An Interview with C.K. Bryant

An interview with C.K. Bryant

Author of the Crystor series

1 - What do you love best about writing? 

I love the freedom of being able to write what I want, when I want and to have complete control of the finished product.  I also love seeing the finished product and knowing I did the work myself, and being okay with that. I've discovered, though, that after the second book, I'd like to spend more time writing and hire out the formatting and cover design. It would mean putting out more books a year and meeting goals I've set for myself.

2 - What is your writing process? 

At the moment, it's just plant my fanny in the chair and write. After being sick for nearly a year, it's all I seem to be able to do at this point. I do like to outline and always want to know how the book ends before I begin, but all the between stuff just comes as I create.

3 - How did you come up with your main character? 

In The Crystor Series, the three main characters were in a very vivid dream I had. I was Lydia in the dream and my friend Kris was Kira. Octavion was my guardian in the dream, but as I wrote the book I realized it worked better if he was Lydia's brother, so I changed that. The characters from other projects I'm working on just evolve as the story forms in my head. I don't go looking for them, they find me.

4 - Tell us about your next (or present) project? 

I'm currently working on Aquatara, a young adult paranormal romance.  I hope to release it in March of 2015. Here's the blurb.  

Seventeen, and armed with the clues from a single photograph, TARA sets out on a journey to discover who she is - or rather, what she is. After crashing her motorcycle in the Nevada desert, nineteen-year-old construction worker, QUINTON, comes to her rescue. Together they uncover the startling secrets of Tara's past, and reveal the frightening truths that threaten her very life. But it's not just Tara's past that holds its secrets - Quinton's own heritage puts him at odds with his father, a Hunter, sworn to track down land dwelling water spirits like Tara and return them to the sea.  

Refusing his birthright as a Hunter, Quinton will defy his father and do anything to protect Tara - even if it means risking his life in the frigid waters of the Atlantic.

5 - Who is your favorite author and why? 

To be perfectly honest, I don't have a favorite. I love so many of them, that it's impossible to choose. I can say that I've read a lot of Jude Deveraux and Catherine Anderson throughout the years. I love their stories and I'm always a sucker for a good romance.  

Thanks for letting me hang out on your blog today. It was fun. 

Christine (C.K.) Bryant

             Author of 
The Crystor Series

BOUND
Amazon|B&N|iTunes| Smashwords
BROKEN
Amazon|B&N|iTunes| Smashwords

christine@ckbryant.com

www.ckbryant.com

Stonehill Downs by Sarah Remy

Stonehill Downs

By Sarah Remy

Malachi is the last of his kind—a magus who can communicate with the dead, and who relies on the help of spirits to keep his kingdom safe. When he's sent to investigate brutal murders in the isolated village of Stonehill Downs, he uncovers dangerous sorceries and unleashes a killer who strikes close to home.

Avani is an outsider living on the Downs, one of the few survivors from the Sunken Islands. She has innate magics of her own, and when she discovers the mutilated bodies of the first victims, she enters into a reluctant alliance with Malachi that takes her far from home.

But Mal is distracted by the suspicious death of his mentor and haunted by secrets from his past. And Avani discovers troubling truths about the magus through her visions. She could free Malachi, but first they must work together to save the kingdom from the lethal horror that has arisen.

BUY LINK:

BIO:

I write fiction to keep real life from getting out of hand, I jump pretty horses over pretty fences because it's a distraction from the real and the fantastic, I do Sun Salutations between 6 am and 7 am because I believe in discipline, and I live in an old house because I believe the best things last more than 100 years.

Visit me at sarahremy.wordpress.com

Bound by C.K. Bryant

Bound

The Crystor Series

Book #1

C. K. Bryant

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia, has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

Christine has always been a writer. Even before she could compose a single word with pen, she scribbled her version of cursive along the open page just to see what it looked like. As a teen, she swiped her dad's old Royal typewriter so her muse could breathe life into what her vivid imagination had created. She's spent the last twenty-five years married to the man of her dreams and raising their two sons. After helping run the family restaurant for most of their marriage, Christine has finally broken away to pursue her dream of being an author. When she's not with her family or tickling the computer keys, she loves camping, reading, scrap-booking, listening to all kinds of music, and making new friends. Christine is currently living in the middle of sage brush and lava rock with a spectacular view of the Snake River Canyon in South Central Idaho.

BUY LINK

Crypt Keeper by K.A. Young

Cryptkeeper

The Molly Maddison series

By K.A. Young

Molly Maddison grew up in a funeral home that unfortunately backed up to the largest insane asylum in the state. Very few understand what happens after death, Molly does. While other children were playing in the park with their living friends, Molly was in the cemetery playing with the dead. To say she is troubled is an understatement.

Now Molly has a new plan, to attempt to lead a normal life, and ban the contact with any of the dead. Realizing that she is madly in love with one of them was never part of that plan. However neither life or death ever go as planned and Molly is called upon to perform her role as the family Crypt Keeper…

Is she up for the task? Only time will tell.

BUY LINK 

Bio:

Subscribe to K.A.'s newsletter here: http://www.kayoungbooks.com/mailing-list/

K.A. Young is a award nominated paranormal, fantasy & contemporary romance author that lives with her family in the South. She began writing because her mind was swimming with incredible stories that were begging to be told. Her love for reading began as a small child when she realized that a good book was an instant escape to a mystical land that could be reached anytime and from anyplace. 

Come over and Fan KA on Goodreads and Facebook.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527572.K_A_Young

https://www.facebook.com/pages/KAYoung/275242202579809  

Dae's Christmas Past by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Dae's Christmas Past
By Joyce and Jim Lavene
www.joyceandjimlavene.com

Dae's Christmas Past

By Joyce and Jim Lavene

Featuring Pet Psychic Mary Catherine Roberts!

When wild horse rescue director Tom Watts is found dead on Duck Road, psychic mayor Dae O’Donnell is determined to find out who killed him. Her friend, Jake Burleson, is accused of killing Tom even though the two men have been good friends for years.

Dae doesn’t believe Jake killed Tom even though he has been acting strangely. He shoved one of the ancient stone horses found on his property into Dae’s hands when he knew she was afraid what she would see if she touched it. He’s obsessed with stopping the excavation—maybe to the point of killing Tom.

 The problem is the excavation of the horse cult that’s been happening on Jake’s property. Tom, and several archaeologists working on the project, argued that Jake should give up his land to widen the search for artifacts. Jake won’t do that.

But Dae thinks there may be more to the story. Jake’s determination to get the horse statue into her hands has shown her what the horse cult was used for a thousand years ago and the destruction the demon horses brought before they were stopped. She’s afraid something of the past may have already returned to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and there may be more deaths to come.

Christmas is coming, but how much of Duck will be left to enjoy it?

Book Six in the Missing Pieces Mysteries set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Mayor Dae O’Donnell of Duck. Dae has a psychic gift for finding lost things and people that has been passed down to her from her grandmother. She runs the Missing Pieces Thrift Store to have a place to keep some of the things she finds, and to give back things that are missing to their rightful owners.

BUY LINK

Other books in the Missing Pieces Mysteries:

Praise for the Missing Pieces Mysteries

A Timely Vision

“Filled with likable (if eccentric) characters and boasts a vividly realized small-town setting. The combination of small-town ambience, a psychic main character, and plenty of antiques should give the authors plenty to work with in subsequent adventures.” ~ Judy Coon for Booklist

A Touch of Gold

“With a quaint coastal setting, a great cast and refreshing dialogue, this was an enjoyable and pleasant read and I look forward to reading the next book in this delightfully charming series.” ~ Dru Ann Love

A Spirited Gift

“This is the third book in the A Missing Pieces series. It's always enjoyable to visit Duck, NC and Mayor Dae and the interesting residents and this was no exception.” ~ Fred Yoder

A Haunting Dream

“I felt like I couldn't read fast enough on this one..<g>but then I love all their missing pieces mysteries - can't wait till the next one. ~ Bookaholic

A Finder’s Fee

“The Lavenes once again take readers into a setting with a remarkable past, filled with legends and history…The characters are vivid and fascinating.” ~ Lesa’s Book Critiques

Dae’s Christmas Past

“Paranormal amateur sleuth fans will enjoy observing Dae use cognitive and ESP mental processes to uncover a murderer…Readers will enjoy.” ~ Midwest Book Review

Wild Fire by Ally Shields - Blog Party and Book Tour

Wild Fire Release Blog Party

and Settings Hunt

by Ally Shields

Book Blurb:

A vision. A lost talisman. A dangerous journey through time...

A month after their bonding, Ari and Andreas are still adjusting to married life when they learn the hard way that the O-Seven, the terrifying and brutal vampire elders, still have them in their sights. A three million dollar bounty hangs over each of their heads, and there’s no lack of assassins eager to collect.

When the local seer has a terrifying vision of the destruction of Riverdale, it’s up to Ari—as usual—to keep everyone safe. Only this time, an enemy from the past has bound her fire powers, and the city’s string of arsons seems connected.

Daron, the vampire prince in Toronto, has information that two of the vampire elders are on their way to Riverdale. Which can’t be good. Only a risky and unprecedented journey through time can provide the help they need. But that will leave Andreas to face the O-Seven alone...

Buy Link:

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Fire-Guardian-Witch-Book-ebook/dp/B00NWX6Y7K

Also available at most online booksellers

Book Trailer on Youtube: http://youtu.be/nGO1wudi7xQ

Excerpt:

The tracks in the snow gradually moved up the slope toward the older parts of Riverdale, out of the tourist district, past residential homes, angling toward the cliff area that overlooked the Mississippi River. Then it took a sharp swing north.

Ari looked ahead, her gaze following the tracks through the gate and into the Riverdale Cemetery. "I don't like this." She came to a stop with one hand on the gate. "Don't you think the trail is a bit too obvious? As if he wanted us to follow him?" Her eyes scanned the cemetery grounds for anything unusual, a shadow, a hint of color out of place among the stones and crypts. The only sizable tracks went behind a tall mausoleum.

"A trap?" Ryan drew his pistol. "Do you sense something?"

"Maybe. But there is a lot of magical interference in graveyards." Ari frowned. She sensed a flicker of Otherworld power, but it didn't feel right. Shielded? Would a halfling demon be that good? She eased through the gate; Ryan followed close behind. Her magic stirred, raising the hairs on her arms, and she stopped, extending her witch senses to probe the area around them—tasting, smelling, touching the environment. Her magic roared to life.

"Back!" she shouted. "Power. And lots of it."

Two gigantic figures leaped from the top of the nearest crypt. A howling rent the quiet of the cemetery. By the time the creatures landed—one in front of Ari and Ryan, and the other cutting them off from the gate—both had morphed into fiery red, eight-foot demons, their eyes deep black holes. Each carried a metal shield and swung a five-foot mace.

"Hellsgate warriors!" Ari crouched, raising her fingers to call the witch fire to her command.

Author Bio:

Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest, along the Mississippi River, and considers herself a "river rat." The setting and folklore of that area are often incorporated into her Guardian Witch series. After  a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time writing in 2009. She loves writing, reading and traveling. Way too often she can be found on Twitter. @ShieldsAlly

Author Contacts:

Website: http://allyshields.com

Blog: http://allyshields.com/blog.html

Facebook: http://facebook.com/AllyShieldsAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527209.Ally_Shields

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allyshields

Other books in the series:

Awakening the Fire (#1); Fire Within (#2; Burning Both Ends (#3); Blood and Fire (#4); Fire Storm (#5).

Coming Soon:

Eternal Fires (Guardian Witch #7) (TBA)

Also by Ally Shields:

Cross Keys, an Elvenrude novel (October 2014)

Carmen Stefanescu

Danielle Devor

Dani-Lyn Alexander

DL Richardson

JL Buck

Joyce Laverne

Kath Marsh

Kirstin Pulioff

Lindsey Loucks

Norma Huss

Sue Roebuck

Tina Gayle

Blog Tour GIVEAWAY: Nov. 7-10:  Readers and writers always talk about characters in books, but settings are almost as important, and they play a huge role in the Guardian Witch series. Wild Fire is no exception, and this blog tour is revealing several settings that are the backdrop for major events in the book. In fact, I think they're so important that I'm running a special contest.

If you collect the names and numbers of all ten settings, you could win your choice of three ebooks in the series (including this latest release) or a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate. It's easy to do. Here are the rules.

Visit the blogs on this list -- or enough to collect all ten settings -- then email me at allyshieldsbooks@gmail.com by 9:00 a.m. EST, Monday, November 10, 2014 with your completed list. You will automatically be entered in the random drawing (two winners).

Grim Tidings by Amanda M. Lee

Grim Tidings

Amanda M. Lee

Grim(ace) while you work ...

Aisling Grimlock is having a bad week. Well, actually, she’s having a bad life -- not that she's complaining. Okay, she's totally complaining.

After being laid off from her secretarial position, she has no choice but to join the family business, and now she’s a full-time grim reaper. That’s right. She collects and transfers souls to the hereafter.

Cool, huh? Not quite.

On the second day of her new job, Aisling (literally!) stumbles over a dead body that’s not on her list and the stakes are suddenly raised because, when a name isn’t on the list, that means someone stole it (and that's never a good thing).

Aisling’s family, which consists of a tempestuous father and four overbearing older brothers, are hot on the case – but the answers they’re coming up with aren’t exactly soothing.

It seems a contingent of wraiths have descended on the area, and they’re not just dangerous for unsuspecting souls and the general populace. The Grimlock family is at risk, too.

If that weren’t bad enough, Aisling finds herself inexplicably drawn to Detective Griffin Taylor – the police officer who considers her a murder suspect. Oh, and she's a wraith-magnet -- although, truth be told, she's more interested in Detective Taylor.

Aisling is determined to prove that she has what it takes to be a great reaper – even if it means risking her life and proving her father and brothers wrong when it comes to her competence level.

When things finally become clear, will Aisling survive long enough to make things right? Or, will she fall prey to the wraiths and the individual controlling them?

ASIN: B00MZHKTZM

BUY LINK

Bio:

When I was a kid, I was torn between whether or not I was going to grow up and be the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. I flirted with being a Jedi Knight for awhile, but I wasn't up for the intense travel associated with the gig. In my teens, I settled on being a writer -- although I had no idea the effort that would entail.

Not only am I a writer now, but I'm a writer in several different mediums. I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, an avid reader and a voracious science fiction fanatic. Like me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmandaMLee . Follow me on Twitter at @yodaoneforme. Sign up for my mailing list (no spam allowed -- only for viable updates) at http://eepurl.com/Y6bkf.

Thanks for reading!