Guest Author: Katherine McIntyre

A Different Style of Pirate

         Growing up, I always had a fascination with pirates. Whether it was Treasure Island, Pirates of the Caribbean, or even family vacations down to the Outer Banks where Blackbeard had landed, all of these things grabbed me by the throat and never let go. I’ve always toyed with the idea of writing a pirate adventure story, but nothing ever fully gelled, until I crashed into the steampunk genre. That’s when I discovered airship pirates.

         Steampunk resurrected airships in fantasy full force, even though I can recall earlier examples in high fantasy series that sometimes integrated technical aspects, such as Terry Brooks’ Voyage of the Jerle Shannara. What these ships of the skies offered was more than just the opportunity to explore a new aspect of steampunk, but a dawning of a new era of pirate tales.

         While stories involving ships of the sea have a massive amount of variation based upon the style, when creating a story with airships, there’s a whole plethora of other aspects involved. Not only do the airships in steampunk tales tend to be drastically different from blimps, but a lot of them are running on imaginative technologies featuring things like steam engines.

         Another massively customizable aspect about airships involves the balloon itself—sometimes they’re featured more like blimps, where in other instances they’re overhead balloons with attached ships. When I decided to write my Take to the Skies series, not only did I integrate an entirely different fuel source, aether that gets converted in the steam engine that powers my airship, but I also chose to do a traditional ship below with a metal framed balloon overhead.

         With all the creativity involved in the process, it’s no wonder we’re faced with a new renaissance of pirate stories. So if you’re looking for your next swashbuckling tale, instead of searching the seas, take to the skies!

  

The Air Ship Also Rises
Take to the Skies Book 1
By Katherine McIntyre

The crew of the Desire returns for one final, thrilling adventure.

Ever since Bea and the crew stole that box from the British Merchant ship, they’ve been drowning under enemies. The Brits, the Morlocks, and the man who started it all—their ex-employer.

However, Bea finally tracks him down and prepares for one final fight against the man who made their life hell. He’s got superior numbers and more weapons and wealth than she could dream up, while she’s got a threadbare crew running on grit and dreams alone. The crew of the Desire doesn’t stand a chance.

But Bea’s spent a lifetime defying the odds, and she and the crew will risk it all—their livelihood, their ship, and their lives, for the chance to fly the skies free once more. Secrets will unravel and loyalties will be tested in the smoking conclusion of the Take to the Skies series.

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Excerpt #1:
Already, they were five minutes late.

“When do we get to shoot something?” Sabine complained, her hand brushing over the piece at her side. Girl might whine now, but the couple of bounty drops she’d performed didn’t classify her as a pro. Cracking shots at a paper target was land and air different from trying to fight a living, breathing enemy.
“I’m sure if you asked politely, they’ll come parading in for you to try,” I shot back, wishing for all the world I didn’t have to babysit. Somewhere up above, Captain Morris snickered at me—payback for all the sass and vinegar I doled his way when I was her age. Not like I hadn’t earned this tenfold.
A rustling sound at the opposite end of the warehouse snared my attention. Mordecai blended into the shadows over there, but some more folks pushed the door open with a creak. They stepped in through the entrance, their silhouettes accented by the bright rays of a summer afternoon.
Matilda was out and pointed their way before I sucked in another breath.
“State your intentions, or we’ll be peeling your bodies off the floor,” I called out.
A shot rang through the air, coming from beside me. My jaw twitched.
Sabine stood with her pistol aimed and her finger on the trigger. Those manicured brows pulled together in fierce concentration.
“Damnit, Sabine,” I hissed, shooting her a glare. “What happened to following my lead?”
She stared at me with a familiar brand of insolence in those grey eyes all while feigning innocence. “My finger slipped.”
My blood boiled, and I near had a conniption on the spot. A thousand curses on girls with smart mouths and access to firepower.

Guest Blog with Katherine McIntyre

Highlighting Professions in Stories

    One of the things I love most about writing contemporary novels is the ability to explore different careers and jobs I’ve never worked before. While some folks work the nine to five so they can enjoy other aspects of their lives, other people tie their careers in with their identity. So when I began writing Captured Memories, I decided to write two characters with distinctive and demanding career paths, but of course a little offbeat like themselves.

    For the hero of the novel, Zane Parata, being a chef was only natural. The man’s an ex-con, so his career options are limited, and having worked at restaurants before, I’m familiar with how chefs operate in the back of house. I also loved the passion for cooking that cropped up with his character due to that connection.

    As for the heroine, Liv Morozov, she ended up being a photographer. I have several friends who are, and I love seeing the unique perspective and artistry that comes with the craft. Liv funnels all of that creativity into her work as well, creating two driven individuals, despite their personal demons.

    Choosing careers for the two of them wasn’t just a blind choice though. I went with professions that fit the characters best, and those elements should be considered whenever you’re creating backstories. For example, Liv had this sort of artsy, spunky vibe that would be hard to pop into a business suit and throw on regular hours, and Zane’s rough and tumble, tattooed exterior and jaded past seemed the perfect fit for the loudmouths back in the kitchen.

   There’s a myriad of professions out there, from lawyers to deep sea divers, and one of the wonderful parts of writing is the excitement of exploring them through your characters. So next time you pick up the pen and create a new character, make sure you don’t forget the importance of their career and how it can enhance or accent personality.

 Captured Memories
Cupid's Cafe Series #3
By Katherine McIntyre

An invitation to Cupid’s Café will change your life.

After the incident that caused Liv Morozov to drop out of college, years later she’s still trying to pick up the pieces of her life. She’s managed to carve out a career for herself as a photographer, but when it comes to guys? Her issues send them running for the hills, every damn time.

Zane Parata has declared himself off-limits for relationships. Between trying to maintain sobriety and the long hours he works as a chef, no one wants to deal with his brand of damage, and he wouldn’t want to burden them in the first place.

When Liv shows up at Cupid’s Café, she never expected to find Zane, her brother’s former best friend who had vanished one day and never returned. The sparks that surged when they were both teens rekindle stronger than ever, and all too fast, Liv and Zane entangle in each other’s lives, breaking their own rules. Except with both struggling with the demons from their past, the love that’s begun to grow is one lapse away from shattering the two of them beyond repair.

Amazon | GoodReads

Excerpt #1:

The date started as bland and was speeding right along to abysmal.

    Liv sucked on her straw, taking in an extra hefty helping of her black-and-white milkshake, as if the creamy goodness could block out the absolute drivel coming out of this guy’s mouth. He hadn’t seemed like this much of a twat online, but hey, dating profiles lie. The overhead lights of the Denny’s blared down on her, and the rattle and chill of air conditioning blasting through this place made her skin prickle.

    “So you take photographs, right?” Kyle asked, his smarmy grin the sort kind she itched to punch off his face, and the Drakkar Noir he’d slathered on making her stomach churn. “What’s your real job?”

    Liv swigged so much milkshake it went straight to her head, but even brain freeze melted in the fury his question inspired. So far he checked off every item on her ‘Shit that Makes Liv Morozov Rage’ list. Acting like her career wasn’t a legitimate profession tended to top that, along with the territorial way he leaned forward, his hand inching across the laminate table as the minutes wore on.

    “Professional Emasculator. I’ve been told that’s why I’ve got such a problem keeping a man,” she drawled, batting her eyelashes innocently while the venom poured from her mouth. This had been a bad idea from the start, spurred on by the promise she made to Tessa to give the dating pool a fair try again. Common sense-wise, making connections she might be able to use for her quite-real job as a photographer didn’t hurt, and she figured she could slice through any assholes who came her way.
    Looked like right off the bat they lined up for the slaughter.

Excerpt #2:

This was a terrible plan.

    Liv applied cherry red lipstick in her rearview mirror with the precision of experience, her brand of war paint to give her confidence today. By some miracle, a hangover hadn’t chased her into Tuesday, after the amount of whisky they swilled last night. She had needed all the liquid courage possible following her miserable date with Kyle-the-douche and the way the thought of today sent her into freak-out mode.

    Still, she smoothed the surface of her navy blue cigarette pants and took a deep inhale. Her Converse might not be as stylish as a pair of pumps, but if she needed to move fast, she’d be able to bolt at a moment’s notice. She might feel safe sitting behind the wheel of her Subaru, but the idea of walking down Bardstown towards this café made her heart step in double time.

    She tugged her black leather jacket from the back seat, more a security blanket than any sort of needed warmth since the temperature would climb with the hours. Liv refused to go anywhere without it even though the jacket had accumulated more patches and holes than was worth keeping. Ten years later, and she had never been able to let him go—not completely. He and this jacket remained in her memories as a reminder of a better time, before college had happened and she turned into this jaded mess.

    Liv got out of the car.

    This time of day on a Saturday, Bardstown Street exploded into full swing with traffic flowing on both sides, engines revving and tires whirring. Crowds mobbed the sidewalks, mostly folks of the bespectacled hipster variety, with which she tended to blend in well. Even though the sun beat down on her with a fiery insistence, she slipped her leather jacket on and made her way towards Cupid’s Café.

Tweet: A visit to Cupid's Cafe will change your life. Join Liv and Zane in Captured Memories! #rockabilly #romance

Author Information:
Strong women. Strong words.

Katherine McIntyre is a feisty Irish chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there, from different cultures and races to all varieties of men and women. Easily distracted by cats and sugar.

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Guest Author: Katherine McIntyre

Witches in the Workplace

    While paranormal and fantasy stories seem to be all magic and whimsy, one of the aspects I love the most about the genre is how it can be blended with reality. In my latest Philadelphia Coven Chronicles book, Rising for Autumn, I tackled a lot of the real-world difficulties facing the boss of a big organization, enhanced a thousandfold by the fact that they’re all witches. With all the crazy situations the characters get into like blossoming romance interrupted by growling wights or battling fae on every street corner, it’d be easy to lose touch with the human side of things.

    Best way to connect the readers to the characters? Give them human problems, real-life issues apart from the magic-induced ones. So while witches, hunters, fae, and necromancers are fighting throughout the city, the leader of the Coven is also dealing with the weight of being a boss. Instead of a regular office of employees, Alanna Carrington has an entire building of witches in her employ, the sort of crazy that equates to herding cats.

    What makes Alanna’s situation even more relatable is the personal issues she has to shove aside due to her responsibilities. Even though her brother died the year before, she hasn’t been able to lean on anyone since she’s the leader of the Coven, and during the span of the book, that stress of that burden weighs on her more and more. Sure, she might be dealing with necromancers raising the dead and falling for a djinn who hates her guts, but despite the supernatural aspects, she’s as human as they come.

    So if you’re tackling the realm of urban fantasy and having trouble grounding your characters, don’t forget their real life details. What frustrates them at their jobs? What do they like to geek out over? In my latest novel, Alanna might seem like an ice queen, but her stoic appearance hides a plethora of problems and a secret obsession with horror movies.  As much as the worldbuilding aspect of any magic-related universe can sometimes take over the story, your protagonists are what make the story come alive.

Rising for Autumn

Philadelphia Coven Chronicles #3

By Katherine McIntyre

Crisis and danger have become second nature for Alanna Carrington. After all, as the boss of the Philadelphia Coven, she’s responsible for upholding the laws amongst the supernatural. Which means when the Order of the Serpent rears its ugly head, this time with the most powerful necromancer this city’s ever seen, she’s the one person who can keep Philly safe. Ex-Order djinn and now ally, Samuel Karim, happens to be the best-suited guy to help. Except he’s also the first man who’s stoked her interest in far too long, and ever since she commandeered the lamp he’s tethered to for safekeeping, he also hates her guts.

As the Order gathers the necromancers of her city and sparks a dangerous alliance, she finds herself working with Samuel Karim more and more. Hatred turns to passion, and when he exhibits a strength and compassion that breaks through her ironclad defenses, she finds herself falling deeper despite the complications between them. Yet with her city under siege and their lives on the line, the sharp desire between them erupts into the temptation to break their own rules, before the Order of the Serpent robs them of the chance permanently.

Purchase Link:

http://www.loose-id.com/rising-for-autumn.html

Author Link:

 https://katherine-mcintyre.com/

Guest Blog with Katherine McIntyre

Summer Love

     With all of the books in my Philadelphia Coven Chronicles, the seasons factor into the books in a major way. So when I was sitting down to work on Scrying for Summer, I knew I had to tackle a love story that represented the season. However, summer love has been tackled in so many romance novels to the point it’s become a trope. After all, so many people have stories about summer love, especially during their earlier years, like high school and college.

      So of course, I had to add my own contribution to the plethora of summer love tales, yet try to put my own spin on it. This isn’t some beachside romance—after all, we’re dealing with fae and all manner of beastie, so we see the grislier side of Philadelphia’s supernatural life. So instead, I chose to focus on relating the elements of the relationship to what summer comes to symbolize. Hot, flaring passion, intensity, and sizzling tempers. Since Jev and Liam clash from the get-go, their headspace was easy to sink into, and the hot summer weather just added fuel to their frustration.

      Other seasons might take on different overtones—maybe hope and rebirth with spring, melting down of cold temperaments with the winter, but with the heat and passion that summer inspires, it’s unsurprising that it’s a popular time of year for love. Aspects like weather and time of year play such a unique role in stories that it’s worth exploring what they can do for you when you’re writing, and if you’re sitting down and reading a book, take note of what’s happening in the background. You just might discover deeper dimensions to the story than you initially realized.

      Either way, romances during the hot days of summer don’t seem to be vanishing any time soon. If anything, they’re picking up steam.

Scrying For Summer
By Katherine McIntyre

Jev was looking for an adventure, however she wanted the usual variety of stomping out nasty fae in the city as an enforcer of the Philly Coven. Instead, handsome as sin Liam O'Reilly shows up on her doorstep dropping news of the worst organization of fae they'd dealt with on the rise again. Except, he's a traitor, an asshole, and the absolute last person she wants to work with.

However, the longer they work together, the more the fire between them burns, turning from rage and irritation into something primal. And as she gets to know the real Liam O'Reilly behind the charming smiles and sexy lines, he becomes so much deadlier. Because the protective, self-sacrificing man underneath his facade is just the sort she could fall for.

Buy Links: http://www.loose-id.com/scrying-for-summer.html

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Website: http://www.katherine-mcintyre.com
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Author Bio: 

  A modern day Renaissance-woman, Katherine McIntyre has learned soapmaking, beer brewing, tea blending, and most recently roasting coffee. Most of which make sure she’s hydrated and bathed while she spends the rest of her time writing. With a desire to travel and more imagination than she knows what to do with, all the stories jumping around in her head led to the logical route of jotting them down on paper. She writes novels with snarky women, ragtag crews, and guys with bad attitudes. High chances for a passionate speech thrown into the mix.

Excerpt

          Liam stepped away from her desk and crossed his arms as he waited for Jev to respond, the silence setting his nerves aflame. The entire Coven building gave him the jitters—too much magic brewing in this place, and as he strode through he’d garnered more than a couple nasty gazes. Not like he hadn’t earned them. Anyone who knew his past discretions already juried him as a screwup. He couldn’t help but notice the steel in her gaze as the girl with the brilliant mind weighed her options. Since he’d last seen her, she’d changed her hair to a lush cerulean that even in the yellowed light of the library shone like a jewel.

          Jev hissed out a breath, and her fingertips curled around the edge of the large book she clutched. Her full lips pursed as she met his gaze, a resigned and more than a little irritated look in her own.

          “Fine, consider me baited.” She glared at him before using the desk to push herself up. “Spill.”

          Liam shook his head, casting a glance around the spacious room. Jev had earned his trust through the blood of battle even if she hated his guts. However, the entire Coven of witches didn’t need to overhear the information he had to discuss. “Not here.”

          Her brow quirked up. “Yeah, because I’m going to just follow you to a dark alley where you can kidnap and murder me?”

          The comment hit him like a blow to the gut, but he didn’t let it show. After all, he’d had years of experience playing a part, and the cruel and unaffected act had become a specialty. “Pick a public place, and we’ll go.” Even here in the library, where the books far outnumbered the witches present, the press of gazes made him uneasy. He spent years with no allies, watching his every move and every phrase until paranoia had sunk into his veins.

          “Diner up the street. The owner’s a friend of mine, so if you decide to pull any hinky shit, not only will I kick your ass, but he will too.” She bent down to loop her messenger bag around her shoulder before tapping a finger on the desk. “No time like the present.”

           Liam blinked in surprise at her quick-as-a-breeze pace, but rather than commenting, he jammed his hands into his pockets and gave her a nod. As they strode up the steps of the library, their footsteps echoing throughout the cavernous place, he cast a glance her way. “You know, if I was planning on ‘pulling hinky shit,’ I’d hope I was intelligent enough to nab you outside your home or something rather than escorting you out of your workplace with hundreds of dangerous witnesses.”

          Jev let out a snort. “The jury’s still out on your level of intellect. After all, you signed up with Evil Incorporated in the first place.”

Guest Blog & Series Relaunch: Lucani Lovers by Stephanie Julian

          Who wouldn’t want to be a shifter?
          I mean, seriously, the ability to change your body into a completely animal? Coolest ability ever, right?
          Wolves are the most common shifters in paranormal romance and there’s a good reason for that. They’re sleek, stealthy and smart. The perfect predators. And they make the perfect alpha heroes (and heroines).
          In the Lucani Lovers series, my wolves were given the ability to shift centuries ago by the Etruscan Moon Goddess. In ancient Rome, they were the special ops forces of the Roman Legion.
          In today’s world, they’ve adapted. They’ve gotten good at hiding in plain sight.
          But what happens when the outside world begins to encroach and trouble arrives at their door?
          Then these wolves get deadly.
          The Lucani Lovers series is part of my Etruscan Magic world, which also includes the Darkly Enchanted, Magical Seduction and Forgotten Goddesses series. They’re all based on the premise that there’s still magic in our world. Fairies, elves, satyrs, shifters and witches.
          Each of the books have a unique twist on what you think you know about these myths and tales. And all have a steamy romance at their core.
          There are six stories in the Lucani Lovers series: Kiss of Moonlight, Moonlight Ménage, Edge of Moonlight, Moonlight Temptation, Grace in Moonlight and Shades of Moonlight.
          Each has a stand-alone love story with one or two hot heroes.
          These stories were previously released but I’ve re-edited and revised and, in the case of Kiss of Moonlight and Moonlight Ménage, have rewritten the endings and expanded the story.
          I can’t wait for readers to discover (or rediscover) my wolves. I’ve loved revisiting and reacquainting myself with them.
          And I’m anxious to get back to my Etruscan Magic world with new stories. But more on that later…


Kiss of Moonlight, Second Chapter Excerpt

        

           Even though twilight had fallen, she could still see him plainly in the light of the full moon. Moonlight suited him. It softened his hard edges. She wanted to run her hands along that shadowed jaw and across that broad chest, sink her fingers into his hair.
          Still standing by his chair on the other side of the table, he walked around to her, holding out his hand.
          Without thought, she reached for him, watching his lips curl into a devastating smile as he drew her to her feet. Only inches separated them, inches she wanted to close.
          They stood like that for what had to be a full minute, staring into each other’s eyes like they were starring in a Lifetime TV movie.
          It should’ve embarrassed her. Or at the very least, made her self-conscious. At worst, she should be running in fear in the opposite direction.
          It emboldened her to know she wasn’t scared at all.
          Instead, she leaned a little closer, drawn by the warmth of his eyes, the heat of his body.
          Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me kept chanting through her brain.
          As if he’d heard her thoughts, his smile faded and desire turned to sharp, biting hunger in her gut.
          Then he blinked and began to pull back, shaking his head. “Tam…”
          No, no, no.
          Fevered compulsion made her curve her hand around the back of his neck as she rose on her tiptoes. She shouldn’t have been able to reach his mouth, the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. But he met her halfway, his short groan cut off when their lips met. He pressed hard, his lips firm and hot on hers, his arms wrapping around her back and plastering her to his body.
          She moaned, wanting more, but he immediately eased his hold, ratcheted back some of the passion she sensed in his kiss and let her take the lead. Let her press against him. As if he was afraid of scaring her.
          But that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted him to kiss her. Really kiss her until she lost herself in him. Buried old, horrible memories under an avalanche of lust.
          So she forced him closer, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him harder.
          Letting her tongue lick at the seam of his lips, she teased until he opened his mouth. She would’ve thrust inside but he beat her to it, finally starting to loosen his hold on his leashed desire.
His hands flattened on her back, each finger a hot brand through her thin t-shirt. The tips pressed into her back for several seconds before easing up to rest there lightly.
Don’t stop. More.

ABOUT AUTHOR:
Stephanie Julian is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of sophisticated, sultry romance. She writes many different series, including Salon Games, Indecent and Lucani Lovers. She loves hard rock and Broadway, runs very slowly, married a Springsteen fanatic and is the mother of two hairy beasts she calls sons.

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Book Links

Kiss of Moonlight
Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Google
Moonlight Menage
Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Google   Edge of Moonlight
Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Google    Moonlight Temptation
Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Google    Grace in Moonlight
Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Google   Shades of Moonlight
Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks | Google

Guest Blog & Giveaway with Sharon Ashwood

Once Upon a Time is Now

I remember standing in a cathedral when I was a little girl, staring down at the stone face of a knight. The statue was life-sized and in full armor, an effigy stretched in eternal sleep upon his tomb.  Although it was August, the medieval building was cold and gloomy, the only light filtering through towering windows of stained glass. With all the power of my child’s imagination, I wanted to wake him and find out who he was. Perhaps I could kiss him like Sleeping Beauty in reverse, and he would sit up and look around him at the new modern world. What fabulous adventures would follow?

When I began my new book series, I remembered my knight in his lonely sleep—and how I wanted him to wake up in the here and now. What if the Knights of the Round Table—enchanted into sleeping stone—had been scattered to museums and private collections throughout the United States? If they had to be awakened one by one to reunite with their brothers and defeat a threatening enemy? What if a hot-tempered, dangerous, and devastatingly handsome knight was roaming around town, eager to fight or carouse or sweep my heroine off her feet? Welcome to my new series, CAMELOT REBORN.

Of course, no knight is complete without a lady, and the hero of ENCHANTED WARRIOR, Gawain of Lothian, needs the help of a thoroughly modern historian named Tamsin Greene. She’s the key to finding the other knights, but she’s also a powerful witch and if there’s one thing that Gawain refuses to trust, it’s sorcery. But he’s not going to get the maid without her magic, and little does Tamsin know that Gawain holds the key to an ancient secret that changes everything she believes about her own past. Not even Merlin can stop the fireworks when these two meet!

Giveaway:  

I’ll give away one signed paperback copy of ENCHANTED WARRIOR to a commenter.
Please make sure to leave an email address. The winner will be announced February 8th.

Short Excerpt:

          Huge hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her backward until she collided with a rock-hard chest. Tamsin inhaled, about to scream, but a palm clamped over her mouth. A moment later, the man’s free arm grasped her middle. Tamsin lunged forward, but his grip was an iron bar. Her next move was to kick back, aiming for the man’s knee. She missed, catching only his shin with the soft sole of her boot. He grunted and pulled her against him so tightly she could barely breathe.
          “Don’t,” he said, the word clipped and cold.
Tamsin froze, going utterly still. Whoever this was, his psychic shields were so powerful he’d been completely hidden from her scan. After fretting about evil creatures stalking witches, she was too scared to reach for her magic. Every instinct warned her this stranger would not tolerate further defiance. This was a professional. A predator. A true threat. She knew it on a level so primitive it was coded into her DNA.
           Her obedience seemed to work, because the hand clamped over her mouth slowly moved away. He tasted of salt, sweat and man. He hadn’t used weapons to overpower her, just brute strength. That show of confidence made him seem all the more deadly.
          “You will not cry out.” His words had traces of a brogue—Scottish, perhaps. His deep, masculine voice vibrated through the line where their bodies touched and sank into her bones.
          “Please,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “What do you want?”
          “Turn around.”
          The arm locked about her loosened, allowing her to move but not to escape. Tamsin shrank away as far as she could, the heat of his body a sharp contrast to the cool November air.
          “Turn,” he repeated. “I want to see your face when I question you.”
          Tamsin obeyed, sliding within the circle of his arm. It put their faces barely twelve inches apart, and that was only because he was so tall. Her first instinct was to avoid eye contact, to rebel at least in that small way, but curiosity won. She snatched a glance from under her lashes.
          She froze all over again as he nailed her in place with a brilliant blue gaze. He was younger than she’d expected—maybe in his late twenties—and handsome enough that she forgot to breathe. His face had strong bones, the features bold and almost sensual. Heat rose to her cheeks as her insides curled into a protective ball. He was far too magnetic, far too there for comfort.
          He studied her face a moment longer, his gaze filled with bold assessment. It finally broke when the corners of his mouth quirked. “You are the historian who is supposed to explain this place to visitors, Tamsin Greene?”

For a longer excerpt, click here:  http://www.sharonashwood.com/camelot-reborn/

Book Blurb:

An ancient evil rises. An ancient warrior awakens.

In an age clouded by legend, Gawain was one of King Arthur’s greatest knights. When he awakens centuries after the fall of Camelot, he faces his most daunting quest yet-the search for his missing companions. His hope is that Tamsin Greene, the alluring historian at Medievaland Theme Park, can help him. Then he senses the magic within her… Gawain will now have to trust a witch-and his own heart-to rouse the knights of the Round Table and save humanity from a faery onslaught.

Author Bio:

Sharon Ashwood is a novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle would never work out, so she writes her adventures instead.
Sharon is the winner of the RITA® Award for Paranormal Romance. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.


Author Links:
Contact: Sharon@SharonAshwood.com
Pinterest: Newsletter:   http://www.sharonashwood.com/newsletter/
Blog: http://www.sharonashwood.com/daily-strange/
Website:  http://www.sharonashwood.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SharonAshwood
Facebook Fanpage:  https://www.facebook.com/authorsharonashwood

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Guest Blog with Katherine MacIntyre

Fairies in Fairmount Park

    One of the facets of urban fantasy I love most is the contemporary setting. I adore imagining magical elements in pre-existing cities, and for my latest work, Hunting for Spring, it was extra special because the city I chose was Philly. I’ve lived me entire life in the Philly suburbs, so that’s always been my closest city. Not that I don’t love creating my own unique worlds for fantasies—I do—but I love using reality and giving it a magical aspect that much more.

    So for this novel, I got to dive into sections of Philly where the fae crawled in alleyways and hunters stalked the streets, trying to keep the city safe. Color me thrilled! I’ve got a penchant for exploring odd places and finding unique elements to cities, so this gave me an excuse to poke around Philadelphia a little more. This led to my excursion through Fairmount Park, which I visited on a beautiful crisp day.

    Despite the metal and stone of the city, this park offers a green haven in the center of it all, and a sprawling one at that. What better place for fae to congregate? Not only is it a hub for the Seelie fae in the city who thrive on greenery and nature, but I figured it’d also be the best place for the Waystations—portals to the Otherworld, the ever-changing faerie realms. With so many unique things in Fairmount Park like Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, as well as the beautiful running paths that sprawl throughout the place, it’s the perfect breeding ground for something magical.

    Next time you pick up an urban fantasy book, consider the setting, and enjoy the truly amazing magic of the genre, to allow fantastical creations to creep into our own world. 

Hunting For Spring
By Katherine MacIntyre

Hunters are a lonely breed, and Conor’s no exception, until the day he meets Brenna. Even though she slinks in unannounced and kills the wight he was hunting down, the girl’s a mystery and he can’t get that blinding smile or those gorgeous curves off his mind.

Since they’re both after the same caster who’s unleashing these monsters, he suggests teaming up, and despite her initial reluctance, the hungry way she scans him down promises something powerful.

However, her secrets have repercussions, and faster than Conor can lift his Glock, he’s drawn into the web of kidnappings and Unseelie mischief, all concealing the machinations of a darker foe—one that plans to bring Philly to ruin.

Purchase Link:
Loose Id

Author Links:
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Spotlight & Guest Blog: Witch of Death by Chrys Fey

Witch Love

By: Chrys Fey

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with witches. Maybe it began when I was a child and my mom would dress as a witch for Halloween, or maybe it started with my love of the Wizard of Oz. Whatever initially triggered it, my passion grew with each year, every season of Charmed, and every book I read about witches. When I was thirteen, I even wanted to be a witch. Who wouldn’t? You could live mysteriously and magickally. You could plant gardens, cast spells, and become one with nature.

Although I didn’t become a witch, I taught myself how to use tarot cards after I started to have dreams and other psychic thoughts. Once, when I was watching a news story about a man who died in a house fire, I thought of my brother-in-law. I brushed my feeling aside, not sure why I thought of him. Days later, I mentioned it to my sister and she told me her husband actually knew the man who’d died. As for dreams, every time I have a dream about a tornado, I wake up in the morning to hear a tornado struck somewhere in the United States. I could go on and on...

To quench my fascination for witches, I write about them and turn them into character every chance I get, as I did with Libby in Witch of Death.

Title: Witch of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 45 (short story)

Release Date: May 20th, 2015

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

Excerpt:

Liberty Sawyer glided swiftly through the horde of police officers, reporters, and on- lookers. Black hair fell from a rigid part in the middle of her scalp to her hips. Her eyes were a soul-stabbing blue and her lips were blood-red. She towered over the other officers on the scene, and wore all black, which set off 6 the pallor of her skin.

Showing her badge to the officer, she slipped under the crime scene tape. A few paces away, she spotted Detective Corbin talking to his new partner, a man she knew by name but hadn’t had the privilege of meeting yet.

“I cannot believe you called her,” the new man was saying when she came up behind them. “We don’t need a damn psychic!”

“Actually, I’m a witch.” She smiled when Reid jolted and turned to face her. “I’m

Detective Liberty Sawyer.” She stuck out her hand.

“Detective Reid Sanders,” he grunted back and took her hand.

The feel of his palm against hers sent tingles of lust from the tips of her fingers to her shoulder blade, and she knew he felt it too by the way he jerked his hand back. She winked at him playfully, hoping it would unnerve him even more.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.

Book Links:

 Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 

Author Links: 

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads 

Thank you all for visiting! ;) 

Guest Blog with Katherine McIntyre

 Retelling Fairytales

    My latest release, Soul Solution, happens to be a part of Decadent Publishing’s Beyond Fairytales series, one revolving around taking time old tales and giving them a twist. Easier said than done. There are so many different stories and not just the typical Grimm’s Fairytales most are used to—every culture has their own tales of love and caution that fit within that framework. Sure, the popular ones, like Snow White and Cinderella, might be more fun to subvert because of how familiar people are with the originals. However, what about the more isolated ones? How do you transform them?

    I was assigned String of Pearls by Hans Christian Andersen, a story with very little in the way of a plot, but the Beyond Fairytales challenge wasn’t the first time I’ve dabbled in fairytale retellings either. My release, Poisoned Apple, was a contemporary twist on the classic. Whenever you’re borrowing from the old to create something new, it’s similar to cooking up a recipe—you have to pick and choose what elements to focus on.

    Sometimes you can take the bones of the story like the plot and place a new veneer over it—I did that sort of transformation with Poisoned Apple. Although the vibe wasn’t enchanted because I wanted to explore the grittier side of Snow White’s psyche, inspiration comes from funny places. What I ended up with in Poisoned Apple is a similar plot to Snow White with several subtle nods to the original, while using a modern setting and equally modern characters. As for Soul Solution, I happened to do the opposite. Instead of using the framework of the story, since it’s sort of dull, I honed in on the details and themes—the importance of the Copenhagen line.

    While I thoroughly enjoy writing a unique story as well, there’s something scintillating about taking the elements of those time old tales and using your imagination to expand the universes or examine the stories from different perspectives. Both require creativity, and oftentimes, writing a new version of a fairy tale can work like a prompt, giving inspiration a channel to work through.

    No matter how you do it, one key thing is important when transforming fairy tales—make it your own. Don’t regurgitate the same old story that’s been told before, but instead use the format to make your story one that only you could tell. If you happen to be looking for a fairytale read, make sure to check out the wonderful Beyond Fairytales series which features a multitude of Decadent Publishing authors tackling a ton of tales!

Soul Solution
Beyond Fairytales
By Katherine McIntyre

For Erik Anderson, the Copenhagen line is his curse. He takes the train every night en route to collect souls. Like any lovelorn fool, he bargained his own long ago, and now pays the price—a lifetime of loneliness as a grim reaper. Stay distant—that’s been his mantra and what keeps him sane.

Until Mina Castner drops into his life like a whirlwind, one spilled drink leading to staying up until dawn with the woman. He believed one night couldn’t hurt, but he sorely underestimated her determination. Every encounter between them is reprieve from the guilt of reaping souls every night, but it can’t last. Even if she sparks long buried feelings, and even if her sheer presence intoxicates him, he can’t let this continue. For humans, his touch is poison, and if he slips up, it could cost her life.

Author Bio:

A modern day Renaissance-woman, Katherine McIntyre has learned soapmaking, beer brewing, tea blending, and most recently roasting coffee. Most of which make sure she’s hydrated and bathed while she spends the rest of her time writing. With a desire to travel and more imagination than she knows what to do with, all the stories jumping around in her head led to the logical route of jotting them down on paper. Not only can her poetry and prose be found in different magazines, but she’s had an array of novels and novellas published through Decadent Publishing, Boroughs Publishing, Hazardous Press, and Jupiter Gardens Press. For more casual content, she’s a regular contributor on CaffeineCrew.com, a geek news website.

Author Links:
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Guest Blog with Katherine McIntyre

The Sci-Fi Short Conundrum

When working on details for any story, there’s this delicate balance of too much and too little. Writing a science fiction romance short makes that line even slimmer, which I discovered upon penning Solid Ground. Cadets falling in love, the end of school, and the embarking on missions seemed pretty clear to me, and since I adore writing those young adult themes of graduation and moving forward with or without regret, the emotional heart of the story came easily.

However, the trickier aspect to a story like that lies with the setting and details. After all, if you don’t include enough worldbuilding, it’s just a contemporary story about graduating from high school or college and leaving love behind. Just as bad though would be adding too many details to the short, because with something of that length, you have to focus on fewer, better words to pull the weight. Long explanations of the atmosphere of Planet X or departures to discuss the politics of Spacekeeping Organization A would detract from the character dynamics, and for a romance, those have to be the focus.

So, in Solid Ground, ambassadors are mentioned, but I don’t really go into the specifics—as I’m assuming many readers will fill in the blanks themselves. (Sometimes with cleverer or more imaginative ideas than I could ever come up with) I gave the setting Tritania a little flavor and changed small things, like smart books instead of paper for students or the advanced fabric of uniforms. In that way, I allowed readers a familiar jump into science fiction without explaining all the transit, the new technology shifts, or even where Earth falls—or if it falls—in this universe. All of that wasn’t necessary, because the biggest focus was on the regret Mags Javiks felt at never telling her long-time crush and best friend, Lex, her feelings for him. 

So for some sweet romance with sci-fi flair, be sure to check out Solid Ground, coming out with Boroughs Publishing Group!

 Author Links:
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Solid Ground
By Katherine McIntyre

Out Now!

Mags Javiks has one day left until she boards a spaceship to start her ambassador training, one day in which to admit her love for her best friend Lex. To do so, she will have to trade the solid ground of a comfortable past relationship for the unknown frontier of a possible future together.

Purchases Links:
Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords