#NewRelease - Flightless by Keri Neal @authorkerineal #kindle

Book Info:

Available on KDP Select and Paperback

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Release date: May 30, 2013

ISBN: 1484157338

ISBN13: 9781484157336

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Flightless-ebook/dp/B00D3OUXCU/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369965066&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=flightess+keri+neal

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Flightless-Volume-1-Keri-Neal/dp/1484157338/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369965066&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=flightess+keri+neal

Synopsis

Pen was a Guardian, but one violent night took his wings. Ten years later he is given the opportunity to earn them back.

Jade is spellbound by the new student. Pen is quiet, but she is determined to learn more about him. When her terrifying past comes back to haunt her, Pen reveals there is much more to him than she could have ever imagined.

With his soul on the line, Pen cannot protect Jade if his feelings keep getting in the way. But with Jade’s soul on the line, he must protect her from unearthly forces who want her blood. Will the truth redeem them, or tear them apart?

Bio

Keri Neal designs book covers. Flightless is her fourth published book. She lives near Austin, Texas with her husband, two children, two hamsters and a snake. She crochets, sews, reads, paints and loves all things artsy & craftsy.    

Contact info

Blog: writingas.kerineal.com

Cover Artist: booklovers.kerineal.com

Twitter: @authorkerineal

Facebook: facebook.com/authorkerineal

Excerpt

Pen and I are lounging under a big white umbrella. I am curled up with my head on his chest. His heartbeat is steady and slow, his breathing shallow. He is asleep. I pinch his arm playfully. “You’re going to miss it.”

He takes a deep breath and chuckles. “I’m awake. And I’ve seen my share of sunsets.”

I turn my head and rest my chin on his chest. His eyes are still closed. “You’re a grouch, you know that?”

He opens one eye and stares at me. “You know I’m going to find you. You don’t need to do this.”

My throat burns with emotion. “Yes, I do. You might not make it in time.”

Both his eyes open and stare blankly up at the umbrella. He is angry. His jaw clenches and his nostrils flare.

“It’s almost time.” I crawl up and lie down, straddling him. My blonde hair makes a curtain around us. He looks sad as he reaches up and holds my face.

“I don’t know how to say goodbye to you.”

I smile. The sun is glowing in the horizon. Its resting place comes alive with color. I see it all happen in the reflection in his eyes.

“Yes, you do.” I press my lips against his, urgently stealing every taste of him. I pull his lip through my teeth, and he groans loudly. The sound is erotic. Suddenly his hand is on the back of my head, pulling me roughly against him. His lips are not gentle anymore. They are rough and scaly, like a snake. He is hurting me. I push hard against his chest, only to realize my hands are bound. I start to cry as the sun descends into its salty grave.

My Characters Get By With Murder

Last night, after I had spent a long day with a stubborn geriatric convalescent, I opened my work in progress and began to get back into the story. I hadn’t written anything new all day and I was in some major withdrawal. My fingers itched to tap out more riveting plot. As I sat down and opened my Mac, it smacked me right between the eyes. I still hadn’t decided who my villain was and the obvious choice had literally been right at my fingertips all along. I should have sighed with relief, but I had a big problem. I had written this character too nice. Yeah, that’s right. The villain had too many redeeming character traits. So what’s a writer to do? Of course, I had to go back and scan my manuscript looking for places where I needed to nasty him up. After that, the plot began to shine with the sparkle of suspense that had been lacking.

Don’t get me wrong. I often let my characters get by with murder. Literally. A lot of them have killed at least one person, maybe more. But I like to add a little depth to my villains. I love to give them just one redeeming quality so they aren’t so one dimensional. To make them a little more, you know, human. But this guy? He was just way too nice and understanding and helpful. Something had to give. So you know what I did? I gave him a gun. Yep. That changed him into a detestable SOB pretty fast. Once he had the weapon in his hand, he didn’t hesitate to draw it on my heroine. Ah, did the universe just realign into proper balance? I think it did.

I’m a pantser. I decide where my story begins and where it ends when I start a manuscript. But after that? I fly by the seat of my pants. Or rather sit at my makeshift desk, which is really just my coffee table pushed up close to my sofa. My “office”. Since I quit that horrid day job the living room has become my favorite place to play…um…I mean work. Anyway, I digress.

Here’s my long-winded point… In between the beginning and the end, I allow my characters to develop their own personalities and character as the story progresses. I allow the action of the plot to proceed according to what my characters would do next based on their personalities. The story feeds my characterization. My characterization feeds my story. They feed each other. A symbiotic relationship. So I let my characters get by with a lot, even murder.

Can you can imagine how a story could get all janked up if one of the characters isn’t fulfilling his or her proper role? Heroes should be heroes, albeit sometimes a wee tad flawed. Heroines should be heroines, even if they have one or two character flaws they need to work on. I love letting my characters decide how they want to act and who they want to be, but sometimes I have to smack one around and make him (or her) play nasty.

Characters Acting Badly and #MyMuse That Contributes to Their Delinquency

Sometimes the life of a full time writer can be…well, lonely. I mean, when I’m writing, the only company I have are my characters. If they started talking to me, I mean verbally, I think I’d freak.

My muse whispers in my ear in the middle of the night, but that’s something else entirely. There is no accounting for what she might say or do. If you doubt it, check out these posts.

http://denisemoncrief.blogspot.com/2013/03/conversation-with-mymuse-chocolate.html

http://denisemoncrief.blogspot.com/2013/01/conversations-with-my-muse-duct-tape.html

http://denisemoncrief.blogspot.com/2012/07/conversations-with-mymuse-ghost-edition.html

http://denisemoncrief.blogspot.com/2012/10/conversations-with-my-muse-accounting.html

Here is what I think my muse might look like…

Picture in public domain. Courtesy wiki commons.

Sometimes my characters are sort of like real people, you know. Today one of them just wouldn’t cooperate with me. I wanted her to do one thing and she hauled off and did another. This one has a mind of her own. I gave her a good talking to but she wouldn’t listen. Had to have it her way. It amuses me for a while to argue with them, but it’s not the same as talking with a living, breathing individual. I think she forgets she’s fictional. Am I going to have to restrain her?

Maybe this device would work…

Drawing in public domain. Courtesy wiki commons.

Do you think that would keep her in line? I mean, my characters should be careful not to annoy me. I just bought this coffee mug…

 

Mug can be purchased at cafepress.com

This mug means what I say and says what I mean, you know what I mean? I’ve done some nasty things to my characters. I even impaled one bad guy on a dead tree before it caught on fire and fell over the side of cliff into a deep gorge. My characters should quiver in fear of my fast tapping fingers. And my muse should stop leading them down the path toward destruction. When I tell my heroine to call my hero and make up with him, that's exactly what she should do!

Happy #ReleaseDay to my friend, @ChantelRhondeau

Check out this exciting new release by romantic suspense author, Chantel Rhondeau.

Crime & Passion

Genre: Romantic suspense/mystery

Release date: March 15, 2013

Cover art done by LFD Designs for Authors

A decorated police officer, more intent on justice than following the letter of the law, lands in trouble when a schoolteacher finds a dead body on the beach.

Officer Donovan Andrews knows how to have a good time—ask any woman in town. But when it comes to men abusing their wives or children, Donovan takes it upon himself to make them regret it.

Madeline Scott is unlucky in love. All she wants is a quiet place to heal, away from cheating, womanizing men. However, her life is far from peaceful once she stumbles across the body and witnesses someone fleeing the scene.

Terror spreads in Pleasant View when the small community hears a killer is on the loose. All evidence points to Donovan, and he realizes someone is trying to frame him. When troubling suspicions from his past surface, even fellow officers believe he’s guilty. Madeline might be the only person who can clear his name, but first he has to win her trust.

The body count rises and no one is safe. The murderer makes it clear Madeline is next. Soon, Donovan’s whole world is focused on protecting her and keeping himself out of prison. The more time he spends with her, the harder it is to fight his growing attraction. Since she’s been burned by love, convincing Madeline he’s interested in something more than hot sex may prove harder than keeping her alive.

Read the first three chapters at Chantel’s blog: http://www.chantelrhondeau.com/2013/03/crime-passion-romantic-suspense-and.html

About the author:

Chantel once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Before long, the need to create her own stories took over. She spends her daytime in the clinical profession of medical transcriptionist, but her passion is in the blissful hours she spends with her characters in the evenings.

Chantel lives in the western United States. When she isn’t writing, she loves playing cards with her family and snuggling with her lazy kitties.

Want to connect with Chantel? You can find her here:

Website: http://www.chantelrhondeau.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chantel-Rhondeau/e/B008ZSM1KQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Twitter http://twitter.com/ChantelRhondeau

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChantelRhondeau

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6444354.Chantel_Rhondeau

E-mail: ChantelRhondeau@gmail.com

Want the book?

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/Z24vsP

Amazon Paperback in Createspace Store: https://www.createspace.com/4160971

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/Ys0lHs

KOBO: http://bit.ly/Y8qWNB

All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/YnS2iX

Add it on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16135008-crime-passion 

Wordless Wednesday 3.6.13

What do you think? Are those little white orbs UFOs?

Conversation With #MyMuse - Chocolate Seduction Edition

Image in Public Domain as a faithful reproduction
of a work of art in the public domain.

I’m not gonna lie, my muse has been good to me lately. I’ve started a new Work In Progress, and she has practically written the story for me. Sometimes I love her.

Then, there’s those other times when she’s being, shall we say, ornery. There have been a few occasions where no amount of pleading, cajoling, or threatening with lawsuits can motivate her to give up her ideas. Dang her, anyway.

I was chatting with my writer’s group yesterday and the subject of recalcitrant muses came up. Thank God I’m not the only writer who has a stubborn muse. I don’t feel so alone in the world.

So let’s just say I suggested seducing…um, enticing…or maybe luring her out of hiding…with chocolate. This has worked for me before.

This is how the conversation went:

Frustrated Writer (That’s me): Musth? * munch, munch * Where are ya musth?

Muse: * peeks head around corner * What? I can’t understand you. * eyes FW with suspicion * What’s that in your mouth?

FW: * hides wrapper behind back * Nothum…

Muse: Whadaya mean nothing? I can see the wrapper. Are you… Yes, you’re eating chocolate. And you weren’t going to share, were you?

FW: I domth know wha ya mean. * wipes mouth with back of sleeve *

Muse: Can I have a bite?

FW: Don’t be silly. Muses can’t eat.

Muse: The heck they can’t. Don’t be selfish and share your chocolate.

FW: * tilts head sideways * If I give you some chocolate, will you help me finish Chapter Three?

Muse: * snorts * I told you how to write that chapter already. But noooo…. You wouldn’t listen to my advice. You had to give your heroine a colon cleanse. What made you think her hero would want to hear about her experience? Erase the chapter and start over.

FW: Okay. You’re right, but how? Where do I go with it? Help me.

Muse: Give up the chocolate.

FW: * acts reluctant to hand it over, but smiles inwardly * Now, about Chapter Three…

Friday Four Fill In - 3.1.13

Each week, Hilary at www.feelingbeachie.com lists four statements with a blank for you to fill in on your own blog. If you want to join the fun and come up with four fill in’s of your own, please email them to her at Hilary(at)feelingbeachie(dot)com. If she uses them, she will add you as co-host to the hop! This week’s co-host is Uttley from Uttley’s take – he came up with the last two statements! Hilary would LOVE it if you could please help her spread the word about this hop…. So, please tweet, FaceBook share, and add the linky to your post…

This week’s statements:
1. Sometimes I ___ I am ___
2. When I wear ___ I feel ____
3. When in doubt, _____________
4. The easiest way to ______________ is to ___________.

My Answers:
1. Sometimes I ate eat a whole box of tagalongs when I am…well, really, just because I want to
2. When I wear clothes I haven’t worn since before I lost weight, I feel sexy
3. When in doubt, I usual consider both the pros and the cons, and then go with my gut instinct
4. The easiest way to make me mad is to insult one of my children

Please add the Follow Friday button to your post, or your blog. Please link your Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun post to the linky below. PLEASE grab the linky and post on your blog…
If you tweet, please use #F5-bloghop so Hilary can find you…