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AUTHOR INTERVIEW–SOPHIA KIMBLE

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

 

SONG OF THE WEEK: Beware of Darkness “Howl” – Get ready to rock.

Just in time for Halloween, Sophia Kimble visits with us today to talk about her new paranormal release PROTECT HER. And she’s been so kind as to give us an excerpt, so be sure to scroll down.

ProtectHer_850HIGHGolden Alexander is trapped in a nightmare.

Trying to flee her hallucination of a demon, she runs heart first into the brooding alpha male she’s been dreaming about for years, and then her nightmare really begins.

Kris Pietka is done with women…he’s broken. But when he meets Golden, an overwhelming need to protect her tests everything he thought he knew about himself, and the paranormal.

A bond forged centuries ago thrusts them together as they search for a way to break an ancient Druid curse prophesying their demise. Racing against the clock, they travel from Vermont, to the Carpathian Mountains in Poland, and the Scottish Highlands in search of answers and a way to break the curse.

But something evil watches—it covets, and time is running out.

Will fate allow love to prevail against unbeatable odds, or will Golden wake to find it was all a delusion?

Welcome, Sophia! It looks like PROTECT HER takes us to some really interesting locations. Have you ever been to any of these places?

I’ve spent a lot of time in Poultney, Vermont which is where the majority of my book takes place. The Carpathian Mountains in Poland and The Highlands of Scotland are the destinations for my 20th wedding anniversary in two years.

Give us celebrity look-a-likes for Golden and Kris.

Kris is definitely a young Chris Hemsworth. And Golden, I always pictured as Amanda Seyfried.

Is PROTECT HER part of a series, or a stand alone?

Protect Her is the first book in The Druid’s Curse series. I have four planned so far: Protect Her, Avenge Her, Fear Her, and Release Her.

Since we’re close to Halloween here, please tell us what your best Halloween costume ever was.

I had this costume someone had given me when I was 13. It was Gretel from Hansel and Gretel and it was so well made. I loved it!

Are you dressing up this year?

I wear my witch’s hat every year and pass out candy. I dressed up for the first time in years a few years back for a Halloween party and went as Alice in Wonderland. My husband went as Elvis. 🙂

What’s the heat level in PROTECT HER?

Protect Her is sensual, I’d give it a four.

What’s your current work in progress?

I’m finishing up the second novel in the series, Avenge her.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Sophia!

Please enjoy this excerpt from PROTECT HER.

 

The side door to the house opened behind her.

“Matka? Dzien dobry? Ma? Hello?”

The deep male voice filled the kitchen. Filled her. Her muscles tightened, her arms vibrated like she’d been doing yard work for the last hour and had just turned off the weed whacker.

Mary raised an eyebrow in her direction before looking past her to the door. “Kris, proszę meet Golden. Come, come.”

Heavy boots sounded on the wooden steps. The loud thumping stopped as if in mid-step and an invisible electric current slammed into her back. Heat spread through her and settled in her belly.

“Matka, what’s going on here?”

“Golden is your Babci’s new caregiver.” Mary enunciated as if she were speaking to a five-year-old. “I told you last week she answered the ad and was coming today. She’ll be starting on Monday.”

Mary glared at Kris and then turned to Golden with an apologetic smile on her face. Kris moved around the table and stood next to his mother.

Her mouth fell open.

He narrowed his piercing blue eyes at her, and a lock of sandy brown hair fell from behind his ear.

Holy shit.

He looked exactly like the man she’d been dreaming of for years.

The once cozy kitchen felt tiny. Airless. Too hot. Using the table as a lever, Golden forced herself to stand and shot a glance in Mary’s direction, worried she was hallucinating her dream man and looked delusional. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d acted crazy. Okay, Mary didn’t act like her new employee was tripping her ass off. Good to know.

Words in a language she didn’t understand flew out of his mouth, his unfriendly gaze fixed on her. Wow, angry much? He was obviously talking about her in a not so nice way, which pissed her off. Combined with her confusion, she was a hot mess. And all the while her emotions were ping ponging, her body pulsed, begging for this jerkoff to touch her.

His brows furrowed, and he ranted as though she weren’t in the room. Rude. New plan. She’d figure out how she’d dreamt of him later. First, she wanted to know what he had against her and why she reacted to the jerk like he’d brought her a dozen roses while hanging out the sunroof of a limo.

Mary cut him off with a single word. “Dosyć!” She closed her eyes and whispered, “Enough.”

Kris sucked in a breath, and without another word, pivoted on his heel and walked deeper into the house.

What was wrong with him? Ever hear of anger management classes? And what was wrong with her Benedict Arnold body? Pick an emotion and stick to it. Anger, that’s what was called for here. Not, gee you’re hot, I’ve been dreaming of you for years. Want to hook up?

Figures, the one guy that finally made her wake up and say hell yes was a total turd.

PROTECT HER is available on Amazon

sk2Sophia Kimble has always wanted to be an author, but for years, life got in the way. She wouldn’t change a thing about how her life turned out, though. Her family keeps her laughing and loving. Her wonderful husband and two extraordinary children stand beside her every step of the way and make this journey called life worth living.

Sophia has worked as a nurse for twenty years, but has put that career path aside to devote her time and imagination to writing down the stories that keep her up nights.

She takes her love of the paranormal, history, and genealogy, and weaves them into tales of family, fated love, and supernatural occurrences.

Connect with Sophia on her website, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter

THE SCARY MOMMY THANKSGIVING PROJECT 2014

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

 

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Heavy Metal” by White Rabbits – But don’t be fooled. This song is anything but. I’ve probably listened to the album this song comes from, Milk Famous, about six hundred times.

Last year this article popped up in one of my social media feeds. I read it, and it struck a chord enough for me to investigate further. I found my way to the Scary Mommy Thanksgiving Project.

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Scary Mommy is a website where you can find all sorts of interesting info about parenting, and each year (since 2011) they work to raise funds for families who need monetary help with Thanksgiving dinner.

I’ll be honest, probably the most attractive thing about this particular fundraiser is it comes before the bank is completely broken with Christmas shopping and events, when it’s a little easier to part with $50. But you don’t have to do $50. You can donate any smaller amount and be grouped with other donors to make up the $50 dinner.

Also, if you need help, or know someone who needs help with their own Thanksgiving dinner, you can click here for information on how to apply for that help.

I’ve just skimmed the surface here, but basically, I think this is a really cool thing that is worth donating a week’s blog post to. 🙂  But don’t take my word for it!

Click here to learn more.

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Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

MY CURRENT OBSESSION – ELEANOR AND PARK

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

In searching my favorite audiobook site about a year ago, I found this title called Eleanor and Park with a cover that caught my eye. The story looked to be set in the 80’s (a sure tug on my heart) and centered around music and two misfits who fall in love. SOLD!

Long story short, a year later, I finally loaded my iPod and sat back for a listen. Let’s just say, the book came to a close, and I hit the button to start chapter one again, and listened through a second time straight away.

I don’t want to rehash the story here because I want you to read the book and experience this strange exquisiteness for yourself. But if you are at all in doubt, let me tell you who this book is for:

– Anyone who adores the magic of first love.
– Anyone who spent the 80’s with the alternative music of The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen,etc., blaring through the headphones of your Sony walkman.
– Anyone who likes to root for the underdog.
– Anyone who has ever been a bit weird or awkward.
– Anyone who is looking for a story to capture their heart and never let go.

So in celebration of my current obsession, allow me to give you a PLAYLIST of the week. In the book, Eleanor wants to listen to alternative music but can’t (you’ll have to read to find out why). If I were to give Eleanor a list of 80’s alternative music to get her started, this would be it. I’ll pepper in some songs Park did actually give her, which I coincidentally love.  🙂

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
The Perfect Girl by The Cure
Dressed in Black by Hoodoo Gurus (not released until 1991, but too perfect to exclude)
Debaser by Pixies
How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths
One of the Millions by XTC
No New Tale to Tell by Love and Rockets
Love Spreads by The Stone Roses
Anywhere’s Better Than Here by The Replacements
Lips Like Sugar by Echo and the Bunnymen
Bad by U2
Alison by Elvis Costello

If you do Spotify, click here to find this playlist in my shared playlists.

Enjoy the book and the music!

 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW — BLAIRE EDENS

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

 

SONG OF THE WEEK: Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – because I just finished Eleanor and Park and am a little beyond obsessed. More to come on that next week. But in the meantime…

A heroine who wrestles alligators for a living. Yep. Please help me welcome Blaire Edens to the blog today!

Wild About Rachel 1600-RGB v2 (1)Former debutante Rachel Hansworth longs for the days when “alligator” was followed by “pumps” or “handbag.” Broke, Rachel takes the only job she can find: removing nuisance animals from Texas homes. Unfortunately, fighting the attraction to her boss proves more difficult than wrestling a gator. Army veteran Mark Winters needs help with his business, but he wants Rachel more. He must honor a promise to his dying mother and find a fiancée. A real girlfriend isn’t part of the plan-he’s been there, done that. There’s only one problem: He can’t stop kissing Rachel.

She refuses to be duped by love again, and he won’t let a few hot make-out sessions tear down the walls he’s erected. But she’s all about the big bonus she’ll receive if she helps Mark. They’ll lower their defenses enough to trust each other when a wild animal is involved, but can they pull off the fake fiancée ruse and not be bitten by love?

 

Hello Blaire, and welcome to the blog! Tell us a little about yourself – who you are and what you write.

I’m Blaire Edens and at the moment, I’m writing contemporary romance for Entangled. I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. I’m of mostly Scottish descent and my mother’s family has owned and operated the same farm since 1790. My father was a fighter pilot and my mother is a doctor, so I learned plenty about Alpha Males and Sassy Females growing up. 🙂 My favorite ice cream flavor is Salted Caramel.

 

I think you just gave me the most awesome interview question ever. New requirement if you’re going to be on this blog — favorite ice cream flavor!

So it looks like our heroine, Rachel, wrestles alligators for a living. I’m definitely intrigued! Tell us about her.

Rachel has, up until the opening of the book, led a very charmed life. When we meet her, she’s in a crisis. The bank is about to foreclose on her home, she can’t find a job. She has to find a pathway from where she is to the woman she wants to be. In her case, it’s via viper, but animals are on the vehicle. Rachel is relatable because she has to face her fears in order to grow which can be said for most of us. The book is about overcoming our fears, whatever they may be, in order to live a more authentic and fulfilling life.

 

Was there any hands-on research required for this book?

Yes! Before writing this book I knew very little about the home foreclosure process. It turns out that a foreclosure is essentially a home that belongs to the bank, which once belonged to a homeowner. A friend of mine who lives in Texas is a property investor and she pointed me in the direction of real estate websites such as Auction.com where I was able to learn more about selling and buying foreclosure properties. I wanted to make sure that this element of my book was as factually accurate as possible!

Also, I didn’t wrestle any gators, but I would be willing if Mark, my hero, was the prize. Seriously, I grew up on a farm deep in the woods of Southern Appalachia so used to wild things. I did use a few personal experiences—I really did have some snakes hatch in my house once. The house was a restoration project and somehow a mama Rat Snake decided to deposit her eggs underneath the laundry room. When they hatched, I had quite a surprise.

 

Seeing that snakes are frequent in my nightmares, let’s move along quickly. When you aren’t writing, what could we find you doing?

I am a serious knitter. I teach knitting classes–everything from beginner scarves to Fair Isle Sweaters. I usually knit while I watch television so I know voices better than faces. I also love to be outdoors, so my son and I frequently go camping and biking. Because of my dad’s job, I grew up around fighter jets. I still love to go to air shows!

 

What’s the heat level in Wild About Rachel?

Wild About Rachel is sexy. There is some hanky-panky but it’s fairly tame and not very graphic. The heat is within a serious relationship. I would say if you’re okay with sweet lovemaking, it should be just fine.

 

Is Wild About Rachel a standalone novel, or will there be others in a series?

That’s the $64, 000 question. It was written as a standalone but since its release, I’ve had several, as in more than fifteen emails, from readers who weren’t ready to leave Texas. I am open to writing another story that features some of the characters in Wild About Rachel but it won’t be my next novel. I’m thinking another novella or holiday novella might be a nice return visit.

 

I’m with those fifteen+. Series are fabulous for clinging on to the characters we love!

Name three things we’d find in Mark’s bedroom.

1. Firefly’s collar
2. A stack of National Geographic Magazines.
3. Fishing rod

 

What’s your drink of choice when writing?

Sweet Tea in a Tervis 24 oz. cup. I’m pretty adaptable but this is a MUST. When I’m on the road, I carry tea bags and sugar and the cup. No compromise, here. When you move around like I did when my dad was flying, you learn to travel light. This is probably the only MUST I have.

 

Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you currently reading?

Wow. That’s a hard question. I read widely. I am a bona fide genre hopper. My sentimental favorites are Bertrice Small, Orson Scott Card and V.C. Andrews. I just finished Second Chance Ranch, by fellow Entangled author, Cindi Madsen. I haven’t met her yet, but when I do, I’m totally going FANGIRL. The next book on my Kindle is Cinder. I love Steampunk and can’t wait to relax into some YA that combines my love of fairy tales with Steampunk.

 

What’s your current work in progress?

The working title is Rock A Billie. It’s a single title contemporary chock full of fighter pilots, American Muscle Cars and one sassy mechanic named Billie who is determined not to fall in love with a flyboy. It will likely be out in Spring-Summer 2015.

 

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about Wild About Rachel?

I really hope you like it. I hope it makes you laugh. Most of all, I hope it leaves you feeling ready to take on the world just like Rachel.

 

Wild About Rachel is available on Amazon and through Entangled.

steampunk hat

Blaire Edens lives in the mountains of North Carolina on a farm that’s been in her family since 1790. When she’s not plotting, she’s busy knitting, running, or listening to the Blues. Blaire loves iced tea with mint, hand-stitched quilts, and yarn stores. She refuses to eat anything that mixes chocolate and peanut butter or apple and cinnamon. She’s generally nice to her mother, tries to remember not to smack her bubble gum, and only speeds when no one’s looking.

 

Visit Blaire’s website, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

COVER REVEAL–ELLA SHERIDAN’S TEACH ME

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

 

SONG OF THE WEEK: KONGOS “Come With Me Now” – When I first heard this, I thought…Franz Ferdinand meets the Dropkick Murphys. See what you think.

 

For an author, there are few things more thrilling than a cover reveal. I’m excited to help author Ella Sheridan show off the cover for her new release Teach Me (Southern Nights Book One). And be sure to scroll down for a link to an excerpt from the book!

A woman determined to heal…

Shy researcher Jess Kingston spent the last eight weeks recovering from her ex-boyfriend’s brutal attack. Body healed, she’s ready to put her life back together—except her ex isn’t ready to let go. She won’t cower in a corner while Brit tortures her, but she’s powerless to fight back.

A man determined to resist…

Ex-military security specialist Conlan James avoids commitment like the plague. His job, his Harley, and the occasional one-night stand are all he needs, until the day he rescues Jess from a tense situation and realizes he can’t get her off his mind. He can teach her to protect herself, but protecting his heart is another matter.

A madman determined to win…

As the deadly game of cat-and-mouse with Brit heats up, so does the hunger between Con and Jess. Safety might be found in numbers, but in bed, all bets are off—and the wrong move could lead to heartbreak. Or death.

So without further ado…

So pretty, Ella!

Click here if you’d like to read an excerpt from Teach Me.

Teach Me is now available for preorder on Amazon.

Ella grew up in the Deep South, where books provided adventures, friends, and her first taste of romance. Now she writes her own romantic adventures, with plenty of hot alpha men and the women who love and challenge them. With a day job, a husband, two active teenagers, and two not so active cats, Ella is always busy, but getting the voices in her head down on paper is a top priority. Connect with Ella at www.ellasheridanauthor.com .

Follow Ella on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads

Click here to see all titles from Ella’s Secrets to Hide series

 

 

WRITING LONGHAND

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

I’ve been having weekly breakfast meetings with a fabulous writer colleague of mine, and each week I walk away with a wonderful piece of advice. This week’s little jewel is to take advantage of downtime away from your computer by writing longhand.

At first I’m all like, yuk. My hand will get tired, I can’t cut and paste or erase stuff, I’ll have to retype it all, etc. Then I quit being a Debbie Downer and started thinking about it. Why not fill these little pockets with productivity and something I love to do?

Now, let’s just get this straight. My preferred writing method is the computer. It’s by far the most efficient and workable method for me. But I’m really excited about this longhand thing. It may even drag me away from my desk at work on my lunch hour and to the park to write for a little while. And with my eyes being on a computer screen all day at work, and then all evening while writing, wouldn’t a little break with eyes on a notebook page be a nice relief!

Just a thought. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂

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Song of the Week: Something May Catch Fire by Chuck Ragan

This song doesn’t match much of anything else in my library, but I really dig this guy’s voice. Worth sharing.

SONG OF THE WEEK

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

The only thing I love more than writing is…well, actually I love my family more than writing…and the beach…and ice cream…never mind. I’ll start over.

I love discovering new music. A friend of mine and I just recently exchanged playlists with one another, and I had as much fun putting hers together as I did listening to the one she made for me.

Seems like recently, the Spotify channels I listen to keep repeating the same old songs I’ve been listening to for the past decade. I need new music, so I scoured a slew of music blogs trying to track down new artists I’d never heard of and found some pretty cool stuff.

Since I know most people don’t care to dedicate their time to finding new music, allow me to help. I’m going to include a song of the day on my blog each week. I’ll try to stick with new stuff, but I’m not promising that I won’t toss in an 80’s or classic rock tune if that’s what I’m feelin’ that day.

I’ll also say a little something about the tune. What it means to me, what I like about it, or what it makes me want to do. (Scary thought.)

So here’s the song for today’s blog: Levitation by Circa Zero

My all-time favorite band is The Police. My husband mentioned that Andy Summers had a new band I should check out, so I dumped the single into a playlist and forgot about it. A week or so later I was listening to that playlist at work and this song grabbed my attention. I loved the eighties influences with a fresh sound. I selected it for this introduction to the song of the week, and it wasn’t until I Googled it that I realized this was the Andy Summers band. Of course it is. Please enjoy!

WHEN YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR LETS YOU DOWN

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

A good author is hard to find. I read (and listen to) tons of books a year. Some aren’t fantastic. Others make me smile. But it’s really rare for me to walk away with a new favorite author, which is why I treasure my existing handful of favorite authors so much.

Some of these authors only release a book a year if I’m lucky. Most of the time I savor every minute of the book and mourn it when it’s over, keeping the characters in my thoughts for months on end. Which is why on the rare occasion when one of my favorite authors slaps me upside the head with a bad book, that it is so irritating.

The bad (in my opinion) book actually pisses me off as I read it. I want to take to Good Reads for a nasty review airing all of my gripes about this book that robbed me of hours of my life and complain about this author who I once adored and how she let me down.

But here’s the thing. The writer did not set out to write a bad book that pissed me off. If the book was left of center that was likely intentional. Maybe she was stretching boundaries a bit and just missed the mark. Or maybe the bulk of her fans loved it and it’s just my own issues sullying the book for me. Regardless, it shouldn’t make me mad.

So as I close this latest book by one of my favorite authors, I shelve it and wait for her next to release which I will promptly pick up and give a shot, because I love her for a reason. She has gotten me in the past and will get me again in the future most likely. And besides, aren’t we all entitled to a bad day?

THE TRUE END

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

Do you remember what you were doing on the eve of September 7, 2008? I was sitting on my couch with a pilsner glass of Blue Moon, glued to HBO and the series premiere of what would turn out to be probably my favorite show of all-time, True Blood.

While it seems like old hat now, at the time I thought it was the most fantastically weird and freaky show I had ever seen, and I could have kissed Charlaine Harris for inspiring Alan Ball with this Southern bit of magic. Having been a fan of Six Feet Under, I knew I was in good hands with Mr. Ball, but what I wasn’t expecting was such an amazing (I don’t use that word often, mind you) cast of characters…particularly the supporting ones. From the fabulous Lafayette to the grumpy Tara, the no-bullshit Pam and the clueless Jason, I fell in love with these people and this rural Southern town.

There have been good seasons and great seasons. There were seasons that made me itchy and nervous like season four where witches took control of the vampires. I did not enjoy seeing Eric Northman powerless and sweet. *shudder* There were seasons that turned me upside down, like season five where I watched Bill shift his loyalties and transform into an egocentric bizarre vampire-god. And then there was the introduction of the werewolves and Alcide in season three where women across America swooned in unison.

Through the highs and the lows I was glued to all episodes and went directly into mourning at the end of the seasons. And now, tonight, I sit down with my husband and one last pilsner of Blue Moon to tune into the final, precious episode of the series.

Goodbye, Bill. I’ve been by your side, and rooted your love for Sookie on, even though I did want her to have little bitty affairs with Eric and Alcide on the way. But I always wanted you to win in the end. I have faith that you will tonight.

Goodbye, Eric. I’ll admit, it wasn’t until you cut your hair in season two that I truly fell for you. I’ll always remember the episode in season two when Sookie drank your blood and dreamed sweet dreams of you beside her, when Bill was really the one next to her. (he! he!)

Goodbye, Lafayette. I couldn’t be happier for you and James, even if you did steal him from Jessica.

Goodbye, Jason. I hope Hoyt’s girlfriend is the one for you.

Goodbye, Tara. Oh, wait. You’re already dead.

Goodbye, Arlene. Score one for the forty plus girls! I only wish we could have seen more of you and Keith. (name said breathlessly)

Goodbye, Pam. Thanks for showing us the true essence of aloof.

And finally, goodbye, Sookie. May you and Bill find happiness, and may you finally get some peace from the constant attempts on your delicious blood. Namaste, my faerie friend.

true blod pic

 

HITTING DELETE

Posted on by Melissa Chambers

Words are precious. At least that’s what I thought when I first started writing. I wrote 10,000 words! That’s incredible!

But now that I’ve written a lot of words (seven full-length novels and two novellas at last count — I swear I will release one someday), words are not nearly as important to me as they were in the beginning. In the editing process in those first novels, I would sometimes come across sections that didn’t work or that needed to be removed based on other changes in the book. That was always hard, and I would save those sections in a separate document in hopes of using them later.

But now, I actually like hitting delete. I have absolutely no problem whatsoever deleting whole sections…pages…chapters even. Because really, it’s fine. There are more where those came from. It’s actually cathartic. Out with the bad — in with the good. Toss out the riff-raff to make room for the poetry. Like when you scrub a dirty kitchen counter, washing away the grime.

I’ve talked to beginner writers who are afraid of changing their stories because then they’d have to delete sections or start over. I understand that fear, because when you are first starting out, you are really proud of your words, and most of all, you are afraid you won’t be able to come up with more that are as good as those are.

But trust me when I say that there are so many more WAY BETTER words in you, that won’t be released until you’ve written a bunch of words. Writing mentors say that you have to write a million words before you really “get it.” I’m not there yet, but I’m well on my way. And the more I write, the more ideas that come for more stories to write and more types of characters to develop.

Some great advice I got once in a workshop was to never save anything for later. If you have a good idea for a line or a character, a story, use it NOW. Because more will come to you later, and chances are when you read that line in six months to a year, it will be lackluster compared to the punch it packs now.

So write, and write, and write some more. And don’t be afraid to hit delete, because there are better words waiting to occupy that space.