Angel Haze

Interview with an Author: Paul Allih

2011-11-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Please welcome, Paul Allih and his latest book, PLACEBO. Today, he shares his inspiration, why he chose to publish independently, and news about his upcoming book.

Paul Allih

Paul Allih is a writer residing in a small Florida town with his girlfriend and son. Influenced by the likes of Chuck Palahniuk and Hunter S. Thompson, his characters linger on the outskirts of social acceptability within tales that exploit the dark side of American life.

His first book, Lost Cries from the Emerald Triangle has gained critical praise from Skunk Magazine and Book Pleasures.

Thank you for joining us today, Paul!

Q: What inspired you to write your first book?

A: My first book is a novella named “Last Cries from the Emerald Triangle”. In short, it is about a family of marijuana farmers in the mountains of northern California that are infiltrated by the federal government.

The story was inspired by certain atrocities that have taken place in America on the behalf of our government like the Waco standoff and the assault on Ruby Ridge.

It was something that I felt I had to write to shed a different light on the subject of marijuana’s criminalization and the damage that it doing to this country as whole.

Despite the fact that the people of California have voted to make medicinal marijuana legal, the government is over riding the state by kicking down doors, harassing dispensary owners and making life harder for the patients. We can’t afford to fund NASA for space exploration, but somehow we can find money to keep kicking water up this hill? It’s just insane.

You can’t take pride or claim to live in a free country if you can be arrested for smoking a plant in your back yard in that said country.

Q: Where do you get the ideas for your books?

A: It depends. I get some of my ideas from following the current events of the world and I get others while sitting on my back porch at night, sipping on some whiskey. Usually I come up with a brief idea for a character first and let the story unfold around them by thinking of some of the most hellish things that I can put them through. I like writing about the darker side of things, exploiting my fears and the fears for others. It’s like a coping mechanism for me. My biggest fear is what human beings are capable of doing. Some people go to work, do their jobs, punch out and go home to their families. But what lurks inside of their minds?

How many of them harbor the thought of going home and killing their families? How many of many of them go home and sit down to eat dinner with their loved ones while smiling and thinking about returning to work the next morning with a machine gun and taking out as many people as they can? You might think these thoughts are disturbing, but these things happen and why they take place is something that enthralls me for some reason.

Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

A: I would say Chuck Palahniuk. I read a lot of different authors, but between Palahniuk’s Fight Club and Survivor, those books really made me want to write. His work is character driven to the extremes. His characters are strange and might repulse the average person, but at the same time you know that they are human and you find yourself sympathizing with them. That kind of power displayed by a writer is something that deeply I respect.

Another thing that I like about Chuck is that his favorite part of writing is the research aspect. That is my favorite part as well. I like to explore different subjects and educate myself while I create. Everything that I put out will always be thoroughly researched, depending on the subject; it will defiantly be to the best of my abilities.

Q: Can you tell us about your latest book?

A: My latest release is named Placebo. It is a gruesome parody on the Young Adult Paranormal Romance books. The story is about a young girl named Emma who lives a very strange life. Her mother is a heroin addled prostitute and her older sister, Kelly is a modern feminist and politically tuned mind that sacrifices her youth to keep the household from falling apart. There is a lot of conflict between the sisters. While Kelly works a crap job, Emma really has no drive to do anything. She just consumes herself in the world of her Paranormal Romance novels to escape from her home life, pinning to meet someone that will whisk her away. And then she meets Matt, who goes from being the crowned prince of her dreams to the compulsive maniac of her nightmares.

My inspiration came by seeing Twilight fans from the ages of 12 to 35 arguing over who would make a better lover, Edward or Jacob. I thought to myself, “What would happen if one of these fan-girls began a relationship with a real life vampire?”

Vampires really do exist, not in the paranormal kind of sense, but in the ritualistic sort of way.

I had an experience with one quite a few years ago when I met a girl on one of those adult meeting sites. We went out had a few drinks, some getting to know you chit-chat, and then went back to her place and we had sex. After we were done, she asked me if she could cut me and drink my blood from a cup. I was drunk and ambitious so I said “sure”. She put a tiny slice in my wrist, drained enough to swallow into a small high ball glass and drank it. When she brought me a bandage, I asked her why she did it and her reply was, “It makes me feel alive.”

At that point it was just one night stand and I was and didn’t care. It did however lead me to loosely base Matt’s character from my experience that night. On the outside he is an attractive man who comes off as a gentleman with confidence, but on the inside, he is a violent, sexual deviant with a growing lust for blood. When Emma meets him she falls in love with him, almost immediately. As his true self starts to emerge, she knows that she should leave him, but doesn’t want to be alone again. She’s a girl who thinks her dreams have come true in being with him and she doesn’t want that to end because she really has nothing else.

Q: How does this book express your thoughts?

A: Placebo is ultimately a story about addiction. Whether it is drugs, money, or the company of another person, we are all addicts in our own ways because addiction is a part of being human. Sometimes these cravings are harmless, but other times, they are not only detrimental to you, but they affect everyone around you.

Writing this book allowed me to express this thought and truly explore how people deal with their demons on an individual level. Some of us battle them successfully while others allow them to reluctantly take over. And then there are those, like Matt, who willingly become one with them.

Q: Why did you choose to publish independently?

A: After looking into it, I saw it as a challenge. The way I looked at it, I could spend months emailing agents and shipping out printed out chapters of my book in the hopes of getting it published or I could just write and take a stab at doing the marketing my myself. There are so many avenues to present your work now that even traditionally published authors are trying their hand at self publishing.

I have put three books out since January 2011 and I wouldn’t have been able to do that through a traditional publisher as a new author. The way the business operates, it would have taken up to a year to publish my first book and I would have had to wait another year to publish my next book.

Some would say, “Well, they’d do all the marketing for you and could sell more books.” Not necessarily, just because they put your book out does not mean they will market it or market it properly. At least this way I know that it is all in my hands and if I sink, then it’s my fault. I design the covers the way I want them, set up the chapters how I see fit, and put out whatever content I like. At this point, it’s all win for me.

Q: Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

A: Sure. The working title is Suffering Makes Great Stories and it’s about a burned out rock star named Daniel who is trying to hold on to his fame in the ever-changing music business. During his plight of trying to cleanse himself from drugs and alcohol and getting his career back on track, he is being stalked by a mentally disturbed, transgendered fan, named Michele. She is convinced that all of his songs are written for her and believes that they are destined to be together. But that is only a fraction of the tale.

The main theme is personal perseverance and whether it is for the better or for the worse. It is a number of characters that are intertwined in some way as they are wading through the obstacles of their lives to follow their dreams, not matter how twisted some of their goals might be.

Want more?

Placebo is available at:

http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Allih/e/B004MF25CU

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/PaulAll1313

http://paulallih.blogspot.com/

Winners of the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway!

2011-11-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Halloween has come and gone. I can honestly say I'm sad to see it leave. I know others would disagree, especially those who have kids, but I still believe Halloween should be a week long event. I have more than enough Halloween candy left over. I'll admit it. I was good all the way until Halloween. I didn't buy any candy for myself and, being at the end of a dead end street, kids don't come to our house. The day after Halloween, all the candy was 50% off and I couldn't resist buying just one box. A few hours later, my husband came home with two boxes and two bags for me. Needless to say, I've been eating a lot of chocolate lately.

I do hope when I have kids, they are not the chocolate fiends that I am. Did you see the practical joke that was played on the kids? Parents were asked to pretend they ate all their kids Halloween candy and videotape their response.

During the month of October, eight authors joined me in some Halloween fun. We shared some Halloween traditions, fears, and excerpts of our novels to get readers in the mood for Halloween. Now, it's time to announce the winners of the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway!

Thank you to all the wonder readers that participated in this giveaway!

Julie S

Invisible Dawn by Weston Kincade
Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch by Angel Haze

Hannah

Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch by Angel Haze
Rebirth: The Twin Prophecies by Nina Perez

Nathiel

Caged in Darkness by J.D. Stroube
The Ninth District by Douglas Dorow

Squeak - MamaMouse

Bloodletter by Angel Haze,
Imperium by Nicholas Olivo,

Darlene

Caged in Darkness by J.D. Stroube
In the Corner by Jim Bronyaur

Julie

Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption by J. L. Murphey
Legacies of Talimura: war of the Witch by Angel Haze

Aliraluna

Bloodletter by Angel Haze
Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witchby Angel Haze

Chrystal

Bloodletter by Angel Haze
Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption by J. L. Murphey

Dranea

Halloween Frights
Imperium

Anna

Bloodletter by Angel Haze
Legacies of Talimura: war of the Witch by Angel Haze

Gabby

Rebirth: The Twin Prophecies
Caged In Darkness

Rea

A Life of Death by Weston Kincade
Bloodletter by Angel Haze

Catherine

Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch by Angel Haze
Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption by J.L. Murphey

Denise Z

The Twin Prophecies: Rebirth by Nina Perez
A Life of Death by Weston Kincade

Winners will be contacted shortly with their prizes!!

2011 Halloween Highlights & Giveaway

2011-10-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Since today is the last day to enter the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway, I've put together some Halloween highlights from our blog hop! Click on their name to view more of their darkest fears and see an excerpt of their book. Don't forget to enter the contest for your chance to win a copy of the thrillers, horror, science fiction and YA fantasy books of these talented authors!

Now, let's get the Halloween fun started!

Favourite Costume: (J.L. Murphey, author of Zombie Apocolypse: Redemption)

My all time favorite costume was a mummy. I was in a casket handing out candy to the kiddies. A royal pain to get on and off, and a whole lot of gauze! Great for the older kids, but scared the younger ones really bad. One little girl ran down the driveway screaming her fool head off to her momma. I chased her down to give her her candy which made it worse.

When you were a kid, where were the monsters hiding? Under your bed, in the closet, outside your bedroom window... (Weston Kincade, author of Invisible Dawn and A Life of Death)

The closet was a common one for me, but the worst place I expected monsters to be was directly under my sheets. I think I saw a movie once when I was younger about ghosts forming right under the sheets or monsters crawling up the sides of your bed and under the sheets, tunneling right at you like they’re reenacting a new Tremors movie. Even now, a few months ago I was sitting in bed reading when a large lump formed in my sheets at the side of the bed. I just caught it out of the corner of my eye when it began tunneling right at me. The fear from years ago leapt up from my stomach and into my throat until the orange furry face and whiskers of my longhaired cat peeked out from the covers.

Scariest Thing That's Ever Happened to You: (Nicholas Olivo, author of Imperium)

I worked at Burger King for six and a half years. As a result of that experience, I no longer fear Hell.

What’s your favorite Halloween film? (Nina Perez, author of The Twin Prophecies: Rebirth)

The original Halloween. Michael Meyers didn’t move very fast, but the mask was terrifying. The music will always freak me out, too. That music, or something very similar, was used in these Saran Wrap commercials, and when I was a kid I’d always lose it when it came on TV.

What would you do if some of the things we pretend to be on Halloween were really real? (J.L. Murphey, author of Zombie Apocolypse: Redemption)

You mean they aren't real! Whew, and I've been afraid of things going bump in the night all my life. Having seen real mummy (nonanimated), vampire bats in jungles, wild hairy men in the woods, people living in swamps,and voodoo rituals in Haiti...I always figured there was some truth to the stories.

What’s the fastest way to kill a vampire or werewolf? (J.D. Stroube, author of Caged in Darkness)

Hmmm... with a vampire... get the darn thing to chase you out into the sunlight and he will go poof.
Werewolf... Climb a tree with a sniper rifle and take aim with a silver bullet.
Although, I would probably be squeamish about killing either. I don't even kill spiders and I am afraid of them!

Scariest thing that's ever happened to you: (Lisa McCourt Hollar, author of Halloween Frights)

I hit a boy with my car. He’s alright now, but it was very scary. I can tell you, you never want to go through anything like that. I can still see him running into the road, trying to break and realizing it wasn’t going to happen and then having him under the tires. I lost it. I screamed OH MY GOD, over and over again and my daughter had to tell me to get out of the car. I later found out that the woman that came and took my hand and prayed with me while we waited for the ambulance was his aunt. I will never forget that. I’m even crying now, writing about it.

What would you do if some of the things we pretend to be on Halloween were really real? (Doug Dorow, author of The Ninth District)

I'd sleep better at night with all of the super heroes around.

Would you invite a vampire into your home? (Jim Bronyaur, author of In the Corner)

Yup. Wait, no, let me rephrase this... as long as the vampire doesn't sparkle, he/she is welcome in my home.

If you opened a door and found zombies what would you do? (Angel Haze, author of Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch and Bloodletter)

Run! If it's more than one, beating them with a baseball bat isn't going to help me. You want me? You're going to have to catch me first!

What was your worst costume ever? (Nicholas Olivo author of Imperium)

When I was a kid a buddy of mine and I made our own Transformers costumes out of cardboard boxes and tinfoil. We thought we’d look cool, but in retrospect, we just looked like a couple of kids wearing cardboard boxes.

Are there any haunted places that you find incredibly memorable? (Lisa McCourt Hollar, author of Halloween Frights)

Cry baby bridge. Never heard of it? Then you aren’t from Lima. Legend has it that one Halloween night a mother was driving home with her baby at midnight and went off the bridge. If you go there on Halloween night at midnight you are supposed to be able to hear the baby crying. Another story has a bus of teenagers on the way home from a game going off the bridge. Either way, it is a fun place to go when you want a scare.

Scary Movie rules to live by: (Cambria Hebert, author of Before)

I am a huge fan of the Scream Movies. I have seen them all and I think that these movies have a lot of rules to live by. Here is my personal list:

#1 Never tell someone you’ll be right back

#2 Never look in the mirror and say Bloody Mary 3X

#3 Never run upstairs!!!

#4 Don’t be slutty (oops, can I say this?) and don’t be a virgin either. They are always the first to die.

#5 If someone calls your house and just breathes, don’t talk to him! Hang up and don’t answer if he calls back. Call the cops. On your cell.

#6 Don’t wear the striped and polka dots at the same time. What? Its ugly. The killer will kill you just because you don’t match.

Halloween 2010

My Favourite Costume: Playboy Bunny

Thought I'd give you a sneak peek of my costume this year. This photo is from last year (I know, how original that I'm using the same costume. I had two Halloween parties this year with two different outfits so I didn't bother getting creative. This year, I switched up the dress and wore a cute black cocktail dress instead. Oh, I and put my ears on the right way this time. In this pic, I'm wearing them backwards! Slade wouldn't be Hugh Hefner again, so this year he was a Halloween hockey goalie.) Sorry, I can't upload the photo from this year yet, that would involve finding the camera cord... :)

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

It's finally Halloween!! To celebrate, I've teamed up with eight other authors for an international blog hop. Join us in the Halloween fun while these talented thriller, horror, paranormal, and YA fantasy authors tease us, thrill us, and share their darkest fears.

This spooktacular event started October 1st and ends Halloween. There are well over 50 books to giveaway (mostly ebooks but some paperbacks as well) so there are lots of chances to win!

If you like books that scare, books that bite, books you have to read with the lights on, we've got your Halloween scare covered!

To enter visit:

http://angel-haze.blogspot.com/2011/09/halloween-blog-hop.html

Happy Halloween!

Lisa McCourt Hollar: Halloween Frights Teaser

2011-10-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

As the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway nears its end, Lisa McCourt Hollar joins us to share her Halloween favourites, what creature she would most like to be, and a short story from her horror short-story collection, HALLOWEEN FRIGHTS.

Lisa McCourt Hollar

Lisa McCourt Hollar resides in Ohio with her husband and children. Always busy writing she writes not-too-scary-stories for children 10 and under and horror stories for teens and adults, as well as dark poetry.

Favourite Halloween Prank:

I have to pick a favorite? I don’t know. Every Halloween my step-dad would set up a dummy at the dining room table and dress it up like Frankenstein. He had a mask. One day we came home and my mom reached for the mail that was just by the dummy’s arm and it grabbed her wrist. My step-dad had taken the dummy away and put the costume on. I don’t know how long he waited for us to get home, but my mom’s reaction was priceless. I think that is my favorite.

What was your favourite costume you ever wore?

A witch. It is the only one I ever wore as a kid. It was a hideous mask, green face and huge wart. Then I topped it off with a pointy black hat and a long black dress. I was scary, I can tell you that.

Which Halloween creature would you most like to be?

I think a vampire. Vampires are sexy and hot, but dangerous. (My daughter is sitting next to me and she says I would never be a vampire if those are the requirements, lol. And she thinks werewolves are better. She is so Team Jacob. I of course am Team Jasper. Eat her and be done with it, lol)

Scariest thing that's ever happened to you:

How do you spend Halloween nights?

Trick or treating with my kids, so if anyone thinks they are going to get sweets at my house, they are mistaken.

Halloween Frights is collection of Halloween stories and other paranormal tales. It starts with my poem, Joe's Night Out and includes such stories as Happy Halloween, Taxidermy Nightmare and Dolly. The collection concludes with Vampire's Hollow, a new story that proceeds events in The Legend Of Greystone, which is to be released in 2012.

Excerpt:

Joe's Night Out

Moonlight fills the graveyard, lighting the way,
For Psycho Joe, who's come out to play.
It is Halloween night, his favorite time of year,
When souls of dead friends are sure to be here.

First to dig up, his friend Crazy Bob,
Whose head is missing one or two cogs.
Bob, who is awake, crawls from his grave,
A gleam in his eye of the mentally depraved.

When he'd been alive they'd been the best of friends,
Until one deadly night when he'd nearly lost his head.
But on his shoulders, Bobs' head remains,
With the blade of a sword halfway through his brain.

The result of an accident, or so Joe explained,
He was aiming for his arm, not the inside of his brain.
But Bob didn't hold it against his insane friend,
Who is dangerously close, to losing his own head.

Then they looked for Sally, whose mind had come unglued,
the day she found her husband wearing her red, high heeled shoes.
She didn't really mind that he'd borrowed her dress,
Or even that he'd left her razor a mess.

She'd always suspected he liked to wear her things
And once even caught him, trying on her rings.
But Sally loved those high heeled shoes

And the size of his feet stretched them beyond use.

Sally didn't think her actions were too rash,
When minus his feet; he went out with the trash.
And at her trial, Sally didn't bat an eye,
When jurors tired of insanity pleas, sentenced Sally to die.

Her first Halloween, back from the dead,
She ran into Joe and the friends that he led.
Last on his list, his pal, Loony Lou,
Who'd once given Joe a recipe for cat belly stew.

Lou was a culinary with an acquired taste,
Specializing in cat guts and chopped eyeball paste.
But he bit off as they say more than he could chew
And choked on a piece of Fido cordon Bleu.

When the four friends were together at last,
They headed into town, for their annual blast.
Joe has a new recipe he wants to share with Lou,
One that involves cutting up pieces of you.

Want more?

Halloween Frights on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Frights-ebook/dp/B005PA94U2

Halloween Frights on Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91462

You can read her blog at http://www.lisamccourthollar.com

Follow on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/jezri1

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

With Halloween just around the corner, I've teamed up with eight other authors for an international blog hop. Join us in the Halloween fun while these talented thriller, horror, paranormal, and YA fantasy authors tease us, thrill us, and share their darkest fears.

This spooktacular event starts October 1st and runs until Halloween. There are well over 50 books to giveaway (mostly ebooks but some paperbacks as well) so there are lots of chances to win!

If you like books that scare, books that bite, books you have to read with the lights on, we've got your Halloween scare covered!

To enter visit:

http://angel-haze.blogspot.com/2011/09/halloween-blog-hop.html

Happy Halloween!

Cambria Hebert: Special Sneak Peak of Before

2011-10-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween is only a few days away, which means our Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway is coming to an end. Today, YA paranormal author and reviewer, Cambria Hebert joins us to share her Halloween favorites, scary movie rules to live by, and a special sneak peak of her YA paranormal, BEFORE.

Thanks Cambria for joining us!!

Thanks so much for having me as part of the Halloween Blog Hop!!

So before I tell you what my favorite Halloween candy is and my opinion on all things that go bump in the night, I thought I would tell you a little about myself. Well, okay, you don’t really want to read my bio. Boring! So how about some STATS

Cambria Hebert

Name: Cambria Hebert

Occupation: Author

Obsessions: Werewolves and Coffee

Fear: Chickens (well, okay ALL birds)

Height: 5’2

Measurements: Yeah, you really think I’m, going to put those?

Astrological Sign: Taurus. (Yup, I’m stubborn and bullheaded = I am always right)

So, now that you know a little about me let’s get down with some Halloween Fun!!

What is your favorite Halloween Candy?

I love most anything with sugar in it but I do have a favorite. Or two. I really like those fat twizzlers, you know the ones that come in the clear wrapping with two inside. They aren’t like the Twizzlers you get at Walmart (those are good too) and these are the best! I also, really like Rolos.

Freddy or Jason

Interesting question. I haven’t seen any of these movies. Why? Because I’m a big fat scaredy cat. Actually, I think I might have been traumatized at a young age by my babysitter’s son. He was a teenager and completely obsessed with Freddy. I was young and still scared of the dark and he used to have that glove thing with all the razor finger thingys… he would stand in the hallway and then jump out at me with them. He would play the movies in his bedroom really loud and wear the mask so he looked like Freddy. He scared the lights out of me. Like seriously. My mom had to tell my babysitter to knock it off or I wasn’t coming back. Maybe this is why I’ve always been suspicious of babysitters…. But that’s for another day….

Scary Movie rules to live by

I am a huge fan of the Scream Movies. I have seen them all and I think that these movies have a lot of rules to live by. Here is my personal list:

#1 Never tell someone you’ll be right back

#2 Never look in the mirror and say Bloody Mary 3X

#3 Never run upstairs!!!

#4 Don’t be slutty (oops, can I say this?) and don’t be a virgin either. They are always the first to die.

#5 If someone calls your house and just breathes, don’t talk to him! Hang up and don’t answer if he calls back. Call the cops. On your cell.

#6 Don’t wear the striped and polka dots at the same time. What? Its ugly. The killer will kill you just because you don’t match.

What fictitious creature or monster do you fear most?

Mine’s not fictitious, at least I don’t think he is. It’s the Devil.

What is Your Vampire Hunter Weapon of Choice?

Wooden Stake I was tempted by the crossbow but this weapon is old school. Can’t go wrong there.

Holy Water

Cross

Crossbow

Have you ever tried to contact the dead by using an Ouija board or some other medium?

Oh yes, a few times when I was a teenager and we were having a sleepover. It never worked, but one time we managed to spill candle wax all over the carpet and I got a lecture from my mom.

What's your earliest Halloween memory?

Carving pumpkins with my Dad, His birthday happens to be on Halloween….

These questions were super fun to answer… I am starting to crave candy… before I run off to raid the cupboards Angel said I could tell you about my upcoming book release. Before is my prequel ( a short story) to Masquerade, my debut novel. Both are YA paranormal. Before is coming out November 16, 2011 and Masquerade is coming out December 18, 2011. I also have another short coming out in November titled Whiteout.

Please visit my website http://www.cambriahebert.com for more info and visit my FB fan page to see a sneak peak of Before and enter to win an ARC of Before!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambria-Hebert/128278117253138

Release Date: November 16, 2011

Here is the short blurb for Before:

What if your life was charmed and everything in it was perfect…

Before.

This is the story of my past. Of what things were like for me when everything was normal. Of what every teenager’s life is like. Clothes. Parties. Boys and summer vacation. What’s so wrong with that? I liked it. I was happy.

Until things changed. I changed.

I didn’t know that lies and secrets were about to take over my existence. I didn’t know there was someone out there, someone meant just for me. I didn’t know that I was about to go on a journey, a journey that would lead me to the girl I am today.

This is the beginning of the worst year of my life. Would I go back and change things? Erase everything that has happened to go back into these moments?

Not a chance.

This is a story of before.

Release Date: December 18, 2011

I want to give a huge shout out to Angel for having me by today!! You rock Angel!!

Thanks Cambria!! Can't wait until the release of the books!

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

Happy Halloween!

Weston Kincade: A Life of Death Teaser

2011-10-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Fantasy author, Weston Kincade, is one of nine authors featured in the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway. Today he shares an excerpt of his YA Fantasy, A LIFE OF DEATH, his worst nightmare, where the monsters were hiding when he was a kid, and his favorite Halloween movie.

Weston Kincade

Creative writing has always been a passion, and I have helped invest in future writers throughout my teaching career at the middle and high school level. In my spare time I write poetry, short stories, and have completed two novels: A Life of Death and Invisible Dawn: Book One of Altered Realities. I am currently working on the sequel in the Altered Realities Series and am about to complete a short story anthology of twisted tales and flash fiction in cooperation with two other authors. Look for the anthology titled Strange Circumstances in early 2012. I also edit novels and technical documents for those interested in my services.

As the wordsmithing process continues, I find great ideas in the oddities of mundane life and take them to new heights.

Halloween Fun!

Favorite Halloween movie:

That’s a hard one. There are some great ones out there like Stephen King’s Pet Cemetery and the Exorcist and the Shining are classics that will never get old. However, one of my favorites from the last few years is Hostel. Saw was decent, but got to be a bit too gory without as much scare. Hostel kept the shocks going through to the end.

Worst Nightmare

Now this is a hard one. I’ve had a few recurring dreams that have scared the pants off me. The most recent that truly scared me began last year. I was hiding in the basement of a strange old house with wood paneled walls, trying to sneak around and find a way out when I stumble on a room that looks like a makeshift laboratory with a wild-haired man muttering and tramping back and forth. I sneak past and eventually have to hide from people searching the dark hallways for me. I huddle in a corner, perched atop some built-in shelving and find myself next to an odd, square window. Through it, I see a large bestial man the size of an ogre with lopsided shoulders and huge, grotesque arms that hang to his knees. He’s manacled and struggling in the room, banging on the aluminum medical table and flailing around. His dark skin is almost overgrown with ragged black hair making him appear to be some horrendously mutated Neanderthal with one heck of a temper. The sight of him has me wondering if I should flee or continue watching more when strong fingers grab my shoulder and spin me around. I topple from my crouched position, landing on my butt, but always wake up before I get to see the face of the person hovering over me. I believe this dream started around Halloween of last year, and now I can’t forget it. The fear gripping me in the pit of my stomach always returns when I think back on the dream.

When you opened your trick-or-treat bag at the end of Halloween night, what candy was the one that would excite you most?

I loved Jolly Ranchers and Reeses. Later they came out with the flavored Tootsie Rolls and they soon became picked over before all the rest. I was never a big fan of candy corn and more traditional Halloween Candy, but once an old lady answered the door with freshly made candied and caramel apples on a stick. Now that was a Halloween treat I never forgot. Don’t guess that happens much anymore with the fear of poisoned candy and everything else. It’s a shame.

When you were a kid, where were the monsters hiding? Under your bed, in the closet, outside your bedroom window...

How your book fits with Halloween:

A Life of Death is a story about a boy who lives with the horrors of Halloween and worse on a daily basis. After enduring the absence of his military father while serving abroad, Alex’s scant memories are all that remains when his father is killed by a drunk driver. To top it off, his mother’s dependent nature lures her into the arms of a violent drunk with a mysterious past. Lost without a compass to direct him, Alex is further disturbed to find that when he touches something someone was holding when they were murdered, he relives their traumatic death, seeing what they saw, voicing their words, and thinking their thoughts. As the tale unfolds, Alex fights to find a moment’s reprieve, a breath of air while struggling in a violent ocean of murderous secrets. Who will believe a bruised and battered teenager? As the number of victims grows, Alex must find his own answers and his own path to the truth. Along the way, maybe he can discover who he is, the truth.

A paranormal coming-of-age mystery about one boy's pain and hardship endured in a small Virginia town.

Losing a father and growing up with an abusive, drunk replacement is hard enough, but when you hardly knew the first because of his constant military deployment, it alters your perspective. As a seventeen-year-old high school senior, Alex Drummond learns the value of family and the meaning of dedication the hard way, but reliving people's horrendous murders does have its upside. Join him as he struggles to find his destiny, understand love, and discover what really happened to his father and the skeletons hiding within his small home town.

Excerpt:

October 1^st, 1995

The following morning went by without incident. I showered and dressed before Frank and the parental figures got up. The girls were lounging on the couch, watching cartoons when I emerged. I grabbed a bowl of cereal and seated myself at the kitchen table.

“Where you going, Alex?” asked Gloria during a commercial break.

“Out,” I replied.

“But where?”

“None of your business.”

Gloria looked to Abigail for help, but she remained glued to the television. I wolfed down the sugar-filled breakfast and slipped out the door.

Paige lived near my old house. Normally the walk wasn’t bad, but dark clouds gathered overhead. Before I had gotten halfway, the storm broke, soaking me with sheets of rain. Without a jacket, my father’s dark gray button-up was little protection. It looked black and clung like saran wrap by the time I reached Paige’s house. Her place was quaint. It had a long front porch with a swing that hung from the ceiling. I knocked and waited for someone to answer. Her father, a tall lanky man, appeared in the doorway a minute later. He looked as though he had been stretched at birth, but his smile broke up his awkward features and made his appearance almost normal.

“Hi, Mr. Kurtley.” His attitude was contagious and I smiled back. He had always been cordial and was the kind of guy you couldn’t help but like. “Is Paige home? I think she wanted to work on a project today, but she didn’t say what time.”

“Certainly, Alex, come on in.” He ushered me through the entryway. “She’s upstairs. I’ll tell her you’re here. Go ahead and take a seat in the living room.”

I went where he indicated while he disappeared up the stairs. An old television, framed in ornate wood, stood under a window while the rest of the room was furnished with a comfortable chair and couch. The floral designs weren’t appealing; the room had the bright feel of a woman’s touch, but it was a lot better than what I had grown used to. A shelf leaned against a far wall, housing dozens of family photos. Paige was the only child shown in their beach trips and family outings. I was engrossed in the framed photos when she bounded down the stairs.

“Hey, Alex, how you feeling?”

“Yeah, I meant to ask you that myself,” chimed her father.

“Okay…doing better,” I mumbled.

“Can we use the computer in your office?” Paige asked her father.

He nodded and we made our way up the carpeted stairs.

“Thanks for not making a big deal of things,” I mentioned once we were out of sight.

“No problem. I just wish we could do something to help.”

“If Vivian won’t admit to it, then how can anyone do anything?” I asked. “I overheard a lady when I was in the nurse’s office. I think she worked for social services. She said she wouldn’t have a place to put me for over a month, and that’s if they could prove the drunk actually did what I said.”

“The bruises aren’t enough?”

“Nope,” I replied, massaging a tender spot.

Paige thought for a moment as we entered the small room. Before voicing her question, she closed the folding doors and took a seat on the floor, between scattered papers. “Would you want to go into foster care?”

I shrugged, gazing at the wall-to-wall bookshelves hemming the room. “I haven’t really thought about it. It can’t be much worse than it is now though.”

Paige looked into my eyes with the knowledge of someone three times her age, focusing my wondering eyes. “It can always be worse.”

The thought sent my mind spinning, searching for worst-case scenarios. I came up with quite a few. “I guess I don’t have it as bad as some people.”

She nodded before continuing. “Don’t take this the wrong way.”

“Go ahead,” I replied.

“I have it pretty good. I don’t always realize it, but seeing you deal with your family makes me thankful for what I have. I’m sorry for what you go through… I just wish I could give you a piece of what I’ve got.”

“I had some happiness once,” I mentioned, a slight smile finding my lips at the memory of my father. The image of Vivian and him smiling in each other’s arms emphasized the point. How long had it been since she smiled? How long had it been since I called her Mom? I couldn’t remember. “Then a semi driver ripped that life to shreds.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. I miss him, but what’s done is done. I can’t change it. At least I had those years. That’s a lot more than some people.”

She looked away and tried to organize the chaos scattered across the floor. “I was thinking about our presentation. If we start off talking about what the soldiers were fighting for, and end with how they changed the country, that should meet the requirements for the assignment. What do you think?”

The question forced my brain to switch gears. Soon, I was jotting down notes about pictures and diagrams while Paige searched the internet. This went on for more than an hour when my hand started cramping up. I needed a break.

“Be right back,” I said into the busy silence. Paige questioned me with her eyes. “Nature’s calling.” She blushed at my answer and returned her attention to the monitor.

Stepping into the tile walled bathroom, I again admired her parents’ choice of decoration, the bathtub in particular. It was white and cast iron with the clawed feet of a man-eating cat. Leaning over, I ran my finger across the detailed toes, relishing in their unique design when the dusty smell drifted by once more. I knew it this time, the odor of time-worn leather, the kind where the polish has cracked, but the mixture of chemicals persists in a pungent fragrance. Panic set in, and my muscles tightened.

The quiet of the bathroom disappeared as water rushed into the tub. The sound echoed off the walls. My body and clothes were different, female. The walls shimmered, then, settled. The clawed reservoir was almost filled. I reached over to turn off the faucet, but the sound of small footsteps padding across carpet caught my attention. I turned to find a cherub-like baby standing erect in the doorway to a connected bedroom. The room hadn’t been there a moment before, and the walls shimmered again before settling back into the new configuration. Light from beyond the doorway cascaded around the small figure.

Something’s wrong, but what?

The bedroom separating us was large and spacious, but absent of much light. Dull white light streamed through the sliding-glass door opposite the inhabited doorway. The muted radiance caressed the carpet and the corner of a large bed. I tried to inspect the open bathroom and this new bedroom, but something pulled my attention back to the odd child. I delved deeper into the shadows, attempting to discern the kid’s face, but it remained hidden. However, I could feel his eyes boring into me. A shiver ran down my spine.

Was it the woman that shivered or me? I couldn’t tell, and the thought fled like an escaped convict. The baby’s gaze devoured every ounce of my confidence. Fear erupted in the pit of my stomach as water streamed around my feet and into the carpeted bedroom.

The small infant took a step forward, its self-assured strides squishing in the wet carpet. The movement brought the child into the light. I was drawn to the splotched gray skin covering its legs and bare torso. They were the legs of a ghoul, death incarnate sent to find me.

I held my panic in check for the last few seconds, but it grew as a memory drifted into my thoughts. Waiting, exposed and cold, in the delivery room. My legs in cold metal stirrups. The doctor’s eyes peered at me from under gray, bushy eyebrows, and a silence permeated the room. Nurses sat staring at the still child in his arms. The slaps and electrodes hadn’t prompted it to scream…or breathe. Tears streamed down my face under his pitying gaze. The moment felt like an eternity.

Fear took hold, and a feminine voice tumbled across my lips, pulling my thoughts back to the overflowing bathroom. “No, I tried ... I did…I’m sorry.” The child gave no sign of hearing.

I backed away from the odd figure, inch by inch, until my legs struck the edge of the bathtub. Unable to retreat further, I stood entranced by the morbid child as it moved further into the light. Its minute strides revealed miniscule hands with clawed gray fingers that clutched the air in anticipation. Its mouth stood agape, too small to house the mass of dagger-like teeth hanging over its lips. Finally, the infant’s red-eyed glare passed from the shadows into the dull light. Demonic, bloodshot eyes with sickly yellow irises held me in place. Seeing its prey quiver in fear, the infant sprinted the last few feet over the bathroom floor and closed the gap. It grabbed the hem of my nightgown and clawed its way up with inhuman speed.

I threw out my hands in a flurry, struggling to dislodge it and move away, but the tub blocked my escape. Hungry eyes and drooping lips drank my fear like a desiccated beggar, and it leapt onto my bosom. The checkered blue and white nightgown stretched in its elongated claws, but before I could unlock the air lodged in my throat, panic forced me over the antique lip and into the confines of the iron tub. The back of my head slammed into the cast-iron side with a loud crack, and I sank into the scalding water.

The swirling abyss obscured my sight. I tried to scream, but only a cloud of bubbles escaped. I cast out for a handhold, some way of freeing myself from this water-filled tomb, but dozens of small hands grasped my arms and legs. A few grabbed my shoulders and pulled me deeper. Their tiny claws dug through the nightgown and into my skin, holding tight with the strength of demons. My mouth filled with water. It was as though my lungs were on fire. Slowly, the pain filling my head subsided, and numbness engulfed my mind. I couldn’t move or think and surrendered to the darkness swirling through the turbid waters.

I returned with a start, my hand still perched atop the clawed foot of the iron tub. Straightening up, I pulled away from it and looked around. My eyes adjusted as I assessed my surroundings. The small bathroom with seashells and pictures of sailing ships returned, with the attached hallway that led to the office. The spacious bedroom was gone and sunlight streamed through the small, frosted window at the edge of the bathroom.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded of the room. I stared at the antique bathtub for a few silent minutes. Thinking back on the dream made me shudder, and my bruised reflection was the only thing in the mirror. But even it seemed hesitant to meet my gaze. My father’s button-up still hung over my shoulders, somewhat drier than earlier. My jeans and t-shirt were untouched by the waters in the dream. My mind sifted through the possible causes for the vision. Most of them were disturbing. Pushing the possibilities aside, I left the bathroom and returned to find Paige still searching the web. She did a double-take when she saw me.

“What happened to you? You’re white as a sheet.”

“Nothing,” I muttered, my thoughts still whirling. “I think I got a stomach bug is all.” A moment later, I asked, “Where did you get that bathtub?”

Want more of Weston Kincade?

A Life of Death

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Audiobook Recording of A Life of Death

Stalk me on:

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Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

Happy Halloween!

J.L. Murphey: Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption Teaser

2011-10-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Horror author, J. L. Murphey, is one of nine authors featured in the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway. Today she shares an excerpt of her horror novel ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION, her favorite costume, the scariest slasher weapon of all time, and what she would do if the things we pretend to be on a Halloween were real.

About the Author:

J.L. Murphey

J.L. Murphey lives in the Golden Isles of Georgia with her husband. She has four children and seven grandchildren. She is an author and freelance journalist. She continues her thirty-year love affair with writing and storytelling.

Halloween Fun!

Favourite Costume:

Scariest Slasher weapon of all time:

The chainsaw, hands down! Something about the sound and the idea of all those little rapidly moving teeth tearing through flesh...WILLIEEEEEEEEES!

What would you do if some of the things we pretend to be on Halloween were really real?

Could you decapitate your zombified spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend?

You betcha!!! They are already dead anyhow so it wouldn't be MURDER.

When the Zombie Apocalypse Comes, how Will the Zombies Move?

Other- freshly zombified or fortified zombies would move fast while those that had started the decomposition would move slower, but still just as deadly.

Dr. Donna Cairn is a genetics researcher for the Center of Disease Control. When the CDC issued the Zombie Apocalypse Alert, she discounted it as a way of advertising hurricane preparedness. When a conspiracy buff working with her in the silo speaks to her about the debunked Hapgood theory of Earth Crust Displacement, she again discounts it as just that some wacko, paranoid rambling. But when radiation levels after the Japanese earthquakes starting rising, all bets were off.

Simple dog bite patients are dying from a mysterious fever. Bodies start coming up missing from the morgues across the globe. When the death count reaches over one quarter of the world’s population dying due to this new plague, the CDC sends their best virologist, Kit Seger, to help Donna in her quest of finding the virus in her converted missile silo laboratory in Nebraska.

The dead have risen and hunger for human flesh. She never believed in zombies before, but now she believes in them. Can she and Kit find the cure before mankind becomes extinct? How do you cure people who are already dead? And better yet, how do you kill the dead?

Can it be that Donna’s unborn niece and nephew are the answer? With the earthquakes rumbling, zombies at the gate, and time running out will they find what they are looking for? Man can only hope.

Excerpt from "Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption" by J.L. Murphey 2011

The seats weren’t too bad, but not a lot of elbow room. He pulled out a folder from his briefcase between his feet on the floor as Lars climbed the small plane to 5,000 feet. A nice and clear, sunny day with nothing to see, but ribbons of farm country below as he flipped back the pages in the clasped folder. So far, over a quarter of a million deaths had been reported. Most were animals, but a few had been reported to look like human bite marks. Now, there was a scary scenario, he thought. All the patients after being bitten had run high fevers with corresponding mutated white cell counts, convulsed, and became violent before death.

In three-quarters of the cases, the bodies had simply vanished from wherever they were being held after three days. There were some reports saying the bodies came back to life. The patients just got up, and left the hospitals or funeral homes, but those had to be a figment of mass hysteria. The dead couldn’t walk and after three days of being dead, nobody came back to life. Maybe in some third world nation where there were no doctors a patient could be comatose and mistaken for dead, but not in the modern world.

He checked the country of origin on a couple of these “walking dead” stories... Germany, Russia, and Turkey. No, not possible he thought. The reports came from reputable hospitals on the cutting edges of technological advances. There had to be a mistake. This was not Transylvania with vampires, Frankenstein, and zombies. He’d seen some pretty horrific things in his life, but this was stuff from a cheap horror movie. It wasn’t real life, but there it was in front of him. Solid proof that zombies did exist. How do you cure something that is already dead? Better yet, how do you kill something that is already dead?

Want more of J.L. Murphey?

"Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption" by J. L. Murphey

Smashwords ISBN: 978-1-4661-4582-5

ISBN-13: 9
78-1463781460
ISBN-10: 1463781466

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79723

http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Apocalypse-Redemption-J-Murphey/dp/1463781466/

https://www.createspace.com/3663514

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byUpPnOxm50

Contact

website- http://jomurphey.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/#!/JoMurphey or http://twitter.com/#!/jlmurphey

jomurphey@yahoo.com

Author Page Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/J.-L.-Murphey/

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

Happy Halloween!

Weston Kincade: Invisible Dawn Teaser

2011-10-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Science Fiction author, Weston Kincade, is one of nine authors featured in the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway. Today he shares an excerpt of his science fiction, INVISIBLE DAWN, his worst fears, and the scariest thing that's ever happened to him.

About the Author:

Weston Kincade

As the wordsmithing process continues, I find great ideas in the oddities of mundane life and take them to new heights.

Halloween Fun!

Worst Fear:

I don’t have many fears, but the things I fear the most are open places like forests at night. Ironically enough, I find an open plain on a starlit night to be majestic, but that’s probably because I can see whatever’s coming. I know I have an overactive imagination, but I can also pinpoint when this fear started.

For a long time, my parents had a place in Texas with six acres of land. It was outside of town, and there were any number of shadows for people and animals to hide. I can trust that an animal, unless rabid, is not likely to attack without cause, but that isn’t always the case. Around that time, cougars had attacked some people and the rumors were flying. One late night, I was walking out to feed the chickens. The chicken coupe was out beyond the garden, next to some sheds and surrounded by trees. When I was about twenty feet away, I heard a loud thump hit the ground and rustling of leaves and pine needles. I turned to find two glowing green eyes hovering above the ground and staring at me through the black night. They were too large to belong to a house cat and too far off the ground. I fought the urge to flee and slowly walked back to the house, not taking my eyes off the animal. It just watched me. Since then, even my house cat’s glowing eyes can set my heart pumping when all the lights are out.

Additionally, my overactive imagination is always coming up with various twisted ways to torture and kill someone, and odd motivations for doing it. It isn’t that I would ever want to do something like that to a person, but there are a few characters in my head that might have the desire to act the ideas out on a page. I’m aware that the likelihood of something like this happening is slim to none, but the possibility itself is enough to send a shiver down my spine. Watching the predators on NUMB3RS and some of the other cop shows doesn’t help too much with this fear. It just gives it food for thought. Although, if you don’t know fear, how can you realistically write about it.

Favorite Haunted Place:

I’ve always been partial to really old buildings, especially monasteries and castles that have been left to crumble and fall apart. They normally have their own cemeteries and have pasts that go on for ages. There are any number of horrendous murders that have happened in many of them. They’ve always intrigued me and scared me a bit at the same time.

Scariest Thing That's Ever Happened to You:

The scariest thing that ever happened to me was when I was rock climbing back in high school. I lived in El Paso, TX and so was out hiking and climbing up the rocky cliffs of the Franklin Mountains. For the most part, they aren’t that hard to climb, but a few areas can be very hazardous to your health. During one particular hike, we wound up traversing some walls over 30-50 foot chasms, hanging from the tips of our fingers and trying to find foot holds in the craggy surface. Because I’d never encountered anything that problematic, I had never thought to bring a rope. And being a stubborn kid, I was not one to turn back from a challenge. Twice that day, I lost my hand holds, began flailing and falling back away from the wall, only to find purchase with a couple fingertips at the last instant before I feel onto the scattered rocks and boulders below. Each time, the scant experiences of my 16 years flew past like a collection of 35mm slides on a film roll, pointing out memories and people that I cherished, whether I knew it or not. I have never been as scared as I was at those two moments in time and would have kissed the ground when I got off that mountain if I hadn’t been with a friend. I was just too cool to do that back then, lol. Now, I’d pucker up.

Your Halloween Traditions:
Don’t really have any. I normally just give out the candy, possibly in an outfit. I’ve thought about being Silent Bob, Kevin Smith. A lot of people say I look like him, especially in my long black coat.

Trick or Treat?
More of a treat kind of guy. When I was younger I enjoyed scaring the heck out of my littlest sister during Halloween, but her screams were so guttural I felt like people in New Zealand must have been looking around, asking each other, “Did you hear that?” Her non-stop tears didn’t help either. Now, I mainly stick to twisted situations and encounters in my stories. At least then my readers can pick up the novel knowing what they’re getting.

How does your book fit in with Halloween?

In Invisible Dawn, everything is possible. Vampires exist on some planes simply as mutations of the normal human with nutritional needs and capabilities that are the result of evolutionary change. Madelin and Leodenin are plane shifters, an evolutionary step of yet a different plane, but people that can bring both the good and bad together. Ever considered what it would be like for treacherous humans without ethics, vampires, and other atrocities yet to be unveiled in the series come together? How can a small group of innocents survive, even if they are part of the evolving universe? Darwin’s philosophy of only the strongest surviving is at the heart of this novel. Will greed win out over the struggle for redemption and revenge? Read it and find out. I think this dark fantasy/sci-fi story will more than satisfy your desire for the darker side of humanity because even the monsters are human.

To keep a promise and save his long-lost goddaughter, computer programmer Jedd Altran sacrificed everything, including his wife and newborn son. Now, they must pass through worlds far different than their own to escape the clutches of government killers.

In a world where rare individuals have evolved, the government kidnaps specific children to study and utilize their abilities. Madelin has been imprisoned in such a facility for thirteen years and suffers from medically induced amnesia. Facing a hopeless future, haunted dreams, and an invisible past, each morning is an Invisible Dawn and life holds no meaning, until she meets Jedd. Her newly discovered godfather becomes her beacon in tumultuous seas as they strive to find answers and allies.

On the run from PASTOR Agency’s first trained shifter, an egotistical man with power hungry desires, Madelin and her godfather find their lives intertwined with a broke Cajun gambler, an ex-mercenary in search of redemption, and a rebellious Vampire.

Can they survive nature's mysteries and humanity’s greed? Will they find salvation? Only a Darwinian victory will do, but even that may prove futile.

Excerpt:

Chapter – Prologue: Questionable Sanity

For the first few seconds of consciousness, Daniel Robertson sat on the edge of his bed staring at a ghastly image in the full length mirror. A child stared back through eyeless sockets, its skin seared to a charred remnant of its former self. Even in his waking moments, he saw the same nightmarish memory. It was as though sleep had not found him.

His digital clock glowed red, 5:04 a.m. The nightmares never let him sleep through the night. He groped for the most recent bottle he had haphazardly tossed aside the night before, but gave up when he spotted it on the floor.

His eyes returned to the wooden stand, but the phantom child was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his own depressed reflection peered back through aged eyes. A large X marred his cheek, long ago healed, but it was a reminder of his inescapable past. Sweat swelled from nowhere and grudgingly streamed down his forty-three-year-old, leathered face. At each wrinkle there was a split-second hesitation.

Fragments of his past flickered through his mind in a jumbled mess. Piecing them together while semi-conscious was like constructing a jigsaw puzzle. But suddenly the sequence of horrific events snapped into place like snapshots from someone else’s travels. Glimpses of unwanted memories returned that even alcohol could not drive away.

“As though I could ever forget,” he muttered, thinking back to the horrifying visage.

The dim glow of a streetlamp streamed through the window and cast tall shadows across the room. His yellow complexion melded with the aged bed sheets like a sickly chameleon. Even in El Paso, a heat wave like this was unusual.

A slight breeze startled the curtains to life and newspaper clippings fluttered on the wall before resigning to the push pins’ insistence. The sound drew his attention and he flicked on the nearest table lamp. It did little to illuminate the room, but was enough to see by. The victims stared out at him, their lives amounting to a small blurb. Above their heads, the articles announced, ‘Man Found Dead in Car Explosion’, and ‘Woman Killed in Foiled Carjacking’, among others.

He knew them by heart. Each represented a failed attempt to save his ex-employer’s targets. They were all that remained of his recent pursuit for salvation. He sniffed at the stale tobacco odor that permeated the apartment. It was as though the small space could never get clean; a feeling he was quite familiar with.

Lifting himself from the bed, he straightened and listened to the crack of his joints. He stretched his arms and crept over to the open window, his dark skin masking the muscular build beneath. With each footstep, the floor announced to his neighbors that he was awake. It was a reminder of the innocent lives he put in jeopardy by staying here for two months. Black Force was after him, and they were just as well trained as he. His old mercenary friends would not take hostages, and they had no qualms with eliminating witnesses.

He needed to move on before he was found, but it was difficult to give up such an ideal location. One reason he chose this dilapidated part of the city was the unfriendliness of the people. His weathered complexion helped him to blend in, and the fact that he spoke not a word of Spanish afforded him his solitude.

Daniel smiled as another faint breeze drifted through the window. Seeing an oncoming car, he stepped out of the moonlight and alongside the curtains. There was no need to broadcast his presence. Watching the sidewalk below, his attention was drawn to an interesting individual.

The man was different from other street inhabitants headed to work. He casually strode under the streetlamps holding an AK-47, but no one took notice. It was like the armed man was invisible. He passed the taco vendor Daniel frequented and even Marco failed to greet him. The old food salesman greeted everyone while grilling his morning breakfast burritos, but somehow he overlooked this man.

The oddity was barely visible at this distance, but the early risers on the streets should have spotted the gun. His clothes made him stand out like a leopard at a zebra party. Through the sporadic flow of traffic, Daniel watched the man’s russet coat and fedora bob behind passing cars. His checkered golf pants shone under the streetlamps and he walked with a slight spring in his step. He was like an armed ostrich bobbing down the city street, ready to go hunting.

Could he be with Black Force?

He doubted it, but what if his old employer had hired someone new? It was odd for a mercenary group to hire out to a competitor, but he might have eluded them too many times. Either way he needed answers to his questions, and this guy might be his key. They were questions that had plagued him for years, like ‘What could he do to stop Black Force or at least get them off his back?’ He just wanted a chance at redemption before he died. The pain he had caused was unforgettable, especially in his dreams.

His hand unconsciously went to the three scars crisscrossing his large bicep. He ran calloused fingers along the smooth skin. It was not until the last few years that he came to care about others. Up to then, he did what he wanted and what he was told without question. The scars were just a reminder of one of his father’s early lessons on obedience; something his old boss and good-old dad had in common. They did not take ‘no’ for an answer.

Losing sight of the man behind a group of chatting women, Daniel was startled into action. He needed answers, and this guy was his best chance. He searched the sidewalk for the bounding pedestrian. Seconds later, the man appeared without having lost a step. Anticipating another disappearance, Daniel gave the street a cursory glance.

Satisfied, he threw a blue button-up over his sweat-stained undershirt. It trailed behind him like a cape as he crossed the room. His hand automatically grabbed his 9-millimeter off the end-table and tucked it into his pants before bringing the door to a close. He had to catch up before the guy vanished again.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he swept through the first floor foyer and onto the sidewalk. He searched the opposing walkway for the brown fedora. The hat materialized over a taxicab, and the yellow lamplight overhead illuminated its creases like the golden eyes of an animal peering through the shadows.

Daniel bolted across the busy road and narrowly avoided a rusted-out farm truck. The only warning of its approach was a deep, male voice crooning through its open windows “… oh, mi amor,” while a salsa melody plucked along in the background.

At least I won’t be the latest obituary in the Sun Herald, he thought as the guitar melody faded.

He leapt over the last car-length of asphalt and rushed up the sidewalk. Sidestepping the barrage of pedestrians, he weaved through more oncoming groups and attempted to gain on the odd man. Daniel pumped his muscled legs harder. He threaded his way through the sporadic traffic while keeping the man in sight. It still surprised him how many people walked to work on this side of town. He felt like a running-back for the local Panthers football team, dodging moving targets. Unfortunately, he could not remember a game they had won, and his progress was worthy of the same praise. Somehow, the bobbing fedora was still drifting further away. Daniel broke into a run. Passing men and women gave him sidelong glances. A few locals cursed as he shoved them aside, attempting to close the gap with his prey.

The loud shouts did not bother the man in the fedora. He never turned or glanced back. He just continued down the packed street, his dark hat bobbing over-top the crowd. As Daniel closed the distance, the unusual man walked directly into a father and daughter walking hand-in-hand. The stranger faded into a misty existence and phased through them. Without anyone realizing, the anomaly solidified on the other side and continued as though nothing had happened.

Daniel halted mid-step as his heart skipped a beat. “Whoa, this guy can’t be Black Force,” he muttered. “He’s like their hopped-up crooked cousin.”

The possibilities tumbled through his mind. Either way, this guy’s looking for trouble.

He was tired of waiting for them to find him. He had to act. “There’s no such thing as coincidence,” he whispered with renewed confidence.

The retired mercenary redoubled his pace and began gaining on the fedora. The old courthouse was around the next bend, and the sidewalk grew more congested. His broad shoulders cowed some people, but others he cast aside like scattered chess pieces. Faces whizzed by in a blur, man … man … woman … man ... child, but his attention remained on the armed stranger.

Daniel made his way to the corner, but was unable to reach his prey before the man entered the busy street. Stepping out of the packed sidewalk, the ex-mercenary stopped at the curb edge to watch the man cross. The armed apparition passed through cars undetected, heading for the municipal building. The muzzle of his rapid-fire gun came up as he approached the building front, but still no one reacted.

The veteran’s gaze followed the apparition across as the sun peaked over the mountainous horizon. But his eyes stopped abruptly when the courthouse came into view. Around it was a dimly outlined building, much larger than the courthouse of his reality. It stood over-top the historic building like a spectral shadow. He tilted his head, attempting to find the pinnacle, but its towering peak disappeared into the dawn sky. The building was enormous, like those in larger cities. It was a phantom skyscraper attempting to exist in an already occupied space. Its edges stood out against the stone structure of the courthouse, glistening blue like the threads of shimmering spider webs.

He stood motionless, in awe of the sight. Much like the man he had followed, it gave no one else reason for pause. He looked around, but even the fedora in the distance did not break its casual stride. A moment later, the man disappeared into the miasmic building.

“How could such a thing exist?”

At the base of one luminescent thread appeared a woman dressed in an outlandish, white-belted kimono. She finished thumbing the wall before turning around. Daniel peered at the block wall, searching for what she had been holding, but nothing was there. He could have sworn something had moved under her hand, but it was gone. Unlike the man in the fedora and the spectral building, her presence did not go unnoticed. She stood out in her tattered, oriental gown. The shredded kimono swirled about her with every intention of hiding her graceful curves, but failed utterly.

Her auburn hair shone in the sun’s morning rays, framing a pale face and wild eyes. Over the years, Daniel had come to know the look of fear in others. Judging by her face and the way people avoided her, she was in full flight. His brain went into overdrive as he remembered that people were looking for him. He had made a huge display and left disgruntled pedestrians in his wake. They would have no problem identifying him now.

“Dammit!” he spat. He had to do something … He had to move. And right now, this woman needed his help.

Entering the road, Daniel allowed morality to guide his search for redemption.

* * * * *

Want more of Weston Kincade?

Invisible Dawn: Book One of Altered Realities

Amazon - http://ow.ly/6B2Am

Barnes & Noble - http://ow.ly/6B2XM

Smashwords - http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48842

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/InvisibleDawn

Stalk me on:

Blogspot - http://authorwakincade.blogspot.com/

Twitter - @WestonKincade

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/WAKincade

GoodReads - http://www.goodreads.com/wakincade

Wattpad - http://www.wattpad.com/user/WestonKincade

Authonomy - http://ow.ly/6B20h

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

Happy Halloween!

Douglas Durow: The Ninth District Teaser

2011-10-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Thriller author, Douglas Durow, is one of nine authors featured in the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway! Today he shares an excerpt of his thriller, THE NINTH DISTRICT, his favorite Halloween prank, and where the monsters were hiding when he was a child.

Douglas Durow

Douglas Dorow grew up in Fargo, North Dakota where there was often a coating of snow on the ground on Halloween when he went trick-or-treating.

Today, he lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and writes thrillers. His first, The Ninth District, is available on kindle, nook, ibooks and smashwords.

Halloween Fun!

When you were a kid, where were the monsters hiding? Under your bed, in the closet, outside your bedroom window...

When I was a kid, I was very afraid of something out there that was going to get me. I was convinced there were things outside waiting to get me as I went from my friends house to mine. I made the trip at a sprint.

Your Halloween Traditions:

We always go out as a family and buy our pumpkins, carve them together and roast the seeds.

Scary Movie Rules to Live By:

Never open the door when you hear the scary screechy music.

Fave Halloween Prank:

The guy living across the street from us always has a fog machine going, sits on a chair dressed in a cape and hood among the tombstones in his yard and scares the older kids (the ones who don't dress up but beg for candy at your door.

What would you do if some of the things we pretend to be on Halloween were really real?

I'd sleep better at night with all of the super heroes around.

The Federal Reserve has never been robbed.

FBI Special Agent Jack Miller, pulled into a high-profile case to mentor a new agent, finds himself in a clash with the toughest opponent of his career. The chase culminates in the bowels of the city, in the storm sewers and tunnels beneath The Ninth District Federal Reserve of Minneapolis.

Excerpt:

“Freeze it!” Staring out from the television was the face of a bank robber, a killer, in a mock salute. “What the hell? Is that who I think it is? Rewind it and play it again.”

“Jack, I’ve watched this ten times and there’s nothing there, nothing but that salute.”

“Rewind it. I want to see it again.” Jack pointed at the flat screen television on the wall and worked his thumb up and down against the imaginary remote in his hand. “Come on, let’s go, Junior. I want to see it again.”

“It’s Ross.”

Jack glanced back at Ross and then stared at the screen, waiting for him to play it again. “Listen. The SAC asked me to help you. I’m here to help. Let’s watch it again.”

Jack Miller was in no mood for a pissing match with a new agent who had four months in the Minneapolis FBI office after graduating from Quantico. The Special Agent in Charge assigned Jack to help with this case so he could tell the media he had his most experienced agent looking into solving the string of bank robberies, especially the last one that had resulted in a murder.

Ross pointed the remote at the television and the video started again. “These bank videos suck. We’re bringing in video from the other cameras at the bank, the ATM, the highway traffic cameras, and gas stations within a two-mile radius. I know it’s the same guy.”

“OK, so what do we know about him?”

“He’s on a schedule. March, he hit a Wells Fargo branch in Duluth. April, he was at the Stillwater branch. I was looking for a May job and found one in Wisconsin after talking to the Milwaukee field office. This morning, as you see him here, he was at the TCF bank in Wayzata. That’s the June robbery.” Ross paused, inhaled, and audibly exhaled. “And no, that’s not who you think it is. It’s a guy, or a person, wearing a mask that kind of resembles a former Governor of the State of Minnesota.”

“OK, so we know what he’s done, but what do we know about him?”

“We don’t know anything about him other than he’s been robbing banks and wears a mask,” Ross said.

“Let’s call him the Governor. He hasn’t killed anybody before, has he?” Jack asked.

“Nobody has even been hurt, until now.”

“Play the video.” Jack Miller stared at the screen and watched the scene unfold a second time; he rested his chin in his hands, elbows on the table. He looked for details as he watched it again.

Want more?

Find The Ninth District at:

The Ninth District : Kindle

The Ninth District : Nook

Connect with Douglas:

Twitter @DougDorow

Douglas Dorow Facebook author page

Blog: Thrillers R Us

Goodreads author page

Independent Author Network page

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

Happy Halloween!

Nicholas Olivo: Imperium Teaser

2011-10-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

To kick of the Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway, Nicholas Olivo shares an excerpt of his urban fantasy, Imperium, his paranormal inspirations, and where the monsters hid when he was a child.


Nicholas Olivo

My childhood consisted of way too many video games, comic books and 80's cartoons. Add in a healthy appetite for Tolkien and Stephen King, and the end result was a geek who had visions of someday writing his own novels.

It was Terry Brooks’ Wishsong of Shannara that really clinched it and got me excited about writing. But it wasn’t until years later, after reading Jim Butcher’s Storm Front, that I decided to take a crack at urban fantasy. After a month of Pepsi-and-Snickers-assisted brainstorming, Vincent Corinthos and the Caulborn were conceived. A year later I published the first Caulborn novel, Imperium.

I’ve lived my entire life in various New England states, and I’m fascinated by New England’s paranormal history. One thing I really enjoy is incorporating local paranormal events and urban legends into the books. Each Caulborn novel will include references to real-world supernatural occurrences, and explains how they fit into the Caulborn’s world.

I live with my wife and three children, and a shape-shifting cat who may or may not be be in human form at any given moment. Check out my site at www.nicholasolivo.com.

Follow me on Twitter - @NicholasOlivo
Follow me on GoodReads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5018856.Nicholas_Olivo

Halloween Fun!

Scariest Thing That's Ever Happened to You:
I worked at Burger King for six and a half years. As a result of that experience, I no longer fear Hell.

Your Halloween Traditions:
I take my kids trick or treating now. Before that, I'd dress up in either my Batman or Clark Kent costume.

Favourite Halloween movie: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

When you were a kid, where were the monsters hiding? Under your bed, in the closet, outside your bedroom window...
E - All of the above. If there was a dark space, something scary was living inside it, and there was never any doubt in my mind that something scary wanted to eat me.

What inspired you to have your main character, Vincent Corinthos, battle paranormal threats?

Being paranormal himself, Vincent is a great choice to handle supernatural nasties. He's literally a god, so things like vampires have a hard time threatening him because he's a living holy symbol. And the psychic powers he receives from his followers let him deal with things that aren't adversely affected by holy light. Plus, Vincent was raised by his human mother, who instilled a very strong sense of
responsibility in him. He has the ability to protect people from things they can't protect themselves from, so he sees it as his duty to help them out.

Vincent Corinthos leads a triple life. As a secret agent, he handles paranormal threats; as a god, he protects his followers from evil forces; as a stock clerk, he keeps the back room of an antique store tidy.

When one of his fellow agents goes missing, Vincent begins with the usual suspects. His investigation reveals that Boston’s latest supernatural threat is also waging war on his followers, and has diabolic intentions for the city’s paranormal citizens.

Now, with the aid of a new partner and a gremlin, Vincent must locate the missing agent, defend his followers and learn the identity of his adversaries before they can revive a malevolent force that’s been dormant since World War II.

You can purchase IMPERIUM from the following locations:
Amazon - http://bit.ly/jJnxM6
Smashwords - http://bit.ly/iHI8Ql

Excerpt:

Begin Coded Transmission

I trust you are enjoying your new-found freedom, Mr. Singravel. I have arranged for your release to go unnoticed by certain individuals, and I now expect you to fulfill your end of the bargain. I require you to procure several manuals on golem crafting. Additionally, you will provide me with any and all information about the various groups that monitor paranormal activity in Boston, including details on any persons of particular note. Send these updates via this secure channel, but do not expect further contact from me. I will be incommunicado while I attend to some pressing matters.

I should not need to remind you that failing to perform adequately will lead to punishments much worse than imprisonment in Ashgate. However, should you prove unsuccessful, I am confident I can find other ways for you to serve me. Your predecessor’s soul was used to fuel the ritual that ensured your release.

-RM

End Coded Transmission

Sunrises were beautiful here on the Bright Side, the realm of fae. And today’s sunrise would’ve been gorgeous if it weren’t for the advancing enemy army, the erupting volcano and the earthquakes. Instead of a cool dawn with sparkling dew and a gentle breeze, a heat haze shimmered in the air. When the winds gusted, it was like a sandstorm of ash. The tremors, which were coming more frequently, toppled people and structures to the ground.

I’m sure the enemy leaders felt smug. After all, it was their mages who were tampering with the environment. Their army, one hundred thousand strong, was three times larger than the entire population of the Urisk city they were advancing on. And the Urisk themselves rarely caused any trouble. They were known for their hospitality, their friendliness and their desire for harmony. To a group of warmongers, that’s like holding up a sign that says, “Please Conquer Us.”

I wondered what the enemy generals thought as they surveyed the battlefield. The Urisk didn’t have an army. Instead, about five thousand of them knelt on the ground, their feather-topped heads bowed, flecks of ash settling on their dull gray skin. Perhaps they thought the Urisk planned to beg for mercy. Perhaps the generals thought the Urisk were praying for some imaginary god to swoop in and save them.

In either case, the generals would be wrong. The Urisk aren’t begging for mercy and they aren’t praying to an imaginary god.

They’re praying to me.

Now pardon me for a moment, I have some swooping and saving to do.

I stepped out among my followers and focused. Their heads turned toward me, expressions of hope on their faces. Their almond eyes, whether orange or green, glowed with an inner light that flickered with anticipation. I could feel their faith in me, and the power that faith gave me swelled. I felt like I could do anything and everything. Save the people, drive off the army and repair the land. I grinned, cracked my knuckles and concentrated on the lava that was rolling in a great red river toward the city.

When I’d prepared for today, the Commander told me I had two goals. One, bolster my followers’ faith by letting them see me protect them. I pointed at the lava and, in a power-amplified voice, commanded, “Stop!” The lava obeyed. I threw my arm out to the side and the lava steamed, cooled, and turned to solid rock.

A gust of ash and grit blasted across the gathering of my followers. I threw my other arm out to the side and shouted, “Enough!” The wind died immediately and the ash vanished from the air. The Urisks’ faith in me increased, and that gave me more power. Having faith in your god is one thing. Personally witnessing that god controlling the weather and landscape tends to make even the most skeptical individual a believer, and it turns a believer into a zealot. My power increased accordingly.

With the Urisk out of danger from the elements, I concentrated on the army. My senses were amplified so that even at this distance of three miles, I could clearly hear the murmurings and confusion of the mages. They’d never seen anything like what I’d just done. Then again, I’d bet they’d never fought a god before.

And that brought me to my second goal for today: spank the enemy and spank them hard.

I had no desire to get up close and personal with the army. The soldiers were hobgoblins and trolls, and even from this distance they smelled awful. So instead, I conjured a giant avatar of myself. There was panic among the ranks as a hundred-foot-tall human appeared at the head of the army. I concentrated, willing the avatar to raise its giant foot and crush a cluster of soldiers beneath a size three hundred Reebok high-top.

Disciplined as they were, the soldiers scattered. I made the avatar laugh, and the sound rumbled the land and threw the soldiers to the ground. I played Godzilla for another few minutes, enjoying the squishing of the hobgoblin and troll soldiers. My avatar opened his palms and waves of flame bowled forth, turning half a mile of the landscape to black ash.

I smirked when I realized there were no survivors. I suppose should’ve left a few of the enemies alive so that they’d carry word of what happened back to their superiors. Then again, when a hundred thousand soldiers disappear, that sends a message, too.

I dismissed my avatar and focused on repairing the land. I opened my hands and spread my arms as wide as I could, sending power forth. Tremors rippled along the ground as I smoothed the ragged land flat again. The world shook as I crushed the volcanoes back into the ground and converted the magma to healthy soil. Blue grass sprang from the earth and silvery trees stretched toward the sky. I made months’ worth of growth happen in minutes. I made the ground sink in some places and filled the depressions with fresh water.

With the land healed, my next task was to ensure my people’s safety. I raised my arms and brought a thirty-foot wall of stone up around the city. I turned to the mass of short gray forms behind me and basked in their faith. Their eyes, glowing orbs of orange and green, flickered like strobe lights. This was the equivalent of joyous laughter. Their faith struck me again, so strong it staggered me. I took an involuntary step back as I ran a hand through my hair. It was slick with sweat. Channeling that much power was taxing for anyone, even a god.

Lotholio, my high priest, came forward and knelt before me. “Lord Corinthos,” he said. His words were telepathically communicated in his native tongue, but I understood him clearly. “You have truly performed miracles today. Our people owe you everything.”

I placed my hand on his thin shoulder and bade him rise. I looked out at the crowd of Urisk, all kneeling before me. Okay, playtime was over. I had to put my formal god-face on now. I spoke then, using the power so they could hear me as if I were standing in front of them. “You are safe now. Let no Urisk feel fear.”

We walked into the city, my followers telepathically cheering. Their eyes flickered with joy and relief. I resisted breaking into a celebratory dance; a god needs to command respect, and I doubted my lousy rendition of the Macarena would loan itself to that. We came to my cathedral, a massive stone structure that the Urisk had fashioned for me with the raw power of their minds. I turned back to the crowd. They immediately fell silent.

“I must leave you for a time, but I will watch over this realm and its people. While I am gone, Lotholio speaks for me. Heed his words as you would mine. You have my blessing.” I sent a wave of health and warmth into them. Any who had injuries, mental afflictions or physical illnesses would be healed. I could feel their faith building again. It was getting too powerful. I needed to leave.

I turned back to Lotholio. “Be safe, my friend,” I said with a smile.

“Lord.” He caught me by my shirtsleeve, then seemed abashed that he’d touched me. “Lord, are you sure you cannot stay? Your presence will be reassuring as the people rebuild.”

I put my hands on his shoulders and stared into glowing green eyes. “The people need to stand on their own, Lotholio. You know that. Do not be afraid, I will always hear your prayers when you need me.” He seemed uncertain, and I knew it was because of the high priest role he’d found himself in. “Loth, you found me, remember? You risked traveling through another dimension, made contact with outsiders, and found the help your people needed. You are the best person to lead while I am gone.” He set his narrow jaw and tried to look strong. “Loth, do you believe in me?”

His eyes dimmed and brightened from top to bottom, a sign of shock. “Of course, Lord.”

“Good. Because I believe in you.” I grinned and turned away from him. I moved to a pylon just in front of my cathedral. “Aviorla, open to home.” A portal opened in the pylon before me, tall enough to step through. Smells and sounds that were totally alien to the Bright Side drifted in from the other side. I grabbed my leather bomber up off the ground and turned back to the people. “Today we have won a great victory. Now it is time to celebrate. Let the festivities last for a week and a day.” I made fireworks and a rainbow appear in the sky.

As my people’s eyes flicked with amazement and joy, I stepped through the portal. It led to a world that only Lotholio had seen, to a city that served as a hub of paranormal activity. The city I call home.

It’s called Boston.

Want more?

You can purchase IMPERIUM from the following locations:
Amazon - http://bit.ly/jJnxM6
Smashwords - http://bit.ly/iHI8Ql

Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway:

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Blog Hop

2011-09-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of the participating authors (and their links):

Nicholas Olivo
J.L. Murphey
J.D. Stroube
Lisa McCourt Hollar
Weston Kincade
Douglas Durow
Jim Bronyaur

Nina Perez
Angel Haze

Scroll down to enter!

Prizes:

Bloodletter by Angel Haze (Thriller)

Thou shalt not kill.

A contradictory message written in blood at the scene of a young woman's murder. Within days, another body surfaces with a similar calling card and, to Detective Ramon Faust and Criminalist Kelly Garret, it's clear a deadly game is underfoot.

As the rash of horrific crimes continue, a phone call unearths a shocking revelation: Nakeita isn't the first city the elusive killer has left his mark. The Bloodletter, as dubbed by the media, has played his deadly game before.

Delving deep into the most terrifying case of Kelly's career, threatening phone calls and flashbacks of a forgotten near-death experience challenge her sanity and the lives of everyone she loves.

Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch by Angel Haze (YA Fantasy)

Debonair, a witch from the Unspoken-of Lands, has meddled in the forbidden practice of magic and created an army of nightmarish proportions. When sixteen-year-old Astanyx and his two best friends return from a hunting trip to find their small town of Polca reduced to smoke and ash, they find themselves thrust into a battle for which they haven’t been trained.

With the help of his comrades, including an esteemed warrior, one of the last great wizards and a princess they’ve sworn to protect, Astanyx must fight to unite the kingdoms of the humans, dwarves and elves. He must ask forbidden questions that no one wants to answer, questions about Talimura’s dark history. As Debonair’s brutal warriors lay siege to the kingdoms, Astanyx is driven to pursue a fateful quest for a blade powerful enough to defeat the malevolent witch before she destroys the three kingdoms and unleashes an unspeakable ancient evil.

Imperium by Nicholas Olivo (Urban Fantasy)

Vincent Corinthos leads a triple life. As a secret agent, he handles paranormal threats; as a god, he protects his followers from evil forces; as a stock clerk, he keeps the back room of an antique store tidy.

When one of his fellow agents goes missing, Vincent begins with the usual suspects. His investigation reveals that Boston’s latest supernatural threat is also waging war on his followers, and has diabolic intentions for the city’s paranormal citizens.

Now, with the aid of a new partner and a gremlin, Vincent must locate the missing agent, defend his followers and learn the identity of his adversaries before they can revive a malevolent force that’s been dormant since World War II.

Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption by J. L. Murphey (Horror)

Dr. Donna Cairn is a genetics researcher for the Center of Disease Control. When the CDC issued the Zombie Apocalypse Alert, she discounted it as a way of advertising hurricane preparedness. When a conspiracy buff working with her in the silo speaks to her about the debunked Hapgood theory of Earth Crust Displacement, she again discounts it as just that some wacko, paranoid rambling. But when radiation levels after the Japanese earthquakes starting rising, all bets were off.

Simple dog bite patients are dying from a mysterious fever. Bodies start coming up missing from the morgues across the globe. When the death count reaches over one quarter of the world’s population dying due to this new plague, the CDC sends their best virologist, Kit Seger, to help Donna in her quest of finding the virus in her converted missile silo laboratory in Nebraska.

The dead have risen and hunger for human flesh. She never believed in zombies before, but now she believes in them. Can she and Kit find the cure before mankind becomes extinct? How do you cure people who are already dead? And better yet, how do you kill the dead?

Can it be that Donna’s unborn niece and nephew are the answer? With the earthquakes rumbling, zombies at the gate, and time running out will they find what they are looking for? Man can only hope.

Caged in Darkness by J.D. Stroube (Urban Fantasy)

A witch raised in a cage of darkness...

Savannah Cross was born into a life of isolation and abuse. As a child, she witnessed her parents perform acts of malevolent evil, and now feels permanently tainted by their dark deeds.

When a coven discovers a tear stricken child, wounded on their elders lawn, they offer her a sanctuary she has never known. Savannah spends the next several years shattered, continuously looking over her shoulder, waiting for the darkness to claim her.

On her 16th birthday, Savannah’s life takes a drastic turn.She is consumed by overwhelming power that forever alters her emotionally and physically.

She must choose between two loves; the one who taught her to smile or the darkly seductive stranger who tempts her towards another path. Savannah must decide between the coven that was her haven and another one vying for her initiation. Just as Savannah begins to grasp what fate has in store for her, an evil looms over her loved ones; coming to claim an unbreakable debt.

How will she choose and survive the greatest evil she has ever witnessed... long enough to have a choice to make?

Halloween Frights by Lisa McCourt Hollar (Short-Story Collection)

Halloween Frights is collection of Halloween stories and other paranormal tales. It starts with my poem, Joe's Night Out and includes such stories as Happy Halloween, Taxidermy Nightmare and Dolly. The collection concludes with Vampire's Hollow, a new story that proceeds events in The Legend Of Greystone, which is to be released in 2012.

Invisible Dawn by Weston Kincade (Science Fiction)

To keep a promise and save his long-lost goddaughter, computer programmer Jedd Altran sacrificed everything, including his wife and newborn son. Now, they must pass through worlds far different than their own to escape the clutches of government killers.

In a world where rare individuals have evolved, the government kidnaps specific children to study and utilize their abilities. Madelin has been imprisoned in such a facility for thirteen years and suffers from medically induced amnesia. Facing a hopeless future, haunted dreams, and an invisible past, each morning is an Invisible Dawn and life holds no meaning, until she meets Jedd. Her newly discovered godfather becomes her beacon in tumultuous seas as they strive to find answers and allies.

On the run from PASTOR Agency’s first trained shifter, an egotistical man with power hungry desires, Madelin and her godfather find their lives intertwined with a broke Cajun gambler, an ex-mercenary in search of redemption, and a rebellious Vampire.

Can they survive nature's mysteries and humanity’s greed? Will they find salvation? Only a Darwinian victory will do, but even that may prove futile.

A Life of Death by Weston Kincade (YA Fantasy)

Certain aspects of life's journey go unquestioned by most people like the love of family and supporting friends, but many adolescents are lost in a tumultuous sea of storms, their journey through life a collection of daily hardships and twists of a metaphorical knife in the gut. With no clue whether a buoy or life raft will drift his way, Alex unknowingly seeks escape, meaning, family, a destiny, or even a shove in the right direction. Then, sixteen days of reliving people's traumatic murders and one research project teach him the meaning of love, fate, confidence, and purpose.

A paranormal coming-of-age mystery about one boy's pain and hardship endured in a small Virginia town. Losing a father and growing up with an abusive, drunk replacement is hard enough, but when you hardly knew the first because of his constant military deployment, it alters your perspective. As a seventeen-year-old high school senior, Alex Drummond learns the value of family and the meaning of dedication the hard way, but reliving people's horrendous murders does have its upside. Join him as he struggles to find his destiny, understand love, and discover what really happened to his father and the skeletons hiding within his small home town.

The Ninth District by Douglas Dorow (Thriller)

The Federal Reserve has never been robbed.

FBI Special Agent Jack Miller, pulled into a high-profile case to mentor a new agent, finds himself in a clash with the toughest opponent of his career. The chase culminates in the bowels of the city, in the storm sewers and tunnels beneath The Ninth District Federal Reserve of Minneapolis.

In the Corner by Jim Bronyaur (Thriller)

Three stories in Jim Bronyaur's debut book that explore the mind and supernatural.

When the Stars Fade - A geeky computer technician finds himself on the receiving end of a brutal beating when the stars, one by one, begin to disappear as something moves in from the woods. Is the dark movement here to save him? Or end his suffering?

The Second That Burns - Meet Trevor, an unlikely survivor of a horrific car accident that found him on the wrong end of a police chase. Now he carries the guilt and scars of living, desperate for death. His only chance at surviving is Dr. Philips. The question is – can Dr. Philips save Trevor before it’s too late?

The Wrong Side of the Tracks - Taking a road trip before his band, Butler, goes into the studio, Evan and his girlfriend, Barbara, hit the road. But the road they’re on is changing, literally. They soon find themselves in a small town where nothing feels or looks right… because everything keeps changing. Now they only have one thing in mind – getting out...

Rebirth: The Twin Prophecies by Nina Perez (YA Fantasy)

High school sophomores Violet Ross and Jack Morrow don’t know each other, but they have similar secrets: she can feel the emotions of others and when he touches people, he can see their future. A tragic accident thrusts them into a world where they learn an even bigger secret: all the mythical beings they believed to be fictional are real.

Guided by prophecies predicting the end of the world, the mysterious Dr. Tesla - who leads an alliance of supernatural beings - helps Jack and Violet come to terms with this secret world, control the growing powers within them, and face an unspeakable evil determined to possess their very souls.

**Note: All books are available as ebooks. Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption, A Life of Death, and Invisible Dawn are also available in paperback to US Residents. Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch is available in paperback for CAN residents.

This is the official page, the one and only place to enter our giveaway.

To enter, just leave a comment and give your first three choices. Add extra points (maximum of 5) if you:

+1 point: Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect
+1 point: Follow me on Twitter @AngelHaze7
+1 point: Follow the blogs of two of the participating authors (state which ones)
+1 point: Tweet about this giveaway and link back
+1 point: Blog about this giveaway and link back

For every 25 people that enter, I will add another ebook of Bloodletter or Legacies of Talimura: War of the Witch to the prize list.

Make a comment for each entry. Ends October 31st, 2011. Good luck!

Happy Halloween!

Interview with an Author: Rhiannon Paille

2011-09-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

It is with great pleasure to introduce Rhiannon Paille and to share her passion and excitement in debuting the first book in her YA fantasy series, FLAME OF SURRENDER. To share her passion, inspiration, and get a special sneak peek of the book, read on!

About the Author:

Rhi was never a normal girl. She tried, but she couldn’t get rid of the visions, the voices in her head, and the hallucinations. When she was on the edge of crazy someone pulled her back and explained it all. She wasn’t insane. She was psychic, really psychic, too psychic. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site: www.rhiannonpaille.com

Coming November 1, 2011

The boy who follows death meets the girl who could destroy the world.
Krishani thinks he’s doomed until he meets Kaliel, the one girl on the island of Avristar who isn’t afraid of him. She’s unlike the other girls, she swims with merfolk, talks to trees and blooms flowers with her touch. What he doesn’t know is that she’s a flame, one of nine individually hand crafted weapons, hidden in the body of a seemingly harmless girl.

Nobody has fallen in love with a flame until now. She becomes Krishani’s refuge from the dreams of death and the weather abilities he can’t control. Striking down thousand year old trees with lightning isn’t something he tries to do, it just happens. When the Ferryman dies, Krishani knows that he’s the next and that a lifetime of following death is his destiny.

And Kaliel can’t come with him. The Valtanyana are hunting the flames, the safest place for her is Avristar. Krishani can’t bear to leave her, and one innocent mistake grants the Valtanyana access to their mystical island. They’re coming for Kaliel, and they won’t stop until every last living creature on Avristar is dead. She has to choose, hide, face them, or awaken the flame and potentially destroy herself.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

Flame of Surrender is the first book in The Ferryman and The Flame Series. It’s a tragic love story about a boy who is destined to follow death, meeting a girl who could cause the apocalypse.
There’s a lot more to the story than just the characters although they are your ultimate misfits. They don’t fit in even on Avristar, this beautiful hidden island off the coast of Scotland. They’re both pretty deadly, but they’re in love, and that love is their downfall.
I can’t say more without spoiling it, but I did write something on goodreads for those people who care about knowing what they’re getting into before reading the book.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

The Ferryman and The Flame has always felt like a story that everyone should already know but for some reason they don’t. It’s awkward because I don’t want to be all pompous and be like, “this book should be as well known as Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings or Romeo and Juliet” but I’ve always had that feeling that this was like one of the lost myths. A lot of people don’t remember stories like “The Coming of Lugh” or “Tristan and Isolde” or “Iduna’s Apples” A lot of people don’t even remember Rhiannon from the Welsh Mabinogian, they know her from a Fleetwood Mac song. (Disappointing really since the Rhiannon in the Mab is rather enchanting.) There’s a lot of rich stories that existed a long time ago that for some reason or another were lost, changed, erased, or simply forgotten. The Ferryman and The Flame for me, is one of those stories.

What was your favourite chapter to write and why?

I think more in scenes than chapters and in the third book, there is a scene between Kaliel and Pux that I think is probably the best scene I’ve ever written. I can’t tell you what happens because it’s one of those spoiler scenes, but it’s just amazing.

Why do you feel you had to tell this story?

This story is important to me. I read a lot of books and I wonder why they were written. Some books like Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, The Hunger Games, Shiver, I understand the reasons why those books were written. It was more about the relationships, the character development, and the world issues than it was about just writing a book. For me, The Ferryman and The Flame is a series that’s about loss, tragedy, sadness, darkness, change, and love. It’s not an inconsequential story, this is a story that’s pressed on my chest for years, it’s lived in my dreams and it’s lingered in the mind. I had to write it because I think people need to know what happened between Kaliel and Krishani.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

What what you want to read. I know it’s been said before but it’s true. If you can’t find it on the shelves and it’s something you think would be awesome and interesting to you, then sit down and write it.

Who designed the cover?

The lovely and ever amazing Rachel at Parajunkee. I was squeezing when I saw it!

If you could have a paranormal power or be a creature, what would it be?

I’m already like Sookie Stackhouse so while I wouldn’t want that girl’s life I’m quite happy with my own paranormal / metaphysical lifestyle. It amuses me when I’m in the throes of some metaphysical situation because of work and I’m like, “Damn this would make great fiction.”

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Cassandra Clare and Maggie Stiefvater. Those two ladies taught me more about writing than any course, online blog post or book on writing ever did. All I had to do was read their books and love them for what they were.

What book are you reading now?

I’m reading The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, I recently picked up on this series and I need to get into it. So far it’s interesting, but nothing seems to hold my attention at the moment. I blame the whole getting the book deal and can’t stop pinching myself thing. ;)

Thank you for joining us! Can't wait until the release of Flame of Surrender!

To Connect with Rhiannon:

Follow her on: Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Blog, Website

Look for Flame of Surrender November 1st, 2011!

For a special sneak peek, check out her Goodreads page.

Harry Potter Pole Dance!

2011-09-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not afraid to admit that I love to pole dance. I thought about hiding that piece of information from my readers, knowing it could turn people off. I have nothing to hide. I'm not a stripper. I do this purely for the enjoyment AND the amazing workout.

The girls in my class are university students, nurses, nurse practitioners, managers, and 911 dispatchers, their ages ranging from 20 to 48. Along with my sister and one of my co-workers, I convinced an older friend to take classes with me. Considering the stigma surrounding pole dancing, she wanted no part of it. I convinced one of her friends to go with us, easing my friend's discomfort enough to allow her to to try the first level. Four levels later, she's hooked! And I mean really hooked--she just bought her own pole!

Pole dancing is a full body workout. The first half hour of class is dedicated to strength and flexibility, while the last half hour is pole work. We learn about one or two spins per class as well as various strength holds. And let me tell you!! Doing pull ups on the pole and holding certain moves is not easy!

This week we learned the Snake which is flipping upside down and then putting one hand on the floor, then the other, using only your legs to hold onto the pole. Then you walk your hands out and scoop your chest to the floor, pushing off the pole with one leg. My Divebomber push ups from P90x helped prepare me for this, but I'm still feeling it in my chest and shoulders!!

I found this amazing video on Twitter that I just had to share!

Harry Potter Pole Dance!

Truthfully, I wasn't sure what to expect. My first thoughts were that it was a stripper on stage in a Harry Potter costume. It's not.

It's an awesome video, showing some amazing moves, and even a touch of magic. (Seriously, I don't know how they did it!)

If you've ever tried pole dancing, you know how much strength is required for these moves. I am still a few levels away from this, but I'm working on it. And if you're thinking of taking some classes, go for it! It's the funnest, kickass workout you'll ever do!

Check out the video:

If you liked that one, check out Felix Cane's performance. Felix holds numerous world titles and also performs in Zumanity (the sensual side of Cirque de Soleil).

Interview with an Author: Tamela Quijas

2011-08-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Indie author, Tamela Quijas joins us today with her paranormal romances. To see more of her books (and her beautiful cover art), reviews, her latest release, and her upcoming book, read on!

About the Author:

Ms. Quijas was raised in Europe, a wonderfully diverse country filled with magically induced superstitions and the mystical beliefs of the old. The ancient tales told there, the basis to many of our fairytales, she learned were meant to frighten children. Strangely enough, all these beloved tales hold a semblance of truth in their dark depths.

The stories Ms. Quijas writes hold that essence, where the darkness of life borders on the edge of sunset and where the dead savor or regret those long and lonely hours until the sun rises on the horizon.

Where every soul has a chance at redemption….

On a quick note, Ms. Quijas does write the occasional contemporary romance and cookbooks.

Follow her on her Blogsite--At Your Fingertips: http://tamelaquijas.wordpress.com and
at http://tamelaquijas.webs.com!

Remember—you can always find me on Facebook---I would love to friend you!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m married and a mom to 7 wonderful children and 2 grandchildren. I’m a former military dependent raised all over the world, but I’ve lived in the United States since 1987 and consider the far southwest my home. Recently, I returned to college to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always written—writing was my passion from an early age. I can remember writing entire journals filled with fairytale stories as far back as elementary school.

What book are you reading now?

I’m reading a little bit of everything right now. I’ve Exodus by April Alisa Marquette, Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller, Shadowbrook Manor by Shannon Bailey, Fallen from Grace by J.R. Lindermuth, and Song of Eidolons by Jessica McHugh.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I’m a big fan of the movies—with action flicks being high on my list of must sees. I recently went to see Conan and adore Jason Momoa.

Where do you get your ideas for your books?

Oddly enough, music. There will be one certain phrase from a song that will inspire me to write my next story.

What was your favourite chapter to write and why?

The first chapter is my favourite. I love to introduce the hero/heroine and give a bit of insight into their past, what makes them tick, and how they’ve become what they are.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

The book that is my current work in progress is Tears of Blood, which is Book 3 to The Blood Chronicles. The story is loosely based around cinema heart throb Rudolph Valentino, but my hero’s name is Amado Gianni. The proposed backcover blurb is:

Once the darling bad boy of the silver screen, Amado Gianni had swept through Hollywood with his dark good looks, and sultry charm. One night, and a chance encounter with a dark soul, had taken everything from him. He was left a shadow in the modern world, in a constant battle of good and evil.

Elodia Deville was a lost soul, battling the inescapable odds mounting against her. Blind, with a human evil seeking to destroy her, she was unaware of her appeal to the world of the undead.

Fate would join them in a battle of survival, one that would lead to tears of blood...

Find her books at:

Amazon (United States, Germany, and UK)

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tamelaquijas

1 Place for Romance: http://1placeforromance.com/index.php?searchMe=tamela+quijas&column=author&_a=viewCat

All Romance Ebooks/OmniLit:http://www.allromanceebooks.com/

Barnes & Nobles: http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=tamela+quijas&page=index&prod=univ&choice=allproducts&query=tamela+quijas&flag=False&pos=-1&box=tamela+quijas&ugrp=2

Diesel Ebooks: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/author/Quijas,%20Tamela/results/1.html

What are others are saying about Tam Quijas' books?

Blood of the Beast:

"Tamela Quijas' Blood of the Beast is a sensual, deeply written tale from a gifted storyteller. Demetri is a tortured soul who longs for the light...and the woman who might bring about final redemption. Val is the street-smart cop who longs to honor her father's memory...and close her case at any cost. Together they must challenge a bloodthirsty minion who ravages the city, and a love that could be Demetri's final doom.

Ms. Quijas' prose and elegance leaps from page one, and holds the reader captive until the last. For fans of lush, delightfully dark romance, this is a must-read!" Lisa Phillips

Blood Moon:

"This series just keeps getting better!!! ...The story is unique, fast paced and well written... Although this book is a series, each book can be read as a stand alone. I cannot wait for another installment into this wonderful world." grammy1

My Lord Raven:

"This book pulled me in to it's spell from the very start...it's one of those books that I just couldn't put down...I absolutely LOVED the characters...especially the handsome Dante...and the beautiful Kate. The characters in this romance stepped off the written page and became someone I wanted to know more about and once I did I wanted the best for them. If you are looking for a really great romance story than look no further than My Lord Raven!" Brandy Rose

Angel's Fire, Demon's Blood.

"A book that makes you go "wow"... While this story starts out in times gone by, it quickly jumps to the present day and takes off at a dead run. Suspense, intrigue, romance, sibling rivalry, ghosts, and a group of psychics... you name and it this book has it! My hat's off to Ms. Quijas for creating such a delightful tale. I can't wait to see what she'll write next..." KitCatMS

Moonlight Deception:

Just released this month!