Meet a Superheroine - Lady Knight Hawker

Nicole Zoltack

Word Count: 999

Anthology - yes

Charity - Girls, Inc.

Title: A Defining Choice

Name of female superhero: Lady Knight Hawker

Name of human alter ego, if different: Diana of the Bleak Plains

Superhero Appearance (hair, eyes, body type, etc.): A crown made from arrows sits on her long, wavy blonde hair. Her eyes are sky blue. She's strong and fit, toned. She's far stronger than she appears.

Human alter ego appearance (if she has an alter ego): Seventeen-year-old Diana looks like a medieval peasant, wearing simple dresses in dreary shades, her hair covered. Works on a farm so has a tendency to have dirt on her hands.

Costume: Her body is covered in a tight black jumper. A bow on her back.

Personality: Diana is selfless and always puts others first. She's smart despite having no formal education. She's focuses and goal-oriented. She has little time for fun but enjoys teasing and chasing her younger siblings.

Brief description of how the superheroine gets her powers (i.e. born with them, radioactive accident, mad scientist experiments on her, etc.): Over the years, Diana has become disillusioned. Her people are poor and have no chance of survival once a particularly brutal winter comes. She goes out into the forest to try to find some game. There she finds a massive bear. An even larger wolf

Powers: Lady Knight Hawker' arrows never miss her target. She can float but not fly. She can transform into a massive hawk.

Anything else important: She sometimes teams up with Sir Bear. There are others like them who believe they are superior to humans and pillage and take what they want. Those with powers are divided into three sects: those who do good, those who do ill, and those who care for neither side in the conflict.

A Defining Choice

The howling wind and the harsh pounding of the snow pellets on her back made Diana shiver. Her fingers clutching her arrow were blue. Her last pair of gloves she had given to Kara, her youngest sister. The nights were too cold for so little protection, but Kara could not handle the temperature as well as Diana could.

Their farm's crops had spoiled, and the seven of them were starving. Diana, dressed in her father's ill-fitting clothes so she could walk faster than in her tattered skirts, was hoping to find some kind of game to bring home. At seventeen, her parents often sought her help with the heaviest of the chores. Her father had a bad knee after a horse had kicked him. Their mother was often sickly. Her sisters and brother were too young to help, although Gavin, at nine, did as much as he could.

A strong gust of wind blew snow into her eyes, and Diana used her sleeve to wipe her face. She had wandered this forest for years, knew every twig and bush, but this clearing she now found herself in she had never seen before.

Wary, she lined her arrow into her bow, the tautness of the string giving her strength in its familiarity. Although her knees quivered and shook from the cold, her arms and fingers held still as she swept the clearing with her bow, ready to launch her arrow a the first sign of movement.

Crashing through the underbrush sounded to her right. A massive bear, a good three times larger than a papa bear, rambled into the clearing. It stopped short a meter from her. Its black eyes fixed on her face, and she hesitated. The eyes looked too intelligent to belong to an animal.

The bear pivoted around with speed that belied its size, and another creature entered the clearing. A wolf. Saliva dripped from its fangs onto the snow piling on the forest ground. Its coat was grey, hideous compared to the bear's blackness peppered with white snowflake.

The two animals fought each other, paying her no heed. Even though the wolf had a size disadvantage compared to the bear, he too was larger than his brethren.

Knowing wolves traveled in packs, Diana started to scramble up the nearest tree, so thankfully she had disobeyed her mother's admonishment at her clothing choices this day. The tree was covered in ice and made the climb difficult, but she managed, still carrying her bow and arrow.

Another billow of wind swept through the clearing, and all the rest of her arrows tumbled out of her makeshift quiver.

The wolf nipped at the bear, forcing the huge creature back until its massive body collided with her tree.

She again lined up her arrow and gauged her sight. With a well-placed arrow, she could kill one of the creatures.

But only one.

From her vantage point, she saw no other creature in between the other trees. This wolf had no pack.

This fact frightened her even more. The sight of red mixing with the other colors on the bear's coat positively terrified her. This wolf was not natural. Neither creature was.

Diana's arms guided her arrow between the two. The bear. Or the wolf. Which one should live?

The bear fought back and swiped a giant paw at the wolf. His claws connected with the wolf's snout. The wolf growled, lowering its body to the snow before leaping onto the bear's back.

She could see his eyes now. White. Intelligent, like the bear's.

The wolf jumped down, ad the two roared and tangled their limbs, rolling around. Blood dyed the white snow in the clearing. Neither seemed the clear victor.

At this point, Diana lowered her arms. She could let them fight till they end. They were killing each other. Neither would be victorious.

Unless she killed one.

Diana stalled no longer. One eye closed, she waited for the perfect moment. The whisper of the string releasing the arrow called out to her as it always did. Her arrow found its mark in the wolf's head.

The bear collapsed onto the snow.

She rushed down the tree, her bow falling onto the soft blanket of snow, and rushed over to him. The bear's chest heaved, breathing in and out, slower and slower.

"I'm sorry."

The bear gazed at her for a long moment before closing them.

She wrapped her arms around his thick neck. A warmth she had not felt since the summer's sun relentlessly beat down on her filled her.

A glow burst out of the bear's mouth then its eyes and ears too.

Diana backed away.

An almost transparent form lifted out of the bear. With each passing second, the form took on a more solid appearance although it hovered in the air two meters above the ground. Finally, Diana could see a man dressed in armor.

"Well met, Diana of the Bleak Plains."

She was too astonished to curtsy or respond verbally.

"You have chosen well this day." He nodded toward the wolf. "An old foe of mine. He had lured many to his side, but no more. There is much evil in the world. Will you care to join me in the fight for that which is good? I can give you power to help save all those who suffer. If you are loyal and true, one day, you too will have an animal form."

The chance to help her family was not something she could walk away from.

"I accept."

"Then take this crown." A crown formed out of two arrows -- one silver, one gold -- appeared in his hands. It floated toward her.

She placed it on her head. Immediately power filled her, and she floated in the air.

"Whenever you wear your crown, you will be known as Lady Knight Hawker."

Lady Knight Hawker went on to have many adventures, but her first goal always remained ensuring her family's survival and happiness.

Enter to W!N a Signed Copy of Knight of Glory!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Kingdom of Arnhem Book Two

by Nicole Zoltack

Giveaway ends June 30, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win a SIGNED COPY!

Cover Reveal - ENDURE by Laura Diamond

Title: ENDURE (Book One of the Endure Series)

Author: Laura Diamond

Publication Date: July 12, 2013

Genre: YA dystopian 

 Seventeen-year-old Justin's anemic blood is a blessing. Or a curse. It all depends on who you ask.

To most of the immortal Vie, his blood is a scourge: untouchable and useless. To some Vie, his blood is a drug. To Justin, it’s something that gets him in a lot of trouble. Being poisoned by a Vie is just one example. His sister getting kidnapped is another. Whether it’s being coerced by a deluded cult leader, or negotiating with Alex—an Vie scientist addicted to Anemie blood—Justin struggles to keep every mutated drop of blood he’s got.

His fight for survival gets more complicated when he meets Alex’s slave, Cara. Despite coming from different worlds, they’re both prisoners, at risk of being drained by a hungry Vie any moment. When she risks her own neck to help Justin find his sister, he's left with a terrifying choice.

Saving what's left of humanity.

Saving his sister. Saving the girl he loves.

Or sticking a stake in Alex’s chest. 

Justin can't decide which option will get him killed first.

Please visit ENDURE on Goodreads

About Author Laura Diamond:

Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist and author of all things young adult paranormal, dystopian, and horror. Her Young Adult Paranormal Romance novelette, NEW PRIDE, and novel, SHIFTING PRIDE, debuted late 2012 from Etopia Press. A spin off short story based on the lions of Tsavo, TSAVO PRIDE, is now available on Amazon. Forthcoming novels include EVOKE, Book Two in the ENDURE series, from Etopia Press, and a Young Adult Paranormal Romance, ZODIAC COLLECTOR, from Spencer Hill Press. When she's not writing, she is working at the hospital, blogging at Author Laura Diamond--Lucid Dreamer and renovating her 225+ year old fixer-upper mansion.

Find Laura Diamond on the web:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Facebook AuthorPage

Website

Amazon authorpage

Goodreads author page

Join Mila Ferrera's Bloghop!

Join Mila Ferrera and other authors, including me, in a fun bloghop!

In Mila Ferrera's debut book, SPIRAL, Nessa confronts her fears about getting close to Aron by reminding herself of her father's motto: "Always do the thing that scares you."

It's probably a saying all of us could use from time to time, so for this blogfest, post about a time that you decided to do something even though it scared you, either to get over that fear or because you knew it would be good for you.

Feel free to sign up! The blogfest will occur on July 10th and if you choose to participate in the blogfest, Mila is offering a giveaway to go along with the release of her book, SPIRAL, which is the reason behind this little blogfest. I hope you can participate in that as well!

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Blurb: Nessa Cavanaugh, psychology student, knows how to stay on an even keel. Despite the urging of her mother and her academic advisor to get a life and have some fun, “all work and no play” sums up her plan to survive her grueling internship year at a children's hospital. She doesn't want to end up like her father, whose constant ups and downs broke her family, and avoiding unnecessary emotional entanglements is a must.

Then she (literally) runs into Dr. Aron Lindstrom in the middle of her disastrous first day on the job. The attraction is instant—and terrifying. Nessa knows she should stay away—especially when she finds out he has a reputation for being a player—but Aron is brilliant, intense, and as sexy as they come. When he challenges her to take a chance on him, her plans to stay focused on work start to crumble.

But what begins as passion takes on a dangerous edge, becoming an emotional roller coaster that’s frighteningly familiar. As things spiral out of control, Nessa must decide whether she should hold on for the ride or run … even if it means leaving her heart behind.

New Reviews for Woman of Honor

It's been a little while since I posted about my own stories and writing. My goal to write 1K a day has lit a fire under my butt. I've written so many words this years. I'll figure out the exact number and post an update, as well as a little about what I've written in another post.

Since I've had some new reviews for Woman of Honor, I though I'd share them!

From Rene:

This is a touching story of a little girl who changes her destiny to become a lady knight. This is one thing that is unheard of, and I praised Nicole for writing an excellent story which pulled me from the start.

Throughout the story I could tell the author did her research thoroughly. Strong characters paved the way from the start to the end. I always considered historic fiction to be boring, but Nicole has changed my mind. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks, Rene!

And from Kaitlyn:

This is a great fantasy book!...I really enjoyed Aislinn's character. I love how she knows what she wants and is determined to keep fighting, no matter what. She's easy to admire, and I liked watching her journey as she grew up and became a knight. I also liked the addition of secondary characters, like her friends Caelan and Geoffrey; they definitely added to the plot.

The plot held my interest. It starts off when Aislinn is seven years old, and continues up to the point when she's an adult. So there were always lots of plot developments happening, as Aislinn gradually learns to fit in at the palace and help keep her country safe. The ending was definitely full of action and had me biting my nails....With a well-developed storyline and a great cast of characters, Woman of Honor is a perfect read for fantasy fans.

Thanks, Kaitlyn!

And did you know you can buy my Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy in print? You can order from Amazon (B&N currently only has Woman of Honor and Knight of Glory available, Champion of Valor will be there soon). Or you can order through me and I'll ship you a signed copy!

What's new in your world? Any good news to share?

In Times of Need

Sometimes bad things happen. We don't always know why.

One of my friends has lost her job, maybe her house too, in the flooding in Canada. She won't know about her house until the mandatory evacuation is lifted.

I feel so badly for Tamara Mataya so when Jessa Russo organized an auction to raise money for Tamara, I donated a first 50 page edit. AUCTION Item #23

And there are great books, some print, some ebooks, many if not all signed, as well as other critiques, including some from agents. (a query and first chapter critique from Marisa Cleveland, a first chapter critique from Eric Ruben, and a three chapter critique for a YA or Women's Fiction from Julia Weber Please take some time to look around and bid on something!

Thanks!

Jocelyn Adams, Author of Rise of the Magi, Talks about Writing a Trilogy

Writing a novel is a feat all on its own, but writing a trilogy is a much trickier beast.  In a standalone novel, there’s usually one main storyline, a protagonist, antagonist and a few supporting characters.  It has a beginning, middle and an end where the story builds to a climax,
then weaves together to the finish.

In a trilogy, not only does each book have the beginning, middle and ending, but so does the trilogy itself.  Book one introduces the characters and the primary conflict just like a standalone, but it has an additional task of setting up for book two.

Book two is trickier still, as it needs to recap book one enough to remind the reader what happened, but not enough to make them feel like they’re reading it again, and also setting up for book three.  Book three is the hardest of them all.  The first two have been weaving storylines like crazy, putting the characters through their paces, and now all of those arcs have to be woven back together.

Easy peasy, right?  Not.

I’ve made it sound much simpler than it actually is.  I bet I ripped out the last quarter of Rise of the Magi no fewer than three times before I finally got it right, at least 15,000 words each time.  It became so complicated, with so many characters introduced over the series, so many details to tie up, I overwhelmed myself.  In the end, though, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

I do have one piece of advice for anyone contemplating writing a trilogy. My biggest regret with the Lila Gray series was that I queried book one before I’d finished the trilogy.  When it was accepted sooner than I expected, it put a lot of pressure on me to get it all finished quickly in
case I needed to change any details in book one.

What’s your favorite trilogy?

In a battle of wills, who is strongest? The one who hates or the one who loves?

In a test of faith, who will fight the hardest? The one who has everything to lose or the one who believes only in herself?

For Lila Gray, the answer is both. For the Magi, the questions are pointless since they can’t lose, and they’ve been waiting since before Lila’s birth for this one moment. Lila only needs to find them to understand her entire purpose in life. This time, though, instead of protecting her people, Lila may be leading them all, including her unborn child and the man she loves, to their deaths — and not by accident.

In the ultimate trial of heart and soul, and the conclusion to the Lila Gray series, Lila will learn that the greatest weapon of war is herself, with one ultimate unknown. For which side will she fight?

Links:

Website  | Blog |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Buy Links:

Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

Imbed Code for the book trailer:

http://youtu.be/h3RMonjcYOo

Jocelyn Adams grew up on a cattle farm in Lakefield and has remained a resident of Southern Ontario her entire life, most recently in Muskoka. She has worked as a computer geek, a stable hand, a secretary, and spent most of her childhood buried up to the waist in an old car or tractor engine with her mechanically inclined dad. But mostly, she's a dreamer with a vivid imagination and a love for fantasy (and a closet romantic — shhh!). When she isn't shooting her compound bow in competition or writing, she hangs out with her husband and young daughter at their little house in the woods.

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How to Change Telling into Showing by Jessica Bell, Author of Show and Tell in a Nutshell

When I first started to write fiction and send my manuscripts out for feedback, the first and most frequent thing my readers said was SHOW, DON’T TELL.

“Okay. So how do I go about that?” I thought. “I’m not sure I understand how you can’t see it happening when I’m telling you it’s happening. What’s the difference?”

After years and years honing the craft of the elusive “show, don’t tell” rule, I thought it would be a good idea to write a book that helped YOU do the same.

Here’s a scene that is completely telling:

Tamara and Fran are having lunch at a café. They are seated outdoors. But it seems useless meeting at all when Fran is so flighty. It’s ridiculously frustrating talking to Fran when she’s like this—off in her own little world. She doesn’t even acknowledge what’s being said when Tamara raises her voice! Perhaps she’s in love.

Okay, can you identify which things we could be showing here?

What I think we can show here are the following attributes:

flightiness

frustration

(be) in love

self-importance

So with this in mind, let’s bring this scene to life with some showing:

“Can you pass the salt?” Tamara holds out her hand.

“Hmm?” Fran hums and looks across the road at the kids playing Frisbee.

“Hun? The salt.” Tamara glances at the kids, screws up her nose, and contorts her mouth to the left.

“Oh. Right.” Fran passes the ketchup.

Tamara groans and reaches across the table for the salt. As she leans over her plate, her blouse dips into the mayonnaise.

“Crap! I need a serviette.” Tamara points at the napkin holder. Francine is resting her chin in her palm, squinting at the sky, giggling to herself.

Christ.

“Fran!” Tamara bangs her fist on the table. Crockery rattles.

Fran’s smile fades as she jolts upright. “Huh? What’s wrong?”

Tamara stands, scrapes her seat backward, reaches for a serviette, and shakes her head. “I can’t count on you for even the simplest of things, can I?”

Francine blinks.

Tamara dips a serviette into her glass of soda and rubs it on her breast. “So. Who’s the guy?”

“Tammie?” Francine sighs. “Have you ever wondered why we only see yellow butterflies in this area of town?”

What do you think? Would you have written something similar? Can you pinpoint how I’ve shown these specific attributes? Tell me in the comments.

Biography:

If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she’d give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she’s written.

Jessica is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and annually runs the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Non-Fiction / Writing Skills Reference

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Jessica Bell on Facebook &  Twitter

Blog http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

Excerpt from EYE OF THE SOUL by Terri Rochenski

Eye of the Soul (Pool of Souls #1)

Adult Fantasy

Release Date: October 7, 2013

Blurb:

Escape.

That should be Hyla’s first thought as her people are chained and imprisoned for no imaginable reason. 

Instead, Hyla finds herself traveling through a land void of Natives, with human soldiers pillaging in desperate pursuit of her, and in search of the mystical Pool of Souls—home to the one man who can save her people. 

Or so she believes. 

Led by her faith in the deity Fadir, Hyla is met along her journey by Jadon—a human male and fierce King’s warrior, and his childhood best friend Conlin—one of the few Natives aware of his Fadir-given Talents. 

Protected by Jadon, guided by Conlin, and with an unfailing belief in the purpose of her pilgrimage, Hyla carries on. 

Like her, though, another searches for the Pool, and should he gain access first, everyone she loves, and everything she knows, could be lost. 

Forever.

Excerpt:

Cursing her arthritic fingers, Miri squeezed out a rag and draped it over the human man's hot forehead.

“I’ve seen a lot more harvests than you, old goat,” she muttered, lifting his eyelids. “I’m thinking you’ll never catch up either. Doubt you last another half-moon’s phase.”

Miri pushed to her feet and stretched her hunched back. A heavy sigh slipped past her wrinkled lips as she glanced around the sick house. Keeping the night watch wasn’t too bad—she’d volunteered often since her old bones wouldn’t allow much sleep.

“Joints wasted, hearing all but gone …” Miri yanked on the long white braid lying over her shoulder. “I’m the old goat.”

She shuffled down the aisle, woolen kirtle swishing in the silence. A cool, autumn breeze rustled the crimson leaves of the magnolia and palm fronds overhead, drawing her gaze upward. Violet streaks lit the pre-dawn sky.

A dog barked, yipped, and fell silent.

Miri peered across the village green to the thatched buildings beyond. A shadow passed between two cottages. Another three hurried toward the neighboring dwelling.

“Sight fading or my mind, too?” Miri rubbed her watery eyes, blinked, and leaned forward. Light flickered through the palm trees behind the outlying homes.

Torches?

The flames drew closer, weaving between the trunks.

Humans from the mainland? Miri’s hand clutched at her throat. Soldiers. Fadir have mercy.

The men crept through the village, taking up positions at every doorway. Two brutes, more horse-like in size than human, approached the sick house. Sputtering torch held high, the first strode forward, dark eyes intent upon Miri. A green surcoat covered broad shoulders and fell to his thighs. The golden wheat sheaf of the city of Varosh adorned his chest.

Cold sweat beaded upon Miri’s brow. Breath burst from her lungs, and she moved back, clutching the door jam.

The second soldier stepped closer, chains and shackles clanking in his hand. He stopped two paces away from Miri, and a smile stretched his stubbled cheeks, revealing rotted teeth. “Good morning pointy-ears.”

Miri stared, heartbeat thundering in her ears. She’d been called worse in her eighty-three birth passings but never with such malice.

A single cry rang out across the village, and doors crashed inward. Screams rent the air.

“Don’t fight Native woman,” rotten-teeth sneered, shackles outstretched.

“W-why?” Miri whispered, taking a step backward.

A scowl narrowed his gaze, and his fist shot forward.

Bursts of light and pain exploded through Miri as she crumpled to the floor.

Link to Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17156372-eye-of-the-soul

Cover Reveal - Cassie Mae's HOW TO DATE A NERD

I know some of you have already seen the awesomeness that is my cover for HOW TO DATE A NERD, but this is the official reveal, so pretend it's the first time you're seeing it, ha!

And yes, I came off really braggy, but I love this cover so much. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect one.

Okay, and if you are reading my babbles here instead of just scrolling to the cover, I know most of you have followed my journey with HOW TO DATE A NERD and know just how big a deal this is for me to get it out there to everyone. It's scheduled right now for a September release, and here's to hoping I don't lose my mind waiting :) And I want to thank all of you for the support you've shown me in the past two years since I started blogging. Nerd wouldn't have been queried, wouldn't have even been written without my bloggy buddies and their support. So THANK YOU! This is the one that started it all :)

Here's the blurby thinger and my author stuff. :)

Zoe has a great pair of legs, perky boobs, and wears exactly what she needs to show it all off. She works hard for the easy sleazy ‘you only wish you were me’ reputation, burying who she really is—an all-out nerd.

The only time Zoe gets to be herself is when she hides under her comforter to read X-Men comics, sending jealousy stabs at everyone who attends Comic-Con. Keeping up her popular rep is too important, and she’s so damn insecure to care about the consequences. But when Zoe’s sister takes her car for a ‘crash and burn into a tree’ joyride, her parents get her a replacement. A manual. Something she doesn’t know how to operate, but her next door neighbor Zak sure as heck does.

Zak’s a geek to the core, shunned by everyone in school for playing Dungeons and Dragons at lunch and wearing “Use the Force” t-shirts. And Zoe’s got it bad for the boy. Only Zak doesn’t want Popular Zoe. He wants Geek Zoe.

She has to shove her insecurities and the fear of dropping a few rungs on the social ladder aside to prove to Zak who she really is and who she wants to be… if she can figure it out herself.

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. She’s the author of the Amazon Bestseller REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND, and is the debut author for the Random House FLIRT line with her New Adult novels FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI and PULLING THE SWITCH. She also has a three book deal with Swoon Romance Publishing, including her book HOW TO DATE A NERD. She spends her time with her angel children and perfect husband who fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

And now, the reveal. *plays dramatic music*

 

*squee!*

Spell for you guys today (because I'm just so happy!)

EXPECTO PATRONUM!

Interview with Donna K. Weaver, Author of A Change of Plans

Today, faithful blog readers, we have the wonderful Donna K. Weaver for an interview. Welcome, Donna!

How did you come up with the title A Change of Plans?

I never knew coming up with a title could be so hard. It took me a year after I wrote the dang book. That challenge is that there are three distinct parts to A Change of Plans and I didn’t know which one to focus on for a title. I fully expected my publisher to choose a new one, but they said they liked it.

Sometimes titles are so easy, sometimes not. Glad your publisher liked A Change of Plans! Is there a message in A Change of Plans that you want readers to grasp?

Maybe that life can still be good even when you go through really bad experiences. That while those bad things impact you, you mustn’t let them define you.

Very nice. What book are you reading now?

I’m a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, and I’m listening to his The Rithmatist.

What are your current projects?

I’m editing a companion novel to A Change of Plans, staring one of the secondary male characters. It’s funny because I almost wrote him out but realized I’d come to love him too much—and that not only was I going to keep him in but I needed to tell his story.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Getting Part 2 right. Some of it was trying to find the right approach. I wasn’t into telling a raunchy story about a man and a woman marooned on an island, but making it a how-to survival story wasn’t quite right either. Hopefully, between me and my editors, we got it right.

How long does it take you to write a book?

First draft? I’m fast. My first drafts are really a very long outline—that’s why I love the NaNoWriMo experience. I wrote 80,000 words for A Change of Plans in 30 days and the companion novel in 18. Of course, that first edit is when I do my real writing. That definitely takes longer. I can only compare it to painting. An artist preparing a canvass will do some rough sketches to put all the elements in their places. It’s only later that s/he will add the colors and texture and shading. That’s what I do with my editing.

I tend to write the same way so I know what you mean exactly! Time for some fun questions. If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Someone thin and gorgeous. Wouldn’t hurt if she could act, too.

LOL! If you won $20 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?

This is easy. I have a daughter (and 4 grandchildren) living on Kauai. I would quit my day job and go live with them. I’d have enough money to pay for medical insurance. 

Thanks for dropping by! Readers, at the bottom of the post is a giveaway so be sure to enter!

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old, Colorado high school teacher wants to do is forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. Lyn plans a vacation diversion; fate provides Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world and temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he's navigating, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship--on the very anniversary Lyn is on the cruise to forget. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs from Braedon and what he has to offer.

Their confusing relationship is bad enough, but when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions in American Samoa things get worse. Paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped and Lyn's fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Rhemalda Store

What people are saying about A CHANGE OF PLANS...

"A Change of Plans will keep readers up way too late in this fast-paced tale of love lost and found again." ~Melanie Jacobson, author of The List, Not My Type, Twitterpated, and Smart Move

"A Change of Plans is lots of romance sprinkled with pirates, shipwreck and adventure. Donna Weaver spins a tale that you will fall in love with, think about for days afterward, and then go back and read again. I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't put it down." ~Betsy Love author of Identity and Soulfire

"A captivating tale of love, grief, and hope that will tug at your heartstrings until the very end." ~Laura Josephson, author of the Rising series and Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld

"When someone says pirates and novel in the same sentence, I usually say, "Thanks, but no." Not in this case. Ms. Weaver brings a warm humor to her story of romance, travel and overcoming skeletons in one's past with her vivid characters and delightful scenes." ~Shaunna Gonzales, author of Dark Days of Promise

Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. A Navy brat and U.S. Army veteran, she’s lived in many U.S. states as well as South Korea, the Philippines, and Germany. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific four times. When she retired from Shorei Kempo Karate with a black belt, she decided it was time to put her imaginary friends and places on paper. She lives in Utah with her husband. They have six children and eight grandchildren.

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Cover Reveal - Skin Deep by Megan D. Martin

Title:  Skin Deep
Author:  Megan D. Martin

Series:  #1 of The Eternal Forces

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher:  Dragonfairy Press
Expected Release Date:   Fall 2013

What would you do to have the body of your dreams?

Kiera hates being overweight and hides behind thick layers of clothing. One night, her friends present an opportunity that seems impossible to believe. With a single spell, she can have the thin physique she's always coveted.

But all magic comes with a price: no sex or she'll revert back to her old body. Kiera accepts the cost. It's not like she has men lined up at her door. Obeying this one tiny rule isn't difficult at all—until the night she meets Cain, a were-tiger and a soldier with the Eternal Forces.

When a slew of unexplained murders forces Kiera and Cain together, they'll have to face the horrors of their pasts. Will Kiera realize she is worth more than her outward appearance? Or will she make the wrong the choice and lose everything—including her life?

About the Author

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.

You can find Megan on pretty much every social networking site that exists.

Blog: http://www.MeganDMartin.blogspot.com

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Megan_D_Martin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6656963.Megan_D_Martin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/115096823539939478098/posts

Instagram: http://instagram.com/meeegann

Vine: Meeegann

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Cover Reveal - This Time Next Year by Catherine Peace

BLURB:

Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her education and then her biochemistry career, preferring a life of hermitude in her lab.

Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when his maker killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades searching for her in order to make amends.

Madame Eve has managed to bring the two together. When they finally meet, will Moira be able to give Kiernan what he needs? Will Kiernan put her fears to rest? Or will old fears and guilt keep them apart?

EXCERPT:

For a moment, he thought back to Madame Eve’s email. If she trusts you, she will tell you her name. He understood the power of names, and so did Madame Eve. Something insignificant to a mortal meant everything to a vampire, in whose world names were both salvation and control. Remind a vampire of his humanity, or steal it away by forcing him to do something horrific, like watching a little girl’s parents be eviscerated right in front of her.

 “Kiernan Shaw.” Swallowing hard, he found his way back onto the coffee table. “And yours?”

Would she tell him her name? Would she allow him that kind of power?

She took a deep breath, as though considering the same questions. “Moira Curran.”

He rolled the name on his tongue and loved the way it felt. “Beautiful.” He reached to stroke her cheek, but she flinched. “Moira, I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you.”

“I'm sorry,” she muttered. “Old habits, I guess.”

He nodded, unable to speak at first. The cloying scent of her fear, like overripe peaches, almost strangled him. “Why did you ask me to stay?”

“I don't know.”

Neither did he, but he wouldn't leave until she asked him to.

“I don’t want to be alone, Kiernan. Isn’t that pathetic?”

He warmed at the sound of his name on her lips. His mouth watered at the thought of kissing her, exploring her, making his name come out of that gorgeous mouth again and again. He tamped down his desire. Nothing good would happen if he moved too fast. “Not in the slightest.” Willem had all but guaranteed him a life alone. Like he approached a scared animal, he moved next to her on the couch. She uncoiled, but didn't relax. “Talk, Moira. Please.” The silence hurt his ears as much as any scream.

She shook her head. “It's too hard.” Tears spilled but she didn't move to wipe them away.

Time to be bold, I guess. He brushed a hand against her cheek again. Instead of flinching, she eased into his touch. “I want to ease your hurt,” he said. “Will you let me?”