Kendall Grey. The one word that comes to mind when I think of her is: FIERCE. And I mean fierce with all the power that word carries. A couple years ago I began following Kendall on Facebook. I can't even tell you how she swam into my sonar screen (yes, that's a water analogy f*ckers). HAHA! And hell yes, I'm going to use language in this interview because Kendall evokes that kind of powerful shit. She has a healthy and vocal fan base who are just as edgy and crazy amazing as she is. And this chicka can tell a story that will make you think, "Holy shit, did I just read that?" She just recently hit the 100,000 ebooks sold and was so f*cking humble about it...I would've been running around town shaking champagne bottles and letting the bubbles fizz in people's faces. You gotta love her.  Let me introduce Kendall...

1. What is the first thing you remember writing that made you realize you were a writer/author?

I’ve always considered myself a writer—even when I was a little kid—but I didn’t think of myself as an author until I published my first book, INHALE. The moment it really hit home that I was an author was the first time someone recognized me at a book signing. I thought, “One of my friends must’ve told her it was me. No way she knew who I was.” I still don’t expect anyone to know who I am.

2. What sparked your muse for your Just Breathe series? Hard Rock Harlots?

I’ve always been fascinated by rock stars. I worshiped them as a teenager and dreamed of living the rock star life. My obsession with rockers has always been—and probably will continue to be—the drive behind a lot of my books.

Every whale I’ve ever met also played a huge role in my decision to write the Just Breathe books. J

3. You always mention your family. How do you balance the demands of writing with family?

I don’t feel particularly good at balancing anything in my life, but when the Demonlings are in school, I try to use my time during the day for writing-related stuff so I can give them attention when they get home. I have three kids, so it can be challenging to keep up with who needs homework help, who needs lunch money, and who needs me to quiz them for the test tomorrow. I’m pretty scatterbrained most days!

It’s also very important to make time for my husband. Resident Geek and I have been married almost 20 years, and “us” time is critical to maintaining a happy and healthy relationship. Now that the kids are older, we’re a little more comfortable leaving them alone for a couple hours here and there.

4. How does it feel writing erotica? Have you ever turned red/giggled when writing a steamy scene? Tell us everything you want us to know about it.

I never intended to write erotica, but Letty Dillinger banged on my skull one day, and in true Letty fashion, refused to shut up. I rarely turn red while writing, but sometimes when I go back and read something, I think, “SHIT! Did I write that? Wow!” That, or I figure gremlins snuck into my files while I slept and dropped some really dirty-birdy words in there. ;-)

5. I recently read a post you made about depression. What can or are you willing to share about this aspect of your life? What would you like people to know?

My depression is a vicious cycle. I can predict exactly when it’s going to hit and how it’ll affect me. The only thing that varies is the duration of the episode.

I always fall into a deep funk after I publish a new book. ALWAYS. I equate my value as a human being to book sales. Yes, I recognize how unhealthy (and ridiculously STUPID) this type of thinking is, but my emotions don’t listen to my logical brain, and they surge in damaging ways, even when I gird my loins and expect the worst.

I’m never good enough as a writer. I compare myself to others who sell more than I do. I let bad reviews tear me down for weeks, sometimes even months. A book could have 100 glowing five-star reviews, but all I see are the three one-stars that say I’m a horrible writer. Worse, I believe them. I take everything personally. Social media makes it way worse because when I see everyone else hitting lists, killing it in sales, and selling to New York publishers, I feel even crappier about myself. Yay for them, I think, but back to the dark place for me. L

It’s a never-ending battle. I am literally my own worst enemy.

Sometimes, I wish others would make an effort to UNDERSTAND what depressed people go through. Not judge us, call us whiny bitches, or tell us to shut the fuck up and deal with it. Trust me, if I could deal with it, I would. If I could magically wish the pain and negative, self-defeating thoughts away, I would. If I could be happy all the time, I promise, I would damn sure be happy.

I don’t have any effective coping strategies, but when I get sad about book stuff, I try to remember what Letty Dillinger from the Hard Rock Harlots says: “Make art, not house payments.” I got that line tattooed on my arm so I wouldn’t forget. The money won’t mean shit when I’m gone. But the ART might.

6. What fascinates you about life?

The element of change. The ability of living things to adapt. I look back on my life and laugh at some of the things I used to think. My old beliefs were real and important IN THAT MOMENT. They’re not any more. I have new beliefs and will undoubtedly change those sometime in the future too.

We have to give ourselves (and others!) permission to CHANGE and to be okay with it.

People love to pull shit out of your past and wave it in front of your face: “In 2010, you said X. Now you’re saying the opposite. Hypocrite much?” Maybe technically I am a hypocrite. But what if I changed my mind? Experience and hindsight give us the wisdom to ADAPT and become BETTER.

We have the right to change.

And why wouldn’t you want to change? The same-old, same-old is BORING! I hope I never stop learning, assimilating, and growing. That’s what life is all about: EVOLUTION.

7. Why do you write?

I wish I knew. I think about giving it up daily, but I probably wouldn’t be happy doing something else. The characters and stories keep coming back, no matter how hard I try to silence them.

Maybe I write because I have to.

8. What message would you like to give about whales? It’s obvious they are special to you. How did that come about?

Whales are precious to me because I’ve seen them up close and been moved to my core by their beauty, greatness, and intelligence. They’ve CHANGED me as a person. They’re way smarter than we are, and they know things we don’t.

Whales are also strong indicators of the health of our oceans—oceanic barometers, if you will. When whales die off suddenly or strand themselves, they’re telling us something is wrong in the ocean. We need to listen. Our future may depend on them.

9. If you could only read one book over and over again stranded on a desert island, which book would you choose? Why?

This sounds so arrogant, but I rarely read other people’s books, so it would probably be one of my own. I’m not sure which. I don’t think I’ve written it yet.  I love re-reading my books because they’re like journals or snapshots of where my head was at a particular moment on my own personal timeline. It’s fun to see how I’ve grown and how my attitudes and perspectives have changed. (See? CHANGE! It’s a thing! ;-)

10. At the end of all days, what do you think is the only thing that’s real?

Emotions and experiences are real. You can’t take anything with you when you’re gone, so I try to get the maximum enjoyment out of the important things: my family, myself, and the beautiful world around me. I want to FEEL everything, even when it’s not rainbows and moonbeams. Feelings make us who we are: smiles, tears, scars, and all. Bodies may die, but I think the non-tangibles we leave behind—knowledge, memories, love, art—contribute most to the evolution of the human race. That isn’t just real. It’s history-making.

Web site: http://www.kendallgrey.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmcmg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KendallGreyAuthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/KendallGrey1
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KendallGrey1
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KendallGrey1
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9iR5OwoEWmK_C5jnOgNWWA
Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Kendall-Grey/e/B006BA1V06/

If you enjoyed this post, give it a LIKE or a TWEET :) And by all means, SHARE :) If you'd like a heads up on future Big Ten Interviews or giveaways, join my email list. The only spam I like is with my eggs.
© Janell Rhiannon 2016
Any information from this blog must be properly cited :)

I read Tracy James Jones's book Secret and Lies sometime ago. It was not a subject I expected. I really liked Tracy's work and began following on Facebook. As I did, I got to know Tracy, as we all get to know people we meet through social media via posts, comments and, of course, our online conversations. Tracy stood out to me as more than just an indie author. Tracy gives a voice to the gender non-conforming community. I have watched Tracy face bravely so many things from family and community pressures. I admire these efforts from afar. Tracy made me think about how I see equality and the uniformed ideas I was carrying around about transgender issues and non-conforming gender. I didn't even know about non-conforming gender. My greatest hope it that some day we will meet in person and swap stories as writers and human beings who share this beautiful thing we call "LIFE." I asked Tracy to answer my BIG TEN and was graciously rewarded by the thoughtful responses. So, introducing....Tracy James Jones!

1. What is the first thing you remember writing that made you realize you were a writer/author?
A very long-winded poem I wrote in high school called “Who Am I?”  If I remember correctly, it was a time in my young life that I was becoming more aware of who I was as a person and wondered what direction my life would go.  Plus it had something else to do with a love/crush I never had the heart to face for more reasons than one.

2.      What sparked your muse for your book Secrets and Lies?
A.    Secrets & Lies started in a dream that was initially written as a short story.  Once that was done, I realized that I had one character who had a lot more to say and do with the story and another who was ready for her story to be told.
---you can grab your copy of Secrets and Lies at Amazon

B.     Torn?
Torn was a bit of a hard challenge and came from the fact that most jail/prison stories are told from a str8 male point of view.  Switching the lead character to someone who was gender non-conforming made it possible for that type of story to be told from a point of view that most people would not know or believe possible.  Some people tend to believe that if you are not like them, then everything about you is wrong and that is just not true.  The tagline I initially had in mind for this was “Shawshank Redemption at Brokeback Mountain.” 
---you can grab a copy of Torn at Amazon

C.     The Crush?
The Crush was written one month prior to my high school class reunion.  The idea started because of all the chatter for that event and who would likely attend.  Thinking on that, I found myself remembering those many days and years of my life and my thoughts landed on my first crush.  Once I had the introduction to it, the rest of the story simply fell into place.  As short as it is, it is still one of my favorites. That crush was able to make the event and I found him to still be the sweetest person.  Crush still in place. This story is featured on the Huffington Post and has been requested by the International Baccalaureate Organization to use as Teacher Support Material for their middle-years language and literature classrooms, worldwide.
---get a peek at Crush


3.      Do you have any rituals you follow when you write? Do you listen to music? If so how do you choose it?
A: My writing comes to me in steps.  Sometimes in a rush, so I have to close off the world and write everything down.  If I don’t, the story will not let me rest.  Depending on the mood of the scene, especially emotional scenes, I love string instruments and horns.  When I was writing “Secrets & Lies,” I had the soundtrack to “Meet Joe Black” on repeat.  That is the most beautiful music ever.

4.      How did you come to write from acting? Tell us everything you want us to know about it.
From childhood, I loved watching musical films (Sound of Music), variety shows and the like.  Loved them all, so I wanted to do that.  I started singing in the children’s choir at my church and continued to sing into adulthood.  The acting thing was about meeting actors and learning the craft. I was lucky enough to get some good parts as an extra and stand-in for some truly great films. I had fun working on a local stage play as well. All of that sort of disappeared when I failed my first screen test.  Returning to writing is what I felt better suited to do.

5.      Who is your favorite poet/favorite poem?
Uh-oh.  I don’t actually read much poetry.  (Did I just hear someone scream?)  I mean, I have read some and even written some, but with all the different elements of writing that I do read, poetry is just not one of them.  I know they can be some of the most beautiful words put on paper, but poetry often invokes thought, and when I read I am only interested in a straight forward story.

6.      What fascinates you about life?
People, in general, used to fascinate me a great deal.  Good people.  Kind people.  Now that I am older with a little life experience behind me, I’m not so much impressed.  With social media taking over the world, I see so much hatred and violence and unnecessary cruelty, that I’ve just about lost all faith in humanity.  What fascinates me now...  Writing, reading, films and being the best person I can be in the face of the madness.

7.      Why do you write?
Initially, I thought I wanted to write because I loved reading and figured I had something to say.  Later, it occurred to me that my writing gives a voice to those who are barely seen, heard or understood.  I think all of us have something to say, and I am proud to be able to speak up for those who haven’t yet been given the chance.

8.      What message would you like to give about equality?
The message is simple.  As human beings, no matter what type of life we live, everyone deserves the exact same rights.  I have no idea why some people find that so difficult to understand.  Nothing about one single individual makes them any better worse than another other than the deeds that they do.  That’s it. 

9.      If you could only read one book over and over again stranded on a desert island, which book would you choose? Why?
I have never read a book beyond the second or third time other than the Bible, and that is mostly about finding various scriptures from time to time over the years of my life.  Just one book?  Couldn’t do it.

10.  At the end of all days, what do you think is the only thing that’s real?
In the end, the only thing that is real and matters for me is that I have done enough of the right things to get into a happy afterlife.  Life is sometimes hard and we all make mistakes, but faith is the answer.  I know that if nothing else.

Amazon's Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0067T760U
Blog: http://tracyjamesjones.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tracy-James-Jones/110692882366182
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Hatchiekid
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+TracyJamesJones/posts
The Transcending Gender Project: http://www.transcendinggender.org/

Other Acclaim:
·         Guest Judge for the 2013-15 RONE` (Romance Novel) Awards
·         Featured in the 2013-15 International Indie-Vengeance Day Author Event
·         Guest Judge for the 2014 HuffPost50/AARP Memoir Contest
·         Guest Judge for the 2014-15 Rainbow Books Awards
·         Photo Featured in the Transcending Gender Project  (Since 2014)
UPDATE*****
Tracy has since been involved in the independent film Between the Shades, which explores the common knowledge of what it means to be gay, or what we think about who is what...

If you enjoyed this post, give it a LIKE or a TWEET :) And by all means, SHARE :) If you'd like a heads up on future Big Ten Interviews or giveaways, join my email list. The only spam I like is with my eggs.
© Janell Rhiannon 2016
Any information from this blog must be properly cited :)

Achilles was the greatest warrior to have ever lived. He was the Golden Warrior of the Bronze Age. Even Alexander the Great admired and emulated Achilles throughout his life, sleeping with a copy of the Iliad under his pillow. And yes, for me, Achilles was as real as Alexander was. The Trojan War by Barry Strauss clearly made my day when I read, "Did they exist or did the poet invent them? ...names are some of the easiest things to pass down in an oral tradition, which increases the likelihood that they were real people" (11). He continues "it's plausible but unproven" and that is good enough for me. 

Why do I love and admire Achilles so much? Let me count the ways. The "Greatest of the Greeks" stood taller than the rest, he was passionate, reckless, stubborn, and fierce. And yet, he loved. His struggle to balance his swift-years, or short life, with the acquisition of honor and glory is the universally symbolic struggle to discover one's purpose on earth. Why are we here? What are we supposed to be doing with the time we've been granted? Achilles knew from the beginning that his years would be short, that he was destined to die at Troy, and that his legacy would forge for him an immortality that few have ever achieved. The list of names that have achieved that level of renown is very short, and ironically includes my other favorite hero, Alexander the Great.

Achilles represents the passionate side of human nature ruled by the heart. He loved as fiercely as he fought. It is well known that Achilles had great affection for Patrokles, his elder friend and comrade in arms. They grew up together, trained together, and fought bloody battles side by side facing death for years before the Trojan walls were breached by Odysseus's plan.  The nature of their relationship has been hotly debated for centuries without any conclusion because we simply do not know. Homer never said they were or weren't. However, silence on the subject isn't proof that they Achilles and Patrokles were anything other than heroic friends, models of what love looked like between warriors who faced death and depended on each other implicitly for survival. For me, the silence means they were exactly as Homer portrayed them, heroic friends who had a deep bond for one another. 

Achilles also loved a two women in particular: his wife Deidamia and later after her capture, the princess Briseis. Hidden among the ladies in the court of King Lycomedes of Skyros by his mother, Thetis, Achilles met Deidamia. They were young (still teenagers) and affectionate, eventually married, and parents to Achilles's son, Neoptolemus. When the Golden Warrior was about about 20, he was called to war by Odysseus on behalf of Agamemnon to go to Troy. The war his mother was trying to protect him from came knocking at his door. Achilles left for Aulis joining the other Greeks (the Achaeans, the Danaans, and the Argives). They set sail for the east, their heads full of dreams of gold and plunder...and women. Achilles is credited with sacking several cities before Troy, and in one of those cities, Pedasus, Achilles captured the princess Briseis of Lyrnessus, wife of Mynes. He came to love her, regarded her as his wife, and even Patrokles had an affection for her, promising to throw a wedding feast once she and Achilles returned to Pythia. 

It was the passion Achilles bore for Patrokles and Briseis that caused him to face the ultimate question we all must answer if we expect to live a life with any happiness at all. How do I know myself? Achilles was a warrior. It was the biggest part of his person. His greatest strength and also his greatest weakness. How to balance his purpose, his drive with love? That he loved the princess and she loved him is undeniable. Their bond was deep enough that Achilles's outrage, when Agamemnon took her from him by decree pushed the Golden Warrior to the edge of madness. His first impulse was to slit the old king's throat in rage...the rage that the muse sings about in the opening lines of the Iliad. Only Athena could hold him back...literally yank his hair back to stop him from killing the king in cold blood. She counseled caution. Achilles response was fatal withdrawal of military support. He removed himself and his Myrmidons from the fighting, which was a devastating blow to the Greek efforts because Hektor took the opportunity to hammer them miles back to the beaches. Agamemnon forced Achilles to choose between love and honor. For Achilles it was no simple matter. His days were numbered, he knew he must fight, and be true to his nature as a warrior (his purpose) to survive on the battlefield. The king's actions threatened to rob him of glory and honor, in essence his life's purpose. 

This reaction caused a chain of events that are no less tragic than any Shakespeare play. Patrokles felt bad for the losing Greeks and begged Achilles to borrow the Golden Warrior's armor so he could encourage the Greeks to not give up. Achilles granted the notion and as a result, Hektor, killed Patrokles thinking it was Achilles.  When Achilles found out, he lost his grasp on his rage and unleashed his terrible fury on Hektor. He rejoined the war effort and killed Hektor in hand to hand combat. Briseis was returned to him and she loved him more than ever, maybe out of a desperation that he was all she had left in the world. In the end, it was Briseis who washed his corpse and wept for her dead lover. Achilles's life purpose was completed, all prophecies were fulfilled, and his immortality secured. I suppose you could say, love, was his Achilles heel. The research continues...
--Janell Rhiannon © 2015
Keep in touch. The Homeric Chronicles are coming...2015 

If you enjoyed this post, give it a LIKE or a TWEET :) And by all means, SHARE :) If you'd like a heads up on future Big Ten Interviews or giveaways, join my email list. The only spam I like is with my eggs.
© Janell Rhiannon 2016
Any information from this blog must be properly cited :)

The Oath
Book 2 of The Coven Series By Apryl Baker
Summary from Goodreads:
She killed herself. Everyone asked why, but when I got my hands on my sister's diary, I understood exactly why. I stared at the girl in the mirror as I removed my nose ring. Gone was the black hair, replaced by golden blonde locks that made my sapphire blue eyes shine and my California sun-kissed skin glow. The Goth chic clothes had been put away and I wore a pink tank top and a pair of khaki colored Capri’s. Stylish sandals completed the outfit. I wanted to barf.The snotty little would-be witches would pay for what they'd done. By the end of the week, they’d all be praying to whatever god they worshiped to hide them from the hell coming for them.May the Fates have mercy upon them, because they would pay the same price they’d demanded of her.Their lives.
Add to your Goodreads to be read list now!
Available for pre-order now!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Apple | Kobo

Summary from Goodreads:
Armed with kick-ass shoes, can CJ stop a maniacal coven leader, save the town, and still get Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous while surviving the darkness coming for her? The smoke from the fire burned her eyes, its heat caressed her skin and the taste of fear choked her. She was going to burn just as her ancestor did all those centuries ago in New Salem Village. How could she have been so wrong about everything? Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up the only non-believer in town of Coven. When a stranger comes to the sleepy town of New Salem, everything she thought was true unraveled around her. Ethan made her question everything, even her sister’s death. Clues start to pile up and Cassie is determined to find out if the Coven was the real reason her sister died. What she uncovers terrifies her to the very depths of her soul....

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Apple | Kobo | B&N

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

I am tickled that my fellow writer gal-pals, Randi Cooley Wilson and A Jacob Sweeney, tagged me for the Writing Process Blog Tour. Writers across all different genres, all around the world are answering the same four questions and then inviting a few more writers to participate. You can check out Randi's and A Jacob Sweeney's posts on their blogs and follow the trail back to see all the amazing peeps who have participated so far. In the words of one of my favorite Spartacus warrior's, " Shall we begin?!" 

1. What are you working on right now?
I actually have two irons on the fire right now. I have commissioned a talented young director/editor in the creation of a book trailer for Invisible Wings. I get these little glimpses of rough cuts and I have so excited; he's bringing my characters to life with music and voice...I'll keep you posted on this. The second project is a young adult novel called Uncross the Stars. It's about a high school quarterback with a horrific past and the girl who breaks through his fears to his heart. Regina Wamba of Mae I Design is currently scheduling a photo shoot with two AH-SOME models for the cover. I am in the final editing stages of this one, then on to mythology series.

2. What makes your work different? 
Wow, what a big question! Maybe it's the eclectic grouping of genres I am writing in. I know everyone says stick to one genre...paranormal, fantasy, romance...whatever, but I just CAN'T. I have too many stories screaming in my head to get out and I can;t pegged them all in one category. So, it makes sense to me that the next book will be the mythology series...it's been patiently waiting for my attention. So I'm going to give Paris, Hector, and Achilles and their friends some love :)

3. Why do you write what you write?
I want to communicate with everyone...stories just seem to be the way that happens for me. Some people sing, others dance. I write. Not real glamorous or sparkly, but it's all I got :)

4. How does your writing process work?
Simple. Stories strike me everywhere I go. I write the seeds down in a notebook (actually I have about 5 notebooks). I hand write ideas, plot, character sketches...doodles...then I move to the computer. You know what's funny? I want these stories out of my head, but as soon as one gets out, another one pops up. So, maybe I write what I do to keep my brain clutter to a minimum? Once I'm into the solid writing phase I write to the exclusion of everything else. I write so much my neck hurts, my back hurts, the dishes pile up, my dogs think I'm a ghost...and MUSIC!! Oh my god music! I love to find a sound track for a novel.  Right now I have Pandora playing my Matt Kearney station, and I didn't run this morning because I was finishing this blog :) 

So, I'd like to tag one of my favorite author friends in this little blog tour...because I want to read about her process, etc.

Anna Snow...look out hot mama! 

Heir of Darkness (book 2):
Stella Day will one day be the Protector of Earth, but right now she’s focused on other things. Surviving high school, having a winning soccer season and balancing the two guys in her life all vie for her attention. She isn’t ready for her future or the massive destiny waiting for her.

Unfortunately for Stella, destiny isn’t patient. Stella’s life becomes complicated when the Darkness won’t leave her alone. She’s plagued by Shadows at practice and in school. Seven, Seth’s deranged sister, is stalking her. And Aliah has made it his life’s mission to destroy her before she turns eighteen and comes into the fullness of her powers.

In a risky effort to save her life, Seth makes a deal with the devil that changes everything. Suddenly, it’s no longer her own life that Stella is desperate to save. She must find a way to protect her Counterpart before he becomes the worst threat of all.

As Stella grapples with the intensity of her feelings for both Tristan and Seth, her choice might just be made for her. While the Darkness demands her attention, humanity and the high school life she loves will fade into the background as she embraces the purpose she was given and the most complicated battle yet.

This time it’s not just her life on the line, but her heart as well. Choosing which boy to love might not mean a happily ever after. Choosing between Seth and Tristan might just lead to a heartbreak she never imagined.
Heir of Darkness AMAZON  B&N  GOODREADS

Heir of Secrets (book 3):

The countdown to Stella Day’s eighteenth birthday has begun with only a year left to go.

When Stella turns eighteen she will take over as the Earth’s protector. She will come into the fullness of her powers. And her counterpart will be released from his soul-losing contract.

Only three hundred and sixty five days to go. Only fifty-two weeks. Twelve months… But a lot can happen in that length of time.

As Stella trains for that day, the Darkness closes in around her. Seth sold his soul so that she would be safe until her eighteenth birthday but someone is still trying to kill her. And Seven, Seth’s deranged and evil sister, won’t leave her alone. There are more problems with the Council that’s supposed to be protecting her. And when Jupiter suddenly disappears things go from bad to worse.

It might be easier to solve all her problems if Jude Michaels wasn’t bothering her every second of every day. And if she didn’t miss Seth with such a consuming, paralyzing ache.

When her friends are threatened and her Midwest life exposed, she has to fight through every distraction that plagues her and find the real threat in a sea of enemies that want her dead. Aliah has never been more evil. Seven never crazier. Tristan and Piper are constantly threatened and in danger.

But it’s Seth she fights for the hardest. As he teeters on the precipice of Darkness and Light, can she salvage the soul of a boy who has given it up for her?

Heir of Secrets AMAZON  B&N  GOODREADS

You can follow her all over the place! Like, follow, favorite:)
AMAZON  B&N  GOODREADS  WEBSITE  FACEBOOK  TWITTER

Giveaways on her Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhigginsonauthor
It's Monday, and we all want to feel lucky! 

Playlist Combined from all 3 books:

Monsters- Lenka Closer- Kings of Leon For Albert- Sara Jackson-Holmes Silence- The Ting Tings Anything Could Happen- Ellie Goulding Shake Me Down- Cage the Elephant Let the Drummer Kick- Citizen Cope Like a Song- Lenka Sail- AWOLNATION Store Bought Bones- The Raconteurs Hit Me Like a Man- The Pretty Reckless My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark- Fall Out Boy Who Gon Stop Me- JAY Z, Kanye West Chandelier- B.o. B. Stars- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Cigarette Smoke- Cara Salimando The Monster- Eminem Sunshin- Skylar Grey Fall into the Sky- Zedd Icarus- Bastille Bleeding Out- Imagine Dragons To Be Bright- Sara Jackson-Holmes Blue Lips- Regina Spektor Burn- Ellie Gouldng Light Up- Sunday Lane Light up the Sky- Yellowcard Fire- Ingrid Michaelson Gold Dust- John Newman Soul Wars- AWOLNATION Til the Casket Drops- ZZ Ward Staring at the Stars- Passenger Wonderful Unknown- Ingrid Michaelson

If you haven't been to Carmel, California then make it a destination on a future itinerary. It's a beautiful little place with fantastic restaurants and lovely local people. I recently went there with a group of people to help a best friend celebrate his 50th birthday. And in the midst of all this revelry, my muse got an unexpected jolt. At the end of the official night, we all sat around several tables at this little place called Brophy's--chatting, laughing--and then a whisper went around our group...the guy at the bar in the beanie...he looks like Colin Farrell...he's gorgeous...he's a hottie. Literally, we all gawked at his chiseled jaw...intense eyes...and of course we were all too obvious, so it was only a matter of time before he turned around and smiled at us. SWOON. Then, lord help me, he made eye contact with me directly, probably because I was the only one continuing to stare. I was a deer in the headlights. My brain said, "LOOK AWAY!" But, I couldn't. I froze. I actually froze like a dork. He smiled wider. I finally ripped my gaze away. (In my defense, I have to say that a man in beanie is my cryptonite.) I busied myself in a conversation, until I heard an urgent warning, "He's coming over here!"  I looked up and Mr. Adorable was walking to our table. For a second I thought maybe he knew someone. Next thing I know he's standing next to me. He simply stated, "Why not be straight forward?  I'm Dylan." He extended his hand. I'm not sure I responded right away. In fact, I don't remember what my original response was, or if I made one. A round of introductions took place. He bought the birthday boy a cocktail and joined our merry gathering.

Me: So what do you do? 
Dylan: I climb mountains.
Me: (Completely intrigued) Really?
Dylan: Yup.
Me: (Thinking, who climbs mountains?) As a hobby?
Dylan: Nope. 
My eyes narrowed with doubt, so he pulled out his phone and proved it. Holy crap. He really does climb mountains. Real mountains. Snow. Crampons. Huge backpacks. Mt. Shasta. Mt. Rainier. His gallery of pictures was stunning. One of my favorites was of him on the very top of Mt. Shasta, holding an American flag with the Earth literally a curved horizon in the background. Ah-mazing. We talked for hours. I listened to all his adventure stories.

Here's the reality of my writerly world: Meet handsome stranger in a new town and what am I thinking of? Wow! What a character he'd make in a contemporary romance novel. Bold. Confident, borderline cocky. Adventurous. Built like a Greek god. Nice tattoo. Signature style (the beanie). Mysterious. A delicious balance of available and unavailable. Thank you handsome stranger for striking the muse into over-drive. The next day as I drove home, my muse pestered me for 4 hours. As a result, I've got a great sketch for a character in a future contemporary romance novel. Someday, maybe, Dylan and I will meet again at Brophy's in that little Cali town...and I'll say "Hey! You're in a book." You know what they say about having writers as friends...chances are you'll end up as the foundation for a character in a novel, or will be sooner or later. 

Here's some Coldplay for you :) 

Imagine a love that is forbidden to you by design, yet you need it like you need air to breathe. Could you resist the temptation? Would you be willing to suffer the consequences, when it crumbles through your fingers...because these kinds of passions burn hot and quick, consuming themselves and everything in its path. 

We all know we can't chose who we fall in love with...that on some level love whether it is a chemical connection, a visual smack in the head, or some other inexplicable phenomenon that takes us by the  short hairs and scatters us to the four winds we are slaves to it. When you fly so high, and burn so fast it's easy to forget yourself and the life you lifted off from in order to soar with the wings of the phoenix. And forbidden love, the love you need so badly that you are willing to betray all to hold for a moment...well, that's the kind of love for the ages. Burning hot, bright and fast...At some point we land on back on Earth and must pick up the pieces, putting some semblance of the life we used to know back together. 

This kind of love burns us to the core. It changes us forever. There is never truly a way to go back to the status quo...the stain of it lingering as ash and dust in our mouth, haunting us with what might have been and what will never be. 

Iseo and Celestino burn bright in BIRTH...book one of the Livingstone Saga. Will Celestino obey the required oath written in the Codex of Gargoyles, or betray everyone to follow his own desires?

Available at Amazon and soon everywhere else...
 

In Book One of the Livingstone Saga: Birth, Iseo and Celestino share a very passionate kiss. It's just a "kiss"...so no reason for concern because kisses are innocent...or are they? You can steal a kiss, take a kiss, blow a kiss, kiss back, or just peck a kiss. But, I have been thinking a lot about kisses, and not because it was just Valentine's Day (which I celebrated solo style in the company of two dogs and one cat). This is what I thought about: kisses are probably the most dangerous thing of all. The simple act of leaning in, pressing lips to lips is how the very first line is crossed. It's the line that separates the safety of where you are with the excitment of the unknown and where you're going. A kiss is the doorway to passion. A kiss is the first truly intimate thing that lovers do, and the one thing they notice first when it's missing-in-action. Consider this painting by Gustav Klimt entitled, what else? The Kiss.

It's a magnificent painting. The embrace and the cloak exude passion, ignition, and all that glitters in the sparkling shower of love. This piece was recently featured in the movie This Means War starring Reese Witherspoon and the sexy Tom Hardy. Check out this KISS montage by  Mira. I think her selection shows exactly what I'm talking about.

A KISS is when you begin to give in...to everything. It is hard to stop, to pull back the emotional tidal wave once  it starts to crest over your body, mind and soul. The kiss is the beginning of the end for many of our favorite fictional characters, meaning they fall head over heels...to their utter joy or destruction.

Remember when Carrie kissed Aiden in Sex in the City 2? If Mr. Big hadn't called off the wedding in the first movie, I think he might have walked off and said forget it at that point. But, I'm pretty sure, the cancelled wedding and "the kiss" were never brought up again...a "kiss" trumped being jilted. Think about it. And Carrie did pull away...it could easily have gone the other way, as it usually does. 

Which brings me to my characters, Iseo and Celestino. A girl and a gargoyle...they are forbidden from loving each other, yet they do. And they share a KISS...

"Celestino waited until he felt her reach toward him. It was a slight movement on her part, but it was all the permission he required. Without taking his eyes from hers, he allowed his mouth to descend. Gentle at first, he tasted wine and honey on her lips. “You are the nectar of God and earth,” he spoke so close to her that she felt each word as his lips brushed against hers."

You'll have to read they rest in the book one of The Livingstone Saga: Birth. This kiss lasts about two pages...it's sexy, sweet, and you'll have to decide how innocent it really is... (re-posted from previous site).

The NerdGirlOfficial's Gladys found me via Twitter. She liked a post about Invisible Wings. We tweeted it up and it led to an email convo, which turned into a guest blog post by me for NerdGirlOfficial. I am re-posting my original blog here. For the full Q and A article see NerdGirlOfficial.  And check them out. They support indie authors like me and I am grateful :)
HERE'S the REPOST:
As a little girl the favorite woman in my life was my Nonna (that's Italian for grandmother). She lived next door to us for a while, and I learned so much from her... like how real butter with sugar on a saltine cracker and warm tapioca pudding are easy snacks (forbidden to her because she was a diabetic, and when she would sneak the sweet stuff she always swore me to secrecy with, "I'm your Nonna!") She also taught me that cooking was an all-day process (a can of tomato paste and a toss of sugar were the key to a great red sauce). I remember her house smelled of my grandfather's tobacco pipe and dark chocolate. It was home. It was love. It was the best time of my youth. 

So what's the big deal about grandmas? Here's 10 reasons we love our grandmas in a way we love no other:
1. they truly love you unconditionally (they make you feel perfect)
2. disappointing them is not an option (there are things we've done that moms knows, that we'd be mortified if our grandmas knew!)
3. you accept they know things your mom doesn't know (it's like wisdom skips back a generation, to the consternation of mothers everywhere)
4. they have old school skills like sewing, crocheting, and cooking from scratch (if it's not from scratch, we are never told)
5. they are soft places to land (literally they hug you and it feels soft)
6. they listen to music that you would know nothing about if it weren't for them (like opera or Dean Martin or Frankie Sinatra)
7. they never had sex, but know how to explain love (...I know that's a hard one, but it's the truth)
8. they would never tell on you (and you would never tell on them)
9. they believe you can fly (they make you feel you can do anything, anytime, anywhere...)
10. they will stand up for you to your mother and WIN (because she's your mom's mom or your dad's mom and well, mothers always win...)

My Nonna happened to be a non-practicing catholic and with that came some heavy religious superstitions or beliefs, take your pick I won't be offended. And the one that stood out in my mind was this: always be kind to strangers because you might be entertaining an angel without realizing it. I never forgot that. Consequently, whenever I encounter a stranger in need, her words rush my brain. What I didn't know at the time was that this life lesson would become the premise of my first book, Invisible Wings. 

Now that I'm a Nonna myself, I understand how much she loved me and all her grand babies. So, when my granddaughter looks at me with her big brown eyes and smiles saying, "Nonna, I like you." It spears me through the heart.  It's truly a privilege and joy being a Nonna to all three of my grand babies. 

Just when you thought no one was listening...there was Arabella. 

Get your wings at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and currently free @ Smashwords.