Tuesday 30 April 2013

Book Spotlight: Silent Symmetry by JB Dutton

Silent Symmetry
A Fantasy-Mystery love story
by JB Dutton
YA/Fantasy/Paranormal
Availble from amazon | amazon uk

Blurb:

The Embodied glide through the busy streets of New York, uttering barely a sound.


Their eerie beauty comes from their perfect symmetry. Male, female, old, young… their faces are always absolutely symmetrical. Are they flawless humans, the epitome of evolution? Are they a genetically modified super-race? Are they extra-terrestrials? Once prep school student Kari Marriner becomes aware of their existence, she is driven to find the answer and finds herself ensnared in a web that reaches further than she could possibly have imagined.

Kari’s earliest memory is her father’s death in a car crash back in small-town Wisconsin. Now, 12 years later, her mother has been hired by a pseudo-religious organization in Manhattan called the Temple of Truth (a.k.a. the ToT). At Chelsea Prep, Kari develops a crush on classmate Cruz. But when she realizes that Noon, another attractive guy at school, is involved with the ToT, her curiosity gets the better of her.

Kari stumbles upon a secret tunnel leading from her apartment to another in the building, where an ancient book holds images she can scarcely believe, and a cavernous room contains... something inexplicable. As Kari pieces together the incredible evidence, she discovers that the ToT is run by other-worldly beings called The Embodied who influence human behavior and have established a global long-term human breeding program. But why? And what is her role in all this?

Just as she starts wondering whether the love she feels for Cruz is genuine or if her emotions are being controlled by The Embodied, her mother is kidnapped and Kari has to figure out who is human, who is Embodied, and who she can count on to help rescue her mother.

Silent Symmetry is the exciting first novel in JB Dutton’s EMBODIED trilogy. The second instalment, Starley’s Rust, will be published in late 2013.

Excerpt

Chapter 0


Memory #1: There were three in the bed, and the little one said, “Move over! Move over!” So they all moved over and one fell out...

The second I walked through the door, I knew something was wrong. Not yet old enough to read, I could tell by the way Mom propped herself against the kitchen wall with the phone dangling loosely in her hand. My stomach turned inside-out.

“Mrs. Marriner?” said the tinny voice in the phone. “Are you still there?”

Mom put the receiver slowly back to her ear and groaned, “Uh-huh.” Her eyes were unfocused, her lips trembling.

“Is there someone who can look after your daughter? You need to come downtown and identify the body.”

“Uh-huh.”

Mom’s eyes came back to life and flitted down to look at me with a mixture of sadness, pity and fear. She clenched her lips together and hung up the phone. I walked toward her, wary, wondering. Mom crouched down and pulled me close. “I love you, pumpkin,” she whispered.

“I love you too, Mommy,” I answered, reassured by the familiar exchange.

“Listen, I have to go run an errand. I... I’ll drop you off at Maddie’s, okay?”

Normally the idea of a playdate would have made me jump for joy. But I knew something was wrong.

“Go pick out a sweater.”

“Okay.” And off I ran to my room, still shielded from the new reality.

* * * * *

That evening, Mom ordered pizza and we sat next to each other at the kitchen table as she explained to me that daddy wouldn’t be coming home any more. I can remember crying, but not really understanding. Mom cried too, even though she did her best to stay strong. She told me a little story about daddy driving to work and a big truck pushing his car off the bridge. Daddy flew and he was still flying. It was just an accident and daddy wishes he could come home, but he can’t, and he still loves me bigger than the universe and sends me kisses and hugs every morning and every night.

The Wisconsin winter rain pounded on the kitchen window. We finished the pizza in silence. Something was wrong and there was nothing either of us could do to put it right.

The book is available from amazon | amazon uk

Author Interview: Paty Jager

About the Author:

Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.


http://www.patyjager.net

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?


I don’t plan everything, but I do know the beginning, a couple turning points, and the end before I start writing the book. I do what I call my “stew and brew” on every book. It’s the months leading up to when I actually sit down and write. During this time I get to know my hero and heroine. I learn about their professions and have scenes play out in my head that usually never make it into the book but help me to get to know the characters better before I start writing. Some of these scenes will be backstory. And this is “stew and brew” time is when I do the research for a book. If it’s an area I don’t know, a culture I don’t know, or a time, I do the research and it also helps me to work out the premise or plot for the story beyond the romance.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

There have been a few times when I’ll write a scene and wonder where that came from but farther along it plays right into another scene. When that happens, I get excited. It’s amazing how much of writing, at least for me, is subconscious. There have been a couple secondary characters that I’ve had to tone down knowing they won’t be in another book.

What is your favourite food?

Chocolate! Is that a food or just a tasty morsel?? I have to have a cup of hot chocolate every morning like most people have coffee. I always have either Dove chocolates of mint M&Ms to nibble on throughout the day.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?


I’m more a morning person than a night owl but I like the sun to be up when I get out of bed. ;) Having cattle and acreage we tend to be early risers to get the chores done and have time for other things during the day.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

Well, I recently wanted to go to Guatemala and Mexico City but my husband said it was too dangerous. The reason I wanted to go there was to research for my Isabella Mumphrey action adventure series. The first book Secrets of a Mayan Moon is set in the Guatemalan jungle and the second book, Secrets of an Aztec Temple is set in Mexico City. I would like to keep this series going so a trip to Central or South American would be next on my wish list.

Do distant places feature in your books?

See the previous question. ;) Yes, my latest books are set in the Guatemalan jungle and Mexico City. My historical western series is set in an area not far from where I grew up. The spirit trilogy is set in the county where I grew up and features the Nez Perce Indian band that summered and wintered in the county.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Yes, I do. Especially on the first draft. For my Spirit trilogy about Nez Perce Indian spirits, I listened to Native American music. The beating of the drums and the singing were instrumental in helping me give a cadence to the writing. For the two action adventure books, I listened to Mayan, Aztec, and Mexican music. For the westerns if they are historical I listen to bluegrass music. Contemporary westerns I find a singer that exemplifies the theme or feel of the book and listen to them.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?


My latest release is Secrets of an Aztec Temple. This is the second book in an action adventure romance series. Isabella Mumphrey has a genius IQ having received her doctorate in Anthropology at the young age of twenty two. She has a “survival” vest she wears while on site working. It has everything she needs to get out of tight situations. And with her curiosity, need for justice, and unerring habit of getting into messes, she uses it a lot. Tino Constantine is a DEA agent out for revenge. He’s fallen for the spindly, bookworm anthropologist but he can’t promise her more than a steamy meeting now and then until he takes down the drug lord who killed his family.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

So much! Learn the craft of writing don’t rely on storytelling. You have to surround yourself with people who believe in your writing but who don’t say everything you write is wonderful. Other writers you trust and admire their work are the best people to help polish your work for publication. You don’t have to go the traditional route to find readers and make a living.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Not really. I started with a small POD and ebook publisher which helped me to learn all the ins and outs of getting a book ready to publish. Their hands-on method helped me learn more than I would have with a larger publisher. The knowledge I picked up there has helped me become an Indie author. And I just recently joined an Indie Author Co-op. Windtreepress.com You can find all my books for sale there as well as on most ebook venues. But at Windtreepress you can also purchase an ebook box set of my historical western series for a discounted price. I’m excited to see how being part of an author co-op will help me with marketing and promotion.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?


The first person who saw I had potential and took the time to help me understand craft was author Nicole McCaffrey. We became critique partners and with her tutelage I perfected my craft and received a contract. Along the way, I believe it has been my connections with other writers either as critique partners or through workshops and conferences I’ve attended that have helped hone my craft and taught me promotion. But I think the biggest thing to influence my writing is my desire to learn. I love doing the research for each book. Whether I’m skulking around in historical museums, talking with librarians, or meeting people online from other countries to make sure I’m giving the correct flavor to a story, I enjoy the learning and then entertaining the reader as I teach them something about history, an area, or a profession.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Learn the craft of writing. Take workshops and classes to learn Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, how to set up beginning, middle, and end, and learn to show not tell. Bring your characters to life and surround yourself with positive people.

What are three words that describe you?

Determination, Positive, Introvert

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I have a couple shelves of favorite books by different favorite authors. Agatha Christie, Nora Roberts, LaVyrle Spencer, Suzanne Enoch, Lauri Robinson, Nicole McCaffrey, I could keep on going. I have many favorites!

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Secrets of an Aztec Temple

Revenge is not always sweet…

Isabella Mumphrey can’t leave a puzzle alone. This time she attempts to use her anthropology knowledge to uncover who is stealing priceless artifacts from an Aztec Temple in Mexico City. She believes the discovery will prove her worth to the World Intelligence Agency.

Tino Constantine is also in Mexico City. He has infiltrated a drug lord’s organization to find enough evidence to not only prove the man’s illegal activities, but to bring him down for numerous deaths. Namely those of Tino’s family.

But when the love of his life, Isabella, strolls into his enemy’s home, Tino is challenged with the choice of saving her or fulfilling his revenge.

List of previous books if any

Historical Western Romance

Gambling on an Angel

Improper Pinkerton


For a Sister’s Love

Christmas Redemption

Halsey Brother Series

Marshal in Petticoats – Gil’s story

Outlaw in Petticoats – Zeke’s story

Miner in Petticoats – Ethan’s story

Doctor in Petticoats – Clay’s story

Logger in Petticoats – Hank’s story

Contemporary Western Romance

Perfectly Good Nanny

Bridled Heart

Historical Paranormal Romance

Spirit of the Mountain

Spirit of the Lake

Spirit of the Sky

Contemporary Action Adventure Romance

Secrets of a Mayan Moon

Secrets of an Aztec Temple

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

You can learn more about Paty at her blog; www.patyjager.blogspot.com
 her website; http://www.patyjager.netor on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager, Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1005334.Paty_Jager
 and twitter; @patyjag.

Every time the blog reaches 20 comments, Paty will be giving away a $5 e-certificate from amazon to one lucky winner :)



Cover Reveal & Traliler: The Fragile Things by V. Shaw

The Fragile Things
by V. Shaw
Horror

Two girls on the road to self-destruction.


A village upon the brink of collapse.

A past which refuses to die.
The beginning of an epic four-part horror serial.

At seventeen-years-old, Jennifer should have the world at her feet. Instead, she’s an ex-heroin addict living in a council estate with Tony, her boyfriend and former dealer. Shunned by her family and friends, she dreams of something greater than she’s been given.

Beautiful and strange, Ebony has moved in across the street. She’s just lost the one person in her lonely existence to cancer. She’s also a centuries-old vampire, struggling to cope with murderous outbursts and the desire to be something more.

When these two lost souls meet, an unusual friendship begins.

But with the news of Morris, Tony’s sadistic best friend and drug-dealing partner, being released from prison, Jennifer knows it’s only a matter of time before his path of vengeance leads to her and Ebony, too.

With a cast of memorable characters, a village full of secrets, and a gripping story, The Fragile Things is a layered tale of friendship, hope, survival and what it truly means to be human.

Part I of The Fragile Things is available on Amazon from 30th April, 2013. And will be FREE 30th April – 2nd May.

Author Bio:

V. Shaw is the author of short fiction collection, The Lady of Chains and Other Stories. Having reviewed horror films for FatallyYours.com, she now focuses on creating her own monsters.

Blog:
http://vshawauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/V.-Shaw/e/B009VLNKFG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1




Monday 29 April 2013

Book Review: Poppet by Mo Hayder

Poppet
by Mo Hayder
Jack Caffrey #6
Crimer/Thriller
Bantam Press UK
5 Stars

Blurb:

The Maude is outside. It wants to come in.

It wants to sit on your chest.

The mentally ill patients in Beechway High Secure Unit are highly suggestible. A hallucination can spread like a virus. When unexplained power cuts lead to a series of horrifying incidents, fear spreads from the inmates to the staff. Amidst the growing hysteria, AJ, a senior psychiatric nurse, is desperate to protect his charges.

Detective Inspector Jack Caffery is looking for the corpse of a missing woman. He knows all too well how it feels to fail to find a loved one's body. When AJ seeks Caffery's help in investigating the trouble at Beechway, each man must face a bitter truth in his own life. Before staring pure evil in the eye.

Review:

Mo Hayder is an author who delves deep into the darker recesses of the human psyche, and how much darker are the psyches of patients in a mental hospital, some of them there because they have committed horrendous crimes?

AJ, the head psychiatric nurse doesn't want to know why the patients are here, he doesn't want to know what crimes they may have committed to get incarcerated at Beechway, he treats them all with dignity and respect, no matter what they may have done in the past. When the patients start worrying about being haunted by something called 'The Maude', AJ wants to get to the bottom of things, but things go from bad to worse, with deaths and disfigurements of patients. Is there really something otherworldly that is responsible for the deaths or is the answer somewhere closer to home?

This is the sixth Jack Caffrey book, but don't worry if you haven't read any of the others, this works well as a stand-alone novel and I would say that AJ was our main protagonist here, with a few cameo roles from Jack.

The plot twists and turns like any good mystery should and leaves you guessing right till the end. It's been a long time since I've read a mystery where I hadn't guessed the twist a mile away, here I didn't and I was so pleased to be surprised!

AJ was a wonderful, sympathetic character, trying his best to care for his charges in the face of budget cuts, lack of staff who refused to cover the night shift and an old building that is crumbling around them. I adored AJ's Aunt Patience, who always made him a big breakfast whenever he got home, no matter what time of day it happened to be.

I loved the book, but it took a while to get into the flow of it because it was written in the present tense. That seemed a rather strange choice to write a novel in and I was conscious of the tense most of the way through the novel, whereas with most books in the past tense, you don't seem so aware of it. Or maybe that's just me.

Highly recommended for any fans of dark, psychological thrillers.

Reviewed by Annette Gisby

Sunday 28 April 2013

Book Trailer & Giveaway - Trust: A New Beginning by Cristine Serruya





Title: Trust: A New Beginning

Series: TRUST #1
Author: Cristiane Serruya
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: self-published
Format: Ebook, Paperback, Hardcover
Length: 393 pages
Buy Links: Amazon | B&N
Book Description:

They are beautiful. They are rich. They are strong willed and successful. They have everything, but love. And each one of them has a dark secret looming in their past.

Sophia is a 25 year old Brazilian widow. Intelligent and ravishing, she flees from her own country after a tragic incident. Hiding from everyone and everything, she remains alone, torn between the love for a dead man, the torment of living without part of her memory and the fear of moving on.

Ethan is one of the most important tycoons in the steel industry. As the memory of an awful evening in his adolescence haunts him night and day, he keeps looking for an elusive woman whom he could love - and who would love him - as he never has in all his 35 years... Until he finds Sophia.

Alistair is a 34 year old powerful banker, searching for one–night stands with women who will warm his bed. And that he can punish physically to abate his anger for his late wife's black deeds and his own guilt for being such a debauched man for so many years. Any woman will do, and he has many to choose from, as they all fall instantly for his manly, devilish charming ways.

In Europe, in the months after October 2009, their paths will cross and clash.

This is the first book of the trilogy TRUST, this is an adult contemporary romance lavishly set in a billionaire's Europe, deriving its strength from realistic and dramatic character interactions in their hunt for trust and love.

Contains strong language and graphic sex scenes.










a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Hope's Reign by Selena Fenech


Hope's Reign
Selina Fenech
YA Fantasy
Book Two in Memory's Wake Trilogy
Date Published: May 10, 2013

Summary:

Everything is slipping away from Memory. The bond of friendship between her, Eloryn, Roen, and Will, that was formed while running for their lives is tearing. In a world that doesn’t feel like home, with a mind filled with nothing but questions, Memory struggles to be true to herself… whoever that is. When her past self starts haunting her, she knows her sanity could be the next thing she will lose.


Selina Fenech


Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, an unnamed cat. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts, made a living as a visual artist, and shared her imaginary worlds in paintings and now in her novels.



Contact Links

Author Interview: S M Randle

About the Author:

S. M. Randle knew as a young child writing music and poetry that she wanted to write a book someday. She has always been a mystery and horror buff, so in 2010, she decided to follow her dream to write a book - Night of the Shadows: The Beginning. This is her first book and the first one in the three part Horror Series.


She is currently working on the second book in the Horror Series, which will be out in 2013.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I just let the story flow.


Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

No, they don't

What is your favorite food?

Shrimp

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I'm a morning person

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I would love to go to Hawaii again. I loved the people and the places there.

Do distant places feature in your books?

No

Do you listen to music while writing?

No, I don't. I just looked outside my sitting room window taking in the scenery while I write.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Set in the small town of Shelby North Carolina, Night of the Shadows: The Beginning follows the struggles and crimes of a woman serial killer.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

That its a hard path to follow. You have to be truly dedicated.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I would work on my marketing aspects for the book before it is published.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

I love the writings of Stephen King, Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

To be focused and dedicated to your craft.

What are three words that describe you?

fun loving, hard worker and professional

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Stephen King

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book


Set in the small town of Shelby North Carolina, Night of the Shadows: The Beginning follows the struggles and crimes of a woman serial killer. Mounting suspense and murder around every turn, author S. M. Randle takes readers through the story of a young woman starving for love and affection, who is guided by forces that make her do unspeakable things. Things that she begins to accept, like and enjoy. S. M. Randle's scary, engaging evil story has brought the shivers back to the genre. The explosives demonic forces captive the reader with blood and gore making sleep the farthest thing from your mind.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web

Amazon | Lulu | Smashwords

Saturday 27 April 2013

Guest Post: A Sex Comedy Without the Sex by Barbara Morgenroth

A Sex Comedy Without the Sex

by Barbara Morgenroth

That's how Andrew Sarris, the film critic, defined screwball comedies of the 1930's. America had entered the Depression, people were out of work, life was grim and they wanted to go to the movies to take the only vacation they could afford--ten cents to sit in the dark for a few hours.

These movies often featured the disparity between the wealthy and the not so well-off, the upper class and the common folk, and the story always put the two groups together so they could interact. By the closing credits, the wealthy usually came out worse for wear, but having learned valuable lessons.

I grew up watching these movies like It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, My Man Godfrey and The Palm Beach Story. I still watch them and love every minute.

When I sat down to write a new book I thought what would be a vacation for me if not writing my own screwball comedy. I started to write about Paige, a woman living her life out on the internet, disconnected from the real world. When Paige meets a man on a dating site she believes is guilty of identity theft—pretending to be a wealthy and famous playboy—she pulls the plug on her computer and leaves for the simple pleasures of rural life.

But this is a screwball comedy and Paige meets one eccentric after another in this small town. The idea is to go over the top and keep going. In The Palm Beach Story, the soon to be ex-husband has a dream to build an airport suspended over the city. In Nothing Serious, a man with a paucity of vowels in his name, Shrdlu, has invented clear ice.

“Think of the uses for that!” Shrdlu exclaims.

“What’s wrong with normal ice?” Paige asks.

“It’s cloudy. You put it in your drink and suddenly you can’t see through your glass anymore.”

Paige nodded in a way she hoped looked supportive. “The unexpected drawback of wanting a cool refreshment.”

“With Clear Ice, trademark pending, you could still see your beverage.”

“A much needed benefit when attempting to get the drink to your mouth.”

Silliness.

Screwball comedies always made the journey to true love and so does Nothing Serious. There are always predicaments to be resolved.

In The Palm Beach Story, Gerry Jeffers has to divorce her husband, Tom, in order to marry a millionaire to get enough money to finance Tom's construction scheme.

In Nothing Serious, there is the problem with Paige's internet addiction, and of course, the issue of painting the storefront in unapproved colors so that Paige nearly winds up in Zoning Board jail. Then she finds a lost portrait of Queen Elizabeth I and uses the windfall profits to bail Shrdlu out of jail resulting from of the small incident of his international computer espionage.

Over the top and keep going.

These wonderful filmmakers from Hollywood's past are a hard act to follow but I hope I honored them in my attempt to create a screwball comedy like theirs. Take a vacation and you don't have to sit in the dark.

About the Author:

Barbara was born in New York City and but now lives somewhere else. Starting her career by writing tweens and YA books, she wound up in television writing soap operas for some years. Barbara then wrote a couple cookbooks and a nonfiction book on knitting. She returned to fiction and wrote romantic comedies.

When digital publishing became a possibility, Barbara leaped at the opportunity and has never looked back. In addition to the 15 traditionally published books she wrote, in digital format Barbara has something to appeal to almost every reader from Mature YAs like the Bad Apple series and the Flash series, to contemporary romances like Love in the Air published by Amazon/Montlake, and Unspeakably Desirable, Nothing Serious and Almost Breathing.

About the Book:

Nothing Serious
by Barbara Morgenroth
Romantic Comedy
Available from amazon

Leaving the safety of New York, Paige Elliot heads for the Catskills and opens a shop mistakenly called Nothing Serious. While battling internet withdrawal, and water containing swamp gas pouring from her faucets, Paige deals with someone who invented thick water, almost nails her hand to the storefront, avoids zoning board jail and falls deeply in love with the blue-eyed antiques dealer next door, Jonathan Macklin, even if he doesn't trust her as far as he can throw his Majorelle cabinet.
Visit the author's amazon webpage

Friday 26 April 2013

Author Interview: Carlos Martinez

About the Author:

Carlos Martínez Robalino was born in Riobamba, Ecuador, in 1971. Having a tendency towards literary arts, he won at an early age a poetry contest titled “El niño vendedor de periódicos”, translated “The Boy Who Sold Newspapers”.


In 1986, at age 15, he starts writing musical pieces, his portfolio counting over 100, of which eight registered on vinyl and CD.

Carlos derives joy from music, movies and writing, three forms in which he constantly communicates and shares his experiences.

Raised in the generous soil of Latin America, Carlos is passionate about nature, being a devoted ecologist, fighting to stop deforestation, which, he truly believes disrupts the planet’s ecosystem.

Besides his great pleasures, music, movies and writing, Carlos finds fulfillment in travelling, having visited many places in Europe and North America, as it offers him a fresh perspective, inspiration and amazement in front of nature’s beauty.

Carlos is empowered by the quote “When I am, I don’t think; When I think, I am not here”.   Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I don’t plan everything. I just let the story flow, as I consider this process more challenging and surprising. I believe that planning everything deprives the joy of the unknown. For that, I am always emphasized by a quote: “When I am, I don’t think; When I think, I am not here”.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

No, this book emphasizes more on the deep content rather than on the characters.

What is your favourite food?

Regarding this subject, I really must say that I enjoy the most eating tuna, eggs and rice.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I am definitely a night owl.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I very much enjoy travelling and I have visited many places from Europe and North America, but, I may say that I would love to visit Tibet as I find it unique and filled with deep spiritual impressions. I would come back fully energized and inspired from such a journey.

Do distant places feature in your books?

No, actually they don’t.

Do you listen to music while writing?

No, I don’t listen to music while writing. However, I do write musical pieces; my portfolio includes over 100 of which eight registered on vinyl and CD. I constantly communicate and share my experiences through music, writing and movies.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Sure, I would love to. My latest and in the same time, my first release is a novel about self discovery. The spiritual journey my readers are invited to make is accompanied by the main characters of the novel, David and Peter, all along which allowed me, the author, to share with the public some life changing philosophies and ideas that have a great impact and challenged me as well as it will challenge the readers.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

Writing this book became my therapy and I considered my first release a transformational quest for my own personal beliefs. I found that publishing a book is a challenging process, filled with ups and downs, yet rewarding in the spiritual sense, as now I can say I have a written legacy – my first novel, and hopefully, not my last. During this process, I met a lot of talented individuals who helped me and for whom I am extremely grateful, as they helped me share my story with the rest of the world.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Writing and publishing my fist book was an incredible journey thus, no, I might say, I wouldn’t change anything, as it was an amazing experience and enjoyed every moment of it.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

My first story was inspired by Eckhart Tolle, the author of “The power of now”.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

To whoever reads this interview, my advice to you is to have confidence in your powers and to enjoy the journey wherever it may take you.

What are three words that describe you?

I can be best described as a charismatic, spontaneous and spiritual individual.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

My favorite book is “The power of now” written by Eckhart Tolle; as a matter of fact, as I answered above, this author was my inspiration for my own book, “The Eagle’s Journey”.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

CM: „The Eagle’s Journey is the story of a man who manages to find his way towards happiness. Learning from the hardships that the wilderness has shown him, he reaches fulfillment. The author offers the reader the opportunity to learn the secret of a better life - the grace of being in the here and now.” ~ Bogdan Vosloban – Freelance Journalist & Owner of Ned32News

List of previous books if any

This is my first book. More to follow! :)

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

CM: You can check my personal author page at www.carlosmartinezrobalino.com
 , Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carlos-Martinez/217586375051449?ref=hl or you can find my book on Amazon (kindle and paperback edition) and Barnes & Noble.


The Eagle's Journey
by Carlos Martinez


True reality can only be found in the present, since the mind creates its own reality, but true perception is in the here and now, only in this moment, only in this place, but not in any other place that implies the time one can be so close to the world’s reality, to the universe, to life, only in this immediate present does the truth of “everything” exist, and the rest is no more than “nothing”.


The novel offers the reader an easy to relate story about self discovery. Some questions may rise and some answers may be given by this accessible and yet profound narrated chain of events. At first it would seem that things are presented in a naive manner but shortly it is proven to the reader that following the path of the Eagle’s Journey might be, if understood at a deeper level, the best choice to make in one’s life.

The story starts when two men go in the wilderness to observe an eagle. Their trip becomes a journey of self-discovery. Peter is an old wise man who tries to show David that in some way there is a resemblance between him and the eagle. Their first trip ends only to be followed by several others at the site. During this time both David and the eagle go through a journey of self improvement.

The easiest way to be aware of the surrounding reality is through senses and thought. Understanding the meaning and using a language to express ideas gives us power over ourselves and others. However the power of thought when wielded without a sense of control can lead to unwanted effects.

Being present in the present is a task that seems difficult at first for David until he understands that the easiest way to live and experience the reality is by living in the "here and now".

In theory it’s easy to accomplish this but he has some childhood issues that need attention and he goes to a professional psychiatrist to help him.

But how can anyone reach this connection to the present moment? Silence. The inner silence is the key to connect to everything that surrounds us. Our thoughts are our best servants but they can also be our strongest enemies. Can we control them or do they control us? Can we silence our minds to allow ourselves the clarity that the nothingness can offer?

After struggles with the habits and prejudices that rooted inside human mind for years due to the various environments that offered an education and thus a metamorphosis from the freely minded child into a socially accepted adult, can anyone be truly free? Completely thought-silenced? One with the flow of life itself?

David finds on the path of the eagle his own path. He becomes the journey of his own life. He understands the reality from a different perspective after confronting his inner self in the psychiatrist’s office and after each of his returns to the place where the eagle shows him a path of self improvement. Therefore he realizes that his journey is one of a better life and acts upon it patiently.

The spiritual journey the reader is invited to make is accompanied by the main characters of the novel all along which allows the author, Carlos Martínez, to share with the public some life changing philosophies and ideas that have a great impact and challenge the readers.

The book is available from amazon | b&n

Thursday 25 April 2013

Author Interview: A.F. Firebird


About the Author:

A.F. Firebird is the alter ego of a sociologist/psychologist turned web developer from the UK. While A.F. Firebird has worked in several fields her primary focus is the exploration of six virtues: appreciation, forgiveness, compassion, humility, understanding and valour. Her first novel, The Reluctant Goddess, numerous short stories and children's books, all investigate aspects of these virtues.


Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

A little bit of both.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

No, I only have well behaved characters.

What is your favourite food?

Chocolate.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Morning person.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I just watched Lilo and Stitch so I am dreaming of Hawaii.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Yes, The story takes place in England, Rawanda, California, Brazil, Australia and Florida

Do you listen to music while writing?

Yes.  
The Reluctant Goddess
by A.F. Firebird
Published by: Pose Ltd
Date: 4th July 2012
Kindle Edition : ASIN: B007QMHPYE £1.54
Paperback Edition : ISBN-13: 978-0957313804 £7.99
Where to buy:
paperback or kindle: http://www.posegroup.org/books/trg/buy/index.html#buy
paperback or kindle:
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.amazon.co.uk
Also available on itunes
Other ebook formats upon request here:
http://www.posegroup.org/books/trg/forms/contact.html


Ellena Ripley is a bookshop owner from a rural town in the south of England - or so she thinks. But lately, she has a growing sense that life is not as it seems. At night, she dreams of a serene man who appears to be trying to tell her something; In the day, she can't shake a feeling of expectation. But of what?

Meanwhile Hector, servant of LIFE and the man from Ellena's dreams, has a dilemma. How do you tell someone they are a goddess? His previous attempts have met with disaster so he must be cautious, particularly when his new trainee, Boudica, formerly Queen of the Iceni tries to help. The question is can they succeed before it is too late?

Excerpt:

By now she could see her shop in the distance, nestled between the greengrocers and the gift shop and opposite the bakery, which was already doing a brisk trade. She could smell fresh bread and rich coffee before she reached the top of the high street.


Her book shop was an old fashioned wood and glass style building that reminded her of the Old Curiosity Shop from the Dickens novel. Once inside, the expanse of wooden shelves and sloping wooden floors gave the impression of a large eighteenth-century sailing ship rather than a shop. The wooden carved railings around the counter looked like the bridge, minus the steering wheel. While the ridiculously warped floorboards seemed to undulate as she walked across them, so much so that sometimes she felt like the shop was rolling on the high seas, not sitting in Wootton Bourne High Street. Some days when she traversed the room between the Romance and Philosophy sections, she imagine herself an adventurer standing at the bow of her great vessel, a warm breeze blowing her hair gently, the aroma from uncharted, blossom-covered tropical islands filling her senses. But when the image faded she would find herself again, not an adventurer on the high seas but a middle aged woman standing on a sloping floor.

Ellena unlocked the shop door and pushed it open, the door chimes jangling as she stepped over the pile of post waiting for her. She picked up the letters and placed them on the desk behind the checkout. Hector padded dutifully off to the kitchen to settle down in his basket while she flicked through the pile of mail absentmindedly. A pink sheet of paper caught her eye. She laughed. That’s me all over - print anything on pink paper and it has my attention…I am such a girl sometimes! But she read it anyway.

BECOME THE AUTHOR OF YOUR OWN LIFE was the big heading. Below it was the smiling face of a woman who presumably was the author of her own life. Ellena crumpled up the paper and threw it in the bin.


The author at goodreads

Author Interview: Ashlynne Laynne








About the Author:

Ashlynne Laynne has always had a soft spot in her heart for vampires but grew tired of the garlic fearing, sun-loathing creatures of old. An avid horror movie fan, she tends to enjoy media and music that is of a younger, more eclectic nature. This was the catalyst for her writing The Progeny. The vampire/witch pairing is unique and different when most books pair vampires with werewolves.


Ashlynne loves writing on the edge and teetering between the erotica and romance genres, and thinks of Ascher and Shauna as the wicked, damned version of Romeo and Juliet. She is currently working on book four of her Progeny Series, book one of her upcoming Rocker Series, and an untitled novella WIP. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her family. She juggles the hats of wife, mother, full time employee and part-time writer, hoping to write full time one day soon.

Ashlynne lives in North Carolina with her husband and teenage son.   First off, I’d like to thank Annette for hosting me today. I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. My name is Ashlynne Laynne, and I’m the author of the Progeny Series. I’ve been writing almost two years, and I live in the States with my husband and teenage son.   Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I start each project with a loose time line that never completely holds up. The deeper I get into writing this series, the less control I, as the writer, seem to have over my characters.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

(chuckles) Ascher and Shauna are both very stubborn characters and they want their story told. Good for them...bad for me. I often dream about them and wake from my sleep to write down things that I dream. The series started with a dream about my hero, Ascher, and the unique amulets that he and his brothers wear.

What is your favourite food?

I have so many, but one of my all-time favourites is deep dish pepperoni pizza.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I’m a night owl, which doesn’t bode well for me considering the fact that I have to be to work at five in the morning. I’ve been doing it for fifteen years, and it still takes me until nine to completely wake up every morning.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I’ve written about two places that I would really love to go. The first is Paris. I took French for four years in school. I love the food and accents. I made Ascher French because of this. The second place I’d love to see is Hawaii. While researching Hawaii for book three, I fell even more in love with it. The last place I want to visit is Ireland. A character I’m writing for another series is part Irish and I love writing him. I’ve always been wild for anything Celtic. I love the culture, the dancing and the music. I wear a Celtic knot ring on my right hand to remind me of my character and to convey my love for the culture.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Ascher is French, and he and Shauna do quite a bit of travelling in the books. They visit Paris and Romania in book one. They visit Saint-Tropez in book two, and they visit Hawaii and New York in book three. Shauna grew up with little money and sheltered, so Ascher joys in showing her new places.

Do you listen to music while writing?

I’m a confessed alt rock fan and love nothing more than a little Rob Zombie, Evanescence or Muse to get my blood pumping while I’m writing an intense fight scene. I also love listening to smooth and mellow music while writing love scenes. The words just seem to flow better with music.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?


My latest release is entitled Blood Promise, and it’s the third book in my Progeny series. At its elemental core, this series is simply about a man and woman who fall in love, and the fact that he’s a half-blood (half-human, half vampire) and she’s a Wiccan human complicate their situation. Quite a few revelations and the final part of an ancient prophecy come to light in this book. Ascher and Shauna have had to fight tooth and nail for their relationship, and this installment is no different. The threads holding the clan together are definitely tested in Blood Promise. This book picks up hours after the second book ended. This series encompasses a family dynamic of which we’ve never seen. The Rousseaus share a common mortal and immortal bloodline, but loyalty bonds this clan. Shauna and Ascher’s dissuaded love only strengthens the family bonds. Their unique union transcends bloodlines and completes the prophecy, defying the archaic beliefs of centuries old covenants while shattering the wall between the Wiccan and vampire worlds that has existed for ages. This series is erotic paranormal romance intended for adults, as it contains adult sensuality, language and themes.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

The person who’s had the biggest influence over me and my writing would have to be my dear friend, and fellow erotica writer, Leanore Elliott. She took me under her wing and practically taught me what I needed to know about the business and writing. She also gave me the soundest advice anyone has ever given me. She told me, “The story always comes first, little Ashlynne. Always protect your story.” This is advice that I take to heart.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?


I would tell them to write every day, even if they don’t feel like it. Also, get a good editor. As writers, we are too close to our characters and the story to be objective when it comes to a thorough edit. You need a fresh, unbiased set of eyes to catch the problems that you might overlook in your manuscript. After an unfortunate editing mishap with book one, I commissioned Leanore as a second edit, and I’ll never release another book without her. She’s awesome.

What are three words that describe you?

observant, quiet, loyal

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

Stephen King is my favorite writer.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Blood Promise (The Progeny Series #3)

Their love is fated by an ancient prophecy. Now the promise is fulfilled.”

Ascher Rousseau is a half-human, half vampire whose life has been a series of prophecies and predictions. After finding incredible love and passion with Shauna—a Wiccan with powers beyond anything he’s ever known—he seals to her and hopes for happiness. But his enemies seek to destroy all that he loves, and he finds that happiness never lasts for long.

Darkness is descending and a vampiric revolution is nearing. A new brood of hatchlings is born to join their darkling brothers, in preparation for war. A preordained chain of events is set into motion that could lead to the rise of the demonic “cloaked one” and his half-human fallen children, while ending humanity—as we know it.

Can a supernatural love and the loyal bond of a family save the Rousseaus and the world from certain extinction?

List of previous books if any

The Progeny

Blood Bonds

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.


 Manic Readers ~Blog ~Website ~

Thank you, Ashlynne and good luck with your books!



Tuesday 23 April 2013

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Fusion by Imogen Rose




Fusion

Portal Chronicles
Book Five
Imogen Rose
Genre: paranormal YA

What if, once upon a time, I had taken that leap of faith?

Our choices not only affect us, but send tremors of change that can alter the destiny of others. Especially if you happen to construct a time-travel portal...

My name is Arizona Darley and my mom did just that.

When Olivia decided to go back in time to find the one man she was destined to, she catapulted Arizona’s life into rollercoaster of confusion. Fusion is the highly anticipated conclusion to the Portal Chronicles, which began with the YA bestseller, Portal.

About the Author:

Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling series, the Portal Chronicles, which has attained cult status within indie literature and become a favorite among teens and adults alike. An immunologist by profession, Dr. Rose published her first work of fiction in 2010. She now writes full time and is currently working on her second teen series, the Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen was born in Sweden and has lived in several places, counting London among her favorites. She moved to New Jersey in 2001. A self-confessed Hermès addict, Imogen freely admits to being obsessed with Kurt Cobain. She enjoys shopping, traveling, watching movies, and hanging out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua.


WebsiteBlogFacebookTwitter








a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Tiger's Claim by Lia Davis





A Tiger's Claim
by Lia Davis
Ashwood Falls #1
Paranormal Romance

Fated Desires Publishing
Ebook
Length: approx. 35,000 words
Available from:  amazon | b&nallromancekobo

Blurb:

As the Alpha’s only daughter Shayna Andrews has always been treated like a rare gem, protected like royalty, and she’s suffocating. Her longing to be independent has driven her to sneak out one evening after dinner. After relishing in being able to run free without an escort, she finds herself face-to-face with the enemy, miles from home, and nearly loses her life until a lone wolf comes to her aid.


Travis Hunter’s main objective is to destroy the Onyx Pack—a group of drug using, murdering rogue shifters. His seek-and-destroy plans are put on hold when he rescues a female from a brutal attack. The beautifully exotic tiger shifter, Shayna, stirs a passion he thought died with his long-lost mate.

When Shay’s first heat cycle slams into her, Travis has no choice but to submit to her needs—and his own. But there is always a price to sleeping with the Pack princess. Not only will they have to face her Pack, Shay and Travis will have to deal with a mating that is beyond a single night and could have consequences more than either of them had thought. And when Travis finds out Shay wears the enemy’s brand, things will go from bad to worse.

Warning: One alpha female who doesn't take no for an answer, a wolf with more on the line than just his heart, and a combustible attraction that's sure to cause more than one sweaty night.

About the Author

Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and two very special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, a paranormal romance author, graphic designer, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s her home and she loves it!

imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing and designing are stress relievers that allow her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.

Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.

Facebook | Website | Twitter: @novelsbylia | Goodreads


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 22 April 2013

Author Interview & Book Spotlight: Susanna Calkins

About the Author:

Susanna Calkins is a historian and academic, currently working at Northwestern University. She’s had a morbid curiosity about murder in seventeenth-century England ever since she was in grad school, when she was first working on her Ph.D. in history. The ephemera from the archives—tantalizing true accounts of the fantastic and the strange—inspired her historical mysteries, including A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she lives outside Chicago now with her husband and two sons.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I tend to do a little of both. I’ve learned that it’s helpful to think through the general shape of the story, with a few guideposts built in along the way, but I tend to just let the first draft be a process of discovery.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story?

No, because they know they might be murdered if they do.

What is your favourite food?

Indian and Thai—vegetarian.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Let’s put it this way…the only time I see dawn is when I’ve been up all night. It’s nice. I see why people like it.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I’d like to see all the wonders of the world—the ancient wonders, the modern wonders, the natural wonders, the man-made wonders. There are a lot of wonders in this world, and I want to see them all. Oh, and Anarctica, which never seems to make any of the ‘wonders’ lists.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Well, my book is set in 17th century London, which may not seem too distant for readers of this blog! For my characters, there is a sense of awe of the New World (the Massachusetts Bay Colony).

Do you listen to music while writing?

Not really, but my husband will often have the TV on. I just tune it out.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?


My first novel—A Murder at Rosamund’s Gate—is the first in a series featuring Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate. When someone she loves faces hanging for the murder of a fellow servant, Lucy must interpret the clues hidden in miniature portraits, popular ballads, and a corpse’s pointing finger to save his life…all before the true murderer turns on her…

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I’ve learned that writing the book is only the first step in a really long path towards publication. More specifically, I’ve learned about the importance of social media in forging connections and promoting my book. I’ve also learned that rejection can manifest itself in a variety of ways, and it’s crucial to celebrate the little successes along the way.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I would have figured out who my murderer was before I wrote the first 200 pages of the book. I was enjoying writing about the murder so much, and its impact on Lucy and the other characters, that I forgot to figure out this crucial piece of information! Had I figured it out sooner, I might have saved myself much hair-pulling and gnashing of teeth.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

My story was very much influenced by my background as a historian. More specifically, I love the historical mysteries of Anne Perry, Charles Todd and Rhys Bowen, so I suspect they influenced me as well.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Set achievable (realistic) goals, but be flexible in case you don’t meet them. Don’t worry about making your story perfect when you start, just get it down. Save the editing for later. Don’t compare yourself to others.

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I don’t know why this feels like a cliché, but Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is truly a favorite.

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

www.susannacalkins.com

Book Spotlight:


A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
by Susanna Calkins
Historical/Mystery

Blurb:

For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion. Lucy can’t believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and—if the plague doesn't kill the suspect first—public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened. Unless, that is, she can uncover the truth herself.

Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers’ shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer.

In her debut novel Murder at Rosamund's Gate, Susanna Calkins seamlessly blends historical detail, romance, and mystery in a moving and highly entertaining tale.

Excerpt:

A great pounding at the door startled the chambermaid bending to light the morning hearth. Jerking upright, Lucy Campion swore softly as a bit of hot beeswax stung her wrist. Slapping the taper on the mantel, she sneaked a glance over her shoulder. She could hear Bessie and Cook rattling pots in the kitchen, but the rest of the magistrate’s household was still. Her muttered oath had not carried. Though theirs was not a stringent Puritan family, the magistrate frowned on ill language, and Lucy always took care not to annoy him.

Lucy was feeling out of sorts, though, having been awakened an hour too early—not to the usual sound of roosters crowing but instead to their frantic squealing. Local boys had been casting stones at the witless birds, all mercilessly shackled to wooden stakes on the street outside her window. Although the Church officially did not condone such activities, the community accepted that boys would have their fun. Fortunately only the servants, light sleepers that they all were, had been awakened by the disturbance. The rest of the household, the magistrate’s family, had slept blissfully on.

Now, tugging her skirts into place, Lucy moved across the long wooden floor into the great hall. Who could be calling? Deliveries from the haberdasher or the vintner usually were made at the kitchen entrance, and no decent visitor would call before the family had broken their morning fast.

As Lucy swung open the heavy oak door, her scolding words withered on her lips. Instead of a journeyman plying his trade, a straight-backed man in uniform regarded her sternly. Lucy recognized his red coat and insignia immediately. He was one of King Charles’s own men. Although Redcoats were a common enough sight throughout London, a soldier at the stoop, even at the magistrate’s household, disquieted her. Ever since she was a child, soldiers had filled her with unease.

He spoke without preamble. “I’m Duncan, the new constable. I must speak with the magistrate at once.”

Youthful mischief, no doubt. The boys had probably caused some damage with their early-morning antics. Lucy took a deep breath. “Of course, sir. I’ll fetch my master. Pray, warm yourself by the fire.”

Inside, Lucy saw the constable’s otherwise set face twitch in appreciation. The magistrate’s home was fine enough, it was true. The place was not quite so decorated as some, for the master had a mean practical streak and would not let his wife furnish as lavishly as she would like. Still, it had a pleasing elegance that well suited the master and his family. The house had three floors, with the living quarters on the first floor, the sleeping chambers on the second, and the maids’ cramped quarters on the very top floor. John, the master’s servant, slept with Cook, his wife, in the tiny niche behind the kitchen hearth, among the potatoes and onions. How they fit, Lucy had often wondered, as John was a great burly man and Cook an ample woman herself.

Even as she turned to locate John, the master himself appeared. He could have been in full magisterial garb instead of a simple sleeping gown, so dignified was his bearing. This morning, the habitual twinkling of his eye and rueful grin were missing, replaced by the slightest of frowns. He summoned the constable to his private chamber, and they disappeared down the hallway.

Bessie came from the kitchen then, her blue eyes wide, having passed the constable in the corridor. Like Lucy, she had been awake for some time, tending to the early-morning duties of the household.

Two years older than Lucy, Bessie was a farm girl from Lambeth hired by the master at a Michaelmas hiring fair some five years back. Before coming to the Hargraves, Bessie had been a nursery maid in a “family of quality,” tending to three small children. As she had confided to Lucy once, however, the master grabbed at her more than the tots did, and she was nearly thrown out when the mistress discovered her husband’s sneaking ways. She was in that household two years before ending her contract with the family. Bessie had quickly found the Hargraves’ household to her liking, just as Lucy did later. Master Hargrave paid well, son and father treated her courteously, and the mistress was not jealous of her pleasing ways.

Now Bessie giggled, revealing a large gap in her mouth where her tooth had cracked some years before. “So handsome, isn’t he?” she whispered. “I just love the gold on the constable’s red coat. I’ve never seen him before, though. Have you? I wonder where he came from.”

“I don’t know. Maybe Yorkshire?” Lucy guessed, for the soldier’s voice reminded her a bit of a distant cousin she had met once. But who could know? After King Charles was restored to the throne, he had dispersed many of his men throughout England, Ireland, and Wales, to help restore order. Likely as not, the soldier was far from his childhood home.

Cook soon swatted Bessie. “You’d best be getting to your chores and forget that constable. It’s not likely he brings good tidings at this hour,” she said, her pockmarked face growing impish. She winked at Lucy. “’Twould be best if you kept your mind on good honest boys like my Samuel.”

Bessie flounced off to tend to the mistress, her curls bouncing beneath her cap. Lucy hid a smile. Bessie despised Samuel, a stocky lad of fourteen years who as a child used to pull her curls with sticky fingers, and who now would pinch her rear when out of his mother’s sight. Thankfully, they saw him only rarely these days, for he had lately begun work as a fishmonger in Leadenhall.

Regarding the closed study door, Lucy wondered what business had brought the constable to the magistrate at such an hour. This was not altogether unusual, to be sure, since the magistrate often had constables and the like stopping by the household, but the grim set to this soldier’s jaw made her especially curious.

After a half hour, the constable left, and Lucy brought out the master’s breakfast to the dining room. There, the master downed his kippers and bread with a bit of wine, not lingering long, preferring to remain in his study until the noon meal. A member of the King’s Bench before the war, and a magistrate since Charles II’s return, he was beginning to write his memoirs when the assize courts were not in session. Lucy watched him closely. If he was bothered by the news Constable Duncan had brought, he hid it well.

* * *

Lucy’s curiosity about the stranger faded as she spent the next hour emptying chamber pots into the cesspit and shaking out rush mats on the stones outside the stoop. These heavy tasks numbed her fingers and made the sweat run down the back of her woolen dress. She had received the dress when she first entered service with the Hargraves two years before, when her dear mother had come down with consumption. When she bent over now, she realized anew how the dress was pulling across her front, although not as tightly as it had on Bessie, who had worn the dress before her.

Lucy was just starting to rub the pewter with marestail, a plant that smelled and turned her fingers green, when Cook called her into the kitchen. “Where’s your pocket?” she asked Lucy, taking down an old stone jar from an alcove above the cutting bench. “We’ve got guests for supper, and I need some ox tongue, coffee, and eggs from the market.” She counted out a few coins and handed them to Lucy. “Don’t pay more than six shillings, you hear me?”

“Oh, yes!” Lucy said, dropping the coins carefully in the pocket she kept hidden beneath her skirts. The promise of the unexpected jaunt made her fairly dance down the front path, despite the chill in the air.

As she opened the gate, someone called to her from the doorway. “Hold on a moment, Lucy.” It was Adam, the magistrate’s son. “I’ll accompany you to market.”

“Sir?” she asked. She did not know the magistrate’s son very well. He’d been at Cambridge for the last few years and had only just returned to the household three weeks ago to finish up his studies in law at the Inns of Court. Unlike Sarah, the magistrate’s daughter, and Lucas, the magistrate’s ward, Adam always heeded the difference in their relative stations. He treated Lucy and the other servants courteously but never teased them in the playful way he did his sister and Lucas. Certainly he’d never volunteered to walk her into town.

“’Tis no day for a lass to be traveling alone.” He started down the narrow cobblestone path. Seeing that she was still standing there, he tilted his head at her. “Coming?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, scrambling to keep up with his lanky pace.

A moment later they passed the cocks Lucy had heard that morning. Now they were battered, plucked, and no longer squawking. Mercifully, the birds were all dead, and their youthful tormentors had long fled. Some of their neighbors were cutting them off the stakes to pop into their kettles. Adam frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Yoo-hoo, Lucy!” one of the neighbors called, elbowing another servant in the ribs. It was Janey, the most miserable gossip on the street. “Where are you off to?”

“Market,” Lucy responded through gritted teeth, trying not to flush at Janey’s knowing smirk. She’d already been treated to Janey’s vile opinions about what the gentry believed was their due. Seeing Lucy with the magistrate’s son would certainly fuel the morning’s gossip. Lucy shook her basket at her. “See?” With that, Lucy picked up her step, Adam matching her easily. Soon they were beyond sight of their neighbors’ spying eyes.

As they walked along the dusty road to Covent Garden, Lucy found herself chattering far more than she usually did, trying to mask her discomfort at his presence. Why had Adam chosen to accompany her? she wondered. Did he think she wasn’t safe?

Adam barely spoke at all during their half hour trek, and indeed, she was not even sure he was listening to her nervous chatter. He seemed distracted, ignoring all her comments about the weather, Lent, what Cook would be making for supper, and the new foal arriving in their neighbor Master Whitcomb’s stable. Only when Lucy speculated aloud about whether the Whitcombs’ groom would have to turn the foal in the womb did Adam give her a sidelong glance. She laughed a little to herself, feeling far less tense.

Even with that minor victory, Lucy was getting tired of the one-way conversation. She finally asked the question that had been on her mind all morning. “Why do you suppose, sir, that Constable Duncan came to see your father this morning?” She hopped over a muddy puddle, landing with a squish on the still-sodden ground.

Adam brushed off some drops of mud that had landed on his coat. “My father’s business is his own, Lucy. It is not our concern.”

“So early he came, don’t you think?” she persisted. “It must have been a matter of great importance. The pounding he made, why, I thought he’d knock the door down!” She opened her eyes wide in pretended dismay.

Adam shrugged, refusing to take the bait. “’Tis best if you put the constable’s visit out of your head, I think, Lucy,” he said.

“Do you think it had something to do with those boys mischief? That was some carousing!”

Seeing Lucy’s hopeful look, Adam sighed. “The constable’s visit did involve a crime, and a serious one at that. As you know it, is my father’s right and duty as magistrate to be informed of ill happenings in his area of jurisprudence. Regardless, Father’s business is—”

“I know,” Lucy interrupted, “his own. You said so already.” She almost winked at him, as she would have, had she been talking to Sarah or Bessie, but stopped herself just in time. “Don’t worry. I’ll pretend I never saw the constable.” Besides, she thought to herself, someone will know what happened. This crime won’t stay secret for long.

* * *

Nearing the market, the cobbled streets grew crowded and noisy. The ever-present din of London grew louder, and the foggy haze made everything a little darker. The second stories of the buildings jutted into the narrow lanes, teetering on timbers some two or three centuries old.

As always, Lucy found herself ducking so that she would not be struck by the low-hanging wooden signs that swung into the streets. Since she could read better than most townspeople, she did not need to rely on the images painted on the signs to tell her the kinds of shops below. A picture of Adam and Eve hung above the apple sellers, a cradle hung above the basket makers, a cupid and torch above a glazier, an elephant above an ivory-comb maker, and so forth. She shuddered when she passed the bloodied bandages hanging from the windows of the barber surgeons. Brave souls, those who ventured inside.

A thin haze of smoke, arising from many ill-kept chimneys, lay dimly in the air. Steaming dung heaps littered the stones, and wild cats sniffed around doorways.

“Mind your step,” said Adam.

Lucy grimaced. The corpse of a dog lay in one corner, where it would remain until the chief ditcher carted it off to Houndsditch.

No one gave Lucy and Adam any mind as they made their way through the streets, but Lucy looked about, always eager to connect with the life that teemed about her. Servants from large houses and the wives of merchants scurried about with baskets, bargaining for fresh vegetables, meats, breads, and other goods. All about, traders sang their wares.

“Candles and ribbons!”

“Spices from the East!”

“Woolens to keep you dry and warm!”

“Fresh fish!”

Covent Garden was full of children, some darting in and out of narrow shops, some playing, others clutching bundles and baskets or clinging to their mother’s skirts. Almost all were dirty and pale, nothing like the red-cheeked children Lucy had known growing up outside London.

As she chose a bit of tongue from the fleshmarket, Lucy noticed two boys about her age, or maybe a little younger, sidling up to a woman bargaining with a butcher over a succulent cut of meat. Balancing three packages under one arm, the woman reached for her pocket to pay him.

Just then, one of the boys grabbed her purse, snapping the flimsy cord. The other boy scooped up two of her packages, and they took off, out of the market, in separate directions.

The woman, first stunned and mute, shook herself and began to wail, a shrieking, piteous sound. Nearby faces turned and conversations stopped, but after a moment, everyone returned to business. Pickpockets were a fair menace to the streets, but as the woman was a stranger, no one raised a hand to help her.

Shocked, Lucy turned to Adam. Had he witnessed it? It seemed he had.

“Come on. There’s no constable about.” His tone, like his face, was flat. “No bellman at hand, no soldiers. There is nothing to be done.”

Her uncertain protest quelled, Lucy picked up her basket again. She could not stop looking back at the woman, who had begun to weep openly. With her purse and day’s purchases gone, she might have little left. Her husband or master, unless he was a particularly forgiving man, might well beat her for her loss. Or worse. Lucy shuddered.

When they turned the corner, though, Lucy noticed that one of the young pickpockets had circled back, slinking among the crowded stalls. Without saying anything to Adam, she kept her head down, watching the lad as he helped himself to an apple here, a scrap of cloth there. He stood for a moment before an enormous leg of mutton. For a crazy moment, Lucy thought he was actually trying to figure out how to get the gamy leg inside his knapsack. The woman’s purse, she imagined, was still inside his doublet.

“I’m to get some eggs and a bit of coffee,” she told Adam, her eyes not leaving the boy.

Adam nodded, looking toward Fleet Street. Lucy had rarely been on the long, winding street where the printers and booksellers lived and hawked their wares.

“See that shop there?” Adam asked, pointing halfway down the narrow road. “The fifth one in from the corner? ’Tis Master Aubrey’s. Join me there in a quarter hour’s time, and I shall see you home.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, distantly wondering at his grim tone. Right now, she was thinking about something else. Seeing that Adam was waiting for her to respond, she added, “Yes, sir. A quarter hour. I’ll be there.”

When Adam had walked away, Lucy looked again at the boy. She did not see his partner, but that was better for what she was about to do. Saying a soft prayer to her patron saint, she opened her pocket as if searching for a coin, walking straight toward the boy. An instant later, she collided with him, her hands right on his chest, then slipping easily into his shirt, where she seized the woman’s purse and whisked it from view.

“Oh, my,” Lucy said, so he could feel the full effect of her gaze. His frown was replaced by a look of confusion, under the onslaught of her smile. Lucy spent little time before a looking glass, but his somewhat dazed response gave her an unexpected sense of satisfaction. “I’m so sorry. I should have been paying more attention,” Lucy said, tucking a loose strand of hair back under her muslin cap. For a moment, she wished she had Bessie’s great blond curls, but no matter, she seemed to be doing fine.

The boy rubbed his hand against his shirt. “Oh, yes, miss, I mean, no, miss,” he stammered. “A comely lass like yourself, you must watch for cutthroats. There’s them that would take advantage of you, burying your nose down like that.”

Lucy widened her eyes. “Oh, my. I hadn’t thought of that. Cutthroats! In the market! To be sure, my dear aunt always says I must take more care, lest something dreadful happen.”

“Indeed, you must, miss.” He looked her up and down, taking in her servant’s garb. He seemed to like what he saw, and he took a step closer. Lucy had to keep herself from stepping back, for his teeth suddenly looked a little sharper, a little more predatory, than they had a moment before. He went on, puffing up his chest. “Shall I walk with you a bit? Perhaps you’d like an ale? The Cheddar Cheese is just ahead.”

Protect me from the likes of you, Lucy thought spitefully. Out loud, she said, “Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t even know your name, and my auntie—”

“My name’s Sid, miss. Sid Petry, miss.” He squeezed her upper arm.

His sudden liberty made her feel afraid and anxious to get away. What if Sid discovered what she had done? She looked about. “I have a friend meeting me, and he’ll be wondering where I am. Sorry again, Sid, for being so careless.”

It took all she had to get away from Sid’s wheedling, and she was afraid he would follow her. Moving quickly through the stalls, Lucy stepped over piles of dung and refuse that lay scattered across the cobblestones. Looking about, she finally spied Sid’s victim, now sitting dully at the edge of the cobblestone street, her arms wrapped around her skirts. No one was paying her any mind, and she looked quite forlorn indeed. Lucy strode up to her. “Pardon, ma’am.”

“What do you want?” the woman growled. “Can’t you see I’m not in a good way? Just got my pocket stolen and two good bones. What I shall tell my master, I don’t know.”

Lucy held out the woman’s worn pocket. “Yes, I saw what that witless lad did. But wouldn’t you know it? He dropped your pocket, the clumsy oaf.”

The woman’s mouth parted, but she said nothing.

Lucy turned away. Before she had taken two steps, however, she felt a hand claw at her elbow, forcing her to turn around. The woman twitched the left half of her lips in what might have been a smile. Lucy nodded. There didn’t seem to be anything else to say.

* * *

Doubling back, Lucy entered the print shop where she was to meet Adam, a heavy acrid smell jolting her nose. Two men were working the presses, shouting back and forth. Adam was nowhere to be seen. As she waited, she read haltingly through some of the ballads and broadsides drying on the great racks. All told stories of monstrous births, unnatural events, and the like, or else offered quick recipes or advice. Having gone to petty school as a girl, Lucy had learned her letters and numbers but little else. Only in the last two years, when she’d found ways to listen to Sarah’s tutors in secret, had she figured out how to pick through her letters and read at a reasonable pace.

The title of one of the woodcuts now caught her eye. “‘Murder, or a Vengeance Cast upon a Candlemaker,’” Lucy read out loud.

“Murder most foul,” said a man stepping into the room, followed by Adam. Lucy guessed he was Master Aubrey. A fat and balding man, the printer had spilled ink all across his person, so that it had stained his beard, his forehead, and his smock, as well as his hands. “But fortunate, too,” he added. Seeing Lucy’s quizzical look, he explained, “The dismal act of murder—vile, disgusting, monstrous—will make this piece easy to sell. Watch.”

Stepping out of his shop, Master Aubrey climbed onto a small bench. Adam and Lucy followed him outside. “Good people!” the printer called. “Let me tell you the true and most horrible story of Anne Johnson of Scarsbruck, a she-devil who poisoned her husband with an ill-begotten stew.”

Hearing Master Aubrey’s call, several passersby stopped to listen. A good story was always a treat, a murder even more enjoyable. Pushing up his sleeves on his heavy, sweaty arms, Master Aubrey launched into a sordid tale of greed, lust, and murder—the desperate plot of a woman weary of her husband’s adulterous ways. “The moral of this candlemaker’s sad end?” The printer wagged his finger at the men in the crowd. “Do not dip your wick in the neighbor’s tallow!”

The crowd let out a collective satisfied sigh. A few people cheered. The story complete, the people began to drift away, returning to their homes and stalls, with details of the murder carefully memorized. Master Aubrey and one of his printer’s devils scurried about, collecting coins from people who purchased the penny broadside to share with their families and neighbors, or even to post on their walls at home.

As they took their leave, Master Aubrey murmured something to Adam that Lucy did not catch. Lucy wondered what his business with the printer had been, but she knew she could not be so forward. Instead, she asked Adam how he knew the man.

“What? Oh, I’ve known Aubrey for some time now,” he said, sidestepping the question. “Say, Lucy, you have a brother? Will, is that right?” When Lucy nodded in surprise, he continued. “I know Aubrey’s looking for an apprentice, a turner. He wants an eager lad who knows his letters and who could belt out a right good story. Father says you’re quick enough, so I thought it might run in the family.”

Lucy shook her head. “Will cannot read so well. ’Sides, he’s fair settled with the smithy. I thank you for thinking of him, sir.” Her lips twisted ruefully. “Although if I were a man, I could think of no finer trade in which to apprentice.”

They fell silent as they walked along. Adam glanced at her. “So there was no coffee to be had at the market?” He looked pointedly at her basket.

Lucy flushed. Had he seen her talking to that rogue Sid? No, he could not have, he’d have been with the printer. The lie came out quickly. “No, the price was too dear. I should not like to waste the magistrate’s money.”

“No eggs to be had either?”

Lucy glanced at him, but his tone was casual, disinterested. “No,” she said. “I got to looking at a piece of Holland cloth for the mistress and forgot to get the eggs.”

Her cheeks burned, but she kept her gaze straight ahead. She thought he did look at her then, but he just said, “That’s too bad. I should have liked an egg at supper.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Indeed. So am I.”

They did not speak again, each lost in thought, for the rest of the walk home. Back at the magistrate’s house, Adam disappeared. Lucy had barely had time to pass the shilling she had saved to Cook when Bessie pulled her aside. “Did you hear about the body?” she whispered, her whole face animated. “The woman who got herself murdered?”

Copyright © 2013 by Susanna Calkins