Guest post from Elle Emtage, author of Gray Skies

 

Title: Gray Skies

Author: Elle Emtage

Publisher: iUniverse

Pages: 170

Genre: Romance

Format: Ebook

Purchase at AMAZON

Dunstan’s dashing good looks, thriving business and exotic lifestyle made him one of the world’s most sought after bachelors; but none of this seemed to quell Dunstan’s desire for Destiny. As their courtship evolves their romance is woven from a tapestry of classical beauty and romantic places in the orange light of the Tuscan sun. To Destiny, her life once filled with endless days of meetings and long nights alone is now full of life and love in a whirlwind romance.

In the midst of their developing relationship however, tragedy rips them apart and she discovers a thread in time which links their existence to an unbelievable possibility. This possibility threatens their very existence, but Dunstan, fueled by his love, will stop at nothing until he reclaims what he has lost. A fantasy romance novel, Gray Skies demonstrates how true love can even overcome obstacles set by the universe.

Guest Post – Gray
Skies

As I’ve gone through life’s celebrations and challenges I’ve
come to the undeniable realization – Writing is in my DNA. My adventures are colored
in verse and rhyme, my thoughts are painted on a canvas of imagination and
experiences born in day and night dreams. I see events in words.

My writing is tempered by my emotions. If I’m not in a good
place then I can’t write – which is ironic because writing takes me to that
‘good place’. Very often I have to push myself to a chair to calm the thoughts
exploding in my head by putting them in print. Each and every time as soon as
my fingers touch the keyboard or finger the leaf of my journal (yes I actually
prefer a good old pen and paper) my initial hesitation disappears as if there
was never a cause for concern. So what happens when I can’t write? I write!

Writing is therapeutic for me. It soothes. It calms. It
provides the passageway into the recesses of imagination where life is
exciting, adventurous, predictably unpredictable, passionate, thrilling – I
guess all the things that real life (for me anyway) isn’t. Not that I’m unhappy
with who I am – I’m just overwhelmingly happy that I have an avenue that allows
me to escape into a fantastic reality without the use of any vices – a win-win
for me I think.

I’ve been asked on many
occasions – “Why have you decided to publish at this stage in your life? And
why a romance novel? That seems so unlike you!” And I had to sit back and
really ask myself the same question but with a twist – why on earth did I take so long to bring a dream
birthed in me from early childhood to fruition? What did I use to validate me
turning away from the path that made sense? I came up with a host of reasons:

1.       There
are so many writers out there – competing on the global arena will be tough…

2.       Agents
aren’t going to sign unknown writers, far less will big publishing houses…(and
from the Caribbean?)

3.       How
can I make a living, achieve the ‘things in life’ on peanuts?

4.       Can
people really get immersed in my style of writing?

5.       Do
people even really believe in real romance or true love anymore?

…And the list went on and
on….until I came to one important realization – if I didn’t live my dream,
or at least try at it, how would I know how successful I could have
been? And what is the measure of success? For me – it was turning the
pages of my very first novel and realizing that everything that I feared –
whether real or not – that the look on someone’s face when they get lost in the
characters and their lives made it all worth it.   And dare I say? This is
enough….

And so the birth of Dunstan and
Destiny and their fantastic tale of their lives and love. Gray Skies Gray Skies
is a wonderful page turner, centered on the characters Dunstan Moab and Destiny
Tallum. Dunstan’s dashing good looks, thriving business and exotic lifestyle
made him one of the worlds most sought after bachelors; but none of this seemed
to matter to quell Dunstan’s desire for Destiny. Gray Skies is weaved from a
tapestry of classical beauty and romantic places in the orange light of the
Tuscan sun. To Destiny, her life once filled with endless days of meetings and
long nights alone is now full of life and love in a whirlwind romance.

In the midst of their developing
relationship, however, tragedy rips them apart and she discovers a thread in
time which links their existence to an unbelievable possibility. This
possibility threatens their very existence, but Dunstan fueled by his
love, will stop at nothing until he reclaims what he has lost. A fantasy
romance novel, Gray Skies demonstrates how true love can even overcome
obstacles set by the universe.

Elle Emtage is a business professional and has been published in several media houses. Elle’s passion for writing has transformed throughout the years and she is sharing her love of romance and intrigue through the début of this novel. Elle and her family consider themselves fortunate to live on the beautiful island of Barbados.

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Correcting Misconceptions by Rev. Dr. Hazel Ann Gibbs Depeza Book Feature – Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Title: Correcting Misconceptions

Author: Rev. Dr. Hazel Ann Gibbs De Peza

Publisher: Partridge Publishing

Genre: Education

Format: Kindle

The book, a research paper, reveals and analyzes misconceptions about the Spiritual Baptist Faith, an indigenous religious expression of Christianity in Trinidad and Tobago. It highlights the academic bias to the Faith, which is maligned and misunderstood because of its humble beginnings amidst ex-plantation slaves of African descent and its history of persecution and prosecution by the colonial authorities of the early 20th century.The research provided answers to some of the troubling questions about the Faith and served as the source for the book My Faith, Spiritual Baptist Christian by the same author.

To Purchase Correcting Misconceptions

Dr. Hazel is  giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins April 20 and ends on May 1.
• Winners will be contacted via email on May 3.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Dark Phantom Welcomes Getting It Right Book Blast!

The Dark Phantom is happy to be hosting A.M. Arthur and her GETTING IT RIGHT Book Blast today!

About the Book:

Title: Getting It Right (Book one of the Restoration series)
Author: A.M. Arthur
Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)
Pages: 249
Genre: Contemporary Romance / M/M
Format: Kindle/Nook

For a dramatic male/male read, look no further than Getting It Right by A.M. Arthur. This contemporary romance is full of heart-wrenching moments guaranteed to draw you in and leave you wanting more.

Detective Nathan Wolf might just be a junior detective, but he tackles every case with the passion that he lacks in his personal life. A series of failed relationships with women has left him still single at thirty-four–because he’s too scared to admit to his longtime crush on his best friend James.

Dr. James Taggert likes to keep his profession as a psychiatrist separate from his party-animal persona. Known around the gay clubs as Tag, he’s the guy who screws them, leaves them, and never looks back. But James’s drinking is getting heavier, and when bad memories from the past resurface, he’s close to becoming the worst version of himself.

After a drunken blackout ends in a hot and heavy make-out session with his very straight best friend, James has no memory of the steamy affair. But Nathan isn’t sorry for the kisses that James can’t remember. Nathan finally musters the courage to tell James how he really feels, but a life-altering event might force them apart before they can ever be together.

For More Information

• Getting It Right is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Order your copy at iTunes.
• Pick up your copy at All Romance eBooks.
• Also available directly from Carina Press.

Book Excerpt:

He smoked his way through two more cigarettes before Nathan’s beat-up Ram pickup pulled alongside the curb. For a city cop, he was still adorably country. Nathan leaned across the console to shove open the passenger side door, and James gratefully slid inside. The simple, familiar presence of Nathan nearby made James’s nerves unfurl a little bit more. Nathan was the one thing in James’s life that had always made sense. Had always been easy.

Weariness settled into his bones, turning his drunken daze into extreme fatigue. He wanted to pass out and soon.

Nathan shoved a bottle of water at him, then eased the truck back into the street. He cracked both of the front windows, probably because James reeked of smoke. Nathan had never been shy about telling him how gross his habit was. Nathan was also smart enough not to engage in conversation until they were shuffling up the short sidewalk to Nathan’s half of a two-story duplex. Nathan slung an arm around James’s waist, and the heat of the other man’s body so close felt amazing. Real. Not like the fake closeness of dancing with strangers in a crowded bar.

He finally got a good look at his friend as Nathan crossed the narrow living room to the kitchen in the rear. Flannel pajama pants and a spring coat. James had woken him up.

Yeah, I’m a douche bag.

“You hungry?” Nathan shouted from the kitchen.

“No.” In the familiar, somewhat cluttered warmth of Nathan’s home, he had a safe place to wallow in the shame still burning in his gut.

Nathan’s place was the definition of a straight bachelor’s pad—which worked since Nathan was a straight bachelor. Dark leather furniture right out of a magazine’s page, decorated exactly the same because he couldn’t be bothered. A monster, sixty-inch flat screen mounted on the wall over an entertainment console boasted two gaming systems, alongside a Blu-ray player and hundreds of movies. Only a handful of photos hung on the wall, mostly of his rather large extended family that lived in southern Delaware.

James paused to stare at a familiar photo of himself with Nathan, taken right after Nathan had graduated from the police academy. They were both grinning, arms slung around each other’s shoulder. Nathan so handsome in his uniform, James in a gray suit that hadn’t been stylish in a decade. Because that’s how long it had been. Nathan had made detective last year, so he didn’t wear his uniform anymore. James sort of missed it.

Nathan came back into the living room sans coat, a white wifebeater showing off his muscled arms and flat stomach. He was one-eighth Nanticoke Indian on his mother’s side, which gave his skin a lovely golden hue. His short hair was shiny black, and was always soft on the rare occasion James had a reason to touch it. His dark brown eyes often seemed to be smiling at him, even when things were serious, like right now.

He was carrying a bamboo tray loaded down with two shot glasses, a bottle of Kentucky bourbon and a bag of barbecue potato chips. He settled the tray on his magazine-covered coffee table, then poured them each a shot.

James sank onto the couch next to Nathan and accepted the glass. After a silent toast, he threw it back. The harsh, smoky liquid burned its way into his stomach.

Nathan refilled both glasses. “Does your mom know?”

About the Author:

No stranger to the writing world, A.M. Arthur has been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long. She credits an early fascination with male friendships and “bromance” (and “The Young Riders”) with her later discovery of and subsequent affair with m/m romance stories. When not writing, she can be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

For More Information

• Connect with A.M. on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about A.M. at Goodreads
• Visit A.M.’s blog.

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Saints and Heroes by Andrew Schultz Book Feature!

Title: Saints and Heroes

Author: Andrew Schultz

Publisher: iUniverse

Pages: 244

Genre: Action Adventure

Format: Ebook/Paperback

Purchase at AMAZON

This book is about hope, despair and faith. It follows Anselm from his boyhood on the rugged Isle of Iona through a course of study at Glastonbury and ultimately through his long association with King Malcolm Caenmore, a ruthless despot who begins a 300 year dynasty of a united Scotland.

Andrew Schultz Teacher, professor and writer, Andrew Schultz lives in Lincoln, Nebraska where he works with wood, walks his dog Seanie and ponders small questions.

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Sacred Relationships Psychology for the Soul by Dr. Kate Pola Brooks Book Blast – Win a $25 Amazon GC!

Title: Sacred Relationships

Author: Dr. Kate Pola Brooks

Publisher: Xlibris

Genre: Psychology/Relationship

Format: Kindle/Paperback/Hardcover

Everything You Want To Understand About Relationships “Sacred Relationships: Psychology for the Soul”, is designed to define the inter-relatedness of everything and everyone. It gives clarity to the functioning of the mind, the psyche and the heart. “Sacred Relationships” defines the patterns of our thinking, understanding, ‘knowing’ and loving capacities. This book clears up misunderstandings and misinterpretations around our connection to this world, our Selves, and others, within the Universal Patterns.” “The conceptual understanding of why we are here and what we are meant to be doing, assists the reader to reformat reactions into responses, fellow companions into loved ones and our relationship with our true Self into illumination.”

To Purchase Sacred Relationships

Dr. Kate Pola Brooks is  giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins April 27 and ends on May 15.
• Winners will be contacted via email on May 17.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Bookwright: Book One of the Vanir Trilogy by George R. Dasher Book Blast – Win a $25 Amazon GC!

Title: Bookwright

Author: George R. Dasher

Publisher: iUniverse

Genre: Science Fiction

Format: Kindle/Paperback/Hardcover

With his ship crippled and his crew dead, Jarl Hawkins fights for survival in space as his dying spaceship, the Cassiopeia, drifts out of control. But there is nothing he can do, and his own death is certain.

Oddly enough, rescue comes in the form of an old wizard named Kvasir, who offers Jarl his chance at a new life on Vanir, a planet unlike anything Jarl has ever encountered. There, the King fights his rivals for control of his kingdom, wild nomads roam the northern Ghost Plains, wizards and witches use magic, and an all-powerful church viciously suppresses independent thought through prison, torture, and fire.

Once on Vanir, Jarl befriends the Kettlewand Rangers and is drawn into a war that he doesn’t truly understand. Separated from Kvasir, he patrols with the Rangers, witnesses the murder of a Ghost Raider, and travels to Tyr, the capital city, to locate Kvasir or another wizard. But he instead finds himself on the wrong side of the Church, and his modern weapons are taken from him and he is imprisoned for being a sorcerer. Once inside the prison, however, he finds a friend and protector, a samurai-like warrior. After a pardon from the king himself, Jarl and his new friend returns to Tyr and makes a startling—and dangerous—discovery: a translated Vanir bible.

Determined to break the church’s hold on the citizens, Jarl begins to print the bible, infuriating the church leaders. His time on Vanir becomes even more dangerous, and it is only with the King’s protection that he and his printing company can survive. But Kvasir is still missing, and without the help of the old wizard, Jarl is powerless to make his way back into space.

To Purchase Bookwright

George R. Dasher has worked as an EMT, paramedic, and a coal and oil-and-gas geologist. Now an environmental geologist, he oversees the remediation of contaminated groundwater sites in West Virginia. His hobbies include diving, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, and caving. He is the editor of a state-wide caving newsletter and the author of eight books on caving. He lives in West Virginia

George is  giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins April 27 and ends on May 15.
• Winners will be contacted via email on May 17.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Principium: The Stone Prophecy Series by Alexandra Lamarre Book Feature!

Title: Principium: The Stone Prophecy Series

Author: Alexandra Lamarre

Publisher: iUniverse

Genre: Fantasy

Format: Kindle

Ever since her mother’s death twelve years ago, fourteen-year-old Kiarra Johnson wonders if she is a good witch or if she is doomed to a lifetime of evil. Her life is anything but mundane as she lives in a rented room in her father’s home in the village of Kiamika, a magical society hidden from mortals who would persecute them for their gifts. For many years, Kiarra has lived across the lake from Kasy Sheridan, a girl who has led a life vastly different from her own. They both have been accepted to attend the magical Hollow Institute for Gifted Young Women. During this time, their lives become intertwined as they study magical theory and learn rituals that will change their view of magic and give them insight into the mystery of dying familiars. Kiarra wonders if she will be able to uphold her mother’s legacy of helping to save the world. She and her friends are faced with that challenge when they encounter the evil Feuer, a vampire-demon hybrid. What chance do these teens, with just one year of magical training, have against creatures who are more than three hundred years old?

To Purchase Principium

Alexandra Lamarre earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Carleton University with a double minor in French and history. She began writing this book when she was thirteen years old, using inspiration from both her high school and college experiences. Lamarre lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with her three roommates.

Alexandra is  giving away a $25 Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Gift Certificate to the e-retailer of your choice
• This giveaway begins April 20 and ends on May 1.
• Winners will be contacted via email on May 3.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The SHIVA Syndrome by Alan Joshua Book Feature!

Title: The Shiva Syndrome

Author: Alan Joshua

Publisher: Champagne Books

Genre: Science Fiction

Format: Kindle

A secret Russian mind research laboratory in Podol’sk erupts, annihilating thousands and leaving a monstrous, one-mile deep crater in its wake.

Beau Walker, parapsychologist and reluctant empath, is coerced into joining a research team, code-named SHIVA, to investigate the enigmatic event.

Walker must fight his way past political and military deceptions and a host of deadly adversaries to unlock the riddle of the SHIVA syndrome.

Will he have the physical, emotional, and spiritual strength to defy the dangers he faces…or will they destroy him before he can come to a new, challenging understanding of the nature of reality?

To Purchase The SHIVA Syndrome

The Shiva syndrome, his debut fiction novel, is a science fiction/paranormal mystery and thriller.

Always curious about the unknowns of human experience, he is fascinated with creativity and paranormal abilities. This led to his involvement with Psychology and research into Parapsychology.

He has explored paranormal abilities using hypnosis and in-depth interviewing of a wide range of practitioners. Among his prized possessions are a shriveled, mummified banana (a product of one healer’s biopsychokinesis) and a small, curled Austrian teaspoon produced by a German healer while six people sat around him. (see http://alanjoshua.com/biopsychokinesis )
The Shiva Syndrome incorporates his knowledge of Parapsychology and experiences with healers, intuitives, “psychic” sensitives, etc.

Unsurprisingly, he is a science fiction fan and has been influenced by such writers as Asimov, Bradbury, Crichton, Heinlein, Serling, and the extraordinary genius of Phillip Dick.

As an avid Star Trek fan, he is fond of contradicting Gene Roddenberry, believing that human consciousness and its potentials are “the final frontier.”

If you have questions for me, I would be glad to answer them–time permitting. I’d like to hear from you if you’ve had any paranormal experiences.

For More Information

Visit Alan at his website

 

As a native Philadelphian, Alan Joshua (pen name) has the appropriate fondness for soft pretzels and cheesesteaks. He is married, has two grown children, and lives in the suburbs. He is currently a practicing Clinical Psychologist with a background in Forensic Psychology.

His diverse background includes working in a State penitentiary and mental institution, a sleep laboratory, and a pain management center.

Joshua has published many nonfiction journal articles.

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Cover Reveal! WARRANT: a dark erotica

 

COVER REVEAL!

 

WARRANT

 

a dark erotica…

by S.L. Schiefer

…not your typical love story.

 

WARRANT by S.L.Schiefer

Publish date:5/14/15

Publisher:EDGE.

COMING 5/14

 

BLURB

Devon Harper knows two things for certain:

1. She lives to dance.

2. She is a prostitute.

At 18 years old, Devon’s mother went missing and she was suddenly forced into a brutal prostitution ring. In a life plagued with a series of let downs, the only thing constant has been dance. But when an unlikely ally, Enzo, enters her screwed-up life, she wonders if there is hope for her yet. Will striving for a degree in dance help Devon escape the throes of prostitution? Or will it cause her to lose more than ever before?

 

*Caution: The story of Devon Harper is not a pretty one. It contains disturbing situations, graphic violence, sex, strong language, drug use and all types of abuse.

 

AUTHOR BIO

S.L was born and raised in a small town in Ohio. She is the biggest Ohio State fan EVER! She’s married with two beautiful boys and a furbaby. A country girl at heart, and have no problem sitting outside by a fire or grabbing guns and target shooting. Works as a hairstylist and assistant manager at SportClips. In her down time you’ll generally find her relaxing with her Kindle, or trying to entertain the minions.

**Where to find S.L. Schiefer**

Blog: http://authorslschiefer.com/posts/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Slschiefer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=SLSchiefer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/St3ph1821/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4908299.C…

Amazon Author
Page: 

http://www.amazon.com/S.L.-Schiefer/e/B00M0XEIMG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

 

 

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Guest Post from William A. Clifford, author of Amy

Title: Amy

Author: William A. Clifford

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Pages: 268

Genre: Fiction

Format: Ebook/Paperback

Purchase at AMAZON

An experiment in creation, with some religious views, that shows the reasons why, we may not want, what we think we want. How plans take on a life of their own, and there is no going back.

 Stories set in modern times are undoubtedly going to come in
contact with some sort of authority. In some cases you can limit the official
input and continue on your merry way. Some make the authority contingent the
main focal point. Amy needed to have a way to show she had an official status.
She needed to go through the gauntlet of official inspection, because she had
no childhood history. No parents, school records, vaccinations, or any such
thing existed for her.

Tom knew there was only one thing that could explain a lack of
memory on all aspects of her life. A special type of amnesia that involved the
whole gamut of interactions from short to long term memory. Showing them going
through the testing and raising no red flags gave her an opportunity to be
given an identity and with that she could do anything that anyone else could
do.

This was such a requirement that the first book was dedicated to
showing this process from the beginning to end. There was one option I nearly
included and that was a suspicion from the investigating officer. I decided
that there was not enough evidence and the normal screening took care of that
suspicion. Other than establishing her identity, I wanted to bring to light the
problem that Children’s services is having with funding being cut. It is true
here in my area and has been alluded to in other districts in other countries.
Child welfare needs to be a priority with every stage of government taking this
and making a stand.

Amy had a straight forward walk through of the system and
required little drain on the resources in the process. She was fostered by the
family that found her and that family was prepared to adopt her, so that a
minimum of supervision was needed. Only one case worker was needed for her
welfare. The school system was a bit more challenging, but with enough input
from the different agencies and teachers involved, she was placed in an
appropriate level for her aptitude.  It was a toss up as to how this would
work out. She could have gone with her reported age, her apparent age, or her
aptitude testing.

There are a number of children in our area that are very mature
looking for their age. Even kids within our social group show too much physical
development for their ages. Because this would affect her placement in school
and submit her to differing social groups within the schools, I had Amy appear
to be older yet just in the start of puberty for the story to be addressed as
it needed to be. The next book in the series has very little to do with the
authorities as far as Amy is concerned, so we ended book one with her getting
her identity.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Raised in Ancaster, in the country setting. Attended Ancaster High and Vocational School, where I got my diploma. After that I enrolled in the working world until my retirement. I am married with three grown children and six grandchildren. I build miniatures and like to build landscapes of my own design.

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