Wednesday, November 16, 2011

My Newest Release! A Paranormal Romance- Zenward's Magic




Blurb
Plagued by a demon his entire life, Marius Zenward will stop at nothing to free himself from this horrible curse. Captivated by his mystery and torn by her desire, Corrigan Heilyn longs to be with him but is held at bay by the horrible secret that follows Marius from town to town.

Will the special magic that only he possesses set them free?

 

Excerpt
Corrigan Heilyn's desire for Marius was palpable. Her body cried out for his touch. His strong heavily muscled arms gently caressed her body and held her close. The gentle musk from his skin tickled her nose as she leaned in close to feel her lips tap against his stubbled chin.

Marius parted his lips allowing his ruby red tongue to peak through. They licked her lips ever so gently before she parted hers allowing it to slip inside her mouth. His kiss was ever so sweet and gentle. Yet her body was on fire. As he pulled her close only one thought was in her mind...

I need you.

http://www.amazon.com/Zenwards-Magic-ebook/dp/B0068M94P6/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321549184&sr=1-4

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Ooo! Welcome Cover/Model and Actor Julian Christian to Our Fold!


Scribal Love Welcomes Julian Christian







Hi!  Thank you for stopping by The Embraced Scribal Love!  Why don't you introduce yourself to our readers!

Greetings everyone, my pleasure to be here.


So how long have you been a cover model?  



And what publishers do you presently model for? Oh wow its been about 6 years now. I have modeled for DCL, Red Rose Publishing, Harlequin, St Martins press and others.


What inspired you to get into the business? 



I love romance and I love women why wouldn't want to be a romance cover model


Do you have any favorite romance subgenres?  i.e. Historical, fantasy, science fiction etc? 



Not really. I don't read romance novels I live them!


What is it like to work with DCL (Dark Castle Lord's Publishing)? 



They are great, they treat you like a person and not just an object



How long have you worked with the company? 




About 4 glorious years now

Do you have any favorite covers?



I love them all, especially Hawaiian Interlude by Kate Hoffman


Would you like to say anything else to our readers and any new fans?



I really appreciate their support and vote for Obama in 2012!!! Haha couldnt resist that one.


I'm sure you have many fans!  Do you have a web page or Facebook page or other social media page so your fans can contact you or keep up with your work?


 
I have a facebook page under Julian Christian (my middle name) and fan page on facebook under Julian Fantechi



Thank you Julian For Stopping By!  We Enjoyed It!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Welcome Author Toni Noel as She Discusses Her Latest Book 'Decisive Moments'


Scribal Love Welcomes Toni Noel!








Toni Noel is an author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense.  Her newest release, Decisive Moments, is available for download from Desert Breeze Publishing. 


What is the name of your latest book?  And how did you come up with the title? 


There are many Decisive Moments in life, times when a life hangs in the balance, times when the heart is at risk, the moments that drag before a lost child is found. For the characters in my latest book, those moments are life-changing and heart-wrenching.


What is this book about?  And what genre is this book in?


My dark romance is about a gutsy photographer and the reclusive architect preventing her from photographing his boarded up house. She needs those photographs to complete her graduate project and earn her Masters Degree in Fine Art. With this degree the young widow will be able to support her young daughter, but the architect refuses to enter his home, scene of childhood trauma, and denies the headstrong photographer's request. She takes matters into her own hands, causing the architect to face Decisive Moments from his past.  


How long have you been writing in this genre?


I've been writing romance for sixteen years, some of my novels are sweet, some scary, but all have happy endings providing the reader with a safe haven for the heart, the kind of books I like to read. Three books are available now, three more will be released in 2012.


Who is/are the main characters?  And why did you choose them?

Amy Millington's pilot husband had no idea she'd conceived his child when his fighter plane crashed in the Nevada desert. Now five-year-old Marta is on a daddy search. Amy has no intention of ever remarrying, but Marta decides the architect who took an instant dislike to her mother will make the perfect husband and father for them. It's obvious the architect is unhappy, and Amy is drawn to the somber man the same way something she doesn't understand draws her back to his boarded up house. Does her daughter Marta hold the key to unlocking the mystery that has made Charles Harding's life so bleak all these years?  


Where did the idea for your book come from?


On the way to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant we passed a boarded up brick mansion in Mission Hills. Days later, I still couldn't get that house out of my mind.


In your opinion, what makes a good story?


I like believable stories with believable characters who do surprising or unbelievable things and create seemingly insurmountable problems only resolved when their two hearts work as one.  


Can you give us a quick taste of what’s inside?  


Excerpt -- Decisive Moments -- the end of the first-meet scene.


Anger -- or was it something else -- flared in his eyes as he stood. "There is no chance of you ever photographing my house," Charles said, a note of finality in his voice.
"Here's my card, in case you change your mind."
He slid the card into his desk without a glance. "I won't."
Amy tucked her purse under her arm and headed for the door. Across the room a burst of buttercup yellow caught her eye. Her own reflection in glass. The only spot of color in the dreary room was her best suit.

Do you have anything specific you would like to say to your readers?


Dark novels do not have to be depressing. In writing this book I believe I've found ways to draw the reader in and keep him/her engaged in the story while the dark secrets unfold.  


Where can we find you on the web?






Visit my website: http://www.ToniNoelAuthor.com
Follow my Blog: http://www.toninoelauthor.com/blog.html
And on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ToniNoelWriter


Bio



Toni Noel is the author of three eBooks released by Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc, and three more to be released in 2012. She retired in 1995 as Senior Accountant for a government contractor to write full time, unaware how little she knew about fiction writing and how much she'd need to learn.


She worked so hard at getting her name into print the San Diego Chapter of Romance Writers of America awarded her a banner reading "Rejection builds character" commemorating the month she received three rejection letters in one day.


A firm believer in perseverance and keeping the faith, Toni made her first eBook sale in 2009 and couldn't be happier seeing her name in print on the covers of her eBooks she downloaded to her Nook.


Blurb:



To satisfy the requirements for her Master's Degree in fine art photography, Amy Millington needs to photograph Charles Harding’s childhood home, but his boarded-up-house holds painful memories for Charles. Without those photographs Amy cannot secure her young daughter Marta's future. Charles denies the gutsy widow's request. Her efforts to show him how to have fun lead him to allow her to photograph his home. Then Marta gets lost and Charles must help search his house for her. He finds Marta and his mother's long-lost suicide note. Knowing the reason his mother shot his father, then turned the gun on herself, frees Charles from his past, but can he free Amy from her painful past and teach her to love again?

Excerpt


The receptionist on a mission to block her path was no match for Amy Millington. On a mission herself, she darted past.

Her destination loomed ahead, the two closed mahogany doors leading to the office of Charles A. Harding, Architect.

So far, so good.

Now to outsmart the sedately dressed secretary seated at the desk just outside those doors. This formidable woman screened the architect's calls and had, on a daily basis for the last two months, refused Amy's request for an appointment.

Failure to accomplish her mission meant postponing graduation for six more months. No way. Too much was riding on her master's degree. Maybe even a Guggenheim Fellowship. Amy's new career, for sure, and with it, a secure future for her daughter. No way would she allow Harding's secretary to stop her now.

Taking a deep breath, Amy charged around the woman's desk to the doors and yanked, sending one crashing back against the wall.

The dark-haired man seated behind a massive desk looked up, surprised. His finely tailored suit matched the toasted pecan color of his eyes. His white shirt seemed almost too harsh for his silk tie softly patterned in rust and bark.

Amy's heart beat erratically, making her lightheaded right when she needed to be at her best. She didn't have much time. Building security would show up soon.

She met the man's unreadable gaze and forced her best smile. Three more strides brought her close enough to inhale the woodsy scent of his aftershave. "Mr. Harding, I--"

His threshold guard interrupted. "I'm sorry, Mr. Harding. This young woman wouldn't stop."

He frowned, but a hint of curiosity lit his eyes. "Never mind, Julia." He nodded at his secretary and she left the room, though Amy noticed she didn't close the door.

Then he returned his attention to the blueprints on his desk. The nerve of him. Like a naughty child in the principal's office, he made her wait.

A fresh wave of irritation at all her wasted time washed over her. Weeks of thwarted attempts to see this illusive man, and what did he do once she'd breached his gates? 

Ignored her best smile. Ignored the stylish suit she'd purchased just for this moment, a suit bought with money she'd managed to cut from her school supply budget over the last six months. It looked like she wouldn't earn a second glance from this reclusive architect.

Finally he stopped shuffling the blueprints, rolled them up and stood. "Five minutes."

She extended her hand, ignoring his cold demeanor. "My name is Amy Millington." When he reluctantly offered his, she shook his hand, an artist's hand with long fingers, his smooth, uncallused palm unexpectedly warm.

"Charles Harding, but of course you know that."

Yes, she knew his name, and a lot more about him, thanks to her research. His presence seemed to fill the spacious room, crowding her. His quick gesture indicated she should take the chair near his desk. She sat, welcoming the chance to catch her breath and corral her thoughts.

He took his seat and cleared the space before him of work, giving her a moment to study him unobserved.

A stray curl tumbled over his forehead when he glanced down at his work, giving him a boyish look. He was definitely more good-looking than any photos she'd found of him, but he looked older than his years, and almost sad.

"So, Miss Millington, what's so important you couldn't wait for an appointment?"

"I wanted an appointment, but your secretary has refused to give me one each time I called. She insisted you were unavailable, that you would never make time to see me."

"Julia simply carries out my instructions." He opened a drawer, took out a yellow pad and slid the drawer shut. "What brings you to my office? Are you interested in building a home?"

Amy glanced at the framed renderings on the wall behind him. All were of rather sterile, contemporary dwellings built of stone and glass. Her artistic eye rebelled at those cold images created by the man seated across from her.

"House plans are not what I had in mind." She steadied her nerves and plunged on as she felt her five minutes ticking away. "I'm a grad student at UCSD just weeks from completing a master's degree in visual arts. Photographing architecture is my main emphasis. I came because of my interest in your great-grandfather's home designs."

Harding's frown returned so she hurried on. "He built six homes in Mission Hills. I've studied those designs, and over the past few months I've photographed the interiors of five of those homes as part of my graduate project. There's only one I still need. The house you own on Harding Road. At one time the man living there gave me permission to photograph the interior, but I'm now unable to reach him."

She watched as the architect's lips drew into a tight line, hardening his expression. A mouth revealed so much about a man.

With a deft motion, he slid open the drawer and stuffed the yellow pad inside. "I'm afraid what you're about to propose is impossible. The uncle you spoke to died." Harding came to his feet, ready to kick her out.

"But surely--"

"No." A muscle twitched in his strong jaw. "Five houses should be sufficient for your needs."

"Not photographing the sixth house will make my study incomplete. Please, could I--"
Irritation flashed in his eyes. "No one goes inside."

Why? It didn't make sense.

All right, time to try something else. "I'm sure you know the first C. A. Harding included ingenious details in his designs." To Amy's relief, his stiff stance relaxed a fraction.

"One interesting part of my research involved discovering the secret hidden in each of the homes he helped build. The house with the dumb waiter to the master bedroom is my favorite."

As if surprised to discover himself standing, Harding eased back into his chair.
Almost made him smile. Good. Maybe she could reach the real man beneath this hard shell. "Or maybe it's the house on Dixon Drive where shrubbery hides the outside stairs leading from the garden to the eldest son's bedroom."

Amazingly, Harding's sculpted lips twitched into a smile. What a difference a grin made in his looks. Gone was the grim set of his jaw, the skeptical frown. A cleft in his chin appeared. What could have made this handsome man so dour? So serious? Charles Harding needed to learn how to lighten up.

Ignoring the sudden tripping of her heartbeat as she realized she was staring at him, she hurried on. "I can just picture an adolescent son sneaking in late at night, no need to remove his shoes."

Leaning forward, Amy met the architect's gaze and smiled. "What about you? Are surprises hidden in your designs?"

"I'm more concerned with function. With practicality. My clientele demands modern efficiency for their money, clean lines and easy care. Hidden passageways are remnants of another time."

"That may be true, but what romantic times they were. Have you asked your clients if they might prefer something more imaginative? A design with a few soft curves to soften all the cold stone and glass?"

"What might seem appropriate in your art would be considered impractical in modern homes."

Modern designs held no appeal for her she'd learned. "Now, about photographing your house..."

Anger -- or was it something else -- flared in his eyes as he stood. "There is no chance of you ever photographing my house," he said, a note of finality in his voice.

"Here's my card, in case you change your mind."

He slid the card into his desk without a glance. "I won't."

She tucked her purse under her arm and headed for the door. Across the room a burst of buttercup yellow caught her eye. Her own reflection in glass. The only spot of color in the dreary room was her best suit.






Here's a buy link for Decisive Moments so you can discover if there really is a ghost living in Charles' boarded up house.     


http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-template/Toni%20Noel/Page.bok  
Or at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Kobo, Apple's Bookstore, All Romance eBooks.    

Friday, October 14, 2011

Our DCL Publications Spotlight Week Continues with Actor/Cover Model Armando Gonzalez

Scribal Love Welcomes Actor/Cover Model Armando Gonzalez!








Hi!  Thank you for stopping by The Embraced Scribal Love!  Why don't you introduce yourself to our readers!
 
Hello, My name is Armando Gonzalez
 
So how long have you been a cover model?  And what publishers do you presently model for?
 
I've been a cover model for about 2 years now. I am currently only with DCL.
 
What inspired you to get into the business?

Well I actually got into this business by accident. I never planned on it but contacted by DCL through Myspace (whenever it was more popular than Facebook) lol. I was asked by them if I would be interested in doing some Romance cover modeling and they flew me out to Kentucky to meet them and the rest is history :)
 
Do you have any favorite romance subgenres?  i.e. Historical, fantasy, science fiction etc?

I honestly don't have a preference. I like any of DCL's books.
 
What is it like to work with DCL (Dark Castle Lord's Publishing)? 

I love working with them. Pam is great and so are all the authors and photographers and editors. I've gotten to meet a lot of them and really like each and every one of them!
 
How long have you worked with the company?

I've been with DCL for about 2 years now and will continue to do work with them.
 
Do you have any favorite covers?

Well at the moment its Within These Stone Walls by Desiree Lee which is my first cover. Awesome book by the way. Its a Def must read!!
 
Would you like to say anything else to our readers and any new fans?

Yes, I would love to thank all my readers and fans for all of their wonderful support. I have a lot of great fans and wish i could meet each and every one of them.
 
I'm sure you have many fans!  Do you have a web page or Facebook page or other social media page so your fans can contact you or keep up with your work?

I do have a facebook page. Look for me at Armando Gonzalez in Harrisonville, Mo. I'm currently working on a web page for my fans and will let everyone know when its up and going. Thank you very much for your time and stopping by. 
 
 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

DCL Publications Is Our Latest Publisher to Be Embraced! Come and Join Us!


Scribal Love Welcomes Pam Seres Owner and Publisher of DCL Publications!



Hi Pam!  Welcome to the Embraced Scribal Love!  Tell us a little about yourself?

I come from a big military family and I love to travel & see new things.


When or how did your love for writing develop?

I think it's always been there in dreams or thoughts. I love The Tudor era!


So could you tell us a little bit about DCL?

DCL was started by Stuart Bazga & I due to our love of The Tudor era, castles, and romance.


What do you look for in your submissions and your authors?

I look for my authors to believe in the novel they have written. For submissions, I totally trust our head editor, Jean Watkins, as she can spot a real good story.


Do you take unagented submissions?

Yes as sometimes agents miss the bigger picture.


Do you take unsolicited submissions?

It depends on what you mean by unsolicited! lol
Joking aside, I have been in the bathroom at a conferences and have had new writers come up to me. I always encourage them to submit to DCL while washing my hands of course. lol


Would you say that your company specializes in any particular genre?

DCL first started with the castle & medieval theme. We know are open to many other genres.


How would you describe your relationship with your authors especially during the editing process?  And through the development of the book?

For the editing process and development of the novel, I leave that to Jean Watkins & her team of many wonderful editors. Jean is tough but she only wants the best work possible to go out.

My relationship with the authors for the most part is positive. I love to promote them & see them advance in all areas.



What kind of product are you looking to deliver to your readers?


A great novel that will leave you enthralled and a great cover that will draw you in. DCL covers have never been better since under the direction of Annie Marshall. I can look at the covers she & her team does with pride.


Check out her latest venture for DCL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsJWDhMjEeM




What would you like for your readers to know about DCL Publications?


We have handsome & sexy Dark Lords on our covers & great stories!


Are there any authors or books that you are excited about?


For sure many!

Including yours Clare as you bring a different voice & Jean took one look at your submission and yes to it. That doesn't happen often! lol

I can always count on Kate Hofman, Veronica Towers, and Annie Marshal to bring about a great novel for DCL but excited to see what Miriam Newman & Susan Blexrud are starting to do. 


And finally, where can we find you on the web?


On the front page of our website done by the fabulous Diane Davis White you can find all of DCL's social links to keep up with our latest happenings.
 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

We've Embraced Our First Romance Cover Model! Welcome Kindred Spirit- CJ Hollenbach


Scribal Love Welcomes Romance Cover Model CJ Hollenbach









Hi!  Thank you for stopping by The Embraced Scribal Love!  Why don't you introduce yourself to our readers!

I've been called "Ohio's Answer To FABIO." I always ask "But, what's the question?"


So how long have you been a cover model?  And what publishers do you presently model for?

I have been romance novel covers for the past 12 years, but I've been modeling for the last 25. Really amazing since I'm barely 30 years old!  ;)  


I presently "freelance" for several different publishing houses.

What inspired you to get into the business?

I was in the first "Mr. Romance Novel Cover Model Pageant" almost 20 years ago in San Diego. I was sort of bitten by the romance industry bug. It took me 8 LONG years and a lot of hard work before I did my first cover, "The Stone Maiden" in NYC. Not quite an overnight success story....


Do you have any favorite romance subgenres?  i.e. Historical, fantasy, science fiction etc?

I do like historical novels maybe because I look the part. Although, everybody seems to think I'd make a good(?) vampire, which may be an oxymoron.

What is it like to work with DCL (Dark Castle Lord's Publishing)? 

A very cool group. The authors are great too. Kate Hofman is one of my favorites. I worked with the late Tracy Ranson . She was a sweetheart and will be missed by the industry.


How long have you worked with the company?

I've known Pam Seres for many years. I've worked for DCL several years too. I've lost track. Time flies when you are having fun!


Do you have any favorite covers?

I like "A Viking Seduction" because it's very "romance novel" looking. My latest cover in the "golden" series for Kate Hofman, "Golden Dreamer" is a favorite too. I designed the cover and my  friend  and romance cover artist legend, Lynn Sanders did the artwork. Love it!


Would you like to say anything else to our readers and any new fans?

I would like to thank each and every one of them for being so supportive of me in  my 20 years in the industry. I can honestly say I wouldn't have been around this long if it wasn't for them! They are the greatest!


I'm sure you have many fans!  Do you have a web page or Facebook page or other social media page so your fans can contact you or keep up with your work?

My website is www.cjcovermodel.com and I'm on Facebook- "CJ Hollenbach"



Thank you so much for stopping by!

Thanks so much for having me!!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Bernadette Marie and The Art of Writing!

Scribal Love Welcomes Bernadette Marie

The Art of Writing About Pancakes

By Bernadette Marie



Approached with a blog tour, and at least twenty different topics, you begin to grasp at ideas.  I’ve been very blessed with my writing.  I find the challenge refreshing when someone says, “write about this or write about that.”  So I put it to one of my eight year old twins.  “What should I write about?”  His reply…pancakes!
When you think about a pancakes, you think about the batter.  It can come from a box or be whipped up from scratch.  You need all the elements before you start and a hot griddle to cook them up.  But a pancake doesn’t have to be just plain.  No.  You can add a delicious array of yummy treats.  Chocolate chips.  Berries. M&Ms.  And my niece’s favorite, Reeses Pieces!  Add milk, eggs, a little sugar, splash of vanilla and pour onto a hot griddle.  Remember, when cooking a pancake, the edges must be firm and the bubbles in the middle must be few or you can have a real mess.
What in the world does a pancake have to do with writing a book?  We follow the same process.
Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser you need the ingredients to make a good story.  You need to know what you’re going to write about and a plan of attack.  Do you need to plot out every scene?  Do you only need an idea in which to fly?  

Mixing your batter for your story.  Do you have a whisk or a toothpick.  Is it going to be easy to guide through the facets of the story with the right amount of conflict and tension or are you going to have to add your own delicious array of yummy treats?

Is your story in need of berries and candies?  Will you add something sweet or tart?  What does your story need to drive the reader to the next bite?

Now throw it down and watch it sizzle.  Remember, even in your story, if you don’t turn it at the right time its either going to break or burn.  If you burn it, your reader will be left with a bad taste of your story and your writing.  If you break it, well, we’ve all put down a book before it was over.
Once you’ve got the story bubbling just right, flip it.  Make it golden brown and serve piping hot to the readers while they are hungry.  Go back to the kitchen and whip up another batch, because if you’ve added the right ingredients and mixed in the right amount of yummy treats, they’re going to be hungry all the time and you’re going to want to feed them.






BIO:




Bernadette Marie has been an avid writer since the early age of 13, when she’d fill notebook after notebook with stories that she’d share with her friends.  Her journey into novel writing started the summer before eighth grade when her father gave her an old typewriter.  At all times of the day and night you would find her on the back porch penning her first work, which she would continue to write for the next 22 years. 



In 2007 – after marriage, filling her chronic entrepreneurial needs, and having five children – Bernadette began to write seriously with the goal of being published.  That year she wrote 12 books.  In 2009  she was contracted for her first trilogy and the published author was born.  In 2011 she (being the entrepreneur that she is) opened her own publishing house, 5 Prince Publishing, and has released contemporary titles and will begin the process, eventually, of taking on other authors in other genres.  Also in 2011 she became co-owner of Seven Songs Press and will release a novella as part of an anthology with other very talented authors in November 2011.



Bernadette spends most of her free time driving her kids to their many events.  She is also an accomplished martial artist, working her way to her second-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.  An avid reader, she enjoys most, the works of Nora Roberts and Karen White. She loves to meet readers who enjoy reading contemporary romances and she always promises Happily Ever After.



LINKS:
WEBSITE: www.bernadettemarie.com
BLOG: www.authorbernadettemarie.com
EMAIL: info@bernadettemarie.com
FACEBOOK:www.facebook.com/authorbernadettemarie
TWITTER: @writesromance



BLURB FOR THE EXECUTIVE’S DECISION:






Regan Keller fell in love with a wealthy and powerful man once. He was her boss. When that turbulent relationship ended, she swore she’d never again date someone she worked with. That was before she literally fell into her new boss’s lap.

Zachary Benson is the head of a successful empire and used to getting what he wants in the boardroom and outside of it – and what he wants is Regan Keller. He’s determined to convince Regan that even though he’s her boss, they can share a life together.


However, when Regan’s past threatens to destroy the architectural firm Zach has invested his entire career in, he has to make an executive decision whether to choose his business or fight for the woman he loves.