Friday, February 28, 2014

Guest Post: Writing Isn’t a Fantasy – By Jackie Gamber

Hello everyone, let's please welcome Jackie Gamber to the blog today. Her new book Reclamation is out so go check it out!



I often tell people (when they ask) that I was writing long before I knew I was a “writer”. Writing was what I did when I was lonely, frustrated, excited, or bored. Or I would read. But I was playing with words, and sentence structure, and metaphors and similes the way children swing, and climb jungle gyms; because it’s fun! Not because they’re trying to develop large muscle strength.

But at the end of a playground day, that’s what a child has done. Gotten stronger.

As I’ve gotten older and more focused on writing as a career choice, I have found myself leaving behind the practice days for more “serious, real” word counts that add up to a project. I might wistfully regard the playground as the glory days, but then turn my attention to the proper business of growing a story.

I’m not sure that’s the right approach.

My daughter and I had a discussion recently about professional athletes, and we wondered whether any of them played b-ball, or touch football, or kicked around a neighborhood soccer ball anymore. Like they did when they were a kid, without the pressure of winning—just playing their heart out for the glory of the game. A part of me hopes they still do.

It’s the part of me that writes for the joy of it. For the sheer expression, whether illuminating, or dark, or just plain drivel. For the motion of the pen across paper (I love to hand write, still); for the smell of ink or graphite; for the clack of a keyboard that is a sound as comforting to me as the scent of baking bread.

Few activities elicit the response I get when I tell people I write (if they ask). During get-to-know-you phases of chit-chat, I might mention I like to sing. Often people will smile and say, “Me too!” or, “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket”, or some other conversational connection. Or I can say I like movies, or dancing, or libraries, or art museums, or that I knit, or want to learn water colors.

But mention writing? Universally, I’m asked, “Oh? Are you published? Anything I’ve heard of?”

Don’t get me wrong. I want to be as successful a published author as I can be.
But there are plenty of reasons for a writer to indulge her talents and drive than the Holy Grail of Being Published.

There is value in the exercise of expression. It can be found on the playground.





Book Synopsis Reclamation: The exciting conclusion of the Leland Dragon Series!


Leland Province remains in danger. The sinister Fordon Blackclaw has returned from the shadows to strike at the heart of neighboring Esra, killing its Venur and making clear his intentions to retake what was once his: Mount Gore, seat of the Leland Dragon Council.

All around, the land grows weaker and weaker. Leland, once thought saved by Kallon Redheart, is without purpose, and within its borders, Murk Forest, a place of mystery and danger, has driven its inhabitants to seek aid. Esra is in flames, and the Rage Desert grows. Dragon and human alike struggle to find their way, and the wizard Orman can sense that there may be more at stake than the affairs of dragons.
Hope remains, yet it is not without obstacles. In Esra, Sela, the daughter of Kallon and Riza, found the well, a source of life, and made herself whole again. But her homecoming is not what she had imagined.

Old wounds buried deep must reopen if life is to continue. Dragons, humans, wizards, and shape shifters are all at risk as the peace between dragon and human has finally been broken.
War is here.

The stakes?

Perhaps the whole world.


About the Author:

Jackie Gamber is the award-winning author of many short stories, screenplays, and novels, including “Redheart”, “Sela”, and “Reclamation”, Books one through three of the Leland Dragon Series. For more information about Jackie and her mosaic mind, visit http://www.jackiegamber.com

And meet Jackie elsewhere on the world wide web at:





Twitter: @jackiegamber




Tour Schedule and Activities

2/24                A Book Vacation                                            Tour Wide Contest

2/24                Azure Dwarf                                                   Promo/Spotlight

2/24                Come Selahway With Me                             Guest Post

2/24                Jellowquake Productions                             Review

2/25                Creating Estelan                                            Promo/Spotlight

2/25                Workaday Reads                                           Review

2/25                Alexx Momcat’s Gateway Book Blog                       Promo Spotlight

2/25                Jorie Loves a Story                                        Character Post

2/25                I Smell Sheep                                                 Character Post

2/26                Kentucky Geek Girl                                        Guest Post
 
2/26                Deal Sharing Aunt                                         Review

2/26                Book in the Bag                                             Interview

2/27                Sheila Deeth                                                   Character Interview

2/27                John F. Allen Writer                                      Promo/Spotlight

2/28                Jorie Love a Story                                          Review

2/28                Azure Dwarf                                                   Review

2/28                Vampires, Witches, and Me, Oh My                        Guest Post

2/28                MichaelSciFan                                                            Interview

3/1      Elizabeth Delana Rosa ~Book Lover & Creator of Worlds~   Post on Art of Reclamation

3/1                  Coffintree Hill                                                            Guest Post

3/2                  Jorie Loves a Story                                        Author Interview/Reader Questions

3/2                  Bee’s Knees Reviews                                      Review

3/2                  Jess Resides Here                                           Guest Post

3/2                  Book and Movie Dimension Blog                 Review


  

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Guest Post: Eric Garrison- Lizzie - I was in Love With a Ghoul

Hello Everyone,

Please welcome Eric Garrison of Seventh Star Press to my blog today. Or is it someone else blogging for him...?

Hello all you lovely bloggy people! Eric has asked me to write you a blog. Bloggity blog, it's fun to say. Say it with me. "Blog!" So, I thought to myself, what should I write about? Let's see, what kind of stuff do you like over at "Vampires, Witches, and me... oh my!"? Just look at all those bare-chested paranormal men. Raar. I decided what you want to know about is the dirt. The deets. The juicy stuff. You know, lurve!

 So I'll just dive right in. My boyfriend Brett was a ghoul. What that means takes some telling! Brett isn't quite like those beefy vamps and rugged lycan boys. He's a dreamy nerdy guy. Yeah, everyone has a type, and mine has sandy hair and chases ghosts with techy gadgets. He's got a nice bottom, too, and he'll blush a few adorable shades of pink if he sees this. Ha ha! He rocks a pair of owlish glasses, and when he peers over the top of them at me, I just melt. What can I say, I just love a guy with brains.

 And you might expect me to make a "braaaains" joke at this point, since I brought up his ghoul nature. Well, yes, his body temperature did sink toward room temperature. But that's really the most ghouls and zombies have in common. He's alive, not undead. He doesn't crave the flesh (or brains) of the living, but instead wanted dead meat... okay so this is a little gross, but ghouls like it a bit past the expiry date, if you get what I mean.

 Without getting all technical, what happened to Brett is that he was possessed for a short while, and when I drove out the demon, it left a bit of a spiritual hole that let his soul leak out bit by bit. More of him resided in the shadow world, between our world and the afterlife. And this says a bit too much about me, but when I found out that Brett was part ghost? That was a bit of a turn on that I didn't expect. We spend our free time hunting ghosts to understand them better, you know, so I guess the idea of my man floating through walls, seeing further into the other world than we ever had? It's exciting!

 SPOILER ALERT! Don't read the next paragraph if you don't want to know spoilery spoilers! If you peek, it's all on you! Last warning!

So, Brett got better. I won't say how, but it was something he had to work out on his own. I've done my magical best to keep this from ever happening again. I sort of miss having a ghost boyfriend, but I've seen what happens when the "ghoul syndrome" goes too far... eventually there's no coming back, and I couldn't bear losing him that way.  So, he's back to warm and cuddly body temperature, which is a relief, because chilly kisses aren't as much fun as they make it look on Buffy! And I'm glad his tastes in food have gone back to pizza and fries, rather than last week's manager's special at the grocery store butcher.

We have our ups and downs, and it was a hard time, but I stuck by my guy and we saw it through. Ghoul or no, ghost or no, he's mine, and I'm keeping him!

Book Synopsis Sinking Down: Poor Little Ghoul
Paranormal investigators Brett and Liz find themselves back in over their heads when a forest hunt for a roadkill-eating creature offers up a little surprise. Back home with their ghoulish house guest, it becomes clear there’s more to this investigation than either of them thought. Worse than that, Brett's own fate is linked to the little ghoul's.
So it's back out on the road, with plenty of time for pit stops with a greedy ex, a convention of ghost hunters, partying with fake vampires, and even drinking and fighting alongside good ole Uncle Gonzo. But as the investigation goes deeper, and unseen connections come to light, Brett finds there’s much more at stake than getting through a rough patch with Liz.
 A rescue mission. A race for a cure. New friends and old adversaries. Unbreakable bonds and supernatural danger. It’s going to be a wild ride. Can the friends save the nearly undead tween? Can she and Brett stop themselves from ...Sinking Down?
Sinking Down is the 2nd Book in the Road Ghosts Trilogy!
About the Author: Eric Garrison is active in the writing community in Indianapolis, Indiana. He lives in the Circle City with his wife, step-daughter and four cats. He also enjoys gaming and homebrewing beer.
Seventh Star Press published the first of his Road Ghosts trilogy, Four 'til Late, in July of 2013. Sinking Down was released in December of 2013, with the final title to appear in 2014.

Eric's novel, Reality Check, is a science fiction adventure released by Hydra Publications. This book reached #1 in Science Fiction on Amazon's Kindle store during a promotion in July 2013.Eric's short story, "Drag Show" appeared in the Fall 2011 edition of Strange, Weird and Wonderful Magazine and Volume 2 of that magazine's anthology series.

His flash piece, "Dark Reflection", appeared in the Indiana Horror 2011 anthology. He's competed twice in the Iron Writer Challenge with two 500-word flash pieces, "Killer Cure" and "Moby Me".


Author Links:




Twitter: @erichris

Tour Schedule and Activities

2/24    Beauty in Ruins                                                          Guest Post

2/24    Laurie’s Thoughts and Paranormal Reviews                       Promo/Spotlight

2/24    Deal Sharing Aunt                                                     Tour Wide Contest

2/24    Lost Inside the Covers                                               Review

2/24    John F. Allen Writer                                                  Promo Spotlight

2/24    Beagle Book Space                                                    Promo/Spotlight

2/24    Seers, Seraphs, and More                                         Promo/Spotlight

2/25    Vampires, Witches, and Me, Oh My!                       Character Post

2/26    Bee’s Knees Reviews                                                  Guest Post

2/27    Sapphyria’s Book Reviews                                        Promo/Spotlight

2/27    fuonlyknew ~ Laura's Ramblins and Reviews         Review

2/27    I Smell Sheep                                                             Guest Post

2/27    Jess Resides Here                                                       Character Interview

2/28    A Book Vacation                                                        Guest Post

2/28    Armand Rosamilia, Author                                       Guest Post

3/1      Sheila Deeth                                                               The Art of Sinking Down

3/2      Come Selahway With Me                                         Guest Post


Friday, February 21, 2014

Cover Reveal: Lube It Up

Hi All,

Are you excited? I know I am... My first release with Secret Cravings Publishing is scheduled for April and I already have an awesome cover.

This is for Lube It Up, my first Contemporary Romance. No ghosts, witches, vampires involved, but I was very tempted.  Let me know what you think.

Blurb:


Lara Kinman has returned home for her father’s funeral. It’s been almost a decade since she’s been home and doesn’t expect a happy homecoming with her brother. However, when she returns, Lara runs in her ex-boyfriend Hale Dobbs. He isn’t anything like she remembered. The awkward boy has been replaced by a gorgeous man.

Hale tries to distract Lara from her grief by inviting her out for dinner. She agrees because there’s no need to worry because she’s not going to be in town long enough for anything to blossom between them. Little does she know that her family history has finally caught up with her. Can Hale help grease her wheels to reveal her true feelings for him? Or will Lara have to take over the family business and cut him completely out of her life?


Thursday, February 20, 2014

Throwback Thursday: Masquerade- Vampires and Angels of Death

Don't let the cover fool you.

This is a hardcore romance mixed in with horror as is the whole Soul Reaper Series. If you are interested in reading my upcoming Deathly Encounters Series. Masquerade is where my Angel of Death was born. This series and the characters in it are some of my favorites.


Brenna has been in the shadows for years. Veronica has been trying to escape her ex forever. Each is living lives they never assumed would be theirs. Each is hiding behind a mask they never desired to wear.

True love has finally come to Brenna in the guise of Cain. Before she can fully realize her affections, her life is shattered by something that steps out of the darkness. This intrusion threatens her growing relationship.

Veronica stumbles into Brenna and her world is thrown upside down. Drawn to a woman she doesn’t know. She sees Brenna’s growing affection for Cain as a hindrance. She tries to warn Brenna that not all is what it seems. However, she doesn’t want to listen and now danger is on their doorstep. Veronica’s ex, Devon, has caught up with her.

Will Brenna and Veronica survive their ordeal? Will Devon come for them both? Or will all masks finally come off?


Purple Sword                                  Amazon                                 Barnes & Noble

Excerpt:

My name is Brenna.

The heaviness of the atmosphere rolled around my tongue, lingering in my nose like a fine vintage of wine. It was a hot, humid day. Clothes stuck to every inch of skin, and a sane person hungered for a shower after the slightest exertion. Traces of spices and sweat clung to the fragrance of the day as exotic food was prepared on every corner. Even a hint of magic wafted on the day’s aroma. Spells had been cast to bar intruders and ignite passionate love affairs.

As these scents carried me into consciousness, a slight breeze blew through the Quarter, pulling the bouquets of the day with it. My nostrils flared at the odor on the back of the wind: the wet, dark, musty smell of death and an oncoming storm. Death was part of the culture here, always lingering like the ghosts in the city. Rain came often, but never lasted more than an hour or so, making this place more like a tropical paradise than a bustling city. Even the downpours couldn’t keep the sightseers from exploring the small shops, as well as admiring the balconied apartments in the Quarter. Many were small oases, housing lush plants, which allowed the inhabitants to escape from the cameras and voyeurs. I inhabited one of these sought-after lodgings, but kept the windows shuttered so the sun couldn’t creep in and disrupt my slumber.

I rose, yawning as the heaviness of sleep had not yet left me. Darkness caressed my naked form while the whirling fan cooled my bare skin. Stretching, I urged my body to rise and face the night. I opened the shutters to see the sun painting hues of purple and pink in the hazy air, signaling the fast approaching blue-greens of twilight. I smiled. This was the scene that had greeted me for years. I flicked on the light. I shielded my eyes from the sudden illumination until my pupils adjusted.

I admired my body in the bureau mirror. The overhead lamp gave my milky skin a jaundiced tint that contrasted against the pink of my nipples. My appearance attracted both sexes; it was something in the pheromones. The sex of my partners didn’t matter. I only wanted the ones who could fulfill my desire.

The jasmine-touched breeze danced through my apartment as the coolness of full night blossomed like a moonflower inside my chest. I stretched, now entirely awake as the sluggishness of the day fell away like a misty shroud. The moon’s silvery light already warmed my skin. Its blaze had replaced the sun in my memories and the power of it ignited my heart, night after glorious night.
Staring at my body a moment longer, I realized tonight was not the night for me to turn into Narcissus and be captured by my own beauty. I had eons for that. My gums ached, and hollowness filled my insides. Tonight I’d dress to kill, so to speak. I donned a black velvet dress, black thigh-high stockings, and black Doc Martens.

My gaze fell on the things I would need to complete my disguise. A contact case and scattered makeup: everything I needed to fit in better. From the lot, my tarot cards called to me. I smiled, wondering what Fate had in store for me tonight. Mentally, I checked my schedule and knew I had no clients to read. No one to tell a husband was cheating, or a sickness was devouring them, or a fortune would be lost in the stock market.

I smirked at the thought of how easily I peered into the minds of my clients, divining their futures and reading their emotions. After one session, they always came back. I had a good reputation, unlike the phony psychics who lined Jackson Square. Hotel managers and local occult shops referred tourists to me. I loved unearthing secrets from my unsuspecting clients.

I studied the cobalt backs, admiring the golden stars. I had owned them for years. My right hand passed over the line of cards, automatically settling on one in the middle and then another at the end. Energy sparked between the cards and my palm. I pulled those two cards to see how the evening would progress and to give me a glimpse into the more distant future. The first card I flipped was the Lovers. It signified I would meet someone to spend eternity within the next couple of nights.

Yeah, right! I giggled, wondering who my next conquest would be.

Purple Sword                                  Amazon                                 Barnes & Noble

Saturday, February 15, 2014

State of the Crymsyn- February Edition

I try.

I really do try to blog about my life, but honestly I think it's boring. Maybe my readers don't, but I suck at blogging. It's one of my many faults. But I don't have much interesting happening to me. I mean no one wants to hear me go on and on about Commercial Property and General Liability Insurance as that is my day job.

Or bore you about the dogs which now number three, my 9 year old Lab Morrigaine, my 6 year old Cadence Lab/Border Collie mix, and my 9 month old English Pointer/mix-we think with whippet- Briar. Between the three of them I am smothered in dog hair and toys. I sit on the couch and all three vie for a spot on me. Briar poor thing was very skittish when we got her from the Humane Society of Charlotte. She's gotten much better but still hates the train, hates any loud truck that goes by the house, and sometimes shies away from me and my husband.  We have no idea what happened to her when we got her. She was four months old so we've had her for 5 1/2 months now. Needless to say, I got her for a companion for Cadence who has tons of energy. Morrigaine has arthritis so she's not into running around much. Sucks to see her get older, but what can you do? So for the trade off of the new dog, my husband got satellite TV so we've come out of the dark ages in that respect. Hehee...now he is glued to the tube watching anything he can on sprint cars. But we all have our poison.

Mine just happens to be writing and hanging out with my fellow writers on our Thursday night shenanigans at Starbucks.
So besides the day job, my dogs, my family which I don't really talk about much, my friends, there's always the psychic side of me which I don't get into. Those days have passed regarding publicly doing readings. I read some, but lately I've just been swamped from writing which I'm not complaining, but it takes tons of time as any author will tell you.

I haven't seen many movies at the theater. I did catch an interesting vampire flick called Byzantium which was entertaining and gave a different spin on the vampire genre. I'm a sucker for vampires of any kind. Another one I've seen is called Kiss of the Damned. It was very artsy and while it was good, the first twenty minutes of it were my favorite. 

Reading wise, well everything I've been reading lately is in for research for a new horror series I have been developing .

I'm proud to announce that this series called Deathly Encounters will be out with Seventh Star Press.
The series is about a woman who finds herself embroiled in the world of grim reapers and what happens to her along the way.  So if you love grim reapers and want to see what happens when one of them turns the world upside down because of a mistake they did ages ago, then you have to check it out. There will be much more to come on this. At the moment, I have the first three books done in the series.

Along with that, I've also been working on two spin off series that are within the grim reaper world, but deal with the other characters in the world. So I've been writing my fingers off.

I have also been signed with Secret Cravings Publishing for my first contemporary novel called Lube It Up coming out later this year. Now writing that was a challenge. I definitely prefer writing paranormal anything better than just straight fiction. I guess that's because I've been used to that most of my life.

So recapping what I have completed and working on so far:

Deathly Encounters Series - Horror
 Death's Dance
 Death's Revival
 Death's Demise- needs to be edited.
 Death's Descent-plotted out

Undertaker Tales- Horror
 A Deathly Undertaking- needs to be edited
 Follow the Ink- started

Hunter Series:-Horror
 Book One-Started

Lube It Up- Contemporary Romance

Untitled Fairy Tale- completed needs to be edited.

Started:
Come and Yeti- Hairy & Hung sequel-MMF-Multiple Partners-Yes there is Bigfoot on Yeti sex as they are the males.
Tales of the Grigori Book 3-MFM
Fur World book 3-MFM

Plotted out:
Reindeer Games- MM(f) not sure on this one yet.


So as you can see I have a lot going on, and my muses are constantly coming up with other things for me to do so I have to put it off as much as I can.

Good new though is that my Gods trilogy will be re-released this year with Purple Sword Publications. I love these books they are pure fun and are so not meant to be taken seriously. I made sure that everything bad that could happen to the heroine would.

That about does it with what I've been up to besides planning the Cons that I'll be attending this year. ConCarolinas May 30-June 1st. Imaginarium in Louisville, KY in Sept with the husband going with me which is a big deal.

Don't forget to check out my latest works that are out now:

Vampire in the Basement
Shifter seduction Boxed Set -  only    $.99                            
Craving Penelope

And if you missed it on Time for Love with Christina Cole here is my recipe for Italian Mac N' Cheese that I shared for a little bit of winter comfort food.


Italian Mac N’ Cheese

1 pound of rotini (my husband likes ziti, but any pasta will do)

1 cup of chicken stock

1 cup of heavy cream

1 can of petite diced tomatoes

1 pound of Italian sausage (I use the links cut up, but ground Italian sausage works too)

1 ½ cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup of mozzarella cheese

½ cup of bread crumbs

Salt

Pepper

Oregano

1.  Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

2.  Boil 4 quarts of water and cook pasta according to the package directions.

3.  Set pasta aside and drain

4.  Cook and brown Italian sausage.

5.  Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into pot

6.  Pour 1 cup of cream into chicken broth until it bubbles

7.  Add ¾ cup of cheddar and ¾ of a cup of Parmesan, and ½ cup of mozzarella into the cream/broth mixture. Stir until cheese is melted.

8.  Add the pasta, tomatoes, and Italian sausage together and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese

9.  Pour in melted cheese and mix together.

10. Add in salt, pepper, and oregano to taste

11. Pour mixture into 9 x 13 casserole dish

12. Top with reaming cheese and breadcrumbs

13. Bake for 30 minutes