Are you thankful for books? I sure am. Every day I find a moment to read. It helps keeps me sane! Especially with a four year old and one year old running around!

This hop is hosted by I AM A READER, NOT A WRITER and TRISTI PINKSTON! I am thankful for them for hosting such a great hop!

There are two giveaways, one INTERNATIONAL and one US/CA only. Good Luck and thanks for stopping by!

Also, author Kristine Cayne is doing an interview + giveaway with me, CLICK HERE, to check it out and enter!

Today I have the pleasure of having author Kristine Cayne on the blog! Welcome! She graciously did an interview with me! Check it out! MAKE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT, Kristine is doing a giveaway to one lucky commenter!

Jesse, thank you so much for having me on your blog today. It’s a pleasure to chat with you and your readers.

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

KC: I definitely had the idea in the back of my mind since childhood. Unfortunately, I studied literature in university with the goal of being a high school teacher. I quickly realized I was not cut out for either teaching or literary fiction. I ended up in computer science and working for a large telecommunications company. It wasn’t until I discovered genre fiction, romantic suspense in particular, that the writing bug came back and bit me in the butt with a vengeance.


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

KC: Readers do contact me, usually via social media. I’ve been lucky in that their messages are usually about how much they enjoyed my stories and characters. Often they want to know if I’m planning to write a book about character A or character B. It’s great to see readers get excited about my characters, and it’s always great to read their reactions when I tell them that yes, in fact, character A and B are getting their own stories.


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


KC: Write – try to write every day. If that’s not possible, set a writing schedule and try to keep it.

Finish – work on a story and finish it. I’ve known people who start one story after another. They polish it to a fine sheen and then either enter a contest or shove it in a drawer. They never finish it! Actually, completing a story is key for the obvious reason – you can’t sell something that isn’t complete. The other even more important reason is that the aspiring writer will learn more than they ever imagined about writing during the editing process. That’s when you finally get to look at your story as a whole. Where are the plot holes? Is the characterization strong enough? Are there enough conflicts? Etc. If you don’t finish the draft, you’ll never get to this essential part of writing.

Refine Your Craft – writing styles change over time, reader expectations change. So even if you think you have a handle on the craft of writing, you probably don’t. We can all stand to learn something new. Take an on-line class, attend a workshop or a conference, join a local writer’s group, find a critique group or a critique partner, or pick up a book on craft and try to apply it to your writing. You’ll be amazed by how much your stories improve.

JK: Do you have a favorite of your own books?

KC: Not yet. I love all my books, and shorter works, for different reasons. In terms of characters, Rémi Whitedeer, the hero of Deadly Addiction is one of my favorites. With his quiet determination and steadfast loyalty to his family and tribe, he’s the perfect foil for feisty, no-holds-barred heroine, police sergeant Alyssa Morgan. And he’s sexy as all get-out.

JK: How do you balance writing with your life?

KC: It’s actually very difficult and I don’t think I’ve found the write balance yet. I try to make sure that I see my kids and husband every day, and when I can’t, I try to make up for it on the weekend. I’m glad they are so supportive.


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

KC: I wrote many stories when I was in elementary school. Things began tapering off when I entered high school though. Creative writing was not taught at all, except in French class. The teacher asked us to write a story, and I believe we were supposed to draw a picture to go along with it, like a cover page. I wrote some type of science fiction story with aliens. LOL. Anyway, the teacher liked it so much that he printed out copies of it, along with the spaceship cover and created my first “book.” He then used this as reading material for the lower-grade classes. I might still have it in a box somewhere, but I’ve moved so many times since then, I’ve lost track.


JK: Where do your ideas come from?

KC: Most of the time, they spark from current (or recent) events. I take that ember and do research on the topic until I start to see characters and a possible story line. It’s one of the aspects of writing I enjoy the most.


JK: Do you have a writing quirk?

KC: A blank screen and a flashing cursor can be very intimidating. Anxiety builds up and you know for sure that you can’t fill that page with anything but gibberish. On those days, I grab my notebook and my pen and I write longhand. Another quirk is that I have to write everything sequentially. I’ve heard from many author friends that they can and do write scenes as they come to them, out of order! I hope I can achieve that someday, but right now, it seems as crazy to me as building a house from the roof to the basement.


JK :Pantser or Planner?

KC: I’m definitely a plotter. I’m part of a plotting group, the CherryPlotters, which help me create the plots for my longer works. I need that visual representation of the story, especially for my romantic suspense books, before I can even type the first word. Does that mean I never deviate? No. Writing is an organic process whether you are a pantser or a planner. And as a writer, it’s your job to know when to just go with the flow.

For my shorter works, I create an outline that has the general flow of the story and some major turning points. Then I start to write. Before each scene, I think about what I want the next scene to be, keeping in mind the overall story flow.

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

KC: I do pick out dream casts. It helps to ground our characters in reality when we have a concrete representation of the image in our head. With Deadly Obsession, this became a bit of an issue since I had a very clear vision in my mind of the hero, Nic Lamoureux, one that didn’t perfectly match any actor or model I’ve come across. Several are close, but no one is right on. For Rémi, the hero of Deadly Addiction, I started with the image, which made things much easier.

My new Six Alarm Sexy erotic romance firefighter series has a full cast of heroes from my fictional Station 44. Believe me when I say that it’s been quite a hardship spending hours going through firefighter calendars, looking at firefighter models, and searching through stock image sites for sexy firefighters to complete my team. Check out the cover for my upcoming erotic romance, Under His Command, from this series. Like it?

JK: Coke vs Pepsi?

KC: Coke, but I stopped drinking carbonated drinks a few years ago.


JK: Chocolate vs Vanilla?

KC: Definitely chocolate. I think I was born with a piece of Ghirardelli chocolate in my mouth!


JK: Cake vs Ice Cream?

KC: Ice cream. In an apocalypse, I’d kill for some Rocky Road.


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

KC: Now that’s something I’ve never thought about. If I were to venture a guess, I’d say we dream in color.


JK: What's your favorite food?

KC: I love Asian food. Nothing too strange though. LOL. I’m also a huge fan of my mom’s spaghetti and lasagna.


JK: What type of food could you never live without?

KC: Beef. I don’t think I could ever be a vegetarian. I don’t eat red meat every day, but I love a big juicy steak, and I need to eat it at least once or twice a month.


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

KC: “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon because it’s one of the only books I can read again and again.

A huge notebook so I could write stories to entertain myself.

The longest lasting pen in existence so I could write stories to entertain myself.

A knife to cut bark and sticks to make paper and pencils, once my notebook and pen run out, so I could entertain myself.

*I’m detecting a pattern here.


JK: Favorite show growing up?

KC: M*A*S*H* and Happy Days were my two favorite shows when I was a kid.


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

KC: I think I’d want to be able to fly. I’d be able to move quickly and travel easily. And with my bird’s eye view, I’d see things I shouldn’t!


JK: What do you think the future will hold?

KC: I think the future of publishing will be as dramatically different in five years as it has been in the last two. When things change as quickly as they are, it’s virtually impossible to predict the future. I just hope that there are some big time bestseller lists in my future

About the Author:


Award-winning author Kristine Cayne is fascinated by the mysteries of human psychology—twisted secrets, deep-seated beliefs, out-of-control desires. Add in high-stakes scenarios and real-world villains, and you have a story worth writing, and reading.


The heroes and heroines of her Deadly Vices series are pitted against each other by their radically opposing life experiences. By overcoming their differences and finding common ground, they triumph over their enemies and find true happiness in each other’s arms.


Today she lives in the Pacific Northwest, thriving on the mix of cultures, languages, religions and ideologies. When she’s not writing, she’s people-watching, imagining entire life stories, and inventing all sorts of danger for the unsuspecting heroes and heroines who cross her path.


Deadly Obsession (Deadly Vices, Book 1) is the award-winning first book in Kristine Cayne’s Deadly Vices series. It is currently on sale for only 99 cents from these online stores:


Kindle US - http://amzn.to/RETLOq

Paperback US - http://amzn.to/Q7U2e1

Kindle UK - http://amzn.to/On7LZN

Paperback UK - http://amzn.to/Qmdfq5

Nook - http://bit.ly/Qf1u5s

Kobo – http://bit.ly/XpYs0R

All Romance eBooks - http://bit.ly/JJMUMa


Visit Kristine’s book pages for more information on her work

Deadly Addiction (Deadly Vices, Book Two): http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/deadly-addiction.html

“Aftershocks” (prequel to Six Alarm Sexy Series): http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/six-alarm-sexy-series.html

“Guns’N’Tulips”: http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/anthologies.html

“Un-Valentine’s Day” http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/anthologies.html

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

Blog (http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/)

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KristineCayneAuthor)

Twitter (http://twitter.com/KristineCayne)

New Releases List (http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/new-releases-list.html) or

Website (htttp://www.kristinecayne.com)

Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5428452.Kristine_Cayne)

The Blurb:
It is nearly unthinkable. A child has disappeared. But, Beck and Kiernan Atlan know exactly who has their daughter, and she is the waking nightmare that has haunted their dreams for years. The kidnapper will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the shifters of Massa but will soon discover a powerful truth. The fierce love of a parent burns eternally, but when stoked, it threatens to explode. Sequel to Book One - An Oath of the Blood

Book One: An Oath of the Blood

About the Author:
(taken from Amazon)

Welcome! I am Valerie Zambito, and I live in upstate New York with my husband and three sons. After having been involved in a busy sales career for fifteen years, a great love of world building, character creation, and all things magic led to the publication of my first epic fantasy series, ISLAND SHIFTERS, in October of 2011. Since then, I have added two additional books to the series and wrote the first book in a new teen paranormal series called ANGELS OF THE KNIGHTS.

Please visit www.valeriezambito.com for all of the latest regarding upcoming projects and appearances. Leave comments! I would love to hear from you.

Happy reading!

Connect with the Author:
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/ax93g43
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vzambito
Website: www.valeriezambito.com

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.

She's still touring this book:
November 6: Readaholic's Reviews @ http://readaholicsreviews.com/
November 7: www.bendingthespine.blogspot.com
November 8: Kacey's Konnections @ http://kaceyskonnections.blogspot.com AND www.rabidreads.ca
November 11: My Escape @ http://myescape84.blogspot.com

About the Author:
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, a country music DJ and an avid collector of gemstones.

Her publishing credits include:

How to Meet a Guy at the Supermarket (Taylor Street Books, November 2010)

Hooking Up (Taylor Street Books, May 2011)

Decisions (Silver Publishing, July 2011)

The Storm Within, A Johns Creek Second Chances Novel #1(Taylor Street Books, September 2011)

Six Weeks (Taylor Street Books, October 2011)

Historically Yours, A Johns Creek Second Chances Novel #2(Taylor Street Books, August 2012)

Blood Lust (Lust Trilogy #1) Taylor Street Books, October 2012

She is currently working on several other projects. Visit Jessica's website for more information at www.jessicadegarmo.com.

Connect with the Author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksbyjessicadegarmo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/degarmo2911
Website: www.jessicadegarmo.com

Welcome to my stop on the Vampyrnomicon Blog Tour! A big welcome to author Scott Baker! He graciously did an interview for me! Make sure to enter the giveaway!:0)

AUTHOR BIO:
Born and raised in Everett, Massachusetts (just outside of Boston), Scott M. Baker has spent the last twenty-two years living in northern Virginia.  He has authored several short stories, including “Dead Water”, “Rednecks Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things”, “Cruise of the Living Dead”, “Deck the Malls with Bowels of Holly” (an alcoholic mall Santa battles zombie reindeer), and “Denizens.”  His two latest short stories – “The Last Flight of The Bismarck,” about steampunk zombies, and “The Hunger,” a tale of cannibalism during a zombie outbreak – will both be released later this year in anthologies being published by Knighwatch Press.

Scott’s first zombie novel, Rotter World, which details the struggle between humans and vampires during a zombie apocalypse, was released by Permuted Press in April 2012.  He has also authored The Vampire Hunters trilogy, which has been published by Pill Hill Press and received excellent reviews from Famous Monsters of Filmland and Fangoria, among others. Scott has finished his fifth novel, Yeitso, a homage to the monster movies of the 1950s set in northern New Mexico, which is currently with a publisher, and is wrapping up his sixth novel, Hell Gates, the first in a series of young adult novels set in a world in which the realms of Hell and earth have merged.  

When he is not busy writing, Scott can either be found relaxing on his back deck with a cup of iced coffee, or doting on the four house rabbits that live with him. 

Please visit the author’s website at scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com.

THE BLURB:
Within the vaults of the Smithsonian Institute lies the key to finding the Vampyrnomicon, the Book of the Undead, that contains the history and secrets of the vampires.  According to legend, whoever possesses the book can establish a vampire nation on earth – or destroy the undead once and for all.  With an opportunity to end the war against the undead so close, Drake Matthews is determined to find the book.   
But the vampires also want the Vampyrnomicon.  When Master Chiang Shih and her coven of the most powerful and dangerous vampires arrive in Washington to claim the book as their own, the hunters find themselves facing their most dangerous enemy yet. With the stakes so high, so is the ferocity of the struggle.
Excerpt:
            Toni sighed, resigned that she had to tell the truth, but knowing her opinion would be unpopular.  “We tried this once before.  In the Ukraine.  And failed miserably.  The Russians annihilated all of our covens.  Over two hundred vampires and five masters were killed.  Ion and I barely escaped.  Why would you want to try again?  And why here in Washington, where we face one of our most dangerous enemies?”
            “Because this time we have something that guarantees victory.  We have the Vampyrnomicon.” 
            “The Vampyrnomicon is a legend,” spat Melinda.
            “It’s far from a legend,” corrected Walker, an angry edge to his tone.
            “You’ve seen it?”
            “We once owned it.”  Chiang Shih stared down the adolescent, who cowered.  “Various masters were caretakers of the book for centuries.  The last owner was Emilio Carius, a master from Saragossa who was arrested as part of the Inquisition in the late 15thCentury.  Neither Carius or the Vampyrnomicon were ever seen again.”
            “So what changed?” asked Treja.
            “The inquisitor who interrogated Emilio Carius was Antonio Ferrar.”
            Toni raised an eyebrow.  “The same Antonio Ferrar whose personal belongings are on display at the Smithsonian?”
            “The same.”  Chiang Shih nodded.  “And with Ferrar’s personal belongings here in Washington, that means theVampyrnomicon is here also.”
            “If it still exists,” Melinda muttered under her breath.
            Chiang Shih shot her a withering look.  She struggled to keep her voice calm, despite her anger.  “The Vampyrnomicon is among Ferrar’s personal affects.  I can sense it.  We’ll find it.  And once we do, we’ll obtain a power that has been deprived to us for millennia, a power that will give us dominion over humans.  Once we have that power, we’ll take this city from the humans.  No longer will we live in sewers and abandoned buildings, but in the humans’ homes.  Soon the humans won’t be hunting us, but serving us, as our slaves and as our food.”

The Review:

Vampyrnomicon follows the same vein as Vampire Hunters- Book one in the series. It full to the TIPPY TOP of ACTION. NOW, NOW, NOW. Blood is the color that is splashed on the pages until the book bleeds for its readers.  This would be an excellent read for anyone that love Walking Dead or action-packed books. I know some tend to stay away from paranormal, thinking it's all hot lusty werewolves doing sweaty things with half naked women, but this book definitely does not suffer from that fate. The characters are more like to slay the werewolves than swoon over them.

That being said. For me, it had the same problem as the first book. I want more plot development and character arcs. I feel like it would've take a little more effort but the book would've been a hundred times better if you could really feel a connection with the characters. The storyline was a little better than the first one, but still lacking what a book the focuses on plot has- a direction or intention from the author.

I recommend this book for action lovers, those that love gore and cursing and badass MF'ers that no shit from anyone. If you like gentler reads, look somewhere else.

THE INTERVIEW:

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Since I was old enough to write.  When I wasn’t reading, which was rare, I was writing.  I began when I was about ten years old, jotting down stories in notebooks or creating my own monster magazines.  I loved doing book reports in elementary school because it allowed me to explore my two passions.  My favorite class in high school was creative writing.  And I was one of the few in college that actually enjoyed term papers.  I didn’t start writing professionally until I was out of grad school.  I would say that I’ve spent forty years reaching this point in my writing career, but that sounds depressing.  [chuckles]


How long does it take you to write a book?

It takes me up to a year from first developing the idea to getting the manuscript ready for submittal, and that’s because I do this as my second job.  I spend a month planning out the novel and developing the characters so that, when I actually sit down to write, everything flows quickly.  It takes about five to seven months to complete the first draft, depending on the size of the book.  I give my beta readers a month to comment.  Then it takes another eight weeks to incorporate the feedback into the final draft and review it one last time.  Once I retire and devote all my time to writing, I hope to cut that time in half.


What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I usually write for about ninety minutes a day when I get home from work, and try to fit in two- or three-hour marathon sessions on the weekend.  If I’m on a roll, I can easily crank out 2500 words a session.


What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I include a lot of action in my novels, more so than in your average horror/urban fantasy.  When I write, I imagine how the story will play out if the novel was ever made into a movie.  I like to have blockbuster endings that go on for thirty or more pages and keep the readers engrossed.  My favorite compliment is when fans tell me they stayed up late finishing my book because they couldn’t put it down. 

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Mostly from a warped and over active imagination.  Seriously, though, I conducted a lot of research while preparing to write The Vampire Hunters trilogy, mostly on vampire history and the origins of the various legends.  I then picked which aspects I wanted to include in my mythos (for example, my vampires are immune to religious symbols and garlic but are horribly scarred by holy water).  I’m also a historian by training, which is one of the reasons I included so many flash back sequences in my books.  Those scenes were fun to write, and it finally gave me an opportunity to put six years of college and grad school to good use.  

You would also be surprised at how many people are willing to be interviewed by writers.  For The Vampire Hunters trilogy, I was able to arrange tours of the Washington D.C. sewer system and a local funeral parlor, which greatly helped the realism of those scenes.  For Yeitso, I spent an entire morning with an entomologist for the National Archives who answered all my questions about insects.  I have as much fun researching my novels as I do writing them.


When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I wrote my first novel while in graduate school, when I was twenty-nine.  It was an espionage thriller, and it was amateurish and pathetic.  But I learned a lot from that experience, and my next novels were much more professional.


What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I spend what little free time I have reading, watching monster movies, and playing with the four house rabbits that live with me.  I also enjoy video gaming, but have not had a chance to play anything in over six months.  I’m still stuck at a boss fight on Dead Island.  


What does your family think of your writing?

My family and friends are very supportive.  And my colleagues at work think it’s cool that they have a horror novelist in their ranks.  

My mother is the funny one, though.  She used to be a nurse’s aide and is a gorehound in her own right.  When I get feedback from her it’s usually, “There’s not that much blood in the human body” or “That’s not what intestines really look like.”  


What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

How great ideas seemingly come out of nowhere.  Once I started writing The Vampire Hunters, the plot for the next two books in the trilogy just came naturally.  The entire concept for Hell Gate developed while watching an episode of SyFy Channel’s Face Off.  A lot of my short stories came from passing news reports or stories someone related.  My friends are becoming careful to watch what they say around me otherwise out of concern I’ll turn whatever they say into a novel.  


How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I have four books currently in print: The Vampire Hunters trilogy and Rotter World, which is about a small band of vampires and humans putting aside their distrust for each and trying to survive a zombie outbreak.  My fifth novel is currently with a publisher for consideration.  It’s called Yeitso and is my homage to the giant monster movies of the 1950s that I grew up with as a kid.  I’m putting the final edits on Hell Gate, which is a young adult novel dealing with a sixteen-year-old boy coming to age during an apocalypse caused by his mother.  And I’m about to start work on my seventh novel, a sequel to Rotter World.  I’m proud of all of them, but I’m partial to The Vampire Hunters: Dominion because I think it has the best character development of all my novels, and I love the spin I put on the vampire legend.

I also have an impressive selection of short stories: six published in anthologies or on line and two that are scheduled for publication this fall.  Of those, my favorite is a zombie Christmas tale titled “Deck the Malls with Bowels of Holly.”  An alcoholic mall Santa battles zombie reindeer.  You can’t get much campier than that.


Do you have any suggestions to help aspiring writers to become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Write every day, even if you don’t feel like it or are not inspired.  Like any skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll become at it.  And don’t give up, no matter how discouraged you get.  No one who has stopped writing has ever been published.  


Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

So far I’ve gotten only positive feedback.  A few reviewers have become devoted fans.  And several readers who picked up one of my books have written me to tell me how much they enjoyed it.  Several have even provided feedback, which I always listen to.  I’m writing for them.  

I have one fan in particular who is very special.  She reached out to me in March 2010 after The Vampire Hunters was published and complimented me on my book.   In the course of our chats, I discovered that she also wrote vampire novels, and volunteered to read her manuscript.  Her first book is being published later this year, and we’re about to celebrate the anniversary of our first date.


Do you like to create books for adults?

I do.  I can get away with things in an adult-oriented novel that I can’t in other genres.  However, I am experimenting with new formats.  Yeitso is the first book I published in which I don’t use the “f” word and I keep the gore and sex to a minimum.  And Hell Gate is my first attempt at a young adult audience.  Someday I want to try my hand at a children’s book based on one of my pets.  It’ll be called Ruby, the Rude Rabbit.  


What do you think makes a good story?

The most important element to a good story is well-developed characters.  The story itself is important, but if the reader isn’t emotionally invested in your characters and doesn’t care what happens to them, the novel will fall flat.


As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a horror movie star like Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi.  All my friends told me I’d be a natural.  I used to think they were being supportive, but now I realize they were just being mean. 

Welcome to my stop on the Voices in the Valley Blog Tour! A big welcome to author Suravi Sharma Kumar ! :0)

AUTHOR BIO:
Suravi Sharma Kumar is a doctor by profession but has always been fascinated by the world of literature. What inspired her to write this book was the fact that most of mainland India is still unfamiliar with the country s Northeast and is unaware of its innate beauty. This is her first book and is based on her research and experiences in the valley.

THE BLURB:
Against the backdrop of a politically turbulent Assam, a young girl named Millie is determined to make her voice heard. She spends her childhood in a rural set-up with seven sisters, three anxious matriarchs and a resigned father this is what her small world is all about.

Born in a family of priests, she struggles with orthodoxy and convention, and goes on to become a student leader something which only foreshadows the bigger role she is destined to play. A flawed horoscope delays her marriage, but hastens her emancipation. Her tryst with romance is overwhelming, and sweeps her off her feet, but…

Ethnic clashes, militant activities, violent elections disturb the countryside, otherwise home to several tribal communities, lush tea gardens, exotic orchids, sundry birds, one-horned rhinos and much more.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BOOK:

“I have read the book twice. In my frank opinion, it’s an excellent work of literature. Use of Grammar is complex and comprehensible. This book will be categorized as a classic and if the academic and literary community can be persuaded, it may well be accepted for an English prose or non-detail text for English educating students.” ~Dr. Naresh

“Prose style is poetic and lucid.Hope to see the book go up and make a mark in the literary circle.” ~Srinu Rao

“A lyrical piece of work with intelligent observations written with detailed research.” ~Junali Barman

FOLLOW THE TOUR:
Nov 4th Elizabeth @ Stuffed Shelves
Nov 5th Autumn @ The Avid Reader
Nov 6th Jade @  Jade Kerrion

A big ol' welcome to author Mary Marvella! She's guest blogging with me today and doing a giveaway, so make sure you COMMENT!

Jesse, thanks for the invite to visit you. It’s cold in Georgia tonight!  I think I need some hot tea or hot chocolate.  


I’d like to talk about one of  my Fall traditions. Years ago a writer friend suggested I sign on for a ghost tour. Not just any ghost tour,  the one at Stone Mountain. (FYI That’s in Stone Mountain,Georgia. http://www.stonemountainpark.com. We aren’t really looking for ghosts but for great ghost storytellers.  The  area around the old plantation house serves a perfect spots for stories.  The wonderful historical stories make for great foder. The people I meet give me ideas for characters. I am a guide, which means I lead folks from one story place to a new one.  The time spent with other guides and the story tellers is good for me. 

Did you know that Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet MSL and 825 feet above the surrounding area.

Not so big for a mountain but a huge rock!

If you like reincarnation stories with ghosts, you should read my novella, Forever Love!

http://amzn.to/V7lk65 (Amazon)

http://bit.ly/SvTBZW (Barnes & Noble)

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/57300


Nurse Sabrina Boyd’s life was just fine before Dr. Joe Walker, her cousin’s widower, returned home to South Georgia. Avoiding the handsome doctor who wants a romantic relationship with her isn’t her biggest problem. She has seen the Demon Cat, a harbinger of death for the Boyd family for centuries. Now she’s obsessed with finding and saving the person the cat wants, and she’s immersed in old journals about ill-fated lovers.


    Joe wants to teach her about steamy sex and the cat .. what does the cat really want?


Mary has been a storyteller since she could talk. Now she writes her stories to share with more folks.

       

    One lucky commenter will win a copy of Forever Love or The Gift (a woman’s fiction novel)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember.  She made up stories for the other children and created the details for their “play like” or “let’s pretend” games. Sometimes the details were so real they scared Mary.

Mary was born in Augusta, Georgia to two eighteen-year olds. Her daddy, a young Mississippi man, was stationed at Camp Gordon and fell in love with a young girl selling flowers.  Look for details in her blogs.

Mary graduated from Mercer University where her mama worked in the library. Her mama started working there when Mary’s daddy went to college to become a preacher and a teacher. Mary taught language arts for 15 years, perfect for her BA in English.  Her M.Ed in Counseling served her well during her years as a school counselor and as a teacher later.

Now she tutors, teaches writers, and edits. Her inner English teacher loves the editing part. Mary helped her husband photograph hundreds of weddings. Her daughter is her cover artist now. Danielle was raised in the photography business. She doesn’t read Mary’s books. Something about TMI.