Leverage By Nancy S. Thompson

Hi Imaginarians, how are all of you? I've been quiet as I make phone calls to doctors etc. I have my first appointment on June 10. Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments, prayers and friendship. You all are amazing. Today I am really excited to bring you a kick ass new book from brilliant writer Nancy S. Thompson. Leverage is a hot new romantic thriller available right now...

Four years ago, Tyler Karras' quest to avenge his wife's death led to all out war with San Francisco's Russian Mafia. With the Bratva's collapse and its king, Dmitri Chernov, long dead, all Ty wants now is to put it behind him and enjoy a second chance at life with his new bride, Hannah, and the child they're expecting any day.

But Chernov's heir, Grigory Dmitriev, has returned, bitter and determined. He wants his kingdom back, and he's more than willing to leverage Ty's new family to get it.

First he targets Conner, Ty's brooding nineteen-year-old stepson, manipulating the boy into a vortex of sex, drugs, alcohol, and gambling. Then he turns his sights on Hannah. At eight months pregnant, she's the ultimate bargaining chip. With both their lives in jeopardy, as well as his unborn child, Ty has little choice but to do as Grigory commands.

But Tyler swore he'd never kill again. He buried that monster four years ago and means to keep it that way. Grigory, however, makes that vow impossible to keep.

With his new family on the line, Ty will cross further into the dark side than he ever has before, challenging everything he believes about himself, and forcing him to face the ghosts of his past. Only then will Ty discover if he has the strength to do the unspeakable, to sacrifice his last chance at redemption and save the lives of those he loves most.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

About Nancy:

Nancy S. Thompson began her writing journey with her debut novel, The Mistaken, a dark romantic thriller released in 2012, and she’s continued the saga in Leverage. While Nancy loves to write, she pays the bills as an interior/architectural designer, as well as a freelance book editor. She’s a Bay Area California transplant, currently living with her husband and college-aged son near Seattle, Washington.

A Storm On The Horizon

Happy Friday Imaginarians!! I know it has been a long ass time between posts, but I'm still working hard on my latest salacious tale of naughty goodness. Today, though, I want to talk about a storm, no not the ones that have been plaguing Chitown the last few days, but one created by our own Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh.

CassaStorm, the last of his Cassan trilogy is out. YAY!! Congratulations, Alex. I could not be any happier for you. Sales to the stars, my friend.

And with this release, I finally got Alex to answer one of my burning questions...What was the first album you listened to that made you want to play guitar? His answer:

Rush 2112! Everyone knows Neil Peart is the greatest drummer in the world, but Alex Lifeson is also an amazing guitarist.

Awesome. I am going to have to download that album, I think. 

Anyway, on with the big reveal...

CassaStorm

By Alex J Cavanaugh

From the Amazon Best Selling Series!

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

“I thought the revelation was going to be one thing and I was completely wrong … CassaStorm pushes the limits…”
- Tyson Mauermann, Speculative Reviews

“Cavanaugh has created wonderfully moving moments of great poignancy… CassaStorm could have been a dark story full of hardship and angst, but instead it's a cleverly balanced story about hope and triumph.” 
- Lynda R. Young, author of Make Believe

“One thing Alex does really well is 'sell' the reader on his world building. …an enjoyable, fast-paced read that not only delivered on the final climax, but also managed to pleasantly surprise me.” - Bob Milne, Beauty in Ruins

Find CassaStorm:

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116848619?ean=9781939844002

Amazon -

http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/1939844002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378484337&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-ebook/dp/B00F2O9QMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378811366&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastorm

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670532-cassastorm

Book trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Umm2l0XdHc&feature=youtu.be

Good News Friday

It's Friday and Pay Day...Whoo Hoo!! Anyway, today I wanted to share some Big News. My wonderful friends Siv over at Been There, Done That and Michael Di Gesu at In Time are going to be revealing the cover for Siv's book, Secrets of the Ash Tree this coming Monday. Michael did the illustration for the cover and it's going to be gorgeous. Stop by and visit them.

I also will be having an upcoming visit from the brilliant Jeremy Hawkins from Being Retro. He'll be sharing his newest art books with us. I can't wait!

It's also Blog Blitz time. So if you get a chance, please head over to Courtney Barr at The Southern Princess. She's got brilliant wit and we want to encourage her to keep blogging.

So, this is the weekend and I am planning on doing a bunch of writing and hopefully watching some horror films, The Conjuring in particular. It looks terrific. Speaking of horror, I have a new rule to help you survive. "Don't call 911. You'll always be put on hold."

So what is going on this weekend? Any news to share? Talk to me.

Book Spotlight: L Diane Wolfe

HOW TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK NOW!

By L. Diane Wolfe

Publishing and promoting made simple!

Have you always dreamed of publishing a book but didn’t know where to begin? 

 

 

 

 

 

This book walks you through the steps of identifying markets, budgeting, building an online presence, and generating publicity. Get the whole story on:

 

·         Traditional publishing,   Self-publishing

·         Print and e-book setup, formatting, and distribution

·         Finding your target audience

·         Generating reviews and media interest

·         Networking and developing an online presence

·         Promotional materials and appearances

 

Uncover your ideal publishing path and numerous marketing options before you begin. Writing is your dream. Give it the best chance for success!

 

Available February 5, 2012

Publishing/Marketing, 214 pages, Dancing Lemur Press LLC

$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2

$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

 

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-publish-and-promote-your-book-now-l-diane-wolfe/1113516811

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/How-Publish-Promote-Your-Book/dp/0982713959/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359139094&sr=1-1&keywords=9780982713952

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/Publish-Promote-Your-Book-ebook/dp/B00B8X5WEM/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359715649&sr=1-8

 

Congratulations, Diane! Have a great weekend, everyone. I'm hoping to get a new laptop this weekend. Yes, I am going from desk top PC to laptop. I'm slowly, but surely working my way into the 21st century. LOL You know, I still use a simple flip phone. No smart phones here and no texting. I think our atmosphere just lost a significant amount of oxygen from the collective gasp. Yeah, tech and me are not simpatico whatsoever. But, I'm hoping to change that this weekend so wish me luck.

Hanging In And Some News

Hey there Imaginarians, my friends, my online family...I have MISSED you all so much. I'm still out, but I found a way to at least keep in partial touch so look for me in the shadows, lurking about and leaving a comment or two before I go dark again. I'm hoping to have a new computer this weekend.

I wanted to share some news while I had the opportunity. First, W4W, Writers 4 Writers, is going to be co-starring Yours Truly and the awesome Gwen Gardner this month. Cue Kermit the Frog's wild cheering...Yay!!!! So on Februay 18, pretty please get ready to do some serious tweeting. I thank you tremendously in advance.

Next, we have an awesome blogfest from our Captain Ninja, Alex. The Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest blasts off on March 18. Go sign up, have fun, meet the other brilliant participants.

The incredible E.J. Wesley has launched his Moonsongs blog tour See where he'll be and all the good stuff he's talking about.

Too cool for words Jessica Bell has released her newest, The Book. Go check it out, she's a great writer.

Last, but most certainly not least, is the awe-inspiring Overcoming Adversity Blogfest hosted by Nick over at Scattergun Scribblings. He is compiling the entries into a book and the proceeds will go to fund college for his son Andrew, who has cerebral palsy.Here is my entry:

Silencing the Crowd

The crowd roared, a thunderous boom as Tommy Pike went down stealing second. One out, one on, they were down two and crappy Frankie Cisco followed her. Man,  she had to get on base.

"Lani, you're up next." Coach Miller barked.

She huffed out an irritated breath. "I know."

"Just relax. Take your time, watch the ball. Clark's got some stuff on his curve and you always fall for it."

Much as she didn't want to take Coach's advice, Lani knew he was right. She always fell for that hanging curve like stupid Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty's fastball.

"Come on, Little Lady, speed it up. We ain't got all day around here."

She glanced over at Mr. Cisco, father of said crappy Frankie. He gave a her greasy smirk as he hoisted another slice of pizza into his big mouth. Lani wanted to gag. No wonder Frankie stunk.

The cheers grew louder as she grabbed her helmet from Coach and fit it on her head, grimacing at the pressure. She jogged to the plate, taking a couple of practice swings. The pressure on her ears increased and she stepped back, giving the umpire a "Time Out" sign.

She shook her head. How could she have forgotten something so simple?

Trotting back to the dugout, she winced as she removed her helmet. Coach held out his hand and she took off her hearing aids, settling them in his big palm.

The crowd immediately fell silent, the world now a quiet place where she could concentrate. She put on her helmet and smiled, a steely calm coming over her as she headed back to the plate. Time to swing for the fences...

Hope you enjoyed my little piece. It was inspired by one kick ass little girl, who plays on my nephew's baseball team. Not only does she play with the boys, but she does it without being able to hear the coach or the umpire when she bats.

Cover Reveal

Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1 by E.J. Wesley Cover Reveal Party

Author E.J. Wesley is throwing a blog party to celebrate the release of his new book cover and wants you to join in the fun. Jump over to his blog to learn about how you can win some awesome prizes, including $50 toward a cover of your own and advance reader copies of Blood Fugue.

Cover work by Sketcher Girl, LLC - http://sketchergirlstudios.com/

What's the Story About? 

“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”

Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried. She wears loneliness like a comfy sweatshirt. By the age of twenty-one, she was the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thought…

“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.”

Suddenly, instead of burying her history with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.

BLOOD FUGUE by E.J. Wesley, is the first of the MOONSONGS books, a series of paranormal-action novelettes. At fewer than 13k words, BLOOD FUGUE is the perfect snack for adventurous readers who aren’t afraid of stories with bite. Available wherever fine eBooks are sold September 2012. 

Join the Party!

The Open Vein, E.J.'s blog - http://the-open-vein-ejwesley.blogspot.com/

E.J. Wesley on the Twitter - https://twitter.com/EJWesley

Celebrating Weighted, Ciara Knight's New Release

It's Tuesday and more importantly, it's a New Release Tuesday and we are celebrating Ciara Knight and her new release, the YA apocalyptic tale, Weighted. Congrats Ciara!

Here's a little bit about Ciara...

Ciara writes to ‘Defy the Dark’ with her fantasy and paranormal books. Her debut novel, The Curse of Gremdon, was released to acclaimed reviews, securing a Night Owl Top Pick and five stars from the Paranormal Romance Guild. Also, book I, Rise From Darkness, from her debut young adult Battle For Souls series, secured glowing reviews and won July Book of the Month from Long and Short Reviews.

Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.

Ciara is extremely sociable so please feel free to connect with her at her blog, website, Twitter,
Goodreads, or Facebook.

Weighted (Prequel Novelette)

The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.

Here's a short excerpt from Weighted

Subject: Raeth Arteres
Date: March 8, 2185
Species: Neumarian
Status: Captured

Tick-tock…tick-tock…I clutch the sides of the steel bed in my cell and push up on my elbows. The clock, with its bronze rim, hangs high on the wall, taunting me. The long black arm of the second hand struggles up the side of the enormous disc, ticking away the last few moments of my life.

Tap…tap.

Footsteps, two by two, march to the cell door. Sucking in a long breath, I embrace the rhythmic sounds of the airship, with the occasional interruption of an engine sputtering.

Tap…thump.

The Queen’s unmistakable gait interrupts my dream-like state. It matches the sounds of the ship, as if she is an extension of the heap of metal propelling us across the desert wasteland.

“Open the door.” Her voice echoes down the narrow hall.

Tick…

The hand struggles to reach the twelve. If it doesn’t make it, maybe the door won’t open. It teeters and shakes, then slides straight up in unison with the door.

…Tock.

“Be quick, before the parasite uses her curse on us.” Her raspy, artificial voice sends a quiver to my core.

A guard races in with a handheld device and points it at my neck. I’ve been collared like a dog. I clutch the slick metal ring around my neck, pulling it from my skin, but current zaps through my shoulders and my arm juts out to my side, shaking. Searing pain runs along my veins.

After all these years of my brother hiding me, it was inevitable I’d get caught.
Darkness swirls deep inside, brewing a storm. I can’t remember what it will do if I release it. Is it a gift, as my brother told me, or a curse, as the Queen believes? All I know is that if I unleash it, the Queen will have what she wants, so I push it down deep, keeping it hidden from her.

A man in a grey coat approaches with a syringe in his shaking hand. His left eye has been replaced by a bronze implant that clicks as it grows wide. I concentrate on remaining calm. “I-I see you s-still need me.” It is a struggle to speak against the rising will of the gift trapped inside me.

“Need you? I only need your wretched, cursed body. We must ensure your kind never threatens the world again. When I’m finished, you will serve me, and only me.”

Acid boils up in my throat but I force it down. The beast caged inside me longs for release.

You can purchase Weighted here

Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Upcoming books in The Neumarian Chronicles:
Escapement (Book I) - Early 2013
Pendulum (Book II) - Mid 2013
Balance (Book III) - Early 2014

Other books by Cara Knight:
Battle for Souls Series
Rise From Darkness
Fall From Grace
Ascension of Evil - Coming in October

It's Hump Day

It's Wednesday, aka Hump Day, the middle of the week and almost Friday. I know it's been a while and I want to thank you all for not hunting me down like angry torch-bearing villagers. If you did leave a comment on my Crow post, I did respond, very late and I am sorry about that. Craziness and I have a rotten summer cold.

So I got to see The Dark Knight Rises this past Saturday night and whoa! I had a blast and can't wait to see it again. You can check my review at The Movie411. I got to see it at Ikon, which is this really swank theater in downtown Chicago that has VIP seating. We get to sit in recliner-like seats with call buttons for waitstaff that will bring you goodies and alcohol. What an experience! No 3-D, but I'll take recliners and booze.

In book news, the incredibly talented M. Pax from Wistful Nebulae has a brand new story out, Stopover At The Backworlds Edge. Here is a little bit about this brilliant new tale.

The Backworlds Book 2 is Out!

The sequel to The Backworlds is now available. Craze and his friends continue their adventures in Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge. See what role chocolate plays in the galaxy this time.

The interstellar portal opens, bringing in a ship that should no longer exist. A battleship spoiling for a fight, yet the war with Earth ended two generations ago. The vessel drops off a Water-breather, a type of Backworlder thought to be extinct. She claims one of Craze’s friends is a traitor who summoned the enemy to Pardeep Station. A betrayal worse than his father’s, if Craze lives to worry about it.

Available for all ereaders from:

Amazon / Amazon UK / B&N / Smashwords

iTunes and Kobo will be available shortly.

If you haven’t read The Backworlds yet, it’s available as a free read from many outlets. See HERE for links. [http://mpaxauthor.com/the-backworlds-series/backworlds-the/]

And in other awesome sauce news,  I have received an award from one of the coolest horror bloggers out there,  Kaijinu at Sticky Red: A Body Count Compendium has tapped me with the Liebster Award. Yay! I will be doing a full on acceptance post shortly. Thank you so so much, Kaijinu!

So what did you all think of The Dark Knight Rises? Have you seen it? Do you want to? Anything cool and exciting you want to share?