Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The 'Fire and Ice' Playlist with Verdell Walker







Music is a pretty big inspiration for me while I’m writing. I visualize my story as I’m writing it – when it’s like a movie playing in my head, that’s when I know I’m onto something good. And of course, music plays a big role in evoking the mood in scenes when you watch films. Some of the songs below line up with specific scenes, while others just fit the overall mood I was in while I was writing. Warning: some mild plot spoilers are below.
  1. Rui da Silva - Touch Me 
a)     This is what I heard in my head during the nightclub scene when Kat defends Bronwyn from Hannah’s attack. You can just hear this thumping on the sound system when Kat has her showdown with Queen Bee Hannah.
  1. Casa del Mirto - The Haste
  2. Lana del Rey - You Can Be The Boss
  3. Aaliyah - More Than A Woman
a)     I think this song perfectly sums up Kat. She just came in and rocked Blaze’s world.
  1. Kanye West and Jay-Z - No Church in the Wild 
a)     This is the background music for the climactic battle to save Kat, fought between the Brotherhood and Seth. It also happens to be one of my all-time favorite songs.
  1. Chromatics - Tick of the Clock
a)     I hear this song every time the Brotherhood goes out on patrol. Dark, dangerous, and insistent.
  1. Led Zeppelin - Kashmir 
  2. Ginuwine – Differences
a)     This is Kat and Blaze’s “song”. I couldn’t think of another song that so perfectly encapsulates the depth of Blaze’s feelings for Kat, and the changes she makes in his life.
  1. Black Tide - Shockwave 
  2. The Black Keys - Work Me 
  3. Dave Brubeck - Take Five
a)     The jazz band plays this during The Regents’ Ball at the Ward Mansion.
  1. Sam Sparro - Black and Gold

The Coven: Fire and Ice        
The Coven, Book 1
Verdell Walker

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

ISBN: Print – 1481981080
Ebook - 9781301450695

Number of pages: 454
Word Count: 114,679

Cover Artist: Gabriela Miyares

Print - https://www.createspace.com/4132062

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Book Description:

After her clique's bullying causes a classmate's suicide, Kat Grey trades the vicious world of the California "in crowd" for the chance to become a better person in Massachusetts. But when she steps in to protect a classmate from being bullied, Kat sparks a war with Hannah, Milton Academy's resident Queen Bee.

Kat's courage and compassion attract the attention of Blaze Ward, Hannah's ex-boyfriend. As they fall in love, Kat discovers that Blaze is more than the boy next door. He's a warlock. He is also the leader of an in-crowd like no other - the Brotherhood, five young warlocks charged with defending witches and humanity from a demonic adversary named Seth.

Kat challenges Blaze to become a better man and leader while he helps her find redemption as she makes it her mission to stop bullying at Milton. But when Hannah teams up with Seth to destroy her, Kat becomes a hostage in the age-old war between the Brotherhood and their greatest enemy. Saving Kat will require more than Blaze's strength and skill; it will mean breaking one of his kind's most sacred laws. Blaze will have to make a choice: his honor or Kat's life.

About the Author:

Verdell Walker is the author of THE COVEN series. Born and raised in the South, writing has been her escape from reality for many years.

Verdell is an avid sports fan and absolutely devoted to the Green Bay Packers. A gifted cook and baker, few things make her happier than making a meal for her family and friends. Except maybe writing about her favorite boys.


Blog: http://vnwalker.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/verdellwalker12

Twitter: https://twitter.com/verdellwalker

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6879152.Verdell_Walker

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Interview and $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway with Constance Phillips



Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

I live in NW Ohio with my husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children and four canine kids. When I’m not writing, I’m helping out my husband in our hardwood flooring business or watching reality television.

I write under my real name and while I have to urban fantasy / paranormal romance books published with Crescent Moon Press, I also write contemporary romance.

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Resurrecting Harry is about an escape artist – Harry Houdini. He must escape the chains of death to save the only woman he’s ever loved (Bess) from her path of self-destruction.

Though it’s a reimagined, alternate timeline story. It’s really about learning from one’s mistakes and learning to value every day as a gift.

Are you a mom ?

Yes. I have a son who is 23 and a daughter who is 20.

If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and parenting?

When they were younger it was definitely an issue. My writing time then was from about 10:00 at night until 2:00 in the morning, because I always put their needs first during the day.

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

Resurrecting Harry is about a reincarnated Harry Houdini (Erich) and Bess. It was a very different story for me to write, but I’m very happy with the way it turned out. 
In other books I’ve written some characters have traits of people I know, but I have not created a character that was based on a person in my life.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

Though I don’t always intend it when I start a story, there is usually a theme or lesson to be had. In Resurrecting Harry it is to value each day we are given as a treasure.

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

I hope to write two more books in this world. I really can’t give away any details because they would spoil the end of this one.

What book are you reading now?

I’m reading The Last Keeper’s Daughter by Rebecca Trogner, a fellow Crescent Moon Press author. It’s a wonderful story.



March 22 Guest blog
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March 24 Guest blog
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March 28 Interview
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March 29 Spotlight
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March 29/30 Live Radio Interview
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April 1 Interview
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April 7 Spotlight
Cover Reveals 

April 8 Spotlight
A Girl and Her Kindle 

April 9 Guest blog
Romance Book Junkies

April 15 Spotlight

April 16 Guest blog
Paranormal Romance Fans for Life 


April 17 Guest blog and review
Urban Girl Reader – 


April 18 Spotlight
Cloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuff


Resurrecting Harry
Constance Phillips

Genre: Paranormal Romance    

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

ISBN:  978-1-939173-13-3

Number of pages: 270
Word Count: 91,000

Cover Artist: Lilliana Sanchez

Book Trailer:  http://youtu.be/2fWMcc8h368

Book Description:

Can the greatest escape artist ever known break the grim reaper’s chains to save the only woman he’s ever loved?

In order to save Bess from self-destruction, Harry Houdini puts his afterlife on the line by entering a wager with purgatory’s keeper. He gives Harry a younger face and body, and a new name: Erich Welch.

Bess clings to his promise to deliver a coded message from beyond the grave, determined to provide the bridge for him to cross, even if that means befriending her husband's sworn enemy.

Erich needs to help Bess over her loss and put her on the road to healing, but will any good come from resurrecting Harry? 

About the Author:

Constance Phillips lives in Ohio with her husband, two ready-to-leave-the-nest children, and four canine kids. Her perfect fantasy vacation would involve hunting Dracula across Europe with her daughter, who also digs that kind of stuff. When she's not writing about fairies, shifters, vamps, and guardian angels, she's working side-by-side with her husband in their hardwood flooring business.

Constance is actively involved in her local Romance Writers of America chapter (MVRWA) and the Southeast Michigan chapter of the United States Pony Club. When not writing or enjoying the outdoors, she loves reality television or can be found at a Rick Springfield concert (just look for the pink Converse high tops).

Blog: http://www.constancephillips.com

Twitter: http://www.twiter.com/CPhillips

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ConstancePhillipsRomanceAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6470282.Constance_Phillips

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The Heracian Affair Playlist By Liv Olteano

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Monday, March 25, 2013

AD Starrling Talks Bonus Material and Research Plus a Giveaway



Hello and thank you for having me here!

Today, I would like to share bonus material from the research that went into Soul Meaning, the first novel in my supernatural thriller series Seventeen. These extras will hopefully give you an insight into what was going through my mind when I was writing the book!

Enjoy!

 1.    Lucas’s Glock 17

Although he hates violence, this is Lucas Soul’s favorite gun by far. Designed by Gaston Glock and manufactured by Glock Ges.m.b.H. since 1982, its use has been widely adopted by police and military forces around the world, including the British Armed Forces from 2013. A third of the way into writing Soul Meaning, I ended up changing the guns I had given to Lucas and his human partner Reid Hasley simply because I wanted them to be able to share magazines during one particular fight scene. 

 2.    Lucas’s daisho
 The katana is the longer blade, with the shorter wakizashi below, each with its own lacquered scabbard. The principal reason I chose this weapon for Lucas is because I made become the apprentice to Miyamoto Musashi, the author of ‘The Book of Five Rings’ and the founder of the Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu, the ‘Two Heavens as One’ or ‘Two Swords as One’ style of swordsmanship. Musashi was a ronin who lived during the Japanese Edo period and was reputed to have been the best samurai in the world, undefeated in battle. The other major influence for choosing Japanese blades comes from my fascination with action mangas and animes, particularly Bleach. 

3.    Lucas’s Hayabusa

This is one of three motorcycles owned by Lucas. The word Hayabusa translates to Peregrine Falcon in Japanese. This Suzuki sports bike has been hailed the fastest production motorcycle of the 20th century, with a recorded top speed of 194 mph; this is close to the velocity achieved in a stoop or vertical hunting dive by the bird of prey it was named after. Lucas’s Hayabusa is midnight black.

4.    Reid’s Chevy

Reid’s 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. He got it from the Boston PD when he resigned as a Homicide Detective. It has a police radio scanner that comes in handy during their stake outs. Seriously though, he should negotiate a raise with Lucas.

5.    One of Lucas’s many cars

 This is Lucas’s Dodge Viper SRT10, although his is blue. People who know me well are aware of my fascination with nice cars. Don’t bother asking me about their specs or what’s under the hood, I’m all about the curves, the angles, the sleekness, the general Va-va-voom of these manmade beasts. Very much like his creator, Lucas likes his cars fast. This comes as a rather nasty surprise for Reid. It’ll take a long time for the poor guy to recover from that trip to New York…

6. Pierre Vauquois’s Jaguar XK120 roadster


When I took the story across to Europe, I immediately visualized Lucas and Reid driving around Paris in a vintage vehicle. Although I originally intended to put them in a classic Citroën 2CV, I felt it would not do justice to their characters, and chose the Jag instead. Also, I wanted a faster and sexier ride for the chase scene in Gif-sur-Yvette. This is the car that Lucas virtually destroys in France. The Citroën still made it into the story though!  

7. Zurich Hauptbahnhof


Having never been to Zurich, it took me days of research to be able to visualize the interior of the Hauptbahnhof station, as well as the layout of the roads around it. These were crucial factors in writing that epic fight and chase scene, especially when I moved the action to the Bahnhofstrasse. I hope the descriptions made for vivid reading!

8. Lucas’s favorite beer

I made the original Stiegl beer Lucas’s favorite drink because it would have been around at the time the Ottoman Empire tried to capture Vienna again in 1683. It’s a miracle he managed to fight the Ottoman Army at all…

9.    The Bastians’ C40 Clipper

The is the military Boeing aircraft the Bastians use to get Lucas out of Germany. I originally wanted to give them a Boeing C-17 Globemaster or the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy with its nose and aft doors, but a larger military aircraft would have limited the number of private or abandoned airfields they could use, and would have seriously stood out. 

10.     The Halo Drop

I had so much fun researching the HALO (high altitude low opening) jump. For one thing, I also learned about the HAHO (high altitude high opening) jump. I picked the HALO because it has the cooler name of the two (seriously, who’s gonna pick the HAHO? It sounds like some kind of garden maze or something to do with suspicious dwarves!). Also, the HALO has the longer free fall, with that super sweet terminal velocity of 170 mph. I knew I wanted this for the final battle scene, although having Lucas and Reid learn the finer points of HALO jumping in one day is, realistically speaking, impossible! Now, imagine doing this in the dark, with night vision goggles! I have the perfect song for it on my September 18 2012 News post.

These extras are also available under the Bonus section on my website. Look out for upcoming bonus material from King’s Crusade, Book 2 in the series Seventeen!

Happy reading, writing, and blogging!

AD Starrling



Soul Meaning
Seventeen Series Book One
AD Starrling

Genre: Supernatural thriller

ISBN: 978-0957282605
ASIN: B008L8IU8C

Number of pages: 420
Word Count: 108,187

Cover Artist: Streetlight Graphics

Amazon  Amazon UK  Amazon CA

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Blackwell   Waterstones  Book Depository    Foyles   Big Hay

Book Description:

A half breed immortal. An international manhunt. A race against time to stop a terrifying plot that threatens to kill millions. The gripping, action-packed debut novel by AD Starrling and the first in the supernatural thriller series Seventeen.


‘My name is Lucas Soul.
Today, I died again.
This is my fifteenth death in the last four hundred and fifty years.’

The Crovirs and the Bastians. Two races of immortals who have lived side by side with humans for millennia and been engaged in a bloody war since the very dawn of their existence. With the capacity to survive up to sixteen deaths, it was not until the late fourteenth century that they reached an uneasy truce, following a deadly plague that wiped out more than half of their numbers and made the majority of survivors infertile.

Soul is an outcast of both immortal societies. Born of a Bastian mother and a Crovir father, a half breed whose very existence is abhorred by the two races, he spends the first three hundred and fifty years of his life being chased and killed by the Hunters.

One fall night in Boston, the Hunt starts again, resulting in Soul’s fifteenth death and triggering a chain of events that sends him on the run with Reid Hasley, a former US Marine and his human business partner of ten years. When a lead takes them to Washington DC and a biotechnology company with affiliations to the Crovirs, they cross the Atlantic to Europe, on the trail of a French scientist whose research seems intrinsically linked to the reason why the Hunters are after Soul again.

From Paris to Prague, their search for answers will lead them deep into the immortal societies and bring them face to face with someone from Soul’s past. Shocking secrets are uncovered and fresh allies come to the fore as they attempt to put a stop to a new and terrifying threat to both immortals and humans.

Time is running out for Soul. Can he get to the truth before his seventeenth death, protect the ones he loves and prevent another immortal war? 

About the Author:

AD Starrling was born on the small island nation of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and came to the UK at the age of twenty to study medicine. After five years of hard graft earning her MD and another five years working all of God’s hours as a Paediatrician, she decided it was time for a change and returned to her first love, writing.
Soul Meaning is her debut novel and the first in a supernatural thriller series entitled Seventeen. She currently lives in Warwickshire in the West Midlands, where she is busy writing the second novel in the series while drinking gallons of tea.
 She still practises medicine. AD Starrling is her pen name.

www.adstarrling.com

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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6469599.A_D_Starrling

http://www.amazon.com/AD-Starrling/e/B008KS77GO/
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