Like Dark Fantasy, Futuristic, Paranormal, Romance?

The child of a painter and a psychic dreamer, Kate Hill feels spirituality and storytelling go hand-in-hand. She loves the scent of gardenia, the sound of wind chimes and the taste of honey. By listening to what isn’t said, she creates works based on unspoken desires. Kate prefers blurred gender lines and many varieties of romance. In a world where passion must at times be restrained, she believes erotica is a pleasure to be shared. With her stories she would like to make her fantasies yours and hopes you enjoy the ride. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby.

2018 Character Interview

Beverley: What’s your name?

Jolanda: Jolanda.
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Jolanda: I grew up with my wolf pack. I don't want to give details about which pack or where it was. The demon masters are still around, watching and listening. The last thing I want to do is lead them to more wolves.
Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?
Jolanda: The too near future.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Jolanda: I don't consider myself special. Some might call me unusual, and I feel that I'm lucky. I wasn't accepted by my birth pack because I'm a wolf who also practices magic, but that's what's going to help me against the demon masters
Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?
Jolanda:To free the captive wolves and defeat the demons. It's a tall order, but we wolves don't give up.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
Jolanda: Wow! I'm facing more conflicts than I ever thought possible. The demon masters are powerful. They're more than cruel. They get off on suffering. If they discover my true purpose, I'll be lucky if they kill me fast.
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Jolanda: Oh yes. I've got a plan, but it's not one I'm willing to share. You'll have to watch it unfold.
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Jolanda: I'd like everyone to know this, especially wolves who are still anti-magic. My clan is as much a family as any pack. We're wolves. We're witches. We're not evil and we're not traitors. If we were, we--I--wouldn't be risking so much to help our brothers and sisters.

Blurb for Fangs and Fists 3: Victor:  

Werewolf gladiator Victor vows to escape captivity by demons or die trying--which nearly happens when his latest opponent takes him by surprise.

Jolanda is a member of a secret pack of wolf witches who want to free their kin from the dreaded demon tower. Strengthened by the power of her pack, she defeats Victor in the arena and demands that he be given to her as a mate.

Alone, they surrender to their overwhelming lust for each other, but Jolanda needs him for more than sex. She's been sent to rescue the captive wolves and Victor is the Alpha she needs to help her. Together he and Jolanda plan a mass escape from the tower, hoping to strike a blow the demon masters will never forget.

Excerpt from Fangs and Fists 3: Victor:

Two demon guards clad in black body armor entered the barracks. Their red eyes glowed behind dark face shields. They approached Victor and one guard said, “Get up and come with us.”

All the guards sounded and looked alike. They were even the same height and body structure.

Victor knew better than to refuse. There would be no point in fighting, even if he was so inclined.

He guessed he would be going to one of two possible places. It would either be the punishment chamber because he’d killed Slate too quickly or -- and this was more likely -- to the demon masters who had bargained with him to kill for their entertainment.

The guards brought Victor out of the barracks and down a steel corridor to an elevator at the end. They boarded it. Except for the soft whir of the elevator descending, there was silence.

It stopped with an almost imperceptible lurch. The door opened and Victor, accompanied by the guards, stepped into a spacious room with an enormous glass ball in the center of it. Several couches surrounded it. While the upholstery resembled leather, Victor’s sense of smell told him the couches were covered with material that hadn’t come from any four-legged animal.

He’d been in this room before. Here, the demons had bargained with him for the lives of his fellow gladiators, their mates, and their cubs. Here, he’d traded his integrity and his soul for their lives.

The guards disappeared into dark corners of the room.

Since he had no intention of sitting on the foul furniture, Victor stood near the glass ball and waited.

The ball glowed faintly at first. Then it brightened. From within, two demon masters -- one male and one female -- stared at him. He knew they weren’t actually there. The ball was similar to television. He could see and hear them, but they were far away.

The male had ink-black, elbow-length hair. Tall and slim, he was dressed from head to foot in red. The female had short white hair. Her skin was nearly as pale as her form-fitting white dress. Both demons stared at him with black eyes.

“Your game has improved, Victor,” said the male, “but I’m afraid you still haven’t mastered the art of performing. Your kills aren’t entertaining enough, but for now that’s beside the point. We haven’t called you here to critique your style, but for another reason.”

“We have something special planned for you,” the female continued. “There’s a new contender in the tower -- one who has seen you fight and wishes to face you in the arena.”

Buy Links for Fangs and Fists 3: Victor:

Amazon - https://amzn.to/2UAUM2c
Changeling Press - https://www.changelingpress.com/victor-fangs-and-fists-3-b-2610

*♥*♥*♥*15% off any order when you shop Kate Hill *♥*♥*♥*

Code: Fangs-and-Fists

Will work on the entire cart, as long as there's one Kate Hill book in the cart.

Only at Changeling Press

You can find Kate at:

kate-hill.com
twitter.com/katehillromance
twitter.com/compbeastsblog
facebook.com/compellingbeasts/
facebook.com/katehillsaloniquinby/

Kate is giving away a $10 Amazon GC during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember there is a chance to enter everyday so be sure to follow the Blog Tour. You may find the tour schedule and locations here https://bit.ly/2G1mPye

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Blog or Taxes

I’m busy doing my taxes (dues April 30^th) and suddenly I quit adding numbers and realized I’m supposed to have a blog ready to post today. Yikes!

My mind is mush.  All I can think about is finding all my receipts. I was missing a couple of government ones and had to phone and listen to their lovely music waiting for an agent. They send it by the postal system. I’m working around it for now, adding and subtracting all my receipts and putting numbers into my working copy.

The reason I do it myself is I feel it keeps my brain active and I resent paying for programs of to have someone do it for me. I know I should probably take my shoebox with all the receipts and tax forms and give it to an account.

What do you do, as a writer? Do you do your own or pay someone to do it?

I figure out the percentage of the space and utilities etc. I use for my writing space, books, internet and take deductions for it. Once I figure out my business forma I can use the number and move on to the general form.  Why do they have all these funny formulas and percentages? Why can’t they say if you make $20,000 you pay certain amount? My theory is, if you do them yourselves, you’re so exhausted by the end of all the formulas you don’t care, you just want to finish them.

That’s my thought and I’m sticking to it, as I dive back into the numbers.

Depending what country you’re in, have you finished your taxes? Your thoughts on the process?

Dee Knight Blogs on Knowing What's Important

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That's how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she's lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors.

Knowing What’s Important

Fair warning, this post is not about writing. It’s just about everyday life.

A few weeks ago I muttered and whined to myself because I seemed to be hitting every light red on a long street I used to get home. Fate seemed to be keeping me trapped in the car when I was tired and my back ached to the point of distraction. Hitting all the lights green, the trip would have taken twenty minutes. I’d already been twenty minutes and I was only half way home, where I could walk out a Charlie horse, take off my shoes and put up my feet until an Aleve took off the pain’s edge.

Later that night, I complained to Hubby about all the red lights and he casually commented that, yeah, that’s happened to him a lot, too.

What had bothered me so much rolled right off his back, making me admit what I knew all along: I’d made more of the situation than I should have It was just a trip home that took a bit longer than usual. Nothing bad happened, I was simply inconvenienced. Wow.

Hubby excuses these little bumps in my equilibrium because he knows that once in a while, little things get to people, and I’m only human. (And all this time I thought he thought I was a goddess. Funny the things one learns…)

Anyway, sometimes it’s a good thing to be reminded that everyday life is what it is. I’m lucky that most of the time, life rates somewhere between good and wonderful. Once in awhile, it sucks big time—hopefully not very often or for very long. For quite a while, I’ve had back trouble. For me it’s sometimes hell (for Hubby, too, putting up with me. Sorry, honey!). But it’s not the end of the world. My back problem can be controlled for the most part. Lots of bad things happen that are out of our control.

I’m reminded of something that happened a long time ago. A colleague of Hubby’s delivered a premature baby boy. He was born just under two pounds and had to fight for every breath. All his parents cared about was life and living. They hoped that someday their son could experience the inconvenience of being stopped by a few red lights. That he would get to swat at mosquitoes and cry over a stubbed toe. That years from the day he was born he’d be able to fall in love, fall out of love, and fall in again as he grew into being a man.
That he could live. And (spoiler alert in the best way) he did.

Look, intellectually I know what to worry about and what to let go. But remembering that tiny baby, recalling his daily effort just to stay here among us, sure puts everything in perspective in a way that’s anything but intellectual.

The perspective is all heart. All love.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this post is about writing, after all.

Like me, my main character in Only a Good Man Will Do, is suddenly faced with all kinds of road bumps in an otherwise smooth path. Will he swear and complain like a wuss or suck it up? I’ll just share that one of his “problems” becomes his greatest asset. Find out how Daniel Goodman shapes up into becoming a very “good man” indeed!

Blurb for Only a Good Man Will Do, Book 1 in The Good Man series :

Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar's wife. Good luck with that!
Daniel Goodman is a man on a mission. He aims to become headmaster of Westover Academy. For that he needs a particular, special woman to help him set high standards. Into his cut and dried life of moral and upright behavior, comes Eve Star, formerly one of Europe's foremost exotic dancers. Her life is anything but cut and dried, black and white. Daniel is drawn to her like a kid to chocolate. Nothing good can come of this attraction. Or can it? He is after all, a good man.

Excerpt for Only a Good Man Will Do:

“Daniel, am I talking to myself, here?”

“Oh, no, I’m…” He chuckled an amused admission. “Tell me what you said again.”

He could almost hear Eve smile. “I said, you called at four-thirty on Saturday and Sunday, so I took a wild leap that you would today, too.”

“Ah.” Smiling to the empty room, he squirmed to get into a more comfortable position. “A woman of logic.”

“Absolutely. You don’t want to play me in chess. I think five or six moves ahead.”

“I’ll remember that. There’s nothing worse than seeing a guy cry when he’s been beaten at chess by a girl."

Buy links for Only a Good Man Will Do:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2q7ovi4
B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129630612?ean=2940161770603
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/898008
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/only-a-good-man-will-do

You can find more about Dee at:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Newsletter (sample): https://preview.mailerlite.com/o2g1i0?fbclid=IwAR0COlyuPY-Hu30KTBdT092j_GZeuN5z4pc1LtsvHTyr6IbiSpsGqeIgT90
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN

Check Out Finding Euphoria and C. Becker

A native of western Pennsylvania, C. Becker earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and MT (ASCP) certification. She has worked in clinical settings analyzing body fluids and testing drugs of abuse.

As an author, C. Becker has published multiple stories in various genres.

Character Interview

Beverley: What’s your name?

Hailey: I’m Hailey Robinson Langley.
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Hailey: I grew up near Sacramento, California, but moved to Austin, Texas when I was seventeen. I stayed there until I went to college on the East Coast.
Beverley: During what time period does your story take place?
Hailey: The majority of the story takes place in 2016.
Beverley: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Hailey: I ask myself that question all the time. Maybe because I have many secrets. Very people know about them, though. I was kidnapped and assaulted, even lost my sight and hearing for a time. My world came crashing down when I got pregnant and put my baby up for adoption. That’s when I fell in love with my doctor Tom Parker. When I joined the Special Crimes Agency, Parker worked alongside me solving crimes.
Beverley: What’s your goal in this story?
Hailey: My goal is to find joy in life again. I’ve been going through the motions, raising my kids, but the regret of giving up my oldest son constantly haunts me. In this first story of the Euphoria Trilogy, my son needs my help and I need to track down the drug he took so I can save his life.
Beverley: What conflicts are you facing?
Hailey: The first struggle I have is facing my past when my oldest son falls in a coma and Tom Parker, the adoptive father, asks me to track down the drug so the doctors can treat him. My husband Mark doesn’t have a clue about my past, at least I think he doesn’t.
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Hailey: Not yet. I know I’ll do whatever it takes to save my son, but maybe, just maybe, I can do it without my husband discovering my secrets. I’m the only one at the agency with a biochemistry background to help ID the drug and stop it from spreading across the country.
Beverley: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Hailey: My husband has been acting very strange lately. He said it’s because he’s under a lot of stress at work, but I wish he’d tell me what was wrong…(Shakes her head). No, he couldn’t know about my past….I want to open up more to Mark but I’m afraid he won’t understand if he finds out. I’ve never fully given myself to him (both heart and soul) and I’d like to have that type of intimacy between us.

Blurb for Finding Euphoria

Hailey Langley refuses to be a victim and has moved on from her traumatic past. But her marriage problems worsen when a deadly illicit drug threatens to draw her into the life she left behind.

Mark Langley has allowed his job to interfere with his marriage, but he never suspected the secrets in Hailey's past might hold the key to solving both of his current investigations.

Together, they must unravel the mystery of the drug called Euphoria and find a way to save not only their marriage, but countless lives, before it's too late.

BUY LINKS for Finding Euphoria:

Amazon Finding Euphoria ebook link
Barnes & Noble Finding Euphoria ebook link
Apple itunes Finding Euphoria ebook
Kobo Finding Euphoria

You can find C Becker at:

Website http://cbeckerauthor.com/
Blog https://cbeckerauthor.wixsite.com/cbeckerauthor/blog-1
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CBeckerauthor/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cbeckerauthor
Amazon Author Page Amazon Author Page C. Becker
Instagram: Instagram C.Beckerauthor

Settings

I’m in the desert and leaving in a day or so. I was looking at all the desert plants and thinking about how to incorporate them into a setting in a novel.

I put together a few questions you might want to think about when you develop a setting.

What kind of cactus are there? The most common are the Saguaro, the ocotillo and maybe the prickly pear, but there are dozens of other types. I’m making notes.
And if you’re not in the desert, what type of trees are in your setting?


What about flowers? The cactus itself has flowers, but there are also many colorful desert flowers. What about the flowers in your scene?

When describing the setting, you can point out if there are clusters of trees or flowers, or solitary ones. Saguaro cacti are usually solitary at least several feet or more apart. The reason is because of the water which is difficult to find in the desert.

 

Other things to consider are, what color are they, how do they smell or look, and do they have any particular characteristics? For example, the cacti have the thorns that can be very dangerous.

When describing a setting, maybe include the season, the weather, the birds and the animals if there are any. Make sure your reader can see themselves in your setting.

 

Self-Editing

How do you self-edit your books before submitting or publishing? What sort of feedback do want for from an editor when you use one? How has an editor improved your writing in the past?

Another interesting topic and one I’m sure we have all gone through. It might also be of interest to readers to see how we try and publish the best possible book. The process for my self-editing starts by writing the first draft. I usually write the book without editing as I go. Then I go back and read through it and make changes. When I finish the second writing, I run it through spell-check. After that I use Autocrit to pick up more spelling, grammar and formatting errors.  Then I read it through, out loud for most of it.  After that I send it to an editor for her critique and input. When she returns it, I go through and make all the corrections and send it off to my beta reader who does a critique for spelling and grammar. I make the corrections when she sends it back and that’s it.

I do use an editor. I’m looking for concept and any major issues she sees – telling instead of showing, character’s eyes change color part-way through the story, anything that might pull a reader out of the story, obvious punctuation errors I may have missed, and her general comments about the flow of the story, characterizations, etc. Basically I’m looking for anything that will make my book better for my readers.  

Often an editor will include a sheet of editing tips which I review, and it does help as I self edit and review my story.

Looking forward to reading and learning how authors handle this.
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1yE
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Children of Fyre and Janet Lane Walters

Janet Lane Walters has been published for 50 years. Not all that time was spent writing. She returned to work as a nurse and was off the writing cycle for about ten years, When she returned, she discovered electronic publishing and has since then published somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 books  and novellas. She writes romance, contemporary, paranormal and fantasy. She’s also written a few non-fiction books. Words Perfect – Becoming Your Own Critique Partner was a 2003 EPIC winner in non-fiction. There were a few other awards along the way.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Janet: Interesting question. Since I write romance, contemporary, paranormal and fantasy, I write these because I like to read them. The same goes for mysteries. I read them. I have a YA fantasy series that I wrote for my grandchildren. So far, two of them have read the books. I’ll hope the others will as well. I wouldnever write horror. I don’t read any. Have tried but I don’t like it. I don’t write techno thrillers but I do like to read them. The same goes for science fiction. I don’t have the experience and knowledge to try these genres.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Janet: Actually, I’m not sure one particular person influenced me to begin writing. I always liked to read and at night from a very early childhood, told myself a story as I was falling asleep. These were made up stories. My parents were readers and books were a part of my life. I could say my grandfather who taught me to read by the time I was three. Also my father who told me I could do anything I wanted. To aim for the stars but if I only reached the fence at least I tried. I guess I’m still trying.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Janet: Sitting in my recliner with pen and clipboard in hand. Usually have no problem getting started but sometimes finishing. Hate saying goodbye.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Janet: Had to think about this for a long time. These days I’m not much for watching cartoons. Mine has the be Pink Panther. Years and years ago, my husband and I used to go to an Arts movie theater where they showed foreign films, many of them British. Pink Panther was always the lead in cartoon.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Janet: I’m at a loss here for I would love to meet some writers who no longer live. Andre Norton for her science fiction stories, Ann Mc Caffrey who introduced me to dragons, Ernest Hemmingway for his great action stories.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Janet: Curl up with a glass of wine, some chocolates and my Kindle for a reading marathon of books I enjoy. Or Watch the A and E version of Pride and Prejudice.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Janet: Just finished a fantasy romance, the fourth and final book of a series and have started on a contemporary romance, one of the Moon Child series. The heroine, a nurse practitioner and a Cancer encounters an old Leo love, who is a Hollywood action adventure actor. She is his forgotten dream and he would like to reconnect. He is her forgotten dream and she wants to see him again and find closure.

Blurb for Children of Fyre

In this return to the Island of Fyre, each of the heros and heroines of the three previous books have children. Lorton is the youngest son of the Wizards of Fyre and he has bonded with the yellow dragon.

The dragon through the magic of the stones has been rejuvenated and is now green. Dragon sends Lorton to travel to where the Dragons of Fyre are raised. There he meets Arkon son of the hero and heroine of the Dragons of Fyre.

There have been four eggs laid and there must be two young men and two young women found to bond with them. On the island where the evil wizards were exiled, Cerene has grown up as little more than a slave. She can use all the fyrestones unlike her father. She learns about the kidnapping of Riara, daughter of the hero and heroine of the Temple of Fyre and vows to save her.

The four must unite with their dragons and finally destroy the evil.

Excerpt from Children of Fyre

Arkon pushed his steed into a gallop leaving Lorton and the pack horses behind. Dragon’s report that the women hadn’t eaten for a full day troubled him. He rode until the horse slowed its pace. Ahead, Dragon crouched on the grass. Arkon scanned the area ahead and spotted the two women sheltering in a cluster of trees.

Not far from their position, he dismounted. With his hands held high to show he held no weapons, he approached the pair. The women rose. Their beauty brought a smile. The one with the hair of fire stood tall and slender. The ice blonde had curves tempting him to touch. Which one would be his? Would he and Lorton or the women choose?
By the time he constructed a fire circle and gathered wood, Lorton arrived. Together, they unpacked the steeds and gathered the makings of a meal.
He struck his fire starter several times and failed to ignite the kindling. “Sure wish there was a magical way to start a fire.”
“There is.” Lorton pulled a wand from his pack.
Arkon held up his hand. “Don’t.”
The fair-haired woman laughed. “Let me.” A spear of flame shot from her hand. “Are you the friends Dragon said were on the way?”
Arkon nodded. “Why did you use a fyrestone to start the fire? Those stones and those who use them are forbidden in this land.”
“How foolish,” she said. “Why?”
“There are many reasons. My father…” He clamped his lips together.
The flame-haired woman stepped forward. “Who are you?”
“The youngest son of the dragon riders of High Peaks.”
“Name.” Both women spoke.
“Arkon.” He pointed to his friend. “Lorton.”
The taller of the women stalked toward the fire. “I’ll ask again. Why are the stones considered evil?”
“My father suffered much because of the temple priestesses who used the stones to keep him a prisoner. He managed to escape and return here.”
“Managed? I know that story. My father aided a slave to escape. There is no need to worry or fear our people. The evil priestess was killed when she fought my parents. They used fyrestones to defeat her.” She turned to her companion. “We have no friends here. We must find another refuge.” Cerene joined her. They walked away.
*Stop.*
Dragon’s voice roared in Arkon’s head. *Why should I? I won’t bring reminders of what my father suffered under the rule of the priestesses.” He turned to Cerene. “I want you to promise not to use the stones until we speak to my father.”
Cerene shrugged. “I see no harm in using them but I will refrain for now.”

Buy Link for Children of Fyre

http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/

You can find Janet at

https://twitter.com/JanetL717
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
bid=113639528680724
http://bookswelove.net/
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com