Monday, August 29, 2011

Introducing Chastity Bush

First of all, I’d like to say thank you for allowing me to be on your fantastic blog today!

A little about me-

I’m a fulltime wife, and mother of two wonderful little girls. My family and I live in the super small town of Whitefield Oklahoma, and enjoy spending as much time together as possible, especially outdoors.

In my spare time I write steamy romance novels known for their spicy romance, suspense, and humorous edge.

I love anything and everything to do with the paranormal/supernatural, which is why I love to write in that genre as much as I do.

I do have a historical/western available now, and a contemporary coming in March, but paranormal is my passion.

August 1st brought the release of my latest paranormal romance, Killer Kisses, from Liquid Silver Books. I’m not sure if this will turn into a series, but you never know when a character is going to start screaming at you until you write their story, so who knows? 



Now, enough rambling about me. I’ve added one super short snippet from reviews for each of my available books below, I hope to have one for Killer Kisses soon, and if you’ve read the book, or any of my books, please feel free to send me your thoughts. I’d love to hear them, good or bad.



I hope you have the time to take a peek at my work. As always, I would love to hear from you, and I can be contacted via email at: chastitybush@yahoo.com.



A Taste of Terror-

This is a wonderfully written, and exciting series, which I can't recommend highly enough. If you read one paranormal romance this year, make it this one (or its prequel). I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

*Merrylee, Two Lips Reviews




Passions Bite-


Passions Bite is a really quick read that flows well with enjoyable characters and a hot romance. Overall, Passions Bite was a great kick ass short story that really drew me in. *Ally T. Swept Away Again Reviews














Tumbleweeds-


Overall, I quite liked Tumbleweeds especially as it was something different and as a historical romance it made me giggle quite a bit.






*Ally T. Swept Away Again Reviews



Thanks again for having me here today. Have a fabulous week! 



Killer Kisses

Blurb-

The man straddling the Harley was, in one word…juicy.

Adult novelty store owner Tina James loves a good adventure, and the man peering at her through onyx black eyes is the closest thing to adventure she’s ever come across. Unless of course, you count the mugging at gunpoint she experienced only hours earlier.

Leather clad Alex Monroe and his big bike just moved to number one on Tina’s sexiest man alive list, and with every searing kiss, every white hot caress, Tina finds herself living out her wildest fantasies with the man of her dreams.

But is it all too good to be true?

There’s something about Alex, from his unusual habit of only leaving the house at night, to his amazing speed and strength that has Tina wondering what exactly the man she’s falling head over heels for is hiding?

Meeting Tina James is the best thing that’s happened to Alex in the last five hundred years. She’s spunky, sassy, and beyond sexy.

But there’s a problem…or three.

Alex is a vampire, Tina’s a mortal, and he’s searching for a rogue vampire who just so happens to have his sights set on her as his next victim. Now, not only does Alex have to find a way to tell the woman he loves what he is, he has to catch the killer before he loses her forever.

Killer Kisses

Excerpt-

The cold, night air swirled around Alex as he rode down the desolate streets. The motorcycle beneath him rumbled, sending a wave of comfort throughout his tired body. He was a long way from home, and for Alex Monroe the old saying was true; there’s no place like home.

He’d spent the entire night in his hotel room searching through cold case files, going back years and years, looking deeper at unsolved murders, trying his hardest to find something, anything that would lead him in the right direction. He needed to find this murderer and fast. It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and exposed their kind to the entire world, spelling disaster for them all.

Only sparkly, vegetarian vampires appealed to most people nowadays, and he was neither sparkly, nor vegetarian.

Rounding the corner, Alex wondered if his contact inside the precinct would have any new leads to share with him. He doubted it; the local authorities didn’t have a single shred of evidence to help lead them toward who the killer might be. He’d hoped to find some connection between the recent murders and some of the unsolved ones from the past, but so far, he’d hit a dead-end.

The sooner he got this mystery solved, the sooner the women of this city would be safe…from this killer anyway. There would always be others wreaking havoc somewhere, and he would be there to hunt them down.

It was his job. As an Immortal Detective, he would do whatever it took to end the terror rogues caused with their senseless killing.

Pulling next to the curb in front of the police station, a flash of gold caught his attention. Taking a closer look through the dim streetlight, he frowned. A lone woman walked along the desolate sidewalk. Her long, sandy-blonde hair whipped in the breeze as she pulled her lightweight jacket tighter around her small frame.

“What the hell is she doing?”

Didn’t she know there was a killer on the loose? Why would she be walking the streets alone at three o’clock in the morning? Sometimes Alex couldn’t help but wonder how humans had lived so long without being overrun by his—or any other—species.

Before he knew what he was doing, Alex pulled away from the curb and rolled his bike along the street beside the woman. Alex wasn’t your typical knight in shining armor. He wasn’t even what someone would consider valiant. It just wasn’t in his nature, but something inside him wouldn’t let him turn his back on this woman.

“Are you all right?” he called loudly over the rumble of the motorcycle.

Stopping, she turned to face him, and all thought fled his mind at the beauty revealed before him. Large, sea green eyes bore into him as her gaze widened cautiously. Despite her petite stature, her legs, encased in tight, distressed jeans, were long and shapely.

Letting his eyes sweep over her boldly, he took in every inch of her lithe body as though admiring every brushstroke of a masterpiece. Her skin was a flawless, creamy ivory with a pinch of rose color staining her cheeks and nose from the bite of the crisp night air.

“Listen,” she said wearily, “if you’re looking to rob me, you're too late. Someone beat you to it about three hours ago.”

Smiling, Alex shut off his bike.

“Actually, I was just wondering why a beautiful woman such as yourself would be walking alone in the dark when there’s a killer on the loose.”

She is beautiful, he mused.

Stunning even. He’d lived a long time and faced countless women, but could remember none who matched her in beauty. The impulse to reach out and grab her, to pull her against his chest and explore every delectable inch of her, rocketed through him like a bolt of lightning.

Taking a deep breath, Alex struggled to rein in his fast-rising desire.

What had gotten into him? There was one rule he refused to break; never get involved with a mortal. Once they found out his secret, it was all over, but something about this sarcastic little bundle pushed him, urging him to learn more about her.

Just the sight of her held him on a razor’s edge. The silky glide of her voice only added to his desire.

Cocking a brow, she tilted her head. “I didn’t have much say in the matter. Some skuzz-bucket robbed me after I left work. He took my purse, which had everything in it, and the creepy cop who took my statement didn’t offer to give me a ride home or let me call anyone to come pick me up. So, here I am.” She finished, waving her hand in the air with exasperation.

She was feisty, and much to his surprise, he found he liked it. Alex never cared much for loud sarcastic women, but something was different about this one, and he couldn’t fight the feeling that he was supposed to know her. If he’d learned one thing in all of his years, it was to follow his instincts, and at the moment, his instincts were screaming for him to grab hold of this woman and not let go.

He couldn’t let her continue on her way. Not only was it dangerous for her to be out alone this time of night, the knee-high black leather boots over her jeans looked like they would cripple her before she reached the end of the block.

How the hell do women wear those things?

“What was the cop’s name?”

“Briggs.” She grimaced. “He even tried to give me his number.” She shuddered as though the thought disgusted her, and he chuckled.

He would have a little talk with his contact about Officer Briggs’s unacceptable behavior, but for now, he needed to get her on the back of his bike and her thighs pressed firmly against his hips.

“Let me give you a ride.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.” She laughed cynically.

“Why not?”

Suppressing a groan, Alex watched as she propped her hands on her wonderfully curved hips.

“Because, I’ve already been mugged tonight and I don’t wish to add raped and murdered to the list.”

Alex couldn’t contain the laughter that burst from his lips.

She’s witty, too.

“What’s so funny?” she snapped irritably.

Calming his laughter, Alex dismounted his bike. “I’m sorry. I have no intention of harming you. My name is Alex Monroe, and I’m here helping the local authorities catch the Monthly Murderer.” He extended his hand to her.

He was also a five-hundred-year-old vampire, but didn’t think she would appreciate that little tidbit of information. She was already baring her claws like a cat backed into a corner, and he’d learned a long time ago it was never good to put stress on an unstable structure.

Based on the night she just described having, one false move and he would catch a swift kick to the balls before she ran away, leaving him to wonder who she was, and aching to see her, and he would ache, he realized.

Just the thought of never seeing her again sent a piercing pain through him. It was absurd, these feelings he was experiencing. He didn’t even know her name and yet, he felt…connected to her somehow.

He watched silently as she gazed at him and some of the wariness left her expression. The wind gusted around them, and her sweet scent flowed over him. She smelled exotic, sweet, and wild. He felt his fangs try to shift, yearning for just a sample of her sweetness. Taking a calming breath, he willed them back into place.

“Can I see some I.D.?”

“Why?” he asked curiously.

“Well, you expect me to believe you're a cop. It would help if you could show some I.D.”

Nodding, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet, flipping it open to reveal a silver badge given to him by his contact inside the precinct.

Taking a small step forward, she examined the badge, and then nodded once.

Reaching out cautiously, she shook the proffered hand and cast him a small smile. A frisson of excitement tingled through him at the feel of her small hand cradled within his. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over the inside of her wrist discreetly, savoring the feel of her soft, warm skin.

“I’m Tina James,” she said confidently, before asking, “You’re really a cop?”

A smile tugged at his lips.

“Something like that.”

Links:

http://chastitybush.blogspot.com/
http://chastitybush.webs.com/
http://www.facebook.com/chastitybush
http://www.twitter.com/chastitybush

Monday, August 15, 2011

The Extremist . . . of Novel Writing by Deborah Jackson

Your book ideas come about . . . how, why?


The twelve-year-old at your next workshop asks: how do you get your ideas? Are they floating around in the air and you just pluck them out of the sky? The journalist eyes you during that long, unnerving interview and says, "Interesting topics," or more like, "Rather bizarre adventures you cook up there, Ms. So and So? Where in the world do you get your ideas?"

Well, I'm an extremist. No, no, not the way you think. I seek out the most extreme environment on earth, or elsewhere—Antarctica, World War II in the midst of Nazi oppression, the barren desert dunes along the Nile, a cave, but not just any cave—the most treacherous cave that ever existed (or in my case, a combination of the most treacherous caves that ever existed rolled into one)—or the moon, and I leap into true tales about real life adventure. The idea begins with what I'm interested in, but the idea expands when I begin to read.

Caves turn to cultures. History is whittled down to the bare bones of history—the people who lived it. I explore environments, then I explore people.

J. K. Rowling mentioned in her speech to Harvard graduates that empathy is essential for every human being, particularly those from a more privileged background. In order to write about people from history (and the current age) I need to understand them and empathize with their struggles. That is why I begin to understand the issues of poverty the Maya face in Mexico, the plight of the Jewish people hiding in cellars, attics and under chicken coops during World War II, the alternate reality of pharaohs and slaves, even the difficulties of a young girl forced to endure the divorce of her parents and having to move to a new city with no friends. I empathize, I create characters close to the real thing. My ideas spring from a jumble of setting, potential plot, and an explosion of adventure, but they really boil down to people, and that's when I start to write.

So is the extremism really about ideas and unique environments, or is it that authors dig too deep, sometimes, to generate a believable character?

I'm sure many do. We can become so immersed in the people we're researching and our characters that we often forget the real world. It happens to me all the time, until I hear that plaintive voice from my son: "Aren't you going to watch Wipeout with us?" "Aren't you coming swimming?" "Mom, I can't find . . . everything. Can you help me?"

You can draw two conclusions from this. 1. I have a hard time balancing my life. 2. My characters stem from a great deal of research and personal involvement. I become so involved, in fact, that I want to rescue historical people from their own history, or my main characters do. Hence we have Time Meddlers.

Time Meddlers is a middle grade fiction series that takes two children, Matt Barnes and Sarah Sachs (who eventually become romantically involved as they grow older) through adventures and terrifying situations. In the first book, they travel to 17th century North America during the time of native wars and the first explorers, where they begin to understand the plight of the First Nations. In Time Meddlers Undercover, they travel to Nazi-occupied Holland, in the midst of the oppression of the Jewish people, like Anne Frank, and get seriously involved in the spy network—the Special Operations Executive. The third book, to be released in 2012, is called Time Meddlers on the Nile. This book explores the Nubian culture, but it also examines the question of a time paradox, a situation where the children must go back and change previous alterations before the past disappears and they themselves are erased, but if they change it to such a degree that they no longer exist, then they wouldn't be able to go back in time at all. It's a wee bit mind-twisting.

You can purchase from Amazon and Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Meddlers-ebook/dp/B003Y8XUNE/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AZC9TZ4UC9CFC  or Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/time-meddlers-deborah-jackson/1100069704 or from the publisher's website: http://www.lbfbooks.com/proddetail.asp?prod=timemeddlers
I've also written a romantic thriller called Ice Tomb, a story of ambitious scientists, a mysterious hotspot in Antarctica where scientists are disappearing, and a link to the moon. Read more on RT Bookclub magazine site, where it received a Top Pick: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/ice-tomb Ice Tomb will be going out-of-print soon and re-released as a classic.

I would like to thank Hannah for inviting me to blog today. If you would like more information about my middle grade series or adult thrillers, please see my website: www.deborahjackson.net.

If you would like to read the short series based on Time Meddlers, see Matt and Sarah's Misadventures on my blog. http://deborahjackson.blogspot.com/search/label/Matt%20and%20Sarah%27s%20Misadventures

Monday, August 8, 2011

Guest Author Brynna Curry

Hi, everyone. It’s wonderful to be here. Thanks for allowing me to visit with you again, Hannah. A little bit about me. I was born and raised in north Alabama, in the Haleyville/ Bear Creek area. My husband Jackie and I have three children L.J., Anna and Kayla. We live out in the woods with a bunch of redbone hounds and beagles. It’s quiet, except when Diablo barks at rabbits in the middle of the night, which of course makes all of the dogs start barking. Believe me he earned his name. It’s beautiful here with the lake close by and all the old shade trees offering a reprieve from summer heat. And mercy it’s been hot with the temps going into triple digits and that’s without the heat index. I’m so ready for fall and the endless football and volleyball games that come with the changing seasons.

I write stories filled with magic, suspense, romance, and happy ever after. My new book Sea’s Sorceress is the fourth installment in the Elemental Magic series, releases Monday, August 15, 2011. Skye’s story proved to be an emotional roller coaster ride. Picking up right where Wait for the Wind (Ryan’s story-Book 3) left off, Sea’s Sorceress continues the arcing storyline that began in Earth Enchanted (Liv’s story-Book 1).

Rhiannon O’Malley is another lady who likes her quiet life. Well as quiet as it can be when you’re running the family pub, and your father is dying of cancer. She’s come to rely on her best friend Skye Corrigan, but the lines of friendship are blurring. Heartache isn’t a possibility, it’s a promise. Skye has loved Rhia his whole life as his closest friend, but that love has changed into something deeper. Here is the blurb and a short excerpt.

Sea’s Sorceress (Elemental Magic Book 4)

Author: Brynna Curry

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc.



Tag: Love can come along at the most inconvenient times...

Blurb: Skye Corrigan treasures family above all else. Standing by his best friend Rhia while she suffers the heartache of losing her father to cancer has strengthened their childhood bond. Lately, Rhia affects him in ways she never has before.

Rhiannon O'Malley shares Skye's past and hopes for a future with him, but love must come with a willing heart. Her father's terminal illness has left her in charge of the family pub. Skye has always been there for her, but when their relationship changes, will she find the courage to claim the future? Or will a thousand-year-old curse keep its grip on two hostage hearts?



Excerpt: The swinging door closed behind Rhiannon as a cold, clammy hand covered her mouth, stifling the scream, jerking her into the cool, dark kitchen. Vanilla and jasmine scented the space around her and she knew who held her prisoner. Maegan.

“I hear congratulations are in order.” Maegan hissed in her ear and pressed something cold and hard to her temple. A gun? “Don’t bet your soul on the ring.”

Something hard struck the side of her face across her cheekbone. She whimpered as pain bloomed behind her eyes. Crying out, she struggled to wriggle free of the other woman’s grasp. Blood trickled sticky and warm down her neck into the collar of her shirt.

“Bet you enjoyed that? Hmm?”

Rhia’s head jerked backwards as Maegan yanked her hair. She tried to focus. Stay alive. Stay alert until Skye comes looking. She tried to scream and kicked back with her booted feet, but hit only air.

“Clever girl, but you’ll be dead before he can save you.”

Rhia whimpered and shouted out with her mind. Help me! Skye! Have to stay alive.

“How does it feel to know I had him first? He still wants me.”

No. Terrified, Rhiannon closed her eyes and held on to the vision Devin had given her of her child and grandchild, Meara with the ruby hair and lightning eyes. She would survive this.

“Say goodbye.”



As I near the end of the Elemental Magic series, I am finding it more difficult to say goodbye to these characters. After spending almost five years with the Corrigans occupying my thoughts and computer it will be like saying goodbye to old friends. I’m working on the last book Fire’s Ice now. Set for release May 7th, Fire has been anticipated for some time by fans who demanded I give Devin his happy ever after too. Truly, I just wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, in celebration of Sea’s upcoming release let’s have a little contest. The prize? A ebook copy of Earth Enchanted, To Take Up the Sword, Wait for the Wind and Sea’s Sorceress, that’s all four books in the series, including the new one. To enter, all you have to do is leave an email address with your comment on this post. Or you may send your entry to brynna@brynnacurry.com. On Monday, August 15th , I will announce the winner in the comment section of this post, on Facebook, Twitter and my website. Good luck!

Bio: Multi-published paranormal romance and romantic suspense author Brynna Curry is a lifelong believer in the importance of reading. She enjoys the writing process, helping others hone their craft by lending her time to review books, critique manuscripts and serving as a writing contest judge. She loves hearing from readers.

When she isn’t writing, she’s often found haunting the library for new books to read, at the park with her son L.J. and daughters Anna and Kayla, or just spending an quiet evening at home with her husband Jackie watching old westerns on TV. She makes her home in North Alabama where the history is rich with music and culture, forests and lakes are abundant and beautiful, and every day is another adventure. Visit her at www.brynnacurry.com or send your thoughts to brynna@brynnacurry.com.

Alternate excerpt:

Skye eased the lorry onto the patch of gravel serving as the driveway outside his cliffside home. His watch said almost midnight, but he still wasn’t tired. Residual magic rippled on the edge of his skin. Longing rolled through him as he thought of Rhiannon. With it came the vision. He got out, slammed the door and unlocked the house, flipping on lights as he made his way to his studio.

He needed to work, to paint.

And the idea swirled through his head. Rain and wet stones, velvet. He knew he could capture that moment on canvas. So focused on the task, he left the keys hanging in the door. With mad purpose, he mixed paints into shades he only imagined.

He’d sketch it out first. The line of her neck, the arch of his shoulder. Soft here. Dark there. Stroke. Smudge, Sweep. Until the witch and healer took shape on the bitter field of white. Brush in hand, he began to fill in the shades of night, the grays of weathered stone.