Interview Anna-Marie Abell – Holy Crap! The World is Ending!
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Anna-Marie Abell, author of Holy Crap! The World is Ending! How a Trip to the Bookstore
Led to Sex with an Alien and the Destruction of Earth – The Anunnaki Chronicles, Book One. A humorous paranormal romance.
Anna-Marie, Do you see yourself in your characters?I am 100% the main character in the Anunnaki Chronicles, strange eating habits and all. In fact, friends all tell me they are picturing me as they are reading. I always get a little flushed when they say this and tell them, “Please don’t think of me during the more ‘intimate’ scenes, or it could get awkward.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
Curiosity about our ancient past and an open mind about the possibility of other life in the universe. There is way more to the story of the origins of the human race than we have been led to believe. The universe is also teaming with life, and NASA is finally starting to admit that. Proof of life out there could potentially change how we behave as a human race. It was Reagan that said: “Perhaps we need some outside universal threat to make us recognize this common bond. I occasionally think how quickly our differences worldwide would vanish if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world.” I think if we stop seeing the differences in each other, and realize we are all one and the same, the human race, this world would change for the better. Finding out we are just a blip on the cosmic life radar might bring the minuscule variations of our species into perspective.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
I have no control over when they come, but I have to say, my best ideas come in the shower. I don’t know why, but that seems to be common among creative types. I have a waterproof tablet I keep with me for the shower. I also have a lighted tablet I keep in my car and by my bed. I have learned that if I think of an idea, I need to write it immediately or I will forget it (and it is getting worse as I get older). I also find that the best inspiration comes from real life. It’s true when they say “you just can’t make that up” about real-life events. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction, and makes for an awesome story.
You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?
Oh, man! So I research the Sumerian culture and they have a very different version of how man was created. The cuneiform tablets state that the human race was created by the Sumerian gods (the Anunnaki) as workers to help them in the mines. I would go back to when the Sumerian “gods” created the human race so I could see just how they did it. Based on their texts, it is eerily similar to in vitro fertilization. It would change everything if I could prove we were created by an advanced race of beings.
A Peek Between the Pages of Holy Crap! The World is Ending! How a Trip to the Bookstore Led to Sex with an Alien and the Destruction of Earth.
What if…
Ever since I was a kid I’ve been fascinated by the unimaginable. I used to gaze at the night sky and contemplate a series of what ifs. But I’m not talking about the boring typical what ifs such as:
What if I won the lotto?
What if I quit my job and moved to Tanzania?
I’m talking about those outlandish ones:
What if I ran across a herd of three-inch pigmy cows capable of producing solid gold milk, but each ounce I extracted took a month off my life? Would I still do it?
What if we could suddenly have intellectual conversations with all animals? Would we continue to eat them?
What if the whole world went blind and deaf all at the same time? Would we survive as a species?
Another favorite childhood pastime of mine was observing ants clambering atop one another to locate food or gather leaves, like inhabitants of a metropolis bustling to work. Ants are innately oblivious to the threat of a gargantuan foot looming over them. I’ve often wondered if humans would behave the same way if the tables were turned.
What if a jumbo foot came down on us and squashed a city block on a regular basis? After a while, would we just shrug it off and alter course to go around it like ants do?
Some people go out of their way to squish any and all bugs that come across their path. Not me. I have a strict “no kill” policy with every type of animal.
Well, that’s not entirely true. I have an exception for animals I buy in a grocery store. I know: this is incredibly hypocritical. But dammit, I love me some cow. Perhaps I should define my “no kill” policy as “not slaying a creature simply because it annoys you—or simply because you can.”
For example, I can’t help but wonder:
What if I were reincarnated as a fly in my next life? Would I appreciate getting stuck on a glue trap?
Put yourself in the fly’s place. You’re ambling along, minding your own business, when out of nowhere the glorious aroma of In-N-Out Burger wafts in your direction. Those freshly cooked fries and juicy burgers fill your senses with food ecstasy. Just when you can’t take it anymore, a sign pops up out of thin air that reads: All You Can Eat! Free In-N-Out Burgers All Day.
Salivating, you charge toward the smell all excited. Then—BAM!—you step onto a glue pad, unable to break free. Not only are you doomed to a lengthy, torturous death of dehydration and starvation, but your last days are filled with the constant aroma of those heavenly cheeseburgers you can never have.
Not the way I’d want to kick the bucket, that’s for sure.
My fixation over these what ifs is why I was so into UFOs, ancient aliens, near-death experiences, ghosts, and really, anything paranormal. Truth be told, I’m not sure if deep down I believed in all these things, or if I just wanted them to be real, so I’d have something to hope for beyond the monotony of human life. I mean, think about it. What would be more entertaining: cleaning a toilet, or cleaning a toilet haunted by a ghost? (Well, a friendly one. It might get messy if your bowl were possessed by a demon.) Phantom commodes win hands down.
I’ll never forget the day this whole obsession got started. When I was six, I asked my mom what life was going to be like when I grew up. She was always one for blunt honesty, and she said, “Well, you’ll go to school for a really long time, marry a guy who will lose all his hair, get a job you’ll probably hate, have kids, get old, poop your pants, and then die.”
I broke down in tears.
My mom ended up regretting having told me all that, because at the age of seven, I convinced myself that those things wouldn’t happen to me, and that it was my destiny to one day rescue the planet. I am talking about a Will Smith in Independence Day style rescue (except I imagined myself with a breadstick in my mouth instead of a cigar). In one childhood fantasy, I used a butter knife and my badass Barbie Mobile to defend the residents of my neighborhood from a rampaging, genetically mutated, alien-giraffe hybrid that had escaped from a secret government lab. (Kids, if you ever want your mom to get fired as the president of the PTA so she doesn’t embarrass you in front of your class, simply splatter your shirt with ketchup and burst into the annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon with a spork screaming about man-eating giraffes. Trust me, it works like a charm.)
This desire to be the hero had me hooked on stories where people discover they’re part of an amazing new reality—a world where the impossible becomes possible. If I waited long enough, I thought, maybe Hagrid and his flying motorcycle would come crashing into my bathroom as I sat on the toilet and proclaim, “You’re a wizard, Autumn!”
But it’s one thing to dream it, and an entirely different thing to live it. Had I been smart and heeded the advice of the Pussycat Dolls when they warned us to “Be careful what you wish for, ’cause you just might get it,” then maybe things would have played out differently.
I wished it.
I got it.
And now I’m about to die.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Alien, Anna-Marie Abell, Holy Crap! The World is Ending!, Humorous, Paranormal, Romance by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance – Release Day
Happy holidays to all! Today is the book birthday of A VAMPIRE’S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE, my third book in Demon’s Witch Series. I’m so excited! Have a seat and 
grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Let me tell you about A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance. Not what you’ve come to expect from a vampire tale! Thanks for joining us!
Stefan is a Native American vampire, former assassin for the Vampire Council. In a twist of fate, he now DJ’s the midnight shift for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park where his secret is safe until…
Born in Ireland, Brandy now works as a park ranger and trail guide in the park. During a full moon, Stefan and Brandy’s paths cross in a near physical collision on a trail. Their attraction is immediate and undeniable, almost as if fate demanded it.
Their union was foretold long ago in Irish folk tales where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries must work together for the good of man and magic kind. Is a trip to Ireland the key to unravelling secrets and returning the magic? And even more importantly, will their love survive the trip?
A Sneak Peek Between the Pages of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance:
Brandy slept in Stefan’s arms while he watched the lace curtains flutter as the ocean breeze, heavy with brine, wafted through the window, open just a crack. A white mist swirled into the quiet room through the opening. It grew thicker and began to take shape settling into the antique rocking chair in the far corner of their cozy room. A man with long flowing hair the color of straw, dressed in jeans and a shimmering multicolored sweater, now sat in the rocking chair, left boot propped over on his right knee, watching Stefan with genuine interest.
Stefan’s body stiffened, his fangs pierced his gums as he shifted Brandy to a more secure position, though he sensed no threat. Too many stories around the fire?
Undisturbed, the apparition’s lips twitched. “So you’re the súmair fala that stole our Brandy’s heart. An interesting turn of events this is.” He mused nodding his head toward the window and pointing his finger toward Stefan, then to the outside. As quickly as he’d appeared, he was gone, leaving only a light mist floating across the floor.
Blinking his eyes, Stefan slowly looked around the room. What the hell was that? I wasn’t asleep so it couldn’t be a dream. Stealthily, he slid out of bed without disturbing Brandy. He yanked on jeans, pulled an ivory cable knit sweater over his head, and grabbed his boots as he padded silently down the stairs out of the house. The storm had passed, leaving a light dusting of snow covering the ground. Behind the light mist, a nearly full moon hung among the twinkling stars across the frosty dark sky. For a moment, he stilled listening as the waves crashed against the shore off in the distance.
Glancing uneasily around the area in front of the house and toward steep cliffs shrouded in a settling mist, he saw nothing. Following the trail leading to the cliffs and ultimately down to the beach, he sprinted across the rocky terrain. He stopped once and glanced over his shoulder to make sure he’d closed the front door. Turning back around, Stefan skidded to a halt, damn near crashing into what he considered a figment of his imagination. “Who are you?” Stefan demanded.
A little while later Stefan returned to the house, silent climbed the stairs and slid into bed. Jostling Brandy he said.” I believe I’ve just had a conversation with an apparition claiming to be King of the Warrior Faeries.”
“You’ve seen and talked with Tiarnan, King of Warrior Faeries? When? How?” Brandy demanded.
Available at Amazon Amazon UK , Amazon AU, itunes, The Wild Rose Press and Barnes & Noble.
About the author:
Tena Stetler is a paranormal romance author with an over-active imagination. 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, a brilliant Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel and adventure flourish in her books. Any winter evening, you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate and a bowl of popcorn.
Contact Information:
Website: https://www.tenastetler.com
Authors’ Secret’s Blog: https://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/
My Say What Blog: https://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: https://www.tenastetler.com/newsletter-signup/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler
Tribber: http://triberr.com/TenaStetler
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tena-stetler
There you have it, a taste of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance, a vampire tale like none other. Join Stefan and Brandy on an exciting Romantic Fantasy that begins in Glacier National Park, winds through Australia, and may end with Christmas in Ireland. Will an Irish folk tale control their destiny?
I hope you’ll pick up a copy of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance to enjoy this holiday season! You won’t regret it.
Views: 3
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Angels, Australia, Demons, Fae, Faerie, Glacier National Park, Gryphons, Ireland, Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Vampire, Witches by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
The Finish Line by Leslie Scott
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Leslie Scott, author of The Finish Line available for pre-order, release date 12/11/17. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what The Finish Line is all about. Thanks for joining us Leslie and I see you brought guests!
Yes, this is Jordan Slater and Raelynn Casey from The Finish Line.
Wonderful. (rubs her hand together gleefully) Always glad to have fresh blood… ahh… guests.
Jordan, Tell us about the real you— What you see is what you get. I love my family (my friends), I love cars and racing, I say what I mean and I mean what I say.
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you? When my grandfather took me in when I was a kid, showed me that family is what you make it, not who you’re born to. Real family is worth protecting, no matter the cost.
What do you most value? A win.
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? The sort of woman who knows the difference between a turbo and a pro-charger, doesn’t mind waking up in the middle of the night for a street race, and blues eyes and a dimple doesn’t hurt.
What do you consider most important in life? Family. The people you surround yourself with are the most important thing you can have.
What is your biggest secret? If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?
You wouldn’t believe how many times I get that answer. But I still consider it cheating! LOL
Hi, Raelynn Casey, great to have you on Authors’ Secrets.
Tell us about yourself. Who are you really? I think I’m afraid to know who I really am. That if I look in those dark corners, around all the mistakes and pain, I won’t like what I see.
Who were the biggest role models in your life? My parents. They are honest, hard-working, good people. Even if Jordan thinks they are carbon copies of the Cleavers, they are special to me.
What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with? There isn’t a “type” of man I want to spend the rest of my life with. There has and will always be, one man I want to spend the rest of my life with. It’s Jordan Slater or nothing for me. Now, I just have to convince him that our love is worth fighting for.
What kind of man would you never choose? I actually chose, once, the man that fit this description and it didn’t bode well for me. Just because a guy is all shine and polish, says all the right things, doesn’t mean he’s better than the street racer with grease under his nails.
What is most important to you in life? My family, my friends, and the love that binds us all.
What is your biggest fear? Growing old without Jordan, watching him have a family with someone else.
Leslie, Tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult? Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
Writing in general, is always fun for me, literally my favorite thing to do. There were parts of this novel that were incredibly difficult to write, because I’d become so invested in Raelynn and Jordan, in their community of family. When you have to write things that cause that family to crack, even break in some instances, it’s like a punch in the chest.
But, finishing? Taking Raelynn and Jordan to their happily ever after? That was a total rush. The feeling of accomplishment was exhilarating. They became a part of me and will always be, that’s one of the reasons I decided to make The Finish Line the first novel in a series. I love this town, the people in it, and the stories they have to tell. I hope your readers do as well.
Give us an insight into The Finish Line.
Another night at the races is more than burnt rubber with a hit of nitrous. For one young woman, it’s navigating trauma, love, and loss in the stifling Texas heat under the watchful gaze of her brother’s best friend and reigning King of the Streets, Jordan Slater. Home in Arkadia again, Raelynn Casey starts to heal from a terrible incident at college. She finds love in Jordan, a member of her brother’s circle of racing buddies. When another in the racing circle, the guy who took her to her high school prom, exposes his feelings for Raelynn, tragedy erupts like a tank of race fuel. Guilt, remorse, and pain must be overcome before Raelynn and Jordan can race to The Finish Line.
A Peek Between the Pages of The Finish Line!
The night was an off night for everyone, Jordan’s time slips proved it. Not that he’d ever been a huge fan of testing at the track. We were all on edge, all worried about Devin and my sister. Nobody’s head was in the game.
“It’s a street car, meant to be raced on the street,” Jordan grumbled as he sat in the car with a laptop propped on his knees.
“There’s some rubber on it man, the street can’t get
any better,” Vic argued.
It wasn’t the surface or the car that was the problem. It was the driver. The look Aiden shot me over the roof of the car was in agreement. Jordan hadn’t been right since we’d got word that Devin was testing almost a hundred miles away to avoid us. Devin had never tested without Jordan before and it weighed heavily on him.
“Hey.” I leaned in the open door. “You all right?”
He glanced at me before pulling off the hat and rubbing his head. “No, not really.”
I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips against his. My kiss was soft and meant to be fleeting, but he pulled me close and held me there. Jordan took his time with it, as if he were committing every part of my mouth to memory.
“Cut it out!” Aiden called from the other side of the car. “You can’t kiss my sister in front of me. It’s weird.”
Jordan’s response was to kiss me again, this time slower, more lingering, and with a considerable bit more tongue than before.
Aiden groaned and tossed a wrench, loudly, into a
tool box.
“I’m with him, it’s going to take some getting used to,” Vic commiserated.
Jordan eyed me in an almost predatory fashion as I moved out of the car so I didn’t offend my brother’s sensibilities. “You’re gonna have to get used to it. I like kissing your sister, Aiden.”
Available for pre-order now, release date December 11, 2017.
The Finish Line, Paperback http://bit.ly/2isnD4u
The Finish Line, Nook http://bit.ly/2A88mjH
The Finish Line, Kindle http://amzn.to/2A875ZX
More about the Author:
Leslie Scott thrives in the middle of chaos. Not because she home schools her son and rides herd over the family’s zoo of indoor pets or listens to her soul mate wax poetically about all things car and related. Oh, no. That’s nothing. The real chaos is the characters in her mind, elbowing and tripping each other to get to the front of the line so they can be the next romantic couple in one of her stories. Her family is her passion. Writing romance is her dream.
Readers can find Leslie on my
website: lesliescottromance.com,
Twitter @leslieSwrites,
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lesliescottwrites.
She’s really active on twitter/facebook and would love to hear from readers!
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Finish Line!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Contemporary, family, Leslie Scott, Racing, Romance, The Finish Line by Tena Stetler with 10 comments.
Ann Gimpel Author of Tarnished Legacy
Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Let’s find out about Ann Gimpel’s unabridged audiobook, Tarnished Legacy, Soul Dance-Book 2.
My Review:
Tarnished Beginnings was included in the Tarnished Legacy AudioBook, so really you get two books in one.
In 1740, Egypt is a haven for magic-wielders of all kinds. Vampires hold court, staying one step ahead of the priests who want them dead. Gypsy caravans roam the Nile, plying their wares. Tairin Jabari was born in a caravan and has always believed she’s Romani. Why wouldn’t she? Her mother and father never suggested otherwise. But there is something different about her. When her secret is discovered, her mother’s punishment is death and Tairin is on the run.
In Tarnished Legacy,
Fast forward 200 years and we find Tairin traveling with the Romani again, but keeping her Shifter side a secret. She, with a sympathetic Mage are stirring up as much trouble as possible in the Nazi strongholds. Then the Vampires are discovered, forcing the Romani and Shifters to work together to eradicate the nest of Vampires.
Since I don’t do spoilers, I’ll just say these stories are action packed, and kept me turning pages until the very end. Speaking of endings it warmed the cockles of my heart. There is violence and sizzling sex so +18. I highly recommend Tarnished Legacy audiobook. I can’t wait to get my ears on Soul Dance Book 3, Tarnished Prophecy. Yep,it’s on my Christmas list!
The narrator, Gregory Salinas breathes life into Ann’s captivating characters and vivid descriptions. Bravo!
Five stars for the Author, Ann Gimpel and Narrator, Gregoy Salinas!
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Tarnished Legacy audio book. Happy Holidays!
Views: 2
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Ann Gimpel, fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction, Shapeshifters, Tarnished Legacy, Vampire by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
