Monday 29 April 2013

Blood Flows Deep in the Empire by N. Isabelle Blanco - Book Review by Heather




Review for Blood Flows Deep in the Empire The Rise of the Szolites - Part One (A Szolite Novel) by N. Isabelle Blanco.

Review by Heather.



This is a very interesting science fiction love story.  That means there are several odd names of people and places, but the author has done something many sci-fi writers don’t and that is to give us a glossary of names and definitions right in the front of the story.  Personally, I grew up reading science fiction so the names didn’t really pose a problem for me but it was still very nice knowing just where I could look it up, if I did find myself tripped up.
I found the characters very engaging, it was easy to love the good guys and hate the bad guys and at times you find yourself hating the good and loving the bad.  There’s an incredible amount of humor and sex in this story.  Trust me, that’s not an easy task to accomplish in science fiction, but the author has done a wonderfully descriptive way of each.
We have Gods and Goddesses, humans, vortexes, sacrifices, fates, rituals, and mates.  They’re all here and very well written and quite descriptive.  I actually could see  the scenes in my head as if I was watching a film or experiencing it first hand.


You can check out this book and get a copy on the following links. 

Author Links:


Facebook: www.facebook.com/nisabelleblanco

Twitter: www.twitter.com/nyddi

Blog/Website: www.houseofmalfunction.com

Buy Links:

Amazon: 




Friday 26 April 2013

Cover Reveal For Surviving Raine by Shay Savage




Summary:

As the captain of a schooner catering to the elite on the Caribbean Seas, Sebastian Stark does his
best to avoid any human encounters. Interacting with people isn’t his thing, and he prefers the
company of a bottle of vodka, a shot glass, and maybe a whore. There’s no doubt he’s hiding
from a checkered past, but he does well keeping everything to himself…
…until the night his schooner capsizes, and he’s stuck on a life raft with one of the passengers.
Raine’s young, she’s cute, and Bastian would probably be into her if he wasn’t suffering from
alcohol withdrawal. As the days pass, DTs, starvation, and dehydration become the norm. Even
the most closed person starts to open up when he thinks he’s going to die, but when she realizes
their traumatic pasts are connected, it’s no longer the elements that have Bastian concerned.
He has no idea how he’s going to Survive Raine.
***
Bastian isn’t the most pleasant guy Raine could have ended up with in the middle of the ocean
with no chance of rescue, but he has an uncanny knack for survival. As she digs through the
walls surrounding the stubborn and challenging man, she finds something surprisingly different
buried inside…
…and he can answer the question she’s asked for years.
As she learns more about what has brought him to this fate, Raine is determined to drag this self-
destructive man back from the edge of the wave. Isolation is her only chance to tear the man out
from inside of the animal, but this one has been abused for a long time.
She also has to live long enough to get through to him.


Genre: Adult Romance

Release Date: May 21st, 2013

Teaser of Surviving Raine:

“What’s your problem?” I snapped again. I hadn’t really meant to, I was just tense and pissy. 
The smoke was helping, but what I really wanted was a drink. I didn’t suppose anyone packed any of those little tiny airplane-sized booze bottles in the survival kits.
“I…um…” she stumbled over her words and looked away. Even under her darkened skin, I could see red creeping into her cheeks.
“What?” I was annoyed now. If she was going to complain about my smoking, I was going to lose it.
“I…have to go to the bathroom.”
I laughed. I took one last long drag, getting it all the way up to the filter before I tossed the butt out onto the waves.
“Then fucking go!”
“Where?”
“Didn’t you notice the en suite bath?” I laughed again, and then took a smidgen of pity on her. “Over the side, where do you think?”
“Well…how?”
All right, she did have a point there. Or rather, she didn’t have a point. Or a pointer. I had to laugh again at my internal joke.
“Just…I don’t know…hang your ass out over the edge. Or get in the water.
Whatever.”
“I’d have to take off my suit.”
“So?”
She blushed again.
“What? You want me to hang out in the next room for a few minutes? I promise I won’t gawk at you.”
She didn’t move. Well, actually, she was still fidgeting around; she just didn’t make a move to actually solve her dilemma. If she kept this up, she was going to pee in the fucking raft.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve already checked you out front and back, had my mouth on yours and my hand on your tit, so it’s not like…”
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. I realized how what I had said sounded, considering she had been unconscious the entire time. I shook my head.
“I didn’t mean…ah, fuck.” I grabbed my shirt and flopped down on my back, covering my whole face up with the garment. I lay there for a moment but didn’t hear her moving at all, so I yelled at her again. “Get on with it!”
She moved. I could hear her shuffle over to the front of the raft and then move around in one place, presumably taking off her shorts and her bathing suit.
“If you are going to get in the water, put the life preserver around your waist first and hold on to the fucking ladder. I don’t want to have to dive in after your ass again.”
“Okay,” she said. “Um…where is it?”
“Right outside the opening – on the left.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“Whatever.”
I listened to her move around a bit more and then felt her move closer to the opening and off to the side. There was a soft splash, and a minute later I heard her pulling herself back up onto the raft.
“There’s something similar to a towel over there,” I said – flinging my arm out in the
direction of the back of the raft and waving my hand around. “Make sure you dry off the floor, too.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“Whatever.”
I listened to her move around some more, getting pretty fed up with just lying there, baking, with my fucking shirt over my head.
“Are you done yet?”
“Almost,” she said quietly. Her voice still sounded scratchy. “Okay, I’m done.”
I grabbed the shirt off my face and sat up, looking over at her. She was adjusting the straps on her suit and still blushing.
“Do you know why my…um…throat hurts?”
“Yeah,” I said. I didn’t elaborate. After a minute she finally asked.
“Why does my throat hurt?”
“Because you inhaled a shitload of salt water,” I stated. “It fucks up your throat and your vocal cords. Give it a day; it’ll be better.”
“Thank you,” she said, again.
“Whatever,” I replied, again.
I shoved my hand down into the sealed up container for rations and pulled out a carb bar. I tore it in half and threw one of the pieces at her.
“Eat it,” I instructed. “You can have the other half in six hours.”
“Six hours?” she repeated.
“Are you a fucking recorder? Yes, six hours.”
I knew I was being a bastard, but my brain was working overtime trying to figure out what our best course of action might be. Having her here made it ten times more difficult. If it was just me, I was pretty sure I would be fine. There was plenty of food and water for just me. I could fish, I could take care of myself, and I could stay alive under pretty extreme circumstances.
Having her here with me just…complicated everything.


Author Bio:



Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, two children, and a variety of household pets.  She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International.  When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, and loves soccer in any and all forms.  During the fall, she coaches her daughter’s soccer team.  Though she currently works in the technology field, her school background is in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.

Author Contact Links:


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AP5NNWC/

Thursday 25 April 2013

Spotlight Author Interview with RE Hargrave by Sally

R.E. Hargrave is our next spotlighted author and we'd like to thank her for taking the time  to talk with us!





R.E. Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX where she prides herself on being a domestic engineer.  Married to her high school sweetheart, together they are raising three children from elementary age to college age. She is an avid reader, a sometimes quilter and now, a writer for Renaissance Romance Publishing. 

She has recently released To Serve is Divine, Volume 1 in The Divine Trilogy.
 
Catherine O’Chancey is a reserved, demure, and graceful submissive. All traits she trained hard to enhance when she discovered the world of Dominance and submission in college. In an attempt to start fresh after the unexpected death of her last Dom, Catherine moves to Dallas, TX to escape the shroud of darkness he left behind in her life. She has tried to fight the need that resides deep within her to submit, but finally has to admit she can’t for it is not a choice, but part of who she truly is. After months of mental preparation, she ventures back into the lifestyle by attending a coveted open-night event at Dungeons and Dreams, an exclusive BDSM club.

Is it fate or coincidence that Catherine garners the attention of one of the club’s board members who happens to be on the hunt for the perfect sub – a partner who enjoys receiving pain and pleasure as much as he enjoys doling it out?

Jayden Masterson is many things: a firm Dom, a shrewd businessman, and a gentleman. What he isn’t, is someone who partakes in relationships outside of contractual ones with his multiple, un-collared, regular submissives. While he likes rough sex, he is not an animal, and can find pleasure only if it is consensual. What his harem is missing is a pain slut; could there be one in his future?

Upon meeting Catherine, Jayden feels an instantaneous spark inside him that has him wanting to know not just her body, but her mind. He wants to unravel her mysteries and discover her secrets. Through pain can they find the pleasure they seek? Can part-time pain lovers find full-time fulfillment when it’s not in their contract?

Interested yet? Here's a small excerpt from the book that may help:

 
It didn’t take long for Catherine’s sure touch to have Master’s cock stretched tight, the flesh an almost angry red in a visual display of his need. Gliding her hand up his length, she licked her lips when the first viscous bead oozed out from the slit. She waited for Master to give the command; to tell Catherine to take him into her mouth.

                In her mind Catherine prepared, searching out that peaceful space she went to when participating in sexual submission. It was a quiet place with a blank slate; no preconceived notions, just opening her mind to accept what her Master asked of her body. One thing marred her special place – a cane enclosure kept her confined – other than that, she was open to do Master’s bidding. She needed to show Micah that she alone was enough for Master, even if she could never say the words out loud.

                For the second time that night, Catherine’s world shifted beneath her feet when Master gave the command not to her, but to Micah.

                “Come forward and take me in your mouth, Micah.” Master’s instructions were quiet and contained to their box.

                When Micah came forward and his tongue flicked out at Master, Catherine’s first instinct was to ride the feeling of jealousy which was welling up inside of her. While she watched, his mouth closed over the top and Master’s cock disappeared behind Micah’s lips. Her breath hitched in a choked sob of disappointment and anguish.

                You asked for this, Erin. You have no right to have your feelings being hurt like a petty child by this. Look at what is in front of you. How can you not appreciate that sight?

                The urge to smack herself was strong. She’d pushed for this, and true to Master’s word, he was accommodating her. Catherine had no recourse to be upset. Questions began forming in her head; details and information she wanted about Master’s past, but she knew it wasn’t the time. Sunday would be her time. Looking upon the men before her, Catherine felt her inner turmoil settling. The two of them together were hot. Did anything else really matter right now?


Because we want you to enjoy this amazing book, The Hive is hosting an ebook giveaway. Enter now for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
R.E Hargrave is also doing a giveaway of her own. If you'd like to receive an autographed bookmark from the author, all you have to do is take a photo of yourself reading To Serve Is Divine and email it to her. Details can be found here.

 
To Serve is Divine, Volume 1 in The Divine Trilogy, is available through amazon in paperback or for  Kindle. Also available on Amazon (Kindle Edition) is her first novel, Sugar & Spice (Sugarplum Dreams) Links to purchase any available formats can also be found here: http://www.rehargrave.com/p/get-it-here.html

 



















Questions for the Author




1.     Where are you from? 
  
      Currently I’m on the outskirts of Dallas, TX. We’ve lived in Texas since 1998. Prior to that my husband was in the Air Force, which had us in Montgomery, AL for four years. Prior to that, was a small town in the Mojave Desert: Ridgecrest, CA. That’s also where I met my husband, in my Advanced Algebra class at Burroughs high school. My childhood was spent alternating between Ridgecrest (where my mother lived) and Spartanburg, SC (where my father lived).



2.     How long have you been writing?  

     October 2010 was when I posted my first chapter to fanfiction.net, putting something out in a public forum. I’d dabbled with a few things earlier than that which have not been shared so far. However, in 2006, I began working on YA mermaid tale which I hope to get back to and finish now that I’ve learned so much more about what goes into creating and writing a story from start to finish.




3.     What book(s) have you published so far?


Sugar & Spice (volume four of The Candy Collection: Sugarplum Dreams).  
Lacey Harrison has been dealt an unexpected hand in life: being a single mom. With her father's help and that of the residents at Royal Hills Nursing Home, she thrives and goes on to become a successful baker. She is content with her life but knows that she and her daughter Candy are missing something. Will things change for the better when Trent Childress moves into town and adds some spice to her sugar? *This is a YA novella



To Serve is Divine (book 1 of The Divine Trilogy) Catherine O’Chancey is reserved, demure, and graceful. All traits enhanced by the world of Dominance and submission. Dallas, Texas is her destination for a fresh start from a tragic experience. After much deliberation, she attends an open-night event at an exclusive BDSM club because the need to submit which resides deep inside her is not a choice. 



Is it fate or coincidence that she garners the attention of a Dom who is on the hunt for the perfect sub – a partner who enjoys receiving pain and pleasure as much as he enjoys doling it out?



Jayden Masterson is a Dom who doesn’t have an interest in relationships outside of contractual ones with his submissives. He likes his sex rough as long as it’s consensual. However, upon meeting Catherine, he finds that he is interested in more than just her body. 



Could she be the ‘jewel’ he’s been searching for? *This is a BDSM Erotica



4.     What are your current projects and can you tell us a little about them?



Sure! I’d love to. At this time I have two manuscripts undergoing editing. Haunted Raine will be released July 2, 2013 as part of the Summer Heat anthology being published by Renaissance Romance Publishing. When the house put out the open call for “beach reads” I knew I wanted to participate, but also that I wanted to do something outside of the box, not your typical white sands, palm trees, and fruity umbrella drinks. What resulted was a fun piece to write which involved ghosts, history, and Voodoo. The listing is now up on Goodreads if you want to go ahead and add it to your “Want to Read” shelves. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17827068-haunted-raine

Here’s the summary: Distracted by the everyday routine of raising children, being a wife, and keeping a home, Lorraine Morrissey let life pass her by. Her wakeup call comes when she realizes that with their children gone, her husband Richard is rarely home, and she’s filling her solitary days with trivial tasks. A crazy idea to save her marriage leads to a summer beach vacation unlike any she’s ever taken; one that involves unknowingly buying a haunted house.



The second manuscript in editing is A Divine Life which is the second book of The Divine Trilogy slated for release in early August. The third book, Surreal, is being written now, and is scheduled for a March 2014 release. For those familiar with To Serve is Divine in the fanfiction version (yes, I’ve pulled to publish, but trust me, I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into overhauling that bad boy – it’s not just a name change story), you will find that A Divine Life is the main reworked body of the fanfiction. TSiD and Surreal are the expansions going back to the beginning of Catherine and Jayden’s story, and then carrying on into their future.



Those are just the contracted projects. I also have a few stories started in various docs that I work on whenever the characters talk to me, and of course my fanfiction is patiently waiting for me to return and finish a couple of posted WIPs (work in progress), in addition to more unposted WIPs in those infamous docs (time will tell if the unposted WIPs become more fanfiction or originals).



5.     What inspired you to write your first book?


Since my first book was technically a fanfiction to start, I’d have to answer that by saying I wanted something kinkier than what was I finding in the fanfic databases at the time – so I wrote it. When I began, I’d expected it to be about six or seven chapters, and that I’d never write anything after that again; I just needed to get it out of my system. Well guess what, folks? Once you start writing, it doesn’t just ‘get out of your system’. No, it festers and grows, and multiplies until you find that you’ve written over thirty stories and decide that maybe it’s time to stop dabbling in fanfics and make it real.



6.     How long did it take you to publish it, after you started trying? 


I was rather fortunate in that I didn’t have to sell myself to a house; they came to me. I’d made it known that I was considering entering a contest – in which reworked fanfics were allowed – following the BDSM theme where the winner would be offered a contract. Checking with my loyal readers to see if they would feel like I’d sold out (or any of the other emotions which people feel in regards to pull to publish) drew the attention of RenRom. They asked me to have a meeting with them to discuss the possibility, and the rest is history.



7.     How much of the book is realistic?


I’m hoping the entire book is realistic! All joking aside, when I began writing the first incarnation of To Serve is Divine, my research into the BDSM lifestyle began. As I’ve addressed this topic before, please allow me to provide a link where you can find the post on just how much research I did: http://www.sarahaisling.com/blog-stop-and-guest-post-to-serve-is-divine-by-r-e-hargrave/

But don’t take my word for it; perhaps these excerpts from reviews can better answer this question:



“Can I just say, as a reader of Fifty Shades of Grey... this story beats it by 100% I am so thrilled with this story and love the BDSM aspect of it. The author really knows what she is talking about and her details are incredible. I highly recommend this book with all that is good and holy in this world.”



“As I mentioned before, I don’t have any personal knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle, but my impression while reading was that the author did her research and portrayed it in a realistic way. Reading To Serve is Divine certainly gave me a new sense of respect for the BDSM community and a better understanding in general.”



“What I loved about this story from the get-go was how real and true to life it was. You can tell from the start that this author has put a lot thought into every aspect of the story, from the setting to the characters.

It was so refreshing to see that an author has taken the time to research this genre carefully before putting pen to paper and not just thrown porn into the written form.

The characters are not perfect, they are flawed, and that makes it such an amazing story to read, because you can relate to them so much, even if you are not in the lifestyle yourself.

Everything about this story pulled me in and I wasn’t left disappointed at the end like other stories out there. If you are new to the lifestyle or have read a lot of ‘smut’ out there, I urge you to give this a go and let this author open your eyes to just a little bit more, you won’t be disappointed.”



“Loved this story! Catherine and Jayden draw you into their hearts and lives. Her need to serve and submit and his need to dominate her and help her see what an amazing woman she is. Well researched BDSM is always a awesome read. R.E. Hargrave did a great job and you never thought that what was going on was impossible in that world. The characters evolve slowly and realistically. I recommend this to anyone that wants a glimpse into the mind of a true submissive and the Dom that we all wish we had. Just go read it...you won't be disappointed!”



8.     Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

     While the research and the lifestyle I’ve portrayed are real, the situations and backstories are completely fictional. However, I did write a little bit of myself into the main female character: Catherine O’Chancey.



9.     What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?  
     
     Oh, this is tough one, given my voracious appetite for reading all of my life. While it may be slightly cliché, I’d have to give credit to the Twilight Saga for being the most influential. Without it, I never would’ve taken that leap into writing fanfiction which led me to where I am now.



10.  If you had to choose, which author/writer would you consider a mentor? 
     
     Laurell K. Hamilton. Her writing style holds nothing back, and I love everything I’ve read by her. More than that, I love how interactive she is socially. Ms. Hamilton isn’t a reclusive writer that hides away and secretly submits manuscripts which miraculously appear on shelves one day. She Facebooks, she tweets, she blogs . . . she lets you know she’s a real person.



11.  Who or what inspires you to keep writing?  

     That’s a loaded question . . . lol. Inspiration is all around if you’re open to letting it in. Be it a song, a picture, an argument you overhear coming from a house while on your nightly walk – you just never know where the prompt for your next project will come from.



12.  What do you consider to be your best accomplishment so far?  

     Hands down, my kids. My oldest just turned seventeen and is in his first year of college, and he’s just the tip of the iceberg. All three of my children are brilliant, beautiful, and amazing individuals. They have morals, they can hold an intelligent conversation, and they have hearts the size of Texas. What mom wouldn’t be proud?



13.  If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?  

     Considering I have already ‘done it over again’, I can honestly say that, no, I’m very happy with how the first book in the trilogy came out, and I wouldn’t change a thing.



14.  Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

     Thank you. The Trilogy is seeing the light of day because of y’all – because of your support and encouragement over the last two and a half years; because of your insightful reviews where you challenged me and cried with me. It seems so plain, but there really aren’t words to express how much this all meant to me other than simply, thank you.



15.  Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? 

     Believe in yourself and never give up. If your story needs to be told, you will find a way. That journey can be made easier if you remember some basic writing tips that need to be considered when publishing:

    • Remember that a character POV should be at least 600 words long before you shift to a new “voice”.
    • The dreaded “LY” words: stealthily, greedily, slowly, only, early, shockingly, etc. Writers tend to depend too heavily on adverbs, and the publishing standard is that you’re permitted ONE –ly word per 300 words of text. Take your total document word count and divide by 300. The answer is how many of the –ly words you’re allowed to have. If you’re over, you need to edit.
    • Details will make or break you, and trust me, it’s easier to have too much which needs to be edited out, than to try to add more in, so don’t be afraid to describe that car, the outfit, the meal, but most importantly make sure the reader can envision your characters. You should be dropping reminders throughout your manuscript of how they look: height, style of dress, hair color, eye color, etc.
    • Watch your tenses. Nothing throws a reader off more than jumbling past and present.
    • Have fun. Chances are if the story is boring you while you write, it’s going to bore readers. Don’t be afraid to let your imagination take flight.


Links for R.E. Hargrave:

Be sure to check out R.E Hargrave's books today!