Tuesday, December 6, 2011

10,000th Hit Giveaway!!!

It's here, y'all...

Thanks to my 126 followers and all those who have lurked and clicked and read about their favorite authors and reviews here on Unwritten, we've reached the fabled 10,000th hit!


<---This guy's doing a happy dance.
          These people are jumping for joy.---->


And I bet you're all so giddy, you're wiggling in your computer chairs. First of all, I want to thank the wonderful authors who are contributing their work to this giveaway. They've put in untold hours perfecting their craft, so please partake in their offerings here. Let's send all these books (and merchandise) to a good home!

***Just like my 5,000th hit giveaway, this giveaway is first come, first serve. To win:


1. Go to the genre that interests you.
2. Look at the available books and merchandise. 
3. Click on the book links that interest you to read about them.
4. Comment on THIS POST with your e-mail, letting me know which one you want. You can write your e-mail like this: [mystiparker (at) yahoo (dot) com] to avoid spam bots.
5. I will give the author your e-mail address, so they can send you your prize. 
6. I'll keep an eye on the number available keep it updated here so you can see what's left.
7. I'll keep this running until the end of the year or until all books are gone, whichever comes first.


***PLEASE NOTE: "E-Book" generally means one of several formats are available. The author will send your preferred format. 


Also, PRINT COPIES and MERCHANDISE will be shipped only in the continental US, unless noted by author. 


On with the show...


Anthologies
1. Take One at Bedtime by Jenny Twist (1 PDF or Kindle) Sold!
2. Curious Hearts by various (donated by Jenny Twist--1 PDF or Kindle)Sold!
3. Spellbound 2011 by various (donated by Jenny Twist--1 PDF or Kindle)Sold!
4. Era of the Spectre by Rui Cruz (5 PDF)
5. Teaching Man and Other Tales by Nell DuVall (1 E-Book)
"Take One at Bedtime" - Jenny TwistCurious Hearts"Spellbound 2011" AnthologyRui Cruz "Era of the Spectre"
Action, Suspense, and Horror
1. That Which Should Not Be by Brett Talley (1 Print Copy) Sold!
2. The Reluctant (Crayder Chronicles Book One) by C.S. Splitter (3 E-Books)
3. The Willing (Crayder Chronicles Book Two) by C.S. Splitter (2 E-Books)
4. Steps to Heaven by Wendy Cartmell (9 E-Books)
5. Upon Release by Glenn Langohr (8 E-Books)
6. Web of Conspiracy (Books ONE, TWO, &THREE) (1 PDF)Sold!














Sci-Fi and Fantasy













Romance













Erotic Romance


Children & Young Adult














Mainstream









NonFiction














Merchandise
1. Magnets from The Empire by Elizabeth Lang (5 Available--see pics to choose which one you'd like)




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Monday, December 5, 2011

An Interview with the Authors of "Warm Christmas Wishes"

Buy it HERE!
You peeps are so lucky! We have yet another collaborative interview here on Unwritten. This time, it's Warm Christmas Wishes, a Christmas anthology from Melange Books. Seven stories full of magic and marvel from five great authors.


I love getting a little peek into the lives of fellow writers. Since it's that time of year, let's have a repeat of our Christmas random questions, shall we?


Mary Kate Brogan--If we were to take a tour of your home for Christmas, what decorations would we see?


You'd see a seven-foot real Christmas tree with decorations I bought when my children were young. The angel wearing a red velvet dress—a present from my daughter-in-law, Lillian—sits atop the tree surveying our activities.  Seven bright red stockings—one for each grandchild—march from one end of the mantelpiece to the other. Above them, lie sprigs of evergreen their fragrance perfuming the air. The Nativity figures on the library table remind me of the time my grandma took me to look at the baby Jesus in the crib after mass one Christmas in Ireland.


Jenny Twist--My mom made us the same Christmas breakfast every year with pumpkin pancakes, country ham, and fried apples. When you were a child, what Christmas morning traditions did you have?

I don't think we had a special Christmas breakfast. 
My brother and I used to wake up at the crack of dawn and check out our stockings, which were on the end of the bed. There was usually a mandarin orange (a real treat in those days), some walnuts and something chocolate - a bag of chocolate coins or a santa claus or a gnome.  
I suppose that was our breakfast and it certainly kept us quiet for a little while so my parents had an extra blessed half hour of sleep before we started invading their bedroom with demands for them to look at our lovely new toys that Santa Claus had brought.
We always checked to make sure he had drunk his glass of brandy and eaten his mince pie before he got back on his sleigh.

Brenda Whiteside--When you were little, did you ever wake up and try to steal a peek at Santa?

Always! I remember several years, after my parents would shoo me off to bed, I tried so very hard to stay awake and hear him come in the front door. We never had a fireplace inArizona so I'd strain to hear the click of the doorknob. Trouble is, I've never been good at staying awake once my head hits the pillow. I did tiptoe out one year, dragging my little sister along. But my mom was wise to us and we didn't make it halfway down the hall. More than likely they were still putting bicycles or play ovens together. When I did wake up, still dark outside, I would run to the living room first before waking my parents but he'd always come and gone. I still believe in Santa (in all his many guises). Now I try to catch hubby Santa when he slips something in my stocking. 

Nell Duvall--Are there any particular charities you donate gifts, time, or money to for the holidays?


Yes, I donate to the Salvation Army. I admire the work this charity does and the many people they help. During the year I also shop at Thrift Stores run by a variety of charities and donate goods whenever I clean. So many need help these days. The Toys for Tots and the Food Pantries need donations of both money and cash. I especially try to be more generous at Christmas, but know help is needed all year long. Now, it's possible to give both at collection points such as the Red Kettles and also online. 

In "Saving Christmas", my Contribution to Warmest Christmas Wishes, I used the setting of a local community center and their activities to help the needy and young people to highlight some of the work so badly needed in today's difficult economy.
I hope all those who view your blog will spare a little time to give a little more this year, Mysti. Thanks you so much for letting us contribute and Happy Holidays to all in this joyous season.

Joanna Foreman--Since John Steiner mentioned it in the last interview, besides drooling over your eclairs, I've been hearing "The 12 Pains of Christmas" over and over in my head. What pet peeves do you have about the holidays?


Pet Peeves? Me? Oh don't get me started. My first and foremost eternal pet peeve is when people call me JoAnn instead of Joanna, but that has nothing to do with Christmas does it? So . . . thinking . . . thinking . . . I'll have to say my pet peeve at Christmas is the traffic and irrate drivers behind the wheel, the way people act like it's the end of the world if they don't get a prime parking space; they cut in front of me without warning and weave all over the place jockeying for the best position so they may arrive at the store one minute before anyone else. I think it takes away from the Holiday Spirit to see the way stress affects shoppers like this. I try to remember to have compassion for the other drivers out there, and once in a store I keep a warm smile (not too big) on my face, and ever-so-often someone will look at me as though to say, "What are YOU smiling about?" I usually complete my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving, and I refuse to go to a mall during the next month. (Unless my granddaughter wants me to!) Ha Ha. Don't have kids, have grandkids!


Thank you all for visiting and thank everyone for reading! All this month, I'll be bringing you some wonderful Christmas posts from guest authors. And...as you can see, we've reached our 10,000th hit! That means a HUGE giveaway is right around the corner. Stay tuned for your chance to win some great books and merchandise!


~Mysti
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Friday, December 2, 2011

An Interview with Author Anna James, Take 3

Available Now!
I'm very pleased to have one of my favorite authors and writer friends back for a third interview here on Unwritten. Welcome back, Anna James! You may remember my first two interviews with Anna HERE and HERE. I've read four of her books now, all of them exciting contemporary romances, full of intrigue and passion.


She's just released her fifth book, the sequel to Guilty as Charged [see my review HERE]. This one is called Shattered Dreams [and my review HERE], both of them published by Sugar and Spice Press. Here is a little more about it:
        Natalie and Reed seemed so happy when they got married just a few short months ago. But an unexpected pregnancy and a subsequent miscarriage throw their marriage into turmoil.         Natalie deals with the loss by burying herself in work. Reed is supportive but doesn’t understand why she is spending so much after-hours time with her handsome, sexy boss. And what about their dream of having a family? How can that happen when with each passing day Natalie becomes more distant?
        Will Reed and Natalie find a way to work things out or will all their dreams be shattered?


So, Anna, at our last interview in June, you had just released Visions, an erotic paranormal novella. Have your readers enjoyed that one?


Pick Up Your Copy!
Yes. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on this story. 


How about your non-writing life--what's been happening since June?


I have been traveling around the US for the last few months for my day job, I got to take a short vacation on Cape Cod and short vacation in NYC.


You also have a third book coming that takes place after Shattered Dreams, right? Can you tell us about that one? 



The last book in the Bradford Sisters Trilogy is currently entitled Shattered Illusions. It's Kate Bradford's story. Kate is the youngest Bradford sister. Here is a taste of the book to whet your appetite:
 
Four years ago Kate Bradford met Raffaello D’Onofrio while attending a semester abroad. Rafe ran the family vineyard in the Lazio region of Italy but the thing that attracted her to him most, besides his ruggedly handsome good looks, fathomless deep blue eyes, and well-toned body, was his love of art. It was a passion they shared.
He had been the perfect man as far as she was concerned and in a few short months she fell deeply in love. She had thought that love was returned. Then she found Annalisa De Luca in his apartment wearing nothing but the shirt Rafe had been wearing the evening before. All her illusions were shattered. Distraught and wanting to escape the pain of Rafe’s betrayal, she returned to her home in Chicago, IL.
Now Rafe is back in her life and much to her chagrin, she is still attracted to him. How can just one look from those sexy blue eyes affect her so deeply and what is she going to do about it?
 Rafe D’Onofrio has just agreed to allow the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art to display his unique art collection—a collection he has always kept private until now. This after learning the museum’s new assistant curator was none other than Kate Bradford. Once he had thought himself in love with her but after her abrupt departure from his life with no explanation he convinced himself it was just an illusion. So why, after all this time, can the mere mention of her name still send his pulse soaring? And what is he going to do about it?
 Will Rafe and Kate shatter the illusions of the past and find love again? Or are they too much to overcome?


I'm always impressed with such prolific writers. At this time in my life, I'm lucky to get a sentence written without interruption. Since you first started, do you feel like the writing process is easier now? What would you tell other busy women who find it hard to sit down long enough to write anything of length?


Let me first say that I still get interrupted all the time! Now, to answer your questions, as far as finding time to write, I'd say yes it's easier to sit down and find time to write now that my children are older, however, I have also gone back to work full time since my children have gotten older so there are still constraints on my time. Sometimes weeks can go by between times when I write although I make a consertited effort not to let that happen. And there's more than just writing involved. There's edits and the promotional side of things. These also take away from writing time and I find it to be a huge balancing act. My advice to busy women is to "just do it" even if you only write a paragraph or two in one sitting. Keep at it and before you know it you'll have a story.


You know I have to throw in my semi-famous random question. This one's good. What did you ask Santa for this year, and do you think you'll get it? 



I asked Santa for an Acer 10" tablet.  The tablets are so much lighter than carrying a laptop when traveling. The screen is also much bigger than an e-reader so it's easier to read an ebook.
 
As to whether or not I think I'll get it.... I believe Santa will come through for me on this one! As a matter of fact I know he will.  I'm also hoping he will throw in a light weight silicone keyboard.



Finally, could you please share an excerpt from Shattered Dreams?
New Release!



Reed walked into the house and found Natalie asleep on the couch. She is so beautiful; he thought and leaned down to lightly brush a strand of hair away from her face. It was pale. That meant she’d been sick again. He bent over and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled. “Hi, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Natalie stretched and sat up. “What time is it?”
Reed glanced at his watch. “It’s a little after five.”
“Oh no, we’re supposed to be at the house for the barbecue in less than an hour. Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked and stood up. “Oh, God.” She groaned and swayed then dropped back down.
“Honey, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m just a little dizzy.”
“Don’t move. I’m going to call Max and tell him we’ll have to reschedule,” he said as he pulled his cell phone from its holder.
Natalie put her hand on his arm. “No, don’t do that. I’ll be fine in just a minute. I just stood up too fast, that’s all.”
“Nat, I’m worried about you.”
She smiled wearily. “I’m fine. Maybe if I eat a little something I’ll feel better. Can you get me some saltine crackers, please?”
“Are you feeling nauseous?”
“No, but I didn’t eat anything for lunch—”
“I thought you were meeting your sisters?”
“I did but they ordered fish and I got one whiff of it and had to run for the bathroom.”
“Were they surprised why you told them you were pregnant?” Reed asked and smiled.
“I didn’t tell them.”
He frowned. “Didn’t they wonder why you were suddenly sick?”
“I didn’t give them the opportunity to ask.”
“I thought you would have told them.”
“Why? You know I don’t want to tell anyone right now.”
Reed dragged his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I told Max this afternoon.”
“Damn it, Reed. We agreed to wait.”
“I know, I know but I really thought you’d say something and… Oh, Nat please don’t cry.”
“I can’t help it. I didn’t want to say anything. Not yet and we agreed. Why did you tell him? You know he’ll say something to Nicole and… Oh God,” she sobbed even harder then turned and ran from the room.

I'm so happy you came back, Anna! I wish you the best, and stop in again anytime!


Thanks so much for having me at Unwritten again. I always enjoy coming here!
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Thursday, December 1, 2011

A Review of "Stirring Sagas" by Dennis K. Hausker

Four stories comprise this anthology of fantasy tales, each with themes of love set against war and treachery. I'll list my review of each one below:

Princess of Varik takes us to the kingdom of Fragia, where the Viking-like Prince Evan, fifth son of King Grieg, the Hammer is sent to the Arabesque land of Varik to woo princess Siria and make her his bride. I particularly loved Evan's humble nature. He's been browbeaten by his older brothers so long that he knows how to handle himself in battle and how to treat others the way he wants to be treated. He respects his father enough to follow his wishes, even though he has to risk his life to do so. I had mixed feelings about Princess Siria. She seemed an odd mixture of both weak and stubborn, but I did empathize with her when she had to endure a traumatic event. The story up until the ending was fairly strong, but it left me unsatisfied. I think it might be leading up to a sequel, but I wanted that yummy feeling of loose ends tied, characters where they needed to be, etc, and it didn't quite happen for me.

Orbis Veritas takes place on a newly discovered, thought-to-be-uninhabited planet. Dillon Craig is a brilliant scientist and explorer, a man one might call a "nerd". He's been unlucky in love, so to mend his broken heart, he sets out to discover what he can about the planet's extinct society. He ends up getting much more than he bargained for. In this one, I felt bad for Dillon. He deserved better than his love interest, Trina, who came across as shallow and fickle to me. In fact, I was rooting for him to end up with the alien woman he found instead. In this one, I didn't really connect with any of the characters as much as I wanted, but it was an interesting story of alien technology gone haywire. 

In Battle Master, a super-warrior by the name of Torik is shipwrecked on a primitive planet and must face the most challenging foe he's ever come across--a woman who won't take no for an answer. Alana is as persistent as Torik is militant, and the two of them combine to make the beginning of this story a laugh-out-loud, fun read. Things get more serious though, after Torik surrenders his heart. When his old comrades finally locate him, he learns there is much more at stake now that he loves someone. This one had some very poignant moments at the end. I think Alana was my favorite heroine out of all four of these stories. She knew what she wanted and didn't back down, even in the face of death. Torik developed well and became a much better man by the end of this story. 

Family Lost was a poignant journey about young Crown Prince Falen, who's had to endure strenuous battle training his entire life, without the love and support of his family. All he knows is that his mother left his father and abandoned him after he was born, and that his father all but disowned him. He blames his very existence for his neglect, but unlike other stories in which the scorned child might take revenge, Falen remained a humble and steady man, though women confuse him to no end. What I liked most about this story are the lessons we can learn about our perceptions--sometimes things aren't what they appear to be. There's always more to the story, and it was a touching experience to see Falen learn that for himself. The ending was a good one, and well-fitting to end this anthology as well.

Overall, these were pretty good short stories. If you love plot-based stories with an epic fantasy or sci-fi flair, you'll like these. For me, I would have loved to see all the characters fleshed out more, perhaps each story expanded into its own novella or novel. Many times, I had trouble connecting with the sort of "distant" feel to the POV and couldn't quite put myself into the setting. It's no secret that I love strong characters. Their development was probably strongest in Battle Master, though Family Lost was a close second. But don't take my word for it--grab your own copy and discover your favorites.

Love scenes are mild and non-graphic, but for the violence and adult situations, I'd recommend this book for adults who enjoy fantasy and sci-fi with romantic themes.
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