Monday, April 30, 2012

Interview with author Liz Schulte






Welcome to Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. There's plenty of fun stuff going on around here to hopefully take the sting out of starting a new workweek. Today's post features author Liz Shulte. Liz is in the hot seat as I ask some very fun questions. Ready? Let's begin!


Hi Liz! Welcome!


  1. Tell me a bit about yourself, and your writing.
    I'm a scorpio. I enjoy fine wine and mysterious men . . . wait, is that not what you are looking for? :-) Seriously, other than the obvious writing I like to travel. I have been to around fourteen countries on various vacations. I love animals. I have two dogs (named Whiskey and Rachel) and two cats (named Stewie and Ruth). I am a movie fanatic—especially horror films. While most kids were watching Disney and cartoons, my best friend and I were watching Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. I have always loved to read. I remember when I was a little kid mom would take me to the library and I would pick out the maximum number of books and devour them in two weeks so I could go back. I think I may have read every R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and L.J. Smith book ever written during that time. But, mostly, I am just a normal girl.

    As for my writing, I have three novels and a short story published. I write like a read—a little of everything. I always work on multiple projects at once, and I’m a pantser (I don’t outline).


  2. How long have you been writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
    I have been writing with the intent of publishing for a few years. I used to write short stories in junior high school, but I never considered that I wanted to be a writer. In elementary I wanted to be a veterinarian and in junior high school I decided I wanted to be a Supreme Court Justice, so the writing was only for fun in my mind. It wasn’t until I decided not to go to law school, and I started to seriously contemplate what I wanted to do with the rest of my life that I settled on writing.


  3. What are your favorite genres to read?
    I like everything. I don’t know that a genre itself pulls me in as much as the writing and the characters in the books. My favorite books are Pride and Prejudice, Silence of the Lambs, American Psycho, Catch 22, Night of the Huntress, Dresden Files, Lonesome Dove, and Jane Eyre.


  4. How many books do you have published? What genre?
    So far I have published three novels and a short story. Dark Corners is a mystery, Secrets (Guardian Trilogy Book 1) and Choices (Guardian Trilogy book 2) are urban fantasies, and Sweet Little Lies in Cupid Painted Blind is a paranormal romance. Later this year I will have another mystery and urban fantasy novel coming out. I also have a horror short story set for publication in the Up Close and Evil anthology.


  5. Do you write in multiple genres, or do you just stay with one? If you do not write in more than one genre, do you ever consider it?
    I do write in multiple genres. I read in multiple genres so it makes sense to me to write in multiples.


  6. What are some of your passions and hobbies outside of writing?
    I absolutely love movies, especially horror movies. I see normally see them opening weekend and am a total fan girl. My other real passion is to travel. I sometimes think I was meant to be nomad. I have so many places on my list left to see and so many places I would like to go back to and take my time exploring.


  7. What's the strangest question or thing you've had to ask/do for research purposes?
    Most recently I had to research how to tan hide.


  8. Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?
    I am a pantser. I have tried to outline and plot, but it either comes out wooden for me or my characters do exactly opposite.


  9. Name four books that stay on your keeper shelf.
    Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Catch 22, and any of the Dresden Files books.


  10. Ebooks or print, which do you prefer?
    I like both. I have an ebook reader and use it a lot, especially when I travel, but there are certain authors I still buy in print.
  11. What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?
    I wish I was musical. It floors me people can hear music in their heads and create these beautiful songs that touch my soul.


  12. What are you working on now?
    I am working on the final book in the Guardian Trilogy, Consequences, and a new mystery called Dark Passing.


  13. What is a typical writing day/schedule like for you?
    I still work a day job, so my writing schedule is a bit nuts. I write over my lunch, and then I spend from about 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. writing or editing.


  14. Does your mood influence what you write, or read?
    My mood definitely influences what I read. Sometimes I am in the mood for classic and other times I am in the mood something darker. My mood influences what I write in that it effects which project I want to work on, but once I get in my characters’ minds my mood melts away.


  15. What genre of writing style would you like to see make a comeback?
    I love classic literature. I love the almost lyrical type prose. Part of me wishes that would come back.
  16. If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?
    I would want to sail the Mediterranean.






Choices
Book Two The Guardian Trilogy

By Liz Schulte

Hearts break. Loved ones are lost. Life keeps moving.

Olivia Martin’s afterlife was more dangerous and confusing than her life ever was. She thought she was ready to come back, to forget about Holden and to let go of the rage consuming her. Fulfilling her destiny as a guardian was all that mattered—the past could stay hidden in the crevices of her mind. However, when guardians are murdered and the evidence points towards jinn, she has to do something. To save anyone’s future, Olivia will have to confront the one person from her past she is terrified to see.

Holden waited for Olivia with the hope he would see her one more time. But when she didn’t return, he found salvation in darkness. The black and twisted road made it easier to forget what he lost than to live with the memory of what he had. An unexpected promotion shoves him into a world of intoxicating power and influence. Holden will have to choose between his new life and the woman he thought was gone forever.

From the ashes of Secrets, Choices are born that will change everything.
 


YouTube- Book 1 Secrets http://youtu.be/_zclulJemK0

About the Author:




Many authors claim to have known their calling from a young age. Liz Schulte, however, didn't always want to be an author. In fact, she had no clue. Liz wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a lawyer, then she wanted to be a criminal profiler. In a valiant effort to keep from becoming Walter Mitty, Liz put pen to paper and began writing her first novel. It was at that moment she realized this is what she was meant to do. As a scribe she could be all of those things and so much more.

When Liz isn’t writing or on social networks she is inflicting movie quotes and trivia on people, reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Liz is a Midwest girl through and through, though she would be perfectly happy never having to shovel her driveway again. She has a love for all things spooky, supernatural, and snarky. Her favorite authors range from Edgar Allen Poe to Joseph Heller to Jane Austen to Jim Butcher and everything in between.

Liz would love to hear from you and what you thought of Dark Corners.

Please stop by and visit at any of the below mentioned networks:











Here's a link to also check out book one, if you are a series in order type person!







GIVEAWAY INFORMATION!!!


One lucky person who comments today is entered for a chance to win Choices!


There's also some cool giveaway prizes offered throughout the entire tour. You can enter this below.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, April 27, 2012

Welcome Lisa Mondello!

Today we have author  Lisa Mondello here for a guest post! 








Thank you for stopping by my blog stop today! I will be giving away a copy of HER HEART FOR THE ASKING, book 1 in my Texas Hearts series to one lucky commenter!
Today I’d like to talk about the inspiration behind THE MORE I SEE, book 3 in my Texas Hearts series. In THE MORE I SEE, Cody Gentry, becomes blind after a freak chemical accident. The proud cutting horse training can no longer run his ranch or work with horses, something he’s always taken pride in. He’s been reduced to counting steps from the house to a chair on the patio and having the people around him “step in” to do the things he can’t seem to do on his own. He can’t see a life without his eyesight.
Enter the Allyssandra “Lyssa” Orchid McElhannon, the Plain Jane woman with a love for her guide dogs and Cody’s world turns upside down. Cody didn’t ask for Lyssa’s help. Cody’s father did when he saw his son slipping deep into depression.
I loved writing THE MORE I SEE because it gave me the opportunity to try to step into the world of a man whose life was drastically changed overnight when he lost the use of his eyes. This book was personal as well as fictional for me. The guide dog I used in THE MORE I SEE was based on a real guide dog one of my dear friends had. My friend Diane was blind for about 8 years. She was determined not to sit in a chair in her house. Being such an active person before going blind, she immediately started working with this beautiful and soulful guide dog named Otis. I’ve always been amazed by the control and the loyalty of a service animal. They’re such special creatures! With Otis’s help, Diane was able to become independent again until the day she had successful surgery that gave her vision in one eye.
I can’t imagine what it was like for Diane all those years. But I do know the joy she had the day she could finally see again. You see, I’d met Diane when she was blind. So the day she could see again, all of her family and friends gathered around so she could get a first glimpse of us. I’ll never forget that day! I tried to bring both the pain and joy of Diane’s journey into THE MORE I SEE when writing about Cody and his journey. Plus, there was the amazing Otis the Wonder Dog. I just loved him, too!
Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. But now her uncle’s heart is failing and she has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare...the one man she’d never stopped loving.
Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle. This led him to make the hardest decision of his life and he can still see the bitterness and hurt on Mandy’s face. All these years it has killed him to think Mandy had forgotten him and moved as far away as possible from him. But now they’re back in Texas, and he’s going to do all he can to win back her love.


Ever since Mitch Broader set foot in Texas, he dreamed of owning his own ranch. Now that he’s bought a share in the Double T Ranch, he’s one step closer to the dream. Then his past greets him in the form of a baby basket, complete with infant and birth certificate naming him as the father. He can’t change diapers and work toward his dream at the same time.
When Sara Lightfoot, “Miss Hollywood” in Mitch’s eyes, rescues him with her particular knack for handling his precocious son, he hires her on the spot as a temporary nanny. No matter how much Sara’s dark eyes and warm heart make this bachelor think of settling down and making their arrangement permanent, she’s made it perfectly clear she has other plans that don’t include him or his dreams
Sara Lightfoot never thought she’d return to her home on the reservation. Now she plans to reclaim the life she left by going back to the reservation as a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache children stories of their culture. She didn’t expect Mitch Broader’s sexy smile or job offer as a live-in nanny to derail those plans. After all she’s been through to come home, can she open up her heart once again to love?
As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident. Unable to see the hand in front of his face, never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression. His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.
When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa’s musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won't let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision. But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows first-hand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.
Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa’s plan, nor was having him open her eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she’d been missing out on.


Lisa's Website




Until next time,

Storm Goddess

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Kiss Me, Dancer Review + interview and excerpt

Hello and welcome to Thursday! I've got all kinds of fun jam packed into one post today. I'm doing a review for Kiss me, Dancer, interviewing the authors of the book- Alicia and Roy Street, and I'll be doing a bit of enticing with a featured excerpt.  Thanks for stopping by, and I do hope you'll leave a comment to show some love. Need a little enticing on that? There IS a giveaway involved.  ONE great, wonderful, lucky commenter (did I suck up enough for you, lol?) has a chance to win a copy of today's featured book.  So, let's begin the fun now, shall we?





I love interviews! They give readers a fun insight on authors, so here's today's interview:




Tell me a bit about yourself, and your writing. We both have backgrounds in the arts—Roy in theater, standup comedy and visual arts, while Alicia spent years as a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher. One reason we can write romantic comedy together is because we actually had a love-at-first-sight, whirlwind romance that ended in an HEA that has lasted many years.


That's fabulous! I love hearing about real life HEA's on top of reading them in romance.



How long have you been writing? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? Roy: I never would have guessed I’d become a writer. Alicia: I always wanted to write. I grew up in a family that loved books. I’ve been an avid reader since childhood and began writing stories at an early age. 

What are your favorite genres to read? Alicia: My favorite is romance, whether it is contemporary, historical, paranormal, YA, or literary. But I read absolutely everything, including classics, thrillers and non-fiction. Roy: I like every kind of comedy, whether it’s adult romance, guy stuff, or middle grade fiction. But Stephen King is also a favorite. 

How many books do you have published? What genre? Two chick lit style mysteries. And Kiss Me, Dancer is contemporary romance. Alicia also published Snow Dance, a short story prequel to our Dance ‘n’ Luv series.

I love chick lit and mystery! I'll have to check them out.


Do you write in multiple genres, or do you just stay with one? If you do not write in more than one genre, do you ever consider it? Alicia: We definitely like to cross over genres. I’m currently at work on a paranormal YA novel and have a related story in the Eternal Spring anthology coming out soon. Roy: I am sinking my teeth into a new experience, a graphic novel.

What are some of your passions and hobbies outside of writing? Animal rescue, cruelty prevention, wildlife preservation, the environment. Roy is obsessive about working out and loves boxing. Alicia still does ballet and loves classical music.

What's the strangest question or thing you've had to ask/do for research purposes? Roy: How do you drive an 18-wheeler up the steepest streets in San Francisco? (Answer- Very slowly!)  LOL!
Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants? We do a combination, starting out with a loose plan and going back and forth form plotting to writing as the story elements evolve.

Name four books that stay on your keeper shelf. Roy: Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb, Woody Allen’s Side Effects.      Alicia: I guess I would have to include Pride and Prejudice since it’s the arc type for all romance novels, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, Great Expectations, and One For the Money(Evanovich) But there are so many others I love just as much! It’s like asking a mother to pick a favorite child.

Ebooks or print, which do you prefer? Roy: I prefer e-books. Alicia: I like both.

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't? Alicia: Roy: I wish I were not afraid of heights so I could jump from the world’s tallest building like Tom Cruise. (And get paid three hundred million for it – also like he did.) 

What are you working on now? Alicia: We’re completing our second Dance ‘n’ Luv novel, Touch Me And Tango that will be coming out in May. Plus the individual projects we mentioned earlier.

What is a typical writing day/schedule like for you? Alicia: I begin working early in the morning and go throughout the day. Roy: I am nocturnal and work alone at night. When we work together we meet during the afternoon or early evening.

Does your mood influence what you write, or read?
            Roy: When I see the world as a nasty place, I tend to prefer lightening up my mood with comedy. Maybe that’s why I write so much in a humorous style these days.

What genre of writing style would you like to see make a comeback? Alicia: I would say chick lit, except that I’m already seeing it sell very well in self-pubbed e-books.

If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go? Roy: Another bang up question. I’d get a penthouse in Manhattan, a house on the beach next to Seinfeld in the Hamptons, whereupon Jerry and I would play softball each day before wine and dinner at night.



Thanks for the great responses. It's interesting to see how a duo of writers works together.




All right. Are you ready for an excerpt?  :)


Here'tis!







  Casey swallowed hard when she saw Drew Byrne’s teal blue eyes studying her. She tried glaring at him, but the way his sculpted torso filled out the sleeveless tee he wore and tapered down to his tiny jeans-clad hips made her pulse race.
                Ought to be illegal to be this sexy.
                She glanced at his perfectly carved delt. Sure enough, there was the tattoo of a blue tractor-trailer. So, he was definitely the womanizing player her brother mentioned. Knowing it spelled bad news, she tore her gaze away from him, forcing back fantasies of licking him from head to toe.
                Casey turned to his son and covered her discomfort by saying, “How about a game of ping-pong, Josh?”
                He tucked in his chin and shook his head. “I’m terrible at it. You’d only get annoyed with me.”
                “No, I wouldn’t.” Poor kid. Was it his father who made him feel that? “In fact, I’ll teach you some slick moves.”
                Drew stepped forward, his expression cocky, his eyes doing the elevator dance on her. “Like what?”
                A nervous Josh must have feared another run-in between his father and his dance teacher because he said, “My dad is a champ at it. You should play with him.”
                Oh, she wanted to play with him, all right, but not ping-pong.
                Before Casey had a chance to decline, Drew said, “Think you can handle a grown man?”
                She wasn’t sure if that was a sultry double entendre or just a snide challenge. Either way, Casey decided this obnoxious, arrogant butthead who didn’t want his kid in her ballet class could use a good ass kicking. “Try me.”


I had the pleasure of being able to get a copy of Kiss Me, Dancer for review, and I am now ready to share the review with readers-

BLURB: Ballet instructor Casey Richardson takes an immediate dislike to the brash, arrogant Drew Byrne when he pulls his nine-year-old son out of her “silly” dance class. Still, she cannot help noticing his smoking hot body and bedroom eyes. 

A working class girl raised in the small fishing and farming community on Long Island’s rural North Fork, Casey knows all too well how easily a girl can get hurt by the notorious womanizing hunks that flourish on the South Fork in the Hamptons. Men like Drew Byrne. 

The last thing she needs is for him to be the only one who can save her from losing her dance academy, the dream she has worked so hard to turn into a reality.

Remarrying is definitely off Drew’s list of things to do. As head of his Fortune 500 trucking company, he enjoys his wealth and has no problem keeping it a game with some of the world’s most beautiful women. So why should his son’s challenging, straight talking dance teacher get under his skin in a way no other female has? 

Sure, Casey Richardson has luminous brown eyes and a lean, taut body that drives him nuts, but he’s seen plenty in his day with the supermodels he is used to dating. He tells himself it is because Casey is the only one who was able to bring his shy, uncommunicative son out of his shell. But even that isn’t it. 

Bewildered, Drew decides he just might make use of those ridiculous psychic readings he won at North Cove’s Annual Fourth Of July Bazaar raffle. Little does he know the local psychic who donated the readings has taken off last minute for some trekking in Tibet —and Casey was swayed into substituting for her with phone readings to the anonymous winner. 

Add in a stint on a hit TV dance-off series, a cozy local coffee shop, a narcissistic rock star and a protective big brother to make KISS ME, DANCER a sexy, heartfelt and fun read.



My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this romantic comedy. Casey and Drew are so different, yet they have a chance to beat the odds and find love. It's going to be tough though!

Casey is a strong heroine, though she has her moments. She's struggling to keep her dreams alive and a situation within the book really challenges her feelings and emotions.  There's a few times she really beats herself up, which puts a crack in her strong facade, but she has so much to lose. I really like her, and felt drawn to her character immediately. 

Drew is a bit hard to handle sometimes. I had to grow into liking his character. He could be crude, mean, and an all out jerk sometimes, but as the pages went on, i finally saw a softer side of the man. He struggles with his relationship with his estranged son, and sometimes, though he tries, he just can't seem to get it right. When I got a glimpse of some of these scenarios, my heart went out to him a little bit. Drew is the portrait of any regular man- complex, challenging, but in the end run, a good man trying to do his best in a crazy world.

Kiss Me Dancer is real and raw.  Though it's a HEA romance, there were some rocky moments in the story that resembled every day real life.  I couldn't put it down. I'm waiting for more from the talented duo that penned this great book.  




Here are some links and bio-


Author Bio:
In addition to being part of today’s Indie author movement, Alicia and Roy Street are also traditionally published. In 2009 they received a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. They both share backgrounds in the performing arts. Alicia spent years as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. Roy in theater and standup comedy.  Alicia is a chronic reader of every genre including the classics. She also loves old black-and-white movies, making organic soups from recipes she invents, working out and, of course, dancing. Roy’s into sweaty workouts, too, as well as watching boxing on HBO and eating Alicia’s organic soups. Their cat’s name is Wallace, an orange ten-pounder who’s crazy over pizza. He and Roy do slices every Friday night.

Connect with Roy & Alicia:





Buy the Book!




Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/108417




Thanks for stopping by today! Alicia and Roy, I look forward to more of your work! Continued success to the both of you!




Until next time,


Storm Goddess






               

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Spotlight: Ron D. Voigts Book








PENELOPE AND THE MOVIE STAR
By Ron D Voigts
Age Level: Mid Grade (tween)
Blurb
Marvel Movies comes to Tiffin Preparatory School to shoot a motion picture against the backdrop of the old Windorf Hotel that now houses the school. Penelope sneaks onto the set and watches them film a scene. Famous actors Priscilla Young and Clarence Dodd star in the movie and Penelope gets to see them up close. Regrettably, she also sees a spotlight fall on the director and kill him. Penelope claims she had her eyes shut when it happened, but the police think she may remember something. Unfortunately for her, the killer also thinks she may recall something.

To complicate matters, the school has a new cook, and Penelope’s friend Raddy thinks Chef Judy is trying to poison them. The new girl at school steals away everyone’s friends. As always Principal Merriweather keeps finding new ways to expel her. Between trying to get her friends back, starving and keeping away from the killer, she has her hands full in this next Penelope Mystery.






Excerpt 
She wanted to explain that Chef Johnny was actually Uncle Elmer, her father’s brother. Uncle Elmer had a run-in with the mob a while back and entered the witness protection program with a new name. No one was supposed to know. When he showed up as the new chef during the first semester, Penelope recognized him even in his disguise. Her uncle made her promise not to tell anyone, and she kept her word, not even telling her parents.
The man serving the ice cream looks familiar,” Father said. “The receding chin, beady eyes and high forehead remind me of someone I know. But who?”
He’s Johnny, the school chef,” Penelope said.
My gosh! Take away the mustache and hair, and he could be a dead ringer for my brother Elmer.”
Uncle Elmer, who had been scooping ice cream into dishes, spotted Penelope. “Hey, kiddo!” Seeing his brother Gustaf, Uncle Elmer’s eyes swelled to the size of hundred watt light bulbs. “And you must be Penelope’s father.” He began winking frantically.
What’s wrong with your eye?” Father said.
Johnny has a nervous twitch,” Penelope said, making up something.
Yeah, a twitch.” Uncle Elmer began to exaggerate his winking that turned more into a spastic facial grimace.
Father stared and stroked his mustache. “Good grief! I can’t believe it.”
Uncle Elmer stopped twitching. Penelope felt a tug at her insides, hoping that Father wouldn’t do anything to blow his cover.
Then Father added, “You sound like my brother Elmer, too.”
Uncle Elmer leaned closer and lifted the edge of his toupee to show it was part of his disguise. “I am your brother.”
For a moment Father looked stunned. He opened his arms ready to hug his brother. “Elmer, I can’t believe it’s you.”
Quiet.” Penelope touched a finger to her lips. “We can’t say his name out loud like that. He’s still in the witness protection program.”
Ah, I get it.” Father held up a finger to mark the eureka moment. “We are complete strangers who have never met before. I’m pleased to meet you,” Father held out his hand, “Elmer.”
Johnny,” Uncle Elmer said. “Call me Johnny.”


Biography
Ron D. Voigts lives in Raleigh, NC and sometimes somewhere else. When back in Raleigh, he enjoys time with his family, watches old movies and shoots lots of pool. He has his own private writer's retreat in La Vale, MD where he spends lots of time working on his next novel while enjoying the mountains and eating ice cream.

Media Links
Twitter: @RonDVoigts




Other books featuring Penelope:





Penelope and The Birthday Curse http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005561FZI 

Penelope and The Ghost's Treasure http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P94IGI 

Penelope and The Movie Star http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077UX7LU



Until Next time,

Storm Goddess