Interview with Gunpowder Fantasy author of The Cerberus Rebellion!

I'm so lucky today to have, the author of The Cerberus Rebellion, Joshua Johnson answer some questions for me. Thanks so much Joshua!



What is The Cerberus Rebellion about?

It tells the story of the nation of Ansgar as a civil war tears it apart. It is told from the perspective of four different characters who tell the story of different aspects of the war.

What inspired you to write this book?

I wrote a piece of flash fiction that I called Griffin Steampunk. It was about a thousand words, but it morphed into something bigger and became the foundation for the Griffins & Gunpowder universe.

What makes The Cerberus Rebellion different from other books in this genre?

The Cerberus Rebellion takes a lot of standard fantasy aspects (magic, Elves, mythical creatures) but throws in rifles and railroads. It's not quite steampunk, as it doesn't include more advanced steam-power technologies (ie Airships), but it's in that vein. The Griffins & Gunpowder universe includes a fair amount of political maneuvering as well, though The Cerberus Rebellion doesn't feature this as much.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

George RR Martin and David Weber have had a profound impact on my writing.

What projects do you have coming up in the future?

I'm currently working on The Hydra Offensive, the sequel to Cerberus and #2 of 6 planned novels in this series. I'm also working on companion short stories and novellas that tell smaller parts of the story across the Griffins & Gunpowder universe.

Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy" The Cerberus Rebellion (due to release in early July) and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young son. 

Website: www.gunpowderfantasy.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authorjkjohnson



The Soul Within Book Blast!

The Soul Within

by Nancy Adams

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Alex’s body is in a coma. His soul, however, is not. Desperate to become whole, he must first convince stubborn beauty Evening Sinclair that he is not dead.

For generations, the Sinclairs have been healers. Using a gentle touch to heal the body and a soothing word to heal the soul, Evening Sinclair is no different. Yet despite her secret abilities, Eve has a somewhat normal existence. She enjoys her small physiotherapy practice, dotes on her eight-year-old daughter and occasionally helps souls get back into their bodies-that is until Alex, with his brooding good looks and glowing eyes, appears in her kitchen.

Alex is desperate to get back into his body-two innocent lives depend on it. His only obstacle is Eve and her stubborn fear. Unfortunately for Eve, Alex is ruthless and just as stubborn. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He will not 'go away' and no matter how much Eve tortures him with her lush body and perfect mouth, he will not change his mind. Eve will merge him, and if it takes him haunting her day and night, she will merge him back with a body-any body.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Nancy’s addiction for a good trash novel began in her late-teens when her grandmother gave her a bag of Harlequin Romance books. She was hooked and spent the next few years lurking in the dark corners of used bookstores searching for her next fix. Until, one marriage and two kids later, her own ideas had her jumping up at 3 am (much to her husband’s annoyance) and typing them into her laptop. Beside her husband and children, Nancy has three passions, rearranging furniture, buying bed linens and, of course, writing. Nancy lives in Eastern Ontario with her family and two over sized lap dogs. 

Website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc

Email address:  Fancy-nancy@hotmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/NancyAdams.scribblingseduction

Website: to come – will let you know if it is up and running before tours start



Giveaway and Book Blast: Guardian of the Moon Pendant by Laura J. Williams

Hey Everybody! We have this awesome new book Guardian of the Moon Pendant! An excerpt of the book is below! Don't forget to enter the awesome 5 book giveaway under the excerpt.

Guardian of the Moon Pendant
by Laura J. Williams

The MacAlpin women are of a fierce clan, born from a rare bloodline that harbors a dark and powerful secret – a mystical heirloom called the Moon Pendant. It is the key to controlling the MääGord standing stones, a magical Portal into the Otherworld, the realm of the Fae.

Anabel and Izzy’s MacAlpin are two sisters, polar opposites, living separate lives.

Anabel’s life is going precisely according to her plan, a ring on her finger from her steady beau, Edgar, and medical school in the fall.

Izzy’s life is filled with scars and wounds from her past. Dubbed the “spare child” by her family and treated poorly, she rebelled, and now lives life by her own rules.

These two sisters’s worlds are about to explode when one of them must go to Scotland and fulfill her duty as the Guardian of the Moon Pendant, by recharging this magical heirloom with four elementals, air, earth, water, and fire, and then finally close the Portal.

There’s only one problem…

The Baobhan Sith – a vampiric faery who lures men in with her hypnotic voice, feeding on their blood or transforming them into Màrmann, her zombie-like warriors who do her bidding – desires the Moon Pendant to take control over the Portal, opening a gateway into the realm of man, helping her to seek revenge on the MacAlpin clan, and to quench her eternal thirst for human blood.

Anabel finds herself torn between a sinfully handsome Scottish warrior, Blane and her fiancée, Edgar. Izzy finds herself, angered by her sister’s lack of faith in her.

Both sisters are forced to help one another, but may end up killing each other in the end.

Will these two sisters put aside their differences before the final task to charge the Moon Pendant or will the Baobhan Sith, the vampiric faery, be successful and open the Portal into the Otherworld?

Excerpt

Straining, I peered down at the woman, her body hunched over and writhing wildly, contorting itself into a different form, joints twisting and popping, limbs elongating, breaking bones, crackling hooves pushing through her feet, her body hurling back to face me, her eyes animalistic.

Her spiny nails inched closer to my neck, seeking out the Moon Pendant, her nails long hollow tubes, outstretched from her fingertips, sharp and ready to slice her treasure off my neck. Her lips curled into a quivering sneer, exposing her sharp fangs, her talon-like nails lancing toward my throat as she swayed her weapons above my neck. “Time to pay, MacAlpin,” she growled, while two of her nails pricked at my neck and tugged at the Moon Pendant.

Laura J. Williams is a hopeless and lost cause, tucked away in her dark sleeping chamber, in her gloomy abyss of a writing cave, separated from the realm of man, chomping on chicken legs and quenching her thirst with large glasses of red wine. She is consoled daily by her rescued cat, baby-kitty, who only gives her love when she wants to.

Aye, it is a sad life she lives…

But, God danced the day Laura was born, the angels rejoiced, and the demons trembled.

She’s just another day-dreamer with a story to tell, doing her best to kick arse. She hides behind a shroud of anonymity, creating a world of lost mythical creatures, breathing life into them, and praying that someone will take pleasure in her work.

She is the warrior of the heroine, the sorceress of words, yielder of magic, teller of dark secrets, and the jester of tantalizing tales.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_LauraJWilliams
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451448.Laura_J_Williams
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraJWilliamsWriter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

Captive in the Dark

by C.J. Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.

Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.

This book constricted my brain to the point that blood vessels burst and brain matter collided into mush.



With every line, sweat drenched my arm pits and soaked my dreadlocks.



My six year old daughter strolled into the room asking if she could wear her pink Winx club skirt. I told her hell no. You'll wear jogging pants, a brown paper bag on your face, and don't talk to strangers. As I pondered if it was legal at her age to carry around mace, my husband advised that I should stop reading the book . . . but I couldn't I had to finish it . . . for Livvie . . . for Caleb . . . for you the people who were reasonable enough to see the cover, cringe, and find another book.

Here we have a disturbed guy kidnaping and preparing a young girl for sexual slavery . . . and at some point "I" began rooting for them to fall in love!!!



First of all, I shouldn't have to say this but I'm Anti-Human Trafficking! I took a freaking Sociology of Human Trafficking course for godsake and got an A! So why did I enjoy this book? . . . because yes in the end I enjoyed the damn book!"

AND I AM SO ASHAMED.....



But isn't that the skill of an outstanding writer? To make you want to turn the page. The whole time inciting complex emotions in your mind. Because when a book is crap its crap . . . it doesn't matter how controversial the topic is, its a dumb book. One example of this for me is Ann Rice's Beauty series. I could never recognize the plot. For me it was just a bunch of horrific and sexual images which is why I didn't finish the book.

This book has a clear plot . . . Livvie needs to get her ass away from Caleb! Meanwhile Caleb must prepare her for a task that he's been planning for 12 years.

The characters are well developed to say the least. We're told the story of why both people are who they are which helps me understand their actions and desperation.

This isn't dark erotic fiction. This is a psychologic thriller! Horror Romance! Edge of your seat, spine-tingling, hard-hitting, and unfortunatly panty wetting stacatto scenes with a lyrically infused tempo!

WRITERS! This book is THE LESSON in how to write as the Anti-hero. Hannabel Lector meet Caleb.

So in the end I give this book five stars. The author earned it. I had a great respect for her narrative voice, scene creation, and plot lines. C.J. Roberts I bow to you . . . but sadly I won't be continuing The Dark Duet . . .

When I read I love to have fun and laugh . . . this book just makes me sad and gloomy.



I remember this guy years ago was like, "Kenya have you ever tried Sativa, the legal drug?"

"Uh no."

"Dude. You have to try it Kenya! I smoked it and it was like I was trapped in a coffin trying to escape."

"That's stupid! Why would you want to experience that?" I ask.

"For the same reason people ride roller coasters or go through haunted houses. Its the thrill of danger."

"That makes sense. Its probably why I don't ride roller coasters or do haunted houses. I'd rather lounge with a book and sip a glass of pinot noir."

I hope poor Livvie and Caleb reach a mentally healthy resolution, but I'm about to read a Dr. Seuss book just to clean my brain.

Elements of Gothic Romance

Elements of Gothic Paranormal Romance

By KaSonndra Leigh

Author of Hacienda Moon

Hello there Floozies and Friends,

Thanks so much for allowing me to be a guest on your sassy blog today. As some of you may already know, I recently released my gothic paranormal romance novel Hacienda Moon. Wait! What? I can hear you all the way over here where I’m sitting. And my computer runs pretty loudly, by the way. You’re saying: “No she didn’t just go and write some old-timey horror book.” I promise that it’s probably not what you’re expecting.

Creepy old houses, curses, fainting women, ghosts, diaries, visions, alpha males, psychotic screaming women, and…romance, of course: these are all elements of Gothic Paranormal Romance. The gothic part of this genre is ancient. Yep! That’s right.  I’m talking like Bronte sisters and Bram Stoker kind of old. It has been around for hundreds of years. The paranormal part is what makes it fresh and new. Combine them and you have a modern day gothic story that so far readers are truly enjoying.

So how did my fascination with the scary, dark, and unusual begin? I took a class about four years ago that introduced me to the pioneers of the genre: Horace Walpole, Ann Radcliffe, and Arthur Lewis. I remember thinking: “Man, why the hell did I sign up for this boring stuff.” Hint: I didn’t say stuff. Substitute another ‘S’ word in its place, please.

But guess what? A strange thing happened. These stories weren’t like the Jane Austen and Bronte sisters’s musings. These stories contained old castles and ghosts and torture. This shocked my socks off. And I’ll admit, I actually started to like reading these books.

Okay, so I might be a bit strange myself, but hey somebody has to do it, right? In fact, I’d tell you to go read the Monk. Don’t be clicking away from the page just because you think I’ve lost my mind, now. Really. Seriously. Go grab a copy off of B&N or Amazon (these stories are usually free, btw) and then you’ll see what I mean.

In my novel Hacienda Moon, I combine all of the above elements in a southern setting. The technical term would be Southern Gothic Paranormal Romance. Phew! A mouthful, I know. So I created a story that is part Anne Rice, part Dean Koontz, and part Abbi Glines. Wait! What? Well, I just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention.

But like Abbi, I’m a southern gal. So yes, there’s some ice tea (with lemon) and Bahama Mama mixed drink action going on. There are some sexy hawt heroes, an oil tycoon with a kinky side and a pouty bottom lip, and a teenage girl that will scream in your ear if you act like an Injun Giver. You can take a visual walk through the world of Hacienda Moon at: http://pinterest.com/alestasia/hacienda-moon/.

Thanks so much for allowing me to visit you today.

You can stalk me online at:

Author website:  http://www.kasonndraleigh.com

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/kasonndraleigh

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/kasonndraleighbooks

Facebook#2:  http://facebook.com/kasonndraleighbookspage

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/alestasia