Bitten by Snake Oil by Shiloh Saddler

A Beyond Fairytales Adaptation of The Brothers’ Grimm’s: The Old Man Made Young Again

Blurb

Since the death of his wife four years ago, blacksmith Jed Riker has been fighting his attraction to men. When sexy medicine-show man Peter Saint comes into Tumbleweed, Kansas, Jed buys his potion hoping for a cure, but receives vivid erotic dreams of the perfectly built salesman instead.

Jed uses all his strength and energy to fight the attraction in a town where the local preacher’s hellfire and damnation sermons promise repercussions if he dares to act on them. Can Peter Saint’s potions offer a solution and free the blacksmith to live and love as he wishes and not as his closed-minded neighbors demand?



Excerpt

A short, wiry man stood on the pullout platform in the back of his brightly colored wagon playing a banjo and singing about a miracle-working elixir. “Peter Saint’s powders and tonics can make the old feel young again and make the blind see. They can make the crippled walk and the ill-tempered gleeful.” Townsfolk doing their Saturday shopping gathered around, taking in the medicine show.

I couldn’t recall the last time a medicine show had come through Tumbleweed. Leaning against the side of my shop, I took in the entertainment from a distance, and my pulse quickened. The man’s strong, melodious voice captivated me. No, if I was truly honest with myself, I was more interested in the way he filled out that sharp salesman’s suit. If only I could peel off his navy-blue striped vest and white shirt to run my hands across the planes of his chest and then open his sable trousers.

The breeze ruffled Mr. Saint’s blond hair under his chestnut-colored derby. The movement drew my attention to the man’s emerald eyes. Realizing I was staring, I bent my head, and my cheeks heated. It must be nearing 100 degrees outside. I grabbed my shirt collar and tugged it up to wipe off some of the sweat oozing down my neck. I struck the match against the side of my shop and lit my pipe. Tobacco wasn’t as good a distraction as a cool glass of whiskey, but it would have to do for the moment.

Taking a puff on my pipe, I tried not to look at the man with the perfect build.

-------

Buy Link--  http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=1030&osCsid=s9pd8jgoofloa0bvosq0fj6130

http://www.amazon.com/Bitten-Snake-Oil-Beyond-Fairytales-ebook/dp/B00QVK3OKG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418756603&sr=8-1&keywords=bitten+by+snake+oil

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bitten-by-snake-oil/id950439253?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/bitten-by-snake-oil

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bitten-by-snake-oil-shiloh-saddler/1120911391?ean=2940149907694

Hercules; An Erotic, Alternative, Fantasy, M/M, Shape-shifter Romance by Cree Storm

[Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Fantasy Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, gods, public exhibition, HEA]

Hera and Aries have taken over Olympus. The other Gods have one chance to free Zeus, however in order to do so the other Gods must be willing to sacrifice their freedom for his. Twelve keys will release Zeus from Icarus and those keys are each a mate to the chosen ones, and the stones will lead the way. Each obstacle is a labor Hercules is all too familiar with.  Can they succeed before their time runs out or are they all doomed?

Hercules's first labor was to slay the Nemean Lion.  Drawn to a Cat Shifter village Hercules finds his panther mate, Micah. The Alpha has been promised strength and stamina in exchange for Micah's death. Micah had accepted the fact he will die until he is saved by his mate. However, when Hercules's life is threatened Micah willingly gives himself up to save his man. A war is about to begin and the question is, who will survive?

A Siren Erotic Romance



STORY EXCERPT

Hercules looked up and into Micah’s beautiful brown eyes. “All I can say is that I swear to you, never again, and I do mean never again, will anyone hurt you.”

Micah could see the determination and truth in his eyes, but he didn’t understand. “Might I ask, who are you? You know my name but I still have no idea what your name is. I don’t understand how I’m not dead, how I got here, wherever here is, how I’m healing when I have not done so for many years, and how you can be responsible when I know we’ve never even met?”

Hercules gave a small smile. “I’m sorry. I’m Hercules and we are—”

Micah struggled to sit up. “Ow, ow, ow. Hercules! Like the Hercules? The Demigod Hercules?”

Hercules went with his mate and coaxed him to gently lie down. “You’re going to hurt yourself more. You need to lay back and rest so you can heal. To answer your question, yes. As for your other questions, we are at Mrs. Hamilton’s home, in a hidden room. I haven’t gotten around to asking her why she has a hidden room to begin with.” Hercules gave Micah a half smile then turned away.

Micah nodded his head. “Raiders.”

Hercules looked at him confused. “Huh?”

Looking at his mate… Wow, his mate. Heh. Who would have thought his mate would be so, so, important. He knew by the smell that they were mates. There was no mistaking it. However, what were the fates thinking? He was a nothing, a nobody… It had to be a mistake. But they say the fates never made mistakes. Did Hercules know?

“Micah, what is wrong and what do you mean raiders? Huh. Come to think of it, I think that Mrs. Hamilton did mention something like that.”

Micah was snapped back to the present. “Oh, uh…nothing. Um. Well, sometimes other prides try to take over and the women, children, and weaker need a place to go, so some people build these safety rooms. It is designed to mask smells and visually you should not be found.”

Hercules was mesmerized by his mate’s voice yet not sure of how he would react to the rest. How will his mate take the fact that he was almost killed because he was his mate and a tool to help release Zeus? Would he think that is all he wanted from him? Hercules wished they had met under different circumstances and none of this was an issue. He wished they could just go away and get to know each other.   However, that was not an option, at least not for now. They were on a time limit here and it was only a matter of time before they were found or Hera and Aries tried something else. “Okay, getting back to the explanation. I brought you here as soon as we could create a diversion. As for your not being able to heal, we believe, that is, Apollo, Athena, and myself believe, that a spell was placed on you at some point. By either a witch or a warlock, sent by Hera and Aries. This spell would not allow for you to heal, so with great injury you would die. We believe that Aries may have promised the Alpha position to the current Alpha, along with strength and stamina if he caused your death. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that they did this to you because… Well… We’re… Well that’s to say… We…”

“We’re mates, yes, I know.” Micah shyly smiled at Hercules. “Is that a bad thing? I mean I know I’m not much to look at and I am so not worthy to be the mate of the son of Zeus but—”

Hercules whipped back around to face his mate. “What? You’re fucking gorgeous! I can tell by the way the people of this village wanted to help you that you are a wonderful man and far more worthy of being my mate than I can ever possibly be for you.”

Micah looked at him curiously. “Then why are you so hesitant about us being mates?”

Hercules sighed. “It is because Hera and Aries are trying to take over Olympus and they’ve taken Zeus and placed him in Icarus, therefore we have to have twelve keys. In these keys are the mates to the twelve chosen and I’m one of the twelve chosen. I don’t want you thinking that this would be the only reason I would take you for my mate. The thing is if I do take you as my mate you will be in more danger than you could ever know.”

Tilting his head slightly and piercing his lips, he thought about what Hercules had just said then asked the question running wild in his mind. “How am I in danger?”

Hercules began to pace, wanting this conversation over with. “Hera and Aries used an Oracle to find our mates and now they’re trying to kill you all so that we can’t unlock Zeus, and I do understand how bad it makes it sound like I would only want to be your mate to save Zeus and that’s not true because I mean look at you and I’ve been hard ever since I set eyes on you and oh that doesn’t sound good either because now it sounds like I only thought of having sex with you and that could be farther from the truth, but I do want to have sex with you but that isn’t the only—”

Micah began to laugh. “Stop, stop. Slow down a minute. Let me see if I get this right. Hera and Aries have taken Zeus prisoner and in order to release him, you have to have twelve keys and I am one of those keys?”

Hercules nodded. “Yes.”



ADULT EXCERPT

As he made his way back to his mate, he stopped in his tracks and began to breathe heavy and hard. He couldn’t believe the sight in front of him. Hercules had his own dick in hand and was slowly stroking himself. “Are you going to come here and help me with this or watch as I finish? Because I so need to come!”

That statement snapped Micah out of his trance quickly. “Oh hell no! Not without me!” As he climbed back on the bed, he lightly smacked Hercules’s hand. “That’s mine.” Micah brought his head down, wrapping his lips around his mate’s cock for the first time. Taking his mouth slowly downward and raising back up. One, two.

On his third time going down, Hercules put his hands on Micah’s head, his hair entwined in his fingers, and thrust his hips upward, “Oh yeah, just like that! Take me, take all of me!”

The feeling of his fingers pulling on his hair made Micah almost come right then and there. So on his next downward motion he went as far down as he could, until he felt Hercules’s cock touching the back of his throat and the hairs softly tickled his nose and all he could do was moan. He went back and forth, working his way back up to the head, then back down the shaft. He rolled his tongue around and around, eventually making his way to the head again, and gloried in the taste of his mate’s pre-cum. Ambrosia, simply ambrosia! Micah could keep doing this forever, but when he came for the first time he wanted it to be with his mate balls deep in his ass.

So without releasing his prize, he handed his mate the lotion and turned so he was straddling Hercules’s face. He was embarrassed, but a bit  too eager to care. Then he felt it. The cool lotion rimming around his puckered entrance and the slow invasion of that first digit.

Hercules laughed. “We are going to smell like peaches.”

“Well, beggars can’t be choosers.” He moaned again as that first finger made its way in and out. Micah could not remember ever having anything feel so good and then he felt the warm moistness of his mate’s mouth on his dick and all bets were off. Oh by the Gods he was going to come and he so needed his mate’s cock in his ass now. Releasing his prize with a pop, Micah could not help but beg, “I need you now. Please, now.”

Hercules was as hard as nails and he needed to feel his dick being wrapped around by his mate as much as Micah needed to be taken. But he was not going to hurt him either. “Soon, baby, soon, but I need to stretch you so I don’t hurt you.” Hercules quickened his pace,  added the second finger, and started to stretch him more, and then the third finger slid in so easily.

Micah pulled off of Hercules’s fingers, not able to hold out a moment longer, and turned to straddle his lap once more. “No more teasing, I am stretched enough!” Aligning Hercules’s cock up with his hole, he began to slowly descend until he felt his mate pass the ring of muscles then he came down harder until he could feel his mate’s balls touching his ass. Hercules moaned and held onto Micah’s hips, stopping him from moving, and Micah wanted to move so badly. “Please, please, please! I need to move!”

“If you move right now this is going to be over before it even begins. Just give me a second, baby, to calm down a bit. I don’t want to hurt you and I want this to last more than two seconds.” Hercules took that moment to look up at his mate and damn near came anyway.

I’m a shifter. I can take it! Now please move!”

His mate was gritting his teeth and had his head thrown back. The look of ecstasy on his face was almost too much for Hercules to bear. This was his mate and he was claiming him for himself. Right now at this moment, a moment that could never be repeated, taking his man for the first time. This was something they would remeber for all time. He had to make sure it was one Micah would cherish as much as he would.

 He gently lifted his hips to make sure he was not hurting Micah in any way, and the noises that came out of his mouth told Hercules there was no pain, only pleasure, so he continued to move in and out of him.

“Oh yes. Yes, just like that. You feel so good with your cock buried deep in my ass. Harder, Hercules, harder.” Micah kept trying to increase the pressure and speed but Hercules would not let him. It was frustrating and so pleasurable all at the same time. Then he  was flipped onto his back and he knew he had not experienced true pleasure until that moment. Hercules was over him and on each downward thrust he felt him hit that sweet spot. The one he had always heard about. Oh, by the Gods he was going to die of pleasure. Could someone do that? “Oh, damn, Hercules, right there. Yes, right there. Don’t move from that fucking spot.”


http://www.bookstrand.com/hercules

He Has Been Plagued By A Demon His Entire Life. A Paranormal M/F Romance, Zenward's Magic by Clare Dargin

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

Marius knew that a mound was a site where the dead lay and guarded the way to the afterlife. If they were not laid to rest properly, they might not find peace in the afterlife. The dead person could then visit the bereaved as a revenant or draugr. Revenants were horrible because sometimes they took the form of ghosts or walking bodies that scared the living. A draugr was simply the undead that lived in graves only to come out when their mound was disturbed. They were the worst.

“We are protected,” his fadir said as he stood up and walked over to the big oak door. He checked the solid door and made sure it was securely fastened. His face was streaked with concern. “Nothing is coming in here tonight,” he said pointing to his large seax over the hearth. It‟s long blade and notched handle was carried by all Viking warriors who had the strength like his father. Clenching his fist, Marius boldly gritted his teeth and growled.

“We will be fine tonight,” his fadir said, pulling his modir close.

Holding him tight, she turned her head allowing it to be cradled in the crook of his arm, “I should have put the rune of protection on the house when I saw the signs.” she said looking away. “What about the animals?” she said glancing behind her in the direction toward the barn.

“I will check.”

Marius shut the door immediately and climbed back into bed and pretended to sleep. He knew his modir had the hearing of a fox and always knew when he was out of bed.  Marius hugged the warm covers. He thought about his father out in the night, brave and strong and not afraid of the monster. Vikings were known for the strength and prowess on both land and sea. That is how they came about defeating the Saxons and gaining the Danelaw. 

His father had told him many great tales of the conquering of York and the taming of its wild lands. He also told him how, during the later times, their people had settled down to become great farmers in the Danelaw and worked the fields to provide food for their families. One day Marius hoped to be as strong and as proud as his father.

He glanced at the door. It remained closed for his modir had not caught him as he had suspected. He slipped from underneath the wool covers and hopped down from the bed, determined to see what his modir had talked about. She said she wished that she had put the rune of protection on the house, he nodded. The rune of protection warded off all evil spirits and would protect all that were nearby.

He wondered if he should draw it for his mother.

No. Modir can do it best, he thought drawing the rune in the air in front of him. He was a good drawer, much better than his brother, but not as good as his modir. He smiled as a thought occurred to him. He pulled a chair over to the window and climbed on top of it and gazed outside.

A streak of lightening flashed through the sky like a white vein briefly lighting up the stormy autumn night. Glued to his spot, Marius stood on a chair and gazed out the bedroom window of his home hoping to catch a glimpse of Helreginn, the Viking God of Hel that his mother had fearfully spoke of earlier.

Suddenly he spotted something in the distance. Marius strained to see. Though he couldn‟t see anything clearly, he instinctively began to shiver.

Being of Norse blood, he knew the importance of honor and bravery in the face of daunting circumstances.

“Viking warriors are strong,” Marius said as he clinched his fist and looked fiercely looked out into the night. 

“Jeg er ikke redd ham du død!” (I am not afraid of you death!) He squinted and continued staring out the window.

Lightning flashed in the night, lighting up the family yard. It was empty and soaked with water. I don’t see him. He’s probably not even here, Marius thought with a note of disappointment.

Suddenly thunder boomed, causing Marius to flinch. A tiny bit of fear formed in his heart and sat there. It seemed as if the thunder liked it.

“Mar‟us are you in bed?” his mother asked from the main room.

“Yes modir,” he answered hoping she would not come inside and catch him out of bed. Marius looked at the handle of the door. It did not move. Thankfully she was not coming in. “Where‟s fadir?” he asked.

“In the beretun,” she replied. Her voice comforted him.

The barn? Why would it want the animals? Looking out the window once again, he saw an amber light glowing from the open barn door. The thunder boomed and crackled once again causing him to shirk, but he was still unwilling to move. Where was Helreginn? His mother had said that this was the night he was suppose appear because the crops had been ruined and there was no food with which to feed him.

Suddenly, a gust of wind howled outside as the door to his bedroom burst open. His mother swiftly walked toward him.

“Go to bed!” she ordered, picking him up and placing him underneath the blanket next to his sleeping older brother.

Moving the chair away from the window with a scrape, she stood next to the bed and wrote on the wall. Her hand shook as it moved. Marius waited patiently, pretending to sleep as he clutched the woolen blanket.

She shook him gently and knelt down next to him. He opened his eyes and gazed at his mother, feeling her love for him.

“You must not go to the window, do you understand?”

“Yes modir,” he replied with a nod.

She placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead. Standing up she walked out the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Marius in the dark alone with his temptation.

He knew if caught again, he would be spanked, but what a story to tell his friends! They would never believe it. Glancing at his sleeping brother briefly, he pushed the blanket aside and got out of bed. Moving the heavy chair back to its spot near the window, Marius climbed upon it and gazed in the direction of the barn. The rain had stopped, the light was gone and all was dark.

He then turned his gaze towards the darkened meadows and saw two red orbs suspended in mid air. Looking more closely, he saw that they were shaped like a pair of mean red eyes. They stared back at him, causing Marius to catch his breath. Stumbling, he fell out of the chair. As he hit the floor with a thud, he heard a yowl in the distance. At first it was masked by the wind then continued on its own as if making sure that its irritation was heard.

The hair on his neck stood on end as a streak of fear sped throughout his body. Staring up at the wall as a flash of lightening lit up the room, he saw the Norse rune for protection his mother had drawn. It was algis, or Z as it was known in English. The same letter as their last name.

Available at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Zenwards-Magic-Clare-Dargin-ebook/dp/B0068M94P6

Historical Romance Author Rie McGaha Discusses Her Newest Book "Cross The Line"

 Scribal Love Welcomes Rie McGaha




Rie McGaha is an author of romance in various sub-genres.  Her newest work Cross The Line is available from Solstice Publishing.

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

Cross The Line is a historical interracial romance set just after the American Civil War when mixed race relationships were not socially acceptable. The title came naturally from this concept because many lines are crossed in this one.

What is this book about?  And what genre is this book in?
This is the story of the daughter of a former plantation owner and a former slave. It's a historical romance but also a family saga.


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

Carrie Ann Robertson is the daughter of a former plantation owner who finds herself alone in Indian Territory, fending for herself. Noah Mosely is a former slave who ran away from the plantation and was taken in by an Indian tribe and taught how to live in the wilderness.

I love American history, especially the 1800's. This country was undergoing tremendous change during that time, had fought numerous wars, and following the Civil War came a period of time known as the Indian Wars. Knowing that many slave owners had relations with female slaves, I wondered how many other relationships between the races went on in secret. The logical place to go was between a slave owner's daughter and a slave.

What is the coolest or best part about your book?  (Any Favorite scenes, the world-building etc..
I spent about five years writing this book and it's my own personal favorite, so I think the whole thing is the best part! I actually have two favorite parts. The first is when Carrie and Noah finally acknowledge their feelings for one another and give in to them, and the second comes at the end of the book between two other characters.

Do you have a favorite character in the book?  If so, why?

I have a number of favorite characters in this story. It's chock full of actual people who lived then with my characters inserted into their lives, and some of their lives altered to fit my story, so I like them all. I suppose Carrie would be my single favorite because she is so strong and determined.


Is this book part of a series?  If so? What can we expect in future books?  

No, this one is complete within itself, so no sequel.

If not?  Are you considering expanding it?

No, I'm not. I don't particularly like writing sequels. I like my stories to all be wrapped up by the end.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in this book?
 
I don't think so. Of course, I could go over every book I've written and continue to edit them forever because I am never really satisfied with the finished product. I always think I could do better. But there comes a point when the story is told and that's that.
 
 

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

As far as American history goes, I did. I got to dig into a lot of areas I hadn't researched in quite some time, like Chief Quanah Parker, and a few other chiefs I wasn't really familiar with before. In fact, I kind of got lost in the research on some days and just read as much as I could get my hands on about the Civil War and Indian Wars.

Do you have a publisher?  And if so, why did you choose them?  
I am published by several different publishers. I try to choose publishers based on who they've published in the past, what genres they publish, their flexibility and their editing staff. I love being edited, and I love killer editors—the ones who will get in there and just rip a new in the story. It makes me a better writer and I enjoy that process.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Ann Rice and James Patterson.

What books are you reading now?  

I rarely get the chance to read anymore because I have so many other things going on but whenever James Patterson has a new Alex Cross book out, all things stop so I can read.

What are the current writing projects that you are working on?

I have a book coming out in March with eXcessica publishing called One Good Man. This is a contemporary romance set in Biloxi, Mississippi. It's about a woman named Allison, who is a big girl who thinks men only admire her brains and no one is interested in her body. When a hot and handsome playboy, who just happens to be the boss's son, begins flirting with her, she thinks he pities her and is just playing around. Allison and Stephen have the same self-image problem, just at opposite ends of the spectrum.

I'm also co-writing a paranormal/time travel with author Gracen Miller.

 
Do you write full time?  If not, do you hope to do so one day?

Well, I'm on the computer full time! :)  

I am a full time writer but that sounds like I'm pounding away on a new story all day long and I'm really not. I do spend a good portion of my time with promotions, like this interview. But I also write two monthly articles for The Pagan & The Pen; one is called The Eggshell Effect, about domestic violence, and the other is What Women Want/What Men Need, about relationships between the genders. I also have three blogs that I interview other authors on, and I'm the review coordinator/editor for The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews. I'm also a freelance editor, and I'm currently editing a historical ten book series by Amanda A. Brooks.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I've always written stories since I was old enough to make my letters. I was born a writer and have always wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Besides the discipline to sit down and write?

Do you have any advice for other writers seeking to get published for the first time?
Research the publishers, make sure you follow their guidelines to the letter, and polish, polish, polish that manuscript.


Thank You Rie For Dropping by!  

You can find her on the web at:

Author Website: http://www.riemcgaha.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Rie_McGaha

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RieMcGaha

My Space: www.myspace.com/novelsbyrie

You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/novelsbyriemcgaha

Yahoo Group: www.groups.yahoo.com/eroticpromo

Blog: http://riemcgaha.wordpress.com/

Sizzling Releases  http://sizzlingreleases.blogspot.com/

An Author's Tale:  http://anauthorstale.blogspot.com/

Author Offerings  http://authorofferings.blogspot.com/

Men In The Spotlight http://spotlightauthor.blogspot.com/

Manic Readers http://www.manicreaders.com/RieMcGaha/

TRS Blue http://theromancestudio.com/fm/rmcgaha.htm

Welcome Paranormal Historical Fiction Author, Keta Diablo As Discusses Her Newest Book "Where the Rain is Made"

Scribal Love Welcomes Keta Diablo

Hi Clare, and thanks so much for having me as a guest. 

When did you know you wanted to write books and when did you actually start?


I didn't really aspire to be a writer for years like some have. I've been writing professionally for about five years. I think it's the greatest job in the world and wish I'd started earlier. I have, however, always been very interested in books and have read tons during my life. 


Where did the idea for your book, "Where the Rain Is Made," come from?


There's usually a story behind the books we write, and there's also one behind Where the Rain Is Made.  I think that's why this one is the book of my heart.


When my youngest son, Dylan, was twelve, he developed a sudden and voracious interest in history, specifically American West history. We spent hours at the library poring through books, and believe me, our arms were full when we left.


His focus eventually centered on the Native American tribes. For some reason, the legend and lore surrounding their fascinating, yet often tragic lives, held his interest for hours on end. I remember the day I first heard the word Dog Soldier from his lips. I recalled watching a Tom Berenger movie once featuring the legendary warriors of the Cheyenne Nation, but by the time my son finished educating me, I knew who Black Kettle's second cousin was three times removed. I'm kidding, of course.


Like Dylan, I immersed myself in the books, and found it difficult to stop thinking about the Dog Soldiers -- the most revered and feared tribe of the plains. The history books paint them as fearless fighters who often staked themselves to the ground with a long rope during battle. This symbolized a sign of no retreat.    


Like most Native American tribes of the time, their ending was indeed tragic, but I like to remember all the mystical wonder of the Cheyenne, particularly the Dog Soldiers. 


I hope you enjoy reading about Meko and Cesca as much as I loved writing about them. Where The Rain Is Made represents a wonderful time in my life.  What could be better than sharing stories and knowledge with your children?


So here's to you, Dylan, and to you, readers. May you come to love the mystery and magic in life that keeps us all searching for that next wonderful read. 


Where The Rain Is Made has been nominated for Best e-novel of the year (2010). How does it feel when your work is recognized in such a way?


Wonderful! I was very surprised. I found out through a Google alert and had no idea anyone from Authors After Dark (a great organization) knew anything about me or my books. I feel very honored.


Your new book is soon to be published. How nervous does that make you?


I don't get nervous anymore. I try to write the best possible book I can write and the rest is up to the readers and reviewers. You never know what someone will think of your book. I've received twenty five-star reviews for Where The Rain Is Made from all over the Internet. Most of the people who reviewed I don't know. But there was one review from a man. He said he couldn't get in to the book and gave it a DNF (did not finish). As authors, we have to take the bad with the good and mostly clamp our lips together. Everyone's taste is different and people have very strong opinions about their reading material.


Were you yourself a fan of the paranormal genre when you grew up or did it come to you while writing?


I have always loved the paranormal. When I was three years old we lived in a very old house. At night I cried and wanted my mom to sit with me until I fell asleep. I kept telling her about the men who lived up by ceiling in my room and couldn’t understand why she didn't see them. Mom still talks about that today. I think children and animals see ghosts because they don't know what they are. To them, they’re just people. I don't recall much from that age, but I recall seeing the little people in my room. And . . . I was terrified.


How do you approach writing?


My writing schedule varies. In fact, we could say, 'what writing schedule'? I do most of my writing late afternoon until late night. I am not a morning person so I don't write before noon. I don't have outlines, note cards or sticky notes to refer to. I do, however, plan the book in my head for weeks, sometimes months. I go over every conversation, know what my hero and heroine likes, wears and talks before I start writing. I've tried the other methods of making an outline, and I feel this really crimps creativity. I like to write from my head not from notes. And sometimes I don't know where the story will take me. They have been known to veer off the plan in my head. 


You have written a number of books. Do you have a favorite?


I have to say Where the Rain Is Made (see above), The book has done quite well in the market. Authors are partial to all their books; some even think of them as their babies or children. It's very hard to choose favorites when you put so much time and angst into every book. I hear many people say, 'I'm going to write a book,' and I say under my breath, "Good luck with that." Writing is hard, very hard. Don't let anyone tell you it's a matter of just sitting down and putting words on paper. There is so much more to it than that. 


 What was your favorite book growing up? 


Oh, good, an easy question. I love To Kill A Mockingbird and still do. I read it at least once a year. The first time I read TKAM I was in 5th grade. A teacher placed a copy and my desk and said, "Keta, read this book. I think you'll love it." Several days passed before I picked up the book, but then I couldn't put it down. TKAM opened an entire world for me. I could feel the sultry heat of that town, taste the horrid prejudice. I fell in love with Gem and Scout and realized for the first time I could go anywhere in the world with books. I haven't stopped reading. My only regret: I wish I had more time to read. There are so many wonderful writers and books out there calling to me, but time is my biggest enemy. 


Thanks so much again for hosting me. I loved your questions and really enjoyed my time with you,


Namaste, Keta Diablo


You can find Keta on the Net here:


Keta's Keep Romance Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com


Keta's Haunt Author Home: http://www.ketadiablo.com


Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo


Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keta-Diablo/88641942024?v=wall


Keta’s next paranormal/historical Sojourn With A Stranger, will be released in March. 


You can read several chapters here at: 


http://freefantasticalfiction.blogspot.com/





Blurb for "Where The Rain Is Made"


After a decadent-looking savage captures her and her brother, Francesca DuVall spends every waking moment planning an escape for Marsh. She never counted on the powerful draw of desire interfering with her scheme in the camp of the brutal Cheyenne dog soldiers.


Ethan Gray is a curator at a national museum . . . most of the time, but when he travels through time to help his beloved People he’s Meko, the leader of the most revered and feared tribes of the plains. 


Although their worlds are decades apart  Meko can’t resist the dark beauty he kidnaps during a raid. He has many battles to fight, but none he wants to win more than the one that will capture Cesca’s heart forever.

Watch the video trailer for Where The Rain Is Made:

British Author Linda Acaster and her Paranormal Historical Thriller, "Torc of Moonlight"

Scribal Love Welcomes Linda Acaster!


Linda Acaster is a British author of long and short fiction across an array of genres. Her newest ebook  ‘Torc of Moonlight : Special Edition’, is the first in a trilogy of thrillers linking the present to the Celtic past.

So where do you hail from?  


Yorkshire, England, UK. I grew up in Kingston upon Hull, a northern city port of 300,000, which looked more to the sea as a route of communication than to roads to join it to the rest of the country. That sense of the insular, of being apart, has always fed my writing. I live only 20 miles away now, in a small seaside town within walking distance of rural countryside.


What inspired you to write this book?


A walk in that countryside, or several walks. I love maps, and in the UK we have Ordnance Survey maps which mark things such as electricity pylons and whether a church has a steeple or a tower, alongside natural features like shale cliffs and forestry plantations. And named ancient springs. It was the frequency these named springs kept popping up that led me to the research that led me to the novel.


Do you have a specific writing style? 


I’m a ‘show’ writer. I get behind my viewpoint characters’ eyes and live in their thought patterns. I take readers through night terrors and good and bad decisions, always with the unspoken ‘so what would you have done in the circumstances?’ In Torc of Moonlight SE the language has been described as rich and powerful, but in some of my other work it can be minimalist and staccato. It depends on the genre I’m writing and the narrative voice of the viewpoint character/s. Overall, if readers expect pages of description of what my characters look like or wear, then they’ll be disappointed. I don’t do fashion catalogue.


How did you come up with the title?


From the research. A torc is a neck-ring of twisted gold worn, in this case, by Romano-British Celts. The British Museum in London has lots on display and they are truly beautiful. They were an emblem of authority and were often sacrificed to goddesses of water shrines, of which Britain still has many, some Christianised, some not. Seasonal religious festivals of the period were scheduled to phases of the moon and, despite Torc of Moonlight SE being a contemporary novel, the one fits with the other. There is a paperback available, but the ebook is the Special Edition because it carries bonus material: research articles, an interview, and an opening excerpt of Book 2 in the trilogy The Bull At The Gate.


What is Torc of Moonlight : Special Edition about?


In short, the resurrection of a Celtic water goddess which, if you live in the UK, isn’t as bizarre as it sounds. Have you tossed coins into a wishing well? So who do you think is listening? And if you don’t think anyone’s listening, why are you tossing coins into it? Making some sort of sacrifice to water is built into our DNA. We have a need to do it, be it in a steel and glass shopping mall, a verdant rural setting, or even in the crypt of York Minster where an excavated Roman culvert still runs damp.


Not far from where I live is an ancient spring referred to on maps as Old Wives Well. A Roman road, invariably straight, was dog-legged so as to pass by it. The road no longer exists, reclaimed by Nature, but the spring still bubbles up pure water, and in the shrubs surrounding it hang tiny offerings. It’s an eerie place, featured obliquely in the novel. History is all around us here, mere inches beneath our feet, and it has a way of insinuating into our present, for good or ill. 


Is it a single or multi-layered storyline?


Triples and triads were powerful elements in Celtic life, so I’ve followed this through with the storylines, which is why it is written in multiple third-person viewpoint. The main storyline concerns Nick and Alice’s relationship, which continues through the trilogy. He’s a normal beer-drinking, sport-playing, nineteen year old student, she determined to rediscover a forgotten Celtic water shrine she knows is in the area. Their parallel storyline focuses on a lascivious tutor with a past that comes to haunt him through an ex lover, and the binding storyline is of a Romano-British Celt trapped in the limbo of the present. How he came to be in this state, and what it means for the present day characters, unfolds backwards as the novel progresses forwards.

So is it a man’s or a woman’s novel?


LOL! Do you mean, is there a romance? Most definitely, and it follows through the trilogy to its HEA ending. But a Celtic water goddess was a fertility goddess, so the novel examines the differences between the uplifting qualities of ‘making love’ and the corrosive qualities of ‘having sex’. The paperback was well received by both female and male readers, but I wouldn’t suggest it’s a novel to be gifted to a fourteen year old.


What books are you reading now? 


Planks and Other Timber by Michael Deane-White. I don’t often read poetry but the juxtaposition of language and caustic judgement I’m finding incisive, and he’s doing it in so few words, always a wonder to a novelist. The Doll Makers by Penny Grubb. This British PI crime won the international Debut Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association. It’s set in my area and I’m intrigued to see how another author tackles the landscape. On the story front, I can see why it won the Debut Dagger. 


What are your current projects?


I continue to bring my print backlist to ebook as an indie author – I received a Kindle from Father Christmas this year and it’s a wonderful invention – and I’m working on a fiction/non-fiction writers’ manual which explores techniques used in writing short fiction. And there’s Book 2 in the Torc trilogy to finish, The Bull At The Gate.


Do you find that international audiences are different from your native country's audience?  


I’m not sure yet. There seems a reluctance among US readers to try novels not set in the USA. If the storyline appeals, British readers are happy to pick up novels set in Alaska or New Mexico or Idaho. Perhaps it’s because US culture bombards us at every turn so we feel an affinity with it, but the same doesn’t happen so much in reverse. I was watching a programme about Scandinavian crime fiction not too long ago, and it brought it home to me that I’d only read one of the authors when these countries are just across the North Sea from me, whereas I’ve read a lot of American crime authors and we’re separated by an ocean.


Do you see writing as a career?


I’ve always seen writing as a career, even when it didn’t bring in any money. The need to be professional is an attitude of mind. All authors vie for readers’ attention, big names and unknowns. Why shoot yourself in the foot by not spending care and attention on your work? It’s liable to follow you around for the rest of your life.


If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?


In ebooks you can – LOL! But no, I’m happy with the end product.


Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?


At school, around 11 years old. We move from Primary to Secondary education at that age, and dabbling in creative writing turned to composition and comprehension. I was lucky enough to have inspiring English teachers three consecutive years.


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?


Starting. I love research, and always feel that if I just keep going I’ll find a nugget that will make the w-i-p glow. But it is easy to do that forever and not actually write.  I also edit assiduously as I go, which makes for slow progress. 1,000 words in a full day is good for me, but by the time I get to the end, bar a final overall polish, it’s a done deal. It might be slow, but I’d not like to rush a draft and then start Draft 2 from scratch. I like to savour the emotional content of my writing so that readers can experience the nuances of the reality the characters inhabit.


Do you have any advice for other writers?


Learn your craft and gain constructive feedback. Even now I belong to a writers’ support group which offers stiff constructive criticism. When you think it’s ready for publication pay for either a professional critique on a partial – 50 pages gives a good indication of problems liable to appear throughout the novel and won’t cost an arm and a leg – or a professional edit, which will cost more but there’s nothing like seeing your pages littered with annotations to give a new perspective on your writing. Improvement is what you are after. It’s what all writers aim for all the time. Best of luck. 

Thanks Linda For Dropping By!


You can find Linda on the web at:

http://lindaacaster.blogspot.com

http://www.lindaacaster.com 

Amazon US Kindle page: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FEFCKK  

Amazon UK Kindle page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004FEFCKK

I-Pad, Sony, Kobo, etc: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/29377

Historical Paranormal Horror Fiction Author Carole Gill and Her Latest Novel, The House on Blackstone Moor

Scribal Love Welcomes Carole Gill


Carole Gill is an author of horror and sci-fi. Her newest work The House on Blackstone Moor is available from Vamplit Publishing.

So where do you hail?  Where are you from?

I am from New York City, Manhattan to be exact. But I reside in England through marriage. 


What inspired you to write this book?

A great deal actually! I read that the gothic romance novel had fallen out of favor. That bothered me because I have always been in love with the gothic narrative. For example, who can surpass Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca with its opening: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley?”

If we think of Rebecca we remember the storyline with Mrs. Danvers and I think many of us suspect there might have been an allusion to lesbianism between Mrs. Danvers and her former mistress. I say this because I feel that would explain Mrs. Danver's murderous hatred of her new mistress.

I feel if published today, that would have been made clearer, not so much to make it graphic but to at least explain it through characterization.

This is something I fervently believe in. I want to bring new readers into the gothic romantic fold and I feel the only way to achieve that is to make the stories far darker and bolder.
I think that there must be far darker themes and much bolder storylines to achieve this. 


I don't mean paranormal romance with 'racy bits.' I mean books written in the style of Daphne DuMaurier and the Brontes and other similar authors that have themes within them that would never have been acceptable in years gone by.

This is my inspiration!

Do you have a specific writing style? What is the name of your latest book?  And how did you come up with the title?

My publisher says my fiction is edgy. I like the sound of that! I write dark horror both in gothic narrative and for contemporary pieces I write it clipped, dark and brutal (but without needless gore)!

The House on Blackstone Moor.  I had that title in mind before I wrote anything down!


I just pictured a great house that stood on desolate, haunted moorland. And then I began to envision those who dwelt within the grim stone walls! In short, I began to have my story!

What is The House on Blackstone Moor about?

Its themes are vampirism, madness, obsession and devil worship in 19^th Century England.
It tells the story of a young woman who survives her family's carnage. They have been murdered by her suicidal incestuous father.


She finds herself in a madhouse and then, fragile and damaged though she is, she arrives at Blackstone House where she finds horrifying evil. Yet she finds love too--but it comes at a price, the loss of her soul.


There are wider issues here that I felt were crucial. Those who are damned might be damned I felt through no fault of their own.

Further, I bring in fate strongly.  It is, I am assured, never predictable!

What are your current projects?

I am working on a sequel to The House on Blackstone Moor.

I have been hearing so much from readers telling me they can’t forget the characters that I have been in talks with my publisher. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this sequel because I couldn’t get the characters out of my head either!

What books have influenced your life most?


Ah this is fun! Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.
These books have the strongest stories possible. They tell of evil and insanity--there are twists and turns and characters that are unforgettable. They shaped my writing and gave me the greatest gifts imaginable: my inspiration!

Did you find the idea of having your work published for others to read intimidating?  If yes, why?  If no, why not? 

Well in a way. I mean it's like taking one's clothes off for the doctor! We bare our soul; our writing is from our deepest depths, it tells our secrets sometimes, our ponderings--perhaps even our fantasies!

Certainly it did. But as I began to know what Gaynor Stenson of Vamplit Publishing was like, I was no longer fearful. She is the most inspiring person to work with that I have ever known.

She believes in her authors and she makes us want to do our very best.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I would have to say Daphne DuMaurier. I can still remember back to the first time I heard of her and I read Rebecca. My best friend and I used to discuss it. The novel swept me away into a world I still inhabit (well, not all the time)!

What books are you reading now?

Dracula and All Quiet on the Home Front: An Oral History of Life in Britain During World War One by Richard Van Emden and about to start Strange Meeting by Susan Hill  

What are your current projects?

I am working on the storyline for my next book for Vamplit it is tentatively entitled, Passionata and it is going to be a very different take on a vampire love story set during and after World War 1. It is full of surprises!

Do you find that international audiences are different from your home or native country's audience? 

I don't think so. I think a good story with full-bodied characters have universal appeal. I think really people basically are touched by pretty similar things: love, hate, horror, terror, healing, longing and so on.

Do you see writing as a career?

Yes because whatever else, it is all I want to fill up my time doing now. 
It is so much a part of me; the answer must be, YES!

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Truthfully? No, nothing at all. I am a seat of the pants writer. Anything I wanted to change I've already changed.

I believe entirely in Stephen King's pronouncement that the plot should be kept under house arrest.

The story evolved on its own because the characters basically were allowed to do as they wished. So the answer is no.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Not really although I can remember back to performing little plays for friends as a child.
I know I wrote my first story (science fiction) when I was eight and my teacher got very excited as did my parents.

Within a few years my dad was calling me Edgarina Allan Poe because of the dark, grim stuff I wrote. My mother went to see my teacher and was told to let it all come out. They did but kept a wary eye on me!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Of course, the entire writing process is deeply challenging. I would sometimes worry that something would not be resolved but then I was led through it by my characters. I find if I write out what the problem is I can solve it pretty quickly.


The challenge for me is to write as I do, without a basic outline. It is very scary sometimes but deeply exciting!

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I learned that it's very hard to write a book! I think I learned HOW to write a book which is very important, how to carry on and remain relatively normal when it seems increasingly difficult!

I learned to just stay with it and to finish it and to THEN go back and polish it as much as it needed to be.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yes! I read somewhere that 'the best book never completed is not as good as the worst book ever finished.'

That is the most important thing for a writer to understand. Writing in general is difficult, we get inspired--we feel great but then we don't when the doubts come!


The important thing is to finish your project! Stay with it; see where it can go--how it can evolve. Try not to go from one thing to another and another.


Most importantly, develop on your own, at your own pace. Writing is a learning experience, whatever accomplishments there may be, we can always learn something new: better technique and better ways of planning our stories and expressing ourselves, it is, in my opinion, an unending process of growth!


Great News!!  "Due to massive reader response to The House on Blackstone Moor I am working on the sequel.  It will be out later this year."- Carole Gill

Thanks Carole for Dropping by!

You can find Carole on the web at: 

http://vamplit.com/category/vamplit-writers/carole-gill/

http://knightchills.blogspot.com/2010/10/song-by-carole-gill.html

 http://knightchills.blogspot.com/search?q=memoir

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33847

http://www.smashwords.com/books/category/883

http://demonvampirehorror.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carole-Gill-Offical-Authors-Page/125107480887182?v=app_9953271133&ref=ts