Behind Closed Doors (Blog) – Page 17

#WickedAfterDark with the Wiccan Priestess from The Island

I’d like to welcome everyone here today. It’s the first day of the Wicked After Dark Halloween Blog Hop. Over 220 authors and bloggers are participating in this hop giving you many opportunities to visit with authors you already know and discover new ones…maybe even try out a new genre or two. Who knows?

On each blog you will have a change to enter a contest to win prizes ranging from ebooks and gift cards to something wicked or naughty to go along with the Halloween theme. Here on Behind Closed Doors, I’ll be offering a fun prize package that includes some adult toys for a fun night of role playing and maybe a little BDSM with the one you love…or just the one you lust over! 😉

I‘ll be putting up posts during the entire week of the hop starting tomorrow when Wiccan Priestess Brigid Moon takes over the blog. She’s one of the characters from the second novel in my Now and Forever series. The Island is to be released on November 15th and I couldn’t be more excited! Even though it’s the second book in the series, it’s actually a prequel of sorts explaining how it is Quinn and Jacob have been destined to be together through every lifetime.

Before I go any further, I’d like to give you a peek at the prize package I put together for one lucky visitor. All you have to do to win it is make sure you leave a comment on any of the days of the hop. You can do it every day if you wish to get more entries. The Rafflecopter link will be posted at the bottom of each day so you can check it to be sure you’ve collected every entry possible. Some are worth more entries than others so for your best chances, collect all entries available. Here’s a picture of the items in the package…

There is a feather boa, mask and of course a tickler/whip to play with. There is a battery operated “friend” in there along with a package of lubes and oils to make your play time special. As you can see, this is definitely and ADULTS ONLY prize. This is an ADULTS ONLY blog too. So if you are under 18 years of age, you should leave now.

On to today’s post…

I decided to give a basic overview of what to expect this week. Tomorrow will be Brigid giving us her insights and maybe even a guest appearance by two of the Gods I call The Three. Since Brigid can see them, she should be able to interview them, right? 😉 Since these two siblings tend to be at odds frequently, I’m sure Brigid will have her hands full keeping the interview on course. Just in case, I’ve given her two days at the helm. I’m sure she will handle it all with ease. Not much phases her!

After Brigid, we’ll get another special treat. Steve Eischer has agreed to stop in and fill us in on the stuff that went on behind the scenes in Las Vegas. Besides The Three, Steve knows the most about Quinn and Jacob and their journey to be together. Hell, he even took matters into his own hands when it looked like things were going awry in For the Love of Quinn. Not too much goes on without Steve knowing about it. Ahhh..the perks of being a billionaire!

My sister blog Sassy Vixen Publishing is also participating. Over there you will be able to see Quinn and Jacob’s story through the eyes of their Guardian Angels Michael and Daniel. Make sure you stop in and see what they have to say. You will be seeing a lot more of these two in the future books of this series!

Okay, so now you have a basic idea of how I’m going to run my part of the blog hop and contest. Make sure you come back tomorrow for the start of Brigid’s posts, start gathering your entries through the Rafflecopter link below, and make sure you take the time each day to check out the rest of the participants in the hop. All you have to do is click on the graphic at the start of the post and you will be taken to the list of the other blogs. Or you can click on the little Linky Icon below the Rafflecopter link to take you to your next stop. Have fun!

~Tammy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Video Trailer for The Island (Now and Forever 2)

I’m in the planning stages for a virtual book tour to promote The Island, coming up with a variety of posts, a media kit with all my links, bio, covers and of course the video trailer. Recently I did a blog post for Writer’s Words of Wisdom about creating video trailers. I used the techniques described in it to create my latest video. Even though it took me a while to put it all together the way I wanted it, it really wasn’t hard to do.

Once I collected and purchased all the photos I wanted to use, I listened to the variety of royalty free music I had on my computer from iTunes and from Incompetech.com. The latter is a site put together by Kevin MacLeod. He has hundreds of pieces all for free to use in projects. All you have to do is give him credit somewhere in your work and you are all set. If you can’t or don’t want to give the attribution, you can purchase the music as well. Kevin also offers a service where he will create an original composition for you if you desire.

Well, being on a very tight budget, I of course went for the free music for now. One day I may have to hire Mr. MacLeod to compose something for me, but for now I’ll just enjoy the beautiful pieces he has on his site. The budget this time around was used to purchase a few more pictures from Shutterstock.com. I found several that just caught my eye immediately. The photos of the Goddess Fate, Michael Hartley, and Daniel Quartermarsh were the most striking. They captured my vision of these characters perfectly! I couldn’t be happier.

For my hero and heroine, I had to try to not get photos that were steamy, but not too risque. I also wanted to give an idea of how I pictured Quinn and Jacob, but didn’t want to make those the only images in the reader’s mind. The fun part is coming up with your own interpretation of the characters as you read their story, and maybe even put yourself in as one of them. During the upcoming Wicked After Dark Blog Hop, I’ll be doing character interviews and posting pictures of the actors who I used as inspiration. There is no right or wrong answer to how someone pictures my characters. I hope the posts generate a lot of discussion. It will be fun for me to see what folks think of my vision versus how they see the characters.

Enough chit chat! Here’s the video you all came here to see. Let me know what you think, and if you have a few moments, please stop by YouTube and view the trailer from there so the view count will go up. And if you can give it a like, I would really appreciate it!

Cover Reveal for The Island (Now and Forever 2)

I’m so excited! While at work today at my evil day job as a veterinarian, I received an email notification on my cell. Imagine my excitement to see an email from Siren today with copies of my new cover. Whoohoo!

The cover artist, Christine Kirchoff, captured what I had in mind for the island at sunset. Even though the model on the cover has blonde hair and I picture Quinn as a brunette, I think the couple looks perfect! I asked a question on Facebook the other day. “Who did you picture in your mind as Quinn when you read For the Love of Quinn? I got a variety of answers and you know what? All of them were correct. Who I picture in my mind doesn’t have to be the exact version you picture. That’s the whole point of reading books isn’t it? Letting your imagination run wild is more than half the fun, and picturing yourself as one of the characters is the rest of it!

So with that being said, here is my new cover!

It’s scheduled for release on November 15th. If that changes, you better believe I’ll let you know. 😉

~Tammy

By the Light of the Moon (#vampire #poetry)

By The Light of the Moon

As the sun sets I awaken from my dream state.
My deep slumber filled with thoughts of you.
My soul yearns for the one promised by Lady Fate.
Two thousand years of searching the entire Earth
Has left me lost and alone by the light of the last Blue Moon.

Tonight something is different;
I can feel it in my ancient bones.
My faithful servants hurry about,
Preparing for the guests who will be arriving soon.
Each wishing to celebrate the anniversary of my birth as Vampire,
Never thinking I would want to spend this night alone.
My only wish, my only desire is to see you,
Waiting to celebrate with me.
Your beauty made all the more bright
By the light of the Harvest Moon.

Surrounded by immortals throughout the centuries
And yet I’m consumed by this melancholy ache.
My heart burns night and day
For the only one who can quench my thirst.
At each dawn I say a silent prayer.
Please let this be the last night alone.
Let me see her face the moment I awake.
But once again I greet Mother Moon,
As I did after being turned by The First.

Descended from the First Man and Woman was he,
Given the sacred task to protect mankind.
Within his blood lies the Essence of Immortality.
Through him and his descendants
All Guardians must be aligned.
There are those who beg to have this immortal life.
But the Guardians are of the Chosen Few.
Each must claim a fae as husband or wife,
In order to ensure the Tree of Life begins anew.

On this night I pledge as I make a wish upon my birthday cake.
This will be the last year I roam this world as Vampire.
Two thousand years is more than enough heartache.
One year from today if you are not by my side,
I wish to be allowed to walk into the sun
and become a ball of fire.

Alas, I know in my heart I must hold on
To the only hope I have found in my fairy dreams of you.
While your voice still calls for me, I will continue to wait.
With each night that passes I will look for you
Dancing by the light of the Blood Moon.
Because of you I will go on until you are in my arms
As my lover, my life, and my Fated Mate.

©Tammy Dennings Maggy
10/13/12
10pm

Shadow Bride (new #vampire poetry)

Shadow Bride

Awakening before the rising sun,
I eagerly await the flash of the colors across the sky.
For this will be my final dawn
And the birth of my life as your Shadow Bride.

The hours go by too slowly.
Visitors and well-wishers continue to come and go.
Many smile at me knowingly,
For soon you will make your appearance
From the family crypts below.

At long last all preparations are complete.
The candlelit banquet hall is now filled to capacity.
Peeking through the heavy blood-red velvet curtains,
I hold my breath as you rise from your seat.
At your signal, the musicians begin to play
The opening notes of the ballad you wrote only for me.

No one and nothing else matters now
Except my walk down the aisle toward you.
With each note and every beat of our song,
My heart quickens and flutters in my chest.
Your smoldering amber eyes plead with me one more time
To be sure I wish to bid my human life adieu.
I take your cool hands and hold them tight,
Never more sure of the answer to your silent request.

You hold me close as your fangs pierce my skin.
I hear your voice in my head telling me all will be over soon.
My limbs grow heavy and the room begins to spin.
A brief moment of panic touches my soul
As my life transfers to you by the light of Mother Moon.

Our guests hold their breaths as you slash your wrist.
A few drops are all it takes and my eyes suddenly open wide.
My mouth seals over your wound as I begin feeding from you.
When at last I’ve had my fill, I see your face full of bliss.
For now we can stand together as one…
The Vampire and his Shadow Bride.

©Tammy Dennings Maggy
10/12/12
10pm

Cursed of the First Born…new poetry

I’ve been working on a collection of vampire inspired poetry so I decided to write one to act as a teaser for one of my other works in progress, The Kayne Legacy. The poem here today helps to tell the tale of how Cain came to be known as the Guardian in my series. He is chosen by The Three (Yeshua, Fate, and Lucius) to protect the Essense of the Tree of Life. Since Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden it was left hidden from all humanity. Now as a chance to atone for accidentally causing the death of his brother Abel, Cain is given the opportunity to turn tragedy into triumph.

I have an entire series planned for the Kayne Family. They are a group of immortals and other paranormal beings. The first born of each generation is given the choice to be a Guardian of the Tree or to live a “normal” mortal life. Some members of the family are powerful witches and warlocks and others are at least part fairy. From the beginning, Lilith and Cain’s offspring were to be wed to their soul mates in the fae realm. Because of these matches, the Kayne Family are powerful and involved in every aspect of life on Earth. They take their duty to protect the Tree of Life very seriously and part of that is to help mortals survive.

Curse of the First Born

Once destined for greatness and riches
Beyond your wildest dreams,
Now lost and alone,
Your family torn apart at the seams.
The spilled blood of your brother cries out for justice
Because in a rage, you struck out
Wishing only for his taunts to end.
Now you await your punishment
With hands covered in his blood and dust.
The Gods should be angry.
For even this unintentional loss of life will offend.

Vengeance is Ours and Ours alone.
You played a role in your brother’s death,
This much is true.
There is only one way for you to atone.
It’s not your death We seek,
But service that can only be assigned
To a chosen few.

Forever your life you must pledge
Even though you feel you are unworthy.
Upon your brow a mark will be made.
No one will dare harm one chosen by The Three.
For with this Curse your debt will be paid.

Within your blood now lies
The Essence of the Tree of Life.
No mere mortal can be trusted
With such a task.
Leave this place and your family
In search of Lilith to be your wife.
Together you will create a clan who will walk the Night,
Whose influence and power will grow to be vast.

The choice will be yours and yours alone
To continue to shield yourself from the Sun.
Once you take this path
You cannot go back into the Light.
For the very Essence of Immortal Life itself
Will course within your veins,
And you will be marked as our Chosen One.
But only through the First Born of every generation
Shall the Essence pass unspoiled as is their birthright.

Some will call you cursed and cringe
Whenever they hear your name.
But they know not the ways of The Three.
You are chosen on this day
To guard the Secrets of the immortal soul.
You are no longer First Born of Adam and Eve,
But now the Guardian forever known as Cain.

©Tammy Dennings Maggy
10/3/12 1:10pm

Saturday Spotlight Shines on Author Jennifer Denys

Once again I’m thrilled to welcome another fellow Siren author. Jennifer Denys is here today to share a bit about herself and her latest release Chasing Emily. Jennifer has created an entire world where women are a rare commodity, dwindling in numbers with every childbirth. This is actually the second book in her Duoterra series and looks to be just as sizzling as the first.

Before we go any further into talking about the her books, let’s bring Jennifer out to join us here by the pool. The food and drinks are all ready, so grab some of your favorites and and one of the lounge chairs and let’s get started!

Are there recurring core issues in your stories?

Oh yes indeed and they go back to me as a reader. The ‘friends who fall in love’ theme is one of my favorites and all six women in the ‘Friends’ and in the ‘Doms’ series fall in love with someone they already know and love.

Why do you think you are drawn to these types of characters/plots again and again?

I have no idea why I love that so much?! As for characters – the heroine is often based on me, my feelings, my needs, my desires. I can then empathize with her. I try to make myself write about someone who is totally out of character for me – and it is hard! The heroine in Chasing Emily is a middle aged woman (like me) with middle aged body issues (like me) who much prefers younger men (like me!).

You and I are very much alike. I’m a middle aged woman with those same body issues and I simply ADORE younger men. Yep. I am a cougar! Fortunately for me, My husband fits the bill. 😉 What are your favorite fiction genres to read from?

I’ve changed over the years. I used to love historical romance but it kinda went out of fashion (at least here in the UK). I then moved onto the Mills & Boon type romantic fiction but after a few years got bored with it and then I discovered erotic romance! Throughout I’ve always love sci-fi (preferably with romance in it).

What are your favorite non-fiction genres to read from?

History! And the reason I haven’t attempted any historical novels so far is I know how much research you need to do to get it right!

I love history too. I’m partial to the US Civil War era but I don’t think I could tackle a historical set in that time period. I would love to read more of them though! Besides reading and writing, what activities do you enjoy in your leisure time?

For many years my passion was genealogy – my own, other people’s (I researched and wrote up Family Histories on commission), giving workshops in genealogy. These days I don’t have time for it as writing takes up so much of my time (writing, editing, promoting, checking figures/reviews/emails etc etc. A writer’s life is never done). I have plans for a series that will cover 80 years within one family drawing on my expertise in this field – but don’t know when I will get around to that

Now let’s get back to Chasing Emily. In one or two sentences, give the core premise behind your story.

The second in the Duoterra futuristic sci-fi series is set on a planet some sixty years after it has been colonized. The entire series deals with what happens to that society when women start to die because of childbirth, death and disease and become something of a commodity in an increasingly patriarchal society.

What’s your heroine running away from (literally or figuratively)?

Haha! Had to laugh at this question since in the book Emily is always running away! In Chasing Emily she is a middle aged woman used to freedom and when she is forced into a marriage she runs away only to be chased by her two lovers – who are at odds with each other.

What obstacles will she encounter in this story? From what I hear, the obstacles abound!

Obstacles include one lover who is jealous of the other, an infuriating judge determined to marry her off to keep her out of trouble, trying to avoid being sent to the state brothel, wolf-cats, spankings, and a dunking in the horse trough!

How many books to you anticipate will be in this series?

I am not entirely sure how many stories will be in the series but I will say the wolf-cats make an increasing appearance, the illness (only briefly mentioned in Chasing Emily) will make a recurrence, and men will get their comeuppance by the end!

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a werewolf BDSM story about an alpha wolf, three betas and a human woman. I am also working on a follow up story to bring together both the Friends & Doms series into one book as they had cross over characters. This one is set ten years on and life didn’t go the way they all expected. Oh and I have a comedy sci-fi in the works, using one of the common themes of an alien abducting a human woman to be their mate I am a sucker for those types of story, but in this one the alien has ended up with a middle aged woman who is not playing ball and refuses to comply to his demands to take her clothes off – let alone have sex with him!

LOL! That last one in particular sounds like a hoot to write. I can’t wait to read the situations you put the alien and the woman in and their reactions to each other. Can you imagine what the poor alien is thinking when he gets such an uncooperative abductee? What’s coming soon for you? Is it one of those you’ve mentioned here today?

The next book out is my first collaboration. This is with lovely Finnish writer, Susan Laine, and it is an MMF werewolf story set in England and Finland (mostly the latter). We liked the idea of drawing on our mutual European roots for this story. It is due out mid-October through Evernight Publishing.

Fantastic! I’ll keep my eyes out for that one. Make sure you come back and visit with us again…especially when you release the alien abduction novel. 😉 I’m giggling already just picturing the possible situations you will come up for them.

Thank you for sharing with us today, Jennifer! For those of you who wish to find out more about Chasing Emily, Jennifer will be my guest on Sassy Vixen Publishing blog on October 1st.

Where to find more about Jennifer and her books

Website

Bookstrand Author Page

Twitter

Facebook

Tentative Release Date for The Island

It looks like November 15th is the release date for The Island. That may change since everything so far is going ahead of schedule. I’ll keep you posted!

Thank you all for your support through all of this. It’s been a wild ride so far and I’m looking forward to many more to come!

Brightest Blessings!

Tammy

First Round of Edits for The Island…

I was really looking forward to the first round of edits for The Island. Not only did I run through that manuscript multiple times with a critical eye, I wanted to be sure the lessons I learned from editing For the Love of Quinn came through. I didn’t want to see anymore of those little comment balloons pointing out the ever dreaded head hopping. Oh and don’t get me started with my overuse of the ellipses…

See what I mean?

So imagine my surprise when I opened up the file sent back from my publisher and editor to find very few corrections done to the entire thing! Not only that, but the editor gave me such wonderful words of encouragement stating that I handled the shifts between the characters points of view and also the flashbacks “deftly.” She said my story was “seamless.” Yep. SEAMLESS! I can tell you there was a lot of celebrating around our household that evening.

Today I made the few corrections needed and chose and adult and story excerpt to send back to my publisher. The last time they ended up going with a different adult excerpt, but it’s all good. I had trouble picking the story excerpt this time. I wanted to give a teaser without giving too much away right off the bat. Hopefully it will be the one they like too. I’ll let you know when they put the excerpts up on my Siren author page.

There should be one more round of edits, cover art approval and then the final copy approval all within the next few weeks. November is just around the corner!

I’ve been busy working on The Surrender of Julia throughout all of this too. Since that one has scenes that are also in The Island I have to be sure they flow well and that I don’t change anything other than it’s all going to be through Julia’s eyes now.

Watch for updates and teasers from both books over the next few weeks. Once I get the cover, I’ll get started on the video trailer. I have a rough idea of what I want to have in the video, but it has to go along with the cover. I’ve chosen the music. Now to find the “perfect” images to tell Jake and Quinn’s story.

Until next time, my friends. Brightest Blessings!

Saturday Spotlight Shines Brightly On Ann Everett

Welcome to the final stop on author Ann Everett’s tour of my blogs. Today we get to learn a little bit more about her and her latest release You’re Busting My Nuptials. For those of you who’ve followed Ann through her visits of my blogs, you know this book is the second of her Tizzy/Ridge series. From what I’ve read so far, I can’t wait for book three to come out!

Now, make yourselves at home while I bring Ann out to join us for a drink or two so we can find out a bit more about her sassy Texas self.

Besides reading and writing, what do you do in your uh…spare time? I know I know like authors really have any spare time at all, but how do you fill the rest of your day when you aren’t working on your novels?

I’m at an age where I thought I’d have tons of leisure time, but I don’t. My day generally starts around 5:30 am. I take time to look at my emails and answer those I can, then I’m off to my son’s house to help get my four local grandchildren off to school. Once they’re gone, I make beds, do laundry, return umpteen pairs of shoes to their rightful closets, do more laundry, conduct the usual clean-up/straighten up routine, and then more laundry.

Ah, the dreaded Mt. Laundry! I think we all have one of those. I swear my socks and underwear breed like rabbits. How about your afternoons? Are they as busy as your mornings?

By early afternoon, I’ll be back at home answering emails, checking social media, blogging, critiquing chapters from the writing site I belong to, or chapters from members of our local group. I’ll try to work in some marketing, by scheduling book signings, or speaking engagements, or meeting with book clubs.

Once all that is done and depending on my husband’s work schedule, it may be evening before I actually sit down to write.

I was wondering when you squeezed in the time to work on your new projects. I’m all worn out listening to you talk about your day. I am definitely not a morning person. How do you fit all of that in? Do you have any time left over for anything else?

As busy as I am each day, I love my life. My grandchildren, ages 13, 10, 7, and 5 (the four who live near me…I have two more who live about 4 hours away) are the biggest joy in my life and the two youngest furnish me with endless dialogue for my character Gracie.

I also serve as director of our local writers’ conference which is held each April, but as anyone familiar with directing a conference knows it’s a full time job. So, part of each day deals with me contacting agents, authors, publishers, etc., trying to entice them to become part of our faculty.

When I do manage to steal a little time for myself and I’m not writing, I love going to movies and flea markets.

So tell us about your book You’re Breaking My Nuptials. What’s the core premise?

I focus on humor and add in a bit of steamy romance, and a light mystery. My main objective is to make you laugh.

When and where does your book take place?

Since I’m a Texas girl, You’re Busting My Nuptials takes place in my real hometown of Brownsboro, Texas. It’s just a spot in the road, with two red lights and one caution light. When I was growing up there, its population was about 400 and now all these years later, it only has about a thousand. The story is set in current time.

I lived in a small town too, but in Michigan. I love small towns but sometimes not so much when the neighbors always want to know your business. I guess that’s what makes for many tales to tell in our books!

What is the theme at the heart of your story?

I want to make the reader laugh until they cry. I rarely write a chapter without some humor in it…even my love scenes are funny. My goal is to show small town life. I write with a Texas voice. I don’t think I could write any other way. So, there’s lots of southern sass and Texas twang. Some city slickers may think my characters are cliché, but take my word for it, Pattiecake, Sugarpie, Saint, and all the others are based on people I know who actually go by those names!

I love those names! What message do you hope readers take away from this story?

I’m not really trying to send a message. My books won’t teach you how to grow a herb garden or change the oil in your car. They won’t get you to examine your innermost feelings or convince you to take a stand for any type of cause. I’m trying to furnish the reader with a few hours of entertainment that makes them laugh and lifts their mood, because that’s what laughter does. It’s good for the soul.

Is this book a part of a series?

You’re Busting My Nuptials is the second book in my Tizzy/Ridge Trilogy. The first installment, Laid Out and Candle Lit, came out about a year ago. Nuptials is hot off the presses. It should be available everywhere by September 2oth.

What is the theme of the overall series and how does this story fit into that?

The two main characters are Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper and local girl Tizzy Donovan. The story deals with the cases Ridge investigates and how Tizzy wants to get in on the action, all the while trying to raise a four-year-old daughter and work at her mom’s bakery. Tizzy also has a weird habit of being able to talk to the dead (a very small part of the book), so her first husband, Boone, who was killed in Iraq is also a character via conversations Tizzy has with him.

Will these characters show up in other books in this series?

You’re Busting My Nuptials introduces two new characters. One of Tizzy’s best friends from high school, Synola Harper and Tizzy’s first cousin, Jinx Monroe. These two will definitely be in the last installment. They got rave reviews from all the readers where I post my work for critique. I may even develop a trilogy for the two of them because my readers suggested it.

How many books to you anticipate will be in this series?

My publisher agreed to three. Beyond that, I’m not sure. If my readers want more of the characters, I’ll certainly oblige.

What are you working on now?

Characters, Pattiecake and Sugarpie, local owners of Sweet Thangs bakery, are currently working on a cookbook and I think that will be the next thing published. After that, the third and final installment of the trilogy will be released. However, I am working on a romantic comedy and it’s done, so it may come out before I end the Tizzy/Ridge series. It really depends on my readers and publisher and what they want. The readers of Laid Out and Candle Lit, the first book in the series, have been anxiously waiting for the release of You’re Busting My Nuptials, so they may insist I finish the series before I move on to the romantic comedy.

Do you have a question you’d like to ask the readers to generate comments?

I’d love for your readers to go to my website http://www.anneverett.com and read the first chapter of the third and final trilogy installment. I don’t have a title for this book yet and would invite them to enter the contest to name it. There isn’t a big prize involved other than they will get credit in the acknowledgements of the book when it’s published and receive a signed copy from me.

Ann, thank you once again for joining us here today and for taking the time to tour my blogs. Make sure you keep us in mind when the third book comes out. I would love to have you over again!

Make sure you leave a comment for Ann on today’s post and on the other two spots on her tour. Each comment wins you an entry in the contest to win an Amazon gift card.

Where to find more about Ann Everett and her work

Oh My! Monday on Sassy Vixen Publishing