Deanna Jewel, Author of Whispers at Ghost Point on An Avid Reader's Haven Blog

Deanna chats with me about her new release Whispers at Ghost Point on Haven's blog this week. She is giving away a $10 GC and Five Ecopies of No Turning Back. 

I had the pleasure of critiquing Whispers for Deanna. You'll love this story filled with paranormal, mystery and romance!

Click the link below the visit the interview. 

Link:

An Avid Reader's Haven: Meet Deanna Jewel, author of Whispers at Ghost Point

New Release! Whispers at Ghost Point by Deanna Jewel

Louise, thank you for inviting me to your blog. Readers, thank you for stopping in to check out my new release! I have a soft spot for lighthouses and romance so these two went together very well for me. I visited St Augustine Florida just before Halloween and got to tour the lighthouse and keeper's house for a ghost tour! No, we didn't see any ghosts but if you believe in orbs showing up in pictures, then yes, I captured them! I really wanted to experience something but didn't get to. The tour was still awesome!

We did take another tour of an historic jail in St Augustine. Now just before we entered, my camera worked just fine. Once inside, the flash wouldn't work no matter what I did! I was not happy at all. As soon as I stepped outside to look at the gallows, I could snap a photo with the flash...go figure!

Now back to my book. The e-book released on the December 24th at Smashwords and the December 27th at Amazon. By mid January, the e-book should be at all online stores. The print copies should be available by the end of January for those who love their paperbacks! Those will also be at Amazon, B& N and at my website store for those who may want an autographed copy!

Information about Whispers at Ghost Point can be found by visiting my webpage for Whispers - there you can read an excerpt, read Chapter1, watch the book trailer, and click on buy links if you're so inclined to find out what happens at the lighthouse with Dana and Mitch!

My newsletter has information and news which I hope you want to receive. If so, you can sign up at my website and blog. I pick one winner a month to receive a tee shirt, gift card and goodie bag!

Thank you all for stopping by. 

CONTEST:  eBook giveaway!  Leave a comment about why you love reading along with your email addy for a chance to win No Turning Back. I will pick one winner to gift the eBook from the comments.

* Site Links *

Website

Blog

* Buy Links *

All Romance Books

Amazon

Smashwords  

For a chance to win a signed copy of No Turning Back - click here! I've read No Turning Back. You can read my review on Amazon (Brenda Woody). You'll want to read NTB before reading Whispers at Ghost Point. ~ Louise 

 

Book Tour & Contest "Whispers at Ghost Point" - Deanna Jewel

Follow Deanna's Whispers at Ghost Point Book Tour. Enter her contest through the Rafflecopter below and good luck!

'Whisper's Tour Dates'

Oct 28 - Nov 2
at Louise James' Blog

Nov 1 - 4
at Lara Hogg

Nov 5 - 9
at Katie Salidas

Nov 5 - 9
at Tracy Krauss

Nov 12 - 16
at Charmaine Gordon

Nov 19 - 23
at Marti Melville's blog

at Karen Hooper's Blog

Nov 23 - 30
at Cate Master's Blog

Nov 26 - 30
at Renee Vincent's Blog

Nov 28 - Dec 2
at Hywela Lyn's Blog
 

Follow Deanna on her blog under GFC or NetworkedBlogs and visit her web site. You can connect with Deanna on Twitter: @DeannaJewel, Goodreads and Facebook.

No Turning Back on Sale for $0.99 

Click here to purchase on your favorite online store!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Whispers at Ghost Point by Deanna Jewel - Book Trailer is out!

Whispers at Ghost Point

Deanna Jewel

Contest to open SOON!

Click here for details

Click on this image to read Chapter 1

Author Gary Vanucci, Creater of the Realm of Ashenclaw

Gary F. Vanucci

Gary Vanucci was born in Pennsylvania in 1968. He enjoys writing, reading, music, art, anything at all that promotes creativity and activities that push the mind beyond conventional thinking. He has spent time as an amateur singer/songwriter and has spent multiple decades creating role-playing scenarios and playing games amongst various genres. Years of reading graphic novels, comic books, fantasy/science fiction novels and the like has led him to discover his true passion—writing!

His education includes a Bachelor’s of Science in the field of Information Technology and an Associates of Arts in the field of Graphic Design.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."  ~Aristotle.

Louise: Gary, welcome to our blog! We’re so excited you could join us for a chat. Please tell us a little about your new release.

Gary: Secrets of the Ebonite Mines is the continuation of my ongoing high fantasy series that includes the likes of Rose Thorne, Saeunn, Elec Stormwhisper, Garius Forge and Orngoth. It picks up exactly where Covenant of the Faceless Knights left off. I also have a story in an anthology with my fellow Skulldust Circle writers. That book is out now and is entitled: A Gathering of Dust. My story revolves around the legend of Ashenclaw, a red dragon queen who is the namesake of my fantasy universe.

Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Gary: Almost everything I do is planned out ahead of time, but some things develop on their own. Sometimes personalities come to the forefront, or situations develop that inadvertently take the story in a certain direction that was not planned. But, for the most part, everything is planned out before each book is started.

Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits to share?

Gary: I do a little. Not much. Most of what I do comes out of my head and is based loosely on historical proclivities. But, for all intents and purposes, I make a good deal of it up with a very good friend: Nicholas Titano. He is that wall that I bounce things off. His words, not mine.

Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?

Gary: As I mentioned earlier, it is mostly planned out, but I will say that I never know what is coming from page to page. If something moves me a certain way, I adapt and move forward with it, as long as I do not have to change any history. I refuse to do a dream sequence to correct a mistake….lol.

Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer or still do?

Gary: I write part time. I am a full time IP tech support op for a call center. I write in between and am continuing to work on my craft daily. I feel that I have already grown in leaps and bounds as a writer from book 1 to book 2. Just my observation, though.

Lmuise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Gary: No ritual. I simply try to find time to write whenever I can. My goal is 5k words a week, but I often fall short of that goal. If I could do it full time, I’d have a book out every 3-4 months!

Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.

Gary: On my days off, I try to write a good deal first thing in the morning when my mind is fpesh. I take some time off and get back to it after dinner and things seem to roll from there.

Louise: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the horizon?

Gary: I am currently writing book 4, tentatively entitled Dance of Deceit (subject to change!) This one picks up where Secrets of the Ebonite Mines left off and I feel that you will get some really amazing developments, reveals and other surprises in thiq next book. It will be epic and I encourage anyone who has read Covenant to proceed with Secrets next. The best is yet to come!

Louise: What is your favorite genre to read and who is your favorite author?

Gary: I read a good deal of fantasy/sci-fi, fiction, etc. My favorite author is R.A. Salvatore and (believe it or not) Douglas Adams. I enjoy George Martin and Michael Moorcock as well as many comic book writers, especially Frank Miller and Peter David.

Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web?

Gary: The World Literary Café and the Independent Authors Network are to places I would highly recommend authors to visit. I am also doing interviews on my site: Eye on Ashenclaw, and encourage people to reach out to me on twitter: @AshenclawRealm if they want to be spotlighted. I am looking for mostly Fantasy/Sci-Fi/superhero genres, but will expand under the right circumstances. Please feel free to send me a tweet! 

Louise, thanks for having me and all the best to you!

Here is all of my other info:

Amazon Author page 

Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology:

Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK)

Covenant of the Faceless Knights:

Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK)

Secrets of the Ebonite Mines:

Amazon (US)

Amazon (UK)

Also, please visit SKULDUST CIRCLE blog here:

http://skulldustcircle.blogspot.com

***Giveaway***

One lucky Commenter will win all three eBooks from Gary Vanucci. Drawing will be held on Saturday, Oct 13. Please leave your email address so we can easily contact the winner and good luck!

Bibliography

Wothlondia Rising

Beginnings Series

Book 1

Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology is a collection of prequels to Covenant of the Faceless Knights and the Beginnings series. The series details significant events from the past that shape the course of these characters, setting them on the path that will change their lives forever!

Reflections is an exploration into the true classifications of self-image. This short and sweet tale tells of the half-ogre barbarian, Orngoth, who begins to realize the true picture of what he is and where he comes from. During a raid with his ogre barbarian kin—the Ironskulls—Orngoth has an impromptu meeting that could forever change his own destiny. Will he see his true self in time or will he continue down the path of reckless endangerment? 

A Rose in Bloom recounts the thrilling events of a young Rose Thorne, not yet a woman, who is trying to find her way in the city of Oakhaven. Orphaned and discarded, she finds refuge in a kind madam at a local brothel and eventually meets a man who is more than she bargains for….

Maturation Process is the telling tale of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper, who lives in the overbearing shadow of his father, Keryth. Treated as an outcast and feeling alienated from his own people, he exiles himself for a decade, finding a friend in a strange place and begins to accept his own unique destiny. Will this young and inexperienced elf ever find his true calling?

Tears of Blood is the amazing recount of the attacks on the region of Stonehill by the ancient and malevolent undead that are known as Blood Rot Zombies! Saeunn and the barbarians od both Chansuk and Greymoors must find a way to stop the undead infestation before they spread their miasma all across the face of Wothlondia! It is a tale that will forever change the young barbarian woman in more ways than one…

Strength of Faith is a tale that places a young acolyte of The Shimmering One, Garius Forge, on a path that tests his spirituality and also places him face to face with a demonic presence that has the power to alter the face of Wothlondia forever! Will his reverence and devotion to his deity be enough to overcome this horrible demon?

Distant Familiarity is the tale of three legendary figures in the history of Wothlondia, who are attempting to recover an ancient evil that was stolen away from them. Tiyarnon the High Priest, Rolin Hardbeard and Nimaira Silvershade set out to recover the artifact that has forever altered their former companion Sadreth, twisting him into something altogether evil. Can these ancient heroes find and recover the item before it is reunited with its former host?

Covenant of the Faceless Knights

Beginnings Series

Book 2

  

When a dangerous artifact goes missing from the Temple of The Shimmering One, the high priest in charge of its protection realizes that he will not be able to retrieve the stolen relic without help. Calling upon Garius, the man who was once his own apprentice, Tiyarnon the High Priest enlists the aid of this person who is now an Inquisitor among the Order of the Faceless Knights.  Garius, a man of power and prestige, gathers a handful of allies to help complete his quest—but who among them is worthy of his trust?  Aided by the mischievous Rose, a rogue among rogues, the stoic and bloodthirsty Saeunn, and a promising but naïve elf named Elec, Garius hopes his training as one among the Faceless Knights has prepared him to keep his small company in check, let alone survive the trials to come.  Garius must lead his band of allies into dark regions to recover the artifact before it falls into the hands of the evil being that once held it in order to ensure the continued safety of the Realm of Ashenclaw.

Secrets of the Ebonite Mines

Beginnings Series

Book 3

After Garius and company fail to recover the item they so desperately sought, a chance encounter here and a revelation there leave clues as to its whereabouts once more. Garius Forge the Inquisitor of the Faceless Knights, Rose Thorne, the sassy rogue, Elec Stormwhisper, an elf with a newfound thirst for the martial arts, Saeunn, the stoic barbarian and Orngoth, the half-ogre brute set out to once more try to uncover the whereabouts of the tainted artifact. Their quest leads them to a dark village named Hollow Hill, left vacant since the Reign of Ashenclaw. It is a place rumored to be haunted and they soon find that it is more than meets the eye. The group soon uncovers a clandestine group of highwaymen with knowledge of the artifact and much more as they attempt to uncover the many secrets hidden deep within the ebonite mines!

A chat with Charmaine Gordon, Author of Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Author Charmaine Gordon

Stories of Women Who Survive.....and Thrive

An Air Force wife for many years, I wrote sketches, directing and performing in the Officers Club. Moving to NY as civilians and my youngest now almost out of high school, I pursued my dream of working professionally. Daytime drama was fun for about thirteen years along with movies like Working Girl where I sang Happy Birthday to Melanie Griffith. There were many high points during this sweet time ending in a leading role off-Broadway where somehow I gained an idea for a story.

And so writing became my new career.

Louise: Charmaine, welcome to our blog! We’re so excited you could join us for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Charmaine: Thanks for inviting me, Louise. By chance, I met Chelle Cordero at a Hudson Valley RWA event at Barnes & Noble. She’s an author with 8 books on the table and I had my first book published by an author about to close up shop.  Chelle bought my book and before I knew it, she’d told her publisher about me. Bada bing! Vanilla Heart decided to check out my new manuscript titled To Be Continued and I was offered a contract. Just shows you never know where and when good things will happen.

As a side bar, before writing I was an actor with daytime drama, stage and movie background. No plan to do anything else until an idea crept into my head and wouldn’t leave me alone. Without any thought as to how to write a story, fearlessly I began to write and write and loved the idea of my own creativity instead of always using another’s words. So what I say to other writers is encourage yourself. Just do it!

Louise: Please tell us a little about your new release.

Charmaine: Sin of Omission is a sequel to Reconstructing Charlie. I didn’t plan to continue once The End came into view but the characters called out and wanted me to tell their story. 

 Blurb:

Seems easy enough. Jimmy Costigan will deliver supplies to sister Charlie's project Haven, a respite for the needy, and leave. Simple.
Instead, Shelley Jackson answers the door, says she needs him and soft-hearted Jimmy stays to protect the family seeking refuge from a sociopath. He didn't count on falling in love.
A twist of fate intervenes when Shelley keeps a secret that threatens to break apart the Costigans and her future. A mysterious client, Deanna Rose, enters Haven, victim of a savage beating under strange circumstances. Using Internet resources, Shelley digs in to find Ms. Rose has an unsavory past.

With the reputation and safety of Haven at stake, Shelley is at risk to lose everything ... and everyone she cares about.

Louise: Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Charmaine: Some people sleep walk. I sleep write. A story comes in the night. In the morning, I write. The characters develop and if I open my heart, they grow.

Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits to share?

Charmaine: Each book requires research. I’m not interested in deep studies of time and place. Keep it simple and true is my motto. With Sin of Omission, the interracial romance required information; my friend and author of many books, Janet Lane Walters, gave me what I needed to make it real.

Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?

Charmaine: No outlines here, Louise. I fly while raising my grandest granddaughter. I’ll never forget rocking her as I wrote steamy scenes. Still write them but she doesn’t come in to see what Granny’s up to.

Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer or still do?

Charmaine: I miss performing; the immediate response from an audience; the fun of wearing costumes, make-up artists, counts 5-4-3-2- and you’re on. Take 2 or more. Writing is solitary with fictional characters to keep you company and a review to look forward to after you cry The End.

Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Charmaine: I work in an office crowded with toys, books, little girl stuff and my lap top. No ritual about writing. I dig in for a thousand words a day when I’m hot on a story. I greet the day, happy to be alive, stretch the bag of bones and put on a face. Can’t write w/o a nice face. Learned that in modeling days when they said always look your best. You never know.

Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.

Charmaine: Hopefully no one is home to disturb me but really folks, just because I’m here in my office at the computer doesn’t mean I’m not working. (Author speaking to family not listening). Respect my privacy. Not much to ask for, right? “For everything there is a season. . .” My season is now while I’m here to tell a story. I wake full of energy and ideas and hope to bring that to the pages. No diversion like what’s for dinner asked at 10 a.m.

Louise: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the horizon?

Charmaine: I write stories about fictional women who Survive&Thrive. This theme runs through my books of Romance and Suspense. Heat but no gratuitous sex. Love does have a special way of creeping in. Last night I dreamed of a series tentatively titled Meet the Widows. “Claire Morgan wakes up at 2:15 a.m. and. . .”

Louise: Favorite authors-preference in books

Charmaine: Murder and mayhem is my favorite, on audio, so I can listen while I do my stuff not writing related.

John Sandford, Robert B. Parker, Elmore Leonard and Susan Isaacs are some of my faves.

Louise: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?

Charmaine: I'll giveaway an eBook copy of Sin of Omission to the most interesting commenter. Answer the fun question below.

Question: If you could sing Happy Birthday in person to an Actress or Actor, who would it be and why?

Excerpt:

In this scene, Shelley Jackson confesses her secret to her best friend Charlie and Shelley’s lover Jimmy.

“Charlie, you accepted me as a friend and roommate but how would you feel if I were to marry your brother and bring color into the lily white home of your Aunt and Uncle. I’ve been there. So pristine and perfect. I envied your life and all the love they have for you.” She took another deep breath and reached for the twins in Jimmy’s arms. He relinquished them so readily it made her pause and when he again refused to meet her eyes, her mind moved on. Maybe their father didn’t want them after all. “That’s about all except to say I’m sorry. I’ve committed a sin of omission by not coming clean. If you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, we can work it out. Ball’s in your court.”

Louise: Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web?

Charmaine: Readers can find me on the following sites: AuthorCharmaine Gordon, SixSentence Sunday, Twitter @CharJGordon, Amazon Authorpage and Facebook. Buy links for my books are below.

                                                        

Sin of Omission

Amazon Kindle (available in paperback)

AllRomance eBooks

Reconstructing Charlie

AmazonKindle (available in paperback)

My books on B&N and Smashwords

Generous sampling of each of Charmaine Gordon's five novels celebrating Survive and Thrive! Click on the image above.

Stephen King shares release date for "Doctor Sleep", sequel to "The Shining"!

The long awaited sequel will be released September 24, 2013*. During the Savannah Book Festival (Feb 2012), Mr. King mentioned several fans wanted to know "Whatever happened to the kid Danny Torrance from The Shining?". He then let on he was writing a sequel.

Click here to see the article and photos of Stephen King's appearance at the 2012 Savannah Book Festival. Heck Yes, I was there!!!!! Those are my photos of him.

For those of you who have never seen The Shining movie or read the book, you're missing out on a great horror story. You can probably view the movie on Netflix or Hulu Plus. Your local library will have the book. LOL I never looked at Jack Nicholson quite the same after the movie.

On the Stephen King Official Web Site, you can read the synopsis for Doctor Sleep. No book cover yet, but I can imagine it'll be awesome. 

StephenKing.com, Official Web Site

Amazon Author page

His books on Barnes & Noble

Simon & Schuster

IT

*Source is from Huffington Post, Update 9/19/2012

Meet Roberta Goodman, Author of Snow Escape - A Mystery/Thriller

I met Roberta through Twitter; a great way to network and meet new authors. Her debut novel sounded awesome so I wanted our Readers to meet her and learn more about Snow Escape.

Louise: Roberta, welcome to our blog! We’re so excited you could join us for a chat. When did you first decide to submit your work to be published? Tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step.

Roberta: Thank you, Louise. A twist of fate actually helped me get published. I apologize in advance for this lengthy response. Snow Escape was my second manuscript. I’d written a tragic romance/family saga first but had been unable to acquire a literary agent. I ended up writing the manuscript for Snow Escape after I was inspired by a bad winter I had endured. I completed it in June of 2010 and started the process of querying agents. After several months, I had no luck so I moved on. I had no inclination to self-publish either manuscript. I wrote a third non-fiction manuscript, which I completed in the summer of 2011. I’ve been told that one is too personal therefore it’s not marketable. It’s about my husband’s battle with Testicular cancer and how my family dealt with it.

In July 2011, my police officer husband was at the State’s Attorney’s Office for the county he works in and through a conversation he discovered one of the lawyers there is a published author. He had known this man for over a decade and had no clue he was a writer. He called him up and asked him how he got published. He was given the name and phone number of this man’s small independent publisher. I called her at her home and told her a bit about my little murder mystery and she asked me to email her a synopsis and the first three chapters. Five people were going to review the work and deem it worthy of being published. Within a week, I was contacted and told she was going to publish me. Snow Escape was released in e-Book format in October 2011 and paperback in May 2012.

Louise: Well congrats. Sometimes knowing someone with a contact really helps. Please tell us a little about your new release Snow Escape.

Roberta: Snow Escape is a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in Brooklyn, NY on the night the biggest snowstorm in history is occurring. My main character is a 30-year-old single school teacher named Allegra Maxwell. She’s used online dating to meet potential love interests and one of these men chooses the night of the snowstorm to contact her. They talk via Instant Messenger for several hours. Ultimately, during this conversation, she discovers he’s been stalking her and claims to live in her building. This is where his threats to harm her begin and will continue throughout the night. She turns to neighbors for help with tragic consequences ensuing. She’s basically trapped in her apartment building because there is a tremendous amount of snow on the ground, which is hampering her attempts to leave. It’s also keeping the police from reaching her. 

Louise: Readers, enjoy an excerpt below. Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Roberta: I never plan the characters for anything I write. I feel it would limit the direction I could take them in. 

Louise: How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits to share?

Roberta: It depends on what I’m working on. I tend to use the internet a lot, especially if I’m writing about an area I’m not familiar with. For the manuscript about my husband’s cancer, it was a simple process. I just wrote down what we were going through while it was happening. 

Louise: What is your writing process? Do you outline, write by the seat of your pants (Pantser) or a combination of both?

Roberta: I’m a complete Pantser. I do make notes about the characters, but I never outline.

Louise: Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer or still do?

Roberta: I do write full-time. I’ve been a stay-at-home-mom since my son was born in 2001. I worked for a hotel and in retail before that. When my second child started pre-K in 2008, I made the decision to start writing my first manuscript. I’ve also been doing some freelance work for several years, which consists of article writing.

Louise: Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen, laptop and a comfy place.

Roberta: I write in my bedroom on my pc. I have a big comfortable chair I sit in. I feel I do my most compelling writing in this atmosphere. The best time is preferably when the house is quiet, because it helps me concentrate.

Louise: Describe a typical writing day for you.

Roberta: Lately, I’ve been writing whenever I get a chance. After getting my two children off to school, I set aside several hours during the day to work on a plethora of things. I’m either writing articles or working on my current project. 

Louise: Please give us a sneak peek at your future books. What’s on the horizon?

Roberta: Well, I’ve revised my first manuscript and I’m hoping to land an agent with it. Here’s a description of my tragic romance/family saga: When Serafina Conti meets Joe Pirelli in October of 1936, both of them realize immediately they’re soul mates. Their intimate encounters can only be described as earth shatteringly intense. Remaining inseparable for two years, Joe becomes sick and decides to end their romance to save Serafina the heartache of having to watch him die. Unaware as to why he’s broken up with her, and devastated beyond belief, she eventually turns to the man who will become her husband. A Sojourn in Hell is a multi-generational tale spanning almost eighty years. From the Great Depression through WWII and beyond, the reader is a witness to the changes one woman’s life undergoes as she becomes a wife, mother, and grandmother as well as the trials and tribulations her own children end up going through. Alcoholism, untimely deaths, physical and mental abuse, adultery, and life-long regrets abound in this heartbreaking character study of human emotions. 

I’m also currently working on something that I describe as a cross between Bridget Jone’s Diary and 9 ½ Weeks. Its humor mixed with sensuality. I’m hoping to have it completed by the beginning of next year.

Louise: What is your favorite genre to read and who is your favorite author?

Roberta: I love fiction, but ironically enough my favorite book of all time, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, is non-fiction. Honestly, there really isn’t any one particular person I could single out and say they’re my favorite. Some modern writers I like are John Berendt, who wrote Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Elizabeth Gilbert, Elizabeth Strout, David Nicholls, and if I’m in the mood to spice it up, Anne Rice. I’m also partial to classics writers. Emily Bronte, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, and Charles Dickens hold my interest.

Louise: We live near Savannah, GA and we have driven by the Mercer House several times. Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers we have not touched on?

Roberta: Writing is my passion. In expressing myself through the written word, I can help others escape boredom and for me that’s a powerful thing. If writing is your dream, then never give up. Even in the face of adversity, push through it and don’t let others tell you your work isn’t good enough to get published. It’s a tough business to break into. Sometimes you have to take a non-traditional route to get your work out there such as using an independent publisher, like I did, or self-publishing. The work doesn’t end once a book is written or even published. Getting the word out about your book is equally important. If no one knows about it, then you can’t expect anyone to find it and read it.

Louise: We totally agree. Authors shouldn't be shy about contacting fellow authors or bloggers to feature them. Where can the readers learn more about you and find your books on the web?

Roberta: Here are our my links and sites to purchase.

I'll give away Three eBook copies (in PDF) of "Snow Escape" to Three commenters. Leave a comment and your email address or Twitter handle for a chance to win. Good luck!

Website/blog 

Facebook Author Page 

Twitter 

LinkedIn 

Goodreads 

The Author Show Book Club

Purchase info for Snow Escape:

Amazon 

Amazon UK 

Write Words Inc 

Fictionwise 
Barnes & Noble

BIO:

Roberta Goodman grew up in Philadelphia. As a stay-at-home Mom of two children, she discovered her creativity could be expressed through the written word when she embarked on writing her first manuscript. In addition to freelance writing, she has written a total of three manuscripts in two and a half years. "Snow Escape" is her first published novel. Roberta and her family reside in a small town on the Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Set against the backdrop of a historic snowstorm, Snow Escape is the story of one woman’s innocent foray into the world of online dating turned deadly.

Excerpt

While using Instant Messenger to talk to Charles, a man she met through an online dating site, Allegra realizes he might be up to no good.

Sitting back down at the computer, she saw that Charles had written that people should expect widespread power outages to occur. The weight of the snow on tree branches would eventually cause some of those branches to snap, taking power lines down with them.

“God—I hope that doesn’t happen,” Allegra remarked. “Without power there won’t be any heat and with it being so cold out it would be freezing inside my apartment in no time.”

“Then I guess we’d all just have to bundle up, putting extra clothes on to stay warm,” Charles added.

Not wanting to think about worst case scenarios, Allegra tried to change the subject, but Charles continued to talk about the fact that the snow was going to wreak havoc on everyone and everything.

“Think about it, what if something horrible happened right now? Do you think the police would be able to get to anyone in a timely manner? Yes, snow plows were out, but the snow was falling so fast that as soon as a plow cleared the road, snow was just covering it up again. The blizzard conditions would also make it difficult to drive, with those out on the roads having to drive slowly and carefully, especially at night.”

Allegra typed, “Why dwell on worst case scenarios?"

“In situations like this, Allegra, Mother Nature is calling the shots and one should think about what one would do in an emergency.” Then he asked her, “What if one of your neighbors was up to no good, in just a situation like this, there would be no one to stop them.”

“What do you mean no good?"

He went on to elaborate by saying, “Suppose the person living next door to you decided to kill his wife and she manages to call for help, do you think the cops would get to her in time before her husband offs her?"

“I don’t want to think about a neighbor of mine doing that, it’s morbid.”

“Ah—but things like that do happen, Allegra, as well as many other awful things. There are people in this world who wait for once in a lifetime weather events like we’re experiencing right now to commit the most heinous crimes imaginable.”

Confused by what he was saying and the fact that their conversation had taken this unique direction, she wrote, “I don’t like where this conversation is headed Charles.”

“Why Allegra, do you think that our building is so secure that nothing like what I’m talking about could ever happen here? Do you think the individuals that live here aren’t capable of snapping, of losing their minds, and committing horrible crimes?"

The words “our building” and “live here” hit her like a tornado. She typed, “You live in my building?"

For several minutes, she waited for him to type a response. When none came, her heart racing she wrote, “Who are you and why can’t you answer my question?"

Finally, he wrote, “I’m the one who will burrow inside your head. I’m the one who will turn you inside out. I’ve been watching you for weeks now and I know all about you and what you’re about.”

“What kind of sick game are you playing Charles? I don’t appreciate it,” Allegra demanded to know, figuring he was obviously an unbalanced individual who got off on scaring people.

“It isn’t a game; it’s who I am and what I’m about. Our conversation is over, but you will be hearing again from me soon.”

Allegra wrote back, “What the hell does that mean,” but by the time she had sent it, he had logged off. With her hands shaking and her heart beating a mile a minute, she tried to process what just happened. How had such a pleasant innocent conversation taken such a sinister turn? Who was this person and why had he said all those awful things? It was as if he had talked so nicely to her for almost two hours, trying to gain her trust, just so he could fuck with her mind in the end, but why? Her thoughts racing, she jumped when she heard the ringtone of her cell phone, which was sitting on her bed, start playing. Grabbing the phone, she saw it was Maggie returning her call.