Paranormal Lounge: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 26: Z is for Zaratan!

Well, it's the last day of the A to Z Challenge. I made it!! I feel so awesome right now.

Let's jump right into the paranormal beings for today. They are the Zombie and the Zaratan. The zombie is, of course, an undead human who usually feeds on flesh or brains. I am actually working on a book with zombies in it. I don't know if it will ever see the light of day, but maybe.

The Zaratan is a sea turtle so big that it is sometimes mistaken as an island. You can see this creature in the third Aladdin Disney movie. How cool would it be to see a turtle that size? I think I might write about it. Short story? Novella?

Now for some "Z" characters:

Zap from Foreign Identity by Becca J. Campbell

Zee from What Kills Me by Wynne Channing

Zephaniah from Gateway to Reality by Becca J. Campbell

Wow. Thank you all for visiting my blog during the A to Z Challenge. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed talking to all the people who commented. I'm not sure if I will do it again nest year. If I do, it will only be one blog, not two! I didn't have any Z books or authors. Do you know any? Have a great day!!

On this day in Moonstone . . . #5

I'm preparing my second book of the Mystic Stones Series for release, and the story just happens to begin on April 26, 2013! So, until the 30th I'll be releasing an unedited excerpt of Moonstone each day. Each excerpt will take place on the same day it actually takes place in the book!

So, on April 30, 2013 in Moonstone, this happens . . .

“No, Aila. It’s not a joke. I drink blood. I wanted to drink yours. Andrei will want to drink your blood. I’m a vampire and I can prove it, but I don’t want to scare you. That’s why I’m telling you now. He’ll try to tear us apart, but I know you are the one to break my curse.”

“How would you prove it?” Aila asked reluctantly.

“There are a few ways, but the easiest would be if I showed you my fangs, but that’s not a good idea. Don’t worry—I have sworn to myself that I would not drink from you. I don’t want to drink human blood anymore, but it’s the only way I can survive right now.”

Aila seemed to think it over for a moment. She hadn’t suspected anything. Her whole point of view on everything was changing. Dorin didn’t know if it would be in a good way or a disastrous way, but her words came out calmly when she said, “I think I want you to show me. Not because I think you are crazy, but to prove to myself that I am not crazy for believing you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Dorin opened his mouth and tried to bring out his fangs as slow as possible to show her that he had control and to try not to scare her. Two sharp, white teeth slowly descended from the spot his canines were in. Aila’s curiosity peeked as she stared at them for a long moment with her mouth wide open.

“I felt it,” she said.

Dorin retracted his fangs and asked, “Felt what?”

“I felt the ring push you away. First at the desk . . . and then again in the elevator . . . and when I went to your room to help you with the thermostat. I didn’t wear it on our first date. Then I felt it when you picked me up for our second date. You had me take it off at the museum . . . Oh, my.”

“Yes, I did, but I returned it to you.”

“Yes, but you had so many chances. Why didn’t you . . .”

“I wanted to, but I just couldn’t. You were too perfect. You are too perfect. I can’t ruin the one thing that has brought me humanity in the last 250 years,” Dorin replied.

Well, if you liked the excerpts, sign up to be notified when the book is released!

Monday, April 29, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 25: X and Y!

Hey guys! This month is going to be awesome because I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. That means I'll be posting every day but Sundays on a letter themed topic and I'm going to try to involve the paranormal as much as possible.

I was sick on Friday night and couldn't do the X post for Saturday, so I combined X and Y for today's post!

The paranormal beings for today are the Xloptuny and the Yeti. The yeti is basically the Arctic version of BigFoot. It's white, fury and large. The yeti originated in the Himalayas but has since been spotted elsewhere.

An xloptuny is a sorcerer who possesses the bodies of humans. I'm pretty sure I have heard a story of a man who was a sorcerer. He did not want to die and he found a way to live forever by bouncing from body to body. He would leave the body just before the human he possessed died. He could live forever as long as he was not still in the body when it died.

On to the "Y" author:

Cindy Young-Turner

It seems that is all I have today. See you tomorrow for the last day of the A to Z Challenge!!

On this day in Moonstone . . . #4

I'm preparing my second book of the Mystic Stones Series for release, and the story just happens to begin on April 26, 2013! So, until the 30th I'll be releasing an unedited excerpt of Moonstone each day. Each excerpt will take place on the same day it actually takes place in the book!

So, on April 29, 2013 in Moonstone, this happens . . .

Aila woke to her alarm clock. Immediately she looked around for Dorin, her heart fluttering. Disappointment crossed her face when she realized he was gone, and then she found the note. Her heart pounded again, she couldn’t stand the thought of him leaving her. As she read the note, she realized she shouldn’t have worried.

Aila,
I hope you slept well. I left last night because I knew you weren’t ready for me to stay the night quite yet. I wanted to be respectful of your wishes, so I made sure you were comfortable and went to my room. I hope I did the right thing. Today we set off for Jacksonville. Please join me for breakfast if you wish. I know you always wake at seven, so I will be by at eight to wish you good morning in person.
Dorin

Aila breathed a sigh of relief. She was happy to see that he hadn’t decided to leave without her. She couldn’t wait to see him again. With excitement as her fuel to get going, she got dressed and put on her make-up in only half an hour. She had her bags packed by the time a knock came at her door. She rushed to greet Dorin with a smile on her face.

When she opened the door, there he was, smiling and leaning on the entrance way wall in the sexy manner he always did. His dark hair fell to his cheek and his perfect teeth showed through his smile. His brown eyes stared into hers and held her blue eyes captive.

“Good morning,” Aila managed to say.

Dorin kissed her and whispered, “Good morning, my dear.”

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Want to be a beta reader?

I have two projects that I need to have other people read. If you are interested, please contact me on twitter @KaylaCurry1 or facebook www.facebook.com/kayla.curry1

Beta readers needed for Moonstone: Mystic Stones Series #2 (This story follows another set of characters. If you have not read Obsidian, you can still read this one without spoilers from the first book) (67,000 words) I need 2 or 3 readers for this one.

At a hotel in Richmond, Virginia a chance meeting occurs between Aila Myles and Dorin Dimir. Aila sees Dorin as a hansom foreigner with charming ways. Dorin sees Aila as his next meal.

The only problem? Aila wears a protective ring that keeps her safe from monsters she didn’t even know existed—monsters like Dorin. Unfortunately, the curse he shares with his brother makes it even more difficult to take blood from unsuspecting prey, but as Dorin pursues Aila, he finds that he’s having strange feelings for the first time in over one hundred years.

Dorin and Aila’s affair isn’t as private as they thought. It’s also the concern of his brother and the powerful Vampire Emperor. Can Dorin have his cake and eat it too? Or will Aila prove to be more than a menu item?

Beta readers also needed for a short story. The first in my new Vibe series: Vibe: Grey Apathy. (Sci-fi, mystery/crime, dystopian) (Just under 8,000 words) I need 3 or 4 readers for this one.

Welcome to a world where emotions have become weapons, currency and livelihood. Welcome to Vibe.

Greys feed on apathy. The only problem with that is they sometimes soak up so much apathy, they experience the emotion so strongly that they can't make themselves do anything. Even feeding becomes a chore that may or may not get done. Everyone knows you can't feed on your own emotion. So if you're isolated enough, you could end up drained.

Prism is a detective with problems of her own. She's been off the job for a while, but now she's back and working with a transfer named Atramen on the case of the drained grey. Being a color wheel has its advantages and disadvantages. The power to make anyone feel any emotion you want them to is a pro, but being bombarded 24/7 with the emotions of others is most definitely a con. Can Prism and Atramen find the killer and overcome the obstacles associated with a new partnership?

On this day in Moonstone . . . #3

I'm preparing my second book of the Mystic Stones Series for release, and the story just happens to begin on April 26, 2013! So, until the 30th I'll be releasing an unedited excerpt of Moonstone each day. Each excerpt will take place on the same day it actually takes place in the book!

So, on April 28, 2013 in Moonstone, this happens . . .

Once they were back in the hotel, Dorin and Aila ended up in her room watching movies and eventually ordering some room service. They cuddled on her couch and talked more than they watched, but Dorin didn’t care. He just wanted to know her. He needed to know every detail of her life. They asked each other questions about their favorite things and past experiences. Dorin tried to be as truthful as he could, but he couldn’t reveal everything quite yet. He planned to tell her before they arrived in Miami, but the time wasn’t right tonight.

At some point, Aila fell asleep on the couch nestled against his chest. He debated staying with her through the night, but at lunch she’d made it clear that she wasn’t quite ready for that yet, so he gently picked her up and placed her in her bed. Before he left, he wrote a note to her and left it on her table, kissing her forehead before leaving her room for his.

His thirst returned, his emergency blood had not lasted long and he needed blood before their trip tomorrow. He couldn’t make himself hurt another innocent person. The thought of going to the crime riddled side of town and drinking from someone who deserved to die hit him. But, the taste of a man’s blood was unappetizing and so was the thought of hurting any woman no matter how horrible a human she was. This repulsion was new to him, as if a switch had been flipped. He’d become one of those vampires that break into local blood banks. He flipped open the phone book in his room to search for a Red Cross.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

On this day in Moonstone . . . #2

I'm preparing my second book of the Mystic Stones Series for release, and the story just happens to begin on April 26, 2013! So, until the 30th I'll be releasing an unedited excerpt of Moonstone each day. Each excerpt will take place on the same day it actually takes place in the book!

So, on April 27, 2013 in Moonstone, this happens . . .

Aila had been extremely impressed by Dorin’s efforts today. The amount of money he must have spent had to be enormous. She wondered why he would do such a thing for a woman he’d just met. Perhaps he did this with a lot of women. They were headed back to the hotel, so she would have to figure it out soon. She hated herself for the questions she was about to ask, but promised herself that if the answers were right, she’d find a way to bring back the romantic mood of the evening.

“Dorin,” Aila began, “Why did you go to such lengths to impress me tonight?”

He was obviously caught off guard by the question but he answered, “Honestly, there is something about you that draws me in—makes me want to see you smile. You are so different than Romanian women and American women. I can’t explain my attraction, it’s just—Ai aprins flacarea in inima mea—you’ve lighted up the fire in my heart.”

Aila couldn’t believe her ears. He had the perfect answer, the fact that she’d doubted him made her feel like she’d been untrusting without reason. She did the only thing she could think of to make up for her silly inquiry. In the backseat of the hired car, with the privacy window up, she kissed him with more passion than she’d ever experienced before. He kissed her back with as much power and passion as she’d wanted.

Friday, April 26, 2013

A to Z Challenge: Not feeling well.

Hey guys. I'm not feeling well tonight, (4/26) which is usually when I do my posts. I just hopped on to let you know that my X post will go up Sunday or along with Y on Monday.

A to Z Challenge - Day 23: W is for Werewolf!

"W" authors:

Thomas Winship

"W" characters:

Wes Teague from Gateway to Reality by Becca J. Campbell

On this day in Moonstone . . . #1

Dorin stood in line at the upscale hotel while two very busy front desk clerks tried to check in the waiting guests. He was fourth in line, and the woman who was second in line had caught his eye. She was thin with long blonde hair, which was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she had bright blue eyes. She was here on business judging from her black skirt and blouse.

Finally, the man in front of Dorin doing a funny little dance lost his patience and walked towards the bathrooms.

That’s when Dorin first caught the intoxicating scent of the woman in black. Now third in line, he knew he had a limited amount of time to make conversation. He noticed she wore only one piece of jewelry. How could he not when its force was strongly pushing him away from her? It was a ring that would make it hard for him to get to her—not a wedding ring, but something much more ominous. She acted as if she didn’t know what it did. If she did know, then she would have noticed him. Enlightened people always notice him. They usually say nothing since people would only laugh and call them crazy if they started shouting, "Vampire!"

“That’s a very unique ring you are wearing,” he stated. He was testing the limits. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and smiled.

“Thank you, my grandmother gave it to me. She carved it herself from a seashell,” she replied.

He could feel its force even stronger now. Pushing him away. Not because she was afraid, but because he wanted to taste her blood and the vampire spirit inside of the ring knew it. The spirit was warning his subconscious mind to stay away, therefore physically pushing Dorin away from her. The fact that he couldn’t harm her because of his curse was the only reason he’d gotten this close to her to begin with. Dorin knew he wouldn’t stay away for long, but the ring would have to come off. The curse was only a small problem. Once she kissed him, she would be his.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Cover Reveal! Curtain Call by Nathan Squiers!

Today, we're doing a cover reveal! It's the cover for Curtain Call: A Death Metal Novel by Nathan Squiers. Check it out, read the blurb, and follow the link to pre-order a signed copy!

A promising career in the music industry was on the horizon for up-and-coming heavy metal band, Bloodtones. Even for their non-human members, this is the opportunity of a lifetime!

Yes, life was good… until it took a hellish turn.

Literally!

After a bizarre encounter, Bloodtones' lead-singer Bekka finds herself sharing her body with a slew of terrified beings and in mortal danger from wraithlike forces capable of superhuman feats.

When fans can be otherworldly assassins and every mood-swing can end in an exploding amp, Bloodtones' rock-solid future is rapidly crumbling before their very eyes. What hope do the five have against a force that neither their magic or paranormal members can begin to explain? With no choice but to fight, Bekka and her band-mates soon find themselves struggling for not only their music…

… but their very lives.

PRE-ORDER HERE!

A to Z Challenge - Day 22: V is for Vampire! (duh)

"V" characters:

Vaddoc-Embers at Galdrilene by A. D. Trosper

Valeria-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 21: U is for Unknown!

Hey guys! This month is going to be awesome because I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. That means I'll be posting every day but Sundays on a letter themed topic and I'm going to try to involve the paranormal as much as possible.

Okay, normally I post the paranormal beings for the day, then the books, then authors, then characters. Well, the only thing I found was the book Underneath by Michael Cargill. Check it out, it's on my TBR list. As for paranormal beings, I didn't find much either. I found unicorns. I don't really consider unicorns paranormal. Then I thought UNDEAD!! But I'm already going to talk about vampires and zombies later. So what on earth am I going to write for today?

I'm going to write about the Unknown. The unknown can be anything you imagine. It can be scary, it can be magical, it can be a little of both. The unknown can be from this world or another world.

Society has come up with names for most of the unknown. Those names populate this month-long list I'm making. What about the things we haven't named. Unexplained things happen every day and we all want to believe in coincidences. What if there are creatures we know nothing about? Creatures who haven't even been invented in fiction or talked about in legends.

To tell you the truth, I'm working on a brand new unknown right now. It's in a book that takes place in my home town. There is nothing true about it and I've never heard of a creature like this. Although it draws similarities from a variety of creatures, I've never heard of anything like it. It's something I imagined up.

This gets me thinking. What if our imaginations are what bring these creatures into the light? Maybe there are crazy creatures just waiting to be thought up so they can be unleashed on earth. Okay, now I'm talking crazy, but wouldn't that make an awesome story?

The unknown is perhaps the most horrifying creature you can come across. What do you do when you need to kill a vampire? You stick a wooden stake through it's heart. (Or in my case, an obsidian dagger) What do you do when you need to kill a zombie? You shoot it in the head or just chop the whole thing off. What do you do when you need to kill an unknown? You have no idea, do you? I guess you could just try things until something works, but that sounds dangerous.

My post today was a little different than what I've been doing for this challenge, but I think it was the most fun to write up. Have a great day!!!

A to Z Challenge - Day 20: T is for Tele . . . something!

Hey guys! This month is going to be awesome because I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. That means I'll be posting every day but Sundays on a letter themed topic and I'm going to try to involve the paranormal as much as possible.

The paranormal beings for today are the Telepath and the Telekinetic. Both are beings with superior minds. The telepath can read minds while the telekinetic can use their mind to move objects. Both of these super-human beings are popular in literature and pop culture. I, for one, love reading about and seeing movie or shows with telekinetics. Telepaths kinda freak me out. The thought of someone reading your mind is mortifying. There is one book, however where I found a telepath amusing. The book is Into You by Riley J. Ford. It's about a girl who finds out that she can hear people's thoughts when she kisses them. A murder mystery breaks out and she must use her powers to find the killer. It's also quite funny, check it out!

Anyway, here are the "T" books: (Thanks to the word "the" it's a very long list and since I'm lazy, I stole it from my other blog www.bloggerbookfair.blogspot.com. This blog is where I run my bi-annual event, Blogger Book Fair. These links will take you to the promo page set up for each author which also contains the blurb for each book and links!)

Tears of Blood by Jacob Donley-Short Story
The Bird Brained Book Series by Emlyn Chand-Children's
The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James-Young Adult, Women's Fiction
The Burning of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel-New Adult, Contemporary
The Card by Brandon R. Luffman-Short Story
The Chosen by Andrea Buginsky-Young Adult, Fantasy
The Colliding Empires: A Storm of Chaos by Jacob Donley-Short Story
The Daughter of Ares Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy by Shannon McRoberts-Fantasy
The End of All Things by Lissa Bryan- Dystopian, Romance
The End of the World Playlist by Dan O'Brien-Horror, Zombie, Adventure
The Escape of Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff-Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fairy Tale Fantasy
The Fastest Ship In The Universe by Tuan Ho-Short Story
The First and Last by Tuan Ho-Short Story
The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton-New Adult, Paranormal Romance
The Jealousy Glass: The Artifacts of Empire Series by Gwen Perkins-Epic Fantasy, LGBT
The Journey by Dan O'Brien-Fantasy, Philosophy, Spiritual
The Key Inheritance by Jen McConnel-New Adult, Contemporary
The Kingdom by Jennifer M. Barry-Young Adult Fantasy
The Knight by Jennifer Carson-Short Story
The Last Fernandez by Sandra Perez Gluschankoff-Historical Fiction
The Oraces of St. Ambrose: Going Under by Jennifer M. Barry-Young Adult Paranormal
The Path of the Fallen by Dan O'Brien-Young Adult, fantasy, Science Fiction
The Poets Are Dead? by A. Jarrell Hayes-Poetry
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe (represented by blogger Naiellen)-Classic
The Secret of Genetic Corp X by Shannon McRoberts-Science Fiction
The Tallest Man In The World by Tuan Ho-Short Story
The Time Machine: Seven of Wind Trilogy #1 by Pipit Di-Science Fiction, Fantasy
The Universal Mirror: The Artifacts of Empire Series by Gwen Perkins-Epic Fantasy
Thickness of Blood by Kimberly Gould-Literary Fiction, Contemporary Historical
Thief of Hope by Cindy Young-Turner-Fantasy
Time Of Shadows Series #1: Shadow Born by Kyra Dune-Fantasy, High Fantasy, Romance
Timeless Anthology represented by contributor Jennifer Carson-Anthology (Young Adult Romance)
To Find A Wonder by Jennifer Carson-Middle Grade Fantasy
To Kill A King by Jacob Donley-Short Story
Tracer's Lament by Jacob Donley-Short Story
Treason (Grimoire Trilogy #2) S. M. Boyce-Young Adult, Fantasy
True Love's First Kiss: Crimson Shadow Series Short by Nathan Squiers-Short Story

I think that list warrants a get out of jail free card for the author list (Plus, I don't know many "T" authors anyways.) So let's move on to the "T" characters, shall we?

Taela-Embers at Galdrilene by A. D. Trosper

Thalia-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Tom-Obsidian by Kayla Curry

Topps-revamp by Beck Sherman

Twin-Lichgates by S. M. Boyce (FREE!!!)

Monday, April 22, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 19: S is for Siren!

Hey guys! This month is going to be awesome because I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. That means I'll be posting every day but Sundays on a letter themed topic and I'm going to try to involve the paranormal as much as possible. Just a warning. The following paragraph contains a spoiler from my novel, Obsidian.

The paranormal beings for today are the Shapeshifter and the Siren. The shapeshifter is pretty popular right now and is a being who can change forms. The siren, traditionally, is a creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a bird who sings to lure sailors to their death. Well. I thought up a whole new kind of siren. To see what my sirens can do--you'll just have to read Obsidian for those awesome details.

"S" books:

Sally Singletary's Curiousity by J.M. Cataffo
Shadow Of The Dragon by Kyra Dune
Shadow's Edge: Book 1 of the Kyn Kronicles by Jami Gray
Shadow's Soul: Book 2 of the Kyn Kronicles by Jami Gray
Side Effects by Jennifer M. Barry
Soul on Fire by John Forster
Sub-Normal #1: Not the Norm by Becca J. Campbell
Sub-Normal #2: Unmasked Alloy by Becca J. Campbell

"S" authors:

Beck Sherman
Isabella Sinclair
Sherry Soule
Nathan Squiers

"S" characters:

Sadira and Serena-Embers at Galdrilene by A. D. Trosper
Sammy, Scott and Seven-Revamp by Beck Sherman
Sola-After the Fear by Rosanne Rivers
Sophia-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Saturday, April 20, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 18: R is for Reaper!

Hey guys! This month is going to be awesome because I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. That means I'll be posting every day but Sundays on a letter themed topic and I'm going to try to involve the paranormal as much as possible.

Today's paranormal being is the Reaper. The reaper is the harvester of souls. I recently watched a show on Netflix called Being Human (US version). It's a really awesome show about a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost who become roommates. The ghost starts seeing a man who calls himself the reaper. He reaps the souls of ghost who are "bad." I can't say too much more without giving away the story, but it's an interesting take on the being they call the reaper.

Okay. "R" books:

Reach For The Moon by Tuan Ho
Reginald's Tale by A.E. Howard
Revamp by Beck Sherman

"R" authors:

Christie Rich
Rosanne Rivers
Wendy Russo

"R" characters:

Reed-Mirrors of Anguish by R.P. Kraul

Rhett-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Rigel-Four in the Morning by Christi Goddard

Rudy-Revamp by Beck Sherman

Friday, April 19, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 17: Q is for Quetzalcoatl!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

A to Z Challenge: Day 16: P is for Princess Avenger

As part of my A to Z Challenge today, I have a guest. Her name is Bernadette Rowley and she's here to talk about her novel, Princess Avenger.

Queensland Vet Turns Romance Writer

By day, Queenslander Bernadette Rowley is a vet. By night she throws off her white coat and stethoscope and becomes a romance writer.

I had to laugh when my editor sent me this press release but it’s quite true. It’s like I have an alter ego and the two seem quite diametrically opposed. They’re not really, though the right side of my brain doesn’t get much of a workout in my job as a vet. Writing, however, requires both sides of the brain to be working in concert albeit not at the same time. The creative right brain is very much in control when I’m crafting a story draft whereas the left side comes to the fore when it’s time to edit.

When I was first introduced to my romance writing community, I was staggered to find that many romance writers were highly-functioning career women. I met bankers, teachers, lawyers and doctors, to name just a few occupations. Then I realized that romance writing (and reading) was therapy- an escape from the high stress of their daily grind. What could be more therapeutic than immersing oneself in a fantasy romance after a hard day dealing with illnesses and emergencies?

I’ve read almost exclusively fantasy since my teenage years so it was natural for me to choose the fantasy/paranormal genre when I ventured into romance writing. Because I’ve lived in the worlds of Tolkien, Eddings, Feist and Jordan for decades, it’s easy to ‘see’ my fantasy in line with these fabulous authors. I love creating my own fabulous world where I make the magic and anything is possible. But I’m not a slave to world-building. My creation is not so developed that it has character status. I give enough information to allow the reader to imagine the rest. No one wants to read through reams of elaborate descriptions. It just needs to make sense.

Writing is one job where you very definitely learn a lot about yourself and even more so when you succeed in gaining publication. You get asked questions by editors and readers which really cause you to stop and think. I often get asked why I don’t write veterinary stories. My immediate reaction is always violent opposition. I have no interest in writing contemporary stories with a vet as main character. However, animals form an important part of my stories and worlds; only they’re not just boring cats and dogs (though who could say cats are boring!). My debut novel Princess Avenger is a fantasy romance about a forbidden love affair between a kick-ass princess and a shape-shifting army captain who is appointed her protector. The two are irresistibly drawn to each other amidst danger, deceit, palace intrigue and a plot to kill the princess’s father. What could be more natural than a vet who writes fantasy about a hero who can shift into three wild animal forms?

In addition, because my fantasy has a high fantasy setting, horses are integral to the everyday lives of the characters. So the animals I use in my fiction may not be the ones I see at work but are very much at the heart of it. In the next and related story, my heroine has a rather special connection to her horse and must use her special healing talents on him when his leg is broken. So I guess the reality of our ‘day jobs’ often resonates in our writing, in some way.

If you like your romance with a fantasy/paranormal twist, then check out my debut novel, Princess Avenger, available from Destiny Romance (http://www.destinyromance.com/products/9781742538013/princess-avenger) and at all good ebook retailers. You can follow my blog at http://bernadetterowley.com

A to Z Challenge - Day 16: P is for Phoenix!

"P" authors:

Gwen Perkins

Kirstin Pulioff

"P" characters:

Paloma-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Perry-Obsidian by Kayla Curry

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 15: O is for Octomaid!

Hey guys! This month is going to be awesome because I'm participating in the A to Z Challenge. That means I'll be posting every day but Sundays on a letter themed topic and I'm going to try to involve the paranormal as much as possible.

I only came up with one paranormal being today and that is the Octomaid. An octomaid is pretty much like Ursula on The Little Mermaid--upper body of a woman, lower body of an octopus. To me, that would be even cooler to see than a mermaid. What do you think?

Next we have the "O" books:

Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1 by Kayla Curry
OLLY by Isabella Sinclair
Once a Dream Did Weave by WIlliam Hrdina
Oomph! A Short Story by Kayla Curry

"O" author:

Dan O'Brien

"O" character:

Ophelia-Her Sweetest Downfall by Rebecca Hamilton

Sorry for the super short post. O is a tough one, okay? I'll make up for it with a double post tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 14: N is for Naiad!

"N" authors . . . Luckily I've come into contact with one today. I believe she is the first indie author with a last name beginning with "N' I've met.

Cailtlyn Nicholas

And here are the "N" characters:

Nalani-Obsidian by Kayla Curry
Nikolaus Jarvings-Mirrors of Anguish by R.P. Kraul

Nicodemus from Flawed: Outsider & Flawed: Protector by Becca J. Campbell (not yet published, link takes you to her site)

Monday, April 15, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 13: M is for Mara!

"M" authors:

"M" characters:

Mabon and Mary-Revamp by Beck Sherman

Maleena and Mckale-Embers at Galdrilene by A. D. Trosper

Marcus-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Moana-Obsidian by Kayla Curry

Saturday, April 13, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 12: L is for Leprechaun!

"L" authors:

Marian Lanouette

Sydney Logan

Kate Lutter

"L" characters:

Latoria-Obsidian by Kayla Curry

Lauren-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Leech-Revamp by Beck Sherman

Lenore-Her Sweetest Downfall by Rebecca Hamilton

Lydia-Mirrors of Anguish by R.P. Kraul

Friday, April 12, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 11: K is for Kitsune!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 10: J is for Jasconius!

Little known fact: My middle name is Janean.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A to Z Challenge - Day 9: I is for Incubus

Iris-Moonstone by Kayla Curry (Not yet released)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

A to Z Challenge -Day 8: H is for Harbinger!

The "H" authors:

"H" characters:

Henry-The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton

Hiu-Obsidian by Kayla Curry

Monday, April 8, 2013

Gateway to Reality: Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour and Review!

Hello! Today I am hosting Becca J. Campbell for her Gateway to Reality Blog Tour. This tour is a little different since there is also a scavenger hunt included. You can get your Clue below, but first I'll post the blurb and my review!

The Blurb:

Talented artists shouldn’t be waiting tables, scraping by, and living mediocre lives. But that’s exactly what art school graduate Wes Teague is doing.

Then he wakes from a bizarre dream, haunted by the sense that his life isn't real. A harrowing truth presents itself--the real world lies in his dreams, not when he's wide awake.

The dream world he enters each night is rich and vibrant. Chicago appears the same on the surface, but chaos runs rampant as gravity, physics, and other laws of nature become fluid, changing unexpectedly. There, Wes's parents, brother, and sister are strangers. His girlfriend Emily doesn’t recognize him. Wes longs to return, to unlearn the truth about his dual reality.

Wes would sacrifice almost anything to get back to blissful ignorance in a false world.

But now he has feelings for the real Emily.

Available on Amazon

The Review:

Gateway to Reality is an amazing read. There is so much here that makes you think twice about the world we live in.

Becca J. Campbell's world building is especially remarkable. The craziness of the "real world" is close to what we would associate as a dream and our main character quickly discovers that unexpected things happen quite often and the people in the Existence have to be ready for anything at any moment.

The main character is easy to relate with. He's just figuring out that everything he knows is flip-flopped.

The story is full of twists and turns and keeps you interested. I read this book very quickly because I had a hard time putting it down!

The science fiction aspect is awesome. There is a little mystery and romance. There is action and adventure. The book is very well-rounded, I'd say.

This book will challenge your mind and I can't wait to see more from the series. I give it 5 stars and recommend this book to people who like psychologically challenging science fiction.

The Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour

You can enter the giveaway now, but to really amp up your odds at snatching one of these prize packs, check out each site along the blog tour.

April 1^st Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Reviews

April 2^nd The Peasants Revolt

April 3^rd Catharsis of the Bogue

April 4^th The Pen and Whisk

April 5^th Write for Life

April 6^th S.M. Boyce

April 8^th Paranormal Lounge

April 9^th Lisa Is a Bookworm

April 10^th Jade Kerrion

April 11^th Paper Book Princess

April 12^th Now is Gone

April 13^th Worlds Away Book Blog

April 15^th FU Only Knew

April 17^th Sarcasm and Lemons

April 18^th Brandon R. Luffman

Your Seventh Clue:

Wes visits many worlds in the Existence. Here’s your challenge in this scavenger hunt:

Collect the names of the fifteen worlds in Gateway to Reality (one will be revealed each day).

Following the schedule above, collect a world name at each stop, and when you have them all, plug that list of 15 worlds into the giveaway below to win a BONUS TEN ENTRIES.

HERE’S YOUR SEVENTH WORLD: Sea Clearly

Continue with your hunt tomorrow at Lisa Is a Bookworm. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find Becca J. Campbell:

Find me at Inspiration for Creation: http://www.beccajcampbell.com

Twitter: @beccajcampbell

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/beccajcampbell

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5287392.Becca_J_Campbell

Want to write a novel in June? Check out http://junowrimo.com/