Friday, June 27, 2014

Cover Reveal! Pippa Jay's Rest in Peaceville

One of my favorite people and authors, Pippa Jay, is releasing a new supernatural book on August 20th. Today I have the fortune of helping her get the word out by allowing her take over my blog for a cover reveal and let her tell you a bit about the book. Take it away, Pippa!

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Welcome to Peaceville, population 2067 and rising...from the grave...

Luke Chester has had enough. He’s the school geek, the girls laugh at him, he’s lost his dead-end job at the pizza place, and in the midst of the world’s messiest divorce his parents don’t even know he exists. An overdose of his mom’s tranquilizers and a stomach full of whiskey should solve all his problems...

But they don’t. Instead, Luke finds himself booted out of the afterlife for not dying a natural death, with nowhere to go but back to his recently vacated corpse and reality. How the hell is he going to pass for one of the living without someone trying to blow his brains out for being one of the undead?

And it just gets worse. He’s got to fight his own desperate craving to consume the living, evade the weird supernatural hunter who’s having a field day with the new undeads rising, and there’s this creepy black shadow following him around. Add to that the distraction of female fellow undead Annabelle burning to avenge her own murder, and clearly there’s no rest for the wicked. Jeez, all he wanted to do was R.I.P.

A YA supernatural novella, coming from Lycaon Press 20th August.
Add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.
Sign up to my no-spam newsletter HERE to get early sneak peeks at covers, and news of the latest releases, giveaways and contest.

Excerpt:
Where the hell am I?
Not the most original question, I know, but it’s the best place to start. The only place. I don’t know where I am. I can’t remember where I was. What I was. But nothing about this place is familiar, and some part of me didn’t expect this.

There’s a line of people all the way to infinity. I’m not exaggerating—I do mean infinity. And it hurts to look at it because the human mind can’t handle that. Not completely. You think you know how that looks? You don’t. You can’t. Try to imagine the whole of creation. Can you see every last ant, every last star? No.

Around us—well, it’s a big gray hall. A really, really huge space, like an aircraft hangar kind of place, only no planes and no doors. In fact, no walls or roof either. The edges just blur into the darkness, as though none of it exists except the floor we’re standing on, and I’m not even sure about that. Looking up makes me giddy. You know when you’re dizzy from spinning around, and you lay down, but you feel as if you just keep on falling? That. So I don’t try it again. I keep my eyes away from the endless line of other people waiting. Instead, I stare at the back of the person in front of me and try not to think about where I am and what may be going on. Because now I have a nasty suspicion about it and what might have happened. My mind scurries away from the thought. This ain’t good. 

Oh, by the by, my name is Luke Chester. That much I do know. I can’t be that old—my hands aren’t wrinkled or calloused, although there’s a cool scar across my left palm. My skin is pale gray. So are the long sleeves of my T-shirt. In fact everyone and everything is gray, just like the room. I stare at the guy in front of me, hoping for some clues. He has dreadlocks and his skin is so dark as to be almost black. He’s wearing a tank top, torn and covered with dark streaks that something tells me should be red, but, like everything else here, have no color. There are two deep slashes in the back of his neck, and more on his arms. They aren’t bleeding though. I guess they’ve all dried up, or maybe he’s all bled out. His jeans are ripped too, although that could be a fashion thing. I can’t see any wounds on his legs.

I look down at myself. My jeans are in one piece, but my feet are bare. I wriggle my toes and watch them dance like I’ve never seen them move before. I can’t feel the ground. I don’t feel warm or cold, just kind of numb, and distant. It’s as if I’m not really here, but clearly I am. What happened to me? How did I get here? That bothers me. I shouldn’t be here. Then again, I’m not sure where else I should be.


Bio:
After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include a YA science fiction novel—Gethyon—published through BURST (Champagne Books), two self-published short stories (Terms & Conditions Apply, The Bones of the Sea, and Reboot), and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).

You can stalk her at her website http://pippajay.co.uk, or at her blog http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.
 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Adult fiction

Hope everyone stops by this blog tomorrow as I give my terrific friend and fellow sci-fi author, Pippa Jay, the blog for a new cover reveal. It's sure to be exciting.

Speaking of which, the next few months will be very interesting for me. At the beginning of June, I released a historical erotic romance, Change the Stars (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KRWJ3VS/). In August, I have the potential to have three books come out. The second in the Mirror series, Mirror Shattered, book one in a new sci-fi romance series, Amethyst Chronicles: Winter's Kiss, and a crime drama/erotic romance, Color of Dreams. Also, I'll have an announcement regarding print copies of Mirror Image. I'm also writing the third book in the Mirror series, Mirror Reformed, and another historical erotic romance, Belle of the Brawl.

Whew!

I have prided myself in my sci-fi series being a clean, sweet romance. I wanted anyone who wanted to read to be able to without age restrictions or feeling awkward that my father has read. And as I've been promoting Change the Stars through different social media sites, I am glad I did. Even when some publishers told me Mirror Image wouldn't be a success because the one scene in it wasn't graphic in the slightest, I stuck to my guns.

I am proud of Change the Stars and I can't wait for you to read Color of Dreams. Both stories are quite graphic in nature but the more I look at other erotic books and different romance sites, the more the idea struck me. To me, nowadays erotica is a romance story centered around sex. What I wrote and will continue to write is adult fiction. The difference may be only in my head but to me, adult fiction is a story which has sex in it. I don't write sex as the focal point. It's not my style. But because there are several sex scenes in the book, it is labeled as erotica. I understand that. For marketing purposes, it may make things easier to say it's erotic but the difference is small but meaningful to me. In all walks of life, including books, sex should have meaning in my opinion. I'll never add a scene to increase word count or to do anything which is out of place.

50 Shades series is erotica. Women read that specifically for those scenes between the characters. It spawned a resurgence in BDSM which a lot of authors are currently cashing in on. There are publishers who devote a huge section of their websites to BDSM. There's certainly a market for it. I doubt I'll ever be said author but I don't look down on those who do. Good for them.

The relationship between Maddie and John in the Mirror series is very sweet and touching and a little spicy in parts in Mirror Shattered. Ember and Liam in the Amethyst Chronicles is hot even if it doesn't have highly descriptive sex. I like to think I tend to readers of all ages and needs. With me, there's a wide variety of stories to choose from.

Sci-fi. Romance. Adult. Tales of clones. Of Queens and pirates. Mobsters. Cops. And yes, each of those are different. Soon my Amazon page is going to look like a buffet. A flavor for everyone to enjoy. And let me know how much you do with a review. ;-)

Friday, June 20, 2014

Starry Nights Blog Hop - KG's post

Welcome to the SFR Brigade's Midsummer Blog Hop: Starry Nights! To celebrate, I'm sharing a little scene in book one in my sci-fi romance series, Mirror Image. It's brief in the book but so meaningful. As a clone, Maddie isn't supposed to be able to fall in love but has had a crush on John. Laying on the brown grass on the Aurora planet, this is the first time she really allows herself to think about him. At the end, make sure you enter to win some awesome prizes! Amazon gift cards, free books, and more! Click the link to check out other blogs on the hop.
www.sfrcontests.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sfr-brigade-3rd-midsummer-blog-hop.html
www.sfrcontests.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sfr-brigade-3rd-midsummer-blog-hop.html



"Apparently, our intelligence was right about the Gorium. We just didn't know that Agent Gatewood was the one who hired them." Jackson explained.

"Along with other agents," Mack gravely said.

"Why would other agents join her cause?" Maddie asked.

"I couldn't tell you," Mack stiffly responded.

"I'm sorry, I just don't understand. Everyone I talked to admires you," Maddie said.

"You didn't talk to the entire base. Besides, if someone disliked me, think they would have told you? My clone?" Mack asked, her voice sounding bitter.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" Maddie was put off by how harsh Mack's voice sounded.

"Don't worry about it. No harm done." Mack flatly said, turning away from her.

Maddie felt terrible. She didn't mean to further upset Mack. She told herself Mack was under a lot of stress, and the news another agent was trying to kill her was shocking. Maddie opened her mouth to speak to her counterpart again but Jackson shook his head at her. It was best she kept quiet for the time being. Instead, she focused on what good news came out of talking to Commander Westlake. Mack's entire team escaped. It meant John was safe somewhere. Maddie laid down on the brown grass, thanking God that he was alive. Maddie looked up at the purple sky, wondering if John was looking at the sky wherever he was and looking for her.


If you haven't already, check out my website at kgstutts.webs.com for more excerpts on this and my historical romance. You can also purchase Mirror Image on Amazon and Nook!


Enter to win in our rafflecoper! Tons of great prizes including Amazon gift cards and free books!

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Monday, June 16, 2014

Mirror Image blog tour!

Mirror Image, book one in my sci-fi romance series, is on a blog tour! So far, I've had four gracious hosts and we continue on this week. Please visit my previous stops and stay tuned to either my twitter @KGStutts or Facebook.com/KGStutts to find out where I'll be at this week! Click the hyperlink to go to the post. Leave me a question or comment in the blogs and be entered to win a free copy of Mirror Image at the end of the tour. Make sure you let me know when you have.

First stop was with Reader's Retreat! Give them a like on Facebook.com/ReadersRetreat

Second stop was with Osier Publishing, a great publishing house in the UK! It was an honor.

Third stop was with a terrific author Karyn Pearson. If you haven't read any in her series, do yourself a favor and pick one up! She's fantastic.

Fourth stop was with a fellow sci-fi author, Ashley Hodges Bazer. I've had the pleasure of reading the first book in her series and it's wonderful.

Plenty more is coming this week! I was also interviewed by Glynis Smy. Not part of the tour, just happened to coincide.

Today I am happy to report Mirror Image has received ten reviews, six of them 5-Stars! Thank you for your support! If you've finished the book, please leave me a review. I'll have an update on paperbacks soon.

Sorry I haven't blogged as much as I have. My first romance, the historical erotic Change the Stars, was released at the beginning of the month! Also available on Nook. This once wrestling fan fic is now heating up smartphone apps and eReaders. Set in the 1930s, Maggie is the daughter of the largest organized crime syndicate in west Texas. When her father, Colton, promises her hand in marriage to another mobster to secure the future of his enterprise, she becomes the spark which will set Texas ablaze. Eric is torn between his loyalty to Colton and his desire for Maggie. Wade wants her as a trophy to take over Colton's territory. And Dean just wants her. Download Change the Stars today.

Second in my Mirror series, Mirror Shattered, is now in beta reading! I hope to update when I get a release date but right now we're looking at August. And I'm keeping fingers crossed I'll have an update on Amethyst Chronicles: Winter's Kiss, book one in a new series shortly. Check back on Friday as the Sci-fi Romance Brigade kicks off our summer blog tour. Until then...

Friday, June 13, 2014

Cover reveal - Pippa Jay

Today, I am happy to give my blog over to my good friend and fellow sci-fi romance author, Pippa Jay. The floor is yours.
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She can kill with a kiss. But can assassin Tyree also heal one man's grief, and bring peace to a galaxy threatened by war?

For Tyree of the Su, being an assassin isn’t simply something she was trained for. It's the sole reason for her existence. A genetically enhanced clone—one of many in Refuge—she's about to learn her secluded lifestyle, and that of all her kind, is under threat by a race capable of neutralizing their special talents to leave them defenseless.

For Zander D'joren, being a diplomat has not only cost him his appearance, but also the love of his life. Scarred, grieving, he must nonetheless continue in his role as co-delegate to the fearsome Tier-vane or risk a conflict that could only end one way.

Now both of them need to keep each other alive and maintain a perilous deception long enough to renegotiate the treaty with the Tier-vane, or throw their people into a war that could wipe out Terrans and Inc-Su alike. But there's more at stake than humanity, whether true or modified. Can the love growing between them save them both? Or merely hasten their destruction?

A science fiction romance novella, coming from Breathless Press 25th July.
Add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.
Sign up to my no-spam newsletter HERE to get early sneak peeks at covers, and news of the latest releases, giveaways and contest.

Excerpt:
A thrill of excitement shivered down her spine as she backed away a few steps with Zander following. He shrugged off his formal outer robes, and for the first time she could appreciate the broad expanse of his chest, the close-fitting fabric stretched over well-defined muscles. It appeared he hadn't allowed his physique to slacken, despite leaving the Galactic Commission.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Zander spread his hands in an open gesture to say that he was.

So why is he just standing there like a defunct Manikin instead of poised to fight?

Tyree took her combat position and Zander matched her, just as the Manikin had done. She'd never fought a human in combat practice before. This should be interesting.

She sprang forward and aimed two rapid punches at his face. Zander evaded both with a speed and grace totally out of proportion to his bulk. Her third he blocked with little effort, and she stepped back to reassess her strategy. But only for an instant.

A quick step forward and she lashed upward with her foot, snapping his head back. Zander staggered but didn't fall. Her second kick failed as he grabbed her ankle and jerked her off balance. She twisted as she dropped and caught him hard in the knee. Zander collapsed. Both rolled aside, and then jumped up to face each other again.

Not bad.

Tyree bit back a laugh as they exchanged blows, each faster than the last. Zander blocked or evaded most, but not all. His skill almost matched hers, yet his defenses were just a fraction too slow. Each move she made tested his reach, his reflexes and his stamina until she could sense him struggling a little.

Time for the kill.

She floored him with a kick to the chest, the full weight of her augmented density behind it, but as she moved in to finish the fight he dove into her. Tyree landed on her back hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs.

Zander had her pinned to the ground. She bucked but couldn't shift him. The triumphant smile on his face sent rage blazing through her gut. With hardly a whisper, she Misted out and went through him. Golden warmth filled her for a second before she pulled free. Zander pushed to his feet and spun to meet her, but she cranked up her molecular density and punched him hard in the chest. He collapsed, gasping and coughing. In one fluid movement she sat astride him at full density, and the air whumphed out of his lungs. She pinioned his arms with her hands, her face hovering mere centimeters above his.

As her breathing slowed to normal, a huge grin split her face. She'd made a vow to herself to jump him, and she'd done it. Perhaps it was childish, but it warmed her heart.

"Your...reputation...is well deserved," he gasped.

"You're not so bad yourself," she complimented him. He'd fought well, but perhaps not quite with the determination—and certainly not the desperation—of most opponents she'd faced. "For a human."

"Thank you. Perhaps we could try this again tomorrow?"

Tyree laughed. As much as he could irritate the hell out of her, he was equally amusing. "If you want to spend most of your morning on the floor..."

He gazed up at her with that easy smile, making no effort to struggle. Most humans, without the influence of her pheromones and the distraction of her naked body writhing above theirs, would not have been so trusting. So compliant. She found herself staring at his mouth. What would it be like to kiss him, without the use of her talents? Would it be as satisfying? As sensual? The warmth of him, the firmness of his body beneath hers, sent heat spiraling through her abdomen.

"Perhaps you could let me up now?" His words jerked her from such musings. What the hell was she thinking?

Bio:
After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.
Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include a YA science fiction novel—Gethyon—published through BURST (Champagne Books), two self-published short stories (Terms & Conditions Apply and The Bones of the Sea), and she's one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She's also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).
You can stalk her at her website http://pippajay.co.uk, or at her blog http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Book Spotlight: Beth Barany



One of my favorite things about being an author is the connections we make. It's refreshing to have someone help you out when it comes time to getting your book out in the world. Author Beth Barany was happy to assist me when Mirror Image first launched and today, I am happy to do the same for her. I am happy and honored to feature book two in her series, Henrietta and the Dragon Stone. This is an exciting adventure which you should definitely take a look at.

About the Book

A new story of young adult epic fantasy adventure by award-winning author, Beth Barany.
Book 2 in the Five Kingdom series of the continuing adventures of Henrietta The Dragon Slayer.
What if everyone you loved was threatened by a force you couldn't see or fight?
Henrietta the legendary dragon slayer wants to return to her village for a heroes’ welcome. But an unknown sorcerer rides after her and her Dragon Stone and aims to destroy everyone she cares about. Can she claim her newfound powers sparked by the Dragon Stone and keep her loved ones safe, or will the sorcerer destroy everyone and everything she loves?

Excerpt of Henrietta and the Dragon Stone (Book 2 of the Five Kingdom series)
chapter one: in his grasp
The Dracontias, dra-con-ti-as, emphasis on the second syllable, is the most powerful gem in all the Five Kingdoms, and more powerful than all the other so-called Kingdom Stones. This one and only Dragon Stone unifies the kingdoms and empowers its user. But beware its one fatal flaw.
—from the Fire Wizards Compendium
Early Winter New Moon (Mitte Moon), Oro Islands, One of the Five Kingdoms
King Singfan sucked in a breath, stretched the crossbow, and held it steady, tracking the beast.
Time was of the essence. If he didn’t kill this dragon and obtain the Dragon Stone on the great dragon’s forehead, he’d have to start all over again. Unthinkable. Impossible.
He had to renew this king’s body during this night, while the stars were aligned just so, and the moon hung below the horizon.
The girl Dragon Slayer, that Henrietta, was performing exactly as he’d expected. She’d taken the proffered reward and given him the secret dragon lore, confirming what he needed to know. She crouched nearby, ready to do his bidding.
King Singfan breathed out, steadying his aim, and smiled.
Inside of him, Bjirn Eyvindir smiled, too, at Singfan’s glee. Hidden to everyone, Eyvindir had occupied the body of King Singfan for seventy-five years, a long king’s rule—longer than anyone on the Oro Islands could remember. If they did remember the length of King Singfan’s reign, Eyvindir by King Singfan’s hand had made sure they didn’t remember for long, and didn’t remember anything ever again.
King Singfan had given him free reign to run his magic through the man and control his every move. The man was his best and most perfect servant. Eyvindir wasn’t going to end the arrangement anytime soon. He’d planned this renewal too long for the moment to go awry.
The dragon hovered above the enormous cave floor about to settle, its scales flickering and iridescent in the torchlight. King Singfan held his breath, steadying his strong stance and perfect aim. He readied the powerful crossbow.
Before he could loose the arrow, Henrietta yelled “You can’t!” and shoved him to the hard-packed ground.
The dragon slayer pinned his arms against his torso with her legs, heavy on his chest. He struggled beneath her weight.
“How dare you!” he snarled. “We had an agreement.”
How had she slipped past his guard?
With every second that ticked by, he felt his power draining from him like water down the drain, no doubt shifting his appearance. But his voice held strong and loud. He gathered courage in that. There was still time to kill the dragon and obtain the Dragon Stone.
“I can’t let you!” she shouted, glaring down at him.
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About Beth Barany:
Beth Barany writes magical tales of romance and adventure to transport readers to new worlds where anything is possible.
Book 1: Henrietta The Dragon Slayer was the 2012 Grand Prize winner at the California Fiction Writers Book Contest and the 2011 Finalist at the Hollywood Book Festival.
Reader reviews of the award-winning young adult fantasy, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, Book 1 in the Five Kingdoms series

As far as young adult fantasies go, Henrietta, The Dragon Slayer is a good read that I think any age, teen to adult, would enjoy. I only hope a sequel is in the works!
--LunaMoth

The witty dialogue and good story line makes this book hard to put down. I really could not stop reading it and was really tired the next day. It's also very satisfying to read about a girl heroine fighting the good fight. --Jeri

Beth, best known for strong heroines in her stories, this story is no exception. It is a tale of righteousness and overcoming adversity including magic. --Robert Mendak "RJ"

The book is a beautiful story about friendship, a heroine, and a quest to kill a dragon. Who wouldn't be excited? The entire concept sounded interesting and I was not at all disappointed. --Brittany, from Goodreads

Beth Barany has made a world where unlikely friendships rule and being a friend means more than you can know. --Tami, from Goodreads

·  Where to find Henrietta and the Dragon Stone (Book 2)

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1puwVJT
More at: http://bit.ly/1fsbqR7

We're also doing a giveaway! We are giving away 1 signed copy of Henrietta and the Dragon Stone (Book 2) and 1 signed copy of Henrietta the Dragon Slayer (Book 1).
 
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