No Hard Feelings

Today's special guest is Marta Tandori. By the time Marta reached fifth grade, she was an avid reader and writer with a stack of short stories collecting dust in a box under her bed but it wasn’t until she began studying acting in her early twenties at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York that Marta realized acting wasn’t really her passion – writing fiction was. What followed was years of writing workshops as well as correspondence courses in writing for children through the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut. She credits the award winning author, Troon Harrison, as the instructor who helped her find her literary voice. Marta’s first work of middle-grade fiction, BEING SAM, NO MATTER WHAT was published in 2005, followed by EVERY WHICH WAY BUT KUKU! in 2006. With her more recent endeavors, Marta has shifted her writing focus to mysteries and suspense having “strong female protagonists with closets full of nasty skeletons and the odd murder or two to complicate their already complicated lives”. To learn more about Marta, please visit her website at http://martatandori.com or her Facebook Author Page at www.facebook.com/MartaTandoriAuthor.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Some secrets can’t stay hidden, especially when they involve murder…

 Liz Farrell is still reeling over the murder of her mother almost a year earlier at the hands of her father, Leo Bauer, when she receives the startling news that she’s inherited her estranged father’s sizable estate.  Unable to come to terms with her father’s unspeakable legacy, Liz and her grandmother, Kate Stanton, visit Leo’s property in Benedict Canyon, desperately hoping to find closure.  Instead, they find a bunker hidden under an old hunting lodge that had been used by Leo at one time to hold Liz’s mother captive.  Horrified by the discovery, Liz immediately orders the bunker filled and the lodge destroyed but the ensuing demolition quickly comes to a grinding halt after a man’s remains are discovered in a shallow grave at the base of the old lodge.  Once the press get wind of the gruesome discovery, rumors quickly surface, linking the remains to a murder spree that took place at the same address almost half a century earlier; a murder spree conveniently covered up by the governor at the time who also happened to be Leo Bauer’s stepbrother.  Liz and Kate’s efforts to uncover the truth behind the murders are soon hampered by family secrets and a killer who’s intent on finishing the job started almost fifty years ago.

AN EXCERPT

I need to escape him.  I need to escape the man who is both my lover and my captor, but there is nowhere to run.

With a firm grip on my good arm, he pulls me along after him through the crush of humanity, toward the converging crowds gathering at Pandora’s Box on the corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights. The closer we get to our destination, the louder and more boisterous the crowds of protestors and police seem to become. I cry out in pain as my body is jostled, hurting my dislocated left shoulder, which is supported only by the flimsy sling he has fashioned for me. However, he doesn’t hear me cry out because he’s too busy trying to keep up with his two friends.

 For a second, I actually toy with the idea of wrenching my arm out of his grip and making a run for it, but almost immediately, I’m overcome by a fear so paralyzing that I’m barely able to breathe. He’s already given me a nasty taste of what he will do to me if I ever try leaving him. He’s promised to stop at nothing—and spare no one—until he finds me, even if it means killing every member of my family. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living with this monster, it’s to always take his threats seriously. With a sinking heart, I realize I am nothing more than a pawn to him; valuable when needed, but as with everything in his life, sadly expendable once I’ve served my purpose in his pursuit of his master plan.  He has very few displays of human emotion, so it’s difficult to figure out what he’s thinking at any given time. One thing I am sure of, though, is that he trusts no one, least of all me.


SPECIAL LINKS

Website:  http://martatandori.com

FaceBook Page:  www.facebook.com/MartaTandoriAuthor

Twitter :  @MartaTandori

Marta will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/04/virtual-super-book-blast-tour-no-hard.html

Mind Games

Today's special guest is Christine Amsden. Christine has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Beware your heart and soul…

Evan broke Cassie’s heart two months ago, and she still doesn’t know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff’s department, but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him…irresistible.

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the non-magical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor’s wife. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze.

AN EXCERPT

“Can you read minds?” The question bypassed my brain and went straight to my mouth. You don't ask sorcerers about their powers. It just isn't done. When I realized what I'd said, I clapped a hand over my mouth and started to apologize.

Before I could, he held up a staying hand. He nodded, once, very slightly.

“You can?” The admission stunned me, since I doubted anyone outside his family would know. Though I supposed if he thought I might use the knowledge against him, he could always erase it later. But it didn't explain why he had told me in the first place.

“I thought being honest with you might help us become friends,” Matthew said.

In this case, I didn't think the truth would help him much. How could I be friends with someone who could read my every thought?

Matthew's face fell. “I understand. It's why I don't tell many people. But it's not like it's something I can help.”

I hadn't meant to hurt him. As a rule, I hated hurting people. Wincing, I wondered what I could do to make him feel better, especially when he could read the truth in my mind – that I really didn't think we could be friends. Words, I could control. Thoughts were something else entirely.

“Can't you block it out?” I asked, finally.

He shook his head. “I think of it as hearing thoughts rather than reading minds. When you say you can read minds, it leaves the impression that you can close your eyes and stop seeing the thoughts. For me it's is a lot more like trying not to hear a loud noise, especially when someone broadcasts her thoughts as loudly as you do.”

SPECIAL LINKS

Visit http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c888750/ for a chance to win a special gift from Christine Amsden!

Cassie Scot ParaNormal Detective (Cassie Scot #1) Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cassie-Scot-ParaNormal-Christine-Amsden/dp/1606192752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368971523&sr=8-1&keywords=Cassie+Scot

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cassie-scot-christine-amsden/1115049717?ean=9781606192757

Audible (audiobook): http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Cassie-Scot-Audiobook/B00FA89FZ8/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379697202&sr=1-1

Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot #2) Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FX4C0YM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FX4C0YM&linkCode=as2&tag=chrisamsde-20

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-and-lies-christine-amsden/1117158667?ean=2940148499534

Audible (Audiobook): http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Secrets-and-Lies-Audiobook/B00HFDO8BC/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1395684489&sr=1-1

Mind Games (Cassie Scot #3) Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JLRNZ3C

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mind-games-christine-amsden/1119167384

Social Media Links:

Web site: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/christineamsden

Blog: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?page_id=200

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117845642477854934607/posts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030664.Christine_Amsden

Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective ($0.99 in May)

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

First Chapter: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?page_id=1712

Buy Links for Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cassie-Scot-ParaNormal-Christine-Amsden/dp/1606192752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368971523&sr=8-1&keywords=Cassie+Scot

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cassie-scot-christine-amsden/1115049717?ean=9781606192757

Audible (audiobook): http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Cassie-Scot-Audiobook/B00FA89FZ8/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1379697202&sr=1-1

The Nostalgia Effect

Today's special guest is E. J. Valson. With a passion for writing and a love of books and movies, E.J. channeled her personal experiences and emotions into her first book, The Nostalgia Effect. The tale of a mid-thirties woman, who finds herself thrown back into her past still married to her ex-husband and yearning to get back to the life and love she knew before.

E.J. Valson currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, traveling, watching movies, but mostly spending time with her loved ones.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

I asked E.J. about the time travel element in her book, and her interest in the subject. Here's her answer:

When I was thirteen my mother made me watch a movie called Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve. I remember being fascinated by that movie and the possibilities it inspired my young, impressionable mind to ponder. I have always been curious about past life regression, time travel, and psychic phenomenon and I tried to lightly touch on each of those things in The Nostalgia Effect.

In regards specifically to time travel, my approach was a little different from traditional time travel stories in that the lead character, Jennifer, traveled back to an alternate version of her own life. This is an aspect of time travel that fascinates me, as it is based on fate and destiny, but it specifically relates to the life of one person. Though there doesn’t seem to be an alternative form of science behind this possibility to study, there have been times in my life where I wondered, “What if I did this, instead? Where would I be now? Would my life be different?” Those types of questions are what inspired the book, as well as a re-occurring dream I used to have (that coincidentally stopped after I started writing the book).

Time travel, fate, and destiny are all enigmas in my mind. They aren’t tangible, but they might be possible. Do I believe there are “time machines” that you can step into and they will transport you back to the 1500’s or catapult you into the year 3000? No, not really, but that would be awesome! However, there are days that I wish I could go back and watch my life like an audience member – mostly moments like being with my husband before we were married, or when I was with a loved one who has passed away. There are periods of my life that I want to relive and feel in my bones again, and in all honesty, writing The Nostalgia Effect sort of allowed me to do that. I guess you could say that it was my own form of time traveling.

My sincere hope for this book is that it will encourage people to love what they have when they have it and not waste their lives on nonsense. We don’t have the ability to travel back and forth through time as if it is a well-traveled road, so we need to make the most of the time we are given and those we get to share it with.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jennifer Nielsen awakens one morning to a life that doesn't belong to her. Thrown back eight years into a past she doesn't remember and again married to her ex-husband, she struggles to make sense of the situation. Longing to return to her current life with who she believes is her real husband and children, she seeks out answers -- and a way "back" -- wherever she can find them. Is she losing her mind? Did her other life ever exist? Or did she actually time travel? And if so, how will she get back and what will be sacrificed?

AN EXCERPT

“I’ll get her,” I mumble sleepily, as I am abruptly awakened by the faint sound of a toddler’s cry. The dark gray of dawn is coaxing my eyes to open, but they stay stubbornly shut. Her cry fades into the quiet morning and I assume that she was just dreaming and has fallen back to sleep. I am so tired, but I have so much to do today. I wrestle with the bed sheets, my eyes still closed, attempting to get a few more minutes of sleep.

Surrendering to the morning and with eyelids still shut, I slowly sit up and kick away the blankets to prepare for my feet to meet the cool hardwood floor. To my surprise, I instead feel something soft under my feet when they hit the floor. I quickly pull them back up because I think I am stepping on the cat. I open my puffy eyes the tiniest bit while trying to focus….no cat, no hardwood floor, but carpet.

My eyes fly open and dart around the unfamiliar room. Where the hell am I? My wide-open gaze drifts to the other side of the bed. And who the hell is that?

CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Author Links:

Blog: http://ejvalson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nostalgiaeffect

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EJValson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7579062.E_J_Valson

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/04/virtual-book-tour-nostalgia-effect-by.html