison Study

“Intriguing and romantic, I literally couldn’t put it down.”
– Jennifer L. Armentrout # 1 New York Times bestselling author

“Irresistible…”
– Publishers Weekly

“[A] complex thriller with various turns and twists…A great choice for readers who enjoy their psychological thrillers with a historical twist.”
– Library Journal

“Exciting…action packed…intriguing.”
– Romantic Times Book Reviews

“Filled with intrigue, romance, and reversals fans are sure to love.”
– Family Fiction

“The Progeny has risen to the top of my favorites list…I devoured every word of it.”
– Book Reporter

~~~~~

Excerpt

The Center

No one speaks when you enter the Center for the last time. There’s no need. You’ve gone through the counseling, tests, and a checklist of preparations to get the plastic bracelet you wear the day of treatment. The one that saves a life. They don’t need to know why you’re doing it any more. Or that you lied about it all. Just the scratch of the stylus as you sign your name on the screen one last time.

A nurse takes me into a room and I lie down on the table. I give her the sealed packet—the only thing I brought with me. There’s cash, meds, and an address inside, the one for “after.” It’s a thousand miles away. She’ll pass it to the companion assigned to me. No point meeting her now.

I’m 21 years old and my name doesn’t matter because it’s about to be erased forever. I’m choosing to forget the ones I love, and myself, in the process.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die. But they don’t tell you that every detail comes screaming back to life. That you taste each bite of every meal you savored, feel the shower of every rain you walked in… smell the hair against your cheek before that last, parting kiss. That you will fight to hold on to every memory like a drowning person gasping for poisoned air.

Then everything you knew is gone. And you are still alive.

For now.

Continue reading the first four chapters FREE.

~~~~~

Author Tosca Lee

“Superior storytelling.” – Publishers Weekly

“One of the most gifted novelists writing today.” -Steven James, bestselling author

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the House of Bathory Duology (The Progeny and Firstborn, currently in development for television), Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker (Forbidden, Mortal, Sovereign). A notorious night-owl, she loves watching TV, eating bacon, playing video games and football with her kids, and sending cheesy texts to her husband.

You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the snack table. (And be sure to check out Ismeni, the free e-short prequel to The Legend of Sheba!)

Get your copy of The Progeny here: http://toscalee.com/product/the-progeny/ (Kindle readers: now you can enjoy special insights in the author’s highlighted comments!)

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Follow The Tour HERE.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

The Rising Series by Holly Kelly ~ Author Interview and Giveaway

Posted: December 12, 2017 in Author Interview, giveaways, Series, YA Fantasy
Tags: author interview, fairy tales, giveaway, Holly Kelly, The Rising Series, YA Fantasy

The Rising Series Box Set
Holly Kelly
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: December 12th 2017
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

A magical underwater realm awaits! Own books 1-3 of the Best-Selling Rising series by acclaimed author Holly Kelly.

This value-priced boxed set includes the first three novels in the best-selling Rising series: Rising (with an exclusive bonus scene), Descending, and Avenging. Beautifully packaged with brilliant new cover art, this set is perfect for any fan of Greek Mythology and Mermaid Romance stories. Order the Rising series today and submerge yourself in an underwater world full of passion, romance, intrigue and adventure.

Rising: Contains a newly released scene! In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea—humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean—is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. There’s just one thing standing in his way: the life of a beautiful young woman…

Descending: When Xanthus cashes in a long-standing favor, Kyros is faced with doing two things he thought he’d never do—protect a mermaid and live on land.
Avenging: Two thousand years ago, King Triton witnessed the slaughter and total annihilation of his merchildren. Devastated by the loss, he vowed to never again father a child. Powerful, handsome, and eternally youthful, Triton was no stranger to seduction—yet his resolve was unwavering…until he met Nicole.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

~~~~~

Enjoy the interview with Author Holly Kelly

1) Why Mermaids/Mermen?

I’ve always had a love for the ocean and had a fascination of the creatures that live within its depths. However, this book didn’t start with a lot of forethought. I was surfing online and came across—quite by accident—a picture of a mermaid with a flesh-colored tail. The thought hit me: what if a mermaid was born on land and she didn’t know she was a mermaid? She simply thought she was born horribly deformed. I started writing that same day.

2) What kind of research did you have to do?

I didn’t start out with any research under my belt. I would simply write until I came to a part where needed to know more about the mythological world. I then would do a search on the internet and find out what I needed to know. After the rough draft was written, I did read an in-depth book about Greek Mythology and made necessary changes. One thing I found in my research—Greek Mythology is filled with contradicting information. This actually worked to my advantage. I used the mythology that fit best with the story and then I also filled in empty places with my own version of the mytholog

3) How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?

The names are very important in my books. I choose based on meaning AND on liking how the name sounds. But then the names of minor characters I usually just pull out of my head. I hit a gold mine with Gretchen’s name. When I first started writing Rising, she was going to be a minor character and I just wanted a name that was a bit different for her, so I called her Gretchen. When I decided to write her as the main character in Descending, I looked up her name and found it meant pearl. That fit her character perfectly! And as she said herself about her name, “Life gave me a piece of dirt, but I’m making it beautiful, one layer at a time.”

4) How long did it take to write Rising?

I spent a year and a half writing Rising. But I didn’t write full time. I wrote when I got an idea or when I felt like writing. It wasn’t until it was published and I had a deadline for another book that I learned to write on a schedule.

5) How do you plot? Do you write it down, have a mood board etc?

I’m what you’d call a pantser. I’ve tried outlining, but I always end up throwing them away and letting the story take me where IT wants to go. Basically, it’s all about learning who my characters are, and putting them into challenging/impossible situations.

6) If you were a character in your book for a day what would you do?

I’d do some serious exploring!! I’ve always wanted to know what lurks in the deepest parts of the ocean.

7) How would you describe your book to get a reader interested in it?

A friend of mine once described my books as Twilight meets Percy Jackson. I think that describes them pretty well. And I’m never offended by people saying my books are like Twilight. I happen to love the series (the books not the movies) and am flattered when people compare them.

8) How many books will there be in the series?

At least four, but probably more. The way I have the stories set up—with different main characters in each book—it’s easier to keep the stories fresh and new. So I guess I’ll keep writing in the Rising world until I get tired of it.

9) What is your favorite genre to read?

I read a much wider variety of genres than I write in and it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite. I read fantasy and paranormal, mostly NA, YA, and middle grade—I’m not much of an epic fantasy gal. But I also read anything with an element of romance—historical, contemporary, comedy, crime, cloak and dagger stuff, who-done-it mysteries… You probably get the point. Basically, I love reading amazing books, no matter the genre.

10) What are you working on now?

I’m actually working on a spin-off series for Rising called The Lost Gods series. This one takes place several months after Raging. The lost children of the gods are still out there, living lives not knowing who/what they are. This will be a series following those characters as they discover their powers, have adventures, and fall in love.

Quick Fire Round

Favorite drink

Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

Favorite color

Aqua blue—for obvious reasons.

Favorite movie/s

All the Harry Potter films, all the Marvel movies (esp. Thor), and I adore Up.

Favorite book/s

I love anything written by Amy Harmon, Julie Garwood, and Janet Evanovich. And I also love Harry Potter, Fablehaven, Percy Jackson, Iron King, and Twilight series.

Favorite place

Disneyland

Favorite TV show

That one is hard to pin down. I do like the superhero shows like Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, etc.

Favorite food

New York style cheesecake

~~~~~

Check out the excerpt:

He knew what he had to do, what he’d done countless times before. As a trained soldier, he had a sacred duty to protect his people, guard their secret, and uphold the law. This female’s presence here was not only a criminal act, but it also presented an imminent threat. And because of that, his course was clear.

He had to kill her.

His plan lay clearly before him. Blanketed in the shadows, he’d enter her apartment window. Moving silently, he’d strike fast. Before she could cry out for help, he’d have her throat slit wide open. With her blood flowing swiftly, she’d be dead in mere seconds. The fact that she bathed at this time added to the ease of the execution. Clean up would be simple. Before the night ended, it would be as if she’d never existed. The Dagonian threat of exposure would be wiped clean from the human world.

Xanthus stood, his feet rooted in place under her window. Her sweet scent surrounded him as he listened to her pitiful sobs. Then, in that moment, he did the most shameful thing he’d ever done in his life.

He hesitated.

No, he didn’t merely hesitate. He halted. Fingering his blade in his holster, he willed his feet to move, but they seemed unwilling to obey. Then his mind latched onto a thought. It was no crime to wait for a more opportune time or a more secluded place to strike. He didn’t need to act rashly. True, finding her here in the human world shocked him, but he needed to be clear-headed and sure when he killed her.

He made his way back to his vehicle and climbed behind the wheel. He leaned his head back against the seat, closed his eyes, and attempted to clear his head.

He’d be back and she would die. She deserved to die. She may have the voice of an angel, but that was a lie. She was a traitor, a threat to their people. No other explanation made sense.

Xanthus looked toward the little female’s apartment building across the street. Could she have found a more dangerous place to live? This Dagonian female probably felt at home with these bottom-feeders.

Probably? Aw Hades. He cursed himself and the doubt in his mind. He doubly cursed that he couldn’t seem to stop himself from caring about her welfare. He’d be killing her himself, after all. The traitor had to die, regardless of his feelings and no matter how appealing she was. Of course, if she died by a human’s hands then he wouldn’t…

No.

He shook his head at his own idiotic thoughts. If a human killed her, then her body would be taken to the morgue, for the humans to see. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to be the one to kill her and carefully dispose of her body. And he would, soon.

Just not tonight.

Author Holly Kelly

Holly Kelly is a mom who writes books in her spare time: translation–she hides in the bathroom with her laptop and locks the door while the kids destroy the house and smear peanut butter on the walls. She was born in Utah but moved around a bit, living in Kansas, Texas, and Hawaii where she studied marine biology. She’s now back in Utah–“happy valley”. She’s married to a wonderful husband, James, and they are currently raising 6 rambunctious children. Her interests are reading, writing (or course), martial arts, visual arts, creating Halloween props, and spending time with family.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

An Adult Thriller ~ Hearing Voices ~ Q&A with Author Axel Cruise and Giveaway

Posted: June 7, 2017 in Adult Fiction, giveaways, Interview, thriller
Tags: adult thriller, Author Axel Cruise, author interview, giveaway, Hearing Voices

Hearing Voices
Axel Cruise
(An Isaac Blaze Thriller)
Publication date: April 2nd 2017
Genres: Adult, Thriller

“You’re a dead man,” he yelled.
“That’s great. Now answer the question.”
–Isaac Blaze

Isaac Blaze.

A quick wit, zero allegiances, and every major government agency after him. He’s also got two voices in his head. Neither of which is particularly helpful. Or care to be.

But at least he’s never been caught.

Hell, he’s barely even come close.

So when finally a SWAT team does actually manage to take him in – and with such ease at that – they probably should’ve been asking themselves: why?

Too bad they didn’t.

A lot of people got killed.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

Q&A with author Axel Cruise

RG: How did you get into writing? Is it that classic story of long-time reader who decides to pick up a pen?
AC: To be honest, I’m a TV man. Always have been. Right from when I was a kid. I’d come home from school and just sit and watch.

RG: Your parents must have loved that.
AC: Ha! Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a great hobby in their eyes—or my homework-hungry teachers for that matter. I frequently got the (wags finger) “Watching TV won’t get you anywhere” speech.

RG: I think we’ve all been on the receiving end of that one. So did you have to sneak in your TV time?
AC: Well, luckily I was a quick kid. So whenever I got the speech, I’d just calmly wait for the list of supporting reasons to come to an end—square eyes, kills brain cells, doctors and lawyers don’t watch TV—and then I’d say, “But what if I want to make TV shows?”

RG: Oooh, good answer. That must’ve driven them crazy!
AC: Yeah, you bet. But then again, I never got more than a derisory headshake. So I was pretty confident I was on to something.

RG: (Nodding whilst holding a copy of Hearing Voices) Seems you were.
AC: (Smirks) Well, all right, it was a little more than that. I mean, you have to understand, I wouldn’t just be sitting there. It wasn’t a passive activity for me. It was a whole experience. I’d really see myself in the show. As one of the characters.

RG: Any TV shows in particular?

AC: Not really. I watched pretty much everything. Anime, sit-coms, superheroes—I loved them all. Even stuff I was a little too young to understand. Like for example Seinfeld or Married with Children, when I was only five or six.

RG: OK, so it was through copious watching that you subconsciously picked up the fundamentals of story production?
AC: Yeah. Without knowing it, I was absorbing the dialogue, learning about story arcs, understanding how to pace your plot—all of it.

RG: I think Ben Stiller had a similar theory for himself. He wasn’t just watching TV, he was studying it. Were movies a big thing for you?
AC: Not really. But only because we (the family) never went.

RG: OK, let’s turn back to the written word. You’re an avid reader, so when did your love of books take flame?
AC: When I was about 16.

RG: 16? That’s late.
AC: Like I said, I’m a TV man. But then I really got into reading. Biographies and how-to books, mostly. My mum was always into bios and she encouraged me to read all the time. Eventually I gave it a try, and—surprise, surprise—I found I quite liked it.

RG: Which biographies?
AC: I read a lot of entrepreneurs—Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs. I remember reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s in university. That was a definitely a game changer for me. If you need a kick up the ass to get going, read that. It’s called Total Recall.

RG: What about fiction? When did that start?
AC: When I picked up my first Lee Child.

RG: Which one?
AC: Number one. Killing floor. I was in a bookstore, leafing through the selection, and I found this orange book (the UK version) and I read, I was arrested in Eno’s diner. At twelve o’clock. I was eating eggs and drinking coffee. A late breakfast, not lunch… I didn’t put the book down. (Note: Axel can quote the first chapter by heart. He’s read it that many times.)

RG: Who are your favorite authors?
AC: (Blows air out of cheeks) Where to start? I mean, obviously, you’ve got the big guns: Child, Chandler, King, Cole…(coughs) Cruise…Elmore Leonard, Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Karin Slaughter; and then you’ve got the lesser known, but equally incredible: Alan Glynn, Chuck Palahniuk, and whoever wrote that creepypasta about the Russian sleep experiment—damn thing gave me nightmares for weeks!

RG: Are there any self-published authors you particularly look up to?
AC: All of them. Seriously. Because we’re all cut from the same cloth. We’ve been rejected, beat down, told “no”. Doors slammed shut, dreams taken away. But. We didn’t stay down. We got up. Grabbed on to what we want and we’re not going to let go. I’m extremely proud to be part of the self-published community.

Author Axel Cruise

Axel Cruise is the author of the highly acclaimed psychological thriller Hearing Voices—the first in the Isaac Blaze series.

Check out what Readers’ Favourite is saying here: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/hearing-voices

Axel is known for his ability to craft fast paced interweaving storylines, but primarily it’s his ‘cool’ and ’compelling characters’ and ‘dialogues that read so naturally’ that draws in audiences, with readers and reviewers likening Isaac Blaze to icons such as Deadpool and Jason Bourne.

British born, Axel grew up ‘pretty much in front of the TV’, and, in much the same way as Quentin Tarantino with films, Axel credits his incredible consumption of TV shows for his extensive knowledge of story craft. Some personal favourites include: Spiderman TAS (‘the best thing Marvel ever made’), Seinfeld (‘the best show ever made’), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dragonball Z.

Of course, Axel is a voracious reader, too. His prefences for reading and writing are expressed well in a recent interview and the question of plot vs character:

“Look. Plot’s important, yeah. But really, I just want to see cool characters doing cool shit.”

You can check out the full Author Interview with Axel, here: http://www.axelcruise.com/interviews

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Blogger Interview ~ Come meet Ella Medler!

Posted: June 19, 2013 in Author Interview
Tags: author interview, Ella Medler, Publishing, writing

I’ve had my blog for about a year and a half now and met some really awesome people. Some who have become friends.

What better way to introduce you to some of them then by putting them in the spotlight.

For today, I’ve dragged Ella away from important work to tell us a few things about herself. She has her blog here . Make sure to go by and say hi. I hear she has some yummy cake! I hope she brought some with her:)

Ella Medler – Author
Goodreads Facebook Twitter Blog

She’s also an author, co-author, and a woman of many writerly talents:)

Ella is so busy, I’m convinced she’s a robot. That, or a vampire!

Please make Ella welcome!

~~~~~

Hi, Laura.

Hi yourself, Ella.

I know you’re very busy and I won’t keep you long. especially as I’m waiting on your next new book! So, let the fun begin.

Please tell us a little about yourself. Inquiring minds want to know 🙂

I am currently working on my fifth book, a thriller. I don’t count the books I’ve started but don’t intend to finish. My head if full of books that will make it. Of the four published books so far, the first one was traditionally published by a small publisher, and the other three are all self-published. Of these, two are co-authored with Kristie Haigwood. When I’m not writing, I’m usually editing. I prefer content editing, but I’m one of those people who enjoys nitpicking at grammar, so I end up doing a combined job. And when I’m not editing, I’m reading and reviewing, hosting author features or writing articles related to the publishing industry. Beware, I do hold opinions.

Why did you start blogging and what were your plans for your blog?

At first, I simply wanted a website. I bought myself the software and a domain name, and then spent two weeks learning how to build a website from scratch. I did manage it, but my original hope that I would be able to keep freshening up the content on an almost daily basis fizzled out pretty soon. I found having a blog on my website incredibly cumbersome. So then I researched other ways to build a blog. WordPress came top of the list, so that’s where you can find me.

In terms of articles for my blog, I wanted a place where I could be myself. Yes, I know I get to do that through my writing, but writing a whole book takes a bit longer than writing a blog post. My posts are about writing and authors, though I will admit to have vented once or twice on publishing in general and the prejudice against indie authors in particular. Can’t help it. I’m a fair minded person who strives to see a situation from all points of view. I strongly believe in fair chances.

Being an author yourself, do you receive a lot of review requests and how do you choose which ones to review?

Yes, I do. To start with, I didn’t have much of a system. If I liked the sound of a book, I went for it. Funnily enough, until I became an author myself, I didn’t see the purpose of leaving a review. Now I do. It’s so obvious why we should! At the moment I work in batches of about twelve titles I commit myself to reviewing, and the authors know what position they are in my list. They know if they’re first on the list, the review will be posted this week, and if they’re last, it won’t be out till some time in July. I used to think I only enjoyed one or two genres, but then I tried others, and the more I tried the more I discovered books I enjoyed. Sticking to a narrow field was certainly a mistake. I review all the books I read cover to cover, though I haven’t published all my reviews on my blog.

How do you feel about scheduling your posts? I do this, but I miss pushing that publish button and watching the post go live. Guess that’s why I don’t always schedule them.

push the button photo: Push The Magic BUTTON thmagisbutton1.gif

Ah. Yes, you knew what question to ask, didn’t you? I have extremely itchy fingers. Once I’ve written something, I want it out there. It’s one of the reasons why I decided to self-publish. I’m impatient. I like to see the fruit of my labours right away. I’d probably make a rubbish gardener. Right now, I only have four draft posts, but there are posts scheduled for almost every day this month. I’ve printed out my calendar and I keep scribbling on it, rearranging things.

I’ve seen your latest posts and you are insanely busy. Care to tell us what you’re up to these days?

I’ve just released book two in the Eternal Series, Eternal Immortality, co-authored with Kristie Haigwood, on May 10, solar eclipse day. It’s doing so well! we are very proud of how its been received. It’s a paranormal action/romance, a completely original take on witches and vampires with a humorous twist.

Right now I’m writing book two in my Hunter thriller trilogy – Blood is Power – and very much enjoying the process. As I write, new ideas occur to me, and the story twists in ways I certainly didn’t see at the beginning. I’ve re-written the first half three times so far.

I have just finished editing a YA book, and soon I’ll be receiving my next edit, a contemporary fantasy by an author I admire. At the same time, I have packed as many book reviews and author spotlights into my blog as possible.

I’m uncertain about what to write next, so I’ve put a poll on my blog. I’ve asked my visitors to vote, and so far a sci-fi project is winning. You can still cast your vote, it’s anonymous, so why not have your say? Here’s the link to the poll: http://ellamedler.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/2013-week-17-and-a-poll/

Once Blood is Power is out there, I’ll take a couple of weeks off from actual writing to plan and produce a series of visual aids – authors’ resources, for want of a better description – which will be available free on my Custom Writers’ Services page on my blog.

As and when I find a minute, I research trends in the publishing industry – top genres and figures, and sometimes news to do with established publishers. These percolate through into my blog posts because I just can’t shut up if I feel strongly enough about a subject. I have to speak my mind, or I will explode.

Did I tell you I’m learning to play the piano? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a child, but not managed to fit it in until last year. I couldn’t even read music when I started. My fingers seem to be in the driving seat, though. They line up nicely when I have to play Schubert, but won’t let me do a recognisable Jingle Bells.

Have I missed anything? Oh, yeah. I have a family. There were a couple of teenagers and a husband around the house, last time I looked, and nine pets of assorted sizes and descriptions.

Do you have a favorite genre you read?

I used to stick to mystery, crime, thriller – that sort of thing. But then one day I read a book about zombies and I liked it. Then a sci-fi (which I used to be hooked on in my youth) and I loved it! From there, I decided to just read any book I like the looks of, and now I don’t have boundaries. If it’s a book, chances are I’ll love it.

One last question and then we’ll get to some fun short ones! Is your blog how you wanted it to be when you began?

No, it’s better. I didn’t have a clear idea, on day one, about its definite direction. Now, the onus is on producing material that is useful to authors, whether self- or traditionally published, in whatever way I can. This trend is going to continue, but it will focus even more on actual, practical advice, tips and mentoring so that more writers can produce high-quality material and, once they have that, find an easier way to publish and promote their books effectively.

Now for Five Fun Shorts!

1) Who is your favorite book character?

Rover from the Giggler Treatment, by Roddy Doyle. He’s a dog who knows more about humans than the humans know about themselves.

2) Do you have a phobia?

Probably not, though I do hate dusting with a vengeance.

3) What’s a famous one liner from a movie that stayed with you?

“You just did!” – from Pretty Woman, when Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) has just been told by heartthrob Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) that he’d never called her a prostitute.

4) If you could be any creature in the ocean, what would you like to be?

jellyfish photo: jellyfish JELLYFISH.jpg

A jellyfish. Useful, in fact indispensable to the ocean’s health, flexible and pretty to look at (see what I’m doing here?), still able to teach scientists something new experiment after experiment and, best of all, can sting when circumstances warrant it.

5) If you could pull anything out of your hat, besides a rabbit, what would it be?

alarm clock photo: clock Alarm_clock.jpg

Time. I am constantly on the lookout for those spare minutes, or seconds even, to finish a project.

And a Dare!

Say the first thing that pops into your head! I dare ya!

Zohan! (oops!)

Any last words for our readers?

Follow your dream, because “I have spent a good many years since–too many, I think–being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction or poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that’s all.” ― Stephen King, On Writing.

Thank you, Laura. This has been way more fun than an interview has the right to be!

I loved having you here Ella. Now get back to work! lol

Just kidding, kind of:) Waiting for some more good reading!

~~~~~

Books by Ella Medler