Interview Clara Winter Author of Deepest Midnight
Give a warm welcome to Clara Winter, author of Deepest Midnight, book one of The Immortal Kindred Series.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
The first thing I do is give myself a break and change things up. That can mean a walk on the beach, a book on the patio, or an episode of Schitt’s Creek. If I still feel blocked after a break, then I make myself sit down and write. Anything on the page is better than nothing. Sometimes I will take a fun element from my WIP, like an historical ballgown, and write out a description of it. This is not only fun, it also gets the words flowing again. I find that I do eventually get back in the flow.
What inspired you to write?
Books were the first loves of my life. I began reading very young and never stopped. By the time I graduated from high school, I had read most of the classics; my face was always buried in a book. I wanted to create characters and worlds, just like my favorite authors.
Why do you write what you write?
I’m interested in writing books on subjects that I would want to read. I read for fun, and I like to write for fun. More than anything else, I enjoy being transported to another world or another time. There are no rules, no boundaries when it comes to paranormal fiction. The paranormal universe is a rich one with endless possibilities to explore. I also like to add historical elements to my paranormal novels, as I am fascinated by historical figures and events.
You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?
This is a great question. How do you pick one event or time period to visit? If I had to choose just one, for me it would be Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, to hear the Declaration of Independence read for the first time at the State House Yard. I’m a big Revolutionary War buff and one of my preternatural characters was once a Culper Spy. Other ideas would be ancient Egypt, a 1920’s speakeasy, and Tesla’s Colorado Springs lab. There are so many cool events to witness and people to see.
Tell us a little about Deepest Midnight.
A sneak peek between the pages of Deepest Midnight!
somewhere else, Millicent,” grumbles Alexandre.
one of those nights. Alexandre pulls me up and hands me my black leather
clutch. He steers me toward the darkly stained front door of our antebellum
Savannah home. Before opening the door, he bends down to put shoes on my feet,
like I’m a child. If he wants me to brood elsewhere, I will. Alexandre
appreciates people who are bright and cheery. His reason for tolerating my
presence for so long is one of life’s many mysteries.
lost people we love, Mills. We go on. If you can’t ever learn to do the same, what’s
the point?”
what is the point?”
to be happy again. I’m not sure how much longer I can stand to have you around
like this. For tonight, go find something to distract your mind.”
Alexandre for wanting me to disappear this evening. The life of the party tires
of the buzz kill. Thankfully, one of the many wonderful things about Savannah
is the abundance of mysterious spots, all perfect for sulking. Secluded
squares, thick with foliage dripping in Spanish moss, decaying alleyways lined
with ancient cobblestone, and hidden stone staircases topped with wrought iron
railings, all provide perfect places to hide away. My stormy mood, has long
felt at home in this haunted city.
Enter to win 1
pair of Marie Antoinette Earrings from Dames a la Mode.
Clara’s Facebook Page to Enter
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Deepest Midnight!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Clara Winter, Deepest Midnight, Paranormal Romance, The Immortal Kindred Series by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Anastasia Wilde Author of Dragon’s Rogue
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Anastasia Wilde and her Dragon’s Rogue! Pssst… Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post. You could win a Kindle Fire 7.
A sneak peek between the pages of Dragon’s Rogue.
The butler gestured to the terrace doors on the other side of the room. He stepped discreetly back into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
Zane took a deep breath, and then walked between the fluttering sheer curtains out onto the terrace. He caught a glimpse of an expanse of starry sky before he turned to meet the woman whose house he’d broken into the night before. The woman from his dream visions.
“Hello,” he said, extending his hand. “Thank you for meeting me. I—”
That was as far as he got. Two silken ropes twined around his wrists and yanked, as if held by invisible hands. Before he could react, he was suspended a few inches off the ground, his arms spread over his head in a Y-shape.
She’d outsmarted him. He was trapped.
Before he could say a word, Blaze made a swift movement with her hands. His shirt ripped open down the front and spread wide, exposing his heart.
Oh, hell, Zane thought. This can’t be good. She must have recognized him from last night.
And she was clearly holding a grudge.
Blaze walked right up to him, ignoring his struggles, and ran her hands over his chest. The heat from her fingers seemed to strike all the way down into his bones.
His exclamation turned into a murmured exhale. “What the hell are you doing to me?”
“Where’s your tattoo?” she demanded.
“My what?”
He had no idea what she was talking about. ‘Thorne?’ he called mentally to his brother. ‘Little help here? I’m on the terrace outside the study.’ He projected a picture of its location. ‘Come from outside. Cloak yourself. We’re having an issue with the lovely Ms. McKenna.’
His brother replied, ‘Saw you leave. Already on my way.’
“Your coven tattoo. Where is it?” Blaze jerked her hand back, walked around behind him, and magically ripped the back of his shirt and jacket as well. He shivered at the sudden touch of the night air on his bare skin.
Or maybe it was her making him shiver.
He felt her fingers on his left shoulder blade, and sucked in his breath involuntarily. Just that small contact sent electricity shooting through his body.
She thought he was a sorcerer. An evil one, if the way he was hanging from his wrists like laundry on a clothesline was anything to go by.
“I’m not in a coven,” he told her.
She came around to face him again. “You must be. You’re too powerful to be solo, and I felt power in the others, too. Stop lying.”
There was a sudden gust of wind, and Zane felt Thorne’s dragon presence just above the terrace. Then his brother shifted mid-air, uncloaked and landed on the terrace behind Blaze, in human form.
‘Watch out, bro.’ he cautioned silently. ‘She has a spell—’
Too late.
The minute Thorne’s feet hit the balcony, more silken ropes sprang to life and he was strung up the same way Zane was. Blaze whipped around and tore Thorne’s shirt open with her magic.
Damn. Beautiful witch: 2, Dragons: 0
Not the heroic first impression he’d intended to make.
Blaze backed up, looking from one to the other. “All right,” she said. “No tattoos, no coven. So spill it. Who are you people, why were you after my artifact, and how much pain do I have to put you through to get it back?”
Twitter: @AnaWildeAuthor
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Dragon’s Rogue!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Anastasia Wilde, Dragon's Rogue, Paranormal Romance, shapeshifter, Steamy, Wild Dragon's Trilogy by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Athena Daniels Author of When Darkness Follows
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Athena Daniels and her new release When Darkness Follows. Pssst… Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of the post!
Something that lured Rachel to the ship. And now one of her friends is dead, the other is missing, and Rachel’s memory of the night is gone. There’s only one thing she knows for sure: whatever killed her friend has followed her home.
Over a century ago, an act of bitter jealousy and revenge tainted a crystal ball with an unstoppable evil. And when the deadly object eerily turns up in her bedroom, Rachel’s nightmare really begins.
Ex-Special Forces detective Daniel Smith takes the case the moment Rachel’s name appears on his screen. Rachel is the only woman he’s ever loved, but despite their explosive chemistry, she’s determined to keep him at a distance.
With Rachel’s life on the line, the disturbing truth about her ancestry and the cursed object she has inherited must be uncovered. But is it already too late? Daniel will risk everything to save the woman he loves, but how can he win this lethal game of cat and mouse against a killer that is not flesh and blood?
Buy links for When Darkness Follows:
Daniel crushed her to his body, his tongue delving inside her mouth, tracing across her teeth. He took control of the kiss, like the man controlled everything else in his life. The heat of his mouth set her blood on fire, and her body submitted to his natural dominance.
He groaned, holding her to him so tightly she couldn’t breathe. But she didn’t need her own oxygen when she could breathe his.
Daniel walked her away from the water to where the sand was dry and still warm from the sun. He fell to the sand, pulling her down on top of him. She laughed in surprise.
His sunglasses fell off his head as he looked up at her. He cupped the back of her neck, guided her head down and kissed her hard. She couldn’t think, couldn’t feel anything but him.
Her soft, white denim skirt slid up her thighs as she spread her legs and sat on his hips. His erection, firmly encased in his jeans, pressed against her lacy white panties. She rubbed against him, needed to, and his eyes flickered closed. He groaned, the sound sending fire racing through her veins.
“I want you so bad.” Daniel’s grip tightened on her hips, the roughness in his tone thrilling her.
This was what was familiar between them. This rawness and this uncontrollable desire.
“Tell me you still want this.”
Rachel nodded.
“I said tell me.”
The bite of authority in the command made her blood race. Her mouth dried, and she swallowed twice before she could speak.
“I want this.”
Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them, emotion swirled heavily in his gaze.
“Tell me you still want me.” His body went rigid as he waited for her answer, and her heart stuttered to a stop.
“I want you,” she said, the truth and a lie all at once. God she wanted him! Right now, in this moment, she wanted him more than her next breath.
Daniel sat up, cradling her in his lap, her legs wrapped around his hips as he kissed her again, long and deep. She thrust her hands in his thick hair, holding him hard as his hands ran up her thighs, his thumbs tracing along the seams of her panties and making her core clench with anticipation.
He lifted the hem of her top, his palm scorching the soft skin on her stomach as he moved to cup her breast. His expression looked pained, his chest rising and falling as his breathing grew labored.
As much pleasure as he gave her, she loved watching how much simply touching her aroused him.
“A year,” Daniel growled. “A whole fucking year.”
She cried out as his fingers found a hardened nipple and squeezed. Pleasure, white-hot and overwhelming, filled her, stole her breath.
His other hand slid the thin fabric of her panties aside, his thumb gently tracing along her slick entrance. Her heart skittered in her chest, her pulse roaring past her ears.
“You need this too,” he said, his voice a low rasp. “Don’t tell me you don’t.”
Tears burned her eyes, and she squeezed her lids closed to hide her reaction to his words. She needed him? Dear God! She fucking craved him.
And then he’d leave…
And she’d be left empty, wanting him. Frustration caused her to cry out at the same time his thumb slipped inside her, and the sound was disguised as pleasure.
Frustration and pleasure: those two extremes described what she had with Daniel perfectly.
Max barked, and they both looked up to see him bounding through the thick sand toward them. He barked again, and Rachel followed his gaze and noticed two people at the top of the sand dunes, making their way to the water.
“Fuck,” Daniel growled.
How like Daniel to always make her feel as though they were the only two people in the world. She pressed her forehead against his, his ragged breath warm across her skin. Before the couple could see them clearly, she rolled off Daniel and tugged her skirt back into place, her body still tingling with the feel of his touch.
Athena Daniels is the #1 international bestselling author of the award-winning Beyond the Grave paranormal romance series and the romantic thriller Desperate.
In 2016, Athena was nominated for Author of the Year and Best New Author in AusRom Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
Her novel Girl Unseen won the Silver Medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite® International Book Awards and was awarded a Silver Medal in the 2017 Literary Titan Book Awards. Girl Unseen was an “Official Selection” in the New Apple Literary Awards, and was also nominated for 2017 Book of the Year in AusRom Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
The Seer’s Daughter was the solo Medalist Winner in the Suspense/Thriller category of the 2016 New Apple Annual Book Awards for Excellence in Independent Publishing.
The Seer’s Daughter was also a finalist in the 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards in Suspense and in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite® International Book Awards. Additionally, The Seer’s Daughter was nominated for 2016 Book of the Year and 2016 Cover of the Year in AusRom Today’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
Girl Unseen and The Seer’s Daughter are both 5-star Top Picks at The Romance Reviews.
Athena has a natural curiosity about the “more” there is in life and holds several qualifications in metaphysics and natural therapies. She is a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, life coach, and feng shui specialist.
Athena lives on the northern beaches of sunny Western Australia. Find out more about her at www.athenadaniels.com, or follow her on Twitter @AthenaDaniels11 and on Facebook at /AthenaDaniels11.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with When Darkness Follows.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Athena Daniels, Beyond the Grave Series, Paranormal Romance, When Darkness Follows by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview with Kate Tyler Narrator for A Witch’s Journey!
I have something a little bit different for you today! Give a warm welcome to Kate Tyler, Narrator for A Witch’s Journey audiobook.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Kate Tyler and the A Witch’s Journey Audiobook. Pssst… Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win an Amazon Gift card at the end of this post.
Author: Tena Stetler
Narrators: Kate Tyler
Series: Lobster Cove, Book 1
Length: 9 hours 47 minutes
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Released: Oct. 19, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pepper McKay comes from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, magic brings her nothing but trouble. She learned the love of wildlife rescue and rehab from her Aunt Ashling. After graduating from college, Pepper works for Salem Wildlife Sanctuary and lives from paycheck to paycheck until she inherits the McKay property in Lobster Cove. With the family land and resources, she dares to dream of starting her own wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.
Lathen Quartz, a former Navy SEAL turned handyman maintains the enchanted McKay property for the McKay estate. But someone is trying to steal the McKay magic. Lathen offers to help Pepper achieve her life-long dream of building a wildlife center. During the long hours spent together on the project, their mutual attraction can’t be denied. But each harbors a deep, dark secret. Will they overcome their demons and give love a chance?
I own a copy and have listened to the audiobook, A Witch’s Journey, a paranormal romance. I am participating in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions in support of Kate Tyler the sponsor of this tour. She’s the fantastic narrator of A Witch’s Journey. I can honestly say that Kate’s narration of A Witch’s Journey brought the book’s characters to life. A story of wildlife rescue and rehab, magic, second chances, and the love of family and friends. What better way to forget your trials and tribulations than relax and listen to a feel good audiobook? A Witch’s Journey will whisk you away from your ordinary world into a romantic fantasy adventure that you’ll never want to end. Pepper and Lathen’s journey begins with building a wildlife rescue & rehab center in the small town of Lobster Cove. Along the way, they discover the healing power of love and family. I highly recommend this book!
Best-selling author, Tena Stetler, has an over-active imagination and writes award-winning paranormal romance novels. She wrote her first vampire romance as a tween, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle.
Her books tell stories of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Well, okay there are a few companion animals to round out the tales. Travel and adventure flourish in her novels. Any summer evening, you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a glass of raspberry iced tea and a bowl of popcorn.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads
Kate Tyler is an audiobook narrator and producer with several published audiobooks available on Audible, iTunes and Amazon. A background in drama and a successful career in voiceover, Kate lives with her family in San Diego and enjoys swimming, running, cycling and stand up paddleboard.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮⎮Instagram
- How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- Great question! My son, Drew, was 15 and ½ last summer. That’s a tough age for a kid entering summer because it’s a little too young for a summer job, and a little too old for a summer camp. We wanted to come up with something that we could do together during the summer to keep him busy, that would be fun and interactive, where he could earn a little side-money and something that might look good on a college resume! We searched Google for something he could do and among the suggestions we found narrating audiobooks. Since he and I both have a background in stage theater and improv, we thought it might be fun. I’m an avid audiobook listener and thought it would be fun! We ordered some equipment online and it came on a Saturday from Amazon. Drew had everything set up that night and we were off and running the next day, auditioning for books!
- A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- Yeah, that’s what most people think. Yes, I’m in theater and so is my son. It definitely helps, but it’s absolutely not essential. Since I’ve been in this world, I’ve gotten to know a lot of narrators and many of them would describe themselves as introverts. I’m an extrovert so I found that funny. But when you think about it, you’re all alone in a small room when you work, so it works well for people who are naturally introverted. Kind of cool, right?
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Oh yes. I love audiobooks. I listen every week if not every day to something awesome on audio. I re-listen to stuff. I even follow a few narrators when I really like their voice. If I love a voice, I’ll check out everything they’ve done and if it appeals to me, I’ll grab it. I travel a lot for business and pleasure and I listen in the car, on trains, on airplanes and so on. I definitely listen when I’m working out. Nothing can make five miles go faster than a few good chapters of a zombie thriller!
- Is there a particular genre you feel unsuited for? Have you ever declined a project because you didn’t think you were right for it?
- So, yes. I’ve declined projects. Most people think it’s all acting, but there are some things I just don’t want to narrate because I just don’t believe in them. If there is a self-help book that gives advice I just disagree with, I’d turn it down. Narrating self-help is different from acting in that it’s your voice trying to convince someone of something. If you don’t believe it yourself, you’ve got two problems. One, you won’t like saying it. Two, it will come through as fake to the listener. All bad outcomes. So it’s best they find someone else. That could be true for other narrators with other touchy subjects like politics or religion too.
- How closely do you prefer to work with authors?
- I like to get to know the authors and what they are looking for. It’s the dream in their head we’re trying to make happen, so I want to try to get as close to that as possible. And, selfishly, I’m a sucker for applause and encouragement. So if my author loves my voice and they are telling me how much they enjoy how I’m doing a certain character, that’s a huge bonus for me. I love working with an author who is not shy in telling me when they are loving what I bring to the book!
- Has anyone ever recognized you from your voice?
- Um. No. A big no on that one. I guess it could happen, but I’ve actually gifted some of my audiobooks to friends and family and they’re like: “Are you sure that’s really you?” I think they mean it as a compliment, but with family you never can tell!
- Have there been any characters that you really connected with?
- Oh sure! You spend a lot of time with a book and voicing the characters. So a lot of what you bring to it is your own personality. It happens more often than not that you are feeling the emotions right along with the character. In Witchs’ Journey there were some exciting parts and some scary parts and some dreamy parts. You end up feeling all of those as you bring voices alive.
- Do you read reviews for your audiobooks?
- Absolutely! Reviews can be very important for the success of an audiobook. I encourage listeners to leave reviews. Whenever I see a book with one or two reviews I check out the reviewers page. Does it have one review or many? If there’s only one review, I tend to wonder if it was just the author’s mom who wrote something nice. Reviews from reviewers who read 30+ books a year are key. They really know what they like and the reviews are more deep than “I liked it a lot.” It’s been fun to get reviews that say things like: “I will definitely listen to Kate Tyler again!” That way I know I’ve done my job right.
- What type of the review comments do you find most constructive?
- I like reading reviews that give a taste of the story. Some sort of recap of what they thought the book was about. Once they’ve done that, then I want to see their impressions about how well the story was put together, and how well the narrator did the voices or characterizations.
- Who is your “dream author” that you would like to record for?
- Well, gee, I’d say Brene Brown, because I love her, but she usually does her own stuff which makes a lot of sense. If you know her, you know you want to hear her voice reading her material. And she’s very captivating to listen to. Not all authors can read their own material, but she is very talented and makes the book come alive.
- What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- Oh, no. I think listening is equally as valuable as page turning. In fact, there are statistics that show that people who buy a book has about a 10% chance of reading it cover to cover. Audiobook listeners generally listen end to end about 80% of the time. If your goal is to get your story or message into a person, audiobook wins hands down. Not only that, page-turners are usually different people than listeners. If you want to reach a larger audience, you have to consider that. Making it available in different formats makes it accessible to a larger group of people. And after all, isn’t that the point?
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A Witch’s Journey Giveaway: $15 Amazon Gift Card
It was wonderful having you with us today Kate. I loved your narration of A Witch’s Journey. It was spot on with the dream I had in my head. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with A Witch’s Journey Audiobook!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Journey, ghosts, Kate Tyler, Navy SEAL, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, wildlife rescue, Witches by Tena Stetler with 21 comments.
