Excerpt: Natalie's Getting Married by Rosa Temple

October 1990

Some girls dream of the perfect wedding. I was never really one of those girls. I'd set my sights on a career in media. I worked hard at school, achieved good grades and decided to go to university. I'd had boyfriends up until then, the first serious one was when I was sixteen, but the idea of marriage never once crossed my mind. I'd never been in love, yet my girlfriends fell in and out of it so easily, you'd think they were exchanging one pair of must have shoes for another.

They'd all either been swept off their feet, or claimed to have met “the one”, or bored everyone senseless by walking around love struck and starry eyed. But not me. I had plans and I wasn't going to let a little thing like never having fallen in love stop me.

So, off I went to university and that's where I met Jackson Humphries.

It was Fresher's Week on the day I first saw him. He was so cool and self-assured I never would have guessed that, like me, he was a Fresher too. He was out in the quadrant where new students were signing up for various clubs and societies. He was wearing a navy polo shirt, a pair of jeans and had his bag slung across his shoulder. He wasn't very tall for a guy but he had a perfect body; dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. And that day, I fell in love.

Little did I know it would take two years for Jackson to notice me and that he'd surprise me with a wedding proposal on graduation day.

I stood gazing at Jackson from the far side of the quadrant, doing that thing I do with my curls, twiddling the ones that fall to my shoulders. In my misty-eyed state, I signed up for the Poetry Society. I didn't mean to. I was staring so hard at Jackson I hadn't realised I'd joined a queue of poetry lovers.

'Thanks,' the Poetry Society girl said to me. 'Our first meeting is next Friday. It's just a welcome night. You won't need to bring your poems. We probably won't read until the next time.'

'Fine,' I said, collecting a Poetry Society Handbook and tucking it into my bag, all the time keeping my eyes on Jackson. He seemed to know everyone; he was relaxed and chatty. But, as I followed Jackson's every move around the quadrant, I almost joined the Rowing Club. Finally coming to my senses, I moved well away from the society reps.

*****

Sounds like a wonderful book doesn't it? I can't wait to read more! I love when a good book ends up on my TBR pile. Though I will admit that I'm afraid it's going to fall on me in the night and suffocate me; but what a way to go. :)

Here's a little more information on the author:

Rosa Temple began writing romantic comedies and chick lit because of her passion for what she calls the 'early chick lit films', like: Sabrina, Barefoot In the Park and Breakfast at Tiffany's. She honed her skills as a ghost writer, gaining experience writing romantic novellas, both sweet and on the slightly steamy side. In her notebooks, she constantly jotted down story ideas of her own and she eventually completed her first novella Sleeping With Your Best Friend and now, the full length novel, Natalie's Getting Married.

Rosa Temple is a Londoner and is married with two sons. She is a reluctant keep fit fanatic and doer of housework and insists that writing keeps her away from such strenuous tasks. She spends her days creating characters and story lines while drinking herbal tea and eating chocolate biscuits.

To find out more about Rosa and to catch up on all her musings please join her here on Rosa Temple Writes...

And again for your book winning delights is a Rafflecopter giveaway hosted by the wonderful Ama and Bemma! Make sure to enter before the giveaway ends, you don't want to miss it. And if you're interested in following the posts in this wonderful blog hop, head over to this POST to read more.

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Guest Post: Christine Church

I'm enjoying my time with wonderful authors this week, and today I bring you Christine Church. Make sure to read all the way to the bottom so that you can enter the giveaway! Make sure you keep up with the blog posts in our wonderful tour by Ama and Bemma http://amabemma.blogspot.com/2016/01/new-year-new-books-2016-first-tour-stop.html

*****

Hi. My name is Christine Church. I write paranormal, fantasy and time travel romance. I also write nonfiction books and articles about the care of cats and

horse related topics.

The funny (funny strange, not funny ha ha) thing about my new novella, “Sands of Time Fate of the True Vampires” is that it is the only book I ever wrote that is not romance.  Although, the original novel was romance… And that is where we come to my mad method behind this small novella, which is basically an “Intro” book to what will be a full out series that will grow with each book.

How I got into vampires:

I wasn’t born loving vampires. Quite the contrary. I hated them. I feared them. When I was around 8 years old, I saw an old black and white Dracula movie (I honestly today can’t tell you which one it was). Oh, all that black and white blood! I had nightmares for years! Every time I heard the word vampire I cringed and ran away. I couldn’t watch any horror movie with my eyes open, and even then, forget it. The music alone gave me nightmares. At around 10 years old, I went with my childhood best friend and our parents to see a new horror movie, Race with the Devil (later on in life, one of the actresses from that movie, Loretta Switt, would call me and help me with my first novel, but that’s a whole other tale).

A year later, I went with my family to see another new horror movie, The Omen. Back then, you could be 11 years old and see horror movies. Once again, I had nightmares for months afterwards, even though my eyes were closed through most of the movie (it wouldn’t be until I was well into my 30’s before I saw that movie all the way through, eyes open, and it was so tame!).

Now that I think about it, for someone scared to death of horror movies, I saw an awful lot of them at a very young age! Not only because it was like doing something “adult” and getting away with it, but I think I was trying to conquer my fear of these scary and at times gory flicks (which started with Dracula). It didn’t work. The fears, the nightmares continued well into my adulthood.

Most of the novels I read back then were historical, such as Sho-Gun, Spring Moon, and others mostly set in Asia (I was heavily into martial arts). I also loved time travels. In school, I always failed history because all they taught us was about wars, blood and death (more nightmares). But these books took me into different worlds.

I always had a thing for the gothic (to the point I wore black make up, nail polish, etc. in school, which did not help keep me from being bullied. It was not in yet). I loved old spooky mansions, Victorian gothic architecture, etc. That love grew as I got older. I found a deep love for movies in particular set during 18^th century Britain. The clothes, the hair (particularly long hair on men), the architecture. It sung to me.

Since I was born with a mental disability (that was not diagnosed until 2004), I couldn’t work a “regular” job, though I tried and tried—and failed. And so, I decided since I couldn’t buy my gorgeous Victorian mansion, I would build one. Well, a dollhouse one anyway. I lived in the basement and would sit on the end of my waterbed frame with the big table in front of me that held the foundation for what would become a four foot tall by four foot wide Gingerbread Victorian home with 10 rooms and electricity. I had the television on as I built (the table and dollhouse was between me and my TV). (Fig 1)

 Figure 1  You can see the TV beyond... through the windows.

One day, after I had the entire frame built and was working on the interior walls, I heard a commercial come on TV. Through one of the mansion’s many windows I caught a glimpse of a hot guy in 18^th century garb. I didn’t see much of what turned out to be a movie trailer, but the next time it came on, I was prepared to peer through my mansion windows and watch the whole thing. I was smitten. Not only with the men, the hair, but the gothic style, the clothes, the sex appeal! This was a movie I HAD to see! There was only one major problem. It was about vampires! It didn’t matter. My libido wouldn’t let me out of this one (at 29, that mattered, a lot).

Finished House, outside (top) and in the living room (above).

The first time I saw “Interview with the Vampire,” was with a friend. I was so enthralled, I walked out of the theatre in a daze. From there, I became obsessed. I made my own capes and 18^th century sexy gowns. I saw that movie 11 times in the theatre. One of those times, at a very small theatre, I was dressed in my ‘vampire’ garb (I even had the same fangs made with dental impression material, so they looked exactly like the movie fangs and fit perfectly to my teeth), waiting for my friend in the bathroom after the movie. I was standing off to the side, in the small ‘dressing’ area, which was a bit dark. Some ladies came into the bathroom and the door opened in front of me (I was behind it as they entered). The door closed and they saw me standing behind it, long black cloak, long dark hair…and fangs. I am not exaggerating when I say one of the girls screamed. They ran back out of the bathroom (I think after seeing me they no longer had to go). I felt powerful, beautiful, just like the vampires in the movie.

And that was the start of my vampire obsession. (I went to New Orleans in 1995, to Anne Rice’s Memnock Ball).

How this ties into Sands of Time:

I was already writing long before this. As a matter of fact, I started writing fiction at the age of 9.  There were always stories in my head. After reading four of the ‘Vampire Chronicles’ (my intro to Anne Rice, who I still think is the best writer on earth), I decided to try my hand at writing my own vampire novel. It was called “Love’s Timeless Melody” and I actually based it around the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler.

That book sat in a desk drawer (I didn’t yet have a computer) until I rewrote it a few years later (on a computer) and eventually renamed it “In Darkness Deceived.”  That novel still exists, and Kesi (main character in “Sands of Time”) was a big character in that novel. Her past was written as letters between her and her father. Something never really sat right with me and several attempts to publish it met with failure. Once again, it sat (this time on a computer file). For years!

In 2014, (about 15 years after I last saw it) I decided to do something with it. I had by this time written many novels, honed the craft, became a professional writer, had 5 books published (nonfiction) traditionally, and eventually received jobs in the writing field. But those darn vampires had my heart gripped tightly in their fangs.

After thinking through it carefully and for weeks, an idea came into my head. Why not give Kesi her own story, take the letters she and her father had exchanged and turn them into diary entries that had been found and dug up by archaeologists?  One thing led to another, and the novella, “Sands of Time Fate of the True Vampires” was born.

I knew Kesi’s entire story when I had originally written “Love’s Timeless Melody” back in the mid ‘90’s, but I had not thought to turn it into its own book. Kesi is the key to everything. I wanted her story out, even though it was not a terribly long story. I wanted people to know how she became who she was by the time the later novel was written.

And so, Sands of Time is an ‘Introduction’ book in a sense, to the rest of what will now be a series that will ultimately lead up to “In Darkness Deceived,” which is written, but not ready to see the light of day yet. So, each character throughout Kesi’s long life will have a book in the series, and Kesi will be there as well. And, who knows… “In Darkness Deceived” may not be the last book in the series. By the time I get there, I am sure everyone in all the books will have a lot more to say!

Here is the blurb:

The new era of vampires has begun, and it starts in the past...

Scrolls. Documents. Journals.

A story evolved.

Kesi’s story. “I lived a secret life, not even shared by my husband to be. As my family was persecuted and forced to leave, I chose to stay behind. My desire above all else was to have a family, to share my bloodline. But, alas, I cannot bear children. However, there is a way. Others succeeded. And so, I tried—and I failed. After my husband’s death, I traveled the world searching for an answer. Many years passed, I met a man named Yin, an alchemist who held the answer to what I sought. But his desires were dark. And he wished to destroy the only children our kind could ever bear. Running was fruitless, for he was never far behind. And so now the time has come—time to stop running and face my enemy.” This book is the first installment in the “Fate of the True Vampires” series.

LINKS: Amazon: http://goo.gl/4MK9Gj

Direct to e­book (Kindle, Nook and PDF): http://goo.gl/uf7ba9

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Author Interview: Brianna Michaels author of Passion - Sins of the Sidhe - Book 3

I'm a part of a wonderful blog tour hosted by the one and only Ama and Bemma. So, while I'm reading great books to review for you, here's some new author's to meet. Let's give Brianna a warm welcome!

What inspired you to write your first book?

I’ve had a figure in my head for several years. When I close my eyes, he just sits there on the ground, one knee up, back against a brick wall, and he stares at me. His name: Adam.

It took me so long to figure out what on earth I was to do with him, until one day my husband and I were driving home from dinner and I just blurted out, “I want to write a book!” He looked at me like I had six heads and said, “Okay.” I went home that night and started writing. Adam was pleased.

How do you develop your plots and characters? 

My characters come to me in a rush. I literally just close my eyes and take it all in. Within minutes, I know all about them – their mannerisms, the way they talk, their history, favorite foods, where they live, what they fear – they tell me everything.

As for the plots… well, fortunately, they aren’t too difficult to figure out. My characters are so strong willed, they come at me with their problems or desires and we sit together and try to figure out how to make it all come together. It’s a team effort.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There are several messages in each of my books – whether it is heartfelt, a wee bit of advice that I’ve learned the hard way in life, or food for thought. But there is one recurring theme in each book I write: Everything. Happens. For. A. Reason.

My stories are woven together intricately. There is a reason my characters are the way they are and why things happens they way they do. The good, bad and the ugly all have a purpose. You can’t take anything for granted in my books, just like you shouldn’t take anything for granted in life.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I have to pick JUST ONE?! So unfair. I can’t do that. Instead, I’ll say that I love the fact that one of my favorite authors brings you into a place that feels like home and the brothers feel like part of your family. So many readers connect with her over-the-top men and their “shellans” and I find myself thinking, “What-the-what-what?” when I have to admit to myself that they don’t really exist. And yeah, I’ve geeked out plenty of times with her books – I even made Rehv’s roast beef before (followed his instructions to the T) and I smile at a bag tootsie pops. (Any guesses who I’m talking about?)

Who designed the covers?

My husband! He’s a genius in how he takes the fragmented thoughts from my head and, in no time at all, he presents me with the very vision I’ve conjured up. I swear the man is a mind reader. And a Wizard.

A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?

Well, take this as you will, but villains and I get along like peanut butter and jelly. I think more like a bad guy most days (*does the evil laugh*) and I’m good at causing trouble; it’s a talent that has taken years of practice. The hard part is when my thoughts go wayyyyy beyond the average bad guy ideas and I start to freak myself out. Then, in my head, I think to the villain, “Geez-oh-wiz, dude! That’s crazy stuff right there, you sure you want to do that?” For which the answer is always “Yes.”

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

In PASSION, my favorite part to write was the first kiss. I know, I know, I’m a sap like that. But in all fairness, I had to write it carefully because of the nature of the two people involved. It was precious… and steamy… and… well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out more.

What was the hardest part of writing this book? 

There was a lot of pressure riding on this book. Ruark is complicated, stubborn, and always afraid of what he might do to those around him. Ruark’s past isn’t pretty so it was hard to write about some of the things he’s been through. Because his story was a devastating one, it made his journey and final destination phenomenal to me. He deserved the best I could give him. Here’s hoping I accomplished that.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Um, all of it! Watching Ruark’s story unfold was a thing of beauty. I think a lot of people could learn from him. (I won’t say more because it spoils wayyyyy too much!)

PASSION was in the making from day one of this series, and I always knew it would be the third book, so it was really hard to not jump the gun with certain parts. I’m not the best with having patience - even with myself.  Thankfully, Ruark isn’t like that. He didn’t say a word to me while I wrote Shatter and Shine (books 1 and 2). Nope, not my silent and deadly man of the hour. Instead, he just waited in the shadows for me to get to him. When it was all said and done, and PASSION was finally finished, he simply smiled and said, “Thank ye, Bri.”

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

My main goal is to have the readers feel like they are part of the story, too. I always want you swept up in the moments – both the good and the bad. I want you to FEEL, not just read. When someone’s upset, I want your cheeks to burn. When something romantic happens, I want your heart to skip a beat. When something dangerous is about to go down, I want you to look around for a weapon within reach.

I’ve had several folks tell me they felt as if they were actually in the scene while reading certain chapters and how nervous they got or that they screamed at their e-readers. One woman told me that when she finished reading my first book, she went and made the soup I’d mentioned in one of the chapters because she developed a craving for it.

Total. Awesomeness.

Another big goal I had with PASSION was to assign some of my characters a position on the playing board. Their roles couldn’t just be given to them. Hell no. They had to earn it. Ruark is an incredibly special person whose story needed to be crafted carefully in order for him to reach his true destiny. He couldn’t reach it alone. The same goes for a few of the other characters, too. I think I achieved that with this story and I hope my readers will agree.

What do you think most characterizes your writing?

Dark with a bit of humor. I embrace my dark side with passion (pun intended), so the “darkness” is always present in my stories; but I’m too much of a goofball to not have some funny things come through in my writing. My favorite part in any book is when you get to that heavy, heated moment where everything is about to go sideways and all of a sudden someone pipes up and says something hilarious and totally off the wall and it makes you laugh out loud. Maturity is overrated sometimes, ya know?

What are some day jobs that you have held?  If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.

I was an event planner for a long time. My Fae love a good party and a huge spread of food. Catering and party planning took care of those scenes and also added an extra bump in personality traits for a few characters.

Now-a-days, I teach art classes for children ages 4-10 with a friend of mine. We tell our students that there are NO MISTAKES IN ART! It’s your own creation. Not everyone will like it and that’s okay - as long as you love it, that’s the most important part!

That, my friends, is something I say to myself on a daily basis. What I write might not be everyone’s cup of tea. That’s okay. I love it. I feel great after I’ve written it. Of course I feel scared to death of the rejection and ridicule we all face as authors, but that just comes with the writing package. At the end of the day, I still smile at the words I’ve written and I cross my fingers and toes that I’m not the only one that likes it. But success, for me, is when happiness shines brightly in my life. My stories are my creation. It’s my art. And it’s super bright and shiny.

How did you get to be where you are in your life today?

By not poo-pooing an idea – no matter how harebrained it might be. Crazy ideas pop up all the time and people rarely jump on them because they’re afraid of failure.

Oh, by the way, did I mention my husband and I raise Tilapia in our garage, too? Yup, the fish. I’m serious. That was one of my husband’s ideas and I supported it no matter how cockamamie I thought it was at first. Good thing, too, because it’s turned into a helluva successful side venture for us. 

Whoda thunk it?

That’s what I mean by not poo-pooing the crazy ideas.

So when I said I wanted to write a book, my husband said “okay” and supported me. When my first book was complete, he was my marketing bull: head down, horns up, target in front of him. That target? Get my story out there! He posted it on so many websites and forums; I couldn’t keep track of them all. He busted his butt to help me share my story with the masses. For that, I will be forever grateful.

And now, it’s book by book, my friends. I plan to climb that ladder of success one chapter at a time.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Thank you for giving my books a chance. I’m just one teeny, tiny fish in the big book ocean, so my readers are special to me. Come to the bright side of the dark side, my friends. It doesn’t matter if I know you personally or not, I want to bring you into my world of chaos, battles and mad love. My door is always open and you are always welcome here.

Wow, I love her! Don't you? How about a snippet about her book?

Ruark may no longer be trapped in a cage and left in darkness, but he is far from being free - the bones in his very own body have become his new prison. Wrath pumps in his veins, and as the terrors of his past haunt him as much as the beast that resides within, the Druid struggles to find peace. He battles his own anguish, yet also feels an undeniable, metaphysical pull towards Rowan, his brother’s wife, which is an attraction that only spells further disaster. All seems lost, but when Ashlyn, a smart and beautiful Sidhe, sees her chance to redeem the man, she takes it and tries to show Ruark that he isn’t the monster he fears himself to be - but that doesn’t mean the beast inside him agrees. Will love be enough to calm the furious storm and save Ruark from an existence of rage and pain, or is he doomed to forever be the destructive monster he fears will threaten the existence of everyone around him?

You know you want to stalk (I mean follow) Brianna, and get her book; so here is some information so you can do that.

www.facebook.com/sinsofthesidhe

www.BrianaMichaels.com

http://www.amazon.com/Shine-Sins-Sidhe-Briana-Michaels/dp/1512347418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450784284&sr=8-1&keywords=briana+michaels

OK, do me a favor, you don't want to miss out on this giveaway! Head on over for some great prizes (I've entered too, you never know!) And check out Ama & Bemma's post here to see all the other wonderful people on the blog tour and more authors than you can shake a stick at.

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The Blog Hosts

Heidi-http://anangellslife.blogspot.com/

Joan-http://fiddlerblue.wordpress.com

Rosa-http://rosatemple.blogspot.co.uk/

Joshua-13thhr.wordpress.com

Melissa-http://www.mkbrander.com

Arvening (Pinni)-www.arvenig.it/blog/

Tia-http://greektravelodyssey.wordpress.com/

Emma-https://theemmawoods.wordpress.com

Sneha-http://dreamsonfire-electrica.blogspot.com/

Tami-http://reviewsbypageturners.blogspot.com/

Ellie -http://www.elliefirestone.com/

Ama et Bemma-amabemma.blogspot.com (tour organizer)