Happy Easter!
#Eggcerpt Exchange: Kim Kasch, Author of The Cats Of Cullaby Creek
Love is in the Air, something else is in the water
THE CATS OF CULLABY CREEK
When Savannah meets Kyle, its love at first sight. And why wouldn’t it be? He’s perfect, as far as she can tell. But Kyle appears whenever things go wrong. Maybe he isn’t everything she thought he was. It’s a complete mystery until she discovers the water in Cullaby Creek is being bottled and sold as vitamin “infused” water.
Mistic Water promises the impossible. And then, like a magical elixir, it delivers. People who drink it feel younger, smarter, faster…healthier. But it doesn’t take long before side effects hit. Literally. The secret has to be in the water…or is it something more?
BOOK TRAILER: https://youtu.be/JOft7ED0z2Y
BOOK TEASER: https://youtu.be/729o2HWEAuE
EXCERPT:
Kelly and Kyle
These two shared some sort of history. And now I was in the middle of their story.
Sparks flew through the air. But, they didn’t seem to notice—or maybe they just didn’t care how uncomfortable they were making the rest of us.
I scanned the room. The terribly odd thing was that while they stood in the center of the cafeteria—arguing—everyone’s eyes were on me.
What is so interesting about me?
After a few seconds, I heard whispered accusations slammed back and forth, like a ping-pong ball. My name, muttered in odd and angry tones. No one seemed to mind staring at me, but only the bravest few were sneaking sideways glances over at Kelly and Kyle, hoping no one noticed.
This wasn’t what I needed on my first day at a new school. I hadn’t come here looking for instant enemies, but I knew I’d accidentally stirred a private pot and things were already starting to boil.
I needed to do something and quick. From the sounds floating around me, if they got into an actual argument, I was going to get the blame.
I spit out the first words I could think to say, “What’s a new kid to do, after school, around here… for fun?”
Kyle sighed and chuckled, “That depends on what you’re hoping to find and what you think is fun.” He stepped back away from Kelly for a moment. “You big city kids always think something needs to be going on. But in real life, in a small town, not much ever happens.”
“We could ask my Mom to drive us into Astoria to do some shopping,” I suggested. It was a little too obvious—even to me—Kelly wanted me out of the picture and was trying everything she could think of to keep me away from Kyle. I almost felt sorry for her—but only for a second.
“Or,” Kyle sat down and nodded for me to join him. I could feel a warm rush of air and his scent worked its way up inside my head. I barely heard him finish, “We could go for a run.”
“What?” Kelly demanded, clenching her hands into tight-balled fists at her side.
“Savannah,” Kyle lowered his voice and said my name slow, putting an emphasis on the last syllable, like it was a soft sigh, ‘ah’. And, for the first time in my life, I loved the sound of my own name. “Is a runner. And she’s fast. Aren’t ‘cha?” He nudged me and moved even closer. I could barely think. His smell overpowered my senses; it was the sweet woodsy scent of him that took me by surprise. I closed my eyes and drank it in.
When I opened them back up, Kelly’s eyes were shooting red flames of rage straight at me.
I gazed at Kyle and felt a warmth in my stomach again. It was working its way up into my chest. “That’s not what you said this morning,” I laughed then spun away.
About Kim
I’m a writer who grew up in a family with 9 kids and only 1 t.v. so I spent my days reading and, later, writing. I love books. . .maybe because I never got to pick t.v. shows we watched. But I’d run home after school to catch the last fifteen minutes of Dark Shadows…
I still love to run…and read. My favorite romance novels are The Hunger Games…okay, I know, it’s a survival book but it’s really all about romance. Then there were the series: Twilight, Fifty Shades, and more but I also love paranormal, Horror and even light books like Dewey the Small Town Library Cat… Mainly, I just love to read. . . and write.
KIM’S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Kasch/e/B00ZOAUKMO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Website: https://www.kimkasch.com
Blog: https://www.kimkasch.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009489617484
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimkasch
INTERVIEW
1. Nickname: Vannah
2. Job: Student
3. Level of schooling, or self-taught: High school
4. Birthdate: 8.15.2009
5.
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon
6. Currently residing in…Mist, Oregon
7. Favorite type of pet: Cat
8. Favorite place to visit: Portland
9. Significant other: Kyle
10. Most important goal: Get her family out of Mist
11. Worst fear or nightmare: That Kyle won’t make it out of Mist
12. Favorite food: Chili Dogs
13. Wealthy, poor, or somewhere in between? In-between
14. Secret desire or fantasy: To Morph into a cougar
15. What would you do if you won the lottery? Move and buy out Mistic Water
#Eggcerpt Exchange: Maryann Miller, Author of One Small Victory
One Small Victory by Maryann Miller
Life can change in just an instant.
That thought wove its way in and around her mind as Jenny fingered the clothes jammed along the wooden rod in the closet. His funny T-shirts promoting the likes of “Prince” and “Dilbert.” His one good shirt, only worn under duress. His leather jacket that still carried a faint aroma reminiscent of saddles and horses.
Sometime soon she’d have to clean out the closet. Isn’t that what usually happens?
Tears burned her eyes and she turned away. She didn’t know what was supposed to happen. No one had ever told her. And a multitude of questions swam through her mind like restless minnows in a pond.
There were books on choosing a college. Books on how to plan a wedding or how to help your child find a job. But no one had ever written one on what to do when your son dies.
Thus begins what is a mother’s worst nightmare, the loss of a child. For most women, that loss would hold them in a grief so pervasive they couldn’t function, but Jenny Jasik doesn’t give in to the paralysis. After discovering how rampant drugs are in her rural Texas town, she bullies her way onto a Drug Task Force and works as a confidential informant to help bring down the main distributor. This isn’t done without considerable risk, not only to her safety but to her sanity and to the sanctity of her family.
EXCERPT
She sank to the edge of her bed, the pain threatening to drag her into the dark abyss. Her blood pounded so loud in her ears it took a minute to realize someone was knocking on the door.
“Mom?” Scott’s voice called from the hallway. “Can I come in?”
Jenny took a deep breath, then rose and opened the door.
“I was wondering . . . uh,” Scott’s eyes had difficulty resting on hers. “Has Dad called back yet?”
She shook her head.
“Well, uh . . . do you want me to call him?”
Again, she shook her head. “It’s something I should do. I’ll try again as soon as I’m finished here.”
Scott hesitated a moment more, then backed out of the doorway. Jenny quickly closed the door. Better that he not see the flush of anger that warmed her cheeks. She’d tried to call Ralph last night, sometime during those hours of agony between leaving the hospital and finally collapsing for a brief period of fitful sleep, but there’d been no answer.
Last night she’d been too numb to care. It was just so typical. He had never been there for her, or the kids. Not while they were married, and not in the years since he’d left. Most of the time she just accepted it and tried to ease the disappointment for the kids as much as possible. But even though little was said, the message was clear. Ralph wasn’t involved with the kids. Not like a father should be.
But the truth was like a kick in the gut this morning.
“You stupid, sorry, son of a bitch,” Jenny said, running a brush through her dark hair with quick, angry strokes. “Why should I care how you find out? I should just clip the obituary and send it to you.”
It gave her a perverse rush of pleasure to consider doing that, but she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Out of respect for the fact that he was Michael’s father, she would call again.
Jenny crossed the room and picked up the phone on her bedside table. Still no answer after ten rings, and she started to worry. Maybe it wasn’t even his number anymore. He had a penchant for moving and not getting around to giving them the new number for weeks. She could try him at work later, but she wasn’t even sure that number was current.
Longevity, either professional or personal, was never one of his strong suits.
She slammed the phone down. “Couldn’t you be there for me? Just once?”
AUTHOR BIO
Maryann Miller is a best-selling author of books, screenplays and stage plays. One Small Victory was her first hardcover release. Other books include a police-procedural mystery, Open Season, which is the first in a new series that features two women homicide detectives. Think “Lethal Weapon” set in Dallas with female leads. Miller has won numerous awards for her screenplays and short fiction, including the Page Edwards Short Fiction Award, the New York Library Best Books for Teens Award, and first place in the screenwriting competition at the Houston Writer’s Conference.
Where Can I Buy It?
One Small Victory is available in paper, electronic, and audio. Links to all formats are on Maryann’s Book Page on her website:
http://maryannwrites.com/books/one-small-victory/
AUTHOR LINKS – Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Maryann-Miller/e/B001JP7Y1S/
Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/Maryann-Miller-176896965725974/
Author Website http://maryannwrites.com/
Interview with Jenny Jasik:
What on earth possessed you to join a drug task force?
If I hadn’t been numb with grief, I might have reconsidered. Everybody kept telling me to, even my best friend, Carol. But I just got so mad when I found out that drug dealers were hanging around the school and other places where kids, even very young kids, were put in danger. People keep saying we need to do something about drugs, so I figured, why not? It took some convincing to get the captain to agree, and I know he was shocked when I passed the tests to work undercover with the task force. I think I was shocked, too.
So what now? Will you do it again?
Are you kidding? I was scared to death most of the time, so I don’t think I’ll do it again. Although, I must say that I liked that Jenny who took no crap from the drug dealers and actually made a huge difference.
Did you have any previous law-enforcement experience?
Heck no. I barely graduated from high school. Like so many young teens, I was madly in love, or so I thought, and couldn’t wait for Ralph and I to get married. Getting pregnant sort of helped that along. And like a silly teenager who believes every word a guy says, I thought we really would live happily ever after. That didn’t happen. Ralph didn’t want to be a husband any more than he wanted to be a father. I’m only sorry that it took so many years for us to figure that out. However, had it not, I wouldn’t have had my three wonderful kids.
What was the most difficult part of your life?
That’s pretty obvious, I think. Losing Michael was like losing part of myself. I’d heard people say that a parent should never outlive their children, and I’m here to tell you the truth in that. Even thinking back to that horrible day the pain is as strong as it was then. There were days I didn’t know if I even wanted to go on without Michael, but I had the other kids to think of. And then the opportunity to get some vindication. That helped.
Do you see another man in your life in the future?
Funny you should ask. I worked with a detective, Steve. He was the one I reported to and who held my hand through the whole process of applying and then working on the task force. We both recognized that there was some chemistry between us, but his professionalism held him back. Plus, we were both dealing with a lot of emotional pain. He had lost his wife. So we didn’t want to rush into some kind of relationship that would put his job at risk and maybe we weren’t ready for anyway. Now that some time has passed, we are considering trying to make something work for us. Maybe I can convince Maryann to write that story. I’ve been bugging her about it.
#Eggcerpt Exchange: Linda K. Sienkiewicz, Author of In The Context of Love
Author Linda K. Sienkiewicz writes women’s fiction/ contemporary romance. Her debut novel In the Context of Love.
What makes us step back to examine the events and people that have shaped our lives? And what happens when what we discover leads to more questions? In the Context of Love revolves around the journey of Angelica Schirrick as she reevaluates her life, and its direction.
Returning with her children from their first visit with her now imprisoned husband, she tries to figure out where it all went so wrong. Can she face the failures and secrets of her past and move forward? Can she find love and purpose again? Her future, which once held so much promise, crumbled like dust after the mysterious disappearance of her first love, and the shattering revelation that derailed her life, and divided her parents. Only when she finally learns to accept the violence of her beginning can she be open to life again, and maybe to a second chance at love.
Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of #1 NYTimes Bestseller, DEEP END OF THE OCEAN, says: “With humor and tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.”
Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Michigan Notable Book MOTHERS TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS, says “Sienkiewicz’s powerful and richly detailed debut novel is at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey. It should be required reading for all wayward daughters, and their mothers, too.”
Eggcerpt from In the Context of Love:
“I had everything under control, baby doll. You didn’t need to do that,” he said, opening and closing his fists.
“Oh, yeah, right. I could see that. Who is she?” My knees started to shake as if my body finally realized fear was the appropriate reaction.
“One crazy bitch, that’s who. She could’ve killed you.” He examined the side of my face, touching gently. “This might bruise. I didn’t know you had so much fight in you. What a little ball breaker,” he said, as if proud of me.
I scowled as I jerked my head away. “You told her you’re clean. What does that mean?”
“Just that. She’s looking for what I don’t have. Forget it. She won’t come back.” He led me into the bedroom and sat me on the bed, as if disruptions of this sort were common in his life, then got a wet washrag from the bathroom and held it to my face. The concern in his eyes was genuine. The stinging pain slid from my cheek down into the sorely beating muscle in my chest when I realized I cared about this man more than I should. I wanted to kiss him as badly as I wanted to clobber him.
I asked him how tight he and this Blossom person had been, and he said, “Like scotch tape on cement.” The cool rag was soothing. I liked the way he held it to my face. Weighted by vague allegations and indecisiveness, I felt like the wrong answer in an essay test.
“Don’t be mad. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said as we lay down. His skin felt hot and dry when he rolled on top of me. I took a quick breath, struck by the unexpected burden of his body moving on top of mine, as if he were ironing years of his mistakes onto me. He kissed my face where it hurt, as if to make it all better, like a daddy.
Who was I to question him? A model of truthfulness? So what if he had a few untidy relationships or loose ends? I wasn’t going to have his babies, for crying out loud.
Buy It Here!
In the Context of Love can be purchased in paperback or e-reader on Amazon http://amzn.to/1IiVWEs or Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1QFs340
Interview with Angelica Schirrick, the narrator of In the Context of Love.
1. Where were you born?
I was brought into this world by midwife Rose Rumble at my great aunt’s farm in Wisconsin, and my mother, young and unmarried, was supposed to give me up for adoption.
2. Do you have a nickname?
People have called me troublemaker, short stuff, hot stuff, cupcake (by my dad) Angel, hure (by my wicked German grandmother — don’t ask why), but most people call me Angie.
3. What’s your most embarrassing moment?
When I was a teen, I was furious with my parents and felt this sudden need to get away from them (who hasn’t?), so I snatched the keys to my dad’s Lincoln and took off. I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t have a license or much driving experience. I lost control and drove it into a fir tree in the Brecksville Metropark. I was okay but the car was not.
4. What is your job?
I’m proud to say I’m the marketing and community service director for Safe Harbor, a non-profit women’s domestic violence shelter in Cleveland, Ohio. I love my work.
5. What’s your favorite type of pet?
I grew up with a gorgeous fluffy collie named Cookie, so I’m awfully fond of dogs, but at this point in my life, I’d rather have something low maintenance, like a goldfish, canary, or a rock. Yes, a pet rock would be perfect.
About Linda
Author Linda K. Sienkiewicz attributes her creative drive to her artistic mother, who taught her to sew, and her father, who let her monkey around with the gadgets in his workshop. Her short stories and poetry have been published in more than fifty literary journals in print and online. She has a poetry chapbook award from Bottom Dog Press, a Pushcart Prize nomination and an MFA from The University of Southern Maine.
Website http://lindaksienkiewicz.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/LindaKSienkwicz
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lindaksienkwicz/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lindaksienkiewicz/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/linda.k.sienkiewicz.author
#Eggcerpt Exchange: Trevann Rogers, Author of House Of The Rising Sun
Sex. Rebellion. Rock and roll.
Living After Midnight, Book 1
Cheyenne is a half-human incubus whose star is on the rise in the Unakite City rock scene. His father, the leader of the supernatural races, would prefer he keep a “low profile”, but screw that. Cheyenne has as much music in his veins as royal incubi blood.
Alexander’s future is all set—finish law school, join the family firm, and marry someone who’d be good for business. Not that he has a say in any of it. He’s barely met the woman his father expects him to marry.
As Cheyenne’s musical career takes off, his carefully constructed life begins to unravel, exacerbated by an ex-lover who can’t let go, a crotchety barkeeper with a dirty mind and a pure heart, a drag queen who moonlights as a nanny, and Alexander—who’s not sure if he’s falling for the incubus or the rocker.
Cheyenne denies who he is, while Alexander hides what he wants. Together, they learn that getting what they truly want means being who they truly are.
Excerpt
~~~~
The blue-gray glow of the synthesizer’s lights increased with the music’s crescendo and tugged him to the edge of his seat. The beginning of a show was one of his favorite parts. He was also partial to the middle and the end.
But Alexander didn’t applaud and stomp and scream in anticipation like the rest of the crowd. He was grateful to be able to keep his composure, but the truth was, it was all he could do to remember to breathe.
With a burst of light and a thunderous chord, Cheyenne appeared at center stage, arms out from his sides. An ethereal white light illuminated him. A rock and roll messiah.
Buy It Here!
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5575/house-of-the-rising-son
Author Bio
Trevann Rogers writes urban fantasy and LGBT paranormal romances. Her stories incorporate an unquenchable addition to music and her love for vampires, Weres, incubi and rock stars. Like these elusive creatures, Trevann learned long ago that sometimes being yourself means Living After Midnight.
Author links
www.trevannrogers.com
www.facebook.com/trevannr
www.pinterest.com/trevannr
www.twitter.com/trevannrogers
Character Q&A: Cheyenne Constantine
1. Nickname ~ Chey
2. Job~ Musician
3. Level of schooling, or self-taught: I graduated high school. But I taught myself guitar and piano
4. Birthdate ~June 2
5. Birthplace ~Unakite City
6. Currently residing in ~Unakite City
7. Favorite type of pet ~ Tiger but don’t tell Zander. I’d be in the doghouse for sure.
8. Favorite place to visit~ Las Vegas
9. Significant other ~Zander
10. Most important goal ~I’m going to be a rock star.
11. Worst fear or nightmare ~Failing my kids somehow.
12. Favorite food ~Zander
13. Wealthy, poor, or somewhere in between? ~Poor but not for much longer.
14. Secret desire or fantasy ~I want my father to be proud of me.
15. What would you do if you won the lottery? ~Buy a big house, get my kids every thing they want, and get a custom made guitar.