romance – {Bokerah}

Interview with {Katie Hayoz}: Part Two

I caught the lovely Katie Hayoz, and she graciously agreed to an interview. On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, she’s releasing Immersed as a part of The Falling in Deep Collection.

Order Immersed. It’s out today! Happy Release Day, Katie!

What is your favorite writing music?

I have to write to dead silence. Or maybe white noise, like a fan or the hum of the refrigerator. Music makes me lose my concentration.

Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?

My favorite place WOULD be in my very own writing room with a fantastic view of the mountains and a glacial stream. However, I don’t have that. So…I find inspiration where I can get it, usually at the kitchen table staring out at the parking lot and alleyway below. A lot of weird characters pass through there.

What was your inspiration for Immersed? Tell me about your characters.

First is the medieval myth of Melusine. There are several stories, but the one that stuck with me was the French one where Melusine was cursed by her mother for killing her father. Plus, she’s the mermaid on the Starbucks label – Melusine has two tails. The other inspiration was the history of Chicago. In the 1850’s, Chicago was literally sinking. The city was built on marshland, had no proper drainage and was a cesspool of disease. So the city officials raised the streets up by several feet to put in underground plumbing. Houses followed…though not everyone could afford to raise their home. You can still see “sunken” houses in Chicago today! I had to use that setting. Just had to. And so that’s where Melusine lives and works.

Any advice for new writers (like me)?

Get into a good critiquing group. Find other writers who are honest and like your work, but aren’t afraid to tell you when they think you’re doing it wrong. Because we are steeped in our own thoughts and words, other sets of eyes are vital to making our work the best it can be. That said, despite how much you rewrite and get critiqued, you will end up thinking of the perfect way to fix something in the novel only AFTER it’s published. But, by then, it’s time to move on.

Make your library ecstatic. Order Immersed. 🙂

Blurb:

What if love turned you into a monster?

Forget petticoats and demure female behavior. Melusine Doré prefers armored corsets and knives and slays evil creatures for a living. The grim and gruesome don’t frighten her; she’ll take on a cyclops or a dragon and not even break a sweat. But when her rival, the charismatic Levi Cannon, comes to town, all her buried fears begin to surface. Melusine realizes she is in danger of something much more horrifying than facing blood-thirsty beasts – she’s in danger of falling in love. Because love alone has the power to reveal a secret terrible enough to completely shatter her world.

Set in the muddy streets of 1850s steampunk Chicago, Immersed by Katie Hayoz is a dark yet romantic fantastical romp. It is a stand-alone novella, but the first in a series of adventures that follow Melusine on her quest to rid the world of monsters…and her struggle to come to terms with every monstrous facet of herself.

About Katie:

Katie Hayoz was born in Racine, WI, the youngest of six kids. Originally, she wanted to become pope (for the awesome hat and fancy robes), but quickly realized reading – then writing — was her true religion. She devours speculative fiction like she does popcorn and black licorice: quickly and in large quantities.

Meet Katie:

Get VIP access to Katie’s releases, giveaways and news:http://www.katiehayoz.com/p/mcembedsignupbackgroundfff-clearleft.html

Connect with Katie on her website: www.katiehayoz.com

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Love mermaids? Looking for a great beach read? The Falling in Deep Collection, a collection of 15 unique tales of creatures of the deep, is rolling out the first novella in their collection at the end of May.

From mermaids to sirens, Miami to Athens, dark paranormal romance to contemporary stories with steam, the fifteen award-winning and best-selling authors of the Falling in Deep Collection are bringing you mermaid tales like you’ve never seen before.

Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

Join the Mermaids!

Interview with {Eli Constant}: Part Two

Woot, woot! Eli Constant is in the house. She’s releasing The Water is Sweeter as a part of The Falling in Deep Collection. Here is Part Two of our interview! (Get This Now)

What is your favorite writing music?

Quiet. Ha-ha. Yeah, I’m not really into having music on while I’m writing. Sometimes, I’ll stick a favorite movie on the television- one I’ve seen so many times that it just becomes a background hum, but rarely do I listen to music.

Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?

There’s no magic place for me – it happens whenever and wherever it wants. Quite frustrating actually – to be sound asleep and get an idea, to be driving down the highway with no way to jot it down, desperately fumbling with your phone to hit the sound record function, to be in the shower soaking wet and suddenly have a brilliant notion pop into your noggin. I wish I did have a special place that inspired me. Life would be easier.

What was your inspiration for The Water is Sweeter? Tell me about the story.

Female empowerment. Finding the will to improve your life, even if it’s daunting and scary and hard. Realizing that love, although imperfect and difficult, is not ugly and cruel.

Here’s the blurb actually:

When the land becomes a desert, the water will quench your soul

Orphan Lena McMillan used to think that what she shared with Truman Kent was real. Now she sees their relationship for what it really is- controlling and abusive.

She has to choose to die slowly from ‘love’ or say goodbye to the family she’s always desired. Leaving scares her though, so much so that dying seems like her only option.

But fate won’t let her quit life and Truman won’t let her quit his love. Not without a fight.

Under the layers of a lonely childhood and an adulthood romance gone wrong, a starfish holds the key to Lena’s parentage and the answer to the mesmeric ocean dreams that haunt her.

If she can find the strength to leave the only life she knows, Lena will discover the truth. And she will find a new world, one that will cleanse her of the memories of false love and abuse.

One that will finally lead her home.

Any advice for new writers (like me)?

Keep at it. If you stop for a while, force yourself to get back in the saddle as soon as possible. Don’t take crap from anybody. Just because you’re a new author – that doesn’t mean that you don’t have an opinion or perspective worth listening to, that doesn’t mean that your voice isn’t good enough already. I will agree that the more you write, the more you work at it, the better you’ll get- It is talent and skill combined, not one or the other. Getting better doesn’t change the core of who you are as a writer, it simple hones your voice and makes it clearer, so people can recognize it through all the other noise.

Be honest with yourself too, on the things you know need improvement. Again, this doesn’t detract from your God-given talent, it doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough, but what it does mean is that you’ll keep working and pushing yourself. And pretty soon, you won’t be ‘new’ at all; you’ll be an old hat giving others advice (and probably feeling awkward when you do, because a good writer should retain a modicum of humility. It makes them more real, human and approachable).

Blurb:

When the land becomes a desert, the water will quench your soul

Orphan Lena McMillan used to think that what she shared with Truman Kent was real. Now she sees their relationship for what it really is- controlling and abusive.

She has to choose to die slowly from ‘love’ or say goodbye to the family she’s always desired. Leaving scares her though, so much so that dying seems like her only option.

But fate won’t let her quit life and Truman won’t let her quit his love. Not without a fight.

Under the layers of a lonely childhood and an adulthood romance gone wrong, a starfish holds the key to Lena’s parentage and the answer to the mesmeric ocean dreams that haunt her.

If she can find the strength to leave the only life she knows, Lena will discover the truth. And she will find a new world, one that will cleanse her of the memories of false love and abuse.

One that will finally lead her home.

Make Your Library Happy ❤

About the Author:

Eli attended USC-L, Columbia College, Texas A&M, & George Mason University. She studied everything from Mariculture to Differential Equations. Settling on Biology, Eli participated in research fellowships in Texas and at NIH, worked a few random jobs, and finally settled into a Virginia lab where she focused on mastering diagnosis procedures and implementations of histology and pathology.

Choosing to be a dedicated homemaker after the birth of her first child, Eli rediscovered her passion for writing. She’s never regretted the decision. Not only are her kids the most amazing creatures, but writing fulfills her soul the way science never did.

******

Eli is the author of Dead Trees, Dead Trees 2, Mastic, DRAG.N & Z Children: Awakening. She is a contributing author to Let’s Scare Cancer to Death, State of Horror: New Jersey, State of Horror: Illinois, & Fading Hope. Her books are available in eBook, paperback, & audio formats.

Meet Eli:

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Interview with {Poppy Lawless}: Part Two

I’ve met awesome (and camera shy) YA author, Poppy Lawless, through the Falling in Deep Collection. She’s one of 15 authors writing paranormal summer romance novellas. (: She agreed to do an interview! Yay! Order The Glass Mermaid.

What is your favorite writing music?

It all depends on the story. For The Glass Mermaid, my latest release, I listened to a lot of swing music! This music plays an important role in the novella, and listening to big band tunes put me in the mood right along with them.

Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?

It all depends, but I like having idea boards on Pinterest. But you never know. Even the smallest thing can inspire me!

What was your inspiration for The Glass Mermaid? Tell me about your characters.

This novella is set in a fictional town situated along Lake Erie. I lived in on the lakeshore for many years, and one thing I really loved to do was pick up beach glass. I think the image of Kate, my mermaid, was born of my own love of those pretty little baubles. I spent a lot of time looking out at those waters wondering what lay beneath. The Glass Mermaid is my little contribution to that.

Any advice for new writers (like me)?

Tell the stories your soul wants to share and keep a positive attitude!

The Glass Mermaid:

Kate

I’m the last mermaid.

I’m back on shores of Lake Erie, but the cold waters are silent. There is nothing here for me but ghosts and the beach glass that litters the rocky shore. Long ago, I lived below the waves. Now, I am the sole survivor, and at long last, my mermaid glamour is leaving me.

Every day, I walk the beach. Every day, I wonder what happened to my people. The little pieces of colored glass that wash ashore give me simple pleasure. They are gifts from the lake, reminders of home. I fashion them into trinkets: necklaces, earrings, bracelets. They are beautiful things. The humans seem love them.

Every day, I walk the beach. Nothing ever changes, until the day he says hello.

Cooper

I’m dying.

It’s not a question, it’s a fact. The cancer is eating me alive. They told me I have six months to live, maybe less. I came home, back to Chancellor on Lake Erie, to die. The sunsets are vivid there, and I will relish every one.

I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than a Lake Erie sunset until I see her.

All life is as fragile as glass.

What would you sacrifice to save the one you love?

Order the YA awesome.

About the Author:

Sinfully delicious tales of romance . . .

Romance author. Cupcake connoisseur. Certified herbalist. Beach bum. Fan of all things Starbucks. Holistic healing advocate. Surfer girl wanna-be. Lost guru. Maker of dandelion wine. Counselor. Paranormal buff. Etsy addict. Secretly Jedi. So not a geek girl. Gifted in sarcasm. Hot wife. Ninja mom. And now, I’m ready to share a whole head full of witty, mouthy, smart, lovely, heart-warming, and hot characters with the world. Are you ready?

Poppy Lawless is the author of The Glass Mermaid and the forthcoming Love & Chocolate series releasing in 2015. Poppy holds degrees in English and Psychology. She is a counselor in the field of mental health and is a trained herbalist.

Connect with Poppy!

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feature tales of love and delicious recipes! http://eepurl.com/bbaeo9

Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

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Phoenix Under Fire {Anna Albergucci}

It’s a Paranormal Love Wednesday BlogHop! Check out Anna’s book, and be sure to visit the six others authors of awesome.

How far would you go to protect your heart’s desire?

PHOENIX UNDER FIRE

Lovers entwine and old friends collide as Devon and Elz begin life anew in nineteenth-century England. Gone is the jaded man his family feared would never love, never marry. In his place stands a man completely enamored with and vastly protective of the captivating beauty he keeps on his arm. Elz adapts well to life at Wedlove, relieved that their enemy is left behind in modern-day Boston.

Danger, however, lurks in every corner, and Devon may find his most challenging adversary yet in the guise of a childhood friend, one who is incredibly strong and cunning . . . one with a dark secret of his own.

Meanwhile, Devon’s warning to Jarrett manifests when Devon’s younger brother challenges Jarrett for Jaymi’s affection. Jaymi is torn between the gallant, handsome man who would offer her the world, and the reckless one who lingers in every waking thought. Will she seek a new life with a new love, or will Jarrett refuse to let her go?

The Phoenix Degree continues . . .

Buy your Amazon paperback or Kindle eBook

***MATURE CONTENT, SITUATIONS, and LANGUAGE***

Excerpt

Elz

Symond Grayson is staring at me like I’m his next meal.

“You know, Miss Bainbridge, I normally would not express intimate feelings in this manner, but things will be different with you and me, so I’ll be frank. I marvel at how only fifteen minutes ago I hadn’t the first knowledge of your existence, and now you consume my every thought and emotion. I want you. But to my astonishment, so does he who is inside me. He wants you as badly as I do, thus weakening my usual strong resistance and self-control against him. I will also admit it scares the hell out of me—I don’t know what I might do to you. But in the same right, I imagine what that might be, and it stirs me greatly.”

My heart is pounding. I bite back my fear and remain silent at his confession. What the hell is inside him?

Tension draws his face, and he says, “I know I should turn and get out of here, but alas, I’ve waited too long, and it is beyond my ability. I must have relief for my tortured body. I want to mate you…no, I have to mate you…now.”

“What?” I’m stunned that this nineteenth-century duke just voiced such a thing to me. I glance up and down the empty corridor.

“It’s true, Miss Bainbridge, believe me.” He squeezes his eyes closed and swallows.

His emotions seem to be caught in a sudden landslide and he snaps. His eyes pop open and their silver color blazes white.

Unable to pull my gaze from his, I see something else there—his anguished expression looks as though he’s apologizing.

I’m scared to death.

Meet Symond, Devon, and Elz. You know you want to!

About the Author:

Anna Albergucci has always had a vivid imagination. When she was a child, she entertained her mother and anyone who would listen with the telling of her intricate dreams. Now she puts that inspiration to paper, weaving her stories into deeply passionate characters that live lives the rest of us only dream about.

Married to her high school sweetheart, Anna lives in Texas surrounded by her ever-growing family and her fur babies. She serves as president of Cisco Writers Club, and is the founder of a yearly writers’ retreat she hosts at her estate each fall.

She loves mornings, coffee, and sitting on the porch appreciating her life. She’s a sucker for hosting parties, especially historical costume parties. And in her spare time you can find her touring old mansions, shopping for antiques, or curled up reading a romance, paranormal, or thriller, whether historical or contemporary.

Meet Anna:

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It’s a Paranormal Love Wednesday BlogHop! Check out Anna’s book, and be sure to visit the six others authors of awesome.

Interview with {Erin Hayes}: Part One

I met the lovely Erin Hayes through a rocking writers group! She’s releasing a novella with the Falling In Deep Collection. You can Pre-Order the mermaid awesomeness here.

Tell me about you. What do you write?

I’m a sci-fi junkie, a video game nerd, and a wannabe manga artist, and I write a lot of things. Sometimes I writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series. How to be a Mermaid will be my eighth novel with my ninth following shortly!

When did you start writing? When did you start publishing?

When haven’t I been writing? I remember writing Star Wars fanfiction when I was 9, and I haven’t stopped since (writing, not writing fanfiction for Star Wars). I published my first novella, Embracing Her Wolf, in October of 2011.

Has there been a progression through genres in your writing?

Oh, definitely, although it seems like I am writing every genre sometimes. I write what I want to read, and that is a wide variety of genres. It’s whichever book is shouting loudest to me at the moment.

What authors do you like to read?

I love so many authors, it’s hard to narrow it down, but I’ll try. Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Frank Herbert, Anne McCaffrey, Brian Jacques, Amy Bartol, and so many wonderful indie authors, including all of my Blazing Indie Collective authors!

You have something coming out very soon. Tell me about that.

How to be a Mermaid is about a teenaged girl name Tara who takes a year off between high school and college to be a professional mermaid, meaning she dons a mermaid tail and does a water ballet. It’s all going well until she meets a real merman and a dolphin who needs her help. There’s a bit of romance, a bit of adventure, and a whole lot of mermaid fantasy.

Synopsis:

All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid.

So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.

Everything’s great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare — she’s turning into a mermaid herself. For real.

Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it’s sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too.

ORDER IT! You know you want to.

Short Excerpt:

“What is this?” a rough, intense voice demanded.

I swam out of unconsciousness, an uncomfortable experience that revealed my entire body aching, my head most of all. It was so dark, and a strange feeling had overtaken my body. Like I was floating. I tried touching a hand to my head, only to find that I couldn’t.

What the-?

My hands were tied behind my back with what felt like…kelp?

The realization hit me and I thrashed about trying to free myself, and I finally opened my eyes.

I paused for a moment, unable to grasp exactly where I was.

I was…underwater?

Air bubbles popped out of my mouth in a flurry when a scream escaped my throat. A thousand thoughts filled my head, none of them making sense except for the overwhelming dread that I was somehow underwater with my hands tied behind my back. From what I could tell, there was no way I could get air to breathe. I’d lost a lot of air when I screamed.

Oh my god, I was going to drown.

My mermaid necklace was thrust in front of my vision, momentarily disorienting me.

“What is this? I demand you to tell me now!”

“What?” I asked out loud. A sharp pain zigzagged across my head from where I’d hit it on the rock. I was trapped underwater and this man wanted to know…what exactly? What my necklace was?

The necklace came even closer to my face, so much that I’d have to go cross-eyed in order to focus on it.

“Where did you get this? What is it?” the man demanded.

“It’s my…” I was unsure and still terrified of my situation. “It’s my necklace.”

About the Author:

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series.

She works as an advertising copywriter during the day, and she moonlights as an author. She has lived in New Zealand, Texas, and now in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.

You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Stalker Links:

Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

Join the Mermaids!

Interview with {Ella Malone}: Part One

With our Falling in Deep Collection: Ella Malone’s The Mermaid’s Den releases on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. I caught up with Ella, and she agreed to answer a few questions. Watch for Part Two on June 30, 2015!

Tell us about you. What are some of your previously published projects?

This is my first publication for public sale. I write a lot, but mostly for people I know. I’ve been commissioned to write a few poems here and there, and I write marriage vows and speeches when asked, so I feel like I’m a part of a whole lot of love!

When did you start writing? When did you start publishing? The hardest thing about writing?

I started writing in high school. I had a hard time expressing how I was feeling and grabbed a pen and notebook. I found journaling soothing and it helped to record good days and look back to them when I had bad days.

As for the hardest part… starting! Finding that first paragraph is tough. I usually start in the middle.

What has been your favorite character that you’ve written so far?

I really like the character I wrote named Cora. Her story doesn’t have a title yet, but she’s a recent college grad who decided to take one last summer to break out of her shell before settling into the business world. With a job lined up in the fall, she escapes her roommates and parents by spending the summer researching in Italy. She comes alive!

Where does your inspiration come from? What do you do to break through a block?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. I find a lot of it comes from things I see or hear. Listen hard the next time you’re in the store. People forget you’re standing there and say the darnedest things. Most can be easily turned into a story.

Has there been a progression through genres with your writing, or do you mostly stick with one genre?

I write chick lit and some sexier stuff. I don’t do dark generally. I like writing to be about passion and relationships, things I actually enjoy in life.

Watch for Part Two of my interview with Ella Malone on June 30, 2015.

PRE-ORDER The Mermaid’s Den here.

Blurb for The Mermaid’s Den:

Laura and Tom Flynn married after she fell for him hook, line, and sinker — literally. Finding Laura in his fishing net had been a shock for Tom, but one he came to embrace as they quickly fell in love. For fifteen years, they have lived and worked by the sea, and Laura hasn’t thought once of what she left behind when she chose to marry Tom. She doesn’t regret giving up her mermaid form. It wasn’t a sacrifice. It was a good decision, and one she had to make to survive.

Now, with Tom missing at sea, Laura faces a decision she swore she’d never consider. In order to search for Tom and his crew, she must become a mermaid again and face the demons of the deep that she eagerly dodged when trading in her tail. Or she can stay on land and continue her life, but without Tom?

Does she enjoy her future alone, without the man she loves, or face her fears and her past in the ocean? Either way, nothing will be the same for her again.

About the Author:

An avid believer of the saying “YES”, Ella Malone works to make the most of life in every way. She is a lover of all wonderful things: cherry blossoms, red lipstick, city skylines, snow covered country sides, the finest chocolate, a man’s hands, a woman’s back, vodka, and high heels. She has worked in public relations, advertising, and restaurants and recently decided to make her way doing what she loves, capturing the passionate moments of life on a page.

Ella Malone is the author of “The Mermaid’s Den” and the “Hot in the City Series” releasing in 2015.

Connect with Ella Malone:

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Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

Join the Mermaids!

The Phoenix Decree {Anna Albergucci}

How far would you go to pursue your heart’s desire?

The Phoenix Decree (Book One of The Phoenix Decree Saga)

It’s nineteenth-century England. Social decorum reigns. Devon Phoenix, Marquess of Phoxdale and first-born son of the Duke of Seton, shuns society when he is bound to his soul mate through the discovery of a buried family secret. He learns she will need his protection from those drawn to her because of her lineage. When he crosses two centuries into present day to claim her, it is not without cost.

The life of Boston artist and history buff Elz Valli is about to be irreversibly altered. Coming face-to-face with Devon, she feels certain this striking, intellectual man bears more than a shocking resemblance to the man marked in the pages of her history books. Even so, she does not expect the chain of events that unfold because of one heated dance with him. With the pendulum in motion, there is no turning back as Devon’s presence in today’s world ignites raging fires—both good and evil.

Driven by his insane love for her, Devon will stop at nothing to have and protect Elz. But will this be enough to overcome the powers that will attach themselves to her?

Enjoy paranormal romance, thrillers, or maybe a little time travel?

Meet Devon, and make your library happy – available in paperback or eBook.

***Mature Content: Adult situations and language***

About the Author:

Excerpt

Boston

Present day

Elz

Devon is torn from me. Nooo!

My eyes fly open on a wave of panic to see Jarrett Phoenix holding him by the arm and speaking into his ear. Devon looks at me, alarmed. “Elz—Miss Valli, I…I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry.”

What?

I’m suddenly aware of the crowd pressing in on us. Turning to face them, I throw both arms above my head in a half curtsy, Marilyn Monroe, “Thank you very much” display. This earns me a round of applause with whistling and laughing, and without any further care, they all resume their previous actions.

I turn back to Devon and grab his hand, dragging him off the dance floor and through the crush of patrons toward the front of the club. I spin to face him.

“Never do that again.”

He looks pained. “Of course not. You’re the last person I would want to hurt. I have never acted in such a manner and have no way to explain myself. It was inexcusable. I’m sorry—”

“Stop,” I cry.

His expression stretches wide with alarm.

“That is the very thing I’m talking about.” My eyes burn with tears. “Never tell me you’re sorry for that. I don’t even know by what miracle that scene just happened, but I’m not sorry, and I pray you’re not either.”

Devon’s lips part on a single release of breath, and he whispers, “Honestly? I’ve been aching to do that for six years now. I’m not sorry for it. Only if I’ve hurt you, or damaged your reputation in any way.”

“No. You haven’t hurt me. You’ve made me happier than I ever thought I could be. And as far as my reputation goes, thank you. I imagine I’m the envy of every girl here.”

Praise for The Phoneix Decree:

“As a U.S. Marine, it was during my recent service that I was introduced to The Phoenix Decree Saga. Badass, these books deliver on every level. The best series I’ve ever read.”

~ Chase McCravey

Thanks for visiting the Paranormal Love Wednesdays Blog Hop!

Continue your blog hopping here. Onward, Friend! (:

Interview with {Carrie Wells}: Part Two

Carrie L. Wells is bringing an awesome tale to the Falling in Deep Collection: At the Heart of the Deep – releasing TODAY, Tuesday, June 23, 2015. (Novella details below)

Read part one of my interview here. On with the interview!

What authors do you like to read? Favorite saying about writing?

I read so many writers. I wish I could go back in time and steal F. Scott Fitzgerald from Zelda, but I’ve been reading a lot of indie writers lately. Most of them are my Falling in Deep friends. Melanie Karsak and Margo Bond Collins, Pauline Creeden and A. W. Exley are just some of my go-to indie authors.

My favorite saying is one that a Composition I class of mine came up with: There is no right way to write, but there are some wrong ways!

Favorite writing music? Does it change from project to project? Favorite color? Hobbies?

The music I listen to changes with every project. The one thing that remains the same is that I am always writing while listening to my kids laughing, arguing, playing, or just generally making noise. Moments of complete silence are few in this crazy house.

My favorite color is yellow. Most people hate it, but I love the sunshine of it. It perks me up and reminds me of flowers.

As for hobbies, I don’t have many. My time is spent enmeshed in whatever my kids are into at the moment. Right now that would be football, scouts, and the park.

Tell us about At the Heart of the Deep.

At the Heart of the Deep was initially a pirate story, but I realized there was far too much to fit into the novella. So the pirates will have to wait. Instead, we meet Anya, an independent mermaid who is researching the strange goings on around her tribe’s island. She runs into Luke McCallister, a Matthew McConaughey-inspired dreamboat of an oceanographer. He and his team are working against the clock to see why the sea floor off the coast of Florida is shifting.

It came out a bit more typical than I intended, but I suppose there are reasons for the whole “kid rebels against father” story after all.

Do you have any advice for new writers (like me)?

Being that I’m new to fiction publication, I don’t have much to offer yet. However, I can tell you what I did. I found some support and went for it.

RELEASE DAY!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Read part one of my interview here.

Be a mermaid! Pre-order the novella here.

About At the Heart of the Deep

Oceanographer Luke McAllister races to figure out why the ocean depth is changing off Florida’s Treasure Coast. But before he and his crew discover what’s transforming the deep, he stumbles upon an even greater mystery. Leagues below the waves, he swears he sees…a mermaid?

Anya isn’t allowed to get close to humans. But when a golden-haired researcher gets too close to her island, she can’t afford to stay away.

Together, this unlikely pair will seek to discover what’s causing shifts in ocean floor. While their new alliance is forbidden, Anya will risk everything to save her beloved ocean. The only problem is, she’s not sure what’s really luring her in, her love of the sea or the tempest Luke has stirred in her heart. Either way, Anya knows that the dangers facing the sea are nothing compared to what will happen to her when her father learns she’s broken the merfolks’ most sacred law.

Can Anya and Luke discover what lurks at the heart of the deep before it’s too late?

About the Author:

Carrie L. Wells crosses genres, writing everything from newspaper editorials and textbooks to paranormal romance novellas. Her first fiction publication, The Heart of the Deep, will release in June 2015, followed by Playing with Magic in October 2015. A New England native, she spent her childhood on the beach and inland, fishing and dancing, before moving to Florida. And while she doesn’t tan, nothing keeps her from a walk on the beach.

Carrie earned her Master’s degree in English with a minor in Psychology from Hardin-Simmons University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida. With a love of chocolate, books, and her family, Carrie braves the world and chaos only children can bring. She currently lives in Florida with her fire-medic hubby and three children. She is an English instructor at Eastern Florida State College.

Find Carrie in these awesome places:

Blog
Facebook
Pinterest
Newsletter: Subscribe to receive VIP novel excerpts and information

Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

Join the Mermaids!

Interview with {Carrie Wells}: Part One

Carrie L. Wells is bringing an awesome tale to the Falling in Deep Collection: At the Heart of the Deep – releasing Tuesday, June 23, 2015. (Novella details below)

On with the interview!

Tell us about you. What are some of your previously published projects?

While this is my first fiction work, I co-authored as kick butt technical writing book. Other than that, I’ve written for newspapers and in public relations.

When did you start writing? When did you start publishing? What is the hardest thing about writing?

I started writing as a kid. I loved stories so much that when I ran out of interesting things to read, I wrote my own. The hardest part is not writing the whole world at once. I want every story to encompass all of the ideas I have in my head and I have a hard time limiting what happens.

What has been your favorite character that you’ve written so far?

I’m in love with my YA fiction character Alex Montoya from my forthcoming Sugar Skull Chronicles. She’s a nerdy teen who finds herself with paranormal abilities. She is everything I wish I had been in high school!

Where does your inspiration come from? What do you do to break through a block?

Inspiration is in anything. I love looking at pictures and writing from those. Or songs. Songs can drive my writing in one direction or another. As for writer’s block, I talk. I talk to my super successful writer friends and my husband. He’s worked out quite a few plot lines for me.

Has there been a progression through genres with your writing, or do you mostly stick with one genre?

I write what comes to me. Most of my writing has a romantic element to it because relationships are a huge part of life in my world.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015: Watch for Part Two of my interview with Carrie Wells.

Be a mermaid! Pre-order the novella here.

About At the Heart of the Deep

Anya isn’t allowed to get close to humans. But when a golden-haired researcher gets too close to her island, she can’t afford to stay away.

Can Anya and Luke discover what lurks at the heart of the deep before it’s too late?

About the Author:

Find Carrie in these awesome places:

Blog
Facebook
Pinterest
Newsletter: Subscribe to receive VIP novel excerpts and information

Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

Join the Mermaids!

Interview with {A.R. Draeger}: Part Two

I met Amber during a workshop sponsored by the Cisco Writers Club. This was my first experience with her style of writing, and it’s been great to read everything since. I have secured a spot on her coattails, and it is my plan to ride them when she hits her fame! ❤ She’s been a great friend. She’s always encouraging, ready to lend a hand. I know you’ll love her new Falling in Deep novella, Of Ocean and Ash.

On with the interview…

What authors do you like to read? Favorite saying about writing?

Oh wow. Uh. I have a long list of those. I can tell you succinctly who I do not like to read. 😉 I shall save that for a bonus. If people bug you about it, I will divulge my guilty secrets on who I avoid reading. Favorite saying? I believe Ernest Hemingway said “All first drafts are s**t” and “Write drunk, edit sober”, but my favorite is a twist on his last – “Write sober, edit drunk.”

You recently attended the DFW RT Conference. How did that go? Any advice for new conference attendees?

The RT Booklovers Conference was in a word – amazing. Completely overwhelming in every sense of the word. I even stalked and got stalked by Heather Graham, who is a lovely soul, by the way. Advice would be unless you are completely and utterly new to writing, don’t bother with (most of) the panels. Your money is better spent at the bar or at the social events meeting people. The reader events are a blast, and you get free books…and you meet readers. 🙂 I learned more by visiting with people than I did through any other avenue.

Tell us about Of Ocean and Ash.

You mean a blurb? You want me to write a blurb? Ack! *pokes out eyes* Let me get back to you after I finish a blurb. LOL 😉 {But she has one! Check it out below!}

Any advice to even newer writers (like me)?

You are not a newer writer, my friend. You’ve been at this longer. I just stuck my head out a teensy bit before you. 😉 {Thanks, Amber! ❤ ❤ }

Keep writing. Don’t ever stop. Don’t give a crap whether or not anyone likes it.

Hire an editor. You can have crappy everything else, but if you have bad editing, no one will forgive you.

Make friends with other writers. Actually be their friend. When you read something of theirs, and they ask for your opinion, give it – but give them ideas to strengthen the bits you didn’t like.

Learn to drink a little. You will need to throw back a glass of wine or two from time to time.

Don’t let them (your critics) see you cry. It’s like bleeding in the water with a bunch of sharks swimming around you. Get pissed off then write more.

Try not to read reviews. I know I’ll be guilty of this – all of this advice is just as much for my benefit as it is for yours.

The best way to sell your work is to have something to sell. Develop a backlist.

Don’t think that traditional publishing or self-publishing is entirely good or bad. They play well off of each other currently and hybrid authors are seeing great results doing both. Consider this when you have your choices laid out in front of you.

About Amber’s new release:

Of Ocean…

Cast into the sea at birth, human-born Ia found her adoptive family among the merfolk. While her underwater upbringing was peaceful, Ia’s blood-heritage and the strict societal rules of the merpeople lead her to wonder of the world above the waves.

And Ash…

When a storm lands Ia ashore, she discovers her body has transformed into the human she would have been. Taken in as property by a callous plantation owner, Ia works alongside the slaves until she can make her way back to the water. There is nothing Ia wants more than to go home, that is, until she meets a handsome, troubled man named Matthias, who has a touch that can be as kind as his tongue is harsh.

Torn between two very different lives, Ia must choose – stay in his world and risk her life for a love untested, or return to the familiar arms of the underwater world that raised her and risk losing what may be the greatest love she will ever know.

Will Ia’s choice lead to her happiness or her destruction?

Make your library happy here

Author Amber (A.R.) Draeger specializes in macabre, fantastical fiction, spreading her interest across multiple genres including horror, sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and thriller. Her debut romance novella, Of Ocean and Ash, to be published in the Blazing Indie Collective’s Falling in Deep Collection, will be released June 9th, 2015. Her debut horror/thriller/sci-fi novella,Daughters of Men, to be published in association with Bathory Gate Press, will follow in Summer 2015. She resides in rural Texas with her husband and son.

Talk to Amber (:

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Every week beginning May 26th, 2015, we’ll be releasing one unique, never-before-published novella! Each novella will feature our favorite creature of the deep: mermaids.

The Falling in Deep Collection (May – September Releases)

Scales by Pauline Creeden

Ink: A Mermaid Romance by Melanie Karsak

Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger

Deep Breath by J. M. Miller

At the Heart of the Deep by Carrie Wells

The Mermaid’s Den by Ella Malone

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless

An Officer & a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

The Water is Sweeter by Eli Constant

Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley

A Beyond the Sea Prequel by Emily Goodwin

Immersed by Katie Hayoz

Siren’s Kiss by Margo Bond Collins

To Each His Own by Anna Albergucci

Never miss a release! Join our newsletter for behind the scenes information and release updates:

Join the Mermaids!

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RELEASE DAY!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Read part one of my interview here.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2015: Watch for Part Two of my interview with Carrie Wells.

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