27 October 2017

Halloween Weekend Give-A-Way!

With things going bump in the night, its hard not to enjoy a holiday that delivers spooks and screams. I've always enjoyed Halloween, even before I became a mom. Trick-or-treating when I was younger gave way to adult parties when I was older.  I've had some awesome costumes over the years, as you can see....


Wasn't I cute little princess?





One of my favorites was when I was a murdered bride.  I had a hatchet in my head and meat cleaver in my chest. The hatchet was attached to a thick wire band which hurt my head, but I was stubborn and wore the damn thing all night. We ended up going to a couple of bars and I won a contest...a bottle of wine. 

Now, Halloween is mostly about my son trick-or-treating.  This year he's going to be a soul collector.  He's getting into the classic horror movies like Friday the 13th and Halloween.  Now every year October 31st rolls around I enjoy watching my favorite Halloween-themed movies, like Sleepy Hollow, Hocus Pocus and The Addams Family (1 & 2). 

Speaking of Hocus Pocus...I have a cute little Give-a-way!  

                                              
As you can see, it's a set of four Hocus Pocus coasters and a pumpkin pin!  All you have to do is say what tradition do you do every Halloween (plus a way to contact you. I promise not to spam you!). My adorable little helper (AKA: son) will pick a winner at random on Monday evening.  Thanks so much for visiting!



26 October 2017

Aletta Thorne Visits with her Haunting Upcoming Release!

Hello Aletta!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…


Q) How did you dream up the dynamics of your characters?

I am a “pantser,” which is to say that I write by the seat of my pants.  I don’t plan.  I put my characters together and let them talk—and see where the conversations lead!  It’s funny how much that feels like watching something instead of creating something.  In the case of my main character Alma, I guess it’s not too surprising she’d WANT to have a handsome and courtly Colonial era gentleman haunting her apartment…but who the gentleman turned out to be and what he could and would do was quite a surprise even to me.  Bart  really is a talented fellow!

Q) Can you give a fun or interesting fact about your book?

A lot of the ghostly stuff in this book is based on a ghost investigation that took place in my own house, which is haunted.  Well…maybe not all of it (insert bright red blush here).

Q) What gave you the inspiration for your book?

What I just said: I live in a haunted house.  The ghost in my writing study tossed a brass floor lamp around this time of the year a few Halloweens back.  And I wanted to write a romance with a woman chef in it because back in my twenties and thirties, I cheffed.

Q) How much real life do you put into or influences your books?

Lots.  Some stuff just invents itself, but I use friends’ names, the general characters of old boyfriends, places I’ve been…The Hudson River is almost a character in this book, and it’s because I love it so much.  And all my books (I’ve written a bunch of YA under another name, but this is my first adult romance) are Hudson River Valley because I live here.  Plus—hey, if you’re writing a ghost story, there is no place spookier!


Q) What are your upcoming projects?

I had an idea for a romance about an older woman who is trying to live in a tiny house.  I’ve written a little of that.  I’m also a poet (under a different name) with third collection coming out in the spring.




BLURB:


Halloween, 1982. MTV is new, poodle perms are the rage, and life just might be getting better for Alma Kobel.  Her ugly divorce is final at last. Her new job as chef at Bright Day School’s gorgeous old estate is actually fun.  But the place is haunted—and so is Alma’s apartment. 

Bartholomew Addison Jenkins’ ghost has been invisibly watching Alma for months.  When he materializes one night, Alma discovers Bart—as he likes to be called--has talents she couldn’t have imagined…and a horrifying past. 

Can you have a one-nighter with a ghost?  And what happens if you decide one night is all you want—and end up ghosting him?  Some spirits don’t like taking “no” for an answer.

Buy links are not up yet.  We’re still COMING SOON FROM EVERNIGHT, but should be out on Friday the 27th.

EXCERPT:

You’ll turn over the record. Oh, because you…”
I do like to keep up. Who poured you wine from the … refrigerator? Although, I don’t understand why people of your age prefer it so icy.”
Alma followed Bart into the living room, still wondering why things didn’t seem odder than they were. She remembered the Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons she’d seen as a little girl. This ghost was acting—well, perhaps a bit more flirty than friendly. He only glowed a bit as they walked through the dim hallway that connected her rooms. You can hardly even tell he’s translucent. What had he seen of her, though? She was glad her frustrating night with Sid had been at his place.
As Bart bent over the turntable and flipped the record, the reading lamp by her couch highlighted the silver buttons of his coat. She curled up on the couch and put her wine glass on the glass-covered orange crate she’d turned into a coffee table.
Bart sat beside her, suspiciously close. He put an arm over the back of the couch, and Alma shook her head again. That’s the old sneaky-arm trick—like a high school kid. It’s kind of cute. She pulled her legs up under herself, and they quietly listened to the music.
You’re right,” she said after a few minutes. “‘Fountains’ is really good, too. I almost never listen to that side.”
Bart made a quiet harrumphing noise.
Do ghosts clear their throats? Apparently so.
 “Dear lady,” he said. “Although I do try not to snoop, as you would say, I have indeed observed your solitude. Let me assure you, your life will soon be happier.” He slid even closer to her.
Okay. Now the ghost is absolutely coming on to me. This is really happening. Oh, hell—why not? He’s not bad—for a dead guy.
 “Um, Bart?” she said. His eyes really were a startling color—almost bronze… “You can’t actually be…”
Bart set his fingertips on her cheeks, looked into her eyes, and sighed. Then he smiled. “You think this is a ridiculous situation. It’s not ridiculous,” he said. “Not at all. Allow me to demonstrate … with your permission, m’lady.”
 Somehow, that was funny, and Alma giggled. “Granted.”
Bart’s hands were impossibly soft and gentle—and his touch had some of the same fire-and-ice buzz that she’d felt before in the kitchen when he’d tried to get her attention. He guided her lips to his, and gave her what would have been a tiny peck—from anyone else. It shot a bolt of fire straight through her.
Oh,” she said. It took a minute to get her breath.



AUTHOR BIO

Aletta Thorne believes in ghosts.  In her non-writing life, she is a choral singer, a poet, a sometimes DJ, and a writer about things non-supernatural.  But she’s happiest in front of a glowing screen, giving voice to whoever it is that got her two cats all riled up at three AM.  Yes, her house is the oldest one on her street.  And of course, it’s quite seriously haunted (scared the ghost investigator who came to check it out).  She is named after a little girl in her family who died in the late nineteenth century, at the age of two.

My social media:  

08 October 2017

Beast Denied by Faye Avalon!

beast-Denied-evernightpublishing-JayAheer2017-finalimageHello Faye!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…


Q) Is this book part of a series?  If so, can you tell us about it?

Beast Denied is Book #2 in the Beasts of Bodmin Moor series. I started out writing the first story as a stand-alone, but other characters kept popping in to introduce themselves and soon there were too many other hunky panther shifters demanding their own stories.


Q) What gave you the inspiration for your book?

Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England is an eerily enigmatic place, especially as dusk falls. For many years there have been rumors of a wild panther-like creature roaming the moor but, despite many sightings, only a few grainy images have been captured on film. An official investigation found no real evidence to confirm such a beast exists, but no evidence either that it didn’t. My imagination went into overdrive. What if the mysterious beast is actually a shape-shifter? Able to shift from human to panther? What if there were a whole pack of them, living amongst an unsuspecting human community? It was just too much fun not to explore and so Beasts of Bodmin Moor was born.

Q) How did you dream up the dynamics of your characters?

The first book in the series featured the leader of the local pack and his heroine was a member of the human community. With Beast Denied I wanted to explore how the dynamics would change between a hero and heroine who were both shifters. Tynan (the pack’s second in command) and Naomi have history that has impacted both their personal and professional lives, and for Tynan it has affected his very identity and purpose as a warrior of the pack. When Naomi returns to Bodmin after a decade’s absence, they are both forced to face up to their shared past whilst dealing with a threat to Naomi’s safety.


Q) Do you have any habits that get you in the writing frame of mind?

Well, there’s always coffee and maybe a biscuit (or several) to hand, LOL. I also do a very short meditation exercise to facilitate moving from day-to-day tasks and into the realm of the imagination. The internet gets switched off and doesn’t get switched back on again until the daily word count has been reached.


Q) Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I’ll have a rough idea of who they are, but they always, always, surprise me along the way. Exactly the way I like it.


Q) What are your upcoming projects?

I’m currently finishing off the first book in a new fantasy series, and I have a contemporary romance that is waiting for me to begin the second draft. Books four and five of Beasts of Bodmin Moor are also in the works.

 Thanks so much for having me on your blog!



beast-Denied-evernightpublishing-JayAheer2017-baner2 


Beast Denied, the second book in the Beasts of Bodmin Moor series has now been re-released by Evernight Publishing.







Embracing the future, means confronting the past.

epeditorsesal1s(1)Naomi Flynn doesn’t intend to mate or marry. Never again will she leave herself open to the manipulation she once endured. Besides, no panther male will want her anyway once they know the truth behind what happened a decade ago. She’s happy to burn up the sheets in a buddy-with-benefits arrangement, until a hankering for a three-way sexual adventure thrusts her right back into the arms of the man she can’t afford to remember.

Tynan Galloway doesn’t intend to watch the woman he wants throw herself at every male around, except him. A brutal assault might have robbed him of his destiny as a protector of the pack, but damned if Naomi is going to be another casualty of his fate. When he discovers she’s in potential danger, he challenges her to deny that he’s the one man who can protect her…unaware that Naomi is determined to prove him wrong.

This is a previously published work. It has been revised and edited for Evernight Publishing.

Available from: Evernight / Amazon / Smashwords / Bookstrand /Barnes & Noble


reviewertoppick2 “…the fast paced and smooth flowing plot captivates readers with lots of suspense, turmoil and romance… I was completely spellbound.” 4.5 Stars Night Owl Reviews


EXCERPT:

From the safety of the hotel bathroom, Naomi Flynn could hear the two men talking, discussing who would have the pleasure of fucking her first.

Leaning back against the locked door, her blood running cold in her veins, Naomi wondered what the hell she had gotten herself into. They’d seemed like regular enough guys, at least while she’d been sharing a drink with them. They’d flirted, flattered, and teased her. So much so that they’d appeared perfect for what she had in mind.

Until they’d locked the door to the hotel room, and with the gleam in their eyes came her first flicker of unease.

A couple of hours ago, Naomi had strolled into the hotel’s bar, intent on having herself one doozy of a party. She’d thought about it long and hard. Wasn’t having sex with two men every woman’s fantasy?

It had worked for her friend. Talia McLeod might now be all loved up with her new husband, their pack’s leader, but before she and Caleb became a couple, they had a triple deal going with Joshua, Caleb’s half brother, now working overseas.

Unlike Talia, Naomi had no intention of finding her true mate in this deal, but she admitted to being more than a little curious about indulging in a ménage à trois and hadn’t been able to shake the desire to try it for herself.

Living vicariously through her new friend had given Naomi a taste for adventure, and had fed her growing hunger to push through her comfort zone and see how it felt to live without constraint. Even if just for one night. The more she’d thought about it, the more she’d wanted it.

Of course, she’d chosen human men to assuage her curiosity. They would keep the whole thing from becoming too intense, too personal. With humans, there would be no complications. No possessive pack males insisting she become their mate or wanting to mark her as theirs.

Because that would never happen. It couldn’t. Not for her.

So indulging her fantasy with the aid of human men had been her only real option. But now, standing in the bathroom of a Truro hotel as the clock struck midnight, it seemed like her only option had gone belly up.

In fact, listening to the men planning what they would do to her when she hightailed it back to the bedroom had the opposite effect from making her hot and adventurous. It made her question her sanity.

With a hard swallow, Naomi hurried over to the window. She peered out and down. Two floors up, with a drop down onto concrete. <em>Shit</em>.

Had things been different, she would have shifted. In her panther state, she could make short work of those two floors and leap to safety before the men even realized she was gone. But that would never happen either. Not again. Over the years, she’d barely mourned her lost ability, and it had seemed the least of her troubles. Tonight, she longed for it.

Running a hand over her stomach, she pushed back the maudlin thoughts that nudged for attention. She needed all her wits about her to deal with her current predicament.

Perhaps she could simply go out there and tell them she had made a huge mistake, that she really wasn’t ready for this and had changed her mind. She’d apologize for leading them on, for getting them all worked up. Well, to be honest she’d gotten herself all worked up. This was what she’d wanted, what she’d planned for.

She stepped back to the mirror, smoothed down her hair. Nerves, she decided. She was simply suffering from nerves. She had never done anything like this before, which made it perfectly natural to have last-minute doubts.

“Hey, babe.”

At the thump on the door, Naomi dropped the sandals hooked over her index finger.

“You planning on joining us anytime soon?”

Naomi turned to face the door. “Just a minute.”

With trembling hands, she reached around and unzipped the short black dress she’d bought only yesterday. She let it slip down her body and pool at her feet. Turning, she glanced at herself in the mirror and saw skimpy black bra and panties, designed to send a man, or in her case, men, wild.


She stepped aside, picked up the dress, and threw it over the bathroom stool. Inhaling a long slow breath, she opened the door.



  Find Faye at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

06 October 2017

C.E. Vescio Visits today to talk about her NEW BOOK!

Hello C. E.!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…


Q) How did you dream up the dynamics of your characters?

I was talking to one of my best friends about writing a romance. I wanted to see a romance between two very different people, and I couldn’t think of anything more different than an ex-military-contractor-turned-bodyguard and a ballerina.

Q) Can you give a fun or interesting fact about your book?

I interviewed a private military contractor, a bodyguard, a detective, and a lawyer for this book… My friend, Katie, is a ballet dancer, so it was easy to pick her brain and spend time with her.


Q) What gave you the inspiration for your book?

Katie would tell me about her younger dancing life. The intensity, drive, and dedication it takes to be a full-time ballerina is certainly inspiring. I wanted to write about that for awhile, and then I saw the dancers of Flesh and Bone (a show on Starz) and decided to write my ideas out.


Q) Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I plan out as many characters as possible- some get added later. I write down as much information about them as I can- even if it doesn’t make it into the story. Description is one thing, but I’ll even go as far as figuring out their favorite cereal.


Q) What are your upcoming projects?

I’m starting another romance, as well as polishing an urban fantasy and a sci-fi thriller.



Blurb

As the prima ballerina for a prominent San Francisco ballet company, Scarlet Rush is used to being on her toes- but after a failed kidnapping attempt, even her nimble feet aren’t enough to keep her out of reach of her rivals. Begrudgingly, she’s forced into the protective services of Alex Strong, a former private military contractor turned bodyguard. Scarlet isn’t thrilled to have Alex follow her every move, but as hidden dangers rise, she has no choice but to trust him.

Soon, Scarlet and Alex find themselves passionate partners in a dance all their own. Alex is captivated by Scarlet and knows he must protect her at all costs despite the pain of past demons still haunting him.



Buy Links


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C. E. Vescio is a jack of all trades- and mastered at least one. Her first novel, Elegantly Wasted, touched on the demented and humorous side of a delightfully dysfunctional family. She’s a fan of writing and reading science fiction, urban fantasy, romantic suspense and contemporary fiction.
C. E. is a Navy vet, professional photographer, web designer, gamer, cosplayer, and a sporadic burlesque performer. She’s from Phoenix, but lives in Las Vegas with her husband, John and three mutts. They’re expecting their first child in January of 2018.
She’s passionate about typography, Shakespeare, theology, the music of Paul Simon, and Loki as portrayed by Tom Hiddleston.

Social Media Links

04 October 2017

Zoe Mullins Visits!

Hello Zoe!  Thank you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today!  It’s such a pleasure to chat with you.  So tell me…

Q) Can you give a fun or interesting fact about your book?

Eighty-One Days is a novella but it actually started life off as a short story. I had developed first for an anthology. It was shortlisted but didn’t make the final cut. I was thankful for that because by then I had fallen in love with the characters. There was so much about their history that I didn’t have the chance to explore in the short story version, like Eric’s job as a forest fire fighter and why he had chosen such a high-risk profession.

Q) What gave you the inspiration for your book?

I grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada. It’s an area of extreme beauty but also extreme danger. Forest fires are common each summer – even when it’s not a particularly dry summer. Whether man-made or nature-made, it’s a reality that you deal with in that area, and I’ve been in awe of the men and women who battle those blazes. So that’s where the ‘spark’ of creation for this story began. And even though I always meant it as a standalone novella, I introduced the rest of Eric’s team at the end of the story and I can see coming back to them one day to explore their stories.


Q) Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I plan my characters more than I plan the plot of the book. I want to know not only what they look like but what may have shaped their experience. How did they grow up? Were their parents together or did they split up? How did that affect them? What were they like in school? Did they have a lot of friends? What did they want to be when they grew up and were they successful or did they have to change gears along the way and how did that change them?

Because when it comes to plot I basically fly by the seat of my pants, it’s important that I know my characters and can gauge their reactions to any given situation. Not that they don’t surprise me sometimes, and when that happens, I tend to let them take the lead even if that means we go in a direction I hadn’t planned.

One of the most gratifying things I’ve heard from readers, is that my books are too short for them. They love the characters and could just keep reading and reading. It’s important to me, because I write about relationships that are a little outside the norm (menage, BDSM couples) that the while the sex is hot, there is also a fulfilling emotional dynamic that takes you into the characters.


Q) How much real life do you put into or influences your books?  

I base my locations on real places or an amalgamation of many places. I moved a lot as a youngster and soaked up a lot of details about the cities and towns that we came to. I also met a lot of people – who we’d later lose touch with, but on whom, I’m sure, I’ve based some of my characters’ mannerisms or speech patterns on. But I can swear on a bible that no one currently in my life has made it into the books and while I’d love to claim some of the experiences of my heroines, I am content to live vicariously through them.


Q) What are your upcoming projects?


I always have a few projects in the works. Right now I am finishing off Playing it Cool, the second novella in the Men of Steele novella series. It will be out before Christmas. And I’m working on the final edits to the first in a paranormal romance series that I’m quite excited about. 


 BLURB

Eric didn’t know Luke would be heartbroken when he left town to join a hotshot forest fire crew in Western Canada. They’d been best friends since kindergarten, had gone to school together, had bought their first car and a home together, and had shared their lovers. At some point, friendship had turned to love.

Luke didn’t expect that when he’d brought his crazy cat in for stitches that his heart that would be mended by the sassy new veterinarian. Jenna may have been new in town but she’d heard the rumors and she liked the carnal fantasies he spun for her in bed of he and his best friend sharing her.

Of course, that was before Eric’s job brought him home and back into their lives.

Jenna isn’t sure she can be what they need, but she’s not going give up without a fight. Even if that means inviting the sexy firefighter to share their bed. Surely there is enough love to go around.




EXCERPT  (rated not PG)


Luke woke to the sound of the shower and lifted his head. Jenna was still curled into his side, but Eric was gone. He heard the shower turn off as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his boxers. By the time he made it to the bathroom door, Eric was already pulling on his track pants.

“Did you sleep at all?” he asked, running a hand back through his unruly hair.

Eric shrugged. “Enough.”

“Not nearly.” Luke hung back by the door. Now that the lustful haze of last night was over, he wasn’t sure where that left them. He knew where he wanted them to be. He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the doorframe. This had the potential to be a total clusterfuck.
Eric must have realized where his thoughts were going, and his worries. “Screw it,” Eric cursed. “Get over here and kiss me good morning.”

Luke dropped his jaw in surprise but he wasted no time complying. He cupped Eric’s jaw in his hands as he kissed him. Eric deepened the kiss, their tongues colliding, as he pushed Luke against the bathroom vanity, his thighs bracketing him in place. He wrapped his arms around his waist.

He had missed this, missed Eric’s roughness. Missed the way he always had to control the encounter. 

Eric drew back a few inches to bite at Luke’s lips. “You still taste like Jenna. I like it.”

“And you taste of mint.”

“You can borrow my toothbrush,” he offered, smirking.

“Fuck you.”

“I’d rather fuck you.” Eric squeezed his ass.

“You would?” Luke swallowed hard, his cock twitching at the thought. He knew Eric had fucked other guys, but he’d never even suggested that they try. “I told Jenna we weren’t lovers.”

“I take it you were quite narrow in your definition. For her sake or yours?”

“Both. We’ve never done that.” Luke hesitated. “I wasn’t sure you wanted to.”

“Oh, I want to,” he promised.

It was a good thing the bathroom vanity was behind him because his legs went weak at the thought. 

“You can’t just say shit like that,” he complained. “You don’t know what that does to me.”

“I have a good idea.” Eric ground his hips against Luke. “But first I need coffee, maybe the whole pot, while you shower. Then the three of us need to talk. We can’t put it off. Regardless of what we did last night.”

“Go to our place. We have more food,” Luke suggested. “And I don’t think the talk will be as hard as you imagine.”

“We’ll see.” Eric didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t know Jen the way Luke did. Jen wasn’t going to back down from something just because it was difficult.






      BUY LINKS
Pride Publishing http://ht.ly/zLuE30dZzm5


AUTHOR BIO

A prolific writer, even in elementary school, Zoë was jotting down poems and stories whenever she had the chance - usually during math class.

After many years of working in corporate communications, Zoë decided in 2015 it was time to focus her energy on the kind of writing she loved – hot romances with strong, alpha heroes and quirky, independent heroines.

Zoë’s husband of 20+ years threw his full support behind her dream and loves to tell people his wife is a romance author. They live in Atlantic Canada with their two crazy collies. When not at her computer, you will find Zoë chasing after her muddy dogs, working in the garden or helping to renovate their money-pit of a house.

For more information visit www.zoemullins.ca or subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cjnKCn

Blog Address - https://zoemullins.wordpress.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zoe_writer/

01 October 2017

Cover Reveal! The new LAWLESS Anthology cover!



LAWLESS Anthology

Coming November 2017




Meet the hardcore heroes of LAWLESS! They’re fearless, dangerous, big on revenge, and defiantly walk on the wrong side of the law. Although their morals may be compromised, their loyalty to that one woman is never in question.

Our twelve hand-picked novellas are dark, dirty, and will make you see bad boys in a whole new light. From bikers to hitmen, these dangerous men won’t be satisfied until they have everything they came for—until they have her. 


The King of South Side by Loralynne Summers
Gentleman Jackson by Nicola Cameron
Hungry Eyes (The Covenant) by Gwendolyn Casey
Vandal by Amber Morgan
Given to a Killer by Sam Crescent
Angel Mine by Maia Dylan
Kiss of Death (Dark Heart) by Sandra Bunino
Hitman's Seduction by Olivia Starke
Hitman's Angel by Elyzabeth M. VaLey
Eli Logan's Return by Lila Shaw
Trust by Kait Gamble
The Last DiLuca by Beth D. Carter

Goodreads link: 


The Last DiLuca
When Michael Slade , VP of The White Death MC, learns the DiLuca Borgata has been killed in one fell swoop, he’s devastated at the loss.  His estranged wife, Normandy, had been the only daughter of Tony DiLuca, and the only woman he ever loved. Needing answers, he rides to St. Louis in hopes of finding them.

Drowning his grief at their local bar seemed like the perfect answer until he gets a phone call from Normandy, telling him she’s in hiding. He rushes to her side, reunited with the only woman who would ever own his heart.

Only they have to now dodge the bullets from whoever wants them dead. Slade must figure out who’s after Normandy before the assassin finishes the job.

(This story is set within The Forgotten Rebels MC world)