Monday, October 29, 2018

Meet the Girls of Haber Cove: Pepper Peterson and Abby Fitzpatrick

Hang on to your socks; we are about to be bombarded with two Jersey girls . . . 
          BFF’s Pepper Peterson and Abby Fitzgerald sat down in the kitchen with a kettle of tea on the table for a long overdue yak.
          “Hey Abinator, tell me all about your honeymoon. Please, leave out the sex details.” Pepper poured the tea in a cup that said Rescuing Animals is a Lifestyle.
          “Oh, then I really can’t tell you much. It rained the whole time we were there.” She let loose a sly smile.
          Pepper held up her hands. “Okay. Okay.”
          Abby leaned in close to her. “There is some news. I’m now in charge of the new L.A.M.P.S. newsletter.”
          “I never knew they had a newsletter.” What on earth would she put in there?
          “It’s designed for the spouses of the L.A.M.P.S. agents.” She let loose a brilliant smile, flashing her freshly whitened teeth for the wedding. “I’m going to interview you since you and Ottar are an item.”
          And, there it was. Abby was going to grill her for all the deets and then spread it around. "I’m not too sure I want to participate.”
          “Aw come on, it’ll be fun.” She batted her eyes and then gave her sad-puppy-look.
          That’s all it took. Pepper could never turn down her bestie. “What do you want to know?”
          Abby flipped open a spiral notebook. “Where are you from?”
          “You know I was born and raised in Haber Cover, New Jersey.” This was ridiculous. Still, Abby seemed so excited about her new profession she couldn’t hurt her feelings.
          “Last month was quite eventful. Why don’t you tell us about it?”
          Pepper shrugged her shoulders. Why not? “Every Halloween I let loose the Hellhounds; only this time they escaped and stole my whistle to call them back. They ran amok through the town and caused all kinds of trouble. Meanwhile, Ottar was back in town, for your wedding. At least that’s what he told me, only he was here to spy on me and catch the little hellions.”
          “But everything worked out and you two ended up in lurv,” Abby said with dreamy eyes.
          True. Opposites do attract. “Yeah, so?”
          Abby scribbled on her paper. Oh man, she was serious about this. “What did you think of the first time you saw Ottar?”
          “You know what I thought.” Her patience was thinning. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to know her love life—but Abby flashed another pleading look. “Okay. I thought he was a total barbarian. A hot barbarian.” She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips.
          Abby wrote some more. “What about your second thought?”
          “He was going to seriously kill someone or something. He was a danger to society. His Aussie accent was sexy, though.”
          “Ah, ha. I knew you were pining for him from the get go. Let’s change this up a little. What made you choose a pet store as your career?”
          “I love animals. Owning a pet store not only helps me help pet owners take care of their babies, but it also helps me with my animal rescue.”
          “What’s your biggest fear?” Abby asked in a quiet tone.
          What was her biggest fear? She nibbled her lip. “I’m afraid people will get too busy to enjoy animals. That our shelters will get more over run with them.” Really, her biggest fear was that Ottar would die and he almost did. “Abby, where is all this coming from?”
          She shut her notebook. “Did you know we’re in a book? Actually a few of them?”
          Pepper had a feeling someone else was pulling her strings. That explained a lot. “Who’s the author?”
          “This chick named Bonnie Gill.”
          “What would make her want to write a book about us?”
          “Let’s ask her. Hey Bonnie, Why us?”
          Author Bonnie Gill steps into the kitchen. “Why not?”
          “How’d you come up with the Hell Hounds?”
          “I have a Pomeranian who is constantly causing trouble in my home.”
          Pepper had no doubt about that. “Who’s your publisher?”
          “I’m published with Soul Mate Publishing. They’re a small press but likes stories that are unique.”
          Abby snorted. “You’re not kidding. Genies don’t normally pop out of tampon boxes. What’s your next story?”
          “I’m working on an Urban Fantasy series with a dragon and an evil sorceress.”
          Pepper perked up. “When can we read it?”
          “I’m hoping to release it in January or February.”
          Abby scratched her head. “What about Vulture and Tabitha? Will they get their story?”
          “Yes. I hope to write it soon.”

Thank you for reading our interview. A big thanks to Kat for inviting us on her blog.

Tempting the Light, is the first novel in the L.A.M.P.S. series that features hunky secret agents who find true love while hunting and slaying dangerous Cryptids. You can find it at:

In Pursuing The Light, L.A.M.P.S. hunter Leif Gunther grew up as an only child. He has a system for keeping order in his life while hunting Cryptids. He enjoys the solitude and quiet the job provides. Until a chatty redhead is assigned to assist him in his quest for the pack of Goochies terrorizing West Virginia and his systemized life gets turned upside down.

Cleaning up after Cryptids is not Holly McClure’s favorite job. She’d rather be hunting like her four brothers. Her boss pairs her with the same man who stole her hunter spot. Now she has an opportunity to show she’s a better hunter. Not to mention she has to keep her fairy godmother, who just happens to be a Sheepsquatch, a secret from Leif.

Leif just has three rules. Keep quiet, stay out of my way, and don’t touch my stuff. Too bad Holly can’t help breaking them repeatedly. Drawn together by the chase, Leif and Holly find that if they work together they make a great hunting team and their passion grows as they pursue their prey.
To purchase In Pursuing The Light, go to:

In Light Untamed: Pet lover and animal activist Pepper Peterson has a secret. She inherited the caretaker position of the notorious Hell Hounds from her deceased aunt. Every year on Halloween she opens the gates to hell and sets them free to mark the souls of the damned. Only this year she lost the magic whistle to call them home and the massive black beasts run amok causing mischief in the town.
Ottar Jones holds the position of senior boss man at L.A.M.P.S. (Legends and Myths Police Squad) secret government agency. Otter appalls Pepper. He’s the most barbaric man she’s ever met, but she can’t stop thinking about the sexy brute. When he finally chooses to show up to repair her dinosaur statue, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
       Ottar’s calendar has been packed full of mythical beasts to capture. Upon return to Haber Cove for his friend River’s wedding he has to contend with the crazy but hot vegan’s dinosaur, but a surprise awaits him. Haber Cove is infested with flesh-eating, ankle-biting Jack-a-lopes, and a pack of large black Hell Hounds. Will all hell break loose when he finds who let the dogs out? Or will Pepper turn out to be the one woman who can tame the savage Aussie hunter?

About Author Bonnie Gill
Bonnie Gill grew up in the suburbs right outside Chicago. As a child she loved making up ghost stories at night to scare her sisters and friends.
She writes Paranormal Romance with a twist of humor. When she isn’t writing you can find her on a haunted tour, volunteering at pet rescues, or digging around in her fairy garden waiting for fairies to show.
She lives in Northern Illinois with her three rescue dogs and her ever patient boyfriend who laughs at all her goofy jokes.
She loves to hear from her readers. Please visit her website www.Bonniegill.com.
Please sign up for Bonnie Gill’s newsletter to get the latest information on new releases. http://bonniegill.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e57c26c42f7dac877ef168059&id=12c1872a1b
Please like Bonnie’s Amazon page https://www.amazon.com/Bonnie-Gill/e/B01E0NCJIS
For more fabulous romance reads check out http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/






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Monday, October 22, 2018

Featuring: Living The Dream by Larynn Ford

. . . . Lynzi Lancaster Brady is, at long last, living her happily-ever-after with the man of her dreams. Their honeymoon bliss is interrupted when an innocent family visit drops her in the middle of the deadly situation they’ve been dodging for so long.
. . . . The trouble making relative with a vendetta against the family, forces them into a final showdown with a disastrous ending that threatens to take the elder of their family from them forever. Will an ancient sorcerer to able to bring her back from death’s door?

Wild Women Authors welcomes Larynn Ford and Lynzi Lancaster Brady from Living The Dream, Larynn's latest contemporary paranormal, released by Soul Mate Publishing. As usual, we'll begin with Lynzi.
Where are you from? I’m from Cranford. A small community in East Alabama with one caution light on the highway, one little grocery store, and me . . . just trying to find happiness.
Tell us a bit about Living The Dream. Living The Dream is part three of my story. Now, hang in there and don’t give up on me too soon because my story goes back a couple of decades and I admit, I tend to babble.
Since it took three books to tell this story, I’m going to step back a bit and tell you how it all started. Over the years, my friend Larynn Ford and I talked our dreams and hopes for the future. Everyone on the planet wants to be happy and we were no different. We both wanted to live a storybook life with a devoted husband, a yard full of children, a dog, and that white picket fence.
Larynn developed a passion for writing while we were in high school and wanted my life to be her first subject, but I never saw the point of putting my relationship failures on public display. You see, my high school sweetheart, Layne broke my heart when he vanished from my life without so much as a word of goodbye. I semi-recovered and moved on to marry and have children, but the marriage failed leaving me alone again. All in all, I led a dull life to say the least.
Then things started happening to me . . . weird incidents during the day and strange dreams every time I closed my eyes. When I confided in Larynn that Layne had appeared to me after twenty years and filled me in on the reason he left . . . to protect me, she put pen to paper and started outlining my life.
Because Layne provided answers in those dreams and I know this sounds crazy, but he confessed he wasn’t human, Larynn chose In My Wildest Dreams for the title of the book but when the crazy just didn’t end, she wanted to keep writing and book two, Dreams Do Come True came to life.
So, what about the original question of this book, Living the Dream you ask? As boring as my life had been, the crazy just kept coming and Larynn just kept writing it down. Layne and I finally resolved the danger we were in and guess what? I have my happy ever after!
What did you think the first time you saw Layne Brady? A single word? Wow. He was tall and lean, confident and grounded. He knew what he wanted out of life and I wanted to be by his side building a life right along with him.
What was your second thought? Promise you won’t laugh? I thought my dreams had come true. I guess that’s where the crazy began.
Did you feel it was love at first sight? It was something at first sight all right. I knew I wanted more but with Layne’s kind there was less guess work. I didn’t find out until many years later about his true heritage. You know, the not human part. He is Fae and rolls his eyes if I refer to his kind as Fairies. The Fae have internal alarms that sound for them when the right one, their intended mate, comes along. He knew from the beginning we were made for each other, I had to find out the human way.
What do you like most about Layne? He is utterly and completely devoted to me. I could just leave it at that but so much more is the fact the happiness and well-being of those around him are important to him as well.
How would you describe him? Physical description? Tall, about six four actually but sometimes I swear he’s ten feet tall. Dark hair and eyes and a mischievous smile that always makes me think he’s up to something.
How would Layne describe you? He would say I’m perfect and yes, I am the one fate chose for him, so we are perfectly suited for each other. He has said to me so many times that I’m level headed and good at handling any situation. If pressed, he would have to admit my human mood swings cause him to scratch his head but he is so patient with me. Thank heavens!
What made you choose bookkeeping for a career? A career? The job I was working when Layne came back into my life was just a job. It paid the bills and dictated my schedule. Layne made it possible for me to walk away from that life and live in a world of wonders. I’m living the life I love and making my family happy. Now, that’s my kind of career.
What is your biggest fear? Disappointing those I love.
How do you relax? Since I moved to the Fae world and we put an end to the troublemaker who wanted to kill us all, so he could be king of the world, everything I do is relaxing. If I’m cleaning stalls in the barn, working in my garden, or just sitting in the swing hanging in that old oak tree, I’m totally relaxed.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Tinker Belle, of course! Gotta love those Fairies. Sorry, Layne Love you!
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Follow your heart. I could have run from the unusual, out of this world life Layne offered but I chose to open my mind and follow my heart and I haven’t regretted a single moment of my new life.
Thanks for spending time with us, Lynzi. Now, we'd like to chat with Larynn. What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? The Twilight Saga relit a fire inside me for reading and after finishing everything Stephenie Meyer had written at the time, I hit the book store for more paranormal romance. Kerrelyn Sparks’ Love At Stake series became another reading obsession of mine. I checked out her website where I found a bit of advice . . . if you want to write, find your voice, and do it. Write? Me? I had dabbled in writing ages ago in the tenth grade, but nothing much ever developed. Now, this successful author was telling me I could do it. I had the ultimate pleasure of meeting Kerrelyn at my first RWA convention. What a thrill! My first book, the one she said I could write if I put my mind to it, had just been published three months earlier. I told her she was the reason I was there. That brought her from behind her table to give me a hug. Awesome!
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Everyone has a desire to be happy. Everyone experiences disappointments in their life. I’m no exception. I just hope some real emotion got captured in the pages of my books.
Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? Soul Mate Publishing. I had submitted my first book, In My Wildest Dreams, to several other publishers but got the, your work doesn’t fit here, response from most. I was thumbing through a copy of RWA’s Romance Writer’s Report when I saw an ad SMP [Soul Mate Publishing] had placed. They were open for submissions, so I figured, why not. Long story short, I got published. Debby Gilbert is a fantastic publisher and editor. I can’t thank her enough for taking a chance on me.
What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I love food so some of the books at the top of my TBR list are cookbooks. I’m trying to live the low carb life, so I need new recipes. Other books are writing craft books. I’m always looking for tips to becoming a better writer. As for reading for pleasure? I’m looking forward to reading, As The Liquor Flows by Angela Christina Archer and Fireworks for Katerina by Jillian Chantal.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? A Place To Belong is actually a spin off from Dreams Do Come True (book two in The Dream Trilogy) and is due to be released in March 2019. There are main characters in every book who need secondary characters to support them. Boone Weaver appeared as a were-panther in Dreams Do Come True and kept talking to me until I told his story. I have to admit, he is pretty special.

An Excerpt from Living The Dream:
Allvis grunted his disgust bringing an abrupt end to my vain attempts to gain my freedom when he pressed the blade in his other hand to my neck with a firm pressure. I sucked in a sharp quick breath and held it. One wrong move on my part was certain to send the sharp edge slicing deep into my throat. I’d be a goner for sure.
I gritted my teeth tighter. Hands clamped around his wrist, I dug my nails in deep, ripping at his skin to ease the blade away, and relieve the pressure. He put an abrupt end to my efforts by looping my hair around his fist again and jerking me at least another inch higher. The movement caused the blade to nick my skin. I dangled like a puppet from a string in his grip.
“Lynzi!” I read my name on Layne’s lips, horror and desperation carved into his face as he screamed for me, pounded the air, and begged Aunt Pet to work faster. Allvis grunted his disgust bringing an abrupt end to my vain attempts to gain my freedom when he pressed the blade in his other hand to my neck with a firm pressure. I sucked in a sharp quick breath and held it. One wrong move on my part was certain to send the sharp edge slicing deep into my throat. I’d be a goner for sure.
Allvis howled again. “Hey, boy! Where do you want me to leave her head when I separate it from her weak little human body?”

To purchase any of the books in Larynn Ford's Dream Trilogy, go to:
Book 2 in the trilogy:


A bit about our guest author:
Larynn Ford is intrigued by the paranormal. She's a day dreamer and a romantic. She loves to let her mind wander always searching for a happy ending to her dreams.
At home in East Central Alabama, she worked as a cook and cashier before becoming a wife and mother. Earned a degree in Elementary Education, taught school, and worked in customer service. All the while her day dreams stacked up in the archives of her mind.
She put some of those ideas on paper in 2009 and she's going to keep on dreaming and searching for those happy endings.

To learn more about Larynn Ford and the books she creates, go to:
Twitter: @LarynnFord  https://twitter.com/LarynnFord 
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Friday, October 19, 2018

Focus on Downfall by Toni V. Sweeney

          At the age of nineteen, Barbara Sheffield is stunned to learn she’s not her parents’ daughter but the child of Aric kan Ingan, Margrave of Arcanis, and not only that, she has a twin brother. 
          Soon, she’s on her way to a jotous reunion with the father she’s never known, but there are others on Arcanis who aren’t so glad to meet the Margrave’s long-lost child, including Aric’s second wife, Dr. Susan Moran.
          Dazzled with her new family and charmed by her handsome but spoiled twin, Barbara finds herself falling in love with Eden san Gene, the young White Shield sent to escort her from Earth.
          When vengeful forces trigger treachery and madness, Eden’s love may not be enough to protect her from the wickedness hidden within Aljansur Palace’s walls.

Wild Women Authors focus on: Downfall (Book 6 of the kan Ingan Archives, Part 2 of the Arcanian Chronicles)by Toni V. Sweeney.

(WARNING to the Prospective Reader: This novel contains consensual and non-consensual sex and forcible incest, as well as murder and suicide.)

EXCERPT:

Eden stood in the entrance to the Reception Hall, looking around with the proper awe expected of someone viewing a building where a monumental moment of his planet’s history and took place.
“They came through this doorway,” he explained. “The margrave Deröés—your grandfather—was surrounded by his guards. He looked up and saw a girl clinging to one of the pillars. She was wearing a silver dress, skirts gathered about her knees.” He pointed at one of the eight white columns supporting the ceiling. “She had climbed onto the base of the pillar to see him but was unable to.”
Walking into the hall, he looked around as if searching for something, Barbara trailing behind. Seeing the double doors on the right, he nodded at them.
“As soon as he was able, he left the reception to find her. She was on the terrace.”
“You certainly know a lot about what happened over forty-nine years ago.” Barbara remarked.
“It’s in the Archives,” Eden told her. “In His Majesty’s own words. Deröés himself dictated it shortly before their wedding.” He looked up at the doorframe as he walked through it. “Those lights weren’t here then. There was only the illumination from the ballroom.”
Going to the railing, he leaned against it, looking down at the city. Barbara followed, resting her elbows against the sun-warmed granite.
“I remember he said the city looked like jewels scattered on black velvet, the lights shining in the dark.”
“That’s beautiful. My grandfather must have had some poetry in his soul, in spite of this he-man image you guys try to project.”
Ignoring her little jibe, Eden went on, “He set her on the balcony ledge.”
To Barbara’s surprise, he placed his hands around her waist, picked her up, and deposited her there.
“They talked. He would’ve kissed her but…”
For a trembling moment, Barbara wondered if Eden was going to enact that part of the story, too.
Instead, he went on. “…his advisor appeared and dragged him back to the reception, but it was enough. He’d fallen in love.”
Sighing, Barbara turned so she could look out across the campus, while keeping a steadying hand on Eden’s shoulder. “I think that’s very romantic. Don’t you?”
“I suppose.” Eden shrugged with careful indifference. “I’m certain the margrave wouldn’t have been so frank in putting his emotions on chip if he’d known some curious White Shield was going to snoop though those ancient stories and actually read that one.”
“Is that what you did? Snoop?”
“In a way. It was a rainy day and Riven decided to sleep the afternoon away. Auric was ill with something called a cold. Terrans are prone to those, it seems, though we’ve finally found a cure. I was bored. Frankly, I was a little surprised to see that little love story placed in the family’s public record.”
“You must’ve liked it,” she accused. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have memorized it.”
He didn’t answer. She was right and he couldn’t deny it, so he merely ignored her statement.
“Anyway, if it was in the Archives, he must’ve have accepted the fact someone might see it. Whatever the reason, I think it’s lovely.” Gently, she removed her hand from Eden’s shoulder. She didn’t look at him as she continued, “Wouldn’t you like to think that someday, someone would feel your life was that romantic? ‘The moment he saw her, he knew she was the only one for him, the woman he’d come halfway across the galaxy to meet.’”
Eden looked away.
I’ve already met the one for me, and I’d go across the galaxy and back again for her.
He’d fallen in love with Barbara as soon as he saw her standing on the stairs, and was dismayed as he recognized the emotion, as well as the fact that the object of his love was beyond his reach.
“I hope my life’s half as wonderful,” Barbara said.
“It wasn’t all wonderful,” Eden went on. “The margrave’s advisors tried to poison your grandmother. They killed your grandfather and made your mother almost a prisoner. They exiled your father and tried to kill him when he returned.” He took a deep breath. “He won in the end, and now Arcanis is at peace. It’s prospering…and when you get there, my sovereign’s family will finally be complete,”
“I studied Arcanis’ history in school,” Barbara appeared chastened by Eden’s remarks, “but I had no idea it was so dramatic. The books kind of glossed over everything. They really tried to kill Uncle Miles’ sister?”
“Shortly before your mother was born.” Eden nodded.
She fell silent, and the atmosphere seemed tense and strained.
Abruptly, he asked, “Barbara, do you believe in love at first meeting?”
For some reason, the question startled her. She swiveled, staring at him, the movement bringing her so close to the outer side of the ledge she lost her balance, falling backward. Eden caught her wrists. Pulling her toward him, he gathered her into his arms. One arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders, he lifted her off the railing, cradling her against his chest as if she were a child.
“You saved me,” she said in a breathy rush. “Maybe I do need a bodyguard af—”
Eden kissed her.
After a sudden shocked resistance, Barbara put her arms around his neck. They stood that way for several minutes, not moving.
Finally, Barbara turned her head, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. The fabric was cool against her face and she was startled as she heard the frantic rushing of his heart. Eden kissed the top of her head, brushing his chin against the burnished hair.
“I-I guess you can put me down, now.”
Gently, Eden released her, setting her on her feet. Taking his hand, she held it between her own and looked directly into his eyes.
“What do you want to do, now?”
What do I want to do?
He wanted to take her back to the hotel, put her in his bed and make love to her. That’s what he wanted to do.

To purchase Downfall, go to:

About Toni V. Sweeney:
Toni V. Sweeney has lived 30 years in the South, a score in the Middle West, and a decade on the Pacific Coast and now she’s trying for her second 30 on the Great Plains.

Since the publication of her first novel in 1989, Toni divides her time between writing SF/Fantasy under her own name and romances under her pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone. In March, 2013, she became publicity manager for Class Act Books (US). She is also on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books. In 2016, she was named a Professional Reader by netgalley.com.

In 2015 and 2016 Toni was voted one of the Top 10 authors of those years by Preditors & Editors Readers Poll. In 2013, the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice voted The kan Ingan Archives (Part Two of the Arcanian Chronicles) a Special Mention, and the following year, named the individual novels The Man from Cymene, and Space Studs, from the same series two of the Top 8 SF/fantasy novels of 2014.

As of 2018, Toni currently has 55 novels in print, including 3 series, and 3 trilogies.

Find out more about Toni:
Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLQBB8
Twitter: @ToniVSweeney

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Monday, October 15, 2018

Focus: Toni V. Sweeney's Barbarian Blood Royal

. . .Following their parents’ deaths during the Genocide Wars, the five sons of Riven kan Ingan escape the margrave’s injustice by going their separate ways.

. . . Growing to adulthood in foreign lands, each lives by his wits or his skill with a sword as they wait for the day of their revenge. When that time comes, they’ll answer their elder brother’s call, leaving homes and friends and returning to their homeland and avenge themselves upon Morling, king of Francovia.

. . . In the following battle, the gods prepare to make the achieving of their goal as complicated as possible. They don’t realize the kan Ingans need no divine help in making that feat as difficult as possible.

Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome back author Toni V. Sweeney and Barbarian Blood Royal (Book 6 of the Narrative of Riven the Heretic, Part 1 of the Arcanian Chronicles)

EXCERPT:

Val One Eye stood upon the high precipice under which the wolves’ fortress was carved out of the mountain.
The spring wind, sharp with the lingering bite of frost, blew about him but he didn’t feel its chill. The long-sleeved woolen shirt woven by one of his women kept the cold from touching him, as did the leather tunic he wore over it. The tanned hide fluttered, making the tiny metal disks, so thin and close together they resembled a fish’s scales, glitter as they cast back the reflection of the torches flaring below him.
His fur-lined cape whipped away from his body, billowing behind him like the wings of a monstrous bird. For an instant, Samric, standing a few feet away, thought he truly resembled the bird of prey whose name his father’s clan had taken.
For three nights, One Eye had come to this cliff, wearing Tamsin’s cloak and calling into the night…
It’s time to return.
He’d known it for months and ignored that knowledge, but now, he could refuse no longer. Wherever they were, Ilke, Shael, Hroric, and Merigan must return to Francovia, meet him and keep the promise they’d made fourteen years before.
“This is a fool’s errand.” Samric raised his voice so he could be heard above the wind’s howl. “You can’t know they still live.”
“They live,” Val replied shortly.
The wind blew his words to Samric, whipping his hair about his face as he looked back at the wolf leader. The narrow leather band holding in place the patch over his lost eye looked like a streak of dried blood against his skin.
“They live, and they’ll come, no matter how far away they’ve fled.”
“You’d return to that place of death? There’s nothing for you there. Why would you leave what you have here?”
“What do I have here?” Val cut sharply into Samric’s tirade. “My women? I’d gladly give them all to you, Brother, if you’d forget that idiot’s vow of yours and promise to bed even one of them.” He ignored the black look on Samric’s face at mention of his finding Tamsin, the woman making him forswear any other female. “Children? I’ve none of those and I can’t blame the gods for that. What’s there to keep me here?”
After the first night with the slave girl given him, he’d made certain no woman within the wolves’ fortress bore his child. It diminished some of the pleasure in taking them but he’d done it nevertheless, unconsciously following the same practice his grandfather used so many years before. There would be no kan Ingan bastards among the wolves, Val swore. No great-grandsons of Trygare kan Ingan taken into the tribe, none of his great-granddaughters used for the men’s pleasure.
“Death awaits you if you go back, One Eye. You’ll be taken prisoner the moment your mad sovereign learns you’ve returned. Here, at least, you’re among friends.” Samric stepped onto the ledge beside Val. The wind threw a fresh gust of frost over them. It twinkled on the copper torqs on their necks and on the metal covering their leather vambraces. “I’ve heard of the punishment they give traitors...”
“If I die, I die.” The smile Val gave him was grim, an expression of wolfish pleasure on his scarred face. It was the look of a man who didn’t fear death because he’d ridden with it for too long. “After the hangman’s rope’s done its work, one doesn’t feel the ax, brother.” Turning his back on Samric, he took Tamsin’s cloak and shook the neatly folded square so it belled in the wind, then wrapped it around his shoulders. It seemed to have grown, for it fit him now, as if measured to his height instead of the witch’s small frame.
Arms crossed over his chest, hands clenched into fists, he looked up, finding the highest star above them. It was like a single staring eye, burning, like his own, as he repeated the words the old seer traveling with them had taught him.
Speak these words in the night, he’d instructed. Form a picture of your kinsmen in your mind and throw the words into the wind, and they will hear. Wherever they are, they’ll hear your call. It will be as a dream, but they’ll know it’s truth, and they will answer. They won’t be able to do otherwise.
Closing his eye, Val concentrated on the images of his brothers in his thoughts. He knew they wouldn’t look as they had when he’d last seen them, but he couldn’t envision them as older men, still seeing the tragic-laden but fresh-cheeked children they’d been. Little Merigan, the baby, would be almost twenty-four now, while Ilke... His half-brother was now nearing thirty. It was difficult for him to accept that though he knew it to be true. Instead he saw them as they were, pictured them as the frightened but determined boys standing in the castle courtyard, and called out to that image.
It’s time, my brothers. Wherever you are, I call to you. We’ve the strength now to bring about our revenge. Come to me. I’ll meet you where the river enters the three lands.
For three nights, he repeated the same words. For three nights, he waited for a sign, a reply telling him they’d heard.
Each time, nothing happened.
Tonight, it was the same.
Samric, sensing his disappointment, touched his shoulder, saying softly, “One Eye, let’s go back.”
“Aye, Samric, I— Uh!” Val stiffened and cried out.
Clutching at his temples, he staggered backward, spinning so violently he careened into the wolf leader. Samric caught his arm, preventing him from toppling over the ledge. Val raised his head, pain and a look of utter relief blending on his face.
“Gods. They heard...”
He’d felt their reply. As he spoke to Samric, four images flashed into his mind. It happened so quickly he couldn’t remember how they looked…merely four men, strangers yet familiar, each in the act of awakening, a look of fear giving way to knowledge on each half-sleeping face. The thought was like four separate explosions of light inside his brain.
My brothers have heard. That was all that mattered.


To Purchase Barbarian Blood Royal, go to:


About our Focus Author:
Toni V. Sweeney has lived 30 years in the South, a score in the Middle West, and a decade on the Pacific Coast and now she’s trying for her second 30 on the Great Plains.

Since the publication of her first novel in 1989, Toni divides her time between writing SF/Fantasy under her own name and romances under her pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone. In March, 2013, she became publicity manager for Class Act Books (US). She is also on the review staff of the New York Journal of Books. In 2016, she was named a Professional Reader by netgalley.com.

In 2015 and 2016 Toni was voted one of the Top 10 authors of those years by Preditors & Editors Readers Poll. In 2013, the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice voted The kan Ingan Archives (Part Two of the Arcanian Chronicles) a Special Mention, and the following year, named the individual novels The Man from Cymene, and Space Studs, from the same series two of the Top 8 SF/fantasy novels of 2014.


As of 2018, Toni currently has 55 novels in print, including 3 series, and 3 trilogies.

To Find Out More About Toni, go to:

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLQBB8
Twitter: @ToniVSweeney




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Monday, October 8, 2018

Meet Julie Howard and Crime Times Two

When divorce is out of the question, can murder be forgiven? 

. . . . . Meredith knows three things: First, the man in the library begged her to help him. Second, he was afraid of his wife. Third, now he’s dead.
. . . . . While the evidence first points to a natural death, Meredith is certain there’s more to discover. People are tight-lipped in this small mountain village, and the man’s wife isn't talking either. Then a second death occurs, with remarkable similarities. It’s time to talk about murder. 
. . . . . .As a slow-burning relationship heats up in her own life, Meredith struggles with concepts of love and hate, belief and suspicion, and absolution and guilt. Nothing is clear cut. She must decide: Is guilt, like evil, something you can choose to believe in?


Wild Women Authors is pleased to welcome Julie Howard, author of Crime Times Two, book 2 in the Wild Crime series. She's brought local county sheriff Curtis Barnaby for company.


Hi everyone. I’m Curtis Barnaby. Thank you, Kat, for having me here today. I’ve never been interviewed before so I’m a little nervous.
Don't worry, Curt. We don't bite. Often. Where are you from? Born and raised in Hay City, Idaho. Population 62, for those who’ve never visited.
Tell us a bit about Crime Times Two . The book follows a couple of mysterious deaths in a nearby mountain town called Twin Lakes. All evidence points to natural deaths, but Meredith – have you met Meredith Lowe? – is certain it’s a case of murder. I get pretty concerned about her because her husband was murdered in the first book, Crime and Paradise. She’s still recovering from that mess and might not be in the most rational state of mind. The case draws us closer together. Much closer.
Much closer, you say. What did you think the first time you saw Meredith Lowe? What a beauty! I think I embarrassed myself, but honestly can’t recall much of what I said. She must have thought I was a country bumpkin.
Maybe, maybe not. What was your second thought? That she was troubled about something. There was a sadness in her eyes as though life hadn’t been kind to her. Maybe I have a hero complex, but I wanted to comfort her from the very beginning.
Did you feel it was love at first sight? The first time we met, we literally bumped into each other in the grocery store and her children were with her. I felt drawn to her, but I’m not the kind of guy who moves in on another man’s wife. Later, though…
There's always a 'later'. What do you like most about her? Her inner strength and her devotion to her children. The more I learned about who she was and where she came from, the more impressed I became. Her beauty isn’t just on the outside and that’s important to me. She may be a bit on the stubborn side, but I suppose I am, too.
How would you describe Meredith? I’m not good at describing women, but here goes. Meredith has almond-colored hair that shimmers in the light, enticing gray-green eyes I could stare at forever, and a body that’s both firm and soft at the same time. She has a mix of innocence, strength and intuition – a depth to her I’m still exploring. Most of all, she’s kind and generous. Isn’t that the type of person you want most in your life?
How would she describe you? Do you think you could ask her?
Good recovery, Curt. What made you choose law enforcement for a career? My grandfather was county sheriff for forty years. He was my role model and best friend. He taught me so much – from fly fishing to the importance of building one’s community. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up, and I’m still trying.
What is your biggest fear? That Meredith will give up on Hay City and move away. Her husband was murdered here and some people still believe she did it. They don’t let her forget about his murder, either. I’m not sure what I would do if she left.
How do you relax? Fly fishing, building things, anything outdoors. I built my own house, and designed it too. I have an idea for another big project, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet.
Who is your favorite fictional character? Huck Finn. My grandfather used to tell me stories about him when I was little and I thought he was a real person for the longest time.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? “Do unto others.” Still the best advice around.
Thanks, Curtis. It's been nice getting to know you off the page as well as on. Now, we'd like to chat with Julie.
What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer?
Anything by John Steinbeck, James Michener, Amy Tan and David Mitchell. They are great storytellers and their books transport me effortlessly into another world. My list of great authors keeps growing though. I’m always finding new ones and am so grateful there are people who love to weave stories as much as I do. My reading list is a mile long!
What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I wasn’t prepared for the culture shock of moving from a very urban area of California to the considerably more rural Idaho. We moved to Boise, which is in the state’s largest metro area, but I couldn’t stop imagining what it must be like to live in the more remote reaches of the state. We’ve explored the state quite a bit and there are some pretty hidden areas where people get snowed in for months during the winter.
The idea for Wild Crime came to me almost immediately as I realized how vulnerable a woman could be if she lived out there and her marriage was violent and controlling. I set the book in a rural area where my main character would be isolated and then set the plot into motion.
And it worked for us as a reader. Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? The Wild Rose Press is listed as a small publisher but they have more than a thousand books in their catalog. They are consistently rated one of the top small publishers out there and I’m so happy to have two books with them. A friend told me her goal was to be published by them, and encouraged me to send my manuscript in. I cried when they accepted my first book.
What books currently rest on your TBR pile? There are some interesting books out this fall that I can’t wait to read. Here’s my shortlist. “Unsheltered” by Barbara Kingsolver, “Melmouth” by Sarah Perry, “She Would Be King” by Wayetu Moore, and “The Kinship of Secrets” by Eugenia Kim. I expect I’ll get sidelined by a dozen other books along the way.
Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Two projects are moving full steam ahead. A paranormal mystery should come out next summer. I’m also working on the third and final book in my Wild Crime series, also titled Wild Crime, which (fingers crossed) I hope to see published in late 2019 or early 2020. I even have my next series mapped out – a crime/romance (is that even a genre?) – but it’s way too early to talk about that one. I have projects that’ll take me easily a decade to finish and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.
Julie brought along an excerpt from “Crime Times Two”:
       Jowls quivered under the man’s weak chin, and Meredith noted the stained and frayed shirt of someone who spent a lot of time alone in dark rooms, sending out a better version of himself into the virtual world. His eyes were anxious and beseeching at her as though she should have a clear understanding of him and his life.
       Somehow, over the past hour and a half they’d been sitting next to each other – him playing video games and sharing his life story and her ignoring him the best she could – she had become his confessor and friend.
       Meredith gave him what she hoped was an impartial-though-quasi-friendly smile. She reached for her purse and papers and rose from her chair. “Well. Nice talking with you.”
       The man was lost in his own train of thought and seemed only slightly aware that Meredith was leaving.
       He shook his head, morose.
       “To make a long story short,” he summed up, “I think my wife is trying to kill me.”


To learn more about Julie Howard and the stories she creates, go to:






To purchase Crime Times Two, go to: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com

To read a review of Crime Times Two, go to: www.WildWomenReviews.blogspot.com
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