Blog Tour: An Unexpected Bride by Shadonna Richards

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

I am pleased to introduce Shadonna Richards!

Author bio:

Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She is the author of the non-fiction books, A Gift of Hope and Think and Be Happy: 365 Empowering Thoughts to Lift Your Spirit (an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller in Meditation). Winner of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America. An Unexpected Bride is her first novel. She’s a proud mommy and wife and lives in Canada with her husband and son.
You can visit her at www.shadonnarichards.blogspot.com or join her on twitter at www.twitter.com/shadonna or send her an e-mail at Shadonna@ymail.com

She wonderfully allowed an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I first realized when I was a little kid. (Smile) I began writing stories as soon as I could hold a crayon.

 

? How long does it take you to write a book? Depending on the length of the book it could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 years!

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?  Hmm. I don’t think I have an interesting writing quirk.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write? Not really. I usually write when I’m inspired—which, thankfully, happens to be a lot. Life inspires me. Having said that, I write much better when it’s totally quiet in the house like very early in the morning.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters? I get my ideas and inspiration for my characters from my imagination and everyday life. I’m always asking myself the “what-if” questions.

? How do you decide what you want to write about? Ideas usually just come to me.  I’m often with a pen and paper and try to write them down as fast as they come.

? What books have most influenced your life? The Holy Bible.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself? It was that long ago…I really don’t remember. I’ve been reading since early childhood.

? What are you reading right now? I’m reading a few contemporary romances on my Kindle right now.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing? In addition to spending quality time with my family and socializing, I’d have to say reading. I love books.

? What is your favorite comfort food? Anything with chocolate.

? What do you think makes a good story? Great characters, a solid plot and a little suspense. I love trying to figure out what’s going to happen next.  

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why? Too many to name. I have a lot of favorite authors that inspire me.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again? The Bible—in passages.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Both.

·        Coffee or tea? A hot, delicious mug of steaming tea, anytime.

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate.

·        Rocks or flowers? Both, it depends on the occasion.

·        Night or day? Day.

·        Favorite color? Pink.

·        Crayons or markers? Markers.

·        Pens or pencils? Pens. 

You can buy a copy of this book HERE and HERE.

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.

Happy Reading.

Review: The Nation's Daughter by Valerie Maarten

The Nation's Daughter by Valerie Maarten

*I received this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon Product Description:
After the cruel and brutal murder of Little Summer James a Nation takes up her cause to see that the person they hold responsible pays.

But when the judicial system let them all down by setting her killer free, the days are numbered for Autumn James...a baby-killer.


My thoughts:
Valerie Maarten has created dynamic characters.  She has given them personalities and qualities that make you like them or hate them from the start.  The story is short, but not an easy read.  The topic is the death of a small child and so there is nothing light and fluffy about this story.  The characters struggle with a variety of ideals throughout the story.  They are struggling with:  beliefs, the courage to defend those beliefs, the decision of innocence or guilt, and what to do when you find yourself not where you planned to be.
I was amazed by the number of characters that felt they had, by some action or verbal interaction, played a part in Summer's death.  I was equally amazed by their unwillingness to do anything about it.
The one theme that I found endearing was friendship/love.  What would you be willing to do for someone that you loved?
This was not my favorite story, the subject matter made  it a hard read.  I liked the book, the story was intriguing and moved along without getting lost in random, unnecessary details or fillers.   I was broken hearted by Autumn's callous behavior, and shocked by it at the same time.

If you like a quick thriller - check this one out!

Review: Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

***I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review and participation in the virtual blog tour.

Amazon Product Description:
James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties anywhere. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it is years since Elizabeth's death, James cannot move on. Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?
My thoughts:
So...Sarah moves to Salem after her divorce and meets James, who ends up being so much more than just the man from her dreams.
I really enjoyed this story.  I was instantly drawn to Sarah, I automatically related to her desire to start her life over.  The storyline was original and refreshing, as well as wonderfully paced and beautifully written.  We get a little bit of everything paranormal ~ past lives, psychics, witches, vampires.  Add to that mystery and romance.  Couple all that with fantastic characters, and you have a story that's hard to put down. 

Blog Tour: Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard (Giveaway too!)

This Virtual Book Tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

You can see my review by clicking HERE.

Welcome to the Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is my pleasure to welcome Meredith Allard!

Author Bio:

Meredith Allard is the author of Her Dear & Loving Husband and the executive editor of The Copperfield Review, a journal for readers and writers of historical fiction. Her short fiction and articles have appeared in journals such as The Paumanok Review, Muse Apprentice Guild, Wild Mind, Moondance, and Writer's Weekly. She has taught writing to students aged 10 to 60, and she has taught creative writing and writing historical fiction at Learning Tree University and UNLV. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

She has graciously written a guest post 

for the readers of The Wormhole!

I have been writing novels for about ten years now, and I love writing historical fiction. That’s the genre I’ve been most associated with, and I wasn’t looking to change until I had the idea for my vampire novel. While Her Dear & Loving Husband has historical elements from the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, it was my first venture into paranormal fiction. I’m glad I took the plunge into this rich, imaginative genre.

Before, all my stories, while fictional, were entirely realistic. The characters could really exist, and the facts about the historical times they lived in were painstakingly researched. While I always relied on my imagination to write my novels, my previous stories were limited by the physical realities of our world. When I began writing paranormal fiction, I discovered a whole new freedom that allowed me to write whatever my imagination could conjure. Even if it’s not possible in our real world, it’s possible in this paranormal world my characters and I created. As most fiction writers will tell you, at a certain point in the writing process the characters take over and tell their own stories their own way. When that happens I find it’s best if I just sit back and take dictation. And when I let my paranormal characters do the talking, there are no limits to where the story can go. Fantasy, flights of fancy— that’s what I was missing in my earlier books.

By writing a paranormal fantasy I was able to write about a vampire who has been alive for 349 years, and he has seen American history from its beginnings in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. I was able to write about witches who can shatter glass at the snap of their fingers or light a roomful of candles with the wave of a hand. Ghosts can reappear from the past to reunite with loved ones. And a werewolf can cross party lines to adopt a vampire son. I can let my imagination soar even higher as I write the next two books in the series. I get to explore this supernatural world in more depth, and I’m looking forward to the process.

I had been closed off to the paranormal genre before. I thought to write something meaningful it had to be real—as in it could really happen. But now I realize that imagination can be powerful. Even as an adult, it’s good to explore the realm of what’s possible and enjoy some fantasy now and again. It’s fun to play those childhood games of “What if?” again. That’s why I love writing paranormal fiction. 

And now for that giveaway:

There is one more tour stop today: Oct 6 Guest Blog

Bending the Spine- Spooking the Spine Halloween Event

And the next stop is: 

Oct 7 Review

http://bookofsecretsblog.com

You can buy your own copy by clicking one of these links:
Amazon or Smashwords or Goodreads
Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole.
Happy Reading.

Review: The Vampire Way by Derek Clendening

The Vampire Way by Derek Clendening

Amazon Product Description:
Eighteen year old Rick Thompson is a marked man. When Damien Masonite comes to his school, he knows something is up. And when his friends start falling to vampire attacks, he knows that he and his girlfriend Laura are next. The quest to understand immortality, true love and undying friendship compromise his safety even more. Can he keep his best friends, his true love and keep his mortal life? 


My thoughts:
This is a new look at vampires and the question of immortality.  I enjoyed the questions that the characters seem to be asking throughout the story about love, friendship, the meaning of life, and of course what is to be immortal.  I liked the relationships between the characters, but I felt that they were less realistic than what could have be created with such great questions being asked.  I did however appreciate the attempts that John was making to reevaluate and change his relationship with Tracy from that of teenagers to one of mature adults where they could talk about and work through problems and set backs.  I was pleased that Rick found peace and closure, although hard won, in his dealings with John and Tracy.  I was sad to find myself disliking Damien so much, I usually like the vampire in the stories that I read.  I was excited that Bobby survives and finds himself on the road to recovery, from his own sense of worthlessness as well as from his vampire encounters.  I was thrilled that Rick and Laura are able to remain mortal and get on with their lives; having found the answers they had been seeking about themselves, each other, immortality, love and the power of friendship.  The story doesn't flow as smoothly as I had hoped it would, but the plot is fairly intriguing.  I think that if the book had been longer it would have been an opportunity for the author to flesh out the characters and smooth the edges a bit more.  Although this isn't my favorite vampire story, I look forward to more books by Derek Clendening....I believe the best is yet to come.

Blog Tour: A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron (Giveaway too!)

The Book Blog Tour is presented by Teddy Rose and .......

The next stop on the tour is: Mia Pragmatic Mom  on Oct. 5

You can get to my review by clicking HERE.

You can buy a copy of this amazing story by clicking HERE or HERE.

You can enter for a chance to win by filling out the form at the end of this post!

Welcome to The Wormhole and the kick off post for the blog tour for A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron!

I am pleased to bring you a guest post:

                                                  

 Puck’s Purpose

I read a lot. And not surprisingly, I read a lot of books about dogs. My favorite dog story this year is A Dog’s Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron. In Cameron’s charming story, a dog goes through several lives exploring what his particular purpose is.

This made me think about the first dog we had when I was a child. He was a beagle from a distinguished line of hunting dogs. He was big for his breed and smart as they come. My uncle, who was a passionate hunter, bought him with high expectations of what Puck would be. My uncle also loved the plays of Shakespeare, so he named the dog Puck. Puck’s purpose was clear: he would be a fine hunting dog. My uncle, who loved training hunting dogs as much as the hunting itself, began Puck’s education. Everything went fine. Until the first time Puck heard the shotgun.  He screamed in terror and took off as fast as his young beagle legs would carry him, which was pretty darned fast.  Try as he might, my uncle could not convince Puck his purpose was to be a gun dog.

When my uncle left for medical school, he gave Puck to us. I was four years old, my sister seven.  My mother loved dogs and my father loved every living thing. He was not a hunter. Puck quickly proved himself to be a wonderful nanny. We lived in a small beach town in Florida. Whenever we wanted to go anywhere with our friends without our parents, the rule was we had to take Puck. And not only did we have to take Puck, we had to mind him! If we tried to cross a street Puck deemed too busy, he’d block our way until the coast was clear. Twice he protected us from snakes. Once my sister cut her foot so badly she couldn’t walk home. Puck ran to our house, alerted my father, and led him to where my sister way. Lassie had nothing on Puck.

Several years later, when I was eight, my mother, sister and I had to move away. My father had died and my mother was left trying to support us. Where we were moving we couldn’t take Puck. Heartbroken, we gave Puck to my father’s parents who loved him every bit as much as we did. But what would Puck do without his girls to look after, we wondered.

Puck’s new purpose was to look after my grandparents. My grandfather Bill worked as an auto mechanic about a mile from the house. Every morning, Puck walked with my grandfather to work, hung out with the men while they drank coffee, ate their morning donuts, indulged in small-town gossip, then he’d come home. He’d accompany my grandmother as she did her errands. Everyone in town knew Puck. Then, in the late afternoon, he’d walk back to the garage and walk home with my grandfather Bill.  As the years passed, my grandmother’s eyes grew worse and she became very nervous about the stairs that led from their apartment above a garage down to the outside. Puck would gently take her wrist in his mouth and slowly walk her down the stairs. After my grandfather suffered a stroke, he was paralyzed on his left side. Puck was with him every step of the way as my grandfather re-learned to walk and use his left hand.

Puck lived to a ripe old age. The whole town grieved, though, when he died. For years after, people talked about what a fine dog he was, even if he wasn’t cut out for his original “purpose.” I think like a lot of folks, Puck had a purpose deep inside him that had nothing to do with what others thought he should be. Puck’s purpose was to love and protect his family every day of his life. And that’s exactly what he did.

Now - the giveaway!  Open to continental US and Canada only (sorry)  - - you don't need to be a follower, but I would love it if you wanted to.  You must be at least 13 years old to enter.  

The prize is a print copy of A Dog's Way Home.

The book will be sent by the author or tour presenter - the giveaway ends on 10/12/11.

Please fill out the form below:

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!  Happy Reading!