Blog Tour: Giveaway + Interview with T.C. Archer Author of Chain Reaction

Today I would like to welcome T.C. Archer to The Avid Reader. I will be interviewing T.C. Archer. Stay tuned because after the interview there will be a giveaway of 13 Ebook copies of Chain Reaction (Phenom League, #1) by T. C. Archer.

Book Title: Chain Reaction

Series: Phenom League, Book 1

Author: T. C. Archer

Published: February 18th 2012

Publisher: Silver Publishing

Genre: Romance

Ebook:

Words: 65,000

Book Description:

Former Chicago Detective Jordan Pierce put his life on hold in order to protect America's secret weapon against the Nazis, The Manhattan Project. But he can't protect himself as his humanity is eaten away by a mysterious disease that destroys him, while at the same time makes him more powerful than any man he's ever known. Jordan finds out how much the disease has devoured his soul when he falls in love with the woman who might destroy America and tear apart his last shred of humanity.

Buy Links:

Amazon

ARe

Bookstrand

B&N

Excerpt:

A moment later, I halted in front of the closed door where Dr Nichols waited. The name painted on the glass read: Dr Enrico Roma, the alias of the great scientist and Nobel Prize laureate Enrico Fermi. The alias didn't fool anybody but the ignorant. Light shone through the milky glass window. I blew out a breath. The last thing I wanted to do was interrogate a hysterical woman.

I opened the door and stopped dead at the sight of a shapely blonde leaning against Fermi's mahogany desk. I stared as realization sunk in that the Veronica Lake look-alike standing there was the same egghead pictured in her personnel file. The glasses she'd worn were absent and, despite the red-rimmed eyes and drawn expression, the single overhead light warmed the creamy complexion that had looked bland and colorless in the photo.

Thick blond hair slid across her face in a broad wave and flowed down slim shoulders. Suddenly, I understood the reasoning behind the functional bun in the picture. Despite the legs that mesmerized a man all the way down to the high heel straps, the tweed skirt and blazer she wore emphatically stated the bombshell figure was off limits. But the moment a man laid eyes on her luxurious hair all bets were off. My breath caught with bloodlust as I drew in her scent from across the room.

Gray-blue eyes stared from behind the drape of blond hair. Her gaze flicked to my waistband and I realized she'd glimpsed the colt holstered beneath my suit jacket.

"You wear your gun like a gangster," she said.

I startled. Her voice, low and sultry, held a shaky note, but I knew the remark was payment for my staring.

"This incident requires I carry a weapon." My drill sergeant used to berate any reference to the word gun. "Your gun is between your legs, son. Your pistol or rifle is called a weapon."

She continued to stare and guilt stabbed at me. She'd discovered a colleague who'd been brutally murdered, and I stood in the doorway gawking at her. I swallowed, feeling like a school kid.

"Dr Nichols, I'm Agent Pierce, head of nightshift security." Her fingers tightened around a lace handkerchief gripped in her right palm. I didn't want to step closer, but had to. Her pheromones were making my blood, or what was left of it, crave an infusion from her veins. "What happened?"

Her gaze dropped to the hankie and she began working the fabric with both hands. "I was working late and needed Leon to come to the lab. I couldn't get the Geiger counter to calibrate. I knocked. When no one answered, I opened the door and…" Her eyes swung up to meet mine. "So much blood." Her gaze remained locked with my eyes as if demanding a response.

"I'm sorry," I offered. "I thought you were assigned to dayshift."

She swiped at the corners of her eyes with the handkerchief. "I switched shifts yesterday so Leon and I could calibrate the new equipment."

I nodded. The scientists worked a twelve hours on, twelve off schedule seven days a week. We were in a race against Nazi scientists while men died in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. "Did you notice anything unusual tonight?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"Hear anything strange on the way to Dr Heinrick's office, pass anyone in the hall?"

She shook her head. "Maybe he's still here." Something in the way she stared at—through—me, searching for answers and fearing what she might find, threatened to tip me off balance. "The murderer is gone," I replied in a level voice.

"How do you know?"

"A hunch," I said, and meant it.

"Why kill Heinrick?" she said. "Why not Compton or Fermi? But Heinrick…" Her voice trailed off.

"Are you saying Heinrick didn't know anything worth killing for?"

"I suppose we all know something worth killing for. Each scientist on this project is top in his or her field. But the project will go on without Heinrick. If we lost Oppenheimer, or Fermi, the project would be delayed, if not brought to a standstill."

"Did you enter Heinrick's office?" "No, I took one look and ran."

The response, given without hesitation, or guile, made me wonder if this woman ran from anything.

"This was the first office I came to," she said.

Her story made sense, and my instincts said she was telling the truth. I had learned to trust my sixth sense, especially the last eight months. This ability was another one of those things I couldn't explain, like being conscious of the way her pheromones where working on me double-time.

"Are you staying in the dorm?" I asked. She nodded.

"I'll have someone escort you there."

Desire to go with her shot to the surface with the heat of a volcano. I pictured white skin, full breasts, and blond hair between perfect thighs. I forced my breathing to remain even, and the swelling in my shorts abated. I'd never experienced such sudden, intense lust. If I escorted her back to her room I would drink her blood—and God only knew what I would do to her afterward. My pulse jumped with the thought of her warm blood flowing past my tongue down my throat… and her tight walls closing around me as I entered her. "I have to complete my measurements before the day shift," she said. I jarred from the erotic thought. "There's not enough equipment to go around," she added.

I nodded. "Of course."

Clipped footsteps sounded almost noiselessly on the linoleum floor of the hallway and I recognized McHenry's walk two seconds before Dr Nichols's eyes shifted over my shoulder.

"Pierce."

I glanced back to see him standing in the open doorway.

"The general wants to talk to you."

A measure of sanity reasserted itself. I had to get away from her, now. "Could you escort Dr Nichols back to the lab?"

His expression lightened. "No problem." He stepped aside and motioned toward the door with an open hand. "Dr Nichols."

She cast me a farewell glance and headed toward the door. I tried tearing my eyes from the gentle sway of hips as she walked past, but couldn't, and felt the heat swell to the surface again. I had to find one of the small rodents whose blood I drank to keep my thirst for human blood at bay, or go back to Heinrick and hope the congealed blood in his decaying body would make me forget the craving. Rising desire twisted my insides and I feared even Heinrick's dead blood wouldn't work against the warm, pulsing blood of Dr Nichols.

Interview with T.C. Archer

1. What inspired you to write Chain Reaction?

Shawn: Evan started the draft of Chain Reaction. However, we were playing with the idea of a superhero story, of sorts. We knew the time period we wanted and the fact that we wanted paranormal characters. When he gave me those opening chapters, I fell in love with the story.

Evan: I’ve been thinking about how lucky the allies were to have won critical battles, developed game changing technology, and forced the axis powers to make mistakes. This triggered a ‘what if’ scenario in my thinking. What if a few phenomenal people placed themselves in the right place and the right time to nudge the execution of the war in the favor of one side (or the other).

2. When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Shawn: I came to writing a bit later in life. I was in my early thirties when I began to get the bug to write. It took me nearly seven years to get the courage to write my first book.

Evan: For me it happened in my 30’s. I began writing fiction junior high, but I must have been a dopey kid because I didn’t know people made a living writing stories. I picked a profession and went a long time thinking that defined me as a person. Fortunately, I was compelled to write and write and write, and when textbooks and papers were not enough, I took the plunge back into fiction.

3. What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Shawn: Ugh! I was (am), a total geek. I read my first book at four.

Evan: When I was very young, I had a book of nursery rhymes. My parents would tell their friends to pick any page and I would read it. In my opinion, I had them memorized. It was some time later when I picked up a book on my own accord. I could not have been much younger than 12 or 13. Boys have other things to do, especially when one has a bike and a BB gun.

4. What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Shawn: I love pretty much any genre. I really just love reading. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of suspense and science fiction.

Evan: I like science fiction, mysteries, suspense, and the classics. Right now, I’m reading Anna Karenina again.

5. What is your favorite book and why?

Shawn: That’s easy! A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens is the master of characterization.

Evan: Lord of the Rings. I like that book because the plot is complex it has great characters, and has an epic story.

6. You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Shawn: Charles Dickens. My favorite modern author is Stephen King—who loves Dickens, btw!

Evan: I’d say Arthur C. Clarke. I started reading everything he wrote after I saw the movie 2001, A Space Odyssey.

7. I read in your bio that you like to write about time travel and space travel. If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Shawn: First century Rome. There was a lot going on at that time. I’d love to see just how mankind stepped into the new millennium.

Evan: HA, Shawn. I thought you would want to go to 18th century Scotland. I want to go to July 1969 and watch Neil Armstrong walk on the Moon from mission control in Houston.

Shawn: (I don’t know who Evan is kidding. He was around in 1969. He’s old.)

8. When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Shawn: ROFL. The idea is easy.

Evan: Some things are easy, but it’s mostly hard work.

9. Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat?  Or any pets?

Shawn: Sadly, not right now.

Evan: I two dogs, an Australian shepherd and a pug. We do AKC agility competitions and I take them to a training center every Tuesday night so they can train me.

10. What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Shawn: I love donuts! But I won’t touch them with a ten foot pole. Well, maybe a couple times a year. Heh heh.

Evan: German chocolate cake. I love the icing.

11. Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Shawn: Read, write, and write more.

Evan: Read every day, write every day, and join a critique group.

About the Author:

T. C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast.

Evan puts his Ph.D. to good use by writing about alternate realities, and Shawn channels the mythology and philosophy she studied during her wasted youth into writing about exotic places and times.

Evan and Shawn write romantic sci-fi, paranormal romance and romantic suspense.

Find the Author:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Giveaway

The Giveaway will be 13 Ebook copies of Chain Reaction (Phenom League, #1) by T. C. Archer.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and check out the other stops on the Tour

Tour Schedule:

July 17th- The Jeep Diva (Book Review/Giveaway)

July 18th- The Bunnys Review (Book Review/Author Interview)

July 19th- Full Moon Bites (Giveaway/Promo Post)

July 20th- Heart Of A Wolf (Book Review/Author Interview)

July 21st- The Avid Reader (Author Interview/Giveaway)

July 22nd- A Dream Within A Dream (Giveaway/Promo Post)

July 23rd- Proserpine Craving Books (Author Interview/Giveaway)

July 24th- A Bit of Dash (Promo Post/Giveaway)

July 25th- A Diary Of A Book Addict (Book Review/Giveaway)

July 26th- Tricia Kristufek (Book Review/Giveaway)

July 27th- Books & Beauty (Author Interview/Promo Post)

July 28th- Ramblings of an Amateur Writer (Giveaway/Promo Post)

July 28th- Black Hippie Chick's Take on Books &The World (Book Review/Giveaway)

July 29th- Blood, Lust and Erotica (Author Interview/Giveaway)

July 29th- A Page Away (Giveaway/Promo Post)

July 30th- Off the Page (Author Interview/Promo Post)

July 31st- Simply Infatuated (Author Interview/Giveaway)

This tour was put together by FMB Blog Tours

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Review: Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead By Christiana Miller

Title: Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead

Author: Christiana Miller

Published: April 2011

Published by: HekaRose Publishing

Kindle Edition

Pages: 321

Goodreads Synopsis:

A little magic can go a long way -- to really screwing up a girl's life!

Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that’s what her cards tell her and they’ve never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.

Suddenly, an aunt she’s never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She’s still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara’s magical meddling for her death.

When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie’s ready to kill her -- literally. It’s the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara’s body.

My Review:

The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I got this book as a free download from Amazon. Emma Mills author of the Witchblood series recommended it.

Mara is a witch who is having a hard time. She has no job and is living on unemployment. She is also about to lose her apartment because she has a new land lady a god fearing woman who is dead set against Mara practicing witchcraft in her apartment. Mara comes home one day and sees that the door to her apartment is opened. With the door standing open Mara is afraid that someone has broken in and she is about to die. But she has nothing to worry in that department it is only her landlady snooping through all of her personal stuff. She finds Mara's altar where she practices witchcraft.

Mara has a best friend by the name of Gus. Gus is a very funny kind of guy who is always cheering her up and trying to get her to use her witchcraft to help her with her money problems. But Mara doesn't like using her talent for reasons of this nature. Gus says he does and it always works out just fine for him. But Mara isn't as convinced as Gus is about using her powers for money.

Just as her time is running out and she is about to be living in her car. Mara gets a package from a lawyer telling her that her Aunt Tillie has died in a car accident and that she is the soul heir to her estate. Aunt Tillie has left her a cottage in a small town in Wisconsin. When Mara see the picture of the cottage she passes out. Mara has been having nightmares about this same cottage. Mara doesn't want to move to Wisconsin but Gus convince her to go. So Mara does besides she doesn't have much of choice seeing how she is going to be living on the streets in a very short time.

So Mara packs up all of her stuff that she has left after she sold most of it in a yard sell and heads to Wisconsin. When she arrives she finds that Aunt Tillie is still at the cottage and is trying to kill her for taking over her home. Aunt Tillie blames Mara for her death. She thinks Mara put a spell on her to cause her to have an accident so she could have her home. Mara finds more than she bargain for at the cottage. There is more ghost living there than just Aunt Tillie. An ancestor of Mara's wants her body so that she can live again. Mara says hell no I have been through a lot and you will not take my home nor my body. Mara will fight for the cottage where she didn't fight to hard to keep her apartment because the cottage belongs to her the apartment did not exactly. Besides she has had enough of people running over her and letting them take advantage of her.

I really enjoyed reading Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead. It was funny at times but sometimes it was sad with all the bad luck that Mara had. With her having no job and about to lose her home and then having to move and leave her best friend. Mara was the only one that didn't have a boyfriend. When she moved to Wisconsin she did meet a very handsome guy that she liked a lot.

Look for Christiana Miller on the web:

Web site - Christiana Miller

Goodreads - Christiana Miller

Goodreads - Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead

Facebook - Christiana Miller

Twitter - Christiana Miller

Purchase Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead:

Amazon

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Friday Recommends #19

Friday Recommends is a weekly meme hosted by Pen to Paper. This a weekly book blog hop where we as bloggers choose a book that we have read and recommend it to our fellow bloggers. We can then visit each others blogs to see what other bloggers recommend and find new books to add to our TBR list. Hopefully we all will have new followers from visiting each blog on the linky list.

The rules for Friday Recommends are:

• Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
• Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
• Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
• Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of post on host site Pen to Paper after posting your blog post.
• Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
• Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My Recommend for this week:

Title: Wanted Nightmares: Blood of the Immortal Vamprior (Wanted Nightmares, #2)

Author: Pura Preis

Ebook:

Pages: 325

Published: September 27th 2010

Publisher: Author Solutions

Goodreads synopsis:

Convicted! Tried! Sentenced! Amaya guilt by association has no choice but do as she is told, kill them all.

Amaya is Autumn Rose reincarnated but no one has proof only suspicion and that’s good enough to force her to become something she is not sure she wants to be, but she wants to be something. Amaya is pulled into being Autumn, a powerful Immortal that has created a vampire race. Her disappearance has been so long ago that no one knows the truth. Vincent is after her blood, Autumn is after her life, Matt is after her heart, and she can’t stop anyone. What can she do but take on Autumn’s identity until the real Autumn finally comes out of hiding.

Thomas is so close to find Autumn, the real Autumn so he can kill her. He has waited for so long and now she is being forced to return. Amaya has to pay for what Autumn has done and that pisses him off. How can he find a balance between his love Amaya and his hate for Autumn when he finds out the truth? Even he is taken aback when the truth comes out. How can he save Amaya when everyone wants her dead?

This second book brings answers to the questions the first book asked. Amaya is still on a quest of finding herself. Amaya is scared that she is Autumn and she is going to die before she can kill everyone else. Amaya somehow grows in this book as she deals with Vincent need to kill her for the blood that he has claimed as his.

My Thoughts

I loved that Amaya does whatever she needs to do to save the ones that she loves even if that means that she will die. Pura Preis is an amazing writer that will put you right into Amaya and Thomas' world. Like you are living in their world.

Look for Pura Preis on the web

Web site - Pura Preis

Goodreads - Pura Preis

Goodreads - Wanted Nightmares: Blood of the Immortal Vamprior (Wanted Nightmares, #2)

Facebook: Wanted Nightmares: Blood of the Immortal Vamprior

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Blog Tour: Ronald McDonald House. Guest Post + Giveaway - Dark Light edited by Carl Hose.

The Avid Reader would like to welcome you to the Dark Light Edited by Carl Hose Blog Tour. A Fund Raiser For The Ronald McDonald House. I am very proud to be a host for this blog tour. And would like to thank Innovative Online Book Tours for letting me host this wonderful tour.

Please join me in welcoming Carl Hose as Guest Host on The Avid Reader today. Carl Hose will be telling us about his novel Dark Light edited by him and authored by many. He will also tell us about his, and his wife, Marcee's stay at the Ronald McDonald House when their daughter Ireland was born.

After Carl Hose tells us about his novel and their stay at the Ronald McDonald House there will be a giveaway for a Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display. So don't forget to enter. Maybe you will be the lucky winner.

Book Title: Dark Light

Author: Carl Hose (Editor)

Published: June 15th 2012

Publisher: MARLvision Publishing

Ebook:

Pages: 508

Description from Back Cover of Book:

Dark Light is the light that shines through when some of the finest writers in horror use the power of their words for something good. That’s the case with this anthology—42 writers coming together to help support the Ronald McDonald House Charities and all the good the organization does for families every day of the year.

Make no mistake, though. These are horror writers and the stories they’ve written are not pretty. Traditional and non-traditional horror, dark humor, ghosts, serial killers, alternate universes, magic, zombies, and other creatures of the night hide between these pages. Shadows move and dead fingers stroke unsuspecting flesh, razor sharp knives shimmer in the moonlight, and unknown things hide in closets and under the bed. The stories here are as varied as the writers themselves. If you’re a fan of horror, you will not be let down.

Despite the horrific nature of these tales, however, their very existence in Dark Light stands as proof there will always be a light at the end of every tunnel.

Turn the lights down low and enjoy the show.

Purchase Dark Light

Anthology Apropos

One of the questions I’ve been asked most often since announcing the “Dark Light” anthology is whether or not a horror anthology is appropriate for a charity such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which helps so many families stay together during times of illness. I don’t really get that question. I mean, sure, on an intellectual level, yeah, maybe I get it. On a more emotional level, nope.

Why wouldn’t an anthology of horror stories be fitting for any charity? Horror writers have families, horror writers love their kids, and horror writers have as much capacity to care as anyone else. We don’t sit in a dark dungeon somewhere dismantling people; we aren’t serial killers; we don’t do bad things.

We write scary stories, and quite frankly, people like to be scared.

I’ve always said that the very existence of an anthology like “Dark Light” is proof positive that horror writers can use the power of their dark words to bring light into the world. That’s where the title came from. It seemed a perfect fit.

“Dark Light” is as appropriate as any other means of raising money for a deserving cause. Horror writers are as free as anyone to open their hearts to those in need.

And we have. Forty-two writers delivered forty-four stories ranging from black humor and ghost stories to tales of serial killers and monsters. The stories in “Dark Light” span the spectrum of intensity, ranging from mild to outright brutal. Each of these stories, regardless of content, is appropriate.

When a rock musicians play for charity, they don’t play classical music because it’s appropriate. No, not even close. They turn up the amps and they do what they do best—shake the house down.

The writers in “Dark Light” write horror. If you want fairy tales, you might go somewhere else. That doesn’t mean the cause isn’t the same and the heart behind the writers isn’t valid. These writers have shared their words to give something to a charity that has given to so many.

Horror or not, there is hope between these pages.

So is it appropriate for horror writers who spend their lives, who make their very livings trying to scare the hell out of people, to write for something that is good and pure?

The answer is a resounding yes.

And I am proud to be in such fine company.

Introduction:

My daughter Ireland Joy Hose was due to come into the world on March 3rd,, 2012. Since my wife Marcee was going to have a C-section, her doctor scheduled her to deliver Ireland February 13th. It’s typical to schedule C-sections about two weeks before the actual due date, but in my wife’s case, the C-section was scheduled a little earlier because she had complete placenta previa, meaning her placenta was blocking the birth canal. This is normally not a problem unless the previa turns into accreta, which means the placenta attaches to body organs and actually begins to grow into them (pretty alien-like). This can result in severe hemorrhaging and may require a partial or even a complete hysterectomy.

All of this is beside the point. Ireland decided she wanted to show up on January 27th at 10:35 P.M. She was six weeks premature, 18 inches long, and weighed just 4 lbs. 13 oz. Marcee had gone to the gynecologist that day. He told her she was having contractions. We went to the hospital, where they tried to stop her contractions. It didn’t happen. Marcee started bleeding, and while I write about blood all the time, seeing it pour from my wife’s body was pretty damn scary.

I was in the operating room when Ireland was delivered. She came out fine, although she would have her own struggles ahead of her in the coming weeks. Shortly after the nurses began cleaning Ireland up, one of the doctors said to another doctor that Marcee had accreta and would need a hysterectomy. I was caught between the joy of my daughter’s birth and my wife’s fragile situation. The doctors began pumping my wife full of anesthesia and she was fading fast. All she wanted was to hear our baby girl cry, to know Ireland was all right. “Cry, baby girl,” she said, and when Ireland began to wail, Marcee drifted off.

I was ushered from the OR with Ireland in my arms. What followed was a two-and-a-half-hour wait while the doctors performed surgery on Marcee. There was a lot of blood loss, but in the end she came through the surgery alive and eager to see Ireland. Barely able to sit up, she insisted I wheel her to the nursery, where she held Ireland for the first time, a full four hours after Ireland was born.

Because Ireland was premature, she was going to be spending time in the NICU. She was moved to a different hospital—one that was further away from where we lived—the next night. Marcee and I agreed I should go with Ireland. There was really no discussion necessary. This, however, left Marcee alone to deal with the trauma of her experience without me or her newborn daughter to comfort her.

One of the memories that haunts me still is seeing an ambulance with the words Neonatal Transport Unit on the side and thinking, that’s a baby ambulance and it’s here for my baby.

I arrived at the hospital where my daughter was taken late that night. The blur begins here, so I don’t have the exact time. The NICU staff suggested I get a room at the Ronald McDonald House. I insisted I didn’t need one, that I would be staying at my daughter’s side day and night. They worked hard to convince me a room at the Ronald McDonald House made more sense—that it would be more comfortable than a chair in the NICU. If it had just been me, they probably wouldn’t have changed my mind, but since I knew Marcee was planning to join me as soon as she could strong arm the doctor’s into discharging her (which she did in record time), I relented and allowed one of the nurses to contact the Ronald McDonald House nearby to reserve us a spot.

It turns out no reservation was needed that night. Hospital security drove me to the Ronald McDonald House where we would be staying. It so happened I was the only guest at the time. The house was a quaint looking affair that reminded me of a bed and breakfast in the country—from the outside. Inside was a maze of stairways and narrow hallways that housed about thirty rooms.

Looking Back

I woke up this morning and fed my baby girl Ireland. She woke me up is what I should say. We sat on the couch together, but she really wasn’t in the mood to eat. She wanted to laugh and play and talk to me. She kept looking up at me, smiling, milk dribbling from the corners of her mouth as I tried to feed her.

She’s come a long way since January 27th, the day she was born. A hell of a long way. Born weighing under five pounds, she now weighs almost fourteen. She still has some reflux, but it no longer causes her to stop breathing. She is grabbing things, laughing, making a new array of noises every day.

She is healthy. She did recently (on May 21st) have surgery to correct a small issue she had with her anal opening being a bit misplaced. She came through the surgery well, though, and is recovering.

When I look back at her time in the NICU and all the hours Marcee and I spent walking from the Ronald McDonald House to the hospital to feed and hold and change Ireland, the memories are bittersweet. We were away from our boys and our baby girl was fighting to adjust to the harsh reality of being born premature, but we were with her. We were able to nurture her and help her adjust a little bit faster.

We have the Ronald McDonald House to thank for keeping us that close, and the hospital, of course, for their hard work. We thank God too.

Those were trying times, more for Ireland and Marcee (who was recovering from a C-section and hysterectomy while tending to our baby girl), but we were blessed then as we are blessed now, with family and friends (and even strangers) who are willing to step forward and help us give something back to the Ronald McDonald House Charities for their generosity to not only our family but countless others as well.

For that, Marcee, our sons (Seth, Ethan, and Caleb), and me will always be grateful.

Carl Hose online:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Video

Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display.

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Review: Of Poseidon By Anna Banks

Title: Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)

Author: Anna Banks

Published: May 22nd 2012

Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Hardcover

Pages: 336

Goodreads Synopsis:

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

My Review:

The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I won a copy of Of Poseidon by Anna Banks from Asheley T. @Into the Hall of Books for an honest review.

This was the first book about mermaids that I have ever read. I was kind of skeptical about reading it at first but at the same time I was very eager to read my first mermaid book. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not but guess what? I loved it and can not wait for the sequel. When I read the ending I was like "no, no, no you can't do this". I was very shocked at how it ended but I did love it. I mean its like your sitting on the edge of your seat and you can't put it down because you just got to know what is coming next. What is Anna Banks going to slam us in the face with next? And then when you least expect it bam "the end". I thought about that ending for days and days. Who am I kidding I am stilling thinking about it. I guess I will for along time to come.

Emma is a decedent of the Poseidon tribe but she doesn't know this. It will take a lot for Galen a prince of the Syrena to convince her that she is special that she has a gift. Emma has always lived on land. While Galen lives deep under the ocean. Although he does spend a lot of time on land because is the human ambassador.

Emma meets Galen while on vacation with her best friend Chole. They have been bff's since childhood. Emma runs right into Galen literally and they each feel the pull. They literally feel a physical tingling. What they don't know is that this means that they are mates. Galen was sent to find a girl that can communicate with the fish. When Galen witnesses Emma trying to save Chole from a shark attack and she is talking to the shark then he knows that Emma is the one he was sent to find.

Emma and Galen have their ups and downs with each other. Emma doesn't like being told what to do and having a babysitter either. Everytime Galen has to go home for a visit for some reason or another. He leaves his sister Rayna or her boyfriend Toraf watching over Emma but she is not happy about this at all. She thinks she knows more about what is best for herself and can't stand the fact that Galen treats her like a child. So everytime he leaves she will so some thing to rebell against him. If she only knew that he was just trying to protect her because he cares about her so much.

Look for Anna Banks on the web:

Web site - Anna Banks
Goodreads - Anna Banks
Goodreads - Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)
Facebook - Anna Banks
Twitter - Anna Banks

Purchase Of Poseidon:

Amazon
Book Depository

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Wishlist Wednesday #16

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

• Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
• Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
• Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
• Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
• Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of the post on Pen to Paper.
• Put a link back to pen to paper somewhere in your post.
• Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

On My Wishlist:

Title: The Demon Bride (Witching Pen Novellas #3)
Author: Dianna Hardy
ebook:
Expected publication: August 31st 2012
Publisher: Satin Smoke Press

Goodreads synopsis:

(Book Three of The Witching Pen Novellas)

Two thousand and eleven years after the birth of the Failed One, the Witching Pen will be made manifest on Earth by the Great Shanka Witch of the Old Scrolls. By her hand, the Earth will rumble and shatter, and all dimensions will bleed into one.

The true purpose of the Witching Pen has been revealed, and it must be destroyed before an apocalyptic prophecy comes true. There's just one problem -- the Pen is indestructible.

As everyone searches for much needed answers, Elena lays down plans for a radical mission to save her mother from the Shanka's shadow world.

Meanwhile, Mary has finally discovered who she really is, and what that means for the human race.

What Mary doesn't know, is that Gwain has been searching for her for over ten thousand years, and had lost all hope of finding her. Now that he has her, he's faced with an impossible choice: does he save the woman who altered his very existence, or does he sacrifice her to save mankind?

Why did I choose The Demon Bride for this weeks Wishlist Wednesday?

I read The Witching Pen and The Sands Of Time books 1 & 2 of the The witching Pen Novellas. I really liked both of these books. I want to know if Gwain will save Mary. Will Elena save her mother? Who is Mary? How will they destory the Witching Pen? Can they destory the Witching Pen before the apocalptic prophecy comes true?

Look for Dianna Hardy on the web:

Web site - Dianna Hardy
Goodreads - Dianna Hardy
Goodreads - The Demon Bride (Witching Pen Novellas #3)
Facebook - Dianna Hardy
Twitter - Dianna Hardy

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Review: The Sands Of Time (The Witching Pen Novellas #2) By Dianna Hardy + Guest Post

Title: The Sands Of Time (Witching Pen Novellas #2)

Author: Dianna Hardy

Published: January 26th 2012

Published by: Satin Smoke Press

Genre: PARANORMAL ROMANCE, DARK FANTASY & URBAN FANTASY

Ebook

Pages: 126

Goodreads Synopsis:

(Book Two of The Witching Pen Novellas)

Seven days ago, Elizabeth May tried to commit suicide. She was found by Paul, her husband, who took her under his wing and back to their home. But the attempted suicide is not Elizabeth's main problem -- Elizabeth can't remember who she is, or a single thing about her life beyond the past week.

Plagued by nightmares about a familiar black panther, and a terrifying snow leopard, she is convinced that the dreams are trying to show her something important, and is determined to regain her memories, one way or another.

Meanwhile, Pueblo -- the demon blood-bonded to the witch, Amy -- is going insane trying to find her. Amy disappeared one week ago, and it seems not even their bond is strong enough to penetrate whatever magic hides her.

As Pueblo enlists the help of angels and demons alike, Elizabeth begins to piece together parts of her forgotten life. But what she uncovers may just have her wanting to turn away from who she really is ... for good.

Excerpt from The Sands of Time

"Amy!"

Someone had her roughly by the arms.

"It's me, Amy, look at me."

The past warred with the present, and Amy felt five years old again, lost, afraid…

I'll be damned if he's getting me this time!

She kicked out with a foot and caught something soft, which had her assailant swearing blue murder. Then she turned and ran … and stopped … where the hell was she? Where were the woods?

A low growl sounded from behind her. "Christ, woman! You do that again, there'll be no more phenomenal orgasms for weeks."

No more what?!

She turned and looked at the man staring her down with yellow, slitted eyes, and another memory entered her mind, of those same eyes coming at her from out of the shadows of her bedroom. Her fear diminished, replaced only by a mild sense of annoyance. "Pueblo?"

He paused, and looked surprised for a moment, then irritated again, as he rubbed his … OH MY GOD … naked crotch! And she was naked too.

Her annoyance turned to anger. "Why am I always naked when I see you?"

"You're not always naked, you're just naked now … and once before. Are you remembering stuff?"

She paused, trying to gather all the loose strands of her memory.

"Do you remember what we just did? Please tell me you remember what we just did."

She briefly toyed with the idea of lying and saying no, just to see the look on his face, but she'd had enough of having her brain played with – it wouldn't be too sporting to do the same to him. "Yes, I remember, and don't you think for one minute that just because you had me on my back screaming I was 'yours'," she waved four fingers in quotation marks in front of his face, "that it gives you any kind of ownership over me, because it doesn't."

He looked annoyed, then relieved, then he laughed. "Yeah, whatever, baby."

Guest post with Dianna Hardy

Why Novellas?

Self-publishing is part-art, part-skill, and part-learning as you go… It makes me cringe when I think how little I knew two years ago, and I’m sure I’ll be cringing in two years time at how little I know now, lol.

I’ve tossed and turned with the notion of whether it was a good idea to call my series, The Witching Pen Novellas. I called it that, because, in all honesty, I was not planning to write long stories for each of the three couples in the trilogy. The first book is just over 37,000 words long, the second is about 40,000 – I didn’t want anyone complaining that they were expecting full-length novels (which generally starts at around 60,000 words) when they downloaded my books, so I thought I’d make it obvious in the title, by labelling them ‘novellas’. Also, they were going to be paranormal romances. It’s not uncommon within the romance genre for a book to be shorter than normal, particularly if you stick sex scenes in there. Not sure why – it’s just some silent rule of thumb. Maybe it’s because romance is a sister to the erotica genre, and it’s very normal to find erotica short stories…

Anyway, what I didn’t realise when I started to market my books, was that people didn’t buy novellas – not really. People have a [valid] preconception of what they are and what they are not, and many people won’t touch them because they’re expecting not a hell of a lot in terms of plot and character development.

That was the first hurdle I hit. My novellas are full of plot and have good character development (or so I’ve been told)… now how on earth do I convince everyone else, when I’ve gone and used the label of ‘novella’ for a series?

The next hurdle I hit was that – surprisingly – the readers taking to the series were not your usual romance readers, but those that read paranormal fantasies and have a particular love of YA fantasies (even though I’m not writing for a YA market). So now, I had to market the concept of ‘novellas’ to a spectrum of readers I was not expecting to be marketing to!

To make things more confusing, it turns out that the third upcoming book is a full-length novel. I didn’t plan it this way, but what happened was that, unexpectedly, readers have loved the characters and the plot. It’s not that I thought they wouldn’t – rather, I simply didn’t think about whether they would or wouldn’t. But as I started to get the good reviews, and bona fide fans of the series (from a market I never expected to be reading my work), those characters took on a life of their own. This is the intriguing thing about ‘fandom’ – whether for books, TV, films, music or theatre – the fans help to infuse life into the characters / songs, not just the author / musician.

And suddenly, I wasn’t really writing romance anymore. Yes, The Witching Pen Novellas is a romance trilogy, but it’s so much more than that: it’s about friendships, and bonding, and trust, and faith… it’s about what happens when you have to face your own darkness in order to make a needed change – all set in an urban fantasy environment with some steamy scenes thrown in.

The omnibus edition (the entire trilogy, plus the bonus read, Wilted), will be available from December, and I’m hoping that this will attract more readers who want a ‘full-length’ read, and that it goes some way to dispelling the notion that novellas cannot be good.

I’ve thought about changing the title of the series, but I love surprising people more. I love it when a reader goes into my novella thinking, ‘I’m not expecting much from this’, to be hit by a plethora of action. And I don’t plan to stop writing novellas – sometime a shorter, fast-paced read is just what the doctor ordered for the plane journey (or whenever you’ve got 4 hours to spare).

I’ve always said that reading a good novella is like watching a TV episode of a series - something's happening in every scene and there's always one hell of an ending!

The Witching Pen Novellas are available in digital format, with the first trade paperback having been released in April. All info and buy links can be found on the series website The Witching Pen Novellas.

And thanks so much to Nancy for taking the time to read and review this series.

My Review:

The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I was given a copy of The Sands Of Time by the author Dianna Hardy for an honest review.

I read and reviewed the first book of The Witching Pen Novellas called The Witching Pen. It was an amazing read. When I wasn't reading I thought about it all the time. Always wanting to know what was happening. I couldn't wait to start the next book in the series called The Sands Of Time.

The Sands Of Time starts where The Witching Pen left off with Pueblo the demon blood-bonded with Amy. He is going crazy trying to find her. Pueblo can't even find her with their bond. He can't feel her. Pueblo knows that if he can't feel her she must be lost in a time loop.

Elizabeth can't remember who she is. Nothing seems familar to her not even her husband. It just does not seem right to her. I mean if two people love each she should have some kind of memory or feel for him, right? but she doesn't. She has dreams of a black panther that she has a physical feeling for. She is very determind to find out who she really is.

The most mysterious character in the book was Mary. I couldn't quiet figure out exactly who or what she is. When she is blamed for murder and put in jail Gwain is the only one that can help Mary with the nighmares that she has. Mary has a problem that no one knows about but Gwain is the only one who knows and can help her after she has one. Gwain becomes very attached to Mary. I hope in the third book of the series The Demon Bride due to be published August 31, 2012 that we find out more about Mary. August seems like a very long time to have to wait for The Demon Bride. I am just like a little kid with a new toy I want to read it now.

Thanks Dianna for letting me read The Witching Pen Novellas.

About the Author:

Dianna Hardy is a multi-genre author of paranormal things, dark things, poetic things, sexy things, taboo things, and sometimes funny things. She writes about witches, demons and angels. All info about her books can be found on her website Dianna Hardy

Look for Dianna Hardy on the web:

Web site - Dianna Hardy
Web site - The Witching Pen Novellas
Goodreads - Dianna Hardy
Goodreads - The Sands Of Time (Witching Pen Novellas #2)
Facebook - Dianna Hardy
Twitter - Dianna Hardy

Purchase The Sands Of Time:

Amazon

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Top Ten Tuesday #17

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and would LOVE to see your top ten lists! the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics, check them out here!

This weeks Top Ten List

Top Ten Books For People Who Like X Book (Pick a book and pick 10 readalikes)

I have decided to pick The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith and then pick 10 books that I think are readalikes based on all of them having witches as the main character. Why did I choose to base them on witches? Witches are my favorite mystical being.

1. Witchblood by Emma Mills



















2. Witchcraft by Emma Mills




















3. Tales of Aradia: The Last Witch #1 by L.A. Jones





















4. Book of Shadows (Wicca #1) by Cate Tiernan





















5. The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey (Forever Girl #1) by Rebecca Hamilton





















6. Wiccan (Wiccan #1) by M. Leighton





















7. The Near Witch (The Near Witch) by Victoria Schwab





















8. The Witching Pen (Witching Pen Novellas #1) by Dianna Hardy





















9. The Sands Of Time (Witching Pen Novellas #2) by Dianna Hardy





















10. Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead by Christiana Miller

What is on your Top Ten this week?

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Blog A Quote #9

Blog A Quote is weekly meme hosted by Michelle Chew Writes. Each week we will be sharing a quote from our favorite books. For more info and to sign up visit Michelle Chew Writes.

My quote for this week is from Staying Human By Kyle Tobin

A child sees into the heart and soul of adults, breaking down the barriers of pretense that we hedge up around ourselves. They don't get caught up in the facade we shell our life with to appease others or to hide our secrets. Children see us as we are, in our simplest, truest form. They don't see each individual decision we make and try to formulate an in depth view of us, they just feel who we are at our core.

And if a child can see us at our most basic persona...and love that core; that truth deep inside that we often cover; then that is something special.

I love this quote because it confirms my belief that babies know us by our energy the positive as well as the negative.

What is your favorite quote?

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Blog Tour + Guest Post: Beta Test By Eric Griffith

Beta Test by Eric Griffith presented by Bewitching Books Tours.

I would like to welcome Eric Griffith to The Avid Reader today. Thanks Eric Griffith for joining us. Eric Griffith will be giving us Five Fun Writing Facts about Eric Griffith.

Book Title: Beta Test

Author: Eric Griffith

Publisher: Hadley Rille

Hardcover: Pages: 278

ISBN: 978-0-9839531-0-4

ISBN: 978-0-9839531-1-1

Book blurb:

“Sam Terra is having a bad week. He lost Molly, the woman he secretly loves, when she vanished before his eyes at the exact same time that ten percent of the inhabitants of Earth disappeared.

“Naturally upset, Sam follows clues about the global vanishing with questionable help from his friends including a misanthropic co-worker and a childhood pal. When Molly reappears in the body of a man during a night of monster-laden devastation, Sam finally learns the truth. Not just about her, but about the planet Earth and the entire cosmos surrounding it.

“What we consider mundane reality, others consider a game...and not a very good one. The whole thing is about to be shut down.

Buy Links:



Hardcover
Amazon
Barnes and Noble



Ebook:
Kindle
Nook

Five Fun Writing Facts about Eric Griffith

1. Eric can't write at his desk.

   While I has a very nice setup with dual-monitors and broadband internet and all the trappings of a modern-day 40-something Batman (albeit in an upstairs bedroom with more dogs than bats, copious sunlight, fewer capes), that computer is for my day job. My employers will be happy to know I have a mental block about writing fiction on my work computer (which they didn't even buy!). Of course, I also don't do work for my regular job on my laptop, so I guess it's fair.

2. Rituals Are Bad.

   I learned this at a very important-in-my-life writing workshop (called Viable Paradise): writers with rituals don't get much done. Those are the people who have to read and reply to all their emails before they open a document to write. Or who have to play just one more game of Scrabble. Or read all the feeds in Google Reader they have subscribed too. I have ALL of those rituals. I'm screwed.

3. I Was Listening To That Lecture On Passive Voice.

   Sorry, I listened to that lecture. And that's how you fix passive voice. I think. I'm still working on it. Feel free to send me corrections.

4. Research is for Suckers.

   And by suckers I mean people with a real work ethic. I write fantasy because I don't want to be totally beholden to such things as "facts." I want to make them up. That said, I do tend to go for a certain kind of verisimilitude that some copious use of Google Maps and Wikipedia is perfect for. I pity the writers of old that didn't have Street View or couldn't spend an afternoon reading about every single monster in the Godzilla movies.

5. Writing is Hard.

   This isn't news to anyone that has tried (or even succeeded) in writing a book. Once I started to treat writing like a second job, rather than a hobby that required the "muse" to strike, it's when I reached a modicum of success in selling BETA TEST. It didn't hurt that I was fixing my passive voice problems.

I mean, I fixed them. Dammit!

Author bio:

Eric Griffith is the author of the sci-fi novel BETA TEST from Hadley Rille Books, which Publishers Weekly called “an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic tale.”  By day he works as the features editor for PCMag.com. By night he sneaks out of the house to write fictions. He currently lives in Ithaca, New York. You can follow his online exploits daily via Eric Griffith.

Find the Author:



Hadley Rille

Eric Griffith

Twitter

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