WELCOME KARA LEIGH MILLER TODAY

Hello and welcome Kara. It's wonderful having you on my blog today. Let's get to know you better.

<Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in the small town of Mexico, NY. As an only child I was forced to find ways to entertain myself. Usually that consisted of playing with Barbie dolls and reading. I hated being an only child—maybe that's why I grew up and had five kids. lol. Today, I'm a stay-at-home mom, still living near my childhood hometown with my husband, five kids, and three cats. When I'm not writing you can find me goofing off on Facebook or trying to figure out that blasted Twitter.

<What inspired you to start writing?

The simple answer: boredom. I've always wanted to write a novel and I'd started several throughout the years, but never finished them. When all of my kids were finally in school and I was home, alone, bored, I figured, "Why not?" So I put my fingers to the keyboard and started writing. I haven't stopped since.

<What are your thoughts on critique groups/partners?

Every author should join a critique group or have a critique partner. I have both. A second set of eyes is invaluable. I can honestly say that without the critique support I've received, I wouldn't be published today.

<What's your favorite thing to do when you're not writing?

It's rare to find me not writing, but when I'm not it's usually because I'm cleaning or cooking or caring for the kids or sleeping. I do like to read a lot and I enjoy just spending time with my husband and kids.

Where do you draw the line on erotic content/language?

Draw the line? I don't believe I've ever drawn the line. lol. Seriously though, it's an industry standard that certain things are forbidden such as incest, rape, pedophilia, etc. Obviously I draw the line on the taboo.

<Tell us about your newest release.

Never Date a Cop is an erotic novella. 

Blurb: Kynlee Paige is thrilled when she is reunited with Cooper Grant-the man she’s fantasized about for 12 years - until she learns he’s a cop. Kynlee has a strict rule to never date a cop. Will she be able to put her fears aside to learn to love him?

Excerpt:

PROLOGUE

May 1996

Junior Prom

Kynlee glanced at the clock. Her excitement dwindled as she realized she had less than an hour left before prom was over and before she had to say goodbye to her date. She still couldn’t believe he’d asked her to the prom. Cooper Grant—star basketball player, top in their class, and one of the hottest guys in the entire school. But, soon, she’d have to say goodbye to him, the few friends she’d made, and the City of Oswego which she’d grown to love in the short time she’d been there. She cursed her father for taking a job with the FBI.

“Why so serious?” Cooper asked as he sat beside her, the too-large papery tablecloth crinkling around his knees.

Kynlee smiled. “Just can’t believe prom is almost over.”

“I know,” he said with a smile that melted Kynlee’s heart. “Bryce is having a post-prom party. Wanna go?”

“I’d love to, but I can’t. Curfew,” she said with an apologetic shrug. She still hadn’t told him that tomorrow morning she was boarding a Virginia-bound plane and that this would be the last time they’d see each other. What was the point? It wasn’t like she owed him any explanation. Prom would be their first and last date.

“Dance with me?” He stood and held out his hand.

Kynlee followed him to the dance floor and savored the feel of his arms around her as they swayed back and forth to the slow song. That night had been perfect. She couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend her last night in New York. Kynlee sheepishly looked up at Cooper—who stood a full foot taller than her—and saw the twinkle in his eye a moment before he pressed his mouth to hers.

March 2000

“Hey, sis, you coming?” her brother, Josh called from the car.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up later,” Kynlee said, staring at the hole in the ground they’d just put her father in. He’d died a week ago and it was the first time she’d shed any tears. She was just so damn angry at him. Angry that he’d joined the FBI, angry that he’d spent more time in the field the past two years than with her, angry that he’d let himself get shot. And her brother was going to join the NYPD. In honor of their father, he’d claimed. “Yeah, right,” she mumbled.

“Kynlee?”

She spun around in her chair and came face to face with those unmistakable baby blues. “Cooper?” She nearly gasped.

“I saw the obituary in the paper. I wanted to pay my respects and, well…” He looked down. “I was hoping I’d get to see you again.”

He wanted to see her again? Kynlee’s lips started to tremble and for the first time since her father’s death, she cried. Cooper hugged her and she buried her face in his neck. He stroked her hair and she cried harder.

“Do you want me to give you a ride somewhere?” Cooper asked after a while.

Kynlee wiped her eyes and nodded. “We’re staying at the Holiday Inn next to Dunkin’ Donuts,” she said. “But I don’t want to go back there.”

“My parents are out of town.”

“Okay.”

***

                                                

Buy Links:

Books To Go Now: http://www.bookstogonow.com/karaleighmiller.html

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Never-Date-a-Cop-ebook/dp/B009TW9330/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350848492&sr=1-3&keywords=kara+leigh+miller

                                                     Also by  Kara Liegh Miller

Blurb: Ashleigh Malone had her heart ripped out by a man--a man who stole her money, left her in debt, slept with her best friend, and destroyed her ability to trust. She throws herself into her job and swears off all men.

Ryan Blake is stuck spending several months at his father’s resort-- the Aurora Island Resort--trying to figure out whose stealing money. His father is convinced it’s the resort manager, Ashleigh. Ryan is determined to prove otherwise. There’s only one problem though: his judgment is clouded by his need to have Ashleigh in his bed.

Buy Links:

Books To Go Now: http://www.bookstogonow.com/karaleighmiller.html

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Never-Date-a-Cop-ebook/dp/B009TW9330/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1350848492&sr=1-3&keywords=kara+leigh+miller

Author Bio: Born and raised in the small town of Mexico, New York, Kara was an only child who was forced to find ways to entertain herself. Playing make believe with her Barbie dolls and stuffed animals was her first real taste of storytelling before she became old enough to develop a love affair with the written word.

In early 2010, Kara picked up her very first erotic romance novel, and she was instantly hooked. She loves to write contemporary romance, erotica, and young adult romance. Currently she has several full-length novels in the works, a series of novellas, and a handful of short stories. Kara is an active member of the CNY Creative Writers Café and the CNY Romance Writers.

Today, Kara resides in New Haven, New York with her husband, five kids, and three cats. When she's not reading or writing, she's thinking about reading and writing. And when she's not doing that, she's spending time with her family and friends.

Stop and write a hello to Kara
Why?
Because she is giving one free download of "Never Date a Cop" to one commenter.
You could be a winner!!!!

         

Julie Lynn Hays talks about Belgian chocolate. Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Julie,

 

I finally got you on my blog. Those pictures make my mouth water. Tell us about the chocolate, please. 

 

What’s one word that’s sure to grab people’s attention, make them perk up, and put a smile on their faces?

No, I don’t mean sex.  Chocolate!  Who doesn’t like… no, I mean LOVE chocolate? I can count on the fingers of one hand the people I know that don’t like this delicious treat, and have fingers left over! So, it’s pretty universal, this love of chocolate. And it isn’t a recent phenomenon. No indeed, it’s been around for a long long time!

Chocolate has been around the Americas for a good three thousand years. It was fermented and used in beverages to take away the bitterness of the cocoa bean.  The Aztecs called it xocolātl , from a Nahuatl word that meant ‘bitter water’.  They also ate chocolate, and used it in religious ceremonies.  Wow, what a great incentive to go to those, right?

It’s only appropriate to discuss chocolate during the holiday season because it makes such a great gift—not just for the people on your gift lists, but for yourself as a treat for running yourself ragged with holiday rituals—cleaning and cooking and shopping and wrapping and decorating, the whole nine yards!

There are different types of chocolate, and each is determined by the amounts of cocoa powder, chocolate liquor and sugar involved. 

·         Cocoa powder is for baking, and doesn’t taste good on its own. Unsweetened chocolate is also called baking chocolate or bitter chocolate.  It is pure chocolate liquor, made up solely of ground cocoa beans. It’s not meant to be eaten solo, but forms the base of the other chocolates, except for white chocolate.

·         Dark chocolate has  chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and leicithin, with a cocoa content ranging from 30% to 70-80%. This category also includes bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.

·         Bittersweet chocolate has at least 35% cocoa solids; most contain at least 50% chocolate liquors, some as high as 70-80%. Since there is no regulation on the amount of sugar, the taste can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

·         Semi-sweet chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa solids and is primarily an American term, popularized by Nestle and their Toll House morsels. Usually, it’s darker than sweet dark chocolate, but sweeter than bittersweet.

·         Sweet dark chocolate has a high percentage of sugar and is sweeter than other dark chocolates, and might have only 20-40% cocoa solids.

·         Milk chocolate, besides containing cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, must contain condensed milk or dry milk solids. While it’s easier to overheat, it’s a very popular type of chocolate and has a rich creamy taste and texture.

·         White chocolate has cocoa butter but no chocolate liquor or other cocoa products.  Not surprisingly, it has no actual chocolate taste, and may taste like vanilla. It must contain at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and no more than 55% sugar. If you see white chocolate that contains vegetable fats instead of cocoa butter, this isn’t really white chocolate, and won’t taste the same.

I have a new release with Museit Up Publishing, my first with them. It’s just out today, actually and I’m excited to tell you about it. It’s called The Belgian Chocolate Remedy. There’s that chocolate theme again!   Milan is my Belgian chocolatier. He and his brother Ludolf came to America, after Milan had studied hard in Europe to become a chocolatier, and they ended up settling in the Midwest, in a small town in Indiana. The plan was that Ludolf would help fix up the shop where Milan would make the chocolates, and they would make a good life for themselves. But life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to. On the other hand, there’s Jesse, who has no interest in his life since his boyfriend dumped him. He lives in St. Louis, but comes to Lafayette, Indiana, at his best friend Reggie’s request (read demand!). They’re going to help her friend Milan get his booth ready for Outfest. Has Reggie got something else in mind?

I hope you like the story, and it wouldn’t hurt to eat some chocolate while you read it, maybe drink some too!

 

 

Milan, a Belgian chocolatier, has lost his beloved brother. Yet life goes on, and he must ready his booth for Outfest—Ludolf would have wanted him to carry on. Jesse is a rudderless soul, unable to cope with the rejection of his lover. He comes to Lafayette, Indiana at the request of his best friend, Reggie. She inveigles him into helping her friend Milan… a way to pass the time, or something more?

 

 

 

 

Here’s the link for The Belgian Chocolate Remedy – enjoy!

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=630&category_id=281&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Thanks for having me, Lorrie!  

 I’d like to give back to your readers, so let’s have a giveaway! If I get 25 comments or less, I’ll pick a winner to receive anything I’ve written. 25 to 50 comments, there’ll be two winners. Over 50, I’ll give away to 4 readers, and one person will get a $10 Amazon gc! Don’t forget to leave your email addy. No addy – no win!

 

Excerpt:  Milan had gone back to his last batch of chocolate—unscathed and unburned—and removed it from the burner, where it was cooling. “Would you like to brush the molds with chocolate?” he asked.

“Sure, I guess.” Jesse shrugged. It didn’t seem that difficult, at least in theory. “What’s it for?”

“To coat them.” Milan pulled a pastry brush from a drawer. He already set the molds out; they were simply waiting to be used.  “I have some in the freezer already done,” he explained, seeing Jessie’s questioning look.  “This is not all I have.”

“Okay,” Jessie said, “just show me what you want me to do.”

“Here.” Milan carried the pot of chocolate to the center of the work table. “Set a trivet there, will you?”

“A what?”

“A trivet,” Milan repeated, nodding to the counter behind Jessie.  “That blue thing there. I will set the pot on it so it does not burn the surface.”

“Sure.” Jessie laid the round blue object onto the table, as Milan set the pot.  “Take the brush and dip it like this.” He demonstrated just how far into the chocolate he wanted him to go. “Then lightly brush over each mold, like so.”

Jesse admired the ease with which Milan worked, as if he’d been born to do nothing else. He had very nice hands, he noticed. How would those hands feel on Jesse’s cock? Would he touch it with the same care? His breath caught at the thought.

Milan offered the pastry brush to Jessie. He shook himself from his reverie and took it, pushing the forbidden image away. “So you’re selling these tomorrow. At Outfest. Right?”

“That is correct,” Milan replied. “You are coming, yes?”

“I am unless I want Reggie to tan my hide.”

Milan smiled.

“She would, you know,” Jesse continued, “You ever see her get mad?”

“Yes, I have,” Milan admitted, “I would not care to be the object of her anger.”

“Me either.”

“A little lighter, please.” Milan had been watching Jessie work. “Here.” He laid his hand over the other man’s. “Like this. Just enough to coat it. I will fill it in after we put in the fruit.”

Their eyes met and for a moment their hands stopped moving, each acutely aware of the other. Milan broke away first. “I will do this one,” he offered, “then we can do the first freeze.”

“First freeze?”

“Yes. We are forming a shell so it will hold the weight of the candy.”

“Okay.” Jesse thought it made sense, but what did he know. He dipped the brush into the chocolate again, making his strokes lighter, earning a “bon” from Milan. He knew enough French to know that meant good. He relaxed a little at the praise.

Once they had set the molds into the freezer, Milan removed the completed candies that waited there. He showed Jesse how to unmold them, and how to put them into their little paper beds, and into the waiting boxes. Then he let him apply the second coating himself.

“You are doing well,” he encouraged him.

“Thanks.”

A few minutes of companionable silence passed, Jesse concentrating on the task at hand, Milan stealing surreptitious peeks at the brunet. Whether he was willing to admit it to himself, he was glad for his company. Jesse’s presence was pushing the shadows away.

“Milan?”

“Yes, Jesse?”

“This is your place, right?” Jessie encompassed the kitchen with his glance. He couldn’t help but feel a lot of love had gone into making this room the place it was. More than a kitchen, it was Milan’s haven.

“It is, yes. Mine.”

“When are you going to open, then? Reggie said you were going to open your candy store after Outfest, right?”

Milan paused in the act of retrieving a container of raisins from the refrigerator. It was a legitimate question. It’s what businesspeople did—they opened for business. So why was he so hesitant to set a date? Maybe because he didn’t see it ever happening, without Ludolf’s guidance.?

“I do not know,” he mumbled, setting the bowl on the table, not meeting Jesse’s eyes. “There is work that needs to be done, construction work and…and licenses…and I do not know what, I mean I just do not know…”

Jesse reached out his hand without thinking, but Milan had already turned away. Jesse’s heart ached for the other man—he sounded so alone, so lost. Jesse wanted to gather him up in his arms, comfort him, soothe him, stop his tears, and end his pain. And yes, he wanted to get naked with him, too—to touch him, feel him, and lose himself in Milan. He wanted to taste his lips and take away his misery.

His feet moved, as though his thoughts had manifested themselves into action. His fingers brushed across the top of the table as he edged around it, toward Milan. He had no clear purpose he simply needed to be closer to him.

Milan was a few inches taller than Jesse, he discovered, as he came up behind him. Jesse’s lips were at about the level of Milan’s jaw, and he found it hard not to simply kiss him there, to stop his shoulders from shaking, to stem the tears he suspected were falling. He reached up his arms, wanting to hug Milan to him tightly, to take the first step—

The tinkle of the shop bell. Jesse retreated, stumbling back to his side of the table. In his haste, his hand knocked a spoon off the table. It clattered onto the floor. Milan spun around, dabbing at one eye with his right hand.  He left a small smear of chocolate on his cheekbone. Jesse bent to retrieve the spoon, resisting the urge to wipe the chocolate away. The moment passed; he felt like a coward.

***

 

What a sweet excerpt. (Awful pun, huh?)

 

Don't forget the give-away folks, and leave your comments below.

It's a pleasure to have you here, Julie. Let's sit back with a cup of choclate while the readers enjoy the post.        





 

 



HELLO, JANIE FRANZ

HI, JANIE, WELCOME TO MY BLOG TODAY.

YOU HAVE A VERY INTERESTING BIO, SO LET'S START WITH THAT TODAY.

Settle back, have a cup of tea, and we'll read your Bio.

Janie Franz comes from a long line of liars and storytellers with roots deep in east Tennessee. Honed by the frigid Northern Plains and a degree in anthropology, her writing skill and curiosity have generated thousands of feature and cover articles over a vast range of topics for more than a hundred regional, national, and international publications for over a decade.  

She has co-written two books with Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox (The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book), and has self-published a writing manual, Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid! 

She runs her own online music publication, Refrain Magazine (www.refrainmagazine.com), is a book and music reviewer, and was a radio announcer, a booking agent/publicist for a groove/funk band, and a yoga/relaxation instructor

“The Premier” is her eighth work of published fiction.

Wow, Janie, I'm impressed. I feel like a piker next to you.

Give us a teaser for your book.

           The door opened. A tanned, dark-haired man, slight of build, entered.

Susan recalled the lines from her book.  “…the stranger’s black hair that was beginning to gray at his temples caught her eye. It was an odd quality in someone his age with his obvious Spanish lineage and apparent refinement. She scanned his features, taking in his sensitive mouth and a nose hinting at an Aztec-like hawkishness…. His dark eyes concentrated intently for a few seconds on her and then retreated into his thoughts as if he could only focus on the world around him in brief glimpses…”

My God! Susan thought. If he looks at me like that, I’ll…I’ll… She took a deep breath. I’ll smile and shake his hand, she bolstered herself.

He was more than a handsome man and successful film star, more than a romantic leading man. He emanated an aura of confidence and aloofness, both irresistible qualities. Though he wore a casual tan bush shirt and snug European fit slacks, he still looked elegant, crisp, and neat as if he could repair his car and not smell of gasoline.

All I can say is,  "Yum."

excerpt:

Sam Mattingale’s office gleamed with chrome and glass. A bank of windows exposed the city below like a cubist painting in muted shades of gray and dull blue. Author Susan Davyss, feeling both ill at ease and excitedly decadent in the glamorous surroundings, sipped champagne at two o’clock in the afternoon in the comfort of a black leather and chrome couch. She was in Los Angeles to celebrate the premier of Mayan Heart, the movie made from her book.

“How was your flight out, Ms. Davyss?” Sam Mattingale asked.

“Oh, I didn’t fly. We made this a family trip. My husband’s in San Diego with the children visiting his brother. They’re taking in the zoo. We thought it best not to have the children underfoot during all this excitement. Ted said it was my glory, and I should bask in the accolades without someone yanking my jeans, needing to go to the bathroom.”

Sam laughed, his gray mustache curling around his smile. He looked more like a fatherly lawyer—in fact, very much like the one who had read over her contract back in Aberdeen—than a producer. “I’d forgotten about your little ones. My own kids are grown. One’s an agent in Burbank, and the other’s a cinematographer for MGM. Both are too busy for children—or at least none they’ve told me about.” He rose from his chair near her. “Here. Let me freshen your drink.”

“You’d better not. One, and I can navigate to the door unaided. Two, and I’ll need help.”

He laughed again. “We’ll provide all the help you need.” He took her glass to a small bar in the corner of the room. “You have much to celebrate. The film looks like it will be successful and very profitable for you. You had a shrewd lawyer who negotiated a tight royalty contract. I didn’t think they bred that kind of lawyer in South Dakota.” He handed her another glass of champagne.

She held the glass but only sipped its contents. “Gus Haickman’s a South Dakota transplant like myself. He comes from a long line of Tennessee horse traders. He did a fellow Southerner a good turn.”

“Quite a good turn,” Sam said, sitting once more and swinging a long leg over his knee. “If this movie paces the way I think it will, you’ll be able to move out of the wilderness into civilized country.”

Susan smiled. “I’m not sure we’ll do that. We appreciate the advance though…I don’t dare spend it yet. I still feel someone’s going to come and take it back.” She laughed. “The book sales have been steady, and that provides us with a degree of comfort. We’re putting as much as we can into college funds.”

“Your book sales should increase. We’ve noticed quite a trend toward reading the original after a film like this comes out, and that leads to reading other books by the same author. It should be very good for you.”

“I think I’m going to need lead shoes to keep from floating away after all this is over. I appreciate your including me in the celebrations.”

“It’s customary. After all without your story, we wouldn’t have a film—and without David Salizon, we wouldn’t have such a promising one. Why did you ever write him into the contract?”

Nice Janie, but you have another book to tell us about too, right?

Excerpt:

Taking up her camera, Shivaun removed the lens cap, stuffing it into her jeans pocket, and turned the camera on. “Could you do some cuts from your new album so I can get a feel for the cover? Music Gumbo didn’t send me any samples.”

“That’s my fault,” he said.

Shivaun moved to take a shot of Mad Man adjusting his nearest set of Ziljan cymbals while banging his foot on the bass drum pedal. He looked like a gnome behind a bunch of mushrooms. Shivaun smiled.

“I control what goes out of the studio,” Daniel said, raising his voice and drawing her attention back to him.

She focused her camera lens on Daniel as he spoke, twisting the lens to a close up of his eyes. They were gray and obscure and could have been those of any vacant, older man of any era. Panning out to capture his signature hair and mustache, he became the Daniel Madux of myth.

“No one hears anything before it’s on the market except me. I have a lot of people to protect,” he added.

Daddy—her mind labeled his control. “I’m sure you do,” she said politely.

Buy site

A two-for-one special runs through the end of January. Buy Premier and get Sugar Magnolia free.

http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=261&category_id=8&manufacturer_id=68&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Author’s website: http://janiefranz.fourfour.com/home

Contact: 505-515-9513, brigidswell@gmail.com

Also available for speaking engagements.

  Say hello to Janie. Leave a comment below.

Margarita Felices with a picture post

Hello, Margarita,

Welcome to my blog today.
When I read your post, I laughed.
Oh my, I bet many enjoyed the holidays a little too much. Let's hear your story.

When I sat down and thought about what I should write, I began to realise why I never started a blog.   I just couldn’t think of anything to say – and who would want to listen(read) any of my ramblings?

I could tell you all about my strict plans over the Christmas holidays to knuckle down and get on with the second part of my trilogy – and I did intend to do just that – but have you ever stuck to a plan over the holidays?  I loved that I had 12 days off work; I planned what I would do on each day.  But lay-ins are just too tempting and before you know it, it’s already afternoon and you hadn’t even switched the laptop on! 

And then there’s the realisation that it was now the weekend before you are due back at work, and all you’ve managed to do is watch rubbish TV and eat far too much! 

So in a huge panic, I started back on the novel and increased the volume by 2000 words in a

little over 8 days.  

                                                   Result!

                                     

But now I’m stuck.  You see, my last novel had a certain number of words and I was aiming for the same, my horror is realising it’s a lot less and that something is missing from it and I can’t put my finger on it.  So my only course of action is to distance myself from it - for perhaps a week - and then go back and read what I have and hope that inspiration comes and and that the guilt of not having found this out sooner doesn’t drive me completely insane! 

                                                                   
About Me? 

 Well let’s see…

J  firstly, a lady never reveals her age so let’s just say in my head I’m still very young at heart.                                                              

I live in a beautiful part of the UK known as Wales.  For those who don’t know where that is, if you look at a map of the UK, Wales is on the left.   It’s a green and lush country, with forests and gardens, waterfalls and mountains.  (It really is like this outside of the city, I’m only 10 miles from the mountains and all of this). 

But it does tend to rain a lot in the winter.  We do have a nice summer that lasts for a few weeks and sometimes it stays around for a bit longer.  

I love September in Wales; it’s still warm enough to walk around in t-shirts and in October we see the trees change colour, it’s a month that fills me with such awe. 

(This is Cardiff Castle in the Autumn).

The wonderful changes that happen are something poets have tried to capture in their work, but can never get it quite right.  We have great castles in Wales.  If you need inspiration, just look them up on the computer and you can conjure up a magical story of Knights and naughty wenches.

  

Our coastline is incredibly old and if you’re a fossil hunter, you won’t have to walk around for too long before you come across something of interest. It does go on for miles though, and so sometimes a nice stroll along the shoreline, may end up being a few miles away from your car!

When I started to write I knew straight away that I wasn’t going to be able to write anything normal - nothing romantic or about real life as it is today (although I did have a stab at a short romance, but the urge to turn them into something supernatural was overwhelming at times!J).   I began my writing journey by sending in short stories for inclusion in women’s magazines. I managed to sell over a dozen stories and it paid my way through college. I was always interested in history and the supernatural, I’m a horror film fan, and I love anything that messes about with your head. I do avoid slasher type films and stories - there’s nothing clever in that type of thing.  But I love love love Vampires! 
 

   
         Rockstar Vampire – oh yes)

I’ve always had a weird sort of fascination with them, but I find the women in the films or stories to be so pathetic.  And that is why one day I sat down and began to write my own vampire story.

JUDGEMENT OF SOULS 3: Kiss at Dawn 

I love to write paranormal stories.  I started to write Judgement of Souls because I was already tired of the same old vampire stories that produced weak female leads and I wanted to read something that hadn’t been done before.   My novel is a different kind of vampire story; it’s not about vampires attacking humans for blood. In a way, it’s the history of two families eventually connected to each other through the centuries, one mortal and one vampire.  The story begins in the time of the Crusades and ends in modern times.  I decided to make this trilogy slightly different. Instead of starting at the beginning, I started on the third part and I’m working my way back.  My aim is to have three books that can be read in any order and still make sense, so it’s quite a task.

Rachel de Grosnez.   

Is the main character in my trilogy of books called, Judgement of Souls. 

When we meet Rachel in this third story, she is already a strong vampire, but she has her vulnerable side.  She is 300 years old and over the centuries has taken lots of lovers, but she’s never been in love, and with everything else that’s happened to her, she’s still looking for that one person who will make her forget her troubles and be willing to share his life with hers - forever. 

When Rachel was 16 years old, a dashing vampire called Max
arrived to the Elysium, (that’s the vampire colony on the island of Santorini that is hidden from the mortal world).  He pays a lot of attention to the young and naïve 16 year old and soon he has her head filled with all the adventures he’s had and all the places he’s seen around the world, and Rachel is hooked.  But Max is at the Elysium for a reason, he wants to steal the vampires’ most sacred book, the Book of Cain.

The book is the most important item to the vampire community.  It’s their bible and it was used when Rachel’s parents wanted a child - their reward for being its guardians and the teachers of the chants and verses contained inside – and so Rachel was born to them, two pureblood vampires.  It also protects the Elysium from the outside world.  Sixteen is an important age for a vampire; it is the age when they will be made into a vampire and Rachel has to go through a ceremony that will take her away from everyone for a whole month. This is when Max takes the opportunity to steal the book, he causing chaos at the Elysium - and then he’s gone.  When Rachel returns, she witnesses her parents’ punishment and then their banishment from the community, and she swears revenge on Max and promises that she will return her parents to their proper status within the Elysium. 

 

 But now 300 years have passed and Rachel is thinking that she will never accomplish what she promised her parents she’d do.  And then on one Halloween night, she meets Daniel, a nightclub owner. 

And it’s almost as if it was meant to be, the pull between them is so strong.  Rachel and Daniel feel a deep connection with each other, but it goes further, something they can’t explain is pulling them together.

Writing this story has been so much fun.  I never thought I’d be involved in such an adventure and the research I’ve had to do has proved to be very interesting. 

 One of the characters I haven’t mentioned is Arun, he’s Rachel’s best friend and in book two, he teaches her everything she needs to know about being a vampire after she leaves the Elysium – and she needs the help! 

I have had a lot of feedback, mainly about him. 

He features quite a bit in JOS2 – he even falls in love with a mortal!

     

But it’s not been all plain sailing for my human and vampire characters. Judgement of Souls is not just a story about love and the search for the Book of Cain - there’s the Righteous too.

                                                         

If you’ve heard of the Knights Templar, then get ready for the Righteous. They’ve been around since the times of the Crusades and when the Templars became just a little too hard to handle, the Righteous were sanctioned by the Pope to do his bidding.  The honour of membership passes to the eldest son of each member of the Righteous, once the place had been surrendered because of death or old age, so the Knights have always remained active over the centuries.  The Knights became notorious for hunting down every mortal and immortal associated with vampires, witches and anything else they deemed supernatural.  Watch out for more on them in the second book, Judgement of Souls 2: The Call of the Righteous.  This is where the connection between Daniel and his family are revealed.

HERE ARE THE LINKS FOR JUDGMENT OF SOULS, AS WELL AS THE LINKS TO MY TWO SHORT STORIES.

http://www.amazon.com/Judgement-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B006QFPHJC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Judgement-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B006QFPHJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328965289&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margarita-Felices/e/B007BHDIVS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

JOIN the JOS Facebook page.

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http://www.facebook.com/JudgementOfSouls3TheKissAtDawn 

Follow me on Twitter:  @felicm60

WATCH the short promo that accompanies the novel.

http://youtu.be/h-Zb8x9bSho

What a lovely picture show and great post, Margarita. Thanks so much for sharing with us.   Please leave a comment below. We'd love to hear your thoughts.