Come Chat with Me at Virtual Con All Day Today

I will be giving away Freebies to the top commentors throughout the day.

Here's the link to my booth: VIRTUAL CON - SIMONE SALMON

Here's the link to today's events: VIRTUAL FANTASY CON PARANORMAL MONDAY EVENTS

Hope to see you there!!

Author Spotlight - A.B. Funkhauser

Today the spotlight is on the extremely talented and generous author, A.B. Funkhauser and her latest novel, 

Heuer

Book Description 

Unrepentant cooze hound lawyer Jürgen Heuer dies suddenly and unexpectedly in his litter-strewn home. Undiscovered, he rages against God, Nazis, deep fryers and analogous women who disappoint him.

At last found, he is delivered to Weibigand Brothers Funeral Home, a ramshackle establishment peopled with above average eccentrics, including boozy Enid, a former girl friend with serious denial issues. With her help and the help of a wise cracking spirit guide, Heuer will try to move on to the next plane. But before he can do this, he must endure an inept embalming, feral whispers, and Enid’s flawed recollections of their murky past. 

Is it really worth it?

“Heuer” as in “lawyer”: Heuer the Lawyer

Here is a short excerpt:

Two Weeks Ago

The house, like the man who lived in it, was remarkable: a 1950s clapboard-brick number with a metal garage door that needed serious painting. Likewise, the windows, which had been replaced once in the Seventies under some home improvement program, then never again. They were wooden and they were cracked, allowing wasps and other insects inside. 

This was of little consequence to him. 

The neighbors, whom Heuer prodigiously ignored, would stare at the place. Greek, Italian, and house proud, they found the man’s disdain for his own home objectionable. He could see it on their faces when he looked out at them through dirty windows. 

To hell with them. 

If the neighbors disapproved of the moss green roof with its tar shingles that habitually blew off, then let them replace it. Money didn’t fall from the sky and if it did, he wouldn’t spend it on improvements to please strangers. 

They were insects. 

And yet there were times when Jürgen Heuer was forced to compromise. Money, he learned, could solve just about anything. But not where the willful and the pernicious were concerned. These, once singled out, required special attention. 

Alfons Vermiglia, the Genovese neighbor next door, had taken great offense to his acacia tree, a towering twenty-five foot behemoth that had grown from a cutting given to him by a lodge brother. The acacia was esteemed in Masonic lore appearing often in ritual, rendering it so much more than just mere tree. In practical terms, it provided relief, offering shade on hot days to the little things beneath it. And it bloomed semi-annually, whimsically releasing a preponderance of white petals that carried on the wind mystical scent—the same found in sacred incense and parfums. 

What horseshit. 

It was a dirty son of a bitch of a tree that dropped its leaves continuously from spring to fall, shedding tiny branches from its diffident margins. These were covered in nasty little thorns that damaged vinyl pool liners and soft feet alike. They also did a pretty amazing job of clogging Alfons’ pool filter, turning his twenty-five hundred gallon toy pool green overnight. 

This chemistry compromised the neighbor’s pleasure and it heightened his passions, blinding Alfons to the true nature of his enemy. He crossed over onto Heuer’s property and drove copper nails into the root system. It was an old trick, Byzantine in its treachery; the copper would kill the tree slowly over time leading no one to suspect foul play. 

But Heuer was cagey and suspicious by nature, so when the tree displayed signs of failure, he knew where to look. 

The acacia recovered and Alfons said nothing. Heuer planted aralia—the “Devil’s Walking Stick”—along the fence line and this served as an even thornier reminder that he knew. And if there was any doubt at all, he went further by coating his neighbor’s corkscrew hazel with a generous dose of Wipe Out. 

Intrusive neighbors and their misplaced curiosities were, by turns, annoying and amusing and their interest, though unwanted, did not go unappreciated. The Greeks on the other side of him weren’t combative in the least and they offered gardening advice whenever they caught him out of doors. The man, Panos, talked politics and cars, and expressed interest in the vehicle that sat shrouded and silent on Heuer’s driveway. He spoke long and colorfully about the glory days of Detroit muscle cars and how it all got bungled and bargained away. 

“They sacrificed an industry to please a bunch of big mouths in Hollywood,” Panos would rant in complete disregard for history: Al Gore and Global Warming didn’t kill the GTO; the OPEC oil crisis did. But there was no point in telling him that. 

Panos was an armchair car guy and incurable conspiracy theorist. He also kept to his side of the fence, unlike his wife, Stavroula, who was driven by natural instinct. Not content to leave an unmarried man alone, she routinely crossed Heuer’s weedy lawn, banging on the door with offers of food and a good housecleaning. 

Heuer had no trouble accepting her cooking. But he declined her brush and broom. Was it kindness, or was she trying to see inside? He suspected the latter. 

No one was ever seen entering Heuer’s house and while this piqued public interest, he never gave in, not even to those who were kind to him. He liked Panos and Stavroula and he regretted poisoning their cat. 

But not enough to let them in to his home. 

Others on the street had less contact with him. Canvassers at election time would disturb him, in spite of the lawn sign warning the solicitous away. That this didn’t apply to neighbor kids brave enough to pedal cookies and magazine subscriptions in spite of the sign, was a testament, perhaps, to some residual soft spot in his heart that endured. 

Even so, he knew that people talked about him and, frankly, he had trouble accounting for their fascination. Short, curt, bespectacled, he courted an ethos that favored enforced detachment. When people got close enough to hear him speak, they detected a trace of an accent. Now faded after years of U.S. residency, his speech still bore the unmistakable patterns of someone undeniably foreign. Elaborate, overwrought and heavy on the adverbs, he spoke very much like his neighbors. Yet the distance between them was incalculable…

About the Author 

A.B. Funkhauser is a funeral director, classic car nut and wildlife enthusiast living in Ontario, Canada. Like most funeral directors, she is governed by a strong sense of altruism fueled by the belief that life chooses us and we not it.

“Were it not for the calling, I would have just as likely remained an office assistant shuffling files around, and would have been happy doing so.”

Life had another plan. After a long day at the funeral home in the waning months of winter 2010, she looked down the long hall joining the director’s office to the back door leading three steps up and out into the parking lot. At that moment a thought occurred: What if a slightly life-challenged mortician tripped over her man shoes and landed squarely on her posterior, only to learn that someone she once knew and cared about had died, and that she was next on the staff roster to care for his remains?

Like funeral directing, the writing called, and four years and several drafts later, Heuer Lost and Found was born.

What’s a Heuer? Beyond a word rhyming with “lawyer,” Heuer the lawyer is a man conflicted. Complex, layered, and very dead, he counts on the ministrations of the funeral director to set him free. A labor of love and a quintessential muse, Heuer has gone on to inspire four other full length works and over a dozen short stories.

“To my husband John and my children Adam and Melina, I owe thanks for the encouragement, the support, and the belief that what I was doing was as important as anything I’ve tackled before at work or in art.”

Funkhauser is currently working on a new manuscript begun in November during NaNoWriMo 2014.

You can find out loads more about A.B. here:

WEBSITE 

TWITTER 

FB AUTHOR PAGE 

SOLSTICE PUBLISHING 

GOODREADS

FAQs

BOOK TRAILER

INTERVIEW PART 1

INTERVIEW PART 2

Email: a.b.funkhauser@rogers.com

Grab your copy: BUY LINK

PRAISE

“The macabre black comedy Heuer Lost And Found, written by A.B. Funkhauser, is definitely a different sort of book! You will enjoy this book with its mixture of horror and humour.”
—Diana Harrison, Author ALWAYS AND FOREVER 

“This beautifully written, quirky, sad, but also often humorous story of Heuer and Enid gives us a glimpse into the fascinating, closed world of the funeral director.”
—Yvonne Hess, Charter Member, The Brooklin 7 

“The book runs the gamut of emotions. One minute you want to cry for the characters, the next you are uncontrollably laughing out loud, and your husband is looking at you like you lost your mind, at least mine did.”

 http://teresanoel.blogspot.ca/2015/05/heuer-lost-and-found-unapologetic-lives

“The writing style is racy with no words wasted.”
—David K. Bryant, Author TREAD CAREFULLY ON THE SEA

“For a story centered around death, it is full of life.”
—Rocky Rochford, Author RISE OF ELOHIM CHRONICLES

“Like Breaking Bad’s Walter White, Heuer is not a likeable man, but I somehow found myself rooting for him. A strange, complicated character.”
—Kasey Balko, Pickering, Ontario

Raw, clever, organic, intriguing and morbid at the same … breathing life and laughter into a world of death.
—Josie Montano, Author VEILED SECRETS

Author Spotlight - Raegyn Perry

Welcome Raegyn Perry today whose sweet smile and huge heart are both reflective of her newest work, 

Lavender Fields

“All I can tell you is this. When love is right, it’s true.

When it’s true, it’s forever.”

Torrential rain spikes. A scream pierces the dark night followed by

shattered glass and a wash of blood.

The haunting dream came upon Greye yet again as it had in years past. It was a nightmare a child could never fully comprehend, and remained as unsettling as an adult. Always set in a faraway place and time; yet there was something more. Under its surface hinted at an unknown that should somehow be familiar. It was like an ending that wasn’t quite finished.

Author Bio

Raegyn (pronounced Reagan) Perry is thrilled to share her debut novel, Lavender Fields, with readers. This is the first book in the Eternal Journey Series. It asks the question:

'What if love found the right people at the wrong time?'

With the inspiration coming from a true family story, and having found the uninhibited time to write, a story was born.

When not writing, Raegyn is perfectly content curled up with a good book, TV binge watching, or on a fun travel adventure. Also, anyone who knows her knows she loves to dance (a lot!) wherever and whenever possible!

How would she describe Lavender Fields? 

It’s a paranormal romance that centers around reincarnation; so it’s basically two romances! The story is funny, sexy, dark, and raw while being twisted, mysterious, and still somehow romantic.

Raegyn believes readers can connect with her lovers, Connor and Greye, on a few levels. It has the elements of the classic love story: boy meets & gets girl, but it also tackles some real and uncomfortable issues, while introducing characters that anyone can relate to, root for, or despise altogether! Then, throw some odd clues with a helping of paranormal in, and you have a unique take on a timeless aspect of romance. The author hopes so anyway!

After Raegyn completes the Eternal Journey Series, she hopes to begin work on another series, which readers can actually catch a glimpse of first within the pages of Lavender Fields. 

The beautiful Pacific Northwest state of Washington has been home since 2001. She has one grown son whom she adores. Raegyn is currently working on the second book in the series, Cypress Groves (working title), and will be investigating options to maybe get her full length stage play produced in the area.

You can check out Raegyn at:

      FB AUTHOR PAGE

    TWITTER

    WEBSITE

    BLOG

Affiliations: PNWA (Pacific NW Writers Association)

Publisher: Solstice Publishing/Summer Solstice

Email: raegynperrywrites@gmail.com

Coming in November 2015 - Virtual FantasyCon

YOU GOING?

VIRTUAL FANTASYCON

VIRTUAL FANTASYCON

Out of control characters: Spotlight on Simone Salmon!

 Checkout out K.C. Sprayberry's blog today as she spotlights yours truly - wooohooo!!

Out of control characters: Spotlight on Simone Salmon!: Years of deception and suppressed trauma do not prevent secrets from unraveling when parallel worlds clash, intertwining fami...

Guest Author - Heidi Mason, Author of Investigating the Heart

A hearty welcome to Solstice author, Heidi Mason, whose novel, Investigating the Heart, is available for readers today. Heidi's creation is a spice-filled steamy romance mixed in with some serious mystery. Make sure you check it out!

After the death of her husband in a plane crash, Emma McCoy, a single mom of three, has given up on love. When she meets Liam O’Reilly, an FBI agent who is new in town, the chemistry is immediate. Emma tries to keep her distance, but Liam is determined to win her over. As the two navigate their feelings, Emma’s resolve begins to crumble. What Emma doesn’t know is that Liam is connected to her past in a way that she could never have imagined, and this connection could put their future in jeopardy. In the small town of Beckland, Ohio, danger is the last thing that Emma expects. However, since Liam’s arrival, it seems like peril is waiting around every corner.

AUTHOR BIO

Heidi Renee Mason always knew she would be an author. Heidi is passionate about writing, and writes fiction, as well as poetry. In her spare time, Heidi enjoys music, genealogy, all things Celtic, and chick flicks. 

A native of the Midwest, Heidi now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters. Investigating the Heart is Heidi’s debut novel. 

Visit Heidi at:

HEIDI'S WEBSITE

HEIDI'S TWITTER: @heidireneemason

HEIDI'S FB PAGE

Cover Reveal - The Beach House by Deborah Melanie

What could possibly happen when two work colleagues meet moonlight, champagne and the sound of the surf at a magical beach house? 

London solicitors Raine and Greg are working in California for a month. It could be the perfect opportunity for shy Raine to finally come clean about her attraction towards her colleague. Enigmatic Greg is the perfect English gentleman and a conscientious solicitor. Can a new and sensual environment open up a whole new world for them both?

The Beach House Excerpt

A gentle breeze shimmered through the curtains, the sheer fabric swaying with grace across the open French doors. The sounds of the ocean followed the breeze into the room, bringing the summer’s evening closer to the couple in the beach house. Outside, the moon cast its silver glow onto the shore below. Raine smiled. She loved the London skyline, but these Californian evenings were a beautiful sight to behold. Walking back across the lounge room towards her companion, she felt relaxed. Champagne and a good-looking man could do that for a girl. Greg Harper looked more than relaxed; his arm lay along the back of the sofa, his crisp white shirt unbuttoned a little more than earlier in the evening, his long legs stretched out in front of him. She found it hard to recall a time when she'd seen him look more handsome. Perhaps it was the beach house; perhaps it was the evening. Perhaps it was the man himself.  Placing their wine glasses on the coffee table, she caught Greg scanning her cleavage. She sat down next to him, a small smile playing on her lips. At last she, too, could relax. Crossing her legs, she sighed. The sensation of stockings whispering against her thighs sent a shiver down her spine. She wondered if he sensed the same anticipation, the same level of heat. On the surface, her companion appeared to be the very essence of the calm and collected work colleague he always was. To Raine, there were no outward signs Greg wanted her. Nevertheless, he had agreed to share a taxi and a nightcap with her. Wasn’t that enough to give a girl hope? Four solicitors from their London law firm had been sent to California for the month, each of them accommodated in the finest beach houses their firm could rent. Though Greg was not her nearest neighbor, it still made relative sense for them to return home together.   As Raine leant forward to reach for her glass, she felt his hand touch her own gently. “Let’s not waste time sipping wine and indulging in polite conversation, Raine. We spent the whole evening doing that. Law firm dinners aren’t my idea of a good time, even if they are hosted in fabulous style. But you, however…   I know why you asked me here. I know you’ve been looking for the perfect excuse.”

The Beach House will be released by Solstice Publishing on September 1st 2015.

Cover art for The Beach House by Deborah Melanie.

About the Author

Deborah Melanie is the wife of a retired, semi-professional footballer. She is a mother, cat lover, designer, reviewer, and published author. Deborah writes stories describing life in England, with a backdrop of rolling hills and beautiful landscapes. She loves to write about small market towns and close-knit communities. Her stories are contemporary; often combining her interests in the paranormal, comedy, and food. Deborah enjoys writing both sweet and erotic romance.   

Social Media Links: 
TWITTER  
FB
WEBSITE 
ROMANCE WITH SUGAR AND SPICE BLOG

Guest Author - Mary Fan

I hate coming across artwork that brings out that ugly green monster, but darn it if the cover of Mary Fan's newest novel doesn't make me just fume. Is that cover art dah diddity bomb or whaht?!! I'm feeling it on so many jealous levels! 

Mary Fan's latest creation, Firedragon Rising, is now available on Amazon. 

FIREDRAGON RISING (A Flynn Nightsider Tale)
By Mary Fan

Sinister plots. An underground rebellion. And a treacherous road filled with monsters and enemies unknown.

It's been three months since Aurelia survived the International Challenge--an elite monster-fighting competition. And the Triumvirate has been keeping a close eye on her ever since ... as if they expect her to cause them more trouble.

They're right.

Now that she knows about the underground revolution--and the dark secrets of her own past--Aurelia is hell-bent on escaping the government's watchful gaze and joining the rebels. Finally, she's found a cause worth fighting for. A way for her kind, the Norms, to take back their freedom.

Then, when she overhears a Triumvirate official's conversation, she learns that it's even worse than she realized. The government knows about the rebels, and the rebellion. They're searching for people who sympathize with the cause. And they're coming after her next.

Suddenly the time for dreaming about the rebellion is over. Aurelia must make contact with the rebels and plot a quick escape ... before the Triumvirate has a chance to capture her. But government forces and miles of monster-filled wilderness stand between her and the rebel headquarters, and dangers she never imagined lurk in the shadows.

Before she can fight for the freedom of her people, she must achieve her own—or die trying.

All revenues will be donated to the San Diego Department of Animal Services Spirit Fund, a nonprofit society dedicated to giving homeless animals the medical care they need.

EXCERPT (From Chapter 6: Darkness Closing)

Suddenly a chill—icier, even, than the winter wind—wafted through the air, and she stopped abruptly. Something dangerous was coming, and the slight tremor in the ground beneath her confirmed it. Another freezing gust blasted toward her, causing the trees to shake and their bare branches to rattle. Beneath the gale, she heard a woman’s faint voice calling, “Hellooooo, little giiiiirl...”

      A specter. Its voice seemed to have come from all directions at once. Shuddering, Aurelia seized her swords and held them out to her sides, swinging them quickly in hopes that the silver blades would force the spirit to back off. There wasn’t anything else she could do to fight a spirit. Fear pricked at her, but she swatted it away. Specters fed on fear, drawing strength from its energy. She wouldn’t give it that advantage.

      “Helloooooo,” the specter said again, and this time its tone carried a cruel laugh.

      Aurelia looked around wildly, searching the dark and hoping she wouldn’t find anything. The more visible a specter was, the more power it wielded, which meant the weakest were as transparent as the wind while the most powerful looked almost solid. As long as this specter wasn’t strong enough to materialize, she stood a chance of escaping before it hurled her into a tree, or heaved a boulder at her head, or found some other way to kill her. Dread clawed at her insides, and she fought to keep it down.

      Then an abrupt, resounding crack shot through the night, and she sensed something huge coming at her. Realizing it was a falling tree, she leaped out of the way just before the trunk crashed into the ground. The snapping of branches peppered the air like gunfire, and she ducked as one came barreling toward her.

      As she sprang back up, her eyes caught a horrifying sight: A faintly glowing, translucent woman in a blue dress that hung in tatters from her skeletal figure, which was loosely covered in torn, gray skin. Her face was so distorted that Aurelia wondered how it had ever been human at all. One eye looked as if someone had grabbed it and its surrounding flesh, yanked it down next to the nostrils, and then filled the resulting space with an enormous gray boil. The lips appeared to have crumbled away, leaving a ragged hole around the eternal grin of a skull’s teeth.

GET YOUR COPY HERE - AMAZON

About the Author

Mary Fan is a hopeless dreamer, whose mind insists on spinning tales of “what if.” As a music major in college, she told those stories through compositions. Now she tells them through books—a habit she began as soon as she could pick up a pencil. FIREDRAGON RISING is part of the FLYNN NIGHTSIDER universe, which is currently under contract with Glass House Press. Mary is also the author of the JANE COLT sci-fi trilogy and the co-editor of BRAVE NEW GIRLS: TALES OF GIRLS AND GADGETS, a YA sci-fi anthology about tech-savvy girls.

Mary lives in New Jersey and has a B.A. from Princeton University. When she’s not scheming to create new worlds, she enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and blogging about everything having to do with books.

Loving that hat Mary! And that smile....green monster rears its ugly head again...

MARY FAN'S WEBSITE

Guest Author - Gloria Weber

I love a good short story and recently got introduced to the inspiring work, Alicia, by the talented author, Gloria Weber. Gloria's writing is suspenseful and I'm hoping to see more of her stories soon.

Blurb

Leon has decided it is better to remain silent and accused of Alicia’s murder than admit the truth. The truth, well… that’s so unbelievable it’s crazy. Not that Detective Dorndorf believes a word that comes out of Leon’s mouth. Dorndorf just wants a confession and figures dragging Leon to the last spot Alicia was seen might just pry it out of him. Will the detective’s plan work or will the truth come out?

Check out Gloria's book it's only:

Price: $0.99 - woohooo!!!

GET YOUR COPY - AMAZON

GET YOUR COPY - SOLSTICE 

AUTHOR BIO

Gloria Weber lives in Ohio with her husband, son, daughter, and many pets. She has been writing for publication since March 2006 with over a dozen titles published. Her favorite letter is L.

Girl, I am loving that hair!

Social Media Links:

WEBSITE
TWITTER or @GloriaWeber
GOOGLE+
FB PAGE
GOODREADS

Guest Author - Eden Royce

I came across this gem while sifting through hashtags on Facebook and had to email the author because, honey, the book cover gave me life! 

Spooklights is Eden Royce's newest creation and is on my list for an upcoming review. Here is an excerpt from the book, author information and links to get your copy. 

Excerpt from Spook Lights: 

Hag Ride

By Eden Royce

The two women sat on the hardwood floor of the cabin with moonlight illuminating Big Mama’s mis en place for the ritual. Two piles of sea salt, a wad of Henry’s coarse hair tied with butcher’s twine and six blood smeared candles sat next to the refilled juice glasses. 

“This your last chance, Frieda. Think this through.”

The younger woman’s face remained resolute. “I’m done thinking.”

Big Mama nodded and lit the first candle. Murky shadows danced to its flickering. When the final candle began to glow, she spoke. “Get me a hidin’ man.”

Frieda smoothed her shirtdress and tiptoed out to the marsh, her Keds squishing in the soft, dank mud. The moon was a smile in the darkness as she looked for a stalk of seagrass leaning heavily to the ground. Finding one, she crouched to complete her task, her feet sinking deeper into the cool, black muck. She plucked a conical shell from the crisp grass and hurried back inside.

Big Mama placed the open end of the shell against her neck and hummed low in her throat. The hum filled the small room, vibrated across the floor to imbed itself in Frieda’s chest and infuse her limbs with its eerie, toneless rumble. 

She pulled the shell away from her throat and Frieda saw a small, pale crab, stirred by the vibration, peek out of the shell. Big Mama yanked it from its home and pulled a switchblade, slick with sweat, from the depths of her bosom. In one motion, she opened the knife and skewered the frightened crustacean to the floor before it could scuttle away. Henry’s clump of hair covered the crab’s death throes. She took a gulp of the caustic wine, spat it on the gruesome pile and touched a candle to it. It burned, not destroying the wooden floor, while Frieda’s voice joined the humming. 

Wind came, strong through the curtains and the hovering shadows coalesced into a swirling ash grey mass.

“She here. Be ready with the salt.”

The grey cloud moved around the calling space, stopping at each candle, before it slunk between the two women to examine its sacrifice. Satisfied, it slid over to Frieda and swayed like a cobra. She could feel its presence inside her mind, inside her chest and she gasped as it probed at her most tender heartaches. Crushing memories rushed to the surface of her psyche: Henry’s countless betrayals, looks of pity from the local women, laughter from the men. Frieda’s heart seized. She gasped for breath as scabs, new and old, tore from each emotional wound. It delved deeper in its search, picking curiously, while tears grew behind Frieda’s fluttering eyelids. Her chest heaved and quivered with impending sobs. 

“The salt. Throw the salt!” Big Mama yelled, breaking through the creature’s trance-inducing sway.

Frieda’s arm shook with the effort of tossing a small handful of salt over her left shoulder. While most of the salt found its way down the front of her dress, enough landed behind her to end the Hag’s internal quest. The smoky funnel whirled and spun with its newfound knowledge.

Brought to the surface again, her pain crystallized into diamond hard resolve, but it eased enough for her to gasp her request. “Make Henry stay with me.”

The whirlwind roiled with fervor, covering the wine-soaked crab carcass in its dervish. When it finally moved, only the switchblade remained. The coil of ash rose in the thick, muggy air and hovered above the women. One word came from the twisting center eye. 

“Agreed.” 

It extinguished each candle, then dissipated to leave the women surrounded by darkness and the scent of charred sulfur.

Be sure to get your copy of Spooklights, now available on:

Lulu

Amazon - US

Amazon - UK

Eden Royce Biography and Information

Think a small-town girl who grew up around rootworkers and hoodoo practitioners might have a new take on horror?

BIO

A former stockbroker, Eden Royce is descended from women who practiced root, a type of conjure magic in her native Charleston, South Carolina. She now lives in Kent, The Garden of England, and writes stories loosely based on her childhood. A lover of mystery and magic, Eden writes Gothic horror and dark fantasy tales that teeter on the edge of realism. Featured in her work are the language and traditions of the Gullah people, descendants of the first slaves brought to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.

Eden’s stories have been called “a fist in a velvet glove” (Roma Gray, author of Gray Shadows Under a Harvest Moon), “atmospheric, unforgettable, and haunting” (Crystal Connor, author of The Spectrum Trilogy) and she has been praised for bringing “a refreshing perspective to the table that paranormal lovers are sure to enjoy.” (B.D. Bruns, author of The Gothic Shift). Eden is also one of the writers for The 7 Magpies project, a first of its kind: a short horror film anthology written and directed entirely by black women.

She is also the horror submissions editor for Mocha Memoirs Press where she conceived and edited The Grotesquerie, an anthology of twenty-one horror short stories written by women. She also writes a regular feature for Graveyard Shift Sisters, a site dedicated to purging the black female horror fan from the margins, where she interviews black female authors and reviews their latest work.

As a woman from the American South, Eden has been a storyteller all her life. She focuses on creating tales with strong female characters and stories that bring the experience of people of color to the fore. Learn more about Eden’s brand of horror at darkgeisha.wordpress.com and at edenroyce.com.

Checkout Eden on Social Media:

TWITTER
FB AUTHOR PAGE
FB Page - Eden Royce The Dark Geisha

Website: http://edenroyce.com/
Blog: http://darkgeisha.wordpress.com/

PRESS

Eden featured in the non-fiction book: 60 Black Women in Horror Writing
Eden creating “Hell Noir” on the world-building podcast, Crucible of Realms
Interview with Eden for All Hallows Read
Eden reading an excerpt from her upcoming novella, Containment II: Unleashed
Eden’s guest post on the difference between voodoo, hoodoo, and conjure magic
Eden’s interview on the Things that Go Bump in My Head blog
7 Questions with Eden Royce
Eden’s Women in Horror Month interview
Eden on the European Geeks blog
Eden’s Top Ten Reasons You Should Read Southern Gothic
Eden on Graveyard Shift Sisters
Review of Spook Lights on Sit. Write. Bleed.
Review of Spook Lights on The Cerebral Writer
Review on Damsels with Chainsaws

Guest Author - Tevis Shkodra

Tevis Shkodra is a fellow Solstice author whose humanitarian work provides the backdrop for his newest novella, Symbiois. This story canvasses the complexities involving how companies are constantly growing into multi-million (or billion) dollar enterprises while the middle-class continues to diminish, and the dichotomous extremes of wealth in comparison to the ever-increasing poverty levels. I know right! Will be reviewing this baby shortly.

Blurb

It is often when individuals are consumed with their daily lives, that they miss the camouflaged world beneath their feet. Ohm, a mentally unstable lower-class worker, has always considered himself ‘normal’, yet he always feels as if he lacks a purpose in life. 

Unlike the others, Ohm is unsatisfied with his life, and sees himself as a small cog in the totalitarian machine overseeing his life. His curious nature leads him to The Brotherhood, a secret organization dedicated to changing the regime. 

Ohm is caught in the middle of a war he was previously unaware of, and his life now depends on his ability to keep a secret. 

Symbiosis’ pages practically turn themselves, leaving the readers questioning their own sanity.

GET YOUR COPY OF SYMBIOSIS HERE:

BOOKGOODIES
AMAZON - US

Tevis Shkodra's Bio

Tevis Shkodra was born on July, 6th 1994 in the small town of Elbasan, in the small mediterranean country of Albania. He currently lives in Oakville, ON with his family, and is currently undertaking his Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Business Administration. 

The inspiration for his first novella Symbiosis arose from his humanitarian travels in Costa Rica, where he worked at an orphanage, and as an English teacher. Other inspirations were his love of dystopian stories, and his family’s past, under a communist regime. 

Stop by Tevis' Blog: dystopianauthor.wordpress.com

Make sure you checkout Tevis on Social Media:

TWITTER

FB AUTHOR PAGE

Guest Author - Janice Almond on "Being Grateful"

This IS IT! The antidote, in a simple, easy-to-read format, to issues such as:

• Low self-esteem
• Negative thinking
• Fear of failure

In the monotony of our very busy lives, we often forget the simple principle that our thoughts determine our destiny. And it's not until we hit a rough patch, that we decide that we need to retool our life's compass. In this book, Janice takes you on a journey that causes you to unearth a heart of gratitude that will provoke you to change the way that you perceive and live your life.

If you are looking for an abundant and more fulfilled life, this book is for you. In her thirteen steps, Janice gives compelling reasons for changing your attitude and outlines specific details with quick and easy to implement strategies. These methods are vital in order to develop and maintain an "attitude of gratitude" and to live a life of gratefulness.

Here's an excerpt from the book:

"CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. On this journey we call "life," if we don't believe in ourselves, there is not much we can do or accomplish with this life we’ve been given. We will be stuck, immobilized, similar to being connected to a stake in the ground. Believing in ourselves is something we must all do. We must know there is something this current life has to offer us. Where does this belief come from? It comes from the value that we place on ourselves and our life. It comes from within."

If you're interested in a better quality of life and are tired of your mood swings, bouts with depression, or your inability to experience true joy—this book was written with you in mind.

As you turn the pages you will discover tips that you can implement immediately. You will find that being grateful can and will transform your life. It is the key that unlocks the door to a life of ultimate fulfillment and perpetual abundance. 

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Guest Author - Natalie O'Neil

Guardian House

by 

Natalie O'Neil

Trailer: https://youtu.be/_28l3LaygJc

Curious. That’s the one word Alice uses to describe herself in her Group Therapy sessions. She thinks it has a nicer ring to it than the crazy her parents called her before they abandoned her at Guardian House with other unwanted misfits. Thanks to a childhood incident, Alice can’t remember if she actually visited the fantasy land that appears in pieces of her memory. But she knows her instincts are trying to tell her something is up at Guardian House, and she is too curious to avoid it.

After years of struggling to find her own kind of normal, Alice has found a sense of sanity with some of the patients, especially her best-friend-she’s-basically-family Dorothy, and her hunky crush Tim. Alice’s goal, aside from finding the courage to let Tim know how she feels, is to be discharged and leave Guardian House. That is, until mad Hattie reminds them of the legend of the evil Red Queen. Aided by quirky Therapy friends, secrets of the mysterious Dr. Wize, and a little magic, Alice must fight to save her friend’s lives – even if it means betraying the only thing she has grown to rely on.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/bZOv3AsKdzE

Author Bio

Natalie O’Neil is proud to announce the publication of her first novel, Guardian House, an urban fantasy mash-up of her favorite childhood mischief-makers. Enticed by the bizarre, Natalie’s unconventional predilections have been know to lead her down more than one path not frequently taken, and she’s always up for the adventure.

Natalie is fascinated by the Victorian Era, Steampunk, and alternate realities, allowing her to often romanticize about a time and place that never actually existed, except for in her mind. This magical, whimsical, and sometimes frightening imaginary world inspires both her writing and her real life.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Natalie taught high school English & Creative Writing for many years before becoming an innovator in educational technology. As a Technology Coordinator, Google Certified Teacher and Trainer, Raspberry Pi Certified Teacher, and Adjunct Professor, Natalie is passionate about sharing the benefits of technology and the arts with educators around the world.

When she isn’t traveling, Natalie can be found at home in New Jersey with her husband, often spoiling her American Eskimo pup, refinishing shabby chic home furnishings, or finding creative ways to entertain and educate.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/EquqifPB8h4

Guest Author - Thomas Bell

Madonna del Monte, Aviano, Italy; setting for A Diamond in Venice

A DIAMOND IN VENICE

by
Julian Bell

In June 1966, 20 year old Johnny Jones joins the Air Force and is shipped to a base in Northern Italy. Little did he know he’d have a torrid love affair, play professional baseball in the Italian League and be offered the opportunity to become an officer and fly fighter jets.

A Diamond In Venice is the story of a young man from the Midwest who at the end of his sophomore year of college has no clue as to what he wants to do or what he wants to be, so he decides to join the armed forces. When he arrives at Aviano Air Base located in Northern Italy, he meets Maria, a gorgeous Italian girl from a wealthy family who is working on the base to perfect her English. They fall deeply in love and Johnny realizes that he now knows what he wants to do – marry Maria and become an officer. He discovers, however, that there are a few obstacles, including Maria’s father who is opposed to their relationship. Johnny must somehow find a way to win him over.

Along the way he becomes a star playing shortstop for Venice. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he’d be signing autographs before a ball game.

Excerpt 1 – Johnny meets Maria

My gaze fell first upon her black high heels and her thin ankles. I worked my way up past her perfectly shaped legs, to her waist which couldn’t have been more than 22 inches, to her chest which was considerably larger with all the right curves, then to her beautiful face. Her complexion was slightly dark and flawless. Her long flowing hair was jet black and her eyes were the darkest brown I’d ever seen. When I found myself looking at those unique eyes, I realized they were looking directly at me. Our eyes were locked on each other for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was maybe 10 seconds. She smiled, bit her lip, as if to signify a little embarrassment, and then looked away and completed her business with Airman Stokes.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her! She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. After she finished with Stokes, she turned and walked past and glanced my way for a split second. For the next four or five days I was hoping that she would visit my tub file, but she didn’t. On two occasions we passed in the hallway. Both times our eyes locked and she bit her lip, but no words were exchanged.

On the Friday of my second week I was coding documents, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and heard a slightly husky voice, “We have not met. I am Maria.”

I jumped up, banging my knee on the tub file. My heart skipped a beat. “Hi. I’m Airman Jones.”

“Yes, I know. I have seen your name tag. But what is your first name?”

“Johnny.”

“I’m happy to meet you, Johnny.” Her smile was infectious. Like all of her other attributes her lips and teeth were also perfect.

I smiled back. “I’m glad to meet you, Maria.”

Excerpt 2 - Trying out for the team

Now it was my turn. I stepped in right-handed. The pitcher threw five straight balls, none were close to the strike zone. Out of frustration I swung and missed the next pitch, which was high and away. I then proceeded to foul a couple off, hit a couple of grounders and then popped one up. I glanced at Gelindo and Rick who were looking at me and whispering to each other. I thought, if I don’t do something soon, I won’t be coming back. I heard Alex yell, “Come on Johnny. Show’em what you can do.”

I switched to the left side. I took the first pitch then lined one to right center that rolled to the fence. The pitcher, thank God, then threw me four pitches in a row that were all up and over the plate. I hit each further than its predecessor. All four cleared the fence in straight away right field with the last two clearing the bleachers and landing in the canal. Each of the last two traveled over 400 feet. Rick called time and yelled, “Johnny, that’s enough. We don’t wanta lose more balls.”

After practice Gelindo and Rick called Alex and me over. Rick did the talking.

“Alicks anda Shjohnny, weeda be honored to hava you to join our team; will you play for Venezia?”

Alex answered for both of us, “Si, Si, Signore Rick, we’ll play for you. Grazie.” I just smiled and nodded.

Author Bio

Thomas Bell, who writes under the pen name, Julian Bell, grew up in Vienna, Virginia located just outside of the District of Columbia. He is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he obtained a degree in Marketing and later a M.B.A. His education was interrupted by a 3½ year stint in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Aviano Air Force Base in Northern Italy, which provides much of the setting for his novel A Diamond in Venice.

After college Mr. Bell located in Cincinnati, Ohio where he had a very fruitful business career. He was President of Skyline Chili, Cincinnati’s premier chili offering. He was also chief operating officer of two other food products companies before completing his career as Executive Vice President of Baker Concrete Construction, the nation’s largest concrete construction company.

Recently retired, Mr. Bell continues to reside in Cincinnati. When he isn’t writing or consulting, his three grown children and nine grandchildren find ways to keep him busy.

He is currently working on his next novel.

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Author Links:

Facebook: https://facebook.com//julianbellauthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com//julianbell183
Website: https://authorjulianbell.com