INCANTATION PARADOX by Annamaria Bazzi

The day has finally arrived. I would like to present to all of Annamaria's readers the wonderful cover for:

 

Cover Designer: Natasha Brown

Release Date: TBA 

A car accident cuts Dolores Reynard’s life short, leaving her with a long list of unfulfilled dreams. When she awakens in a strange bed, inside a much younger body, and living with a new family—she can’t worry she might be going insane. How can she be a teenager again?

Jason Richmond understands the danger awaiting his new houseguest. Wanting to ease her concerns, he works to earn Dolores’ trust. But attraction flares in the most unexpected way, and he finds himself caught between setting the situation right and following his heart.

An enduring evil threatens not only the blossoming love but their lives as well. As Dolores and Jason struggle to unravel the truth behind her resurrection, they find themselves tangled in a web of murder, intrigue and magic. Only together can they hope to overcome the incantation paradox holding them captive.

Dolores:

Hello, my name is Dolores and I'm a forty-something mother of two high school girls, Ella and Chloe. On my way to their recital, I was in a car accident that changed my life forever. We all desire to be young again, but never in someone else's body. If you think magic doesn't exist, think again. There truly are people in the world who can wield magic, and I'm not talking the illusion kind we see on stage, I'm talking real magic, the magic you read in books with wizards and sorceresses. You don't have to take my word, read my story and find out for yourself the ordeal I had to go through to find my way back home.

About Annamaria: Although born in the United States, Annamaria spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish. annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

You can visit annamaria at:

Blog - website - Facebook page - twitter - Amazon - email

Check in on Kendíka’s Facebook page

My Guest Ashley York--Another New Englander and History Lover!

Read about Ashley York's Scottish romance THE BRUISED THISTLE, right here. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Ashley!

Iseabail MacNaughton, the orphaned daughter of a Scottish laird, is forced to flee her home and seek assistance against her lecherous uncle, who has usurped her family’s land. When she meets Seumas, a strong and valiant mercenary, she cannot help wondering if he could be the one to stand with her against her uncle. But with a price on her head and enemies on all sides, her trust is not something she can afford to give lightly…

Seumas MacDonell is a man wounded in body and soul, driven by guilt. When he rescues Iseabail from one of his men, he cannot deny the attraction he feels for her, despite the wound that left him unable to act on it. In the hope of finding redemption for his sins, he agrees to help Iseabail…but will his feelings for her prove to be the ultimate obstacle to his salvation?

 

 

Now the Eggcerpt

“It was quite an adventure,” Calum chirped. “Then they called after me  ’thief, theif’ and chased me when I took off on Seumas’s horse.”

Seumas smiled at Calum. “You did fine, lad.”

Calum came to stand beside the man, rubbing the long ears of his pet. ” Did you give her the herbs?”

“Nae, I didn’t need them.” Seumas pierced Iseabail with his look. “I was able to get the fever down by other means.”

Calum frowned and looked between them. “How?”

“I took her to the river.”

“Oh.” Calum nodded, satisfied with the answer. “I will go out and find some food for my rabbit, if you think it safe.”

“Do not go far, lad. There is plenty near here that vermin can eat.”

Iseabail shifted in his arms. “Can you put me down now?”

He did not answer, nor did he comply. Instead, he inched his hand up her neck and started working little circles into her skin. She fought the desire to close her eyes. It felt so good.”

“Do ye not want to know how I got your fever down?”

“You said you brought me to the river.”

He held her gaze then pulled her toward him, and she knew he was going to kiss her. His lips were warm, and the lightening surged through her again. He kissed her lightly at first then more urgently. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

He straightened abruptly then placed her on her cloak. “Ye should get some sleep.”

Seumas pushed past Calum as he was coming back in.

“Told you he was mad,” Calum said.

 

Purchase THE BRUISED THISTLE at Amazon here

 

Find Ashley at: http://www.ashleyyorkauthor.com

Follow Ashley on Twitter @ashley1066york

# medievalromance # romancenovels # eggcerptexchange # romancebooks 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY! by my guest Tory Richards

Happy Birthday Baby!  

My Novella Featured in the Eggcerpt Exchange

 

 

What better way to spend your fiftieth birthday than with the hot male stripper you’ve been coveting for months! Proving you can have fun at any age, Happy Birthday Baby! from author Tory Richards is a celebration of life you won’t soon forget.

Available for pre-order!

Excerpt - “Lana, wait.” I heard Joe’s voice and picked up my step, which was hard to do on gravel while wearing heels. He caught up with me in no time, gently taking hold of my arm and drawing me to a halt. “Are you okay?”

I knew we were looking at each other, but it was too dark to see his expression. “Yes. I just need some light to call a cab.”

“You’ve changed your mind about coming home with me?”

“I’m sure you can find a replacement,” I said, thinking about the waitress inside.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked angrily. “What did that jerk tell you?”

“Enough to know you won’t be lonely. I only hope my friends didn’t pay you too much to sleep with me.” The hand on my arm tightened, revealing either I’d hit a nerve, or he was growing angrier. “I’m okay with it, Joe, really. I should have known a man like you would have to be paid for a little, ah, extra special attention.”

“A man like me?” His tone was low and gravelly, and I didn’t need any light to know he was clenching his teeth. “Well, let’s go then. I want to make sure I give you their money’s worth.”

Surprisingly, I wasn’t frightened of Joe. He brought out other emotions in me. So when he began pulling me behind him I didn’t protest. He was just too damned sexy, and arousal still hummed through my body. I knew that with his talents he’d have me eating out of his hand in seconds. He was a tall man, his steps much wider than mine, and it was inevitable that I’d stumble. When I did, he caught me, and pulled me up into his arms without breaking stride.

“This isn’t necessary.” A thrill shot through me in spite of my mild protest. I couldn’t recall the last time a man carried me.

He just grunted. When we reached his car, he dropped me to my feet at the passenger’s side door. I barely had time to notice it was a Corvette before he crushed me against the door and kissed me roughly. Caught totally by surprise, at first, I stiffened, but within seconds, I melted against him like ice cream on a hot sidewalk. Oh my God, the man knew how to kiss! When he reined in his aggressive attack, his mouth turned soft and coaxing, dragging me into a realm of endless erotic possibilities.

Available Liquid Silver Books

More Info about Tory 

Twitter

Facebook

 

Meet My Guest, Paranormal Romance Author Lisa Rayns

I'm always happy to meet another vampire romance novelist!

Lisa Rayns, author of "Wanted: Vampire – Free Blood," lives in a small town in South Dakota. She studied Composition/Literature in college and worked with explosives and as a blackjack dealer before beginning her writing career. An avid reader, she weaves romantic stories rich with action, suspense, and her own personal flavor of the paranormal. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and Siamese cat.

 

Hi, Diana! Thanks so much for having me on your blog and allowing me to introduce my Wanted: Vampire Trilogy to your readers. The third and final book will be out this year, and I’m super excited. Thanks to everyone for checking it out!

Wanted: Vampire - Free Blood

Book 1 in the Wanted: Vampire Trilogy

Released: Aug 24, 2012 Genre: Paranormal Romance Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Three years ago, death blew out the candle in Alexis Hall’s life and left her devastated. Nothing could replace what she’d lost, not even the sexy stranger she awoke married to. Still, she finds it hard to ignore the dangerous sparks he triggers within her. She knows Bradley Cox took advantage of her. What she doesn’t know is he holds a secret that will change everything.

But Bradley isn’t her only concern. In a moment of desperation to somehow reclaim what she had lost, Alexis made an offer to a vampire––free blood. Her blood.

In a story of heartbreak and obsession, a simple ad changed Alexis' life forever and on one fateful night her dreams and her nightmares will collide. Can she trust Bradley? Or is he her worst mistake? Can she retract her offer to the vampire? Or will she fall under his deceptive spell?

Purchase Amazon / B&N

Excerpt:

He spoke slowly, introducing himself as Malik Drake with a sharp foreign accent that she couldn’t place. She thought he seemed nice, right up until he said, “You’re dead.”

When she froze in place, he continued in a softer tone. “I can tell you are dead inside. You needn’t try to hide it from me. I’ve seen the look before. You are at a party yet you bide your time with hardly an upward glance. You find it dull, do you not? Or perhaps, you would rather be dead?”

“What are you? A shrink?” she asked suspiciously, lifting her head to meet a spine-tingling smirk.

“No, but I should think you might be interested in my unique gifts.”

“Oh, really? Do you drink blood?” she teased, laughing at her own private joke. A tiny gasp escaped her lips when he smiled and tightened his grip around her waist. Her heart beat faster, and she found herself unable to look away from his beauty.

“May I give you a birthday kiss, Alexis?” he asked, running a gloved finger down the side of her neck.

She didn’t get a chance to answer before his cold lips brushed hers. For a moment they stared into each other’s eyes, and she saw a yellow glow around his pupils.

Her mind raced with the possibilities, but her body was losing its ability to function. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. The air wouldn’t enter her lungs.

Book 2 is available now! Check it out on  Amazon / B&N

Book 3 in the Wanted: Vampire Trilogy: Fingers crossed,  it will be coming in April 2014  

Follow the Author: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

EGGSCERPT EXCHANGE--READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Check out Tina Gayle‘s Eggcerpt Exchange from March 5th to April 20th, where several of us authors post excerpts and fun tidbits about our books. I'm hosting some authors right here, and I'll be guesting on their blogs. Looking for something new and exciting to read? Look no further than the Eggscerpt Exchange!

My Italian vampire romance, A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE, is now on sale for Kindle and in paperback. Take a bite out of it below:

A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE is a fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.

          Romance writer Mona Rossi's book sales are slipping. She needs new ideas and fast! Her vampire love, Fausto Silvius is a doctor aboard the Romanza, a luxury cruise ship. Holding a "Motion on the Ocean" writer's cruise sounds like a great idea. What better way to combine a career boost with romance? But they soon discover hunters on board who give chase to Fausto and his fellow vampires. While he longs to bring Mona into his world, how can he convince her to join him with fringe lunatics on the hunt? In the prime of her life she's not sticking her neck out for a shot at eternity.

Excerpt:

Mona forced a dose of cheer through her jangly nerves. Vampire hunters wouldn’=t have the balls to attack Fausto and his friends on this ship. Security was tight. “Well, you’re here, so does that mean you’ve been going out, and aren’t confined to your house any more?”

Fausto shrugged. “Almost. I couldn’t wallow in self-pity forever. And I knew seeing you would make it worthwhile.”

She smiled and gave him a genuine Italian cheek pinch. “I’ll cheer you up, faccia bella, you can count on that. You must feel safe.” She gestured at the tacky duds. “I mean, relatively speaking.”    

“Don’t let this scare you, but –” He glanced around over the rims of his shades. Uh-oh. Whenever he said “don’t let this scare you,” it scared her. “I got an ominous message at the doctor=s office earlier.”

“What B” She swallowed a lump. “What kind of ominous message?”

He looked away, shaking his head. “Nothing to get alarmed about. The hunters just want me to know they’re here. After the initial jolt wore off, I said, ‘okay, I’m being stalked again.’ But I’m used to it. It doesn’t make me constantly look over my shoulder like in the old days. My family’s murder gave me a reality check. If they want me, they’ll get me. I can’t let it interfere with my work, or what little leisure time I have here. And you shouldn’t either.” He gazed at her adoringly and cupped her cheek. His hand was surprisingly warm. “But you’re still scared. All the blood’s drained out of your face, and not in a good way.”

 

 

 

Buy Links:

 

Kindle on Amazon

Paperback

Goodreads Link

 

Visit me at www.dianarubino.com

Tweet me @DianaLRubino

My Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHAKESPEARE’S HOLLYWOOD vs. HISTORY

 

THE DEFORMED VILLAINOUS RICHARD III vs.

GOOD KING RICHARD

 

We read the play in high school and watched Laurence Olivier drag his lame foot across the movie set, limping in choreographed precision with his uneven shoulders, from which the right one hung a withered arm. “dogs bark at me as I halt by them” (Richard III, 1.i). He sneers, thin-lipped, under a blue-black wig and turns in profile to showcase the pointy putty nose. In Henry VI, 3.ii Richard claims that Nature has conspired to “shape my legs of an unequal size; / To disproportion me in every part”.

Since August 22, 1485, this was the Richard we saw, filtered through the imaginations of paid Tudor propagandists such as Thomas More and the imagination of the Bard to amuse and possibly appease his royal theatergoer and monarch, Elizabeth I. Shakespeare sure knew his audience, namely the granddaughter of Henry, Earl of Richmond, the Welsh pretender whose brave men at arms (Henry stayed horsed at a safe distance) pummeled Richard III off his mount and his throne to begin the Tudor dynasty.

The new King Henry VII paid historians such as Sir Thomas More to drag Richard’s name through the mud as they dragged his body, in order to lend more credibility to his tenuous claim to the throne.

Literary critic Stephen Greenblatt says Tudor’s smear campaign involved portraying Richard as a “monster of evil, a creature whose moral viciousness was vividly stamped on his twisted body.”

Having evolved over the centuries into the "Tudor myth," Richard’s purported reign of terror became the go-to “historical record” taught in schools and perpetuated by playwrights such as the Bard, novelists and Hollywood.

These myths, or lies, depending on your degree of Ricardian loyalty, thrived because: a) history is written by the victors, b) everyone loves to hate a villain, and c) no one bothered to refute Richard’s reputation as a twisted crookbacked monster. Until 1924 when a Liverpool surgeon, Saxon Barton and a small group of friends created the Richard III Society.

But his alleged bodily flaws aren’t what kept his reputation mired in that Tudor mud. Richard’s piety remained in doubt mainly because there is no record as to what happened to his nephews, one of whom was to become Edward V, after they disappeared during Richard’s short reign. Known as ‘the Princes in the Tower,’ the boys vanished after Dr. Shaa at St. Paul’s Cross declared them illegitimate in a sermon. In 1674, workers discovered a small box containing bones under a staircase of the White Tower. The bones were placed in an urn in Westminster Abbey where they remain today. In 1933 forensic scientists determined the bones belonged to two males of ages 12 and 10, the ages of the Princes when they vanished. But the studies could not determine their identity.

Despite the Richard III Society’s ongoing efforts to proclaim his innocence, there is still no proof as to whether he did away with his nephews.

But we now have proof that Richard wasn’t the mangled withered-armed humpback of Bard lore—and that proof is in another set of bones—those of  Richard himself. In February, the announcement flew round the world that Richard’s body was unearthed under a car park in Leicester, at the site of the church where he’d been buried after his death at the Battle of Bosworth. DNA testing on a male descendant gave Ricardians the world over the match they’d been hoping for. Richard indeed suffered scoliosis, curvature of the spine, which decreased his height by four inches. But his condition did not render him a hunchback by any means. Nor did his arm bones show any signs of being mangled or withered. These findings, a long-awaited relief to Ricardians, dispelled all the 500-year-old theories, myths, fictionalizations, and yes, lies about Richard’s deformities. Therefore his dramatized villainy—some scholars believe Richard was a bad guy because of his deformity (giving him the feeling of rejection, inadequacy, and sense of being unloved)—was disproved.

But the historical record itself hasn’t given us believable evidence of his wicked ways, dragging a deformed body or not. He was by all accounts an energetic and benevolent king. His un-mangled, un-hunched remains and his reconstructed face tell us that he didn’t become a monster because of a deformity. If you’d care to learn of Richard’s good deeds you’ll see he left his kingdom a better place than he found it. We can take the Bard’s and Thomas More’s words as fiction, or at least with a pinch of salt, and Ricardians everywhere can rest assured that he was a good guy after all. 

Visit the Richard III Society American branch.

 

A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE now on Kindle

          A Bloody Good Cruise is now on sale for Kindle

A fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.

 Romantic suspense author Mona is a human, and the hero Fausto is a vampire, and although they care deeply about each other, their different backgrounds create a lot of problems. He can never be one of her kind and she=s deathly afraid to become one of his. But her best friend Tessie is madly in love with Fausto=s vamp cousin Quintus, and makes her life-altering decision to let him turn her. But as they as they all sail the Mediterranean on a writer=s cruise that Mona=s organized, Fausto=s job as the ship=s doctor is hard to perform when he realizes hunters (or the Vampire Ball Busters, as vamps call them) are after him and his fellow vamps. They abduct Tessie, who saves her neck at the last minute by turning Roy, one of the hunters. Now Roy must live as one of the despised creatures he=s devoted his life to hunting. But his problems pale in comparison to Mona=s as Fausto=s ex-wife shows up after four hundred years, hot to snatch him back. She=s not just another bitter ex hoping to rekindle the flamesBshe=s Lucrezia Borgia, history=s most notorious gold digger and husband-killer. When Mona and Fausto team up with the hunters to capture Lucrezia and get her to confess to her crimes, Mona thinks all is lost because Lucrezia refuses to talk. But Mona gets her creative writer=s  juices flowing, and right out of one of her suspense novels, tricks Lucrezia into a confession. The tabloid show The Cutting Edge, on shipboard to tape the writers= cruise, beams the story all over the world. Mona and Fausto become instant celebrities, but hunters are still after Fausto. One of them shoots Mona while aiming for him, and she realizes she must let Fausto turn her or she=ll dieBso she makes her decision, which she never regrets. Instead of looking for the next big market trend, she helps Fausto and Quintus write their memoirs, so the world can see what vampires really are about.

See A Bloody Good Cruise on Amazon here