Category: Author Spotlights - Sandy Goldsworthy - Escape Into Another World

March Mania - Author Spotlight: June Stevens Westerfield

4/2/2016

Today's feature is The Paranorm World series by June Stevens Westerfield. The third book in the series, Changing Moon, is releasing June 20, and today we are revealing its cover. But first, a little about the Paranorm World.

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The Paranorm World

Two hundred years ago the world was very different. It was an age of technology and prosperity. There were more than 7 billion people on earth. Magic and paranormal beings were relegated to fiction and myth. In the Technological Age Year 2012 the Earth experienced a natural phenomena which we now call the Cataclysm. There was a polar shift in which the earths natural magnetic poles shifted. The polar shift caused a series of natural disasters that changed the landscape of the world. Earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, and tsunamis pounded the world leaving devastation and death. Whole cities and even states were leveled by earthquakes and swallowed by the sea. The melting of the polar ice caps caused flooding.

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Holly Kelly

3/31/2016

Start The Rising Series For FREE!!!

In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea--humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou--the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean--is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. But first there's one small thing he needs to do... kill a beautiful young woman in a wheelchair.

Killing her doesn't start out as part of his plan. He entrenches himself deep in the human world. Aligning with his enemies, he prepares to send them to Triton to face their punishment. Then Sara Taylor rolls onto the scene. Xanthus knows at once she's a criminal. And her crime? Being born. She's a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination. Killing her should be an easy job. All he has to do is break into her apartment, slit her throat, and feed her body to the sharks. Simple, right? Wrong. If only she weren't so beautiful, so innocent, so sweet...

Saving the world may have to wait. It appears Xanthus has a woman to save. But protecting her may cost him his own life.

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Susan Harris

3/27/2016

On this Easter Sunday, I'm happy to introduce Susan Harris, author of Shattered Memories.

Do you read for pleasure from the same genre you write in?
Yes! I love YA dystopian, paranormal, fantasy novels. It takes a very special book or author to drag me from that genre!

What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?
That’s easy! Either a criminal profiler or a personal assistant for Dave Grohl or Jared Leto!

How long does it typically take you to write a book?
It differs depending on life and pesky work, but most of the time it takes me three to six months to write the first draft.

Do you have any interesting writing quirks? Rituals?
When I’m getting ready to start writing, the first thing I have to do is compile a playlist with all the songs I think suit the book I’m writing. All my playlists are available on my website! www.susanharrisauthor.com. Another must have for me is pens in every colour and a refill pad to make notes. I also write up character profiles in case I forget a character’s eye colour or something like that.

What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?
That’s easy! Either a criminal profiler or a personal assistant for Dave Grohl or Jared Leto!

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Tamara Grantham

3/26/2016

Visiting Faythander is a nasty business. Forget the fairies and unicorns, most people come back with lost memories and mental problems. Olive Kennedy knows. She's the therapist who treats patients suffering from Faythander's side effects. Despite her empty bank account, she takes pride in her job as Houston's only Fairy World medical doctor. She's never failed to cure a client--until now.

Traveling back to Faythander wasn't on Olive's to-do list. But she has no choice. The fate of both Earth and Fairy depends on her ability to stop an ancient being called the Dreamthief. To complicate matters, she may be losing her heart to someone who can't love her in return. Saving the world, she can handle. Falling in love--not so much.

As if battling the forces of evil wasn't difficult enough...

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Kasi Blake

3/24/2016

Today's feature is on Bait, An Order of the Spirit Realm series, by author Kasi Blake.

About Bait:
After sixteen years on the run, Bay-Lee joins her emotionally distant father at his New Zealand school. On her first night there, he dumps her on the doorstep and walks away. Big surprise. Minutes later, a bag is thrown over her head, and she’s kidnapped for Orientation. The hunter in charge calls her Bait. According to him, that’s all she’s good for, to be used to draw out monsters for experienced hunters to kill.

Before Bay-Lee can move up to the rank of Hunter, she will have to prove herself, battle wraiths, a reaper in disguise, and a stampeding border monster. With the addition of her classes, she’s going to be way too busy for a social life. Falling in love is not on the agenda.

Then, she meets Nick Gallos. With the intimidating rank of Warrior, Nick is gorgeous, arrogant, and just plain rude to her. It’s obvious from their first meeting that Nick is hiding a dark past overflowing with secrets, and her father is right smack in the middle of it. Nick seems to be using her to get even with her father, and she won’t tolerate that. What a jerk.

So, why can’t she stop thinking about him?

March Mania - Author Spotlight: CJ Hart

3/22/2016

CJ Hart, author of The Abandoned Series, talks to us today about her novel, The Hunted, book one.

Do you read for pleasure from the same genre you write in?
No, I tend to read more dystopians and fantasy than paranormal (the genre of The Hunted).

What were you doing five years ago?
I was in my second year of college, studying Chemistry.

What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?
Well, if I didn't leave my degree to become an author, I would have graduated and be putting that degree to use.

How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Depends on the size of the book. I can write 50,000 words a month, minimum, but The Hunted only took 2 1/2 to 3 weeks I think :P

If you could co-write a book with anyone (doesn’t have to be an author), who would it be?
Either my buddy (and author) Michelle Irwin, or my Mum :D It would have to be with someone I trust completely.

When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process (outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
I love every part! Every part is hard at times, but I just love the whole process -- from idea to final edit!

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Erica Kiefer

3/20/2016

Today, I'm excited to feature Erica Kiefer, author of Lingering Echoes, which is free on Amazon!

“This is a story of heartbreak. Of hope. Of finding your way after everything has shattered, and maybe even letting go of the echoes of the past.” — Kristen Jett, Pen And Muse

About Lingering Echoes:
If only Allie Collins could go back to that tragic day one year ago, perhaps she could escape the guilt that haunts her. In reality, there was no altering her cousin’s death or the role she played.

Then she meets Damien Michaels, a dark-haired stranger on a dirt bike, who seems to watch Allie and know more about her than he should. Veiling his own secrets, including a mysterious scar and unexplained tattoo, Allie knows she shouldn’t trust him—especially as she digs up a past Damien desperately wants to forget. She also doesn’t believe in summer romances, yet she finds her attraction to him growing beyond his striking grey eyes. Unfortunately, Allie discovers too late that he is hiding a dark past which is far from over, endangering her life and those she loves.

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Kelly Risser

3/19/2016

Kelly Risser knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unfortunately, Fairytale Princess was not a lucrative career. Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of creative business writing where she worked in advertising, marketing, and currently, eLearning instructional design.

When Kelly is not immersed in the middle of someone else's fantasy world, she's busy creating one of her own. Never Forgotten is her first complete series, which includes Never Forgotten, Current Impressions, Always Remembered, and Sea of Memories, a novella collection.

Kelly is one of the authors of award-winning Fractured Glass and 7: The Seven Deadly Sins. She also has a short story in the Twists in Time anthology, and will be part of several other anthologies releasing in 2016. You can visit her at www.KellyRisser.com, or click here to sign up for her newsletter.

What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
I always wanted to be a writer, but after high school, I let my creative writing go, trading it in for the world of business, which was in some ways still creative, just different. When I started discovering the early indie writers on Amazon, like Amanda Hocking, that’s when I first thought that I could do this too, if I just put my mind to it.

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Melissa J. Cunningham

3/15/2016

Welcome Melissa J. Cunningham to the spotlight today. She's the author of The Ransomed Souls Series.

Melissa, thanks for joining us today! What is your next project?
The third book in the Ransomed Souls Series, The Undoer, is coming out this spring! It’s by far my favorite out of any books I’ve written!

Name 5 of your favorite movies.
The Count of Monte Cristo, because Jim Caviezel is beautiful and I love how it’s a story of redemption and coming back from your lowest point (which I too have had to do). The Lord of the Rings, and do I really need to explain why? LOL The Hobbit, because I love Lord of the Rings. Princess Bride, because it’s a classic with some of the best one-liners ever written. I could watch it over and over. Pitch Perfect, because I’m a music buff. I used to be a music major in college. I sing, play guitar and piano, and used to write music. Now I write stories.

If we googled your name what would we see?
That would depend on if you put my middle initial in there! If you don’t, you get an actress who is my same age and dresses like a porn star. But I’m right beneath her! (on the google page) J

What’s your pet peeve?
Dang! I can’t even think of one! I can think of a bunch my husband has though!

March Mania - Author Spotlight: Amanda Strong

3/13/2016

Today's spotlight is on another great author, Amanda Strong, who talks about her novel, Hidden Monster.

Amanda, what made you pursue writing? How old were you when you starting writing?
I’ve loved writing my entire life! I wrote my first complete novel at sixteen, which sits happily in a box, never to see the light of day. It’s just plain awful! I took a big break from pursuing my dream of being published as college, marriage, kids, and life happened.
In 2011, thanks to a friend, the writing bug bit me again, and I’ve been obsessed since!

Who were your inspirations as a writer? Favorite authors?
There are so many incredible authors who have inspired me over the years! If I had to pick a few I’d go with John Bellairs, Mary Higgins Clark, Orson Scott Card, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Cassandra Clare, Stephenie Meyers, J.K. Rowling, Gaston Leroux (Phantom of the Opera). There are many more!

How long does it usually take you to write a book?
I wish I could say three months, but alas, it’s more like six months to a year by the time I start to the time it’s polished and ready to be published. I need to get faster! Something I’m working on now ;)