BOOK LAUNCH PARTY 30TH MARCH

 Come and join the party for our illustrious leader and our fellow Muse authors who are celebrating an extra special birthday -- the launch of their new books into the reading world!

Congratulations Lea,  Charlotte, Killarney, Maxine, and J.D.(Danielle)

Rock of Realm

Book One in The Rock of Realm Series

by Lea Schizas



Cover designer: Kaytalin Platt



Middle Grade/Tween Fantasy Adventure

A lifelong sanctuary of home bliss suddenly comes to a halt when Alexandra Stone discovers her parents lied and kept secrets about their family heritage. The discovery comes after a silly chant transports Alex and her best friend Sarah, along with her two pets, to the outskirts of Rock Kingdom.

Now faced with the dangerous elements of Dread’s Forest, Alex is determined to fight the man responsible for their predicament – her uncle.

But is he responsible?

She will risk her safety and  trust her instincts when thrust alongside him to battle the Braks, skeletal creatures that project thorn-infested slime encasing their victim before plunging them deep within the caverns of the earth.

Readers will discover  that ‘‘things are not always as they appear to be’.

The Rock of Realm will shatter the concept of ‘villain’.

Now Available from MuseItUp Bookstore

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 Maven Fairy Godmother: Through the Veil

by Charlotte Henley Babb

 

Cover Designer: Charlotte Volnek



Fantasy Humor

Maven's new dream job--fairy godmother--presents more problems than she expects when she learns that Faery is on the verge of collapse, and the person who is training her isn't giving her the facts--and may be out to kill her. Will she be able to make all the fractured fairy tales fit together into a happy ending, or will she be eaten by a troll?

Now Available from MuseItUp Bookstore

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Knight to Remember

by Maxine Douglas



Cover Designer: Nika Dixon

Time Travel Romance


 

In 15th Century England, The Black Knight a/k/a Sir Reynold, has fallen from grace with his childhood friend, Queen Isabel, and is in a no-win situation. He must compete against his friend, and blood brother Thomas. If he wins, Sir Reynold will be banished from Heartsease; if he loses, Thomas will be stripped of his knighthood…

Courtney Parker is a 21st Century seamstress at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Unlike other reenactors, she performs her profession year-round, making costumes for others. She's always loved the story of the mysterious Black Knight of Heartsease and has looked forward to it every year. But this year’s different…

Issie Cummings, the Ren Faire’s potion shopkeeper, will stop at nothing to gain what escaped her centuries ago...Sir Reynold Loddington’s love and body.

Will Reynold be able to turn back the hands of time and right what went wrong—or will he find himself banned from another country and the woman he loves?

Now Available from MuseItUp Bookstore

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Dark Heirloom

An Ema Marx Novel Book One

by J.D. Brown

Cover Designer: Delilah K. Stephans

Urban Fantasy

“You’re a vampire” is so not what Ema Marx wants to hear when she wakes from a two-day coma in a cryptic yet exquisite castle in northern Finland. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like why she’s able to see in the dark and walk through solid objects. What she doesn’t understand is why the other vampires expect her to have all the answers. It’s their fault she turned into one of them…right?

Jalmari’s hatred for his old-man intensifies when he’s ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run; there’s no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst, Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan’s only savior.

Now Available from MuseItUp Bookstore

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A Courtesan's Desires

by Killarney Sheffield



Cover Designer: Delilah K. Stephans



Historical Romance

 

For a Hutterite girl the journey to England should be exciting but for Rachel Sholis it turns out to be a nightmare.  Alone and afraid in a strange land, she is forced to become her moral opposite. A courtesan isn't supposed to fall in love with her benefactor. Is her freedom and that of her family written in his blood? Is it possible for a courtesan to love and be loved in return?

Available from MuseItUp Bookstore

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The garden gate stands wide in WELCOME. Come in! Bring your characters and raise our glasses with well wishes for our guests of honour. IT’S PARTY TIME!

Playing Lucky Seven Meme

I have been tagged by Michele Archer to do the Lucky Seven Meme. I'd love it if you all played along with me! So, what you're supposed to do is this:

 

Go to page 77 in your current WIP/MS. Go to line 7. Copy and past 7 sentences, lines, or paragraphs and then tag 7 other authors including the one who tagged you. :D
Here are my seven sentences from The Elfin Bride.

“Excuse me, Miss Schull…”

... Schull stopped dead in her tracks. “I am Princess of the Realm, kindly address me as such.”

“Sorry, princess, but your tail is dusting the ground, removing evidence of our passing. What if you need to retrace your steps? May I carry your tail for you, like a lady in waiting or…um…a minion?”

Schull raised her scaly appendage, allowing Gwen to support it near the centre.

Now I tag 7 other authors: Natalie Laharnar, Maggi Andersen, Anne Brear, Julie-Anne Geddes, Christine London, Rosalie Skinner and Michele Archer

AND THE WINNERS ARE ...

KIM BACCELLIA     

won    Exiled: Autumn's Peril by Rosalie Skinner

  Book One of The Chronicles of Caleath.

                                      
EDITH PARZEFALL 

won    A Grave St Patrick's Day by Nic Brown



NANCY BELL       

 won  The Man in the Boat by Cheryl B Dale

CHERYL DALE        

won  Earrings of Ixtumea by Kim Baccellia

KAREN COTE

 won Balance by Peter Giglio

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LUCKY COMMENTERS.

Happy reading.

Book Launch Party for Muse authors March 16th

CONGRATULATIONS      

                                    ROSALIE SKINNER.

Exiled: The Battle for Enderseer Hold

Book Four of The Chronicles of Caleath
Sci-Fi Fantasy Novel



cover designer: Delilah Stephans



Blurb:
 Azriel’s plans of endless domination are coming to fruition. Nasith’s care is her first priority as she persuades the Deathbringer to concede to her wishes. Each day he delays capitulation gives the forces allied against her another chance for victory. They face more than another season of winter warfare. An adversary from history swells the ranks of Azriel’s army. The people of Allorn must defeat a foe whose very touch is deadly as they face a witch who stands supreme

MuseItUp Bookstore -- Exiled: The Battle for Enderseer Hold 
 BONUS: For a limited time, purchase Book Four and get Book One, Exiled: Autumn's Peril for FREE! Download will be included with your purchase.
 

Rosalie's Website

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CONGRATULATIONS  

                           CHERYL B DALE

The Man in the Boat

A Romantic Suspense novel 

 

cover designer: Suzannah Safi

 Blurb:

A lakeside cottage is a peaceful place to consider divorce.

Until a man, drunk or stoned, slams his boat into the bank right beside Steve (Stephanie) Early. But he's neither drunk nor stoned. His face is beaten and his shirt bloody. He's near death.

“Emily,” he gasps.

When Steve runs for help, man and boat vanish.

Back home, she asks her husband about Emily. Mark doesn't answer; he's concealing something from her. Which is the whole problem with their marriage. She's lived with his emotional detachment for six years because she loved him—still loves him—but no more. Divorce is inevitable.

A home invasion that night validates her decision. Even if she finds temporary safety in Mark's arms, she can't trust him. Especially when armed strangers pursue them.

To survive, they must figure out the connection between the man in the boat and the men who threaten them. And maybe, along the way, if she and Mark can be completely honest with each other, they'll get one last chance to save their marriage.

Warning: Some sexual content/mild violence

MuseItUp Bookstore -- The Man in the Boat
Cheryl's Website   

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CONGRATULATIONS  

                             NIC BROWN   

A Grave St. Patrick's Day

  A Horror Fantasy  Short story 

cover designer: Mike Zambrano

 Blurb:

Stuart Boling doesn’t believe in magic or the supernatural. But when a visit to his family’s grave site leads him to stumble upon the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow he starts to change his mind. Now he must face its strange guardian, a malevolent leprechaun.  Stu learns that he’d better be careful what he wishes for as the creature brings him face-to-face with the demons from his past, made into monsters of the flesh.  If Stu doesn’t figure out the leprechaun’s secret he may just join his family in the grave.

MuseItUp Bookstore -- A Grave St. Patrick's Day

Nic's Website

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CONGRATULATIONS

                                     KIM BACCELLIA

  

Earrings of Ixtumea

Young Adult Paranormal



cover designer: Kaytalin Platt

Blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Lupe Hernandez dismisses the legend about her Mexican grandmother's magical earrings as a silly fairytale, despite recurring nightmares of human sacrifice. But when the earrings thrust her into the parallel world of Ixtumea, she must confront the very thing she shuns the most -- her cultural heritage

Muse Bookstore --Earrings of Ixtumea

Kim's Website

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CONGRATULATIONS

                            PETER GIGLIO

Balance

Novella  

Zombie Horror

cover designer: Mike Zambrano



Blurb:

THE BLAST

A worldwide snowstorm that brings with it a terminal virus.

THE DEAD

Rise!

But something deep within hasn’t died. The thing they loved most when alive still burns bright, at odds with a predacious hunger they can’t control or understand.

GEOFF & AMANDA

Have survived The Blast.

The bad news: 650 miles of treacherous, zombie infested road separates them.

And time is running out for Amanda!

MuseItUp Bookstore -- Balance

Peter's Website

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Let's raise our glasses and applaud these new books and the talented authors.

The Garden Gate stands wide open to WELCOME ONE AND ALL, to the Book Launchy Party. Bring your characters and your books and/or your sense of humour and mingle. Be prepared for anything especially a fun filled day.

Some lucky commenters will WIN an ebook from Rosalie, Cheryl, Kim, Nic & Peter!

And the Winner Is . . .

Sue Perkins has annonced that the winner of the copy of her YA Fantasy, "Reva's Quest" is Laurel Hawkes.

Congratulations Laurel.

Sue Perkins interviews Reva from Reva's Quest

My guest today is New Zealand author 

Sue Perkins. Accompanying Sue is Reva, the main character in her Young Adult Fantasy novel,

                                     Reva's Quest.

From what I understand, Sue, Reva is a lonely girl.

Yes, her father's job moves them from place to place meaning she frequently changes schools and consequently has no friends. At every school she attends friendships have been in place for years and there is no room for a new girl to join in. Reva withdraws to her imagination and begins to write about the magical world of Fey.

Cover Designer: Mike Zambrano

 Reva seems quite shy with me, and can you blame her after her ordeal.  I'll get you to draw her out, Sue.

Sue: Reva., Wendy would like you to tell us about your quest. Could you do that?

Reva: It was funny really. I'd been writing a fantasy book about the land of Fey. Then one night Fey came to life.

Sue: How do you mean "came to life"?

Reva: We hadn't had time to tidy up the garden since we moved in and I'd found a garden gnome half buried in the bottom of the garden. That night the gnome knocked on my window and told me to come with him.

Sue: A garden gnome spoke to you? That's weird. Did you? Go with him I mean.

Reva: Of course I did. Who wouldn't when it provided a bit of excitement in my boring life. His name was Gareth and he took me through the scummy pond where he usually fished. When we came out the other side we were in Fey.

Sue: What happened then?

Reva: We visited the elves and the Narun, she's a sort of queen, told me evil had come to Fey. She thought it was my fault. I didn't believe her of course, but I did agree to help try and solve the problem.

Sue: So you and Gareth began the quest.

Reva: Not just us two. Jared and Maura the elves and Kai the griffin came with us. They were supposed to be our quest companions to protect us from the creatures of Fey who had been affected by the evil. Oh by the way they called the evil Malice.

Sue: How did the trip go?

Reva: I never knew what was good and what was bad. Malice had turned good things round and we couldn't trust anything. The real Fey also had lots of animals my story didn't have, and my book had wizards and witches which the real Fey doesn't have. I did meet a dragon, a unicorn and a knight in shining armor.

Sue: Do you mean a real knight?

Reva: Of course I do. He wore this really shiny armor, so bright I couldn't see him properly at first.

Sue: So did you succeed? Did you rid the world of evil?

Reva: Wouldn't you like to know? I think you'd enjoy it better if you buy the book and read it. There's a buy link somewhere below. Why don't you read the excerpt and see if it's your type of book.

Sue: Thanks Reva, I will. Thank you also for answering my questions.

Reva: You're welcome.

Excerpt

“I've brought her.” Gareth spoke loud enough for her to hear him.

Movement in the shadows of the hut at the rear of the platform caught Reva’s attention. The figure who emerged walked with a slow halting step. The elderly head had a hint of red hair amongst the grey which topped the dry and wrinkled skin of the face. A crown of leaves sat on the sparse hair, and the wearer seemed to find it difficult to keep her head up. A full length gown of a flimsy light green material covered the skinny, aged body. The female murmured something to the gnome, and he turned and beckoned Reva to join them.

“This human is the cause of all your troubles, Narun.” Gareth turned to Reva. “This is Piora, Narun of the forest elves. The Narun is the elf leader.”

She nodded her head in acknowledgement of the introduction, but then her companion’s first words sank in. “Hey, wait a minute. I've never been here before. How can I have caused any trouble?”

“I believe you are writing a book,” Piora said, and Reva looked up with surprise when a young voice came out of the shrunken lips. “When did you begin?”

“Pardon?” Amazed with the discrepancy between voice and body, the Narun's words passed over her.

“The Narun asked when you started writing your book?” The gnome shook his head.

“I started writing it when we moved, about three months ago.”

Piora nodded slowly and remained silent for a few moments. Reva looked at Gareth, but he refused to meet her eyes. What thoughts were going through the Narun’s mind? Piora raised her head, faded yellow eyes staring directly at Reva.

“The land of Fey has existed for some time,” Piora stated. “We have good years and bad years. Most creatures in this magic land live in peace with one another, with a few exceptions. Until recently, my people experienced little trouble, but about three years ago, this changed. Evil entered the elven life. Friends argued and fought each other. Constant bickering prevented any work from being done. As Narun, I took steps to stop the wickedness before it destroyed my people.”

“Excuse me,” Reva interrupted. “But I don’t see how you can say it’s my fault.”

“The evil started at the time you began to write your book.” Piora’s sad eyes looked at her.

“No. You said three years ago. I only started writing my story three months ago.”

“You don’t get it do you?” The gnome spoke for the first time since he’d introduced Piora. “A month in your world is a year in Fey.” #

 Sue, thank you for visiting my place today. I’m so glad you were able to bring Reva too.  Lovely to meet you Reva. My word you were in a difficult predicament, weren’t you? So, I guess you couldn’t just stop writing your book so that the trouble could go away? Silly question. Of course you couldn't. Most writers have to keep going no matter what. Well, I certainly hope you were able to write you and your new friends out of trouble.

Sue would like to give away an ebook of  "Reva's Quest" to a commenter picked randomly.

Reva's Quest is available from  MuseItUp Bookstore  and  Amazon Kindle

Learn more about this talented author - these talented authors, Reva and Sue - 

 at  Sue's Webpage  and  Sue's Blogspot

And the Winner Is . . .

The winner of Ginger Simpson's ebook Sisters In Time is Michele Archer.

CONGRATULATIONS MICHELE!

Which Book Is Your Baby?

Really, I have to answer that?  First I'd like to thank Wendy for inviting me here today, and then I'd like to slap her *lol* for proposing such a difficult question.  I really had to stop and think because I've written so many stories, and I love each of them for their own uniqueness.

Hard pressed, I finally decided that Sisters in Time is probably one that I consider "my baby."  The idea of a time-travel came to me when I started this story as an historical western romance.  I mainly prefer that era, but characters from other genres kept popping into my head with ideas for their own stories.  I'm a pantser, so that's where my fodder comes from.  I'm lucky because my heroes and heroines show up with a story already named, and usually a cast of characters in tow that I just have to fit into the plot in a way that connects them to my readers.



I must have been feeling a little spiteful the day that modern-day attorney, Taylor, surfaced with demands while I was already busy with something that held my attention.  I think I took an "I'll show you" attitude as I combined her and her husband David with my pioneer couple, Mariah and Frank, in a whirlwind that swept both women away to times, husbands, and challenges far beyond what they ever imagined.



The book was the toughest one to write with four main characters.  In order to keep my couples and names straight, I alternated chapters and it was almost like working on two books.  In reviews, I received praise for keeping the story focused and flowing, so I may have to try something similar again.  My characters had better watch out and make sure they talk to me on a day when I'm not in a "mood."



Thanks again to Wendy for inviting me here and giving me a chance to share one of my favorite books with you.  If if piqued your interest, leave a comment.  I'll be presenting a free copy to one lucky person.  This and all my books are available at Amazon and displayed by publisher on my website.  Oh...and the good news...I'm working on another time-travel inspired by this one...just not as challenging to write.  Please feel free to stop by my blogs, Dishin It Out and Cowboy Kisses.  I love having company.