Lorelei Confer

Good Morning. Today, sitting in my lounge I have the very talented Lorelei Conifer. We are going to eat hot scones with cream, while chatting about her latest release Deadly Revenge.

Lorelei is an author of romantic suspense she loves reading almost as much as writing. She lives on a peninsula in the mid west coast of Florida with her husband, two cats, and AJ, her long haired Chihuahua. Now I have always wanted a Chihuahua, but for some reason have always ended up with huge dogs. I do envy her lol She wrote her first story in the fourth grade in the form of a play which actually was produced by her teacher for parents and students. She continued writing and majored in English in College.

So lets get right down to hearing about her book, Deadly Revenge.

Here is a blurb.

Tory Richards returns to North Carolina to help her mother set up a B & B never expecting to stumble across several murder victims, fall in love, or get abducted by human traffickers.
Fortunately, when she’s run off the road on the way into town, Dave Miller, working undercover on the task force for human trafficking, comes to her aid. She blows off the near fatal accident as just that--an accident, but rethinks her position once events escalate.
Someone is trying to kill Tory. Failing that, she’s being set up as a suspect in four murders. As Dave falls more deeply for Tory, how will he tell her who he is and what he does? Will she ever trust him?
Trust becomes a moot point when Tory is abducted and everything points to the group of human traffickers Dave’s had under surveillance. He calls in the entire task force, but will they reach Tory before she’s used as a sex slave?

Hi Margaret. Thanks for having me here today.

DEADLY REVENGE is the second book in a series with the theme of human trafficking. I’ve been working on the third book in the human trafficking series titled DEADLY DELIVERANCE, which hopefully will be finished by the end of the year. (out early next year) As writers we all have favourite characters, mine is Tory. I love that she photographs everything, leaving discernable clues about her life and what happens to her. She becomes a stronger woman by the end of the book and has to make a decision about leaving the NC mountains and returning to the beach, where she has a home and job waiting for her, without Dave. She can’t stay and he won’t leave.

It sounds like Tory is a strong alpha lady. I think this will be added to my TBR pile. Have you any advice for authors?

Let me see. The best marketing advice I can offer, would be to blog and participate on the loops for readers, Goodreads is my favourite and a great source of readers and authors.

Before you go, can you tel us a bit about you and your hubby. How did you meet?

My husband and I were high school sweethearts. On our first date I asked him to let me drive his car because I was taking my driver’s test the next day and wanted to be prepared. Anyway, I took a turn too sharp and hit the side of the road which had a five foot embankment which side swiped the entire passenger side. We were never able to get that door open. He was going into the Army a few months later and sold the sold the car for $300. We’ve been married 41 years in May.

So a happy ending in this non fiction lol. Thanks for coming Lorelei. You can find this lovely lady here and her blog. Which I have to say is fab and I've just followed.

AWARD

I have recieved this fabbo award from my friend Julie Hayes But it has come with rules. I have to tell you seven random facts about myself.

I speak to spirit people
I'd eat chocolate for breakfast,dinner and tea if I could.
I treat my two dogs like children.
I am obsessed with bags and shoes and have a dressing room dedicated to them.
I don't like 'proper' food very much and eat mainly to stay alive.
I'm paranoid about aging
I try daily to help whomever I can.

Pass the award on to other awesome blog buddies. Please take some time to visit these fantastic bloggers that I gave the award to.
Lorrie Struiff
BK Walker Books
Smockturtle
Lizzie

REVIEW

The Locket

By Ginger Simpson


This short novella starts in the mid 1940’s and tells the story through the years about a cursed locket that forces the wearer to kill the people they love. Whether it somehow activates the hidden rage we all harbour within ourselves, or it is actually cursed, will be down to the reader to decide.

A canny detective O’Day eventually recognises this necklace has been mentioned in a lot of murders through the years. He doesn’t know, when it eventually falls into his hands, why he feels the need to lock it away from human contact. But he does. The stories that unfold around this locket are unique in the fact that the victims are murdered by whatever was appropriate for that time frame. So each one is distinctly different and therefore they do not get tedious to read. The only thing I can say that would have made this better for me would be to learn how the locket became cursed in the first place. Maybe that’ll come out in a sequel!

I gave this book 4 Stars.

Rescue Dogs

I am totally off topic here. I want to talk about my little rescue dog Sparkie. I contacted RSPCA, Last Chance and Battersea, to get a small dog as a companion to my rather crazy Huskamute, Odin. I have to say, these places where sadly inadequate in their responses. The RSPCA emailed me back about a dog I’d seen on their site, to ask me, where I’d seen it as the one I wanted was rehomed three weeks ago. Obviously, they don’t know or update their sites much. The others did not contact me at all, except Battersea, who has a three day, I’ll get back to you, policy!!! Is it me, or do these places keep harping on how over flowing they are? Maybe the reason for that is that they NEVER get back to anyone who contacts them.

Anyway, I stumbled across Rescue Remedies one Friday night at 10pm. I rambled through their site and saw Sparkie, a Staff/Jack Russell mix. Just the right size and stature to put up with Odins boisterousness. I dutifully filled in a really long questionnaire, supplied pictures of my garden fence (as requested) and of odin. I hit send, didn’t expect to hear back for ages, yet 15 minutes later my phone rang and it was the centre. Within half an hour I was booked in to have Sparkie visit me on the bank holiday Monday. THEY came to ME!!

To cut a long story short, my husband and I fell in love with him, although it took Odin over a week to warm to him and even now there are still a few issues to iron out. Sparkie was painfully thin, as he wasn’t settling at the centre and had been a stray for a while. All he wanted to do was sit on your lap and be cuddled. It’s been almost two weeks since he arrived and now it’s like he has always been here. I can’t think why anyone would want to let this dear little dog go. I wish I had thought about rescue centres years ago. So to anyone who is thinking about getting a dog/cat, please try the rescue centres first. If you are lucky you will get a precious little boy like mine.
Here is a short clip of Odin and Sparkie in the garden. Finally playing with no teeth, snarls or reprimands.

Nothing in particular

I once knew a pub called ‘Nowhere in particular’ the name always made me smile when I passed it. I could imagine how many men said to their wives that they were going nowhere in particular as they left the house lol It’s long gone now and that brings me to my blog today. I’m feeling a little nostalgic.
I’m going to cast out into the ether a question. A part from the people we have lost, what would you reclaim back if you had the chance? I’d get back the little chocolate toffee nuggets that have disappeared. As a youngster I used to go in the corner shop and ask for thrupenny’s worth. I loved them sweets, all stuck together in the little white paper bag.

The best comment will win something nostalgic from me.

Welcome Debra Kayn

Good Morning. It's a glorious day and I have the lovely Debra Kayn visiting with me. She's chatting about something we forget to do sometimes. Have fun!

Summertime fun

As we approach summer, I can’t help being excited. I have 4 books coming out between May and September, but it’s the sunshine that has my energy level soaring. Around the Pacific Northwest, we’ve put up with long months of dreary skies, and rain. It’s a known fact that those who live in this area lack Vitamin D, and going by the way we all start smiling a little more when the sun comes out, I tend to believe the experts.
One of my favorite things to do in the summer is swing in the hammock. Whether it’s reading on my Kindle, or brainstorming plot points while I close my eyes, I find time stands still for those precious minutes…like when I was a kid, and summers lasted forever.
That made me think of other things I do in the summer that I also did as a kid, and I came up with a lot of things. I think this also has something to do with the happier attitudes and relaxed moments in our lives. I love to go fishing, ride motorcycles, play tennis, and putter around in the yard trying to grow things. Putter is a good word for what I do, because I’m not known for my green thumb. Ahem.
What kind of things do you like to do in the summer? What are you looking forward to doing the most?


Today, the first of my summer books comes out at Breathless Press. Betraying the Prince is a rerelease, that is sure to grab your heart. Here’s a blurb…
All Princess Celina wants is to stay on her beloved island of Antaka, marry a man of her culture, and make her papa proud. So when Prince Joqua ships her off to America, Celina’s believes she’s being punished. While she’s not prepared for the wild ways of the Americans, no one is more surprised than her when she finds herself falling for a California hottie…

Drake Randall looks forward to a vacation from work, especially if it means showing the princess how people their age have fun. But when Celina strips off all her clothes and announces she’s trained in Kama Sutra, he’s left with an even bigger problem than wanting to make love to the princess.

Drake's holding on to a secret that could not only ruin his chances with Celina, but could also ultimately destroy her.


The fun doesn’t stop there, because Chantilly’s Cowboy comes out June 6th at Carina Press, Harlequins Digital First Imprint. Who doesn’t like a little cowboy on a hot summer day, hm?

Multipublished Romance author, Debra Kayn, is not only a writer, she's a wife and Mom to four great kids. When she's not staying up late dreaming of new stories to write, she enjoys riding motorcycles, gardening, playing tennis, and spending time with a fishing pole in her hands.

She lives in the beautiful Coastal Mountains of Oregon on a hobby farm. Her love of animals includes dogs, chickens, goats, rabbits, turkeys, geese, and yes...pigs. The peacefulness of a flowing creek across her property provides an excellent spot to read a book on a summer day, go swimming, and catch the ever elusive fish.

One thing she can promise is her books will always have a happily-ever-after. In a world where the news is discouraging and people are busy, she wants you to escape, laugh, cry, and sigh as you read her books.

Debra’s website Twitter Facebook

Welcome Kane

The Virtual Book Tour today kicks off on my lovely rooftop garden.

Kane and I are sitting here sipping a morning cupper.

While I butter the toast, here is a bit about him.

Kane A. has followed the genre of fantastical creatures for as long as he could remember. Though a typical child and diligent student, his imagination never ceased to paint a surrealistic vision that could force many to question their own reality. Early on, Kane expressed his creativity by means of drawing, writing short stories ranging from science fiction to horror, as well as through poetry expressing love, hurt, and betrayal.
His fascination with the undead grew when he studied the history of the witch, werewolf, warlock, and sinking his teeth finally into the world of the vampire. Kane began his first of five novels detailing the lives and challenges of being immortal.
He now resides in Atlanta, GA where he spends the majority of his time writing.

Good morning and thanks for having me. It’s absolutely wonderful up here and the breeze...oh the breeze! About me, huh. Let’s see, what shall I tell that won’t bore you to tears, or prompt you to press that secret panic button? Everything in my life was very typical until I met Aleron, or more correctly put, he made himself known to me. Before that point, I worked 9-5. I called my mother every week, took care of my family, and paid my taxes. Occasionally I wrote poetry about love and pain. And of course, the occasional horror short story would crawl out of my imagination. Now, everything has changed. You see, it’s very hard to tell one as persuasive as my new friend “no”. Once he chose me, there was no turning back. He hasn’t shared his dark gift, however I am still somewhat hopeful.

Just a few questions before we get to your fascinating article. Who do you think inspires you to write?

I believe I began writing as a result of the insistent silent voices that seem to accompany me everywhere I went, especially when I was asleep. They whispered to me, secrets. Some were good. Some not so good. Some were frightening! But I found release in writing about it. That’s probably why I was afraid of the dark as a young child. Now Aleron dictates and I write. It’s the perfect arrangement. I couldn’t make this stuff up.

I don’t know about you, but I only ever have one writing project on the go. I tried two on the go once and the characters morphed into each others books somehow lol So what’s next on your writing agenda?

-Of course I can’t leave fans hanging for long, so I am diving deeper into Mynea and Vlad’s tale which will be revealed in Book 2 of the Strigoi Series. I am also working on The Nephilim Project which is a fantastical tale about the beauty and evil when God’s True Sons (Angles) embrace the sensuality of the daughters of humankind as well as the division that occurred in Heaven through Satan’s challenge. Nephilim is guaranteed to quench that romantic and supernatural thirst of yours. And in the not so distant future, you can expect to see our hero Aleron on the BIG Screen!

Wow, remember me when your famous kane! Mines a brandy and coke!! Just for fun, can you pick your favorite character from your new release and tell us about them.

-If I had a favorite it would be the main, Aleron. I simply admire his ability to adapt to any situation and even though he is a powerful immortal, he has never really lost his humanity. A demon with morals! Go figure.

Now that’s interesting. A demon with morals, is he handsome too?

Aleron was very handsome as a human, however, when he became more than human, he also became more than handsome. Imagine the best looking man you have ever seen. Now imagine him frozen on Michelangelo’s canvas, where he chisels away every human imperfection and ads the perfect countenance and build of a ravishing angel. Aleron would embody that angelic canvas. He personifies it. It was Aleron’s charm, wit, and great looks that made him desirable for Mynea before she gave him the dark gift. After which, he became perfection.

How about some advice for all the new writers out there. Got any tips?

-Yes. Keep writing. And on that occasional break, don’t be afraid to quench your thirst with that favorite cocktail or whatever guilty pleasure you care to keep secret from all others.

Yum, but I prefer chocolate. A universal remedy lol. So where can your followers find you?

-Whoever told you I had a chocolate martini before I came up here was wrong! I had two. Can’t believe you can smell that. Well, anyway, my followers can find me at kane@aleron.co or http://www.aleron.co/. They can also “Ask Aleron” anything they want when they click on the Ask Aleron tab on the site www. aleron.co . We are also on twitter Aleron11, and Facebook as Aleron Kane. Just understand, when you post questions before dusk, Aleron will answer them before you awake.

Sorry, can you explain that please. What tab..show me..I want to speak to Aleron lol

When you visit Aleron, and after you read the “see inside”, you can click a tab that says “Ask Aleron” and you can comment or ask any question you wish. He will answer. I was against this, however, he says he rather enjoys getting to know the thoughts of others through their questions instead of their blood. Of course, given this explanation, I obliged! I really didn’t have much of a choice anyway.

I know this article is going to get you all thinking. It did for me. I'm going to dash and get one of those chocolate martini's kane likes. I swear I saw a pre made bottle in his rucksack.

Where and when.
How many senses are tickled when one reads? Can you smell a sentence? Can you hear an unspoken paragraph? Is it possible to touch a thought? Absolutely. A writer must use the pen to provide a gateway into a person’s perception. How do you accomplish this? This can be achieved by carefully researching the setting and environment of the world or time you are creating or revisiting. For example, everyone knows that Manhattan NY does not sound nor smell like Miami Florida. Likewise, Paris is very different from Athens. Each place has its own distinct feel, smell, taste, as well as look that combine to create its personality. A writer must capture as much uniqueness the setting has to offer then by means of descriptive writing, creates accurate sensory perception in the reader. Of course an apple will differ in taste between individuals, however there remains a commonality.
In addition to place, time is also important. For the earth and everything in it is ever changing as time progresses. Dialect, customs, fashion, structures, and even entire environments evolve with the passage of sand trapped within the glass. A writer must be learned in the era of which the story lives. For the ancient Mycenaeans have very little in common with the current civilization in Greece.
A writer must totally submerge himself in every aspect of the settings place and time to be able to write in such a way as to convey proper inputs for perception. Visiting the location if it still stands, or attaining extensive knowledge if it doesn’t is often required to successfully tickle all the senses. And so when I ask you to meet me, you undoubtedly want to know where and when.

Thanks for popping by kane. You are welcome anytime. Just bring the bottle with you .