You Just Need To Read About This MURDER UNREHEARSED!

Good morning! Please help me welcome author Roxanne Dunn to the blog today with her debut novel, MURDER UNREHEARSED! When I read through the information she sent me about the book, I was sold, and I think you will be, too. Roxanne brought along with her the hero of the story, hottie lawman, Matt McCrae, and her heroine, actress Heather Shelton. But before we meet them, let's hear a little bit about MURDER UNREHEARSED...

Blurb ~

 

When aspiring young actress Heather Shelton jumps in the car with her dog, Bear, and flees to her family’s mountain cabin to escape an untidy romance, all she wants is peace and time to study for auditions. What she gets is murder. The only witness of a savage killing – and squarely in the crosshairs of a ruthless assassin – she is injured and left for dead.

Heather knows handsome men are bad news, but hottie lawman Matt McCrae’s smile gets her every time, until he leaves her hanging out as bait to trap the killer. McCrae promises to protect her, but fails, and she faces killer alone, with only Bear to help.

Now check out this killer cover... (pun intended!)

We'll let Matt go first. Welcome, Matt! So our readers can get to know you better, could you please share with us your occupation?

I work for the government. I’m not going to explain what I do. Not yet. No one, not even my mother knows who signs my paychecks, and it’s better that way.

How did you meet Heather?

We met over a dead body, sort of. The body wasn’t actually present. It was at the bottom of the lake. Heather was the only one who knew it was there, and she wasn’t thrilled about it. In fact, she was pissed because it had the audacity to get killed in her secluded little cove.

What was your first impression of her?

My first impression of Heather came long before I met her. I live in Seattle’s funky Fremont neighborhood. Among other great things, Fremont is home to a little repertory theater where Heather volunteers and I have season tickets. She also performs, and although she’s never had a leading role, I always want to jump up and shout “brava!” when she’s there because she upstages everybody. I don’t know how she does that, but I find it irresistible. Several times, I made up my mind to invite her out for a glass of wine, but chickened out. I couldn’t get up the nerve to go backstage and find her.

          

What do you like about Heather?

I’d have to say what I like most is her spunk. She’s had some tough challenges, but she sticks to her principles, and fights her way through with everything she’s got. Secondly, I never have to wonder where I stand with her. She tells me right up front when she thinks I’m being a butt.

If you had an unexpected free day, what would you do with it?

Bake. First thing in the morning I’d start some yeast breads, maybe enough for a couple of baguettes and then a nice, round pumpernickel loaf. I’d keep them cool so they rise slowly all day. That helps develop the flavor. While they proof, I’d get going on my famous chocolate-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, maybe a pie or two – peach pie in the summer – and a rich, moist chocolate cake with raspberry cream filling, frosted with ganache.

               

And now for Heather's turn...

What was your first impression of Matt and did it change over time?

The first time I met him, I thought he was a professional scuba diver. He looked totally athletic, and I embarrassed myself by staring at his muscles. I probably drooled, too. The next time I saw him, he looked so different I didn’t recognize him. I was confused, and he wouldn’t explain, so I didn’t know if I could trust him. After all, he could have been one of the killers.

Is there anything about your hero that you would consider a flaw?

Yeah. He lies, for a good cause, he says. But he lies and he does dangerous things. I’d be a lot happier if he did something normal for a living. I worry that he might not come back some day.

Has life handed you any major disappointments?

My little sister died when I was eight, and my mom blamed me. So, I developed a habit of running away from situations that felt unpleasant or scary. Grandma Garnet used to warn me that if I kept running away from my fears, I would run into something worse. She was right. I ran away from a handsome man and right into a scene set for murder.

Yes, you did! Why don't we share an excerpt from MURDER UNREHEARSED...

Excerpt ~

Matt stopped. His mouth hung open for a few beats. “What are you doing here?”

The darkest parts of me, those that I kept stuffed way down inside surged to the surface. My face burned with indignation. I was Kate the Shrew at her best. “How dare you! You and your pretty little Disneyland fable. You kiss me and tell me you liked it. You say you are my biggest fan. You pretend to bare your soul. You think I can’t figure out what’s going on? All you want is for me to believe that you’re a good guy, so you can leave me hanging out for a pack of wolves. So I can end up as dead as Mariella. Well, damn you all to hell!”

Slick as spit, Matt reached out and took my hands. “It’s not like that.”

I wrenched away. “Keep away from me, you – you Judas!” 

Author Bio ~

I have studied writing in Paris and Seattle, and I write the galley column for Pacific Yachting magazine. Murder Unrehearsed is my debut novel.

I am a physical therapist, a foodie, a fanatic about good chocolate, and a private pilot. I lived aboard an old wood motor yacht for seventeen years, and in my dreams, I’m a pianist of renown, an acceptable water color artist, and a globe-trotting yogini. Please visit me at www.roxannedunn.com or www.facebook.com/roxanne.dunn.127.

 

I love your picture! Thanks for joining us today and giving us the down low on MURDER UNREHEARSED! Come back any time!

Buy Murder Unrehearsed here ~

Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DHJ6TG7/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Barnes and Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-unrehearsed-roxanne-dunn/1137387167?ean=2940162985846

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/murder-unrehearsed

https://seaportbooks.com/

https://www.thewildrosepress.com/books/murder-unrehearsed 

and via my website: www.roxannedunn.com

Find Roxanne here ~

 
www.roxannedunn.com

https://www.facebook.com/roxanne.dunn.127

https://twitter.com/roxanne_dunn

               

Thanks for joining us today, Roxanne. And best wishes on all your writing endeavors!

GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS ~ AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMES MOUSHON

Welcome back to my blog! It's been a bit since I've had someone on, but I want to start posting again, without burning you or myself out. We're going to start things off with a prolific writer, James Moushon, who is also a huge supporter of other authors. He recently surveyed a group of his fellow authors about marketing and shared the results. You can find that here:

7/2/2020 - Authors: The Task of Finding Readers – A Study - https://bit.ly/2CxTAWf 

I asked James a few questions about it and his other experiences. 

Hi, James! Welcome to the blog. I'm so glad to have you here. So, what inspired you to write the author survey you recently published?

It's all about paying back. I have received so much help over the years in writing articles (starting in 1993) and books. I decided in 2012 to start a blog to help other authors. Recently, I have been helping several authors get started when they were having trouble finding readers or any niche for that matter.

I reached out to the 400+ authors that I have interviewed and asked them how they were handling the problem. Great ideas. So, I shared them with my blog followers.

I have done many studies with other authors (almost a hundred articles), all trying to help authors with the digital world of publishing.


What are some of the topics of these other studies?

Because of the interviews I’ve done with authors, I have a database full of knowledge that I share in my posts. My Author Spotlight interviews concentrate on publishing and marketing, not like the traditional ones that feature the stories, characters, and plots.

My other studies also include cover design, book launches, using links, rendering the eBook, and certain content issues. For a complete list of the studies, check out my website: JAMES MOUSHON - MYSTERY WRITER / BOOK INDUSTRY BLOGGER - https://jamesmoushonauthor.net/


So, would you say then that finding readers is one of the biggest problems authors face these days?

Finding readers is a big challenge. The indie authors are on their own. At first, the easy entry into publishing their novel was appealing. Authors that had been rejected by publishing outfits now have been given an opportunity. Unlike bookstore shelves, there is no limit to the number of eBooks for readers to find.

Then the problems started. Authors who are on their own are finding out this is a business, not just writing. Some say the eBook market is saturated, especially in certain genres. (300k new authors a year)

Some authors try to hide from the audience. No social media. No contact point like website forms or giving the reader their email address. Just set up a separate email account, aside from their personal account, and form a relationship. These readers will be first to buy your next book.

Another problem is the search engines that readers use to find your work is changing. They are changing from a display of information to an advertising platform.

For example, if you enter the exact name of the finding reader post mentioned above, you get a hijacked version of the post that Norton says is an unsafe site to open. After going through four pages of the search results, there is no mention of the post.

Well that's aggravating. How have you seen the industry change since you first got into it?

I started in the industry on the technical side in the early 1990s. I was involved in the conversion of paper to digital, like business forms and books. Back then Adobe’s PDF files were the standard and it looked like Microsoft’s Reader could take the lead. Then Amazon jumped into the industry and things changed forever.

I attended my first Book Expo in 2003. (still have the manual) Book festivals are still the best firsthand knowledge of how the industry is changing. I have attended the Tucson Festival of Books since 2013. Lots of great authors. Their presentations and offerings are changing each year.

With the bookstore's decline and the Amazon dominance of the marketing place, things have changed. The top publishers are even doing less marketing for the established authors.

There is more to the game now. 

What would you say has been the most successful marketing strategy you have used?

Social media is my main marketing strategy. I have established several blogs and my website where I promote my books and short stories. My marketing effort is focused on trying to get readers to go back to the blogs.

Now one of the hot marketing tools is to get involved with other authors in the same genre and publish a collection of books. The use of eBooks allows them to publish at a much lower cost. Also, it exposes one of the author’s readers to the other author's novels.

What keeps you doing what you're doing?

It is all about payback. I’m trying to help authors get exposure and learn from other authors who have gone through the process. 

What do see as the future of indie publishing and marketing?

It will become much more competitive than it is now. The authors will have to get into groups and build a relationship and a following.

I try regularly to publish a post on my blog, showcasing multiple authors and their latest books, and run it through social media. I get a lot of views on my blogs which gives the authors great exposure to readers in their genre. (1.3M views)


What is NEXT for you?

a. A study on How to Setup a Book Collection with Other Authors and now that helps in the future marketing.

b. I’m writing another Jonathon Stone Mystery Novel (WIP) – ‘Out of Time’


Thanks for the interview. This was very nice of you.

My Website: James Moushon – Mystery Writer / Industry Blogger


Helping Authors with Book Industry Blogs

Indie Author’s Corner

HBS Author’s Spotlight

HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle

~ Do You Have BURIED SECRETS? ~

Please welcome back the talented Elizabeth Meyette with her newest offering, a follow-up to The Cavanaugh House, titled Buried Secrets. But first Elizabeth is going to tell us a little bit about ghostly mysteries...

It’s a (Ghostly) Mystery

Remember the line from the movie Sixth Sense, “I see dead people?” Well, Jesse Graham, my protagonist in both The Cavanaugh House and Buried Secrets, is a ghost-empath. She shares the emotions of dead people. While some psychics and those who are highly perceptive can “see dead people,” others may sense a spirit who has passed over through smell, touch, or sound. Jesse, senses the presence of a spirit through shared emotion, and, in the course of doing so, she solves mysteries.

In Buried Secrets, Jesse’s first encounter with the Weeping Woman, the ghost of a Seneca Indian woman, is on a dark rain-swept road when she fears she’s just hit and killed someone. She senses that she’s being watched, and is overcome with inexplicable rage and sorrow. She recognizes the presence of a spirit—and wants no part of it. She’s been there once already.

In The Cavanaugh House, Jesse first hears a sound that indicates Helen Cavanaugh’s presence in the house. The “scritch, scritch, scritch” sound is not readily definable. Initially, I used “scratch, scratch, scratch,” but “scratch” connotes something different for each reader. I wanted a sound that was raspy, soft, and eerie, but held no specific meaning. Once Helen had established her presence through sound, she began to affect Jesse emotionally.

Helen’s emotions were the antithesis of the raging fury of the Weeping Woman in Buried Secrets. This ghost assaulted Jesse, filling Jesse with her anger and thirst for revenge—and resolution. Jesse’s encounters with the Weeping Woman sometimes led to physical injury, even the threat of death.

Surrounded by her friends including Joe Riley, who is capturing her heart, Jesse learns to accept her role in bringing peace to ghosts who hold keys to mysteries.

Blurb ~

When Jesse Graham almost runs over a “body” in the road one night, she is plunged into a labyrinth of secrets, lies and murder. All Jesse wants is a simple life teaching at St. Bart’s… and a chance at love with Joe Riley. She realizes that plan has been thwarted when puzzling occurrences at St. Bartholomew Academy for Girls get increasingly dangerous. The danger doesn’t just spring from the ghost who haunts the grounds of St. Bart’s, but from a sinister presence that is not ghostly at all. As she digs into the mystery, threats on her life and the life of her student escalate.

Which danger threatens her life the most? The ghost haunting her student or the secrets buried in the school?

Buried Secrets

Sequel to The Cavanaugh House

By Elizabeth Meyette

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Suspense | Romance

Published by: Boris Publishing

Release Date: October 3, 2016

Length: 324 Pages

Excerpt ~

Jesse Graham squinted through the windshield wipers at the rain-swept road ahead of her. In her twenty-eight years, she had never liked being out in a thunderstorm, and this one was a doozy.

“NASA plans to put a man on the moon next year, but nobody can invent windshield wipers that work in a downpour,” she grumbled.

She hadn’t meant to work until after sunset, but she’d obsessed with putting up creative bulletin boards and adding final touches to the course guides to be ready for the first day of school tomorrow. Though she had taught in Rochester for five years, no doubt her obsession stemmed from the fact that she was the newest faculty member at St. Bartholomew Academy for Girls.

Adjusting to the late-summer darkness was hard enough, but add this thunderstorm and visibility was nil. At least upstate New York didn’t suffer through tornadoes or hurricanes. She gripped the wheel, concentrating on avoiding the deep ditch carved out along the shoulder.

A flash of lightning revealed a shape sprawled in the middle of the road ahead. She leaned forward, as if that would help her see if it was a deer someone hit and left to die. Another bolt of lightning illuminated the shape again, revealing blonde hair spread out on the wet pavement. In a moment of clarity—at least she could always count on that oddity in the midst of panic—she knew it was not a deer. Downshifting, she slammed on the brakes, her 1965 Volkswagen Beetle skidding sideways. She broke out in prickles of sweat as her car thudded against the form and halted.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” she cried out.

She was pinned to her seat. Her legs shook, then her whole body. She fumbled for the door handle, unable to find it at first. Finally, she grasped it, threw open the door, and scrambled out onto the road. The sky strobed as a lightning bolt slammed into a nearby tree. Her nose stung with the acrid smell of sulfur. Her knees buckled, but she recovered, stumbling toward the immobile form. Slowing her pace, she neared the cloth-draped figure, afraid it might leap up and attack her. Afraid it might not move at all.

Have I just killed someone?

Trembling, she dropped to her knees beside the form. Bile rose in her throat at the sight of long, blonde hair streaming out from beneath the gray wool blanket that covered the shape. Pulling the blanket back, she gasped. A blonde wig was perched atop a dummy fashioned from burlap stuffed with hay. What the…? Slowly, she realized what she was looking at. She breathed with relief. But her relief was short-lived.

Son of a bitch. This prank could have sent someone flipping end over end. Storms weren’t known to improve traction.

“Who the hell would pull a rotten trick like this?”

She looked around—was the perpetrator standing just off in the trees beside the road? Rain spattered against her hair. As she brushed the clinging ringlets from her eyes, she pulled up the hood of her nylon poncho. Heart pounding, she leaned back on her heels, inhaling deeply to still her trembling. Hot breath escaped through her flared nostrils. Grabbing the dummy, she wrapped the blanket around it and lugged it to the car.

Author Bio ~

Author, blogger and believer in dreams-come-true, Elizabeth Meyette fell in love with books as a child when her sister read her Goldilocks and the Three Bears. “She had me at ‘Once upon a time…’” Elizabeth confesses. Writing her first book on a dare, she kept Love’s Destiny on her closet shelf for more years than she would like to admit while she taught English and Journalism. Finally she retired early in order to pursue her passion: writing. A friend says she’s not retired, she’s “refired.”

Readers wanted more of the story of Jonathan Brentwood and Emily Wentworth, so Elizabeth got to work on Love’s Spirit. While she loved writing the two historical romances, her muse, Boris, started whispering in her ear characters and plot for The Cavanaugh House. That book was conceived on a trip to upstate New York to visit her family. The Cavanaugh House was a number one paranormal bestseller on Amazon for weeks until Stephen King bumped it to number two. Readers wanted more of Jesse Graham, so Boris nudged Elizabeth to pen a sequel to The Cavanaugh House, Buried Secrets.

Elizabeth has also written several children’s books that she hopes to publish in the near future. Her poetry has appeared in various anthologies.

A native of upstate New York, Elizabeth now lives in Michigan with her husband Richard. They have an agreement that she cannot cook on writing days after he endured burnt broccoli and dry chicken. Fortunately, Rich is an excellent cook.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 

Goodreads | Pinterest

Giveaway ~

 Two $50 Amazon Gift Cards!

1. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Go Out and Get Ya Some BLOOD STAINED MEMORIES! ~

I'd like to welcome Kathy L Wheeler to the blog with her latest release, part of the A World of Gothic Series, BLOOD STAINED MEMORIES. If that doesn't sound eerie enough, wait to you read the blurb! But first, let's find out a little bit more about Kathy...

What is the best thing you’ve learned about writing and/or the publishing business? 

The best thing I’ve learned about writing and the publishing business is that I could finish something. I started with a 13,000 word Cinderella story called The Shoe the Other Foot Fit. Not an ideal title, right? Another 40,000 words later and a new title The Wronged Princess, and voila! I had the beginnings of an exciting new series.

Do you have hobbies that you’d like to share? 

I used to have a job outside of writing. For sixteen years, I was a computer programmer with the Hertz Corporation. But like many big companies, they went the skeleton, and overseas route. I had a couple of other positions since, but the sudden dip in oil prices hit the Oklahoma City market hard and I was once again laid off. My husband has his own business. Right at the time I was laid off from Devon Energy, he had hip replacement surgery and was out of the office for a couple of months. I helped out by answering the phones, running mail and typing documents for him, at the same time, completing The Mapmaker’s Wife, which incidentally, won 1st place in the Historical Short Category of the International Digital Awards. So now, I focus on my writing. I also took on the acclaimed 25th Annual National Readers’ Choice Awards as the Contest Chair for 2015. A rousing success! Now, I will be giving my first RWA Workshop at the New Jersey’s Put Your Book in a Heart conference on formatting for self-publishing. I’m very excited.

Where do you live, family, pets? Where would you love to live? 

Currently, I live in the Oklahoma City area. I was season ticket holder with the OKC Thunder NBA since 2009, but sadly, recently sold my season ticket package because we will soon be migrating to the northwest. I have a daughter in the San Francisco area, she has the cutest baby boy, and shockingly, another on the way. By the time, the 2nd baby arrives, baby # 1 will just have turned 2. I’m looking forward to seeing them on a much more regular basis!

What CD is in your CD player right now? 

Funny, funny question. Okay, for me, maybe not you. I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma, which I recently learned is #23 in regional colleges. My degree is a BA in Management Information Systems with a vocal minor. I was almost 40 when I graduated. Too old to do anything truly spectacular with my vocal music except for, well.... karaoke. Okay, so I go the the bar and sing and am usually one of the better singers. Oh, right. You were asking what is in the CD player... Beauty and the Beast. It’s my vocal practice CD when I need to get my voice in shape. I use 3 songs from that particular cd: Home; Something There; End Duet / Transformation. I also love to sing Jewel’s Down So Long and Foolish Games. I also won $300 in a contest with Foolish Games and Celine Dion’s Titanic song: My Heart Will Go On. I doubt I could come close to singing that today. 

I actually karaoke "Foolish Games," too! And I LOVE "Home" from Beauty and the Beast! Beautiful song! Thanks for joining us, Kathy, and for sharing a bit of yourself with us. Now let's learn a little bit more about BLOOD STAINED MEMORIES...

Blurb ~

There on the Gulf Coast in the Florida Panhandle lies the ruins of a haunted, old armory...


Helena Abigail Evans-Ross remembers nothing from her past except the sting of her Aunt Lydia's hand almost knocking her head from her shoulders. "Don't look!" she screamed, just as Abby's gaze meets her father's blank stare, and the realization that she is holding the bloody knife that ended his life. She's home to learn the truth—but can she live with a truth is she is the one who murdered her own father? 

Excerpt ~

I glanced over to my handsome chauffeur. Water from his hair dribbled down a strong neck that disappeared into the collar of his rain-soaked shirt. He and Adam must be somewhere in their mid-to-late thirties by now. I knew his dry hair would resemble burnished gold. The light from the dashboard didn’t reflect the tone of his skin. 

I leaned back in the seat and let his accent wash over me. Its familiarity settled nerves drawn so tight I felt I would shatter with a sudden move. I cleared my throat. “Where do you call home, Mr. Creighton?” There wasn’t much of him that reminded me of that long ago young man, just the clipped British words, making it easier to remember to refer to him as Mr. Creighton.

He grinned. Most likely relieved I’d finally joined the conversation. “Call me, Ian. Manchester, mostly. I’ve been here since spring assisting Adam with his research. I spent summers here on the island as a younger man until—” He tossed a quick glance in my direction. “Well, I’d planned on returning home by now.” His gaze dropped to my ringless fingers before he shifted his attention back to the road. “Though I may find my stay here pleasantly extended.”

Until what? I wanted to scream. Instead, heat flamed my cheeks at his not-so-subtle regard. I curled my fingers beneath my tote and out of sight, at a loss for words. My goal on this quiet Gulf Coast island was not to find romance. My sole agenda dealt with the bland contents of the letter stowed in my bag. A letter stained with my own bloody prints.

Links~

Amz preorder buy link (won’t have the rest until the 8th): https://amzn.com/B01K82OKJG

A World of Gothic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AWorldofGothicSeries

Author Bio ~

Kathy L Wheeler (aka Kae Elle Wheeler) is the author of fourteen contemporary and historical novels and novellas that range from sweet to spicy. She has a BA in Management Information Systems from the University of Central Oklahoma that includes a vocal minor. She loves the NFL, the NBA, musical theater, travel, reading, writing and just to scratch the singing itch.... karaoke. She is a member Romance Writers of American and The Beau Monde chapter. She currently serves as editor of both, the Regency Reader and Novel Notes Authors newsletters. Kathy lives in Edmond, OK with her attorney and musically talented husband, Al. She has one grown daughter with an adorable baby boy and another on the way, and one bossy cat, who acts as if she were the rescuer rather than the rescue-e!!


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And here's another great giveaway from Rock Star Literary! 

Love a great mystery? So do we! This summer we'll be hosting a Wonderful Who Done It contest, featuring great prizes and all of our favorite mystery authors.


Rock Star Lit is pleased to announce our Wonderful Whodunit Contest for the Summer of 2016! Enter below to win e-books, signed books, gift cards, a grabbag of mystery print books, or a Special Edition game of Clue!

Featuring these great authors:

Richard Laymon ~ ALL HALLOW'S EVE

Sarah Ballance ~ DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS

Flo Fitzpatrick ~ SCARECROW'S DREAM

Eve Devon ~ HEART OF STEEL

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Another Great #EggcerptExchange by Carmen Stefanescu ~ from SHADOWS OF THE PAST ~

Howdy! Have another wonderful eggcerpt for you, but first, here's what the book's about...

BLURB ~

Anne's relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.

The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world--one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil's vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve's soul from its torment.

Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?

A touching, compelling story of tragedy, loss and the power of endless love and good magic.

The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

LINKS ~

Wild Child Publishing

http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=410


Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-of-the-Past-ebook/dp/B00AK2D9I8/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354874514&sr=1-15&keywords=shadows+of+the+past

All Romance

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shadowsofthepast-1013184-140.html


Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-the-past-carmen-stefanescu/1113910162?ean=2940015715026

EGGCERPT ~ 

The peal of the church bells from the abbey tower startled Genevieve. The sound added to her mounting anxiety.

The massive abbey loomed over the stone paved path. All the nuns were at evening mass. With a bit of luck her disappearance would go unnoticed for a few more hours. The Abbess would assume she was cleaning the toilets as ordered.

Fear skittered through Genevieve when she turned away from the abbey towards the path leading to town. Nothing stirred. She hesitated. Evil emanated from the forest surrounding the abbey. With a shiver, she leaned against the solid oak gates that flanked the abbey's main path. They had hidden her from detection for the past couple of hours, but how much longer would she be safe?

The mountain shadows grew thicker and closer.

She moved her weight from one leg to the other. They ached from so much standing, but she lacked the strength to return to the gardener's cottage and wait for Andrew's arrival as planned. Genevieve closed her tired eyes. The image of old Ryan, slumped dead in his chair in his cubicle, caught life in her mind and made her whole body ripple with fear.

She'd rather wait for Andrew here, outside.

Had he forgotten his promise? What if something terrible befell him during the last three days, or he had changed his mind? Why should he risk all for an ordinary nun?

Had his folks talked him into giving her up, made him see reason? Helping her out of her predicament meant a huge risk for him -- losing his family, his friends and his position among his peers. His words echoed in her mind. "I will risk everything for you, even life, if necessary."

* * * *

"Anne, Anne, wake up. Wake up, please," the insistent voice whispered next to her ear. The touch of a hand, on her shoulder, startled Anne.

She opened her eyes, still half between sleep and reality. Her gaze stopped on a stranger, a woman, by her side.

The moon's pale face, the only light, filtered through a small gap in the tent's entrance; yet the stranger's whole body emanated a kind of soft ray, a yellowish halo making her figure and face easy to discern.

A long, dark robe, similar to those worn by nuns in monasteries centuries ago, covered her body. No traditional headdress covered the woman's red hair, which fell loosely over her shoulders in long, heavy tendrils and continued down her chest and back.

Anne stood up and studied the intruder with open curiosity. The stranger’s wax pale face looked corpse like. Anne opened her mouth to ask her who she was. She looked Anne straight in the eyes, placed her forefinger on her lips and whispered, "Hush, come. Follow me."

Anne's eyes widened.

The woman, moving away from the sleeping bag, appeared to glide above the ground. Her bare feet didn't make a sound.

As if hypnotized, Anne followed the illuminated silhouette heading into the forest, without questioning her own actions.

An onrush of sensations unfamiliar to her followed. Dizziness and a malevolent feeling of unreality suffocated her. The presence of evil, creeping up and enveloping her, became almost palpable. Her throat turned dry, and she gasped for air.

/ / / / / / / / / 

INTERVIEW ~

Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable Miss...

"Genevieve. My name is Genevieve, but Sister Clementa, the Abbess, and some of her followers call me The witch."


I see... Ahem. Tell me, Genevieve, where are you living?

Genevieve ( a small sigh escapes her lips. Then she shrugs) "Well, for the moment I reside at St. Mary’s Abbey. On top of a mountain in Britain, in the...cursed forest."


 Is that so? Well, do you have any schooling?

Genevieve (nods and pats and invisible crease of her dress) "Kind Old Bertha, who took care of me after my family perished, taught me to read and write. Not only English but also Latin. And, most important, she taught me how to prepare healing potions from plants and herbs. Perhaps that’s why the Abbess hates me so much. A peasant girl of the 13th century is dangerous if she knows more than her superiors, I think."

Hmm...that may be... What are your worst fears or nightmare?

Genevieve (throws a shy look around her. She shivers and her voice is small) "I fear the cursed forest. This forest is responsible for what happened to my family. My father’s odd behavior, the death of my siblings. All the evil that lurks in it.

My nightmare - the Abbess, sister Clementa, who threatens me all the time with sending me to the stake. I can’t understand why she wants me out of the way."

Sounds quite unpleasant. Is there anything that you secretly desire?

Genevieve (blushes and wrings her hands. Then she looks me directly in the eyes. Her voice is strong now. ) "To become Andrew’s wife and grow a family. If his family agrees....If the Abbess lets me go... If God forgives me for giving up being a nun.....If I escape alive from the forest.... If....”

Nice ending!

AUTHOR BIO ~

Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.

Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of books.

She has dreamed all her life of becoming a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989, and the opening of the country to the world, meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.

Shadows of the Past, paranormal/light romance/light mystery/light horror was released at the end of 2012 by Wild Child publishing, USA.



Carmen Stefanescu's Links:

http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/

https://twitter.com/Carmen_Books

http://www.pinterest.com/carmens007/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmen-Stefanescu-Books/499245716760283

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624397.Carmen_Stefanescu

https://plus.google.com/117216040843648957646/posts

http://www.amazon.com/Carmen-Stefanescu/e/B00APVDGAA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1




Thank you for joining us today, Carmen!

~ Another Great #EggcerptExchange by Kim Cox ~ from THE WEDDING CRASHER ~

Got another great eggcerpt for you, but first let's hear a little bit about the book...

BLURB ~

Lana Malloy is marrying the love of her life, Tony Calabria. The night before, she has a vision of a disturbing wedding and wonders if it’s a premonition of her own. Feeling silly for thinking that, she proceeds with her plans as scheduled.

During their honeymoon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Lana has visions of a young woman abducted by a madman, who will be forced to marry him if he isn’t stopped. She senses marriage isn’t the worst thing that could happen to this woman as she feels the threads of death circling her. She believes this isn’t the first woman the man has abducted and murdered; he’s killed before.

Lana can’t ignore her visions. Will Tony understand this isn’t an obsession, but a calling, and Lana has to do whatever it takes for this young woman? Will she find the victim in time? If she doesn’t, life will never be the same.

EGGCERPT ~

Chapter One

As Lana walked down the aisle, Tony’s love filled her heart and a tear trickled from her eye. She was finally here after realizing there was nothing to be afraid of—nothing at all. So why did she want to turn around and run—run from the church and run for her life? But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t be a runaway bride.

Her footsteps slowed. She felt like she was trudging through deep mud. Then her legs wouldn’t move at all. She looked hopelessly at Tony. The smile left his face and he looked horrified. The look of horror changed to disgust.

She yanked and pulled at her feet without success. What was going on? She tried to cry out, but not a sound escaped. She pulled her long wedding dress up to her knees, and tried to jerk her fashionably heel-clad foot from the carpeted floor. It was impossible. This couldn’t be happening, at least, not on the most important day of her life. She moaned and grunted. She yelled, “Tony!” Her voice sounded as if it came out through a vacuum in slow motion.

Next, she looked around and everyone froze as if paused with a remote control. Everyone except Tony, who gave her a nasty look and walked quickly past her, through the back door, and out of the church. Someone was in his place, but she couldn’t tell who he was. As if someone pressed play again, her feet began to move freely. The crowd became active once more, smiling and whispering. Tony’s brother still stood up as best man to the right of the other man. He smiled at her as she reluctantly made her way to the altar. She couldn’t stop walking; although, all she wanted was to turn around and run after Tony.

When she reached the front of the church where the man she loved should’ve been, the man turned and took her arm, but his face was blank. Who was he? She still had no idea. Lana twisted around to gaze into the crowd. She yelled for help, but everyone just continued to smile at them lovingly—as if this was the most natural thing in the world. Tony even sat with the crowd now, smiling at her. The scene fast forward and it was all over. Everyone rushed to where they stood and wished them happiness.

Tony hugged her and said, “This was the right thing to do. You’ll be very happy with Myles. I won’t hold it against you.”

Lana jerked awake and looked at her clock. It was four in the morning, and she’d slept for an hour. Her bridal shower hadn’t ended until two. This was to be her wedding day and she’d just had the worst nightmare about a wedding anyone could have. What was she supposed to do now? Call it off? Did this mean that marrying Tony would be the worst mistake of her life? Was her life partner supposed to be this Myles person? Who the hell is Myles anyway!

Available now in ebook through Amazon, 24Symbols. Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Page Foundry, and Scribd.

Other Books Available in the Series

In book one, HAUNTED HEARTS, Lana sets out to solve her first case—the twenty-year old cold-case and double murder of her great aunt and her great aunt’s fiancé. If she succeeds, they’ll spend eternity together; if she can’t, they’ll be stuck as Haunted Hearts. With the help of the ghosts and a new love interest, she is able to find the murderer.

In book two, GET OUT OR DIE, the success of Lana’s first case has spread throughout the local Charleston area and her business is booming. At one pro-bono job, Lana helps a widow communicate with her late husband where she learns of a frightening new ability—an ability that could give the next spirit, an angry ghost, the upper hand if she’s not careful.

In the fourth book, CHRISTMAS CRUISE, Lana boards a cruise ship haunted by dead women who were brutally murdered. While aboard the ship Lana has an experience that mentally injures her. Once she recovers, she's more determined than ever to find the murderer.

AUTHOR BIO ~

Kim Cox is an author of Paranormal, Mystery, Suspense and Romance. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her chain saw artist husband, their West Highland White Terriers--Scooter and Harley, and a Yorkie mix, Candi. Kim is published in novels, short stories and articles.

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