The Frozen Star: Spolight w/Excerpt

We are really excited to share with you the second book in Jessie Lane’s YA/NA Paranormal Romance series, THE FROZEN STAR! Available now! Get a peek into the pages with this special except below. And if you haven’t started this incredible series yet the first book, THE BURNING STAR, is available for just 99Cents for a limited time only! 

 

The Frozen Star

Book #2 in the Star series

by Jessie Lane

Release Day: May 29, 2014

Goodreads Page | Website Page

Blurb:

The journey continues:
Kay had discovered secrets, lies, shocking truths, and even love in a strange new world hidden from humans. Everything she thought she knew was turned upside down when she found out three things:

– She wasn’t human.
– She has a power she can’t control.
– And there was a possibility that she had found a way to cure the cancer that was rapidly killing her with that very same power.

Then, just when she was on the precipice of gaining everything she wanted and saving her own life, tragedy struck. Will she be able to fight her way back to Ryan and save herself in the process?

Kira had lived a terrifying and confusing life of servitude and abuse under Lord Donovan and his son, Cole. It was an existence that had stripped away her emotions, and eventually, her reason to keep fighting. Just when she thought freedom was within reach, Lord Donovan struck again, ruining her plans and almost killing her in the process. When she awoke from her injuries, it was to stunning revelations that would change her life forever. Changes that she was not entirely sure she wanted to embrace.

Persistent individuals such as Prince Kane refuse to let her walk away, though. Will she embrace all of the sudden fortune in her life? Or will she walk away from those who need her most, forsaking their acceptance and love?

(will be made available when the book is published)

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Kay’s POV:

As Lord Donovan left me to my own personal stone hell, the only sounds reaching my ears were the bricks grinding against one another as they moved this way and that way, reassembling the doorway into a solid, impenetrable wall once again. Solitary confinement. This boxed prison was going to be the last thing I would remember. Except I now knew that I had a sister. Had a sister. Maybe he was lying. He had to be. I mean, I would know if she’d died, right?

“Why can’t I remember anything?” I thought out loud as I tugged on my restraints again in hope the unbreakable thread would loosen its crippling hold on me.

“What’s worth remembering?” whispered a man through the cracks in the wall.

“Who’s there?” I hissed through clenched teeth in case the creepy man, or worse yet, his son, could be hiding in the shadows.

“Thoughts are fleeting and forever lost to time.”

“Where are you?” I asked as I shifted my head from side to side in hopes of catching a glimpse of where the voice could be coming from.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” whispered the man’s voice as if he was reading a page from a book.

I thought I had heard that somewhere. An old memory perhaps? Or a newer one that I was meant to hold onto? A name was stuck on the tip of my tongue and with superglue nonetheless. It hurt to think about it, but I knew I had to keep trying.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to focus on something, anything other than the feeling of the stone walls closing in on me.

A flash of blue eyes and messy blonde hair danced in front of me but was still out of reach. The image shifted, and he turned around to face me again as his face drew closer. I watched with immense concentration as a breathtaking smile graced his handsome face and his eyes lit up with his devious intentions. I felt myself smile and the heat rise to my cheeks with just the mere thought of him.

He’s real; I can feel it in my bones. There was no way my imagination was that good. He was looking for me. I knew it just as I knew my heart was still beating. And I knew he was mine. I analyzed every millimeter of his face as if he was only an inch away, cementing it in heaps of concrete to make sure I would never forget the gorgeous man again.

There was a faint buzzing in the back of my head. It wasn’t strong, but it was constant. I could feel it getting stronger the more I stared at his eyes. It was a connection; our connection.

“Be alert, my muse, and stand your ground. She comes for you. Evil comes in the most beautiful forms and smells so divine to those to whom she feeds on. But to you, my dear, she will reek of the rotting flesh of her last victim. Hold your breath and look away.”

Wait a minute, hold my breath and look away?

“Is her breath so disgusting that I would need to suggest a Listerine big gulp, or maybe even a Tic-tac with a battery?” I replied without missing a beat and instantly heard his laughter echoing off the walls of his own cell and into mine.

“Full of life you are, my dear child. Hold on to that. It will be your saving grace in this forgotten prison.”

Full of life? Yeah, right, Yoda. I knew my days were numbered. It sounded so cliché, but I could feel it coursing through my veins. Something wasn’t right; it felt as if I was on fire on the inside. Only some inner voice told me the burning sensation was not only okay, it was good for me. How insane was that?

 

 

 

 

 

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Jessie Lane is the best-selling author of The Star Series, Big Bad Bite Series and the Ex Ops Series.

 

She lives in Kentucky with her two little Rock Chicks in the making and her over protective alpha husband. She has a passionate love for reading and writing naughty romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention, or threaten to slap you around until you do pay attention to them.

You can follow Jessie at: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads & her Amazon Author Page

Jessie writes Upper YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance & Adult Paranormal and Contemporary Romance. She’s currently working on her next two novels, The Demon Who Loved Me (Big Bad Bite Series #3) and Stripping Her Defenses (Ex Ops Series #2).

M.L. Pahl (Melissa) has departed from the Jessie Lane pen name to pursue other things. She will be sorely missed, but I know she has an amazing future ahead of her. You can follow M.L. Phal at: Facebook and Twitter.

You can also check out her Facebook page that she shares with her older brother Matthew Leo for their upcoming book, Zombies Don’t Ride Motorcycles, HERE.

 

*1 Signed Paperback of The Burning Star & 1 Signed Paperback of The Frozen Star by Jessie Lane

*$25 Gift Card to Amazon OR Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   

Interview: Author Lisagh Winters

Would you please tell us about yourself and your work?

My name is Lisagh Winters, and I’m a Canadian that was raised in Vancouver, B.C.. I live out on the Atlantic coast now. I’m a huge music fan, particularly the 70’s and 80’s styles, and I play guitar. My work is different from most, but always centers on a love story. I love Dramedies, adventure/love stories, romantic comedies, etc. I don’t write erotica, but do include at least one naughty love scene per book. 🙂

As a young girl, I read a LOT of dog related stories like Call of the Wild, Old Yeller, The Incredible Journey, Big Red, Wilderness Champion, Lassie, and Where the Red Fern Grows. I was an enthusiast when it came to canines. Of course my tastes changed as I got older, preferring reads that focussed on a love story.

At what point did you realize this was something you wanted to do?

I knew I wanted to write and publish my own stories since I was about eight years old. I would habitually disappear into the coat room and write in my scribblers, novel after novel, with illustrations. I still have a few of these to this day. 🙂

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a writer later in life. I had a family, worked other jobs, you know, like everyone else. I still hold a separate job outside my writing now.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

The book was Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. I still have my original copy, a ninth printing of the novel, 1976. I read it from time to time as a reminder of how much emotion this book pulled out of me, and how much emotion I must strive to pull out of the readers with my own work.

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

My typical working day will either consist of going to my day job, or writing. If I’m writing, I never set goals. That imparts stress and I am useless when I’m stressed out. I prefer to write by the seat of my pants, come what may. That is what editing is for. 😉 I write in the loft of my home, where I have built myself a nest with everything I need to facilitate my creative juices. I have it decorated in burgundy and gold, and there are lots of candles, incense, and of course a photo of my Mom. It’s out of the way of distractions and noise, and when it’s nice outside I open the window and listen to the Jays in the trees.

How do you deal with writer’s block? What is your advice?

Liquor. Okay, no, seriously now, lol, I walk away from the work and give myself a break. I’ll go for a coffee, maybe take a walk, I’ll call a friend to chat, or watch one of my favorite old TV shows on DVD. Those shows usually offer a great looking hero, and a love story threaded between the lines. My faves are Crossing, Jordan, Sliders, My Name Is Earl, and Firefly. 🙂 Try it. That, or I watch wrestling for the bodies, lol.

You wrote a book titled Soul Scavengers. What is this book about?

Soul Scavengers is about a team of ghost hunters (paranormal investigators) that tackle unusual cases that you might not see anywhere else. The team includes our hero Sullivan Wilde, the lead investigator, and heroine Olivia Emerson, a psychic medium. They meet on a closed investigation (one not being edited for TV) and lock horns right away. Sullivan is rude, condescending, and makes no bones about his disbelief in Olivia’s talents. Olivia is out to prove him wrong. She’s no fraud. Both Olivia and Sullivan soon discover butting heads isn’t getting them anywhere. The fact that there’s an entity out to get them forces them to work together just to make it to the other side of night. Their attraction to one another is evident from the get go, but neither one of them is willing to admit it until it may be too late.

How did you come up with the title?

I originally wanted to call it Soul Searchers, but that name was taken, so I settled on Scavengers, because it fit well. A friend of mine and I threw ideas back and forth until she came up with Scavengers. So I can’t take credit for the title.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

There are many, but I’ll choose one. My favorite part of the book was when Olivia accidentally reveals her painful past, and we get a peek into what makes her the way she is. We also get to see a snippet of Sullivan’s ability to be kind and offer comfort. He has a heart, and he demonstrates that. I love this part because it shows that even someone as hard as Sullivan appears to have the ability to feel and offer solace. No one is ever beyond hope. We are all human.

Did you work with an outline, or just write?

I did not work with an outline, just an idea. I just wrote.

Why do you think your readers are going to enjoy your book?

I think they’ll enjoy this book because it isn’t just a straight romance. It’s a little suspense, some comedy, a hint of adventure, and a romance all wrapped up into one story. I like stories like that myself. 🙂

What kind of research did you do for this book?

I watched a lot of reality TV paranormal shows, and I Googled lots of stuff, LOL.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting this book completed and published?

One of the biggest challenges I had was being a foreigner working with an American publishing company. Canada and the US have a trade treaty concerning earnings, and in order to take advantage of that I have to jump through like, a bazillion hoops and red tape with the IRS just to get paid. LOL. I can’t tell you how confusing the forms are that I had to fill out for taxation purposes.

Another challenge was over-coming my paranoia that I wasn’t good enough. That was the biggest challenge of them all. Self-doubt will creep in and bite you in the rear end at any moment. Don’t let him win. You are good enough, and let no voices in your head tell you any different.

What advice would you give to writers who are contemplating writing their first novel?

My advice is to write what you love and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Please see the last part of answer 13. Just sit down and start typing. Your imagination is only limited by your belief in yourself. If *I* can do this, YOU can too!

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

I have a Facebook and Twitter account where I post things, and I used an ebook tour service. Everything Marie.com. The ebook tours are marvelous and showcase your work to hundreds, if not thousands of people. It’s well worth the money. Romance is a fickle lady, and you want every advantage you can lay your hands on. I find word of mouth, customer reviews, and good reviews from the romance book bloggers some of the best exposure you can get.

What has influenced your development as a writer?

Hmmm. I would have to say the thing that influences me the most as a writer, is watching or reading a good love story. Nothing gives me more motivation than seeing two characters discover that they are in love. Something else that helps with development is the encouragement of friends and family. Without that, it would be a little hollow for me.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

For a reader to tell me they were bored reading my story. That is the most crippling. There is no other worse thing you can tell me than to say that you were bored. It means I didn’t do my job and failed to capture your imagination.

The best compliment some readers have given me is that they ‘got’ my characters, and understood what made them tick. Along with that, I’ve been told the work is humorous and entertaining. I want to know you were thoroughly engaged for the whole book, and telling me that makes me smile. This was one of the best compliments I got:

“I found Soul Scavengers – Wilde and the Witch a highly entertaining paranormal romance with enough spice to heat up the pages and a malevolent haunting that will make you want to leave the light on. Perfectly balancing humor, horror and matters of the heart, I look forward to reading more of Lisagh J. Winter’s storytelling.”

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing for me is to mind the word counts. I usually pay no attention until it’s down to the nitty-gritty and it’s being edited for the umpteenth time. That, and love scene after-glow stuff, lol.

What’s the best thing about being an author?

The best part about being an author is the joy of knowing that a reader had a great time reading my book. I entertained them and they were left satisfied, and that in turn, leaves me feeling satisfied.

Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books?

When I was a teenager, V.C. Andrews and the Flowers in the Attic Saga. I loved those books. Also, of course, Dr. Suess.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

Scatter – because, wine.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I enjoy going for drives in the country, drawing, gardening, and flying.

Are there any non-creative avenues you would like to explore?

I’d like to get back into the cockpit. It’s been a long time since I flew.

What motto, quote, or saying do you live by? Why?

“Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.”

– Yoda (‘The Empire Strikes Back’)

I love this movie quote because it says it all. We all have dreams, the only obstacle to those dreams is ourselves.

Do you have any upcoming projects, tours, events, or announcements that you would like to share with our readers?

YES! I have book two of Soul Scavengers coming out in about a month. 🙂 Watch my twitter and Facebook for updates!

I am also working on another romance, tentatively called, Only Hope. I am hoping, lol, to have this one out very soon. 😀 There will be a synopsis of this story up on my Goodreads and Facebook pages soon.

Can you tell us where people can find you? Website, social media, blog, etc.

https://twitter.com/MissLisaghW

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8029386.Lisagh_J_Winters

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisagh-J-Winters/211713765691794?ref=hl

My blog is in the Goodreads site. 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. What final thought and/or message would you like to leave with our readers?

You’re welcome. This was my pleasure. 🙂

I suppose my final message would be to say that no matter what it is you want to accomplish, you can. I am living proof of that. I published a book. I shut my eyes and clicked the publish button and there it was! If you are afraid, I can help you with that. Let’s put it this way… I saw the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. If actor Leonardo Di Caprio can lie naked with a lit candle sticking out of his ass crack while hog tied, (the man has my respect) and do it knowing that millions of people are going to see this film, YOU can write and publish your own book. That, or whatever else your heart desires. It can be yours, all you have to do is get over your fear and believe in YOU.

 

 

Excerpt: Soul Scavengers by Lisagh J. Winters

Psychic medium Olivia Emerson is young, gutsy, and out to prove she’s got what it takes to hang with the big boys. Although haunted by a past that threatens to consume her, Olivia accepts a job on a snow covered island that could make or break her career. She just needs to keep her past where it belongs- behind her. She knows this job could be her foot in the door, and hopefully the vehicle she needs to break into the business and take the next step up. The only problem; she’ll be working with him.

Paranormal investigator Sullivan Wilde has a healthy dislike for anyone claiming to hear or communicate with spirits. To him, they’re all frauds. He learned firsthand that just because you want to believe, doesn’t make it real. 

When Sullivan’s forced to work with Olivia, he’s not happy about it. She exasperates him, pushes his buttons, and doesn’t have a shut off valve for that mouth of hers. He doesn’t believe in her ‘gift’, and makes no apologies for it. Yet, as much as he tries to deny it, there’s something about Olivia that gets under his skin. The moment they’re left alone on the dock of the island, devoid of living inhabitants, everything changes. Some unhappy spirits, coupled with Olivia and Sullivan’s burgeoning feelings for one another leave them with no choice but to rely on one another if they want to make it through the night. Can Sullivan and Olivia put their differences aside in order to finish the job and walk out alive?

 

Soul Scavengers: Wilde and the Witch

Lisagh Winters

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt #1

“You heard me, Ghost Man, now please, will you step away from there? You’re scaring the crap out of me!”

He grabbed a hold of one of the columns and leaned his body out over the ledge. “Come on Ollie, where’s your sense of adventure?” he teased. “WooHoo! I’m a flying Wallenda!”

“Sullivan, please! Stop it!” she begged him.

“All right,” he gave in, and set himself back over the floor, safely away from the thirty foot drop. “I didn’t know you were afraid of heights, Ollie. But here’s the thing, it wasn’t you hanging off the building, it was me.”

She whacked him in the arm once he was close enough. “It doesn’t matter! That was really stupid and irresponsible! All it takes is one little slip. What if you had fallen? What then? You’d be frigging dead!”

“At least I’d still have you to talk to,” he tormented her.

About the Author

Lisagh J. Winters is the author of Soul Scavengers, and has been writing since she was a small child. She is also an accomplished artist and loves to play the guitar. Lisagh grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and learned how to fly a Cessna 172 when she was 25 years old. She’s an avid aviation and paranormal ghost show junkie, and a dedicated earth magician.

Lisagh spent her younger years moving around a lot, and now resides in Cape Breton, Canada, with her seven cats and three dogs. She can be contacted at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisagh-J-Winters/211713765691794

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8029386.Lisagh_J_Winters

https://twitter.com/MissLisaghW

7/30: Expensive – NaPoWriMo

Expensive

 

You’re so expensive

And emotionally taxing

 

I find myself stuck trying to solve the riddle that is you

I’m trying to rearrange

The pieces and either way

I always end up with other valuable pieces missing

 

I have holes

Where hope should be

 

I have holes where

Faith should be

 

And I unknowingly

Traded them in

For the insufficient substitute

That is you

 

I was foolish

To believe that you were a compliment

To my desires and

The fulfillment of my hope

 

I’m bankrupt because

I have been giving you

Time that does not belong to me

 

Now I’m in debt

And I’m praying for a way out

Because I’m finally fed up

I’ve vacated the position

Of being complacent

You are not something

I want to just deal with

 

Even if I have to consolidate

My emotions to fix my broke resolve

I will start from scratch

And rebuild my foundation

Because I need to move past this

Past you

Past corrupt tendencies

That leave me in positions of hopelessness

 

You are expensive

I can’t afford you

I can’t afford what you do to my heart

The state of my emotions

Is in disarray

And I no longer want

To be in this position

Where I’m unkempt

 

This is not love

This is not what love feels like

This is not what love looks like

 

This is what lust is

This is what lust does to feelings

This is what lust does to appearances

 

Love gives the advantage whereas

Lust takes advantage and

I have no more advantages

Left to give

Other than the one I reserved

For myself where

I finally decide to walk away

 

6/30: Pantoum – NaPoWriMo

“Pantoum: Asymmetric Addiction” is a poem from my book, Affirmation of Addiction. You can download the full poetrycollection by clicking here.

Pantoum: Asymmetric Addiction

 

Hysteria has taken root

Since I’ve been separated from my addiction that is you.

The mentality of my understanding has gone asymmetrically acute

Leaving me with a methodic flow far from the romantic norm and essentially askew.

 

Since I’ve been separated from my addiction that is you

The throbbing from extraction is a hindrance that laces my heart.

Leaving me with a methodic flow far from the romantic norm and essentially askew.

Maybe we were perforated from the start?

 

The throbbing from extraction is a hindrance that laces my heart

Where dementia takes the forefront as thoughts become synthetic.

Maybe…? We were perforated from the start.

Essentially laying the foundation for the dehydration of precious aesthetics

 

Where dementia takes the forefront as thoughts become synthetic.

You have permitted a once prohibited state-of-mind

Essentially laying the foundation for the dehydration of precious aesthetics.

Thus making us raw from the friction lead ratio of a lust to love kind.

 

You have permitted a once prohibited state-of-mind.

Hysteria has taken root.

Thus making us raw from the friction lead ratio of a lust to love kind…

The mentality of my understanding has gone asymmetrically acute