Monday, September 24, 2018

Being Brave Enough To Know Who You Really Are…



My novel, The Love Detective, comes out on the 28th September and with its launch I’ve realised that I’m at my happiest when I’m writing.  Should this concern me? Does it mean that I am more connected to my imaginary characters than to real people? Yes and no. They are different relationships. I feel differently about them. And there is a cross-over. Aspects of the lives and personality traits of friends, family and acquaintances steal in to my stories where they then develop and morph in to creatures in their own right. And my fictional world can sometimes, by imagining how a scenario might play out in a novel, give me an insight in to situations where I might otherwise take a tunnel-vision approach.

 It has taken a long time to know what really makes me happy. And I’ve wasted a lot of years. It should have been easy. For some lucky people it is… that recognition of what it is that really drives them and then having the focus and courage to pursue it. That was never me. 

 I was always so much better at knowing what I didn’t want rather than I what I did. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Many of us, for a variety of reasons (including lack of self-worth, guilt about concentrating on ourselves/having to put someone else’s needs before our own) shy away from asking ourselves the questions: Who am I and what do I need to do in order to honour my core and be fully myself? 

 They’re not comfortable questions. And for some, the answers will be unsettling and scary. 

 What changes might I have to make? How will those changes affect the people around me? What if I screw everything up and fall flat on my face? Then what? 

 Well… check out the very last sentence in The Love Detective and you will find out what I believe!
The Love Detective
A Clarry Pennhaligan Mystery
Angela Dyson



Genre: Chick-Lit, Thriller, Women’s,
Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Matador Books

Publication Date: 28  September 2018

ISBN: 9781789010282

"Pacy, funny and exciting. Cynical yet romantic at heart, Clarry is a girl that you can't help but like - and root for...." – Independent Reviewer

“He’d thought himself the hunter, that I was easy prey but what he hadn’t bargained for, was contending with a woman who hadn’t eaten a square meal in twenty-four hours. I get mean when I’m hungry.”

Clarry Pennhaligan, low on ambition but high on energy, can’t seem to come up with a proper grown-up plan to kick-start her life. Planning really isn’t her thing. But then she happens upon her true vocation: Snooping.  Discovering other people’s secrets and getting paid for it. What could possibly go wrong? Well……as it turns out, just about everything and soon Clarry finds herself in real danger.

The Love Detective is the first in a series due for release in September 2018. The second book will follow in late spring 2019.

Pre-Order


Author Angela Dyson Reads from The Love Detective
https://youtu.be/snh212qZpb8

Read an Excerpt Here:
https://angeladyson.com/the-love-detective-extract/

Read a Steamy Excerpt Here:
https://angeladyson.com/love-detective-promiscuous-extract/


About the Author:

Angela Dyson ditched her London life and downsized her home to move to the sticks in Surrey, to follow her dream to become a professional author. She loves to write but to pay the bills (Angela soon discovered that utility companies, bank managers and landlords aren’t known for their generosity and understanding natures,) she had to squeeze the writing in with working for a living. Some of the jobs to which she only gave half her attention have included working for a recording studio and a record label, running a building maintenance company where pretty much the only upside was getting to boss a lot of men about all day, doing a bit of plus size modelling (strictly clothes on) and, for one memorable summer, making a living reading palms on a Greek Island.

Website: http://www.angeladyson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelaDysonAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaDysonAuth

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Half-Blood Descendant by Natasha Brown


Half-Blood Descendant
Half-Bloods: A Paranormal Series
Book One
Natasha Brown

Genre: Paranormal/Supernatural Suspense

Publisher: Future Impressions

Date of Publication: Sept 23rd 2018

ISBN: 978-1722836917
ASIN: B07DZSZF68

Number of pages: estimated 250
Word Count: 76k

Cover Artist: Natasha Brown

Tagline: Shifters live in secret. They’re not the only ones.

Book Description:

USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Brown blends urban fantasy, paranormal romance and supernatural suspense in the Half-Bloods, an adventure for lovers of shifters, vampires... and more.

Jax never stays anywhere long enough to put down roots. He’s a shapeshifter—the only one of his kind, or so he thinks. While prowling on his landlady’s property, he is stunned to find a man feeding on her neck. Although he frightens away the blood-sucker, Jax leaves behind a paralyzed woman and a trail of blood in his wake.

Aerilyn teaches high school and doubles as a guardian for the Genus Society, an ancient underground shifter organization. After learning of a cougar attack in her own mountain neighborhood, she suspects a rogue shifter is to blame.

When the Society accuses Jax of the “animal attack,” he is ordered to stick around until he can clear his name. Desperate to regain his freedom, he must put his trust in his beautiful guardian. Their forbidden attraction leads Aerilyn to wonder if the blue-eyed drifter is innocent. And if he is, the Society has an even bigger problem on its hands—one that feeds on blood.

Excerpt:

Aerilyn pulled off her jacket and set it on the ground. Next, she slipped off her shoes and unbuttoned her jeans. A cold breeze whistled through the valley, raising goosebumps on her arms as she pulled her V-neck off. She held the fabric to her chest and hunched away from the wind.
When it died down, she dropped her shirt onto her growing pile of clothes. She rested her hand against one of the aspens to brace herself while she took off her socks and happened to glance back at her companion. Jax was down to his underwear, standing in the moonlight. Dark lines adorned his back, forming what appeared to be an intricate tattoo, one she couldn’t see well enough from her vantage point. She could, however, see how muscular he was. As he tugged at the waistband of his boxers, she blushed and looked away, reminding herself he would be gone as soon as her father allowed him to leave town.

She didn’t waste any time removing the last of her clothing and stood among the pale aspen trunks, calling to the energy at her core. It surged through her pores, chasing away all visible marking of her humanity until none was left. Aerilyn took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the trees.

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Natasha Brown's imagination has always been a distraction. The books she read in the dark past bedtime fed her excitement for fantasy worlds. Once she started writing, there was no stopping her. By day, Natasha’s an assistant teacher at an elementary school, and by night she’s a book cover designer. Her weekends are spent writing and spending time with family.








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Rebecca's Quest by Blair Drake



Rebecca's Quest
Finding Magic
Book Eight
Blair Drake

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Magic Quest Books

ASIN: B07DYBNSHY

Number of pages: 193
Word Count: 67,550

Cover Artist: Jennifer Zemanek/Seedlings LLC

Tagline: What would you do to find your magic?

Book Description:

 Rebecca is in a nightmare. Can magic save her and those she loves?

 10 quests. If one fails, all fail. And one will never return. ... Now it's Rebecca's turn.

 On the eve of Rebecca Martin's eighteenth birthday, fate throws her into a mysterious and thrilling adventure. Bounced around like a pinball in a machine, where time is fluid and death does not exist, Rebecca must survive to discover her magical destiny to save her entire family and the boy she loves.



Amazon
Excerpt:

Transforming himself into Simon the cat so that he could manipulate Rebecca often exhausted his patience. Through icy blue eyes, from his position on the cold stone floor, James Simon Russell watched his granddaughter hurry down the corridor toward Professor Kell’s classroom until she was safely inside and on time. She would have been late had he not intervened.
Keeping her on the right path these past four years had been more difficult than he’d expected. So many ways a young girl could go wrong when she was away from home, as he well knew. He’d had very little sleep last night, curled up in the corner by the door just outside her room, ensuring she did not escape for any reason.
For his granddaughter, and only for her, Gray Cliffs Academy resembled a nineteenth century boarding school more than a twenty-first century one.
Using his magic, he had cloaked this world. Her experience at Gray Cliffs was different from the other students from the very first day. Nothing incongruent that actually happened here caused Rebecca to question her own experiences. She believed her Gray Cliffs experience was the same as all the others.
He’d also totally isolated her with no connection to the outside world at all. She wasn’t here to mess around online with her friends or call to chat or watch hours of television or anything else. None of that nonsense. None at all.
The purpose of Gray Cliffs was similar to all boarding schools everywhere: to prepare the students for adult life. With one important difference. Not all of the students were aware that Mortal and Magic coexisted here, as they did everywhere in the world.
Mortals were, of course, were unaware of Magic at Gray Cliffs, but the opposite was not true. Magic always knew Mortal well, and Magic students were forbidden from exposing mere mortals to any Magic activities. Penalties for violating the Laws of Magic were severe, and the Counsel of Elders rarely needed to invoke them.
Magic students entered Gray Cliffs unaware of their Magic orientation. Most students learned their true natures during their four years at the school. A few were particularly stubborn though, and refused to see themselves as they were. Those students would not graduate from Gray Cliffs’ Magic stream. They were condemned to a Mortal life.
Russell was desperate to avoid that fate for his granddaughter. Magic was strong within her. He would not allow her to throw her destiny away.
He’d conjured a daunting environment only Rebecca experienced. He’d placed the school on an isolated mountain peak surrounded by deep ravines, instead of the lovely island where Gray Cliffs was actually located. Using such Magic, he’d kept his granddaughter a virtual prisoner, under his constant surveillance since she’d arrived at Gray Cliffs. It hadn’t been easy.
Early on, she seemed to be making friends and fitting in too well. He’d handled the problem swiftly and permanently. At this point, she was miserable and afraid of her own shadow, desperate to escape. Which was exactly what he wanted.
She needed no distractions. She hadn’t been brought there to make friends. She was there to learn what she needed to know and then to leave. Nothing more and nothing less. She went nowhere and did nothing unless he allowed it.
He had made mistakes with Rebecca’s mother and her aunt all those years ago. He knew that now. He’d relied on Headmaster Auster. Auster had failed. He wouldn’t be allowed another chance to screw up with another member of his family.
Russell could not lose this time. There was too much at stake. If Rebecca chose Magic, Russell’s family could be saved. If she chose Mortal, everyone he loved would be doomed for all eternity.
He was satisfied that Rebecca’s last days at Gray Cliffs were unfolding according to the rules the elders had established before she was born.
He shook his head. His lip curled. Rebecca should have discovered her Magic long before now, of course. She should have realized and embraced her Magic powers before the rooftop. She was born with Magic DNA, like all of his family. As her life had developed, no matter how many Magic opportunities and experiences she’d encountered, she’d never allowed herself to make the leap away from the mortal reality her parents had instilled in her. Russell blamed Olivia and Jake Martin for the entire catastrophe. The blame was well placed.
He glanced around to be sure none of the students were watching him before he transported to the roof for one last check on conditions before her final test began. Once there, he transformed to a normal man. He needed to stretch.
Russell ran through his plans for Rebecca’s test once more. She would face a series of bewildering challenges: Situations and events that defied logic or reason would be presented to her in fluid time without warning or explanation. Each challenge was based on her prior experiences remixed by the magic he used to change them.
Rebecca would feel like a ball in a pin-ball machine, bouncing from one strange experience to the next, until she recognized the origin of a particular memory.
She must understand the memory, recognize the Magic applied to it, adapt to the situation, and survive each challenge in succession. Or she could simply complete the test successfully at any time by applying her own vast Magic powers.
If she learned to control her Magic, she could use it to return to Gray Cliffs, safer and wiser. If she didn’t pass the test? Russell shook off that possibility. Failure was not an option. If she failed, she’d be as good as dead.
She simply had to graduate and turn eighteen, whether she knew it or not.
Then and only then, would Rebecca be allowed to make the choice upon which her family’s survival depended. Would she choose to live as Magic or Mortal? She could not be both.
One day, Rebecca could take the seat that had rightfully belonged to her mother on the Council of Elders. His daughter, Olivia had thrown their family’s future away. His granddaughter, Rebecca had the power to redeem them all.
Elders had decreed the terms of Rebecca’s quest, and Russell had given his word. The First Law of Magic still had to be honored: Rebecca must exercise her own free will to make her choice.
Satisfied that preparations were in order, Russell became Simon the cat once again. He transported back to wait patiently in the corridor near Professor Kell’s classroom. When the class ended, Rebecca would answer the headmaster’s summons.
When she entered Auster’s office, she’d begin the most important test of her life.
She was as prepared as she would ever be for the challenge.

All Russell could do now was trust the Laws of Magic.

About the Author:

Blair Drake believes in magic, especially the magic of stories with fantasy, adventures, romance, action, and surprises. She has loved writing and living in the stories of the Finding Magic series and is so excited to share the quests of the Gray Cliffs Academy students with her readers.

When she’s not writing about magic, she’s reading about it. Her influences are Cassandra Claire, Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan, Garth Nix, and many more.

In the mortal plane, following the lure of magic has drawn Blair into strange and wonderful adventures from Australia to New York City, with many stops in between. She currently lives near Denver. Her very favorite spot is a red loveseat in her office, frequently shared with two cats, an outnumbered Dalmation, and occasionally her bewitched husband.

She might have gone to a school similar to Gray Cliffs Academy and would love to go through a magic portal. In the meantime, she’s creating her own in more books of magic.







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Spooktacular Poem- Halloween Night By Raven Williams


Halloween Night
By Raven Williams

Darkness grows all around,

As the woods echo with haunting sounds.

On the pumpkins the frost does lay,

And in the cemetery mist covers the graves.

The wolves howl at the bright full moon,

Filling the air with their spooky tune.

Witches, their cauldrons they do stir,

While stroking their familiars’ soft black fur.

Costumed children roam the streets,

Looking for candy and other sweet treats.

The Vampires, Ghouls, and Goblins give fright,

As all gather to celebrate Halloween Night.

©RavenM.Williams2018




Haunted by Darkness
Raven M. Williams and Jena Baxter

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Fairytales

Publisher: Raven Williams

Date of Publication: 12/5/16

ISBN: 978-1540861559
ASIN: B01MSVY7Z8

Number of pages: 494
Word Count: 110818

Cover Artist: Raven Williams

Book Description:

These are not your childhood tales!

Haunted by Darkness is a collection of eight Dark Fantasy Tales and Legends from the minds of Jena Baxter and Raven Williams. Experience the Darkness as you step further away from the Light.

Raven's Tales

Fall into Darkness, A Realm Jumper Chronicles Origins Story:
The darkness within brings a great downfall.

Rise of the Dark Witch, A Realm Jumper Chronicles Origins Story: Sometimes a person is beyond redemption.

Witch Hunter's Rise, A Witch Hunter's Society Origins Story: When darkness falls, death awaits.

Witch Hunter Ordained, A Witch Hunter's Society Origins Story: Will his dark deeds end when vengeance is had?

Jena's Tales

Belshazzar: The Gods rest in eternal sleep while their appointed Guardian for men and supernatural creatures is going mad.

Eyes of the Gods: A lonely phoenix returns to his home in Misty Haven to die, until he hears a song that cuts to the heart of his being.

Children of the Moon: Tormented by dreams and exhausted, Raven is sent to live with her aunt where she is lulled into a dreamless sleep by a haunting melody.

Hunted: Cursed by the Queen of Fairies and hunted by men, Darla must find true love or remain a deer forever.

Amazon      Kobo      iTunes      BN      Mystic Realms

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/pMHuG2qMQwU



Chapter 1
Victorian London
Lucien closed his eyes and tucked his violin under his chin, placed the bow to strings and began to play. Long notes with a bittersweet edge embodied the atmosphere, like a ship floating, lost, its crew and sails forever lost at sea.
A door slammed in the background, and something heavy pounded the floor. Lucien's eyebrows knitted in frustration, as a discordant note sliced through the illusion he created. He placed the instrument on an end table, and stormed out of the library, into the parlor.
His brother, Edward, stood near the entry, loosening his cravat. He nodded. "Lucien."
"What are you doing slamming into the house like a herd of elephants?"
The material slid off Edward's neck, and his lips curled into a pout. "Annabelle has decided to marry Merrill Brighton," he said, with a huff. "That leaves me starting over, or marrying Winnifred Camden."
Lucien didn't think Winnifred was so bad. She had a few love handles, but that just added to her personality somehow. His brother on the other hand, wanted someone with riches and popularity. Lucien frowned and shifted. "What does that have to do with your conduct? Please settle the affairs of your love life without tearing down the house? Even Winnifred won't want a man with a poor disposition."
"Easy for you to say. Ladies hang on your every word." He smiled, "Or should I say note?" He sat at the piano, and ran his hands over the keys. Soft sounds poured into the room like a whisper.
Lucien sighed, and pulled his coat from the rack. While he loved his brother's piano, he wanted to play violin and he couldn't do it with the other music in the background. "I'm going for a walk."
"Shouldn't be out alone tonight," Edward said. "The moon is full, and it's children will roam seeking their next meal, as the night wears on."
Lucien scoffed. "Fairytales written to frighten children. Don't be absurd."
Edward laughed, and the door slammed shut behind Lucien. Not that he was angry, he understood Edward's frustration. A gentleman needed to find a woman of wealth to settle with in order to live in comfort, unless he had a fortune of his own. Lucien didn't worry about such things. He would rather spend his time making music. Everyone fell into the hands of destiny anyway, the cards would fall where they wanted, changing the course of a man's life, and shaping his future in ways he never dreamed. A pleasant chill climbed up his back. Where would his music take him? Would he be able to perform in great halls, or be forced to settle with a woman, warming a bed and creating babies for her comfort?
The moon hovered bright over the city, and sparkles of light danced on the surface of the Themes. Lucien stopped to watch, breathing in the cool night air. His favorite kind of evening after a warm, summer day. Frustration rolled off his shoulders in waves. He began to relax and continued on his way.
footsteps shuffled behind him. He stopped and glanced back. Nothing but the moon and it's shadows disturbed the darkness of night. A bird screeched overhead, and he jumped, as he resumed his walk. The footsteps resumed when he continued walking. When he stopped again, they did too. Could there be something to the moon children myth? Goosebumps covered his skin as he turned and squinted to see better, but there was still only darkness. He took a deep breath and shrugged the tension out of his shoulders. He was being foolish.
The shuffling stopped when he turned toward the city, and soon he wondered if it had been the work of an over-active imagination. His anger giving rise to the absurd. His shoulders dropped, and he relaxed, as new threads of music filled his mind. He hummed them as he walked, until the shadow of a man came into view up the lane. Lucien tensed, was someone waiting for him? He turned left at the corner, but moments later, the silhouette stood waiting once more. He turned again.
It had to be someone else. No one could move that fast. How many people were out this evening? Maybe it had something to do with the moon. His brother's words echoed in his mind. He turned again, and shuddered when he saw the silhouette of the man waiting.
Lucien's heart raced. He spun and jogged back the way he came. In seconds, the silhouette blocked him, but this time it was closer. His chest tightened as the man moved toward him, his stride like a feral cat. For a moment, all Lucien could do was stare.
Lucien broke the spell, spun around and ran. The chest he crashed into was solid as cement. Muscled arms encompassed him. He kicked his feet and twisted, but the man's grip tightened.
"Don' worry," a smooth voice crooned.
Lucien shuddered.
"We'll be done in just a few minutes."




About the Author Raven Williams


A prolific writer, Raven began her career in 2010 with a blog and non-fiction, then moving to fiction in 2014, when she began Elven-Jumper, the first book in the Realm.

Jumper Chronicles. She now has 30 books to her name, spanning the Realm Jumper Chronicles, Raven’s Twisted Classics, and the Demon Stones Saga, as well as her non-fiction, with more planned.

When Raven is not writing, she is creating art in the form of abstract paintings, fractal designs, and jewelry pieces that tie into her stories. She is also a caregiver for a disabled family member and two cats. She physically resides in the Northwest Florida Panhandle, but spends most of her time mentally in her Mystic Realms.

Will you join her?

Sign-up for Raven’s Newsletter here: https://mysticrealmscurioshop.com/newsletter-sign-up

Website: https://mysticrealmscurioshop.com

Raven’s Mystic Realms FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/mysticrealmscurioshop/

Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ravensmysticrealms/

Blog: https://ravens-mystic-realms.mn.co/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaveMWilliams

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysticrealmscurioshop/

Tumblr: http://mysticrealmscurioshop.tumblr.com/


About the Author Jena Baxter



A prolific writer, Jena Baxter creates characters with depth and stories filled with action, emotion, and a little bit of romance. She loves building fantastical worlds and cultures.



Living in Northern California with her husband, Jena enjoys soapmaking, her pets, and writer's conferences. She also reads for a screenwriting contest on an annual basis.



Website: www.jenabaxter.com



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenabaxterbooks



Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenaBaxterBooks


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenabaxterbooks/

Newsletter: http://jenabaxterbooks.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8103907.Jena_Baxter

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jena-Baxter/e/B00M4YF352

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