weekly meme

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Indie Author Spotlight…Katie Hughart

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is Katie Hughart aka Kate Rice…
About the Author – Wife, mother, and writer, Katie Hughart (aka Kate Rice) is pursuing her dream with the support of her family, friends and readers. Growing up in Toledo, Ohio Kate has always pushed the boundaries of normal. Now embracing that creative energy she is launching it into her books, one word at a time.

Kate has been married for nine years to Tommy Hughart Jr. who is a devoted football fanatic, but she loves him anyways. She has an amazing little boy who’s rambunctious and bright with a promising future ahead of him. “He is the breath God has given me,” Katie says.
With many more book ideas burning under the surface, Katie is excited to share this chapter of her life with you, and hopes that you will read, love and read again.
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Quick Author Q&A 
1. If you could be a superhero and have any superpower, what would you choose?
 I have thought about this a lot; in fact, I’ve probably thought about this more than most normal people, but I’d have to say that my super power would be the ability to tell the future. Sometimes I have weird dreams that come true, so the way I figure it, I’m already half way there! I also have a tendency to write more towards the paranormal genre. Even though my book, Panic, is a mainstream novel, my new projects are Fantasy and Sci-fi driven.
2. Any other books in the works for 2012? Other goals for future projects? 
I currently have three books out right now. One book I did with two other talented writers, the book is a YA Suspense Novelette titled, Midnight Masquerade. I have Panic, which is a full-legnth, suspense/romance, and a book of poetry titled Words in Black and White: a book of poems, but I have so many new projects brewing, it’s crazy!
The first one I’m working on is a YA fantasy titled, Wolf’s Run. Wolf’s Run is going to be the first of three books that will be part of, The Wilderness Series. This project has been so much fun! It has wolf spirits from other realms, fairies, curses, and a counsel that keeps their thumb on the happenings of the Wilderness. This book has been the most gratifying and yet the most challenging! I’m expecting to release it in early 2013. 

I am also working on a YA Sci-fi titled Club X! The main character is a headstrong girl who falls for a dark and mysterious guy named X, it just so happens that dark and mysterious doesn’t begin to cover him, since he doesn’t come from this planet. Club X is also coming out in 2013, but probably later in the year. I also have my hands full with some romance novella’s that I plan to release this year, and sequels that I plan to release in 2013/2014, so as you can see I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy! You can find all of my published books and reviews if you type my name (Katie Hughart) into the amazon store! 🙂

3.  If you could jump into the pages of any book and live in that world…which would it be?
The great thing is I don’t have to pick just one, I do it everyday! I’m in the stories I write 100 percent. I’ve been to different dimensions, and fell in love, had my heart broken, and been to new places and planets time and time again!
4. If you could be one of the Greek Gods, which would it be and why?
I am currently working on a romance novella staring Zeus, so with that in mind I wouldn’t be one of them. Fictionally speaking, I would choose to be their item of affection. I think that’s a much better gig!
5. How did you know you should (or wanted to) become an author?
I didn’t have great grades in school, some years were better than others, but I always did well in English, so naturally I went into Accounting. *slams on break, screeching tires* That’s right I started in accounting, and it was only years later, after my father died, that I had a story that wouldn’t go away. It was stuck in my head like chewed bubble gum stuck to the bottom of your Nike’s on 100 degree day, and it stayed that way for six months. I started writing the story in a notebook and decided that it was a good way to handle the trama I felt from my dad’s passing, but then like I’m sure a lot of other writers can attest to, the story didn’t simply trickle off. It grew into a 400 page novel that today is known as Panic. It didn’t stop there either, new idea’s sprung to life and now I’m sitting on about 30 stories all pulling and tugging for my attention like small children. Go figure! What a way to find out you’re a writer!
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Midnight Masquerade 
Laurel Adams was a normal teenager with dreams, aspirations and a bright future ahead of her…until the night her parents were brutally murdered. And she saw it all. With no promising leads, the killer is still out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike again. Now Laurel’s life has been turned upside down. Haunted by reoccurring nightmares and forced to live in a cramped apartment with her screwed up sister and her sister’s two kids, depression is her constant companion. That is, until the boy she’s been pining after all year finally notices her. Suddenly Laurel’s future is looking brighter than ever, everything she could have hoped for is coming true. She has the attention of the hottest guy in school, a date to Prom, and the only thing standing in the way of her happiness is his girlfriend, Amanda Price, the queen of her daddy’s checkbook…and Laurel’s mortal enemy. Worse yet, the mysterious killer seems to have turned up again. And his sights are set on Laurel.
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Want to know more? Check out the links!
Avaliable on Kindle: by typing in keyword Katie Hughart into your Kindle store or at amazon.com  http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Masquerade-ebook/dp/B005OA2E28/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1338517749&sr=8-4


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Indie Author Spotlight…Rebecca Weinstein

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is Rebecca Weinstein…

About the Author – Rebecca Weinstein was born and raised in central New Jersey and continues to live there with her husband, daughter, and two pesky rabbits. Rebecca is an alumna of Monmouth University and teaches art at a private high school. She loves to paint as much as writing, and created the cover artwork for all of her novels. A frequent blogger, she blogs on WordPress about writing and her other love: cooking. She is the author of six middle grade and young adult novels, and is currently working on the third installment of the Redstone Series.

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Quick Author Q&A

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

I have a few works in progress right now. Sometimes I find that I want to work on one project, then another day I’ll want to work on a different one. I’m working on the third installment in the Redstone Series, the sequel to Yokai, and a sequel to Amazon. I also have several new works on the back burner. I’m also working on heavily promoting Yokai. I really was so excited to write this novel, that I had many sleepless nights while crafting it. The story wouldn’t leave me alone! I really like the story, and I think that others will really like it too. I was blog hopping during the month of June, including the Paranormal Freebies Blog Hop on June 21-22, and a few others. Whew. I’m a busy lady!

 

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Definitely southern Japan, and not just because I’m an Otaku. I love the Japanese culture, and I think their country is beautiful, even though I’ve only seen pictures. I’ll get there, someday.

 

When you were little, what did you want to be when you “grew up”?

I always wanted to be a Disney animator. Every time we’d go to Walt Disney World, I’d coerce my family without fail to go through the animation tour in MGM so I could see what the animators were up to. But people change, and although it was always my dream job as a kid, I know it wouldn’t be my dream job today.

 

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

I can see a little of myself in all of my protagonists. I tend to do that; write a little of myself into them. It makes it a little easier for me to relate to them or to get inside their heads. Even the animal ones.

 

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

When my father was admitted into hospice nine years ago, he gave me the best bit of advice. He said, “If your dreams of Disney don’t pan out, find a new dream.” It taught me to not dwell on the things that won’t or don’t happen, and to always find a new dream. It’s pretty good advice, and I followed it.

 

Favourite sweets?

Sno-Caps. But definitely with popcorn. It’s the only way.

 

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

Actually, I recently found out that one of my favorite manga/anime is being made into a live action movie, to be released in Japan in August. It’s called Rurouni Kenshin, and I absolutely love it. If you’ve never heard of it, look it up. It’s about a wandering samurai (a rurouni), a former government assassin, who has given up killing after the revolution sparked the Meiji period. I can’t wait until I can see it, but I know it’ll take a while to get released on a subtitled dvd.

 

How do you react to a bad review?

You know, a lot of authors don’t respond online to reviews at all. I respond to every review, good or bad. There’s a big difference between responding well and responding poorly. I respond well by thanking them for taking the time to even write a review. They didn’t have to do that. Whether I agree with them or not is besides the point. They are entitled to their opinion, be it good or bad. I don’t argue their points, good or bad, but I make the effort to thank them for their comments on my work.

 

What do you do in your free time?

What free time? Haha, just kidding. I like to read, a lot. I also like to cook, and I blog about my cooking on WordPress. That blog is called Android In The Kitchen. I post pictures of the food I cook. One mainstay is the “Daily Bento” post, where I photograph and blog about the bentos I make for my daughter’s school lunch. A bento is a Japanese lunch box, but it’s more than that. Creating bento is an art, but also an act of love. How much love do you put into your own family members’ lunches?

 

Favourite sport?

HOCKEY! I love the New York Rangers so much, we had hockey elements in our wedding, we have memorabilia around the house, and one of the rabbits actually loves watching it with us!

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Sixteen-year-old Kit Maguire has never met her mother, made lasting friendships, or had a permanent home, and she’s always known that she was a little different from others. When Kit and her father move to Kyoto, Japan, her father insists that this time will be better, but Kit is reluctant to give it a try. The kids in Kyoto seem to be the same as everywhere else: judging her for her looks before they get to know her. She figures it’s just one more short stop that she won’t make friends, so why bother?

With the appearance of her thought-to-be-dead mother, Kit yearns to find out more about her mom, their family, and why she has the ability to conjure green fire. When a girl named Yoriko insists on becoming friends and two of the hottest guys in school vie for her attention, things get complicated. Kit learns just who she is and what she’s capable of, but with that knowledge comes the realization that she may never be able to have a relationship with Riku; as their clans are bitter enemies. Kit hopes that their love will bring the clans together and that she’ll get everything she’s ever wanted: family, friends, and a place to call home.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Available for $2.99 only on Amazon

Website:www.rebeccaweinstein.webs.com

Blog: www.rweinstein6.wordpress.com  and http://www.androidinthekitchen.wordpress.com

Follow me on Twitter! @rweinstein6

Rebecca’s Other Work: Seraphim   Nashoga (Redstone Series #1)   Blood Moon (Redstone Series #2)

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Indie Author Spotlight…Allison Cosgrove

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.

This week’s spotlighted author is Allison Cosgrove…

About the Author – Allison Cosgrove was born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, Ontario. A married mother of three daughters, she works in accounting by day and creates her own worlds by night. She enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters hiking in the woods or sitting by the fire reading a good book. She has had the love of reading and writing detective mysteries from the age of twelve but it has only been since the birth of her youngest that she has gotten serious about crafting some of her own works for others to enjoy. She credits her family and friends with being the driving force that has given her the strength to breathe life into her books. 

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A cult has been killing children for its rituals and only one cop knows who they are. Detective Stan Brookshire knows but his past keeps people from believing in him. Can he rise above the stigma that shrouds his past and stop a cult from taking yet another innocent child from her mother’s arms before its too late? 
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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Website:  www.stanbrookshire.com

Buy online at Amazon 


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Indie Author Spotlight…John Hennessy

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is John Hennessy…
About the Author – Born in 1988, John Hennessy became entranced by the world of fantasy at a young age, playing video games and reading books for many long nights/early mornings. He recently graduated from Western Washington University, and now lives in the green land of Bellingham, at work on the second book in The Cry of Havoc series.
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Night 1: 12 billion taken.   Day 1: Confusion.

Night 2: 13 billion taken.   Day 2: Panic.

Night 3: 13 billion taken.   Day 3: The fight for survival begins.

In 2048, the human population borders 39 billion after the termination of
the birth control industry, and the realities of overcrowding have sunken
into the minds of the world, until billions mysteriously go missing. In
the wake of civilization’s collapse, a trio of teenage gamers from
Washington struggle to endure. Maggy, a strong-willed intellectual, leads
Darrel and Félix, two shy geeks, on an expedition down the west coast, as
they try to determine the source of humanity’s downfall.

At the End is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel geared toward
teen+, featuring two strong female protagonists and two geeky male
protagonists. The book’s chapters alternate from Darrel’s point of view
and Maggy’s point of view.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Buy the Book! Amazon   Smashwords
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Indie Author Spotlight…Nicole Ciacchella

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is Nicole Ciacchella

About the Author – Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn’t writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.One of Nicole’s other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.

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When the imminent collapse of the world’s food system threatens to all but eradicate the human race, it’s up to nineteen-year-old Liang Zhang to determine which of his company’s employees will live and which will die.

Liang and the other Job Creators have only weeks to choose which of their staff and families to move into the domes, the last refuges on the barren planet.  Despite their best efforts, the Job Creators are unable to keep their selection project under wraps, spurring violent protests against the privileged few.

Now, Liang must race: against starvation, against insurrection, and against his own conscience.

 Creators is a novella, the prequel to the forthcoming Contributor trilogy.

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Author Q&A with Nicole

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? I would choose Jane Austen, without a doubt.  I not only love her books, I also think a meeting with her would make for fascinating conversation—she was so insightful and so slyly funny.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. It’s important for everyone to think about and discuss what the future might look like, and to decide how we would like it to look.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you “grew up”? I have always wanted to be a writer.  I thought about becoming a journalist, but my real passion has always been for creating my own worlds.  I can’t express how thrilled I am that indie publishing has made it possible for writers to control their own careers.
If you could jump inside the pages of a book and live in that world, which would it be? It would definitely be the world of Harry Potter.  Truth be told, I’m a wimp and wouldn’t so much like the part about fighting Death Eaters, but I would love to go to a magical boarding school where I could learn how to cast spells.
What’s the craziest writing idea you’ve had? Honestly, I felt like my idea for Contributor was the craziest idea I’ve ever had.  While I have tried to write in many genres, I never thought I could pull off a dystopia.  Contributor was meant to be a NaNoWriMo challenge, but the more I wrote, the more I thought, “You know, maybe I can actually pull this off.”  I hope I was right!

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Words Escape Me (Nicole’s blog): http://nciacchella.blogspot.com

Twitter: @NCiacchella    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nciacchella

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/npciacchella

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/nciacchella


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Indie Author Spotlight…Jessica Roberts

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is Jessica Roberts…
About the Author – JESSICA ROBERTS grew up in the San Francisco, California Bay Area where she spent most of her time playing sports alongside her six siblings.  She was crowned Miss Teen California her senior year of high school, and went on to Brigham Young University where she graduated in Human Development.  Her love of family, church, writing, athletics, and singing and dancing keeps her life busy and fulfilled.  She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three children.
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Synopsis

Was six perfect months with the guy of my dreams, only a dream?

Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college.  Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.

But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten. Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind.  What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance…

And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

Buy the Book! Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Smashwords
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Indie Author Spotlight…Patricia Lynne

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is Patricia Lynne…

Author – Patricia Lynne

About the Author: Patricia Lynne never set out to become a writer, and in fact, was more of an art and band nerd in high school and college. But some stories are meant to be told and now she can’t stop. Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.
You can find out even more in our interview with Patricia from earlier this week! CLICK HERE!
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Hmmmm…yummy yummy for this cover model 😉

Synopsis

For Tommy, there is only one thing he needs to do: survive.

Only surviving isn’t that easy. The hunt for blood can be tricky when humans know to fear the night. Desire sits on the edge of his mind, urging him to become the monster humans think he is. Vampire Forces, a special branch of police, is determined to turn every vampire to ash. Tommy included.

The only human Tommy can trust is his twin brother. A bond connects them, and with Danny’s help, Tommy starts to understand the human world he struggles to survive in. He’ll learn what friendships means and feel the sting of betrayal, find that sometimes the worst monsters are very human, and come to understand that family means more than blood.

Tommy just wants to survive and he knows what he needs to do. But with the number of humans that mean more to him than a meal growing, he’ll learn there’s more to life than simple survival. He’ll discover being human doesn’t mean being a human.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

My website   Goodreads   Twitter   Facebook

Amazon   Smashwords   Barnes and Noble


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Indie Author Spotlight…Michael Meyer

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is Michael Meyer…
About the Author: I have resided in and have visited many places in the world, all of which have contributed in some way to my own published writing. I have literally traveled throughout the world, on numerous occasions. I have lived in Finland, Germany, Thailand, SaudiArabia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, on the island of St. Croix, where DEADLY EYES is set. I gained the wanderlust to see the world, to experience other cultures, at an early age, and this desire has never left me. If anything, it has only gained in intensity as I have aged. I try to travel internationally at least once a year. In the interim, I spend lots of time traveling around both my home state of California and other nearby states.
I spent my early years in the small town of Lone Pine, California, the home of almost every western movie, in addition to a wide variety of other genres, made in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. In fact, Hollywood still films parts of big-time movies there today. My dad, the town’s lifeguard at the time, personally knew John Wayne, Lloyd Bridges, and Lee Marvin, all of whom came to the town’s pool, the Memorial Plunge, at times to cool off after a hectic day of working in the sun. I was even an extra in a movie filmed there in 1957, MONOLITH MONSTERS, a B-cult favorite even today. I was ten years old at the time. Even though I resided in a small town hours from the big city, I was exposed to the excitement of action and heroes at a formative age, and, thus, my interest in writing novels of suspense such as DEADLY EYES was born.
As a recent retiree from a forty-year career as a professor of writing, I now live in Southern California wine country with my wife, Kitty, and our two other cats.
WHAT MOTIVATES ME AS A WRITER?  

Writing is a lonely avocation, just my trusty computer at my side, as I work hard to create people, places, and plots that other people might enjoy reading. Marketing one’s own writing is an extremely lonely business. Unlike having a traditional publisher and all of its clout behind me, I have only myself, and I am a writer, not a salesperson. I find it difficult to toot my own horn, though I know that it is essential in order to get word of the very existence of my work out to the reading public. So what keeps me going? The writing, of course, gives me a lot of enjoyment. I am actually like a reader as I write. I never quite know how things will turn out in the end, not only of the book itself, but also in specific scenes. I thoroughly enjoy working with words, stringing them together in a creative way. Language has always fascinated me. Can you goose a goose? Does a house burn up or burn down? If you are going to come visit me, are you coming or going? Why would you want to swipe your card at a cash register if you already own the card? There is a huge difference between snap to and snap at. The list can go on and on. I love to play with words as I write, and this can be seen in DEADLY EYES.

Marketing my own work, however, is a completely different ballgame. I am a good writer, but I lack a lot in the area of salesmanship. I do seek out as many reviewers, interviewers, and bloggers as I can, and I am very thankful for all of these people, but every hour I spend tooting my own horn could be spent creating, my real forte. So what keeps me plugging away at my lonely avocation of writing? The answer is found in the wonderful reactions that readers have to my work. Their excitement serves to push me forward. I like people, and it makes me happy to see that they, in turn, like what I have created. Here are a few random lines from posted reviews of DEADLY EYES on my Amazon author’s site as examples of what I mean:

“The ride is fast and furious and the outcome will leave you blindsided….I recommend Deadly Eyes to all readers for its fast paced action coupled with the mesmerizing and intense suspense.” – Marilou George, THE KINDLE BOOK REVIEW

“Michael Meyer has done it again, weaving a fascinating tale of murder and intrigue in the tropical paradise of St. Croix that will keep you turning the page to the very end.” – Nick Russell, author of BIG LAKE

” Michael Meyer has another hit on his hands with ‘Deadly Eyes’…. This is another 5-star book by a 5-star writer….  If you have never read Michael Meyer, do yourself a favor and pick up this book or all of his books, you won’t be disappointed.” – D Everetti, author of PUNISHING A GOOD DEED

I think you can see what I mean. It is pretty heady stuff, the type of thing that helps me keep the faith as an Indie writer, a person who is not very good at tooting his own horn but thrills when it is tooted by his readers.

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Synopsis

James Cuffy, better known as Cuff, is living in paradise with his girlfriend, on the small Caribbean island of St. Croix, where the sky is as blue as Cuff’s eyes, the ocean as pretty as Rosie’s cheeks, where the gentle lapping of the waves is a lullaby, and the swaying of the palm trees is a dance. The sandy beaches are as white as sugar, and the horizon is a world away. St. Croix indeed is paradise, the perfect place for living, laughing, and loving.

But the sandy beaches and the turquoise sea can provide no cover from the deadly eyes of the unknown stalker pursuing Cuff. Murder leads to murder as he attempts to untangle the terrible web in which he has suddenly become entangled. The twists and turns are relentless, the roads of the fast action leading in all directions, but time is running out, and Cuff, his faithful Rosie at his side, knows it.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLBtVDUdC4

BOOK LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Eyes-ebook/dp/B007IO3O22/ref=lp_B005E7M8CW_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335801699&sr=1-1

Amazon author’s site: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Meyer/e/B005E7M8CW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/674626.Mike_Meyer

Facebook writers’s site: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMeyersWritingLife/app_191387770912394

Pinterest writer’s site: http://pinterest.com/temmike/#

 


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Indie Author Spotlight…Richard Due

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month.
It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author on Aside from Writing is Richard Due…
“Tales, unlike stories, never lie. You see, a tale is an account of things in their due order, often divulged secretly, or as gossip. Would you like to hear one?” —Lord Autumn
Uncle Ebb was so good at telling his tales of the Moon Realm that sometimes it sounded like he’d been there himself. As children, Lily and Jasper listened raptly to his bedtime tales of a place where nine moons swirled around one another, each inhabited by strange and wondrous beings: magical lunamancers; undersea merfolk; wise birds; winged dragons; and Lily’s favorite, the heroic, leonine Rinn.
There was only one rule: don’t tell a soul.
But now, years later, Uncle Ebb is missing. Lily has learned the secret behind the tales, and soon Jasper will too. But there’s one big problem. You see, something terrible has happened in the Moon Realm. . . .
Featuring twenty-two stunning full-color illustrations by Carolyn Arcabascio.
Volume One of the fantasy adventure series The Moon Realm.
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Want to know more? Check out the links!
Buying Links:
Amazon (Kindle & Kindle Fire): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JFMKB8
iTunes iBookstore (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch): http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/richard-due/id462821815?mt=11
Author and Illustrator Bio:
Richard Due (pronounced “Dewey”) first imagined the Moon Realm while telling bedtime tales to his children. He makes his home in Southern Maryland, where he and his wife have owned and operated Second Looks Books since 1991. The Moon Coin is the first novel in the Moon Realm series. Visit TheMoonRealm.com for more information.
Author Image:
Carolyn Arcabascio hails from Massachusetts, where she lives and works as an illustrator while pursuing her lifelong exploration of words, images, and the magical places where they meet. Visit her website at www.carolynarcabascio.com
Illustrator Image:
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Q&A on The Moon Coin
1. Your book sounds like a genre-bending read – where did your inspiration for it come from?
The Moon Coin is, at its core, traditional epic fantasy, such as The Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings. But each moon in the Moon Realm brings something very different. The first two books in the series center around the moons Barreth and Dain. Barreth is inhabited with the Rinn, which are creatures a little larger than Earth’s draft horses, only the Rinn are more lion-like. Whereas Dain is a moon inhabited by people not unlike us, only with magic, albeit a faded, weak magic. The next two books in the series take place mostly on the Moon Dik Dek, which is a mer-world, covered by ocean, and the moon Mintar, which is encased with an unnatural snow and inhabited by giants.
Having these different moons gives me wonderful challenges. There is always something new coming around the next moon. There’s even one moon, the inhabitant of which are secretive about everything, which is pure steampunk. I can’t wait to get working on that one.
As for the origin of the story, I was racking my brain one night, trying to tell my daughter a new bedtime tale. I was exhausted, physically and mentally, and kept stumbling into that wonderland between dreams and sleep. My daughter kept elbowing me: “Wake up, Daddy, you’re not making any sense!” But I kept drifting off. And then, all in one jolt, I brought back with me The Moon Realm. About nine books worth.
2. Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
If you love being immersed in intoxicating new worlds, weaving through story lines full of narrative puzzles, meeting invigorating characters, and enjoy nail-biting reveals, then my book is definitely for you—because it’s got all that and more.
3. Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
The Moon Coin is the first book in the Moon Realm Series. Book two, The Dragondain, is written, edited, and currently with the illustrator, Carolyn Arcabascio, for preliminary sketchwork. The eBook will be out the first week of September, and a paperbound version will follow a month or so later. I’m really excited about getting book two out into the world, because I write these books in pairs. The Moon Coin is part one, The Dragondain is part two. Writing the ending to a book two is always going to be easy because book twos will always have a really big finish. I pretty much just have to keep my fingers on the keyboard and hope my head doesn’t explode from the excitement. Writing the endings to part ones is far trickier. I work very, very hard to make sure the reader gets a satisfying end to those. My beta-readers played a significant role in getting the ending of The Moon Coin just right.
4. What inspired you to want to become a writer?
I have to write. I’ve found that I’m really only happy, only really at peace, when I’m trying to balance a narrative juggernaut in my brain. If I try and clear my mind, empty my thoughts, relax, let go—that’s when the tension and anxiety builds. I need a health dose of mayhem ricocheting through my head into order to chill out. I always have. Writing is the only salve I’ve found.
5. What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
Read the genre you want to write until your eyeballs fall out. Then put them back in and read some more. Repeat.
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Indie Author Spotlight…Tyler Mills

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held on every SATURDAY in the month. It is hosted by Beckie @Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @A Bookalicious Story.
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This week’s spotlighted author is G. Tyler Mills…
About the Author – I was born in Charleston, South Carolina and grew up in north Alabama. I’m a graduate of the University of North Alabama. I’m married to an amazing wife. We share out little boy and two great dogs.
About the Book – I began to write this novel when my wife and I found out we would be having our first child. I had wanted to write for some time, but I wanted something driven by a compelling emotion. I discovered the feelings gained when having a child can be an overwhelming joy and I knew this was an emotion I wanted to guide my character. The feelings I immediately felt would cause me to do anything for this child and I knew it was a something that many have felt. I chose this relationship to be the motivation for the actions of my protagonist.
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Charles is an average man. He has a loving family and is solid in his own beliefs. But his faith is soon tested with the loss of his son and Charles becomes a man driven by the need for answers. He needs to know what happened to his child and is prepared to do anything to find out. As simple actions by multiple individuals begin to unfold, a tragedy is formed and Charles is caught in the middle. Throughout it all he knows he is not alone. He knows God is with him. As Charles begins to see signs of what he believes to be the truth behind his son’s disappearance, he’s unsure if these come from God or if they are just coincidences. Is it his vengeance that propels him or is he just doing God’s plan? His faith will either see him through this catastrophe or cause him to lose all he has left.

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Want to know more? Check out the links!

gtylermills.com

twitter.com/gtylermills