Congratulations to the Winner of the Hide and Seek Greek Myth Giveaway! #winner

While the participation numbers for the giveaway were not quite what I had hoped for, the blog traffic for this week was quite high, so that is a positive sign.

You are reading, you just aren’t commenting as much as I would like. But, we will get there 🙂 I blame myself for the long winded post with the contest information. I still haven’t quite learned the “short and sweet” lesson. I blame the Irish in me.

Anyway, after a random drawing of the qualified entries, the winner of the signed bookmark and free eBook copy of Hide and Seek by Aimee Laine is…

 

Cathy Geloso!

 

Congratulations, Cathy!

Expect an email from me within the week to get your information so I can mail you the bookmark.

To everyone else out there, if you haven’t already, make sure you all go out and order your copy of Aimee Laine’s first novel in the Games of Zeus series, HIDE AND SEEK.

See you all next time 🙂

~Bex

My Own Games of Zeus Giveaway and an Interview with Aimee Laine #giveaway #free #ebook

I have always had a rather keen interest in the Greek Myths, so I was super excited when I had the opportunity to read the publisher’s ARC copy of HIDE AND SEEK, a new paranormal romance series by author of LITTLE WHITE LIES, Aimee Laine. You can see my review of HIDE AND SEEK HERE. (I gave it 4.5 of 5 stars)

Ms. Laine also graciously agreed to allow me to host a little contest and giveaway to promote the release of the first novel in the Games of Zeus series. (Enter the Greek Myths)

 She also agreed to swing by the blog today and answer a few of my probing questions. (Yay me! – and by extension, you :P)

As you may have guessed by now, Ms. Laine’s new novel plays off the infamous Greek Myths, starting with Zeus’ ultimate paradox, the story of the fox and the hound. (If you’re not familiar with this particular myth, you can find out more from Wikipedia here: Fox, Hound)

I have a fair knowledge of some of the more popular greek myths and mythical creatures. Reading the novel got me thinking about my own favorites, and wondering which ones were the most popular with others. Would I be surprised to know how many others agreed with my choice, or what others were held in high regard? would someone have a favorite I may not have even heard of before?

And so, my contest idea was born. This is what you need to do to win a free eBook copy of HIDE AND SEEK, and a bookmark autographed by Aimee Laine.

1. Comment below naming your favorite greek myth and why it’s your favorite.

2. Provide and email address where I can contact you should you be the winner.

That’s it!

Yup, I will select one lucky commenter at random to receive both prizes. Because, I am really interested in giving you all time to give this some thought before answering, I will leave the contest open for one week. All qualifying replies made before midnight EST on 3/30 will be eligible for the random drawing.

I have a hard time chosing my own favorite myth, though I guess it would have to be the story if Sisyphus (destined to push the giant boulder uphill for eternity).

My reasoning would simply be the beauty of poetic justice. Karma can be a real… well, you know.

While, not a myth, but more a creature, Medusa comes a close second for me.

Along this same vein, *shifts focus to Aimee*

Bex: Of all the greek myths you could have chosen to play with for this story, why the fox and the hound?

Aimee: So this may sound like it’s cheating, but it’s a made-for-story plot. It’s the perfect, the ultimate, an ideal conflict and that’s exactly what readers want, right? Conflict? 🙂

Bex: I noticed this is Games of Zeus #1 — leading me to believe there will be others. Will future novels each play on their own greek myths?

Aimee: Yes. Book two is called Silent Echoes and it features Ian and Taylor who have a game of their own to play. This one’s a love triangle across the ages that isn’t gonna end well … ever. Zeus was KNOWN for his love triangles — all the gods were. Apparently, gods didn’t find monogamy important. Um, hello? People? IT IS! But hey, it does make for a great ‘game’ … and of course, I’ve put my own twists and turns on it. NO idea when this one will come out, but I have plans for Emma, too. Can’t tell you anything about her game yet.

Bex: Will Games of Zeus series work like your Mimics of Rune series does, with the supporting characters in the previous books taking center stage (when it is their turn) in the series novels?

Aimee: Yup. Kinda answered this one above, but it will. Each key character will have their own story. In the Mimics of Rune, we have Cael and Lily (Surrender, September 2012) and Maggie & James (sometimes in the future). There’s also Stuart, if I wanted to write for him. Which I may. In Games of Zeus, there really are three main stories. However (and this is kinda key) … I have plans to write a few novellas (maybe novels) for Tripp and Lexi using their gifts. That’ll be fun. Maybe. 😉

I for one, can’t wait to read some of these new stories, as well. If they are anything like the first two, we are in for a real treat. Thanks so much for letting me pick your brain a bit.

Ok, folks. That’s it for now.

Make sure you remember to comment below (and leave a way to contact you)for your chance to win!

Thanks for stopping by.
~Bex

Release Day Party and #Giveaway: Truly.Madly.Deeply.You by Cecilia Robert #ebook

Welcome to the Release Day Party for Truly. Madly. Deeply. You, a novella by Cecilia Robert. I reviewed this novella recently and gave it 3 of 5 stars. You can see my review here.

To enter the giveaway, please enter here: http://cecereadandwrite.blogspot.com/ as I cannot host Rafflecopter giveaways on this site 😦

Price: $1.99

Author: Cecilia Robert

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: Novella

Release Date: March 21st, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-9850115-2-9

Back of the Book:

Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.

What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain.

But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?

The novella is available at Inkspell Publishing’s bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble websites.

To learn more about this author, or to enter to win a free copy of this new release, please visit her website at: http://cecereadandwrite.blogspot.com

Guest Post: Sheryl Steines, Author of The Day of First Sun #giveaway

Please enjoy this guest post by Sheryl Steines, author of the urban fantasy novel, The Day of First Sun. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.  

The Strong Female

I am always amazed to hear that, in the year 2012, women are still talking about strong female characters. It’s funny that we’re always surprised when one comes along. Even in Hollywood, actresses still can’t find roles to sink their teeth into.

As a reader, I look for characters that I can relate to in some way; a character who is more than a damsel in distress but less than an unfeeling, mean, witch. I’m putting it gently, but I’m looking for someone, who when facing a problem, doesn’t necessarily need a man to bail her out–a woman who can take care of herself in spite of her vulnerabilities. Because in reality, women are multi-layered and complex. We don’t fall to one end of an extreme or the other.

When I was younger, I started reading Danielle Steele, but I couldn’t read her for long. Her female characters were far too needy and always put themselves in a position of requiring a savior. Even as a child, I couldn’t help but wonder why these characters always needed a man to improve their lives. Why couldn’t they simply take care of themselves? It seemed as though female characters fell into two camps, and only two. They were either villains, witches, someone to be hated and despised, or they were weak, pathetic, your classic damsels in distress.

 Why is fiction lacking real women, women who can simply be human and celebrate all that they are?

 As I got older, I found myself drawn to shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saw in Buffy a strong character. Yes, she could kick ass, kill the vampires and fight the demons. She also had a brain, could plan, and could save the world each week. But she wasn’t uni-dimensional. She also has a side that liked clothes, shoes and boys, a side that was feminine, a little vulnerable; a side that, okay, sometimes needed to be saved. She was a complex female character, real and human, a character with whom I could definitely relate.

The strong female character isn’t a caricature or stereotype. She’s not a total wimp like Snow White, and she’s not a total monster like the evil queen. She falls somewhere in the middle. She’s reactive, emotional, human, sexual, confident and sometimes unsure of herself.

When I originally wrote my character Annie Pearce in The Day of First Sun, I wrote her as a no-nonsense person, strong and smart, the girl who could survive on her own. But she didn’t feel genuine. As the story unfolded and changed, I rewrote her, gave her friends and family with whom she could interact. I gave her feelings, gave her stress. I let the other characters take charge once in awhile and offer some support. I melded two halves into one woman–a strong woman, who can take care of herself and ask for help when necessary. We’re not perfect, so why should our characters be? Instead, why can’t we make them simply authentic?

Charlize Theron made a really compelling comment regarding her character in the movie Young Adult. She said, “Women are usually either really good prostitutes or really good mothers. Maybe women are finally getting the chance to play more honest characters,” Theron said. “We usually don’t get to play bad hookers or bad mothers — or anything in between.” Maybe it’s time to be a little more real and a little more honest.  

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.

The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book. All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win! To win the prizes:

1. Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99 cents
2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
3. Visit today’s featured social media event

Help my blog win: The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME.

About the book: A vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soulless zombies are par for the course for Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard. But when the non-magical princess, Amelie of Amborix, is murdered by magical means, a deeper plot unfolds. Get it on Amazon.

About the author: Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise, using her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy.

Visit Sheryl on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

I’ve Been Tagged: Lucky Seven #blogging #writers

So today I arrived home to learn I have been tagged by a fellow author. There have been a few of these tagging blog posts going about. This one looked like fun, so what the heck — I’m game for a little fun.

The rules for this one are quite simple (hooray!)

1. Go to page 77 of your current ms.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post them as they’re written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other victims, …er, authors.

I have a few current WIPs, so I picked the one I worked on most recently with more than the requisite 77 pages. These are the seven lines from THE MACHENWOOD CHRONICLES (I got lucky on the content, I think)

Ric knelt down, met her eyes. His face so close, a breath away, glowing warm in the lantern light; his eyes sparkled like a star laden sky.

 Her breath caught. She searched his face.

 With mesmerizing slowness and eyes locked with hers, Ric reached up, pushed a blonde lock from her face, and tucked it behind her ear. Knuckles brushed against her neck, a chill radiated from the point of contact. He devoured her with his gaze.

Not bad, right? A little steamy, but innocent at the same time. I can live with it 🙂

Since the rules stated I couldn’t make any changes to the text, I didn’t name the “Her” in the story, but for those who are morbidly curious, her name is Ana.

Now… *rubs chin* to select seven other luck writers…

Okay, here they are. You have been tagged, my darlings!

Stephanie Lawton
Jocelyn Adams
Kelly Said
Julie Reece
Amaleen Ison
Julie Belfield
Candice Bundy

Cover Reveal: Shadowborn by Jocelyn Adams #lilagray #Shadowborn

I cannot begin to tell you all how excited I am about this cover reveal. *happy dance*

I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, The Glass Man, so can’t wait until this one releases to the public. For me, Jocelyn Adams, besides being someone I consider a good friend, is the next big thing as far as writers go. You just wait and see if she doesn’t end up at the top of best Seller lists soon.

But, this post isn’t about my predictions. You all came to see the new cover, right?

Right!

So, without further ado, I give you the fantastic cover for Jocelyn Adams’ soon to be released novel, Shadowborn.

Shadowborn
A Lila Gray Novel (#2)

Author: Jocelyn Adams

Release Date: October 1, 2012

Target Reader: Adult

Keywords: Romantic, Urban Fantasy, Fairy

Back of the Book

Why me?

That’s the question Lila Gray asks every time yet another bad guy tries to destroy the earth, and she learns she’s the only one who can stop it. Once again, something’s on the prowl, leaving hundreds of comatose, souless victims in its wake.

Couldn’t the deadliest assassins of the Otherworld go after someone else instead of the brand new Queen of the Seelie? One who still hasn’t adapted to her new role.

Lila would ask Liam Kane, King of the Unseelie, for advice, but something’s off with him, too. He’s holding back. In some way. About some thing. In fact, he refuses to tell her what’s going on.

The truth holds Lila back from the greatness of her role—the people she was born to lead—the man who she desperately loves—and the solution to the latest war raging around her.

To find the answers, she’ll need to fight through her own darkness and embark on a journey through her psyche.

If she doesn’t succeed, the Shadowborn will claim not only her world, but her soul.

URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/15

Previous Books in this series include:
The Glass Man (Lila Gray #1)

You can learn more about J. Taylor Publishing on their website: http://jtaylorpublishing.com

Six Sentence Sunday: That Blissful Moment Before The First Kiss #sixsunday #writing

Welcome back and thanks for chosing to stop by for your Six Sentence Sunday fix. I always love having visitors. 🙂

Since I received my copyright in the mail from the Library of Congress, I decided to include six sentences from my soon to be released debut novel, CALL OF THE SEA.

Rather than set the scene on this one, I think I will let the post speak for itself. 🙂 Enjoy!

Her calloused fingertip traced his lower lip and her eyes filled with wonder.

Daniel’s hands surrounded her waist before he realized he’d moved. Her scent, a heady mix of lilac and peppermint spice, wafted up to him. His desire surged. “Ellie?”

The question hung in the air between them for endless seconds.

Welp, that got my engine running this morning. How about you? Comments always welcome. Be sure to add CALL OF THE SEA to your Goodreads TBR pile. You can find it here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13423867-call-of-the-sea

Clicking on the link at the top of the post will bring you back to the host site so you can visit with the other authors participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week.

See you soon. 🙂

Six Sentence Sunday: Finding Her Submission #sixsunday #erotic

Happy (day after) St Patrick’s Day and welcome to another installment of Six Sentence Sunday. Thanks for taking a swing by my blog today.

Things have really been picking up from a traffic perspective, and I want to thank all my followers for their continued support. It means the world to me.

 To celebrate the contract signing for my erotic short story, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE with 8th Circle Publishing, I thought I would post my six from that story. As you may recall, all proceeds for the anthology will go to charity. (for more information on the anthology, visit http://felttipserotica.com)

Without further ado, here is this week’s offering:

Still holding her in place with a handful of hair, Jacob leaned away, searched her face. “You have to be willing to ask for what you want, Kara.” He traced her jaw with a fingertip. “Can you do that for me?”

Confusion clouded her thoughts and heat flushed her cheeks.

Could she?

Be sure to click the banner at the top of the post to return to the Six Sentence sunday host site and visit with the other writers offering a glimpse at their work today. Comments are always welcome. Share your thoughts!

Thanks again for stopping in.

Happy Sunday
~Bex

Book Review: The Wolves of Argonne by Kastil Eavenshade #erotic #fairytale

The Wolves of Argonne by Kastil Eavenshade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an enjoyable fairy tale oriented, steamy read this was. I really have to say I enjoyed a more “adult” fantasy story of this type. While it played off of the real Red Riding Hood story, this take by Ms. Eavenshade was quite original and I truly felt immersed in the world she brings us into.

I particularly enjoyed the D/s aspects of the story. The erotic elements were realistic and not overdone, as is found in so many stories of the erotic genre. I identified well with the characters and felt drawn into the story from the first page.

While a short tale (basically a novella), I felt the story suited the length and I appreciated that I never felt like I was reading filler. Everything contained was relevant to the overall plot and storyline.

I recommend this one to anyone with a taste for erotic works, especially those with an interest in D/s themes. It should also appeal to those with a love for the fairy tale genre, assuming you can handle the steamy bits.

I will be looking for more stories by this author.

The Wolves of Argonne is part of Evernight Publishings “Naughty Fairy Tales” series and can be purchased from their website here: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/the-wolves-of-argonne-by-kastil-eavenshade/

View all my reviews

I Gots Me a Real Library of Congress Copyright #Squee #writing

When my book was accepted for publication by Inkspell Publishing, they suggested I have my work officially copyrighted with the government. I hadn’t realized this was even necessary until this publishing foray, but apparently it protects me with a bit more oopmh than a standard copyright notice in the book when it comes out.

Anyway, I must squee, share and wiggle, because the official copyright arrived in yesterday’s mail. Isn’t it just so purty?

I think this just might make it official… My novel is going to be published!!

Happy Friday to Me!!