2015 was difficult for me.
It started with me having to put down one of my cats, and worrying for my day job to the point I couldn't sleep at night. Once that settled, my grandmother, who helped raise me, got really sick and eventually passed away. Two days later, my ankle swelled up due to all the running around I had to do to organize the funeral and I ended up with my leg in a cast for almost 2 weeks. More stress at the workplace, followed by even more stress, and that brings us to December.
The only bright spot this year was February 8th, when I met my partner. I love you, babe, and thank you for being there for me through all these! I hope you will always be by my side.
With everything going on, it's no wonder my writing has been suffering. In 2015 I've published only 2 short stories, one was freebie for Goodreads' event, and one for Wayward Ink Publishing - Chance Encounter. A novel, Nature of the Beast, has been contracted and will be released in 2016 by Wayward.
On a personal level, this has been a year of personal growth and development. I feel older (well, duh!), wiser, perhaps a bit less rushed. Professionally, I seem to be in exact same place where I've started, and that sucks, so I will try to make 2016 the best both personal and carrier wise.
I will not make formal resolutions, but in the coming year, I will spend more time with my partner, and I will write more. Until June, I will have finished at least 3 books, with 3 more by the end of December. This means putting in at least 2000 words per day. That's a lot for me, so I will have to sleep less and use every free minute to work on the stories. But I hope I'll manage to do so, because, by the end of next year, I want to be able to say that I am a full time writer!
May 2016 be better for everyone and may all your dreams come true!
Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Men in Uniform, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology
Title: Men in
Uniform
Authors: Eric Gober, CJ Baty, Alina
Popescu, Kassandra Lea, Asta Idonea, Eddy LeFey, Lily Velden, Jim Dunaway,
Carol Pedroso, Jo Tannah
Genre: Gay Romance, Military,
Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
Publisher: Wayward Ink
Publshing
Synopsis
Like your boys in blue keeping the… peace?
Hot firemen dealing with… heat?
Naval Officers getting in way too… deep?
Perhaps you have a ‘thing’ for marines…
Or do you prefer your Men In Uniform to belong in the
future?
Another galaxy?
Another time?
Wherever your love of a uniform leads you, MEN IN UNIFORM
has something for you.
Buy Links
Don’t miss WIP’s Christmas
Sale – 30% off all titles till December 24th!
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-meninuniformawaywardinkpublishinganthology-1939285-166.html
Book Trailer
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/-rYD36JzhgM”
frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
Stories Included
Issue No. 1
ERIC GOBER
Come to a land…
Where epic battles rage…
Among monsters, superheroes, and a very sexy
cop.
Love and war are funny business in Hollywood,
U.S.A.
The Pinkerton
Man
CJ BATY
A blackmailer forced Stiles to leave his perfect
life behind.
Along the way, he found a new friend, a job as a
Pinkerton Agent, and murder.
Can Stiles find the murderer before he kills
again?
Mission: Protect the
Ex
ALINA POPESCU
Sean never thought his military career would ever
have him babysitting his ex who Sean hasn’t seen in six
months.
When best friend Tom finds out his younger
brother Aiden is targeted, Sean drops everything to protect the man he still
loves.
Can two former lovers survive a weekend alone in
the woods, or will the threat from within be more devastating than the one from
outside?
A Spark in the Shadows
KASSANDRA LEA
Love beckons Officer Warden Brooks to the shadows
of a desolate place.
But his lover Tate Eldridge is so much more than
a criminal, he’s a beautiful mystery.
His Heart
Held Hostage
ASTA IDONEA
When his father loses the battle against
Hrafnaheim, Prince Darius finds himself a political
prisoner.
Taken in chains to a dark and unfamiliar land, he
begins to lose hope.
But then Captain Morten Gunnarsson of the Palace
Guards is assigned to watch over him.
Now it is not just Darius’ body being held
hostage, but also his heart.
The Emperor’s Slave
EDDY LEFEY
When the Draaduuri arrived on Earth many humans
died.
Captain Timothy Kellerman’s family was among
them
Now, a truce has been struck. He is the
prize.
Crown Prince Yuuhaan has instantly bonded with
his slave.
Can the prince keep his baser instincts in check
long enough for Timothy to transform?
To become the next great hope of the Draaduuri
and the human race?
Yes!
Yes! Yes!
LILY VELDEN
Go to Portsmouth, said my friends. It’s quieter.
You’ll be able to write without distraction.
They obviously hadn’t met my mysterious and
elusive neighbour, Finn.…
After all, what would a Friday night be without
hearing Moaner, Gusher, or Squeaker screaming out their joy at being shagged
senseless by the obviously talented Finn?
Come to think of it, what would a Saturday,
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night be without it
either?
Thank God for Mondays!
The Firefighter and the
Marine
JIM DUNAWAY
Apartment building fires are always tragic, even
if everyone makes it out alive. But what happens when a person can’t make it
out on their own?
Brave firefighters must risk their lives in order
to rescue trapped people.
Lieutenant Kenny Whitfield is one such
firefighter. Brave and somewhat reckless.
Lance Corporal Steve Martinson is one such person
in need.
When Kenny and Steve meet face to face in the
hospital, well…
Blue
Knight
CAROL PEDROSO
Franc has resigned himself to yet another year of
pain and humiliation in order to complete his on ship training.
Then along comes Zyph, with his sexy blue skin
and probing questions…
Will he be Franc’s Blue
Knight?
The Royal Guardian
JO TANNAH
Warrior and Dragon Seek to Destroy Those Who Had
Dared Harm Their Prince.
Giveaway
Prize: $10 WIP Gift Card
Excerpt
“Greetings, Lord Commander Militant Garr.” King Arzhur’s voice was modulated, but the depth of emotion in his words sent shafts of fear through Lando, and the implications of the new rank did not escape his notice. The king looked like a man destroyed, and Lando’s heart skipped a beat. He braced himself, mind rushing through several scenarios, all of them involving his prince.
“Greetings, Your Majesty,” he said, thankful his voice did not betray his fear. “I am at your command.”
King Arzhur nodded. “Get to the palace immediately, Lord Commander. Your prince needs you.”
“Permission for a space conduit, Your Majesty.” If Kallen needed him, he should get back the quickest way possible.
“Done. The coordinates have been sent to Tanis. Get here as fast as you can.” Lando saw his king reach out before the monitor dimmed, signaling the end of their communication.
Lando stood. “Get us home, Tanis.”
“Yes, Lord Commander,” the Indigo Artificial Brain replied through the ship’s speakers. “On your mark.”
Lando did not miss a step as he strode onto the bridge. Before him was a bank of three curved-panel displays ringed by switches mounted at his eye level. There was a joystick for when moments in flight would make reaching the screen difficult or if Tanis were somehow, improbably, incommunicable or incapacitated. The monitors came alive. Lando strapped himself into the captain’s chair and gripped its arms to brace himself. “Mark.”
At his command, Tanis turned the scout ship so it paused and lingered in midspace until the magically produced space conduit appeared before them. The conduits made space travel easier,
safer, and faster, but at present only four technomages—all within the royal family—were strong enough to open them. The two most powerful were the king and Prince Kallen. The others were distant cousins.
The conduit opened before them and, in a flash, the Prawler sped through the gaping hole, back to Oryon. The gate closed with finality in a swirl of purple miasma. -
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Shade’s Champion by Cheryl Headford
Author Name: Cheryl Headford
Book Length 214 Pages
Book Name: Shade’s Champion
Release Date: 18th December 2015
Cover Art by: Kellie Dennis: Book Covers by Design
Shade has been
kept in the dark for eight long years. Now he’s facing a world that terrifies
him. A world that seems to hold no place for him.
When the
authorities are unable to find a home for Shade, Penny, reluctantly accepts him
into the secure school she manages, despite thinking it’s the wrong place for
him. Penny fears for his safety among the other troubled children. In an
attempt to forestall the disaster she predicts will happen she appoints one of them
as his champion.
Dory, an
engaging seventeen year old with mental health issues, is proud to be chosen as
Shade’s champion and throws his heart and soul into the job. In doing so he is
forced to face the thing he fears most – his own emotions.
An unexpected
friendship begins to grow into something more, until a spiteful act tears them
apart and leaves them broken.
When Dory falls
ill, Shade is forced to face his demons and struggles to find the strength and
courage he needs to fight for the right to love, and to be there for his champion
when he needs him most.
|
Cheryl was born
into a poor mining family in the South Wales Valleys. Until she was 16, the
toilet was at the bottom of the garden and the bath hung on the wall. Her
refrigerator was a stone slab in the pantry and there was a black lead
fireplace in the kitchen. They look lovely in a museum but aren’t so much fun
to clean.
Cheryl has
always been a storyteller. As a child, she’d make up stories for her nieces,
nephews and cousin and they’d explore the imaginary worlds she created, in
play.
Later in life,
Cheryl became the storyteller for a re enactment group who travelled widely,
giving a taste of life in the Iron Age. As well as having an opportunity to run
around hitting people with a sword, she had an opportunity to tell stories of
all kinds, sometimes of her own making, to all kinds of people. The criticism
was sometimes harsh, especially from the children, but the reward enormous.
It was here she
began to appreciate the power of stories and the primal need to hear them. In
ancient times, the wandering bard was the only source of news, and the
storyteller the heart of the village, keeping the lore and the magic alive.
Although much of the magic has been lost, the stories still provide a link to
the part of us that still wants to believe that it’s still there, somewhere.
In present
times, Cheryl lives in a terraced house in the valleys with her son and
menagerie of three cats, a dog and a dragon. Her daughter has deserted her for
the big city, but they’re still close.
Immersed, as
always, in the world of fantasy, she maintains a burning desire to share the
stories and these days it’s in the form of books which all contain her spark
and unique view on life, the universe and everything.
And now a quick peak inside Cheryl's newest release...
THAT EVENING, Dorien had more appetite but
still found he couldn’t finish a meal without feeling sick. He’d have to work
back up to it.
“You’re looking brighter tonight, Dory. The
fresh air did you good.”
“Yes. Max?”
“Yeah?”
“What will happen when I’m eighteen? Will I
be able to leave then?”
“Is that what you’ve been thinking about?
I’m sorry, Dory, I don’t want to crush you but it’s best you get the picture
straight right away. This place is for kids from ten to eighteen. Care orders last
until you’re nineteen. That means we’ve got another year of the pleasure of
your company. Unless, of course, Dr. Blake assesses it appropriate for you to
move on before then.”
Dory’s heart burst with pain. “A... a
year?”
“Maybe not. I know Dr. Blake is really
pleased with your progress. If you keep working hard you might be able to move
on before that. It’s up to you, really.”
“No. No, it’s not. Nothing is up to me. My
entire life is controlled by someone else. And they say I have control problems.”
Suddenly, his stomach roiled and he ran for
the bathroom.
Dorien sat on the floor in the bathroom and
rested his hot head against the cool china of the toilet bowl. He’d never felt
so ill in all his life. His stomach hurt and his head throbbed. The arms that
clutched his stomach were trembling, as was the rest of him, and worst of all,
there was a terrible weight in his chest that made it difficult to breathe.
Emotional pain eclipsed the pain in his stomach and head tenfold.
Closing his eyes, he must have drifted,
because he could swear he heard Shade’s voice, and felt his arms around him.
“Shade,” he whispered, then jolted fully awake at the knock on the door.
“Dory, are you okay in there?” Penny’s
voice came through the door from a long way away.
“No. Leave me alone.”
“Dorien, are you making yourself
sick?”
“No. It’s doing it all by itself.”
“Can I come in?”
“No. Leave me alone.”
“Dory, I’m coming in.”
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Broken Prince, Mismatched Eyes by Layla Dorine
Title: Broken Prince,
Mismatched Eyes
Author: Layla Dorine
Genre: Gay romance, fantasy,
historical
Length: Novel
Publisher: Wayward Ink
Publishing
Synopsis
All of his life, Caden DeMott’s mismatched eyes have made
him the target of superstition and scorn. Though he is the son of a nobleman,
he’s been allowed to run free over the hills and moors, mostly ignored by his
family. No one ever thought to inform him that he had been betrothed since
infancy, until the day his fiancé, Prince Rhys Gwyther arrived to marry
him.
Rhys is the prince of the small island country of
Mauritania, a land rich in gems, rose oil, and pearls, but poor in skilled
artisans and seeds to grow crops. In order to further cement the trade route to
the mainland, he’s been sent to marry a man he’s never met, and bring him back
to Mauritania. Unfortunately, an accident years before has left Rhys with a lot
of emotional baggage and very little trust in strangers.
But trust is exactly what Caden and Rhys are going to need
if they are to make a life together, and help unravel the mystery of who’s been
smuggling valuable gems and pearls off the island. Add in the realization that
Caden’s stepmother, Mildred and her island representative, Maxwell, have been
importing inferior goods for years, forcing Mauritania to become more dependent
on them, and trust becomes even more difficult.
Caden possesses the knowledge to finally allow Rhys’
father to unravel the plot to ruin Mauritania, but only if the king and his son
are willing to put their faith in Caden’s loyalty to his new home. Something
that is difficult to do after Caden is accused of cheating on his marriage vows
to Rhys with his guard, Luc. Will Rhys believe him innocent? Or will their
marriage be over before it truly has a chance to begin?
Buy Links
Don’t miss the WIP Christmas Sale!
30% off all titles from December 4 to December 24.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017WXGBM8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017WXGBM8/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B017WXGBM8/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B017WXGBM8/
Giveaway
Prize: $10 WIP Gift
Card
Excerpt:
Rhys turned, his mother by his side,
to take in the sight.
“Why, he’s
positively beautiful, and what delightful dogs. You must be very pleased,” the
queen said to her son, her arm linked with his.
Rhys turned to her
and gave a halfhearted smile. “He’s stubborn as hell.”
The queen threw
her head back and laughed. Caden and Kendric looked to see what she’d found so
amusing.
“Caden, come
here,” the queen invited, holding out her other hand.
Caden went to her
and took her hand gently, bowing over it.
“Oh, pish posh,”
she said, pulling her hand from Rhys’ arm so she could reach up and hug Caden.
“I’m no more interested in formalities than my husband is. I am Anwen, unless
the foreign wind bags are visiting, and then we’ll all be ‘Lord-ing’ and ‘Your
Majesty-ing’ each other half to death.”
Caden tried to
choke back a laugh and failed, his eyes lighting up with joy and merriment.
Anwen smiled, her
own eyes alight with glee. “I’m glad to see you share a love for laughter,
Caden, because I do so love to laugh.”
Even Rhys was
grinning, though he had eyes only for Caden.
“Now, Caden, Rhys
tells me you’re stubborn as hell. Well, I have just one thing to say to
that....” Anwen began, then paused dramatically. “Good. It’s about time he learned
there are those who can be even more stubborn than him.”
About the author
LAYLA DORINE lives among the sprawling prairies
of Midwestern America, in a house with more cats than people. She loves hiking,
fishing, swimming, martial arts, camping out, photography, cooking, and
dabbling with several artistic mediums. In addition, she loves to travel and
visit museums, historic, and haunted places.
Layla got hooked on writing as a child, starting with
poetry and then branching out, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. Hard
times, troubled times, the lives of her characters are never easy, but then
what life is? The story is in the struggle, the journey, the triumphs and the
falls. She writes about artists, musicians, loners, drifters, dreamers,
hippies, bikers, truckers, hunters and all the other folks that she’s met and
fallen in love with over the years. Sometimes she writes urban romance and
sometimes its aliens crash landing near a roadside bar. When she isn’t writing,
or wandering somewhere outdoors, she can often be found curled up with a good
book and a kitty on her lap.
Layla Dorine can be found
at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/layladorine
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/layladorine/
Monday, December 7, 2015
Men in Uniform, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology - Cover reveal
Synopsis
Like your boys in blue keeping the… peace?
Hot firemen dealing with… heat?
Naval Officers getting in way too… deep?
Perhaps you have a ‘thing’ for marines…
Or do you prefer your Men In Uniform to belong in the
future?
Another galaxy?
Another time?
Wherever your love of a uniform leads you, MEN IN UNIFORM
has something for you.
Pre-order Links
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-meninuniformawaywardinkpublishinganthology-1939285-166.html
Book Trailer
Stories Included
Issue No. 1
ERIC GOBER
Come to a land…
Where epic battles rage…
Among monsters, superheroes, and a very sexy
cop.
Love and war are funny business in Hollywood,
U.S.A.
The Pinkerton Man
CJ BATY
A blackmailer forced Stiles to leave his perfect
life behind.
Along the way, he found a new friend, a job as a
Pinkerton Agent, and murder.
Can Stiles find the murderer before he kills
again?
Mission: Protect the Ex
ALINA POPESCU
Sean never thought his military career would ever
have him babysitting his ex who Sean hasn’t seen in six
months.
When best friend Tom finds out his younger
brother Aiden is targeted, Sean drops everything to protect the man he still
loves.
Can two former lovers survive a weekend alone in
the woods, or will the threat from within be more devastating than the one from
outside?
A Spark in the
Shadows
KASSANDRA LEA
Love beckons Officer Warden Brooks to the shadows
of a desolate place.
But his lover Tate Eldridge is so much more than
a criminal, he’s a beautiful mystery.
His Heart Held
Hostage
ASTA IDONEA
When his father loses the battle against
Hrafnaheim, Prince Darius finds himself a political
prisoner.
Taken in chains to a dark and unfamiliar land, he
begins to lose hope.
But then Captain Morten Gunnarsson of the Palace
Guards is assigned to watch over him.
Now it is not just Darius’ body being held
hostage, but also his heart.
The Emperor’s Slave
EDDY LEFEY
When the Draaduuri arrived on Earth many humans
died.
Captain Timothy Kellerman’s family was among
them
Now, a truce has been struck. He is the
prize.
Crown Prince Yuuhaan has instantly bonded with
his slave.
Can the prince keep his baser instincts in check
long enough for Timothy to transform?
To become the next great hope of the Draaduuri
and the human race?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
LILY VELDEN
Go to Portsmouth, said my friends. It’s quieter.
You’ll be able to write without distraction.
They obviously hadn’t met my mysterious and
elusive neighbour, Finn.…
After all, what would a Friday night be without
hearing Moaner, Gusher, or Squeaker screaming out their joy at being shagged
senseless by the obviously talented Finn?
Come to think of it, what would a Saturday,
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night be without it
either?
Thank God for Mondays!
The Firefighter and the
Marine
JIM DUNAWAY
Apartment building fires are always tragic, even
if everyone makes it out alive. But what happens when a person can’t make it
out on their own?
Brave firefighters must risk their lives in order
to rescue trapped people.
Lieutenant Kenny Whitfield is one such
firefighter. Brave and somewhat reckless.
Lance Corporal Steve Martinson is one such person
in need.
When Kenny and Steve meet face to face in the
hospital, well…
Blue Knight
CAROL PEDROSO
Franc has resigned himself to yet another year of
pain and humiliation in order to complete his on ship training.
Then along comes Zyph, with his sexy blue skin
and probing questions…
Will he be Franc’s Blue
Knight?
The Royal Guardian
JO TANNAH
Warrior and Dragon Seek to Destroy Those Who Had
Dared Harm Their Prince.
Giveaway
Prize: $10 WIP Gift Card
Northern Lights by Asta Idonea - not to be missed!!!
Title: Northern Lights
Author: Asta Idonea
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: 1 December 2015
Genre: Short Story / Contemporary / Holiday-Themed
Pages: 25
Buy Links
Blurb
A dream romantic vacation to Iceland to see the
Northern Lights turns into a nightmare when James’s workaholic boyfriend,
Richard, again insists on putting his work first. After a call from Richard’s
office, an argument ends with the couple splitting up for good. Not only has
Richard left James, he’s left him abandoned to explore the park alone, where
James quickly gets lost. But just when things seem darkest, the Solstice works
its magic, and James finds the guiding light he needs. Or it finds him.
Excerpt
“NO. NO, Bob, listen to me. Bob, listen to me.
Yes. No. Yes. Bob. Bob. Calm down.”
I turn off the tap, shake my hands over the
sink, and reach for towel as I listen to the one-sided conversation drifting
through from the next room. I don’t really know why I’m surprised. It’s not as
if this hasn’t happened a hundred times before. Richard and I will make plans,
and then that damn phone of his will vibrate, emitting the inane,
grimace-inducing ringtone I’ve never been able to stand, and everything will
unravel.
Richard and I met at a Christmas party five
years ago, just before he started his job at Robert Preston & Associates.
To date, that was the one and only Christmas we’ve managed to spend together.
Every year since, something work-related has called him away. He does his best
to make it home for dinner on my birthday, which falls during the holidays, but
even that is touch-and-go. Some years I’ve ended up celebrating alone,
surrounded by fast-cooling, half-eaten slices of pizza and a pile of empty beer
cans.
For months I’ve been begging him for this
overseas trip. We’ve been going through a tough patch, and I thought spending
the holidays together—without interruptions, just the two of us—would go a long
way toward healing the rift. I’d held out hope that the distances involved
would grant us some measure of security, that the fact that we were out of the
country would make Bob think twice before dialing. But it appears I was wrong.
Audio
Excerpt
https://soundcloud.com/nickijmarkus/northern-lights-mm-short-story-by-asta-idonea-excerpt
Author
Bio
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in
England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading
and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied
several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and
divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between
traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to
historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and
which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor
and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theater, cinema,
photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology,
pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for
her writing.
Website: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
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