A. Nybo on Flawed Characters, HEA’s and her new release The Devil’s Breath {author interview}

The Devil’s Breath by A. Nybo

Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press | Kobo | Barnes & Noble (Nook) | iTunes | Google Books

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with A. Nybo

Hello. Thanks to the Scattered Thoughts and Rogue words crew for hosting me and The Devil’s Breath today!

Birch and Henri are characters close to my heart. If readers connect with them even in a fraction of the way I do, I’m sure they’ll enjoy The Devil’s Breath.

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

Main characters just kind of present themselves to me. When I have tried to invent one, they usually turn out completely different—sometimes everything right down to the colour of their eyes has changed by time they’ve fully emerged. But that keeps them from being ‘text-book’. I have stories that aren’t going anywhere because the characters aren’t the right ones to highlight a particular storyline.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

I’m always researching something—although not necessarily a useful something. For me, it is a fabulous procrastination tool because it steals me away for hours. I go off to determine what drug is used for a particular disease and find myself reading about the type of adze Vikings used in boatbuilding. I know I’m not alone in this.

I do like to mix and match between real and imaginary worlds and cultures, and I will on occasion, cross that line when it’s not meant to be crossed. But that’s all part of the fun.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

I have never put a story aside because I was hurting with the characters. That is part of the beauty of writing, just as it is with reading. We want to experience that emotion right along with the characters. If I can elicit emotion in me, then it might work for others as well—at least I hope I can write it well enough so others can experience it too.

I wrote a scene once where tears came to my eyes the first few times I read it. After that, it was just tingles through my body.

Have I put a story aside because I didn’t know how to proceed? Yes, yes, and yes. It’s always a good indicator that something has gone awry earlier in the story.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I’m not a HEA kind of person and unless a book states otherwise, I always assume it is a HFN ending. Anything else is just stretching credibility. I really don’t know why some people think I’m cynical. 😉

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

I LOVE ebooks. I grew up with paperbacks and while I found the transition hard, I couldn’t imagine going back to paperbacks (except with reference books where physical copies are still the preferred).

I always keep a paperback around in case of power outages, unexpected flat batteries etc. But the thing I love most about ebooks is you can take an entire library with you…even overseas! And you don’t have to pay extra luggage, don’t have space shortage, don’t have to lug the weight around.

On the plane and want to read something else? Not a problem. You don’t have to disturb those sitting next to you so you can get to your hand luggage. Just click to the menu and you’re done. No complete rearranging of passengers required.

What’s next for you as an author?

I have another book due to be released mid 2019 through DSP, entitled the Shaman of Kupa Piti. Although classified as paranormal, it’s more magical realism. There is a strong blending of crime and culture(s)—not to mention the budding relationship between two men whose core beliefs clash. It is very different to anything I’ve read in the romance genre.

Writing it was interesting, educational, and entertaining. I hope others have a similar experience when reading it.

If you write contemporary romance, is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”? Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?

Absolutely! If something is too real then it loses its shine. There’s an art to transmitting enough information to elicit empathy, but not so much that it’s going to wear the reader down. This is why writing enduring situations or characteristics have to be treated very carefully (e.g. mental illness, addictions, etc). There is nothing sexy or romantic in those topics, yet a good writer can utilise certain aspects while downplaying the reality, and create something entertaining from it. People want to experience these situations, not suffer them—which is the reality.

It is even harder when you know everyone’s line is drawn in a different place. One reader can endure a lot, where the mere mention will send another reader scuttling for cover (i.e delete the book, or throw it across the room).

Have you ever had an issue in RL and worked it through by writing it out in a story? Maybe how you thought you’d feel in a situation?

I can’t say I have consciously worked through an issue by writing it out in a story, but I’ve felt I have. For example, I’ll be consumed by a story, but I’ll reach a point where I don’t need it anymore. To me that indicates I’ve moved on from there and whatever was ‘owning’ me has been dislodged.

Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it? Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

Hmm, I have written in that accursed state that lingers between drunkness and hangover. And no, it didn’t make it through the next day never mind to the next draft. The non-sense, the repetition…it was terrible.

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

Right now I’m imagining a sunlit room with floor to ceiling windows that are open out onto a beach. The water is turquoise, the sand white. A warm breeze wafts in carrying the scent of frangipani. A waiter is just now mounting the two long, shallow stairs to deliver the tropical juice I ordered. He wipes his feet and lays a gentle knock on the window frame to draw my attention.

Why? Because it is much preferred to the overcast and windy day right outside now.

Blurb

Henri’s stalker has left him with a paradoxical legacy: his mind rebels at the thought of being touched—the very thing his body craves.

For three years Henri has fought to overcome the horrors of the past. Now on the other side of the world—after leaving Australia for Canada—Henri’s nemesis is hunting him with maniacal focus. Trying to escape, he meets Birch, a kind horse trainer, who’s confounded by Henri’s idiosyncrasies even as he is drawn to him. But when Birch discovers the truth, he encourages Henri not to just survive, but to live.

Maybe even to love.

House Line Perchance to Dream

Genre Contemporary

Words: 65,021 (200pp)

About the Author :

A. Nybo has tried conventional methods (a psych degree and a GC in Forensic Mental Health) but far prefers the less conventional, such as the occasional barbecue in the rain, four-hundred-kilometer drives at 1:00 a.m. for chocolate, and multiple emergency naps in any given twenty-four-hour period.

Western Australian born, she has been spotted on the other side of the planet several times—usually by mosquitoes. She’s also discovered Amazonian mosquitoes love her just as much as they do in her home state.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anybo5

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/authors/a-nybo-1078

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18395772.A_Nybo

Claudia Mayrant on Writing, Characters, and her new release Place Setting (States of Love)

Place Setting (States of Love) by Claudia Mayrant

Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Purchase links:

Dreamspinner: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/place-setting-by-claudia–mayrant-10094-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Place-Setting-States-Claudia–Mayrant-ebook/dp/B07MHSLTYM

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Claudia Mayrant

How much of yourself goes into a character?

Every character I write has at least a little something of me in them. What that thing is or how much there is varies. Sometimes it’s something in their background, sometimes a hobby or an interest, and sometimes it’s in the way they approach a relationship with a person or persons they care about. In Place Setting, both Gray and Cameron come from a place very familiar to me and I can see their hometown of Summer Corners clearly in my head because it’s very much based on some towns back home. My love of cooking comes through in Gray’s profession as a chef, but I also wrote Gray as coming to his profession after life through him curveball — his childhood dream wasn’t going to happen so he made a new dream and struck out on a new path which is something I’ve worked through myself.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

Even if I wrote someone exactly like me in personality, appearance and background, I’d make an excuse to do research, because I love it so much (yes, I was one of those children who occasionally read the family’s World Book Encyclopedia for fun). So, it doesn’t influence what genre I choose as I am going to find a way to do it anyway but I always look forward to it because no matter what I’m writing it gives me a more complete picture and makes the world of the book more real and solid in my mind.

I enjoy making up worlds and cultures but always have the reference books (and websites) close at hand when I do.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

Yes, though I go through phases where I’m reading a lot of them and then hardly any at all; it’s always been that way for me, like I’m devouring a buffet and then take ample time to digest. In these phases I’m also almost always sticking to one category. My first romance book love where the teen contemporaries that filled mass-market spinners at the local mall bookstore. After that, I admit I started sneaking my mom’s racy historicals full of petticoats and pirates. After college, it was back to contemporary but usually it was a mystery or fantasy and lately I’ve been into regencies. I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite kind, and I’d like to explore writing some of each.

What’s next for you as an author? Have you ever put a story away, thinking it just didn’t work? Then years/months/whatever later inspiration struck and you loved it?

I’m treating this as one question and answering out of order, to boot! Yes, I have put something away, a story with two characters that I love and I think, have some sweet and sizzling chemistry but something about their relationship journey together just wasn’t jelling like it should. That was a couple of years ago and since finishing Place Setting, I’ve come back to it and there’s a clearer path – so that is what’s next, getting these two fellas through their story to their happy end

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain? To get away? To move past? To widen our knowledge? Why do you write?

I write to give myself- and hopefully my readers – an interlude away from real-life concerns and responsibilities for a little while. I don’t think escapism and entertainment is mutually exclusive with explanation or education but as a storyteller, I’d say I’m most consciously trying to do the former though not at the expense of the latter. I’ve found that experiencing hope, joy, and laughter often help make a fertile ground for a growing mind, so sharing those is something I strive to do with my writing.

Blurb

Cameron Dunlop has lived in the Lowcountry town of Summer Corners, South Carolina, his whole life. He loves his home, but his little town in the Deep South doesn’t offer much in the way of dating options.

Chef Gray Callahan has enjoyed success in the kitchen, but his last relationship sunk like a bad soufflé. When plans for his sister’s wedding go awry, it provides the perfect excuse to pack up and go home, where he can help out as he decides how to start his life over.

Gray’s path crosses Cameron’s, and he realizes together they might have all the ingredients to save the day—with maybe enough left over for something sweet just for the two of them.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

About the Author

Claudia Mayrant has been exploring the world around her since she was old enough to get around under her own power. Since then, she’s enjoyed visiting as many places as she can.

For all her love of travel, she’s most relaxed back in the South on a Gulf Coast beach with good friends, refreshing beverages, and plenty of sunscreen.

Author twitter: @ClaudiaMayrant

Author Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/claudiamayrant/

R.L. Merrill on Writing Characters, Romance and the new release ‘Typhoon Toby (Forces of Nature Book 2) (author guest blog)

Typhoon Toby (Forces of Nature Book 2) by R.L. Merrill

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Kanaxa

Publication: January 22nd 2019

Buy Links:

Amazon https://goo.gl/UoPwkm

Dreamspinner Press https://goo.gl/58pSJS

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words wants to welcome R.L. Merrill here today on tour for Typhoon Toby. Welcome, R.L., into our author’s interview chair.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with R.L. Merrill

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

I never set out to be a writer, and I didn’t read much romance growing up. I read Stephen King and Anne Rice and I figured if I ever wrote stories, I’d want to scare the hell out of people. IO didn’t read for a long time because of college, being a brand new teacher trying to figure out what I was doing, then grad school. I read while I was pregnant with my daughter, a whole bunch of thrillers and mysteries, and then didn’t read a book again until I got sick in 2009. This time I started with paranormal romances. Sherrilyn Kenyon and Charlaine Harris were both authors I loved for their unique characters and great dialogue as well as flawed heroes who deserved redemption. My first self-published romance ended up being a contemporary so I have no idea where that came from, haha. I never really read much. I loved Colleen Hoover’s early books and I wanted to make people feel like she does. Her career is probably the one I’d love to have, although I don’t think our books are similar. I have yet to find anyone I read and think A HA! My readers tell me my characters and zany situations remind them of Kristan Higgins. I’ll take that. She’s pretty amazing as well.

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

As someone with diminishing vision, the ebook has been a lifesaver. I can’t read print books anymore. Between the dark spots in my vision and the fact that my progressive bifocals are tricky to read with, I’m struggling on a daily basis to do my job and sometimes to write. My docs are usually somewhere between 150-200% and I read on my phone or my paperwhite with the font enlarged. I’ll keep on keepin’ on as long as I can,

Contemporary romance is tricky. I’ve given up trying to write the kinds of heroes people want to read and focus on who I’d like to know and hang out with. In that sense, a lot of times my characters are based on real people, my own heroes, or celebrities that I respect. There are things that would make me personally not want to be with a person so I avoid those traits in my writing, but then other readers love those types of characters, so I just have to hope there are enough like-minded readers out there looking for flawed-but-redeemable characters.

What traits do you find the most interesting in someone? Do you write them into your characters?

Lately I’ve been looking at the quirky ways people deal with stress and failure in my characters. I’m also fascinated by characters that survive in that gray area. My absolute favorite TV show ever is Justified. Talk about a whole bunch of flawed characters that wallow in the gray! There’s a delicate balance, though, between how much is too much. This goes back to my last answer. Where’s that line that readers won’t blur with you?

Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it? Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

I’m not a drinker, but if it were possible for me to write amped up on too much caffeine and write something ridiculous, I’ll do it. My drunken exploits go back twenty years and involve drunk shopping haha. My husband loves to remind me of the awful red and orange dress I bought in Hawaii on our honeymoon that had to go back the next day.

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

The best possible place for me to write is an old building. I’ve written some of my favorite stories at the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley which dates to the late 1800s, the Weller House in Fort Bragg, California… My friend’s house in Portland, Oregon which was built in the early 1900s and is all dark wood gorgeousness in the woods. I’ve had great writing sessions in the Jupiter, a beer pub in Berkeley as well. I’d love to find someplace old that’s closer to me that I could visit on a more regular basis.

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain? To get away? To move past? To widen our knowledge? Why do you write?

I write to give hope. I write to recognize the struggles people I respect go through. I write to save my sanity.

What’s next for you as a writer?

This year is going to see a lot of different projects. After Typhoon Toby, I’ll revisit my boys Orrie and Dalton from Worst Holiday Ever and give them a Valentine’s Day Surprise. Then it’s on to a f/f story for a #loveislove anthology in June and hopefully a paranormal. Later in the summer, a new project from Dreamspinner will be out titled Summer of Hush. I’ve got lots of writing to do, including more stories in the Forces of Nature series and Summer of Hush, as well as some indie projects.

More about Typhoon Toby…

Forces of Nature: Book Two

On the surface, Toby Griffiths appears to have it all—talent, money, a brilliant mind, and model good looks. With his best friend, Reese, he’s built an empire as a singer/songwriter.

But beneath that glittering exterior, Toby suffers the lasting effects of abuse. To keep his tempestuous past where it belongs, he insists on anonymity with lovers—no names, no personal information. But a vacation fling in Bali changes all that, and he can’t get his recent playmate out of his mind.

Therapist Spencer Hart left Bali with a bad case of pneumonia and a broken heart. Although he’s recovering, he’s shocked to find his secretive partner on TV, and he’s determined to see him again. Spencer arranges to attend one of Toby’s fundraising galas, and their reunion is tense.

Toby tries to stick to his rules… until a New Year’s kiss with Spencer washes away the last of his resistance. But Toby is a man with secrets, and when the storm comes ashore, it could devastate not just his professional life but his fledgling love affair and his longtime partnership with his best friend.

Will Spencer stand by his side and help him weather the storm as Toby faces his worst fears?

About the Author

Once upon a time… A teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock ‘n’ roll kinda gal opened up a doc and started purging her demons. Several self-published books and a debut from Dreamspinner Press later, with more tucked away in her evil lair, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, being a mom-taxi to two brilliant and busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance.

Contact the author

Website

https://www.rlmerrillauthor,com

Twitter

rlmerrillauthor

Poll Results, Posts, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Poll Results, Future Posts, and How We Look At Covers

I loved looking at our poll results from last Sunday. It turns out that most of our readers like short LGBT stories and find the ones they are reading pretty enjoyable. Also gleaned from the polls? Most of the books are purchased from Amazon first, then the publishers, then a third source, which is probably not a surprise to anyone as that juggernaut continues to plow on with major consequences for all, not just the book world. Only time it seems will be able to stop Amazon. All others will have to adjust.

Audiobooks? A surprise! I really thought our numbers would reflect the industry’s here. But for our readers only 50 percent listen to audiobooks, 43 percent don’t, and the rest don’t but can’t tell you why. Huh. According to the industry many more are listening to books these days than actually reading them. A figure I also find surprising. Maybe the real answer lies somewhere in between. Another assumption of mine? That more readers actually followed narrators but that turned out not to be true. They listened to books no matter who narrated them. Now I’m sure people actually do look for certain narrators. I certainly do. But it doesn’t stop them from listening to stories with other narrators, including narrators they may be unfamiliar with. Which is great news for new narrators and all companies who produce audiobooks.

Then it comes down to book covers. Do they still matter? The answer is a resounding yes! A majority of our readers, 72 percent, say covers matter. Which might surprise some in this age of the eBook but it shouldn’t because those covers are heavily featured too. In tours, ads, and yes, on the books themselves on publishers sites and Amazon. People still choose books by their covers (29 percent) but no one said they don’t look at them. Everyone looks at them and has a judgement about them. Do you love them? Do they make you go meh? Do you glance over them or is your attention grabbed immediately? Are you transported to another world or into a story? Did the artist do their job? And what is their job?

And do you, my readers, sense a post coming on? lol

Why yes, you do!

You see, I have been passionate about covers all my reading life, since the first cover caught my attention and made me want to pick it up and ask “what’s this about?” I’ve been asking that question ever since no matter the genre. Great artists continue to pull me in. I even have an oil painting on my wall that was once the cover of a book. It’s gorgeous. I can look at certain covers and at a glance know that it was done by Garrett Leigh or Paul Richmond, Simone’ or Anne Cain. There’s a style , a tone that shouts that artist’s name. The same goes for Reese Dante. A Reece Notley cover? Yep. Aisha Akeju is another who’s artist is quirky and different. Just look at that artist’s covers for Mell Eight’s series.

When I think of new or newer artists that stand out, Natasha Snow jumps to mind. Her covers are extremely popular and well done. Meredith Russell and Kris Jacen too.

I love it when I see a gorgeous cover that has been carefully crafted so that its not only dramatic but that it tells a story, as it should. Covers have a job to do. And many are forgetting that these days.

If I had a Skittle for every cover that had nothing to do with the story within, that seemed generic, that had a half naked male torso on it and left it at that, etc, I would have a gallon full.

Boy, I struggled to find great covers this year. First time ever.

So here we go.

And if you could ask a cover artist any question, what would it be? Send them in and be entered in our Ask A Cover Artist Giveaway! Ends in 2 weeks.

And I have also give you all three covers for the amazing novel, The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4) by Ursula K. Le Guin. My version was that first one. Each was a different edition with, of course, a different cover. What do you think of them and which do you prefer? And why? And how many of you have read this story? Curious on my part…..

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 20:

Poll Results, Posts, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Freebie Blitz for Shane and Trey (Enemies to Lovers #1) by Anyta Sunday

Monday, January 21:

Cover Reveal – Rat Park by Marina Vivancos
Release Day Blitz Rough Terrain (Out of Uniform #7) by Annabeth Albert
BLITZ Unlocking the Doctor’s Heart by Liam Livings
PROMO R.L. Merrill
An Alisa Review: Elemental Magick (The Donovan Coven #1) by Jacki James
A Stella Review: How Not to Blend (Lovestrong #1) by Susan Hawke
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review Out in the Offense by Lane Hayes

Tuesday, January 22:

Review Tour – V.L. Locey – One-On-One (Cayuga Cougars #5)
BLITZ Contact by M.D. Neu
Tour for Abaddon’s Locusts (A BJ Vinson Mystery #5) by Don Travis
An Ashlez Release Day Review: The Princess of Baker Street by Mia Kerick
An Alisa Review: At Home (Finding Home #1) by Carly Marie
An Ashlez Review: I Wished For You by Colette Davison
A MelanieM Review: One-On-One (Cayuga Cougars #5) by V.L. Locey

Wednesday, January 23:

In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway:If I Ever by SE Jakes
BLITZ Half Life by Gregory L. Norris
Blog Tour Rough Terrain (Out of Uniform #7) by Annabeth Albert
PROMO Claudia Mayrant
An Alisa Review: Home is Where The Heart Is (Isle of Misfit Toys) by Pelaam
A Lucy Review: Pisces Floors Taurus (Signs of Love #4.5) by Anyta Sunday
A MelanieM Review: Sins of the Son (Arcadia Trust, #3) by Christian Baines

Thursday, January 24:

Release Blitz – I Wished For You by Colette Davison
BLITZ The Fairy Pond by Jason Black
PROMO A. Nybo
A Lucy Review: Love Around the Corner (New Milton #1.5) by Sally Malcolm
An Alisa Review : There’s Something about Flying by Schuyler L’Roux
A MelanieM Review: At War with a Broken Heart by Dahlia Donovan

Friday, January 25:

Ward Maia on Beneath These Fields
Blog Tour Stay by KM Neuhold
Blog Tour for A World Apart by Mel Gough
An Alisa Review Gargoyle’s Embrace (Polar Nights #3) by Siryn Sueng
A Stella Review: Living on the Inside by Londra Laine
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Beneath These Fields ( World of Love) by Ward Maia
A Jeri Review: Shane and Trey (Enemies to Lovers #1) by Anyta Sunday

Saturday, January 26:

Release Blitz – Jessie Pinkham – Acts Of Service
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review – See the Light by Kate McMurray

An Alisa Release Day Review: Place Setting (States of Love) by Claudia Mayrant

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Gray’s path crosses Cameron’s, and he realizes together they might have all the ingredients to save the day—with maybe enough left over for something sweet just for the two of them.

Such a sweet story. Cam and Gray meet when Gray moves back to his hometown and they have an instant connection along with Cam helping Gray to find a place for and put on his sister’s wedding.

I really liked both of these characters. Both of them are romantics at heart and are looking for love but haven’t found the right person yet, Cam can’t seem to find someone who will stick past one night and Gray has recently been burned by his previous partner. The story didn’t get to in depth about their relationship but it was easy to see their connection and that they seem to have a great future together.

The cover art by Brooke Albrecht is absolutely perfect for this story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 70 pages

Published: January 18, 2019 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-972-7

Edition Language: English

Series: A States of Love Story

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review:Fire and Granite (Carlisle Deputies #2) by Andrew Grey and Greg Tremblay (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

When Judge Andrew Phillips’s life is threatened by a criminal who escaped while being transported to prison, Sheriff’s Deputy Clay Brown steps up to protect Andrew 24/7 and each man learns the other is not who he thought he was. Neither man previously thought highly of the other, having been across the bench in the courtroom many times through the years. Andrew is not the cold hard persona he presents. And Clay is more than the stern-faced deputy with no personality Andrew perceived he was.

Harper, the criminal who escaped, is Clay’s cousin, not a close connection, but nevertheless, Clay has some insight into their family situation that helps with the case. In the meantime, just as Andrew finds his house has been ransacked by Harper, he receives a call telling him his sister’s depression is so severe she’s been hospitalized, and she’s named him guardian of her children. Though upset about his own situation, he rushes to her side.

And there is the basis for most of the story. As the men try to hide from Harper and both attempt to comfort the children, they stay with Clay, and both men discover they have feelings for one another. The ups and downs and dramatic turns in the story are mostly centered around Harper and his threatening texts to Andrew and Clay’s attempts to track him down. There is a small overlap with a few characters from the Carlisle Cops series as Clay works with Red and Carter and Andrew’s niece and nephew play with Carter and Donald’s little boy. I always enjoy seeing where other characters are in their lives when some time has passed.

One of the major issues that troubled me, however, is that Andrew revealed to Clay that he’d seen Harper in a park known to be a gay men’s hookup area prior to the trial, but he didn’t recuse himself from being judge. He stressed that he maintained impartiality but it seems to me that would have been a violation of ethics. The explanation didn’t sit well with me, especially since the convict was convinced Andrew had treated him poorly because of seeing him at the park.

The ending was as sweet as one would expect from an Andrew Grey story and all worked out well. Narrator Greg Tremblay was as outstanding as usual and gave me several lovely hours of listening pleasure. He doesn’t just read a story—he lives the story, adding drama and humor to the vocalizations where indicated, making his narration top notch.

The cover by Kanaka features a muscular man wearing a flak jacket with the word police emblazoned at the top. It fits the story nicely.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audio Details:

Listening length: 6 hours and 40 minutes

Audiobook, 7 pages
Published November 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press (first published July 10th 2018)
Original Title Fire and Granite
ISBN 139781641081603
Edition Language English
Series Carlisle Deputies #2

Parker Williams on Writing, Romance, and The Spirit Key (author guest blog, excerpt, and giveaway)

The Spirit Key (Lock and Key #1) by Parker Williams

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Release Date: January 15, 2019

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Parker Williams here today on tour with his latest release, The Spirit Key. Welcome, Parker.

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Parker Williams ~

How much of yourself goes into a character?

As with all my stories, a little piece of me goes into each of the characters I write. It might be something as simple as a desire to own a store, like George, or to see spirits, like Scott (though I could do without some of the ones he sees.)

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

Normally research plays a part in my stories, but since this one is a paranormal, it was a little harder. I had to write something, then ask my beta readers if it made sense to them. Putting things from my head onto paper sometimes doesn’t translate like I thought it might.

How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)

Ooh, the cover for this one is from Reese Dante! She’s done a lot of the covers for me over the years (she’s my absolute favorite, you know), and this one? She slammed it out of the park for me. When I told her I had no idea what I wanted, and gave her carte blanche, she said she wanted to try something and asked if I was feeling experimental. When she gave me this cover, I was head over heels in love with it.

Do you have a favorite among your own stories? And why?

What’s next for you as an author?

That’s like asking a parent if they have a favorite child. (Of course they do!) I love Runner, but there’s another book coming called Stained Hearts that will give it a run for my affection. I even made another author cry when I showed her the first chapter, and that made me super-happy!

My next book is called Galen’s Redemption, and is the second book in the Links in the Chain series (Lincoln’s Park was the first) and Stained Hearts will be the third and final one.

To be honest, I’m not sure. I mean, it depends on what the author does with them. Galen has a lot of learning to do in his book, so he’s got a lot of little moments where he has self-doubt. In Spirit Key, Scott does something he thinks is right, but in the long run, he realizes that it wasn’t.

Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it? Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

Drunk, no. On Ambien? Yes. Let’s just say when I looked at it the next day, I have no freaking clue what any of it even said.

What’s next for you as a writer?

I just finished edits for Galen’s book, and expect to start Stained Hearts soon. Currently I’m working on a shifter book titled ‘The Night Wolf’, and then I’m going to start in on my writing goals for 2019, which will include book four of the Secrets series, ‘On the Same Page’.

Blurb(s):

Lock and Key: Book One

When he was eight years old, Scott Fogel died. Paramedics revived him, but he came back changed. Ghosts and spirits tormented Scott for over a decade until, thinking he was going mad, he did the only thing he could.

He ran—leaving behind his best friend, Tim Jennesee.

Scott’s had five normal, ghost-free years in Chicago, when the spirit of Tim’s mother comes to him and begs him to go home because Tim’s in trouble and needs him.

He isn’t prepared for what he finds when he goes home—a taller and sexier Tim, but a Tim who hasn’t forgiven Scott for abandoning him… a Tim whose body is no longer his own. The ghost of a serial murderer has attached itself to Tim, and it’s whispering dark and evil things. It wants Tim to kill, and it’s becoming harder for Tim to resist. To free the man who has always meant so much to him, Scott must unravel the mystery of the destiny he shares with Tim.

Pages, Words, or time (for audiobooks): 74,439 words

Book Categories: Ghosts/spirits/paranormal

Excerpt:

SUMMER, 2002

WHAT MEMORY stands out most in your mind from when you were a kid? For many of my friends, it was getting a good grade on a test they were sure they’d fail, making a catch during a football game, or finding out the person they were crushing on liked them back. For others, it was more physical, like their first kiss or having sex for the first time.

For me, the one that topped that list was in the summer of 2002. The memory? Me dying. Well, almost dying. I mean, technically, I was dead for twenty-seven minutes, at least according to the paramedics and doctors.

See, I had gone down to the quarry with my brother and some of his friends. I was eight at the time, and to be invited to go along with the “big kids” was a heady thing.

Okay, fine. My mom told them they had to take me, but they weren’t supposed to let me know.

That’s not the point of the story, however. Still, between us, when your brother tells you that Mom said he had to take you and that you ruined his day by dying? That kind of sticks with you.

Anyway. The whole week had been hotter than hell—upper nineties, heat index topping a hundred, with no breeze at all. What made it worse was the humidity. Everyone complained their clothes stuck to them, and we all would have given anything for a bit of cool air. Those were the days you wanted to do nothing more than stretch out in front of the air conditioner and fantasize about being in the arctic.

Of course, those are also the times that drive Mom mad, like when we’re there, whining about how hot it is, and my brother announces he’s going swimming with his friends, and she tells him to take me along to the quarry with him.

Fine. I’m a little hostile over that memory, but in my defense, I died, so I think I have a right to be a tad grumpy.

Moving on….

There were a few old trees that stretched out over a pit of water. In the seventies, the place had been used to mine rocks that were crushed to use in gardens and the like. When the company that owned it shut down, it left a huge hole in the ground. Over time, it filled with water, which attracted kids from all over, wanting to swim. That was our destination for the day.

By the time we got there, all of our T-shirts had soaked with sweat. I distinctly remember looking at Cole Turner and seeing wisps of dark hair on his chest and wondering to myself what it would look like once he took his shirt off. I wasn’t sure why that thought flitted through my head, but it was gone just as quickly, because I saw Tim Jennesee sitting on a rock, taking off his shoes.

“Tim!”

He turned and smiled at me, waving like a freak. I took off running. Tim had been my best friend forever—which at the time was probably a few months, but in my eight-year-old mind, that qualified as a really long time—and seeing him there was a surprise. Normally he preferred to stay inside and play on the computer, indulging in game worlds like the Sims. Later he graduated to MMORPGs like EverQuest, with the promise that one day he would be creating them instead of playing someone else’s.

I got to where he sat and took my spot at his side. He nudged me with his shoulder. “I didn’t know you were going to be here!”

“Ryan asked me to come along.” See? I thought my brother was all cool and stuff. Shows how much I knew.

“Really? My mom said I had to get out of the house. I figured I’d come swimming for a while. I tried to call, but—”

“We were already on our way here.”

I hadn’t thought to call him, and I felt bad… for about three seconds. I was with Tim and the day had gotten a thousand times better. His dark hair shone in the sun, and his brown eyes sparkled. Being with him was enough to make me smile, and having him there with me made the day perfect.

Okay, here’s where things go to shit, so you’ll have to indulge me a bit. I don’t often discuss my death with people, because they ask all kinds of inane questions, and I’m so over that shit.

There was a big tree that stretched out over the watery pit. Someone had climbed it, tied off a rope, then knotted it at the other end. See, the idea was to grab hold, push off, and soar out into the nothingness, then arc high in the sky before letting go and plunging into the water, sinking, then rising once again until you broke the surface, then rushed to have another turn.

Doesn’t that sound idyllic? Like a Norman Rockwell painting or something?

Yeah, you’d think that.

It was my turn. I’d hedged about it all day, because I hated the idea of being so high in the air and falling. Ryan openly mocked me, and his friends teased me to no end. When Tim got up and announced he was going to do it, well, that raised the bar right there. How could my best friend do it, while I was too chicken?

Wrapping his hands around the rope, Tim ran and leaped off the edge, soaring into the air with a loud cry. Then, as he reached the apex of the arc, he let go. For a moment everything stopped, as he rose a little higher, then hung in the air before he dropped like a stone, laughing all the way.

When he broke the surface of the water a few seconds later, my heart started beating again.

“So, nerdy Tim can do it, but little Scotty is too much of a baby.”

It’s funny how you don’t remember how much of an ass your brother was when you were a kid, isn’t it?

“I’m not a baby!”

“Then prove it, chicken.”

“Fine!”

I stormed over to the rope and took hold of it. I glanced down into the murky pit, and my heart stuttered once more.

“Come on, Scott. It’s fun!”

Tim came jogging over, water sluicing down his chest, his hair matted to his forehead. Weirdly, that stray thought about Cole? Yeah, so over it. Now it was Tim that I was staring at.

“Okay.”

I was going to make Tim proud of me. I didn’t understand why, but thinking of him running over and hugging me, telling me how great I’d done? It became the only thought in my head at the moment.

I turned back and set myself, ready to do it. One quick glance at Tim, who nodded at me, and I rushed to the edge, jumped, and flew.

It was amazing. One second gravity has been conquered, and you’re flying up, up, up. Then you remember that everyone is gravity’s bitch, and you’re jerked back down. I hit the water, flush with pride over having done it.

When I flapped my arms to go back to the surface, though, that was when shit got real.

I couldn’t move my foot. Something had wrapped around it and held me below the surface. In my mind, a shark had grabbed me and was dragging me down. I struggled, trying to swim up, and my lungs burned.

You have to know, at this time, my mind had refused to believe I was going to die. It kept screaming for me to fight, to do whatever the hell I had to in order to get back to the surface. And I fought as hard as I could. Only….

At one point, I thought I’d gotten free, and my struggles to swim back to the surface intensified. I pushed hard against the water, trying to get up, back into the sun, but then I knew I was still stuck, and I had no more breath in my lungs.

I remember opening my mouth to scream for Tim to help me, but the murky water rushed in, and I choked, which led to more water being drawn into my body. Everything sort of went hazy and then shifted to black.

I’d died.

About the Author

Parker Williams began to write as a teen, but never showed his work to anyone. As he grew older, he drifted away from writing, but his love of the written word moved him to reading. A chance encounter with an author changed the course of his life as she encouraged him to never give up on a dream. With the help of some amazing friends, he rediscovered the joy of writing, thanks to a community of writers who have become his family.

Parker firmly believes in love, but is also of the opinion that anything worth having requires work and sacrifice (plus a little hurt and angst, too). The course of love is never a smooth one, and happily-ever-after always has a price tag.

Website: http://www.parkerwilliamsauthor.com

Twitter: @ParkerWAuthor

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/parker.williams.75641

Email: parker@parkerwilliamsauthor.com

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42934300-the-spirit-key

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Giveaway prize offered: Signed Paperback copy of The Spirit Key delivered anywhere in the world.

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A Chaos Moondrawn Release Day Review: The Spirit Key (Lock and Key #1) by Parker Williams

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

This starts with a long, detailed first person recap of the past from Scotty’s POV. After he died at age eight, he started seeing ghosts but didn’t tell anyone. This is really the crux of the whole book. By the time he was eighteen, it was overwhelming, unrelenting. The stress of everything made his family implode. Through it all his best friend Tim was always supportive, but it wasn’t enough and Scotty ran away. The farther he got from Milwaukee, the sparser the ghosts became so he lived his life normally for five years in Chicago until a visitation from Tim’s mom.

If you like the idea that there is one person meant to help the main character as they fullfill their destiny, then you might like this. There are parts of this book that remind me of me of Kris Bethke’s Requiem Inc. series (or even Mary Calmes’ Warders), although there are parts that are completely original and there is no organization that helps these ghosts cross over. In fact, the support team is not fully fleshed out. I think this is meant to set up a series, but for me this felt like the complete story.

There are several times when I feel the execution could have been better. Scotty is going home after five years when no one knew if he was even alive and Tim just throws them into a sex scene with power dynamics after a day? It was a hot scene, but the emotional impact could have been greater if they had a chance to build trust first; it doesn’t quite work as angry make-up sex either. Tim’s mood swings are jarring and confusing because this is in Scotty’s first person POV and he doesn’t know Tim is possessed, but the audience already knows from the blurb, so this is not quite successful. There is a scene where it is supposed to be first person, but Sophia talks to Scott, about Scott, as if talking to someone else, which is confusing. I am hoping that gets fixed before publication. Then, Scotty does the most colossally stupid thing, without consulting Tim, which endangers himself and breaks what little trust is left between them. I know these guys are in their twenties, but the bad judgements and lack of honesty between them is what causes all the anguish in the first place, although there is plenty of parental/adult bad judgment that contributes to the circumstances Scotty finds himself in. I think the author is showing everyone trying to do the best they can. Because of these story-framing choices, there are things that just seem to come out of nowhere…at least it’s told through dialogue and not narrative.

The book is at its best as Scotty actually tries to figure out why he sees ghosts and if he can help them. The flashes of the past Scotty sees are good additions to the story. As Scotty and Tim figure out who they are to each other and how they fit into this paranormal role, they also have to take care of themselves emotionally and physically, as well as each other. What they are doing, what is happening, is dangerous. Although this could have been frightening and quite atmospheric, the author doesn’t go this route so if you dislike horror, don’t worry. There are flashes of what the killer sees, but they are short and are only detailed enough to show his character. However, there is some violence that could be upsetting. The flashes of humor and love between Scotty and Tim are a nice counterbalance. Overall, the story is supposed to be about them but their whole lives are told through a recap and in their present Tim is not really Tim; this makes connecting with them a bit of a challenge. We are told they are best friends and in love, but only shown a few days of it when they are hurt, angry, and in danger. I liked so many ideas in this book, but I feel the way it was written constrained the story.

The cover art by Reese Dante captures the dark, tortured, paranormal feel well.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 210 pages
Published January 15th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781644051214
Edition Language English
Series Lock and Key #1

A Jeri Release Day Review: Ten (Love by Numbers #1) by Tia Fielding

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This is a lovely hurt/comfort story that could have been super angsty given the material, but I don’t think it was.

Makai was exonerated of murder after spending 10 years in prison. He doesn’t want to go home, so he buys a cottage sight unseen in the town where his grandfather once lived and he had spent some time as a child.

Emil is still recovering after a brutal kidnapping 5 years earlier. Because his kidnapping was related to his father’s police work, the story was widespread. But in the little town they live in, the people are very protective of him.

Makai and Emil have two chance meetings and discover they would both like to at least explore more. But these guys are so so broken. Oddly enough they are able to come together and bond over a pregnant cat who adopted Makai as soon as he moved in and a precocious child who is gender fluid.

Makai is a gentle giant who is so attuned to Emil and his problems and wants to just take care of him and respect all of his boundaries. I feel like that a little bit came at the expense of Makai’s own issues. Most of the focus seemed to be on Emil. Which was ok because he seemed more damaged, but at the same time a little more attention could have been spent on Makai.

I absolutely loved Joie/Joy/Joey the gender fluid 5 year old. It was a nice way to introduce an identity we still aren’t seeing a lot of in books. I did notice that when they presented as a girl, the author used female pronouns. But when they presented as a boy they used they/them. That was a bit odd to me.

This story is very much about a relationship and two men coming to terms with not only what happened to each of them, but how to navigate loving someone within the parameters they set for themselves.

I have to say that in a lot of books, there is the conflict and then fairly soon after there is a happily ever after. In this story, this big conflict happens about 3/4 of the way in so then there is still a good amount of story after.

I liked the cover by Garrett Leigh and the feel of it represents Makai well but not really his looks. But it would still draw me in because if conveys the brokenness of the character.

Buy link: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 218 pages
Published January 15th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleTen
ISBN139781644051177
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/ten-by-tia-fielding-10088-b
SeriesLove by Numbers #1

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Whiskey and Moonshine by Elizabeth Noble

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Drunk on love.

Like a well-aged whiskey, master distiller and old-money entrepreneur Malone Kensington is elegant and refined. Unfortunately he’s also a perfectionist who is more dedicated to the success of his generations-old company than his own love life.

That company needs a public spokesman.

What Colton Hale lacks in sophistication, he more than makes up for with the charisma that’s allowed him to survive on the street from a young age and charm his way into the lucrative—if overwhelming—public position at the Kensington Distillery. When Mal takes Colt under his wing, hoping to polish off his rough edges, opposites attract and a passionate romance blossoms despite the differences in age and background. But can it survive a Kensington Board of Directors who believe Colt is nothing but a gold digger and a kidnapper determined to profit from the love of Mal’s life—dead or alive?

I enjoyed Whiskey and Moonshine, a Dreamspun Desires title by Elizabeth Noble as I do most of her romances. She created two wonderful main characters in Colton Hale and Mal Kensington, as well as including a age difference/economic level advantage to make it interesting. On top of that? The basis and foundation of Whiskey and Moonshine is a famous family held whiskey/moonshine distillery along the line of Jack Daniels so the reader gets some fascinating inside details on how whiskey is cured and stored. I really could have used a little more of that. But what we get is enough to provide an authentic “flavor” and framework for Mal and the Kensington Distillery.

I actually found the novel the strongest when it had Colton working in the janitorial department and scanning the company boards for jobs to work his way up in a company and place he was clearly meant to be. Touching, real, and given his background, easy to connect with his struggles to move forward. And delight in a company that continued to accept him.

When the company chooses Colton to be the ‘face” of the distillery, then the novel moves into several new stages. The romance stage and changes in dynamics for many of the relationships here, including Colton and Mal. We lose that intimate connection Colton was having with the distillery oddly enough as he becomes it’s spokesperson and it removes him from the actual jobs itself. Colton keeps saying he wants to learn the business but that’s impossible when your job is public relations and “the road”. That’s one hole that never gets completely filled in this story.

The warm, loving relationship between Mal and Colton is lovely and sweetly based on complete truths on Colton’s background. A nice changeup from other novels. But it’s also a bit of a reality bump for me in the story. I didn’t have issues with their relationship, not the age difference or anything else for that matter. Mine was more of a corporate common sense one. Colton had lived on the streets for years, turning tricks and doing what he had to survive. He told Mal and the people who hired him. Admirable and truthful. Hire him for lots of things. But not the very public “face” of Kensington Distillery who appears on The Tonight Show for all his former johns to see. I really don’t see that happening in RL, nor that he didn’t have even one charge for soliciting after all those years on the streets in Toledo for someone to find. So that all that strike me as realistic? Uh, no, not really. That strikes me as a public relations nightmare.

Does it come up? No. Other things yes, this huge one no. So there are things here you either just pretend to overlook or they don’t matter to begin with, because you are enjoying the romance so.

And that’s ok, it’s a really sweet romance with some angst and drama in the wings. It all gets sorted out in time for a HEA in the Smokies. If you like contemporary romance, Elizabeth Noble, and the Dreamspun Desires line, then Whiskey and Moonshine is another story you will want to grab up.

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza has done a fine job with the cover and story elements. Great job.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 238 pages
Published January 15th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781640803824
Edition Language English

The Devil’s Breath by A. Nybo

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with A. Nybo

Share this:

Place Setting (States of Love) by Claudia Mayrant

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Claudia Mayrant

Share this:

Typhoon Toby (Forces of Nature Book 2) by R.L. Merrill

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with R.L. Merrill

More about Typhoon Toby…

Share this:

Poll Results, Future Posts, and How We Look At Covers

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 20:

Monday, January 21:

Tuesday, January 22:

Wednesday, January 23:

Thursday, January 24:

Friday, January 25:

Saturday, January 26:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

The Spirit Key (Lock and Key #1) by Parker Williams

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Parker Williams ~

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: