Welcome to my stop on the Blood Lust Blog Tour! A big welcome to author Jessica L Degarmo! :0) She did a interview for me! Also make sure to enter the giveaways! There is a tour wide one, and one just for this blog!

AUTHOR BIO:

Jessica Degarmo grew up in Upstate New York and now lives with her husband, children and dog in rural Pennsylvania. When she is not writing, she is an insurance agent, the lead singer in a classic rock band, and an avid collector of gemstones.


Her publishing credits include:
How to Meet a Guy at the Supermarket (Taylor Street Publishing, November 2010)
Hooking Up (Taylor Street Publishing, May 2011)
Decisions (Silver Publishing, July 2011)
The Storm Within, A Johns Creek Second Chances Novel #1(Taylor Street Publishing, September 2011)
Six Weeks (Taylor Street Publishing, October 2011)
Historically Yours, A Johns Creek Second Chances Novel #2(Taylor Street Publishing, August 2012)

She is currently working on several other projects. Visit Jessica's website for more information at www.jessicadegarmo.com
http://www.jessicadegarmo.com/p/blood-lust.html
http://www.facebook.com/booksbyjessicadegarmo

THE BLURB:

The beauty is the beast.

Meet Nexess. She is a vampire and gang leader Antonio’s assassin and slave, whom he keeps in chains for everyone’s protection, and his pleasure, until he needs her to go out and kill for him.

And if she disobeys him, he locks her cold, hungry and alone in a cage to face her demons until she once again bows to his brute force and craves his touch.

Then she meets Jace, a vampire from the rival gang, another killer and, as her body tells her, one she has an irrepressible urge to devour, maybe in love, maybe in war.

It’s going to be a bloodbath. Then again, it already is.

THE INTERVIEW:

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?

I think it was always in the back of my mind, but I never officially came out and said, “Yes, I want to be a writer.” I used to want to be a translator, and in high school, took French, Spanish and Russian. One year I took them all at once! That was fun… I think the idea of being a writer took shape as I was writing my first book, and even though it’s weird to think of myself as being a writer, I guess I am.


Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?

Sometimes they do, and for the most part, people are very sweet. I get the most feedback on my book Six Weeks, and usually the people who seek me out tell me they liked the book. I love feedback!


For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?

1) Don’t stop. It’s hard, and it’s not as glamorous as people might think, but if you really want to do it, stick to it.

2) Do your research, not only on the subject you are writing about, but also on publishing options. There are so many options out there and some are better than others. Make sure before you sign any contract, you research the publisher. As a general rule, you shouldn’t have to pay to have your book published by a publishing company.

3) Network, network, network. Get to know your fellow authors. Get to know your readers. Probably the hardest part of being an author has really nothing to do with writing. It’s the promotion ! It’s a never-ending battle to promote your work. That’s why networking is important. The more people you know, the more promotional ideas and opportunities you’ll have.

Do you have a favorite of your own books?

Six Weeks is probably my favorite, because it’s not a happy, rainbow and puppy-filled book. It’s raw and real and deals with real life the most.

How do you balance writing with your life?

It’s not easy, but I make the time. I have to actually carve it out of my day in order to get any time to spend on it. And there are a lot of late nights when I’m mid-manuscript!

How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?

How to Meet a Guy at the Supermarket was my first book, and I wrote it when I was 33. It’s about Quinn, a journalist who decides to look for love in a very unorthodox place. It’s a romantic comedy.

Where do your ideas come from?

Sometimes I get them from conversations I have with friends and other times, it just sort of hits me. I like it best when it just comes into my head like a lightning bolt and shocks the heck out of me. Then it’s a mad dash to jot it down before the vibe leaves.

Do you have a writing quirk?

No, not really. If the mood hits me, I pretty much just drop everything and write. Maybe that’s my quirk?


Pantser or Planner?

Sort of both. Sort of. I plan to a degree, but I usually only have a clear plan for the beginning and the end. The middle is always the hardest part. Sometimes I plan the middle, but I end up going off on tangents anyway. I probably should plan more, but I tend to write by feel, not by research. I only research when I get stuck and can’t go any further. But then, after research, sometimes I have to do massive rewrites. I guess I am a wannabe planner.


Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?

Hmmm. Yes, to a degree. For Supermarket, I can see Drew Barrymore as Quinn and as Trevor, that sexy Italian guy from Under The Tuscan Sun.  

Coke vs Pepsi?  Pepsi.

Chocolate vs Vanilla? Vanilla

Cake vs Ice Cream? Cake

Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?

I’m pretty sure I dream in color.


What's your favorite food?

Anything that doesn’t run away.

What type of food could you never live without?

Pastries. I’m a sucker for baked goods, and my waistline proves it. You are what you eat, right? Can anyone say muffin-top?

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?

Books

My husband

My kids

Cell phone


Favorite show growing up?

Fraggle Rock


If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

I’d want to be invisible. I’d escape/get into all sorts of mischief!


What do you think the future will hold?

That’s a tough one. The idealist in me likes to think this new generation coming up will turn the world around and save us from the path we’re on. The realist in me knows that it’ll probably get much worse before it gets better, if it does. I’m actually a bit scared for the future. We as a planet need to make some serious changes in order to salvage what we have left. I’m just not sure if we can do it.  

FOLLOW THE TOUR:

October 31 Fang-tastic Books www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
November 1 Celestial Reviewshttp://cecesreviews.blogspot.com
November 2 http://daydrmzzz.blogspot.com

November 5 Carly Fall - Where Fantasy Meets Romance www.carlyfall.com
November 6 Readaholic's Reviewshttp://readaholicsreviews.com/
November 7 www.bendingthespine.blogspot.com
November 8 Kacey's Konnections,  http://kaceyskonnections.blogspot.com
November 8 www.rabidreads.ca
November 11 My Escape / http://myescape84.blogspot.com

THIS BLOG'S GIVEAWAY (HALLOWEEN ONLY, OPEN INTERNATIONAL)

Welcome to my stop on the Rogue's Pawn Blog Tour! A big welcome to author Jeffe Kennedy who graciously did a guest blog! :0) Make sure to check out the excerpt after the guest blog post!

AUTHOR BIO:

Jeffe Kennedy took the crooked road to writing, stopping off at neurobiology, religious studies and environmental consulting before her creative writing began appearing in places like Redbook, Puerto del Sol, Wyoming Wildlife, Under the Sun and Aeon. An erotic novella, Petals and Thorns, came out under her pen name of Jennifer Paris in 2010, heralding yet another branch of her path, into erotica and romantic fantasy fiction. Since then, an erotic short, Feeding the Vampire, and another erotic novella, Sapphire, have hit the shelves. 


Her contemporary fantasy novel, Rogue’s Pawn, book one in A Covenant of Thorns, will be published in July, 2012. Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, with two Maine coon cats, a border collie, plentiful free-range lizards and frequently serves as a guinea pig for an acupuncturist-in-training. Find her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Author.Jeffe.Kennedy) and Twitter (@jeffekennedy) or visit her at her website http://jeffekennedy.com/.

THE BLURB:

This is no fairy tale… 


Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiancé, I impulsively walked out of my life—and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can’t control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price—my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself…


With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils—including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to…

THE GUEST POST:

This weekend, a gal I talk to on Twitter from time to time, told me that the next book she was reading was Rogue’s Pawn. This is always a funny moment for a writer. You know, in general, that people are out there, reading your book all the time (well – you HOPE they are…), but knowing someone is picking it up right then is another thing.

It’s kind of like waiting in the hall while your graduate committee debates your merits. Or waiting to see if that really great guy is going to call you back after the first date, which you were pretty sure went well, but…

A lot of times, you never hear back from people. They mention they’re reading it and then crickets. Some people forget to say anything more about it. Others you figure probably hated it and don’t want to hurt your feelings by saying so, which is fair enough.

But this gal started tweeting me her reactions as she read.
It was fascinating. She told me when she worried for my heroine, when she got angry at the hero, what she hoped would happen. And she asked a lot of questions. She ended up reading the whole thing in one day – and blamed me for the fact that she didn’t get her chores done or errands run. Then, after church on Sunday, she told me the sermon made her think of my heroine and her trials.

I loved it.

Sometimes sending a book into the world can feel like a one-way conversation, so when someone replies, it can be like talking to a grown-up after being trapped at home with little kids all day.

More, these kinds of conversations help me understand how someone else processes the story – which pieces of the ideas in my head make it out there.
Very fun.

Rogue's Pawn Excerpt


“Enough,” a male voice said.


As if I’d ceased to exist, Tinker Bell blinked her eyes and regained her lovely self, face smoothing, shining once again in sunny elegance. Reboot and resume program. She gracefully stood and glided to the tray, set the bowl precisely in the center, lifted the tray and left the room without hesitation.


Booted footsteps crossed the room toward me. Act II, scene ii. Exit Nasty Tinker Bell, Enter God-Only-Knows-What-Now. My face was sticky with whatever the brothy stuff had been, my hair wet and fouled. I stank. I hurt. I was chained to a bed in a place so completely unknown I couldn’t begin to understand it. I tried to squeeze my legs closer together, but the chains seemed at the limit of their reach. The energy of my brief triumph evaporated, allowing tears to well up again.


Oh, please, please, please, do not cry. The threatening sting worsened. I closed my eyes and one tear leaked out. He stopped next to me, surveying me.


“You’re certainly a mess.” His wry voice was rich and smooth.


My eyes snapped open to glare at him through the blur. Fifty different smart remarks flew across my tongue, most along the lines that any failures of appearance on my part could be laid on the doorstep of someone besides myself. But even the buzz of the first word on my vocal chords brought searing agony. Relieved to have a legitimate reason for the tears, I almost welcomed the searing sensation.


“No, don’t try to talk—no one needs to hear what you have to say, anyway. Not that we can help it, since you think so loudly. And you have a decision to make. We have a quandary.” He began pacing, boots echoing against stone. “No one can heal you while you’re bound in silver and we can’t release you from the silver until you have yourself under control. Which will take a considerably long time—perhaps years of training—if you’re even able to accomplish it at all.”


I thought of the birds crashing in increasing cacophony with a small shudder.


“Exactly,” he confirmed. “And yes,” he said from the window behind my head where he seemed to be gazing out, “I can hear most of your thoughts—another reason to save trying to speak aloud.”


My stomach congealed in panic. Had he heard my secret thoughts? Don’t think of them, bury them deep, deep. Think of other things…like what? Think of home, think of Isabel. Isabel, my cat—Clive hated her. What would happen to her now? How could I not have thought of her until this moment? Abandoned, wondering why I never came home for her… And my mother—she’d be frantic. How long had I been gone? They could be all dead and buried, lost to me forever. The anguish racked me.


“Shh.” The man sat on the side of my bed now, heavier than Nasty Tinker Bell. He brushed the hair back from my forehead, then placed his long fingers over my brow and, with his thumbs, rhythmically smoothed along my cheekbones, wiping away the tears that now flowed freely.


I stifled a sob. I had cried more in the past day than I had in years. The sweeping along my cheekbones soothed me, melting warmth through my skull. The rhythm became part of my breathing. Deep breaths. Smooth, easy. The awful tightness in my chest gave a little sigh and released.


“Let’s try again, shall we?” The man pulled his hands away. I could hear him brush them against his thighs. Soup, tears and blood. Yuck.


My eyes cleared enough for me to see him. Ebony-blue climbed over half his face. The winding pattern of angular spirals and toothy spikes swirled out of his black hair on the left side of his face, placing sharp fingers along his cheekbone, jaw and brow. For a moment, the tattoo-like pattern dominated everything about him. Ferocious and alien.


Once I adjusted, I could see past the lines. His face echoed Tinker Bell’s golden coloring. He could be her fraternal twin, with those same arched cheekbones. But where she was golden dawn, he was darkest night. Midnight-blue eyes, that deep blue just before all light was gone from the sky, when the stars have emerged, but you could see the black shadows of trees against the night. He shared Tinker Bell’s rose-petal mouth, but with a curious edge to it. I suppose a man’s mouth shouldn’t remind one of a flower, and there was nothing feminine about this man. Where she wore the pink sugar roses of debutantes and bridal showers, his lips made me think of the blooms of late summer, the sharp-ruffled dianthus, edges darkening to blood in the heat. His bone structure was broader than hers but still seemed somehow differently proportioned, his arms hanging a bit too long from shoulders not quite balanced to his height. Inky hair pulled back from his face fell in a tail down his back. One strand had escaped to fall over his shoulder and I could see a blue shimmer in its silk sheen.


He arched his left eyebrow, blueness in the elegant arch, repeating the deep shades of the fanged lines around it.


“Shall we?” he repeated.


I stared at him. What was the question?

The blurb:
When Toni, Joseph and Charlie arrive at their new boarding school, they are glad to leave their families — and respective problems — behind. Isolated as boarders, they meet a handsome senior with a personality like iced snake’s blood, teachers with a penchant for physical punishment, and four other outcasts who reveal that their being brought to the Academy wasn’t random at all. When the arrivals discover that their new school is engaged in “behavior modification” through electric shocks, isolation, restraints, and an ever-evolving set of methods to “fix” them, they declare war on their Academy. During their campaign of sabotage, they fight, hate, scorn, love, and begin to uncover the reasons why they were brought to the school. But as their war against the school escalates beyond their control, will they become the very things the Academy believes they are: dangerous, delinquent — and mad?

The review:
Let's just start off by saying, WOW.  I really liked the book, but since it's written from so many different POVs, the world gets very confusing at times. It makes you feel like maybe you belong locked up too. I love the characters and storyline. I want to know what happens next. This book leaves you wanting to understand more. It's like an itch that is sitting waiting to be scratched by book 2, hopefully. It's easier to relate to some of the characters than others, but this is something that happens with all books. Aubrey has done a great job of crafting this world of craziness and hidden supernatural. Because, yes, there is supernatural at work here.

This isn't any paranormal book. Nope, not in the least. The supernatural aspect is hidden- much like the main characters. They're hidden in plain sight of the normal kids. They aren't normal, at least not in the sense that the other kids are.

I only gave the book 4 stars because of the total insanity it reeks on your senses as a reader trying to follow so many characters without things really explained in the beginning. Even my hubby was fighting the urge to walk away from the insanity in the beginning. I told him to keep reading. He liked it too, but there is an undercurrent that you have to fight to not fall into the chaos of the story.

I recommend this book for anyone that likes multiple POVs, subtle paranormal, teen coming of ages. It's an interesting read.

About the Author:
Aubrey Coletti is a twenty year old author, choreographer, and singer-songwriter originally from Milton, Massachusetts. She began working on Altered when she was fifteen, and completed it at seventeen, during the summer before her senior year of high school. She currently attends Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, and is working on the sequel to Altered.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubrey.coletti
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AubreyisAltered
Website: http://aubreycoletti.com/

If you're looking for the Howloween Blog Hop, CLICK HERE
If you're looking for the Wicked After Dark Hop, CLICK HERE
If you're looking for the Spooktacular Hop, CLICK HERE

Welcome to my stop on the Bachelor Farmers Blog Tour! A big welcome to author Brenda Sorrels! :0)

AUTHOR BIO:
I grew up in Fargo, N.D., then headed east to Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. Most of my life has been spent living in Connecticut, but in 2000 I married my college boyfriend, Barry Sorrels, and moved to Dallas where two lovely step-daughters and a new life awaited me.     Although I’ve been writing for years, it was returning north for summers, during those lazy country afternoons, when I began to get serious. After numerous workshops and writing courses, I developed a series of short stories, ironically, all set in the Midwest. Working with my college roommate, Margaret Doud, as my editor, in time I expanded one of these stories into The Bachelor Farmers - my first novel.
    I haven’t stopped since, and I’m happy to report that I’m well on my way with another book. The Way Back ‘Round, will be coming out in the fall of 2012. I hope you’ll pick up a copy of my latest book and let me know what you think. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you a little better.

THE BLURB:
The Bachelor Farmers is a story about two Norwegian brothers who learn the meaning of love from a most unlikely source. Hans and Jon, the youngest of four immigrant brothers have just inherited land from their recently deceased father. They set out to develop the land, thus perpetuating the family dream of success in America. When Jon learns that the husband of Mahal, a beautiful half-breed Ojibwa woman has been injured on their property and cannot work, Jon hires her and brings her home. Under the eye of his disapproving brother, Jon finds himself falling in love, but when a terrible blizzard blows into town without warning, the three of them must deal with the consequences, and Mahal is forced to make a decision that reshapes their lives in profound and unimaginable ways. The Bachelor Farmers takes us into a world where true meaning and healing are found in the complexity of human relationships and dreams of a better life fuel a family's drive for success.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Website: http://www.brendasorrels.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.sorrels1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendasorrelsao

The Review:
Each book is different, but I have to say that this book stuck with me for days after I read it. I fell in love with the characters and the story. I wanted to know more about each one. The development was great, and the story pulled me right in. It's a quick read- I finished it in one night. I'm not going to give anything away, but I can honestly say that I argued with the book over the ending!

Brenda has crafted a world that is imaginable and truthful. I could easily see this as someone's family history and a story that has been passed down through the years. Is it? I don't know.

Oh how I wanted more though! I give it 4.5 stars! This is a great book for those that like Westerny books, books that take place with a little more rough outdoors and a little less civilization to get in the way. It's a romance with a twist. Check it out!

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID:
"Sorrels' could be described as a fundamental minimalist with descriptions of characters, scenes,and dialogue but her laconic way works because the story is strong and pulls the reader in, by the middle of the book making it hard to put down. This is a sweet read, a well written read, and a comfort to go to bed with, providing one doesn't have to get up early the next  morning."~Paulette, amazon review

"Although each of the main characters is flawed in uniquely human ways, the author treats each of her characters with enormous empathy and warmth - in my opinion, the mark of a true burgeoning talent. I definitely recommend snuggling up with The Bachelor Farmers on a cold winter's night, or anytime you want to escape to a more romantic time and place." ~nyc2086, amazon reviewer

Welcome to my stop on the Howloween Blog Hop.
Halloween is my favorite holiday, I love the season. I love getting free candy. I love the atmosphere! Don't you love it? Well, I hope so!

For this giveaway is separated into two giveaways! US/CA and International! US/CA enteries are welcome to do the INT. The international one comes first!

Both have the prize of an eBook of Dead to Bites or Bella Notte.

Dead to Bites is the first book in the Kat Purrowells Series (SPICY):
Kat Purrowells is an occult anthropologist. She thought she would be teaching what she knew at a local college, instead she was roped into working for a secretive government agency, P.N.I., Paranormal Investigations. There are murders in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, Kat has been sent in to try and help catch these supernatural killers, but will the cost be her life?

Bella Notte is the first book in the Bella Vampires Series (SWEET):
Vampires? Check. Werewolves? Check. Death prophecy to hang over your head? Double check. Seventeen year old Emma Hutchinson struggles to find her place in the world she has been born to as she tries to decide whether she should be with Michael, the boy she has been dreaming about since she was three or if she belongs with Dominic, her betrothed.

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Make sure you go back to the website with all the authors that are part of this great hop! CLICK HERE to go back!

A big old welcome to author Jill Hughey, who has graciously done an interview with me. Hi, Jill! Jill is also doing a giveaway so make sure you leave a comment to enter!

Did you always want to be a writer? If not, then what?

I always enjoyed writing and if I had been paying attention would have recognized writing as a
good choice of profession. I did not have an example of someone making a living outside of a steady, salaried kind of job, so never really considered anything creative like writing as a true alternative. I waited until middle age to finally have that "aha!" moment.

Do your readers contact you? If so, what do they say?

Readers contact me through Facebook and also in person through a small number of paperback sales locally. Most ask when the next book in my Evolution Series is coming out
which really motivates me to keep going on book #3. Some also express amazement at my ability to pull together research, characters, setting, and plot to build lengthy historical
romances. A few like to point out typos and that is helpful too!

For aspiring writers, what three pieces of good advice would you give them?

1. Learn your craft. A foundation of correct puncuation, grammar, and spelling is not optional. You might make a style choice that ignores a rule but it should be a justifiable choice, not
ignorance. On top of those fundamentals layer fully-formed characters, tight plot, and scenes that make sense to propel the plot.
2. Learn your genre but trust your instincts or your voice.
3. Write. Write. Write.

Do you have a favorite of your own books?

My favorite is probably Redeemed, the second in my series. The hero and heroine, Doeg and Philantha, are atypical in that the Doeg is physically and emotionally damaged, and Philantha
is more womanly than willowy and she is period-correct in being a bit submissive which is an important quality for her to ultimately gain Doeg's trust. They both have pain in their pasts that is almost inadvertently healed as they begin to love each other. I am writing a few scenes with Doeg and Philantha in the next book and am so enjoying a visit with them.

How do you balance writing with your life?

Well, I am fortunate to work part time in my husband's and my computer consulting business so I usually have at least one day per week to devote to writing, and hopefully I squeeze some time in on the weekends too. It makes for slow going so I try to stay focussed on writing the story, and then when it is done I focus on promoting and then switch gears again!

How old were you when you wrote your first book and what was it about?

I don't know what would count as a book, but I voluntarily wrote stories and poetry as a young elementary student. My mother still has a saccharine-sweet anniversary poem I wrote for her
and my dad.

Where do your ideas come from?

Usually I get a single interaction between hero and heroine in my head that starts to introduce the characters and their circumstances to me. Oddly enough, that scene does not often make it into the final book because of plot issues.

Do you have a writing quirk?

I used to write scenes out of chronological order but I am trying to break that habit with my work-in-progress. And I really prefer to write in absolute silence.

Pantser or Planner?

I am becoming more of a planner as I go. I think particularly with historicals you are more likely to introduce a fatal timeline problem or historical inaccuracy if you haven't created a skeleton for the story.

Do you pick out dream casts for your books? If so, what's your favorite so far?

Funny question. It has never occurred to me to cast my books, though I did look for pictures for my main characters in Vain, my current project. I am now using software called StoryMill that
lets me pull a picture right into my character description so I can check back to make certain I am representing somebody properly.

Coke vs Pepsi?

Pepsi, though not very often because my husband now calls soda "devil water".

Chocolate vs Vanilla?

Chocolate.

Cake vs Ice Cream?

Cake. Brownies. Cookies. I love bad carbs.

Do you think we dream in color or that we wake up and remember it in color?

I think we dream in color.

What's your favorite food?

That is really hard. Is coffee a food?

What type of food could you never live without?

I would struggle to truly eliminate grains from my diet, but I would also miss fruit so it would be a tossup between those two.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you take with you (limit 4 items)?

Fresh water still. Tarp. Flint. Fishing pole. As you can see, I am infuriatingly practical. I would not bring books or music because I am making them in my head all the time.

Favorite show growing up?

Carol Burnett.

If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

Super human strength. I think there would be so many practical applications. I definitely would not want to be able to read minds or see the future – those would be a minefield.

What do you think the future will hold?

For me, I think it holds more story-telling and hopefully a steady increase in success as a writer.

Thank you, Jesse, for inviting me to your blog. I have a blog too if anyone is interested in visiting me. I tweet @jillhughey. My books are available for Kindle or in print at the Amazon
links below and also at most ebook vendors. I also welcome reviews on any of the purchase sites, Goodreads, Shelfari, and AskDavid.

CONNECT WITH JILL:
Blog: http://jillhughey.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillhugheyromance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillHughey

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jill Hughey writes fast-paced historical romance in a modern voice, with three published books so far. Two of the books, Unbidden and Redeemed, are part of her Evolution Series, set in the middle ages shortly after Charlemagne's death. Her third, Sass Meets Class, is a sweet romance set in Arizona Territory in the 1880s. Jill is currently writing Vain, the third book in her series.

Jill has a wonderfully supportive husband and two teenaged sons. She works as a business administrator, acts as the kid taxi, takes voice lessons, and fits writing in wherever she can.

If you're looking for the Wicked After Dark Hop, CLICK HERE
If you're looking for the Spooktacular Hop, CLICK HERE

The Blurb:
Born between the sexes, Jamie must leave behind a young girl's dreams to become the man her family expects. Jamie was born with a testis, an ovary, and a pixie face. He could be a boy after minor surgery and a few years on testosterone. At least, that's what his parents always say; but he sees an elfin princess in the mirror. When a medical student tells Jamie that he should have been raised female, he explores and discovers the life he could have as a girl. The elfin princess can thrive, but will she risk losing her family and her education for a boyfriend who may leave her, and a toddler she may never be allowed to adopt?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lianne's father was a dairy farmer and an engineer, her mother a nurse. She grew up in a home filled with love and good books.

(take from her website):

I’m simply a housewife trying to learn to write, and trying to help the kids I love. They say you write about what you know. I’m a Christian who has some knowledge of intersex conditions and how they affect people.

Over the past decade I’ve answered inquiries on behalf of a support group for the parents of children born between the sexes. However, as the Internet has grown, so have the options available. The Androgen Insensitivity Support Group, for instance, accepts girls with various differences of sexual development. With groups like AISSG flourishing, my time can be put to better use elsewhere.

In addition to working with the parents of intersex children, I had the privilege of making the acquaintance of a number of intersex adults. As a Christian I was disturbed by the lack of understanding on the part of the Church for people born outside the normal boundaries of male and female. The kids aren’t a part of anyone’s ‘agenda.’ Even when they have gender issues related to their condition or the treatment they’ve received.

My book, Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite, is based on a number of people I know and some of the things that happened to them growing up, all rolled up into a fictional account of a teenager’s struggle to find a place in this world. And the next. I hope y’all enjoy reading it.

Lianne

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:
website: http://www.liannesimon.com/home
twitter: https://twitter.com/liannesimon
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lianne.simon.1

If you're looking for the Wicked After Dark Hop, CLICK HERE
If you're looking for the Spooktacular Hop, CLICK HERE

The Blurb:
On the island of Massa, heroes are born not made.
 
The idyllic lives of four young shifters living in the exiled land of Pyraan are shattered when a tour of legion duty gives witness to a brutal enemy invasion.  Born with magical prowess none has seen in over three hundred years, the friends become pivotal in a race against time to save a people they hardly know, but are sworn to protect.
The journey exacts a terrible price from Beck, Kiernan, Rogan and Airron as they battle demons, both real and personal, to save the island. 
But, whatever the chances, the shifters will fight.
The blood oath will have it no other way.

The Review:
I am not a HUGE fantasy reader, but there was something about the cover that drew me to ask the author to review her book. I am so glad that I did.

This book is wonderful! The characters are developed and you want all the crappy things that seem to be happening at once to just go away so they can have their happily ever after. But then I suppose if that happened, we wouldn't get to see them develop further!

The story is crafted in a wonderful fashion. You get to see different perspectives- something that Valerie has done well (I've read some stories where it should not have been done, ever.) You can feel the darkness of the Mages. I wanted to riot for the Shifters and rid them of their Blood Oath, who needs exile, right?

I cannot wait to read the second book, which Valerie is also allowing me to review! I highly recommend this book to all fantasy readers, and anyone that loves the actiony aspect of a good quest. Dude, just read the book everyone!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
(taken from her site)
Hi, I am Valerie Zambito.  Thank you for visiting my fantasy books site.  After having been involved in a busy sales career for fifteen years, a passionate love for great storytelling, world building, character creation, and all things magic have led to my first novel, Island Shifters - An Oath of the Blood.  There is nothing quite like the thrill of a journey through a well-constructed epic fantasy.  So, put your feet up, let the real world melt away, and spend a few hours in mine.

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:
website: http://www.valeriezambito.com/
twitter: https://twitter.com/vzambito
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Valerie-Zambito-Author-Page/207290402664749

Merry Meet everyone! Happy October! This is my favorite month because it has Halloween in it. There is something magical about the month. Maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe it's the holiday, or maybe there is something else that calls out to me. Whatever the reason, I love this month.

This hop is all about the wicked side of things. The things that stir those dark feelings deep down in soul that cause tingles in all the right places and the wickedly wonderful thoughts to flow.

For this hop, I'm giving away a digital copy of Dead to Bites.
It's the first book in the Kat Purrowells Series.

Dead to Bites:
Kat Purrowells is an occult anthropologist. She thought she would be teaching what she knew at a local college, instead she was roped into working for a secretive government agency, P.N.I., Paranormal Investigations. There are murders in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, Kat has been sent in to try and help catch these supernatural killers, but will the cost be her life?

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

This blog hop has over 400 entries! Holy cow, Batman! Make sure you hit as many as you can!

I absolutely LOVE Halloween. I think every day should be a form of it. Happy New on the 31st to all the witches out there! And Happy Halloween to all the non-witches!

For this hop, I'm giving away a digital copy of Bella Notte or Dead to Bites. Winner's choice. This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway!

Bella Notte:
Vampires? Check. Werewolves? Check. Death prophecy to hang over your head? Double check. Seventeen year old Emma Hutchinson struggles to find her place in the world she has been born to as she tries to decide whether she should be with Michael, the boy she has been dreaming about since she was three or if she belongs with Dominic, her betrothed.

Dead to Bites:
*Note to the readers, this book contains some explicit content. Reader discretion is advised.*

Kat Purrowells is an occult anthropologist. She thought she would be teaching what she knew at a local college, instead she was roped into working for a secretive government agency, P.N.I., Paranormal Investigations. There are murders in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, Kat has been sent in to try and help catch these supernatural killers, but will the cost be her life?