Spirit of the Sea Witch
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 Tara West and Spirit of the Sea Witch.
jumped to her knees. “Fire! Fire!” She pointed to the ice dwellers, then lifted
Ven out of his bedroll.
swat the giant while dangling upside-down in the air.
bedroll. A red stone rolled out, its color fading to pale white as it came to
rest beside Ryne’s foot.
pointed at the giant, his pale eyes lit with fury. “It is Ven’s warming stone.”
Ven back on the ground. He hit the dirt with a thud, cursing as he rolled onto his side.
sharing startled looks with his cousins. “Warming stone?”
bedroll, scooping up the stone. “I use it to chase away the chill.”
gleam in his eyes. “Is this stone like the one Markus used to deflect the
goddess’s magic?”
proof his story was not a hoax. “It’s exactly like the stone Markus used.”
out as the dwarves jumped to their feet, heads bent and arms wildly waving.
him on the knee. “I’m sorry for doubting you, son.”
cut through the dwarves’ chatter.
sound could be heard except for Gorpat blowing her nose into her sleeve. Ryne
glared at them with legs braced apart, his hand on the hilt of his blade.
for a long, tense moment. “How many do the ice people have?”
through clenched teeth. “Again, why do you ask?”
a stone,” Zier answered.
bedroll and went to stand beside Ryne, his youthful face transformed into a
mask of hard angles. “This stone has been in my family for generations and is
not for trade.”
have spices, gold, weapons.” He waddled back to the campfire, lifting the
shield with a groan. “Look at this fine workmanship.”
ice dwellers rose from their beds and flanked him, “this stone is not for
trade.”
overly-dramatic sigh and lowered the shield. “But if you should change your
mind—”
at the murderous look in Ryne’s eyes, the same look the dwarves were
reciprocating as they flanked Zier, their hands resting on the hilts of their
swords. The dwarves outnumbered the ice dwellers seven to one, not to mention
they had a giant on their side who could flatten them all into hotcakes.
if he’d just been pulled from an icy river. Tar stood between the dwarves and
Ryne, dancing on his paws.
slinking over to Ryne, his tail between his legs.
master fight with the dwarves, and neither did Alec. He had to think of
something, and fast, before their disagreement escalated.
Ryne, holding up both hands. “Why don’t we all get some sleep?” He did his best
to keep his composure, despite the wild beating of his heart. “We can discuss
the stone in the morning.”
Ryne pointed at Alec with an accusatory finger. “There will be no discussion.”
through a frozen smile.
foolish, or both. Either way, Alec had had enough of his temper. Balling his
hands, he channeled his dead father’s dark and violent moods as he stalked
toward Ryne. “I said, go to bed!” He jutted a finger at Ryne’s bedroll, feeling
the heat creep into his chest as he and Ryne locked gazes for several
interminable, thudding heartbeats.
aware of his own shallow breathing or of Gorpat sniveling behind them.
battle of wills. As the dwarves’ grumbles grew louder, Alec knew their lives
depended on Ryne backing down.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Spirit of the Sea Witch!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged fantasy, Keepers of the Stones, Spirit of the Sea Witch, Tara West, YA by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Judy Ann Davis Author of Four White Roses
Happy New Year Everyone! Give a warm welcome to Judy Ann Davis, author of Four White Roses, now on sale for 99 cents! Grab your copy today!
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 Judy and her Four White Roses.
Judy Ann Davis is a cross-genre (western, mystery and romance) novelist who loves to write about family dynamics, often using humorous dialogue to make the story believable and enjoyable. Her latest novel, Four White Roses, has a touch of paranormal—a wily old ghost. Her love for writing is only overshadowed by her love for her first grandson, now only a month old, born in snowy Alaska. Guess where she’s going this summer?
ALASKA! That was easy. Now for the Speed Round!
Speed Round (one word only answer with a couple exceptions): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite book: Morning Glory, LaVyrle Spencer
Last book read: Manhattan Beach
Favorite color: green
Stilettos or flipflops: neither
Coffee or tea: coffee
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: eBook
Pencil or pen: pen
Favorite song: I’d Really Love to See You Tonight
(England Dan and John Ford Coley)
Streak or not: steak
Favorite dessert: vanilla ice cream
Favorite junk food: chocolate
Favorite thing to do to relax: read
Champagne or gin: rum
Paranormal or Historical: both
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Are you kidding me? WONDER WOMAN!
Favorite TV show: Blue Bloods
Hot or cold: hot
POV: third person
I’d die if I don’t have: chocolate
Review or Not: Review
Whew, wasn’t that fun?
A Little about Four White Roses.
When widower Rich Redman returns to Pennsylvania with his young daughter to sell his deceased grandmother’s house, he discovers Grandmother Gertie’s final request was for him to find a missing relative and a stash of WWI jewels.
Torrie Larson, single mom, is trying to make her landscape center and flower arranging business succeed while attempting to save the lineage of a rare white rose brought from Austria in the 1900s.
Together, the rich Texas lawyer and poor landscape owner team up to rescue the last rose and fulfill a dead woman’s wishes. But in their search to discover answers to the mysteries plaguing them, will Rich and Torrie also discover love in each other’s arms? Or will a meddling ghost, a pompous banker, and an elusive stray cat get in their way?
Let’s Peek Between the Pages of Four White Roses.
“Okay, the blue shirt with the gray slacks doesn’t make you look as stiff and lawyerly-looking as the white shirt does,” Marlene, Rich’s assistant, said. “Too bad you don’t have any softer-colored shirts.” She dangled three other ties in her hand she had brought along to show him.
Rich glowered at her. “Lawyerly-looking? Softer colored? Are they even words? All I want to do is not look like an affluent stuffy lawyer with a stick up—”
He stopped and looked over at his small daughter, then continued in an irritated voice. “I want to look dressy, but not straitlaced or smug. You know what I mean.”
“But you are a stuffy lawyer, and it’s no secret your bank accounts won’t bounce, you dolt,” Lulu said with a huff. “I thought you and Torrie were going out as friends.”
He looked at the elderly housekeeper. “We are. But I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable, and I want to feel casual, but well-dressed.” He picked up a blue and white striped tie and held it to his chest. All three females groaned. He chose a darker blue one and the groans grew louder. He glared at them. “I’ll have you know some of these ties are pure Italian silk and cost a fortune. To some people, neckties are a symbol of success and authority.”
“Then send them back to Rome and let the Pope bury the lifeless-looking things.” Lulu rose. “They look like they should be on a corpse.”
Rich looked at Marlene. “Can you believe I’m paying her to insult me?”
Lulu snorted. “No, Perry Mason, you’re paying me to feed you, do your laundry, and oversee the household. The advice is free.” She headed for the door. “I’m going home, kids. See you in the morning.”
“I can’t wait,” Rich muttered and followed it with a dismal shake of his head.
Lulu paused and offered him a don’t-you-dare-tangle-with-me stare, then looked at Estella with a tender, warm, grandmotherly smile. “Your daddy doesn’t realize the only reason I take his grief is because I love to be with you, doll face. Tomorrow we’re making brownies and Perry Mason here is getting zip, zero, none, nichts, nada.” She headed out the door.
“Stop calling me Perry Mason!” Rich shouted at her retreating back. He heard her cackling laugh as she hustled toward the stairs.
“Okay, Sunshine.”
A Little About the Author:
Writing Romance with a touch of mystery!
With a degree in Journalism, Award-winning Author Judy Ann Davis began her career as a copy and continuity writer for radio and television in Scranton, PA. Throughout her career, Davis has written for both industry and education.
You can reach her at the sites listed below:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Ann-Davis/e/B006GXN502/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyAnnDavis4
Twitter ID: JudyAnnDavis4
Blog Link: “A Writer’s Revelations” ~ http://judyanndavis.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.judyanndavis.com/
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4353662.Judy_Ann_Davis
Yahoo Groups: wrppromo@yahoogroups.com and ahachat@yahoogroups.com and pennwriters@yahoogroups.com
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with your 99 cent sale on Four White Roses!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Four White Roses, Judy Ann Davis, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance by Tena Stetler with 25 comments.
Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance Wins Best Romance 2017 C/P&E Readers Poll
Click on cover to read more or buy.
I was so excited to finally have Stefan and Brandy’s story see the light of day. A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance. Let me explain. A few years ago I roughed out Stefan’s story, a bare bones kinda of thing. I was working 12 hour days at a day job, yet still found time to put keyboard to computer. Anyway, I finished the rough draft and read through it. Something was missing.
I closed the file and opened a new one. Bruce the Demon Overlord of the Western Hemisphere burst onto the scene with his petite witch, Angie, and insisted that their story must be told first or my timeline would be messed up. Yeah, my characters tend to be a bit bossy. So I humored him, drafted his story and he was right. A Demon’s Witch was born, published in 2015. Three other novels would be written and published before I returned to the Demon’s Witch Series.
Finally I thought Stefan’s time had come. But now, readers and even a reviewer or two assumed or asked whether Tristian’s Story would be next. I was dumbfounded. He was an assassin, for heaven’s sake. But Tristian had a compelling story to tell and I suspect he may have woven a spell to ensnare my readers. Anyway, A Warlock’s Secrets came to fruition. I remember after turning the manuscript into my editor, I sat back in my chair and said out loud in my empty office “Is there anyone else that thinks they have a story to tell before Stefan and Brandy’s?” My husband stuck his head in the door, looked around, chuckled and said “All clear.”
I opened A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance file and again said, “Stefan it’s your turn.” He scoffed at me. But I charged forward. He’d grown and changed from the Vampire Council’s Assassin in the two previous books, to a midnight DJ for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana where he met Brandy, a park ranger and a creature he never knew existed. The rest is history. Today I present A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance, a long time coming but I think Stefan and Brandy would agree, well worth the wait. Now A VAMPIRE’S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE won Critters/Predators&Editors Readers Poll for Best Romance 2017! I may never stop Happy Dancing!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Vampire's Unlikely Alliance, Critters/Predators&Editors Readers Poll, Gryphon, Radio DJ. Glacier National Park, shapeshifter, Vampire by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Interview with Judy Moore Author of The Mother-In-Law
Give a warm welcome to Judy Moore, author of The Mother-In-Law!
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 Judy Moore and her book The Mother-In-Law.
Judy, Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve lived in Florida my entire life. I grew up in Miami playing competitive tennis. I was a highly ranked junior player, played for Florida State University, travelled in Europe, and later became a teaching pro. While at FSU, I became interested in journalism and went on to get a master’s degree in journalism at University of Florida. I worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine feature writer, and editor of national business publications. Because of my tennis background, I also wrote about tennis for several years, as well as other sports. Now, I’m at the point in my life where I can write what I really want to write—mysteries and thrillers.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I never thought about being a writer. I was really good at math, like off the charts, so I always thought I would do something with math. I was one of only two girls selected for advanced calculus classes in college. But after six quarters of calculus, I couldn’t take it anymore. It didn’t seem practical to the real world. I changed majors and started taking journalism classes. It just felt right and writing came so naturally.
Why do you write what you write?
I grew up reading Agatha Christie and have always loved reading and watching mysteries. When I took an early retirement from my full-time editing job, I decided it was time to start writing mysteries myself. In the past few years, I’ve written three mystery novels and six novellas. The Mother-in-Law, a thriller, is my latest. Readers seem to really like it and it was fun to write. Murder in Vail is probably my favorite, a whodunit about a family home for the holidays who find themselves snowbound with a killer in their midst.
How did you come up with the title of your latest book, The Mother-in-Law?
I think there is high interest in the relationship between new spouses and their mothers-in-law. Will they get along? Will there be problems? Mothers-in-law often get a bad rap, usually unwarranted, but in this case, rightfully so. So I wanted to keep the title simple. I think the name The Mother-in-Law, along with the image I chose, portrays the mysterious nature of the book.
What is your approach to writing?
I write in a simple journalistic style. Grab the reader’s attention and hold on to it. Use quotes effectively and succinctly. Above all, don’t let the reader get bored. Keep the story interesting and keep it moving! The biggest challenges in writing mysteries is to give the readers enough clues without giving away the killer.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
My books are primarily for entertainment for people who love thrillers and mysteries, to give them a break from reality and an enjoyable reading experience. If there is a theme that runs through my books, it’s that an individual’s nature rarely changes and certain extreme personalities will do anything to get what they want, regardless of the impact on the lives of others. They’re out there among us, so if you recognize one, get away from them as fast as you can!
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Being a lifelong Floridian, I love swimming, playing golf, and walking on the beach with my dog. I no longer play tennis because of injuries, but love watching tennis on television. I also like to read other mystery authors and paint. I take lessons whenever I can.
Okay, you’re casting the movie version of your novel – who would you choose for the main characters? We’re talking dream cast.
For The Mother-in-Law, I think Jessica Lange as the mother-in-law, Jessica Alba as the daughter-in-law, and Chris Pine as the husband. For Murder in Vail, I always pictured Michelle Pfeiffer as Sally, the mother, who is dealing with her selfish adult children and their spouses.
Okay, tell us little about The Mother-In-Law
To read more or purchase, click on the cover.
After a whirlwind romance, a young woman from California makes a rash decision and marries a handsome Floridian after knowing him for only one month.
She gives up everything she knows to move cross countrv to live with her new husband, a widower, and his five-year-old son.
Everything seems idyllic until they arrive at her husband’s oceanfront home, and she meets her mother-in-law. There’s something strange about the woman and the mother/son relationship.
It’s not long before her suspicions begin to overwhelm her as she becomes ensnared in the secrets and lies of her new family.
Available at Amazon
About the Author:
Judy Moore writes mystery novels and thrillers, as well as lighter family fiction. She is a longtime news writer, editor, and magazine feature writer, and has a master’s degree in journalism. Her fiction and nonfiction work has been published in numerous national publications, and her novels are published by BTGN publishers. Her most recent thriller, The Mother-in-Law, is a favorite with Amazon readers. A lifelong Florida resident, she is a former tennis pro and sports writer, so her stories sometimes have a sports backdrop. Her novel “Somebody Killed the Cart Girl” is a golf mystery, and her “Murder in Vail” is set on the ski slopes of Colorado. Her Christmas anthology “Christmas Interrupted,” contains three popular novellas: “Airport Christmas,” “The Holiday House Sitter,” and “The Hitchhiker on Christmas Eve.” An earlier novella, “Birds of Prey,” and her new novelette “Football Blues,” are also available on Amazon.
You can connect with Judy Moore here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36200100-the-mother-in-law
https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Moore/e/B007WTTGPM
https://www.facebook.com/judy.moore.79827803
It was wonderful having you with us today Judy Moore. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Mother-In-Law!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Judy Moore, Romance, secrets, The Mother-In-Law by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
