Madi Brown on the Reason for Her Life & Importance of Friends @Madithe1brown #WWED #Women

Are you a city slicker or a country lover? I’m a city slicker all day---a New Yorker. And it’s not that I’m slick. I just like the idea of finding ways to make things happen.

How do you think people perceive writers? As artsy people in white tunic tops and flouncy pants who say profound things all of the time.

What’s your next project? Oh, it’s another novel that will become a part of a series. The Truth About Emily can’t be summed up in one book. Boorring. We’re women; we can be as complicated as we want to be.

What would you love to produce in your life? A feature film based on my books, of course. It’ll be better than the Kim K sex tape.

What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet? That question is way too deep for me. Is your purpose to ask thought-provoking questions that make authors feel uncomfortable?

Do you know your neighbors? Yes. One is an older married couple. You never see one without the other and it’s such a beautiful thing. The other, is a gentleman who I believe is a pothead. I can smell it whenever I walk past his door.

How important are friends in your life? Very. You need someone around to celebrate your highs, and be there for you to get you through your lows.

What does love mean to you? Being open and unconditional.

When you get free time on the internet, or you go to the library - what do you want to read about? Light-hearted things; love, shopping, funny reads.

Do you find the time to read? Yes. During my commute on the way to the 9-5.

"If you LOVE New York, if you’re a name-dropping, fashion fiend careerist; fed up with serial dating, plagued with a thirst for sex, then you’ll totally stalk me for what I've penned.” - Author, Madi Brown

Description

29-year-old Emily Greene looks the part, but she’s still working on becoming a modern-day woman. Not that she’s one to back down from a challenge, but living as an eternal work-in-progress wasn't exactly the goal that she had in mind. It’s a harsh but true realization---the idea that that time isn't on her side, and the notion that wanting to have it all, doesn't mean getting it. The verdict is in; with zero prospects for a relationship and a stalled blogging career, Emily has every reason to believe that she’s been living a life too humdrum for her own good.

Making the change won’t be easy. She’ll have to do whatever it takes; start dating like a man, become more selective about which RSVP's she accepts, and work even harder at getting her dream job.The payoff’s huge; a modern twist on a storybook ending, but gains don’t often come without risks. In the here and now Emily just may be forced to choose...It’s got to be one or the other----the profession that she’s always wanted, or the love that she’s never had.

˃˃˃ Praise for Madi Brown & her debut novel, The Truth About Emily

"The added depth of character promises complexity but wraps everything in the saucy cloak of Emily's evolving personality and newfound beliefs about life, love, and the real nature of happiness. And this is where The Truth About Emily outshines many competitors, making it a recommended read for those seeking more than a standard romance novel." - D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Reviews

"This book has just about anything a girl would love to read about. If there's anything Emily Greene has is ISH and lots of it, oh the ending... This book is a total keeper, just anything about fashion to relationships to friends and family." - Y. Sanchez, Goodreads

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Genre – Contemporary Women's Fiction

Rating – PG18

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Marilyn Holdsworth on #Writing, Inspiration and Publishing More #Books @M_Holdsworth

As a novelist, I draw on many real life experiences to provide background for my books. After completing studies in Literature and History at Occidental College, I became a staff writer on a travel magazine, and throughout my career I have traveled extensively all over the world. Because I love horses, I owned and trained them. I support horse rescue and wild mustang preservation. Based on my experience with horses and my research on abuse issues, I wrote Pegasus.

As a descendant of James Monroe, I did extensive research at the James Monroe Museum in Virginia about him and his wife Elizabeth Kortright Monroe. I also visited their home, Ashlawn/Highland in Albemarle County. This resulted in my novel, The Beautiful American. Making Wishes, was based partly on my experiences as creator, owner and operator of a greeting card company.

Have you always enjoyed writing?
Yes. I have enjoyed writing since I was a little girl.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?
My family.

What books did you love growing up?
I loved horse stories like The Black Stallion by Walter Farley and all the books by Margarite Henry. I also loved the Nancy Drew Mysteries.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I observe people and situations everywhere I go and I keep files of ideas from articles in newspapers and magazines.

Do you plan to publish more books?
Yes. I plan to continue writing and publishing. I am currently writing another novel.

How do you write?
I keep a tablet and pen with me always. And I keep paper and pen next to my bed. I often wake up with ideas. Also, I work on my computer.

What is the last book you purchased? Tell us about it.
The Countess and the King by Susan Holloway Scott.
It's the story of Katherine Sedley, the Countess of Dorchester and King James II of England. It's an interesting historical novel about a lady who was ahead of her time and lived by her own rules. It gives a much more sympathetic portrayal of James II than I had always thought of him.

What is your favorite quote and why?
"There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so." William Shakespeare. I am a firm believer that attitude and how you look at things makes all the difference.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
Raising my two wonderful children.

Elloree Prince is an attractive, creative young woman who marries a wealthy businessman, Tom Randall. After courting his bride with unrelenting determination, Tom moves her into old-moneyed Oak View, where generations of Randalls have lived for years. Outwardly, Elloree appears to settle into raising their two sons within Oak View’s stifling social structure, but inwardly, she yearns for her artistic work. An unexpected phone call from Mark Williams, her former employer, offers her the career opportunity of a lifetime, and she must make a choice. She is torn between her devotion to her sons and her love for her work. Her decision to return to Wishes, Inc. brings dramatic life changes to her and the people she loves.

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Genre - Women’s fiction

Rating – PG-13

“Abby Long is thrilled when she offers the winning bid for an antique desk at an auction. With its intricately inlaid woods and elegant style, the desk is perfect for Abby; it is the gift she promised herself to finally celebrate her thriving antique business. She has no idea that the antique desk holds a secret that will lead her on a fascinating, life-changing journey back in time.

When Abby discovers a hidden diary stuffed inside a secret compartment in the desk, she can hardly wait to read the spidery, faded script. As she carefully turns the tattered pages, she reads the captivating story of two remarkable women from opposite backgrounds who somehow manage to form an unforgettable bond against the backdrop of a fledgling America struggling to find its place in the world. Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, the wife of James Monroe, and Jasmine, a young slave girl, develop an extraordinary relationship as they are united by pivotal historic events, political intrigues, and personal tragedies.

From a bucolic Virginia plantation to the bloodied, starving streets of post-revolutionary Paris, this powerful tale follows the lives of two courageous women from the past as they quietly influence—and inspire—a woman of today’s world.”

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Genre - Historical fiction

Rating – G

Widowed at thirty, Hannah Bradley is a successful journalist focusing on animal abuse issues. An accidental meeting introduces her to lawyer, Winston Caughfield III. Drawn to Hannah’s gentle beauty and fierce commitment to her work, Win joins her in a fight to save wild mustangs from slaughter. Together they rescue a badly injured horse with a mysterious background. 

Hannah’s search to discover the animal’s true identity leads them into a web of black marketeering and international intrigue. Action packed with crisp colorful dialogue the story propels the reader to a race against time conclusion. Marilyn Holdsworth delivers a gripping tale of mystery, adventure and romance guaranteed to hold the interest and capture the heart. She brings true-life characters together with real-life issues to create a fast-paced irresistible story.

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Genre – Contemporary fiction

Rating – PG

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Website  http://marilynholdsworth.com/

Blog http://marilynholdsworth.com/blog/

#Excerpt from A LIFE LESS ORDINARY by @VicBernadine #AmReading #Fiction #ChickLit

The coffee shop wasn’t very busy.  Only a couple of tables were occupied, with several more people standing in line. Manny sat rather nervously at her table sipping her third vanilla latte and wondering if she was as crazy as Rebecca and Daisy claimed. This would be her fourth interview today of a potential travelling companion and she hoped this guy would be more of a possibility than the other three she’d already met. Oh, they all seemed nice enough, but Olive had been jittery and they’d quickly realized their personalities would never mesh well enough to travel together for six months. Isaac had had a predatory, speculative gleam in his eyes as he looked her over–and she hadn’t needed Harvey to tell her to stay as far away from him as possible.

Darius was very sweet and charming, just eighteen, but he couldn’t pay his own way, and Manny wasn’t about to support him for six months. He’d shrugged and accepted her decision with an adorable smile and she offered to call Daisy’s boss, Max, to see if he had any work that Darius could do. Darius had thanked her and even paid for their lattes, and they’d chatted for a good forty-five minutes before he’d finally gone on his way. Yes, he would have been a good choice–and she might change her mind if she didn’t find anyone before she left in two weeks.

You can always go by yourself.

I know. But it would be more fun with someone else.

You’ll have me.

Manny glanced at Harvey sitting in the chair across from her. He was dressed casually in jeans and a button down shirt open at the throat to show the strong lines of his neck and chest.

You’re not real.

Harvey winked at her. Just checking.

She shook her head and Harvey blinked out of existence as the door opened and a darkly handsome man walked in. He paused in the doorway and removed his sunglasses as he glanced around the small room. Securely hidden in her corner, Manny considered him.

Tall; over six feet. Dark. Handsome, with large, dark eyes and full pouty lips. His black, tousled hair and dark stubble on his face gave him a sexy, scruffy appearance. He was slim, with broad shoulders, narrow hips and long legs encased in jeans.

I’ll bet he has a great ass.

I’ll bet you’re right.

He’s like a younger version of me.

Manny blinked at the man standing in the doorway and realized Harvey was right. Oh, they didn’t exactly look alike, but they had similar colouring, and a similar underlying confidence and arrogance in their stance. Probably something natural when you’re that naturally gorgeous, Manny thought ruefully, or, in Harvey’s case, thatunnaturally perfect.

I’d almost be jealous…if I was real.

But you’re not–and he’s quite something. I wonder who he’s here to me…eeet.

Her internal dialogue trailed off as the stranger’s gaze met hers. He gave a half smile and headed towards her.

For the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her career. But now, at the age of 45, she’s questioning her choices and feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she’s passed over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny’s life will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she’s quit her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she’s leaving town on a six month road trip.

After placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she’s joined in her mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke’s true goal is to expose Manny’s journey as a pitiful and desperate attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.

Now, armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny’s on a quest to rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.

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Genre – ChickLit, Contemporary Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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Blog victoriabernadine.wordpress.com

S.A. Snow on Any Job She Would Like to Do @BooksBySnow #AmReading #AmWriting #Erotica

When you are not writing, how do you like to relax?

When not writing, I watch a lot of television. I find it easy to slip into a world that is not my own and lose time that way. I also find it very inspiring to watch and participate in the creation of others. I tend to read a lot as well. The novels I read range across the genre board, from erotica to YA.

If you could do any job in the world what would you do?

I want to have Mike Rowe’s job on Dirty Jobs. He gets to do everything! Each week he gets to do a different job. It’s amazing, and it looks like a great experience. I love the idea of being so well-rounded in knowledge.

What’s your next project?

My next project is a short story, actually. I’m working on a paranormal/supernatural romance erotica short for an anthology submission. I’ve chosen sirens for the topic! It’s so exciting. They’re very interesting creatures. I plan on writing a few more short stories in between novels, but I do have a second novel planned and in the works.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

I wrote on my laptop in google docs. It’s a rather amazing thing actually, and I like that I can access it from anywhere so long as I have internet. I write sometimes on my couch, at a desk, in bed, on the floor, at a bar, in a coffee shop, over lunch--I’ve been known to access it anywhere and everywhere just to get the story written.

Is your family supportive? Do your friends support you?

My family is supportive of my writing but not my necessarily my topic of writing. They’re not too keen on the idea of erotica, or sex-shifting aliens for that matter. However, I have a few wonderful friends who I’ve met through the great wide interwebs, and they have been very supportive of all my crazy ideas.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?

Success for me is simple. I just need to be having fun and enjoying myself. If that is happening, then whatever I’m doing is a success.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I get my inspiration from the world around me and from asking a lot of questions. The premise for Across Worlds: Collision came when there was a mistake in a friends book an an alien accidentally shifted sex because of an editing error. I asked, what if an alien actually did shift their sex? And thus...this book came forth.

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?

I would love to take at least one class in every area of topic. I think it’s very important to keep well-rounded in our knowledge, especially as an author. We need to know things about everything and the internet can only get us so far. There’s just not a manual to explain the technique of scraping plates, pipetting chemicals and solutions in an Eppendorf tube, or running column after column to get answers to some scientific question we have asked.

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

Right where I do live, high in the Andes Mountains on a farm. It’s beautiful, lovely, quiet and very serene. The perfect backdrop to a writer’s life.

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

I think they are a good thing and a bad thing. I find that there is a lot of unnecessary drama on both social media platforms, and if you couldn’t already tell, I’m not a fan of drama. Authors and writers tend to go at it like we’re back in elementary school and little Bobby pulled Rhonda-Sue’s hair because he likes her, and Rhonda-Sue cried to Kelly because Bobby was being mean. It’s honestly not something I like to watch.

However, there are good reasons to have Facebook and Twitter. The best of which is connecting with people. There is no way I would have found my publisher without Twitter, and there’s no way I would have found my beta’s without Twitter or Facebook, or my editors. In the grand scheme, I think they do more good than bad, at least for now.

Jane expected six months undercover to be hard; she expected it to be lonely and bleak. She didn’t expect to find love. 

Jane Butler, a CIA operative, is assigned the task of infiltrating the Xanthians and determining if they’re a threat to humanity. Going undercover as a Xanthian mate, she boards the transport ship and meets Usnavi—her new mate. After spending six days traveling through space, Jane is ecstatic to explore the Xanthian station and soon sets out to complete her mission. The only problem? Usnavi—and the feelings she is quickly developing. 

Fumbling their way through varying sexual expectations, cooking catastrophes, and cultural differences, they soon discover life together is never boring. As Jane and Usnavi careen into a relationship neither of them expected, Jane uncovers dark secrets about the Xanthians and realizes she may no longer be safe. When it becomes clear she’s on her own, Jane is forced to trust and rely on Usnavi. Simultaneously struggling with her mission, her feelings for Usnavi, and homesickness, Jane faces questions she never imagined she would have to answer.

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Genre – Blended Science Fiction, Erotica

Rating – NC17

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#SagaoftheNine by Mikey DB Was Originally Going to be a Musical @mikeydbii #Thriller #AmReading

Ten things you didn’t know about Saga of the Nine: Area 38

1) It was originally going to be a musical.  The album that inspired it, This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars, was intended not only as the frame work of the story, but the bulk of the songs as well.  I thought about seeking out Jared Leto’s help/permission to use his music and possibly add more, but things ended up turning a different direction.  It really came down to the fact that I didn’t think a musical would do the story justice.  I still listened to the album probably a couple hundred times while writing it, but the story is much different now than the original musical.

2) Mica and the USA Division were inspired by a date I took a girl on.  My date and I doubled with my roommate and his date, each got some masquerade masks, and then went to dinner at a fancy restaurant while we wore them.  Like I said, bizarre, but hey, something worked because my date that night is now my wife.

3) Area 38 is actually a reference to the 38^th state of the United States of America.

4) The opening setting was inspired by the cold winter mornings in Utah.  I’ve been working the six am shift for as long as I can remember, and one of the joys about having to wake up so early in order to get to work on time, is it’s around the time that the sun rises.  The fog that covered the fields outside the industrial park were some of the most beautiful mornings I’ve seen.

5) Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who played Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s Sherlock, is the person I pictured as I wrote and fine tuned Christopher Stone, the sadistic Area Leader of Area 38.  If he reads this, I hope he doesn’t get offended.  The way he talks in Star Trek: Into Darkness as Kahn is exactly how I imagine Christopher saying his lines.

6) I wrote the entire novel on the floor of my 500 square foot apartment--right at the foot of my bed.  I could only right for a few hours at a time though.  Any longer than three and my butt and legs would begin to go numb.

7) Saga of the Nine: Area 38 is actually a hybrid.  The entire plot began as two different stories.  Both of them were going nowhere, and one day I had the epiphany to combine the two.

8) Most, if not all, of my research for Area 38 came from listening to history podcasts I would listen to at my day job in the warehouse.

9) The flag on the cover was the brain child of my cousin, the cover designer.  The entire premise is that anything that is evil and corrupt usually isn’t original.  Evil simply takes originality and tweaks it.  That’s what the Nine did with the U.S. flag.

10) The foreign language in the novel is based off of Tahitian, which I picked up on my LDS mission in French Polynesia.

Change affects everyone and it is no different for Jackson. Living in Area 38 for as long as he can remember, he knows of no better way to exist than under the tyrannical rule of Christopher Stone, son of Stewart Stone from The Nine of The United Governmental Areas, aka The UGA. This all takes a dramatic turn when Jackson finds a red, metal box buried in his yard, filled with illegal artifacts—journals, a Bible, CDs, etc.—that are from a man of whom he has no recollection of: Mica Rouge.

 The year is 2036 and Mica, unlike Jackson, does know of a better way of life but is torn apart as he sees his country, The United States of America, crumbling from within by group known as The Political Mafia. The Mafia has infiltrated levels upon levels of governmental resources and it is up to Mica and a vigilante group known as The USA Division to stop them and their dark Utopian vision. To their demise, and at the country's expense, The Division fails and has no choice but to watch The Constitution dissolve and transform into The UGA.

In a final stand, having not given up hope, Mica and what is left of The Division, give one final fight in Colorado, or better known as Area 38. However, all is lost as The Division is betrayed by one of their own, Stewart Stone. Mica is left with no choice but to hide in exile, leaving what little history he can of himself and the great United States of America, with his wife, long time friends, and newly born son in hopes that they will one day finish what he could not.

Jackson, having found this legacy twenty-seven years later, decides to start the war that will end The Nine, and he with an outcast group known as The Raiders, begins his fight with Christopher Stone in Area 38. Filled with betrayal, unity, despair, hope, hate and love Area 38 follows both Mica and Jackson in their attempts to restore what they believe to be true freedom, and where one fails, the other rises to the seemingly impossible challenge.

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Genre – Dystopian Thriller

Rating – PG13

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Website www.mikeydb.com

Host Chronicles: The Devil's Offspring (Vol. 1) by D.L. Cox #AmReading #Fantasy #Excerpt

Ben was in a room on the fourth floor of Simon’s building. It was known as the concentration room. There was no furniture and the room was lit by candles that were mounted on the walls. Ben sat on the middle of the floor Indian-style, completely naked surrounded by a circle of fire with four-foot high flames that appeared to be coming out the floor. Two headless chickens lay in front of him and his face and chest were covered with the chickens’ blood. His eyes were closed and he mumbled something unintelligible. The entire scene screamed satanic ritual. Simon walked in the room carrying a photo of Sheba printed from the conference room footage.

Ben opened his eyes and the circle of fire slowly withered away. He climbed to one knee and bowed to Simon. “Is there something you want me to do?”

“Yes,” Simon said and handed Ben the photo. “I need you to track this woman.”

Ben eyed the photo. “You do not wish me to engage?”

“No,” Simon insisted. “I believe she is working with Tess. Follow her and see if she leads you to anyone interesting.”

“If she does?” Ben asked.

“Report back to me.

In this Urban Fantasy, the devil’s daughter, SALEENA, and her reaper boyfriend, IZZY, elope to earth and seek to overthrow her estranged brother, SIMON CLASH, as the devil’s heir apparent on earth, but Simon is head of a powerful conglomerate, and he’s not going out without a fight. As the rivalry turns bloody, the warring siblings discover the devil has been manipulating their feud to advance his secret agenda and is using them as decoys to draw out a sword-wielding champion of humanity called the HOST, whom must be slain before the devil can unleash a reign of terror on earth.

Legend says the Host will emerge when humanity plunges into hopelessness and despair, and NATHANIEL BRENNER, the young man responsible for delivering a magic sword to the Host, hopes that is soon. Nathaniel has spent the last six years searching for the Host to no avail and has recently seen a drastic rise in demon activity on earth, which he knows could only mean one thing: humanity is running out of time. Saleena and Simon unite to save their own hides, but it may be too late—not only for the devil’s offspring, but for humanity too! The future of humanity hangs in the balance, and Nathaniel is determined to thwart the devil’s plans and find the Host.

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Genre - Urban Fantasy

Rating - PG-13

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Lori Lesko on Books She Loved & Writing @LeskoLori #AmReading #AmWriting #Thriller

Lori Lesko was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She began dancing when she was five and acting at 13. She studied Photography for a year at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Then, she traveled the whole way to Arkansas for college. There she graduated with a degree in Psychology and Theatre. She directed, acted, choreographed and stage managed several plays while attending college.

She loves to travel and has been to France and Ireland. She adapted her first book, a Novella called Our Daughters, into a Screenplay now titled Diamond City. She lives in Florida with her two dogs.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?

I ask for help, especially from the people I admire. Also, I keep writing through the fear.

What makes you happiest?

Always finishing the first draft of a book, or when someone tells me they really enjoyed what I wrote.

What’s your greatest character strength?

I’m very stubborn, especially when someone tells me that I can’t do something.

What’s your weakest character trait?

I constantly compare myself to other writers.

Why do you write?

It’s a form of therapy for me.  I get to tell all the crazy stuff that’s in my head and leave it on the page. I find that once I write about something that’s bothering me, it no longer upsets me.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?

I completed my first novel and wrote a screenplay.

What books did you love growing up?

I loved Stranger in a Strange Land, Dune, and Fahrenheit 451- Lots of Science Fiction books.

Who is your favorite author?

I have two, Stephen king and Gillian Flynn

What book genre of books do you adore?

Psychological Thrillers

What book should everybody read at least once?

To Kill a Mockingbird

Amber Tyler is living every author’s dream: her books are all best sellers and she writes full time. She has worked hard and is well-accomplished in her career, and she has the support and love of her beautiful children and girlfriend. 

But the dream soon turns into a terrible nightmare when her latest manuscript is stolen. She decides to fight for what is rightfully hers, only to find that the harder she tries, the easier it all slips through her fingers, putting her career, her family, and her life in jeopardy.

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Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG-13

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