31 Aug 2014

We took a nose dive

Hello my chickadees

Well I was in this small Cessna being flown over Africa and wouldn't you know my luck. It took a nose dive. We all survived of course, but landed in a vast amount of grassland and scrub. (for want of a better word) Fortunately, I was able to rescue my back pack, which included my pith helmet, machete (lord knows what I would want that for) and hiking boots. High heels and designer dresses just don't cut it out here. So with a cheery wave to my fellow survivors, I set off to find my intended quarry. A wild, but lovable creature that never sleeps. As it happens, we were quite close to where we intended to land and if that damn pilot had stayed off the booze we might well have made it. With bottle in one hand, he raises his hat to me in fond farewell as he sinks to the ground to sleep it off.

Geared out in my touristy clothes I begin to trudge over the scrub land, occasionally wondering if I'm mad. My inner voice in true '50 Shades' fashion sez "you know you are woman. Get over it." So critical at times is my inner voice. Anyway it's getting hotter as it's now midday and I stop for a drink from my water flask. Yes it's water, sighs... Looking around I can see a cordoned off area which looks a bit like an animal park. Trekking over that way I become side tracked by the sound of running water. Eventually I come across a waterhole, based at the bottom of a waterfall. It's magnificent and just pouring out from the rock and grass. I sit for a while enjoying the coolness of the water. I can see a small hut close by to the animal park, and I know that I have to check it out. It could of course house my quarry, but only time will tell. Getting closer, I hear a strange clicking sound.With great trepidation I slowly push open the door and there sitting at a desk laden with computer equipment and paperwork is ..... Author Poppet!! Pencil propped behind her ear.

"Hello Tee you found me then. I do like to come out here in the solitude to work from time to time"

After all the usual niceties we got down to business and she updates me on all her past and current work. Poppet has at least 50 books to her name (just Goggle her name) but she was keen to talk about this particular one. A new kid on the block which escaped in August...

                                                Scarlet Vamporium – YA Paranormal Romance


 It's an Audiobook, Paperback, and EBook, and Poppet promised to give me the links after I'd read through an excerpt. I thought you might like to have a squiz at it as well, but first take a read of the 'blurb'...



..........Ellie is exiled to Glencoe for misbehaving in Cape Town. On her first day there she meets Douglas MacLeod and attraction ignites. His ancestor married a fairy so it's not hard for him to accept that she's different; his best mate Roddy has other ideas.

Fighting uncles and aunts, demons and angels, Ellie and Douglas forge a love that will last a lifetime in the shadow of his forefather's castle. From Dunvegan Castle to the Devil's Staircase, this Scottish romance will capture your heart. Love is bittersweet, complicated, and heartbreaking. Only a MacLeod can love a vampire like Ellie.

This is a love story with death threats, secret lairs, and a couple who are desperate to stay together no matter how many try to pull them apart........
 

Cool huh? Here is the excerpt:




This day is the longest I've ever lived. I started it a simple lad and have ended it with a complete paradigm shift.
Ma superstitions ha'e been confirmed and instead of terrifying the livin' daylights outtae me, it exhilarates me.
Lifting her so her feet dangle, I kiss her until I'm breathless and my hearing is dulled by oxygen deprivation. It feels right with her arms locked around my neck, tilting her head back and laughing softly into my mouth.
“You're going to get me into lots of trouble, I just know it,” she smiles, her voice lilting with emotion.
“Ah'm innocent. Don't be accusing me of instigatin'. I just met an unusual lass while out fishin' and she decided tae turn ma tranquil world upside down.”
Pressing a last kiss on my mouth, she stokes ma Celtic blood tae near boilin'. “You have to go or we'll never be awake in time to go cheer Roddie to victory.”
Firmly kissing her, with all ma might I squeeze her curves in a crush tae me, loathe tae release her. I finally set her feet back on the ground, refusin' tae say good-bye. I cannae say how final this feels, or how much I dinnae want tae go. I dinnae want tae leave her, I want tae take her with me, tae flee her mad family and escape tae somewhere safe.
Giving her hand a squeeze, I take the four steps tae the car, turning back to drink her in before leaving.
Hidden behind the open door I imprint her image in ma soul; hip long thick hair the colour of spider silk, elegant legs in slinky black jeans, and eyes sparkling like two clear pools on a starlit night.
This isnae farewell. It cannae be. I won't let it be.
Blowing me a kiss with a swollen pout, her smile widens, and then she's gone and I'm standin' here alone smiling at a tree like a numpty.
The air blusters and the hairs on the back of ma neck raise. Hinging tae the spot ma instincts holler from, I spy the two poker red eyes advancing toward me from the thickets, stampeding through the trees.
I dinnae ha'e tae even think about it, I dive intae the car, punch the engine into frantic life, and slam the gear shift intae reverse, scooting backwards downhill without the lights on, prayin I don't hit anythin'.
The whack of angry palms on the trunk force me tae jam my foot on the brake, the lights flaring hellish red intae the dark.
Looking forward, the dude from her garden is already at the grill, leaning both hefty arms ontae the hood and glowering at me through the thin glass separation' us.
His focus flicks tae the front of the car where the other shadow blocks ma escape, and ma leg starts jitterin' compulsively where it depresses the brake pedal. The sidhe growl shakes the metal and plastic interior, rippling through the car like thunder.
Standing straight, he flicks something at the windscreen, and I duck instinctively, shunting intae neutral tae prevent stallin', but it dies anyway. Waiting fer somethin' tae happen, it takes me three seconds tae look back up again, straight at the card stuck tae the glass.
Looking back at the other figure, the hulking shadow stumbles around and yanks ma door open, big hands clamping ontae ma jacket and hauling me out. The car starts rolling without ma foot on the brake and I struggle against ma assailant, smashing my forehead intae his nose, my leg coming up of its own volition tae knee him hard.
His grasp slackens with the impact and I break free, bolting efter the car, divin' in and yanking up the hand-brake. I've barely had time tae catch ma breath when a hand finds purchase in ma jean's waistband and I'm flung backwards with force, impacting brutally with a tree trunk.
“No more shite Doug, ye've got some explainin' tae dae.”
Shaking ma heid, clearing ma vision, I shunt forward using the tree as a brace, ramming my shoulder intae him, forcing him backwards on the slippery mulch, all the way back tae the vehicle.
“Get in. If ye want tae live get the hell intae the car and let's just go!” I yell, not caring what he does, I'm just trembling tae get away from that man with the red eyes and deep voice.
Starting the engine again, flicking the lights on, I pause while I stare at the nine of diamonds, terror quelling my hope that everythin' will work out with Ellindt.
Roddie slams his door closed tae glare at me, then he looks at the windscreen.
We look back at each other not knowing what tae dae.
“Floor it, Doug.” His voice is shakin' and he's paler than pyre ash.
Swallowing hard, I nod, slamming the car back intae reverse and zooting backwards down the rustic path, all the way down, backing ontae the road. Shiftin' intae first gear, I pump ma foot on the accelerator tae speed away, shunting intae second gear, then third, my heart racing faster than the pistons.
Darin' tae look in the rear-view mirror I see them standin' side by side in the middle of the road, their bright eyes glowing intae the predawn and siphoning the sanctity out of ma soul.
The damn nine of diamond's is still stuck on the windscreen and I wind down ma window, scrabbling tae get it off. Finally gripping it I flop back in ma seat and quickly close the window, flicking the card ontae the dashboard.
“Who was that?” Roddie asks me, his voice still trembling, looking behind us while we race away.
“A long gruesome death.”
Glancing from the road to the rear-view mirror, and back tae the card, dread fills ma body like a deathly opiate.
The nine of diamonds is the Curse of Scotland. It's the promise of massacre and death.

 Did you enjoy that? I hope so and here is the stunning book cover.


So here are the links from Poppet. I can't make heads nor tails from them but I'm sure you will - Yes! you looking at me as if I'm barking mad.


Audiobook
http://amzn.com/ B00N31WMUY

Paperback Link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/150086983X

Ebook link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KQ2DSO2


Listen to Poppet reading:



 Retail preview of the audiobook


or the embed code:

28 Aug 2014

Consider this one also


I was sorting through my reviews of my books recently and came across one from my Authonomy days. Oh yes my friends I was there, trying for that elusive editors desk along with millions of others. Did I ever get there? Well that's a story for another day.


However, I digress! (Just call me Ronnie Corbett in that oversized chair he used to use) Whilst sorting through I came across one from 'gillyflower' It was one that I will always treasure. Our paths seem at times to fall into parallel lines. Then we had the same publisher, until finally we went our separate ways, still maintaining our friendship as authors do through various writing sites. gillyflower aka Gerry McCullough has gone from strength to strength (as have I) Several of her books have been reviewed by me and to date I have never found one that I didn't enjoy.

I decided to feature her and the Precious Oil Publishing house on my blog just because I can. It's my blog and I make my own rules. Gerry has written several books and her latest one is ....













in Gerry's own words........

This is my latest release, and it's a book which has taken me a long time to write. I've put a lot of myself into it, and I think it's my most important book so far – the one I'll be remembered for, if I'm remembered at all! 
It started off as a short story called Dark Night, then someone suggested that I should make it a lot longer. When I'd done that, I realised that I could go on and turn it into a full length book, and so I did. Halfway through I really began to struggle. It's the first (and I hope last!) time that I've suffered from writer's block. 
When it was finished I realised that the original title was no longer suitable, since it referred to what had now become an episode towards the end of the book. I juggled around with various titles before coming up with this one. I like it because 'War' conveys the two subjects of the book, the protagonist's inner conflict as well as the external fighting. And by using the more familiar name Johnny McClintock instead of John Henry McClintock I think I've made it more immediate and interesting.
It was released just over a week ago and it went straight into the Number 1 spot on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases in Irish Historical Fiction. I'm hoping it will continue to do well. It has 6 five star reviews so far, so people seem to like it! 
 
 Book Title: Johnny McClintock's War: One Man's Struggle Against the Hammer Blows of Life
Buy it here
(This is a smart link which will take you to you local Amazon store anywhere.)

 If you want to read a taster to get the flavour then hop over to the 'TASTER' section of my blog and view what I consider to be a very powerful chapter.

So how did Precious Oil Publication come into being? Well here's Gerry again and it's a very interesting tale. Being part Irish I also tell interesting tales. See you didn't know that did you. Anyway here she is...


How Precious Oil got started.

When my first book, Belfast Girls, was accepted by Night Publishing in 2010, I was dancing on the ceiling. By 2012, it had been in the overall top 100 on Amazon.co.uk for several months and for even longer was #1 in Literary Fiction. Then two things happened. My publisher moved to America, and was harder to keep in touch with. And my husband, Raymond, who had set up his own publishing company, Precious Oil Publications, by then, was very eager to publish my books as well as his own.
 
Now that I had proved myself by being accepted by a publisher to whom I was a complete stranger, I was ready to consider this. After all, Virginia Wolfe was published by her husband, and no one thinks any the less of her. So Precious Oil published Danger Danger, then republished Belfast Girls, and went on to publish a string of other books written by me. 

At first Precious Oil had no intention of taking on any other writers. However, this has now changed, and we've welcomed on board the wonderful bestselling Sheila Mary Taylor, author of Pinpoint and many other marvellous books. So far, we don't plan to take on anyone else in the near future until we see how this works out. But, who knows? Maybe in a few more years we'll be one of those publishing giants you hear about – or maybe not!
Laters my little chickadees