#Excerpt from UNFINISHED BUSINESS by @Ted_Tayler #Thriller #BookClub #MustRead

There are so many different avenues through which you can promote your writing; blogging is a useful way of getting your name further up the pecking order in the search engines. It is a relatively inexpensive way of getting people to at least consider buying your books.

If you have a marketing budget (lucky you!) then virtual book tours can speed up the process of getting readers to visit your site; while they are there you have the opportunity to grab their interest with what you have written in your latest post. Personally I don’t fill my blog posts with things about my novels or short stories; I write about everything else in my life as well. The reason for this is that I want them to know that I’m a ‘real’ person who has all the same highs and lows in my life as they do. I chat about the weather, my family, events in my local town, my holidays, and the death of one of my closest friends. I cast my net as wide as possible to find a few items that will interest them.

I attempt to engage them enough to want to come back time and again. Perhaps it will take them one visit, perhaps it will take several but eventually I want them to trust me enough to believe that if they move around my website and finally take the plunge and buy one of my books, they won’t be disappointed.

I came to blogging in a roundabout fashion. I had my book of memories published in 2011 and then I invested in a website and joined Twitter. This was an afterthought! I was selling all the paperbacks I had had printed and I wondered whether I could sell the kindle version of the book as well. Writing a blog chapter every few weeks was suggested to me by the designer of my site; I didn’t know what a blog was! I’m glad I followed up on her suggestion because it was those blog chapters that I wrote over the next twelve months that reminded me how much I enjoyed writing and gave me the courage to start ‘The Final Straw’ and then self-publish my first novel. I haven’t stopped writing since.

My Twitter followers were initially music lovers and musicians, because of the content of the first book. I hit fifty thousand followers by the end of 2012; today I have around ninety five thousand. A large percentage of the latest recruits are book lovers and other authors.

Naturally, I direct followers to my site so that they can read the blog and maybe buy a book; there must be something about my tweets that keeps them coming and staying in such large numbers but there’s no guaranteed correlation between followers and book sales I can assure you! If I could crack that I’d be a happy man. On balance I’d rather be blogging and attracting more readers than giving it up as a way to promote my writing. For me it will remain an important tool as an author.

The sequel to the award winning ‘The Final Straw’ sees Colin Bailey return to the UK after almost a decade abroad. With a new name and a new face he still has scores to settle. His meticulous planning takes him ingeniously across Scotland and the North of England ticking names off his list with the police completely baffled. 

DCI Phil Hounsell pitted his wits against Colin before and so he is sent to Durham where he teams up with super intelligent young DS Zara Wheeler; together they track their man to Manchester and then eventually south to Bath. 

The final scenes take place on the streets of the Roman city; Phil Hounsell’s family is threatened and in a dramatic conclusion reminiscent of Holmes and Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, the two men struggle above the foaming waters of the historic Pulteney weir. 

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Thriller

Rating – PG-18

More details about the author

Connect with Ted Tayler on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://tedtayler.co.uk/

#Excerpt from Hearts Unfold (Miracle at Valley Rise Book 1) by Karen Welch #Women #AmReading

Crawling into the back of the limo, Stani huddled in a corner, closing his eyes behind the lenses of his sunglasses. If he could only be still for a bit, he told himself firmly, he might yet avoid being sick. His head was exploding now and waves of nausea threatened to ultimately humiliate him. Robert, his dark face devoid of expression, gently closed the car door and slid in behind the wheel. Turning back to his passenger, he offered a bottle of mineral water and a hairbrush. “Young sir,” he said softly, “you'll be needing these I think.”

Stani opened one eye to accept them, pressing the cool bottle against his burning cheek. “Thank you, Robert. And thank you for waiting.” He was relieved it had been Robert, and not one of the car service drivers, who’d been asked to wait. Officially Milo's chauffeur, Robert had been with them since their arrival in New York. He was by now a member of their already irregular family, although Stani knew the idea would have been resisted by both Milo and Robert. But just as he relied on Milo and Jana to keep his days and nights from running to chaos, he also depended on Robert, who’d gone far beyond his assigned duties on more occasions than Stani liked to recall. Laying the hairbrush aside, he mused that Robert would never permit him to exit his car looking like something picked out of the gutter. As soon as his head stopped pounding, he would try to bring some order to his damp hair.

The car began to gain speed on the freeway and he tried to relax, hoping to fall asleep. Five hours to DC should be long enough to see him back on his feet. If only he could get Milo's voice out of his head. Never in all their years together had he shouted like that. Oh, Milo might get very angry with him at times, but his voice tended to be ominously soft on those occasions. When the phone had rung, Stani was sprawled on the floor, having apparently fallen just short of the bed on his return home. He had no idea what time that might have been, but he was sure he’d only been asleep for a few minutes. He stared at the phone, unable to convince his body to respond. But it had gone on ringing until the pain in his head prompted him to at least attempt to make it stop.

He tried to force a normal greeting; one never knew who might be calling. But Milo had known, as he always knew, the nature of Stani's condition. He'd gone off immediately, demanding to know if Stani realized the car was waiting downstairs. Of course he didn't know! How was he to know what his day's schedule might be? That was what Milo saw to every day of his life. It was then he remembered. Milo wasn't there. He was in Aspen. He and Jana had taken their first vacation together in ten years, leaving Stani to go to Washington alone.

~~Miracle at Valley Rise Series~~
Hearts Unfold~Book One
Entreat Me Not~Book Two
Heart of My Own Heart~Book Three
Offered for Love~Book Four

A secret Christmas homecoming, a blinding snowstorm, and in the course of one night two shattered lives will be changed forever.Nineteen-year-old Emily Haynes had lost almost everything she loved. Relying on what seems to be guidance from her invalid father, she returns to her past in hopes of discovering some sign toward the future. What begins as a joyous homecoming quickly becomes a nightmare when a badly injured stranger stumbles on the scene, his brief presence threatening to alter everything Emily believes about herself and the plan for her life. A less determined girl might have been shaken by such an experience, but not Emily. She is certain she's made the right choice, so certain that in the following three years, she almost convinces herself.

Superstar violinist Stani Moss appeared to have everything--fame, fortune and a career guaranteed to bring more of the same, until one hasty decision placed it all in jeopardy. Terrified and confused, Stani struggles not only to recover his former skill, but to find answers to the questions which haunt him. Throughout his slow journey back, one image lingers in his buried memories of that fateful night--the vision of a girl he's never met. The journey will eventually lead him to Emily, and beyond that day, everything about his life will be transformed.

Set in the years around 1970, Hearts Unfold begins the saga of two people whose paths should never have crossed, who defy the odds to create a place they can share. The first of four volumes in the Miracle at Valley Rise Series, this novel could stand alone as a triumphant tale of romance, but there's much more to the story, as Emily and Stani reveal their pasts and strive to bridge the distance between their worlds. Follow their progress, be entertained by their adventures, and perhaps be inspired by their unwavering belief in the transforming power of love.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Women's Fiction, Saga Fiction

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Karen Welch through Facebook

Blog http://valleyrise.blogspot.com/

The Blood Dynasty Chronicles by David L Dawson #PNR #GoodReads #Paranormal

“Wake up,” someone whispered.

Ashlyn stirred in bed but kept her eyes closed.  She’d just had the most terrible dream, but she was still sleepy.  Surely she couldn’t have the same nightmare twice?

“Please wake up,” the voice pleaded once more.  “You’ll get into trouble and I really don’t have time for this.”

“Harry?” Ashlyn mumbled.

She sat up in bed as a bucket of ice-cold water was thrown over her.

“Mom, what are you…”

The room wasn’t light pink with mirrors, posters and art prints.  It was dark brown and the sole tiny window had bars on it.  A stern looking woman with her arms crossed was standing by her bed.  It reminded her of a nun’s cell from a documentary she’d watched on TV last year.

“Who are you?” Ashlyn asked.

“I am Dotrice,” said the wrinkled old woman.  “You will get yourself dried and tidied up and then you will put on your uniform.  Then I will show you around the house and allow you to get a handle on your duties.”

Ashlyn wiped the water from her eyes and said, “What duties?”

“Your duties as a slave of Lord Sublime,” said Dotrice.

Ashlyn staggered out of bed, finding herself in a damp white nightgown.  Dotrice’s spindly fingers reached out and cupped her chin.

“You look confused,” she said.

“Where am I?” Ashlyn asked.

“You are in London at Sublime House,” said Dotrice.

“Who is Lord Sublime?”

Dotrice smiled.  “You will meet him later.  Get yourself dry and dressed and I will show you the house and tell you all you need to know.”

At that, the middle aged woman turned to leave.

“I will try to escape,” Ashlyn vowed.

Dotrice turned to face her and said, “You can escape if you want, but where would you go?  Who would look after you?”

“I…”

“Your family died centuries ago.  You have no friends and you cannot buy food if you haven’t an official stamp from a vampire family.  You would just end up in the slums, starving to death.  Is that what you want?”

Ashlyn hung her head, thinking about her family.  They were all dead.  Harry would’ve died from the cancer and her parents from old age.  Even her friends would’ve had children and died a long time ago.  She had nobody now.

“I miss my family,” she sobbed.

Epic paranormal romance with a dystopian twist!All 6 parts of the epic Blood Dynasty Chronicles in one super-sized boxset!

Ashlyn Fountain has woken from a thousand year sleep.  Her family is dead.  Her friends are dead.  Her whole world is gone, replaced a new terrifying reality; a future ruled by vampires, where humans are viewed as cattle, and kept as slaves.  She is sold into slavery and bought by the powerful Sublimes, a decadent vampire family ruled over by the charming Grey Sublime and his wicked wife, Catherine.  Ashlyn resigns herself to her fate.  What can she do but accept what is her life now?

Then she meets Jensen Sublime and Union Jack.  Both are sexy, intriguing, and inject a little romance and mystery into her life.  Who will ultimately win her heart – the handsome vampire, or the man who could free her from slavery for good?

The Blood Dynasty Chronicles is a bold new paranormal romance series, fusing the passion and romance of vampire fiction with the adventure and intrigue of dystopian adventures.

This boxset contains the following:
1. The Girl From Yesterday
2. The Streets Are Paved With Blood

3. Masks
4. Movie Night
5. New Whitby
6. The First Vampire

That’s over 180,000 words of vampires, romance and dystopia!

OUT NOW – “Shadow of the Snow Queen”, a Blood Dynasty Chronicles Christmas Special, featuring a long tale all about Ashlyn, and several short stories featuring the other characters.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Paranormal romance

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with David L Dawson through Facebook

Victoria Bernadine on Family, Fear and Writing #MustRead #ChickLit #Contemporary

1. Tell us a bit about your family.
I have four brothers, three sisters, six nephews and one niece. I, personally, have never been married and I have no children, unless you count the cats.

2. How do you work through self-doubts and fear?
By reminding myself that I’m really not as bad as I think – LOL. And if I get too panicky, then I put what I’m working on away for a while, then come back to it, and read it over. I usually find myself saying, “you know, this is actually...almost...kinda…good...” My ego is overwhelming, I know.

3. What scares you the most?
Spiders. And heights. Spiders in high places really mess me up.

4. What makes you happiest?
Writing, and cats.

5. What’s your greatest character strength?
I’m stubborn.

6. What’s your weakest character trait?
I’m stubborn.

7. Why do you write?
I enjoy it. I enjoy everything about it – even the editing, if it hasn’t been going on forever. I love creating characters and a world and situations and events and seeing what happens.

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.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – ChickLit, Contemporary Fiction
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
 Connect with Victoria Bernadine on Twitter
Blog victoriabernadine.wordpress.com

Message of the Pendant by Thomas Thorpe #Historical #Mystery #Thriller

The room was not completely dark. High above the floor, five window slits provided flickering bursts of light whenever distant lightning struck. Beneath dark wooden beams, flashes created menacing shadows that quickly disappeared until the next glimmer.

Huddled in a corner with her sister, Emily, the wait became excruciating for Elizabeth. Where was the stalker now?

A large stone fireplace under an antlered head of a stag stood at the far side of the room. She decided to edge over to the hearth and look for a tool or piece of wood which could be used against the blackguard.

On hands and knees, she carefully advanced along the room’s perimeter trying not to make any noise. Fifteen feet, ten feet, five.., she felt the bricks. She reached out for a poker, but had to settle for a two-foot log, three inches in diameter. Clutching her prize, she turned to start back. A new creak punctured the air in the middle of the room.

She froze.

Several English chairs and Queen Anne upholstered seats rested between game tables, turned at various angles to her sight. The sound had come from there. She stared at the outlines.

Lightning flashed again. To her terror, a dark figure rose behinda seat turned away from the chimney. Light disappeared before she could see anything more.

Elizabeth’s mind raced, wondering if she had been heard.

Another flash. The figure had moved toward Emily’s corner.

“Emily! Emily!” she screamed. “Wake up. Someone’s coming toward you!”

She could hear Emily stirring, muttering words that made it clear she did not understanding their plight.  She had to help her sister! Her legs felt weak and a rush of panic welled up inside her. She could not move.

Glint came again. The figure had stopped.

William Darmon and wife Elizabeth were powerful figures who in 1818 set society’s pace from expansive grounds known as Mayfair Hall. When a family member is murdered, a mysterious pendant is found containing a long lost request by Napoleon Bonaparte for an American mission to burn down Parliament buildings. The couple sets out on an action filled pursuit of the killer. While interviewing Henry Clay in post-war Maryland about the failed mission, they uncover evidence of a conspiracy to free the Emperor from exile. The Darmons infiltrate the cadre, but a shipwreck off the coast of Scotland, a firestorm at the Darmon’s Manor and a harrowing assault on the Island of St. Helena loom before the mystery can be unraveled.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery, Historical, Thriller

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Thomas Thorpe on Facebook

Website www.darmonmysteries.com

@GayleTrent on Becoming a Better Writer #WriteTip #AmWriting #BookMarketing

1)      Read, read, read.

Reading within your genre as well as within other genres will make you a better writer. See what works for you as a reader and what doesn’t. Incorporate the good traits and resolve to eliminate any bad habits you observe.

2)      Study writing blogs, books, and sites.

You might feel like you’re an expert once you’ve gotten your book published, but there’s always more that you can learn. Writer’s Digest, other authors’ websites, genre-specific magazines, and writing newsletters can help you understand what mistakes other authors are making and how to avoid those mistakes. For instance, one writing ezine often discusses disreputable publishers and agents, warning other writers to say away.

3)      Watch TV and movies.

Yep, you read that right. Watching television and movies helps you to understand what’s popular and can help you to see issues in ways you might never have considered. Let’s say you watch a detective program. It could give you insight into why your villain behaves as she does. Granted, your villain might not be a murderer, but her long history of abuse could explain her actions.

4)      Subscribe to agents’ and editors’ blogs.

They know the industry like no one else. If you want to know what’s going on in the publishing world, this is an excellent place to start.

5)      Follow Publisher’s Weekly on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pubweekly) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/PublishersWkly).

6)      Learn to proofread.

In order to properly proofread your own work, you might have to read the story backward or in some other order to truly see the words. When we’re proofing our stories, we tend to see what we believe is there.  If our intention was to write, “We took the dog to the groomer,” then we’ll see that even if we’ve actually typed, “We too the dog to the groomer.” The eye skims right over that missing k, and the mistake isn’t highlighted as such by my word processing software.

7)      Learn to self-edit.

Self-editing differs somewhat from proofreading because it is more involved than correcting typos. Self-editing includes fixing flaws. Did your character say something that doesn’t ring true? Have you used the word jump ten times on the same page? Does your character behave in a way that isn’t faithful to her personality for no apparent reason? Once you’ve had your work edited by a professional, you’ll be more aware of what to look for. In the meantime, do a search for some helpful articles.

8)       Listen to how people actually speak.

To do dialogue well, you need to truly listen to people talking. This is another good thing about watching movies. The first time I picked up an Elmore Leonard novel, I thought, “Huh? This guy doesn’t follow the rules.” But his dialogue rings so true! He uses dialogue to create characters that are realistic.

9)      Experiment.

Write outside your comfort zone. If you don’t write poetry, try a poem to see what you can come up with. I took a creative writing class where students had to read a short story in a particular genre and then write a story in that genre. We had to write western, science fiction, romance, horror, mystery, and even how-to instructions. Stretch your limits—you might be surprised at what you can do.

10)   Write.

All the study in the world won’t make you a better writer if you don’t simply put your butt in the chair and write.

Embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer is about to have the rug pulled out from under her….

Marcy can’t wait to see the new exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles, including beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to terror when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped up in a most unusual fashion.

The victim appears to be a visiting art professor in town for the exhibit. Did someone decide to teach the professor a lesson, then attempt to sweep the evidence under the rug? Along with her boyfriend, Detective Ted Nash, Marcy must unravel an intricate tapestry of deception to find a desperate killer.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Cozy Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Amanda Lee on Facebook

Website http://www.gayletrent.com

@CarinKilbyClark on Importance of Mentors #AmWriting #IndieAuthors #NonFiction

If you were to interview someone who is successful – in any field – there’s a really great chance they will mention a mentor. Someone who supported them on their path and showed them how to replicate the success they’ve experienced in their own endeavors.

Before I had a mentor, I didn’t know how important mentoring was. I really didn’t see the point at first. I was determined to figure it all out on my own and thought it may be better that way. And that I’d learn more through hands-on, rather than listening to someone else tell me how they did this or that.

I first became associated with my mentor, Natalie MacNeil, in late 2013. I had followed her work for some time and was really moved by her philosophy, ethic, and vision for women entrepreneurs. When she opened applications for her founding Concord mastermind group, I jumped right in.

Why Mentors Are Important

Mentorship means not doing this alone. It means having someone to show you the ropes  – and someone who will be there to cheer you on. Once I started working with my mentor, she was the perfect person who I could bounce my ideas off of. She gave me valuable feedback, and helped me to develop my plans. When I told her that I wanted to write a book she was the first person who said YES, you should. And she showed me how to plan my book proposal and query letter, and how to research agents and publishers. My mentor’s advice has been critical to my success as a writer, and as a business owner.

When you work with a mentor, their industry knowledge is at your disposal. You benefit from their years of training or information gathering. You are put on the fast track by being able to avoid the pitfalls and curve balls that they experienced. Mentors are important because they help you replicate what works, so that you can be successful in what you do.

If you are considering a mentor, here are a few thoughts to help you make the right choice.

• Look for someone who has in-depth expertise in your industry
• Find a mentor that has actually accomplished what you are looking to do
• Personality is important – find a person who you click with
• You want a mentor you respect, and who you can admire and look up to
• Look for a mentor who is humble and has a deep respect for all people
• Find someone that you feel is relatable and approachable

Carin Kilby Clark is the author of the ebook, Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms: 5 Simple Tips on How to Control Your Time and Get Things Done (April 2014, Clue Consulting, LLC). If you want to learn how to finally put time on your side, then this book has the goods that you need – and for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. Buy your copy today!

Do any of these excuses sound familiar?

I’m just too busy

I have too much on my plate

There’s never enough time

I have to do it all

I don’t know how to manage it all

If you answered yes, then prepare to put an end to the overwhelm once and for all. In Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms, Carin Kilby Clark shares five simple tips that moms can implement right away to improve how they control their time and get things done.

Time Management Made Easy for Busy Moms offers insight into the one major block that prevents us from maximizing our time, gives readers practical information that is easily applied to everyday life, and helps you along the path to your “aha” moments about how and why you’ve been ineffective in managing your time; and how to to finally put time in its rightful place {on your side, of course!}.

As the mother of three very active children who also works full-time, runs a business in her “spare” time, publishes a lifestyle & parenting site, manages a growing motherhood community, and regularly contributes parenting advice to many popular sites in the parenting/family life niche, Carin’s advice is solid; based on methods that she has successfully implemented in controlling her time and getting things done.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Parenting, Relationships

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Carin Kilby Clark on Facebook & Twitter

John W. Mefford on Character Strength & Writing @jwmefford #AmWriting #AmReading #SummerofGreed

What makes you happiest?

A vacation day on the beach with my family. Seagulls swoop down over the kids, who are diving into waves. Maybe one of them is carving out a sand statue or moat. My wife is usually reading. I read a little and observe, and usually take a jog down the beach to the levee and back. Through it all, I realize I’m the luckiest guy on the planet.

Outside of the family bonding, the single most fulfilling activity I’ve ever attempted is writing novels. This comes from a guy who is active and loves all sports. But developing a story that takes the reader on the ride of a lifetime—that’s one of the best gifts I can ever receive.

What’s your greatest character strength?

I have to say I’m a pretty loyal person, to people and to causes. My wife would say (actually she just said it) that my greatest strength and weakness is my drive for perfection. I can’t imagine where she got that from? I don’t have time to think about it either. I’ve got to get back to my fiftieth re-write of my latest book.:)

Why do you write?

To breathe. To live. And to improve. It’s built into my DNA. If I give a rat’s a$$ about something, my mind constantly churns around how I can continue to evolve, especially in every facet of the writing profession. I think it’s safe to admit that I’m at an age when I’m not going to be “discovered” by the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks or Rangers. But with writing, I can keep striving to reach the next level. My goal is to create pieces of work that are more compelling each time I tap the keyboard.

Have you always enjoyed writing?

In the fourth grade I wrote a story about my mom. When she was a young child she watched in disbelief as her beloved dog was hit and killed by a car. My teacher read my story out loud to the class, and she got a tear in her eye. Watching her feel that emotion from the words I wrote on paper was a profound moment for me. The best thing about that assignment was the freedom my teacher gave me to write the best story I could, with few parameters or limitations.

Unfortunately, I recall most of the rest of my schooling to be so structured it literally sucked the creativity right out of me, and I eventually began to see myself as anything but a writer. And then came the creation of the computer. Re-typing, editing, cutting and pasting...all of the wonderful nearly instant capabilities of using a word processor ignited a spark inside my brain that was always moving at lightning speed. The computer, and what I could do with it, finally was able to keep up with the ideas darting around in my head. I then began developing as a storyteller and as a writer. And the rest…is history.

What motivates you to write?

I write because I have to, if I want to feel all that life has to offer. Like most things I do, I’m motivated by my desire to improve every time I sit down, take in a deep breath and dive into my imagination. I want the next chapter to be more impactful than the previous, the next book to connect more with the reader than the last. I’ve always been that way about everything I do. It’s just how I’m wired, I guess.

What writing are you most proud of?

Actually, it’s the most recent set of chapters I’ve written in book 4 of the Greed series, (title TBD). I thought WICKED GREED (Greed Series #3) knocked it out of the park. Well, so far with book 4, I’m on pace to break the author home run record—without steroids.

Behind the façade of every corporate takeover executives pull levers this way and that, squeezing the last profitable nickel out of the deal. But no one knows the true intent of every so-called merger. 

No one knows the secret bonds that exist. 

An Indian technology giant swallows up another private company that has deep roots in North Texas. For one unassuming man the thought of layoffs, of losing his own job to a bunch of arrogant assholes feels like a kick to the jewels. 

Until the day Michael's life changes forever.   

Perverse alliances. An affair of the heart. A grisly murder. A spiraling string of events thrusts Michael into a life-or-death fight to save a tortured soul and hunt down a brutal killer...one who lurks closer than he ever imagined. 

Greed knows no boundaries.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Suspense, Thriller

Rating – R

More details about the author

Connect with John W. Mefford on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.johnwmefford.com

Mary Frame on Writing, "Imperfect Chemistry" & Success @MareWulf #Romance #Comedy #Authors

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

For me, it’s very simple and can be explained with a line from an Emily Dickenson poem, “If I can ease one life the aching…” My goal when I write something is to transport a reader elsewhere, even if only for a short time. I also love to make people laugh, so when I see reviews or receive e-mails from readers and they say they laughed so hard…I love it. Makes my day/week/year/life.

 

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?

My book, Imperfect Chemistry, is a New Adult Romantic Comedy.

Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age of twenty, she's amassed a wealth of knowledge, but one subject still eludes her: people. The pendulum of passions experienced by those around her both confuses and intrigues her, so when she’s offered a grant to study emotion as a pathogen, she jumps on the opportunity.

When her attempts to come up with an actual experiment quickly drop from lackluster to nonexistent, she’s given a choice: figure out how to conduct a groundbreaking study on passion, or lose both the grant and her position at the university. Put on leave until she can crack the perfect proposal, she finds there’s only one way she can study emotions: by experiencing them herself.

Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy's neighbor and the one person on the planet she finds strangely and maddeningly appealing. Jensen's life is the stuff of campus legend, messy, emotional, complicated—in short, the perfect starting point for Lucy's study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what's more important: analyzing her passions...or giving in to them?

I wrote this book because I love to make people laugh! I also wanted to bring something different to the romance genre, and reverse some of those clichés we’ve become accustomed to. I’ve read quite a few New Adult novels, and most of the popular ones involve bad boys who are kinda slutty, good girls who try and fix them, and they’re generally a bit dark and depressing. I wanted a strong, smart, female lead, and a guy who’s good, if slightly troubled. Good guys need more play!

 

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?

I know I should probably say something like Ghandi or a president, but the first person that comes to mind is my grandmother, Pauline Humphrey. She was like Snow White and Mother Theresa all wrapped into one. She had a great laugh. She never cursed, when she had road rage, she say, “You jackrabbit!”

How often do you write? And when do you write?

Since I have a full time job and a family, I have to squeeze in writing whenever I can. During the week, I write early in the morning before I have to wake up my kids for school. On the weekend, it depends on what we have going on, but I write whenever I can, most of the time in the morning while I’m drinking my coffee. I also have a notepad app on my phone, which I use to make notes to myself if something strikes me and I’m out and about.

 

Have you met any people in the industry who have really helped you?

Yes! I have been so lucky to know a ton of talented, wonderful writers. I belong to a group of writers call the goat posse. They have been immensely helpful in supporting and shaping my writing career.

In addition, I have quite a few beta readers. One of them is Jenn Marie Thorne. Her contemporary YA novel, The Wrong Side of Right, will be available Spring 2015 from Penguin/Dial Press and is available now for pre-order! Jenn and I have been exchanging work for quite a few years. It’s been great seeing her growth as a writer, and her input on my novel was AMAZING and wonderful. Her feedback is like crack, I can’t get enough of it.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

I try to sprinkle little tidbits of knowledge and theme throughout my novels without beating people over the head with theme. Every book is a little bit different. In Imperfect Chemistry, the main theme is Wabi Sabi. Wabi Sabi is a Japanese principle based on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. It’s about appreciating the beauty in our naturally imperfect world. I love imperfections in people and in my surroundings. It’s what makes life interesting!

Besides that, when I write I want to pull readers into a story and keep them there. And to make them laugh!

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

I love social media. But, I also stay away from the negative and ignore the drama. I never post negative things, and when I see it, I avoid it. My only issue is with my Facebook author page. I never know what to post! I stink at self-promotion and don’t post often because I hate to be annoying to anyone following me.

What’s your next project?

I am currently working on the sequel to Imperfect Chemistry, entitled Imperfectly Legal. It is told from the POV of a side character from book one, and can stand on its own even though the novels are related.

After that, I have a few ideas I’m bandying about. One is a bunch of intertwining love stories that all happen in the same night in the same town—sort of like Love Actually or Can’t Hardly Wait—but in book form.

The other I’m toying with is a rocker love story, except the rocker is a chick who’s dealing with addiction and depression. It’s much darker than what I’ve done so far, so I think it will be fun. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, but I have yet to decide what to do!

What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet?

Honestly, it probably sound lame and cheese-ball, but I believe we are all here for one reason: to be happy and to spread the love. Seriously, can you imagine if everyone on the planet worked to make each other happy? We would all be very happy people.

This is one of the main reasons I write. I want to make people happy.

How do you feel about self-publishing?

Since I am a self-published writer, I really love it! I think both traditional and indie publishing have their pros and cons, and in the end, it comes down to what the writer wants. Both paths are difficult and satisfying in their own way. I chose self-publishing because I have a full time career and family, and I like the control and self-pacing involved in indie publishing. Also, my novel is New Adult, and that’s an area that has been forged by indie authors.

Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age of twenty, she's amassed a wealth of knowledge, but one subject still eludes her—people. The pendulum of passions experienced by those around her both confuses and intrigues her, so when she’s offered a grant to study emotion as a pathogen, she jumps on the opportunity.

When her attempts to come up with an actual experiment quickly drop from lackluster to nonexistent, she’s given a choice: figure out how to conduct a groundbreaking study on passion, or lose both the grant and her position at the university. Put on leave until she can crack the perfect proposal, she finds there’s only one way she can study emotions: by experiencing them herself.

Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy's neighbor and the one person on the planet she finds strangely and maddeningly appealing. Jensen's life is the stuff of campus legend, messy, emotional, complicated—in short, the perfect starting point for Lucy's study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what's more important: analyzing her passions...or giving in to them?

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Genre - Romantic Comedy

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

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