Sydney Logan’s latest short story, "Force of Nature." The romantic short is available exclusively on Amazon Kindle and priced at .99¢.
Living in Tornado Alley has caused twenty-two year old Laura Pratt to grow cynical when it comes to storm warnings. When a tornado rips its way through her college campus, Laura becomes trapped in the library basement with fellow music major and longtime crush Aiden Barnes. After the storm clears, and the two are faced with the harsh reality of Mother Nature’s vengeance, will Laura and Aiden emerge from the rubble with their hearts intact?
Such a sweet little tale of love found in the midst of chaos. Loved it! Grab your copy today!
When you're finished reading, please consider leaving a review on Amazon!
The Guardians doesn't come out until November, but today we get a sneak peek from the sequel to MORE...and it looks like Ava's still running into quite a bit of trouble!
It’s not every day a girl discovers she’s not entirely human and unlocks hidden powers strong enough to make even the First Race take notice. Then again, Ava Michaels is no ordinary girl.
Now, the Race’s Ruling Council wants her under their control, and that’s just the beginning of her problems. Her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, has disappeared—accused of betraying the Race—and Ava herself is implicated in a crime she didn’t commit.
Clearing their names will mean uncovering a web of deceit and intrigue with Ava woven right in the center. To unravel the strands, she joins forces with some unlikely allies; a Protector who once haunted her nightmares, a young girl with secrets as unexpected as Ava’s, and a group of rebel Guardians who have their own fight against the Council.
Together they stand in a battle to find the truth, bring Caleb home, and secure Ava’s freedom—not to mention save her life.
~Excerpt From The Guardians~
“How far?” he asked. “Do we have time to get out?”
Ava reached out with her gift, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach. “No. They’re too close. Probably already at the cave entrance.”
Tiernan’s jaw flexed as he looked around the cavern, trying to come up with a plan of action. He signaled for them to follow him as he crossed the room, taking up a spot against the wall next to the opening leading to the tunnel going outside. He flexed his fingers around the gun, and said in a low voice, “You’ll have to create a distraction again. With any luck, we can get them headed down that other tunnel before they realize we’re here. Maybe with so many Race imprints, it will be hard for them to pinpoint our exact location.”
“You think that will really work?” Ava asked.
“Probably not.” He shrugged. “So you might have to reenact that trick with the door—maybe with that crate over there.” He gestured with the gun across the room, looking at her sideways. “Do you think you can do that?”
Ava knew what he was asking. Could she hurt someone? Could she possibly kill someone? She’d done it before, with Arthur, but that was spur-of-the-moment, unplanned—a them-or-us situation where she didn’t have time to think about it beforehand. This was different. She looked at Emma, clutching her hand, innocent and scared, and thought of Caleb. Caleb.
Somewhere out there. And once the Council learned Caleb was still on the run, they’d most likely take matters into their own hands. In other words, hunt Caleb down. She couldn’t let that happen. They had to find him first.
With grim determination, she nodded sharply. “I can do it.”
They waited in silence, and Ava could feel each step as the group got closer. She could tell when Tiernan felt them as well. He squared his shoulders, clenched his fists, and braced his feet in a wide stance, preparing for a fight. She turned to the tunnel across the room and readied her own weapons, calling on her gift as the first footsteps echoed through the cavern. She reached out for the metal door she’d knocked down, picking it up and letting it clatter against the stone floor. The sound amplified in the tunnel, and it wasn’t long before their pursuers ran into the cavern. They huddled in the shadows as the four Rogues scanned the room, but to Ava’s surprise, they didn’t even seem to notice them.
Then she realized it wasn’t only her own gift she was feeling. Where she held Emma’s hand, she felt the tingle of unfamiliar power running along her skin. She gaped at the girl, whose eyes were closed and brow creased in concentration, and watched as the Rogues took off down the far tunnel.
Tiernan tugged on Ava’s sleeve, and she stumbled after him.
The three of them ran down the tunnel in the opposite direction, and Ava felt a rush of hope as the light of the entrance finally showed ahead.
They raced out into the sunshine, and Ava stopped and turned around.
“What are you doing?” Tiernan snapped, tucking his gun back into his pants. “Let’s go.”
“Just buying us some time,” Ava said, calling on her gift again.
With a low rumble, the front of the cave shuddered and collapsed in on itself, kicking up a cloud of dust. When it finally cleared, a pile of dirt and rocks lay where the entrance had been.
“Nice,” Tiernan said with an appreciative grin. “Remind me never to tick you off.”
Ava Michaels used to think she was special. As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.
Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass Physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core. Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.
Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.
T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.
In addition to MORE, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology. The sequel to MORE, The Guardians, will be released in the fall of 2013.
The people have spoken! And the winner of the best FIRST KISS is the literary couple from Allison Blanchard's Forget Me Not.
Her entry . . .
“What can I do to make you believe you’re not dreaming?”
Dreaming? Right. I thought I was dreaming. The dull ache threatened to return. The pieces of my heart began to fall apart. Cole leaned in, tilting his head. Raindrops landed on my eyelids as his lips gently met mine.
Cole Dyami is a mysterious boy with a dangerous secret. Adeline Jasely is a typical teenage girl. Living in the seemingly normal small town of Great Falls Montana, Adeline is confronted with everyday teenage problems by a not so normal beautiful boy.
As Adeline and Cole’s worlds collide, the line between illusion and reality is blurred. According to a tribal legend, Adeline and Cole are no longer two friends, but two pieces in a complicated mystery.
Suddenly, Adeline finds herself in a world she never knew existed. Along side Cole, she attempts to unravel the mysteries of the small Chippewa tribe in order to not only find out who Cole Dyami truly is, but who she is as well.
As Cole and Adeline begin to uncover the secrets behind the legends of the Chippewa tribe, illusion slowly unravels into reality and friendship gradually melts into a mutual need of survival.
Chantal Breelan is a
ward of the state, living under the care of a woman who is cold and heartless.
Her past is a mystery, and her future is even more uncertain. She can’t recall
why she had been taken from her parents and so she’s left with nothing but an
empty hole where her childhood should have been. When she awakens from her
nightmares, she’s left with terrible, violent images, as well as a boy whose
face is oddly familiar, yet can’t be placed.
Scared and alone, Chantal
begins to confide in an imaginary friend – a shadow in the shape of a man who
stands in the corner of her room. She is comforted when she believes he listens
to her. On her eighteenth birthday, Chantal is forced to leave her foster home.
She moves to New York City, but the start of her new life doesn’t begin as
smoothly as she’d hoped. One night at a subway station, Chantal meets a young
boy who runs away from her, and she’s compelled to follow him down into the
tunnels. But this Rabbit Hole reveals a world where reality is a nightmare.
Want
more??? Check out the trailer below!
Excerpt
The creature lunged at the
gray-skinned man, thrusting his blade toward his bare torso. The man spun,
melting into the darkness, becoming part of the shadow again. He reappeared
behind the creature, yielding a blade of his own.
They fought ferociously as
Chantal sat frozen on her bed. Each had the ability to move like lightning;
each could disappear into the darkness.
“She will die, Warrior, no matter
how many you send to protect her,” the creature said, spitting his dark venom
onto the floor as he whipped around in attempt to slice at the man’s lower
torso.
“Not by your hand, and not while
I’m still around,” the gray man said, hacking his blade through the air and
just missing the creature’s melonshaped head.
“You protect her in vain,” it
said, landing a punch to the man’s flank.
“She’s survived this long,” the
gray man said, plunging his blade deep into the creature’s abdomen. It
sputtered, spraying black liquid onto the floor. “And she will survive tonight,
just like I said she would.”
He twisted the blade, causing the
creature let out a gurgled cry, and a torrent of fluid poured from the
creature’s terrible mouth, leaving a puddle on the floor. The thing melted in
front of her, joining the filth on the floor. Once the creature had dissolved,
the remains sizzled like acid and then disappeared.
The man stood, his blade held out
at an angle, the length of it covered in black ooze. His eyes were vacant, his
mouth moving as if in prayer. Chantal watched him, horrified and amazed at the
same time.
“Nick?” she said. He glanced up
and captured her with his angelic eyes.
“You
know, I’ve always wondered why you call me that.”
Allie Jean was born with an overactive imagination.
She spent her childhood inventing stories and telling tales. Her mind never
shut down, even while she slept. Vivid dreams containing extensive, elaborate
plot lines of good overcoming evil villains captured her nightly visions,
lingering into her waking hours and filling the pages of her well-loved bounded
diaries. She was encouraged by her parents, even at a young age, to write down
her tales, and it has remained a somewhat secret hobby. As a busy wife, mother
and critical care nurse, Allie’s love of storytelling has been reborn through
the adventures of her unforgettable characters.
First I would like to thank the girls for hosting me today as part of the Blogger Book Fair.
I'm what I like to think of as an omnivorous writer. That is, I enjoy writing in all sorts of genres. In fact, this time last year during July, my sister, Sophie Duncan, and I were running a month long promotion through our company website (Wittegen Press) where we released a free short story every day and covered lots of genres.
Each story was available for one day only and then later in the year we gathered them all up, re-edited them and published them in a series of anthologies. It was a very interesting writing exercise and our readers seemed to like it. The anthologies are available at The Wittegen Press Giveaway Games Anthologies if you would like to see what we came up with. I won't say too much, because Sophie is publicising the anthologies during the BBF and I don't want to step on her toes.
All genres have aspects that make them absolutely brilliant to explore and other parts that are the difficult bit about writing for them. What I wanted to do today is give you an insight on why I love different genres and what makes them a right pain in the proverbial for me on occasion as well.
Genre
Fun Parts
Difficulties
High Fantasy
It's a totally invented world so there is much fun to be had from simply making things up. Unless the civilisation is being based off a real one, there is no detailed research to do.
There needs to be a lot of planning and recording involved because everything is new. Places, magical restrictions, animals, races - it all has to be created and maintained.
Contemporary Fantasy/ Paranormal
Magical additions to the real world mean anything is possible. Any situation can be created and controlled.
It's set in the real world so the magical aspects have to be blended in carefully. This can be a fine balance.
Sci-Fi
Alien worlds make for countless possibilites and what isn't cool about a space ship?
There has to be a believable scientific element to the setup. This requires research and/or a great deal of consideration.
Horror
Monsters, demons, ghosts, insane killers; it can be so much fun to play with darkness and the fear it inspires.
In my opinion, horror should shock and scare, but not completely repel. I have read horror novels I have put down with a grimace and never picked up ever again because they were too horrible.
Crime
My favourite crime story is a good murder mystery. When writing one it is great to set up the suspects one by one, giving them motives and plot background.
It's a fine balancing act to lay the pointers to the murderer so that the reader does not feel betrayed when the reveal happens (I hate it when the murderer comes out of nowhere) and not being too obvious.
Romance
I am a romantic at heart so I really enjoy the romance genre. For me I adore the exploration of love and togetherness, as well as the sexier more explicit side of the market.
Romance can become very sappy very fast unless there is a good plot holding it together. Getting it right is an art.
So there you have it: why I love genre and want to throw things at it at the same time :). I have seen many people look down on genre fiction, but I think it is one of the most creative realms anyone can ever dip their toe into. I'm also very much for mixing of the genres, because, when done well, that can only make things more fun.
I have a Young/New Adult contemporary fantasy series in the BBF called The Chronicles of Charlie Waterman in which I do a lot of genre exploration. The first book, Cat's Call, is contemporary fantasy through and through; it's about a young man from the UK who ends up hips deep in magic. However, I wrote it so there is a connecting theme of contemporary fantasy, but parts of the books take place on other worlds which can be anywhere, any time and with any rules. Hence I can play with genre. The second book, Cat's Creation, has elements of paranormal and mafia style crime in there as well, where as the third book, Cat's Confidence (out soon) has two thirds of the book set on a world which is high fantasy with dragons.
Genre fiction is wonderful, I don't know why you'd want to read anything else ;). Thank you very much for reading.
Do you have a favourite genre? Do you like mixing genres, either reading or writing?
When Charlie has the powers of the Cat Spirit forced upon him, he gains the ability to change shape into a cat and travel between worlds, but he has no idea how it all works. Unless he wants to be stuck with a tail his only choice is to go to the magical dimension of Between to meet and train with the six chosen of the other great spirits, all but one of whom are just teenagers like him. With the help of Akari, his mentor; the Seer, a girl who is actually older than Charlie can fathom and, as the name suggests, has visions; and his new comrades, he has to learn to control himself, take on a quest to stop an evil warlord from gaining some very power magical artefacts, and figure out who is attacking Between. If he fails existence might just fail with him.
About the Author: Tasha started writing as a pre-teen and has never stopped. She used to be a software engineer and database designer before she decided to follow her dream to be a writer full time. With her twin sister she created Wittegen Press, a small e-Book press for publishing genre fiction. Her books include novels in the contemporary fantasy, crime and horror genres as well as many short stories and novelettes in every genre from sci-fi to romance. When she's not writing she's usually reading, watching vampire movies, baking or polishing her Photoshop skills.
Take a look at some of the hottest first kisses by some of our favorite authors and vote to decide your favorite. Winning author gets bragging rights and all who participate have a chance at a $20.00 Amazon gift card.
01
Forget Me Notby Allison Blanchard
“What can I do to make you believe you’re not dreaming?”
Dreaming? Right. I thought I was dreaming. The dull ache threatened to return. The pieces of my heart began to fall apart. Cole leaned in, tilting his head. Raindrops landed on my eyelids as his lips gently met mine.
She kissed him with sweet hunger. He felt her tongue brush the seam of his lips, and he was lost. He kissed her like he’d wanted to for weeks, and oh God, it was every bit as good as he thought it would be.
I can barely breathe. His kiss is greedy, intense. It sends a chill down my spine yet sets every nerve in my body ablaze with a consuming fire. I’m overwhelmed by the sensation of heat, the increased sensitivity of my skin and the pulsing ache between my thighs.
He sliced the razor across his tongue, gasped until his lips found mine, and luscious blood flooded my mouth. He delivered my first kiss and I sucked, licked, and drank him in. No pain or visions interrupted the sensation of his unadulterated passion, which rode into me on each cell.
Bringing my lips to hers, I pressed softly. Instantly, she reacted by pressing back. That may have been acceptable when a woman kissed a man, but it was not acceptable in my playroom. When I kissed her, I was in control. I decided how and when we kissed.
My first kiss was with Ramesses II after I took an unplanned trip back in time. I didn’t kiss him; he kissed me after sneaking up on me. He didn’t take his time or was gentle about it at all. It made my head spin after he was through!
BUY NOW!
08
Disciples, Part IIIby L. Blankenship
No smile in his eyes as he leaned just a little, only a gentle, lulling focus. A brief touch, lips to lips. I knew that look; I’d seen it in Kiefan’s eyes — Fear jabbed me, and I flinched. Looked away.
Behind the Faerying Mysts, hidden from Mortal eyes, is a land where gods and creatures of myth and legend dwell. And in the Mortal Realm, their Princess is hidden away.
Quinn Sinclair lives an ordinary life with her less-than-loving mother in Conifer, Colorado, clueless of her true nature. On the night of her birthday, a staggering betrayal sends her life spinning out-of-control. As she struggles to pick up the pieces, a vision of a man with haunting tourmaline-blue eyes begs her for help, and she is transported into a Magykal battle—forever changing her life.
Arik Morgaine—Demigod bad boy and outcast of the Magykal Realm—tried to avoid contact with Princess Quinn for eighteen years, not wanting to make good on an old threat. But the fates have other plans.
Arik can no longer deny his growing desire for Quinn, or the need to protect her from those wanting to control her burgeoning powers.
Can the two of them come together and save the Magykal Realm from being destroyed by the Darkest of Magyks?
New Adult Romantic Fantasy: Intended for readers 17 years of age and older.
Dawna Raver is an author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Colour Wielders, book one of the Heirs of the Magykal Realm series, is her debut novel. When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves football, reading, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen. Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.
Gentle fingertips grazed the edge of her jaw, trailing down her neck to her collarbone. His vitrine gaze stared deeply into her eyes, and her body heated at his tender touch.
“You’re okay, yeah?” Thaene asked, his voice hoarse from their lovemaking.
Am I okay? She hardly knew. Though she had nothing to compare it to, this feeling was more than giving her virginity to him. Quinn felt like something bigger inside stirred to life, wanting to escape.
“You know I love you. I’m sorry if it hurt.” He kissed her again, his lips caressing hers as if he could take the ache away. “Say something, Quinn. Please.”
“I love you, Thaene.” She pressed herself into him, passionately returning his affection. As their kiss continued, Quinn wondered if he wanted more. She also wondered if she had more to give.
“I want us together always. Do you want that, Quinn?” Thaene’s eyes danced with a mixture of emotions—love, passion, possessiveness, and something else she couldn’t name.
“We can have forever. You want that, don’t you?” Thaene asked.
“Yes,” Quinn answered breathlessly before realizing what she’d agreed to. She smiled, finding his need for her exciting. “Forever is a long time. But I could do it with you.”
Thaene smiled back. Happiness lit his face. He looked like he’d just won a major prize—he looked triumphant.
“Being with you on your birthday was very special to me. You’ve given me such a precious gift.”
“I love you. I can’t imagine my first time with anyone else.”
Besides, my gift of Sight showed you to me, over and over. How could I not give myself to you?
Her gift had shown her something else as well. Since she didn’t understand it, Quinn ignored it. She’d followed her heart where Thaene was concerned. Not even her mother’s dislike—or in spite of it— changed her mind. Following your heart always led you down the right path.
Thaene lightly brushed her hair from her face, then he rested his forehead on hers.
“There’s something else I’d like you to give me. Will you do that? Give me what I desire the most?”
The longing in his voice made Quinn squirm underneath him. Right now, she’d give him anything.
“It’s the most precious gift of all. One I’ll cherish forever.”
Oh my God. He wants to marry me.
“Yes,” Quinn said, drawing in a breath. “I’ll give you anything.”
“Good.” Thaene nuzzled her neck. “I want you to show me your Magyk.”
We are avid readers who will give an honest opinion about the books we read. Committed to retaining quality literature for others to devour, we look for originality, thought-provoking, and entertaining tales. Entertainers at heart, we admire those who can spin a story with riveting detail, intrigue, and spice.
Living in Tornado Alley has caused twenty-two year old Laura Pratt to grow cynical when it comes to storm warnings. When a tornado rips its way through her college campus, Laura becomes trapped in the library basement with fellow music major and longtime crush Aiden Barnes. After the storm clears, and the two are faced with the harsh reality of Mother Nature’s vengeance, will Laura and Aiden emerge from the rubble with their hearts intact? 
About T.M. Franklin
