Interview Clara Winter Author of Deepest Midnight
Give a warm welcome to Clara Winter, author of Deepest Midnight, book one of The Immortal Kindred Series.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
The first thing I do is give myself a break and change things up. That can mean a walk on the beach, a book on the patio, or an episode of Schitt’s Creek. If I still feel blocked after a break, then I make myself sit down and write. Anything on the page is better than nothing. Sometimes I will take a fun element from my WIP, like an historical ballgown, and write out a description of it. This is not only fun, it also gets the words flowing again. I find that I do eventually get back in the flow.
What inspired you to write?
Books were the first loves of my life. I began reading very young and never stopped. By the time I graduated from high school, I had read most of the classics; my face was always buried in a book. I wanted to create characters and worlds, just like my favorite authors.
Why do you write what you write?
I’m interested in writing books on subjects that I would want to read. I read for fun, and I like to write for fun. More than anything else, I enjoy being transported to another world or another time. There are no rules, no boundaries when it comes to paranormal fiction. The paranormal universe is a rich one with endless possibilities to explore. I also like to add historical elements to my paranormal novels, as I am fascinated by historical figures and events.
You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?
This is a great question. How do you pick one event or time period to visit? If I had to choose just one, for me it would be Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, to hear the Declaration of Independence read for the first time at the State House Yard. I’m a big Revolutionary War buff and one of my preternatural characters was once a Culper Spy. Other ideas would be ancient Egypt, a 1920’s speakeasy, and Tesla’s Colorado Springs lab. There are so many cool events to witness and people to see.
Tell us a little about Deepest Midnight.
A sneak peek between the pages of Deepest Midnight!
somewhere else, Millicent,” grumbles Alexandre.
one of those nights. Alexandre pulls me up and hands me my black leather
clutch. He steers me toward the darkly stained front door of our antebellum
Savannah home. Before opening the door, he bends down to put shoes on my feet,
like I’m a child. If he wants me to brood elsewhere, I will. Alexandre
appreciates people who are bright and cheery. His reason for tolerating my
presence for so long is one of life’s many mysteries.
lost people we love, Mills. We go on. If you can’t ever learn to do the same, what’s
the point?”
what is the point?”
to be happy again. I’m not sure how much longer I can stand to have you around
like this. For tonight, go find something to distract your mind.”
Alexandre for wanting me to disappear this evening. The life of the party tires
of the buzz kill. Thankfully, one of the many wonderful things about Savannah
is the abundance of mysterious spots, all perfect for sulking. Secluded
squares, thick with foliage dripping in Spanish moss, decaying alleyways lined
with ancient cobblestone, and hidden stone staircases topped with wrought iron
railings, all provide perfect places to hide away. My stormy mood, has long
felt at home in this haunted city.
Enter to win 1
pair of Marie Antoinette Earrings from Dames a la Mode.
Clara’s Facebook Page to Enter
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Deepest Midnight!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Clara Winter, Deepest Midnight, Paranormal Romance, The Immortal Kindred Series by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview Mary Morgan Author of Oath of a Warrior
Give a warm welcome to Mary Morgan, author of Oath of a Warrior, Second book in Legends of the Fenian Warriors. 
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Mary and Oath of a Warrior, a tale of HOT Fenian Warriors.
Hi Tena! Thanks for having me on your wonderful blog today! I’m excited to share my new release, OATH OF A WARRIOR, Legends of the Fenian Warriors, Book 2.
In doing research for Oath of a Warrior, I came across hundreds of cases pertaining to witches and the witch trials in Scotland. The records of Scotland’s witch trials spanned over a period of 200 years during the 16th and 17th centuries. However, I did find evidence of several women being burned, or executed in the late 15th century. This was a dark period in Scottish history, exposing a culture of fear and panic that cast a cloud over much of Scotland.
Some of the charges brought against these individuals ranged from belonging to a coven, receiving herbs from the Queen of the Faeries, and using charms against another person. It did not matter if you were a servant or upper class, either. If you wanted to rid yourself of someone, all you had to do was accuse them of being a witch.
Erina was a wonderful character to write and one I knew who would appeal to Rory. She loved her garden and animals, tended to those who required healing, made love charms, and believed in the old ways. A perfect combination for any to accuse her of dealing in the black arts. Yet, she never saw herself as a witch. Only someone who was different. Sadly, even in this century, we tend to look at others who do not walk the same path as the majority as odd.
Tell us a little about Oath of a Warrior.
Can a timeline be rewritten for love?
“You met them in the Order of the Dragon Knights. Now, journey to the realm of the Fae and witness their legends!”
Fenian Warrior, Rory MacGregor’s love conquests are legendary, but he has never spoken of the one mortal female who captured his heart. After his dark secret is finally revealed, he is ordered to return and seal the wounds left open by her death. Yet, he finds the timeline altered and swears an oath to rewrite fate, even if it brings about his own death.
Erina MacIntyre is known for her healing herbs and love charms. Determined to aid others, she refuses to listen to the whispers that call her a witch. When a Highlander steps forth into her path, he ignites a thread of strange familiarity and sparks a flame of desire she is unable to control.
Can the destiny of two lovers find love once more among the ashes of death and betrayal? Or will history repeat itself, leaving a scorching path of destruction for both mortals and Fae alike?
How about a sneak peek between that pages of Oath of a Warrior?
“Erina, mo ghrá,” he groaned, taking her mouth with savage intensity. She tasted of honey and spices, filling him completely and easing the torment that continually plagued him.
Breaking free, he placed his hands on either side of the door. Giving her all of him required something more from Erina. Without the assurance of accepting him for what he was, Rory would be a lost man.
“Are ye certain ye want to ken all of me? I want ye as sure as the sun rises and sets over the land each day, but ken this, Erina—there is more to me than a simple bedding. There are things about me that might frighten ye. What I’m about to share with ye may cause ye to question my existence, or worse, my sanity.”
Her laugh was seductive and soothing as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “From the moment ye stepped through those trees that first day, I realized ye were not like any man I had encountered. It was as if the trees parted and ye came forth from inside them.” She brushed her fingers along his brow. “For one, ye have the most mesmerizing eyes and they shift colors.”
“And the second?”
Her face turned a rosy glow, yet, she held his gaze. “I thought your body chiseled from the old Gods, especially with all the markings on your back and arms.”
His gaze swept over hers. “I am nae God, Erina, though some would call me a demon.”
She traced a finger down along his arm and shook her head. “Ye are not a monster, but I am nae fool. Ye are not like other men, Rory. I have seen the markings on your body elsewhere.” Her finger curved around his shoulder and he trembled. “They are similar to the ones on the standing stones carved by the ancients.”
Rory fought the tide of emotions sweeping through him. She had come to the conclusion all on her own. “And ye would not flee if I told ye I was one of those ancients? One where the bards wove tales of giants who lived thousands of years ago among your own people? Others would call the story incredulous and filled with heathen words.” He held his breath, fearing her reply.
The smile she gave him speared straight to his soul. “Nae. I would not flee.”
Buy Links: Amazon BN (Nook) iBooks The Wild Rose Press
About the Author:
Award-winning Celtic paranormal romance author, Mary Morgan, resides in Northern California, with her own knight in shining armor. However, during her travels to Scotland, England, and Ireland, she left a part of her soul in one of these countries and vows to return.
Mary’s passion for books started at an early age along with an overactive imagination. She spent far too much time daydreaming and was told quite often to remove her head from the clouds. It wasn’t until the closure of Borders Books where Mary worked that she found her true calling–writing romance. Now, the worlds she created in her mind are coming to life within her stories.
If you enjoy history, tortured heroes, and a wee bit of magic, then time-travel within the pages of her books.
Social Media Links:
WEBSITE: http://www.marymorganauthor.com
BLOG: http://www.marymorganauthor.com/blog
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/m_morganauthor
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/MaryMorganAuthor/
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8271002.Mary_Morgan
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/
PINTEREST: www.pinterest.com/marymorgan50/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/marymorgan2/
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-morgan
ORDER OF THE DRAGON KNIGHTS
Dare to journey with the Dragon Knights of Scotland!
They were an ancient order descended from the great Tuatha De Danann, a tribe from the Goddess Danu. Half human and half fae, each blessed with mystical powers. They were also given holy relics and guardianship over the dragons.
With the dawn of Christianity, the dragons were systematically hunted down and slain leaving only one. The Dragon Knights took her from Ireland to a land across the sea, settling in the Great Glen near Urquhart. The clan was known as the MacKay clan, descendants from the MacAoidh.
Yet, there were those who deemed the Order had too much power, and they tried to possess it for themselves. They were evil and twisted, and their plan succeeded one fateful night.
The Clan MacKay is no longer.
The Dragon Knights are scattered across the land.
Yet out of the darkness, they will each fight for redemption, and the women they love.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Morgan/e/B00KPE3NWI/
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Oath of a Warrior! This time I am reading the books in order, can’t wait to this book!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Fantasy Scotland, Historical, Mary Morgan, Oath of a Warrior, Paranormal by Tena Stetler with 29 comments.
Interview Beth Woodward Author of Embracing the Demon
Give a warm welcome to Beth Woodward, author of Embracing the Demon!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Beth Woodward and Embracing the Demon, Book Two of Dale Highland Series. Pssst… Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!
What inspired this particular story?
Writer’s Digest used to run a monthly flash fiction contest where they ran a prompt, and you could submit a 750-word or less story based on it. The prompt one month was, “You wake up covered in blood, with a knife in your hands, a dead body next to you, and no memory of what happened.” Most people, in that situation, would probably have a reaction of, “Oh no, this couldn’t be! I would never kill anyone!” But my twisted brain came up with a character who woke up, looked around, and thought “Oh, no, not again.”
I was too late for the flash fiction contest. But I really like the piece, so I brought it to a writers’ workshop I participated in at the time. I got peppered with questions about why this particular woman would kill the man. Someone even suggested she was possessed. But my mind just started spinning and I thought, “What if the demon is just part of her?”
The original flash fiction piece became the prologue of The Demon Within. It’s one of the few parts of the story that’s remained relatively unchanged from the first draft onward.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid, so my friends and family all knew I was a writer. But what has surprised me through the years is how many people—friends, family members, and significant others—treated it like a pipe dream, as if I were saying, “I want to be a fairy princess,” instead of a real, attainable goal. This attitude diminished my confidence in my writing, and I was reluctant to share it for a long time.
So my advice to anyone who wants to be a professional writer is to support yourself with people who support and encourage you. It’s a tough road, but it is achievable. I’m lucky that the people I’m around now, especially my husband, always cheer me on.
Why do you write what you write? Ie. Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc.
I write science fiction and fantasy because I love the idea that the world is more than what meets the eye. Working within the sci-fi/fantasy realm gives you the permission to invent and create and just be as weird and crazy as you want. Sci-fi and fantasy allow you to explore the world—or an entirely new world—through the realm of possibility. They remind you to always keep yourself open to possibility.
I also tend to include a lot of romance in my stories because…well, because that’s what I enjoy reading. My favorite kinds of romances are what you might call “complicated romances.” Much as I dig reading contemporary romances, there aren’t very many things, logically, that can keep two consenting, modern-day adults from being together. But the sci-fi/fantasy aspect adds a whole new layer of complication. We can’t be together because our races are bitter enemies, or because you’re mortal and I’m immortal, or because I can only come out at night and you live where the sun never sets. My favorite romances are the ones where you have no idea how the leads will get their happily ever after, or if they even can. That’s what keeps you turning pages.
You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?
I lost both my parents young: I was 13 when my dad died and 30 when my mom passed away. I’d love to see them again one last time. I’d go back to a time when they were really happy, maybe to their wedding day. I’d toss the invisibility cloak (I hadn’t been born, so no chance of being recognized), don my very best 80s shoulder pads and poofy hair, and crash the wedding. The good news is, it’s one place where no one would be surprised to see someone who looks suspiciously like the bride. (“Oh, don’t you remember me? I’m cousin Sally!”) The bad news is, my parents’ wedding was very small, so hopefully my time would be up before anyone realizes the bride doesn’t have a cousin Sally. Maybe I’ll bring the invisibility cloak, after all…
A sneak peek between the pages of Embracing the Demon!
He wore a gray suit with a dark shirt and a blue tie that fit him so perfectly I knew it must have been custom made for him. His dark blond hair had been combed and gelled into submission. Normally, it stood up in random spikes around his head—not as a stylistic choice, but because he had the tendency to run his fingers through it nervously until it went in about 14 different directions.
Until that moment, I hadn’t been convinced he’d survived the fall off the roof of Amara’s estate. Every night in my dreams, I stared at his broken body, tears running down my face. I wasn’t sure why I cried: because I had killed him, or because he had destroyed me.
But here was John, very much alive, looking like the fantasy of some billionaire boss about to have hot monkey sex with his secretary on the desk. He didn’t look like the John I remembered, who’d spent most of our time together wearing blood-covered t-shirts. Which one was the real John, I wondered, the suave businessman or the urban warrior? And then I noticed the pin on his lapel: a flaming angel that matched the ones on the others’ pendants. John had declared his allegiance, and it wasn’t to me.
“My apologies for the mess,” he said. “Ephraim, Leah, please clean that up. Make sure you dispose of the body well. I don’t want him coming back to haunt us one of these days.” A man and a woman jumped out of their seats and scooped up the body, leaving just a puddle of blood behind. Guess they’d be getting that later.
John turned to the rest of the group. “Let’s not forget why we’re here. This illness is already devastating our community, and it’s getting worse. The Zeta Coalition created it with the intent of wiping out supernaturals—angels and demons. And if we can’t cooperate, they will succeed.”
“She’s the daughter of our worst enemy!” someone shouted.
“Amara is dead. And Dale is not Amara.” He paused. “Covington is right. We need more information if we’re going to survive this, and Dale is our best hope of gaining access to their records containment facility.”
“What about taking an army and storming the compound, like we talked about a few weeks ago?” someone asked.
To my surprise, it was Tina who answered. “The compound is too heavily fortified, and its underground architecture would make it difficult to strong-arm. We’ve run the scenario many times, accounting for the different variables. The most likely outcome is that we’d end up trapped down there while the Zetas pick us off.”
“There must be another way,” a woman said.
“Maybe, but this is the best way,” John replied. “We all know Dale can do things that no one else can. Her return may have been a coincidence, but we should use that to our advantage.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” I managed to get out through gritted teeth.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Beth Woodward, Embracing the Demon, Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
A Sit Down with CJ Fosdick author of the Accidental Series.
Give a warm welcome to CJ Fosdick, author of accidental Wife and Accidental Stranger.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about CJ and her Accidental Series.
CJ what inspired you to write these books?
When Fort Laramie was merely a fur trading post back in the 1830’s, the agent in charge brought his daughter from the East to visit. She enjoyed riding her big black horse, even after promising never to leave the compound without an escort. One day, she slipped away in a fine green riding habit and two soldiers chasing her couldn’t keep up. Horse and rider were never seen again. Or were they?
Ghost stories and superstitions tangle with legends of the old west, but rarely are the sightings documented in official archives, naming credible witnesses. Deep into research for my “Accidental Series,” I toured Ft. Laramie and corresponded for years with the late Sandy Lowry, the long time archivist/librarian of the famous post. Legends like this—and folk tales—are nuggets of gold mined by writers. Some of our best loved historicals, mysteries and fantasies sprout from these nuggets. It was a no-brainer to season The Accidental Wife with the fascinating legend of Ft. Laramie’s galloping green ghost.
Dr. Louis Brechemin, one of my historical characters, actually served as post surgeon in the waning years of military life before the garrison became dispensible and homes were stripped for material or auctioned off to the community. The married family man lived in the designated “surgeon’s house” which stands between the Burt house and Wyoming’s oldest military building, ”Old Bedlam.” Among all the surviving buildings, these three bordering the parade grounds were restored to their 1888 condition more than 20 years after Ft. Laramie was designated a National Historic Monument in 1938. Old Bedlam reminded me of a white-porched mansion still seen in the deep south, while the other two homes for married officers replicated frame homes with eyebrow porches found in old neighborhoods like those in my hometown, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Jessica, my heroine in The Accidental Wife learns about the ghost legend from the surgeon’s teenage daughter, Lillian, while the doctor examines the leg of a crippled puppy. Lillian defends her belief in the legend when her father counters with his opinion. “The monotony of life on a post with no real commission is diverted by baseball games, poker, and brewing up ghost sightings.”
His wife and daughter remind him that the mysterious legend…and subsequent sightings…are documented in post records. (Still kept in Ft. Laramie archives.) The broken-hearted father of the missing rider eventually gave up a long search and returned home. No trace of the girl or her horse was ever found. But every seven years in Ft. Laramie history, a girl in a long green habit with a jeweled quirt was spotted in the area, riding a swift black horse. Old medical records detail a soldier’s claim that he was struck by the riding quirt of a girl in green as she galloped by on a black horse. Bloodied in the attack, he had managed to pluck a gold button—the kind you might find on a fancy riding dress.
Tell us a little about ACCIDENTAL WIFE:
When Jessica Brewster inherits a mysterious teacup, she finds rubbing it transports her back to 1886, trading places with her look-alike great grandmother—wife to Mitch, her ancestor’s magnetic first husband and mother to his charming young daughter. True love, a gypsy, and her ancestor’s troubled brother amp up the charade she plays until she can find a portal back. But is her future in the past?
A Golden Quill finalist and Top 10 Finisher for Author and Book in a P & E Reader’s Poll.
A peek between the pages of Accidental wife.
He touched my face with both hands, feathering his fingers across my forehead, into the wells of my eyes, over my nose and cheekbones, like a blind man needing to know who stood before him. I tried not to stiffen at his touch, willing myself not to blink, not to release the fresh tears that had begun to pool. He collared my throat with his long fingers and ran a thumb over my lips. “I want my wife back. Come back to me, Mitawin,” he whispered.
The word on the teacup; the hallmark of my deceit. Our eyes locked, and I felt my throat closing and my knees begin to quiver. For a few seconds his grip tightened around my throat, and I clamped my eyes shut with a fleeting thought. Yes, take my breath…end this tormenting deception. When he suddenly released me, I could see the pain twisting his face. He turned away and rubbed his chin against his shoulder, bracing both arms on a porch railing.
“My shirt looks good on you, Jess,” he said hoarsely. “You always did have a thing for my shirts.”
I cleared my throat. “You can’t sleep out here,” I said after a long silence. “Come to bed.”
His shoulders flinched. “Is that an invitation?”
“I only mean…you can’t be comfortable sleeping in that chair.”
“Are you still wearing those black things?”
I didn’t answer. What has that got to do with anything? We both started by the sudden hoot of a nearby owl, and like the volume turned up on ear phones, I was suddenly aware of other night sounds: crickets, wind rustling through the sage, my heart bumping in my chest.
A bit about ACCIDENTAL STRANGER:
Jessica Brewster is being watched…and things go missing from the remote Wyoming home she shares with her toddler. In a freak accident, she shoots the bearded thief stalking her before she recognizes the mesmerizing green eyes that belong to the only man she ever loved.
Has Mitch bridged time to find her? In a race to save his life and change hers forever, she takes him into her home and heart. But his memory loss and puzzling clues curry doubt and expose mystery and danger. Is he truly her son’s father or an irresistible stranger in her arms?
Finalist for A Golden Quill and a 2018 Rone Award.
A peek between the page of Accidental Stranger.
I screamed as the gun exploded in my hand and fell to the ground. The bear moving toward Scout dropped, and I raced to scoop up my son before he toppled into the cold stream. Cradling my whimpering child, I ventured closer and could see at once that it was no bear I shot. A man in a bearskin poncho lay on his side. A mass of dark matted hair covered the side of his face that wasn’t blooming with blood, running down his cheek, pooling in his ear and staining his thick beard.
“Is he, is he dead?” I whispered.
Chuck fumbled for a pulse and we all started when the man groaned and his eyes fluttered open.
Green! His eyes were green. The fear in them registered with me as he searched our faces. When his eyes met mine, his jaw twitched. A flash of memories washed over me and my heart began to thump wildly. I set Scout down when my knees began to buckle and I thought I was going to be sick. My legs crumpled beneath me as I sagged in the snow and my bare fingers reached out to staunch the warm dripping blood.
So red against the white snow. His eyes, so…green. Every shade in a spectrum of emotion raced through my memory; joy, frustration, anger…love. I knew only one man who owned those eyes.
He had come back to me. I shot the only man I ever loved.
Buy links:
Amazon Barnes&Noble iTunes The Wild Rose Press
About the author:
As a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now living on a country hilltop in Rochester, Minnesota, Cj nourished two major dreams: Riding and Writing. Thirty years training and teaching children to ride her horses satisfied the first—with time squeezed out to write fiction and non-fiction published in magazines, newspapers and anthologies. It was a jump-start to a novel agenda that produced Cj’s first books. The Accidental Wife and The Accidental Stranger both became serial award-winners out of the gate. With an empty nest after 4 children and an empty horse barn, Cj lives with her computer wrangler hub, a white schnauzer and a long list of incubating novels and stories that tap into her favorite genres: Romance, Suspense, Historicals and Time Travel. Follow her adventures in a monthly newsletter, facebook, twitter, and cjfosdick.com where you can find links to all.
****** Cj Fosdick Author Links ******
AmazonAuthorPage Website Blog Facebook Cj’s Website Cj’s Newsletter
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Accidental Wife and Accidental Stranger!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Accidental Series, Accidental Stranger, Accidental Wife, CJ Fosdick, romantic suspense, Time Travel Romance by Tena Stetler with 7 comments.
