New Release Broken Arrow (Banyon Pride Series Book 2) by Donna L. Stephens

 

When Laila Sutton’s father dies, she is left scrambling to try to figure out how to hold on to their rundown Arkansas farmhouse, her childhood home.  Baking cookies and gathering eggs to sell is not going to be much of a livelihood for her. Now that she no longer has the responsibility of caring for her ill, alcoholic father, she is going to have to go to work at MeeMaw’s Diner just to survive.

Just when it seems things can’t get any worse, her father’s attorney informs her that, in his revised will, her father has deeded half of the house and property to their wealthy neighbor, Cleve Atwell—and the only way she can gain it back is to marry him! But Laila dreams of dark-eyed Sky Banyon, a local veterinarian and childhood classmate who has returned from Wyoming recently to their hometown of Mulberry.

In turmoil, Laila knows Sky is the last man she should want to turn to—he’s hurt her before. But could things be different this time? A stolen kiss that touches her soul makes her believe they could.  Though Cleve offers her the security she needs to survive, she doesn’t love him. It rankles that she’s living in a house which is now half his—and she suspects Cleve somehow manipulated her sick father.

When Sky hires Laila to tutor his nine-year-old son, Blaze, he confides in her about his unhappy marriage and the death of his wife. Laila begins to understand him, and her own heart, better than she ever has before. With her wedding to Cleve set to take place in less than a month, Laila knows she can’t hold off forever. Is there a future for her with Sky? Though he’s never told Laila he loved her, the kiss they shared said more than mere words ever could…but is it too late?   

EXCERPT

     When he stood, his tall frame loomed over her. “Lai?” his voice growled.
     She looked up. He had a neat moustache and short beard, and his dark hair curled around his ears just below his felt fedora. His cheekbones were planed sharp, his eyes a deep brown behind his rounded tortoise shell glasses. She frowned. Could it be?
     “Sky? Sky Banyon?” Laila swallowed.
     “Yes. I came back to our Arkansas ranch. Been in Wyoming several years.” He reached out his hand to shake hers. “Laila Sutton,” he said, his voice taking on a light tone. “Will wonders never cease? I thought you’d probably left our small town by now. Good to see—”
     It was Sky, all right. She hid her hand behind her back. “Get out,” she said, her voice clipped. “Move away from my dog.”
     “Please forgive me, Lai.”
     “My name is Laila,” she said, frowning.
     He took off his hat and raked back his hair. “I’m really sorry. I came careening around the corner in my truck, my mind on getting to work, not thinking about anything running out in front of me.” He gave a long sigh. “Your hound needs stitches. But he should heal just fine.”
     “I can’t believe you’ve done it again.” Laila glared up at him, her hand caressing the beating pulse in Jag’s neck. “Wasn’t once enough? You let my other dog die ten years ago. Daisy should’ve lived.”

     

New Release -- Dances with Werewolves (A Kudzu Korners Novel) by Isabella Norse

Sydney Hall has spent her life looking for love in all the wrong places. Her world falls apart when the man she thought was Mr. Right turns out to be Mr. Couldn’t-Be-More-Wrong. She needs to make some major lifestyle changes—if she can figure out where to start.

Kain is a werewolf afraid of the vulnerability that comes with life with a pack. Nevertheless, werewolves are made to protect, and his instincts kick into high gear when he meets a bruised and battered Sydney Hall. He is determined to help her see herself as the strong woman he believes she can be.

Friendship grows as two damaged people find hope in each other. Can Sydney and Kain maintain their promise to remain friends without benefits? Or, is love inevitable as two wounded souls learn to heal together?

EXCERPT

     Kain froze when he saw Sydney and the darkening bruises marring her skin. His nostrils flared as he scented blood and his eyes took on a familiar glimmer.

     Sydney’s attention was directed inward in her misery. She didn’t even notice the newcomer until he was next to her.

     “Who did this to you?” Kain asked, his voice soft.

     Sydney didn’t answer. She just shook her head and sobbed harder.

     Bending closer Kain placed one finger under her chin, raising her gaze to his. His eyes flashed gold as he exerted his will. He repeated, “Who did this to you?”

     Haltingly, Sydney gave him the information he sought. “Vince. Vince Thornton.”

     With an abrupt nod Kain stood, turned, and strode from the room.

     Sydney looked at Maggie through puffy eyes. “Who was that? Where is he going?”

     “That was Kain, and I suspect he’s going to make Vince wish he had never been born.”

     “Kain? Didn’t you—ouch—tell me he’s a werewolf?” Sydney believed in werewolves about as much as she believed in Santa Claus, but now was not the time for that discussion. She paused in her efforts to get back on her feet. Talking, breathing, and moving was still a bit too much to try all at once. “Why would he defend me? He doesn’t even know me.”

     “It doesn’t matter if he knows you or not—protecting people is what werewolves do. But, that said, Kain has a real problem with anyone who abuses women or children.”

     

New Release — A Moment in Time by B. J. Betts

Jake Houser’s relief at returning home to Chicago after a business trip to Japan is short-lived when he’s involved in a horrific accident that kills his taxi driver and leaves him in a coma. As Jake’s life hangs in the balance, a beautiful young woman, Ava Andersen, comes to him and asks for his help. She must keep a promise made to loved ones, and Jake feels he must try to do what he can.

Through his meetings with Ava, he gleans bits and pieces of information…but in his temporary station between life and death, it seems there’s nothing he can do to help Ava with her quest to let her parents know what happened to her.

With the care of a young private nurse, Sara Clemmons, Jake slowly begins to recover. Will Sara help him fulfill the promise he’s made to help Ava—or will she believe he’s lost his sanity? Even Jake wonders how a ghost can communicate between two worlds…but he’s lived it, and he knows it’s real.

With Sara at his side, Jake sets out to find the people Ava held dear—and give them the message she’s asked him to deliver. For Jake, this is A MOMENT IN TIME provided by Fate…

EXCERPT

     The drizzle was quickly turning to ice. Soon the parking meters, sidewalks, and streets were covered in an icy glaze. Jake leaned closer to the front seat. They were just blocks away from his home.

     “Think we’ll make it?” he asked the cabbie.

     “Sure, bud. As long as everyone slows down. No problem. It’s those A-holes that think they gotta fly that cause problems.”

     The words were no sooner out of the man’s mouth when a black SUV came barreling through a red light. The cabbie wrenched the wheel, trying to get out of the SUV’s way, but to no avail.

     Jake looked through the passenger window and watched as the vehicle came right at them. The cabbie’s screams mixed with his as the car made impact, T-boning the driver’s side. The sound of screeching tires, busting glass, and twisting metal filled the night air.

     Jake felt the cab go airborne as they flew through the air and crashed into a brick retaining wall…

Size Matters by Michael E. Gonzales

I’m doing research for a new novel. Of course, it’s a science fiction story. I predicate part of my story on what’s called the quilted multiverse. A theory that suggests that in the endless expanse of space there is more than one universe.

Interesting theory if you read into it but great fodder for a story!

The visible Universe

One of my many questions is… “How big is our universe?” I would use its size to extrapolate the size of others.

My web searches provided me with numbers, in miles, kilometers, astronomical units, light years, and parsecs. All so large that only a cosmologist could get his head around such numbers!

So…I got on line and asked an astronomer. Here is her response:

“The cosmic background radiation, in a synchronized map of the gravitational cosmic background radiation will give a good description.

“I would describe it according to the updated Hubble Equation. We can only see as far as the quarks condensate-plasma went before going into its reversibly mathematically state.”

Well, that certainly cleared up that question.

Continued research led me to a neophyte’s understanding. Our universe is huge beyond our puny mind’s ability to comprehend.

Nevertheless, I continued to gather information and plot my story.

I have tried to use language to describe the vastness of space, but I am not up to the task. Everything I write seems small in comparison.

I’ve read what other have written. Gallant efforts, but…no.

It is not really the size of the universe that impresses, but rather how infinitesimally small we are in it.

Take three minutes of your time, and watch this video. It will leave you with a gasping impression of our place in this unbelievable universe of ours, both above our heads…and beneath our feet!

https://youtu.be/QUWlmpNHq1s

Mike

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The WIP by Michael E. Gonzales

First and foremost, let me wish everyone a happy and prosperous NEW YEAR!  This is a leap year so we each have 366 days to succeed!

___________

I am finding the research for my WIP very interesting.

I enjoy all the research I do for my stories, learning a lot with each keystroke.

Today I can discuss, intelligently, with any interested party, such topic as; faster than light travel, stellar radiation, the effects of red light on plant evolution, the history of dragons around the world, and metallurgy in medieval times.

I have always been eager to learn new things, particularly when it come to minutia that can be of little use in daily life.

The idea came over me one morning

as I drove to work to write an adventure/love story revolving around witches, covens, and a warlock.

By the time I pulled up to the office a rough concept of a plot had formed. Once home that evening I sat down and began to hammer out my idea.

You could have taken everything I knew about the subject and put it into a size 6 pointy hat. Like most I’ve seen the movies; Bell, Book and Candle, and of course the Harry Potter series. So, these were my starting points.

However, my research revealed and entirely different “magical world”, not one that fit into my adventure/love story, at all.

So, online I made contact with a young woman who is an actual practicing witch.

She was very helpful but only reaffirmed what my research had revealed.

This left me a bit despondent. What was I supposed to do with this new knowledge?

Then I looked up a laundry list of books about fictional witches. They have been depicted as comical, i.e., “Bewitched”, to very sinister, communing with Beelzebub himself.

Then an epiphany washed over me, like a beam of light through the clouds on an overcast day. I’m writing a fiction! My witches can be anything I wish! They can be from Mars if I so desire.

My story is set in contemporary times. My witches are all very young, in their early twenties,

with the exception of the “priestess” of each of the two covens who are, of course, older and wiser.

The warlock is a typical young man, who is oblivious of his “gift” with no concept how to call forth his powers nor how to control them if he could.

The two covens, a coven being a group of witches usually thirteen in number, are polar opposites of one another. They are at war for possession of the novice warlock. Their battle will take them all over the globe and eventually beyond it.

A great many emotions will be at play, jealousy, avarice, hate, but also devotion, generosity, and love.

As with all my stories, the plot never survives the first chapter, so this story will unfurl as a surprise, even to me in the first draft, and this, I feel, is how it should be. Then the draft will undergo a great many alterations, like clay on the potter’s wheel forming and reforming until it is the perfect vessel for the story I want to tell.

Research, it can make a fairie tale a believable story, one that I hope will cast a spell over my readers and bring them into the pages.

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Einar of Vindemiatrix by Michael E. Gonzales

As I write these lines, we are on the event horizon of the release of my latest novel, Einar of Vindemiatrix.

This story marks my first sojourn in to the genera of Fantasy and a temporary step back from Space Opera.

I found this story difficult to write because I have a logical thought process, and in Fantasy logic, and the rules of physics are overpowered by magic.

Fantastical creatures, monsters, powers that defy explanation, these combined with more comprehensible things like, envy, greed, lust, all of which merge to present an aging Knight with foes beyond his formidable skill as a warrior.

He will need help and receives it from the strangest places.

“When Good King Thurban the Great is murdered at the hand of his younger brother, very few of his loyal knights survive. Sir Einar, one of the fiercest knights of King Thurban’s realm, has lost his entire family in the carnage. Giving up on a life of his own, he chooses to travel and teach others the principles of chivalry. For those who believe in a knightly code, he will also show them the deadly way to wield a sword in battle—including Ascella, a young woman who convinces him she will make an apt student.

“Though many years have passed since Einar’s painful losses and King Thurban the Great’s murder, the knight finds a way to avenge his honorable liege—but he cannot do it alone. To return Vindemiatrix to the rightful heir and restore the holdings to their former glory, he needs magic—the most powerful magic he can find.

“With the help of a powerful witch, an army of centaurs, and beautiful Ascella, Einar is determined to find a way to make things right once more in the land he loves. But he’s never fought an enemy so prepared to hold Vindemiatrix in its powerful grip—and this is a battle to the death. Can he risk losing everything he holds dear a second time?”

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And look for me on MeWe too!

New Release — Journey of the Heart by Stephanie Burkhart

James DiMera returns to his home in California after World War II, only to find out he's lost his farm. His way of life gone, James becomes a journeyman, selling Bibles, looking for a sense of purpose. But after the loss of his dream, what can there be for him?

Rachel Santori's family winery is in trouble. She's looking for someone to trust. When Rachel meets James, she can't deny how he touches her lonely heart and soul with his kindness and the way comes to her aid. How long has it been since she had someone to depend on? Can James find a place of belonging in Rachel’s life? Can love mend both their weary hearts?

EXCERPT

     He cupped her cheek with his free hand, gazing into her eyes.  "Yes, you can." His words were soft and firm. His heart went out to her. It couldn't be easy trying to reconcile the pain of losing her parents, running her family's legacy, and then discovering that legacy was in danger. 
     "I hoped – oh, I hoped I could."
     "Rachel—"
     She turned away and a muscle in her jaw twitched. James dropped his hand from her cheek.
     "What's wrong?"
     "I don't want to hope too much."
     He arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

     "I know you have to leave."

New Release -- The Vampire Affair by Livia J. Washburn

The world knew Michael Brandt as a playboy tycoon. The underworld knew him as a fierce vampire hunter. Armed with a wooden stake and superior strength, Michael targeted the most powerful overlords in a clandestine do-or-die operation…and then tabloid reporter Jessie Morgan uncovered his secret.

Only once before had Michael allowed a woman into his secret lair. Now he'd fight heaven and hell to keep Jessie from the same fate. But he couldn't fight the attraction that drew him to her like a bloodlust. An attraction that might prove deadly…or worse. For Michael was going up against the most powerful of the undead—and that vampire had his fangs bared for Jessie.

The tabloid reporter finds a bigger story than she ever imagined…the sexy playboy tycoon is a vampire hunter!

EXCERPT

     “Don’t you smell that garlic?”

     Now that he mentioned it, she did. In fact, the scent was pretty strong. She hadn’t noticed it before because she had been concentrating on getting in to see Brandt.

     Jessie didn’t have time to worry about smells. She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket and took out the camera. She planned to get a shot of Brandt as soon as he opened the door, then maybe aim past him to catch the other two men in her lens, if luck was with her.

     Unfortunately, just as the door started to swing open, Ted gasped and disappeared from beside her. She had the vague impression, seen from the corner of her eye, that he had been jerked violently backward like a puppet on a string.

     She was about to turn to see what had happened to him when a bar of iron slammed across her throat, cutting off her air and making it impossible for her to speak or even breathe. Fear and surprise exploded in her brain, and for a second she couldn’t think. Then she realized that it wasn’t a bar of iron choking her, it was somebody’s arm. Her feet scrabbled on the flagstone walk as her attacker dragged her backward.

    

Writer's block. By Michael E. Gonzales

What writer has not encountered this little monster lurking in the dark recesses of his mind crushing all inspiration, threatening any muse who dare approach. He is the ogre of imagination, the troll of creativity.

Whether it be the search for some new story to commit to page, or that dreaded assault that stops you dead in the middle of a story. Writer’s block is a curse that comes to us all.

Volumes have been written on how to overcome this onerous creature, detailed instructions on how to slay the dragon that bars our path and threatens our sanity.

The demon knows that the writer must write, as he must breathe, to live.  This devil will stand above you and laugh as you struggle. Delight in your suffering, and nourish himself on your anguish.

His victory is to watch as you surrender, quit, give up.

Here then, comes the moment of truth. Many writers might display the white flag. But not so the author. And what is an author? A writer who did not quit.

I am no quitter. I have published works on the market. On my hard drive, right now, I have nineteen completed novels.

I have been spending a lot of time editing and rewriting those unpublished works, which as we all know is a major part of writing. However, I long to create a new world and fill it with people and creatures. To develop new heroes, new villains and to see them clash over stakes as high as the fate of the universe, the world, or perhaps…love.

I sat and opened MS word, at the top I typed “Page 1”. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.

At night I dream of a hollow tree that swallow me and I crawl through earthen tunnels choked with roots and teaming with all manner of horrible insects, spiders, and snakes.

Ahead of me I can see a wondrous light emanating from a magnificent cave bedazzled with precious stones. Sights of such beauty abound within this magical subterranean realm as to bring the most hardened man to his knees, his eyes filling with tears as he beholds such wonders.

Somehow, I am aware of all this, and more. My desire to reach this place is unmatched by anything in my experience. Yet―I cannot reach it. I claw my way through the dirt, gnaw through entrapping roots, suffer the bites of hundreds of bugs. But as I reach that marvelous cavern unseen hands grip my ankles and drag me back into the darkness.

I awaken from this nightmare, covered in sweat, breathing heavily, staring into the softly glowing face of my alarm clock. In my delirium the face of that clock begins to slowly spin and to morph until it becomes the face of an angle, perhaps my muse herself. She whispers…“Just write…just write.”

And so, that is exactly my intent. I will face that blank page and just write. Whatever comes to mind, I will just write. In so doing I truly believe inspiration will come to me.

Doubtless many of you have been here, confronted by the monster. What have you done to slay the beast?

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Plagiarism: Alive and Well

Several months ago I introduced you the world of #cockygate and the book stuffing so prevalent on Amazon. If you missed those posts you can read them HERE and HERE.

Now, the world of romance has been hit by yet another scandal, this one involving plagiarism. It all began when a reader notified romance author Courtney Milan that another author, Cristiane Serruya, had copied portions of one of Courtney's books. Like the lawyer she is, Courtney did her own investigation and quickly determined that Cristiane had copied, word for word, multiple passages from her book The Duchess War. Not one to take plagiarism lightly, Courtney immediately went on the defensive and called Cristiane out in a blog post. (Read it HERE.)

Plagiarizing one author is bad enough but it was quickly determined that Ms. Serruya had plagiarized many others as well. It seems she copied and pasted other's words together, then hired ghostwriters to turn them into actual books, stiffed the ghostwriters for their services, and then published the "books" on Amazon where she became an Amazon bestselling author. She even gained USA Today Bestselling author status as a part of the Billionaire Ever After anthology--and it has been determined that her entry in that anthology was also plagiarized. It seems that even though she calls her self an author Ms. Serruya has quite possibly never actually written a book.

As most scammers do, when called out by Courtney and others authors such as Tessa Dare, Ms. Serruya denied any knowledge of it, then blamed it on her ghostwriters. As the number of authors and books plagiarized continued to grow, Ms. Serruya eventually deleted all of her social media accounts. One of the most baffling aspects to this whole scenario is that Ms. Serruya claims to be a lawyer. If anyone, anyone, is going to avoid plagiarism it should be a lawyer. And then to plagiarize authors you follow on social media? Beyond the pale.

@CaffeinatedFae on Twitter is keeping a running count of the authors/books impacted. As of this writing, the number of books, authors, etc. plagiarized by Ms. Serruya stands at:

42 books
29 authors
3 articles
1 website
1 Wattpad story


Among the other authors plagiarized in Nora Roberts. Yes, that Nora Roberts. This, unfortunately, isn't Nora's first time at the plagiarism rodeo and she is pissed. Nora has written two blog posts that have had me jumping to my feet and cheering. You can read them HERE and HERE and I highly recommend you do so. My absolute favorite quote from her posts is "I’ll have a lot more to say about this, all of this. I’m not nearly done. Because the culture that fosters this ugly behavior has to be pulled out into the light and burned to cinders. Then we’re going to salt the freaking earth." Yes! The sleeping dragon has been awakened and it's name is Nora Roberts.

If I'm honest, and I always strive to be, each time one of these disasters comes to light, it just breaks my heart. So many of us just want to write stories to make people laugh or forget about their problems for a while. It's hard enough to be seen in such a crowded genre but when you've also got to fight against the scammers actively working to game the system... *sigh* Many authors have already given up. I don't blame them. It's tempting at times to join them. But, for now, I'll keep plugging along. Maybe now someone has joined the battle with big enough guns to make a difference. So, if you need me I'll be over here donning my armor and sharpening my sword, getting ready to join Nora's army.

To keep up with the latest on this issue, follow the #copypastecris hashtag on Twitter.

Until next month, happy reading - and writing.

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