Author Profile - Sandra Robinson (AKA Scarlett Flame)

Hello and welcome!

I am so happy you could join us today.

G.H – How are you today?

S.F - Great thanks, just finished booking all my hotels for my book signing next year.

G.H - When did you first start writing?

S.F - As a child I suppose, but seriously about 3 years ago

G.H - Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

S.F - Writing is just something I have always done, be it poetry or my diary. I am a qualified Children's Nurse and Health Visitor, so nursing was dear to my heart for a long while too. I left the nursing register last October for good and now want to concentrate on my writing.

G.H - Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

S.F - A bit of both just now but want to write full time if possible.

G.H - How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

S.F - Believe it or not it was after I first read FsoG and thought “I can do better than this, and also know more about the subject” So started writing erotica.

G.H - Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?  If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

S.F - I have published erotica so far and the next book due to be published is paranormal romance /sci fi/ Steampunk but also erotic.

In complete contrast I also have a series of children's books which I am hoping to publish on kindle and paperback before Christmas 2015.

G.H - Where does your inspiration for these stories come from?

S.F - I have a very vivid imagination and dream some parts of my book. Some elements are due to my love of the paranormal and Steampunk.

G.H - What was your favourite chapter to write and why?

S.F - For the published work it would be the last story in the novella, as I got to ask a lot of Dominants pertinent questions about sex, as the POV was from a male Dominant. I got some interesting, and very different answers in response to my questions.

G.H - Where is your favourite place to write?

S.F - In my bedroom, and also the garden, weather permitting.

G.H - Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? i.e. You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

S.F - I sit in bed ( lazy thing ) or in the garden on a comfy chair.

G.H - Do you use a computer/laptop for your first draft or are you a pen and paper writer? 

S.F - I write freehand for my stories but type up my blog posts straight to the computer. I find my work flows better when I write freehand. I write tons of annotations in the margins, also words I want to use in the story.

G.H - How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

S.F - I research them sometimes and others are names of friends and family.

G.H - Did you learn anything from writing your book?  What was it?

S.F - Yes, especially the Steampunk writing as I did meticulous research for the airship and technology used.

G.H - How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

S.F - I have been working on the next book for two and a half years but that is because due to personal circumstances I had writers block for over a year.

G.H - Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?

S.F - Ecstatic, but also a little disappointed as I had rushed it out and was very unhappy with the editing and grammar. This book has since been republished, I am much happier with it now.

G.H - Who are some of your favourite authors? 

S.F - I love Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, and J R Tolkien. I love an eclectic mix.

G.H - Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?

S.F - As I said previously, yes. I had some major personal problems and they affected me very badly. I just dried up for a while but I am back now and working on a few new projects, including a vampire story.

G.H - Time for a few crazy questions!

G.H - Do you write naked?

S.F - Sometimes, as I generally sleep naked. I hate wearing clothes in bed.

G.H - Have you ever been in trouble with the police?

S.F - No, not to my knowledge, other than a few speeding tickets that have now lapsed.

G.H - Do you drink? Smoke? 

S.F - I don't smoke but I am partial to red wine and tequila though.

G.H - What do you want your tombstone to say?

S.F - That I was loved and cherished by my family and friends.

G.H - If you had a superpower, what would it be?

S.F - To turn back time.

G.H - What secret talents do you have?

S.F - I can sing, and used to be a member of a musical theatre group. I have also choreographed some numbers for a pantomime.

G.H - What is something you want to accomplish before you die?

S.F - Easy one, to make it to no 1 on Amazon and people to buy my books.

G.H - Do you have any scars? What are they from?

S.F - I have stretch marks from having my children, but no scars apart from tiny scrapes when I was a child. I had three older brothers and was a Tom boy.

G.H - Do you dream? Do you have any recurring dreams/nightmares?

S.F - Yes I used to dream about being chased by a witch when I was younger. It was horrible and went on for years. I occasionally dream that the world is ending and I can't get to my family.

G.H – Back to normal questions!

G.H - What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

S.F - Listen to advise from other published authors when given. My author friends have been so supportive of my learning my craft. Also that you need to keep reading, lots of varied genres. Finally please accept constructive criticism when given, you are never too old to learn and improve.

G.H - Would you share a deep dark secret about you with us?

S.F - Hmmm well if I did it wouldn't be a secret anymore- would it?

Thank you for letting us get to know you and your books. It was an absolute pleasure to have you with us!

Everyone, please remember any questions or suggestions please write them in the comments section below.

G :)

Blog Hop - Lindsey Jayne's Conquering the Witch

WELCOME TO THE BLOG TOUR FOR THE RELEASE OF LINDSEY JAYNE'S SECOND BOOK IN THE TRILOGY!

GIVEAWAY - 1 LUCKILY COMMENTER DURING THE BLOG HOP!

Synopsis/blurb for Book 1 - Invoking the Witch

A group of women have a dark and forbidding goal in mind.

They want to raise hell, and they’re murdering witches and sacrificing their unborn babies in the name of their deadly beliefs.

General Lucas Drake leads a unit of elite, vampire warriors known as the Faction, tasked with safeguarding the apprised human population against anything immorally supernatural. So when Lucas gets the call that pregnant women are being murdered in a manner suggesting witchcraft he enlists the help of paranormally-adept DCI Amelia Ellis and her team.

Together they discover a horror with frightening complications involving black magic, death and sacrifice, but to what end? How do they find who’s committing such brutal atrocities with no leads and time running out?

Pregnant Elora Lincoln is a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship. When the abuse turns violent, Elora leaves him, but not before her mentally malicious boyfriend tells her that they are coming for her, and she had better watch out. They will stop at nothing until they get what they want – by any means necessary.

In order to protect her from Daniel she is taken to the Compound – a secured building that houses the General and his team.

But how does Elora fit into all of this? Is she another pawn in this game? The answers lie in her ghostly past.

Beyond scared she seeks comfort in the arms of Deacon, The General’s second in command. He promises to protect her, but fails when she is kidnapped from right in front of him. After discovering what is in store for her, can Deacon save her in time before she becomes another victim in this dark game?

Can they all stop what's happening before the coven wins, and Hell walks the Earth?

Synopsis/blurb for Book 2 - Conquering the Witch

(Tagline first)

How do you take control of your present, when the past threatens to destroy you?

Four weeks have gone by since Elora Lincoln’s kidnap. Four weeks since evil witch, Cassandra tried to murder her and sacrifice her unborn child in the name of her deadly beliefs.

Elora is fighting on, determined to be able to protect the ones she loves from her enemies, getting to grips with the magic gifted to her from a long line of Superior white witches, and learning to cope with what happened to her and her daughter.

Not to mention her ex-boyfriend, Daniel’s bloody attack on DCI Amelia Ellis.

Nightmares of the brutal assault plague her, but not only that, something from her past is trying to warn her – but warn her of what? She struggles to understand.

Cassandra is still on the loose, and Faction General, Lucas and his team must align with another group to track her down before she succeeds in one of her ungodly schemes.

And then the unthinkable happens.

Cassandra kidnaps Elora again and, this time, she is taking no chances. The white witch has something she wants, and it isn’t just her baby.

As Elora lives through indescribable acts of torment orchestrated by the two people intent on bringing on her complete destruction, the Faction’s Second-in-Command, Deacon must battle unspeakable powers to save her once again.

But it’s not that easy.

Another force battles against them all, and it’s a lot closer to home than they think.

Author Bio:

Lindsey lives in Derby, England with her partner, Simon and their Bedlington Terrier, Huxley

While she loves to read and write, she also likes to shop for expensive luxuries she likely doesn't need, with money she definitely does not have! In order to fund her addiction, she works full time as a Recruitment Consultant.

When she isn't indulging in a spot of retail therapy, she can be found glued to some form of computer playing one 'shoot 'em up' game or another! She also likes painting, photography, interior design and psychology.

She isn't a complete hermit, though. She also loves to spend time with her family, friends and loved ones doing any number of socially acceptable (most of the time) things.

She is a huge fan of paranormal, thrillers and erotic fiction. And if all three are combined, she is in heaven. Especially when it comes to Alpha males!!!

  

Find me links:

www.facebook.com/lindseyjaynewriter

www.facebook.com/groups/395257480662655/

www.goodreads.com/author/show/13259832.Lindsey_Jayne

http://lindseyjayneauthor.wix.com/lindseyjayneauthor#!contact/c1kcz

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lindsey-Jayne/e/B00SQ2I6JG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1437085823&sr=1-1

https://twitter.com/LindseyJ_Author

https://instagram.com/lindsey_jayne_author/

Design/swag page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LJ-Book-Creations/615499755219957

Giveaways!

One random commenter and one random host will receive a small swag bag from Lindsey!

Author Profile - Rebecca Sherwin

Hello and welcome!

I am so happy you could join us today.

G.H – How are you today?

I'm great, thank you, how are you? Thank you so much for having me :-)

G.H - When did you first start writing?

I've been writing since I was a kid. My favourite exercise in school was in English class when the teacher asked us to make up stories about our weekends.

G.H - Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I've always wanted to write, so being a writer is natural to me. I also wanted to be a journalist, a doctor and a lawyer...I think I wanted to be a mermaid once too!

G.H - Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

I guess I'm a full-time writer. I write something, whether it be 50 words or 5000, every day.

G.H - How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

Second Chance Hero is based on the town I like to call my second home; a beautiful fishing town in Cornwall, England.

The Twisted series came to me like a lightbulb moment, with influences from my memories of staying up late with my dad and watching UFC. The theme - one of hope, love and redemption with psychological and suspenseful twists is something I want to explore as a writer...my style, I guess.

G.H - Where does your inspiration for these stories come from?

My inspiration can literally come from nowhere...or somewhere I don't immediately recognise as a source. There are always elements of myself and of the people and places around me...as for the themes and events, I often don't know how they came to me or where they came from. I usually come up with ideas - the kind I have to write down straight away - (in the shower, mostly!) and have no idea what gave me the idea in the first place.

G.H - What was your favourite chapter to write and why?

My favourite chapter? Oh wow! Tough question. Probably the epilogue in Thrive (Twisted #3). It's the chapter where I tied everything together, tell the reader where everyone is in their lives and give you a little bit of what's to come when the series continues this summer.

G.H - Where is your favourite place to write?

Weirdly, I can only write seriously in one place. I can plot and plan anywhere, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty and penning some serious content, it has to be in my favourite coffee shop, near where I live. I sit in the same seat by the window and could stay there all day, letting the coffee go cold while I scribble.

G.H - Do you use a computer/laptop for your first draft or are you a pen and paper writer? 

I'm a pen and paper writer. The entire story is written on paper first, in A5 notebooks and I type it all up on the laptop between writing. I find it helps me edit as I go, too!

G.H - How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

About a month! That's just the writing. It takes about 12 weeks from idea to publishing.

G.H - Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?

I was terrified. I sat and looked at the 'publishing...' box on my screen and panicked. I drank some wine, I turned to my tribe for support and I waiting with baited breath. I was at work when it went live and had to excuse myself from my desk to squeal in both delight and fear. No words can describe the pride and sense of achievement...and it's the same with each book. The fear and sheer pride that I've written a book and put it out there for the world to see, is incredible.

G.H - Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?

Yes...and I'm suffering from it now. When it first happened, I was shocked. I tried to force myself to write and the result was a trilogy ; only one person has read the first book and that's how it's staying until I can rewrite the entire thing. Now I just relax; I do some plotting, make some notes and come up with ideas for new stories and I wait patiently for the mojo to find me again. It's usually the only time I can read too. I have so many projects on the go, constantly being worked on, and I can't read when I'm in the cave,

G.H - Time for a few crazy questions!

G.H - Do you write naked?

I've never tried it! I plot in the shower, so I should try writing naked, shouldn't I? *runs off to strip*

G.H - What is your biggest failure?

Finding myself jobless and being unable to support myself and my son. That has been a huge low point for me and one I'm determined not to let beat me.

G.H - Have you ever been in trouble with the police?

Yes, but not seriously...and that's all you're getting ;-)

G.H - Do you drink? Smoke? 

I'm a sucker for a glass of cold wine on a summer's afternoon and I'm partial to a cocktail or two (or five!)

G.H - What is your biggest fear?

Being stranded at sea. Being in a fire.

G.H - What do you want your tombstone to say?

She never gave up.

G.H - If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation. That, or mind reading. Or flying...hell, can I have the superpower that enables me to adopt whatever superpower I need at that moment?

G.H - What secret talents do you have?

I can touch my nose with my tongue. It's my party trick *laughs*

G.H - What is something you want to accomplish before you die?
I want to travel to every continent. I want to make someone happy - truly, blissfully, remember-it-forever happy.

G.H - Do you have any scars? What are they from?
I have one on my knee from sliding into the paddling pool and straight out the other side into a shed. I have one on my eyebrow from being thrown into a glass table.

G.H – Back to normal questions!

G.H - What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

Never give up. Never let anyone tell you you can't do it.

Don't think, doubt doubt...just do.

G.H - Would you share a deep dark secret about you with us?

*shakes head* I'll put them in my stories.

Thank you for letting us get to know you and your books. It was an absolute pleasure to have you with us!

Everyone, please remember any questions or suggestions please write them in the comments section below.

Thanks G :)

Author Profile – Victoria L. James

Hello and welcome!

I am so happy you could join us today.

G.H – How are you today?

VLJ – I’m doing great, thanks so much for having me on your blog. 

G.H - When did you first start writing?

VLJ – I guess the first time I ever put pen to paper was when I was too young to really take much note of my actual age. I think it was probably slap bang in the middle of my Enid Blyton days, when I used to love making notes, imagining that I was the one making up all those magical stories. But then age and life got in the way. Apart from keeping diaries and the odd spurt of brainstorming here and there, I didn’t do anything too serious until the February of 2010. That’s when I started writing in secret after being left completely bereft once I’d finished reading Twilight. Darn Edward Cullen broke my heart.

G.H - Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

VLJ – Yes, but I never believed I was good enough to make it, so it was always more of a secret dream than one I considered actually chasing. I went through many fads. I wanted to be in the Olympics, I wanted to be a journalist, a primary school teacher and even a wedding co-ordinator at one stage. But no matter what I did or tried, nothing seemed to ‘fit’. Not until Feb 2010.

G.H - Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

VLJ – Full time at the moment, but only because I’ve had the fortune of having to move around the country this last few years, mainly for my husband’s work, so I’ve not been tied down with a 9-5 as such.

G.H - How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

VLJ – With the RTW series, it’s actually a very long and complicated story. We were a role play group on twitter. Just a bunch of people, all with an insane love for storytelling and writing who went out there, hiding behind made up characters, and somehow managed to gain an audience that was interested in us. We started out as a two piece, just telling every day, real life stories… and then we grew. Now we have six writers in our group and we showcase the lives of a bunch of adults who all live in Manchester, England, highlighting all sorts of issues in each book we put out there. Drug abuse, neglect, heartbreak, love, attraction, just real life stuff.

The subject matter for Without Consequence, (Babylon Series) came about because me and L.J. Stock (who is also part of The Road to Wonderland Series) both had a mutual love of the MC lifestyle, but wanted to focus on an intense love story in that world. A love story where the bad boy isn’t who everyone believes him to be. It’s a story of growth and discovery. We believe it’s something a little different. J

G.H - Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?  If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

VLJ – I actually write in a lot of genres. I’ve only released in New Adult and Contemporary Romance so far, though. My earlier work is very much paranormal romance. Whatever genre it falls into, though, I just love to write about love. To me, it’s the one thing that can make or break a person, and I enjoy digging deep to explore what boundaries I can push with that.

G.H - Where does your inspiration for these stories come from?

VLJ – It can be anything really… from a dream to seeing a picture on the internet, a conversation with a friend, or eavesdropping on strangers talking in a café. Haha. But no matter what the subject matter, the emotions are always drawn from real life, whether that’s from my own memories, feelings, etc, or someone close to me. I’ve always paid attention to the people around me, both when they’re out of this world happy or in pain… It’s about taking what you’ve learnt from experiences and basically bleeding it all out on paper.

G.H - What was your favourite chapter to write and why?

VLJ – That’s a tough question. I’m not sure I can pick just one from the books I’ve written so far, but I always love the first chapter of a new story. All those possibilities, the not knowing where it’s going to go. It’s a bit like a first date. You never know whether you’re going to want a second serving of Mr. Mysterious or whether this one is straight for the reject pile. I love that about feeling of not knowing what’s ahead.

G.H - Where is your favourite place to write?

VLJ – Anywhere quiet.

G.H - Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? i.e. You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

VLJ – I would love to be all fancy pants and say I have a beautiful office with loads of inspiring quotes written upon the walls, etc, haha, but the reality is that I’m a mum of two boys under six and my life is pretty mental. In between nursery runs, I usually sit on the sofa with my earphones in and try to get lost from reality for a while, but I just have to grab the free time where I can get it. If that’s in the bathroom, sat on the edge of the bathtub, typing away on my phone in GDocs for ten minutes, then that’s what happens. I’ve even sat in my car in the supermarket car park before, just to steal five minutes of silence so my characters can take centre stage.

G.H - Do you use a computer/laptop for your first draft or are you a pen and paper writer? 

VLJ – Pen and paper for ideas and the occasional chapter here and there, but mainly laptop and sometimes a little tinker on my iPhone.

G.H - How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

VLJ – This is my biggest failure as a writer. I absolutely hate picking names and locations. Lol. The characters in my head are so clear, I see them. I can tell you the colour of their eyes, the place of their birth marks, the scars on their bodies, even their shoe sizes… but ask me what they’re called and I literally will stare at you completely speechless. I’ve even asked my kids to pick names before. Google is my friend, unless I meet someone I really like and their name sticks with me. If it was left to me, everyone would end up being named after a My Little Pony character or something stupid. “Hey, Applejack… come over here and show me what you got, big boy.”

Yeah. Doesn’t quite work. *laughs*

G.H - Did you learn anything from writing your book?  What was it?

VLJ – I learnt that I have more patience than I initially thought I had. I learnt that I am my own worst critic and I also learnt that it’s okay to cry for my characters. I cried a lot with all my books. If they don’t get me emotional, I’ve not done my job right.

G.H - How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

VLJ – It varies. One has taken twelve months before, one has taken eight months… another was wrapped up in three weeks. I won’t tell you which was which though. *laughs*

G.H - Can you describe the feeling you had when you saw your published book for the first time?

VLJ – I felt like I was the biggest fraud out there and I had just handed the whole world their very own microphone to boo me off stage with. It was exciting, daunting, terrifying, nauseating… and incredibly, incredibly surreal. Still doesn’t feel real. I don’t think it ever will.

G.H - Who are some of your favourite authors? 

VLJ – Sara Gruen, John Green, David Nicholls, Stephanie Meyer, Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks. I also love people like Michael Faudet, Tyler Knott Gregson and Lang Leav who write poetry and short stories. Just one line from them can blow my mind.

G.H - Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?

VLJ – Absolutely and it’s beyond frustrating. I usually go to my friend, whine a little bit, drive her insane until she breaks, then drink the night away. *laughs* In all seriousness, I do go to my friend the very second I’m struggling and she sends me random pictures to inspire me. She forces me to go write a short story based on that one image alone, so that’s what I do. It works. It works every single time. She gets me and I’m grateful to her for that.

G.H - Time for a few crazy questions!

G.H - Do you write naked?

VLJ – Only on Naked Word Wednesdays.

G.H - What is your biggest failure?

VLJ – This is tough. Hmm. I guess that I’ve not quite made enough money in my life to give my kids everything they’ve ever dreamed of and desired. I’m working on that, though. I’ll make it happen, even if it kills me doing so.

G.H - What is the biggest lie you've ever told?

VLJ – “I’m fine.”

G.H - Have you ever been in trouble with the police?

VLJ – *laughs a lot* Yes. I’d have to change the answer to my previous question if I lied and said no. Nothing major, though – although my mother would probably disagree. *cringes*

G.H - Do you drink? Smoke? 

VLJ – I like a drink. I don’t smoke. My husband would divorce me if I did.

G.H - What is your biggest fear?

VLJ – Not seeing my children grow old and happy.

G.H - What do you want your tombstone to say?

VLJ – “Here lies the wife of Taylor Kitsch”

G.H - If you had a superpower, what would it be?

VLJ – I’d have some kind of inbuilt shield I could project outwards to protect all my loved ones from heartache, illness and general douchebaggery. I’d be like Yorkshire’s version of Bella Swan in Breaking Dawn Part Two. Only smilier.

G.H - What secret talents do you have?

VLJ – I don’t think I have any. How bad is that? Writing was my secret, but that cat is kind of outta the bag now. Oh. I can do a good headstand. Does that count?

G.H - What is something you want to accomplish before you die?

VLJ – I’d love to work in television or film, just once, even if it was nothing more than watching on the sidelines.

G.H - Do you have any scars? What are they from?

VLJ – I have a scar at the side of my temple where my older sister, Tracey, “accidentally” *coughs*bullcrap*coughs* dropped me on the edge of a stereo when I was about four! I also have a scar on the top of my foot from standing on a weaver fish, along with another scar on the underside of my other foot which relates to the police question. *chuckles*

G.H - Do you dream? Do you have any recurring dreams/nightmares?

VLJ – Every night. I remember most of them, too. It’s actually where a lot of my ideas for books come from. I have a few recurring ones, yeah. The worst one is when you need the toilet and you can’t find one. Holding your pee for eight hours in dream world is rough!

G.H – Back to normal questions!

VLJ – I’ll answer whatever you put in front of me. ;)

G.H - What piece of advice would you give to a new writer?

VLJ – Write because you love to write. Not for any other reason. Never forget why you first started. And even if everyone hates something you’ve done, but you know in your heart of hearts that it’s the exact way you wanted to tell the story… pat yourself on the back. Always be proud of finishing one and starting another. We’re not all here to do the same thing. We’re all here to tell our story. Not all of them will be bestsellers. Just be you and never stop.

As my hero, Sly Stallone said, “Remember one thing: The day you try to lift your head above the crowd, people are going to be lining up for a mile to cut it off. It’s just human nature. So… get ready to be beheaded, but it’s worth it.”

G.H - Would you share a deep dark secret about you with us?

VLJ – I put pickled red cabbage in my tomato soup. That’s about as deep and dark as I get. I really need to get out more… *tumbleweed*

Thank you for letting us get to know you and your books. It was an absolute pleasure to have you with us!

Links:

www.facebook.com/VictoriaLJamesAuthor

www.facebook.com/BabylonSeries

www.facebook.com/RTWSeries

Everyone, please remember any questions or suggestions please write them in the comments section below.

Thanks G :)