Guest Post by Author Fiona Dodwell

***Fiona is giving away two copies (one print and one e-copy) of The Banishing! This contest is TOUR-WIDE, and a winner will be chosen from ALL comments at the end of the tour. Please remember to leave your e-mail to enter!***

On behalf of Bewitching Book Tours, I am proud to welcome Fiona Dodwell. Please give her all your attention as she presents:




Demons of Humanity

      Fiona Dodwell is an author from the UK who writes dark fiction. Her latest release, The Banishing, is a novel exploring demonic possession and domestic abuse. Here she talks about her latest release - and her thoughts on the demonic.

            I grew up fascinated by the idea of evil. When I was a teenager and first watched The Exorcist, I was awe struck by the idea that we, as human beings, could be taken over by an evil presence. I studied the alleged phenomena of demonic possession and found myself gravitating towards an idea that had never occurred to me before: what if demons didn't take over humans to scream and vomit and swivel our heads – what if demons can worm their way into human nature itself, in a far more subtle way?

            I think Hollywood and the aid of special effects has wounded our perception of evil over the years. We are constantly bombarded with visions of blood, violence and gore, but surely, if we are to study the roots of demonic possession, we find that evil can take a strong foothold in our lives in  a much more subtle, sinister way.

            When I wrote The Banishing, I wanted to explore the idea that evil can be planted in our lives without the drama and theatrics we have come to see at the cinema. What about the man who constantly commits adultery despite the loving wife at home? How about the young mother who injects illicit drugs into her veins? And, relevant to The Banishing, what about the man who was once a loving, committed individual who suddenly has a compulsion to hit his wife? To abuse her?

            That's what planted the seed that eventually flourished into my new novel. I wanted to take the well-known idea of possession and view it from a different take. Are we all at risk of spiritual oppression? Are the bad choices we make more meaningful than we realise? Is there a celestial war going on, where Satan and God fight for souls?

            Or are humans capable of becoming dangerous and evil through their own doing?

            The Banishing explores these themes, and if you'd like to find the answer to one character's journey into evil, you can purchase a paperback or e-book copy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Damnation Books.

You can find out more about the author at:

www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com

Book Description:

When Melissa first notices the change in her husband - subtle at first - she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon her husband turns into something far darker, far more sinister. Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.

Genre: Horror

Author Bio:

Fiona Dodwell lives in the UK with her husband. She has studied an unusual mixture over the years, from film studies, theology and drama to psychology.

She grew up with a deep passion for horror, both in film and literature, and greatly admires the works of Stephen King, Susan Hill, Adam Neville and Bill Hussey.

She began entering fiction contests at a young age, winning several, and had some of her poems published.

Her first novel to be published, The Banishing, is a dark story exploring demonic possession and domestic abuse. She is currently submitting her second novel, The Obsession, for possible publication and is enjoying writing her third.

www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com

An Interview with Author Jasmine Giacomo

Buy your copy HERE!

Mundaze may have hit you hard today, but fret not--for interview #22, I have here the fabulous Jasmine Giacomo, author of the Legend of the Shanallar duology: The Wicked Heroine (Book 1) and the recently released Oathen (Book 2). Please visit and follow Jasmine's blog, Worlds of Jasmine, where she posts book reviews, free reads, and some works in progress.


Welcome to Unwritten, Jasmine! As your "about me" section says, you are the mom of two young children. So, inquiring moms want to know...how do you manage your time as both mom and writer? And what else do you like to pursue in your spare (yeah, right) time?


It's a combination of patience and a killer mental grip on whatever I'm doing at the moment. I've learned to accept that I'm never going to get anything done uninterrupted. My kids come first, so if I'm working on a story and they need me, I get up and help them, for however long it takes. Whenever I get some time to get back to my project, I've learned to hang onto it in the back of my mind so that I can pick up where I left off. Most of my other spare time is given over to reading, though I teach a class for kindergarteners at my church once a week, and I enjoy geocaching with my family when time and weather allow.


I've had the pleasure of reading The Wicked Heroine, and reviewed it HERE. Take a moment (or three) and tell us about it and the sequel, Oathen (which I'm diving into now). Also, what inspired you to write these and how long was the process?



The Wicked Heroine and Oathen tell the story of one woman's search for redemption and vengeance, seen through the eyes of her mortal companions as they struggle with their own coming-of-age issues in a dangerous world whose magic is dying out. They join with her and form an expedition to travel halfway around the world together in order to destroy an evil magical book before it can be awakened, but between those who would use the book to bring back the golden age of magic and the plans of our heroes' erstwhile allies, they'll have an interesting time of it.

And buy Book 2 HERE!

I came up with the story's end first. What would happen if an immortal woman tried to destroy an indestructible, sentient book (loosely based on the irresistible force/immovable object concept)? Why would she want to do that? How could it even happen? Or would she fail, and what would that lead to? Filling in the explanation for all that backstory is what created the full duology. It took me about six months to write the rough draft, which was originally just one book. I decided to split it into two books when editing started because it was so long. The Wicked Heroine was released in the spring of 2010. Editing on the second book followed, and Oathen was released in February of this year.



I've seen quite a few other works in progress over on your blog. Care to elaborate on any of these?


Ha, don't get me started. I'll never shut up. Meridians of Magic is an old friend in my mind by now. I think fondly of writing it, because I love its concept (trying to complete a heroic task: save the world as we know it--and failing), but I keep coming up with nice short trilogies before I ever get around to writing.


Truthfinder and Seals of the Duelists are both recent ideas in my head. Truthfinder is a trilogy that follows the story of a barren woman in a society that reveres fertility, and how that has forced her to accept hard truths in life and to find her own path--archaeology--despite her culture's attitudes. Her personal tragedy gives her the drive and ability to seek a terrible truth that will affect everyone, and not everyone will be able to handle what she learns. 


Seals of the Duelists deals with struggling with anger and finding one's place in the world. When a young teen in the newest land addition to an ancient empire has to move a thousand miles from home and train to serve the emperor for life, it causes some rage issues, and due to the way magic works in his world, his anger could literally kill him. I'll be working on the second book in that series this year. 


My only mystery series is just getting started, with book one nearing rough draft stage. Margarita Williams Geocaching Mysteries is a cozy series that will follow a puzzle-maker as she gets involved in murders connected to her favorite hobby, geocaching. Since geocaching is an outdoor sport, and people often travel to new and interesting locations in order to find new geocaches, I'm excited about all the possible locales I can use for sequels. I'm taking a vacation back east this summer, and I fully plan to scope out future sequel settings.


What are your favorite genres/authors to read?



I enjoy most fantasy and sci-fi, though fantasy hogs that pie chart. Mystery is another favorite, especially those set in small British towns. Technothrillers and spy novels are fun, too. As for favorite authors, Terry Pratchett, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jim Butcher and J.K. Rowling come to mind easily, though I'm sure I'm forgetting dozens more.



Be prepared...here it comes...yes, it's the random question of the day! What are your biggest phobias and why?



Well, the answer to this question will probably seem just as random. My biggest phobias are things that swarm, and beer. I grew up across from a bar, see, and the fights and the cops and the vomiting on my sidewalk were too much for my 5 year old self. All I ever smelled was beer from those incidents, and now I can't be within smelling distance of the stuff. Things that swarm, well, I've only got two hands for slapping bugs. It's basic math, right?

Finally, Ms. Giacomo, would you share an excerpt from a published work or work in progress?



Sure. Here's an excerpt from the first book in the Seals of the Duelists series, Elements of Allegiance:


       “Are you both entirely insane?” Calder yelled, standing up by the hex house fire pit after Bayan and Kiwani confessed to the rest of the hex that they had dueled illegally.
       “Not quite,” Kiwani replied. “We were doing quite well with our safety rules, until someone tried to murder me. And since then, I have learned a lot about Bayan’s true character, and I can admit that I had misjudged him. He’s shown himself to be a true friend, especially considering my own past behavior.”
       Calder shook his head, looking to Tarin and Eward. They didn’t know how to react either. “What aren’t you telling us?” he asked of Kiwani and Bayan. “I’ve heard some strange things in the barracks halls. Assassins? Near-death experiences? Bayan stabbing Kiwani in revenge for past grievances? Which is it?”
       Bayan and Kiwani shared a look, and Calder could tell they were trying to decide how much to say. He ground his teeth.
       Bayan began the rest of the story, explaining to the others about the mysterious assassin, then how he had rushed Kiwani down the mountain to Doc Theo’s after pinning the would-be killer in ice.
       “Then I hurried over to Instructor Ignaas’ home and told him about the attacker. He said he would take care of it, but the last I heard, the people who went up to search for him didn’t find him anywhere. They didn’t find any trace of him at all; just the bloodstain on the rock where Kiwani was shot. The only proof I have that he ever existed is this.”
       Bayan lifted up a broken metal chain, from which dangled a small, black, featureless pendant.


Thank you for visiting, Jasmine. I wish you tons of success!

And the Winner of Wednesday's giveaway is...

Hotcha12 for Ami Blackwelder's Shifters of 2040. You should receive your prize shortly, Ms. Hotcha and thanks for playing!!

Guest Post by Mila Ramos

****EDIT: One lucky commenter (leave your email addy please) will win an e-copy of Echoes and Illusions! I'll draw a winner on Tuesday, April 12.


On behalf of Bewitching Book Tours, please welcome Mila Ramos. You may remember Mila from our interview HERE. Give it up for Mila!

Let me be one of the many to say the greatest phrase of the week, TGIF!!!! I hope everyone has had a wonderful Friday wherever you are at the moment. I’d like to thank my fellow cohort Mysti Parker for being such a doll and hosting me today on her blog.

So as not to keep everyone waiting we have been touring down the lane of music and books and today is no different.  We will be having a collective blog here today as we go through The Watchers and have Selene and Michael chime in with their own thoughts.

The Watchers

            -Part of the Echoes and Illusions Anthology

 When I started writing The Watchers, I was personally going through an inner exploration.  At the time I was listening to a great deal of Sarah McLachlan and another tune I caught hold of 24 by Jem.  Though both songs are quite opposite of each other they embodied what I wished The Watchers to speak.

Fallen by Sarah McLachlan was how I envisioned Michael Trelawney in this story. His mental exploration of coming to terms with lies he had been living within his life. In that he realized the world he came from was one he could never escape. As much as he tried to change everything about himself, his core was inexplicably linked to the people he tried to avoid. It was in that running that he had more of his own life explained than even could ever possibly wish.  Selene, on the other hand, had lived without Michael for years.  In those years she became her duty, an Enforcer for her coven.  In doing so, she accepted and buried so much of herself. Yet seeing Michael again brought them all to the surface with more strength than even she cared. 

The urgency though for the story was skillfully sealed with 24 by Jem.  Though it is a little harder than Sarah McLachlan, it imposes time slipping not only from Michael but from Selene.  I played this tune heavily through the beginning of the story so as to hold on the mental spiral from Michael’s side of the story, his mistakes made and just how precious the time wasted is not enough to reconcile everything within one self and with things that matter.

Character Interviews

Living life follows rules.

My name is Selene and I’m a Coven Enforcer.  There is a reason why rules were established. There is a reason why there is order in government. Humans are meant to know that, it’s not to oppress them but to protect them. If only Michael had just listened, we wouldn’t be in this mess. How can he pretend that someone can just come in and save him from himself? How can he expect me to break rules? I can’t be his - how can I forget the wrong he’s done?

Some rules though are meant to be broken.

The echoes of the past don’t change, worse yet they hunt you down and try to kill you. Hi, I’m Michael Trelawney and I’ve had to learn to let go of my foolish pride in order to live my life. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but as my father told me once “spit in one hand and wish in the other, and see which one you have the most in.”  Well, I tend to think good ol’ Dad may have not seen this small set back.  Now I just hope when my time comes that people can see what I was trying to attempt. 

Meet Selene:

Nickname: Moon; it was a term of endearment given to me by someone I loved.

Hair/Eye Color: Auburn, down to my lower back and brown eyes.

Age: Immortal but by human years I’ve got a few of them stacked up.

Body Type: I am an Enforcer. Though most people might not think we dress as warriors, mind you not everything has to be according to what Humans think is fierce. Even those most delicate of bodies can be the most dangerous.

Personality: I’m soft, gentle by nature but my position requires a sense of exterior strength to perform duties I would rather not speak of now.

Background: I am a part of the Angelus Draleigh Coven.  Descendant of the one of the four imperial archangels, Haniel, Chamuel, Adabiel, and Zaphiel.  Within the Coven I belong to the Enforcers (Fidelis Defensor). 

What would she die for: I do not care to relive what I have died for at the moment.

Meet Michael Trelawney:

Nickname: Sun. It’s the literal translation of my name, but only one person can use it.

Hair/Eye Color: Black hair, hazel eyes.

Age: Mid 30’s.

Body Type: I am a scientist people.  I really don’t think about my body type all too much. Fine if you need to know, I’m tall, and though I can’t bench press a Buick I weigh about 200lbs.  

Personality: Up until I had to return home, a normal guy living a great life. What can you say? I’m funny, witty, caring, just a normal guy. Now being back where I was raised, I just realized how much of an idiot I have been leaving those I loved behind. I’ve been running too long.

Background: There’s a great deal I wish to forget about but it seems like today isn’t my day, and tomorrow is not looking good either. 

What would he die for: I’d die for the Moon.

****

Now take a look at Mila's Books. Pick up a copy and enjoy!!

Echoes & Illusions:

Ebook and Print -  www.melange-books.com

Reel-to-Real

A curious invitation mystifies acclaimed movie critic Moira Castle.   In an industry where word of mouth is reality, Moira comes back home to the unexpected.  Memories surge as an old movie reel and theater owner Toren McCann hold answers that have lain quiet for far too long. 

The Seventh Legend

Some stories are based on legend, some on rumor. Some stories are real.  For a young woman her childhood book has something more than imagined.  The book contains the story of a real hero facing an unimaginable evil that’s been after since she was a child.

The Watchers

In a world where duty and honor are binding and crucial Selene, a Coven Enforcer, has to choose between the life she knows and the life she yearns.  On a dark and stormy night Selene learns that some rules are meant to be broken, even immortal ones. 

Smoke & Mirrors

Dr. Ana Fiore has earned her reputation “Dr. Ice” by her solid work and rigid personality. Sent to a conference for determination of Chief of Staff, she is snowed in with rival and colleague Dr. Dakota Hastings. Face-to-face with Dakota, she learns she isn’t the only expert at illusion. 

Torrid Teasers 44:

Ebook: www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Kindle: www.amazon.com

Story One: Smoldering Ember

Five years after their divorce, Cassandra and Ethan Vance still have an estranged relationship. In a single conversation with her ex-husband, Cassandra discovers why Ethan had to give up everything in his life, including their marriage. Coming to terms with secrets and truths, both Cassandra and Ethan learn that there are some fires that can never be extinguished.

Story Two: Touch Fire

Katherine (Kat) O'Brien has moved on after a terrible, life-threatening relationship. Relocated with a new life, she learns her ex-boyfriend, Jared, has escaped from jail. She's now the target of revenge, and the one man she has pushed out of her heart is the one she needs to help her survive. Will Kat touch the fire she once knew, even if it means revisiting a painful memory?

Dark Pleasures:  The Seventh Legend

Ebook and Print: www.melange-books.com

Some stories are rumor. Some stories are real. For a woman who has spent her life fighting evil she learns nothing is as it seems. The book she searches for is closer than she thinks and the unimaginable evil has been near since she was a child.

Strange Desires: The Watchers

Ebook and Print: www.melange-books.com

In a world where duty and honor are binding and crucial Selene, a Coven Enforcer, has to choose between the life she knows and the life she yearns.  On a dark and stormy night Selene learns that some rules are meant to be broken, even immortal ones.

An Interview with Author Lindsey Loucks

Visit Lindsey (and her cat) at  Jesse Said Yes!

Welcome to Thursday--my favorite day of the week! And, no, I don't know why. Author interview #21 is upon us, and it's my pleasure to have up-and-coming novelist Ms. Lindsey Loucks here today! When she's not working on her fabulous YA paranormal novel, The Grave Winner, Lindsey is one fine critique partner as well. Check out and follow her blog, Jesse Said Yes, for some hilarious posts about her writing journey. 


Thanks for coming over, Lindsey. Tell us about yourself. What do you do when you're not writing about supernatural phenomena in small Kansas towns?



It's a pleasure to be here! I work as a school librarian, which means I get to throw books at students and get paid for it! I'm only half kidding. My cat Jesse allows my boyfriend and me to live with him as long as we feed him regularly and scratch that impossible itch behind his ears. I'm addicted to Critique Circle, and when I'm not critting, I'm either reading or writing. That's about it, I guess. I like reclusive, drama-free living.

I've heard about a few of your adventures as a school librarian, and I suspect that and a few other real-life aspects inspired the ideas in The Grave Winner. Do tell!



Well, I drive twenty minutes to work and back again, which means I don't pay attention to the road. Yikes! It's because I'm on auto-pilot, and my brain can spin in peace. That's when I notice things, like a beat up old box on the side of the road. That box was there forever! Then, I started to think about all the possible reasons that box could be there, and I knew I had to write a story about a box.  My opening scene for TGW starts with a box. Actually it's a coffin, which isn't all that original. But what happens next is original, I think. The flood gates opened, and snippets from real life poured in: the spiders in my garage, the cute guy on that TV show Dead Like Me whose real name is Callum, and the lyrics from The Fratellis's "Creepin' Up the Backstairs" as inspiration for my MC's best friend, Jo.

I know you've written another YA novel. Can you tell us about that one and any other writing projects you have now?


My first novel is called Pause. It's about a girl whose sister is married to the the CEO of Pause, a drink which makes you stay the same age forever. It turns out the sister is missing, as is the CEO. Mystery and adventure ensue, and everything isn't quite what it seems. I made the rounds with agents on that one, snagged a few requests, but nothing ever happened. I'm submitting a few short stories for publication, and have another idea for a novel running around in my head.


What authors and types of books do you like to read? What young adult titles can you recommend to the younger crowd?


I try to diversify my reading since I'm K-12, but those YA books are hard to resist! I love Harry Potter and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I enjoyed the His Dark Materials trilogy and Holes by Louis Sachar. I like horror, mystery, romance, paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction. Umm, I think that's it.


Time for that random question. You've just been hired to a promotions position at Kellog Co. What would you put in a new breakfast cereal box as a gimmick?


A coupon for a free custom-made action figure. All you have to do is send in your picture, then BAM! You get your very own action figure that looks just like you!


Finally, Ms. Loucks, would you be so kind as to share an excerpt from one of your novels?



I'd love to! This is from the end of chapter one of The Grave Winner.


             Another storm threatened outside my window as the wind picked up. Typical Krapper, Kansas. The weather here was just as random as how the cards fell in fifty-two card pick-up. One minute was sunny and almost tranquil. The next, a tornado could rip through the front door. The nonstop wind made me want to punch someone in the face, just like I did to that kid in third grade when he introduced me to the stupid card game.
            The wind mingled with Dad’s snores to create a strange song as the light outside my window dipped into twilight. Between the broken harmonies of the coming storm and the snoring, there was another sound. Whispering. It wasn’t the wind. The wind here didn’t whisper before a storm. It shrieked.
            Tap-tap-tap.
            It came from the window above my head. My heart pounded.
            Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap.
            I refused to look up so I buried my face in Darby's hair. How could she still be sleeping with the tapping and the whispering and my crazy heartbeat?
            Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap. And more whispering.
            My body was as rigid as the giant tree in my front lawn. Which was far enough away from my window that it couldn’t be its branches reaching for me.
            Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap.
            Could it be dead Sarah, her muddy face pressed against the glass, looking down at me, Darby, and Dad? Why hadn’t I closed the stupid blinds?
            Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap.
            I pressed my lips together so they’d catch my scream.

           

 I'm so glad you stopped by today, Lindsey! I'll be first in line to buy your published novel!



Thanks so much for having me!  It's been fun!

An Interview with Author Elaine Cantrell

Whee! It's Wednesday and we've reached author interview #20, with the fabulous Elaine Cantrell! She's the author of several novels, including the recent release from Melange Books, The Best Selling Toy of the Season. Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the Timeless Love Contest. Please check out her website HERE and her blog HERE to see a complete list of her bibliography and sample some free reads too. 


Welcome to Unwritten, Elaine! Please get comfortable and tell us about yourself. What do you do when you're not writing sweet love stories?



Mostly work!  I teach high school social studies which does take up a good bit of time.  Interestingly enough, two of my students have written romantic short stories which I plan to share on my blog as quickly as I can.  Naturally, I like to read and play with my grandchildren, but I do have a new hobby.  I've started collecting vintage Christmas ornaments.  They're so beautiful and so different!  You can see my vintage Christmas tree in my Facebook photos at http://www.facebook.com/elainepcantrell.

Tell us about your latest release, A New Dream. What inspired you to write it?

Buy your copy HERE!

This is kind of funny.  A New Dream sat on my computer for ten years before I dusted it off and sent it out to find a home.  I waited so long because my husband didn't like the book.  I realize now why he didn't.  It was because he didn't want my hero to lose his pro-football career.  I wrote the book to show that losing one dream doesn't mean life is over.  Replacement dreams can be every bit as good as the originals, maybe even better.

From the biography on your website, it says you started your writing career as a bit of a challenge from your fellow teachers. What was that process like for you? Did you ever feel frustrated and ready to quit? What advice would you give other writers who are just starting out?



The first time I sat down in front of a computer I froze.  What to do?  How to start?  I finally decided that it didn't matter.  I had a delete key, right?  From that point on, I wrote every single free minute I could find.  I wrote scenes in my head and holed up in my study night and day.  I enjoyed myself so much!  Of course, later I had to revise like crazy.  For new writers, I'd just say to have fun with it.  Read a few books in the genre you'd like to write in, and then just do it.   

What authors have inspired you over the years?



Too many to count, but some of my favorite are Elizabeth Peters, Karen White, Larry McMurty, Karen Robarts, and Sherryl Woods.  As a child I liked Louisa M. Alcott, Elizabeth Marie Pope, and just about anyone I read.  I was a voracious reader as a child.

Are you working on anything now, and can you tell us about it?


I just finished a short story for a wedding anthlogy whose proceeds will be donated to Japan relief, and now I'm revising the sequel to Return Engagement.  The sequel is about Hank Lovinggood, the son of my characters in Return Engagement.  If you've read the first book you'll probably be surprised by the second.  It's a sci/fi romance.


Here's another random question (don't you love these?): If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be?

Buy your copy HERE!

This one is easy.  I'd be Elizabeth Lane of Return Engagement.  Elizabeth is married to Richard Lovinggood who is my all time, to die for hero.  I've written blog posts on what I like about the man, so it would be super fun to be his Elizabeth.  I wonder, though, if I'd truly like him in real life.  He's a slightly dangerous Alpha male with an impulsive streak.  He might be hard to live with.

Finally, Ms. Cantrell, could you share a short excerpt of a published work or a work in progress?



I would be delighted to!  In this excerpt from A New Dream my heroine Violet finds out that her fiance kissed another woman.  A New Dream is available at http://www.astraeapress.com


       “You mean Mr. McCallum?”

      Stacey nodded. “Yes, I do. Didn’t Violet tell you? Matt’s the
father of my little boy.”

      Violet felt a stinging in her palm and forced herself to look
away from Stacey. How about that? She’d closed her hand around
the sharp knife she and Marjorie used to open boxes and was
bleeding like crazy. She grabbed the towel she’d just used to wipe
her hands and wadded it up in her palm.

       Marjorie quickly found the rolls and gave them to Stacey
who said, “Well, thanks for helping me. I’ll see you later, Violet.”

       Violet nodded.

       The minute Stacey left, Matt’s stockman Tommy Riker
hustled over to the bakery. “What did she want, Violet?” he
demanded. “I saw her walk up when I was stocking pie filling.”

       Violet threw her bloody dish towel into the trash can. “She
wanted some rolls, Tommy. Why?”

       “Because last night I saw Matt kiss her. I was taking out the
trash, and I saw him come out of her apartment and kiss her.”

       Violet’s ears roared. She saw some funny gray spots in front
of her eyes. Her chest hurt, and it was hard to breathe.

       She fled the bakery and ran into the restroom where she hid
in a stall. She put her head between her knees until the spots before
her eyes went away.

       She wrapped her arms around herself and tried not to moan.
How could he?


Thank you so much for dropping by, Elaine! I wish you much success!



Thanks for having my, Mysti.  I've enjoyed meeting you and your readers.

Shifters of 2040 by Ami Blackwelder

**ATTENTION! One lucky commenter will receive a free e-copy of The Shifters of 2040! Please leave your name and e-mail address in the comment. I will draw a name on April 8. 

***************************************

Eloquent Enraptures and author Ami Blackwelder proudly presents the six part science fiction/paranormal romance saga! Like nothing you have ever experienced!

                           Shifters of 2040:

“I’m pregnant.  Her eyes peered over the edge of the cloth and confronted her mirrored reflection with that truth.  I’m pregnant…by a SHIFTER.  Oh, god!”

In “The Shifters of 2040,” Scientist Melissa Marn finds her world swirling on its axis with that one revelation.  Shifters — a sentient alien species of light — look to Earth for refuge.  In doing so, both shifters and humans are forced to confront prejudice, betrayal, adversity and oppression.

Methodical scientist, Melissa Marn, and her coworker, Dr. Bruce Wilder, conduct experiments on the shifters.  Through her pregnancy, she becomes more compassionate and humane and finds herself defending the very species she’s supposed to eradicate. 

One of the hybrids, Diamond, falls in love with Keenan, a soldier trained to kill her. Between the four, the reader is led from conflict to resolution, from despair to hope, from loneliness to love.

Much of the book’s originality lies in the shifters, common characters in science fiction, but whose origins are rarely explained. In this series, their alien DNA allows them to metamorphose into not just wolves, but a variety of animals. As the plot unfolds, the shifters discover they can have children with humans — hybrids.

Strengths of the novel include the complex characters, its writing style of poetic prose and rich description, and the well developed, thought-provoking, yet highly entertaining plot.

This fast paced book will appeal to the young adult and adult market. It fits nicely into the paranormal romance and science fiction romance genres and would make a great movie, a captivating TV series and an intriguing video game.

Readers will enjoy the fresh approach and original concept of the world thirty years from now, and will find the characters come to life in their minds long after they read “The End.”

Now for a tasty interview with some of the characters from The Shifters of 2040 :

Do you always love what you can’t have?

Melissa Marn: The Smithsonian, Bruce Wilder. I guess I do. But my life is controlled by the SCM now, by my father and General Raul. They decided this fate for me. If I had my way, I’d run off with Bruce somewhere far away...

Diamond: I fell in love with the enemy on accident. I didn’t plan to love Keenan, the military soldier sworn to kill me and my kind. He didn’t plan to love me. We just happened.

If you were a quality?

Melissa Marn: The River. I am methodical like waves. I do the job needed to be done, whatever the cost of erosion, and flow continually. Close to the Earth, but I am cold, because the SCM coaxed me since fifteen, and trained me since twenty-five.

Diamond: The Hawk. This is my other half, the beast inside of me, that the humans fear. I fly above the world and watch. Silent, and steady, but strong.

If you were a flaw?

Melissa Marn: Ice. I am cold, and hard. And too easily I melt and conform to the shape I am enclosed in, that prisoner the SCM has built around my life.

Diamond: The Heart. I feel too much. Emotions explode inside of me, and I sense my heart will be the end of me one day. If I could only feel less...

Do you always walk on the moral slippery slope?

Melissa Marn: It’s my job! It’s all I know. And if I didn’t do it, someone else would. What then?  I know the shifters are more than the SCM tells us they are. They must feel something. But what? My curiosity and scientific training drives me. I have to find answers to my questions. I have to perform my duty!

Diamond: But I love him! I know being with him draws danger to my kind, to my family. My sister. But he would never betray me, willingly. I know he loves me too. And though I am sworn to stay away from him, from all SCM, my heart dominates my head.

Favorite food?

Melissa Marn: The Italian restaurant Little Milan. Bruce and I have shared many discussions, heated arguments, and romantic memories there. 

Diamond: Mice...I am half hawk. 

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America 2040.
Three Species. Divided Lovers. The Race is on for Planet Earth.


Set in Alaska in 2040, Melissa Marn and Bruce Wilder must work under the iron fist of the SCM, while still trying to maintain humanity. Discovering a world of shifters and hybrids, the scientists must struggle with human prejudice and betrayal. With the original ancestors, dubbed shifters, still living on earth, humans are in the midst of a fifteen year old war. As the eldest hybrids, Unseen and Diamond, learn about humans the hard way, with the loss of loved ones and sacrifices, love on planet earth proves challenging.

With underlining themes of how prejudice breaks human connections and animal/wildlife conservation, this novel which has received rave reviews will leave the reader flipping through the pages.

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