VBT: Rupture by Curtis Hox (Review+Giveaway)

Today, I am participating in the blog tour for the Transhuman Series by Curtis Hox. Check the blurb and my review below!

Rupture

Book One Transhuman Warrior Series

By Curtis Hox

Genre: YA Dystopian Fantasy

Simone Wellborn is a Transhuman with an attitude. She’s been genetically engineered from birth to be super smart. The problem? All that tinkering her parents paid top dollar for provided a few unexpected results, like an annoying ability to blast telekinetic energy at the worst possible times. She also has another tricky issue: strange entities possess her and, worse, transform her into something dangerous.

Simone's mother sends her to the Sterling School for reject Transhumans. While there, she meets a few other students with similar problems. They’re all Transhumans with dirty secrets. Heartthrob Hutto Toth is a charming gladiator. He annoys Simone from day one, but he’s also a Werebear who accidentally killed a boy in a glad match, and Simone can’t stand how much she likes him. There’s two-foot tall Wally Dorsey, who’s determined to pilot a personalized mech. His best friend,  Beasley Gardner, is a mountain of a young girl with enough muscle to beat up any boy at school, but she’s suffers from a rage disorder. Finally, Simone meets Kimberlee Newkirk, an unassuming Succubus who fears she’ll kill the next boy she kisses.

These defective students find themselves at the center of a deadly conflict when another student, Joss Beckwith, attracts a Rogue Artificial Intelligence, the new power brokers in a society radically changed by science and technology.

The Transhuman Warrior Series tells the story of Simone and her friends as they’re transformed into highly specialized human weapons. They must challenge the increasing power of the Rogues as these enemies push into Realspace with one goal in mind: total domination.

For more information, check out our website  or visit the Transhuman Warrior Series page.

Excerpt One: Simone Wellborn "Sterling is for rejects. Tranz rejects." The words exploded out of Cooter Dawkins' mouth before his girlfriend, Simone Wellborn, could stop him. The two of them sat across from each other in a booth at Mo's Coffee Shop, Cooter gripping a can of Dr. Pepper, Simone a mochachino topped with a mountain of whip cream. Simone was an attractive girl with jet-black hair that stood out in two flaring pigtails. She wore baggy clothes that hid a lean but athletic body. She wasn't much more than a hundred and ten pounds, soaking wet, and Cooter was over six-feet tall, and his shoulders were so wide she had to lean to the side to see who walked in. “Oh, great,” Simone said. "What?" Cooter swiveled in his seat as if his life depended on it. He spilled his soda all over the sleeve of his navy-blue Ellington Preparatory letterman jacket but kept his eyes glued on the oddball walking to the counter. "Tranz." The little Transhuman was only two feet tall. He wasn't an infant, or even a dwarf. He was proportioned well enough to look like a shrunken teenager who might do some ollies on a shrunken skateboard. He even wore shrunken clothes. "Look at that,” Cooter said. “He's wearing a sweet pair of Bermudas, probably special ordered from Freaks-R-Us." "Shh," Simone replied and pulled on his sleeve. "Don't let him hear you. I know who he is." Cooter faced her. "So? What's he going to do? Ever since the Sterling freaks started coming to town, everyone has to walk on eggshells. Fuck that. Just because you're transferring there doesn't mean I have to like it." The coffee shop wasn't a big store, but like most of the businesses in Cranton, Georgia, it was located on Jefferson Davis Road, where the stores lined up one after the other along the only strip in town. Simone liked Mo's because of the mismatched couches, the free WiFi, and the posters of pop stars all over the place. She wondered if the little Sterling student had taken a cab because he was too short to drive, and the Sterling School was several miles out of the town limits in the countryside. "I wonder how he got here," Simone said. "Maybe he walked," Cooter replied, then burst out laughing. The defective Transhuman looked their way. He carried a huge can of soda in his hands, way too big for him, and it was enough to make Cooter laugh again. "Shh—" "Don't get your titties in a twister, Simone. Deformed Tranz like him should stay locked away in their school for the fucked-up-and-useless." Simone sat up straight and considered getting nasty with her jerk of a boyfriend because that two-foot tall Tranz also had a premium intellect package—at least that was what she'd heard. Cooter continued. "Otherwise, they'll be coming to town all the time. Soon, they'll be cruising up the street, hanging out at the movie theater and game store, and probably applying for summer jobs." And Cooter couldn't have that, she knew. Cranton was a regulated township for the privileged and wealthy, like Cooter's family, and hers. "He didn't do anything. Leave him alone, Cooter. I'm warning you—" "Hell if I care what you do. You've been a pain ever since you got kicked out of Ellington. He's one of the Sterling freaks. And don't say a thing, not after Dustin got killed." "It wasn't this kid who did it—" "Doesn't matter." As the little Sterling student neared their table, he almost dropped his soda. It was slick with condensation; he used his entire shirt to wipe it down. "Just want a straw. Can you get it for me?" His voice was faint and tinny and caused Cooter to sit rigid. He glanced at the sugar counter. "Get it yourself, freak." Simone stood and admitted to herself it had been a mistake to spite her mother by dating Ellington Prep's star quarterback. She smoothed out the oversized clothes she always wore and considered telling him off but said nothing to her boneheaded (and soon to be) ex-boyfriend. She glided to the counter, grabbed a straw, bent over, and handed it to the little guy. "Hey, I'm Simone. He's an idiot." "I'm Wally." Cooter snorted. "Lucky you she's so nice. I could strangle you with that straw." Again, laughter. And then to Simone: "I'm an idiot?" Simone and the stranger from outside of town both saw that Cooter was only half kidding. He may have been the best-looking guy around and so socially acceptable and perfect it made Simone’s mother insane with annoyance, and, worse, he'd been engineered by his rich parents to be what he was: Mr. Perfect, but Simone had always known he had a mean streak. He was everything wrong with their new society: Unforgiving. And that made them worlds apart. And, damn it, she hated it when her mother was right. Wally backed away, eyes locked on Cooter. "How'd you get here?" Cooter asked. Wally took another step, almost stumbled. Cooter slid out of the booth. Simone moved to hold him back, but he pushed her aside and she stumbled backward. "Ow!" Another local, a young natural girl, saw it from behind the counter, but did nothing. She obviously knew who Cooter was and didn't want to piss him off. She stood with her hands at her sides, and watched. "Yo, turd man," Cooter said, “how did you get to town on those little stick legs?" Wally remained calm but kept backing up, his eyes on the massive young man in front of him. They were so disparate in size that Cooter could toss him across the room. When the door opened and a figure appeared, Cooter was only one step away from maybe giving Wally a goal-winning kick. The new man was Cooter's equal in size. But he was dressed in a black woolen robe that hid his hands and feet and made him look like some mendicant friar in need of a bath. His long hair hung in strands from his head, nearly covering his face. His skin was sallow, as if he'd never been in the sun a day in his life. The coffee girl bumped into the espresso machine behind her and spilled a jug of milk. Cooter paused in mid-step as if someone had used a remote to freeze him. He put his foot back where it had been, not where he'd intended it to go. The stranger scanned the room. "Wally, get in the car." His voice was soft and broken, and very weak, as if he'd been screaming all night from the bottom of a well. Wally seemed saddened by what was happening, paused, then turned and walked out. "Miss Wellborn," the man said, "I'm Coach Buzzal Vaughn. We'll be seeing you later today at Sterling?" She nodded. "Yes, sir." *** ***

Excerpt Two: Hutto and Wally That night Hutto and Wally sat by the window in Wally's fifth-floor dorm, looking across the courtyard toward the girl's wing. The RA had told them all the racket was coming from the new girl's room. They could clearly see movement through the half-open blinds. Simone seemed to be sitting on her bed, flailing her arms every few seconds. "Cat fight," Hutto said. "Mom against daughter. God, I wish I could see that." "Mom would win," Wally said. "Hell, yeah." Hutto had knocked on Wally's door hours ago and only planned to stay a few minutes. Hutto was surprised at how cool his room was. Someone had made a fortress for Wally. A miniature wooden ladder led to a loft with railings and several interior structures. Wally had an apartment within an apartment. Hutto could see several cushions, a bed, a mini-fridge. He even had windows and low-energy light bulbs in there. "Home away from home," Wally said. He'd created a secondary platform under the top of the loft so that he could sit eye-to-eye with any guests. A comfy, regular-sized loveseat meant anyone sitting would actually be a bit lower than him. Wally couldn't decide what he liked better: Hutto or the cat fight. He kept flitting his eyes back and forth. He had the finest specimen of masculinity right in front of him, a young man bred to fight, to become a warrior hero. Beasley was great and all, and his very best friend; she'd tear down heaven for him. But she was withdrawn, sullen six days out of seven, and damn near impossible to cheer up when she decided a funk was in order. Hutto, on the other hand, always had a smile, a joke, and a story to tell. "Did you see her mom tonight?" Hutto asked. Wally nodded vigorously. He let his legs hang from the platform under his loft. A foam cushion underneath would catch him if he jumped off (usually he targeted the loveseat). "She kicked their asses." "Yes she did. Do you have any idea what we saw tonight?" Wally did, but he wasn't sure if he should say. "Psy-sorcery." "Hell, yeah!" Hutto looked like he would have jumped to his feet if he'd had space. "I've heard my brother Nisson talk about it. He's ... been around that stuff." "The Megamech pilot?" "That's Almont." And then, as if on a side note he'd return to later, he said, "Nisson used to glad fight, until he got in trouble." Wally nodded and waited, hoping for more info on Hutto's infamous brother who'd been banned from glad fighting. Everyone had wondered when Hutto would bring him up. "The psy-sorcerers are one big fuckin' mystery, man,” Hutto said. “What do you know?" Wally knew enough not to speculate. The fanboys could go on for hours about who was the most powerful Consortium agents: the original cy-warriors, Cybertranshuman Interfacers like Rigon Wellborn who used the vast resources of parallel processing computing systems, the same ones the SAIs used, to surf Cyberspace as disembodied persons; or the new psy-sorcerers, psychic Altertranshumans like them who somehow used their minds and bodies as weapons that channeled and summoned strange powers called entities. "The son versus the mother—" "They're both Wellborns." Wally knew who the Association members were, of course, but he didn't correct Hutto. "What a family." "Reminds me of mine." Hutto leaned forward after catching more movement in the far window. "They're really going at it. Looks like her mom is yelling back now. Listen." They could both hear the yelling, nothing distinct, just enough edge to be of interest. "The new girl really messed up," Wally said. "But mom saved the day." Hutto smiled, while he watched, as if he was hoping he might spy them naked. "And, boy, is mom hot." "She's natural—" "I mean hot in the way she moved. Did you see it? And the way she jumped in and just smashed that evil shit. She could fight in the open leagues." "Not while she's Consortium—" "Just saying. Women like that get me going." "You're a dog." Hutto leaned back and ran his fingers through his surfer-boy hair. "You have no idea. My dad said I pull more tail than any of my brothers." Hutto beamed, his face barely scarred, his nose already healed from Beasley's punch. Wally couldn't help but look at him with open admiration. He was everything Wally wasn't. Hutto saw it. "Shit, man. Sorry. You, uh, never been with a girl, right?" Wally shook his head. "I'm an idiot." As if he hadn't just spotlighted Wally's deficiency, he said, "What about Simone? I bet she's as hot as her mother under all those clothes." Wally nodded. "She's scary, though." Hutto nodded as well. "Like her mom." He edged forward on the loveseat, as if he had a secret to tell. "And what about us? They've enlisted us in some secret program. Are we going to learn that shit?" Wally had no idea what they would teach Hutto. "Don't you have a rage problem?" "I got it under control. Only let it out once or twice. Not pretty at all. A kid got killed." The charm extinguished, replaced by something darker. Wally knew about the Ellington prep kid, a friend of Cooter Dawkins, and one of the reasons Cooter hated Sterling. Wally thought about mentioning that fact to Hutto, but he didn't want Hutto to feel any worse than he did. "If I didn't have this problem,” Hutto said, “I could be with my family, still training. And that kid would still be alive." Wally stammered a few insensible words, but eventually said, "You know, all of us are really supposed to be the same. I don't know much about it. But some people say the variety of Alters—Channelers, Summoners, Melders, Animators, Ragers, and Pscyheads, and all the rest—just haven't learned to use their minds properly. I studied this a little because I think I've got the mind thing down. It's my gift." Hutto looked up. "Controlling machines?" Wally looked over at the old-fashioned chronometer on a shelf. It was no bigger than a toaster, but he'd lugged it with him to school because it was the first device he'd mastered. "I've always been able to do it." "You just command them?" "It's more like becoming them." The clock hadn't been wound in years. He never used it for the time. It's gears were so precisely fabricated that moving along them eased his mind. "Pick a time." "Huh?" Hutto scrunched is face up in the eternal mask of the confused. "Like lunchtime?" "No," Wally said with practiced ease. Dealing with guys like Hutto with an intellect package that, apparently, had never expressed in smarts was rare, and Wally knew better than to front an attitude. "Like, on a phone." "Oh, okay. Midnight." Wally stared at the old chronometer inside its wood frame with its two hands and the thousands of moving pieces inside. He dove in. What Hutto saw was the little guy stare at the old clock. But the prickly sensation along his arms and neck told him Wally was doing something to it. Hutto rubbed his forearms and mumbled under his breath. He'd felt the same thing in the clinic, as well, and had had about enough of that stuff for the night, although the memory of Simone's mom in that super-hot silver Bodyglove caused another sort of excitement. He forgot her when he saw the hands on the clock move. They began winding forward, clicking through the minutes and the hours, faster and faster. He could barely see Wally's eyes, but he saw them staring wide open at the thing. "Oh, fuck, more freaky shit at Sterling." The hands stopped at twelve o'clock. Wally turned, smiling, as if he'd just knocked a guy out with a clean cross. "Aren't you full of surprises?" Hutto said. He returned to the edge of his seat, the expected enthusiasm bursting again. "I got a trick I can teach you. You know how to unhook a bra strap?” *** ***

This book was interesting and definitely different from anything I've read before. After reading this book, I have a new sense of respect for authors who can create a new world that is separate from the one we live in. This book was entertaining!

Technical: The copy I received had minimal errors, but considering that it was still in the revision process, I didn't mind them. They were very minimal and barely noticeable.

Sterling - the school where all the freaks are sent to.

Simone - she was an Alter Transhuman which meant that she could channel or summon an entity. Other than that, she was a normal teenage girl that only wanted to live a normal life. But as it turned out, being a Wellborn pretty much granted her an ab-normal life. I wasn't as impressed by her character, however. I don't think she demonstrated anything special.

Rigon - he was Simone's brother, and oh my, he was my favorite character. The first time he was introduced until the last scene he was seen in the book, I was practically swooning over him. Any author that can bring a character to life as Rigon was brought into life is amazing in my book. He was mostly machine, and a small part human at this point. He was so hot, though! So cool and just incredibly amazing with a good heart. He wasn't arrogant or mean. He was noble and courageous.

Joss - he was the focus of the story in the beginning when he made a mistake and got infected by rogues (think of viruses). His body was bent in crazy ways and he was just scary to look at. He was saved when Rigon and his team, along with his mother, Yancey, came to the Sterling campus and saved him.

Wally - he was the little guy who operated a mech - think of it as a big robot with a human inside controlling it. It reminded me of Transformers. He was a sweet guy, only 2 feet tall, but had a big future ahead of him.

Beasley - she was Wally's best friend and she was known as the Incredible Hulkess. She had rage problems and she rarely smiled from what I gathered reading the book.

Kimberlee - she was a Succubus but as a human, she was shy and mostly frightened of what she was. She was also Simone's best friend.

Hutto - he was the newest student at Sterling, just shortly after Simone got to campus. If I'm not mistaken, he was a shape shifting bear. A huge bear. He accidentally killed someone which was why he was sent to Sterling.

Yancey - she was Simone and Rigon's mother. I didn't like it when she kept saying "dear." I didn't think it was appropriate in what she was saying. She was kind of a confusing character to me. She cared for her children but at the same time, she had a mission to fulfill her husband's goals.

Other characters - the other supporting characters were all amazing. They all had their individual issues and they were developed enough to support the main characters. The author did a great job on them.

Overall - I didn't expect it, but I enjoyed this book. It was more a manly kind of book in my opinion. But since I also enjoy a little science and machines once in a while, this book was a good break. I think the main message of this book was:

The body meant nothing.

NOTE: I received a copy of the book earlier in the tour. When I was halfway through, I received a revised copy. I did not read the revised copy. However, when I finished the original copy I was sent to read, I looked at the ending of the revised copy. They were different in a way that the revised copy ended a chapter earlier than the one I read. It wasn't a problem to me, though. I enjoyed it either way.

Check out these scenes I enjoyed from the book!

Simone and Hutto:

      He surveyed the small room. "I know who you are: Simone Wellborn, the Terror of Ellington Prep. Isn't that what they call you?"
      "Yes."
      "I guess if it wasn't for me  and the missing student, everyone would be talking about you."
      He grinned. She realized she was smiling back. He was just so...masculine. She looked away, quicker than she should have, and he said, "I know, I have that effect on women sometime."

Rigon:

He was tall, well-built, damned good-looking, and charming. By the look of him, he had all four fundamental enhancement packages, plus every extra layer money could buy, and, obviously, it was great to be him. 

He felt every nano-particle in his body respond to his call for fortifications. He could run through a wall, if he had to, or fire, or ice. He now possessed a good hour of complete control of his phenotype. He was ready. And if things went bad, he'd trigger a device at his hip. He felt comforted it was there, knowing at any minute he could use it to transform himself into a killing machine.

Rigon and Keila:

      He recognized the stink of the most vicious and crafty villains the world had ever known, and the woman he adored but who couldn't stand him now, had their little minions crawling all over her with enough acidic bite to burn through metal. He tried to wipe them off with his hands, energized as much as possible, but his hands bounced away as if propelled by an opposite force.
      "Help her!" Buzz yelled, seeing the desperation and concentration in his sister's face.
      They could all see she had shut off everything else to concentrate on her arm.
      Arthur said, "Rigon..."
      Rigon considered pissing on her, but she would never let him live that down. Instead, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned, analog rescue knife. He opened it and stabbed it deep into his left forearm. He saw the alert flash on his HUD that an artery was cut. He deactivated the automated response that would staunch the wound and heal in a half day.
      He poured his healing blood all over her. First her arm, then her torso, then her head. He watched a critical, blinking meter as his blood pressure dropped, and only at the last few seconds before he passed out, and after she looked like a car-crash victim, did he trigger his system to repair himself.

      He had almost married her until he had had to sacrifice himself to save others. And when they rejuved him, he was rebuilt with even more of the technology she hated. The last time was too much for her. You've crossed a threshold, she'd told him when he came back from the facility more machine than man. And I can't do this anymore. She left soon after. The engagement was over.
      "Every time you do, you lose a little more of yourself," she said.
      Rigon knew all the arguments but didn't want to hear them, not today when he might have to die again.
      He grabbed her up, as if she were no more substantial than a doll, and gave her a deep kiss. She responded. They only stopped because Principal Smalls came walking down the hall, looking horrified at the display.
      "Is that human enough for you?" he asked, and let her go.

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About Curtis Hox

A little about me:

I’ve written six unpublished contemporary, literary science fantasy novels in the last decade, all of which I finished and promptly put away. I didn’t even let my wife read one until  this year. (I know, ultra critical and self defeating as hell, but that’s me.) I did rounds of agent hunting with little luck, and since everyone is talking about epublishing, I thought I’d give it a try by writing a series of three YA novels with all the juicy stuff I love from Sci Fi and Fantasy and just have fun with it. I’m also forcing myself to be open to everything that goes along with the business side of marketing  without griping, “Frack it! I just want to write.” So this site will, at first, probably be a bit about process, plus be a place for me to explore ideas related to my projects. Then, if all goes well, a way to market my novels.

As of now, we’ve soft launched Bleedover, a contemporary science fantasy novel I wrote a few years ago. We’re using it to learn the marketing side, while I finish working with an editor on the first three books in my Transhuman Warrior Series, the fun YA novels I wrote last summer. These have all been drafted, with covers. And Rupture (Book One in the Transhuman Warrior Series) is in round two of the edits.

I would like to thank Kayla from Reading on the Wild Side for the Review and Giveaway Image she created for me.

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Release Blitz: Hope's Betrayal by Grace Elliot

Today, I have a release blitz for Hope's Betrayal. My partner, Kayla from Reading on the Wild Side, will be reviewing it on July 26, so look out for that. For today, check out what this book is about!


One wild, winter's night two worlds collide.

Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a lanky lad, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.

With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. And a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshalled, is not an easy destiny to follow. 

Available from: Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (UK) | Smashwords

Excerpt Injured on a smuggling run, Hope wakes to face the naval officer who captured her. Hope kept her eyes closed as she became conscious of a man's heavy tread pacing the room. She waited until he was at the window and opened her eyelids a fraction. With the light behind him she saw an athletic man with wide shoulders, tall enough to have to stoop under the sloping eaves. Her stomach felt hollow with foreboding, for without doubt, this was the same man who'd pursued her over the dunes. He must have sensed a change in her breathing, for suddenly he turned. He stared, with piercing blue eyes that penetrated her soul. Dressed in a naval uniform, the jacket cuffs ringed with gold braid, the man exuded authority. He continued to stare, his face unreadable; wilful, she decided, and yet uncommonly handsome. She blushed and reached for the covers, pulling them up to her chin. "So, enough pretending. You are awake at last." His voice, deep and melodic, brooked no argument. "Please, sir, where am I?" "Under house arrest." He growled, obviously no friend. And yet, she touched her bandaged head, someone had taken care of her. "You are in pain?" His consideration was surprising. "Not so much now." The answer pleased him. "Good, then you have some explaining to do." "Please, sir, who are you?" The man threw her a sideways glance and started to pace. "Captain Huntley, RN. And you are?" She decided against lying, her name alone couldn’t incriminate her family. "Hope Tyler." "Well Miss Tyler, have you the slightest idea how much trouble you're in?" "Yes." The Captain stared at the ceiling. "A man died because of your felony. A Revenue man. He leaves a wife and three children." "I'm so sorry." She whispered in distress. "His fellow officers are baying for blood." Hope trembled, things were worse than she imagined. "Someone must hang for his death." Her throat closed over. "Be it you…or the man who pulled the trigger….my men don’t care." Captain Huntley stepped closer, his presence dominating the room. She couldn’t breathe, he seemed made of granite, his eyes like flints, sparking with anger. "But I'm different." His expression softened imperceptibly. "I like to think of myself as a fair man." Hope nodded, to encourage him. "Any fool can see you are just a bit-player, a lackey. The men I want are the leaders, those who finance the contraband and organise the landings. Tell me who they are, and I shall intercede on your behalf with the authorities." "What if I don’t know their names?" His wide mouth twitched downward. "Then I cannot help you." She would have shaken her head had it not been too painful. "The men you speak of aren't stupid. They will know I am taken, and know if I betray them. If I do… they will come for my family." "Then put them behind bars." "It's too risky. This way, it's only me." He tried to hide it, but he looked surprised. She saw him drinking in the logic of her words and a shadow darkened his face. Clasping his hands behind his back, he turned to stare through the window. "Tell me," he said benignly, "what does it feel like to be abandoned? Because that's what the smugglers did. Sailed away without a backward glance and left you to your fate."

About the Author:

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and an author of historical romance by night. Grace is an avid reader and believes intelligent people need to read romance - as an antidote to the modern world. She works in a companion animal practice near London and is housekeeping staff to five demanding felines.

"Hope's Betrayal" is Grace's third historical romance novel - to find out more please visit: https://www.amazon.com/author/graceelliot

Blog: "Fall in Love With History" http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com 

Twitter: @Grace_Elliot


NOTE: Kayla from Reading on the Wild Side will be reviewing Hope's Betrayal on July 26. Make sure to check that out! :)


Would you add this book to your wish list or TBR pile?

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Author Interview + Giveaway: Catherine Bybee

I found Catherine Bybee as a new author when I signed up to be a tour participant in her latest book Married by Monday. Since I will be reviewing that book in July over at Reading on the Wild Side, I thought I'd invite her for a little promo here on my blog. Check out my interview with her!

Blake Harrison:
Rich, titled, and charming… And in need of a wife by Wednesday so he turns to Sam Elliot who isn’t the business man he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, engaging and spunky with a voice men call 900 numbers to hear.

Samantha Elliot:
Owner of Alliance, her matchmaking firm, and not on the marital menu... That is until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. All she needs to do is keep her attraction to her husband to herself and avoid his bed. But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and charm prove too difficult to combat. Now she needs to protect her heart so she can walk away when their mercenary life together is over.

You write in three different genres: Contemporary, Paranormal, and Erotic. Do you find one to be easier to write for than the other two?

Contemporary, hands down! Paranormal means world building on several levels. I have found a true passion for contemporary and will write it forever. And although I do enjoy erotic, I don't see myself writing a ton of it in the future. 

I love books about brides! Where did you get the inspiration for the Weekday Brides series?

Years ago I read an article in the newspaper about a prince from a little country somewhere talking about taking a bride for a short time... as a joke really. And I thought, "wow, l couldn't have made that up if I'd tried." I grew up with historical romance and love the royal aspect of them. So why not reinvent that with a modern theme. Then Wife by Wednesday was born. I knew when I finished the book that Eliza had to had a story...so Married by Monday was born.

Romance lovers enjoy rich heroes and beautiful heroines. And who doesn't love a Bride? 

Your paranormal books seem to be focused on shifters. Could you tell us what attracted you to shifters as opposed to the hyped up vampires?

Everyone does vamps. I had the advantage of never reading a shifter story until 'after' I wrote my first werewolf story. So I was able to make it all up and not have anyone else's idea of what a 'shifter' meant.

Good times.

Your bio says you are a nurse. How do you find time to write?!

I was injured 5 years ago and had to stay at home. Before then I did write at night, but not seriously.

One day someone handed me lemons, and I made lemonade.

Where do you get your inspirations to write?

Everywhere. Life is much more entertaining than fiction. Look around. Everyone has a story. I just make 'em up.

Arianne's note: That is the most amazing answer I've read. Not a lot of people admit that real life is more entertaining than fiction - me included.

Anything you would like to tell our readers?

Sure... buy my book... No, actually. Read what makes you smile and toss the rest away. Life is too short to read what you don't enjoy.

If you enjoy the book tell the world...help an author have a reason to write book two.

Married by Monday is because of the readers of Wife by Wednesday.

Giveaway ends June 30, 2012. Please follow the instructions and good luck!

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Collective Haul - Books, Fashion, Etc.

I've got two books I won, a shirt from H&M, a pair of gladiators from Marshall's, and a couple things from Walmart. Hope you enjoy the video!

Sherri's blog: http://www.urbangirlreader.com/
Sherri's twitter: @urbangirlreader

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Strawberry Festival with Romance Authors!

About 6 days ago, I went to a strawberry festival mainly to visit Lisa Kessler. Yes! I got to see her again, had lots of laughs and hugs and talks of sexy men and their abs. It was so much fun to chat with her and then listen to a panel talk about digital publishing. I learned a few things during the discussion and I was definitely glad I came.

Check out the photo of the three authors in the panel and some swags and book I scored from the event!

trading cards!

front

back

free book - Thank you Judy!

postcard

book cover for the upcoming book

It was so much fun talking to the authors and networking. They also got me inspired to actually get professional business cards so I did! I'm so excited to get them in a couple days :D

Tell me in the comments: How many authors have you met in person? If you're a blogger, do you have business cards?

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GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

I almost forgot to post these winners!!

The winning of an ebook copy of Stealing Breath is:

Congratulations, Natalie! Daily tweets really do help, folks! Natalie kept tweeting almost everyday (if not everyday).

Before I announce the winner of the Rae of Hope Prize Pack, I just wanted to mention that one comment was void because the instructions were not followed.

So with that said, out of 7 valid entries, the winner of the Rae of Hope Prize Pack is.......

Congratulations, Valerie!!! I hope you enjoy your prize!

The winners have been contacted. If they do not reply within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

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Tour: Adrienne deWolf Guest Post

Today, I have Adrienne deWolfe stopping by to talk about how to write a popular novel. Check out her advice!

Want to Write Popular Novels? 

Here’s How to Start

By Adrienne deWolfe

      I was reading a marketing statistic recently that said that 50,000 new Kindles are purchased every month by readers around the world.

      That’s mind-boggling! To give you some perspective, in the old days (as recently as 2000,) a midlist paperback novel in the Romance genre may have had a print run of only 35,000 books – total.  And Romance is the most popular category of adult commercial fiction in the world!

      With the growing popularity of e-readers, the potential reading audience for your novels is growing astronomically.   The days of having your audience (and your income) limited by the costs of printing and shipping are rapidly fading into the past.  That’s great news for writers!

      But the emerging electronic market has also opened the door for a lot of poorly written commercial fiction to get formatted as “e-books.”  This trend has made many readers leery about investing money in a novel that was written by an unknown author. 

      If you goal is to write profitable books, you need to attract tens of thousands of readers, who are happily spreading the word about you and your novels via their iPhones or their social media networks.  You also need these readers chomping at the bit to buy your next book.

So how do you start? 

You write a good book.

Here are five tips that will get aspiring authors headed in the “write” direction:

#1.  Read Voraciously in Your Sub-Genre (“Niche Market”)

      If you want to establish yourself as a commercial fiction writer, then you need to understand who your target readers are and why they read the types of books that you want to sell.  You won't do yourself any good financially or career-wise if you write a novel that nobody wants to read.

      Every category of commercial fiction has sub-categories (as many as 14, in some genres!)  You need to be an expert in yours.  Don’t assume that because you’ve read one Space Opera (for instance), you’ve read them all.  For market research purposes, read at least 30 books that were published by new names in your sub-category over the last 2-3 years.  Reading books that bestsellers were writing 10 years ago isn’t going to help you understand market trends in the 21^st Century. 

#2.  Take an in-depth course on novel structure and the foundations of fiction  from a successful, commercial fiction author.

      Most creative writing courses that are offered at American colleges teach how to write literary fiction.  This is an important distinction, and must be understood.  In literary fiction, the writer’s primary goal is to indulge in self-expression; consideration of the reader’s taste is secondary.  Literary storylines are rife with angst, and endings are not often happy. 

      The primary purpose of commercial fiction is to entertain the reader by evoking feelings.  Endings tend to be happy (the guy gets the girl, the world gets saved, the murder gets solved, etc.)  A commercial writer’s style appeals to the common man; and thus, a broader range of readers.  Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thrillers, Westerns, and Horror novels are considered Commercial Fiction. 

#3.  Set writing goals and stick to them.

      Once you start writing, it’s easy to stop writing.  At the beginning of your project, you’ll be riding the wave of your enthusiasm.  Aspiring authors have lots of ideas and lots of good intentions -- until the cold stark reality sets in. 

      If you want to finish your story, you have to cough up fresh material, day after day.  To make matters more challenging, you have to write your story in a coherent manner, filling it with characters and plot twists that your readers will find entertaining, or at least interesting. 

      These tasks aren’t easy, even for veteran published authors.  That’s why so many people talk about writing books . . . but never actually finish one.  To keep yourself on track, establish a daily writing routine and a daily word-count goal.  Surround yourself with people who are supportive of the time and effort that you must expend to write your novel.

#4  Network with veteran writers who are knowledgeable about the business of writing

      Don’t wait until it’s time to select a cover artist or to hire a literary agent to start learning the business of writing!  Start early.  Seek out allies and mentors who have had success in the type of fiction that you’re writing.  Join forums.  Attend conferences.  Network with other writers in your hometown.  Learn “publishing etiquette” before you submit your book proposal to any publishing professional.

      If you’ve chosen the self-publishing route, stay on top of the market!  Trends in electronic publishing change constantly.  New technology explodes onto the market every few weeks.  Book covers that were “adequate” to sell novels one year ago are not doing the job today.  If you don’t have time to keep up with the ever-changing trends, hire someone who does, so your books – and your income – won’t lag behind.

#5  Attitude is everything:  get yours “write”

      Talking about writing isn’t writing.  Reading about writing isn’t writing.  A writer learns his craft by knuckling down and going to work.  

      My writing teacher, Rita Gallagher, once told me, “Books aren’t written.  They’re re-written.”   Even published authors have to revise their manuscripts.  Trust me.  I know.  Writing a book is like raising kids:  no two books will ever have the same problem. 

      Even when you think you’ve mastered every trick, you’ll find yourself challenged by some freaky new writing dilemma that you hadn’t anticipated.  To fix that problem, you may have to re-write hundreds of pages.  You may have to toss out characters that you absolutely loved for the good of the “greater work.” 

      Most daunting of all, a writer has to gird himself to face critics.  You won’t go far in the writing business if you can’t cope with contrary opinions in a gracious manner – or worse, if you crumble like a soda cracker when someone challenges your ideas.

      Novel-writing isn’t for the faint-hearted.  You need a powerful determination to succeed.  Persistence, humility, and a hunger for self-improvement will keep you on the right track. 

      But the most important ingredient to your success will be the courage to write every day.  Ignore the nay-sayers, and stay focused on your dream. 

      In the words of Irwin Shaw, “If you’re a real writer, you’ll write no matter what.”

About Adrienne deWolfe

      Adrienne deWolfe’s five historical Romance novels have earned 9 writing awards, including "The Best Historical Romance of the Year."   She is a popular conference speaker and book writing coach, who has developed novel-writing courses for a Texas college. 

      Now she teaches  novel-writing workshops and courses online.  From May through August, Adrienne is offering various raffles to celebrate the release of her new ebook series, The Secrets to Getting Your Romance Novel Published, which includes How to Write Romance Heroes with Sex Appeal.

      Look for the books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.  (Or purchase the pdfs from Adrienne’s website, WritingNovelsThatSell.com.)  You can also follow Adrienne on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. 


If you would like to enter for the May and/or June raffles, just click the month and it will direct you to the designated page.

Thank you, Adrienne for stopping by my blog!

Tell me in the comments, are YOU a writer? Where do you get your inspiration to write?

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