Thursday, October 29, 2015

Book Fun Friday Welcomes Claire Gem

Welcome to Book Fun Friday and Happy Halloween. The Time has arrived and how exciting it is! 




I'm thrilled to welcome friend & fellow writing scholar Claire Gem...


Bio: Claire Gem writes contemporary romance with a ghostly twist. An avid reader, she’s a fan of strong but sensitive heroes, spunky, sexy heroines, and a ghost story delivering at least a few goose bumps. She loves creating characters so real, readers miss them when they reach The
End.

Book Title: Phantom Traces

Log Line: Contemporary Gothic Romance with a Ghostly Twist


Tag Line: A hunky history professor in a tweed jacket, a cheeky Goth chick, and a pipe-smoking, book-hurling ghost. Put them all together in an antiquated library and, well…

Book Blurb:

Jack Wood’s silver-streaked hair definitely ages him, and he can thank Killer Dawn for that. He won’t be falling into the love trap again anytime real soon. But this new librarian has him curious, with her head-to-toe black Goth garb, piercings, and a defiant attitude to match. Definitely not his type of girl, but still…
Abigail Stryker’s got her work cut out for her. The last two librarians didn’t last a month before airborne books chased them off. But Abby’s determined to make her new life a go – and to stay as far away from older men as possible. Once was enough. Might be tough to do when the library’s best patron is none other than dreamy-eyed Jack Wood. And it seems the eccentric ghost may have taken a shine to her as well.

Book Excerpt: As Abby followed Jack back down the stairs she asked, “So what brings you in this evening? Grading more papers? Or research?”
“Research. I’m looking into the library’s history. I’m trying to figure out why all those crazy rumors started flying about this place right after Dana Laramy retired. Before that this place was just our boring local library.”
“Laramy.” Abby paused near the reception desk, tilting her head. “Any relation to Laramy’s Antiques?”
“I think Dana is his aunt, though I’m not certain. Neither one is much for personal chit-chat. Weird family, the Laramys. One of these days I’ll have to take you over to meet old Martin. Now there’s a piece of work.” Jack chuckled.
At that moment, the lights in the building flickered, dropping dim and pale. They pulsed for a beat, then went completely out. It was still light outside, though the fading twilight cast the interior into near blackness.
“What the . . .” She looked around, wrapping her arms around herself and instinctively moving a step closer to Jack.
“Oh, that’s not unusual around here.” His voice was calm and reassuring. “Blue Ridge Power is infamous for testing transformers at the darnedest times of day.”
By the time he finished speaking, the lights began to glow, then steadily increased until they were fully illuminated. He grinned over at her. “At least it doesn’t last long.”
His killer smile shot a jitter through her middle again. She smiled back but found she couldn’t hold his gaze long without feeling as if she had a fever coming on. She turned away.
Question for YOU Dear Reader:
Do you believe in ghosts? Spirits trapped between this world and the next? Ever had a ghostly encounter? Share with us!

Here are Gem’s Links:
Book Trailer Link: http://bit.ly/1EIj4IY
Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1JrjWoH

          @gemwriter

Blog: blog.clairegem.com


Give way: A random winner will be selected from those who follow Claire’s Blog – blog.clairegem.com – for a free copy of either an ebook or an audiobook, winner’s choice.

 Special Bonus Read:

I’m a science-minded gal, and my day job keeps me immersed in the world of scientific research. Yet I’m am a writer too, lover of romantic fiction and fascinated by the elusive world of the paranormal where my imagination allows me to create events that can’t necessarily be explained by scientific theorems. So I don’t just write romance. Mine has a ghostly twist.
But, being the science geek that I am, I go one step further in laying a foundation for my career as an author of paranormal fiction—I do my research. While living in North Carolina a few years ago, I took a trip to The Rhine Institute at Duke University, a place where science and the supernatural coexist. The Rhine was established in 1935, and still today provides a place for professional education in parapsychology, a field defined as the study of “psychic abilities, experiences, techniques, and the culture of ESP throughout the world.” (rhine.org)
I attended a seminar at The Rhine discussing the Ganzfeld experiment. A fascinating, if dated documentary portrayed actual footage of the original experiments held during the early 1970s. I watched pairs of human subjects who did not know each other communicate telepathically, sending detailed thoughts and mental images to each other from two different locations. Following established scientific protocol, the experiment produced results that were not only recordable, but measurable. These results were so convincing, the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research published them in 1974.
Fact: forty years ago, the world of science conceded that paranormal activity was real.
To this day, the Rhine continues to provide education, both on-site and online, in the study of parapsychology, and I have taken several of their courses. What, you ask, do psychic abilities have to do with writing ghost stories? Ever heard of Stephen King?
Some of King’s most terrifying works, including Secret Window, Secret Garden and The Shining, plunge the readers into tortured minds. King leaves us wondering if his ghosts are real, or if they exist only in his characters’ subconscious. Did Mort Rainey actually commit those murders, or was it an invented character Rainey dreamed up—John Shooter? Or was John Shooter really a ghost? Did evil spirits drive Jack Torrance to madness and murder? Or was he a ticking bomb ready to explode anyway, only pushed over the edge by isolation at the Overlook Hotel?
In The Shining, King specifically highlights the ability to “shine,” i.e., read the thoughts of others. Communicate telepathically. ESP, or extra-sensory perception. The very thing investigators at The Rhine Institute study.
One of the most horrifying aspects of King’s horror stories is the internal monologue of his characters where they struggle with doubt—the uncertainty we all face when we’ve had an unexplained encounter with someone, or something, from another realm. Did this really happen, or did I imagine it? Is it real, or is it insanity?
Me? As stated, I’m a science geek. I love the fact that, thanks to research institutes like the Rhine, the realm of reality and the paranormal aren’t just parallel, they intersect. There exists at least some factual basis for the fiction.
And I do believe in ghosts. Does that make me insane? Dunno. But I can promise you this—my stories are insanely haunted. Bwuuhaaahaaa!
Happy Halloween


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Book Fun Friday Welcomes Katies O'Sullivan




Next up in our Halloween Series.....

 We welcome Katie O'Sullivan w/ her ghostly paranormal....
 
Author Bio:

Katie O’Sullivan lives with her family and big dogs on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. Living next to the Atlantic influences everything she writes. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now writes romance and adventure for young adults, and something steamier for the young at heart.


Book Title
GHOSTS DON’T LIE (paranormal romantic suspense)


Log Line:

They whisper to her, but will she listen…


Book Tag Line:

Jillian’s past has come back to haunt her, in more ways than she ever thought possible. Ghosts don’t lie, but they don’t always tell the whole story.


Book Blurb:
Jillian Rogers Greene worked hard to close the doors on the psychic abilities that defined her youth. For years she pretended to be normal, ignoring the ghosts who whisper to her. When a car crash sets her on a collision course with the past, ugly secrets about her family and marriage come to light. She's forced to reevaluate what she thought she knew...and exactly what the future holds.
Connor Sanderson might be the key to unlocking that future. The grey-eyed artist knows ghosts aren’t real, but his attraction to the beautiful psychic makes him question those beliefs. With her husband plotting to kill her, can Jillian make Connor see the truth before it’s too late?

Book Excerpt:

In the corner of the mirror, she saw a glitter of light. She realized Jasper was sitting on the bed, watching. “What?” she asked him, not turning around.

“Is it fun being a grown-up?” The spirit swung his legs back and forth.

Jillian fished a hair elastic from the jar on the dresser. “Fun isn’t really the word for it.”

His legs stopped swinging. “So being a grown-up stinks?”

“It doesn’t stink either, Jasper. It’s complicated. As you get older there are more choices to make and a lot more to worry about.” She was still looking at his reflection in the mirror, not turning to face him. “Some parts are really great, but there are lots of times when you wonder if you’ve made the right decision.”

“I’m glad I don’t have to find out. It sounds hard.”

Jillian took a deep breath. “What happened to you?”

“Me?” Jasper laughed. “That’s easy, I died.”


Question for YOU Dear Reader:
 Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen or heard one?



Katie’s Links:

GHOSTS DON’T LIE will be available November 11.



Saturday, October 17, 2015

Book Fun Friday Welcomes RJ Joseph




Welcome to the 3rd Edition of Our Horror Book Showcase

Today we welcome in RJ with her truly scary book.

Bio:

R.J. lives in a suburb of Houston and can often be found wrangling her blended family of one partner, two dogs, seven
sproutlings, and four sprouts. Sometimes, she's working on a new story idea or curled up reading. R.J. is also a college English professor. She might update her blog this year: https://rjjoseph.wordpress.com/


Book Title:

Monstrous Domesticity, Horror


Log Line:

Home is where the monsters reside.

Book Tag Line:

Warm and cozy feelings of the maternal and all things domestic. Closest to hearth and home…with only faint whispers of the dark and horrific underbelly. The things inside home that aren't spoken of. Monstrous domesticity.
Book Excerpt:

The last afternoon we spent at the farmhouse, Jimmy didn’t come in from the fields for lunch. I found it rather strange, but I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to scurry and jump about trying to do all the things he wanted me to do before he said them and swatted me.
Well past five o’clock, his usual dinner time, Jimmy came into the house. I immediately knew there was something wrong when all he said was, “Sarah, take me to bed.”
I whirled around from the sink to face him, and was startled to find that his face was completely colorless. He moved a little slower than usual, and he didn’t have anything ugly to say to me. I helped him to make it to our bed, and laid him down.
“Are you having dinner?” I asked, hesitantly.
“No. I’m not hungry.” He seemed to have great difficulty moving his mouth. I didn’t ask any more questions. I simply removed his clothes before he could decide that that was what I needed to do next. The large purplish bruises startled me. I met his eyes. They seemed to have grown even colder, as translucent brown as that tiger eye jewelry some of the women in my magazine wore. I didn’t ask any more questions. I returned to the kitchen to play quietly with Jimmy Jr. An hour or so later, Jimmy called to me.


Question for You Dear Reader:

What is the most frightening horror trope you've ever read about or seen in a movie? Why did it scare you so much?


Contact RJ Here:
@rjacksonjoseph


Giveaway:
Two lucky commenters will receive a free PDF version of Monstrous Domesticity.


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Book Fun Friday Welcomes Tena Stetler



 Welcome to the Halloween Month of Book Fun Friday


Second in our seasonal lineup is a guest author who steps into the paranormal....

Bio:
Tena Stetler is a paranormal romance author with an over-active imagination.  She wrote her first vampire romance at the age of eleven, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Tena finds stories in the strangest places, while camping, kayaking, or hiking in the mountains.

Book Title:
A Demon’s Witch – paranormal romance

Log Line:
Forbidden love between a witch and demon will they survive?

Book Tag Line:
The Western Hemisphere’s Demon Overlord finds his destined
mate, Angie. Unbeknownst to him, she is the sister of his long-time trusted enforcer/assassin who is furious once the romance is discovered. To make matters worse a mutual enemy has sworn revenge. Demon and Warlock must work together to save Angie.


Book Blurb:
Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running. Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly. 
Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation. The undeniable attraction between demon and witch promises to tear apart both their professional and personal worlds.


Book Exerpt:
Suddenly, he felt the magic aura shift and switched his attention to the front door. She breezed in, hair like spun gold flowing to her waist, with a seductive yet regal body and a sway to her hips that should be illegal even in DC. She wore a snug rose and cream colored sweater, cut low enough he could see the swells of her rounded breasts, tailored black slacks that fit her cute ass like a glove and four-inch spike heels.  She paused in the center of the salon, wet from the sudden spring storm, and lowered the briefcase she’d used as an umbrella. Her sparkling violet eyes glanced up to the mezzanine where Bruce stood watching. Blatantly her gaze wandered over his well-muscled body, undressing him piece by piece, until he felt naked. He shook his head slightly and smoothed his shirt and slacks with his hand, just to make sure he was still wearing them.
On the first floor, Owen, a stocky well-muscled man of slightly over six foot, with thick silver hair that fell to his shoulders, smiled and stepped toward her holding out a large towel. “Mother Nature frown on you?” His dark amber eyes twinkled as he watched water pool at her feet.
“It would seem so.” She grinned and took the towel, dried off then knelt down to wipe up the puddle.
        “Don’t worry about it.” Owen snapped his fingers. Mia came from the back room with a wheeled bucket and a mop. “It’s been one of those mornings.” He reached out, took the towel from her, and handed it to Mia. “Now, what can I do for you?”


Question for YOU Dear Reader:

What do you (the reader) look for when purchasing a book for reading entertainment?


Tena’s Links:


Buy Links:



Giveaway:
 A drawing from those sighing up for my newsletter.  Sign up in on the first page of my website. Giveaway is a copy of my ebook – A Demon’s Witch.