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A Nightmare in Aus Blog Hop and #Giveaway hosted by @aussieownedread

This is s ghost story based on one my grandfather told me from his days serving in the British Navy. He had some doozies. This is one I fictionalized for him!

“This ship sunk five U-boats!” Petty Officer Thomas said as the men pushed and shoved down the narrow passageway. “Five! She’s a real beaut!” 

“I don’t care as long as I don’t have to sleep above you,” the large, robust Seaman Smith said. “I’ve smelled ya during training.”

The small group of men laughed.

“Ah, you can eat my sh—”

“Watch it, Thomas,” Petty officer Welsh snapped, shoving him through the door. “We’ve got Bennett with us and he’s a good Christian boy.”

The youngest of the group shrugged and lifted his crucifix he kept hung with his tags.

They shuffled into the tight room where they pushed and shoved their packs into the small closets. Then, they wrestled over which hammock belonged to who.

“Enough!”

They all shot to attention as the Captain stepped through the door. He straightened his whites, and looked them over in their navy blues. “You are men representing King and country and you behave like… colonials.”

“Sorry, Cap’n,” they responded in unison.

“Hurry up and get up on deck.”

He stepped out, and they hurried to finish.

“Uh sh—” Smith glanced at Bennett. “I mean bugger it all. How did I end up above Thomas?”

“There’s one left above me.” Bennett motioned to the unclaimed Hammock.

“You are a good Christian, Bennett.”

The five men hurried onto the deck where they rushed to prepare the ship for launch.

“So what exactly are we doing out at sea?” Welsh asked.

“Not much. Checking the coast is secure then docking at Liverpool,” Bennett answered.

“Where we can find some dames.” Smith laughed merrily. “When I’m off duty I’ll spend every moment at the pub.”

“We know,” the other four said in unison.

“You’re going to cause trouble,” Bennett muttered.

“Coming from the married boy,” Smith said waving his ring-free hands in Bennett’s face.

“My wife is a good woman.”

A bell rang, and all the men rushed to get into formation.

The formalities for the launch were performed, and as the men saluted the Union Jack, the ship set off out of the mouth of the Thames. In a great triumphant spirit, the sailors sang, “God save our Gracious King,” as the ship reached the English Channel.

They were dismissed, and the five men hurried to go about their business. They finished their tasks, and took their shift to eat. As they sat in the crammed mess room, a group of officers sat beside them.

“We’ve got some green boys here,” one of the Lieutenants said.

“You were green once,” Welsh muttered.

The sneers on the three men’s faces fell. “You were green once, sir.”

“Yes sir.”

The Lieutenant glared at him. “Which pit of despair have you boys been assigned to?”

“Our what?”

“Your quarters.”

“One-oh-six,” Thomas piped up.

The men all shushed him.

But the Lieutenant leaned back, turning white. “If that’s the case then we don’t need to teach you a lesson about manners.”

They moved to stand, but Thomas said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Smith grabbed him around the shoulders and pinned him against the table. “Shut your trap ya git!”

The Lieutenant leaned in. “The petty officer has a good question. Let him go.”

Smith obeyed.

The Lieutenant nodded. “Very well. As you know this is a ship which performed great and heroic deeds during the war, but it wasn’t without losses.” He motioned to the kitchen. “Ask Cook. He was here the night this girl almost sunk from a U-boat attack. That was the night all the men that lived in your quarters died.”

“Aw he’s just tryin’ to scare us,” Welsh said. “Let’s go so we can get some sleep.”

The five men shoved the last of their food in their mouths and hurried to their quarters. They changed out of their uniforms in silence, until Russell, the one who rarely spoke, said, “Do you think those men really died?”

Smith scoffed. “No. They’re being smart-arses that’s all. That’s what officers do to enlisted men. Don’t worry about it.”

They all climbed into their hammocks and turned the light out. The darkness and slight rocking of the ship quickly lulled them to sleep.

Thomas woke them all with his screaming. Welsh fell on the floor as he struggled to climb out of his hammock and Smith cussed up a storm. “Shut up you blinking idiot!”

“There’s… I…”

Welsh turned the light on. “What?”

“There was…”

The door flew open and the Captain glared at them. “Why is he screaming like a school girl?”

They all looked to Thomas.

He pointed at the empty hammock above him. “There was someone in it!”

The Captain rolled his eyes. “Have you been talking to some of the officers?”

Two nodded, two shook their heads while Thomas turned white. “No! There really was someone there! I thought it was Smith being a dick, so I went to punch him, but I hit nothing. NOTHING. Just a loose hammock.”

The Captain pointed at him. “Enough. I’m tired of these pranks. If I hear another sound from this room I’ll have you scrubbing the decks.”

“Do they even do that anymore?” Smith mumbled.

The Captain turned on him. “You will if I say so.”

“Yes Cap’n,” they all said with a salute.

He spun and shut the door with a bang.

They all turned to Thomas.

“Thomas,” Smith said with a growl. “You keep your pie hole shut. IF you think you can scare us with a little ghost story you’re wrong.”

“Fellas, I’m not lying!” Thomas rushed to the door. “I can’t stay in here.”

Welsh grabbed him. “Do you want to get us all stuck on swabbing the deck? Get back to bed.”

He shook his head, all color draining from his face. “No.”

Russell groaned and climbed into Thomas’ hammock. “Go to sleep in mine.”

Thomas stood quivering. “I don’t want to stay in here.”

“You gutless wonder!” Smith grabbed him and shoved him toward Russell’s hammock. “Go to bed!”

Thomas looked to Bennett. “Bless this place.”

“I’m not a priest,” he responded, stroking his crucifix. “I’ll say a prayer.”

“Yes, yes, say a prayer.” He rushed over and grasped his pocket bible. “Can I sleep with this?”

“Go ahead.”

Thomas clasped it to his chest and climbed up into the hammock.

Welsh flicked out the light.

“Smith!” Crash. “Smith!”

“What?” Smith shot up in his hammock as Welsh flicked the light on.

Russell stood in the middle of the room, his hand outstretched. “He was standing right beside you! Looking at you!”

“Who?”

Russell pulled his hand back, turning white. He swore and spun to Thomas. “We can’t stay in here.”

“Whoa, stop.” Welsh raised his hand. “Are you saying you saw something?”

“Yes. It was just a shadow, but it was a man.”

They all fell silent.

“Are you sure you weren’t just dreaming?” Welsh asked.

Russell spun to him. “I’m sleeping in the passageway.”

“I’ll join you.” Thomas jumped off the hammock and the pair rushed out of the room.

Bennett, Smith and Welsh stared at each other.

“I say we stay awake,” Smith suggested. “Turn out the light, lay all quiet like, and see what happens. If nothing happens after about thirty minutes, we drag their sorry arses back in here.”

Welsh nodded. “I think they were dreaming. That lieutenant probably planted the idea in Thomas’ mind, then when he dreamt it, he passed the thought on to Russell.”

“I agree.” Smith looked to Bennett. “What do you think?”

Bennett glanced between them. “I think there are things in this world we do not understand. I believe in the afterlife, and so naturally, spirits. But I don’t want to believe they are here with us, but there’s only one way to know for sure. We stay awake. If we all see them, then we know without a shadow of a doubt.”

Welsh took a deep breath. “Then it’s agreed. We stay awake. I’ll turn off the light, and we wait.”

Bennett and Smith nodded, shuffling back down, before Welsh turned off the light.

They each lay still, and very quiet. Ten minutes, fifteen passed.

“Are you still awake?” Smith whispered.

“Yes,” they both replied.

Another five minutes passed. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness and they could each see the outlines of the white canvass hammocks.

Then, the spare hammock shifted and filled. Smith drew a sharp breath, but none of them moved. Then, as Welsh stared at the empty hammock above him, a body filled it up. He froze, unable to move or even make a sound.

Then the shadow appeared. A tall, broad shouldered man stood over Smith.

Smith screamed.

The three of them all found their voices, and in a flash, pushed and shoved out into the passageway, screaming, swearing. They slammed the hatch behind them.

They tripped over Russell and Thomas and the five of them ended up in a tangled pile.

“We saw them!” Welsh cried.

The Captain appeared, his face red with rage. “What’s going on?”

“Ghosts!” all five of them yelled.

He glared at them. “Get up on deck and start swabbing.”

“Gladly.”

“Right away.”

“Yes sir.”

“Love to.”

“Of course.”

The rushed away, the lack of sleep the last of their concerns. As they collected the cleaning supplies, they simply felt grateful to be away from that room.

In the morning, they sat for breakfast, all with heavy eyes, and wearied bodies. No one else was around, so the cook came and sat with them. “You boys look exhausted.”

They all groaned.

“We’ve haven’t been at sea for twenty-four hours.”

Welsh lifted his head. “We were told you’d know what room one-oh-six means.”

Cook turned pale. “You were assigned one-oh-six?”

They all lifted their heads to gaze at him.

“Yes,” Bennett replied. “What happened?”

Cook rubbed his hands together, shuffling uncomfortably on his chair. “They were buddies of mine. All six of ‘em, but people have only ever seen four at once. I figure the other two passed on, but I bet I know which four stayed.”

The five men stared at him, their weariness gone.

“What happened?” Thomas repeated.

“It was a U-boat attack,” Cook said, shaking his head. “They’d just gone to bed when we were hit. We were damaged, and they were trapped in that room when it flooded.”

A tense silence prevailed over the group.

“They drowned in their beds?” Thomas whispered.

“If they were lucky enough to not notice,” Cook said. “But men heard them banging, trying to get out. It was probably a terrible death.”

“Which ones do you think stayed?” Smith asked.

Cook leaned back, lifting his hand, raising one finger at a time as he said, “Keith, Hamilton, Lawrence and Davis.”

“Why them?” Bennett asked.

Cook touched his index finger. “Keith never wanted to join the navy, his dad made him, he wasn’t even sixteen. Poor kid would hide if we saw any action. Hamilton didn’t want to die and would get drunk every time we ported so he could numb the fear, Lawrence was the protector of them all and always stayed to make sure no one got let behind, and Davis, ooh Davis, he was a piece of work. He dreamed of slitting Nazi throats. He’d hang around just to try and get revenge on the buggers that killed him.”

The five exchanged terrified looks.

“We’re not going back in there,” Thomas said.

They all agreed.

So, when time came for them to retire, they set up in the passageway for the night.

The Captain appeared, and stared down at them, scowling. “Why aren’t you in your beds?”

“This is where we’re sleeping,” Smith answered, pulled a blanket over himself.

“You’re in the way!” The Captain snatched his blanket away. “Get in your beds immediately.”

They all shuffled down, ignoring him.

“This is insubordination. You will be disciplined.”

They all shrugged and closed their eyes.

“This is ridiculous. There’s no ghosts in there and I’ll prove it.” He stepped in, banging the hatch closed behind him and locking it.

They stared at each other, and Bennett hummed a hymn as they dozed off.

Screaming tore them from their sleep. A loud clang made them all jump, a moment before the hatch flew open. The Captain stumbled out, landing in Thomas’ lap. He looked around at the men, before scrambling to his feet and screaming down the passageway.

“I guess he believes us now,” Welsh said.

They all looked into the dark room, then Smith slammed the hatch shut.

The next morning they were assigned new quarters. But their captain wasn’t on duty.

When they went in for lunch, Bennett motioned for them to lean in. “I found the Captain. He’s locked up because he’s ranting about ghosts attacking him and trying to drown him.”

The four men shivered.

When they arrived at Liverpool, the Captain was taken for psychiatric treatment, and the men, well, one of them became my grandfather.

So now you've read my grandfather's ghost story, you can enter my giveaway! Win a an ecopy of Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh (Book1) and/or Kiya: Mother of a King (Book2)

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photo credit: Kookaburra2011 via photopin cc

Cover Reveal: Death of the Body by Rick Chiantaretto

Happy Halloween!  Today is the cover reveal of  Death of the Body by Rick Chiantaretto!

Release Date: December 13, 2013

I grew up in a world of magic. By the time I was ten I understood nature, talked to the trees, and listened to the wind. When the kingdom of men conquered my town, I was murdered by one of my own—the betrayer of my kind. But I didn't stay dead.

I woke to find myself in a strange new world called Los Angeles. The only keys to the life I remembered were my father’s ring, my unique abilities, and the onslaught of demons that seemed hell-bent on finding me. Now I must find out who I really am, protect my friends, and get back to my beloved hometown of Orenda.

Add Death of the Body to your Want to Read List on Goodreads

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About Rick Chiantaretto

I've often been accused of having done more in my life than the average 30 year old, but if I were completely honest I'd have to tell you my secret: I'm really 392.

 So after all this time, I'm a pretty crappy writer.

I have one book published but out of print, one coming out soon, and a bunch half written (when you have eternity, where's the reason to rush?). I've been favorably reviewed by horror greats like Nancy Kilpatrick, and my how-to-write-horror articles have been quoted in scholarly (aka community college freshmen's) papers.

 I enjoy the occasional Bloody Mary, although a Bloody Kathy or Susan will suffice. Mostly, I just try to keep a low profile so people don't figure out who I REALLY am.

Website Facebook Twitter

Skeleton Prank

My husband and I are constantly pranking each other. Since our honeymoon when I locked him outside in the snow naked, we've been back and forth, taking any opportunity we can to freak each other out. So naturally, this is something we both found incredibly amusing and seems perfect for Halloween. Enjoy!

Release Day: A Late Thaw by Ana Blaze

Release Date: October 28^th, 2013

Blurb:

The town’s too small for Kiley St. Claire’s reappearance to be a surprise, still seeing her hits Cole Thomas like a punch to the gut. She ripped his heart apart when she turned to ice and ran away all those years ago. Now that she’s back, Cole’s going to say his piece and move on.

Even if she does look damn good in that uniform.

Kiley St. Claire is back in the small town of Barrett, Vermont, for one reason and one reason only: to earn some cash so she can survive her final semester of grad school. She’s not there for the sexy Christmas tree farmers.

Even the one who once held her heart.

Buy links: http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/imprints/kissed/a-late-thaw/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Late-Thaw-ebook/dp/B00G8UKWEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1382941569&sr=1-1&keywords=a+late+thaw

Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17830852-a-late-thaw

Excerpt:

COLE THOMAS HAD BEEN a late bloomer. One of the smallest boys in their middle school, he’d disappeared to his uncle’s ranch in Wyoming the summer before high school and had come back six inches taller, wearing a cowboy hat. Kiley St. Claire doubted the woman he was currently flirting with remembered that. It was practically ancient history.

She squinted as she tried to remember the woman’s name. Cole’s fangirl looked vaguely familiar under her over-processed blond hair and cheap but abundant makeup. She was probably one of Cole and Kiley’s former classmates. Amber maybe, or one of the Ashleys. She was pretty—whatever her name was—and she had a fantastic rack. More importantly, she wasn’t wearing a cheap Bavarian Miss costume and pigtails like Kiley was. If they were competing, the babe with the penchant for bleach and blue eye shadow would win. They weren’t, of course. Kiley was done crushing on Cole. It was obvious—had been for years—that he’d never see her as more than a friend.

She straightened the red bodice that made even her own modest chest look full, pulled the notepad from her already sticky apron, and marched over to their table. Her heels clicked along the scuffed and murky wood floor. No doubt it had originally been a beautiful walnut. Now it was covered with a layer of scum as old as she was and fit right in with the rest of the decor.

The entire bar was filled with heavy, dark wood tables and stools covered in faded maroon vinyl. Kept clean and under the right lighting it had probably once been genuinely attractive. Probably. If that had ever been the case it had stopped the day Kiley’s boss, the infamous Buddy, bought the building and started filling it with kitschy, vaguely German-themed knick-knacks and neon beer signs. Cole and the blonde were sitting near a display of Hummel knock-offs, one of which appeared to be mooning the patrons.

A table full of afternoon-drunk Frat guys signaled to Kiley. She held up a single finger in acknowledgement. They could use a couple minutes before their next round, and she had to do this, face Cole, before she lost her nerve. “Are you guys ready to order, or do you need another minute with the menus?”

“Kiley?” Cole’s dark eyes widened for a second before he started laughing. His shoulders shook, and he slapped the worn wooden tabletop. “This is…” He gestured toward her. “This…oh, you gotta give a turn.” He circled a finger in the air.

“Do you want a beer or not?” She refused to be embarrassed. Yes, she was dressed like the St. Pauli girl, but it obviously hadn’t been her idea. She didn’t even like wearing costumes on Halloween.

“I heard you were coming back for the summer, but this…damn.”

“School’s expensive, Cole, and there aren’t a lot of summer jobs in this town.” Barrett, Vermont was a pretty little town, not a thriving metropolis. If there had been other options, any other options, she wouldn’t be dressed like slutty Gretel serving beer and waffles in a Bavarian-themed restaurant owned by a man who’d never traveled farther than Montreal.

Cole looked her up and down with a big grin on his too-handsome face. Kiley pretended not to notice that his thick, brown hair was a touch longer than the last time she’d seen him, or that it curled appealingly against the collar of his blue-green plaid shirt. She tried not to check the scar on his left arm—a thin jagged line that was only really noticeable when the skin around it tanned a shade or two darker. Her heart melted a little when she saw it.

Cole had only recently turned eight the night they went searching for Kiley’s runaway dog. He got tangled in a bit of barbed wire fence hidden amongst the leaves in the woods behind her neighbor’s house. The dog came home on his own later that night, but Cole ended up needing

stitches in four places. And a tetanus shot. He made her promise not to tell anyone he’d cried, and she drew a cross over her heart and wished for untold tortures if she broke her word.

She still hadn’t.

“So why’d you come then?”

Kiley shrugged. Way to make a girl feel welcome, Cole. “It’s home.”

“Wasn’t enough to bring you home last Christmas, or the one before.”

Yup. She was a horrible daughter, and her mom let the whole town know it. Mother dearest undoubtedly left out that Kiley couldn’t afford to pay for a rental car sturdy enough to make the several-hour trip in wintry weather.

Before she had a chance to respond, the blonde sitting with Cole tilted her head to the side and frowned at her. “I remember you.” She smiled then, broadly, as though remembering anything was an accomplishment worthy of her pride.

Kiley tried to smile at the woman, but her lips were too tight. “Go Bobcats,” she said weakly.

“Yeah, you were in my gym class. Didn’t you get hit in the face with a tennis ball one time?”

Kiley had long ago accepted that, despite the lack of any reasonable scientific explanation, her face clearly attracted sporting equipment. She’d absolutely gotten hit with a tennis ball, as well as a volleyball, a softball, and a Frisbee. Once she’d even managed to get wacked in the nose with a broom while they’d attempted to play a grounded version of Quidditch. “Yup, that was me.”

The other woman nodded. “I knew it. I’ve always been good with faces.”

“Wow. Catching up is super fun, but I have a bunch of tables. So…”

“Were you even going to give me a call?” Cole looked hurt, and Kiley wished she didn’t care.

“Sure. Once I got settled and all, I—”

“Right.” He scowled. “Why don’t you bring us a couple of drafts. Whatever’s on special is fine.”

His cool tone sliced through her resolve and made her stomach churn. Why couldn’t she just move on? Being Cole’s friend, watching him date every other girl in town, hurt too much. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall back into his well-meaning but clueless clutches this summer. Kiley had come home to work and to save up enough money to live on for the final semester of classes she needed to earn her Master’s in Meteorology. That’s it. She already had job prospects for after graduation in January. This would be her last summer at home.

She nodded. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

He’d already turned back to the blonde.

Giveaway:

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About the author:

Ana lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, Ikea, and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears that someday she’s going to learn how to play the guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office.

Connect with Ana:

Blog: http://anablaze.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ana_blaze

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnaBlazeLove

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/anablaze/

Music for the Soul

Today I have picked the beautiful Celtic Woman to inspire you. Their stunning, raw sound gives me chills.

Cover Reveal: Natural Harmony by Kate Roth

Coming December 30^th from romance author, Kate Roth

Natural Harmony

Blurb:

Suddenly named the acting president of her uncle’s record label, former pop princess Sabrina Walker is finally ready to grow up. While her professional life moves forward, she still clings to the last fragment of her past life in the form of an uncertain relationship with her manager, Beau.

When Sabrina hires handsome, young assistant, Wade Lawson, he awakens in her the hidden confidence she’s always desired. What starts as a casual affair quickly intensifies to something much more.

Sabrina must decide—return to the familiar life of an insecure one-hit-wonder, or embrace Wade and the woman his passion has helped reveal.

Natural Harmony is a stand-alone romance and the first in the Confession Records collection.

Cover art by Jennifer Streif

Check out the rafflecopter for a chance to win an advanced copy of the book!

Excerpt : 

He stepped off the elevator behind her and followed her silently as she led the way down the long dark hall to her office. She unlocked the door and walked in without turning on a light. Wade stood leaning his shoulder against the doorjamb, watching as she fumbled around in her desk drawers for only a few seconds before she retrieved the phone. A loose grin formed on her lips as she held the phone in her hand and when she looked up at him he projected a similar smile back.

                Something happened when their eyes met through the dark in the place where she had hired him, the place where he had touched her arm and assured her she was the boss. Sabrina’s face fell, her tongue swiped over her bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth for a moment before letting it pop back out. Wade couldn’t breathe. Sabra.

                Her brows drew together as she stepped toward him. Wade could see her breathing picking up, shamelessly glancing at her chest. He heard himself swallow hard when she finally reached him. She looked up at him and pressed her lips together again. She’s your BOSS, his head screamed.

                Sabrina’s hand moved out in front of her and Wade barely flinched at the motion. Her fingertips landed on his chest and he wanted nothing more than to sigh at the feeling, but he tried to stay cool. She was staring at his chest and her own hand as it slid down the panel of buttons on his shirt. When her hand stopped at the waistband of his black slacks, he couldn’t hold in the trembling breath that made its way out of him. Her eyes flashed up to his again. Fuck it, it’s just a job, he thought. Just as he reached to slip his hand to the back of her neck and pull her close, her cell phone blared through the office. She jumped and looked down at it in her other hand. When she looked at him she sighed with that same unnamable look in her eyes.

                “It’s late,” he said.

                Sabrina nodded. “And I’m drunk,” she added with a crestfallen smile.

                “Right,” Wade uttered.

About the author:

In 2008, Kate Roth decided to get real about her love of writing. She signed up for a course after-hours at the local high school called 'So You Want To Write A Book?'. Indeed, she did! For years Kate had been dreaming up love stories in her head and she'd even managed to write a few of them down but it was that class that gave her the drive to finally do something more with her ideas.

Kate Roth's first two novels, new adult romance The Low Notes and new adult paranormal romance Reckless Radiance were released by Rebel Ink Press. Natural Harmony is her third novel and her first venture into independent publishing. She is hard at work on the next two novels in the Confession Records collection, as well as her first erotic romance, Last Resort.

Kate is inspired by music, film, art and of course other authors as well as the wealth of stories she has heard through her years as a professional hair stylist. She is a small business owner and lives in Indiana with her husband, Adam and their dog, Sampson.

You can find more on Kate’s website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, & goodreads.

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Kiya: Mother of a King Release Day! Q&A and Giveaway

Today is the big day! The second book in my Kiya Trilogy releases. I'm really excited, and will announce the winners of the pre-release review tour here soon to celebrate!
For now, I'd like to open up the comments for you to ask me what you want about the series, but don't expect me to give out spoilers ha ha! And yes, book 3 is written and contracted so you will be seeing the final installment before you know it.
For information on all my books click the "My Books" tab above.
So, here is the details for Kiya book 2:

Amazon Kobo B&N Goodreads

Nefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.

With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.

While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.



CQ is also hosting a giveaway for Kiya: Mother of a King on Goodreads! So jump in!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

KIYA

by Katie Hamstead

Giveaway ends November 20, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Cover Reveal: Fast Forward by Marion Croslydon

A New Adult Contemporary Novel

By Amazon Bestselling Author Marion Croslydon

Second Chances, #2

Expected release is December 19^, 2013

Cover designed by Claudia at PhatPuppyArt

    

From the Amazon bestselling author of No Reverse comes a moving story about love, redemption and what happens when life switches to fast forward.   Cassie learned the hard way: Love forgives… in the end. In No Reverse, Josh and Cassie’s epic love story went from the brink of destruction to a fragile new beginning. Now they must mend their broken family and win back the son they gave up five years ago. But second chances need to be earned and the road ahead is rocky. With Cassie on tour and Josh trying his hand at a political career, the struggle becomes clear. When the adoption takes a bad turn, Cassie and Josh are prepared to give up everything for the fight of their lives. Will this young family finally heal the years of heartache, or will they be torn apart for good? There is no cliffhanger.    

Can’t wait to begin reading? The author has made available the first chapters for download here!

    About the Author Marion loves to share happy vibes, talk book crush, fictional boyfriends and sexual chemistry with like-minded people. And because she spends most of her days on her own deep inside her writing cave, you are welcome to come and say “hello” from time to time. Just to make sure she doesn’t sink into insanity. Her friends, family and arch-enemies (there are quite a few) will be forever grateful for your help. Website | Facebook |Twitter

  

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Cover Reveal: Grounded by You by Ivy Sinclair

We join Grapevine Book Tours in presenting the new cover for:

Cover designed by CCR Book Cover Design

Grounded by You
by Ivy Sinclair
Publication: November 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Lights, camera, and passions flare as a small town boy gets the break of his career. As the lines of life and art blur together, can he also find a way to win the love of the girl who got away?

Carter Samuel Groveson.

His name is on the lips of every woman in the country who has a pulse. An actor pulled from obscurity to star in the most anticipated movie of the century, he’s an enigma to all. Everyone wants a piece of him.

Except her.

Amelia St. John isn’t about to follow the life plan that her father set out for her. She refuses to be tied down or commit to anyone. A year ago, she ran as far and as fast from Sam Groveson as she could. But when he reappears in her life and asks her to be the friend he needs to keep him tethered to reality in the midst of the chaos, she can’t say no.

Unfortunately for Sam, his big break comes with expectations that threaten his career if he doesn’t toe the line. In this high stakes game of love, everyone is watching.

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Ivy Sinclair

Her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads

Ivy Sinclair cut her romance teeth on classics like Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, and Sabrina. She is a firm believer in true love, a happily ever after ending, and the medicinal use of chocolate to cure any ailment of the heart. Ivy's guilty pleasures include sushi, endless Starbucks lattes, and wine. Readers of Ivy's stories can expect smoldering sweet stories of romance that tug at the heartstrings.

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• One (1) $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card {INT}
• One (1) signed paperback copy of Where My Heart Breaks by Ivy Sinclair {US only}
• Two (2) eBook copies of Where My Heart Breaks by Ivy Sinclair {INT}

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This week's Humorous Video

So lately, Jimmy Fallon and sexy Justin Timberlake have been rocking it with the hysterical skits and videos. Here is on of their most recent ones and it had me rolling laughing!

Thanks for all the fish!

Inspirational Music

The weekend is inspirational music time! Here's a great one that came out when I was twelve and has shaped my love for music and movies ever since. The words are inspirational.

Blog Tour: Finding Home by Lauren McKellar

Today I have Lauren McKellar, one of my Aussie Owned and Read sisters visiting on her blog tour for her new release Finding Home

Character Creation

Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

I find that, when it comes to writing a novel, a lot of people seem to want to know which came first, the chicken or the egg; or, in a writer’s case, which came first, the plot or the characters?

For me, in Finding Home, it was the plot; and that made building characters around the major story and themes quite challenging. How do you fit these fictional entities into a world you’ve already so thoroughly fleshed out? And how do you then make them all different, and yet “real”?

Fitting the characters into the world was surprisingly easy once I started building the plot a little more, but I was still really worried about the idea of having characters that felt too cardboard, too much like you’d seen them before in a bad audition tape for Home & Away.

[Not that I’m saying Home & Away has terrible actors; more that an audition reel for that show would be horrid because it’s an audition, not the show, and… *takes shovel, keeps digging*]

ANYWAY! The way I worked out a method around this madness was, for me, including a small element of myself in each and every character.

The heroine was, of course, easy. It wasn’t hard for me to remember moments of my teenage life, or to evoke certain emotions my lead character, Amy, would feel. That’s not saying that Amy is me (I never really binge drank, nor did I have sexual relations as she does). However, whenever Amy would have this plot I’d created just fall on her head and happen to her, I would use a reaction I could see myself using.

And my reactions to dramatic situations sure aren’t always perfect.

In doing this I gave Amy flaws, which I think help her feel more real as a character.   

I then applied this technique throughout the rest of my novel, interjecting tiny slices of my personality here and there.

*BAM* take a hint of my sensible side.

*WHAM* have a splash of my childlike elements.

*KAPOW* here’s some awkwardness that you can share.

Soon, all my characters had a little bit of flaw, or a little bit of “Lauren” to them. And I think it made them better.

Having finished the book, I don’t think this is how I’ll write again. I don’t think I need to sprinkle my essence all over everything in order to create realistic and slightly broken characters.

However, it did teach me one very important thing: characters need flaws, or they become unlikeable. And for my next release, The Problem With Crazy, I have built them in, so they’re complete little chickens. And this time, they’re coming first.

Lauren McKellar is a writer and reader of Young and New Adult books. Her debut novel Finding Home is out now, and can be bought from all your usual eBook sites (extensive links available here; Amazon listed below). She also works as a freelance editor for novels for all age groups and you can chat to her on twitter or facebook any time you’d like. 

Website

Amazon

Goodreads

About Finding Home

Moody, atmospheric, and just a little bit punk, Finding Home takes contemporary YA to a new level of grit...

When Amy’s mum dies, the last thing she expects is to be kicked off her dad’s music tour all the way to her Aunt Lou in a depressing hole of a seaside town. But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain.

The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.

PLUS:

Win one of two $5 Amazon cards, one $10 Amazon card or a copy of Finding Home.

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