Monday, November 17, 2014

Guest Blog and Giveaway: Sinner Repent by Morgan Kelley




Why I’m an Indie Author.
Morgan Kelley

In today’s world of writing, the battlefield has been divided. On one side you have the traditional publishing house author, and on the other, the indie.

Which is better?

Well, as someone who has worked both sides of the fence, I’m here to tell you that I wouldn’t ever go back to being in a publishing company’s pocket.
I love being an Indie.

Here’s why.

I control my characters. I get to write my stories my way. If I want to kill someone off, I don’t have to worry about someone telling me that I can’t. It’s my way or the highway in Morganville. That works for a control freak like me.

Next, I get to decide the length of my books. Did you know that most publishing companies don’t want huge novels? The amount of money they have to sell it for is a liability, so they cap it at words.

HOW?

When you’re an author, like me, you know that the story tells itself. When I sit down to write, I don’t think about how long it’s going to be. I have a defined point in my mind that I want to get conveyed. Once I start, it’s a free-for-all. I write to tell a tale, not to tell a word count.

You may think that’s silly, but when you think of it this way, each one of my novels are at least 500 pages, maybe just a few pages short or over. With my new one coming out, I hit 600 pages. A traditional publishing company would tell me to cut it in half, make it two stories, and force the reader (you) to wait for a second book release. It makes more money for everyone involved.

That doesn’t work for me.

I hate having to wait six months to read a second book in a series. So, as an author, I took an oath. I don’t do it. I put out ten to twelve books a year for that reason. I want the reader to be happy, not pissed off.

But alas, it’s not always greener on the Indie side of the fence. There is one major downfall for me. It’s the publicity.

I hate it.

I’m a writer. What the heck do I know about promoting?

Nothing.

With a publishing company, you really don’t have to stress it. You write, make them happy, and in return they sell your baby to the masses. For any author, that’s a big fat perk. As an Indie, that’s not the case. So instead, we toil away on our computers, pouring out our souls to paper, and then have to struggle to get our words to the hungry book consumers. If we fail, our books go unread, our words go unheard, and alas, our stories go…untold.
It’s heartbreaking.

Maybe one day that will change.

Then again, maybe it won’t.

Either way, this author is done selling her soul to big publishing companies. Instead, I choose to live in the little world which I created, being perfectly content to please the people who find me.

For those who have, thank you.

For those who haven’t… I hope we meet someday. I have one hell of a story to tell you.

I think you’ll love it.

Xoxox

Morgan. 
Sinner Repent
Carter Chronicles Trilogy
Book One
Morgan Kelley

Genre: Erotic suspense/thriller

Date of Publication: March 11, 2014

ASIN: B00IYH7Z7C

Number of pages: 452

Cover Artist: Laura Gordon Design

Book Description:

Doctor Callista Carter only wants to heal. Running from a near life destroying case, she’s licking her wounds in a small town and off everyone’s radar.

Only, she’s drawn quite a bit of attention.

Someone’s taking lives, disguised behind the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s stirring up the small town, making waves.

The killers want her eliminated.

And the sheriff just wants her.

When Quinton Gaines is handed a slew of killings, he’s at a loss. He, too, has escaped to sleepy Myrtle Springs to regroup. Now, he’s reminded that death has no qualms with nipping at his heels. Yet, this may be the perfect opportunity to snag the elusive doctor, who has stolen his heart.

Or so he hopes…

When the killer gets personal, Quinn wishes he didn't drag Callie into the mess. Now, not only is she in danger for helping him, she’s marked to die.

Time’s running out.

Can love beat back the vicious claws of hate?

One truth is crystal clear. Quinton Gaines has to stop running in order to save his home and woman.

It’s not going to be easy with a madman hell bent on getting one thing…

REVENGE.

The killers won’t stop at anything. It’s time to get ready, and like any good Sinner... Repent.



 Sinner Repent ~ Book One~ Callie's story
Available at Amazon

Sinner Realized ~ Book Two ~ Luke's Story
Now Available

Sinner Reborn ~ Book Three~ Nate's Story.
Out Summer 2015

Excerpt

© Copyright 2014 by Morgan Kelley LLC All rights reserved. First Edition * No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or in an information storage or retrieval system without written consent from the author.

All characters and locations are fictional and any similarity to real life or individuals is coincidental.


                ~ Prologue ~
                 Saturday Late Evening

As Sissy Parker slowly began to wake, she had no idea where she was, or how she ended up there. Trying to move her arms, Sissy could tell they were restrained above her head and immediately began to panic.
Struggling to get her bearings, she blinked rapidly, trying to take everything in. All around her there were candles and sinister shadows. Deep down, she had this building feeling of horror, as she could sense that there were malevolent eyes watching her from the creepy darkness.
She knew that something bad was coming.
As the fear rushed through her, Sissy’s body shook in terror at all the possible scenarios that were forming in her head. Having a wild imagination wasn’t her friend at that moment.
It was her worst nightmare.
Getting her bearings, she knew what to do.
Sissy screamed.
What caught her completely off guard was when no one tried to stop her frantic wails for help. Instead, she was met with laughter. 
Sick.
Horrible.
Terrifying laughter.
Finally, after a brief amount of time had passed, the first shadow stepped forward. Sissy stared at the figure, trying to adjust to the dim light in the room.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice shaking.
Certainly, this had to be some kind of bad dream. Any second now, she would wake up.
There was no answer to her question, and that scared her just as much as what she suspected to be the truth. In fact, the silence was chilling.
“Please…what do you want from me? Why am I here?” she begged softly, as the words came out more like a whimper.
The figure moved forward, running a hand slowly down her naked body.
Sissy tried to pull away from the whisper light caress. At that point, she would have dislocated her own limbs to move out of her abductor’s reach.
“Stop! You’re scaring me. This isn’t funny. What am I doing here?”
Laughter came from another direction in the darkness, and Sissy whipped her head toward the sound.
Oh God! There was more than one!
At that moment, Sissy knew that she was in some serious shit. Even she wouldn’t be able to talk her way out of it with her pretty smile and nice clothes.
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” she screamed, as two other figures moved into the dim light beside the first one.
They were all clothed in hooded black robes tied with red silk belts. The first figure, the one who had touched her, must have been the leader as that robe didn’t match the others. 
“We are The Brethren of the Blood.”
That didn’t sound good at all. In fact, that sounded bad.
REAL BAD.
“What do you want with me?” she asked, scared out of her mind. The last thing that she remembered was a sharp pain in the back of her head, and then…
She woke.
Naked.
Bound.
And in big trouble.
“We’re here to cleanse the sins which are suffocating our town.”
Sissy glared at the figures who were moving into a circle around the table that she was resting on. The tears came as she pleaded for her life.
“I’ll do anything if you let me go. Please! This has to be some kind of mistake. You have the wrong person!”
“No, Sissy, we have the right one. You’re a vile example of humanity, and we’re here to fix what’s broken.”
Suddenly, the words registered. “What do you mean cleanse? How are you going to do that?”
“We’ll make you our offering, purifying the town of the first sin.” They began moving around her, touching her naked flesh with their chilly hands.
“Please,” she begged.
At the contact, the bound woman began getting more agitated. Her face was etched with desperation.
And yet, they paid her no mind.
Sissy began to struggle, pulling at the bonds holding her to the table. She knew she needed to fight.
“There’s no use in struggling. We’ll do what needs to be done, and then make our offering.”
Reality hit as Sissy finally understood what they were going to do to her. In the back of her mind, the logical part of her brain was warning her of what was to come. The confusion was finally overcome, and now it demanded she flee.
“What…are…you…” She didn't get to finish.
The maniacal laughter was enough to tell the tale.
Sissy was going to be murdered.
“No, please! I’ll do whatever you want! Please don’t kill me!”  The begging had escalated and was now more desperation than anything else.
More laughter emanated from the circle, as they moved closer to the woman. Her struggles only incited them, making the inevitable more enticing to them.
The first figure began opening the red robe as Sissy stared in horror, shocked to see who lay beneath the hood.
It couldn’t be!
There was no conceivable way that what she was seeing was true.
“Oh, God, no,” she whispered at the thought of what was about to happen.
“It’s too late to call his name now.”
The other two joined in with laughter.
Looking up into the face, it was completely void of any emotion. It was as if there was no concept that what was coming was wrong.
One by one, they each undid their robes.
Horrifyingly, they were all familiar. Sissy knew each of them personally.
Trying to get their sympathy, she gazed into each set of eyes and pleaded her case. “No! Why me?” she asked. “I never did anything to hurt you!”
Her words fell on deaf ears as they moved toward her naked body.
Sissy started to scream, praying that someone would hear and rescue her. Before long, Sissy could feel something being stuffed into her mouth. It was then taped shut with a large piece of duct tape.
Her body reacted. Immediately, she began gagging as the tears stung her eyes.
“Hood her,” said the first figure, picking up a shiny silver blade. The intent was to let Sissy Parker see it as her final memory in this world. From the look on her face, as the hood was drawn over her features, it did what it was intended to do.
There was nothing but fear present as the end came closer.
Sinners needed to pay.
Sissy tried to cry out in pain, as the razor sharp knife began tearing through her body. From the motions, she could feel something being carved into her flesh.
The blackness surrounded her, as what little she could see swam in swirls. It was coming to swallow her.
Her only thought was how grateful she was that once in the abyss, she wouldn’t feel any more agony.
As the three cloaked figures stood around Sissy’s body, they began the long awaited ritual. It was now underway.
The Brethren had deemed her life forfeited.
She was unclean.
Sissy was the first one chosen.
There were words spoken over her as blood rushed, gushed, and spilled on the ground.
As it coated her body, the room was heavily tinged with the scent of copper pennies. The only thing lingering there, which was more powerful, was the silence.
In absence of all talking, one message was clear.
It was just the beginning, and they enjoyed every second of what they had just done.
This was power.
This was strength.
This was… perfect.


When the ritual had ended, they moved Sissy’s barely live body to the field out past Walker’s Point. They found the perfect spot and laid her in the grass.
Who knew how long it would take the law to find her body? Yet, if it was meant to be, it would happen.
The leader of the group pulled the black hood from Sissy’s head and stared down at the wide-eyed look on her face. It was quite obvious that she had greatly suffered.
Now, it was time to end it. With one slice to her neck, the blood trickled out and sickly coated the message.
With a gasp, she struggled for her last breath, as her life ebbed away.
This woman fought for life, every step of the way.
For that, they were grateful.
Stepping back, the three stared down at their masterpiece and admired their handiwork.
Sissy Parker may have been the first one to die, but practice didn't have to make perfect.
They had done it to the letter of their law.
At first there was worry about making a mistake, but that had long since passed. Their only hope was, as the next ones came to them, that they too, would each be just as special.
No one said anything as they turned to leave.
Each of the three were living in the moment, in their own way, and committing this night to memory.
Everything had changed, and now there was no turning back to what used to be.
As they left the beautiful woman alone in the wet grass, the next mission would be to head home and climb into their warm beds. There was nothing but pure unadulterated satisfaction filling them. Hopefully, they would each be able to sleep, despite the adrenaline still surging over a job well done.
This sacrifice was going down in the books.
With one glance back, the moon eerily shone down on the destroyed life of Sissy Parker. Even from where they stood, the final ominous word was visible.
Each saw ‘PRIDE’, carved grotesquely into her chest, and they were jubilant.
Now, everyone would see her for her true sin.
There would be no doubt as to what had caused her death.

This was on her, and it was only beginning.



About the Author:  

Morgan Kelley lives in the beautiful Pocono Mountains with her husband and two children. After attending college at Penn State University and studying Criminal Justice, Morgan knew her only true passion in life would be murder and books. 

She put them both together and began her career as a writer.  Other than books and writing, you can find Morgan hanging out in her garden and digging in the dirt. 

Her other works include: The Junction, Serial Sins, The Blood Betrayal, The Killing Times (1), Sacred Burial Grounds (2), True Love Lost (3), Deep Dark Mire (4), Fire Burns Hot (5), Darkness of Truth (6), Devil Hath Come (7), Consumed by Wrath (8), Redemption is Here (9), Dead Shall Speak (10), Blood Red Rage (1) Lost & Broken (2), Unthinkable Games (3), Celestia is Falling (1), Vegas is Dying (2), Christmas is Killing (3), Love is Bleeding (4), Heaven is Weeping (5), Dangerous Revelations (1), Illegal Fantasies (Anthology 1), Romance Under Arrest (Anthology 2), and Holiday Reinforcements (Anthology 3)

Please feel free to visit Morgan at her website: www.morgankelley.com
or visit her blog at www.morgankelley.blogspot.com






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