December 21, 2013

Happy Holidays!

......Greetings! I wanted to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday. :)
......Want an easy holiday cookie to make for yourself and/or loved ones? Visit my alter ego's blog HERE for the holiday treat I'm sharing.

......All my best ~
......Casey


December 17, 2013

A Look At Hawk MacKinney & 'The Lady of Corpsewood Manor' ( @GoddessFish #mystery #suspense )

Like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, those who know me know I'm an eclectic writer and reader, and along with romance, I love a dark, gritty read whether it comes in the form of horror, mystery, suspense, etc. I'm sure I'm not the only reader/writer like this, and it's one of the reasons I have guests of varying subjects visit my corner of the web. Today I'm happy to welcome back, Hawk MacKinney.

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.
* Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention. Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012.
* "Without question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and conspiracy--these are the things that take Hawk's main character, Navy ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation's capital and across Europe and the Middle East." ~ Barbara Casey, President of Barbara Casey Literary Agency

What book are you sharing with us today?
~ Blurb ~
* In the spacious den of Moccasin Hollow, his ancestral South Carolina home, part-time PI, exNavy SEAL Craige Ingram examines a platinum brooch designed like a dragonfly inside a jeweler’s box that he has discovered at the crime scene of Corpsewood Manor. It is a remarkable piece of art…its wings and body worked in exceptional detail. Focusing toward the expected bulbous round eyes, his suspicions jar full throttle. Instead of a head, the empty sockets of a skull leer at him. His gut feelin’s tell him his SEAL buddy Grayson MacGerald’s investigation is considerably more than arson and a double murder trying to hide the theft of classic automobiles. The smoldering rubble of secluded Corpsewood Manor leads Ingram and another of their SEAL Team, Colorado Aspen ski buddy Spinner Krespinak, into a seedy tangle of smuggling crisscrossed and an unexpected encounter with a dead assassin from one of Spinner’s “closed” cases.
~ Excerpt ~
* “You been told to stay away from Corpsewood.”
* Kenyon said, “Ain’t got no other place ‘cept them leaky sheds out behind the garage. They don’t leak much. Least before the fire I had a place to sleep. Got kicked out of my other place. They let me sleep here.”
* “I’ll just bet they let your sweet cheeks sleep-over. You’re just the kind of meat they liked to sucker in.”
* “Now I got no place, an’ nights are gettin’ colder.”
* “They the ones that hooked you on crystal?”
* “I told you. I don’t do drugs.”
* “Cut the crap…I heard all the stories. Nothing out’a your mouth ever made sense—only a bunch of your twisted whining.” Somewhere between a snarl and a chuckle, “I’m suppose to believe you never done meth,” raven-black stab of a look. “Sure…you’re clean all right except for pushing crank or whatever up your nose or stoking it in your arms,” glanced at the needle tracks on both arms. “Got a problem? Run out’a veins in your arms? Using the ones in your ankles? Clean yourself up. Wash your greasy stringy hair and get it cut. Stop acting like some fool animal that needs to be caged. Take a bath. Get a job. Quit blowing your money, you’d have a place of your own.”
* “I don’t snort crystal or Nazi dope,” Kenyon griped. “You’re like ever’body else, judging someone by the way we live.”
* “I don’t care what you’re on, but anyone fool enough to supply you is askin’ for trouble. We got enough trouble with the Corpsewood fire and that goddamn homicide Lieutenant MacGerald nosing around with his friggin’ PI SEALmate Ingram helpin’ him dig.”

Buy The Lady of Corpsewood Manor here...
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Find Hawk MacKinney here...
Website

Thank you for joining us here today, Hawk MacKinney! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! One randomly drawn commenter will win a $20 Amazon Gift Card! Comments on this blog do not count toward the contest. So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-book-tour-lady) to comment for a chance of winning!

December 13, 2013

A look at Paranormal/Urban Fantasy stories with C M Michaels ( @UFAuthor @GoddessFish #erom #paranormal )

Hi all! Grab a cup of tea – or whatever it is you like to drink – and join in the discussion. Today we have C M Michaels visiting and giving us a look into his writing & his thoughts on the paranormal/urban fantasy genres.
About our guest, C M Michaels:
* C.M. Michaels grew up in a small town in northern Michigan as the youngest child of a close-knit family of seven. He met his wife, Teresa, while attending Saginaw Valley State University. Together they’ve provided a loving home for several four-legged “kids”, including Sophie, their eternally young at heart, hopelessly spoiled Spaniel.
* He has always enjoyed writing, and still has fond memories of reading his first book, a children’s novella, to local grade schools when he was 14. Dangerous Waters, the first book in the Sisters in Blood series, is being published by Freya’s Bower on September 5th, 2013. C.M. is currently working on the second book in the Sisters in Blood series along with a Fantasy romance.
* When he’s not writing, C.M. can be found curled up with a good book, watching movies or hitting the hiking trails with his wife. An avid reader since discovering Jim Kjelgaard novels in early childhood, his favorite authors include Kelley Armstrong, Peter V. Brett, Richelle Mead, Rachel Caine, Cassandra Claire, J.R. Ward, Laini Taylor and Tessa Dawn.
* C.M. currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky.

Now for his: 5 musts every paranormal / urban fantasy novel should have...
* I write in the paranormal, fantasy and urban fantasy genres, which comprises the lion’s share of what I read as well. When I think about my favorite books they have several things in common:
1.....A winning formula – Most of the extremely successful books are part of a series, and each book in the series generally follows an established formula. In some cases like Black Dagger Brotherhood (J.R Ward), Blood Shadows (Tessa Dawn) and the Dark Hunter series (Sherrilyn Kenyon), each story has a romance at its core, pairing one of the main supernatural characters with their love interest. You know going in the two will end up together—in spite of whatever Herculean obstacles are put in their way—but somehow that only enhances the enjoyment. For others, the formula involves established POV changes. In Kelly Armstrong’s Otherworld series, for example, the protagonist shifts from book to book, giving you a different viewpoint of all of the central characters and putting more focus on whichever supernatural creature is being showcased in that novel (witches, vampires, werewolves, half-demons, etc.). Then there are those I like to call running storylines, where each installment in the series is almost entirely focused on advancing plot elements that span multiple books. Two of my favorite series are great examples of this type (both by Richelle Mead) – Vampire Academy and Bloodlines.
2.....Lovable, distinguishable and imperfect characters – There is a fine line to walk here. While I love the main characters to be flawed and to make mistakes they need to do so without coming across as idiots. The reader should be able to understand why they make the decisions they do, even if we know they are wrong and will lead them into trouble. The characters also need to have unique traits as far as how they talk, dress, think and carry out their daily routines. I should be able to tell who is speaking without relying on speaker connotations.
3.....An interesting and original supernatural angle – In order for a series to become a favorite of mine the author needs to offer a unique take on whatever sub-genre they are in. Whether that is accomplished by creating an entirely new species, providing wicked and unique powers, or dreaming up a never thought of before explanation for the origin / governing rules of your creepy crawlies, the story needs to differentiate itself and make me feel like I’m reading something original.
4.....An overall series plot arc – While following a formula for each individual novel is great, those that are more on the stand-alone installment side still need to advance plot elements that stretch across the entire series. I need to know that the time I invest in a multi-book series is leading somewhere.
5.....Engaging prose and a strong narrative voice – Whether told in first or third person, the narrative voice needs to offer me an intimate look into the mind of the main characters and make it easy to visualize what’s being described on the page without putting me to sleep with six hundred word descriptions of what a tree looks like. If I find myself skipping ahead or skim reading on a regular basis it will be the last book I buy in the series. As a society we don’t have the patience we used to for overly flowery prose. We all have a million things competing for our free time and far shorten attention spans. As for the syntax, when done right, the speaker attributes and action beats totally blend into the prose. If I’m noticing these connectors it’s likely because they are either repeated too frequently or are too generic – she smiled, he laughed, etc.

A look into his story
~ Blurb ~
* For Emily Waters, a nature-loving, small-town girl with an overprotective father, heading off to Boston University to study conservation biology is a dream come true—until a chance encounter catapults her into a mythical world she'd do anything to escape.
* The latest victim in a rash of abductions near campus, Emily is brutally attacked before being rescued by a powerful new friend. She survives the ordeal, only to find herself held captive and presented with an impossible choice.
* While preparing for the unimaginable life she must now embrace, clues soon emerge that Emily may not be entirely human, and her physical transformation awakens goddess-like powers that her new family cannot begin to explain.
* Dealing with her human first love, the not-so-platonic relationship with her coven "sister," and her new vampire sort-of-boyfriend further complicates matters, not to mention being secretly hunted by the psychopaths who attacked her. And as the only known offspring of a once all-powerful race, the climactic battle is just the beginning of her journey.
~ Excerpt ~ (Emily meets Daniel)
* I quit watching him and let myself enjoy the feeling that dancing always gave me. A couple of songs had passed before we were close together again. I couldn’t believe he was the same guy. Daniel blended in perfectly with everyone else on the floor and looked like he’d been club dancing for years. When the song ended we made our way over to an empty table.
* “I can’t believe how much fun that was!” he shouted.
* “I’ve never seen someone pick it up so fast. You’re a natural!”
* “Yeah, right—more like you’re a hell of a teacher.”
* “Thanks, Daniel.” The affectionate, almost star struck look in his eyes reminded me of what Ruby had said. If I didn’t want to hurt him, I couldn’t afford to wait any longer. But like the true blue coward I was, rather than taking the plunge, I chose to study a particularly interesting piece of lint on the floor.
* “What’s wrong?”
* “I need to ask you something that is going to sound really bizarre.”
* “Okay…” Fear of where this might be headed had him gathering his legs underneath him like a coiled up house cat preparing to leap out of danger.
* After a long pause I met his gaze. “You can sleep with me tonight if you want to.”
* “Jesus, Brooke, we—”
* “Please let me finish,” I interrupted. “I’m a virgin, which I can’t exactly fake, so I’ve obviously never done anything like this before. If you say yes, I’ll expect you to make love to me, and all I can offer you is tonight—it’s your choice.”
* “Why only tonight?” The disappointment and sadness in his words was palpable.
* “I wish I could explain, but I’m afraid it’s extremely complicated. Part of saying yes is agreeing not to ask questions I can’t answer.”
* We sat in silence for a few uncomfortable seconds before he reached out and took my hand, gripping it like he could make my question disappear if he only squeezed hard enough. “I’m a virgin too. I get my ass ridden constantly for it but I’m not ashamed—I sure as hell didn’t come here expecting to go home with someone tonight. I get the feeling that you did, and I just happened to be the guy you picked."
* Daniel pressed his forehead against the palm of his free hand and closed his eyes. "Damn it! I really like you, Brooke, but I gotta know why you’re so desperate to lose your virginity tonight, and why you can’t have a relationship with the person you give it to. If you can’t or won’t answer those questions, then I’ll have to say no.”
* The stinging pain of rejection filled my chest as I pulled my hand away. How could it hurt this bad to be turned down by someone I just met? Did I really like him that much already? Trying to salvage what little pride I had left, I stood up and turned to leave, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Buy Dangerous Waters here...
Freya’s Bower (Paperback) | Freya’s Bower (eBook) | Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Noble (Paperback) | Barnes & Noble (Nook) | All Romance eBooks | Kobo

Find C M Michaels at:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Book trailer

Thank you for joining us here today, C M Michaels! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! The author will award a $50 Amazon or BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter! [Comments on this blog do not count toward the contest. So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-tour-dangerous-waters) for a chance of winning!]

December 6, 2013

A Look At Lara Reznik & 'The Girl from Long Guyland' ( @GoddessFish #thriller #kindle )

Today we have author Lara Reznik visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Lara Reznik grew up on Long Island but escaped to New Mexico in 1970 in a Karmann Ghia that she and her boyfriend jump-started cross-country. As an English major at the University of New Mexico, Lara studied under esteemed authors Rudolfo Anaya and the late Tony Hillerman. She also attended a summer program at the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop.
* Ambidextrous from birth, Lara preferred her right-brained creative side, but discovered she could make a better living with her left-brain skills, so entered the I.T. field in 1985.
* Lara published her first novel, The Girl From Long Guyland in November 2012. The novel ranked #1 during its recent Amazon Kindle promotion and has over 115,000 Kindle downloads. In addition to her novels, Lara has written and optioned three screenplays that have garnered semifinalist and finalist wins in the Austin Heart of Film, Southwest Writers, TV Writer, Chesterfield and Writer's Digest contests. Currently, Lara is working on a new novel based on her screenplay, The M&M Boys.

What story are you going to share with us today?
~ Blurb ~
* Laila Levin enjoys a successful marriage and a thriving career as an I.T. executive in Austin, Texas, but she can't quite shake her lifelong sense of not truly belonging anywhere.
* When her company announces a major layoff, Laila finds herself caught between an unscrupulous CEO and her promiscuous boss. Then news of her college roommate's suicide stirs up a dark secret involving three devious friends from her past. One has betrayed a vow, another wants to rekindle their romance, and the third is out for revenge.
* Suddenly for Laila, it's 1969 again. She's only seventeen, and she's left her sheltered home in Long Island for college in Connecticut. Amid protests of the Vietnam War, she's tempted by the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll that rule her generation. Laila gets swept up in a deceptive love triangle with two older locals and initiated into their unethical hippie family. Too late she realizes her search to belong has led to tragedy.
* Laila must now juggle the demands of her perplexed husband and her baby boomer past forcing her to make choices that endanger her survival and challenge her conscience.
* She learns that the lines between right and wrong are often blurred, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.
~ Excerpt ~
Austin, TX 2012
* We both rise and hug. The cigarettes and beer on his breath jet me back in time to Bridgeport. I want to scream at him but suppress my anger. I remind myself it’s important I stay calm and collected.
* “Ben was right. You look awesome,” he says.
* He’s definitely changed a lot. The cute blonde guy I remember has vanished. His face has the bloated look of an alcoholic with his veiny red nose and blanched skin. In comparison, Ben looks much better for the wear.
* He gestures to the waitress who drops off menus and a Budweiser for him. I order a glass of Chardonnay.
* “So, tell me about yourself, Laila,” he says.
* Should I commence with what a creep I think he was for deserting Katie and me thousands of miles away from home? Or how furious I am that he broke the pact and deflected Juanita Bonita’s investigation from him to me?
* No, best to let the past go and mine as much information as I can about his conversations with Juanita. If it means acting friendly, then so be it. I’m a lot older and wiser now and can play his game. While I don’t like it one bit, I’ll do what it takes to survive.
* I provide a brief synopsis about Ed, the boys, and my I.T. career, ending with the recent visit from our new board member. The part about Ivy is a test to see how he responds.

Buy The Girl from Long Guyland here...
Amazon

Find Lara Reznik here...
Website | Facebook

Thank you for joining us here today, Lara Reznik! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENTS! Lara will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour! [Comments on this blog do not count towards the contest. Please visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-super-book-blast-girl-from-long) to enter on the official blogs for a chance of winning!] Also, The Girl from Long Guyland will be on sale at Amazon for $0.99 on December 7!

November 27, 2013

From 'Open World' ~ a Mid Week Tease

Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!

My contribution to MWT this week is from an erotic urban fantasy story I'm working on called Open World. This book continues with the world I created in AFK, my story in the Evernight Publishing anthology, Keyboards & Kink. Enjoy!

* Under the covered area and in front of the metal picnic tables, a small group dispersed, revealing his girlfriend, Hope Collins, and her family. Smiling, Den waited for her to look in his direction. His heart beat hard and fast in anticipation.
* She turned her head, moved a thick length of brown hair behind her ear and caught his gaze. He loved the way her hazel eyes regarded him with warmth and sparkled when she grinned. A soft breeze brought an exotic, sweet sent to his nose. The floral aroma overrode the barbeque and reminded him of a perfume she’d recently worn. Man, the fragrance had turned him on. “Pheromones on steroids,” he’d said. He told her to be careful with the stuff. Her response? She’d regaled him about the price, the designer, and how a celebrity from some reality show wore it ‘all the time.’
* For once he thought a purchase of hers had been worth the expenditure.
* Sexy relationship. Great job. Bright future. Den tipped the tongs to his forehead then in his girl’s direction. His life and luck sure had changed for the better when he’d met her a year ago.
* A tall, raven-haired man strolled up to Hope’s father and distracted his girl as well. Corbet Jenkins. Liaison between I-D-8 Entertainment and ‘The Money.’ And an asshole. Clenching his teeth, Den cocked his head and trained his gaze on the broker.
* Cor stepped closer to where Hope sat, standing too near her for Den’s liking. The man eclipsed her. A shadow seemed to encase her in a dark cloak where none should be cast.
* Odd.

Find out more about AFK here: AFK: Keyboards & Kink

Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!


A Look At Cynthia Vespia & 'Lucky Sevens' ( @cynfulcharm @GoddessFish #thriller )

Today we have author Cynthia Vespia visiting. I had the pleasure of meeting this wonderful woman at a readers' conference in Las Vegas in October and am happy to host her here on my blog now. Welcome, Cynthia!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Cynthia Vespia, "The Original Cyn," has a background as a certified personal trainer; licensed private security guard; award winning video editor, and graphic designer. But the creative outlet of novel writing has always remained her first love. Today Cynthia continues to write character driven suspense and fantasy novels. With a plot pace to stir the adrenaline and keep the pages turning, Cyn likes to refer to her novels as "Real life situations that you could find yourself in but hope to God you never do." In her spare time she enjoys reading, movies that involve a strong plot/characters, and keeping active through various forms of martial arts and fitness.

What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story Lucky Sevens.

A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* Luca “Lucky” Lucazi is a man who lives for the job, until the job starts to threaten his life. A former Navy Seal, Lucky is ideal as the head of security for Lucky Sevens Casino. But when major names at the casino start falling victim to deadly and suspicious "accidents" Lucky must fight his way through a cast of eccentric characters only Las Vegas could spawn, and his own battle with alcoholism, before his lover Brooklyn - the sweethearted stripper - becomes the next victim. But when Lucky faces off with illusionist Christopher King, endowed with real magic powers, will his luck finally run out?
~ Excerpt ~ Copyright © 2013 Cynthia Vespia All rights reserved.
* Predict, prevent and protect. The same words he’d learned as a Navy SEAL bled over into his job as head of security very well. But as Luca “Lucky” Luchazi stared down at the body of his friend and former mentor Charles Vega he didn’t feel as though he’d honored those words at all.
* More than a dozen police vehicles converged on the scene. The black and whites of Las Vegas Metro were scattered everywhere. Their flashing light bars washed everything in red drowning out the mix of neon colors that came from the casinos neighboring Lucky Sevens.
* Charles had come to Vegas in its infancy and built his empire from scratch. Even while the others came crashing down to make way for the new mega resorts with their elaborate designs and theme park style attractions, Lucky Sevens remained standing as one of the last legendary casinos on The Strip.
* Lucky had always admired the old man for remaining true to his ideals even when the casino was taking a pounding in the pocket book. Now he was nothing more than a sack of meat splattered all over the sidewalk.
* Personnel from the county coroner's office had also responded to the scene, but not soon enough. The vision of good old Charlie lying with his robe open exposing his wobbly bits to the world, and lying in a pool of his own blood, would haunt Lucky for the rest of his days. Even now as they draped him in plastic and wrapped him up tight for his last ride all Lucky could see was the blood. He’d witnessed his fair share of death during war but this time it was different. This was Charlie. He’d been like a second father to Lucky ever since he set foot in sin city. So when he overheard two Metro officers disrespecting Charles’ death with their blown out theories Lucky set them straight.
* “Hey ease up,” Lucky said walking in between the two officers. “I never thought you were the type to spread gossip, Mel.”
* Lucky had known Mel Harrison for many years. They'd done favors for each other multiple times. Harrison was the only guy on Metro that Lucky held any respect for. He'd always assumed the feeling had been mutual.
* “Sorry Lucky, I know how much Charlie meant to you.” Harrison motioned to his partner. “Get the coroner over here to finish up.”
* Harrison put a reassuring hand on Lucky's shoulder and the two officers went on about their business. Lucky let them walk. He let them scrape Charles Vega off the sidewalk like road kill. He just stood there as a blast of hot wind rolled in off the desert and struck him like a blow dryer on high speed.
* Damn weather had turned on a dime. What were they calling it? El Nino? Something Spanish – go figure. Name somewhat brought to mind hot sand beaches and girls in Brazilian cut thongs.
* There would be questions about Charlie's death, inquiries, maybe accusations but then they’d put everything to bed wrapped in a nice little bow. To the police, the papers, and the tourists (who even now posed for pictures in front of a real life Las Vegas crime scene) it would all be dusted off as just another gambling related suicide.
* For Lucky the question would gnaw at his insides for eternity.
* How could he have let this happen?

Buy Lucky Sevens here:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Find Cynthia Vespia here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Thank you for joining us here today, Cynthia Vespia! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

Contest not valid on this blog but feel free to visit the goddessfishpromotions link for blogs where you can enter for the prizes. (Cynthia will be awarding an eBook copy of one of her backlist books to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a Grand Prize of a T-Shirt (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour! So be sure to leave your name and email with your comment, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions~virtual-blurb-blitz-lucky-sevens) for a greater chance of winning!)

November 26, 2013

A Look At Hawk MacKinney & 'Vault of Secrets' ( @GoddessFish #mystery #suspense #intrigue )

Today I'm happy to welcome Hawk MacKinney on my blog.

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.
* Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention. Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012.
* "Without question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and conspiracy--these are the things that take Hawk's main character, Navy ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation's capital and across Europe and the Middle East." ~ Barbara Casey, President of Barbara Casey Literary Agency

What book are you sharing with us today?
* My story Vault of Secrets.

A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* Vault of Secrets is a compelling tale of intrigue, murder, deception and redemption that leads retired Navy SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram in search of the connection between seemingly random murders and a banking conspiracy. Working with the local homicide investigator, who just happens to be a former Navy buddy, Craige Ingram's attempts to protect a lonely widow and solve the case before another person dies are only thwarted by a psychotic killer whose motivation is based on pure pleasure. The instincts and skills Ingram and his buddy acquired as Navy SEALS are tested to their limits.
~ Excerpt ~
* Before the forensic team videoed the kill zone, they took painstaking wide-angle photos and close-ups, made a detailed sweep of the area, packaged possible physical evidence and tagged the zip-locks. The heavy, thick plastic body bag was zipped shut. The woman’s remains were then hoisted into the van with County Morgue stenciled on the side—slaughtered meat on a gurney. It was ready for storage and probably a pauper’s grave.
* In one desolate corner of the garage, beyond the yellow marked area and oil splotched parking slots, the two bag ladies tried to be inconspicuous, waiting where they’d been told to stay. Her drab gray-blond hair twisted into a bun, Sallie Mae Drutherferde darted distrustful glances at the clusters of police. She squinted a sky blue eye, didn’t like cops one iota, and gave a dubious, all-knowing look at Agatha Ruth. Together, the two were often pushing their rickety grocery cart with its one lopsided wheel.
* Sallie Mae asked, “A’gatha, you not gonna tell ‘em anything?” Her eyes were cocked big and round. Sallie Mae always called her A’gatha ‘cause that’s the way Agatha Ruth Hutchers said it. Didn’t matter what others said. A’gatha nervously adjusted her dumpster-discard, hairbare, blond wig twisted askance, which made her look like she was staring sidewise.
* A’gatha shook her head, “Ain’t sayin’ nuthin’ ‘bout nuthin’—‘bout no big, show-off, black see-dan automobile that pulled in here last night. Right off the bat, they’d be askin’ why we was where we didn’t supposed to be. We end up havin’ to find us another place to skitter in out of the weather. No sirree. Ain’t sayin’ nuthin’.”
* “Gonna have to find us another place anyhow,” Sallie Mae muttered as she crooked one finger to scratch her curls. “‘Sides, I didn’t hear no scuffle.”
* “Whole lot of ‘em drunk as hoot owls,” A’gatha said. “Was all set to have a wing-ding party long ‘fore they showed up here. Poor thing yonder in that amb’lance wadn’t no innocent church mouse. She was more’n willin’.” She then added with a snap of her head, “Lordy mercy. Tsk-tsk. More’n willin’ and a cagey type, too. The type who makes sure to be paid ‘fore puttin’ a foot in anyone’s big, long car. Scandalous tight dress showin’ off her wares, and a skimpy blouse didn’t hide nothin’—poochin’ out her chest for any fancy man long as they brung money. Even if she was a harlot, ain’t no bizness a ours.” Her face softened. “Ain’t tellin’ nobody nuthin’. You know how cops be.”
* “The likes a her endin’ up dead in some alley ain’t no surprise t’me one bit,” Sallie Mae said.
* “Sallie Mae!” A’gatha eyed her. “You hush up ‘bout us seein’ them in that alley. Bankers that works in this building won’t bat nary an eyelash payin’ some low life to dump us off the Fifth Street pier. We end up gator bait stuffed amongst swamp sycamore tree roots.” Truth glimmered from her eyes like a cornered rabbit. “Them kind got money to buy their scutwork done.”
* The police finally got around to them. “What were you two doing in here that hour of the night?” the beat cop asked.
* “Passin’ through,” Sallie Mae said, her head up proud.
* “Passing through …” the cop snorted. “Up here on the upper deck?”
* A’gatha scowled, “We got lost.” Her lips were tight as she glowered, “We ain’t done nuthin’ wrong.”
* “This is private property,” he said. “Nobody’s supposed to be in here unless you got business with the bank, and nobody’s supposed to be in here at night.”
* “We didn’t bother nuthin’, didn’t see nothin’.” Sallie Mae wasn’t about to let no cop push A’gatha around.
* He knew he was getting nowhere. He turned to the lieutenant, “We’ve dealt with these two before. The only arrests they have is when some owner found them sleeping in his garage or in the back of an unlocked delivery van.” He knew they were tough, weren’t about to crack, but finding them here meant an extra patrol for him and his partner. There was no point in pushing further, so he closed his notepad and shoved it in his pocket. “You two can’t loiter here,” he said. “The bank don’t like it.”
* A’gatha bristled, “Ain’t loiterin’.” She wasn’t going to put up with being called a bum neither.
* “Don’t let me catch you two in here again,” he said and walked away.
* “Let’s git.” They scurried away. A’gatha knew they didn’t amount to anything to any of these cops. They were nothing more than dust in a world that passed them without ever seeing them. “Might be a good time to take us a Florida vacation,” A’gatha said. “Ain’t never comin’ back near this here place.” She could feel the spirits hovering about. “Not ever.”
* “Cops don’t scare me none,” Sallie Mae said.
* “Tain’t the cops,” Agatha said, eyeballin’ the shady darkness ‘round abouts them. “They be a evil smell to this place. A hoary breath of death abouts. I can tetch it. You best listen t’me. Be like about that other time when I said things wadn’t safe,” she said, directing a sidewise glance at Sallie Mae and sensing the murky gloom behind the midday brightness. “I’m rollin’ the bones this night. Death be here.” Her eyes were big with fear. “Ain’t stayin’ where demons walk the night mist.”

Buy Vault of Secrets here...
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Find Hawk MacKinney here...
Website

Thank you for joining us here today, Hawk MacKinney! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! One randomly drawn commenter will win a $20 Amazon Gift Card! So be sure to visit the official tour stops [comments on this blog do not count toward the contest] (find them here: goddessfishpromotions~super-book-blast-vault-of-secrets) for a greater chance of winning!

October 30, 2013

From 'In the Cards' ~ a Mid Week Tease ( #erotic #horror )

Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!

My contribution to MWT this week is from In the Cards, an erotic horror story I'm working on. Figured another peek into it would be the right thing to share with Halloween just around the corner. This part picks up right after where we left off last week. Enjoy!

* A gray mist-like ribbon weaved through the beaded strings without disturbing them. Trailing the mist was the faint trace of a woman’s laughter which hung in the air like the soft scent of perfume of a passerby.
* She blinked, shook her head, questioning if what she’d heard or seen was real or imagination, wondering if she suddenly had lost her mind.
* Being in the back room no longer seemed like such a hot idea.
* Stop it. You’re creeping yourself out.
* Closing her eyes, she breathed deep, keeping in mind she chose her room’s location for its macabre ambiance. She alone decided to give the space its gothic feel and to dress in dark colored, flowing peasant blouses and skirts to play the part. Clients apparently liked that kind of stuff, and it added to the experience of receiving a reading. But right now…
* Tanner slowly opened her eyes, stared at the table and hovered a hand above the artistic cards. The energy emanating from them was intense. The air broiled with a heavy gloom. She likened the sensation to walking into a room where an argument had just occurred. It was the same oppressive feeling she had the last three times the same cards had appeared in her personal reading.

. . .Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!


October 23, 2013

From 'In the Cards' ~ a Mid Week Tease ( #erotic #horror )

Welcome to the middle of the week!
Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!

My contribution to MWT this week is from In the Cards, an erotic horror story I'm working on. Figured it'd be the right thing to share with Halloween just around the corner. Enjoy!

* Erotic power. Secrets. Shocking truth. Endings. Discontent.
* Fool.
* “Oh dear Lord. Again?”
* Tanner Stone fidgeted in her chair and stared down at the table. The faint yellowed light of a desk lamp cast a weak glow in the small crimson walled room bordered near the ceiling with frilly gold stenciling. A sweet, sensual aroma from some sandalwood incense filled the stuffy air.
* Fourteen tarot cards with intricate, colorful designs created a brilliant cross and fan pattern on the deep purple cloth covering the table.
* Devil. Tower. Hanged Man.
* In a mix of anxiety and disbelief, she gazed at the cards in no particular order while their meanings played on a continuous loop in her mind. Movement. Structures of lies. Puppet master. Suspicions.
* Three of Swords. Four of Cups. Moon. Death.
* The walls seemed to close in on her. She swiped a shaky hand over her face. Her damp palm moistened her nose and lips. Her gaze flitted from the tarot layout to the wood-bead curtained doorway. The crescent moon and stars design formed by the way the cream and black colored orbs hung didn’t waver. The air conditioning had clicked off while she’d been shuffling the cards, she reminded herself. Her older sister, Ember, was still with her client in her room at the front of the boutique. Their cousin and her best friend, Rochelle, manned the checkout counter. That left her alone in the back of the shop at the end of the dark hallway. No air currents wafted from the vents or from people wandering by. The smoke from her sandalwood incense rose in a steady stream.
* Black shadows played in the room’s corners, clinging, crawling, devouring the accent tables and shelves that displayed her crystals, pictures and other divining tools. The silk scarves she’d hung from the ceiling and attached to the walls to give the space character and make it feel more mystical floated like inky, slithering spirits above her head, ready to sweep down at a moment’s notice to claim her. Enslave her like the Devil card suggested. Cold tingles slipped down her spine, branched out and wrapped her in a chilly embrace.

Come back next week for another look into In the Cards!

. . .Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!


October 16, 2013

A Look At Paul DeBlassie III & 'The Unholy' ( @GoddessFish #thriller #supernatural )

Today we have author Paul DeBlassie III visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
...* Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and writer living in Albuquerque who has treated survivors of the dark side of religion for more than 30 years. His professional consultation practice — SoulCare — is devoted to the tending of the soul. Dr. DeBlassie writes fiction with a healing emphasis. He has been deeply influenced by the mestizo myth of Aztlan, its surreal beauty and natural magic. He is a member of the Depth Psychology Alliance, the Transpersonal Psychology Association and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.

What are you going to tell us about today?
...* My book The Unholy. But first the lessons I learned from my hero (heroine/villain).
...* Claire Sanchez, 25 year old medicine woman, curandera, is a young woman who has lost her mother when she was five years old, witnessed her murder at the hands of a black robed man. She is a woman of tremendous courage and resolve. Fear tries to get her by the throat and squeeze the life out of her. There are so many times that she fought not to give up, to surrender to despair. I find her so human here, the draw to give up and make oneself disappear when confronted with evil. Evil, the real thing, can be so overwhelming, big and mysterious, and appear to be way out of our influence or control. She is one person, a very young and inexperienced person at that, up against a veritable force not only of society but of nature gone bad. To feel the odds stacked against you and yet know that you can’t be true to yourself, to your life, and to go on with life without getting answers and doing what you need to do to find those answers, no matter what, is sheer inspiration. Courage is courage only when it is face to face with one bad ass enemy…Archbishop William Anarch! If she dies then she knows that she has done what she has needed to do. Death is a real possibility for her. She knows this and yet has to risk it in order to be true to herself as a woman. To risk everything, life itself, in order to be true to self…that is courage and this is a lesson to be learned.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~
...* A young curandera, a medicine woman, intent on uncovering the secrets of her past is forced into a life-and-death battle against an evil Archbishop. Set in the mystic land of Aztlan, The Unholy is a novel of destiny as healer and slayer. Native lore of dreams and visions, shape changing, and natural magic work to spin a neo-gothic web in which sadness and mystery lure the unsuspecting into a twilight realm of discovery and decision.

~ Excerpt ~
...* “Help me? Help yourself! Face what is yours to face,” Elizabeth hissed. She yanked the door open then forced it to slam behind her.
...* Claire stood still for a moment, feeling as if a tornado had swept through the room. Elizabeth’s demand had left her shaken. She drew a deep breath, then went to her desk and picked up her tea, noticing her trembling hands.
...* Turning toward the window, Claire saw a muscular orderly accompanying Elizabeth to the locked ward at the far end of the hospital compound. A flock of crows circled high overhead, seeming to follow the two receding figures. As they arrived at the outer doors of the locked unit, the orderly reached for his keys. The crows circled while the two crossed the threshold of the unit, Elizabeth suddenly pausing, turning, and looking outside, her gaze riveted on the flock of birds.
...* All but two flew off, disappearing into the piñon-covered hills. The two that remained came to rest on the red brick wall adjacent to the locked unit, their black eyes boring into Elizabeth. She looked panicked then enraged and, shaking a finger at the creatures, yelled something. Her frantic gestures told Claire that she was screeching curses to ward off evil.
...* Claire took a step back from the window, from the impact of Elizabeth’s rage.
...* The orderly grabbed Elizabeth roughly by the arm and pulled her inside.
...* The crows waited, watched, then flew away.

Buy The Unholy here...
Sunstone Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Find Paul DeBlassie III here...
Website | Blog

Thank you for joining us here today, Paul DeBlassie III! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! There's a giveaway going on. Be sure to visit the OFFICIAL tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-tour-unholy) for a chance to win. (Comments on this post will not count toward the giveaway.) Good luck!

October 12, 2013

Last Reminder for Birthday Party! ( @evernightpub #books )

......Hi folks! I just wanted to remind you to visit this link Evernight B-day Party for some birthday blog hopping goodness. Visit the post and then visit the other blogs listed, and you’ll have the chance at some wonderful prizes!
......Thanks!
......See you at the party! :)

October 9, 2013

From 'AFK' ~ a Mid Week Tease & B-day Info! ( @evernightpub #erom #urbanfantasy )

Welcome to the middle of the week!
. . .Mid Week Tease is an event where authors are spotlighting a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!

. . .My contribution to MWT this week is from Evernight's anthology Keyboards & Kink & my story in it called AFK. Like I mentioned last week, I'm currently working on the first book in the series (Open World - a C.O.V.E.N. story) that follows what happened in AFK. This segment picks up a little after where last week's left off. Enjoy!

. . . . . .* Bella’s vision intensified, turned telescopic, and narrowed in on the couple. The young girl thrashed in her attacker’s grip to no avail. Her screams echoed off the walls. He plunged his face into the lady’s neckline. The victim, who seemed to rally and find some last threads of strength, placed her hands on his chest and pushed. He jostled backwards. A twisted smile contorted his mouth. Pointed canines dripped crimson liquid.
. . . . . .* Oh, this isn’t good. Bella stepped out of the shadows and advanced towards her prey. She hated witnesses when she fed.
. . . . . .* In a blur of movement, she arrived at the couple, then grabbed and spun the attacker. He faced her and not the frightened girl who’d fallen to her knees in sobbing fits. Bella seized his throat and lifted him off the ground, pinning him to the building.
. . . . . .* “Now you know how it feels, fucker.” Bella loved the rough, husky quality of her voice when she entered fighting mode. “Time to spill your secrets and your blood.”

. . .Find out more about AFK here: Website -- AFK

. . .Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!


. . .And don't forget to check out and enter for prizes during Evernight Publishing's Birthday Bash. Find the info HERE

October 7, 2013

EP's b-day party continues! ( @evernightpub #urbanfantasy #ebooks #books )

..Hi all! From October 1 to October 14 Evernight Publishing is celebrating its 3rd birthday. There's a hop going on (find out info on prizes and links to participants HERE &/or HERE) & several Evernight authors (including myself & my alter ego) are on a tour put together by Sizzling PR. Visit the following links to read what the authors have to say on a range of topics!
......1st: Historical - Interview – Kayla’s Place
......1st: 2nd stop – Paranormal – Spotlight - Indie Books and More
......2nd: Naughty Fairy Tales – Spotlight - Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews
......3rd: (C.R. talks about Las Vegas here...) Contemporary – Guest Blog - For The Love of Reading
......4th: BDSM – Spotlight - Melissa Kendall
......5th: BDSM – Interview - Perusing Princesses: Doris O'Connor | R. Brennan | SJ Maylee
......5th: 2nd spot – Spotlight – Snifferwalk
......7th: Romance on the Go – Interview – Book Bliss
......8th: Contemporary – Guest Blog - Harlie’s Books
......8th: 2nd stop – Spotlight (looks like it's missing) – Page Flipperz
......9th: (Casey talks about Paranormal Romance vs UF here...) Paranormal – Guest Post – Lusty Penguin Reviews
......9: Anthology – Guest Post – Ms. Romantic Reads
......10th: Multi-Partners – Interview – I am a book addict…and proud of it
......11th: Historical – Spotlight – Celtic Lady Reviews
......11th: 2nd stop – Spotlight – Must Read Faster
......12th: GLBT – Spotlight – Romance with Flavor
......12th: 2nd stop – Spotlight – Close Encounters with the Night Kind
......Spotlight – Becky on Books

..On the 10th find C.R. & RM Sotera In the Pages of a Good Book

..Thanks for coming by and celebrating with us!
...Happy Reading ~
....C. Moss