Charlotte could never forget the first kiss from her Carny but she had a lot going on before she met him again in Astoria. Charlotte's wedding bares it all. A special exclusive offer for fans of Brooke Moss's The Carny and Inkspell Publishing. This prequel story is available for free for a limited time (only through July 10th)!. So, grab this sweet, short story now!!! Do you love fantasy stories that have strong female characters and steamy hot guys? Debbie Peterson writes stories just like that! She is the author of Inkspell's April release: The Shadow of the Witte Wieven-- the story of DEA Aliyana Montijo and former seventeenth century captain of the Dutch West Indies Company, Wolfaert Dircksen Van Ness, now from a parallel dimension. Today we sit down with Debbie and find out about her writing and upcoming books. When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer? I started out by writing poetry when I was very young (No you can’t see them, so don’t ask). Writing novels came much later, although I made up stories in my head as far back as I can remember. Then one day, with the encouragement of my husband, I started writing those stories down and it just felt really good. So, I persevered! What inspired you to write your novel, Shadow of the Witte Wieven? I saw a beautiful painting of a raging storm over the sea… Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why? I think I’d have to go with Wolf, because he has seen and experienced so much of what life has to offer. He’s not afraid to go after what he wants. If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why? I think I’d stay with my Paranormal/fantasy romance because the possibilities are endless and I can allow my imagination to go wherever it wants to go! Morning person or grumpy bear? Morning person… (I’m very rarely a grumpy bear.) What group were you a part of in High School? Jocks? Nerds? Metal heads? I’m pretty sure I belonged to the “wall flower” club. I was then, and still am, fairly shy. Tell us one thing that would surprise us to know about you? Probably the fact that I have over one thousand books on my personal library shelves, and yes, I have one room in my house dedicated to our books. What is next for you? Right now, my paranormal romance, “Spirit of the Revolution,” is undergoing edits. Once the book is in final galley, I’ll get a release date. I also have one other book in submissions (a fantasy romance), with another, (a tale of a ghostly knight) waiting in line behind “Revolution.” Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi. If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or denim and tees? You would find denim and tees. Thank you Debbie for stopping by to share your insights with us. We love the strong characters you write and their determination to make the world a better place at all costs! Readers, if you are interested in Shadow of the Witte Wieven, get your copy today. It's received numerous positive reviews and is a fast-pased, action-packed tale. Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a new blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. This week we are featuring the main characters from our highly recommended and reviewed book Truly, Madly, Deeply You by Cecilia Robert. This touching story shows that sometimes friends can become the best lovers. Character Name: Liese Hansfeld Age: 24 Hair: black and curly Eyes: brown Height: 5' 3" Distinguishing features: Head full of a riotous curls Most Resembles: Jasika Nicole Her usual disposition when not haunted by her past is cheery, a fun girl and easy going and impulsive to a fault. Character Name: Freytag Meier (Frey) Age: 24 Hair: Dirty blonde. Eyes: blue Height: 6' 1" Distinguishing features: Tall and well built, dimpled chin, tousled dirty blond hair Most Resembles: Justin Hartley Frey is passionate, impulsive, intense and stubborn to a fault. As far as he is concerned, his heart beats for only one woman. He can cook, ski like a pro and believes in living life full throttle. Be warned. As long as Frey is around, you'll never be bored, because he has the gift of coming up with a plan within the blink of an eye. If you haven't read Truly, Madly, Deeply You...you should pick it up today! These two characters steam up the pages as they find that love may be closer than you think!
Ellie is finally here - of course waving at us from the sea! She is glad that finally this generation will understand her need to break all rules and sail away as a pirate. None in 1600s did! She also thanks her author, Rebecca Hart, for telling her story. Have you picked up a copy yet? No? Even after this beautiful cover page? Then, this should do the trick. "Call Of The Sea" is 30% off only on our website till 30th June! Grab your copy now! Print Book Price: $9.79 (Only at our website!) eBook Price: $3.5 (Only at our website!) Author: Rebecca Hart Genre: Paranormal Romance Length: Super Novel ISBN: 978-0-9850115-9-8 (Print) 978-0-9851483-0-0 (eBook) Neither can deny the call of the sea, but how long can they deny their feelings? Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth. Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O'Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren's Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter. Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other in order to quell the raging storm between them or have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer. Last week we found out about our authors' first crushes. It was fun to see just who they dreamt about. This week, we asked our authors to share their favorite strong female characters from a book. Again, they come through with some wonderful and exciting choices. Naya Nikki My favorite female character is Jo March from Little Women. She is strong,brave and independent in a time when women were not thought to be. She writes her own novel as well as plays which inspires women to break those glass ceilings that we have been given. I mean she even cuts her hair so her family has money...can you get any more bad ass than that?? Sasha Summers I can’t give you my absolute favorite female character because I have several. But a character that’s stayed with me since I read her story years and years ago would be Judith Dunbar from Rosamunde Pilcher’s World War II novel, Coming Home. You meet Judith when she’s 14 and stay with her through the war, experiencing her life in a very personal and poignant way. If you haven’t read it, you should. It’s a lovely book. T. Michelle Nelson My favorite strong female character? It may sound trite and overdone, but as a southern woman, it would be almost offensive for me to overlook the obvious choice of Scarlett O’Hara. Putting aside her ability to turn men into goo and her uncanny fashion sense, Scarlett was a woman who was strong and independent in a time when women weren’t supposed to be anything but pretty and quiet. She was resilient and managed to not only survive the Civil War and it’s aftermath, but eventually flourish.Scarlett’s appeal only magnified as Margret Mitchell revealed all her character flaws. Selfish, manipulative, vain and anything but maternal, Scarlett is one of the most real and for me, most likeable heroines of all time. If you’ve only seen the movie, I recommend reading the book. I found myself literally laughing out loud at her antics. Brooke Moss When I was a kid, I read a book called "Poor Gertie", by Larry Bograd, and it literally changed my life. Growing up, my family didn't have much money. In fact, there were times when we were downright poor, and that's why I connected with Gertie so well. She was plucky, and defiant, and determined to help her family. Plus, she liked to draw and write stories, which was (obviously) right up my ally. I've been searching this book online for years now, and to my knowledge, it has gone out of print. Which is sad, considering how very much Gertie and her story touched me. I feel like every middle grade kid should read it. It's *that* important! I did manage to score an old discarded copy from a library in Brooklyn, which was quite the feat, considering I live in Washington State. My ten year old daughter loves it, and I can't even begin to describe how proud I am that Gertie and her story have touched another kid. Aubrie Dionne My favorite strong female character in a book would have to be Jane Eyre. She stuck to her beliefs even when her heart wanted something else, and she had the strength to withstand hardships I couldn't imagine. She's small like me, but she doesn't let her physical appearance weaken her resolve. She won't settle for anything that isn't true love. Jane Eyre is a truly exceptional character. Stephanie Keyes One of my favorite female characters (because I can't just pick one) is Laurel from OR Melling's The Summer King. She is a no-no sense character with a level of skepticism about the paranormal that makes me smile. She doesn't put up with much and I like that! Majanka Verstraete Phew, that’s a tough question! If it was female character in general, I’d reply “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” in a heartbeat. She has it all: she’s tough when needed, she’s strong and confident and she saves the world every year, give or take a few. But when it comes to book characters, I have to go for Katsa from Graceling. She’s an amazing character, and Kristen Cashore’s writing is sublime. She makes the character come to life on those pages. Katsa is a strong warrior graced with exceptional skills, but that isn’t what makes her a strong character. It’s her personality, her will to keep going on even when everyone else has long given up. Her true strength is in her determination and her ability to put other’s needs – and the kingdom’s needs – above her own. Kacey Vanderkarr Tris from Divergent had me captivated from the beginning. She’s fierce, brave, and someone who refuses to take no for an answer. She leaves her “safe” Abnegation faction and her family to join Dauntless, and doesn’t give up, even when she’s the smallest one there and the least likely candidate to actually become a Dauntless “fighter.” If she’s not big enough to out-power an opponent, she outwits them, and goes from being the lowest ranked trainee to one of the highest. Just reading about her courage made me wish I was brave enough to become Dauntless as well, though I think I would’ve wimped out on day one! Eyecandy Monday: Meet Elysandra Winters and Daniel O'Rourke from Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart6/18/2012
Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a new blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. This week we are featuring the main characters from the upcoming release on June 21st of Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart. Elysandra Winters isn't a typical "girly" girl. From her childhood, she has always wanted to sail the open seas aboard her father's ship. As a young woman, she has a strong opinion and the fortitude to follow through on her dreams. Name: Elysandra Winters "Ellie" Age: 20 Hair: Red Eyes: Sea blue Distinguishing Features: a whole lot of attitude Famous Person they resemble: Emma Stone Character Teaser: If you are interested in a girl that can "hang" with the boys, knows her way around a sailing vessel, can curse like a sailor, and hates dressing in women's clothing, Ellie is your girl. Magical is one word to describe Daniel O'Rourke. As a selkie, he has the ability to become a seal or human. The water is second-nature to him. However, his compassionate nature is sure to please any woman. Name: Daniel O'Rourke Age: 23 Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Distinguishing Features: Innate selkie ability to attract women Famous Person they resemble: Brad Pitt (From Legends of the Fall) Character Teaser: Headstrong and loyal, Daniel is a perfect gentleman when warranted, but knows his way around a ship, and isn't afraid to tell you what he thinks. He has a gift for patience, and a secret talent and affinity for the ocean. Read Call of the Sea today for their touching story. Wouldn't you love to sail off in the sunset with these two?
Last week we sat down with Hollywood Ever After author Sasha Summers to find out more about herself and her writing. This week we are going to ask all our authors a question and you get to see all the responses! It is like a mega interview!
Lisa Voisin My first crush was a french exchange student named Pascal. I was in the ninth grade and everyone in my french class in Vancouver did an exchange with another family in Quebec as a way to learn about the language and the culture of our French-speaking province. We stayed a week in each other's homes. I was one of the few girls who had a boy to billet with, not Pascal, but one of his friends. So, in the short time we had, we spent a fair bit of time together, and I soon fell head over heels. Sadly, one of my friends thought it would be fun to get a boy who I liked to like her instead. I was totally out of my league. But as soon she proved she could get him, she turned him away and told me she just wanted to win. She broke two hearts that day: his and mine. He never spoke to either of us again.
Rebecca Hart I'm not sure if this is normal or not, but my first crush was actually on my 7th grade Science teacher. I've always seemed to like older men *wink* Since I still live in the same general area as him, I'll withold any names, but I used to hang out in his classroom for my daily study hall, and feign interest in his collection of strange science specimens just to get the chance to hang out in his classroom, and listen to him talk. *blushes* Stephanie Keyes My first crush was on Tom Selleck. At the time, though I know I'm dating myself, the hot show on TV was Magnum PI. I remember that I wrote to his official fan club and I received one post card from Tom, thanking me for signing up. My mom went out and got me a Hawaiian shirt just like Tom’s in the picture. Later the following year, my little brother Adam, was born. One night, I was placed in charge of watching him and he promptly threw up on the Tom Selleck shirt. No stain-removing products were successful in getting out the baby formula stain. The vomit on the Tom Selleck shirt has been a point of contention for the nearly thirty years that have followed the event. My brother, who is now a chaplain, was told by a patient just last week that he looks like a young Tom Selleck. Oh the irony! Annabelle Blume My first crush was a little boy named Shaun in preschool. We played “Greatest American Hero” every day on the playground (it was our favorite show, obviously) and we never failed to save the day. His stellar pretend-flying skills were a great compliment to my crime fighting smarts. We made a great team and I was sure we would marry. Alas, we did not. Although, my husband is routinely told he’s the spitting image of Clark Kent, so it seems I married a Superhero after all. Sasha Summers My first crush was a celebrity – Christopher Reeves in “Somewhere in Time”. He was so… so… perfect. I know he was also Superman, but I wasn’t really into the man in tights thing. It was this part that ‘did me in’. His love for Elise, and his determination to go back in time just to be with her made my heart flip-flop and my tummy knot-up. And come on, he was so gorgeous. And the film was a tragic love story, my favorite kind, so I was done for. None of the boys I knew could compete! Debbie Peterson In all likelihood, from the time I knew guys existed, I probably had a crush of one kind or another, even if an actor from a movie or TV series. (I can’t help it; I’ve always been a romantic and I like guys!) But, having said that, the first flesh and blood “crush” that popped into my mind was Russell Bowers, one of the students in my third grade class. He was tall, dark, and handsome…yes he was. And, as destiny smiled down upon my smitten heart, he became my square dance partner during the P.E. portion of our school day. Why? Because he was the tallest boy, and I just happened to be the tallest girl at that time. Yes indeed, the snowy winter was the most memorable season of my third grade year! Majanka Verstraete Believe it or not, but my first crush was on a book character. When I first read “In The Forests of The Night”by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, I immediately fell in love with one of the main characters, a vampire named Aubrey. Mind you, this was all before vampires became popular, even before Buffy The Vampire Slayer aired – or at least, before I was old enough to watch it. Originally I had borrowed the book from the library, but after reading it over thirty times in one week, my Mom bought a copy for me. However, according to my Mom, my first ever crush on a real life person was back when I was in kindergarten. I used to chase one of my best friends and try to give him kisses on the cheek. I don’t remember that though – but I’m glad I don’t! Kristy Centeno My first mayor crush happened after my mother took my brothers and me to live overseas. I was about ten at the time and going to a new school in which all children spoke a language I could barely speak myself was in itself intimidating. However, when I walked through those metal gates on my first day of school and caught sight of a tall boy with long brown hair and hazel eyes my heart caught in my throat. Suddenly, the new school didn’t seem so bad after that. His name was George and he was sweet and had a smile that could render you speechless. His morning ritual consisted of bringing me a box of candy and then would smile sheepishly when the others boys gave him a hard time for it. Although we dated for a time when we got older, we ultimately decided remain friends. Aubrie Dionne My first crush was Christian Bale when he played the cabin boy in Treasure Island back in 1990. I first saw it in English class in 6th grade, and I was smitten. I made my sister watch it over and over again, and I even had an alternate ending worked out in my head involving me and him! Maybe that's how my writer's brain got started? Stephanie Lawton I was born boy-crazy, but I think my first crush was Michael Jackson. In kindergarten, I even wore one silver glove to school and had a silver glove necklace. I'd swoon whever he came on the radio and make up little dance routines to his songs. It is fun to see all the different men who inspired our first crush. Now that you know a little about our authors's first crushes, who was yours?
Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a new blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. This week we get to visit with Vincent Youngblood from the book The Carny by Brooke Moss which will be released on July 7th. The Carny features Vincent Youngblood who is unassuming about his looks. He would rather be judged by his character and morals rather than his looks but we think his looks are amazing! Not to mention that after just one kiss, Vincent has one woman searching for him for years just to see if he is truly the man of her dreams. What do you think? Character Name: Vincent Youngbood Age: 30 Hair: Jet black and hangs to his shoulder blades. Eyes: Black and shiny Height: 6' 1" Distinguishing features: Half Native American/half Scottish descent, quite in tune with his Native American heritage, very friendly (smiley), has skin that is best described as “bronze”, and looks most excellent in a worn fisherman’s sweater and old khakis. Most resembles: Actor Alex Meraz, if you add a foot of hair. Now that you have met Vincent, would you date a Carny who kisses like there's no tomorrow? With such a gorgeous cover and super-awesome readers like you cooing about this amazing book, how better can a book birthday be? Well, it can be! Because we have 30% off on this awesome book exclusively at our website!! And what does our book birthday girl, author Stephanie Lawton, feel on this special day? When asked, she says, "Honestly, it feels like it's happening to someone else. It hasn't hit home yet. I'm sure that'll change now that Want is officially out in the world". Of course Stephanie! We wish you all the best in your journey as a writer. Price: Print: $14.99 eBook: $4.99 Genre: Young Adult Release Date: June 7th, 2012 Format: eBook and Paperback Page: 318 Length: Super Novel ISBN: eBook: 978-0-9850115-8-1 Paperback: 978-0-9850115-7-4 Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her. She can’t understand why he suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past. Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her? Welcome to the our first Wednesday Writer Spotlight. So glad you could join us.Today we have the author of upcoming Inkspell release (July 21, 2012), Hollywood Ever After, Sasha Summers. Thanks for stopping by, Sasha. So happy to have a chance to sit down with you and learn a bit more about you and your novel. When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer? I’ve been writing since I was little. Before I could write, I drew picture stories – I still love to draw and paint too. I come from a very theatrical family: big readers, theater and film fans. So stories were an important part of my life. I enjoyed telling stories too, I just didn’t know if I was really good at it. I decided I’d try to become a dedicated (full-time) writer about 2 years ago. And I’m so glad I did. What inspired you to write Hollywood Ever After? Hollywood Ever After helped me get through some rough stuff. I put a lot of my angst in Claire, to help process the changes that I was facing in my everyday life. I guess you could say HEA was my therapy? LOL! Are you a pantser or a plotter? Pure pantser for my contemporary romances. I have an idea of what’s going to happen – but I let my characters pick the route we take to get there. Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write? No. I have four kids so I write whenever I can. Ideally, I close myself in my home office, blast the soundtrack I’ve created to write to and go until my hands are numb or the kids start banging on the office door. But that rarely happens. What authors inspire you? I love Stephanie Dray, Diana Gabaldon, Julia Quinn, Stephanie Perkins, and so many more… I rarely read a book that isn’t inspiring in some form or another. Sometimes it’s more of a ‘Don’t want to do that.’ Other times it’s ‘I want to do something like this.’ Make sense? If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why? I’m not sure I can answer that. I love writing in different genres. I think it helps keep me ‘fresh’. I worry about having my stories or characters becoming stale so bounce from genre to genre. Not really an answer, I know. Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why? I relate to Claire, she’s kind of every woman facing middle age and an uncertain future. But I love Josh. He’s this sweet, idealistic guy who loves his woman, unequivocally. Are any of your characters modeled after real people? If so, which ones? Like I said, huge movie fan. I tend to use actors and actresses for my characters – for physical cues and ticks. And while this might turn a few people off of Josh, I used Robert Pattinson as my inspiration. Others were a conglomeration of family, friends, and actors. I’m not going to reveal who’s who for that. ;) What music was on your playlist while writing your novel? Here’s the link to my Hollywood Ever After playlist. You can see: Jason Mraz, Colbie Callait, upbeat stuff mostly. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL82CE7EB058BAD4BF&feature=mh_lolz Morning person or grumpy bear? Morning person – you kind of have to be with a herd of kids running around Tell us one thing it would surprise us to know about you? I know how to sheer and wash a sheep. What is next for you? Hollywood Holiday comes out in December. While Josh and Claire aren’t the main characters, there are still a big part of the story. It’s funny, sweet, and sexy. Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what? I’m a painter – murals and paintings. For example: my boys curtains are Star Wars. Left curtain is all the Rebel ships from all the movies, right side – all the bad guys ships, including the Death Star. We’re talking detailed – my boys were very invested in making sure the antennas, doors, wings, engines were all good. If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees? Denim and tees. It’s not that I don’t want to wear frills and lace but… did I mention the 4 kids? You sure did... what a handful. All that and she still has time to write some fantastic novels. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today, Sasha! Thanks for interviewing me! To learn more about Sasha or her book, Hollywood Ever After, please visit the links below: Sasha's Website Twitter (@sashawrites) Hollywood Ever After on Goodreads Pre-Order Links: Direct from Inkspell Barnes and Noble |