I'm kicking off my blog tour today! I'm over on June Kramin's blog. I hope you will stop by!

June Kramin's Blog

Author Spotlight: E. H. James

Show some love for author E.H. James, my spotlight guest for today ! :)

Laura - Blurb

George had seen some pretty strange things over his lifetime, travelling those roads. But if he had thought he’d seen it all, he was sadly mistaken. For if he thought finding Laura alone, along some deserted roadside, in the middle of the night, was strange, then he had no idea that what was to follow would challenge the very boundaries of everything he’d ever known.

Laura– Excerpt

The road was long and black before him, stretching out into the night. He hated these rural roads with no street lights, no homes, nothing but blackness pressing in around him. He strained to see the lines in the road, swallowed as they were by a heavy black haze.

But the rain had stopped now, and the wipers screeched in complaint as rubber drew across the dry windshield. He turned them off. The remaining water formed rivulets that ran together, making their way slowly up the glass.

At times like these, he wished he had gotten the radio fixed. He reached for the dial as though it would work this time, but all he got was a faint popping sound and some static. He turned it off and leaned back into his seat. “Damn.”

His annoyance wasn’t so much at the dead radio as at himself. He should have started sooner. He'd had one—no, two—drinks for the road. Now, here he was with two more hours of driving ahead and already it was well past midnight. He couldn't refuse a free drink, though. After all, he was retiring next week, and this was the last time he’d have to make a trip like this—all the way out here, into the middle of nowhere, holding the hand of one more client.

He drew his hand across his face as if to pull the weariness from his mind. Straining against the darkness, he thought he saw something in the headlights, a movement perhaps, maybe a reflection. He slowed down, staring out into the blackness. It was then that he saw her, standing on the side of the road. She turned toward him, staring into the headlights.

Musa Publishing: http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=154

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-ebook/dp/B006WSVWF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331218995&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laura-ebook/dp/B006WSVWF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331219224&sr=1-1

Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/Laura-ebook/dp/B006WSVWF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331219292&sr=1-1

Amazon France: http://www.amazon.fr/Laura-ebook/dp/B006WSVWF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331219426&sr=1-1

Amazon Italy: http://www.amazon.it/Laura-ebook/dp/B006WSVWF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332930412&sr=1-1

Bookstrand:http://www.bookstrand.com/laura-1

Omni Lit: http://www.omnilit.com/product-laura-671194-241.html

Smashwords:http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/123041

Barnes& Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/laura-e-h-james/1107226299?ean=2940032996781&itm=11&usri=laura

Kobo:http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Laura/book-NseKTk7R90qwqY3aqCxjWQ/page1.html

Diesel ebook Store: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000123041/James-E.-H.-Laura/1.html

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The Visitor’s Room - Blurb:

If Amy thought this day on the psych ward would be just like any other she would be sadly mistaken.

For although everything seemed normal, well as normal as a place like that could be, there was something that was not quite right. That she couldn’t put her finger on it only made it all the more perplexing.

Don’t go asking questions you don’t want to know the answer to, especially when you're on a psych ward, and even you begin to question your sanity.

The Visitor’s Room - Excerpt:

“Today’s as good as any to get a shock treatment.”

Amy lifted her head from the pillow to see Larry standing at the foot of her bed.

She waited as he turned and shuffled out the door, then laid her head back down and closed her eyes. Sleep began to return.

And then he was back, the rhythmic swish of slippers on tile as he approached.“Today’s as good as any to get a shock treatment.”

She sighed and waited a moment. Silence. Melanie was sound asleep in the next bed, unaware of the intrusion.

“Today’s as good as any to get a shock treatment.”

“Larry!”she said, her eyes snapping open. “Shut up and get the hell out of here!”

Larry smiled half-heartedly, turned, and wandered again from the room. This time, his shadow disappeared out of the doorway completely.

That had done it. She was definitely awake now.

She looked at Melanie and frowned.

Dead to the world. Like I should be. That girl could sleep if a freight train came roaring through here. Then again, who knows what meds they have her on this week?

She climbed out of bed and pulled on her slippers — blue terry cloth, just like her bathrobe, so cheap, her toe poked through the seam.

She padded over to the window.

The sun was rising over the horizon, but the building directly across the street was still buried in darkness. She wasn’t normally awake this early — though someone did knock promptly at seven every morning to inform her breakfast was ready.

It was quiet though. Peaceful as a grave. She could get used to this.

And then she heard it: the sound of water dripping.

Stepping away from the window, she walked — as she had yesterday and the day before, and every day for the past three weeks — to the bathroom. The sound wasn’t louder there, but she couldn’t imagine where else it might be coming from. It wasn’t muffled, as it would have been inside the wall. No water came through the collapsible ceiling. It wasn’t raining. No drain pipes ran outside her window.

The sound was like Larry: it came and went and was irritating.

And now it was gone.

The Visitor’s Room – Buy Links:

Musa: http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=217

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Visitors-Room-ebook/dp/B007NRVOBM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332515377&sr=1-1

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145010

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Visitors-Room-ebook/dp/B007NRVOBM/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1332886618&sr=1-1-catcorr

Amazon France: http://www.amazon.fr/The-Visitors-Room-ebook/dp/B007NRVOBM/ref=sr_1_1?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332929455&sr=1-1

Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/The-Visitors-Room-ebook/dp/B007NRVOBM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332929614&sr=1-1

Amazon Italy: http://www.amazon.it/The-Visitors-Room-ebook/dp/B007NRVOBM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332929755&sr=1-1

Author Bio:

E. H. James is an author writing novels, short stories, and poetry in the science fiction, horror, thriller and fantasy genres.

Contact Links for E. H. James

Blog: http://ehjames.blogspot.com/

Web Page: http://www.wix.com/ehjames1/ehjames#!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/EHJames1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEHJames?ref=ts

Release Day!

Today is the release of my E-book Nightfire! It's up on the Musa site and should be up on Amazon shortly!

Check it out here:
Nightfire

Author Spotlight: Lauren Hunter

Today’s Author Spotlight is a guest post by Lauren Hunter. Give her a warm welcome! :)

I had actually planned on starting on a new horror novel that morning. I had it all outlined and ready to go. So you can imagine my surprise when, as I awoke, this completely different idea literally popped into my head. I had recalled something that I had heard years ago. That I would think of it on this particular day, at this particular time, is strange to say the least. But think of it I did.

I immediately thought how that would make for an amazing novel. I then had more and more ideas falling over themselves in my head as they rushed to the surface, and very quickly the idea expanded, and tweaked, and became the novel you see here today. I was so pumped up about this great new idea that I couldn't wait to get writing it, and sat down that very morning to start on this new project I had just come up with.

Nineteen days, and 85,000 words later, The Coffee Shop was finished.

The story is about a self made millionaire, Derrick Sloane. He is very confident, very self assured, he knows what he wants and he usually gets it. But when he meets Annie Maddock, in an out of the way coffee shop one morning, something happens that he never planned for, that he never really believed would ever happen for him. He falls madly in love with her and begins to live the perfect life, with the perfect girl. Only he awakes to discover it was a dream. Disheartened, he goes to the first coffee shop he can find for his morning coffee and who should be there but Annie, sitting in the same chair, reading the same book, and he fast realizes his dream showed him his future with Annie.

Only he unwittingly alters that perfect future. Trying to fix it he only makes it worse. And when shown two alternate time lines he must now make a decision that no man should have to make...

Title: The Coffee Shop

Genre: Paranormal Romance (with time travel aspects)

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Release Date: October 14, 2011

Blurb:

If Derrick thought experiencing alternate timelines and glimpses into the future was strange then he had no idea it was about to get far more strange than he ever imagined.

When Derrick Sloane meets Annie Maddock and falls madly in love, he believes he's met the girl of his dreams. Only he then awakes to discover she is exactly that...nothing more than a dream. Disheartened, he goes to the first coffee shop he can find. There he meets Annie. She is at the same table, reading the same book, and he fast realizes his dream has shown him his own future. But when a misstep alters that perfect future he tries to fix it, every attempt only making it worse.

Can he fix what he has changed? Should he even try? Given the opportunity to see two alternate futures can he choose one over the other? Could you…?

Excerpt:

There was a rap at the door. “Your hot chocolate is ready.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right down.”

There was a pause.“You sure you’re all right?”

“Why do you keep asking me that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I can hear something in your voice.”

“In my voice? What are you, part dog or something?”

Derrick chuckled. “There might be a girl from college that may just agree with you on that.” Again there was a pause. “May I come in?”

“Actually, I was about to get dressed.”

“So, you’re saying you’re not decent?”

“No, I’m wearing a bathrobe.”

“Well good, because I’m coming in.”

“No, Derrick…” But he had already opened the door, and setting the cocoa

aside he came over standing before her as she sat on the bed.

“Okay, now I know something’s wrong. Annie, why didn’t you tell me how bad you hurt yourself?”

“It’s not that bad. I’m not about to make a big deal out of nothing.”

“You don’t need to be brave for me. If anything it’s really important that you be as honest as you can, with both yourself, and me, about this. I don’t want you doing any more damage because you are trying to force yourself to do something you shouldn’t be.”

“All right, I’ll admit, my ankles are a little sore. I must have stretched the muscles or something.”

“It looks like they are a lot more than a little sore.”

“Well you know what they say. A sprain is a lot more painful than a break. Although that would obviously depend on the break. But I’ve sprained something, and I’ve broken something, and I’d have to agree with that assessment, the sprain was much more painful. But as far as that goes this isn’t even that bad.”

“Pain is our body’s way of telling us we are hurt.” Derrick looked concerned.

“You do realize you sound like Mr. Rogers?”

“Those people that feel you have to be in pain to accomplish something.” He shook his head.

“Well, I’ll agree with you on that score.”

“If they hurt you need to stay off them. You don’t want to make it worse.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Well, look at it this way, by using them while they’re sore you will probably lengthen the time it takes for them to heal.”

The idea of experiencing what she was now for any longer than she absolutely had to, was not an appealing concept, to say the least. “I’ll try to take it as easy as I can.”

“Try?”

“Well I am not going to spend the remainder of the weekend in this bed.”

“No need.”

“What are you saying?”

Before she had a chance to reply, Derrick had slipped one arm beneath her knees, the other around her back and under her arms.

“Whoa! What are you doing?”

“Well, I would have thought that was obvious.”

“Oh, you have to be kidding me.”

“What makes you think that?”

“You are not serious.”

“Completely.”

“What? So, you’re going to carry me everywhere?”

“Pretty much.”

“Oh now that’s just too much!”

He was already lifting her into his arms as though she was nothing, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her out the door and onto the balcony. He was wearing a sweater but she could still feel his taut and rippling muscles beneath it. The muscles in his arms flexing against her as he carried her carefully down the stairs. The heat from his body reached through her bathrobe as she held her face close to his, the scent of soap and aftershave wafting up around her as he grasped her tightly to him. Setting her on the sofa next to the fire, he turned his face to hers. For a moment they just stayed like that, holding each other, their lips close as his eyes moved down her face to her mouth.

You can find The Coffee Shop at:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12831355-the-coffee-shop

Buy Links:

Musa: http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Coffee-Shop-ebook/dp/B005VRZ1EM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319245215&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Coffee-Shop-ebook/dp/B005VRZ1EM/ref=sr_1_26?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319243981&sr=1-26

Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/The-Coffee-Shop-ebook/dp/B005VRZ1EM/ref=sr_1_26?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319674716&sr=1-26

Amazon France: http://www.amazon.fr/The-Coffee-Shop-ebook/dp/B005VRZ1EM/ref=sr_1_1?s=english-books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319674945&sr=1-1

Amazon Italy: http://www.amazon.it/The-Coffee-Shop-ebook/dp/B005VRZ1EM/ref=sr_1_22?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1331217761&sr=1-22

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-coffee-shop-0

All Romance: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thecoffeeshop-614640-140.html

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99898

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-coffee-shop-lauren-hunter/1107218124?ean=2940032835868&itm=1&usri=the%252bcoffee%252bshop%252bby%252blauren%252bhunter

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Coffee-Shop/book-AyPpS0pLn0KiSBSE3uHoKQ/page1.html

Diesel ebook store: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000099898/Hunter-Lauren-The-Coffee-Shop/1.html

eBook Eros: http://www.ebook-eros.com/item/SW00000099898/Hunter-Lauren-The-Coffee-Shop/1.html

Sony eReader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/lauren-hunter/the-coffee-shop/_/R-400000000000000542570

Bio:

Lauren Hunter is a writer of Regency and paranormal romance novels, with plans to write in a variety of other genres, including time travel, angel, ghost, and contemporary romance. Besides novels, she also writes poetry and short stories, with her poems appearing in anthologies from England, Holland, and the US. Appearing in a number of The International Library of Poetry's anthologies, she has received the Editor's Choice Award and was published in The International Who's Who of Poetry 2004.

Contact Links for Lauren Hunter

Blog: http://laurenhunter-1.blogspot.com/

Web Page: http://www.wix.com/lhunter1/romance#!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LaurenHunter_1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorLaurenHunter

Setting up a Blog Tour

So I’ve started trying to set up a blog tour for my books release and have come to the realization that I have no idea what I’m doing. I’ve got a few sites lined up (thanks to those of you hosting me!) and have now started trying to come up with interesting things to talk about. I’ll probably just do an excerpt/blurb in a few places but I prefer having posts for people to read, since people are probably more likely to read that kind of thing.

Now I just need advice. Have any of you done blog tours? If so, what did you talk about? How many stops did you do? Any advice for a newbie writer?

P.S. I still need a few more stops so let me know if you might be able to host me on your blog/site/whatever. Thanks!

Author Spotlight: Patricia Yager Delagrange

Today is my first author spotlight, and I'm hosting Patricia Yager Delagrange, author of Moon Over Alcatraz. I hope you will give her a warm welcome!

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Patricia attended St. Mary’s College, studied her junior year at the University of Madrid, received a B.A. in Spanish at UC Santa Barbara then went on to get a Master’s degree in Education at Oregon State University. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, along with two very large chocolate labs, Annabella and Jack. Her horse Maximus lives in the Oakland hills in a stall with a million dollar view.

Want to know more about Moon Over Alcatraz?

Following the death of their baby during a difficult birth, Brandy and Weston Chambers are grief-stricken and withdraw from each other, both seeking solace outside of their marriage; however, they vow to work through their painful disloyalty. But when the man Brandy slept with moves back to their hometown, three lives are forever changed by his return.

EXCERPT:

“What are you doing? Where are you going? Please, let’s talk about this.”

“I work my ass off in New York while you’re at home screwing other dudes?”

I pulled the sheet around me, ran over and grabbed his arm. “I wasn’t screwing other dudes.” He ripped his arm out of my grasp. “I was the one who was all screwed up. Then you went to New York and all we ever did was argue on the phone. You don’t tell your secretary you’re married and she treats me like crap on the phone...”

By now, he was fully dressed, shoes and jacket on, wallet grabbed off the bureau. His hand hovered above the door knob. His face looked void of emotion, wiped clean of all expression. “I can’t do this,” he mumbled.

I sobbed, knowing I’d hurt him and betrayed his trust. I felt like a slut. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. But I love you.”

He stood near the door, shaking his head, tears dripping from his chin.

My legs shook. My stomach cramped. I had to make him understand. “I know I’ve hurt you and that wasn’t my intention, but I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ll regret it forever. You don’t deserve this but I’m asking you to forgive me.”

His eyes swam with tears and his chin quivered. His Adam’s apple twitched up and down as he swallowed. “I had sex with Carol Smith.”

Buy Links:

Musa link: http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=150

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Alcatraz-ebook/dp/B006UJEE3E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327940072&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moon-over-alcatraz-patricia-yager-delagrange/1108112331?ean=2940032996682&itm=1&usri=moon+over+alcatraz

Twitter: @Patti Yager

Facebook: Patricia Yager Delagrange Author

website: http://www.patriciayagerdelagrange.com/

blog: www.patriciayagerdelagrange.com

Writer Updates

A couple of updates!

If you haven't heard, Paypal has decided not to make book sellers remove materials they don't approve of. (Yay!) Great news for writers, although now retailers have to re-add all the content they already removed.

Also, I want to start featuring some other people on here, because I don't have time to update it as much as I would like. I think I'm going to try and do an author spotlight on Mondays. So, if you're an author and want to promote your work, shoot me an e-mail at AlysonBurdette (at) yahoo.com. You can do a guest post, or just share a blurb/excerpt from your work. It will be on a first come-first serve basis and I'm not sure how long it will last, but I'm looking foward to hearing from some new voices.