Update on The Order of Chaos

I am currently in the editing process for the second book of the Leah Wolfe SINS Novel Series. Look for THE ORDER OF CHAOS to be released in the coming months with www.LiquidSilverBooks.com. I have the pleasure of once again, working with my very talented editor Sharis Mayer and the brilliant April Martinez designed the cover.

I will update my blog with any new developments as they arrive.

Thank you and Happy Reading!

Nico Rosso and Pushed to the Limit

Welcome to the blog Nico! Why don’t you tell us a little about your book, PUSHED TO THE LIMIT.

-Here’s the blurb:

Teryn Pilander lives in a world of secrets. Trained in espionage, she is a Shadow Corps operative for the Core Army in the Limit War. Her latest mission takes her to the planet Viela, drawn by a communication that the local government captured a Dusk Warrior Officer for questioning. More interesting than the message, though, is the voice delivering it. A little shy, but deep and strong, the masculine voice sparks dormant fires in Teryn. She tells herself that once the mission is over, she might put her spy self away for a bit and live a little as a woman.

Drel Kol has secrets of his own. He is the one who sent the message drawing Teryn and her team to his planet. But he was just following orders and led her into a trap. Now, the woman he spoke with could be in grave danger. Her voice alone is enough to ignite a passion he has never known. Yet he's only a technician. Can he fight against his own government and the Dusk to save her? And will the new bond between Teryn and Drel be torn apart when she learns his secret?


Where were you when you got your first book contract? Who did you tell?

-I was home, hitting ‘refresh’ on my e-mail. The first person I told was my wife, romance author Zoë Archer.

What draws you to write your genre and sub genre?

-My wife writes romance and I was drawn to the genre because of the general hopefulness and honesty within the worlds. There may be a lot for the characters to overcome, but they will succeed and their emotions aren’t treated with any cynicism. I like Sci-fi as a sub-genre because of the creative challenge of constructing a plausible world and action for the characters to inhabit.

Do you have any tips for new writers?

-A lot of people say, “Write what you know.” My tactic is, “Don’t write what you don’t know.” Make sure you’re confident with the genre/characters/research before moving forward and make sure you’re writing something you’d like to read.

What is your guilty pleasure?

-Gear, like: boots, pocket knives and flashlights.

Where can your readers reach you?

-My website is: http://nicorosso.com
-Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Nico_Rosso
-Tumblr: http://nicorosso.tumblr.com/

Are you working on another book?

-Always. I’ll have a new Limit War story coming from Liquid Silver later this year. My Post-Apocalyptic romance THE LAST NIGHT, will be e-published by Carina early 2012. Meanwhile I’m collecting notes for another Limit War tale as well as more stories in other worlds.

Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share?

-Excerpt:
The light of the central star burned bright and lurid onto Capital City. The buildings were thrown into high contrast. Light and shadow. Life and death.

Drel had killed. He had never taken a life in combat before. He had never driven a knife into a creature capable of speech. He killed and now he ran to survive. The city he grew up in was no longer home. It was hard angles and dangerous corners. But at least he knew the streets and alleys. He couldn’t imagine how sinister this all must look to Teryn.

If she was afraid, it didn’t show on her face. Her large eyes took in her environment, breaking it into sectors and assessing each fragment. Drel had never seen such capable focus and determination on anyone’s face. She kept pace with him, her lithe body strong and balanced.

Strange, he had gone to that basement room as her rescuer, but now he felt safer with her at his side. He’d killed the Dusk Warrior; he had to, fighting to survive. Teryn, though, helped him in the aftermath. The world seemed to have frozen around him, as if the Dusk Warrior’s death was his own. Echoing from a great distance, Teryn’s voice broke through. Black clouds shifted away from his vision and he saw her. Her dusky skin was the color of gray shadows. Dark eyes brought him back to the world of the living. You’re also the same man who came here to save me. Her words inspired him back into the fight.

They barely made it out of the archive building with all their limbs. But it still wasn’t safe in the glaring light of Capital City. Drel hurried Teryn through two empty alleys, free from any curious locals. Then the buildings opened up and they were faced with the sprawling central market. Citizens moved about their business, oblivious to the danger Drel felt. If he could get himself and Teryn through this market, they had a clear shot out of the city.

He started to cross the street, but Teryn hooked his arm and pulled him back into the shadows of the alley. He noticed for the first time that her fingernails were the same dark green as her hair. They shined, like polished stones.

“That local security?”

She ventured a quick glance into the street and he followed her gaze. Two patrollers were out, their dark blue uniforms in stark contrast to the natural hues of the clothing worn by people in the market.

“Yes, but they don’t look...” A third security officer joined them. “Nela.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Head of City Security.”

“More trouble than a girlfriend.”

Drel watched Nela talk to the other patrollers. Their posture changed, becoming more watchful.

Teryn interpreted the body language. “They’re definitely on the alert. But it’s still covert, otherwise the head would’ve put out a general communication. They might not even know what they’re looking for.”

“So we can lose ourselves in the market crowds then get out of the city.”

Teryn nodded, liking the plan, then a small frown creased her eyebrows. “If we’re going to keep running, I’ll need some shoes.”

Shocked, Drel looked at her feet. Teryn flexed her toes as proof. Her toenail pigment matched her hair and her fingernails. The intimacy of seeing her exposed feet flushed a heat through Drel. He had never felt so acutely sexual in public before.

Teryn brought him back to the situation. “They took my boots and jacket.”

“You didn’t say anything before.”

She shrugged this off and looked across the street at the market. “Wasn’t important when we were scrambling for our lives.”

Drel’s heart was still pounding from that danger. Her calm amazed him. “There’s an outfitter in the market. We can get you boots and some supplies.”

“Supplies for what?”

“We have to get out of the city. Too many eyes. Only safety is in the Wildlands.”

“Doesn’t sound safe.”

“With me it is.”

Sounds Great! How did you come up with the title?

-The first book in the Limit War was TAKEN TO THE LIMIT, so I wanted to maintain some continuity with that and reflect how the hero, Drel, was pushed into the Limit War and had to discover his own capabilities.

Do you work on one project at a time or mulitples?

-Usually I’ll be writing one story and working on the plot for the next.

Is there one particular thing that you find challenging about writing?

-Right now, the hardest time is trying to eliminate distractions when I’m writing. There can be a lot of things swirling out there, and even warring voices in my head, and I need to shut all that out.

Who is your favorite author?

-My favorite romance author is my wife.

What are you reading now?

-Haven’t had a lot of time to devote to reading lately. I have a bookmark slowly progressing through a copy of Dumas’s The Women’s War right now.

Are your characters a reflection on you or anyone you know?

-I think the characters are aspects of myself. Hero or villain, I try to find something in myself I can put in them to make them feel more real. Not that I’m as heroic or terrible as the characters, but I try to amply my own fragments within them.

Do you use more than one pen name? Why?

-So far, I’ve only been published under the one name, but if I ever publish books in other genres, I’ll use a different name to avoid confusion (don’t know if YA readers should be reaching for the romance stories I write).

What do you do to get in the mood to write?

-I generally like to write first thing in the morning, but if I have a clear day, I’ll try to take it as far as I can with a little music on.

What is your favorite thing about writing?

-I can’t think of just one favorite thing, but I do really enjoy the construction of a story, before the pages start flowing and I have to build the structure so all the moving parts—plot, character, action, tone—work together.

If you were a supernatural creature, what would you like to be and why?

-I think I’d like to be an old-school vampire. I’d dig wearing the cape and turning to mist to slide under doors. And the accent is killer.

How long have you been a writer?

-As long as I can remember, I’ve been creating stories.

How many books have you written? How many have been published?

-I’ve written six novellas, two published now and two pending. I’ve also written three full-length novels in a different genre, but haven’t found a publisher for them yet.

Do you have a favorite character from one of you own books? Who and Why?

-Can’t claim one as a favorite, but the hero from the upcoming Limit War story was a lot of fun to write. He’s a country-boy roughneck soldier with a lot of vinegar in him.

What is the easiest and hardest thing about writing?

-The easiest thing is the early process of generating stories. Little prompts are always spinning out into whole solar systems. The hardest thing is eliminating distractions when it’s time to get to the page.

Do you find love scenes difficult to write?

-The most difficulty in love scenes for me is to create something fresh, so each time doesn’t feel too similar to the last one.

Are any of your personal experiences reflected in your writing?


-Fragments from my life and observations sometimes make their way into my writing. The great thing about writing romance is that it’s an opportunity to heal previous heartbreaks, or play out scenarios in a more idealized setting.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

-It really depends on how many outside influences take me away from the writing. If I can finish a novella in about six weeks, I’m making good time.

Do you set timelines when you’re writing or write when the feeling hits you?

-Unless I have other obligations, I try and get up early and write every morning (at least weekday mornings).

Do your characters talk to you?

-Yes, and I talk back. Often there are whole dialogue exchanges between me and the characters that never make it to the page. It’s almost like an acting improv exercise, where you search out character.

Who controls the storyline, you or your characters?

-I plot extensively before I write, but in that process, I try to motivate the action based on the characters. It’s kind of a collaboration in the early stages. When I’m on pages, I control the story, but keep enough flexibility to adapt if something unexpected happens.

What is your writing day like once you start a book?

-If it’s a free day, I like to get up early, write until I’m hungry, eat, write more, eat again and try and get some daylight. If I’m really flowing, I’ll keep writing in the late afternoon. Evenings are for cooking dinner and catching up on the outside world.

Do you promo your backlists when you’re writing a new book, or dedicate your time solely to writing?

-Not having much of a backlist right now I’d have to say I spend most of my time writing the current book.

How many books do you write in a year?

-I don’t have a reliable count because of outside influences taking my time away. If I can write four or five, I’d be very happy.

Thanks for joining me today Nico! I look forward to reading PUSHED TO THE LIMIT. Okay Readers, it’s your turn. If you have any questions or comments for Nico, feel free to post them below!

Happy Reading!

Mahalia Levey - Inscribed Love

Welcome back to the blog Mahalia!

Tell us a little about your latest book, Inscribed Love.

Inscribed Love was inspired by the history of tattooing. I’ve always loved Ink and the cultural meanings behind each image or rite of passage for different cultures.
I decided to write about a hero who has been trapped on a flash that moves around every decade so that he’ll never be freed. A woman stumbles across the image that calls to her and through her ink he gains freedom and wishes to thank her for the gift she’s given him.

Wow! I'm hooked already. What draws you to write your genre and sub genre?

That is easy! I’ve always loved the paranormal genre and sub genres within. From shifter, to demons, to fallen angels, werewolves, etc. There’s a wide canvas to build a world, realm etc.. that is near limitless.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate is my guilty pleasure. I will have it in any form, shape or fashion.

Where can your readers reach you?

www.mahalialevey.com
www.twitter.com/hales3000
www.facebook.com – search Mahalia Levey
www.mahalia2010.wordpress.com

Are you working on another book?

I am working on Courting Disaster right now!

How did you come up with the title?

I have a clumsy witch who needs help undoing simple mistakes that turn to major disasters and a hero who is always there to help.

Do you work on one project at a time or mulitples?

I work on three or four at the same time. A premise hits me and I jot it down and stick it in a folder and systematically go through and begin working on them a few at a time.

Is there one particular thing that you find challenging about writing?

During the school year is hard with teens but now I have no one home but me so writing is easiest done in silence!

Who is your favorite author?

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Are your characters a reflection on you or anyone you know?

A few are based off of people I’ve met or some strong personalities I’ve seen through the years.

What do you do to get in the mood to write?

I drink coffee and listen to my playlist before writing.

How long have you been a writer?

I’ve been published under two years but writing for four.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

The time it takes depends on length. If I do a novella a few weeks. I generally write three thousand words a day if not five thousand.

Do you characters talk to you?

They never give me peace. I have a muse who locks them up in a padded psyche room in my mind.

Who controls the storyline, you or your characters?

I never write them, they tell their story and I keep them within bounds.

Do you promo your backlists when you’re writing a new book, or dedicate your time solely to writing?

Yes, I promote the previous book with the current. All else is on my website so I think promoting more of them is unnecessary.


Excerpt for Inscribed Love

Blurb

Jaida Winters strived to be the epitome of a perfect daughter, following every rigid rule without question. Wondering what she missed out on in her strict life,
she's ready for a little independence, and decides it's time to throw caution to the wind. A tattoo is the first step to a new attitude.

Incubus Torquatus Darkblood remains locked within a talisman for the crimes of seducing a witch's charge. His release lies within the ink of a tattoo drawn on
a young woman's skin. When Jaida's pain calls to him, Torq finds he doesn't just want sinful pleasure of the flesh, he wants the woman whose soul cries
freedom.

Excerpt 1

Jaida stared at the computer screen attempting to ignore the burning in her lower back. She thought about calling the parlor, but didn’t want to appear like a wimp. Not only that, she wasn’t sure she was ready to talk to Jay again. She wasn’t stuck up by any means. The way the tattoos on his skin told a story, she’d sit for hours to find out the history of each one.
Unfortunately, attraction like that could land her in more hot water, with her immovable, impossible to please, overbearing parents than she wanted to deal with right now. Her ink was just the first act of her rebellion.
Remember, breaking the mold here.
To top it off, the statistics on the new penile dysfunction drugs didn’t add up. Jaida slipped her reading glasses back onto her face and stared at the data. Next to her eight books filled with graphs, correspondence from team meetings, clinical trials, documents and all pertinent data confirmed what she’d suspected all along. Not every male member for the second trial reported back to the clinicians to fill out the survey. A groan left her mouth. She couldn’t have concrete reports without the surveys. She officially hated her job as head statician for Nelson and Myrtaz Pharmaceuticals. Confidentially she could think of at least a few past lovers who could use some Zephal. She reached for her ruler and dug down her back in an attempt to stop the irritation.
“Jaida?” An intern popped her head in.
“Yes?” Jaida knew she was caught red-handed, but man it itched so damn bad. She slipped the ruler back on her desk and gave the intern her full attention.
“I have the list of contacts you requested this morning. Do you, um, need help with something?”
“Excellent, if you could contact them all for email conformation, I’d appreciate it. I’d like their surveys in my inbox by the end of the week. Make sure to advise them no more Zephal if they can’t follow through on their obligations, as well as no financial reimbursement for their time.” She wiggled in her chair trying to scratch her itch.
“Jaida…” Thomas barged in without proper protocol. “What’s wrong with you?” He approached her desk.
“Nothing but a little itch.” Jaida half growled. “Can’t you people knock and wait for an answer?”
Thomas looked at her back. “Is that blood?”
“Where?”
“On your back.”
“Miriam. Could you please go do what I asked? Thomas can you go back from where you came and give me some peace please?” She finished in exasperation.
“Yes, boss.” Miriam ducked out of the room.
“Thomas…you’re still here.” Jaida fumed.
Thomas clamped his arm on Jaida’s and hauled her out of her chair. With his free hand, he yanked up the back of her dress shirt. “You got a tattoo?”
Jaida slapped his hands away. “Just because we happened to have dated in high school and your parents happen to be friends with mine, doesn’t give you permission to pry into my life, or manhandle me!” She shot him an icy glare and then smoothed her shirt down.
“What’s gotten into you lately? Behavior like that is going to bring down your mother’s wrath.”
So he appeared to be worried. She couldn’t dislike him for that. “One tattoo isn’t the end of the world.” She sighed.
“People like us don’t get tattoos.” He frowned at her.
“I’m a person, not a people and I wanted a tattoo.” Here was the side of Thomas she disliked, the pompous holier–than-thou type.
“You should go see a doctor about your back. I doubt you’re supposed to bleed and please tell me you went to a clean shop.”
“If we weren’t working I’d tell you what I think about you. Of course the place was clean, hell it’s cleaner than that hovel you call an office. Get out. I have work to do.”
“Excuse me Miss, is everything all right?”
Jaida turned to the liquid sex voice that penetrated through her fog of anger. What she saw stole the rest of her tirade. Eyes the color of midnight stared at her, etched in worry. She held her breath and gazed from top to bottom, strong jaw with slight stubble, bulging muscles, tattoos galore, downward her eyes went, landing smack dab on his crotch. Oh mama. She looked up.
“Oh mamma wasn’t what I expected,” the stranger replied.
“Look Mr. T-shirt and tight jeans. The clinical study for Zepal is down the hall in suite B. Make an appointment, they’ll give you a before and after physical including a measurement of your equipment and length of time for elongation,” Thomas interjected and pointed toward the door.
“Zepal? Clinical trial? Elongation.”
“It’s the penile dysfunction study. They measure the penis before and after taking the drugs to plot how long getting happy takes and the lasting effects of the drug wearing off, to make sure there are no adverse side effects before leaving. After that you get a two week trial. They trust as a volunteer you’ll give an accurate accounting of how long you can go before detonation with your partner,” she squeaked.
“I can assure you there is nothing dysfunctional about my penis and I’m straight.” He quirked a brow.
Jaida choked on her words, struck stupid with embarrassment.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“No, she’s not okay. Your people tattooed her and she’s bleeding,” Thomas answered.
“I’m fine really. Thomas get out of my office.” She changed her tone as she addressed mister dark and sinful. “Sir, I don’t know your name, but can I help you?”
“Wait until your parents find out.” Thomas shuffled out of her office.
The pretentious ass had to have the last word. Jaida exhaled a deep breath. Get yourself together girl. “How can I assist you?” Stuck staring again, she blushed and had to look away from his physique before drooling or better yet started stammering like a school girl.
“Let me take a look at your back.”
“Can I at least get a name before you strip my shirt off?” Not that she’d mind removing every article of clothing if he ordered.
“Torquatus, but you can call me Torq.”
“Torq-ate-us.” She bit her tongue, the tip protruding through her lips. “Hmm. I’m not as smooth as you are.”
“I’ve had years of practice.”
When he grinned his dark eyes lightened. “I do suppose you have. Can’t say it’s a name I’ve heard before. Did the tattoo shop send you?”
“Something like that.” Torq raised the back of her shirt and peeled the corners of the taped gauze to the side. “Just a spot of blood, you’ve been scratching.” He frowned at her.
“It itches. Since we’ve confirmed I’m not bleeding to death, who are you and what do you want?”
“Torq, like I said, Miss Winters. As for why I’m here…I’m going to help you.”


www.mahalialevey.com
www.secretcravingspublishing.com


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