Friday, November 9, 2018

Focus: Space Stud by Toni V. Sweeney

     Twenty-eight years ago, Miles Sheffield spent a week at Aljansur City’s Pleasure Dome, unaware he left behind a single wild oat that sprouted and became the Dome’s most famous employee.
     Now, he’s once more on Arcanian soil and face-to-face with the fact that he has a son who’s the star attraction of the planet’s largest brothel. Gaining Tam‘s custody, he takes him to Terra and a “normal” life but this errant seed can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
     Shortly after they arrive, Tam and half-brother Mark are abducted by blackbirders. Taken to the Fringes in the outer reaches of the galaxy, the two are sold as sex slaves…and an adventure begins which neither will ever forget, as they struggle to survive, stay together, and find their way back to Earth.

Wild Women Authors focuses on: Space Stud (Book 7 of the kan Ingan Archives, part 2 of the Arcanian Chronicles)by Toni V. Sweeney.

(WARNING to the Prospective Reader: This novel contains frank and erotic language and scenes; this excerpt does not, however.)

Here's an excerpt:

“Are you certain of who he is?” Tam asked, as Cati gave him a stumbling explanation. “Aimee’s gotten her facts wrong before.”
~ * ~
There had been a lot of excitement in the city lately. Even in his later years, after having ruled us for so long, His Majesty was still able to startle his people. A few days before, visitors arrived from Terra, shortly after a shocking announcement was made.
It seems that during that awful time time of civil war, when the margrave, who was then only the First Officer of the planet, and his wife, who was the actual ruler, were thought killed when their warship crashed during a spacebattle, they’d actually been rescued by a Terran First Aid vessel.
The Clara Barton brought vaccine to our plague-infested planet. Since they were now considered refugees because the surviving members of TAS had seized control of the plague-wracked planet, the royal couple were offered asylum on Terra. They were headed there when Her Majesty died bearing his son.
Overcome with grief, Lord Aric took his child and returned to Arcanis, succeeding his wife and becoming margrave. What wasn’t told to anyone at the time was that the Lady Pallas also gave birth to a second child, a daughter. In his agony at losing the woman he loved, Lord Aric gave custody of that child to the man in charge of the mercy mission. That man took her to Terra and raised her as his own.
Are you with me on this? Can you guess the punchline here? Wait for it...
That’s right. That man was my father.
Now, nineteen years later, His Majesty had decided he wished to see the daughter he’d so unceremoniously given away. So, the Warrior accompanied the Lady Barbara to Arcanis, where she was reunited with her real father, while mine was blissfully unaware his own child existed only a few miles away.
A few days later, when a young Terran came to the Dome with a special reservation from the margrave himself, Aimee saw the resemblance immediately. His surname was the same as my father’s, so she checked the information he gave the computer against that in the archives. My sister fit the specifications he requested, and of course, she and Aimee jumped to the most obvious conclusion.
I preferred not to believe the gods would smile on me so. That this similarity of names was merely a coincidence. Who knows how common my father’s last name is on Terra?
~ * ~
“Of course I’m sure,” Cati answered, in a loud whisper. She didn’t appreciate Tam’s persistent disbelief, expecting him to be as excited as she. “I asked him. He confirmed he’s the Warrior’s son. There’s no reason for him to deny it, Tam.”
“Why’s he sleeping so long? You didn’t give him something, did you?”
“Don’t be stupid. He doesn’t need anything, believe me. He’s sleeping because he’s exhausted.” Cati laughed and there was a smug note in her voice. “He’s a very athletic young man.”
“Must run in the family. ”
Tam remembered his mother telling how the Warrior fucked her to exhaustion. He bent over the sleeping figure again, staring at his face. He appeared several years younger than Tam. “What’s his name, anyway?”
At that, the young man opened his eyes. Tam recoiled, staggering backward.
“I’m Mark Sheffield,” he said, and frowned as he demanded, “And you are...?”
“I... Uh...” Tam recovered and stood still, staring at him as he sat up. “I-I’m not certain how to answer that.”
“It’s simple,” Mark answered. He started to throw back the sheets, then hesitated.
“Oh, get up,” Tam said. “Hell, this is a whorehouse. Nudity’s the dress code.”
Mark got out of bed, yawned, and stretched.
“You just say, my name is…and fill in the blanks,” he went on.
“It’s not that easy.” Tam shook his head. That made his hair, styled into those bothersome curls…which he secretly loathed though they’d become his trademark… bounce around his face and shoulders.
“I think you’d better make it easy,” Mark answered, voice turning hard. “Before I complain to the management and have you thrown out of here.” He raised his head slightly as if looking down his nose at Tam, which wasn’t easy to do since they were the same height. “After all, I’m a guest of the margrave and he might not appreciate someone barging in on me like this.”
“Not going to happen.” Tam laughed and called out, “Lights at eighty per cent.”
Immediately, the room was illuminated, and now it was the stranger’s turn to take a step backward as he got a good look at Tam’s face, seeing past the make-up covering it. Past the pastels shadowing his eyes, the subtle blending of blush on his cheeks, and the scarlet gloss outlining his lips, and not believing what he saw. It was plain, by the way his eyes widened and he blinked.
“My God…y-you look just like…” His voice trembled. “…like me.”
Tam shrugged, affecting a nonchalance he didn’t feel. He didn’t want this mirror-image to see how much he was touched by what was happening as he said the words he never believed he’d hear himself speak.
“I suppose I should. We have the same father.”
~ * ~
I never thought blood could leave a person’s face so fast. In the blink of an eye, he went absolutely white. Four seconds later, he fainted dead away.



A bit 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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Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Wild Women Focus: Hope's Dream by Peggy Jaeger


Wild Women Authors is pleased to focus on Hope’s Dream , a Deerbourne Inn novella by Peggy Jaeger.

          Hope Kildaire gave up her dream of becoming a nurse practitioner when a car accident killed her father and left her mother an invalid. Working two jobs and caring for her mother leaves the twenty-seven-year-old with no time for fun or relationships. When a law firm representing her paternal grandparents sends her several letters, Hope ignores them. She despises the family who disowned her father and wants nothing to do with them.
          Lawyer Tyler Coleman's job is simply to obtain Hope's signature on a legal document. Getting it is harder than planned, though, when an unexpected attraction blossoms between them. If Ty is honest with Hope about why he's in Willow Springs, he'll fulfill his assignment but may risk hurting her.
           The opportunity to have everything she's ever desired is at Hope's fingertips. Will her dream come true at the expense of Tyler's love?

Here's an Excerpt:
          Hope stood behind the bar, filling two glasses with draft beer. She hadn’t spotted him approach, so he took the moment to observe her unawares.
          A reserved smile graced her face as the guy waiting for his order chatted her up. Early twenties by Tyler’s guess, the kid stared at Hope with a serious case of attraction. He knew how the younger man felt.
          During their lesson her hair had been woven into a braid. In the lodge, when she’d removed her hat, he’d likened the colors to butterscotch and honey. Now with it unbraided and freely floating down past her shoulders, the colors burst into life. Gold and red highlights shimmered from the waves framing her face, as if each strand had been hand painted for emphasis. In the tavern’s subdued lighting, Hope was a bright, vibrant beacon, sparkling with health and life.
          Tyler was drawn to her light, her vitality, as if he’d spent his existence until that moment in perpetual darkness.
          Hope turned, reached for something behind her, and caught his eye.
          For a moment her body froze, her hand still outstretched, her eyes widening in surprise when they lit on him. She dipped her chin and regarded him from under her eyelashes as she finger-swiped the hair falling across her face behind her ear. A quick head bob his way indicated she’d be right with him.
          With an expert’s finesse she uncorked a bottle of Jameson’s, poured a thimbleful each into two shot glasses, then added them to beer-guy’s order. He slid a bill into her hand and then waved off the change she tried to give him back. He scooped the drinks, then carried them back to his table. Hope slid the change into one of the jelly jars behind the bar marked with several names, hers among them, and made her way over to him.
          “Hey, New York.” Sweet laughter warmed with surprise rang in her voice. “How are the legs?”
          Tyler groaned and stretched them out in front of him. “Better after a long, hot soak, but I’m betting they’re gonna feel worse in the morning.”
          She tossed him a quick, sympathetic look. “Make sure you take some kind of analgesic before going to sleep tonight. It’ll help. Trust me.”
          “Will do.”

           “What can I get you?”

           He spurted off the name of one of the draft beers.
           She pulled it and then brought it back to him.
“Anything to eat? I know the inn doesn’t serve dinner.”

          He glanced up at the selection board again and asked, “What do you recommend?”

          “The soup’s hot and fabulous. Comes with a salad or fresh bread. The burgers here are always great, but I’m biased.” Her open smile charmed him.
          “Sold.”
          “So,” he said after she came back from placing his order, “you’re a woman of many talents. Ski instructor. Bartender.”
          The brighter colors in her hair glistened when she shook her head. “We in the business prefer the term mixologist.”

To purchase Hope’s Dream, go to:

The Wild Rose Press:



A bit about our focus author:
         Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.
         Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.
          Tying into her love of families, her children's book, THE KINDNESS TALES, was illustrated by her artist mother-in-law.
          Peggy holds a master's degree in Nursing Administration and first found publication with several articles she authored on Alzheimer's Disease during her time running an Alzheimer's in-patient care unit during the 1990s. 
          In 2013, she placed first in two categories in the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest: Single Title Contemporary Romance and Short/Long Contemporary Romance. 
          In 2017 she came in 3rd in the New England Reader's Choice contest for A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS and was a finalist in the 2017 STILETTO contest for the same title.
          In 2018, Peggy was a finalist in the HOLT MEDALLION Award and once again in the 2018 Stiletto Contest.
          A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, she is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

To learn more about Peggy Jaeger, go to:



Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0





BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger


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Monday, November 5, 2018

Wild Women Focus: The Forest Witch, by Toni V. Sweeney

Wild Women Authors is pleased to focus on: The Forest Witch (Book 7 of the narrative of Riven the Heretic, Part 1 of the Arcanian Chronicles)

          Valriven kan Ingan, wounded and left for dead by the margrave’s men, is saved by Tamsin, a Ghermian forest witch. With Hronhild the wolf-shifter, he becomes her companion. When he believes she and Hronhild die in a battle with a wizard’s minions, he returns to his quest of reuniting his brothers to fight Morling of Francovia.
          Tamsin didn’t die, however, nor did Hronhild. Instead, they survived to continue their adventures and achieve whaat each desired most in life.

Here, then, is the complete story of Tamsin, the Forest Witch…

“Where is my son?”
On her knees in the midst of the garden where she’d been gathering herbs, Lis the midwife looked up at the man on the horse. The sun behind him made him a black silhouette above her, a wild-haired figure wrapped in animal skins. Though she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare, she couldn’t see his features and that frightened her as much as his words.
Dear Ildred…can it be? How did he learn of Ossian?
“There’s no child here,” she denied, hoping the boy would obey her this once and stay inside the hut as she’d ordered.
“Don’t lie to me. Tamsin told me she left him with Lis, the midwife of the Lynx village. Do you deny you’re she?”
“You know Tamsin?” Fear surged through Lis.
“I know the wench well.” His laugh was rueful, as well as sardonic.
“How is she?” She’d heard nothing from the girl since she left her son in Lis’ care over two years before.
“Dead for all I know.” His answer was grim. “She gave me four of the happiest months of my life.” His expression told her admitting that shamed him. “Then she ran away. I’ve been seeking her ever since…”
He looked away, not as if shunning her gaze, but rather inspecting the hut.
Lis wondered if it passed his scrutiny. Is it worthy to house your son?
He took a deep breath. “Soon the winter winds will come, so I’m discontinuing my search. I thought to find her, then claim my son, but the gods will it otherwise. I’ll take the boy now. In the spring…” His blue eyes met Lis and in them she saw an abrupt surrender to truth, something she sensed this man rarely did with anyone. “If she lives, I’ll find her and bring her home…to be with me…with us.”
Lis’ fear thickened. She’d promised Tamsin she’d protect the child but if the mother were dead…perhaps he’d be better off with his father.
Nevertheless, before she relinquished the boy, she had to be certain of this man’s identity.
“Who are you?”
“I think you know.”
“Nevertheless…”
“I’m Samric the Mountain Wolf and I’ve come for my son.” He gave the answer impatiently, his temper ready to escape what little control he kept on it. “Bring him to me.”
“If you’re Samric, prove it,” she persisted, not ready to give over custody of Tamsin’s child on the strength of a few words.
Briefly he didn’t speak, shaking his head as if pondering what proof he had. Then he pulled open the neck of the fur cape slung over his shoulders. Around his throat was a chain, hanging from it the beaten copper image of a wolf.
Lis recognized it. Tamsin had clutched it while the child was being born.

To purchase The Forest Witch, 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 learn more about Toni V. Sweeney, go to:

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





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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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