#20Twenty with... Dianna Hardy

For this month's 20Twenty spot, I am delighted to welcome Dianna Hardy onto my blog today, author of The Witching Pen series, and the bestselling Eye Of The Storm series.

Thank you, Allie! I'm delighted to be here for the first time ever, and your blog looks swish by the way with that very fun, sexy header – yum! :D

ACT ONE – all about you…

Dianna combines a titillating mix of paranormal romance and urban fantasy into her writing to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast-paced and not short of heat, with the focus on both character development and the plot. She writes both full-length novels and short fiction. All further info can be found at diannahardy.com

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

At my core, I have always been a writer. From as young as I can remember I was writing stories, writing in my diary, writing poetry and writing songs. Life gets in the way, so it wasn't constant throughout the years, but I have always written.

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

Er … furiously type out the words and hope for the best!

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

I love the way J R Ward writes, and also Larissa Ione. I supposed they influenced my desire to write in a more “raw” way (particularly seen in my Eye Of The Storm series), although my writing style is definitely my own.

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

About fifteen years ago I learnt and assimilated that I, and only I, am responsible for my life. I choose. That changed my way of thinking completely, and opened a valuable door for me that has led me to abundance and a wonderful sense of peace.

I also love almost everything Neil Gaiman says – he makes a lot of sense to me.

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

Now, that would be telling … you don't know for a reason :)

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

Hot showers, coffee, my laptop, the internet and I guess that means electricity, too.

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

The Earth is in a state of shock after the apocalypse. The veil between dimensions is no more. Demons and fallen angels walk among humans, and everyone is trying to find their place in the new world - Morgan le Fey's world.

But the fairy queen finds herself cemented within humanity and struggling with human emotions, and her right-hand-man, Lucifer, has secrets which are causing fissions among every race.

Meanwhile, Karl and Elena struggle with their powers, Katarra delivers an important message, and two men will stop at nothing to protect their unborn child - the Messiah of the New Age - and the woman they love. 

Far to the east, the fallen Archangel Michael is fighting for the one he holds above all others.

The last Dragon is about to rise and seal everyone's future, which depends solely on its survival ... or its extinction.

NOTES: The Witching Pen series is comprised of a paranormal romance trilogy (books 1-3) and an urban fantasy novel, The Last Dragon. It is HIGHLY recommended that you read the trilogy first, so that you are not lost with this story. Contains explicit scenes of sex and some violence. Written in British English. (Full novel-length at approx. 90,000 words.)

7) Congratulations on your recent release of The Last Dragon, what was your inspiration for writing this story?

Well, this is the final instalment of a four-part series, which is made up The Witching Pen trilogy (books 1-3, paranormal romance) and The Last Dragon, which is book 4 and an urban fantasy. My inspiration for writing the series is made up of an awful lot of things, but I suppose I wanted to write something that brought both light and dark together, and had a theme of “unity” running through it. It's sort of hard to explain – so many parts of me when into making the series.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

Most of the story flowed. Of course, there are always scenes that are harder to write. The hardest character in the series to write was probably Gwain – he was hard to pin down, particularly in book three, The Demon Bride. And all of The Last Dragon was difficult to write, not least because of the direction that some of the characters went in, but it was necessary to tell the story.

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

The series as a whole, I began writing on 6th May, 2011 with book one, The Witching Pen, and the series finished with the publication of The Last Dragon on 4th October, 2013. Two years and five months. It's been quite a journey :)

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

From The Last Dragon:

“One thing I’ve learnt about humans: you can’t judge their strength by the size of their actions, but by the devotion of an act, no matter how small.”

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about The Witching Pen series and The Last Dragon, to make us rush out and buy it?

In a nutshell: Witches, angels, demons, Heaven and Hell all come together in a dizzying story of friendship, love and forgiveness. Oh, and book one is FREE :)

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now?

I'm working on Heart Of The Wolf, book three of the Eye Of The Storm series – all about lusty British werewolves :D

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Both. I plot the pivotal moments, and then leave it chance as to how I'll get there.

14) Secret Seven or Famous Five? (please tell me you know them!?)

Famous Five! No contest. I wanted to be George, and we named out family pet (a Springer Spaniel) Timmy at my absolute insistence.

15) Digital books or print books?

I still like print best – there's nothing quite like physically holding a book you love, with the cover and everything.

16) Tea or coffee?

Coffee

17) Cats or dogs?

Cats

18) Extrovert or introvert?

Introvert

19) Save or spend?

Save

20) Facebook or Twitter?

Oooo, that's a hard one. I think Facebook wins, but not by much.

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Dianna, I wish you every success with your new release.

Thank you! This was fun!

To discover even more about Dianna Hardy, and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:

Website   Google+   Facebook   Twitter

Buy it now…

.

Add to Goodreads

The Witching Pen (book one of The Witching Pen series) FREE at most places - http://www.diannahardy.com/the-witching-pen.html

See also:

Releasing The Wolf (book one of the Eye Of The Storm series) - http://www.diannahardy.com/releasing-the-wolf.html

Samantha Darling is in a teasing mood...

Revenge in Rio 

Countdown Teasers

No.1

With release day only 22 days away - honestly I'm not counting down like a crazy woman (hmm, ok, maybe just a teensy bit crazy!) I thought I would share some lovely little teasers with you. I can't take the credit for making them sadly, that's where the talented Laura at MusicPlusBooks came into play and did her thang! 

So, here we go. This is teaser number one for you and features at the end of chapter one. Watch out for number 2 this time next week! 

***

Prove

Hope you enjoyed!

Sam :-)

X

Website  Facebook  Facebook Author  Twitter  Pinterest  Goodreads  

#20Twenty with... Jennifer Duffey

I am taking a moment out from my Aurelia tour shenanigans to host my regular 20Twenty feature, so pull up and chair and make yourself comfortable. Today, I am delighted to welcome Jennifer onto my blog today, author of Love and Lies, which was released September 3rd.

Let's get straight down to business ;-)

ACT ONE – all about you…

Born and raised in Texas, Jennifer is a transplant to Missouri long enough ago she should probably consider that her hometown. But she will forever be a Texan. She loves to write any story that will make a reader smile, laugh, and maybe even cry (although you won’t ever hear her admit that she cries). Whether the next story she writes is contemporary, urban fantasy, LGBT, or whatever other crazy idea she comes up with, there will always be love and romance in the midst of trials and turmoil.

When she’s not writing you can find her on Twitter, with her family, or buried in a book trying to escape reality for just a minute.

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

I’ve always been a writer, but had a break between oh about twelve years old until thirty years old. At thirty I kind of fell into it, so I guess a combination of both. 

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

Does complete randomness count as a ritual? Nah. Didn’t think so. I write when I have time and when I can get in the right frame of mind. 

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

There are authors that I admire, but I don’t know that any of them have influenced my writing. Through their books I’ve seen what works and used that in my own writing to some extent. 

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

Have patience and take your time. It is the hardest thing to do as a writer, but it’s the best way to be successful. No matter what route you take when it comes to publishing, there is plenty of waiting time. So yeah, be patient. 

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

I love pickles, Nascar, and always sit on the right side of an airplane. 

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

There are really only two…my kindle and cell phone. I’m pretty low-maintenance when it comes to gadgets and the like. 

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

Nineteen-year-old Carissa Stein has spent her life under the shadow of bodyguards and parents who never really cared about her, but leaving New York to attend art school near New Orleans is her way out.

She’s thrilled to be free and ready to explore love, drawing, and life without a constant watchdog. When Eric Byrne, new guy extraordinaire, shows up on the first day of classes everything starts to change. There’s something more than his stunning eyes and gorgeous body that pulls her in. Carissa would rather be single than deal with the complications of a relationship, especially with a determined guy like Eric. But he fights passed her walls and makes it hard to stay away. Carissa wants to be with Eric – but she wants her freedom too and Eric isn’t willing to let her go.

When Eric reciprocates and lets his own guard down Carissa finally learns the truth about why he chose to attend Beaux-Artiste University. She should have known better than to ignore her gut instinct. Turns out Eric’s got more of a connection to her than she realized. If Eric can’t convince her to give him another chance then his lies may just cause love to slip through their fingers.

7) Congratulations on your recent release of Love and Lies, what was your inspiration for writing Carissa’s story? 

This story actually started as 4 points of view, one for each of her friends. The further into that dreadful first draft, the more her story came to the forefront. She yelled the loudest, so after a few starts and stops, revises and rewrites, Carissa ended up telling her story. 

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling? 

Let’s just say it flowed from my fingertips a few times. Haha. Love and Lies has been a true test of determination. 

9) How long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk? 

It took me about six months to get the initial spark of the story on the page. It’s taken me three years to get it out to everyone. 

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

This is a line from Eric during one of his and Carissa’s first romantic encounters

“Oh, yes you are. Tonight is all about you, princess.”

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about Love and Lies, to make us rush out and buy it?

I’ve been told this story is similar to the movie First Daughter starring Katie Holmes. There’s laughter, a little suspense, secrets, and sexy. I like to think these characters are laid back for the most part, not a lot angst going on at Beaux-Artiste University. J

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now? 

Right now I’m working on a short story for an upcoming anthology. After that I will start on the next book in this series—for now it’s the Love and Lies series—which will feature Logan and Mari. I’m really excited to write Logan’s story. He’s a musician who wants to follow his dreams, but every time he gets the chance something else stops him in his tracks. 

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Plantser. Can’t plot like some people, but need a little guidance. 

14) Secret Seven or Famous Five? (please tell me you know them!?)

Ummm I had to Google them. So I know about them now. And I still don’t have an answer. Sorry L

15) Digital books or print books?

Both! Love to switch it up. 

16) Tea or coffee?

COFFEE 

17) Cats or dogs?

Cats please

18) Extrovert or introvert?

Introvert

19) Save or spend?

Save so I can later spend. 

20) Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter 

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Jennifer, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Jennifer Duffey, and to keep up with her latest projects, you can visit her at:

Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest     Website

Buy it now…

Add to Goodreads

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Excerpt…

I'd just opened the bag of chips when he reached around me to take it. I smacked his hand. “Oh, no you don't. These are mine.” 

“Crazy, little girl. Those are mine. You got them out of my kitchen.” 

“Oh, I didn't tell you already? What's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine. So, these...” I shoved some Cheetos in my mouth. “Are mine,” I said around a mouth full of chips and wiggled my cheesy fingers in his face before licking them one by one, slowly savoring the flavor. 

“This means war.” 

With one hand, Eric grabbed the hand I clutched the bag with, while his other went to my waist, brushing against a slice of exposed skin. I squirmed and coughed, choking on the chips still in my mouth. He pulled back long enough for me to swallow and catch my breath. When he moved off the couch, he took the bag with him. 

When I no longer had him for support, I fell to the side. Eric stood next to the couch stuffing a handful of Cheetos in his mouth. He shoved so many in, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel hoarding nuts. 

With my elbow on the arm of the couch and my head propped in my hand, I watched Eric stand in front of me with a mouthful of Cheetos, one hand on his hip, the other out toward me, palm up. He crooked a finger in my direction and motioned me over. I lay back on the couch looking at the ceiling. 

“Come and get it,” he teased. 

I had no intention of jumping up after him. If I got up and ran, he won. I wanted to win. “No, I'll wait.” 

Eric looked defeated. His shoulders slumped, his head hung low. I grinned at him. Like a snake, I slid off the couch and eased onto the table in front it before jumping toward him. He was faster than I expected, because he caught me in midair. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled the bag from between us. He held me up, his arms around my waist, hands cupping my butt. 

Release Day Blitz and Giveaway with... Popping the Cherry by Aurelia B. Rowl

So I er...have a new book out today! 

It's from my other pseudonym and is both my first Young Adult story and my first full novel. As you can probably imagine, I am very excited but just as equally nervous; it's a scary time when you put a little piece of yourself out there for the world to read, comment on, criticise, and potentially rip to shreds o_O

On the up-side, the advance reviews are AMAZING and I am floating high on cloud nine, so now I just hope that the majority of readers are as enamoured with Lena's story too. To celebrate the launch, I've organised a Release Day Blitz and have mustered over twenty prizes - nearly thirty YA or NA ebooks - so there will be a lot of happy readers this time next week.

Anyway, enough of my rambling and let's get stuck in :-)

About the book...

If you missed any of the exclusive teasers from the ten-day countdown, you can find them all here or by going to: www.aureliabrowl.com/countdown-teasers.html.

Trailer...

Buy it now...

Add to Goodreads

Mature Young Adult/New Adult fiction
Release date: 19 September 2013
Publisher: Carina (Harlequin UK)
ISBN: 978-1-472-01805-2
Carina

Amazon UK ¦ Amazon 

iTunes 

Google 

Sainsburys 

Nook UK (coming soon)

Kobo

Giveaway...

To get the party started with a BANG, I have teamed up with several other Young Adult and New Adult authors to come up an awesome giveaway, with over twenty books in the Release Day Blitz prize kitty just waiting to be won.

For full details of the prizes, click here or go to: www.aureliabrowl.com/release-day-blitz.html

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#20Twenty with... Kierney Scott

I am delighted to welcome Kierney Scott onto my blog today, author of Twice in a Lifetime, soon to be released from Carina UK.

Don't let the cheeky smile fool you, this fabulous lady has a wicked sense of humour so I couldn't wait to get her in the twenty questions hotseat.

ACT ONE – all about you…

Kierney Scott

Originally from California, Kierney Scott moved to Scotland to enrol in the Ph D programme in Educational Research at the University of Edinburgh.

Four days after she arrived, she met her husband, who persuaded her it would be more fun to get married than write a thesis. After the birth of her daughter she decided it was time to go back to school, but soon discovered all she wanted to write was romance novels. She admitted her literary proclivities to her husband, who promptly bought her a laptop and told her to start writing her book.

When she is not writing, you will probably find her at a spinning class or baking (read eating) cupcakes. Her butter cream icing is legendary, if only in her mind. If you want her recipe, or just want to chat, you can contact her at KierneyScott@gmail.com or follow her on twitter @Kierney_S

1) Have you always been a writer or is it something you fell into?

I think it was inevitable I became a romance writer. My mother has always been completely addicted to romance novels, so much so that she would read them to us as bed time stories so she did not have to put her book down. She always left out the sex scenes but when I was eleven or so I started reading them for myself. Totally inappropriate, I know, but it explains so much…

2) Do you have a particular writing style or ritual?

Every book I write has a theme song(s) I listen to on a loop. For Twice in a Lifetime, I listened mostly to Pink’s Give Me a Reason and Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. For the dark moment I listed to Stay by Rihanna. For the sex scenes I listened to S&M by Rihanna. It is impossible to feel uptight when you listen to that song!

3) Is there a book or an author that has influenced you in your writing?

I have read A LOT of old school romance so it stands to reason some of it has permeated my subconscious. Sometimes you can see it in my heroes. At the start of a book, before the heroine shows them the light, they can cross the line from alpha to jackass. Luckily I have an editor who calls me on it.

4) Is there one piece of writing (or life?) advice that has stuck with you, or that you would like to share?

My writing advice is to avoid info dumps. I like to feel drop kicked into a scene. Readers are smart, they can figure out what is going on, so wait until they care about your characters before you give them their back story.

My advice for life is: be kind, be positive, and always seek out the joy in life.

5) Can you tell us three things about yourself that we probably don’t already know?

I have the world’s smallest tattoo: a forget-me-not flower on my second toe. My sisters have matching ones.

I am freakishly strong as a result of my enormous quadriceps. I can leg press 900 lbs. My husband likes to refer to my legs as my Chris Hoys.

I am teetotal but people often assume I am drunk because I am always the first to hit the dance floor and my dancing is not great...

6) What five luxury items or gadgets would you hate to be without?

My electric toothbrush, my kindle, my laptop, my ipod, and my vitamix. I love that blender. I feed my daughter spinach smoothies and call them ice cream.

ACT TWO – all about your new release…

A second chance at redemption...

A lifetime ago, Sarah and Liam were childhood sweethearts in a dingy Edinburgh block, dreaming of making it in the big wide world. But reality called. Sarah stayed to make a difference in her community, while Liam forged a career in international finance and never looked back.

Ten years on, a friend in crisis brings Sarah and Liam together in Dubai. There’s no trace of the boy she once loved – the man Liam has become is hard, mercenary, infuriating… and arousing. In an opulent desert city far away from everything she knows, can Sarah take the heat?

7) Congratulations on your recent release of Twice in a Lifetime, what was your inspiration for writing Sarah and Liam’s story?

The jobs from my pre writing life were the inspiration for this book. I taught emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children. In theory the school was for children from all over Edinburgh, but there was a disproportionate number from certain areas, like the council estate that was home to Liam and Sarah. I often thought about what it would look like if one of my pupils really succeeded in life. I wondered what scars they would carry from their start in life.

I also worked in harm reduction doing near enough the same job as my heroine Sarah: giving condoms and clean needles to sex workers.

8) Did the story flow from your finger tips or did some scenes take a bit of cajoling?

This was by far the easiest thing I have ever written. I am not sure why but I am very grateful for how smoothly the writing process was.

9) I see Twice in a Lifetime is your debut, how long did it take for the initial spark of the story to make it onto the page and then onto the publisher’s desk?

It took me less than two months to write.

10) Do you have a favourite paragraph or sentence from your story that you would like to tantalise us with?

She shrugged her shoulders. “You hide behind your penis. It is not a bad thing, it is just your crazy. You flirt with me to deflect your feelings. You aren’t good at dealing with emotion so you fall back on what you are good at.”

“No Dr. Campbell, I flirt with you for the reason men flirt with women-I fancy you.”

She shook her head. “Nope, it has nothing to with fancying. You do it when I bring up something you don’t want to talk about, anything related to the past.”

He turned and looked at her directly in the eyes. “I do it because I want to screw you in every position ever tried, and some they haven’t thought up yet. Simple as that, Sarah. I want to fuck you.”

*Confession time* This is my favourite bit of dialogue because I was certain my editor was going to cut it. I automatically love anything I think is going to get the chop.

11) Over to you, what can you tell us about Twice in a Lifetime, to make us rush out and buy it?

Twice in a Lifetime is a fast sexy read set in Dubai . What is not to like?!

12) What can we expect from you next? Is there something you are working on right now?

I am almost done with my second book. The working title is My Gay Husband. I have no idea what my publisher will call it in the end. I love the surprise.

QUICK FIRE ROUND – it’s pop quiz time…

13) Plotter or pantser?

Plotters for the win! I write a very detailed outline, chapter by chapter. The book may change as I write and flesh out the characters. If this happens I go back and change the outline because nothing goes in the book unless it is in the outline.

14) Secret Seven or Famous Five?(please tell me you know them!?)

I was raised in California so I did not discover Enid Blyton until I moved to Scotland. I prefer Robert Munsch and Shel Silverstein. They are gods of children’s literature. Trust me I was a teacher, I know kid’s books ;-)

15) Digital books or print books?

Digital all the way. I love the instant gratification. I am not great with impulse control.

16) Tea or coffee?

Can I be awkward and say toffee nut Signature hot chocolate from Starbucks? I am addicted. I am never away from that shop. They even have a copy of my cover on their community notice board because I am that friendly with the baristas. One of them is called Liam and I tease him and say I named my hero after him.

17) Cats or dogs?

My husband is very allergic so we are pet free. But growing up I had enough pets to last a lifetime: cats, dogs, chickens, fish, rabbits, hamsters and goats. I think the goats were my favourite. They were thick as mince and ate everything in sight. I could get on board with that.

18) Extrovert or introvert?

Total extrovert. If I know you more than five minutes, we are friends and I will invite you to my house for dinner. I love being around people. You know the missionaries that come knocking? I have them over for dinner. We all look past the fact I write naughty books and am unconvertible (is that even a word?!)

19) Save or spend?

Save

20) Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook but everyone else seems to love Twitter.

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you so much for taking part, Kierney, I wish you every success with your new release.

To discover even more about Kierney Scott, and to keep up with her latest projects and shenanigans, you can connect with her at:

Facebook    Twitter    Blog     Email

Buy it now...

Add to Goodreads

ISBN: 978-1-4720-1819-9
Release date: 29th August 2013
Can't wait? Pre-order your copy now!

Carina
Amazon UK
Amazon
iTunes
Kobo
Sainsburys ebooks
Nook (coming soon)

Cover Reveal: Revenge in Rio by Samantha Darling

Revenge in Rio
By: Samantha Darling

Beachwalk Press

Releasing October 21st, 2013

Calculated revenge, unexpected passion…

Business magnate Luca Venancio is returning to Rio to pay his respects to his late brother, and to seduce his once fiancée, Daniella, back into his bed. Five years ago she left him without so much as a word, shunning him and the rich life he could offer in exchange for his younger, reckless brother. Now Luca wants revenge—seduce her and dump her, that's all he intends to do.

Blackmailed into a violent farce of a marriage, Daniella had no choice but to comply to protect Luca's life, even though it meant never being able to see him again. Years later, a twist of fate reunites them, throwing her plans of fleeing Rio out of the window and the love of her life straight back in.

Luca's flawless plan soon becomes complicated when he discovers Daniella is expecting his brother's child. It becomes even more complicated when old passions return. Can he actually go through with seducing her, bedding her, and then discarding her?

About the Author...

I live in Essex, not too far from London, with my very understanding husband, our identical twin boys, and two Bedlington Terriers. We're crammed into our rather cozy two-up two-down terrace and we can barely swing a cat, but hey, we love it. I work part-time as a nurse, but when I'm off duty, you will find me either chasing the toddlers around like a headless chicken, head buried in a book, or tapping away at my stories.

I have always loved to read and romance is by far my favourite genre! You can easily escape into such promising worlds, where sexy Alpha males lead the way and strong heroine's often can't help but fall head over heels in love. I adore a Happy Ever After - as I'm sure we all do if we're honest, right?!

Reading and writing go hand in hand and from the day I could read, I enjoyed writing. To put pen to paper and conjure up weird and wonderful little stories was what I thrived on! English was my favourite class at school right throughout to secondary - and I will always be thankful for the teachers who gave me the opportunities to develop and be creative! If I remember rightly, one of my first stories was called 'The Turkey Who Could Talk'...but I'll tell you more about that some other day :-) 

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