Tag: Interview

a look at Nicola Cameron & ‘Palace of Scoundrels’ @YesItsNicolaC #EroticRomance #Fantasy

On By Casey's CornerIn Authors & Books, Goddess Fish Promotions1 Comment

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Today we have author Nicola Cameron visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Nicola Cameron is an expatriate Chicagoan who has lived in England, Canada, Holland, and Sweden, and keeps a confusing amalgamation of languages in her head as a result. Currently located in the clavicle of Texas, she has finally mastered the proper use of “y’all,” much to her Chicago family’s dismay.
* Despite a healthy interest in sex since puberty, it wasn’t until 2012 that Nicola decided to try writing about it. As it turned out, the skills she picked up during her SF writing career transferred rather nicely to erotic romance. When not writing, she wrangles cats, smooches her husband, makes dolls of dubious and questionable identity, and thanks almighty Cthulhu that she doesn’t have to work for a major telecommunications company any more (because there’s BDSM, and then there’s just plain torture…).
* Hello, and thanks so much for having me on today! Palace of Scoundrels is kind of a surprise baby because the first book in the series, Empress of Storms, was supposed to be a standalone until I started getting asked when the sequel was coming out. I am not one to disappoint readers. I’m describing Palace of Scoundrels as “Game of Thrones, except with less violent death and more snark. The wine drinking is about the same, though.” And I already have an outline for Book Three and two novellas in the same universe – whee!

A look into…

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~ Blurb ~

* Spring has sprung in the island kingdom of Hellas, and with it come thoughts of young love and fruitful fields. But with no signs of an occupant for the royal nursery, Queen Danaë is starting to worry about her own fertility. Her concerns aren’t helped by the arrival of the legendarily conniving Dowager Queen Atilia of Illium–or the woman’s handsome grandson Prince Marcus, on the run after being accused of poisoning his older brother.
* In the neighboring kingdom of Ypres, Danaë’s royal husband Matthias is dealing with dangerous family politics and a wolfish duke who has kidnapped a young noblewoman for immoral purposes. Or has he? Can Matthias ward off the threat of civil war, outwit his relatives, and deal with a charming rival in his wife’s own palace?

~ Excerpt ~

* Matthias pulled Danaë into his lap, squeezing her close. She felt his chest rumble in rueful laughter. “Only you could fall into the ocean, be rescued by pirates, and wind up haring off with them on a treasure hunt.”
* “Oddly enough, Father said much the same thing,” she admitted. “But it turned into a wonderful adventure. I even got my favorite tiara out of it, the silver one with the large pearl.” She’d also earned the unswerving loyalty of Captain Jason Constantinedes and his crew, who now served as her personal spy network outside of Hellas. After brief consideration she decided not to mention the days she had spent as Jason’s willing lover. It was in the past, and she didn’t want Matthias harboring a grudge against Jason if the captain ever had cause to come to Hellaspont. “They brought me back home with a wealth of knowledge about piracy on the high seas. Which is why I know I don’t want to be a pirate queen.”
* “Thank the gods for that,” Matthias muttered, kissing her hair. “You’re rapacious enough as it is.”
* She turned so that she could nuzzle under his ear, licking the salty skin there. “I never heard you complain before.”
* “I’m not complaining now, little bird, merely observing.”
* She hummed, catching his earlobe between her teeth and nibbling on it. “Rapacious,” she whispered after she let it go. “I like the sound of that.” His breath caught as she traced spirals on his skin with the tip of her tongue. She could smell clean sweat, male musk, and something distinctly Matthias underneath it all. “Would you like me to show you how rapacious I can be?” she teased.
* “Another night, perhaps,” She heard a promise in his voice. “Tonight, milady, I plan on doing the boarding.”
* His arms tightened around her and he got up with a soft grunt, carrying her to the bed and dropping her onto the silk coverlet. She bounced with a giggle and rose up on her elbows, watching avidly as he pulled off his shirt and breeches. Regular riding and sparring matches with his guard had kept him muscled and firm, and she could spend hours running her fingers over the curves and dips of his body, particularly his broad, furred chest. The flickering light from candle and fireplace transformed the hair there into gold and amber sparks, trailing down his carved abdomen before spreading into a darker nest of curls around his rising cock. She rubbed her thighs together, feeling the delicious ache that always grew between them when he stripped like this for her.
* He cupped himself, squeezing the shaft hard enough to make the sheathed head bulge. “Still want a statue of me?” he asked, with the cheerful arrogance of a man who knew he was desired.
* She licked her lips. “More than ever.”
* He glanced down at his swelling flesh and grinned. “You can’t scare me, you know. I’ve seen the kind of statuary you have in Hellas. I doubt anyone would bat an eyelash at it.”
* “Bat an eyelash, no. Be violently jealous of me, yes.” It was her turn to tease, and she took her time unfastening the brooches that held up her gown. She slid the delicate fabric over one breast, then the other, letting it caress her hardening nipples. The sensation made her shiver. Cupping one breast, she rolled the peak between her fingers, imagining his hot, wet mouth around it. “The question is, what will your future subjects think when they see the statue of me?”
* Matthias put a knee on the mattress. The movement made the furred sac between his legs swing a bit, and she reached out to cradle it, enjoying how he shivered at her touch. “The women will weep from envy, and the men will all fall in love with you,” he murmured, his voice rough and needy. “And none of them will ever have you.”
* “No, they won’t,” she breathed, letting him push her onto her back. The ache between her hips grew, turning into a slow, sweet throb. “Only you, my love.”

Buy Palace of Scoundrels here…
All Romance eBooks | Amazon – US | Amazon – UK | Amazon – CA | Smashwords

Find Nicola Cameron here…
Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Thank you for joining us here today, Nicola Cameron! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

Welcome to John Nicholl w/ #PsychologicalThriller #book ‘Portraits of the Dead’ @nicholl06 @GoddessFish

On By Casey's CornerIn Authors & Books, Goddess Fish Promotions5 Comments

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Today we have author John Nicholl visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
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* John Nicholl, an ex-police officer, child protection social worker, manager and lecturer, has written three dark psychological suspense thrillers, each of which are Amazon international bestsellers, reaching # 1 in multiple categories in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia, Canada and the USA. John is always happy to hear from readers, bloggers or anyone interested in proposing a joint creative project. He can be contacted via his author website.

Today John Nicholl will be talking about where his ideas come from.
* All three of my books draw heavily on my professional experiences as a police officer and child protection social worker, manager and trainer in Cornwall, England, and green and rural West Wales over a twenty year plus period. In a way, given my many professional experiences, I think that dark psychological crime thrillers chose me, rather than me choosing them as I originally thought. At the end of the day, they were the books I had to write. I think that’s the best way of putting it. I think it’s fair to say that I find it much easier to write from real life experience, which isn’t surprising when you think about it, and I greatly admire all those writers who can create amazing fantasy worlds from their own vivid imaginations alone… like the Harry Potter books. J K Rowling is an incredible author who is a great example of what I mean. I really don’t know how she does it all with such undoubted aplomb. I think that’s a real skill. Such a talented woman. I sometimes think it would be interesting and enjoyable to write a different genre of books, but, if I’m honest with myself, I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. Never say never, but I somehow doubt it. I think it’s very likely to be more psychological suspense thrillers in the future. I guess that’s not a bad thing in itself. Many successful writers have a chosen genre and style and stick to it. I’ll almost certainly do the same.

A look into…

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~ Blurb ~

* Emma didn’t know how long he hid, silent and unmoving, in the large Victorian wardrobe to the side of her single bed. She didn’t know how long he peered out, salivating and drooling, between the two heavy dark oak doors, and watched, mesmerised, as she slowly drifted into fitful sleep. She didn’t know what time he pushed the doors open and crept towards her in the drab grey darkness of the night.
* Detective Inspector Gravel finds himself floundering when a local nineteen-year-old university student is abducted and imprisoned by a sadistic serial killer, who has already tortured and killed five young women.
* A gripping page-turner of a serial killer thriller packed with suspense. If you like Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza and Karin Slaughter, discover John Nicholl’s chilling new thriller today.

~ Excerpt ~

* Chapter 1
* 2:20 A.M. Saturday, 2 May 1998
* Emma didn’t know how long he hid, silent and unmoving, in the large Victorian wardrobe to the side of her single bed. She didn’t know how long he peered, salivating and drooling, between the two heavy dark oak doors and watched, mesmerised, as she slowly drifted into fitful sleep. She didn’t know what time he pushed the doors open and crept towards her in the drab grey darkness of the night. But he did. She knew that he did.
* Emma woke with a start, tense, alert, and opened her bleary eyes, telling herself insistently that the dark silhouette slowly approaching her was the nightmare construct of her subconscious mind. But initial anxiety became blind panic as the inky shadow took on an obvious human form that suddenly gained pace and loomed over her. And then a hand, a large hot clammy hand, pulled the bedclothes over her head, clamped her mouth tight shut and silenced her scream before it materialised.
* A myriad unwelcome thoughts invaded her troubled mind as he pinned her head to the pillow and raised his free arm high above his head, before closing his fingers tightly, forming his hand into a formidable weapon and bringing it crashing down, again and again and again, with all the force he could muster, rendering her unconscious and bleeding.
* She didn’t know how long she remained senseless, or what he did to her while she slept. She didn’t know what time he lifted her from her bed and carried her from her student bedroom, down the creaking wooden staircase and out into the Welsh city street. But he did. She knew that he did.

Buy Portraits of the Dead here…
Amazon

Find John Nicholl here…
Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Thank you for joining us here today, John Nicholl! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! John Nicholl will award to one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card! So be sure to leave a comment AND use this RAFFLECOPTER LINK to enter the drawing. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!

Welcome to Brandon Zenner w/ #Dystopian #book ‘The After War’ @SlapstickII @GoddessFish

On By Casey's CornerIn Authors & Books, Goddess Fish Promotions9 Comments

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Today we have author Brandon Zenner visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
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* Brandon Zenner is an American fiction writer and an Amazon best selling author. His short fiction has been published in both print and online publications, the first being submitted when he was 19 years old. THE EXPERIMENT OF DREAMS, his debut eBook thriller, has reached Amazon’s best seller list many times. His second novel, WHISKEY DEVILS, was released in early 2016. THE AFTER WAR, a dystopian thriller, is available now as a pre-order, at 80% off the final sale price. You can follow the author on his Amazon page, or through his email list on his website. All email subscribers will receive his futuristic short story, HELIX ILLUMINATED, for free as a thank you. His genres of choice are thrillers, crime, dystopian, and science fiction.

Today Brandon Zenner will be talking about the first book that had a big impact on him.
* It’s funny to think about it now, but I have a distant memory from back when I was in grade school, lying down on my parent’s couch and struggling to read a book that I was issued from school. Whatever the title was, I have no recollection. But I have a vivid memory of thinking that at that time, books were never going to be my thing. My dad and sister were voracious readers, as was most everyone else in my family, but I was quite certain that I was never going to enjoy reading at all.
* Flash forward a year or two, not that much time, and I was again issued a book from my teacher called Hatchet. Although I won’t go as far as to say that it was the first book to have a big impact on me, it was the first book that I enjoyed from start to finish, and I even went so far as to read the sequel. I remember the thrilling feeling as the young character survived after being stranded on a beach alone, and even the feeling of hunger when the author described a quail being roasted, the skin browned and sizzling, and juices running from the meat.
* Again, flash forward a few years to when I’m about thirteen, and I have a slight appreciation for reading before I delve into the author who will occupy most of my teenage years: Kurt Vonnegut. It was a friend of mine who urged me to read his books, so I decided to give the author a shot, and borrowed one of his lesser-known novels, SLAPSTICK. It hit me then like a ton of bricks—books, writing, it could be whatever the author wanted it to be. Kurt Vonnegut’s words delved into imaginary and fantastical worlds vastly more complex than my previous school-issued books. I quickly devoured most all of his books. SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, CAT’S CRADLE, MOTHER NIGHT, BLUEBEARD, and on and on. The immense world of fiction had been unlocked, and the seed of what would later go on to consume most of my teenage and adult life had been planted: writing fiction of my own.
* So, I can’t say that SLAPSTICK was the best, or even my favorite Kurt Vonnegut novel, but it was the first book that truly opened my eyes to the amazing world of fiction. I think back to both that novel and that period of my life with such fond reverie, and wish I could go back in time to read all of Kurt Vonnegut’s books again, for the very first time.

A look into…

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~ Blurb ~

* Two years have passed since mankind faced extinction. Brain Rhodes and his cousin, Steven, are leaving the protection of their underground bunker for the first time, after a cataclysmic war and unrelenting disease ravaged the earth.
* On the other side of the North American continent, young Simon Kalispell is leaving the safety and seclusion of his cabin deep in the woods, traveling with his aging canine companion, Winston.
* For individual reasons, these men are traveling east, where the fragmented lives of a small number of survivors will soon be decided by the choices of a corrupt few.
* Simon Kalispell and Brian Rhodes are not yet aware, but the strength that resides inside them will soon be tested, and destiny will call for their fates to be forever intertwined.

~ Excerpt ~

* Brian lowered his gun. “It’s okay, Steve. He’s dead.” He looked around. “There’s no one here.”
* Steven lowered his rifle, wiping his palms on his thighs and brushing the sweat from his eyes.
* “I said he’s dead, Steve—”
* “I reckon he’s dead, Brian. I see he’s dead.”
* “Come on now. We’re right at town.”
* They sidestepped the corpse until it was well behind them. If the body was someone they had once known, it was now impossible to determine who that person might have been.
* “That won’t be the last of them,” Brian said. “You better get your head on straight.”
* Steven opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again.
* They stepped onto the road as the first house emerged from the woods. They walked past it, taking careful notice of the blank windows—as black as the eye sockets of the corpse—and scanned for any sign of movement, like the fluttering of drapes, or the partially covered face of a person peering out from the darkness with a shotgun clenched tight in their hands. Anything.
* But there was no movement.
* “Think anyone’s left?” Steven said, with a crack in his voice.
* Brian shrugged. “I know as much as you do.”
* The yards around the homes, and Pearl Street itself, were spotted with litter and debris of every kind blowing in the gentle breeze. Overgrown tree roots buckled sections of the sidewalk and emerged from cracks in the pavement. They passed the police station bordering the center of town. The cruisers were vacant in the parking lot, and the building was cold and silent.

Buy The After War here…
Amazon The After War will be $0.99 during the tour.

Find Brandon Zenner here…
Facebook | Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Brandon Zenner! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

ANNOUNCEMENT! Brandon Zenner will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use this RAFFLECOPTER LINK to enter the drawing. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!