BBT Guest Post: Author Louisa Bacio

Please welcome to MNtR today author Louisa Bacio. She's sharing some of her bookish thoughts on feeding the need to read...something book lovers the world over can relate to--since, unlike in a perfect world, life sometimes gets in the way of the yumy bits. ^_^ Louisa's paranormal romantica series, The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf recently added a second book, Chains of Silver.

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Feeding the Fetish & 5 Fav. Books

by Louisa Bacio

Lately, life gets in the way of my traditional reading time. It used to be that I could pour through an entire book in a single day … easily, or on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. I didn’t have a TBR pile because I simply read the books that I bought. These days, though, the stacks – physical and virtual on my Kindle – keep getting bigger and bigger, and I have to set aside special time to read.

It’s kind of like planning on when to have sex when you’re married. Many people assume that you’re living together, you’re in the same bed … sex happens, right? Well, what happens if your partner is a morning person and you’re a night person? Huh?

OK, bad analogy, but hopefully I got your attention. Sometimes, when I’m on a tight deadline I know I CAN’T start a book because I’ll get wrapped up and will want to finish it … and then what? I won’t have time to write.

And I feel guilty, either way.

Because almost as equal as that need to read is the need to write. And, I’m hoping that I’m writing books that are just as interesting to readers as I’ve enjoyed over the years.

Off the top of my head, here are five novels that have “stayed” with me:

Stephen King – Bag of Bones: Extremely haunting tale, and thrilled it’s coming out as a miniseries.

Kim Harrison – Dead Witch Walking: First in Harrison’s Hallows series, and also supposedly coming to TV soon!

Anne Rice – The Witching Hour: Yes, I read all her Vampire Chronicles, too, but this one … sigh … such a dynamic family tree.

J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter: Come on, when it comes to paranormal (cough: wizards), how can one not fall in love with the YA delight?

P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night series: And you probably thought I was going to mention that other popular teen vampire series, right? Well, yes I read Twilight, too, but something about the realness and internal struggle that fledgling Zoey goes through in the first book Marked really resonates.

So tell me: When do you find time to read, especially around the busy holidays? What books have clung to you, long after you’ve read them? One commenter will be entered to win a box of Sweethearts featuring Twilight Eclipse. Recently came across these goodies, and couldn’t help buy some as giveaways. (U.S. for mailing only. If you’re international, you can choose one electronic book from my backlist.) (Click here to visit giveaway form)

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I toootally get what she's talking about. There's reading for fun, and reading for work/school/etc (or her case, writing). Balancing the two can sometimes be tough! Thank you so much to Louisa Bacio for stopping by and sharing some book thoughts.  Check out a snippet about Chains of Silver below, and stay tuned for reviews of both VWW books!

Adopted at birth, Silver Ashe discovers her blood-brother Trevor Pack is a werewolf, with a vampire and witch for lovers. All her teachings about the evils of the paranormal Others come into question. She runs to a family friend, Nick, for help.

     Nick Stake takes his hobby as a vampire hunter personally. He strives to rid the world of evil bloodsuckers. When his best friend’s “kid” sister comes to him for advice, Nick discovers Silver’s more than grown up. He battles his growing desire for Silver and blindly holds true to his convictions.

     Once Silver reaches her sexual maturity, she’ll inherit her full genetic heritage and turn into a werewolf. When death comes calling, Silver and Nick must face their darkest fears in order to break free from the chains that bind.

Available now via Ravenous Romance

And for more information from (and about) Louisa herself, check out the following. (You might want to check out in particular some of her writing workshops, which look like lots of intriguing, steamy fun ^_^).

• http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio
• http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio
• http://louisabacio.blogspot.com

This has been but one Bewitching Book Tours tour stop for The Vampire, the Witch, and the Werewolf series. For more bookish goodness, check out this link.

Or click the image above!

Guest Post by Author Natalie-Nicole Bates

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I absolutely love hearing about the journey that a person takes in getting that story from concept to finished written piece. The paths may differ, the the glory of achievment rocks all the same. ^_^ Today, I'm pleased to welcome Natalie-Nicole Bates, author of Antique Charming. She discusses her very own adventure in discovering her love of writing.

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From Book Lover To Book Author

By Natalie-Nicole Bates

I have always been a voracious reader ever since I was a child. I was the twelve-year-old kid in the corner reading Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon. I remember being swept away in Sheldon’s Master of the Game and Robbins’ Goodbye, Janette. Influenced by these masters, I knew I wanted to write someday.

A few years ago, I spent a week in the hospital after an ill-fated skateboard stunt. I sent my partner to the bookstore to get as many Harlequin and Silhouette books he could find. That week I reached my all time record for the number of books read—24 books in one week!

More than a year ago, I decided to try making the big leap from reader to writer. I knew it couldn’t be accomplished by simply sitting down at the computer and pounding out a 350-page story. There were building blocks to creating a novel—idea, setting, plot, scene, point of view—to name a few.

I enrolled in an intensive six-month course in the art of novel writing. I was paired with a mentor, and was ready to writing this sweeping mainstream saga involving two people who had wills that left them a piece of property. My mentor said, you belong in the romance genre. This was best advice I could get.

This past summer, I finished my first novel, a contemporary romance called Change of Address. To my delight, I sold it to Secret Cravings Publishing in just a week.

After I signed the contract, I was hit by an idea for a paranormal story. I knew that I wanted it to be short, just a small bite for a reader to enjoy, and hopefully if I could sell it, it would be my introduction to all of the readers in this world. During a particularly frenzied episode of writing, I finished the story in a day. After editing, I sold the story to Books To Go Now. This is how Antique Charming came to be. I hope you will enjoy Antique Charming and consider it my hello to you.

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A lovely "hello," indeed. And wow...24 books in a week sounds like heaven (even given the necessary physical recovery). ^_^

A big "thank you" to Natalie-Nicole Bates for her visit today. Just as her personal tale is a pleasure to read, her story, Antique Charming, is a bundle of preciousness. It's a cute little tale about love that (quite literally) transcends time. Here's a peek...

The night he came home…forever

     Third-generation funeral director Lizzie Morton is about to have her dream realized. She has purchased the long abandoned Nichols Funeral Home and its upstairs flat, determined to restore the funeral home to its once former glory. 

     But a late night visitor, Adam Nichols, claims the funeral home still belongs to his family. Lizzie scoffs at his odd behaviour and outlandish claims, but when a vintage photograph appears, she soon realizes, to her horror, that Adam Nichols did once own the funeral home—more than one hundred years ago—and now she has allowed this entity to pass into her home.

Book Trailer on YouTube http://youtu.be/Z1U7hlZ0koQ

Find the book at:

Books to Go Now

Amazon Kindle

Hey, peeps...this has been but one stop on a tour for Bates's Antique Charming. To get more info about Bates and her work, you'll definitely want to check out some of the other stops! And stay tuned for the review of Antique Charming here at MNtR.

Click image for tour links!

Guest Post: Author Theresa Meyers

Well, slap me twice and call me Betty. I'm so freaking pleased to have Theresa Meyers visit MNtR today to talk about her favorite holiday (Halloween) and share a recipe for her favorite tea-time treat (Pumpkin bread!). Meyers's book, The Hunter, will be out on November 1--and believe me when I say you simply must read it, with all of it's steampunky, paranormal goodness.

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     Halloween has long been my favorite holiday. Yeah the holidays are great, but they really kick off with Halloween. Of course I have not one, but two people in my family with a birthday on that day. Wonder if that was meant to be? I’ve got a wardrobe full of costumes and probably as many Halloween boxes filled with black cats, ghosts, witches and scarecrows, as I do boxes filled with Christmas goodies.

     This time of year is just rife with potential ideas for a paranormal writer. Just the cold snap in the air and the fog hovering over the ground as the early morning light slants through it makes me giddy.

     I was driving over the Tacoma Narrows bridge (which is suspended 290 feet over a narrow strip of the Puget Sound in Washington state just outside Tacoma) with a friend, the fog looked like it was literally boiling up around the edges of the cliff and filtering around the suspension cables of the bridge. “Hey, doesn’t it look kind of like a fire-breathing dragon might be just down there?” I told my friend, who incidentally is not a writer.

     She looked at me strangely for a moment, then grinned. “Uh, yeah, I guess it could. You writers are really twisted, you know that?”

     I had to grin back. Writing paranormal stories makes anything possible, which just makes life more magical all the way around. Some of my best ideas for paranormal stories start with “What if?” The Jackson brothers in my Legend Chronicles series are a perfect example. They started off with a “what if there were three brothers named after their father’s favorite guns?” At that moment Winchester, Remington and Colt Jackson started taking shape and eventually evolved into my steampunk hunters that kick off with The Hunter out on Nov. 1. (And incidentally, what could be a cooler release dated than 11-1-11!) The stories are what might happen if you mashed together the television series Supernatural, with the movie Wild Wild West and then added a dash of Indiana Jones. There’s adventure, scary paranormal creatures, wild adventure, passion and of course a mad inventor!

     I suppose the other reason I love fall is that it gives us all a reason to look more closely at the supernatural and paranormal. It’s the only time of year you’ll see specials on ghost whisperers or paranormal trackers on regular television. People are more open to witches and goblins, gremlins and spectors, not to mention a few hot vampires, werewolves and sexy shape-shifters.

     And since it’s nearly Halloween, it’s also time to break out my favorite tea-time treat – Pumpkin Bread! Here’s the recipe given to me by the same friend forced to think about dragons as we crossed the bridge:

Amazing Pumpkin Bread

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves

Cream butter and sugar, add egg, pumpkin and water; mix well. Blend together dry ingredients then mix into wet ingredients. Pour batter into greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 65-75 minutes for two big loaves or for 30-40 minutes for mini loaves.

So celebrate October for Oktoberfest if you must, but I’ll be celebrating the paranormal with Halloween.

What’s your favorite part about fall and the paranormal?

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Many thanks to Theresa Meyers for an awesome post! To answer her question, my favorite part of fall and the paranormal.  But of course, one can never forget the tasty spices that are used most during this time of year (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, etc.).

Now, here's a bit of info on Meyers' book, the first in the Legend Chronicles series.

They’re the Chosen—Winchester, Remington and Colt—brothers trained to hunt down supernatural beings using the latest steam-powered gadgetry. It’s a hard legacy to shoulder, and it’s about to get a lot more dangerous…

A DEVIL OF A JOB

     Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there’s a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.

     Except when he summons his demon, he doesn’t get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who’s willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly’s secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can’t. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what’s adventure without a little risk?

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This has been a tour stop for Bewitching Book Tours. There's so much great stuff going on for this this, book, so I highly recommend you check out the BBT page here.

...or hit up the image above.

Guest Post: Author Jennifer Harlow

Happy Saturday, people. Today at MNtR, the awesome (and in my opinion, hilarious and witty) Jennifer Harlow is stopping by to share some of the adventures that her story had gone through before eventually becoming the book that it is today: Mind Over Monsters (A F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation, #1). Enjoy!

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Saying Good-Bye to My Baby

by Jennifer Harlow

     Writing an entire book is like running a marathon (not that I ever have or will run one) or finding out you're about to have a baby, where you start off fast and happy, hit a wall of fear, curse the gods for ever giving you the thought of pursuing this madness, but keep going until the end with renewed vigor, or as I like to think of it, "I made it this bloody far, I will not let anything stop me. I'll show them! Ha ha ha!" So you continue on toiling through the backaches, the sleepless nights trying to figure out what happens next, even through the bloating (though that could just be me) until you get to write those two wonderful words, "The End," and make yourself a large, stiff drink. You’ve earned it. And you’re gonna need it because your baby is finally here...and now comes the hard part. 
     After the first draft comes the first and second edits, each where you stare at every word trying to figure out if it’s the best choice, second guessing yourself a million times along the way, before you give it to your beta testers, who take their sweet time reading and editing. Then you take their suggestions, edit again, send it to your wonderful agent for her to edit, make the corrections she suggests, edit again, and finally it's ready to shop around. And if the publishing gods deign her worthy, the publisher will have you edit it at least twice more. So "The End" is simply the beginning of a grueling process, almost like raising a child, where you will curse your characters for ever entering your imagination or life in the first place at least once or twice. But you love her regardless, and you solider on to do your best to help her grow. 
     My baby has gone through so many changes I barely recognize her. She has gone through so many changes since I conceived her seven(!) years ago, I barely recognize her. The beginning chapter I started with is completely gone, characters names have changed, and I don't know how many paragraphs have been shortened or expanded. She (like all cars manuscripts are female) has grown from a seed in my mind to an infant as I did the first draft. All her parts were there, her personality, but she needed shaping to become a productive member of book society. 
     So through the years I did my best to trim her fat, improve her vocabulary, scream at her when she wouldn't listen to me, and make her the best she could be. (Those teenage years...shudder. I almost gave up on her when I was trying to sell her, but we soldiered through). Now it's as if she is about to graduate college. She's standing on her own two feet, but still needs her Mommy for a few last bits of advice. That's what I'm doing now with the final edit. Never again will I be able to change words, add to characters, plug in narrative holes, etc. She will forever be out in the world as is for other people to judge, enjoy, or just plain hate. She is her own entity now. I just hope my baby will become President instead of a bum. Regardless, I have to let go. I've done all I can to get her to stand on her two feet, and I am proud of her...though I never want to see her again. 
     Now…onto her siblings. 

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Rock on. I love these types of personal tales in which a story has survived as an idea through long periods of time and endured many transformations to finally be fully realized as a finished written piece. Some ideas are like fine wines...they get better with age. ^_^ Many thanks to Jennifer Harlow for visiting today. Like her book Mind Over Monsters, she's so much fun to follow. Check out her blog--particularly the "Bio/FAQ/TMI" section--to see what I mean.

Wanna meet Harlow's baby?...here's a taste of what the book's about. Perfect for a Halloween read, methinks.

     Very few people know the truth about Beatrice Alexander. She's no ordinary schoolteacher with a fondness for classic movies. Beatrice can move objects with her mind, an embarrassing and dangerous skill that she's never learned to master—or embrace. After nearly killing her brother by accident, she joins F.R.E.A.K.S. The Federal Response to Extra-Sensory and Kindred Supernaturals is a top-secret offshoot of the FBI that "neutralizes" ghouls, trolls, and other monsters threatening humanity. 
     Beatrice has no desire to become Buffy the vampire slayer. But F.R.E.A.K.S. offers training to control her power. Also, she doesn't feel like such a freak next to the other supernatural members, including a cute former detective who's a werewolf and an unbearable vampire determined to seduce Beatrice. Despite a natural instinct to flee from hideous, bloodthirsty zombies, Beatrice must prove herself on her first mission to find a cunning necromancer.

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This has been a tour stop for Bewitching Book Tours...which means that there's plenty more in the way of festivities for Jennifer Harlow and Mind Over Monsters. Click here to see what else is going on!

Guest Post: Author Tonya Macalino (plus Giveaway!)

I'm very pleased to welcome today Tonya Malacino, author of the paranormal romance Spectre of Intention. She gives a bit of insight on the romantic entanglements at the heart of the book...along with the motivations at the heart of the main character. Intense? Yes'm. 

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The Other Triangle

In SPECTRE OF INTENTION the primary love triangle has the main character, security consultant Kaitlin Osgood, torn between two men: Stephan Chen, the bad boy of her past with whom she shares a deeply intimate mental connection. Will he draw her back into the hell that was once her life of crime? And on the other side, Cam Glaswell, the charismatic white knight who represents all her hopes for the future. But will he discover the secrets of her past and destroy the life she has worked so hard to build? 

Each tasty.
Each a dangerous choice in his own way.
Tough call.

But there is a second trio of loves beneath the first. Slightly less carnal. No less intense. Kaitlin is also caught between her mentor and savior, Jessie Broadbent, and his lieutenant, Gerard O’Connell. Kaitlin worships Jessie and he is utterly devoted to her in the manner of pure courtly romance, neither lips shall touch, nor hands shall meet. 

But at the same time, she will forever stand outside the brotherhood of comrades-in-arms that Jessie shares with Gerard. And Gerard with his bawdy wall of crude insinuations intends to keep it that way. Except it is a little hard for him not to care about the focus of all his own hero’s concerns…the little-girl-lost he keeps glimpsing behind Kaitlin’s boardroom exec exterior. 

So careful not to cross those lines.
Together every day. 
No one standing in the way.

How might things have turned out differently if they’d never won that fateful contract? 

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Rock on. I'm all about the intricate relationships between two (or three) strong characters.  If that doesn't make you want to read Spectre of Intention, I dunno what will. ^_^ A big thanks to Tonya Macalino for visiting MNtR today.

And now, it's time for the giveaway... for the Spectre of Intention tour, two amazing prize packs are up for grabs. The more stops on the tour that you visit (see 'em all here), the more chances to win. Yippee!!

Tonya Macalino - Author Links:

Website: www.tonyamacalino.com

The Story of Place Blog: www.tonyamacalino.com/page10.php

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tonya-Macalino/e/B0058U4TJA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Shelfari: www.shelfari.com/tonyamacalino

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/tonyamacalino

Guest Post: Author Sonya Clark & Giveaway

Today I'd like to welcome author Sonya Clark to the blog for a guest post about her new book, Mojo Queen. I recently read the novel and thought it was fantastico (review to be posted shortly), so I'm pleased that Ms. Clark could make a stop by MNtR. She's even hosting a drool-making contest (seriously, I already envy the GP winner....details at the end of the post, though). So, without further ado...

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A Little Extra Mojo

By Sonya Clark

The main character of Mojo Queen is Roxie Mathis, a paranormal investigator who can see auras and spectral energy. She uses that ability as well as hoodoo folk magic to help people with their supernatural problems. She’s aided in her work by her best friend and cousin Daniel Rambin. Except Daniel’s not really Roxie’s cousin but it’s easier than explaining the truth: Daniel is her ancestor and a vampire.

(Click on image for more info on the book)

     When I first started writing Mojo Queen it took some time to get to know these two characters and to develop a feel for their friendship. I wound up taking a bit of a detour and writing a short story about a completely different case. In Goofer Dust Blues, Roxie is hired to collect dirt from the graves of a famous blues guitarist. This story gave Roxie and Daniel a chance to take a road trip from Nashville to the home of the Delta blues in Mississippi. It also gave me a chance to indulge my love of music, something that Roxie wound up sharing. I had a lot of fun writing the story and it helped me get a better idea of who Roxie and Daniel are, which of course helped in the writing of Mojo Queen.
     At the beginning of Mojo Queen their friendship is already established but there didn’t seem to be a good place to explain how they first met. That idea led to a second short. Mimosas At Dusk is about the beginning of their friendship. Daniel is having a ghost problem at his home so he hires Roxie to evict the pest. Wackiness ensues and Roxie finds out her client is a vampire.
     Writers always want to share their work so I posted the stories as free reads on my blog. As a reader I frequently enjoy these kind of extras about characters I really enjoyed. I also thought it might be a good way to introduce Roxie and Daniel. I still haven’t written the story of how Daniel tells Roxie he is her ancestor, but I know I’ll get around to that eventually. I might also write a short about Roxie’s love interest, sexy sorcerer Blake Harvill. No telling what I might discover in his background!
     Both Mojo shorts are available for free download in three formats – pdf, mobi for Kindle, and epub for Nook and other ereaders – at the free reads page of my blog at this link: http://www.sonyaclark.net/p/free-reads.html. Enjoy!
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Thank you for the virtual visit, Ms. Clark! I'm so glad there's an extra story exploring Roxie's past with Daniel. It was clear in Mojo Queen that they cared about each other and held one another in the very highest of esteem...so it's nice to get the chance to see how that all started.

Want more Sonya Clark? Check her out at the following links:
     Blog/website: http://www.sonyaclark.net/
     Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sonyabclark
     Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorsonyaclark
     Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3510861.Sonya_Clark

Now, I must say that Sonya Clark is full of awesomeness. That would be because--among many reasons--she's celebrating the Mojo Queen book tour by having a fabulous giveaway. All one must do is fill out the form. The deets (and entry forms are below).

Giveaway Details:

Winners will be chosen from all of those who enter via the form.

Leave comments at tour stops for bonus entries

You can also enter at each tour stop

10 winners will receive signed book plates

2 winners will receive free ebook copies of Mojo Queen

1 grand prize winner will receive the Mojo Prize Pack, which includes:

·         Signed book plate

·         Mojo Queen playlist CD

·         A voodoo doll

·         A protective mojo hand

·         Spirit of Good Luck incense

·         A seven-day spell candle

·         A bag of graveyard dirt

The winners will be announced on Sonya's blog on Friday, August 19. Physical prizes open to US Shipping Only Please.

Ebooks international.

(Contest over--entry form removed)

Click image for info on the other tour stops!

Guest Post: Author Pepper O'Neal

Today I have the great pleasure of having author Pepper O'Neal visit MNtR for a guest post! She discusses what it was like to write while she lived in Central America. You simply must read her post, whether you love to travel or simply imagine living in far off locales. Enjoy!

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When Diplomacy Fails—Write!

I was asked recently if, while living and working in third world countries for several years as I did, I found it difficult to write. Actually, I would have to say the writing itself wasn’t that difficult, however, some of the conditions I had to write under were...interesting, to say the least.

Just after graduating from law school in Southern California, I landed a dream job as a non-fiction writer with an educational research & resource company based in México City, whose teams worked throughout México, Central America, and the Caribbean. My job description included keeping a log or diary of my team’s research activities and recording our results. I was also charged with reporting my own personal observations on the culture and people my team encountered as well as my thoughts on the impact of the rampant illiteracy on both the people and their culture.

Before landing this job, I was a sporadic writer. I could only write when it was convenient, when I could sit at my word processor, had at least a couple of hours free, the house was clean, supper over with, the dishes done...well, you get the idea. To my dismay, I discovered after heading out on my first assignment that none of the above conditions were feasible or practical. In fact all my required prerequisites to writing were luxuries I could ill afford. I now had deadlines to meet, and excuses related to lack of proper writing conditions would not only have fallen on deaf ears, they would have gotten me fired.

So just like a combat soldier learns to sleep anywhere, anytime, because if he doesn’t, he might not get another opportunity for a while, I learned to write under any conditions. I had to write when and where I could, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t meet my deadlines. I was given a state-of-the-art laptop computer—which was great, except I couldn’t use it often since there was rarely any electricity to charge it. So I wrote on legal pads and tablets and took notes in the margins of old newspapers, on restaurant napkins, used envelopes, and once on my own forearm. When you need to record important information on something so you don’t forget it, you use whatever is handy. It’s probably a good thing I had mostly dark-colored clothes in my wardrobe. No doubt any white one would have soon been covered in ink.

As far as writing conditions were concerned, I wrote sitting on a fallen log in the pouring rain, in the back of a pickup truck slogging through the mud, perched on a rock beside a campfire, fending off mosquitoes the size of small dogs with one hand, while writing an overdue report with the other, and even dodging beer glasses during a bar fight. Hey, you name it, I’ve probably written through it.

When I think back on what I considered acceptable writing conditions pre-dream job, and what I consider proper writing conditions now, I have to laugh. After fighting cockroaches for a square foot writing space on a table, or scribbling notes on a bar napkin while hiding under my bar stool to avoid flying mugs—and their contents—I can write through just about anything. A barking dog, noisy neighbors, or squabbling family members? Doesn’t even phase me.

Something else I discovered during this time. People in a country plagued by illiteracy consider reading and writing almost sacred. Whenever my team interacted with the local people in the rural areas of whatever country we were in, it wasn’t the scientists or teachers, or even the medical staff who were treated with a respect that bordered on reverence. It was myself and the one other writer on the team, both of us scribbling furiously away on whatever writing material we could find. Not that the other team members couldn’t read and write, they just didn’t seem as obsessed with it as we did.

In fact, in the bar fight I mentioned—which my team didn’t start, by the way, we just sort of stumbled into it—we were the only two team members not injured. While the local drunks had a marvelous time bouncing beer, bar snacks, and the containers that held them off everyone else in the room, no one aimed anything at us. Now whether they were just superstitious about disrespecting someone who possessed the amazing ability to read and write, or they figured anyone who grabbed a pen and a napkin during a bar fight was mentally-deranged and therefore off limits, I couldn’t say. Luckily, no one on the team was seriously injured, but we adopted a new Team SOP (standard operating procedure) after that night—the next time diplomacy failed, we’d all grab something and write!

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Rock the heck on. As someone who dreams of being able to live in Central or South America doing the same thing that Ms. O'Neal got to do, I'm bewitched by this post. Talk about trial by fire! It looks like Ms. O'Neal had an unbelievably amazing time--even during conditions that sound potentially traumatizing! ^_^

Thank you to Pepper O'Neal for an awesome guest post. Her recent book, Blood Fest: Chasing Destiny, is out now. Check back tomorrow to enter a giveaway of the book!

Until then, check out a quick synopsis of the book (or read the first chapter on O'Neal's website). See you tomorrow!

Guest Post: Author Gabrielle Bisset

Today at MNtR, I'm proud to welcome author Gabrielle Bisset for a vampified guest post! When I first saw the cover of her book Vampire Dreams and read its synopsis, I knew I absolutely had to read the story. Having since done so--and having enjoyed the experience exceedingly--I'm so excited and pleased that Ms. Bisset is able to visit! This time, she brings along her two main characters from Vampire Dreams for an amusing, enlightening and charming interview. Enjoy!

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Thank you Alisha for having me at My Need To Read. With me are Brandon and Arden, one a vampire for centuries and the other a newly sired vampire.

Gabrielle: Thanks for joining me today, you two.

Brandon: It’s our pleasure, Gabrielle, isn’t it dear? (turns to Arden.)

Arden: Yes, thank you for inviting us! It’s so nice to sit with you again, Gabrielle.

Gabrielle: How has life been since you turned Arden, Brandon?

Brandon: (brings Arden’s hand to his lips.) Every day is like I never believed it could be. I can’t thank you enough for bringing us together.

Gabrielle: You’re very welcome.

Arden: Is it true that you first saw us in a dream? That sounds so romantic! (giggles)

Gabrielle: Yes. I dreamed the entire first scene where you’re being chased and Brandon saves you. Amazing what dreams can become, don’t you think?

Brandon: That’s fascinating. And why do you think you dreamed of us?

Gabrielle: I don’t know, Brandon. I remember it was a Wednesday night and I had just finished watching The Tudors. That’s where your name came from, incidentally.

Brandon: From one of the Tudors? Was it that corpulent Henry Tudor? Henry VIII? (looks down at himself) I look nothing like him, thankfully.

Gabrielle: No, your name came from another character on that show, Charles Brandon. Let’s just say I have an adult crush on the actor who plays that character. (shows them a picture on her phone)

Arden: Ooooooh! He’s very handsome, Gabrielle. But my Brandon is better. (turns to Brandon, who seems unimpressed by the picture on the phone, and kisses him on the cheek)

Brandon: So I can thank this person for you bringing us together? (one eyebrow cocks suspiciously)

Gabrielle: Well, yes, I guess you can. Let’s just say he inspired me. Arden, how has life been since you’ve become a vampire?

Arden: It took some getting used to, but now the sleeping during the day is second nature to me. And every evening when I awake, Brandon is right there next to me. I couldn’t be happier!

Gabrielle: I’m so happy for both of you. And what about Vasilije? Have you heard from him lately?

Brandon: (scowling) No, but I know he’s never far away. As my sire, he’s connected to me through blood, just as I am to Arden.

Arden: He’s so touchy about Vasilije, Gabrielle. I just think of him as something like my uncle...an uncle who is manipulative and dangerous, of course. He’s like the family member you hope won’t come to visit, but you know eventually, he will.

Brandon: Vasilije’s problem is that he’s a hedonist. Everything is pleasure for him. (Arden takes his hand in hers and squeezes.) Sorry, but I don’t think there have ever been two vampires more different than he and I.

Gabrielle: I understand.

Arden: I think Brandon understates how much he loves pleasure, Gabrielle. (winks)

Brandon: I only take pleasure in you, my love. For me, there is no one else. (takes Arden’s face in his hands and kisses her)

Gabrielle: I’m so happy to see that you’re still in the honeymoon phase of your relationship. I hope it stays that way forever.

Arden: You don’t plan to write a sequel where we break up, do you?

Gabrielle: No, you don’t have to worry about that. The other two novellas in the trilogy Vampire Dreams will appear in will involve other men and women from the Victorian Period. One involves a couple and some light BDSM—that’s entitled Love’s Master—and the last one involves a young woman and a Russian diplomat—that story is entitled Masquerade.

Arden: BDSM?

Gabrielle: (grinning) That’s for another time. For now, thank you for sitting down with me today, and I hope you remain as happy for all time as you are right now.

Brandon: Thank you, Gabrielle. You will always be our favorite author. And our favorite matchmaker.

Gabrielle: Thanks guys. And for readers who want to know more about Brandon, Arden, and Vasilije, here is the beginning scene I dreamed from their novella, Vampire Dreams:

Excerpt:
     She could hear his feet as each one solidly hit the ground behind her. His stride much longer than hers, he was coming closer with each step.
      If he caught her...
     The pounding of her heart hammered in her ears as the blood pushed faster and faster through her body. Up ahead, she saw a door ajar in a rundown building. If it was empty, she might be able to hide and hopefully escape from the pain of what awaited her if he captured her.
    She slipped through the doorway, but her cape caught on the doorknob, costing her precious moments. As she worked to free herself, she heard his footsteps slow down to a walk, a sign he was as sure as she he’d won.
    Free to run once more, she turned and ran headlong into the chest of a man who stood silently watching her.
   “Please save me! He’s coming for me!”
    Without a word, the man took her by the arm and led her to a table near the far wall. With his hands on her shoulders, he hesitated a moment and then spun her around.
     His voice deep, he said, “Place your hands on the table and bend over.”
    Unsure if she’d chosen a fate as horrific as the one she’d fled from, she did as she’d been told and waited in terror for what was to come.
    The noise of her stalker entering the building caused her to turn her head, but the voice behind her sternly warned, “Face forward.”
     She felt hands lift her cloak and skirts, allowing the cool night air to hit the bare skin of her thighs. The feeling at once thrilled and shocked her, and she instinctively stood up to cover herself.
    The man behind her forcibly pushed her back toward the table and leaned over her to whisper low in her ear, “Trust me,” as he pushed his body firmly against her backside.
    “Hey you! Where’s the girl who came in here?”
    With his hands on her hips, the man who gave her no choice but to trust him pushed his hips toward hers and thrust toward her still clothed body to simulate sex, complete with throaty groans.
    “Hey! I asked you about the girl who came in here!”
    Never looking back, Arden squeezed her eyes closed and waited for the attack she feared. Instead, she heard the man whose body continued to meet hers bark, “Go away! This whore’s mine!”
    Indignant at the use of the word whore to refer to her, she started to push herself up but his hand held her by the neck and forced her to remain still on the table. A sound like a hiss came from her protector and the other man hurriedly ran out of the building.

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...whew! That's some dream. Many thanks to Gabrielle Bisset, Brandon, and Arden. It was lovely seeing the two vampire lovebirds again. ^_^ If you want to found out more about their tale, you can find Vampire Dreams at Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.


For more on Gabrielle Bisset, visit her blog at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/ or email her at gabriellebisset (at) gmail (dot) com.

Today's post is part of the Bewitching Book Tours current tour for Vampire Dreams. For more info on the other participating blogs and their tour stops, visit BBT's site (here).

Guest Post: Author Deena Remiel Interviews TRINITY's Michael!

I'm so excited to be able to welcome the fabulous Deena Remiel to MNtR today. The author of Trinity sits down with the book's protagonist, Michael D'Angelo, for a quick interview about his job as an elementary school principal, and its relationship to his other role as protector of humankind. I got to sit in on the session, and I'll say now, Michael is beyond swoon-worthy. ^_^

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Deena Remiel: Good day to everyone! I’d like to thank Alisha for having me over today. With the school year quickly coming to a close in Arizona, I was lucky enough to snag Michael D’Angelo, Prophet’s Point Elementary School principal and Brethren Protector for a few minutes and a few questions.

Michael: Hello Alisha, Deena, everyone… *gives me a big hug*

DR: *I blush* Michael, good to see you! Have a seat. Glad you could spare some time today out of your busy schedule. I was wondering if you could answer a couple of burning questions for us.

MD: I’d be happy to. The students are getting mighty restless, but I’m sure Emma and the rest of my staff are keeping them busy with learning and fun. *winks*

DR: This brings me to my first question. How long have you been principal at Prophet’s Point Elementary School? And what made you choose it?

MD: Well, I’ve been principal there now for 6 years. I didn’t actually choose it. It chose me. I just had a feeling when I got the call to interview that it was going to be my home for a good long while.

DR: Now, we know you’re a Brethren as well, right?

MD: Yes, I’m a Brethren Protector. *leans in close* But please, don’t go spreading it around. I try to keep my two lives as separate as possible.

DR: Don’t worry, this is only being seen by hundreds of humans. *I pat his hand* That leads me to my next question. How do you juggle these two lives- your normal, everyday human job and your immortal, angelic job? I mean, don’t you get confused sometimes or afraid your cover will be blown?

MD: Well, to tell you the truth, sometimes the lines do blur. But it doesn’t happen often. I see these two careers as being very similar. As a Brethren Protector, I’m charged with the responsibility of protecting the human race from Evil. As a school principal, I protect the students and faculty that are in my care. Juggling gets a little hairy when I’m thrust into a situation that needs my attention and I’m in the middle of the school day. It’s a bit tricky to coordinate coverage. But the staff is wonderful and picks up my slack when I can’t be there. *smiles and shifts in his seat* As far as keeping my Brethren identity under wraps, that is difficult. I guess this interview is going to “out” me.

DR: I think people will welcome the knowledge that angels are here on earth. Don’t you?

MD: *chuckles* I honestly don’t know.  I’ll just have to wait and see if the world embraces me. There are plenty of people under the influence of Evil that won’t be too happy. As we Brethren say… Evil better start running!

DR: Ooh…  A bit of a threat there. *I raise an eyebrow* So have you been busy with fighting Evil?

MD: It’s like a never-ending story, Deena, with wars and battles, both sides winning and losing in turn. But in the end, Good has remained sovereign over this world. *frowns*

DR: What’s up, Michael?

MD: I don’t know. I just got a feeling. Something is brewing. I’d better get going. Can’t ignore the senses, you know. Thanks so much for having me here today, Alisha. Deena, I’ll be talking to you real soon. Give my best to your editor, Nicole. I hear she gets emotional over your work. *winks*

DR: Thank you, Michael. And best of luck with those senses. Stay safe! Well, Alisha, I guess it’s time for me to go as well. But knowing that you have a “need to read”, I’ll leave you with a blurb from Trinity, my new paranormal romance novel that’s available wherever eBooks are sold. Thanks again for hosting me here. I’ve had a wonderful time!

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Thank you, Michael (*wink, giggle, blush*), and many thanks to Deena Remiel! It was fab having them stop by. If you'd like to read more about the Brethren Protector as created by Remiel, be sure to check out Trinity. Here's a bit about the story:

Mmm. Yes, please!

One way or another, terror will reign tonight.
     School teacher and single mom, Emma Livingston, has been through hell—and back so she thinks. While dealing with the night terrors and active imagination of her five-year old daughter, Hannah, she attempts to lead a normal life. That is, until the demon from those nightmares pays her a visit, too, and threatens both of their lives. Desperate, she reaches out for help—and finds Michael waiting.
     Michael D’Angelo is known to everyone in Prophet’s Point, Arizona, as their loving elementary school principal. But to The Brethren, he is the most powerful Protector. Immortal and angelic does not mean he’s without doubts or fears, as protecting Emma and Hannah from Evil tests his ability to fight his tortured past.
     As the Trinity is formed, ancient secrets are revealed and faith is tested. When a prophecy is exposed, Hannah becomes the main target and Emma wonders if a normal life will ever be possible again. Hope is like an anchor, but can a mother, her daughter, and an angel overcome the evil determined to annihilate the world?
©Deena Remiel, 2011.

You can find Deena Remiel at:

• www.deenaremiel.com
• http://brethrenbeginnings.wordpress.com
• http://paraposse.blogspot.com
• http://plotmamas.com

You can buy Trinity at:

Decadent Publishing (link); Amazon (link); Barnes & Noble (link)