Special post with Kimberly Nagle-Seidel

We have a give away going on today for The Demon Souls series. One lucky
winner will receive an electronic copy of Whiteout and Vamped, Books 1 and 2 in
the series.

About Me?

Hi and thank you for having me here, Julie. I’m brand new at this author “thing,”
having published my first two stories in April, 2013 and January, 2014. I live
in southeastern PA with my teenager son and daughter, three kitties and two
mini dachshunds. When I’m not working or writing, I love watching TV series on
Netflix (yes, I will admit I am a couch potato) and reading books.
As you know, Julie, I had a blog post finished, but then unforeseen
circumstances occurred with the publisher I was using, so I’ve had to revamp my
interview. What I’d like to write about is what I’ve learned about publishing in a
very short period of time.

My options?

As I mentioned before, I had two stories published in the last year, but unfortunately, the publisher went out of business. This apparently is common in publishing; very few publishers are successful and many do not stay in business beyond the first year. I believed in this company (and I’m still 
friends with many of the people I worked with there), but finances are finances.
  So, the other authors and I were notified about the business closing. I immediately had 
to figure out what my options were and make a decision. 
  My first option was to submit the stories to another publisher. That would mean going
through the entire submittal, approval and editing process again – something that could take months.
  My second option was to self publish the stories. There are pros and cons to this, and many 
of the other authors and I discussed them. For me, it was the best option.
Two of the three stories in the series have already been released. I’ve been marketing 
them in the last month since their launch. And, I already have gotten the rights back to the stories.

Now what?

Well, this is where the learning curve has gotten steep, having to know all the
details that need to be done to get a story published – something I took for granted 
while having a professional publisher handle them. So, I’ve had to find someone to
make covers for me, as well as find a content and line editor for the third story. Once 
I get all this in place, I’ll then have to learn the magic art of uploading the stories
to the various third party vendors, like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and ARe.
I’m hoping I can get all the details handled in the next couple weeks, so Whiteout and 
Vamped can be available once more!

What can we expect from your stories, action, drama, romance, sex, blood and guts?

The Demon Soul series is a paranormal collection of short stories.
Whiteout is the first story of the series, involving Hunter, a policeman and
Helena, a chaos demon, who get stuck in a motel during a freak snowstorm.
Even in the frigid temperatures, things get very heated between the two.
The second book is called Vamped and it’s about a another policeman, Luke,
who is attending a convention in New Orleans. He’s been depressed after a
couple personal losses and while drowning his sorrows, finds himself involved in
a mystery surrounding the disappearance of a coworker.
Well, there is a bit of everything in the Demon Souls Trilogy: action, drama,
romance, and sex. There is some blood as well, but… that might give away too
much of the plot of Vamped {weg}.

Do you have a favorite character in your stories? Who? And Why?

I’ve always been drawn to Luke Arnold, the male lead in Vamped,  probably because 
there’s a bit of me in his character. He’s smart, tenacious and very loyal to his friends. 
For him, those traits are a double-edged sword and so… wait, I can’t give too much away. 
Let’s just say that Luke’s good qualities are what also get him into trouble in the story.

How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

Ah, yes…Victor was the first character that came to mind from Vamped. Again,
I can’t give too much away, but let’s just say that his motives are entirely selfish
throughout the story.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Well, that’s an easy question. Spread the word! Since I’m a new author, I’m trying
to establish myself, which is quite difficult on a budget. Writing is a tough industry
and I would hope if someone reads my stories, they’ll spread the word to their
friends about them.



Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

For readers, I would have to say KEEP READING! For writers just starting out? My advice 
is to find some trusted people who will give you constructive criticism about your stories. 
Not your friends. They’ll tell you they love your work no matter what, but a group of people, 
maybe some other newbie writers who can read over your work and really pick it apart. I 
would also suggest growing a thick skin. Not everyone is going to like what you write or how
you write it. It will hurt, but try to not take it personally.



Do you have a favorite author? If yes, what draws you to that person’s work?

I have A LOT of favorite authors, fortunately and unfortunately. I’ve been trying to
put just one down here and have rethought my decision a dozen or so times. So,
instead of choosing just one, I will tell you I just finished reading stories from Cat
Johnson, Molly Harper, Dakota Cassidy, Jaci Burton, Vivien Arend, Jayne Rylon,
…oh and Lorelei James. I can’t forget her. There are so many wonderful authors
out there, and depending on my mood, I’ll choose one or more to help me wind
down at the end of the day or to fight off boredom at work.

Can you remember one of the first things you wrote? What makes it memorable?

Yes, I wrote a very short scene and put it on Literotica. It was an impulse thing to
do, so it wasn’t very good. I might, someday, go back to it and fill in around the
edges to make it more presentable.

Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your works?

Most of my inspiration comes from life: pictures I’ve collected that spark a scene
in my head and from there, the characters and action just seems to flow from there.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies, pets or stories you would like
to share?

I already mentioned reading, which is very important to me. I also love to bake and cook, 
so I enjoy finding new recipes and trying them out. I’m also an animal lover. I recently added 
two mini dachshunds to our household. They were from a rescue and are just characters. I’m in 
the process of introducing them to the cats, which is NOT going as well as I hoped.

Favorite places to travel or visit?

I travel with work, for now, just in the US. However, I traveled to Europe as a
child and did enjoy it very much. I’d have to say, that each place I’ve visited has
been wonderful. I enjoy learning the history of new cities and cultures. That being said, I’d 
have to say I recently most enjoyed the Oregon coast with its stunning views of the Pacific.

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book: (Include links to were we can
find your work)

I’d love to entice you with a snipped from Vamped, the second of three stories in
the Demon Souls series.

Luke Arnold was miserable as he sat alone in the small, seedy bar; but that
was nothing new for him. The dim lighting in the place was a perfect match for
his mood—depressed. The lack of people in the establishment only added to
his feelings of desolation. Good, he didn’t think he’d be very good company for
anyone but a big bottle of whiskey.
When he’d heard about the topic for the week-long national conference, he
jumped at the chance to be one of the three representatives from his station to
attend the police convention in New Orleans. He would be learning about new
techniques to uncover clues in cold cases that could possibly help him solve
meant to intrigue and tantalize
one he’d been obsessing on for some time now. It was day three, and thankfully
the daily sessions kept his focus; however, the problem for him came after the
educational meetings concluded. There was plenty of leisure time, which was not
a good thing for Luke. It gave him too much time to think about the one case that
was driving him insane.
He continued to drink, justifying in his mind, that the alcohol was the only thing
that helped him stop focusing on his friend, Hunter, who had been murdered
months earlier. If he could only get a break on the case, then maybe…. It wasn’t
even his case. Shaking his head, he couldn’t think about the “what-if’s” anymore
tonight. They were exhausting. He took a large gulp of the booze in front of him.
Ten years ago, he and Hunter Barnet met at the police academy in St. Louis,
and during training, they became best friends. Like two peas in a pod, or at least
that’s what everyone had said about them, he and Hunter hit it off immediately,
both enjoying high-adrenaline, physical activities, like skydiving and kick-boxing.
Heck, they even looked similar, both with blue eyes and short brown hair. Luke
was taller than Hunter, but not by very much. Luke had gone back to San Antonio
after his mom passed away following a lengthy illness and stayed there to attend
to family business. By the time he’d sold the business, he had already settled
back into the community and gotten a job on the local police force. The distance
hadn’t mattered, because the two men remained very close and talked several
times a week.
The last time he had spoken to Hunter was while Hunter was on patrol right
before an incoming blizzard. Strangely, it wasn’t long after returning to work
following the storm that Hunter was found dead in his bedroom, a gaping hole
in his chest. The St. Louis police department had no idea what happened since
there was no sign of a struggle or forced entry. There was no gunpowder residue
or metal filings around the wound or anywhere else on Hunter’s body. The police
and medical examiner weren’t even sure exactly how the six-inch wound was
made. After coming up with only dead ends, the department decided to stop
actively investigating the case, so he took a month’s leave of absence to begin
his own investigation, but to no avail.
Now, here he sat at the bar, alone, dealing with Hunter’s murder on top of his
mom’s death. The stress was too much for Luke’s mind, and he turned to alcohol
to help deal with the pain. Feeling even more sorrowful due to his ruminations, he
raised the glass to his lips and finished off the third, or was it the fourth, whiskey
he’d drunk in the last hour? It didn’t really matter. He didn’t care, because he
wasn’t paying close attention to how much he drank. New Orleans was a great
city to forget his problems, and all he wanted to do was to not feel the loss of
the two people he was closest to in this miserable world. Waving his hand at the
bartender, he ordered another drink, nodding his thanks when the liquid amnesia
was delivered.
“I knew we’d find you here.” He turned and saw his fellow officers, Seth
Armstrong and Jonathan Murray, coming up to the bar, almost spilling his
whiskey when Seth slapped him on the back. “We’re gonna hit the strip clubs
on Bourbon Street. Wanna go? We’re going to find some fun.” Seth grabbed his
crotch to emphasize his point, looked at Jonathan, and then laughed.
This was the first time in the three days since they’d arrived in New Orleans that
Luke really got a good look at his colleagues. Although they came from the same
precinct, he didn’t work the same shifts as Seth and Jon, but he could tell from
the short time they’d been together that both men enjoyed a good time. In his
alcohol-fogged mind, he decided both men were handsome. Seth was a bit taller
than Jon, but neither were as tall as him. Because they had physical jobs, they
were all solid muscle from their gym workouts and, at least in his case, from the
physical extracurricular activities he enjoyed.
Luke wasn’t in the mood for lap dances or strippers shoving their enhanced
breasts in his face. “Nah, go ahead. I’m gonna stay here for a bit and then go
back to the room to crash. I’ll catch you guys tomorrow for some coffee.” He
raised his shot glass in a salute. “Have fun.”
“You sure? I hear there’s some very fine looking women over at a place called
Fang. That’s our first stop, right Jon?” Luke could tell Seth wanted him to go, the
other man’s face apparent with both concern and anxiety, but looking at naked
women right now was not going to brighten his mood.
“Yeah, come on, Luke. You’ve been hanging at this bar since we got here.
They’re going to commemorate this stool in your honor if you’re here much
longer. Plus, how many times are you gonna get the chance to hear some pretty
Cajun gal call you ‘cher’ while you’re getting some? ‘Cher fuck me harder.’” Jon’s
bad Cajun accent actually made Luke’s lips tilt upward a bit. Damn, the man
could make a joke out of anything. Well, that and the half bottle of whiskey he
had imbibed made it even funnier.
“Go ahead you two. Go find some women and get laid. You both get twitchy
when you’re horny. Don’t forget to wrap your dicks so you don’t take home any
unwanted souvenirs.” With that, Luke chuckled again, and so did the other men.
He looked up and saw the tall, ancient-looking bartender staring at the three of
them with what he surmised was something like concern on his face.
Jon shook his head. “Whatever, you don’t know what you’re going to miss.” And
the two men walked out the door of the bar, leaving Luke alone with his empty
glass. Wait, didn’t he just order another shot?
Luke looked up again to see the bartender still staring at him with the whiskey
bottle in his hand, and now with an almost fearful look on his face. At first, he
thought maybe their conversation had upset the man, but then he filled Luke’s
glass and said in a heavy Cajun accent, “I don’t know what you boys are doing
here in New Orleans, but your friends need to be careful at…” he looked around,
“…Fang. Those women are…” he looked around again, and this time, he
whispered, “…they’re different.” Before Luke could say anything to the man, the
bartender turned and walked away to the opposite side of the bar and began
wiping the counter.
That was strange, he thought, throwing back the shot of whiskey. His mind hazy,
something niggled at him. The longer he sat thinking, the more he replayed
the bartender’s words in his mind, and the more he felt the need to find Seth
and Jon—urgently. After a few minutes, he stretched his long legs and got up
from his stool and started toward the door, the uneasy feeling in his stomach
intensifying by the minute.
Luke stumbled a bit on his way to Bourbon Street, the light of day fading into
the west as he walked down the street crowded with partiers. He didn’t have to
go far, thankfully, since the alcohol and crowds created an almost suffocating
atmosphere on the street. His head began to throb with the music and noise
from each passing establishment. It wasn’t hard to find Fang; two blocks from his
hotel, it was a large building with a neon sign of a naked woman with large fangs
dripping blood. Yup, this was the place.

I want to thank you, Julie, for having me here. I had a really great time! Updates
on the publication of the Demon Soul series will be provided on my Facebook
page, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/KimSeidelStories?ref=hl.

Thanks for visiting us here on JBR! We wish you great success!

Julie Ramsey
ADM JBR

Review of Crescent Bound Crescent Bound Series Book 1 by Karli Rush

Crescent Bound

Crescent Bound Series Book 1

by

Karli Rush

Alyssa Worthington is the daughter and sole heir to the most prestigious coven in the witch world. Her childhood has been spent in the mundane human world learning to blend in and hide who she truly is, and it is here, during her last year that she meets a striking ex-high school quarterback from a small town in Montana who will turn her world upside down. 

Alyssa holds the element of fire, unlike her best friends Lisa and Megan, who are both air elementals. It is the elemental powers that reside inside which require positive thoughts and positive actions in order to maintain this magickal connection. What would happen to a witch that let this get out of control? How can evil become the driving force behind revenge and death?

Dark secrets, dark magick and a desperate desire for revenge will bring Alyssa to the brink of destruction. She is being chased, but this pursuit is a silent one and her chaser has but one goal, Alyssa’s complete and total destruction. Will she overcome this dark threat and begin to live out her destiny? Will she survive and if so, will she lose herself as part of the price for being alive? Or, will her destiny rest on being crescent bound?

I absolutely loved this book!  If you like to read books about witches this one's the one to read.  It has everything you need to keep it entertaining & make you want to keep reading until you finish.  Once you start it, you can't put it down.  This is an amazing read and it had me turning pages til the very end.  The story line was exciting & fast paced & the characters easy to love.  The ending was amazing. I can't wait to read the 2nd book in this series..  This is the first book I've read by this author, and I'd love to read more

I rate this book 5 stars

Jennifer

Review of The Banshee's Revenge Book 3 of the Banshee's Desire trilogy by Victoria Richards

The Banshee's Revenge

Book 3 of the Banshee's Desire trilogy

by

Victoria Richards

This is Book III of The Banshee's Embrace Trilogy

Toby Williams is a wizard with a problem. He is very much in love with half banshee, Jacqueline Huston. Though she exists in the realm of the living, as a banshee she is also able to see death- and help those who have died to cross over to the other side. But something inside her has snapped. Anger and revenge is all she feels now. Jacqueline is hell-bent on revenge to the Brotherhood of Merlyn wizard’s for their past atrocities and their current attempts to kill her love, Toby; especially their ancient and powerful leader, Gwydion. One by one she tracks them down and destroys them. Jacqueline’s power grows with each wizard she reaps while Death’s voice taunts her from within. By pursuing a path of revenge Jacqueline isn't doing her job as a banshee, leaving those who have died unable to cross over and throwing off the balance of nature- with dire consequences.

Toby is at a loss how to save her, and the world. His answer comes in the form of Morrigan, a powerful Celtic goddess. Morrigan has a plan to help Toby save Jacqueline and regain her humanity, but at great risk.

Even the best laid plans can go astray, especially when evil Gwydion enlists the help from a god of the underworld.

Will Jacqueline be saved? Does she have any chance at regaining her humanity? Can Toby and Morrigan overcome a powerful wizard and a god of the underworld? Find out now in the exciting conclusion of The Banshee's Embrace Trilogy

I absolutely loved this book! Once I started it, I couldn't put it down until I finished. This is an amazing quick read. The characters & story line were amazing. The ending to this trilogy was PERFECT. I can't wait to read more by this author.

I rate this book 5 stars

Jennifer

Review of The Ex Factor by Cate Masters

The Ex Factor

by Cate Master

Once half of the most powerful ‘it’ couple in Hollywood, actress Susan Ainsley is tired of shallow guys or men who only want to bask in her spotlight. When her ex can’t seem to stop trashing their relationship even though he’s remarried, she looks to Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand service to help her find a real partner.
Susan has starred in director Jared Thornwell’s dreams for years. But after divorcing her cardboard husband, it seems she’s out on the town with a new guy every other week. Jared wants nothing more than to be the man who fulfills her dreams too, but even with Madame Eve’s help, does he stand a chance with her for longer than one night?

This book has a great story-line and it's well-written too..  I love reading short books or series but this was way to short for me..  it was like  wham bam thank you i hate saying that but its true.. it needed more about the new couple at the end of the book but nothing there..sorry 

3 out of 5 star's

Olivia R.

Review of Emily's Passion by A.J. Storm

Emily's Passion

by A.J. storm

Emily Terbridge wanted to re-define herself now that she was a widow at sixty-two years of age. However, her scars from breast cancer and the guilt over letting go of her husband’s memories were holding her back. Her middle age non-existent sex life was extinguished by her full-time job, raising her children, and busy lifestyle. 
On her fifty-seventh birthday, a gift of an e-reader from her husband helped jumpstart her sexual desires, much to his amazement and sheer joy. She loved erotic romance books and reading them fanned a flame that had been extinguished long ago. After her husband’s death, Emily decided to take an adventure, away from family and friends, to Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, where they had always longed to go. 
She rented a cabin and while eating a local restaurant encountered Mr. Long Tall Legs and caught herself ogling him while he wasn’t looking. Alan Cain, a sixty-nine year old widower and retired businessman, caught he stares. From the moment his eyes met hers he set his sights on becoming romantically involved with her. What he didn’t realize, until too late, was that her emotional past would keep him at an unwanted distance from her heart. 
He planned to slowly bring her into a friendship which he hoped would evolve into a more heated relationship. But he carried a secret one which might destroy everything he wanted to experience with her. Could love be found again for both?

this book was well-written and had amazing story-line.. just little weird reading about 60 year olds new for me.. don't get me wrong i love old people they are cute even more with married couple... 

4 out of 5 star's 

Olivia R.

Tony-Paul De Vissage Interview Special Feb 25th

We are having a give away going on for _____. What item are you giving away?

A copy of Vampires are Forever and The Last Vampire Standing (total value: $12.00)

to one winner. (Anyone can win the item by going to the rafflecopter on the right hand

side of the pg.)

First why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

How about I give you the “official bio”? It sounds much more exciting than the real

thing. Here it is…ahem…:

A writer of French Huguenot extraction, Tony-Paul de Vissage's first movie memories is of being six

years old, viewing the old Universal horror flick, Dracula's Daughter on television, and being scared

sleepless--and that may explain a lifelong interest in vampires.



This was further inspired when the author was kidnapped by a band of transplanted Romanian

vampires sightseeing in the South. Having never seen a human who wasn’t frightened of them, they

offered to pay the youngster’s way through college if he would become an author and write about

vampires in a positive manner. He agreed, was returned to his parents (who were also grateful

for the tuition offer since it let them off the) and continued to keep in touch with his supernatural

mentors.

Though the author didn't begin writing horror--or any other genre--until after graduating with a

Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from a well-known Southern University (and a second in Graphic

Art), that one particular interest--and the promise made to his mentors--survived a liberal arts'

education and the scorn of friends and family. Marriage, parenthood, divorce, and a variety of

occupations ranging from stage work to doctor's assistant took precedent over writing for several

years, as did moving from one United States coast to another.

Eventually that first story--a short story about the hapless vampire Clan Andriescu--was published.

A voracious reader whose personal library has been shipped more than 3,000 miles, Tony-Paul has

read hundreds of vampire tales and viewed more than as many movies.

Newest release?

My latest novel is Shadow Lord, Book 1 of the Second Species series, which is being

released by Double Dragon Publishing. This is a vampire series, involving a group

of beings about whom the vampire legend sprang up. The aventurieri aren’t really

vampires. They’re merely a second species of human, but their differences have

made them into the myth the First Species—true humans—call “vampire.”

Shadow Lord was released in November, 2013.

I’d also like to add I have a novel coming out this month which is a vast departure

for me for several reasons. It’s a historical novel (the first I’ve ever written), as well

as GBLT (also a first), and also a horror story. Absinthe, a Tale of Magic, Love, and

Revenge is being released by Class Act Books on February 15, 2014.

What can we expect from your stories, action, drama, romance, sex, blood and guts?

All of the above. What else could it be since it’s the story of 4 male vampires?

Action: fights in the air with fangs and talons; battles on the ground with swords and

pistols

Drama: a hunt through the centuries for a killer; an ancient prophecy

Romance: a French marquise, a Transylvanian peasant girl, the occupant of an

Austrian bordello

Sex: vampires+sex=synomymous

Blood and guts: in extravagant amounts



Do you have a favorite character in your stories? Who? and Why?

Marek in Shadow Lord is a favorite character, of course, since he’s the hero of this

projected eight-novel series but one other whom I truly enjoyed writing about was

Vlad Chemare, the title character in The Last Vampire Standing.

Vlad is an upstart, as conceited as they come. He thought the ruler of the vampires

needed to be ousted and he was just the fledgling to do it, and ended up getting

buried alive for his troubles. Six hundred years later, he’s up and at ’em and again

ready to fight and this time he isn’t going to lose. Between love affairs and recruiting

the local werewolf populace to be his K-9 corps, he takes down the tyrant king.

I had great fun writing about Vlad because he was such a smart-ass, besides being

a lover and a fighter. He got in quite a few good fang-in-cheek comments about the

current vampire craze, vampire movies, re-enactments, as well as a number of other

contemporary and historical events.

How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

You know, right off hand, I can’t think of a character I didn’t like…even a little. I

enjoy writing villains. Actor Lee van Cleef once said the best way to portray a villain

is to act as if you’re enjoying every minute of it. It’s so much fun creating the men

you love to hate.

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:

With the exception of a couple of words which I made up, most of the foreign

language the vampire’s speak in the Second Species is actual Transylvanian.

Because of that, I include a short glossary for the curios who want to know the exact

meanings.

In the novel, in the year 1806, my vampires smoke cigarettes and use strike matches.

My research showed paper-wrapped cigarettes and matches which were lit by being

dragged against a surface were available a couple of years earlier.

Have there been any other authors who have inspired your work or helped you out with

your stories?

My friend Linda Nightingale and I often get together for brainstorming, sometimes

by phone, since she lives in Houston, TX and I’m 1500 miles away. Linda writes

about vampires, too, and hers are just as unique as mine so we often swap ideas and

suggestions and help each other out when we paint outselves into a corner.

As for other authors…I’d say any author I’ve ever read who writes horror or

paranormal has aided me in creating my own stories. They’ve shown me what to

write and what not to write as well as given me hours of reading pleasure.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?

Do I dare say the obvious? BUY MY BOOKS!!!

Seriously, I guess the best way would be to recommend the books to others who like

the same genre (but suggest they buy their own, don’t lend them, please.)

Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?

The same advice I was given, I guess…be persistent and develop a thick skin. Don’t

sit around and wait for the publishers to come beating on your door. It ain’t gonna

happen.

Do you have a favorite author? If yes, what draws you to that person’s work?

It’s really difficult sometimes to say exactly what one likes about someone’s writing.

The writing style, turns of phrase, unique plots, the characters. I like Jim Butcher,

JD Robb, and JR Ward, and they each offer something from each of these areas

that makes me coming back for more.

Can you remember one of the first things you wrote? What makes it memorable?

Indeed I do. The words “cat” and “rat” on a sheet of notebook paper. I didn’t

know how to spell dog at that time and was proud I could write two words which

were similar. The first “novel” I attempted was a graphic novel when I was 8.

My parents had a friend who was an x-ray tech and she’d give me the long yellow

sheets placed between x-ray films. I’d draw on those and then write captions for

the pictures. One of the first ones I did was an African adventure a la Tarzan. The

first actual short story was when I was in the 7th

vampire named—get this!—“Batavia. ” Really bad…

Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your works?

Just about anywhere. Something someone says, a photograph, the thought “What

would’ve happened if…?” A bad dream. (Yes, I’ve written an entire novel based

 grade. I wrote a horror tale about a

on a dream I had once.) The Second Species came about when I read an article

which brought up the fact that of all the myriad species of flora and fauna on Earth,

there’s only one species of human, so I invented a second one.

Do you have any other interesting hobbies, pets or stories you would like to share?

I used to have lots of hobbies—raising tropical fish, horseback riding, painting—but

once I started writing seriously, they all kind of fell by the wayside. Occasionally, I

push myself away from the keyboard to take up pencil and brush and do a sketch or

two, but other than that, it’s type, type, type. Oh…I do cook—surprise, surprise! I

make a mean Transylvanian gulas…and my roasted red pepper soup ain’t too bad

either. I figure everyone’s got to eat, so why not learn to cook something good while

I’m at it?

Favorite places to travel or visit?

Nowadays I’m lucky if I set foot outside my door, but I’d love to travel to Romania

and see Casa Drakul which is the nightclub housed in the home in which Dracula

was born, and also Ireland. All that greenery fascinates me…and there aren’t any

snakes in Ireland. I’m not wild about the slithery ones.

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue

and tantalize us:( Include links to were we can find your work)

“Shadow Lord begins with a wonderful intense scene full of action... and will hook

any reader who love vampires and likes something fresh and new. There is romance

and some hot scenes in this one but the paranormal and historical aspect of this

novel stands out. The author has obviously done a lot of research and I applaud

that depth and eye for detail and this unique new vampire world. The characters

are interesting and the writing style dramatic. All in all a very good read that I

would highly recommend...”

--AmberKatzke's Book Blog (Vienna, Austria)

“Shadow Lord will draw you into a world where love, vengeance and honor

intermingle. It will change the way you think about vampires.”--Tony Eldridge, author

of The Samson Effect

“…a thrilling read, beautifully executed… a sensual novel; the rhythm of it, the feel

of language, the surroundings created, the utterly believable, yet fantastic world

these characters inhabit.”—Linda Leigh, amazon review

“…Tony-Paul de Vissage once again delivers the type of work I have come to expect

from him. There is a certain classic charm to his writing. He brings to the reader a

unique twist to the vampire that is far from the usual fare… a fascinating and epic

story…” --Teresa D, Vampire Romance Books.

AWARDS:

Winner, Horror Category, 2009 Maryland Writers Reveal Your Inner Vixen award.

Placed in Top Ten in Horror, 2014 Preditors and Editors Readers poll

BLURB:

Men call them vampires. They call themselves aventurieri. They existed with our

own ancestors before becoming other than human. Now they hide in the mists of the

Carpathians away from their human foes, becoming the stuff of legend.

In 1793, everything changes… Their Prince’s assassin is murdered. His son

demands revenge.

Chosen by the gods for an unknown destiny, a young scholar abandons his studies to

pursue his father’s killer, but at a deadly cost. Marek Strigoi’s thirst for retribution

will lose him the woman he loves when he is banned from his Transylvanian

homeland. Thrust into the outside world of 19th

the violence of the Hellfire clubs of Vienna and desire in a Parisian Marquise’s bed,

but not even love will quench his thirst for vengeance.

When both the hunter and the hunted are vampires, not even Hell will stand in the

way!

EXCERPT:

 Pulling the dress from her shoulders, he let it drop to the floor. His robe

followed. Naked, he swept her into his arms. Holding her body against his chest,

he ran to the window, climbing upon the window seat.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

He pushed the shutters open with one hand and stepped onto the sill.

There was a soft rustle as his wings unfurled. Marek flung himself from the

window, Lily clutched in his arms. Her squeal was bitten off as she realized they

weren’t falling to their deaths, but instead were rising above the trees. Marek

circled the courtyard, then climbed higher, the sweep of his wings pushing the air

past them in loud gusts.

“Look, Lily.” One hand gestured, and she glanced at the scene far below

them…the castel and the forest around it, and further on, the rough slopes of the

mountains and the far-off peaks. On the parapet of the castel they could see

soldati walking the walls. One looked up, pointing, calling to another, and they

raised their hands saluting their ghidaj. Marek swooped lower, spinning in the air,

acknowledging their homage as Lily laughed with delight.

“Oh, Master, it’s so beautiful!”

“This is all Strigoi land, Lily. It’s mine, and it’ll be yours, too, if you’ll stay

with me.”

Circling above the tallest pine he rose higher until they touched the first

wisp of cloud hovering above the mountain peak, the shadows of the cliffs

covering and hiding them. How I’ve missed this. For over a dozen years he’d kept

 century Europe, he’ll find refuge in

himself earthbound. Now, with this wonderful female in his arms, he was liberated

by the vast and concealing dark.

“It’ll be summer soon,” he said. “When the nights are warmer, we’ll fly over

the river and see our reflections in the water. It’s so clear you can see to the

bottom when the moon’s full. The travertine in the currents reflects it like a mirror.

Would you like that? Will you stay?”

“Oh, yes!” Her arms tightened around his neck.

Before them loomed the highest tower of the castle, its stones silvered in

the moonlight. His wings bore them to the tower’s spire where the Strigoi banner,

a sword cleaving the sun, waved in the night air. Around the emblem in blood-red

script was embroidered the clan motto, in fidelitas, est potentia…in loyalty, there

is power.

As he circled the tower, he kissed her with a quickening hunger, eagerly,

desperately, even as he tried to be restrained, trailing small bites across her

throat. His wings caused the banner to flap wildly as if in a sudden storm, the

words seeming to blink at them… fidelitas… potentia. Turning her head, Lily

brushed her lips across his mouth. Body against hers, he hesitated. He kissed her

one last time, trailing fingers down her back, breathing softly against pale flesh.

“Time to go back.”

As he aimed himself for the window, Lily pressed her face against his

chest. He landed on the sill and stepped into the room, setting her down as he

collapsed his wings. For a moment longer she clung to him, then took her arms

from around his neck and exhaled a long, trembling sigh.

Links: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Lord-Tony-Paul-Vissage-ebook/

dp/B00GH0YJP4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390590796&sr=1-

1&keywords=shadow+lord+by+tony-paul+de+vissage

http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-77115-135-8
 

Thanks for visiting us here on JBR! We wish you great success! Julie Ramsey ADM JBR

Tracy Brommner excerpt of Picket Fences Feb 20th

One

Malin

The little pink envelope was still at the bottom of the pile.  Just the corner of it was visible, but it caught her eye just the same.  It shouldn’t bother her, at least not like the bills in the pile-how many today?  She traced her fingertips over her forehead and then rubbed her way to the back of her neck, where all of today’s tension had come to rest.

Visa.  She definitely remembered seeing the Visa bill.  And she thought the house payment was in there.  That alone could cause a heart attack.  Two magazine subscriptions about to run out; those long white envelopes screamed “LAST CHANCE TO RENEW!” like Malin and Phil were going to hightail their asses to the post office, checks in hand, to make sure they didn’t miss a minute of…Hell, she didn’t even know what the magazines were.

Who had time to read magazines?

And still, it was the little pink envelope that nagged at her.  Before she realized she’d moved, she saw her hand reach for the mail.  Her long fingers brushed the rest of the mail out of the way.  She stood for a minute, with her fingers-square cut French manicured tips-resting on the envelope.

The pink one.

She’d glanced at it earlier, when she’d first come home and taken the mail from the box at the end of the driveway.  She’d been leafing through the envelopes, and she’d just seen the pink one, and then she’d heard Phil shouting at her and a kid screaming and though she’d been a mom for fifteen years, the scream sent her into overdrive. She’d run toward the sound and thrown the pile of mail on the step in the garage as she passed through.

The envelope-the pink one-had almost fallen behind the step, but Malin hadn’t paid any attention to it then.  She’d dropped her purse and keys there beside the mail and run through the garage to the backyard, where she’d found Cole spilled on the ground, screaming and cradling his arm, and Sammie, high on up on the deck, watching Cole and crying.

Phil knelt beside Cole.  He glanced up at her, and in that brief glance she saw so much.  A flash of relief that she was home, worry over Cole and fear for two year old Sammie up on the deck by herself.

“What happened?” She asked as she dropped to her knees beside Cole and Phil.

“Nosedive from the deck,” Phil answered.  “Hit the ground two seconds before I heard you out front.”

“Nosedive from the-?” Malin shook her head.  There was no point in questioning Cole.  The child was ninety percent dare devil, five percent brilliant, and five percent crazy.  His latest obsession was flying.  Eight-year old Cole was bound and determined to find a way for humans to fly.

“Can you get Sammie?” Phil mumbled.  “I’m afraid she’s gonna figure out how to climb up there and dive off after Cole.”

Malin started to get up.  She glanced over her shoulder to see her baby alone on the deck, crying now ratcheted up to screaming in terror.

“Yeah,” Malin answered Phil.  “Yeah.  I’ll get her.  Cole, are you okay, buddy?”

Cole’s cries had subsided now to whimpers.  He pried his eyes open to look at her.  The big brown eyes reminded her of her older son, Ryan, so much so that she had to remind herself this was Cole.  Dare-devil Cole.  Complete three sixty from Ryan.

“Mommy’s coming, Sammie,” she called.  Sammie cried louder, only this time Malin could hear her saying Mommy.

“We’re going to the ER,” Phil mumbled.  Malin let her eyes travel to the arm Cole still cradled. 

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” Phil nodded.  “I’m gonna pick you up, Cole.  Okay?”

Cole gritted his teeth and nodded.

“Want me to go with you?”

“No.” Phil was distracted as he carefully stood with Cole in his arms.  “Just get Sammie settled down.  Please?  I’m sure we broke something here, but we’ll be fine.”

Malin tilted her head when Phil stepped closer to kiss her goodbye.  She watched him go, thinking that she really should go along.  Cole might be a dare devil, but he was still her little boy.  Okay, not that little, but still.  She was used to holding his hand at the dentist’s office and bribing him with Happy Meals or whatever it took to go to the doctor for his immunizations.  It felt wrong to stand by and let Phil handle this.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the Pilot start.  Sammie was still screaming; in fact, she’d shot up a few decibels and probably the neighbors were wondering what the hell Malin was doing frozen in the backyard while Sammie cried bloody murder on the deck.

When she’d come back through the garage, she’d grabbed her purse and her keys and the mail-funny that she’d actually noticed the little pink envelope that had fallen just a bit behind the step-and hurried inside.  Sammie was hot and sticky with tears and snot and sweat when Malin picked her up.  She hadn’t wanted to be consoled, either. 

She’d fought as Malin tried to soothe her by rubbing her back and washing her face and offering her a treat.  Malin held her a few moments longer, after offering Sammie a treat, and then she’d put Sammie in her highchair and given her a sugar-free cherry popsicle.  From the highchair directly to the bathtub, where Malin had washed the snot and tears and popsicle away. 

Sammie had finally settled into small hiccups, but once out of the bathtub, she was clingy.  Malin wondered if Sammie had seen the whole thing: her big brother climbing up on the rail of the deck and jumping, thinking he was going to fly.  If that’s what he’d done.  She figured it was something on that order, although she’d seen no homemade wings or anything in the yard.

She rocked Sammie to sleep, laid her down with that ever so careful slow motion that all moms are familiar with, lest she accidentally jerk and wake her.  She watched her baby for a moment, amazed at Sammie’s sparse blonde hair and big blue eyes.  She and Phil both had dark hair and dark eyes.  Then again, Ryan’s hair had been blonde when he was little; it had darkened as he got older.

After a quick shower-she wasn’t sure if she felt covered in Sammie’s mess or just needed a hot, steamy shower to jolt her awake-Malin had cleaned the kitchen.  It had been a guys’ night, and Phil and Cole had apparently eaten pizza.  She wondered where Ryan was, but figuring he was at Tucker’s house, she wasn’t concerned.

With Sammie down for the night and the guys’ dishes washed and put away, Malin had settled in the recliner, turned the TV on and picked up her book.  There was nothing speedy about the ER, so she figured Phil and Cole would be a while.  Tango, their longhaired dachshund, jumped up into her chair beside her, and they waited.

Ryan had called and asked if he could see a movie with Tucker, if Tucker’s mom brought him home after.  Malin had readily agreed, not just because Tucker was like another son to her, and, therefore, she knew his parents really well, but really because she was too damned tired to argue with him.

She’d read several chapters in her Stephen King book when Phil and Cole finally came home.  It was after ten; Phil looked frazzled; Cole looked pathetic-he was pale, which only accentuated the dark circles under his eyes, and he had a cast from his left hand up to his elbow.  Malin folded the recliner, stood, and almost tripped over Tango as she made her way to the kitchen to get the scoop.

“Sammie settle down?” Phil asked as he pulled his black Nike golf hat off and tossed it on the island counter.  Malin allowed herself a tiny smile.  Phil loved the boys dearly, but Sammie was his girl.  Only two, and she already had him wrapped around her little finger.

“She’s fine.” Malin nodded.  “She’s sleeping.”

She folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the counter.  “What’s the verdict?”

“Human beings don’t fly.” Phil dragged his fingers back through his curly dark hair.  Malin made a mental note to make sure he had a haircut on the horizon.  “That’s what airplanes are for.”

“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes and looked at Cole.  “Remember that.  Please.”

“Broken wrist.”

Malin winced.

“The ulna,” Phil added.  “Apparently when Evil Knievel went down, he caught himself on that hand.  Cast for four to six weeks.  Depends on how it heals.”

“Peachy,” Malin groaned.  School would be starting in just over a week. 

“Evil Knievel rode a motorcycle,” Cole corrected Phil.  “He didn’t fly.”

“No one flies, dude,” Phil answered.  He yanked open the refrigerator and peered inside, apparently hoping something would appeal to him.  Finding nothing that interested him, he closed the door and looked back at Cole.  “That’s kinda the point.”

Cole rolled his eyes and then turned to look at Malin.  “Can I have a motorcycle?”

“Over my dead body,” she answered.  “To bed with you.  March.”

“Skateboard?”

“Cole Michael.” She pointed a finger at him.  “I said to bed.  Now.”

“Aw, Mom,” he groaned, but he turned and ambled slowly out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

“I need a shower,” Phil mumbled.  “Wasn’t sure if I was at Walmart or the ER waiting room.”

Malin snorted.  “That’s not nice.”

“Oh, the people you see.” He raised his eyebrows.  “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

“A regular beauty queen, I’m sure,” Malin agreed, tucking a bit of still damp hair behind her ear.

Phil edged closer and put his arms around her.  She leaned her head on his chest.

“You smell good,” he said quietly.  “We got outta there just in time.  I think there was a fight brewing.”

Phil backed up and leaned on the island counter opposite Malin.

“At the hospital?”

He nodded.\

“Like what?  Interns and doctors?  Two chick nurses fighting over a hunky doctor?”

“Mm.” Phil shook his head.  “That mighta been sexy.  No, it was three guys.  All grimy and tattooed and one of them was hyped up on drugs, I’d bet.”

“Tattoos don’t mean anything,” Malin mumbled automatically.  Phil laughed. 

“Maybe not, but I think Sophie’s might mean something.” He flashed Malin a grin.  “Shower.”

“K.”

She’d watched him walk away and her mind had wandered back over Sophie Gagnon and the tattoo on her lower back.  Who the hell would have a tiara tattooed just above her ass?  Malin shook her head.

And that’s when she’d seen it again. 

The envelope.

The little pink envelope. 

Sophie Gagnon’s tiara still in the back of her mind, she saw her fingers pick up the pink envelope.  No writing on it.  Nothing.  No names or numbers.  No postmark.  No stamp.

Someone put it in their mailbox.  Someone other than their mailman.

It wasn’t sealed. 

Should she open it?  She opened the flap just enough to see that there was a folded pink sheet of paper inside.  Hmm.  She could open it.  No one would know.  And it’s not like it was addressed to anyone in particular.

The front door opened suddenly, and Ryan strode in with his key and cell phone in hand.  Heart in her throat, as if she’d been caught stealing from the cookie jar, Malin had quickly dropped the pink envelope on the counter.

“Hey,” she offered Ryan a smile.

He grunted a hey back at her, tossed his keys and cell on the counter and in a move so like his dad Malin had to do a double take, yanked the refrigerator open.  Only he found something interesting.

Malin watched him take the milk from the fridge, grab the package of break-apart Nestles Tollhouse cookies and elbow the door shut.  He splashed milk on the counter as he poured himself a tall glass.  At least he wasn’t drinking out of the jug.

Ryan turned the oven on.  “What’s going on?”

“Cole broke his wrist,” she answered.  “How was the movie?”

“Cole?  Our Cole broke his wrist?” He ignored her question about the movie.

“Why so surprised?” She cocked her head and studied him.  “It’s been two months since he got his stitches out.  He was due.”

Ryan laughed.  “What was he doing this time?”

Two months ago, he’d wrecked his bike while jumping a homemade wooden ramp in the driveway.  He’d crashed and burned, hit the side of Phil’s truck, and sliced his knee open-good for seven stitches.

“Trying to fly,” Malin answered, but Ryan wasn’t paying attention to her now.  She followed his gaze to see what had him so riveted.

It was that damned pink envelope.

“What’s that?” he asked quietly.

“I dunno.  Nothing written on it.”

Malin saw his fingers flex and then curl into a fist.  He stared at the envelope for a moment and then picked up his glass of milk.  He held it for a moment, as if he might drink from it, and then he set it down, mumbled a goodnight and disappeared down the steps to his basement bedroom.

 

 

Review of Don't Forget Me by Sia Wales

Don't Forget Me

by Sia Wales 

Stella Whitely, an unassuming but incredibly alluring small-town girl, has never forgotten Jason Rees, her ex-boyfriend who inexplicably vanished from her life a year earlier. But a chance meeting with Donn Brooks, a sophisticated, good-looking, powerful businessman makes her head spin with darkly erotic thoughts. When he turns up as a guest lecturer at her university the following day, she wonders if their encounter was purely coincidental. Hardly the fairytale romantic type, his sensual pleasures take unexpected forms, but falling in love with a vampire with an agenda could be more dangerous than it seems. Especially one with a mysterious past, needs that are very much in the present and a future that he wants to share with Stella… at any cost. He will take her on a rollercoaster ride in her attempts to unearth his unexpected, tormented secrets. 
Jason, though, is back on the scene and determined to win Stella back. He will go through hell and high water to save the only girl he has ever loved, but the risks involved could not only doom him to failure, but change Stella’s destiny. 
The brooding, beguiling Vuk Wolf is a rebel with a cause: to win his best friend Stella’s heart and free her from the clutches of anyone trying to harm her; but there is more to him that meets the eye… On the night of the full moon, his animal instincts risk endangering Stella’s life, while his jealousy over her relationship with Donn puts their friendship in serious jeopardy. Will Stella ever be able to forgive him for his actions? 

I absolutely love this book!!!! A beautiful story that combines passion, mystery and paranormal. just breath taking and well-written.. I read this book in 2 days just could not put it down without wondering what would happen next.. The only thing that needed more work was the ending.. hope you come out with book 2 to this that be awesome!! 

5 out of 5 stars

Olivia R.