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Book Spotlight: Guarding Charon


Hello! I had the pleasure in speaking to KateMarie Collins about her book Guarding Charon and more.

K.A. Meng (KAM): Thank you KateMarie for being a part of my blog. Let's jump right into this interview. What can we expect from you in the future?

KateMarie Collins (KMC): More books! I’ve got an idea for another series now, but I want to get The Waystation Guardians to a place where I feel most of the story has been told. For now. LOL. The setting and characters have a lot of room for additional books, but I’m not going to force myself to write a story before it’s ready to be told.

KAM: What genre(s) do you write?

KMC: I’ve always loved fantasy and scifi, being able to create worlds that don’t always line up to the one we live in. With The Waystation Guardians, I went with a modern setting. It took more research, as details are important, but that makes it believable. Is this happening now? We don’t know. But it’s plausible.

KAM: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definite pantser! I start with an idea of a start, and where it will end. Then I let the characters and plot evolve as I write. I love the moments where I think, 'what if' and can take the story into a new area I hadn't thought of.

KAM: I am also a pantser, and I start with an idea and an editing too. I sometimes need to plot a little because the story went off course. That's why I truly believe authors get ideas from any aspect of their life. Speaking of ideas, I love to hear where other writers get their ideas from. Where did you get your idea for Guarding Charon?

KMC: I was working on another book (Emile’s Blade), when I woke up one morning. I had the entire first chapter for ‘Guarding Charon’ in my head, including dialogue. When the muse talks THAT loud, I listen. I put the other one aside and started working on this story.

KAM: Chuckles. I know those muses well. My own force me to write a few chapters on a new work and let me be for a bit on the project I am supposed to write. Have your muses been depending a third book in The Waystation Guardians? I mean. Will there be a third book in The Waystation Guardians?

KMC: Yes! I’m working on ‘Guarding William’ now. If you’ve finished ‘Guarding Amber’, you know who that is!

KAM: How do you find the time to write with a husband, two kids, and three cats?

It’s hard, believe me! LOL. But my family’s supportive. If I get a good writing binge going, they go order pizza instead of interrupting me. LOL. The cats are not as understanding, but mostly leave me alone after a brief interruption to give them attention.

KAM: I need to learn that trick. My son is always like "What's for supper?" when I am in the middle of writing. We have two cats. What are the names of your cats?

KMC: Depending on the cat, and what they’re doing….LOL

Caspar – aka The Mighty Hunter or His Royal Fluffiness

Muse – aka The Purrbot or Mama Kitty

Toothless – aka The Night Fury, 10 Cats, or Bear Cub

Guarding Charon

One should always read the fine print...especially with an inheritance from a relative you didn't know existed.

In a rut doesn't even begin to describe Grace's life at 22. Her ex is using his position as a cop to stalk her, getting her fired from every job she finds. Her parents, not knowing how abusive he could be, believe all her problems would vanish if she'd simply marry him.

After losing yet another job, a lawyer arrives. A relative has died and left her entire estate in Maine to Grace. Eager to shake the dust of Bruce and small town Texas off of her for good, she leaps at the chance. She even changes her name.

Then she learns that her great aunt was a Witch...and the house has some big secrets. Secrets that she has to protect for six months if she hopes to inherit the entire estate and truly be free of her past.

KateMarie Collins

Born in the late 60's, KateMarie has lived most of her life in the Pacific NW. While she's always been creative, she didn't turn towards writing until 2008. She found a love for the craft. With the encouragement of her husband and two children, she started submitting her work to publishers.

When she's not taking care of her family, KateMarie enjoys attending events for the Society for Creative Anachronism. The SCA has allowed her to combine both a creative nature and love of history. She currently resides with her family and three cats in what she likes to refer to as "Seattle Suburbia".

You can find KateMarie at the following sites:

Twitter: @DaughterHauk

Thank you KateMarie for stopping by. And thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. Until next time.

-K.A.

New Release: Walks With Him by Elle Marlow


Hello, I am delighted to have Elle Marlow on my blog today. She is here to talk about her latest book Walks With Him.

Moves The Wind…is how the Comanche describe a stallion that eludes capture. It is said that the beast is both horse and spirit, running free between this world and the next. To ride this horse is the greatest desire among men—until she came into their world.

Abandoned in the wilds with sickly baby sister, Ivy wanders into the path of Comanche out on the chase. He is terrifying with his long hair and body made from the granite cliffs that surrounds them, but she needs him to save her sister’s life.

The Comanche name her Walks With Him, and her beauty has started a war from within. One man wants to enslave her, the other wants to win her heart and set her free. The price is impossible. The first brother to capture the special horse will get the woman. The real prize is who the woman gives of herself.

Her name is Walks With Him and this is her story.

Excerpt: He considered Ivy as he allowed his gaze to roam over her. Her concern for her sister was admirable, her skepticism of love mirrored his own. She stood before him, her hair long and loose. Her fine features and round green eyes told of a woman that was delicate on the outside but made of tougher things on the inside. It was an attractive combination.

It was inappropriate to openly stare, but he couldn’t help himself. Rio was a larger woman, and so her buckskins hung loose on Ivy, but even that did not hide the curves that laid underneath. Curves that kept him awake at night. Yamka talks of Baby Deer’s beauty, but in his eyes, Ivy was the one who was most beautiful in both looks and in strength. Even now, when she was so clearly tired from the hard work, and to this strange new life she found herself in, she carried herself tall. In her, he saw the things that mattered. his body honed into her every move as if she were something he’d spent days hunting. He’d never experienced such an awareness in another person. However, the likelihood of anything more than him being able to admire her was slim. A prize like Ivy would end up with the son of a council member or a council elder himself.

K.A. - I was able to ask a few questions of Elle.

1. Where did you get the idea for Walks With Him? The blurb makes me what to read more.

I got the idea from a painting I purchased at Goodwill. Normally, I don’t buy old paintings, but this one was of the desert and it spoke to me. To this day, we cannot tell if the artist signed it 1869 or 1969. It got me to thinking about who she was, and if she was really out in the wilds in `1869 what was her life like?

2. Are there any part of Walks With Him based on a real life experience? If so, can you tell us about one?

Well, part of the story is finding yourself in a new place, new customs and trying to fit in. I think we’ve all been in those shoes and can relate.

3. The excerpt you shared was great. It showed that "he" was interested in Ivy well and with descriptions were woven into it. Is there any advice you can give for inspiring writers to write a wonderful scene like yours?

Take your time. Take your time and think about how you felt during the times you are writing about. Really dig in there deep and see what comes out on paper.

4. With kids, grand kids, a husband, and a horse, where do find the time to write?

Most of my stuff gets written in the wee hours of the morning. I get a lot of help from coffee.

5. What are you working on next?

I have a short story series about Cowboys and Christmas. It’s called Christmas at the Ranch and I was going to end it with two stories, but a third is lurking in my brain as we speak. Lord, help me.

Thanks for the questions! These were fun. Elle

I had so much fun with Elle. I can't wait to see her next book and read Walks With Him.

Author Bio:

Thank you, for hosting me on your blog today. I am very excited to introduce to you my latest historical Native romance, Walks With Him-Comanche Bride.

About Me: Hello! My name is Elle Marlow and I am a proud born and raised Arizona girl. I feel blessed to live in the southwest where I get to enjoy the beautiful Sonoran Desert, ghost towns, horses and most importantly, cowboys!

I have a wonderful husband and so many kids that the old lady in the shoe has nothing on me. I love to write about the west and it gives me a darn good excuse to get out and explore.

You can find me and stay updated at www.ElleMarlow.Blogspot.com

Thank you Elle for stopping by. -K.A.

Book Spotlight: Murder at Mother's by Maighread MacKay


I was able to sit down with Maighread MacKay and talk about life and writing.

1. Where did you get the idea behind Murder at Mother's?

The writing group (WCDR) to which I belong, was having a contest. The theme of the short story was "where sharks gather". I had an image in my head of "sharks" - the wall street type - and wrote a short piece about a family of sharks waiting for the Matriarch to die. No, I didn't win the contest, but I got thinking I could turn the small piece into a longer story. Thus, the beginning of Murder at Mother's.

2. Since you've asked a lot of questions having to do with the paranormal, have you ever found any answers?

Yes. I do believe there is much more to this life and universe than what has been taught in the past. Everyday there are new discoveries. Quantum physics, alternative realities, parallel universes - so much we had never even thought of fifty years ago. The Hubble sends back extraordinary pictures of space. Men have walked on the moon. So much we have to learn.

3. Did any particular event start you asking questions about the paranormal?

As a small child, one of my favourite books was "Artie and the Princess". It is the story of a small dragon named Artemus Peter Edward Aldebert Jehosaphat Dragon - Artie for short, and his adventures. It's probably out of print by now, but I still have my copy. Then, when I could read, I moved on to Nancy Drew. I especially loved "The Ghost of Blackwood Hall". As you can see, my love of all things mysterious began right at the beginning. As I got older, I wasn't satisfied with some of the theology I was taught and began to explore other perceptions of this world and our place in it. I have had a couple of extraordinary experiences which confirmed to me the existence of more than we encounter with our five senses. Our senses are limited. For example: we know sound covers a wide range, but humans can only hear a small portion of it. Dogs have a much larger spectrum. That is why, to us, dog whistles are silent, but are heard by dogs. It doesn't mean the range doesn't exist. Only, that we cannot hear it. I know it's the same with our other senses. We only see and hear a small portion of what exists. When conditions are right, sometimes our senses expand and we are able to see or hear things we usually can't. It doesn't mean the other realms don't exist. It only means that within the normal range of humans, we don't know they are there. I love to talk to people who have experienced a wider range of sight or sound to broaden my own horizons and understanding.

4. Any words of wisdom for new writers?

Advice for new writers? Put your baby in the hands of a competent Editor to make sure it is the best it can be. A good Editor will catch glaring holes in the plot; errors in tense; the flow on your piece; errors in grammar and much more - to make your writing the best it can be.

NEW RELEASE

MURDER AT MOTHER'S

Blurb:

A killer lurks at the Bancroft estate and the Matriarch, Martha Bancroft is murdered. Royally pissed, she hangs around to see what happened. When she doesn’t go immediately to the light, a member of her soul group, shows up from the other side. Gladys is adamant Martha needs to come with her, but Martha has no intention of going anywhere until she helps Detective Ian “Mac” MacKellar and Coroner Dr. Cecilia “Cissy” Walsh find the murderer. Gladys joins Martha and the two set out on their quest.

5 STAR REVIEWS FOR MURDER AT MOTHER'S

I hope that Author MacKay had fun writing this story, because I know I had a marvelous time reading her latest book. - J.C. Henry, Author

This is a wonderful light weave of mystery, family drama, metaphysical and psychic threads ...with a dark strand of greed added to the tapestry. I loved it. - R. Davies

This book has good pace, excellent characterisation and enough twists and turns to keep you interested. There's humour too. - Becca from Amazon.co.UK

Author Biography:

Ghosts, spirits and things that go bump in the night. Ancient mysteries and the riddles of our vast universe. Questions - lots of fascinating questions about the reality of our cosmos. Are there other dimensions or planes of existence? Are they inhabited? Do parallel universes ever converge? Angels, Spirit Guides. Are they real? Can we communicate with them? What about other entities such as the Fae, Unicorns, or Dragons? Could they exist? What happens when we die? Has the soul that inhabits our body been here before? Why would we come back? What about animals? What happens to them when they die? These questions have led me on a journey of investigating Christian Mysticism, Yogic Spirituality, Native Theology, Wicca, Celtic Shamanism, Quantum Physics, the Realm of the Fae and many other related topics. Using my experiences to draw on, I weave tales of Visionary Fiction for both children and adults. Whether nine or ninety, I hope readers will join me in exploring alternate paradigms about life and the after-life experience.

Excerpt from Murder at Mother's:

The fire was the first incident which caught Martha’s attention. One of the ranch hands needed a rope from the tack room and arrived in time to smell smoke and dampen the blaze. A few weeks later, Jared discovered a fence bordering the back forty was down. He repaired it before any of the horses escaped. She shivered as she thought about the danger they’d be in wandering around the forest at night. Both episodes could have been accidents.

Today, dressed in her favorite jeans and boots, Martha strode down the hill to the horses. As she walked, her cane stirred the dry ground with small circular puffs of sand. Her heart and pace were more accelerated than usual as she thought about her beloved mare. Her first baby. Wonder how she’ll take to being a mother. Jared said the delivery went well, but I’ll feel better once I’ve seen her for myself. As she approached the barn door she heard a call. “Grandma, look out.” Forceful hands grabbed her in a firm grip. Her cane went flying. Her hair lifted as something whizzed past her ear and caused a burning sensation where it grazed her arm. She clutched the arms which held her and looked up into the shocked eyes of her grandson.

Other Books by this Author:

STONE COTTAGE

If you could plan your life before you were born, what could that life look like? Rebecca Wainwright, successful, polished EVP tumbles into depression and panic attacks after a traumatic incident. Seeking a respite from the well meaning, but smothering care of her family and friends, she stumbles onto an old stone cottage where she feels like she has come home. After purchasing the home, she discovers it already has an occupant. Annie McBride has been trapped in her home for over 150 years. What do these two women mean to each other? Why meet now? A story of how love bridges the years and can heal even the saddest of hearts.

5 STAR REVIEWS FOR STONE COTTAGE:

The reader gets to know how the events finally affected the characters’ lives and how they are dealing with a new reality. A lot of books omit this important piece and the future of the story is simply left up to the reader’s imagination. - Edna Marie

I enjoyed the stories of the main characters, and found this book to be an entrancing read. - A Happy Reader

That the author weaves two parallel plots in different historical frames seamlessly is a joy for this reader. - A.B. Funkhauser, Author of Shell Game

Excerpt from Stone Cottage:

The cacophony of the moaning wind and lashing rain concealed any sound of a horse’s hoofs. She could see nothing, except the murky fog. No light. No Will. Where are you? Her anxiety escalated to new heights. Her baby girl was asleep upstairs, but she seemed to have been sleeping for a long time. Was Maddy sick? Victoria knew there was something important about the baby that she had to explain to Will, but she couldn’t quite remember what it was. She needed her husband to come home to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. Panic, like a bird’s wings trapped by the cage of her ribs, fluttered in her chest. She leaned her head against the cold glass and clenched her fists. Taking deep breaths to try and calm herself, she flattened her hands on the window.

“He’s fine,” she said. “I know it. Oh, Will, where are you? I need you so much. Please, please come home. Everything will be all right once you get here.”

Tears coursed down her cheeks. The old dog, sensing her unease, leaned into her leg and began to whine. Absentmindedly, she reached down to stroke his head. She would just wait. Wait for as long as it took for Will to come home.

Wait...wait...wait, her mind chanted to the ticking clock in the hall.

Tick...tock...tick...tock...tick...

Links:

Amazon Author Central: amazon.com/author/maighreadmackay

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Contact:

Email me at kamengauthor@gmail.com

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