One Year Blogaversary!!!

My Blog is One Year Old Today!!!

This is very exciting for me - a year ago I started working with a world I had no clue about. I had no way of knowing that the blog world would totally pull me in and keep me preoccupied like it has. It's a fantastic feeling and I am so glad that I have been some what successful with this.

It's been a great ride - from blog posts on here of my 'Ashley's Ramblings' to guest blogs from visiting authors, interviewing other authors, even posting guest blogs on other sites. It's an all encompassing great world. I think blogging has so many things to benefit authors and readers.

Honestly I feel those who read my blogs I can connect better with because it's a more in depth posting, weekly visits, etc... I've met some wonderful men and women on here and I'm just thrilled that I have been welcomed with such warm greetings.

To celebrate my one year blogaversary I have decided that I will do a different kind of give-away. If you join my page and leave a comment then I will select one (1) winner and I will name a character in my Maverick Touch series after them. How does that sound? This book is slated to come out Spring 2014 - and is currently in development. I will leave this contest open for one (1) month. September 29th I will select the winner.

I wanted to do something different - so I hope you all enjoy that. If you are already a member of the blog and want to participate then you can comment to.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this journey and I am really excited about year 2!

Book Blogger Take 12

Question: Were you a born bookworm or somebody got you into the habit of reading?

I had no idea I was a book worm until I got wrapped up into the world of fiction. As a child I always liked books but I didn't LOVE them until high school when I started exploring Tami Hoag's mystery. She really changed my 'book  life' so to speak. Now, I read and read and read and it's my favorite way to pass the time.

Summer Lovin Blog Hop

Welcome to the Summer Lovin' Blog Hop. 

Over fifty authors and bloggers have joined together to give you the chance to win an awesome bundle of books as well as read some great posts. Be sure to go to each blog  and comment with your email to up your chances of winning. Each comment counts as an entry! Our lovely bloggers are also offering individual prizes so be sure to check them out.

A Deleted Scene from BLOOD YELLOW

She came at him like a bolt of lightning, fast and hot. Leigh didn't like anyone pushing her over the edge and that is what Haydar was doing to her. He was sending her straight into Jonothon's arms.

"Jonothon, I need you now." She called out to him. She watched him look up from his chair and the drawings he was attending too with a gleam in his eye. She knew this was what he risked it all for. For that chance with her.

"At your service Boss Lady." He rose from his chair and sauntered across the room until he reached her desk. He looked down at her and his eyes focused on her neck. He held his stare and didn't let his eyes meet hers, he just soaked in the glow her body was emitting. "You were with Mother Nature today; I can tell I love how the magik makes you glow."

Leigh stood up from her chair and brought her hand to his face. She let her thumb and forefinger run over his skin. It was prickly from the five o'clock shadow, she loved it when he felt rough. "I was, I needed to come to peace with what we are planning. I needed to ask my mama's forgiveness."

"And how do you feel now?" Jonothon started to kneel when her hand caught his chin and held him in place.

"I feel as if I need to be punished."

"Punished? Well your wish is my command Boss Lady. I am pleased you are allowing me this service."

"There is no one else I would trust to hold the whip against me."

Jonothon took her hand in his and walked her over to the side wall, he pressed on one of the old stones and a small opening appeared. They each stepped inside and he flipped on the dim lighting system they had installed in the secret cavern. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided Leigh to the rack that was positioned in the middle of the room.

"Your hand." He watched her extend her left arm and he took her hand and shackled her wrist to the iron chains. He walked behind her body and without asking he grabbed her other hand and repeated the actions. He reached over and picked up the knife that was setting on the table behind the rack and in a swift motion cut the shirt and pants from her body, leaving her skin exposed to the damp air inside the room.

He grabbed a small whip, only around three feet from base to the split tip, to replace the knife. This hybrid was one of his favorites, similar to a traditional cat-o- nine but the shorter tail gave him more control.

"Jonothon..."

Crack, the sound of the whip hitting the back of her thigh. "Not this time Leigh, I'm in charge." He let his hand run up through her hair and he made a fist with the strands of her hair and pulled on them. He watched her head move backwards and leaned his mouth down and placed his lips on her soft skin. The scent of earth was traveling though his nose and he felt his excitement grow. He shimmied out of his pants and kicked them to the side.

"Tell me who's the boss Leigh." He circled her body until he was looking her in the eyes. His free hand reached out and held up one of her breasts while he cracked the whip again against her soft and creamy flesh.

"For the moment, you."

Jonothon hissed baring his fangs before he sank them into her breast and sucked on her warm copper blood with long and heated pulls. His head shot up and her blood dripping down his chin, "You're mine."

~*~

I hope you enjoyed my teaser from a deleted scene I couldn't work into Blood Yellow. Leigh and Jonothon are a lot of fun for me to write. Leigh is one of my favorite characters so I love being able to share little glimpses of her world with readers.

For stopping by my blog today you have a chance to win a collection of short stories from The Art of Safkhet. This consists of three Short Stories of Temptation Tuesday, two Short Stories for The Lotus and two Short Stories for Sekhmet's Revenge. Be sure to enter the raffelcopter below for your chance. There is also a grand prize for this entire blog hop. Make sure you visit all the sites to have the most chances!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freaking Exhausted ! - Passing the *&^% Out

When I decided to take up this quest of writing ... why did no one warn me that I would become a big pile of mush on my couch that was 100% wiped out? Maybe it was obvious to others but me being the glass is half full kinda girl never realized that I would just have nothing left. If it's not one thing it's another. Planning tour schedules for blogs, writing blog posts, putting together marketing kits, researching blogs to contact, following up with blogs who have replied...And that's not even getting to the writing part of my job!!

What happened to the days where I could sit at a computer and just type away, my imagination being the only thing taking control of my mind. Now it seems like I welcome ANY AND ALL distractions. From the ding of a Facebook notification to my dogs looking like they just need to be pet. And let's not talk about trying to balance out time with my hubby. Writing really is a second FULL time job. Because even if I'm not writing for one of my many projects, I'm thinking about my projects. My poor hubby - Tony is such a trooper. He really is a saint. Is there some kind of Authors Spouse of the Year award I could give him? He puts up with so much. Ah I am so blessed.

But I am so exhausted!!!! Next week Stacy and I are heading to Vegas for the Romance Novel Convention and what am I looking forward to the most? Day one, registration isn't until 4pm so what am I going to do? SLEEP!

It is 9:24 and all I can think about is curling up in bed with a book and drifting off to sleep. I love writing and I love making worlds that come alive but damn it, I need my energy back!

Okay - Rant Over - I just needed to like spew all over my blog I guess ... And now I bid you, good night -- Hopefully you have a good book you can curl up with too. I'm reading Bayou Heat by Alexander Ivy and Laura Wright ... What are you reading?

The Culling - an Interview with Steven dos Santos

I am so pleased to have Steven on my blog this week. This is my first interview with an author who isn't one of my friends and book I have read, and loved!!! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!!

  The Culling (The Torch Keeper, #1)

By Steven dos Santos

Blurb

Recruitment Day is here...if you fail, a loved one will die...

For Lucian “Lucky” Spark, Recruitment Day means the Establishment, a totalitarian government, will force him to become one of five Recruits competing to join the ruthless Imposer task force. Each Recruit participates in increasingly difficult and violent military training for a chance to advance to the next level. Those who fail must choose an “Incentive”—a family member—to be brutally killed. If Lucky fails, he’ll have to choose death for his only living relative: Cole, his four-year-old brother.

Lucky will do everything he can to keep his brother alive, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other Recruits’ loved ones. What Lucky isn’t prepared for is his undeniable attraction to the handsome, rebellious Digory Tycho. While Lucky and Digory train together, their relationship grows. But daring to care for another Recruit in a world where love is used as the ultimate weapon is extremely dangerous. As Lucky soon learns, the consequences can be deadly.

Review

Damn ... just damn. Wow. I don't have the right words to put together for this book. I mean, it was a fantastic read. Keep in mind this is not for the faint of heart ... the gore was top notch, and I am a reader who loves gore. There were some really sweet and loving parts to this book, with Lucky and Digory. I just can't get over it, the book. So much to say but all would spoil the story line. There were a few bits that I thought were predictable, however that was fine. Once I sat down to read this book it was VERY hard to pull me away from it. Excellent read and suggest it to anyone who likes a good book that's action packed.

*** Source: I purchased this book ***

Interview

Steven, thank you so much for taking the time to come to my blog and let me interview you. I am very excited to have this opportunity to pick your brain.

Ashley – First off, I have to know, is this world something that just hit you randomly, or is it one you’ve been thinking about for a while?

Steven – The grim world of THE CULLING is something I’ve been thinking about for quite a long time. I can remember when I was a kid (waaaaaaay back, LOL) imagining what it would be like to have to choose who to save between two people I loved, and the idea followed me throughout the years. People might think that such a civilization is unimaginable, that people would never force others to make such a heinous choice. But if you look at the past and some of the atrocities human beings have inflicted on others throughout history, it’s unfortunately quite plausible. Also, the idea of hiding your love for someone, in order to protect both of you from the evils of society, is something LGBTQ people have dealt with for ages, so thematically, it works.

Ashley – Your characters are very believable, were you able to write them so well because they were based on people you knew?

Steven – I didn’t base any of my characters on people that I know particularly, but some of the qualities they possessed were hybrids of different people I’ve known in my life, including the villains in the story! I wanted to create a broad spectrum of characters with diverse backgrounds and emotions and hopefully I’ve succeeded in tapping into some universal elements that most people can relate to.

Ashley – The Uncle, wow, what an ass! Do you enjoy making characters that are just completely unlikeable?

Steven – By “Uncle” I take it you mean the character of Cassius, who had a former bond with my protagonist Lucian, and was a sort of foster uncle to Lucian’s little brother, Cole. He IS quite a piece of work, isn’t he? As much as I want to hate Cassius, however, I did want to at least hint of some complexity of his character, i.e. he’s the unfortunate product of what effect the sadistic machinations of the Establishment can have on the human soul. In many ways, Cassius is a broken and pitiful figure. But it’s still fun watching him make the other characters squirm and wondering what new ways he’ll think of to make everyone else suffer.

Ashley – I loved the gore aspect of your book. I can’t really take gore in movies but I LOVE a good book with violence that I can just picture in my head. What has the reaction been from your friends and family after reading those killing scenes? Do they look at you like you’re off it a little or do they not associate the gore with you?

Steven – LOL. That’s been funny. My partner has joked after reading the book that he has to sleep with the lights on, wondering what’s going on in my little head! Other friends have said I have a twisted imagination. Yes, the book is violent and gory. But I felt it was necessary to demonstrate the raw brutality of the situation. I wanted to evoke a visceral reaction from the reader, make them feel as if they are experiencing the horrors along with Lucian and the other recruits. Up until now, Lucian has been able to sit idly by, going along with the status quo. However, once he experiences the carnage and suffering first hand, he has no choice but to take a stand and fight for what’s right.

Ashley – How long did it take you to write this novel? Are you a plotter or punster?

Steven – It took me approximately 18 months to write THE CULLING, including revising the manuscript. I’m definitely not an outliner. I have an idea of where I want the story to start, how I want it to end, and a vague idea of what the middle will be like. I enjoy discovering the twists and turns of the story as I write, so I’m only one step ahead of the reader. If I had a detailed outline of everything that was going to happen, I’d be bored out of my mind!

Ashley – What is your favorite part of being an author? Has becoming a successful author changed any of your perspectives on things?

Steven – My favorite part has been the feedback I’ve gotten from teens. One teen in particular contacted me and told me that THE CULLING has inspired him to come out as a gay young man, despite the fact that his mother has issues with the LGBTQ community. The fact that something I wrote could have even a small impact on someone else’s life has made all the frustrations of writing a book and trying to get published definitely worth it.

Ashley – How do you handle the pressure of producing a sequel that’s just as good, if not better, than The Culling?

Steven – The sequel to THE CULLING, called THE SOWING, will be released on March 8, 2014. There is a tremendous feeling of anxiety wondering whether or not fans of THE CULLING will be pleased. If you go by what a few of my Beta Readers are saying, THE SOWING is even more intense than THE CULLING. But everyone’s opinion varies. I’m trying not to compare the two. I feel the story I came up with for the sequel is compelling in its own right, and I tried to blend the elements that fans embraced in THE CULLING, with new material, as the scope of the story and the world I’ve created opens up in exciting new directions. I think THE SOWING is quite a ride, but ultimately, it’s the readers that’ll decide if it measures up and meets their expectations. In the meantime, I’ll be hiding when it’s released. LOL.

Ashley – What books do you enjoy? Are there any authors that have inspired you? What’s your favorite genre?

Steven – I enjoy many types of books, but am partial to Sci-Fi and Horror. I would have to say THE STAND, by Stephen King, is one of my all-time favorites, because of the way the author handles such a huge cast of diverse characters and spins an epic tale. After THE TORCH KEEPER trilogy is hopefully completed, I would love to take a stab at writing something REALLY scary, the kind of story that gets under your skin and keeps you awake in bed with the lights on.

Ashley – How did you come up with the name, “The Culling” for what they have to go through?

Steven – The original title of the book was THE TORCH KEEPER, which eventually became the title of the series. When my publisher asked me to come up with another title for Book 1, I came up with THE CULLING because it sounded like a very ominous way of conveying the process of weeding through your loved ones. But it also works in the sense of weeding through the recruits themselves and deciding which one of them is cold-blooded enough to become an Imposer for the Establishment.

Ashley – Is there anything you would tell new authors who are feeling like this is an impossible task to conquer?

Steven – Yes. DO. NOT. GIVE. UP. I faced many challenges on the twisting road to publication, including opposition to publishing a book with a gay male protagonist. Join writing critique groups to hone your craft. Attend writers’ conferences to network and meet other people in the publishing industry. If you want to be an author, do what authors do. WRITE. And keep writing. Eventually, someone will take notice.

Thank you again for stopping in. If you had any other final thoughts you’d like to share with my followers please feel free. And, when can we expect to have the next book out? And can I pre-order it, lol.

Steven – Thanks for having me! It’s been a real pleasure. J

THE SOWING, The Torch Keeper Book 2, will be released on March 8, 2014. You can Pre-Order now on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Sowing-Torch-Keeper-Steven-Santos/dp/073873540X/

You can also visit my website at www.stevendossantos.com, with links to purchasing THE CULLING, fan forums and reviews.

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/stevendossantos.

And on Facebook you can like my pages for up-to-date information:

www.facebook.com/stevendossantosauthor

www.facebook.com/thetorchkeeper

Blog Tour - Chronicles of a Harry Potter Fan

The English translation of 'Chronicles of a Harry Potter Fan' is now available on Amazon and that is why we're organising this blog tour, starting on the 22^nd of July and ending on the 5^th of August.

'Chronicles of a Harry Potter Fan' is Thoma's biography, chronicling his years running some of the most influential Harry Potter websites and uniting fans globally.

Blurb:

For many years, Thomas Sailer was active in the virtual Harry Potter fandom: After he had developed a huge fancy for the story in autumn 2004, he started to help out on the renowned fan portal ‘Emma Watson Empire’ the next spring; and it did not take long until he advanced to the site’s representative.

Two years later, he founded the ‘Knight Bus’, a widescale directory for Harry Potter websites. And finally, he even tried to mobilise fans from all countries by means of an organisation.

During his years as an active member of the fan community, he has accomplished quite a lot and made contacts to fans and website owners from all over the world. However, what he has basically intended with his activity, did not happen to become real.

In this book, he talks about his work in the international fandom, his motives and how the Harry Potter story has influenced his life.

When first released in November 2012, the original German version of the book caused a stir within the fan community: Although it has never been on a bestseller-list, there appeared to be several reports about Thomas Sailer’s story on many fan based websites from all around the world.

Link:

Amazon: Official Website:

 

The Author’s Words about his Book:

Hello there, this is Thomas Sailer, author of “Cronicles of a Harry Potter Fan”, speaking about my book here at Memories in a Box.

Looking back now in 2013, it has been a long while since I started becoming active in the online Harry Potter fandom: I remember clearly when, in the spring of 2005, I started looking for HP sources on the web – eager to get active in one of these communities. For me, being a fan always meant more than just enjoying the books and movies. I wanted more … and I wanted to get involved.

As I always try to find ways to change my dreams into action, I managed to work my way from a normal fan up to a recognized name within the virtual Harry Potter fandom. And, for a very long time, my activity in the fandom appeared to me like a window and maybe even a possible gateway, to something amazing.

What I really enjoyed about my work was all the creative projects which I thought up and later put into practice. I loved the various tasks which this activity gave me. For instance, to inform other webmasters about project ideas or to work in my friend’s garage and try desperately to complete a wooden keepsake box for Emma Watson’s 18^th birthday from the fans.

In the course of my project activities, I got to meet many new people from all over the world; many of whom I am still in contact with and enjoy talking to from time to time. They were webmasters, staff members of Harry Potter sites or normal fans who did not  take part in the virtual fandom the way I did. It was a real pleasure to meet such a variety of new and interesting people.

The decision to write a book came along at a time when I felt like I was over and done with HP. In the end of 2009 I started to realise how many things I had done, moved and achieved within the HP fandom. So I considered it a great chance to gather my memories and thus share my experience.

Writing this book did not happen at once; I had to interrupt my work very soon, as it was some weeks before Christmas and I had no idea how to get all my stuff for university done. And in the beginning of the new year, I had the incentive to write a novel – what put this project on ice for the moment. Further, I was not able to put a proper ending to the book, as at that time I was not finished with my activity in the fandom.

Almost two years later, in the last days of December 2011, I made the decision that it was time to finish this book. So, along with writing my second novel, I completed it during 2012. It was a great experience to confront myself with all those memories once again and to work them out a structured book.