Tag: Author Interview

Excerpt, Giveaways, Interviews

Author Interview featuring debut author V.H. Luis & Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1) w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @VH_Luis_ #contemporaryromance

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Waking to Black

by V.H. Luis

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GENRE:   Erotic Romance

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BLURB:

He shattered my defenses, and I was fragile to begin with…

The first time I saw Adam Black, I was between the arms of a criminal, a gun to my throat and even then, I knew I was staring at the most dangerous man in the room.

Maybe it was his confident, cerulean eyes, or the sex appeal radiating from his pores like heat waves on a scorching day, but by proximity alone he made my vision blur and my heart stammer.

The day I was nearly killed in a bank hold-up, I began to live—because of him.

Now, I’m praying for the first time in years, hoping the scars of my past, the secrets I keep, don’t interfere with my future…

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Excerpt Two:

“It must be difficult; constantly running away from anything remotely intimidating.”

It’s the dare in his voice that makes me turn my head, not the statement.

“Those are the words of someone who hasn’t gotten what they want.” Even as I’m speaking I know I’m the mouse in this cat and mouse game—I should walk away, but I can’t.

“What do you know about what I want?” He climbs the last step of the porch, his broad shoulders flexed.

Refusing to take the bait, I give him my back. Reaching for the door with my right hand, I’m halted by the strong pull of my left.

Before I can focus, his lips press against mine while his body traps me between him and the door. One of his hands runs over the curve of my waist while the other tangles in the curls of my hair, pulling on the strands and angling me so that he can have free reign. I moan, loving the possessive way he grips my body, and he takes the opportunity to dip his tongue inside my mouth. His taste is divine; it’s a heady mix of wine and passion. The remnants of my resistance melt as I meld against him, moving my hands over his stomach, and resting them on his belt buckle.

He pulls back with a quick nip to my bottom lip and my eyes pop open at the sudden jolt of pleasure-filled pain.

“Say you’ll do the mural,” he commands.

“Do you always get what you want?” I counter, gazing up at him from lowered lashes.

He rubs his cheek against mine so his lips hover over my ear.

“Persistence is a virtue.”

“I thought that was patience.”

Welcome V.H. Luis! Please start off by telling us a little about yourself.

I’m a Miami girl who lives minutes from the beach. I love to write, paint, play video games and most important of all, spend time with my baby boy. Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1), is my debut book and I’ve enjoyed the experience of publishing and reaching out to readers and bloggers.

Is Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1) a single title, or part of a series?

It is the first in a planned trilogy. Fortunately for those that hate reading books in a series which is yet complete, Fading to Black (Uninhibited #1), is already written and will be released in three months.

What were your inspirations for the story?

I love billionaire romances—I’ve read so many of them throughout the years. In part my reading preferences inspired me to write this story. Though if I’m one-hundred percent honest my relationship with my father is reminiscent of the relationship Evelyn Snowe (the heroine of my series), had with her father. I wanted to shed light on a subject that I don’t often see in romance while still writing a steamy-read about self-discovery, redemption, and perseverance. I think I’ve done that and I’m proud of the accomplishment.

Please share your setting for Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1). Have you ever lived or visited there? If so, what did you like most?

Waking to Black is set in Miami, FL. I was born and raised in this city so I am very familiar with all the wonderful things Miami has to offer. I love how cosmopolitan this city is and of course it’s beautiful down here, we have gorgeous beaches and the best weather. Some might think I took the easy route and developed my story in a setting I’m familiar with and though in part that is true, Waking to Black is set in Miami because I genuinely believe it to be one of the best cities in the world—even if the people down here can get super aggressive when driving…

If you could have an author roundtable discussion with any authors, who would you invite?

Julie Garwood, because I love her historical romances and I want to BEG her for more of them. Sylvia Day, because her Crossfire Series in part inspired me to write my debut book. J.R. Ward because I want to ask her so many questions about self-publishing and writing. Kristen Ashley because I’m a fan and she seems like cool people. Maya Banks because of so many reasons already mentioned—I’m a fan. I can probably sit here all day adding names…

What is the one thing that you would tell an inspiring writer to do?

Keep reading and without-a-doubt keep writing. There will always be people who love what you write and of course there will be those who absolutely HATE it—you need to recognize that and follow Dory’s advice from Finding Nemo, just keep swimming. I think I waited as long as I did to publish because I was terrified of reading bad reviews and having others diminish what I worked so hard to create. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’m older now but the idea of being criticized doesn’t scare me as much, in fact I read those critiques learn from them and hope that perhaps with the next book I can change those people’s opinions.

Aspiring writers listen carefully… EVERY book, even the most famous ones, have negative critiques and that’s okay. An audience exists for what you write and it’s your job as a writer to find that audience. Take comfort in knowing you did it, you actually wrote a book and many people say they will do this one day, but few actually do.

Keep your head up high and keep reading and writing.

 

***Thank you for your time and attention.

XOXO

V.H. Luis

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

V.H. Luis is the author of the Black Series, an erotic romance trilogy that follows the love affair of Evelyn Snowe and Adam Black. Her debut book WAKING to Black, will be released in 2018, and the subsequent sequels FADING to Black, and SURRENDERING to Black, will follow shortly thereafter.

Welcome to my internet haven!

I’m a born and bred Miami Girl—and proud of it! I would wear shorts and flip-flops every day of the week if I could. Growing up in Miami, surrounded by my parent’s heritage has made me proud of my Cuban ancestry. Cafecito and a guava pastry for breakfast? Yes, please! Salsa music while I tidy the house? Of course.

If I’m not busy scribbling notes about the story pounding out of my head, I’m painting, listening to music, or spending time with the love of my life—my son. If I decide to travel, I bring the whole family (in-laws included), or at least I try to, because life is too short not to spend it with family; one of the many lessons my father taught me.

My website:  https://vhluis.com/

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/VH_Luis_

My book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Black-Uninhibited-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07C9CBV67/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

V.H. Luis will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ”

 

Excerpt, Giveaways, Interviews, Spotlight

Author Interview of Judy Higgins featuring Unringing the Bell (a Bucks County Mystery) w/a rafflecopter giveaway! #mystery @JudyHBooks

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Unringing the Bell

by  Judy Higgins

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GENRE: Mystery

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BLURB:

In the small town of Goose Bend, Pennsylvania, people don’t forget. Especially something as sensational as 12-year-old Jacob Gillis burning down the town. Nineteen years later, Jacob returns, hoping for redemption. Instead, he finds himself entangled in a murder investigation. The prosecutor, taking advantage of Jacob’s involvement with the victim’s beautiful sister-in-law, threatens Jacob with loss of career and reputation if he doesn’t play by his rules. Only by outwitting the prosecutor can Jacob save his future.

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Excerpt One:

When Jacob Gillis was twelve years old, he burned down the town of Goose Bend, Pennsylvania. The fire didn’t actually consume the entire town – only two blocks of the four-block business section went up in flames – but when the folks in Goose Bend spoke of the incident, they persisted in saying that Jacob Gillis, abetted by his friend Charlie Garrett, burned down the town.

Jacob watched Laskey walk back to the Sequoia, his limp barely detectable, and for the thousandth time he wondered why his friend kept what had happened to his foot a secret. But there were some places Laskey didn’t go – formidable Laskey with his gruff manner and hard-muscled body. He was a private person and sometimes a grizzly bear, but he had a goose-down heart which he tried like heck to hide. But Jacob knew.

Laskey grasped the arms of his chair and pushed his feet hard against the floor to contain himself. For a brief moment, the thought had rushed through his head that a jail term for assaulting a DA would be worth enduring for the pleasure of smashing Inglehook’s head against his desk.

Laskey squared his shoulders, turned around, and looked Jacob in the eyes. “Don’t get yourself in a mess, Jake. Extrication isn’t always possible.” He started for the door.

“Give back the painting,” he called over his shoulder. “And Jake,” he paused and twisted around. “Don’t ever mistake pretty wrappings for the quality of the gift inside.”

 

 

  • What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?

 

I have three older grandchildren who take the time to call me “just to talk.” And they always ask how my book is coming.

 

 

  • How would you spend ten thousand bucks?

 

Oh dear! Here is a list for my consideration: 1) Take the mailboat cruise up the coast of Norway. 2) Go to Machu Pichu before they close it down. 3) Take the Queen Mary II for a cruise across the Atlantic, winding up in London or Paris, and then take the ship back again. 4) Set up a real library in the school I once visited in the Long Neck tribe region of Thailand where their library consisted of nothing more than a plastic box containing a couple dozen books. 4) Make a contribution to a xxxxxx promoting libraries. 5) Put a new roof on my house.

 

 

  • Where do you get your best ideas?

 

My brain is like a radio, and it’s tuned into the “Idea” channel. Ideas float in, rain in, barge in, sneak in, force themselves in. The challenge is to figure out which ones are good and which bad.

 

 

  • What comes first, the plot or characters?

 

The two have to intertwine to make a good story. I was once in an evening class of about eighteen people. A third of the members were either students in an MFA program and had already finished an MFA program. They wrote beautifully. The rest of us had never had a writing class of any kind. As it turned out, not a single one of the MFAers had a story. That isn’t always the case, I know, but in this particular class it was. The rest of us admired and envied their style, their xxxxx, but we kept waiting to hear the story. It’s nice to write beautifully, but the characters have to want something badly, or be devastated, frightened, broken because they’ve lost something or stand to lose something, and then the plot has to revolve around that. There are any number of mysteries I don’t care for simply because they’re only about solving the riddle. I don’t care about solutions if the characters aren’t much affected by the solutions, or lack of solutions. The beautiful writers in that class wrote great physical descriptions of their characters, but since the descriptions were unrelated to a real story the rest of us weren’t pulled in.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Judy Higgins was born in South Georgia where she grew up playing baseball, reading, and taking piano lessons. To pay for her lessons, she raised chickens and sold eggs to neighbors. She attended Mercer University for two years, and then Baylor University from which she graduated with a BA in German. She received her MA in German literature from The University of Michigan. After teaching German for several years, Judy decided to become a librarian and earned an MA in Library Science at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Judy’s life took an exciting turn when she left her teaching job in Pennsylvania to be Head of Library at the Learning Center School of Qatar Foundation. She lived in Qatar for eight years, enjoying the experience of living in a different culture and traveling to exotic places during every vacation. Recently, she returned to the United States and lives in Lexington, KY. Judy has two children, Julia and Stephen, two children-in-law, Jim and Erin, and four grandchildren: Kyle, Jon, Karina, and Addy.

Judy’s first book, The Lady, was a finalist in the 2012 Amazon Break-out Novel Award. The first two novels of her Bucks County Mysteries, Unringing the Bell and Bride of the Wind are available March 1, 2018. The series is set in an imaginary small town in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Call me Mara, the story of Ruth and Naomi, is scheduled for publication in March, 2019.

In addition to writing, Judy’s passions include travel, tennis, elephants, and playing the piano.

http://www.Judyhigginsbooks.com

http://www.Buckscountymysteries.com

http://www.Callmemara.com

http://www.Judyhigginslady.com

https://www.facebook.com/judyhigginsauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyHBooks

https://www.amazon.com/Unringing-Bell-Bucks-County-Mysteries/dp/0692998853/  

 

Amazon author page URL: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Higgins/e/B00FZQOZPU

 

Barnes and Noble Author URL:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unringing-the-bell-judy-higgins/1128014473

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ”

 

Excerpt, Giveaways, Interviews, Spotlight

Author Interview of John Feldman featuring Out of Hiding w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @johnfeldman_ #mystery #thriller #suspense

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Out of Hiding

by John Feldman

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GENRE: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

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BLURB:

Charles Dampor was supposed to be a blessing, but instead turned out to be a curse. A family torn by deception and greed now saw Emily for what she was, and a co-worker with a vicious past of his own now has his own personal vendetta against her. If Emily doesn’t open her eyes and see the doors she’s unlocked, she’ll find herself at the bottom of Lake Bermin…with Charles’s ex-wife.

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Excerpt One:

A minivan pulls in and up to the gas pump behind Herb. Three young children run out and into the store, their father following close behind, yelling for them to slow down.

Herb remains leaning against his car, right hand pinched under his left armpit and his left hand pushing the cigarette into his face—a minding-my-own-business look. He holds this pose until he senses a stationary figure out of the corner of his eye: the mom.        

Discreetly he looks over, then indiscreetly, and that’s when he sees the woman’s squinting and curious eyes on him. He drops the freshly-lit cigarette into the gravel and steps on the cherry, twisting his foot over top so not to blow up the ground he stands on.

Shit.

He lowers his head and pulls down the brim of his faded gray baseball hat to the top of his sunglasses. He holds the gas pump as the fluid pours past his hand and into the hunk of metal.

Look away or I’ll fucking kill you.

He can feel her still looking over at him and the gas cannot pump fast enough. He’s made it two states away and he’ll be damned if this one woman is the end of him. He’ll kill her right here if he has to. Right here in this parking lot. Let her nosey ass get a little closer and then slit her throat. Dump some gasoline on her smug body and watch her squirm until the life drains out of her. That’ll teach her to look over here.

She starts to walk toward him.

It’s not full yet, the tank, but he’s not taking any chances. He removes the nozzle, replaces the gas cap and heads for his car door.

Don’t do it, Lady, he thinks as he yanks back on the door handle. But she does it.

“Excuse me,” she says.

Herb stops, shuts his eyes. Breathe. He looks at her and smiles, but receives no smile in return. Instead he gets the look of curiosity, only magnified. She is within mere feet of him now and those squinted eyes show crow’s feet attached. Her mouth is open, lower jaw just hanging there lazily as she thinks.

“Are you…?” she begins, but then stops. And right at that very moment, Herb can feel the cold steel of the switchblade in his pocket. Hey, it’s saying to him. Come and get me.  

 

Welcome, John! Please start off by telling us a little about yourself.

First, I’d like to say thank you for having me. I appreciate you taking the time to share my work, and thank you to your followers for taking the time to read it over.

I’ve been writing for 13 years, mostly in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. I notice your site hosts a majority of romance novels, so to your followers, I say this: No need to worry! Romance is certainly present in Out of Hiding, as well.

 

Is Out of Hiding a single title, or part of a series?

As of now, it’s just a single title. I’m very satisfied with the way it ended and I feel readers will be, as well. So I’ll leave my characters in peace…for now.

 

What were your inspirations for this story?

I have my wife to thank for this story, actually. When I had a wall blocking any creativity, she was able to give me the boost I needed to start this book. She gave me the idea for some characters and a storyline and I went from there.

 

Please share your setting for Out of Hiding. Have you ever lived or visited there? If so, what did you like most?

The story is set in rural North Carolina. The town is fictional, but the scenery is easy to visualize—many people can already visualize rural North Carolina and its openness. I’ve driven through North Carolina many times and thought to myself how open and peaceful it is, and when I was trying to think of a great place to escape (for my antagonist, of course), I thought of that open country setting.

 

If you could have an author roundtable discussion with any authors, who would you invite?

If I could have a roundtable, I’d have it with three of the most successful writers of all time: James Patterson, JK Rowling, and Stephen King. They were all able to not only make a living at writing, but they were able to attain greatness.

 

What is one thing that you would tell an aspiring writer to do?

Not to give up. I’ve been writing for 13 years and I’m still not even close to where I want to be in my career. But having perseverance will pay off one day. If you’re chasing that feeling of being a well-known writer, quitting when the times get

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

John Feldman was born and raised in southern New Jersey, but has since moved to Florida at the request (demand) of his beautiful wife. He has written several short stories and novels, including his newest release, OUT OF HIDING. He writes a lot, thinks a lot more, and is currently wondering why he’s writing this in the third person.

For more information, visit www.johnfeldman.com, or email him directly at askjohn@johnfeldman.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.feldman.5686

Twitter: @johnfeldman_

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/John-Feldman/e/B00JG75SCI

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6036936.John_Feldman

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

John Feldman will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway”