Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Jade & Jane: Big news!


The publisher has granted the rights to Jade & Jane back to me and special editions of both books will be published (self-published this time) soon. I am hoping for early May releases.

New covers, new blurbs, a new round of edits, and this time I have added the chapter titles I enjoy so much. The new cover (above) for Jade looks fantastic and I am super excited to see what my cover artist (Mirella Santana) has in store for the new cover for Jane. I hope to be able to share Jane's new cover in just a few days.

When the current versions are taken down, I should be able to get the new ones published pretty quickly. The print versions of these two titles will be much more reasonably priced and I'm hoping that will encourage readers to buy the print copies.


Many of you may know that my friend and best beta reader in the world, Hans Markus, lives in Germany and has agreed to translate these books. We are hoping to have the German edition of Jade out by the end of the year.

I will let you know when the new versions of these books are available for purchase.

Fans of the series will be excited to hear that I am working on Book 3 and hope to have Jill published by the end of this summer.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Scott Borgman: Author Interview & Spotlight


Angels, Demons, & Gods Month at Fantasy Fun Reads, this week featuring Scott Borgman, author of
The Exiled (The Exiled Trilogy Book 1).

Blurb:


A veil covers the world. It can’t be seen, but it’s there - hiding the truth behind it. After waking from a nightmare, David’s ordinary life takes a drastic turn when he discovers he’s the deciding factor in a struggle that’s been raging for ages. David doesn’t believe in angels or the devil, but when he becomes the target of one and the other saves his life, the veil is lifted and David realizes that his beliefs don’t matter.
And then there’s Celeste, the exiled angel sworn to protect David. She’s got a mouth, an attitude, and a sword. She knows her duty. She knows what’s at stake. She knows the rules. But angels don’t always wear halos - and she’s broken rules before...
Hunted by one side. Sworn to be protected by the other. The game has begun.

The Exiled is the first book in a trilogy of Paranormal Romance novels. Due to some content, it may not be suitable for readers 17 and under.

Excerpt:
David backed away as Celeste pushed the door the rest of the way open. Stepping inside the apartment, she closed it behind her and turned the deadbolt, never taking her eyes off of David.
“Who are you? What do you want?” David asked anxiously.
“My name is Celeste,” she replied casually as she followed him into the living room. She was around his age, dressed in black leather pants, a black shirt, and wearing a black leather jacket as well. Jesus, she looks like an assassin from a movie, David thought as he continued to back up, his eyes darting around as he looked for something… anything to get his hands on. Stall her, his mind screamed at him.
“Your eyes… they’re…”
“Don’t try to stall, David,” Celeste interrupted and pointed to the couch. “Just sit. That’s not a request.” David sat down heavily on the couch. I’m going to die, he thought.
“No, you’re not,” Celeste said, sitting down in the chair next to the couch and taking a quick glance around the room. “Typical bachelor’s pad, I see.” David swallowed hard.
“Uh, yeah, I guess. How did you find me? What do you want?”
“I gave your description to the building manager, he gave me your apartment number,” Celeste replied easily. “As for what I want, that’s a bit more complicated.”
“They’ve found me,” David muttered to himself.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, just a dream I had last night. Why were you following me?”
“What dream? What did you see?” Celeste asked insistently, ignoring his question. David looked at her with a confused expression.
“It was just a nightmare I had. Look, it doesn’t matter. You force your way in here and…”
“You opened the door for me.”
“You force your way in here,” David repeated insistently. “You scare the hell out of me…”
He stopped in mid-sentence as Celeste’s eyes suddenly snapped to the window, as if something outside had caught her attention.
“Don’t move,” Celeste ordered as she stood up. Walking over to the window, she looked outside, though what she was looking at, David couldn’t tell. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, a heavy fisted knock came at the door, making David jump. Celeste spun around in alarm as David leapt up from the couch, ran to the door, and unlocked the deadbolt.
“No! David, don’t open it!” Celeste cried out as David threw open the door. He looked back, his eyes widening as he saw her rushing toward him as if in slow motion, one arm reaching back behind her neck and sliding her hand underneath the black leather jacket she was wearing.
He turned back to the front door, and the cry for help died on his lips as he saw Frank standing in the hallway, dressed exactly as he had been earlier that day - minus the sign that he always wore around him telling everyone to repent.
“The key…” Frank growled in a deep otherworldly voice as he reached out for him. It looked like Frank, but his voice and the red eyes were definitely not his.
“David, get away from the door!” Celeste yelled out. Without thinking, David flung himself sideways a split second before Celeste reached the door, holding what looked like a short sword in her right hand.
A surprised look appeared on Frank’s face as he realized David wasn’t alone in the apartment. Without hesitating, Celeste thrust the short sword into Frank’s chest, the blade glowing with a faint blue light as it pierced his heart.
David watched the scene before him in stunned silence. With an otherworldly scream, Frank’s body combusted from the inside out from where the sword pierced him, turning his entire body to ash in moments. From somewhere outside the window on the streets below, an unearthly wail split the air. A shocked look appeared briefly on Celeste’s face as she glanced over her shoulder at the window.
“We need to go,” she ordered, grabbing David by the arm and pulling him back into the living room.

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$0.99 sale!!! April 15-21 (US) 17-23 (UK)


Buy Link:




Bio:    

Scott A. Borgman was born in Robinsdale, MN. in 1975. Currently he resides in central Wisconsin with his wife, their three teenage children (*GULP!*), a rescued cat, and their bed-hogging dog who is all kisses and cuddles - and who steals his spot in bed on a nightly basis.
When he's not busy writing, reading, or socializing on Facebook and Twitter, he's spending time with his family, watching movies, finding all kinds of things on YouTube which he finds humorous (which doesn't take long - he has a sense of humor that borders on overactive), playing with the larger of his four-legged family members when she's not sprawled out in his spot looking too adorable and comfy for him to want to move her, and still plays the occasional video game.
Scott writes both Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.
"As an author, I breathe life into each and every character within the stories that I write. But it is the reader who gives them their souls." --Scott A. Borgman

Interview:   

Q1.  I love the concept behind The Exiled Trilogy. What made you decide to write it?
A1.  I didn't really decide to write it so much as I woke up one night and the story was just... there. Call it the writer's curse. A story gets in our heads and it refuses to go away, for good reason: it needs to be told. And I wasn't about to pass up a chance to breathe life into another kickass female! There's plenty of action, suspense, some horror and fantasy elements, and a bit of steamy romance (you can't have a Paranormal Romance without the romance, after all! It's steamy, but not explicit), but the heart of the trilogy always had a deeper meaning. It takes a hard look at humanity, showing the depths that we can sink to - and how high we're capable of soaring.

Q2.  What books and authors have influenced you to write in the fantasy and paranormal genres?
A2.  On the YA Fantasy side, R.A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and Piers Anthony introduced me to the fantasy worlds when I was around 12. My fantasy series has been compared to Tolkien several times, which is very humbling. And ironic, considering I've never read Tolkien. Saw the movies, never read the books though. On the paranormal side, I would say Jen Winters and Veronica Del Rosa are the culprits for me now preferring to write PNR over YA Fantasy. I've got one more book in my fantasy series I'm working on, and once that's finished I'll be going back to PNR. I think I enjoy it more because it's a little less restrictive than the YA Fantasy... okay, a lot less restrictive :P

Q3.  Did you try to find an agent or publisher first or did you always intend to self publish?
A3.  I did. When I was little, I thought it was a simple process. Write a book, send it to a publisher, it gets printed. Wow, was that a wake-up call! I had to learn about query letters, find agents who took queries... I sent a query letter to about 20 agents. I received 2 replies back that said no thanks, which I expected (I expected them all to say no actually). But then a few months went by, and nothing from any of the others. Not even a form letter of rejection. I understand they get dozens (at least) per day, but to not even respond... I felt that was just very discourteous. So I looked up self-publishing on a whim and have never looked back.

Q4.  What have you learned since you published your first book that you wish you knew when you first started?
A4.  How much space do I get for this answer? *laugh* I've found the writing part of this job is actually the easy part. Promoting, social networking, editing, rewriting, editing, editing... working with my illustrator Mat Sadler (who has done all of my covers), plus a plethora of little tricks and tips that really make everything look clean and professional. But it's all worth it!

Q5.  What has been your proudest moment as an author?
A5.  So far, receiving a Reader's Favorite Five-star award for Province of a Thief.

Q6.  I like smart mouthed, kickass female heroines. Tell us a little about Celeste.
A6.  Celeste is one of the Exiled, a (rather large) group of angels who were kicked of Heaven centuries ago and exiled to exist on Earth - hence why they refer to themselves with that title. She's definitely got a mouth on her, an attitude, and she doesn't always follow the rules, so don't expect the halo and wings image of an angel. Her choice of clothing gives more of an impression she's an assassin, but even after centuries she continues to remain dedicated to protecting humanity. As for why she and the others like her were kicked out... well, you find out during the course of the story - and it may surprise you just how human the leather-wearing, sword-wielding, foul-mouthed angel appears to be.

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Please read Scott's blog post  The Borgman Collective

Follow Scott Borgman:  



Monday, April 11, 2016

Book Promos: Yo ho, yo ho, six book promos for me


I confess. I'm terrible at anything to do with graphics. I can do a collage but if I want text and background forget it. If I need to do anything with layers, I run screaming.

Of course, others are not so untalented in this area as me. For several years now I have been admiring some of the great promos I see on places like Facebook and Twitter. I was jealous. I wish I could do stuff like that. So one day I went to the Indie Author community and asked around. Right off the bat the name Julie Nichols was suggested to me by a couple of authors. I have even featured Julie on my blog here....
Julie Nichols: Author Interview & Spotlight

I knew she was an Indie author like me. I knew she had an excellent reputation for doing book covers for fellow authors and it turns out she also does book promos. So now I can be just as amazing with my promos as anybody. I am no longer graphically challenged. With Julie on my side, I am fabulous.

Julie is very reasonably priced, she's fast, and she is super talented.  I gave her some very brief descriptions, my book covers, a couple of quotes, a blurb, and a teaser. I said just jazz it up a bit, plenty of fire, maybe a playschool background on that quote, possibly a Zombie background to go with that blurb. I got more than I asked for and I am very happy with all of them. I didn't ask to change a single one.

I started using them on Facebook and Twitter before she even completed the set. I have plans for some Jade & Jane promos as well and I will be calling on her services again.

If, like me, you find this graphic stuff to be a challenge, shoot her a message. You can tell she loves her work and she loves working with other authors.

Contact Julie here:
Website
Mirishka's Artwork on Facebook

This girl is on fire, and the book as well....


Monday, April 4, 2016

Kirsten Campbell: Author Interview & Spotlight


Angels, Demons, & Gods month kicks off with Kirsten Campbell, author of Blood Master.

Blurb:


It’s 2052 and Earth has lost two thirds of its population to the Great War. Many more lives were lost to earthquakes, the Clover Virus, and the Death Plague. Years later, survivors were clumped into factions. Two of the factions, the Guild and the Brotherhood, have fought over medical supplies and food for years. The fight is coming to a head as manpower dwindles and the struggle becomes one to gain numbers, even if said numbers are children…

Griffin Storm is hiding out in Underground Atlanta. He’s an albino man that can manipulate glass and crystal, and he uses his special abilities to raid warehouse and old buildings for food and supplies for the abandoned children that live Underground. During a raid, he meets Tassta Vinetti, a resident of the Brotherhood fortress. He is taken to the fortress and chaos ensues as Tassta, her twin brother Penn, and her uncle, try to keep their new visitor and his untold powers a secret.

Griffin is the only survivor of the Guild’s deadly experiments and they are hunting him because his survival will have dynamic consequences on the world. The Guild believes that Griffin will transform into a G.O.D., a genetically-enhanced Omni-dimensional being. If he transforms, he will have inter-dimensional doors in his body that lead to heaven and hell. Griffin will be a Blood Master and be able to control the demons from the Dimension of Blood (aka Hell).

Will Griffin save the children of the Underground from their tragic life? Will hetransform into a G.O.D. and become a Blood Master? Only time will tell…


Check out the video trailer.....

Buy Blood Master here:

Bio:

Kirsten Campbell is the author of several published Science Fiction, Speculative and Urban Paranormal Fantasy short stories. She’s also a published poet. Her work has been published in Bewildering Stories, The Pittsburgh Quarterly Online, Ascent Magazine, The Fairfield Review, Poets-Artists & Madmen, Interracial Voice, Sagazine Online, The Write Gallery, The CoffeehousePress Journal, Beauty Talk, COBRA, and several other magazines. Her Urban Paranormal novel, Blood Master-Book 1 of The G.O.D.s Series was a Top 100 Best Seller and the second book of the series, Blood Rage, is due out this year! Kirsten is the author of Darkness Calls, a book of Speculative/ Paranormal short stories, & of Perfect Chaos, a book of previously published poetry, (#1 New Release on Amazon for 3 weeks.) She also co-authored Chocolate & Diamonds for the Woman’s Soul, (a #1 International Best Seller and Hot New Release.) Her poetry chapbook, “The Abandoning Kind,” was published by Puddinghouse and her chapbook, “Poetry from the Covert Bourgeoisie,” was published by Ladybug Press.

Visit her at www.kcampbell-gods.com for all things G.O.D.s or kirstencampbellbooks.com.

Kirsten is an Executive Assistant to the Vice President, General Counsel & Legal, Compliance & Funds Dept. of an Investment Firm. She lives in Brewster, NY. , with her lovely daughters, three beautiful grandchildren and a very spoiled puppy named K.C.



Angels, Demons & Gods, Interview of
Kirsten Campbell/ Blood Master – Book 1 of the G.O.D.s Series

  1. What an interesting concept you have for Blood Master. It looks like if crosses over into many genres, including Science Fiction, Dystopian, and Paranormal. How did you come up with such a different story?

I love to read and over the years have read a lot of different genres. I also love researching theories and history, so when the story came to me, (Griffin Storm came to me in a dream,) I immediately wrote out an outline and started to research different ways to make aspects of the story seem as plausible and believable as possible. There had to be undeniable facts in the story to make it believable and I believe in cause and effect. The G.O.D.s Series spans four books that were all written by me, and there are several enemies that Griffin Storm fights within each book. From the environment to the government of the times, to his own self, he must own up to his decisions, good or bad if he wants to fulfil his dream and save the children of the Underground from their wretched lives. It took ten years to write the series and most was written on my commute (on the train) to and from work.

  1. I also noticed that you have a Young Adult version of Blood Master out, which I have not seen very often done. How has that done compared to the original?

The YA version is the same story, from beginning to end except that I took out the F-bomb and several other cuss words and I left out the sexy-sexy stuff. LOL… It has done well, considering the fact that I haven’t promoted it yet. It went to #2 in the Best Seller’s Store last year!


  1. Is there a Book Two coming soon?

Yes, the second book in the G.O.D.s Series is Blood Rage – Book 2 of the G.O.D.s Series, and I am currently putting the finishing touches on it. It’s just about ready to go to my beta readers. (If I didn’t get sick last week, they would have had it.) When it comes back from them I give it one more read through then my editor gets it and I’m ready to put it out to the world. I have a cover artist that’s currently working on the cover for both the adult and young adult version of Blood Rage.


  1. Also, what are your current writing projects?

My short story, The Gravedigger’s Mark, just got accepted for the anthology, “Gems of Strength,” which is coming out May 30th, 2016 in ebook and print. I have also been accepted for another anthology that is due out in late July. We’ll see if I can get those two stories out. (They are Paranormal/ Horror.)

  1. Did you try to find an agent or publisher at first or did you always plan to self-publish?

Well, I have been published by several publishers now, in several genres, (I have several listed in my Author’s Bio), but I wanted to keep my series to myself. I know that probably sounds selfish but I did extensive work and research on my series and even though I have had several publishers come to me and request to republish Blood Master, I refused. I have also had several script writers and producers come to me as well, but I just don’t want my work liquefied or changed into what they want. I want the series to stand as it is.

  1. I see that you have some other titles published. Tell us a little about those books and are there some common themes that we may find in your books?
My other books are as listed:

Blood Master – Book 1/GODs Series Young Adult: Same great story but without the curse words or sex!

Perfect Chaos: A book of previously published poetry. 30 poems that were published in magazines and journals, and some from the chapbooks that were published by two very respected poetry publishers, one of which was Puddinghouse.

Darkness Calls: A book of ten Young Adult Speculative/ Paranormal stories, two of which were previously published and two are actually true stories.

Chocolate & Diamonds for the Women’s Soul: I have a short nonfiction story in this International Best Selling book.

Gems of Strength: I have a short story that was accepted in this anthology and is due to be published May 30th.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Angels, Demons, & Gods Month at Fantasy Fun Reads


April is Angels, Demons, & Gods month!  I've got a couple of cool authors coming around for interviews and spotlights in Kirsten Campbell and Scott Borgman, we will have a listing of our favorite books featuring Angels, Demons, & Gods, and I have a slot at the Brain to Books Cyber Convention that I will cross over a contest for some free Kindle copies of my books.

Both Jade & Jane have some characters that are angels and demons. The battle of good vs evil features in both books and the action is non-stop in Jane.

Here are the blurbs....

Jade:   Meet Jade Smith, a magical mutt with a mission. A detective partnered with a shifter named Rolfe, she’s on the case to solve a slew of murders: Vamps are killing humans, and nobody knows why. When London Jane, the most powerful vamp in town, is implicated in the murders, Jade knows something isn’t right. Together with Jill, the Winter Queen of Faerie, Jade and Jane take their investigation underground. On the run, with nowhere to hide, they uncover a secret that could destroy Faerie, as well as the human realm. Will Jade stop the killer in time? Or will she be the next victim?
Magic, mayhem, and mystery abound, and the odds are stacked against them; it’s three against three hundred.

Jane:  Jane & Jade are chasing the Devil around the world. That's probably not the smartest thing to do and when the hunters become the hunted, the action really gets rocking, leading to a non-stop thrill ride of a road trip. Vampires and Shifters, Angels and Demons, throw in a giant troll and some witches and you've got a paranormal war.
That doesn't leave much time for romance but there is a wedding, and a funeral, and both are ones you don't want to miss. Take a ride with Jane & Jade!

Amazon Links:

Here are a couple of my favorite reviews of Jade & Jane



Hope you will give Jade & Jane a try (Book Three Jill is coming soon!)