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Two sexy work rivals each want the prestigious promotion for Christmas, but neither expects to want each other.
Her Competition by Maggie Blackbird Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Two sexy work rivals each want the prestigious promotion for Christmas, but neither expects to want each other.
Driven and determined, Celeste Fisher won’t let anything stop her from anchoring the nightly news. She’s sacrificed a personal life, a love life, and left her Ojibway community to make it in the city. And if that means stomping all over her too-handsome and too-competitive rival to nail the position, so be it.
Casual dating and one-night stands are all Reed Dumont can spare while building what he covets most—his career. He’s not about to lose out to Celeste, no matter if he can’t keep his eyes off her sexy legs and admiring her just-as-sexy brain, because sitting in the broadcasting chair is another step up the ladder to thumb his nose at his poor Métis upbringing.
A crisis in a First Nations community sends the adversaries out on the road to cover the story. Snowed in at the hotel, rivals become humans, unable to deny their true private desires. But upon returning to the city, the new lovers face the biggest hurdle that could cost them their budding relationship when one gets the promotion and the other is left holding…frustration. Now they must decide what is worth fighting for: love or career.
An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.
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Tune in Tomorrow by Randee Dawn Genre: Humorous Pop-Culture Fantasy
A funny, thrilling and mysterious adventure into the world of alternate reality television… Perfect for fans of Jasper Fforde and Christopher Moore.
She’s just a small town girl, with big mythic dreams. Starr Weatherby came to New York to become… well, a star. But after ten years and no luck, she’s offered a big role – on a show no one has ever heard of. And there’s a reason for that. It’s a ‘reality’ show beyond the Veil, human drama, performed for the entertainment of the Fae. But as Starr shifts from astounded newcomer to rising fan favorite, she learns about the show’s dark underbelly – and mysterious disappearance of her predecessor. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep her dream job – though she might just bring down the show in the process.
Randee Dawn is an author, journalist, and lucky denizen of Brooklyn. Her first novel, the humorous pop-culture fantasy Tune in Tomorrow, published in August 2022 (Solaris/Rebellion). Randee’s short fiction has appeared in publications and podcasts including 3AM Magazine (“The View of My Brother’s Profile in the Rear-View Mirror,” 2001; “Warm, In Your Coat,” 2004) and Well-Told Tales (“Home for the Holidays,” 2015; “Can’t Keep a Dead Man Down,” 2017). Dawn’s stories have appeared in anthologies including Where We May Wag (“The Last Dog,” Writing Piazza Press, 2018), Children of a Different Sky (“Can’t Find My Way Home,” Kos Books, 2018), Magic for Beginners (“Queen Zoe and the Spinning Game,” Fantasia Divinity, 2019), Dim Shores Presents (“Rough Beast, Slouching,” 2021), Another World: Stories of Portal Fantasy (“The Way Is Clear,” SummerStorm Press, 2021), and Horror for the Throne: One-Sitting Reads (“Cat Person”). She has a short collection of dark speculative fiction short stories, “Home for the Holidays” (2014) and co-authored “The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion” (BenBella Books, 2009). She co-edited the speculative fiction anthology of “what if” stories about The Beatles, “Across the Universe: Tales of Alternative Beatles” (Fantastic Books, 2019). When not making stuff up, Randee publishes entertainment profiles, reviews, and think pieces regularly in outlets including Variety, The Los Angeles Times, Today.com and Emmy Magazine, and writes trivia for BigBrain. She can be found at RandeeDawn.com and @RandeeDawn (on Twitter).
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Do you have a favorite movie? Certainly! You don’t even have to drop a hat to get me to watch The Philadelphia Story, a movie from 1940 with some of my favorite actors of all time – Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. Ruth Hussey is also magnificent. It’s funny, it’s screwy, and it has a wonderful back story in that it helped revive Hepburn’s then-flagging career. Plus, it’s just a pleasure to watch these beautiful people on screen. In 1956, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelley – plus Louis Armstrong! – were the stars of a musical remake called High Society, with music by Cole Porter. I’ll always pick Philadelphia first, but Society is one of those rare reimaginings that’s almost as perfect, particularly the performance of “Well! Did You Evah?” in which Crosby notes to Sinatra, “Tune in tomorrow.”
Who is your hero and why? When I was about 10 or 11, I came across something called “An Eschatological Laundry List,” by the late psychologist and author Sheldon B. Kopp. It’s a series of 43 brief sentences that starts with “This is it!” and includes lines like “All of the significant battles are waged within the self.” One that sticks with me is: “If you have a hero, look again: you have diminished yourself in some way.” I can see heroic behavior and admire it, but I do not have a single hero. We all live in the gray area, including the great people. What is heroic is loving, and admiring, someone despite their gray areas. My mother is a hero. My friend Julia – who gave me the list originally – is a hero. Everyone I love is heroic. And I strive for that, every day.
Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie? All of them! I’ve only had one published so far – Tune in Tomorrow – and frankly, I think it’d make a better series than a movie, but I’ll assume that’s included in the question. I write with a movie playing in my head at all times. I know what every scene looks like, where the characters are standing, and if I squint, what they’re wearing. I only include the details that matter in each scene, but there are many more I don’t include. So for me, every book and short story I write is a kind of script for the movie I want it to become. But let’s face it: the book is always better.
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On Threshold time travel is about to become possible. The huge space habitat, already 500 years in our future is about to go forward to a safer time and place. Aliens from the All-Time hold the keys. Wanna go?
Threshold The Threshold Series Book 1 by Janet & Chris Morris Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Adventure
Set a millennium from now on Threshold Terminal—virtually a Grand Hotel in space— a young test pilot, Joe South, is thrust five hundred years into his future and finds himself in the thick of interstellar smuggling, intrigue, and the rough underworld of an alien environment. It is a time of danger and ever-shifting powers . . . and the destinies of a lost test pilot, an underworld scavenger, and two young lovers become irrevocably intertwined . .
November’s Featured Title of the month with Perseid Press! On Sale for Only $2.99! Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads
Bestselling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.
Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.
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What is something unique/quirky about you? Together we breed Morgan horses. We consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose crosses to their stock to achieve a desired result. We are also musicians; Janet plays bass guitar, Chris sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author? Janet wrote her first novel, High Couch of Silistra in 1975; a friend sent it to an agent who chose to represent her; she had already written the second book in the Silistra Quartet and her agent told her not to disclose that until they finalized the contract for the first one. When the publisher learned of the others, Bantam Books bought the succeeding three. When the fourth book was published, the series already had four million copies in print. Suddenly Janet was a novelist specializing in environmental, gender, historical and political subjects. In the process, Chris started as her editor and ultimately a co-writer. Since then, she and Chris have co-authored many books.
Who is your hero and why? Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. We’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.
Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie? All of them. We write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures we undertake without knowing the destination. I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, and Outpassage are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.
What inspired you, to write Threshold? Threshold explores what will happen if we meet beings who are interdimensional, not limited by time and space as we know it. Of course, there’s massive suspicion and mistrust when humans meet aliens capable of grasping a much wider time spectrum and able to predict what is about to occur as a result of current circumstance. How can ordinary people trust this super-human race and how can they not once given the benefit of their perspective?
Convince us why you feel Threshold is a must read. Today our space telescopes are showing us pictures of events that happened millions of light years ago, showing us actual images of the plastic nature of time and space. It is a short conceptual jump from those images to imagining beings like us, but capable of accessing a wider present and acting in concert with events provably happening over vast time arcs. As humans, we may feel that a lifetime is but a moment in an eternal reality and guess what it could be like to be free of the clock-time that rules our earthly progress. In Threshold, we get to play on the greatest chess board available to our fledgling perception of our own possible futures. We’ve gone to lengths to make this book available in e-book, trade paper, hardback, and soon in audiobooks.
Who designed your book covers? Most of our covers, including Threshold, are realized by Roy Mauritsen, a gifted graphic artist.
Advice to writers? As for advice to writers, here is all we know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if we as writers can’t feel what it’s like being there, our readers can’t either. Close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell us what you see. Tell us what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to us.
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Split The Price of Talent Book 1 by AK Nevermore Genre: Spicy Dystopian SciFi Romance
On an alternate earth, a cataclysm has altered a subset of the population. Talents are persecuted for their psychic and physical mutations, giving rise to two conflicting societies based upon maintaining genetic purity. And the Source, a shadowy corporate entity dependent upon the exploitation of captive Talents, is hunting them… The city of Glynfyls is burning. And Flynn Scot is powerless to stop it. Now that his status is in question, the Assembly is calling for his head. The only thing keeping it on his shoulders is the commons rioting with the demand he be made Overlord. Fluctuating between extremes, Kara’s talent deficiency is becoming critical. With her body failing and Flynn at the Assembly’s mercy, Kara Scot has no choice but to take his seat and fight for her House. But clearing Flynn’s name and battering herself against the tide of public censure threatens to drag her under. So does the wave of Humanity Purists marching toward Glynfyls. No Talent is safe outside the city. Refugees flock to the north fleeing extermination only to find a metropolis torn by prejudice and fear. Unless Flynn and Kara can find a way to survive the machinations of the Assembly, there will be nothing standing between them and annihilation. Because even if they survive the extremists, Titus’s army is following in their wake ready to harvest whatever is left.
AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks. Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time. She pays the bills editing, wielding a wicked hot pink pen and writing a column on SFF. She also belongs to the Authors Guild, is a chapter treasurer for the RWA, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.
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Sometimes when the right man finds the right woman, things still aren’t quite right. Can a piece of paper fix it, or ruin it?
Chasing Love Clumsy Little Hearts Trilogy Book 3 by Julie Navickas Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sometimes when the right man finds the right woman, things still aren’t quite right. Can a piece of paper fix it, or ruin it?
When Cole Johnson was eight-years-old, he married Rose Prescott. Never mind that the aisle was made of holiday table runners, she wore an old lace curtain, and her brother performed the ceremony in a musty basement. Twenty-four years later, Cole is more in love than ever and ready to wed Rose for real. This time, it’ll be at an exquisite wedding venue and the minister will know how to read. But that’s not all. He wants to give Rose the life he’s always dreamed of: a big house with a picket fence, twin boys, a family dog, and a rock-solid 401K. But Rose doesn’t seem to want any of it—not even a little. Because it’s not at all the future she covets. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The thought of a hefty mortgage payment and a minivan full of children isn’t just suffocating… it’s insufferable. As the wedding approaches, Cole grows uneasy and can’t help but feel like Rose is hiding something. Despite his suspicions, the day of their wedding arrives without a hitch. The question is, how will the day end? Pick up your copy of Chasing Love, the epic conclusion to the Clumsy Little Hearts trilogy. While each story can be read as a standalone, common characters are woven throughout each book. Julie Navickas’ stories leave no shortage of heart-stopping plot twists, competing emotions, and soul-crushing decisions. Get your copy today!
Julie Navickas is a best-selling and award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University. She is a mom of three and has been happily married to her high school sweetheart for twelve years.
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Unravel the secrets to crafting a masterful magic system from best-selling fantasy author Charlie N. Holmberg.
Whether using magic as flavor or as an essential piece of plot, this book will guide fantasy authors, from new to experienced, through the delicate layers of creating, utilizing, and mastering magic systems.
In this book, we will… *Discuss the schools, laws, and spectrum of magic *Learn to build individual pieces of a magic system *Dig into magic’s influence on worldbuilding *Examine different types and styles of magic *Develop and polish original magic systems
With workshops, work pages, and reference materials included, this succinct one-and-done guide to crafting the magical elements of the fantasy genre is a must-have for speculative fiction authors.
“If you haven’t had the fortune of attending one of Charlie’s writing classes (which I have), this is the next best thing. Book of Magic contains so much wit, wisdom, and practical suggestions for helping any beginning author, or veteran, make their magic systems rise up and be noticed. She uses expert examples from other authors you know as well as teaching a masterclass on developing magic systems from scratch based on methods she’s invented. You just may need this book to help find out what kind of magic-based diseases might be festering in your neighbor’s cabbages.” —Jeff Wheeler, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series
Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction, including the Paper Magician series, the Spellbreaker series, and the Whimbrel House series, and writes contemporary romance under C. N. Holmberg. She is published in over twenty languages and is a Goodreads Choice Award, ALA, and RITA finalist. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. A BYU alumna, she discovered in her thirties that she’s actually a cat person. She lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at http://www.charlienholmberg.com.
In the brainstorming process, I almost always discover my stories’ magic first. Whether it’s a full-fledged magic system (like in The Paper Magician) or just a spark of magic (like in Followed by Frost), my brain loves the fantasy element of fantasy novels and beelines straight to that. I think I was in a conference or the like and the idea of writing a craft book on magic came to mind—I jotted it down in the bottom corner of my notes. But of course, I didn’t have TIME to write something like that. It was just an idea, but it’s an idea that liked to revisit my brain once in a while.
When I got an idea for what I could include in the book, I would jot it down. I teach a class at conferences about magic systems, but I didn’t think that would be enough for my own craft book—I wanted to have things in there that were new and fresh, so I tried to brainstorm in that direction. My brain would collect ideas here and there; record them in a notebook or on my phone. And then at the beginning of the year, in between other fiction projects, I thought, “Well, why don’t I just outline it?”
I found I enjoyed it. I outlined it and then just brain-dumped my thoughts under every section. I went into the PowerPoint for my magic class and pulled it in. I know workshops really help to cement an idea, so I wanted to include those in the book as well, even designing them so readers can write directly onto the page as they go. Oliver Heber Books had reached out to me for the possibility of publishing previously, so the route was set!
What can we expect from you in the future?
I don’t have any more craft books on the docket right now, but I’m full steam ahead on fantasy fiction! I’ll be completing my Whimbrel House series (book 4, Wizard of Most Wicked Ways, releases March 4th, 2025, and I’ll draft book 5 next year), and I’m releasing a romantasy duology called The Shattered King, with book one coming out next fall. After those series are finished, I’ll be releasing a historical series—the first book is called The Hedge Witch’s Cure for Marriage, and I’m very excited for it!
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
So in Charlie N. Holmberg’s Book of Magic, I have several appendices for writers to utilize. One of these appendices is a list of commonly used magic in fantasy novels. This list can be used in three ways: 1) choosing one of these magics to ensure an easier learning curve for magic for the reader, 2) avoiding these magics to encourage a more original magic system, or 3) twisting one of the magics to make it your own.
I was thinking about this while playing Final Fantasy XVI with my husband, and I thought, okay, what if I took my own advice? What if I took something off this list and did #3 (twisted it)?
So I chose healing magic. How would I find a way to make it uniquely mine? And I came up with an idea that really stuck with me. That idea had babies with Final Fantasy XVI (the MMC is inspired by Joshua Rosfield), and then playdates with [ahem, my favorite novel] The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon and To Poison a King by S.G. Prince. And I drafted that book in fifteen days. It wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye in May and it existed in July.
So . . . check out that appendix, I guess. It’s MAGICAL (pun intended).
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
I created this book to help other fantasy authors craft fun, believable magic systems, but I think it would be a fun read for those who just enjoy reading fantasy. Sometimes it’s fun to peek behind the curtain. 😉
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Paper and ink to set the reader at ease, a bright lilac to inspire creativity, sharp lemon to mimic magic, and freshly cut grass for theme (that one will make sense after you read it).
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
Obviously one cannot write an adequate book on magic systems without talking about Brandon Sanderson.
Once upon a time, I hired a good friend of mine as a personal assistant/head editor. Her name is Kristy, and she’s one of the most competent people I know. I wasn’t utilizing her full skillset, so when a bigger, better job offer for her came along, we parted ways amicably.
Said job offer happened to be for Dragonsteel, which is Brandon’s company.
In Charlie N. Holmberg’s Book of Magic, I wanted to address Brandon Sanderson’s laws of magic, but I wanted to make sure I did it in a super legal way. So I contacted Kristy simply because she’s a fountain of knowledge and asked her what I was legally aloud to quote, and she told me. And she said if I wasn’t sure, I could send it into Dragonsteel for review.
“Who would I send it to?”
“Me.”
So that made it pretty darn easy to get review eyeballs on it 😀
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Sunscreen Shower A Detective Kev Dixit Novel 2 by J.P. Rieger Genre: Crime Mystery, Dark Comedy
Baltimore Police Detective Kev Dixit is being stalked by a psychopath. He’s also saving lives and solving crimes. And he’s late for dinner. Dixit temporarily heads the Criminal Investigation Division, a real stress inducer. Aided by humorless partners and eccentric high school friends, he investigates two vexing cases. Spouses are found shot to death in their home. Murder-suicide is the obvious call, considering one spouse had just cleaned out the couple’s joint accounts the day before. But all is not as it seems when Forensics takes a closer look at the victims’ DNA. Later, Dixit and his assigned mentee investigate a car bombing. What kind of person would viciously murder a likeable gym rat? Oh, and that murder-suicide. It reminded Dixit of an earlier investigation, back when he was a mere newbie detective. One where he worked tirelessly to solve a string of increasingly vicious serial attacks on single women. One where he barely escaped with his life.
J. Paul (J.P) Rieger is a born and bred Baltimorean and mostly retired Maryland attorney. He’s the author of Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University-Baltimore). Clonk! was a finalist in 2023’s CIBA Mark Twain Award for Humor and Satire. He’s also author of The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a 2013 mystery novel featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero. His third novel, The Big Comb Over, a slipstream fantasy/ comedy of manners, was a finalist in 2023’s Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Sunscreen Shower, a Detective Kev Dixit Novel is Paul’s fourth novel and a sequel to Clonk! Paul and his spouse lives in Towson, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. Chek out his website: jpaulrieger.net.
I’m still learning as a writer. There’s something new to learn every day. But I can at least provide some practical advice for the new author. First, only write when you feel in the mood, when it will be a fun experience. There’s no point in forcing yourself to engage in a “creative” activity when you’re not in a creative mood. If your writing becomes so popular that you find yourself writing constantly, that’s fantastic and its own reward. Until then, chill out and keep it fun! Don’t get obsessed with outlines. If, like me, you do better by writing down various “scenes,” or perhaps series of phrases or snippets of proposed dialog, go for it. Just let the novel organize itself. Enjoy what you are doing, your way! Write your book in any order you please. If you’re in the mood to work on a specific section or “scene,” just do it. Don’t give away your book to people who have not asked for it. I know, this is a tough proposition. Your inclination is to the contrary. But giving away your unrequested book virtually guarantees that the recipient will avoid you in the future. Not because they dislike you. Only because they haven’t read your book and would be embarrassed to admit it. Or worse, some may have actually read it and disliked it. Giving a book away only to someone who requests it is a safe strategy. Lastly, the new author must accept the possibility that, besides a loved one or two, no one may actually read their book. I know. Quite depressing, right? The novice must ask: “If absolutely no one reads what I am writing, would I continue writing?” If the answer is not, “yes,” the novice writer should consider some other artistic outlet.
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Donna M. Zadunajsky started out writing children’s books before she wrote and published her first novel, Broken Promises, in June 2012. She since has written several more novels and her first novella, HELP ME! Book 1 in the series, which is about teen suicide and bullying.
Her third novel Family Secrets, “Secrets and Second Chances”, which is the first in a series she is writing, was given a publishing contract through California Times Publishing.
Tell No One by Donna M. Zadunajsky Genre: Psychological Thriller
Mia Barnes rubbed her fingers across the scars on her wrists. No matter how hard she tried, she would never forget what happened to her. The night her whole life changed. The night he took everything from her.
Judith Barnes couldn’t shake the vivid memories of that night. The night she found her daughter near death. Since that day, all she wanted was to know why. Why her daughter thought her life wasn’t worth living.
A story of family, love, and grief. How far will a mother go to find out the truth? How far will a daughter go to hide it? What happens when the truth comes out?
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Where were you born/grew up at? I was born in Warren, Ohio but raised in Bristolville, Ohio
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? With my daughter doing whatever she wanted and most likely browse some bookstores.
Who is your hero and why? My hero has always been my dad. I have looked up to him since I was little. He has always amazed me by his strength and the way he had always taken care of us. He’s generous and kindhearted and can never say no to anyone even if he has a lot on his plate. He has always been a hard worker.
What are you passionate about these days? I am passionate about my writing. I want to learn and write well, so my readers will continue to read my novels.
What do you do to unwind and relax? I go for walks if the weather is good and I love, love to read. You will always find me with a book in my bag.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less! Kind, caring, trustworthy, devoted, and hardworking.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? When I wrote my first novel in 2012, though it has always been a dream of mine since I was a teenager. My face always stuck in a Stephen King book.
Do you have a favorite movie? Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie? THAT NIGHT but would love a series done with my Craven Falls series. THE DEAD GIRL UNDER THE BLEACHERS, BURIED SECRETS, and THE BODY IN THE ROAD.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal? Stitch
What inspired you to write this book? The character Mia was in my novel THAT NIGHT and I wasn’t thinking at the time to further her story until the very end of writing THAT NIGHT. She just kept playing in my head to tell her story.
What can we expect from you in the future? I’m working on a new adult novel. This one is focused on domestic violence.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Tell No One? Mia had something happen to her and she felt that suicide was the way out. Before she considered suicide, she had a great life and a loving boyfriend who adored her. Judith, the mother, has always spent her time working instead of making her family a priority. She also had past trauma from her father that still haunts her.
Where did you come up with the names in the story? I love the name Mia and as for the mother, Judith seemed to fit because of her past and career. Trevor is the boyfriend. I wanted to have some unique names along with some original names.
How did you come up with the title of your first novel? The original name for the title was Sea-Blue Eyes, but when I was looking for a book cover the title just didn’t work for me anymore and that’s when I came up with Tell No One. Which definitely fit the plot of the story.
Who designed your book covers? Warrendesign
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? No, I actually had changed a lot in the book because I had been away from writing the book that the plot and characters changed and I feel that the book it so much better than when I was first writing the novel.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? From my imagination.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? My characters always hijack my story and make it into their own.
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors? Stephen King, Robyn Harding, Nicholas Sparks, Heather Gudenkauf, Lisa Scottoline, Liane Moriarty, B.A. Paris, Mary Kubica, Shari Lapena, Ruth Ware, Stephen King.
What book do you think everyone should read? The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
How long have you been writing? I have been writing since 2005
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? Most of them come when I am writing.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? Mystery/suspense, Thrillers
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Silence, because I can’t think and focus if there is a lot of noise around me.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? One book, sometimes when I’m writing a book another idea for a different book will come to me, which happened when I wrote the novel THE DEAD GIRL UNDER THE BLEACHERS. The second book came to me, even though I wasn’t going to make it a series. It turned into a 3-book series. The Carven Falls series
Pen, typewriter or computer? Computer
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? I love to make up stories and loved to read growing up. Yes I still enjoy writing so it was the right decision for me.
What are you currently reading? Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? I write more of original stories.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? I wish I would have focused more in school and pursued writing at a younger age.
How long on average does it take you to write a book? If I have the time, usually a year.
The floorboards creaked and moaned as I climbed the stairs to the second floor. Stopping at the top, I glanced at the two closed doors to my left: the furthest being Mia’s bedroom. My son Ethan had left for college two weeks ago. I didn’t hear anything but the storm outside, which meant that no one was home but me. Once in my bedroom, I closed the door and walked into the bathroom. The hot steaming shower caressed my body, relaxing my muscles. The stress of the day went washing down the drain. It felt good to be home. Minutes later, dressed in comfy clothes, I left the bedroom. I stood at the top of the stairs, staring down the hall at Mia’s bedroom door again. I wasn’t sure what was bothering me. Positive that no one was home, but something stirred inside me. My motherly instincts setting in, making me feel like something was wrong. I positioned my foot on the first step and stopped. A soft banging came from down the hall near Mia’s bedroom. I had told Scott several times that the pipes were making noises and needed to be looked at. I grabbed the banister, turned, and made my way down the hall toward Mia’s bedroom, flicking on the hall lights as I went. Placing my ear against the door, I listened. Mia didn’t like it when I came into her room unannounced. A fight I grudgingly lost multiple times. I hated fighting with her, so I agreed to give her some space. Some independence. Being a mother was hard, especially these days when disciplining your child was frowned upon. Not that I ever hit my children. There it was again but not as subtle as before. “Mia,” I whispered, tapping a knuckle against the door. “Are you home?” Nothing. Thunder boomed, rattling the windows all around me. I jumped at the sharp crack of lightning, then the lights went out, leaving me in darkness. “Shit!” I blinked several times, waiting for my eyes to adjust. My cell phone. Where was my phone? Patting my pockets, I felt the hard case. I pulled the phone out and tapped the flashlight icon. Light illuminated. Placing my hand on the doorknob, I turned, and found it locked. I stretched my arm above my head, sliding my fingers along the frame until I felt the key. It was something Scott and I agreed to do for emergencies if we needed to get inside the room. Just in case the kids forgot that they had locked the door before falling asleep. Even though as their parents we had protested against the door being locked in the first place. I was once a teenager too and wanted nothing more than my space from my parents. But still, we frowned upon the door being locked. Though, if Scott were the one knocking, Mia wouldn’t hesitate to let her dad inside. I hesitated, gripping the key in my hand. Once I opened the door there was no turning back. I wasn’t in the mood to fight with Mia which we seemed to do constantly since we had gotten back from our family trip to the Bahamas. I tried to get her to talk to me several times when we were on vacation and after we arrived back home, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Wouldn’t even let me in her room. I thought maybe her, and Trevor had broken up, and she just wanted to hide in her room with her heartache. But that thought defused when he came to pick her up to go to the mall that next day. The key slipped from my shaky hand and onto the floor. Kneeling, I grasped the key between my fingers and placed it into the lock. I closed my eyes and swallowed, waiting for the click as I turned the key to the right. “You’re not doing anything wrong,” I whispered to myself. “You’re just checking to see if she’s home, oh and to check the pipes for leakage.” The hinges squeaked, echoing through the upstairs hall as I pushed the door open. My eyes drifted around the room, landing on the pink duvet I had bought her when she was seven which lay across the bed with a dark pink throw on the end. The pillows on her bed were upright and fluffed. Mia was good at making her bed and keeping her room clean compared to Ethan, my mind noted. My eyes scanned the room, focusing on the desk in the corner which sat vacant. Mia wasn’t here. I moved around the room, stopping by the window overlooking the street below. The clouds moved quickly by, and the rain ceased, leaving the ground saturated and the streets flooded. A burst of light shot across the sky, making me jump again. I let out a small laugh, allowing my shoulders to sink beneath my T-shirt. “It’s just the storm, Judith. Chill out.” Truth was, I hated everything about storms. I feared the darkness, especially when the power went out. Consequently, due to my childhood. Using the flashlight to guide my way, I moved toward the closet and peeked inside. My hand automatically went for the light switch, forgetting for a second that the electricity had gone out. I scanned the closet. Stuffed teddy bears lined the shelf along the ceiling. Shoes laid in a heap near the back corner and clothes hung haphazardly off the hangers. My OCD taking charge, I stepped inside and began straightening her clothes. Neat and tidy just the way I liked it. Plop, plop. My ears perked. The sound came from the other side of the wall. Or in the wall. Could it be the pipes? Were they leaking? “Just great,” I muttered. “Where was Scott when I needed him?” I was always making things out to be more than they were; something my husband constantly expressed to me. I walked out of the closet and stood outside the closed bathroom door. Like before, I placed my hand on the knob. Was Mia home after all? I didn’t hear the shower running. No sound of Mia moving around on the other side of the door, recalling that she usually played music when she took a bath or a shower. My stomach twisted into a knot, dreading a fight with Mia for intruding on her privacy. Call it mother’s intuition, but something didn’t feel right. I turned the knob, finding it unlocked, and pushed the door open. My legs buckled and I dropped to my knees onto the tiled floor.
FOLLOW THE AUTHOR
I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about
Why I Chose to Start a Fiction Podcast as an Author by Alyanna Poe
As an indie horror author, I’m always looking for new ways to promote my work. Having watched the first season of Only Murders in the Building, it got me thinking. There are people that listen to true crime podcasts so thoroughly that they have maps, notes, and theories about the cases they listen to. Only problem is, I’ve got no connections to get details about cases, but I do have a head full of stories.
This birthed the idea of the Indicted Fiction Podcast. I thought, “True crime but make it fiction.” I didn’t want to use the same format as a true crime podcast because who wants to listen to a fake case? Not to mention, the idea allowed for many mistakes. I couldn’t imagine writing a fake crime and investigation just to have a listener tell me it’s not possible and the whole case is clearly a sham. So came the audio diary idea.
Season one of Indicted Fiction is called “Adam’s Murder.” Can you guess what it’s about? Each episode of the podcast is a chapter of the book I wrote under the same name, and once the last podcast episode airs, the book will be published. Abigail Drummer must work through her grief as she investigates the murder of her brother, keeping an audio diary as she points a finger at everyone she knows. I play the character I wrote, Abigail Drummer. While planning out the idea, I figured an audio diary format leaves me so much creative space. Listeners have told me that she has a quirky awkwardness about her youth and that she’s very relatable and emotional. I’ve never taken an acting or voice over class, and I think the only reason I’m able to convey this emotion is because I wrote the story and it’s so close to me. In 2020 I lost my own brother. In Adam’s Murder I worked through a lot of grief and feelings of guilt, and narrating that work only amplified my emotions. I think in episode three you can actually hear me crying.
The benefit of narrating your own story is that you understand where to emphasize the words, where to show emotion, and how your character sounds. Abby is awkward. She’s introverted and so unsure about the world around her. Sure, a voice actor would be able to convey this, but I think my listeners/readers are not only making a connection to Abby but also to me.
Another great benefit is, I was able to do this on a budget, and I can promote this podcast in places I could never promote my books because it’s free. Listeners get a taste of my writing and then can check out my other books or buy the book once it’s published. Not to mention, the podcast is sort of acting as a book launch, building excitement for the publication of the book.
So far, despite having a mic that’s not great and a set up that would make any voice actor cringe, I’ve gotten great feedback. Every week people are excited for a new episode, and I’m so proud of myself for having spread myself into new territory as an author.
I think any writer could benefit from a fiction podcast. Whether you do a short story per week, add sound effects, or narrate from third person, it’s all doable.
For anyone interested, Indicted Fiction: Adam’s Murder is available to read on my blog and to listen to on my website, YouTube, and Spotify. And if all goes well, season two of Indicted Fiction will be available to my patrons on Patreon only and will follow a serial killer in prison telling her stories of murder and why she did it.
Author Alyanna Poe: an author from Northern California with a knack for horror. Poe has been writing since a young age and self-published her first horror novel at eighteen years old. Many ask what her real name is, only to be surprised that she is a born Poe with relations to the great Edgar Allan Poe. She frequently posts interviews with small businesses and authors like herself, short fiction, and articles about writing and marketing to her website authoralyannapoe.com
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books, editing, cover design, etc.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Gateway to Dark Stars by Kate Haley
Genre: Horror, Action, Adventure
Slaying monsters. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work.
In the age of jazz and bootleg liquor, black magic is making a big comeback. Luckily, the scourge of demons and cultists are keeping Doctor Vincent Temple in business. Even the Mafia are having trouble with monsters, and they’ve hired Temple to sort it out. Cash is cash, and the old Doctor has never been one to turn his nose up at a job, no matter who’s paying. This time luck is smiling on him. The gangsters are tangling with a cult Doctor Temple has been stalking over a personal matter, but when reconnaissance turns into rescue can he save the world before things become too personal?
The Witcher meets Cthulhu in this gruesome, high-octane adventure. Snatch up your copy now and get ready to slay some demons!
Kate Haley is a speculative fiction author who works predominantly in fantasy and horror.
While currently content to fill her days with writing and table-top RPGs, her grander plans involve world domination. Something akin to the tyranny of the greatest city atop the Disc would be an acceptable standard. She believes a super-villainous overlord would be an upgrade, given that our current villains lack style and imagination.
After all, super-villainy requires Presentation.
If you like her references, consider reading her books. Peruse the website for short fictions and merchandise, and join the mailing list for early access and exclusive cool stuff.
Would you like a chance to win a personalized signed copy of the book and an art print of the lead character by the illustrator, or a $10 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Nina Soden 