Cody Kennedy Visits

Cody Kennedy Visits

 

 

     Hey everyone! I'm so happy to see you and to welcome my dear friend and author extraordinaire, Cody Kennedy, to my blog. He's so kindly agreed to let me ask him a few questions. (Despite what he may say. LOL!!) Thank you, Cody!!


     Hey, Jase! It’s very ruthless kind of you to have me on your blog. This is my second opportunity to be victimized on visit your blog and, this time, I have the great displeasure of answering your nosy well thought out questions. It’s a great honor to be preyed upon here among other ill-fated esteemed authors under the threat of certain demise. It gives me a terrific opportunity to increase my chances of being stalked share a little about myself as other attention-seeking authors have done on your blog and I want to thank you from the bottom of my little black heart.




1. You turn on the radio and it's your favorite song. What is it?


I must choose one? How about two? Ah, c’mon! I must list at least two! Demons by Imagine Dragons and Yellow by Coldplay

 

 

2. What is the one book you can keep reading and never tire of?

Iliad. It contains everything. Overcoming the Monster - man versus [insert foe here] (Dracula, Star Wars); Rags to Riches (Cinderella, David Copperfield); The Quest (Lord of the Rings and...oh, yeah, Iliad); Voyage and Return (Alice in Wonderland); Comedy (Four Weddings and A Funeral); Tragedy (Caesar); and Rebirth (Despicable Me).


And it contains a lot of action! I’m all about the action.


3. It's the holiday season. What are your favorite memories or traditions?


I was raised by my grandfather, a prolific author, and began writing at the age of seven. For Christmas that year, he gave me two dictionaries, the Oxford and Webster's New International Dictionary (c. 1943). Best gifts ever!

 

 

4. What movie can be counted on to always make you feel better?


Independence Day starring Will Smith!


5. What is your food guilty pleasure?


Choco!


6. You can have three guests over for dinner, living or dead, who would they be?


Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, and...and...depends on my mood.


7. You FINALLY have some down time. What do you do?


Why, read, of course! What kind of questions is that, Jase? What do you do when you have down time? If it isn’t reading, I...can’t...even....


8. What is one place you have always wanted to visit?


The Isle of Mann. I must find out for myself whether fairies exist.


9. What is your least favorite chore?


Vacuuming. Particularly when I accidentally suck the “m” key off my laptop.


10. What is/are your Holiday wish/es this year?


If I brought a smile to your face and made you laugh, then my work is done here. Peace, out!




Imagine Dragons link if you need it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRsgZuwf_8

Yellow link if you need it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKNxeF4KMsY

Independence Day link if you need it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/



     I love your answers, Cody! (I've called off the goon squad. HAHAHA!!) Of course my free time is spent reading. LOL!! Like there is anything better. Well...maybe eating chocolate. That's always a plus.  OH!!! You wouldn't invite me over? Hmm...maybe I should wait to call off the squad. :D Seriously though, thank you so much for playing along. I'm so happy you agreed to this fun little interview and I hope you had fun doing it. Again, thank you, Cody! **HUGS**

     To everyone taking time out of your busy schedule to read this, I thank you! Hopefully there will be more posts like this in the future.  I also want to take this time to wish you all a joyous holiday season. My love to you all! **HUGS** <3

   

 





I'm Back!!

 

 

I'm Back!!

 

 

 

     Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the long pause between posts. Things have been...well...they've been. I think I'll leave it at that. And when I was trying to figure out what to write about, my mind went blank. I don't want to bore you with a stupid post. Soooo after some thought, I decided to write about my memories of Autumn. Kind of a "what Autumn means to me" thing. I hope you don't mind.

 

     As many of you know, I grew up on a military base in Germany. A town just outside Stuttgart called Vaihingen. It's in the southwest of Germany. It's a beautiful part of the country. And in the Autumn, the trees would be full of beautiful color. Reds, golds, yellows, and browns. All rich and vibrant. The air would crisp and clean with a bit of chill to it that made you feel so ALIVE!! It was like walking into a photograph done by an acclaimed photographer from a book about the best of Autumn . Almost a magical experience.

 

 

 

 

    No, this isn't one of my pictures. I still haven't digitalized all my photos. This is just a pic I love that really reminds me of Germany. Just off the base was a forest full of walking/hiking trails that surrounded a lake. I loved walking them. I would be out there for hours just enjoying the sights. I never did explore all the trails. I kind of wish I had. And when I would get home, there was hot cider, tea, or cocoa. One of my favorite thinks to drink was and is hot spiced orange juice. Put in some cinnamon and ginger and let it heat up to the point where it was ready to boil. You never let it boil. It  ruins the flavor. BLECH!!!

 

     It isn't just the the sights of Autumn, it's also the sounds. Autumn means high school football. I could hear the spectators cheering, the whistles of the referees, and most importantly for me...the marching band. While I can appreciate football, I'm not the biggest fan. I loved the music. Watching the band perform their routines on the field at halftime, playing the fight song and other pieces of music to spur on the team and fans. All of that was exciting to me. Autumn means marching band season. And I was a member all through high school. I was even a Drum Major in my junior year.









 

 

     Yes, that is me in my marching band uniform. We had white feathers that wrapped around the back and sides of the hat. When it was rainy, we removed them so they weren't destroyed. And yes, I played the flute. I still do. This picture is from my freshman year. Don't ask me if the team won. I don't know. I didn't pay enough attention. LOL!! I do remember loving every minute of being out there. :)

 

    So these are just some of the memories that I have when Autumn comes. It really is one of my two favorite seasons. The other being winter. But I'll get to that later. That is if you don't mind. I hope I haven't bored you too much with this post. If I have, I'm sorry! Soooo, as I close this post I'll leave you with two questions. What memories come to mind when Autumn arrives? Should I continue doing some posts like this? (Do you find them boring and prefer I stick to other less personal things?) OK. I guess that's technically three questions. LOL!! In the meantime, I will try to be much better about keeping up with my posting. I hope you are all having a wonderful day! Love you!! **HUGS** <3

RJ Scott Visits



 

RJ Scott Visits

 

     I'm so incredibly thrilled today to have one of my favorite authors visit my blog! I have been a huge fan of her books since I first found them. From her contemporary stories to her paranormal/supernatural stories, I've read and enjoyed them all. If you haven't had the opportunity to read any of her books, I hope you will take time to try them out. You won't be sorry. So without further ado, I want to welcome author RJ Scott to Jase's Athenaeum.

 

 

 

 

The power of the reader and Texas Winter (Texas series, book 2)

 

Welcome to of my mini author tour, thank you to Jase’s Athenaeum for having me…

 

When I was at the UK meet I was told by readers on more than one occasion that they thought I just wrote paranormal, or I just wrote contemporary. Of that they knew about Texas, but had never heard of the Sanctuary series. So I came up wit this idea… highlight a few different books, or series, and add in some cool prizes and maybe readers might find something new from me.

Today I wanted to focus on the power of the reader.

 

I love anyone who reads my books. Seriously, smishes you all. I also love every single email, facebook post, suggestion, edit or squee, that I receive. I think coming to MM writing from a fan fiction direction means that I feed from my readers. Without my readers there would be no sequels.

 

Texas 2, which I called Texas Winter, is a prime example of what reader support can do. The Heart of Texas was written as a standalone story, 83,000 words of soap opera shenanigans. Only… Riley and Jack were so much in love and readers said they wanted to see more… and so, I decided it might be a good idea … and I hated writing it for about three paragraphs and then suddenly before I knew it, it flowed and I’d finished. I loved writing it and wouldn’t even have started it without reader (and reviewer) support.

 

More information, including blurbs, excerpts, buy links, reading order and reviews can be found here:

 

Texas Winter – old secrets come into Jack and Riley’s life, only proving that love conquers everything - http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/texas-winter-sequel-to-heart-of-texas.html

 

Competition- closing date 13 July 2014, 13:00 GMT (London)

 

Simply comment below to be entered into the draw to win one of two prizes, first drawn name wins a $10 Amazon/ARe voucher, and for second winner an ebook from my backlist, or a future book when it becomes available.

 

Each comment on this post and other posts in the tour will be entered into a grand draw to win $50 Amazon/ARe voucher with the winner drawn from all entrants on Saturday 26th July.

 

    

     Thank you so much, RJ Scott, for stopping by. I'm very honored to have been included in your blog tour! And I want to thank all of you for taking the time to visit. I hope everyone has a great day!! **HUGS** 





Thank You!!

 

 

Thank You!!

 

 

      Earlier this week I shared a post from Cody Kennedy and Timmy about LGBT PRIDE and their thoughts on it. I want to take a moment to thank them again. Thank you, Timmy!! I'm so proud of you and your thought provoking post! You are an inspiration! Thank you, Cody, for sharing your knowledge of the LGBT Community and for also helping me set up that post. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you! I also want to thank all of you. You have been so kind and supportive and that means so much to me.  I want to keep this short so in conclusion I will say, Thank You My Friends!! I love you all!! Oh! Before I forget, tomorrow I will have author RJ Scott here as part of her tour this month. Please come check it out! I hope you have a wonderful day!! **HUGS**

Pride with Cody Kennedy and Timmy

Pride With Cody Kennedy and Timmy

     Here we are on the last day of June and that means LGBT PRIDE Month has come to an end. But before it does, I'm so incredibly lucky to have two very important people visit. Cody Kennedy, the extraordinary author of "Omorphi" and "Safe", has kindly agreed to be here today. I'm so thrilled to have him. And to make a great thing more amazing, my dear friend and nephew, Timmy is here to share his thoughts. You may remember that he is the talented artist responsible for the look of my blog. Before I hand things over to them, I want to thank you all for coming to visit! Take it away Cody and Timmy.

PRIDE versus FREEDOM, and a little history about our flag

Thank you, Jase, for the honor and privilege of being on your blog! As PRIDE month draws to a close, our good friend Timmy (Jase’s ersatz nephew) and I are here to discuss a little about the history of the PRIDE flag and, more importantly, how our LGBTQIA youth of today view PRIDE.

As an author who writes LGBTQIA works and someone who wishes to bring awareness to literary works and those who identify with non-binary gender, I hope to bring attention to the current, crucial socio-economic, political, and very personal issues surrounding PRIDE and those who don’t identify with the strict binary categorization of sexual identity.

Long, long ago (30 years) in a land far, far away (San Francisco, California, USA) the world's best-known version of the rainbow flag, often referred to as 'the freedom flag', was popularized as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride and diversity by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The different colors symbolize diversity in the gay community, and the flag is used predominantly at gay pride events and in gay villages worldwide in various forms including banners, clothing and jewelry. For the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots, held in 1994 in New York city, a mile-long rainbow flag was created and post-parade cut up in sections that have since been used around the world.

The flag was originally created with eight colors, but pink and turquoise were removed for production purposes, and since 1979 it has consisted of six colored stripes. It is most commonly flown with the red stripe on top, as the colors appear in a natural rainbow. Aside from the obvious symbolism of a mixed LGBT community, the colors were designed to symbolize: life (red), healing (orange), sunlight (yellow), nature (green), harmony (blue), and spirit (purple/violet). The removed colors stood for sexuality (pink) and art/magic (turquoise).

The original flag

The youth of today have a different take on PRIDE than we "older" folk do—FREEDOM—the very basis for our country’s foundation. Timmy gives us a twelve-year-old’s take on what PRIDE means to all of us.

Timmy on PRIDE versus FREEDOM

"I know the meaning of the word pride, but is this how we mean it? I think pride in the LGBT community is yet another label and a wall we hide behind. Pride is a feeling that we should all have whether we’re LGBT or not. LGBT doesn’t own this word and we shouldn’t use it like we do. We walk in Pride Parades as though we are entitled, and all the time we have our own groups and cliques. We also discriminate within our own community. Pride is not about safety in numbers, it’s not about hiding behind labels and others like us, and it’s not about parades. How offended might we be to see a heterosexual parade going down our street? I think it shouldn’t be about pride, but it should be about freedom. We have the freedom to be us, and that includes everyone. Pride is a personal emotion not a public show.

"I won’t hide in the closet anymore. I have been beaten, almost raped in the locker room at school, and called names repeatedly, but I am still FREE to be me. One thing I have learned over the last five months is that it is not about what I wasn’t allowed to be. I was treated and hurt badly, showed daily that I wasn’t loved, but I survived. I am so damn proud of that. I’m not the only person with stories like this. Heterosexual, gay, bi, transgendered, lesbian, or any other letter of the alphabet you choose, we all have a story. Being me does not define pride, it’s my FREEDOM that defines how I feel about myself that gives me pride. It’s hard to feel it and see it some days, but I know that deep down FREEDOM is there for me. Days that I feel weak, useless, unwanted, or lonely, I take my freedom out and say "hey, I made it, I’m here" and THAT is pride. People can’t give it to you, parades and parties are not pride. Look inside yourself to find your freedom first, before you label it pride."

Thank you, Timmy! Great comments! As PRIDE month draws to a close we find ourselves in a time of change; not only one of change in perspective but also one of behavior and the law. Now, more than ever before. I am proud to be an author of LGBTQIA literature and hope to bring you works that inspire you, give you strength and, above all, give you hope. Thank you for taking the time to read our post and rock on!

     Thank you again, Cody and Timmy! I'm so happy you stopped by to share your thoughts as well as a bit of history with us. Though the month of PRIDE has ended, I'd like all of you to take Pride in the Freedom to be you. You are Free to be who you are and should be proud of who that is. You are amazing and wonderful and perfect! Thank you all once again for stopping by. It really means a lot to me. I hope you have a great day!! **HUGS**

Check out Cody’s Books and Blog here. Like Cody on Facebook, find Cody on Goodreads, on Twitter @CodyKAuthor, on Amazon, and read Cody’s free serial story, Fairy. Check out Timmy’s Thoughts and Book Reviews here.

Available from: Harmony Ink Press

Όμορφη.　

Ómorphi. Greek. Meaning pretty

Pretty.　adj.　/pritē/ Pleasing by delicacy or grace

~*~

High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. He’s a star athlete, has great friends, and parents who love him just the way he is. What’s missing from his life is a boyfriend. That’s a problem because he’s out only to his parents and best friend. When Michael accidentally bumps into Christy Castle at school, his life changes in ways he never imagined. Christy is Michael’s dream guy: smart, pretty, and sexy. But nothing could have prepared Michael for what being Christy's boyfriend would entail.

Christy needs to heal after years of abuse and knows he needs help to do it. After the death of his notorious father, he leaves his native Greece and settles in upstate New York. Alone, afraid, and left without a voice, Christy hides the myriad scars of his abuse. He desperately wants to be loved and when he meets Michael, he dares to hope that day has arrived. When one of Michael’s team-mates becomes an enemy and an abuser from Christy’s past seeks to return him to a life of slavery, only Michael and Christy's combined strength and unwavering determination can save them from the violence that threatens to destroy their future together. Readan excerpt of Omorphi. 

Available from: Harmony Ink Press

Safe

Caleb had one mission in life.

To keep his boyfriend safe.

They met at ten, kissed at twelve, and were madly in love by eighteen. Caleb Deering is the captain of the swim team and the hottest senior in school. He comes from a loving home with a kind father and a caring, but strict, mother who is battling breast cancer. Nico Caro is small and beautiful, and has a father who rules with an iron fist—literally. One morning Caleb forgets himself, and he pecks Nico on the lips at school. A teacher sees them and tattles to the Headmaster. The accidental outing at school might be the least of their problems, because the ball set in motion by the school’s calls to their parents could get Nico killed. In the face of that very real danger, Caleb knows he has only one mission in life: to keep Nico safe. Readan excerpt of Safe. 

LGBT Pride And Me

 

What Does Pride Mean To Me

 

 

     Hey everyone! Happy Pride!!! I thought I'd do this post about what LGBT Pride means to me. Umm...yeah. Just as the title says. LOL!! And I'm hoping to have some friends share their thoughts as well. I hope you will enjoy it! So...let the rainbow shine and the glitter sparkle!!

 

     I guess the best way to start this is to tell you a bit about my coming out. Not just to others, but to myself as well. I started to really think about it when I was 16. That doesn't mean it didn't cross my mind before then because it certainly did. I just never really gave it a lot of thought. Hmm...this might be a good time to explain that I grew up on a U.S. military base in Germany. The subject of homosexuality was not talked about unless it was in a negative way. Being gay meant AIDS. And it meant being a less than human creature worthy only of jokes. Not the most accepting of places. Were they all like that? Of course not. There were some amazing people that accepted everyone regardless of whatever differences there might be. Anyway, back to the subject. My sexuality wasn't something I gave a lot of thought too. The reason I started to really focus on it was because I had just broken up with my latest girlfriend and couldn't get one of my father's soldiers out of my head. I was heartbroken a couple of years before when I found out he had a girlfriend and I was trying to figure out why. Why was I still hurt. And why my relationships with girls never really felt right. That's when it dawned on me. I was attracted to him. As I let that bounce around my head for a bit, I started to notice that I was attracted to other guys. That doing the things with my girlfriends that made me uncomfortable and giggle uncontrollably didn't leave me feeling that way when I thought of doing them with other guys. Yes. Giggle. I do giggle when I feel awkward. I'm not the only one, am I? OK, back to the story. And that's when I came to realize I am gay. It hasn't always been an easy journey. I ran back into the closet when a "friend" told me I was going to Hell and that it was wrong. That I was wrong. I didn't stay in there long. I came out for good a year later! :D

 

     Now that you have that rambling mess of a back story, let me tell you what Pride means to me. It's not just about showing everyone I'm proud to be gay. It's not the parades and parties. Don't get me wrong. Those are important. Very important. We need to let the world know we are who we are and that that's a great thing. But for me, it's also a chance to step back. To look at myself in the mirror and say, "I'm gay and I'm proud of myself!". You see, for a while I didn't think I would be here. I thought that something would happen and I'd get sick. Or that someone would come along and hurt me. I didn't think I would have a future. It never stopped me from coming out. I was just resigned to that being my fate. But I've learned a lot since then. I've seen how the world has changed for the positive. I've met many wonderful people who have shown me how wrong I was. Through education and exposure, I've learned that doesn't have to be my fate. So now, after having started this journey ???? years ago, I know I have a future. There is so much out there for me to see and experience. When I look in the mirror I'm proud of who I am. A happy gay man. That's what LGBT Pride means to me.

 

     So I hope you will join me in celebrating LGBT Pride this month. Not only by going out and making a statement, but by also looking in the mirror. Love you all!!! **HUGS**

 

    

 

     



Firemen

 

Firemen and Draven St. James

 

 

     Many of us have fantasies involving the hot, sexy fireman coming to our rescue. We imagine this hero bursting through the door, picking us up, and carrying us out to safety. And then we imagine him declaring his undying love for us. Sigh!!! Sorry!! Where was I? Oh yes. I admit to having that fantasy and  picture him looking a bit like this:

 

 

     Thanks to the fabulous author, Draven St. James, I can live the fantasy of sexy firemen falling in love with her "Firehouse Six" series. I am such a fan of them!! Tomorrow she releases the latest book in that series, "Fused By Fire". If you've read the first two books, you have already met Simon and Michael. Now is your chance to get to know them better as this is their book. Will they find their way to love? I can't wait to find out tomorrow!! Hope everyone has a great day!! **HUGS** <3

 

 





Fused by Fire

by

Draven St. James

Release Date: May 20th

Blurb

Michael prides himself on being the man that everyone can depend on until one of his firefighters is severely wounded on the job. Will he be allowed to process the situation alone? Not when a loud and persistent Simon Winters shows up on his doorstep. The man hasn't met a boundary he didn't skip across.

Simon has had the biggest crush on Lieutenant Firefighter, Michael Donovan since the first day he saw him. Which just happened to be at an interview for a job to work as a firefighter. Before his desire to lick the gruff older man from head to toe affects his work, Simon transfers over to being a paramedic. Just when he's begun to build a life that doesn't include hot shower fantasies of Michael, the object of his angst is thrust into his path.

All too quickly, Simon begins to barrel through Michael's defenses and dig up the desires Michael has fought so hard to hide. As passions flare out of control, tragedies collide from every side. Michael's struggle to keep Simon at a distance starts to crumble beneath the weight of the secrets that Simon is hiding. Will Michael be able to protect Simon when he needs it the most or will he lose Simon forever?

Excerpt

The muffled thud of shoes came from the front deck. He wasn’t expecting a delivery, so that left one of his many unwanted visitors. A knock followed shortly after. He glared at the door and picked up the book again.

Another knock, this one much harder.

"Michael, I know you’re in there." Simon’s words filtered into the house.

Michael stood and stared at the door. What the hell was Simon doing here? Out of everyone, he hadn’t expected him.

"Come on. Don’t think I won’t make a scene." Simon’s voice got progressively louder.

Michael’s heart thumped.

"I did warn you," Simon said in a singsong fashion.

What? Michael took a step closer to the door.

"I can’t believe you’re doing this to us," Simon yelled for the whole damn neighborhood to hear. "After all I sacrificed for you, you just use me and throw me aside!"

Michael’s mouth dropped open. Oh, the Newmans were going to have joint heart attacks, and Mr. Benson was going to record this for YouTube.

"I gave you my virginity," Simon screeched. "And you—"

Michael threw open the door and jerked Simon inside the house.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Michael snarled as he slammed the door.

"I’m thinking I not only got you to open the door but got inside your house." Simon’s dark green eyes sparkled. "But seeing how things look"—his nose wrinkled—"that might not be a good thing. It looks like Animal House exploded in here."

Michael glanced around the room and grimaced before settling his attention on Simon. Did the man have to look so sexy?

He mentally smacked himself upside the head. This was Simon, not a potential conquest.

Simon had also seen him at his most vulnerable. He’d cried on the guy.

"Are you single-handedly supporting the pizza industry?" Simon asked as he ventured around, peeking in the boxes and cringing. "Nothing is going to climb out, right?"

"Ha, ha, ha." Michael’s face heated in embarrassment. Just another part of himself he’d prefer Simon not see.

Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/draven.stjames

Blog: http://dravenstjames.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DravenStJames

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

Email: Dravenstjames@gmail.com

　

　





Shira Anthony

Shira Anthony's "Into the Wind" Blog Tour

 

 

     I'm so excited about today's post! My good friend and author extraordinaire, Shira Anthony, is here! YEA!!!! She is the author of two of my favorite series, the "Blue Notes" series and the "Mermen of Ea" series. Today she is sharing her latest release, "Into the Wind", the second in her "Mermen of Ea" series. She is also having a giveaway to celebrate, so check it out. And now, without further ado, Shira Anthony.

 

 

 

 

When I grow up, I want to be a merman!

Thanks, Jase, for hosting the Into the Wind Blog Tour today! I wanted to remind readers that I have a great Into the Wind Blog Tour giveaway on Rafflecopter. Here’s the link to the giveaway widget: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba93/ Grand Prize is an amazing handmade merman tail fluke pendant, 1st Prize a Mermen of Ea Goodie Basket (includes autographed copy of Stealing the Wind paperback, t-shirt, and lots of other fun stuff), 2nd Prize is a $10.00 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate, and 3rd Prize is a paperback copy of Stealing the Wind (Mermen of Ea #1) – or for non-US winners, a $10 Dreamspinner Press gift certificate. Readers can enter daily by tweeting, commenting, and liking!

 

I’ve loved fantasy stories since I was a little kid and my dad read the Lord of the Rings books to me and my little sister. From there, I discovered the original Star Trek, and I branched out to include science fiction in the mix. I also loved romances, and I would tear through as many as I could get my hands on. The best stories for me? Stories that combined both fantasy and romance. Which probably explains why my favorite stories ever are from Marion Zimmer Bradley’s "Darkover" series. Those stories are set on an alien planet where humans and aliens had interbred to create a caste of people who had psi abilities (telepathy being the simplest of their abilities). Darkovans rode horses and fought with steel. Their society was ruled by kings and sorcerers. There were so many wonderful layers to those stories—To this day I still reread them for writing inspiration.

 

I have no doubt that my love of fantasy fueled my creative soul, and that my brain is wired to imagine and create. I’ve been inspired to write stories based on dreams I’ve had, and I’ve dreamed about stories I’m writing and have awoken with great ideas for those stories. I was always one of those kids who had her head in the clouds. I remember, at age 10, how I used to walk to the library wearing the Trek science officer uniform my mother had made me, hoping and praying Scotty truly would beam me up! Years later, here I am creating the universes from my imagination on paper and loving every minute of it. And the universe in the Mermen of Ea Series is such a joy to play in!

 

It doesn’t take much to understand the appeal of mermen. Getting certified in scuba has opened an entirely new universe to me. When I’m under the water, I want to stay there forever, which really doesn’t work with a limited tank of oxygen and a little thing called a "surface interval" (humans’ bodies need to slowly off-gas the buildup of nitrogen that occurs when diving by spending a set amount of time above the water between dives—this is related to the painful and often fatal condition known as "the bends" most people have heard about). Human bodies simply aren’t made for extended time underwater unless they’re in a pressurized environment like a submarine.

 

What a wonderful fantasy to be able to exist both on land in human form, as well as in the ocean, in merman form! Truly the best of both worlds. Not that I’d like to be caught in the middle of a merfolk civil war, or a battle at sea, like the heroes of the Mermen of Ea Series. But in a perfect universe, it would be lovely, wouldn’t it?

 

I hope you’ll join me on the epic adventure of mer-shifters Ian and Taren, beginning with Stealing the Wind, and continuing into Into the Wind. The last book in the series, Running with the Wind, will be released sometime in 2015. I’ll leave you with an excerpt from the second book—a bit of sexy romance under the waves, in Ian and Taren’s shifted forms. Happy reading! –Shira

******

 

Blurb:

  Since learning of his merman shifter heritage, Taren has begun building a life with Ian Dunaidh among the mainland Ea. But memories of his past life still haunt him, and as the threat of war with the hostile island merfolk looms ever closer, Taren fears he will lose Ian the same way he lost his beloved centuries before. Together they sail to the Gateway Islands in search of the fabled rune stone—a weapon of great power the Ea believe will protect them—and Odhrán, the pirate rumored to possess it.

After humans attack the Phantom, Taren finds himself washed up on an island, faced with a mysterious boy named Brynn who promises to lead him to Odhrán. But Taren isn’t sure if he can trust Brynn, and Odhrán is rumored to enslave Ea to protect his stronghold. Taren will have to put his life on the line to find his way back to Ian and attempt to recover the stone. Even if he does find it, his troubles are far from over: he and Ian are being stalked by an enemy who wants them dead at all costs.

******

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Into the Wind:

 

They swam out from land as they held each other, tails beating the water in tandem as they spiraled in a dizzying dance. More than anything, Taren found the Ea mating ritual a beautiful thing. Ian’s Ea body was also beautiful. In this form, Ian’s chest was broad and the muscles of his belly and arms more powerful. As a human, Ian was strong. As an Ea, he possessed strength and surprising grace few others did. Taren loved to watch Ian swim, watch the sinews of his body ripple as he moved his tail, watch his hair twist in the current. More thrilling, perhaps, was the knowledge that Ian was his, that Ian desired him above all others, that Taren held Ian’s heart.

Ian released Taren as they glided over the sand at the bottom. Large schools of silver fish followed the contours of their bodies, calling to mind the shimmer of moon across the waves. Here, many feet below the surface, the pressure of the water created a warm cocoon around Taren and drove the warmth in his chest to his extremities, making his fingers more sensitive.

Taren flicked his tail to propel him around so that he and Ian swam toward each other, arms extended, then moved upward as they laced their fingers together and floated perpendicular to the sea floor. They kissed and their tongues entwined. Ian tasted of the ocean and of the promise of Taren’s new life. Their former incarnations, Treande and Owyn, had been equals in everything. Partners, friends, lovers. Taren both relished and feared the power of his connection to Ian and the unexpected turn of fate that had brought them together, as well as the revelations of their past.

******

Book Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4975&cPath=55_484

 

AllRomanceEbooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-intothewind-1496001-143.html

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K4PX4BS/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

 

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-the-wind-shira-anthony/1116395006?ean=9781627980531

 

 

 

 



     Thank you, Shira, for taking the time to come and share with us! It's been such a pleasure having you! If you haven't taken the time to read the first book in the series, "Stealing the Wind", please do. You will love it!! And with a cover this gorgeous, how could you not snap it up!

 

 

     As was mentioned, she is doing a giveaway to celebrate. Here is the information you need as well as the other stops in the tour:

 

Blog Tour Giveaway Info:

Contest starts 5/5 (release day) and ends at midnight on 5/31. Prizes include:

Grand Prize: Handmade Merman Tail Fluke Pendant

1st Prize: Mermen of Ea Goodie Basket (includes autographed copy of "Stealing the Wind" paperback, t-shirt, and lots of other fun stuff)

2nd Prize: $10.00 Dreamspinner Press Gift Certificate

3rd Prize: Paperback copy of "Stealing the Wind" (Mermen of Ea #1) – or for non-US winners, a $10 Dreamspinner Press Gift Certificate

Here’s the Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba93/

 

******

Blog Tour Participants:

5/5 Release Day – Smoocher’s Voice (Interview with Shira)

5/6 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words (Inspiration for the Mermen of Ea Series)

5/8 Mrs. Condits and Friends (Merman Sex 101)

5/9 Tali Spencer’s Brilliant Disguise (Series and Worldbuilding: Recreating the Merman Myth)

5/10 Prism Book Alliance (Character Interview with Ian Dunaidh)

5/13 Joyfully Jay (Character Interview with Taren Laxley)

5/15 Book Suburbia (Tired of Vampires and Werewolves? How About Mermen?)

5/16 Jase’s Athenaeum (TBA)

******

 

     Again, I want to thank Shira Anthony for taking the time to visit! And I want to thank all of you for coming and visiting as well! It means so much to me to be able to share this with all of you!! Hope you have an incredible day! **HUGS** :)

Forgiveness

Forgiveness

 

 

 

     I know this seems like what could be a strange topic, but I felt it was necessary for me to discuss this. When I say "forgiveness", I'm not talking about forgiving others. I'm talking about forgiving yourself. Or more accurately, forgiving myself. I guess this would make more sense to you if I explain. You see, I've been really rough on myself. When I don't accomplish the things that I want to, I'm constantly putting myself down. I call myself names and beat myself up. Not literally. Although sometimes it does feel that way!

 

     When I started this blog, I had so many ideas as to what I wanted this to be. I just didn't think about how to accomplish all of them. This caused a bit of a panic in me. How do I do this without letting myself and all my friends down? What if I make a complete fool of myself and this turns into a disaster? The whole time these thoughts were running through my head, I was not taking care of my blog. And of course, when I thought of my blog sitting idle, I made things worse by telling myself I was an idiot. And to make it even more fun, I didn't notice how bad it had become. It had, in fact, become an automatic reaction to put myself down. It wasn't until recently I realized just what was going on. And a little longer to give myself a swift kick in the rear and deal with it.

 

     That brings me back to the subject of "forgiveness". When I decided to deal with my issues, I realized I had to forgive myself in order to move on. And that means accepting that it's ok to have doubts and feel uncertain about things. I don't need to beat myself up over it. I can forgive myself for not getting everything done that I want or need to do. Sometimes things do happen that will get in the way. That includes thoughts. Now this realization didn't come without help. It came about because of a conversation about self bullying with some very dear friends. This conversation stayed with me all night and I realized that the reason it did was because I was a bit guilty of that. So now, here I am. Ready to forgive myself and get things done that I have always want and need to do. And I hope that if you find yourselves in a similar situation, you will forgive yourself. Because you deserve it! **HUGS**

Draven St. James

An Interview With Draven St. James

 



 

 



     Today I get to do something I'm very excited about. My first author interview. And it's my good friend, Draven St. James. She is the author of the "Firehouse Six" series, the "Pack of Light" series, and"Covert Delivery" which is her latest release. Later in the post we will be sharing information on her upcoming book, "Fused By Fire".  This will be the third book in the "Firehouse Six" series. So please bear with me as this is something I've never done before. I hope you enjoy it!
 

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a born and raised Oregonian. I’ve traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill my books.  My ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories both sexy and humorous.  It gives me a great excuse to do some crazy stuff in the name of research. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where I find my peace.

2. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I'm tattooed. Not many, and they are easily covered when necessary. All of them have a strong connection to important moments in my life.

3.You write about attractive and interesting male characters. What do you think makes someone attractive and interesting?

I think intelligence and humor are very attractive personality traits when it comes to a man. Physically, I'm all about the smile and the eyes. Those are the first thing I notice about a man. A genuine smile and really sexy, bedroom eyes drives a man's attractive level up more than a couple of notches.

4. What is on your playlist?

I don't really have a playlist in the traditional sense. I listen to pandora and have a lot of various stations. Based on the scene that I'm working on I like to match it to my music. If it is an intense emotional scene than I'll have some angst filled tunes.  If it is action packed than some good dance music drives the moment forward.

5. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Caramel apples.  Was that random enough?

6. What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it?

The last book I read was Rabbit Wars by Whitley Gray. It is a part of a Eostre's Baskets collection by Loose Id. I enjoyed it a great deal and would recommend it to other readers.

7.What is you writing process?

Generally, I bounce an idea around in my head and then fine tune the basics with my sounding board. At that point I write a synopsis and go from there. For the most part I do stick to the parameters of the synopsis, but there are always little tweaks to be made as the story develops.

8. Do you use real people for inspiration when creating your characters?

I don't ever create a whole character off of one person, but personality traits do slip in. As a writer, I'm a bit of a people watcher and that leads me to mold characters using multiple sources to develop an individual who is unique and intriguing.

9. How do you handle criticism?

Everyone has their own view on how they want a book to end up. I think any writer will run into someone who doesn't enjoy their writing. Even authors who sell millions of copies have reviewers who dislike their work. It just comes with the territory. I try to look at criticism from a logical standpoint. Is the person just being snarky or are their comments valid points that can be applied to better later books? Either way, it does still sting when a negative review comes my way. I think that is only natural.

10. What's next for you?

I'm actually working on the fourth book in the Firehouse Six series. That will be Taber's story. I'm also in the middle of the second book in the Pack of Light series. I'll be telling Liam and Sean's story. Granted, I have even more stories in various states, but I'll stick with those for now because they are the ones closest to be polished and ready to go.

 

     Thank you so much Draven for taking the time to answer my questions! I really appreciate it! Gotta love  the caramel apples!! They are awesome!

 

     I mentioned earlier that we would be sharing details of Draven's upcoming book, "Fused By Fire", which will be the third book in her "Firehouse Six" series. But first I wanted to share the gorgeous covers of the first two books in the series. 

 



Grey's Hidden Fire

 

 Grey's entire life is wrapped around his job as a firefighter. It's all he has ever wanted. That is until his new coworker Mica Cruz saunters through the door with his smoldering dark looks and dimpled grin. Suddenly Grey finds himself wanting to get to know what Mica looks like out of his gear and between the sheets.

Mica has one rule: he keeps his work life and his personal life separate. It's easy enough to follow until he meets Grey and finds his rule can't stand up to the fire that Grey ignites. There's one big thing standing in the way of all of his lust-filled musings. Grey is straight.

In a profession where being gay is often kept quiet Grey must come to terms with his growing attraction to Mica. How much is he willing to sacrifice, and can they come together before someone's hatred threatens to destroy them both?
    

 
Fire And Mistletoe


When Greyson Hayes envisions the perfect first Christmas with Mica Cruz he sees twisted sheets, a bottle of wine and a roaring fire. What he doesn't see is a holiday spent with the uproarious Cruz family. Grey hasn't taken part in a family Christmas since the death of his parents. Despite his misgivings, he can't seem to form the word no when it comes to Mica.

Mica knows that Grey's not a grinch. Hell, the man shares so much Christmas cheer during the holidays that he leaves no time to experience any for himself. Not this year. Mica plans to make a few changes, starting with a few wicked and whimsical gifts. He enlists the help of his co-workers at Firehouse Six. They band together and strive to provide Grey with the same joy he gives to everyone else--with five a.m. tree hunts, strategically placed mistletoe and Mica playing Santa's not-so-little helper.

But while Mica is busy being nice, Grey has plenty of time to be naughty…

     And now I'm so happy to share with you book 3 in the "Firehouse Six" series, "Fused By Fire".



 

Fused By Fire

by

Draven St. James

Release Date: May 20th

Blurb

Michael prides himself on being the man that everyone can depend on until one of his firefighters is severely wounded on the job. Will he be allowed to process the situation alone? Not when a loud and persistent Simon Winters shows up on his doorstep. The man hasn't met a boundary he didn't skip across.

Simon has had the biggest crush on Lieutenant Firefighter, Michael Donovan since the first day he saw him. Which just happened to be at an interview for a job to work as a firefighter. Before his desire to lick the gruff older man from head to toe affects his work, Simon transfers over to being a paramedic. Just when he's begun to build a life that doesn't include hot shower fantasies of Michael, the object of his angst is thrust into his path.

All too quickly, Simon begins to barrel through Michael's defenses and dig up the desires Michael has fought so hard to hide. As passions flare out of control, tragedies collide from every side. Michael's struggle to keep Simon at a distance starts to crumble beneath the weight of the secrets that Simon is hiding. Will Michael be able to protect Simon when he needs it the most or will he lose Simon forever?

 

Excerpt

The muffled thud of shoes came from the front deck. He wasn’t expecting a delivery, so that left one of his many unwanted visitors. A knock followed shortly after. He glared at the door and picked up the book again.

Another knock, this one much harder.

"Michael, I know you’re in there." Simon’s words filtered into the house.

Michael stood and stared at the door. What the hell was Simon doing here? Out of everyone, he hadn’t expected him.

"Come on. Don’t think I won’t make a scene." Simon’s voice got progressively louder.

Michael’s heart thumped.

"I did warn you," Simon said in a singsong fashion.

What? Michael took a step closer to the door.

"I can’t believe you’re doing this to us," Simon yelled for the whole damn neighborhood to hear. "After all I sacrificed for you, you just use me and throw me aside!"

Michael’s mouth dropped open. Oh, the Newmans were going to have joint heart attacks, and Mr. Benson was going to record this for YouTube.

"I gave you my virginity," Simon screeched. "And you—"

Michael threw open the door and jerked Simon inside the house.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Michael snarled as he slammed the door.

"I’m thinking I not only got you to open the door but got inside your house." Simon’s dark green eyes sparkled. "But seeing how things look"—his nose wrinkled—"that might not be a good thing. It looks like Animal House exploded in here."

Michael glanced around the room and grimaced before settling his attention on Simon. Did the man have to look so sexy?

He mentally smacked himself upside the head. This was Simon, not a potential conquest.

Simon had also seen him at his most vulnerable. He’d cried on the guy.

"Are you single-handedly supporting the pizza industry?" Simon asked as he ventured around, peeking in the boxes and cringing. "Nothing is going to climb out, right?"

"Ha, ha, ha." Michael’s face heated in embarrassment. Just another part of himself he’d prefer Simon not see

     My thanks again to author, Draven St. James, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to let us get to know you and your amazing books!! If you would like to know more about Draven, she can be found at the following links.
--
Draven St. James
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/draven.stjames
Blog: http://dravenstjames.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DravenStJames
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/dravenstjames/
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/author/show/7155623.Draven_St_James
Loose Id: http://www.loose-id.com/authors/a-f/draven-st-james.html



     Well that wasn't so bad. :) I really hope to continue these interviews. I love getting to know more about all the amazing authors out there. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! **HUGS**