Category: MLR Press

Down Under Showcase Author of the Day: Pelaam

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Meet Pelaam!

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Pelaam is a prolific author with over 30 titles, including a new holiday release from MLR Press “The Magic of Christmas.”

To get to know New Zealand author Pelaam a little better, she agreed to an interview. Look for the interview below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.

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Living in clean, green New Zealand, Pelaam is a best-selling, multi-published author of gay romance and erotic books. When not busy writing she can be found indulging in her other passions of cookery and wine appreciation.

Pelaam’s book “Breath of the Feathered Serpent” is a finalist for the 2014 Rainbow Awards in Gay futuristic/sci-fi and has been given an Honourable Mention. “Bedazzled” and “Firebird” were a combined finalist for the Rainbow Awards in Gay futuristic/sci-fi 2013.

 

 

Author Contacts

Author Books Stories Down Under1 copy

Among Pelaam’s many stories and titles are the following:

Breath of the Feathered Serpent
Haunted by the Past
Captive
On Dragon’s Wings
Addiction (Dark Hollows Press)
Familiar or Not  (MLR)
The Magic of Christmas (MLR)
Horse of Bells
Dragon’s Lair

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Genre(s):

Sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal

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Contests and Giveaways:

1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, Pelaam) is an eBook copy of “The Magic of Christmas”. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

The Magic of Christmas: Blurb:TheMagicofChristmas_WD (1)

On a friends’ getaway in a winter wonderland, Jared and Casey discover real Christmas magic.

Jared joins his four best friends on an early Christmas holiday in a beautiful winter wonderland. He’s been in love with the talented and extroverted Casey for years, but lacked the courage to say anything.

Casey loves Jared, but despite his gregarious exterior, inside lurks someone shy and insecure and so he’s never spoken up.

Both men are about to experience real Christmas magic.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find the Hunt word/phrase highlighted in green. Collect all the words/phrases from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.

******************************************Author Qand A

Q Where do you draw inspiration from?

I can get inspired from a single image, a word or phrase, or a scenario. I like fantasy, myth, and legend and draw a lot of inspiration from there when searching for something to stimulate my Muse.

Q. Favorite genres to write in and why?

Sci-fi/paranormal/fantasy. These have always been my greatest loves. They give my imagination the greatest level of freedom when writing.

Q. Title or characters or plot? Which comes first?

I generally have an idea for a plot, then come the characters, and usually the title is last of all. However, there is one where the title came as part of the plot. That’s “Breath of the Feathered Serpent.”

Q. Do you have a specific writing style?

I’m very much a “pantser”. I can’t write starting at the beginning and working my way through to the end and I don’t storyboard. I write the scenes as they come into my mind. That sometimes means I have the end written before the beginning, and subplots can be completed before I have the main plot worked out. But it works for me and I go with the flow.

Q How do you think books written from authors in Australia or New Zealand differ in style, language, and culture?

We have our own way of looking at things, and our own way of saying things. I quite often find I have to rewrite something I know would be understood by a New Zealand or Australian reader, but I’m told wouldn’t be understood by an American reader.

Q. If you were a tour guide, what would you like a visitor to see and what impression would you want them to take away with them when they leave?

I’d like them to see the magnificent scenery, some of the beautiful beaches, and the vibrant cities. I’d like them to leave with the knowledge that there’s something for everyone when they visit New Zealand.
Q What are your current projects?

I worked my way through NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) again this year and reached my 50k target. Now I need to fill in some of the scenes and polish the draft before seeing if “Furture Imperfect” will also be published. My last NaNo effort was “Breath of the Feathered Serpent” which not only got published, but was a finalist in the 2014 Rainbow Awards for sci-fi/futuristic.
Q. Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source)?

“We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness. You’ve taught me that we’re all needed, even those who sometimes think we’re worthless, plain, and dull.”

(Dean Koontz, “Watchers”)

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A MelanieM Review: Love is a Stranger (More Heat Than the Sun #1) by John Wiltshire

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Loving a total stranger can be very hard work sometimes.

Love is a Stranger coverEx-SAS soldier Ben Rider falls in love with his enigmatic married boss and secret lover Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen.  It was supposed to be only an affair of lust not of the heart.  Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen isn’t what he seems and one explosive event shatters the lie that Nikolas has been living. It’s a lie so profound that when the shadows are lifted, Ben realises he’s in love with a very dangerous stranger. Ben has to choose between Nikolas and safety, but sometimes danger comes in a very seductive package.

John Wiltshire’s Love Is A Stranger is a packed full, suspenseful tale of betrayal, danger, and lies.  The first story in Wiltshire’s More Heat Than The Sun series, it introduces us to the main players in this convoluted tale of secret identities and a struggle for love.  First there is Ben Rider, ex-soldier, cold, determined and fierce.  Ben is model gorgeous and black samba deadly.  He’s been having a supposedly “sex only” affair with his married,upper echelon boss, Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen.  A member of high society, at home in the fox hunting fields as well as the powerful political draw rooms, Nikolas draws Ben in with his intelligence, attractive body and a personality that seems to change with the light.    Wiltshire’s characters are layered, complex, and never exactly what you think they are,  each more Rubik’s Cube than solid persona.   Just when you (and Ben) think you have a handle on who and what Nikolas is and does, a bullet or something worse shatters that picture permanently.

I loved the myriad plot layers built into this story of suspense, love, and, yes, revenge.  Like Alice throwing herself down a warped rabbit hole, the twists and turns can’t be seen, only appreciated after the fact.  One fact is revealed or violent episode occurs, and you think, hmmm…I should have seen that one coming.  But you don’t.  And that immediately amps up the anticipation for the next turn or shock that is sure to come. This story is full of them, each better than the last.

Sexy?  Definitely.  Remember, this starts as an affair of lust not love, however, it ends up.  Only it doesn’t end.  In fact, this story has a bit of a cliffhanger.  Some or most might not be too happy about that but definitives in any aspect are not to be expected here.  Any foundations that exist under each man and their growing relationship is as fluid and safe as mercury.   The only sure thing is their love for that shaggy hound, Radulf, that was obtained from a shelter under dubious conditions.  I love Radulf and he helps to cement the idea that these two men might have any future between them as his addition helps to give an air of normality (perhaps the only one) to Nik and Ben.

I can’t get enough of this wild and dangerous couple and am moving on to the next stories in the series.  I hope you join me along with way.  If you love suspense and action/adventure to go along with your sexy men, this is the story and series for you.

Cover Artist: Michelle Cary.  It’s dark,  a little hard to see.  I wish there were more elements to it from the story itself. That would include the charismatic Radulf.

Sales Links:  MLR Press LLC       All Romance (ARe)       Amazon              Buy it here

Book Details:

ebook
Published 2014 by MLR Press LLC
original titleLove is a Stranger
ISBN 1020140242
edition languageEnglish
seriesMore Heat Than the Sun #1

Books in the Series:

  • Love is a Stranger (More Heat Than the Sun #1)
  • Conscious Decisions of the Heart (More Heat Than the Sun #2)
  • The Bridge of Silver Wings (More Heat Than the Sun, #3)
  • This Other Country (More Heat Than the Sun, #4)
  • The Bruise Black Sky (More Heat Than the Sun, #5) coming soon

Down Under Showcase Day 9: Author John Wiltshire, AUS/NZ Facts of the Day and Contest Details

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 Day 9 – John Wiltshire!

G’Day!  It’s Day 9 of our Down Under Author Showcase and today’s featured writer is John Wiltshire.  John is the author of contemporary fiction, action/suspense, romance, and much more.  Check out his standalone stories and series along with our interview at the link above.  There is his contest to enter and Down Under Scavenger word to find.  Reviews of several of his stories follow his post.  It’s a full day so lets get started with our Australia and New Zealand facts of the day.

Since a dog figures prominently in one of John’s series and in his life, I thought I would include it in today Aussie fact.

Australia Fun Fact of the Day:

Dingo or Warrigal, Wild Dog of Australia:

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The origins of the dingo are obscure and there is much controversy. It is not truly native to Australia but is thought to have arrived between 3500 and 4000 years ago. Whatever its origins, the dingo was a highly valued companion to the Aborigines. They were hunting companions, guard dogs, the dingos kept them warm at night.

Some believe they were brought here on rafts or boats by the ancestral aborigines. It has also been suggested that they came with Indonesian or South-East Asian fishermen who visited the northern coast of Australia.

The dingo can be found in all areas of Australia – from harsh deserts to lush rainforests. The highly adaptable dingo is found in every habitat and every state of Australia, except Tasmania. In deserts, access to drinking water determines where the animal can live. Pure-bred Dingo numbers in the wild are declining as man encroaches deeper and deeper into wilderness areas, often accompanied by his domestic dog.

(Hmmm…did the dingo eat the baby?)
The dingo is different from the modern dog in several ways: it yelps and howls, but it does not bark, it has a different gait, and its ears are always erect. Dingos are naturally lean and they are usually cream to reddish-yellow with white points, some are black with tan points. An adult dingo stands more than 60cm high and weighs about 15kg. It is slightly smaller than a German Shepherd.

 

New Zealand Fun Fact of the Day

No Native New Zealand dogs. New Zealand has many unique native fish, insects, birds, lizards and frogs but the only native mammals are bats and marine mammals.

So onto other facts:

Caves with Stars – Glowworm Caves of Waitomoglowworm caves of newzealand

Tourists flock underground to visit the unforgettable Waitomo Caves in New Zealand’s Waikato region to see the glowworms (fireflies). The Waitomo River runs underground through the caves, which natural light cannot reach. Tourists take boat trips along the river, where there are so many of these tiny insects high above that it creates a night-sky effect, with groups of glowworms looking like stars.

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Down Under Day 5: N. J. Nielsen, AUS/NZ Fun Facts and Contest Info

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Welcome to Day 5 of STRW Down Under Author Showcase.  Our Featured Author today is N. J. Nielsen, a prolific author of multiple series and stand alone romances.  Make sure you visit her page, check out her bio and books. And don’t forget to enter her giveaway contest and search out the Scavenger Hunt word of the Day.

Australian Fun of the Day:

Uluru (Ayers Rock):
Uluru is one of the largest rocks in the world as well as one of Australia’s best known natural formations is located in Central Australia.  It is also a place of great spiritual signifigance to the aboriginal peoples of Australia and visitors have have to abide by new regulations to protect the site.

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New Zealand Fact of the Day:

2 National Anthems:New Zealand is one of only three countries that have two official (and of equal standing) national Anthems. The first is God Save the Queen (the English National Anthem) and the other is God Defend New Zealand. The other two countries with two anthems are Denmark and Canada which both have a Royal Anthem and a State anthem

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 Don’t forget to visit our Down Under Author Showcase Page for all the authors participating and their scheduled dates.  And be sure to enter Bottom Drawer Publications contest found there as well.