♥~~Spotlight + Giveaway + Interview~~♥ MAGIC ACADEMY by Jillian Keep

Title: Magic Academy

Author: Jillian Keep

Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: Dec 13 2013

Editions/Formats it will be Available In: eBook

Out of a young woman’s ambition comes a love triangle that could destroy more than her heart.

Firia has always wanted to be a witch, but even though she’s a natural in magic, there’s a problem: She’s human.

Considered by the elven elite to be inferior, Firia needs an edge to be accepted into the Magic Academy. Out of sheer desperation, she summons the demon Varuj, a terrifyingly gorgeous spirit who helps her win the entrance competition. But at what price?

As the commanding demon does everything he can to penetrate every aspect of her innocent life, Firia still finds herself drawn to her study partner, Mae’lin. Not only is the sweet elf completely different from the powerful Varuj, but their relationship is forbidden.

How is she supposed to choose between the demon she owes her life to and the innocent elf who makes her a better person?

This thrilling coming of age new adult romance is from fantasy romance author, Jillian Keep.

Jillian Keep is the softer and more romantic side of J.E. & M. Keep. They love to combine fantasy, scifi, horror, romance and mystery into exciting and titillating novels.

They are long term, loving partners in a very happy relationship and because of this; they love to torture their characters. Dark romance touches all of their stories in one way or another; from elicit trysts to forbidden love.

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1.         What would you say was the most fun about writing this book?

How it all tied in together. It was a really complicated novel for us, and will be the first in many, so setting up a solid base was really important. Knowing that our beta readers and the advanced reviewers have been responding so well to the ending says that it was done well!

2.         Give us some insight into the main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

She’s daring, adventurous, and driven, willing to take immense risks to escape her lot in life. She’s certainly not like most other humans in her world. She’s talented with magic and has the drive to succeed, despite the many setbacks - poverty, single parent family, heritage - that she has to face.

3.         What are you working on right now?

The second one is in planning! Though we hope to finish the sequel to “The Mistress” before then. For those who don’t know, “The Mistress” is a mystery novel about a young psychology student in the 1920’s who gets caught up in a lot of intrigue and suspense at her university.

4.         What genre are your books?

Almost always fantasy and scifi, though we do the occasional contemporary and often slip in some mystery.

5.         What draws you to this genre?

It’s so much more interesting to explore serious themes in a more whimsical setting. In fantasy, such as “Magic Academy”, we can create new laws of nature, new societies, everything bent to our whim. Trees that grow sideways, castles that float, and intrepid young  women who make deals with the devil.

6.         What is your favorite color?

Today it’s red!

7.         What is your favorite food?

Cheesecake! Thick and creamy.

8.         Are you a cat or dog person? Why?

Neither due to allergies, sadly. Though if not for that we’d be split down the middle, cat vs. dog.

9.         How are you published (*i.e. indie, traditional, or both) and why?

Indies definitely has more freedom to respond to fan wishes, and to explore themes that might not be the most profitable. It also allows us to keep more of the money from sales and use that to promote our work in manners we approve of,  that give more back to our fans, such as contests and giveaways.

10.       Do you have any amusing stories from your adventures in the writing world?

We once got a very negative review on one of our stories from an arachnophobe because the monster in it was described as having eight limbs in total, and their mind immediately jumped to “Giant spider”! And they became quite upset.

11.        What is your favorite motivational phrase?

“Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.” - Mark Twain

12.       What is your favorite book and why?

Maybe when you become a really prolific reader it stops being easy to pick a favourite. In our minds there are so many great books we love and adore that just race through. Trying to rank them can almost feel like cheapening them, because not all books stand judgement under the same criteria.

However, in the realm of fantasy-romance the Last T’En trilogy stands out as something special and influential to our work. With a cunning and capable woman thrown into a desperate situation that she manages to overcome, despite the odds.

We love stories of desperate heroes and heroines overcoming great odds. Tales of sacrifice. Love and romance that blossoms despite the ominous circumstances. And characters who fall for each other even when they most definitely should not.

13.       What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t give up. There are so many options available if you’re willing to keep pushing.

Conversely, relax, and don’t burn yourself out. You can’t run on max forever, eventually you burn out.

14.       To end: Give us three Good to Know things about you. Be creative.

Jillian Keep is actually one person in two bodies! We wanted to separate our darker and more erotic works from our more romantic and softer novels!

We’ve been partners and writing together since we were teenagers. We met online one night through a random chat hookup, and that somehow miraculously ended up being the romance of our lives, going strong well over a decade later!

Aside from reading and writing, we’re huge movie, tabletop and video game fans. We love roleplaying games, action games, and even own and operate a large site dedicated to combining two of our biggest passions: writing and gaming. Darknest has many thousands of members and is primarily dedicated to producing fan created fiction and art about video games. 

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♥~~Interview + Giveaway~~♥ FALLING (ANGELS AMONG US) by Linn B Halton

Title: Falling Angels Among Us

Author: Linn B Halton

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Ceri thinks she sees angels…everywhere. She struggles to keep separate what feels like two very different sides to her life. As a manager in an advertising company she’s been working with the gorgeous Alex for two years. The have a friendship based upon the image she portrays whilst she’s at work and it helps to keep her sane. One mad, crazy night spent sharing their secrets and a lot of wine result in them ending up in bed together and their relationship changes. When Alex explains that the reason he doesn’t date is because someone broke his heart, how can Ceri admit that she feels a deep connection to him?

Ceri knows she’s different. What she doesn’t fully appreciate is that her task in life is to correct a series of incidents that alter the course of many of the people's lives with whom she comes into contact. She’s simply putting right little errors that could ripple outwards and change the course of their destiny. However; when she finds herself getting pulled into things that happen around her, how can she prove that she really has made a difference? Is it all in her head?

She's alone for a reason; she's not meant to fall in love in her earthly life. Alex is supposed to cross paths with her and help Ceri during a phase where she begins to question the signs she’s being given. It's meant to be a turning point for them both—but in opposite directions. They are destined to travel very different paths…but Ceri doesn’t know that and neither does Alex…

“No one chooses to see angels, why would they?”

This is a romance story that explores the possibility of there being something more than just the ‘here and now’. If that were the case, how would it work? What keeps us on the path determined for us, when we have free will? How would the spirit world link with us as we go about our lives? Love is a powerful emotion, but can it change the course of someone’s destiny? Ceri is ‘Falling’...

Linn B Halton lives in the UK, in the small village of Arlingham. It sits a stone’s throw away from the banks of the River Severn; she resides there with her adorable husband and cat with attitude – Mr Tiggs!

Whilst Linn loves to write romantic novels, there is often a psychic ‘touch’ to her stories. Many of the paranormal events that feature in some of her books are real-life experiences.

Linn is the creator of, and magazine editor for, Loveahappyending Lifestyle magazine (LLm) 

Visit Linn’s author page on the LLm Bookshelf

Linn is a member of the: Romantic Novelists’ Association page 

 and is signed by HarperImpulse and Sapphire Star Publishing.

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Twitter: @LinnBHalton

Facebook: Linn B Halton and Author Linn B Halton

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Romantic Novelists’ Association page

Read chapter one http://linnbhalton.co.uk/falling/

Buy from Amazon: http://viewbook.at/FallingAngelsAmongUs

1. What would you say was the most fun about writing this book?

For me, writing is pure indulgence! It’s about letting my mind go wherever the characters want to take me and trusting that they will steer me towards an ending that will leave me with a smile on my face. Sometimes the subject matter is thought-provoking, but for me all time spent writing is the best fun ever!

2. Give us some insight into the main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Ceri is a young woman who is on a journey of discovery. I can totally empathize with her, as I drew very heavily on my own psychic experiences to write this story. I’m not a medium, and neither is Ceri when her journey begins, but she sees things that many other people don’t. When that happens you are very aware of what is happening, but it’s hard to accept. I don’t believe people who are intuitive and ‘receptive’ to seeing spirits are special, as we are all born with this ability but as we grow we learn to be sceptical. That isn’t a bad thing and it’s only natural and right, but over time we stop seeing what is there and the signs we are given, as a consequence.

3. What are you working on right now?

I’m currently writing a Christmas story for next year and the sequel to my chicklit/henlit novel The Quintessential Gemini. I usually only concentrate on one project at a time, but the Christmas story has been going around in my head for a long time and I’ve finally decided to get it down on paper. The sequel is called ‘The Quintessential Astrologer’ and it’s full of the woes of having a young baby in the house, a partner who is hormonal and tearful, an astrologer who is sexually harassed … in short, fun and games.

4. What genre are your books?

Romance is always top of the list and is the one theme in all of my books – however, after writing a couple of novels that had a psychic twist I decided to write a chicklit ‘without the fluff’ as a reader kindly put it! I’ve since written another three books which all have a psychic touch, but essentially they are all love stories. I like to write a story that reflects the ups and down of life and relationships, but is uplifting and positive. After all, everyone just wants to find their soul mate and be happy – I love a happy ending!

5. What draws you to this mix of genres?

As a young teen I fell in love with ‘romance’ through the wonderful books I read and I knew that someday I would sit down and begin writing myself. I had to wait a long time, and when that day finally came I had no idea my first book would be a psychic romance. Touched By The Light was a fun story to write, I love the twists and turns and there’s lots of humour – even though the heroine, Mya, begins the story by ‘following the light’. But her mission is to save the relationship of two people she doesn’t know – as you can imagine that isn’t an easy thing to do from the ‘other side’. So I suppose the genre chose me, rather than the other way around. In fact, I had to struggle not to be too obvious that No. 4, the cat in The Quintessential Gemini, was a natural ‘intuitive’. So far only ONE reader has contacted me and asked the question ‘Did No. 4 know what was going to happen from the very start?’ The answer was, yes!

6. What is your favorite color?

Easy. Green.

7. What is your favorite food?

Coffee (I consider it to be a food group of its own); pasta a close second.

8. Are you a cat or dog person? Why?

I have a cat named Mr Tiggs. He sits with me when I write and there’s no way I could look him in the face again if I didn’t say ‘cat person’.

9. How are you published (*i.e. indie, traditional, or both) and why?

Both. I started out being published, then self-published a couple of books so that I could learn the process. I have one book, The Restaurant @ The Mill signed with the lovely Sapphire Star Publishing and HarperImpulse have just signed my Angels Among Us series – three novellas. I’ve enjoyed experiencing it from both sides and I think it’s helped me grow as a writer.

10. What is your favorite motivational phrase?

‘Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today’. I used to work in an environment where there were constant deadlines and I learnt very early on that leaving things to the last minute is a sure way to end up stressed!

11. What is your favorite book and why?

The Angelique series by Sergeanne Golon – the author is actually Anne Golon, but at the time that wasn’t known. The books are very hard to come by these days and I wish they would be reprinted. Although they are historical novels, the thread of romance running through them captured my imagination and turned me into a lover of romance at an early age.

12. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t wait to write; burn the candle at both ends and start NOW! I waited until my children were grown up and I could give up work to write, so now I have a journal full of ideas and can’t write quickly enough!

13. To end: Give us three Good to Know things about you. Be creative.

My mind went blank, so I asked the two men who happened to be in the kitchen (my office) as I was writing this:

Other half – “Well, you are loving, reliable and honest” – hmm, not very creative…

Mr Tiggs (I’ve taken the liberty of interpreting for you) – “Gets up at 3am to sit with me whilst I eat; always opens the door for me when it’s raining so I don’t have to squeeze through the cat-flap (a consequence of all that middle-of-the-night eating); not too happy when I reach out to snag her jumper with a claw and reminds me not to bite the hand that feeds….”.

Ah, so loving, reliable and honest then Mr Tiggs!

From the author:

My bio will tell you that I love walking on the beach – preferably when it’s deserted, or overcast and windy. It’s where I go to think and blow away the cobwebs. Although I’m afraid of deep water because I can’t swim, it holds a fascination for me and I have a connection with it that is cathartic, but explainable.

I live in the small village of Arlingham, on the banks of the River Sever, in the UK. I live with my adorable, and very understanding, husband Lawrence. Without him I wouldn’t be able to write – he keeps me topped up with cups of coffee whenever he’s not at work and pretends it’s normal to be on the computer sixteen hours a day! The other man in the house is Mr Tiggs - a feline with ‘catitude’. As long as there’s an endless supply of tuna, he’s more than happy to sprawl out on the floor next to me whilst I write. He’s ‘No. 4’ in The Quintessential Gemini, although I don’t think he realises I’ve blogged about him too…

I began writing in 2009; I wrote five manuscripts one after another and then Googled ‘what to do with a completed manuscript’ eighteen months later. Naïve? Yes. Fun? Yes! My first book was published in February 2011.

Did I know I would become a writer at some point in my life? Yes, from an early age. I also instinctively knew it would only happen after my two boys had grown up as I sensed once I began writing, I would never want to stop.

Did I know I would write romance with a psychic touch? Romance – yes. Psychic romance? No. It just happened. The reason is that I have so many ‘experiences’ it is now a part of my daily life and to me it’s normal. They say ‘write what you know’ and that’s what I do. I have been totally amazed at the number of readers who get in touch to say that they can connect with some of the incidents included in my stories. For me that ‘contact’ was unexpected and, as writing is a rather solitary pursuit, it’s a welcomed ‘feel-good’ factor for me.

The future? Spending my days with characters I love to create, drinking lots of coffee and counting my blessings that I can finally enjoy this ‘me’ time!

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{Giveaway + Interview + Blog Stop} THE GHOST FILES by Apryl Baker

The Ghost Files, Volume I by Apryl Baker

Cherry blossom lipstick:  check

Smokey eyes:  check

Skinny jeans:  check

Dead kid in the mirror:  check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too. Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally. Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance. Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim… Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

Q:  So tell us a little bit about Apryl Baker.

A:  Well, in a nutshell, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up.  Seriously, sometimes I can be mid-sentence and I’ll get an idea and stop talking so I can write it down.  Terribly rude, I know, but my friends and family are used to it!  

Q:  Mattie is a very, well, let's call her unique.  What inspired you when you created that little bundle of attitude?

A:  LOL!  She is that, isn't she?  Well, honestly, I had some foster kids living down the block from me and I had the opportunity to get to know them.  It took me the better part of a year to get them to trust me enough to open up.  I have to say they were the bravest, most courageous kids I've ever met. They are tough as nails, loyal only to each other, and they will break your heart.  Some of the stories they told me made me want to just cry.  Don't get me wrong, there are tons of great foster homes out there, the one they were in at the time I got to know them was one of those, but there are just as many bad ones as well.  I got to hear up close and personal just how bad some of them were.

Those experiences shaped those kids into the people they were.  They all had serious trust issues and sometimes the haunted look in their eyes made me hurt.  When I got the idea for this story, Mattie in my mind was a foster kid.  I wanted to show people that those kids are more than just the tough facade they show to the world, that they are vulnerable and sweet underneath their layers of shields.  I rolled all their attitude into Mattie and there's a little bit of each of them in her. 

Mattie Louise Hathaway is that tough as nails foster kid who looks after her own and will deck you as soon as look at you, but underneath all that attitude, there's still a sixteen year old girl who's scared, alone, vulnerable, and well 16!  She still notices the cute guy while being that sassy, snotty brat!

Q:  I know that most writers have to have music when they are writing.  Let's face it, music has inspired so many different stories over the years.  What was on your playlist when you wrote The Ghost Files?  

A:  Wow, well, I did listen to a ton of different music, but these were my favs:

Fall Out Boy: My Song Knows What You Did In the Dark (this song alone is responsible for the last five chapters of the book!)

Evanescence:  Bring Me Back To Life

Bruno Mars:  Just the Way You Are

Demi Lavato:  Heart Attack

Taylor Swift:  I Knew You Were Trouble

Taking Back Sunday:  Make Damn Sure

My Chemical Romance:  I Don't Love You

My Chemical Romance:  The Ghost of You

Korn:  Freak On A Leash

Dashboard Confessional:  Slow Decay

Valora: I Waited For You

Q:  What advice would you give struggling authors in today's market?

A:  My best advice is to never give up.  I still have stack upon stack of rejection letters sitting on my desk.  It sucks!  That will never change.  You write this amazing story, polish it up a hundred times, then send out the query letter you slaved over for weeks, only to get rejection upon rejection upon rejection.  Huge blow to anyone's confidence.  Here's the thing though, you have all these rejection letters, but it only takes that one yes to make it all better.  I almost gave up on writing, but I'm so glad I didn't.  I have an amazing writing group, an agent that believes in me, and a publisher that is downright awesome.  Just believe in yourself.  You can't see your dreams come true if you don't keep trying.  Give yourself a minute to wallow in pity, then get up, dust yourself off and try, try again!

Q:  So why should we all rush out to buy The Ghost Files?

A:  That's simple!  It's awesome!  No, really, it's a fun, but scary read.  I have been advised by all the Wattpad crew who read it before it was published that you cannot read it in the dark. Scared them senseless.  There's a hint of romance, but the book itself is centered around the mystery of who killed Mattie's foster sister and the fact that Mattie now has to face her own weirdness.  She can see ghosts?  Um, not something she advertises.  Then there's Officer Dan...yum, all I'm saying. 

So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friend Chazz laughs at me when I scare myself watching them and tells me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep. Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama on you. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters. Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my family and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol. I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

PS: DO NOT GET IN MY WAY IF THERE IS A SALE ON AT TARGET - my home away from home!

Amazon: Ghost Files 
Amazon: The Promise 
Amazon: The Awakening 
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Don't forget to check out Apryl's other books, The Promise and The Awakening!

Enter to win a signed print edition of The Ghost Files just by Liking Apryl's Author page on Facebook!

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