Monster Mash Blitz: 6th Turn: Kat by Ren Garcia

Lord Belmont’s life ended in Clovis, in the impenetrable darkness beneath the ground where forbidden rites were once held. Lady Gwendolyn was his love, body and soul, and the Demon in Blue Light killed her.

Every year, on the anniversary of Gwen’s death, he returned to Clovis to stand in the cold desolation, hearing the wind moan through the lonely passes, feeling her loss all over again.

On this anniversary, he wasn’t alone in Clovis. He heard the noises rustling in the brush. He smelled the raw river of Shadow tech. Then he saw it:


The claws …
The flicking tail …
The maniacal, glittering eyes fixed on him …
“I’ve been waiting for you,” it said in a grating voice as it attacked.
* * * * *

Far away, across the cosmos in a city of wondrous crystal towers, two people watch in horror as the desperate scene at Clovis unfolds. They had worked so hard, sacrificed so much, even argued for it before the gods. They convinced the gods they were right, that they knew best, and everything would go well.

But, things weren’t going well at Clovis.

If this situation went poorly, then ages worth of work would be lost, and, just possibly, the universe might come to an end.

   

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Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing

  

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Snippet:

They were taken far away from Shade Church and brought before a council of Black Hats, who gazed at them through their featureless masks. Behind them was a writhing cocoon of Shadow tech wherein the Black Abbess herself resided.

“You have been selected from among all others at Shade Church, thus your privileged existence. We are entrusting the four of you with a very im­portant mission. Know you of the Shadow tech Goddess?” the Black Hats asked.

The Shadow tech Goddess; a name she had heard whispered over and over in the stony passes of the Shade Church, a deplored entity who may or may not exist, with the power to destroy the universe. The Shadow tech Goddess was the only person dreaded, feared, and obsessed over by the Black Abbess. She and her three sisters had no concept of the universe; the word meant nothing to them. Could this Shadow tech Goddess destroy the Shade Church? That would be power.

The four of them were to undertake a perilous mission deep inside enemy territory, deep inside the hated League itself, and the prospects for their survival were minimal at best—the Black Hats were quite clear about that. If they survived the trip, which was in no way assured, and if they man­aged to elude the ever-watchful eye of the League’s mighty Sisterhood of Light, to the one trainee who brought the Black Abbess information on the whereabouts or the identity of the Shadow tech Goddess would be granted freedom from the Shade Church and all the horrors within. She would be granted great power, be given a name by the Black Abbess herself and pre­sented with a temple of her own; allowed to become a full Black Hat, at last ready to unleash Hell.

“We have it on good authority that information regarding the Shadow tech Goddess may be gathered in a remote area of the League … The four of you shall go there and procure this information; we will send Autocons to monitor your activities and ensure you do your duty. Only one of you shall return to us, to great riches. The others will die in the heart of the hated League.”

Only one? Counting on her fingers, she realized one, two, three … of them would die.

She wasn’t afraid of death, or was she?

You have much to live for, the angels had said.

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Monster Mash Blitz: Swim Season by Marianne Sciucco

During swim season you can find Marianne Sciucco, a dedicated Swim Mom for ten years, at one of many Skyline Conference swim meets cheering for her daughter and her team, the Mount Saint Mary College Knights.

Marianne is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues.

Her debut novel "Blue Hydrangeas," an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, and a Library Journal Self-e Selection. She also has two short stories available on Kindle, "Ino's Love" and "Collection.”

A native Bostonian, Marianne lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at a community college.

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Sometimes winning is everything. Champion swimmer Aerin Keane is ready to give up her dreams of college swimming and a shot at the Olympics. As she starts senior year in her third high school, Aerin's determined to leave her family troubles behind and be like all the other girls at Two Rivers. She's got a new image and a new attitude. She doesn’t want to win anymore. She's swimming for fun, no longer the freak who wins every race, every title, only to find herself alone. But when her desire to be just one of the girls collides with her desire to be the best Two Rivers has ever seen, will Aerin sacrifice her new friendships to break a longstanding school record that comes with a $50,000 scholarship?

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Top Ten List:

10 Fun Facts About Me 
1.     In 8^th grade I cut off my waist-length hair so I could have the Dorothy Hamill bob. I thought I could always grow it back. I never did. In my dreams, I have long hair. 

2.     There were 1300 kids in my high school graduating class!  

3.     I once had a cat that had no tail. 

4.     The cat I have today was a rescue.  

5.     The first car I ever bought for myself was a 1974 Mustang. We called it the baby blue buggy. 

6.     My next car was a 1970 Plymouth Valiant that I bought for $750. It was green, and ugly, and like a tank.  

7.     I once worked for a high-end coat manufacturer, and because I was a size 10 was often called to the president's office to model the latest designs. 

8.     In 6^th grade my friends and I learned all the words to the top  hits, including The Lion Sleeps Tonight, I Think I Love You, and Little Willie. 

9.     I met the members of U2 backstage at a concert in Rhode Island in 1983.

10.  My favorite author let me interview her for my honors thesis (as long as I didn't publish it, thus she remains unnamed, but she's a multi-time New York Times bestselling author.)

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Monster Mash Blitz: Stevie-Girl and the Phantom Pilot by Ann Swann

Ann lives in Texas with her husband and rescue pets. She taught reading and other subjects for a number of years before leaving to devote more time to her first love—writing. Reading with children was always her favorite part of teaching.

Cool Well Press published her ghostly series for the young at heart, Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, Stevie-girl and The Phantom Student, and Stevie-girl and The Phantom of Crybaby Bridge.

Her adult novels—All For Love, women’s fiction, and the suspense trilogy Stutter Creek, Lilac Lane, and Copper Lake, are all published by 5 Prince Publishing.

Takers, Ann’s foray into speculative fiction, was released earlier this year.

She has won several awards for fiction since her college days and has had short stories and essays published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, The Binnacle, Timeless, an anthology, Seasonal Sweet, and Suspenseful, an anthology, Jitter Press, Fictionterrifica, The Rusty Nail, The Sandstorm, Reflections, an anthology, and Blue Mountain Review.  

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When a small plane crashes behind Jason Lee's rural home, the spirit of the pilot decides to stick around. What would you do if a phantom took up residence in your closet? Jase decides to ask Stevie-girl for help. She's the only kid he's ever seen entering the old haunted Taylor mansion--alone.

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Q&A With the Author:

1.     When did you start writing, and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become an author? 

 I’ve been writing since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. My mom, dad, and Aunt Alma bought books for me on every birthday and Christmas. They fostered my love of reading, which in turn fostered my interest in writing. I wanted to be like my author-icons.

2.     Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us anything about it? 

My current project is Stevie-girl BOOK FOUR. I love the title of this Stevie-girl book so much that I am afraid of jinxing it (by revealing it too soon), but it is almost finished. However, my next—upcoming—release is titled THE REMAINS IN THE POND. It is my newest Romantic Suspense novel and will be published by 5 Prince Books on November 13^th.

3.     What is your favorite writing snack? 

 When I’m writing, I have to have my Diet Vanilla Coke and something crunchy – trail mix or any kind of nuts. If the nuts have a chocolate coating, so much the better!

4.     If you could have dinner with any of your characters, which ones would you choose? Why? What food would you serve? 

  I would love to have dinner with Stevie & Jase. I would serve Stevie’s Inside Out Chocolate Cake and ask them to tell me their best ghost stories!

5.     Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

  When I first wrote about Jase and Stevie, I thought it would be limited to a short story (which is how it began), but it won a couple of awards and an editor asked if could expand it, so I did. And it’s still going…I love this pair!

6.     How do you relax, or what do you enjoy doing when you are not writing? 

  Reading, movies, playing with grandkids, going to the beach (which is a million miles from here) and walking on my favorite trail while listening to one of my many playlists or audio books.

7.     What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it?

  My unfulfilled dream is to write the story of my parents’ lives. I’m working on it bit by bit.

8.     What do you fear most? 

  My greatest fear is for some harm to befall one of my loved ones.

9.     What advice would you give someone who wants to write a book some day? 

  Just start writing. Write the most important parts first. Don’t worry about making it pretty, just get it down while it’s fresh. You can always revise later.

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Monster Mash Blitz: The Golden Hour by M K Graff

Marni Graff writes two award-winning mystery series: The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries. She teaches writing workshops and mentors the Writers Read program, and is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press. 

Graff also writes the crime review blog Auntie M Writes, www.auntiemwrites.com.

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American writer Nora Tierney is house hunting in Oxford to solidify her little family that includes her almost-year old son, Sean, and her partner, Det. Insp. Declan Barnes. But why does she feel like she's being followed? 

When tracking devices confirm Nora has a stalker, it sets off a chain of events that connect to Declan's murder investigation of a young Oxford art restorer, and will bring bioterrorism and a psychopath into their lives, while Sean's hangs in the balance. The fourth Nora Tierney English mystery is the most tension-filled yet, a meditation on what is family and home, combined with art theft and an international conspiracy.

This is the fourth book in the series and while it can be read as a standalone it is so much more enjoyable if you read the series in order! So find the entire series below.

Find the links to the entire series here:

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Q&A With the Author:

1. When did you start writing, and was there a specific event or person who influenced you to become an author?

I've written since grade school, with two teachers in high school, Mrs. Smith and Mr. Royston, telling me I had a gift for writing and should pursue it.  I would have loved to show them my books but they are both gone. Agatha Christie, PD James and Colin Dexter were big influences in terms of writing mysteries, and Daphne Du Maurier has always been a favorite for creating suspense.

2. Are you currently working on a project, and if so, can you tell us anything about it? 

I'm currently writing the second Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery. Trudy is a nurse who works for a NY movie studio as a medical consultant. It's titled Death of an Heiress, which is the name of the TV movie she's sent to. Her role is as the on set nurse, but in reality she's been sent there by the producers to watch over the star of the movie, who is hiding a pregnancy after several miscarriages--and suddenly disappears and a cast member is murdered soon after. The movie is being shot at The Dakota, a famed NY building that houses stars and millionaires--it was home of John Lennon before he died. In reality, The Dakota will not allow filming of any kind to protect it's residents' privacy, but in Trudy's world they do! 
  
3. What is your favorite writing snack? 
I usually have a large jug of iced green tea on my desk, and I'll snack on bits of fruit and the occasional Dutch pretzel! 

4.  If you could have dinner with any of your characters, which ones would you choose? Why? 
What food would you serve? Boy, that's a tough one! When I was writing THE GOLDEN HOUR, I had a great time creating and writing the villain, so I'd say Viktor Garanin. He's a wealthy Russian psychopath who has a devious plan to destroy the British, whom he hates beyond reasons. His mother was British, but his Russian father raised him to a certain ugly standard, while giving him polish, manners, and epicurean tastes. He wears bespoke suits and shoes and if you don’t see the dead light in his eyes, comes across at first as charming and attractive, a large man with huge tastes for food, wine, women and murder. I'd probably have to serve him chilled vodka, goulash, and blinis with caviar!  

5.  Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 
I always learn something about human nature when I write, and then through my research, I learn things specific to that novel. For instance, I learned what's in bloom in Russian gardens in early fall, and found that information by calling my NC Botanical Gardens. The head botanist would have looked up the answer to my question but instead put me in touch with one of their volunteers, who had lived outside Moscow for years! These little tidbits keep the fictional aspects of the book balanced to me, rooted in reality as they are. If I'd made up what was in bloom then, that same person reading my book would immediately know I'd gotten it wrong. So to allow for the height of reality, it's important to me that the majority of the fictional things happen within the storyline, not the setting. 

 6.  How do you relax, or what do you enjoy doing when you are not writing? 
It's so cliched to say I love reading, but I do! I read three books a week on average to keep up the reviews for my crime review blog, and it's always been my solace and greatest pleasure. Before Kindles, my luggage on vacations was half books! I still prefer to read a hard copy, but use the Kindle for trips and it's much easier. We also have a 10 mos old Australian Labradoodle names Seamus, and I enjoy playing outside with him. He loves to run after a flying Frisbee! 

 7.  What is your largest unfulfilled dream, and what are you doing to reach it? 
That's a tough one to answer. I've met and become friends with my writing hero, PD James, for 15 yrs before her death. I've studied at Oxford and attended St Hilda's Mystery and Crime Conference, and hope to return next summer for the third time. These were all things on my bucket list after "becoming a published author." It would be nice to have a wider presence in England where the series is set. There's a pivotal scene in THE GOLDEN HOUR where my gal Nora is doing a reading of her children's book at Bath bookshop, a real store I visited a few years ago and obtained permission from the owner to use in the book. He's selling THE GOLDEN HOUR right now, so one bookshop at time!  

8. What do you fear most? 
I lost a good friend from nursing school to drowning as she tried  to save her son who was caught in a riptide. The boy survived but my friend didn't. I'm not a strong swimmer and do go into our river, which is very shallow, but deep water tends to panic me to this day, 40 years later . . . 

  9.  What advice would you give someone who wants to write a book some day? 
First, read. It's the way you will learn best what makes a good story and draws other readers in. You'll learn from good writing and poor, so read everything and constantly. Second, learn yourself and your writing style. You can study conventions of a certain genre, grammar, plotting, etc, but to pull it all together, you need to find yourself as a writer and your voice. Some people write better in the morning but others in the afternoons (me) or evenings. Find your own place for comfort and carve out your own routine. Let your voice flow. Third, become part of a writing community. Writing alone facing that sea of white pages is daunting and lonely. It's good to be a part of a writing group, whether in person in your area or online, that allows you to share pages, get good critical feedback, and commiserate!

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Blizt: Pistols and Poplin a 5 Novella Compilation

USA Today bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne knows how to write romance. Each book is an experience that transplants the reader, indulging them in decadence, intense emotion and sweeping love.

Hailing from the state of Wisconsin, she has lived in Texas for over thirty years as a mother, writer, and wife. Married to the love of her life for more than fifteen years, she knows that true love exists and shares that vision with the world.

She writes contemporary and historical romance as well and also ventures into the realm of paranormal romance. She invites you to join her in her world of fantasy, love, and make believe, no matter the location, where there is always a happily ever after at the end.

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Amelia C. Adams is the author of twenty-five sweet Western romance novels, the mother of four children, and the eater of chocolate cake and tacos. Many tacos. Too many tacos to count. Because cheese. And meat. Meat and cheese.

She has hit the Amazon bestseller list three times and has the screenshots to prove it. Even though she’s only been publishing Westerns for two years, she plans to do it forever and ever, or until the cows come home, whichever happens first. She credits her own pioneer heritage for this new interest, and is glad that she doesn’t have to wear twelve petticoats to be considered modest. 

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Carra Copelin is an award winning and Amazon Best Selling Author in contemporary and historical romances but, unlike so many other authors, didn't write from childhood or read long into the night beneath the covers with a flashlight. She found romance novels as an adult. After reading about a million, she discovered numerous people residing in her head, all looking for a way onto the printed page.

She's a member of Romance Writers of America and Past President of Yellow Rose Romance Writers, plus she regularly contributes to romance blog, Smart Girls Read Romance. She is a member of The Daughters of the American Revolution and The Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

Carra and her hero live in North Central Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where they enjoy family and their three beautiful grandchildren. In addition to writing and researching with her fabulous critique partners, she enjoys playing Bridge, working on crochet projects, and tracking down relatives through genealogy.    

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Peggy L Henderson is an award-winning, best-selling western historical and time travel romance author of the Yellowstone Romance Series, Second Chances Time Travel Romance Series, Teton Romance Trilogy, and the Blemished Brides and Wilderness Brides Western Historical Romance Series. When she’s not writing about Yellowstone, the Tetons, or the old west, she’s out hiking the trails, spending time with her family and pets, or catching up on much-needed sleep. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart. Along with her husband and two sons, she makes her home in Southern California. 

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A transplanted Scot, Margery now lives on a lake in Canada.

Although she grew up as far away from the old west as possible, she’s always had a love affair with the men and women who settled the untamed land west of the Mississippi. Glued to TV westerns like Maverick, Rawhide and Gunsmoke, and reading stories of Annie Oakley, Roy Rogers and Rin Tin Tin, it was only natural that when she started writing, she wrote what she loved to watch and read. When she’s not writing or travelling in search of the perfect setting for her next novel, you can usually find her wielding a pair of knitting needles or a pool cue.

  

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"Five brand-new sweet Western novellas by five of your favorite authors!

Mail Order Miller by Kirsten Osbourne

No one wants to employ Doris Miller, and no man is interested in her. Traveling two-thousand miles across country to marry a stranger may seem strange to some, but it’s the answer to her troubles.

Harvey Butler’s children are the scourge of the town of Salmon, Oregon. When one of the women of the town insists he needs a bride, he’s certain he could never find someone willing to marry him. When he receives a response from Doris Miller, he’s convinced it will be a marriage of convenience, and they will simply coexist. Will Doris be able to change his mind about his future?

The Risk and the Reward by Amelia C. Adams

Sybil James has worked her way up and is now employed as the ladies' maid for Lady Douglas, a wealthy woman of distinction. When Lady Douglas decides to travel to America to visit her son, she gives the girl a chance to see the world and experience things she could only dream about before.

Grant Douglas is enjoying his life as an American businessman, all the while knowing that he'll eventually return to England to run the family estate. Circumstances force his hand early and he must drop everything to set things to rights--one of those things being the stewardship of a lovely young ladies' maid who finds herself without a home.

Two very different worlds collide . . . two hearts must decide what it is they most want.

Emmeline: Bride of Arkansas by Carra Copelin

Emmeline Weidner was left at the altar by her intended. Seeking to heal her bruised feminine ego, she moves in with her sister. While learning to cope with her new life, she discovers she isn’t content to live the life of a spoiled society woman. Can she let go of her newfound independence when the right man comes along?

Lincoln Bass returns to Flat Rock Point, Arkansas a year after the accident that almost cost his life. His former employer has asked him for help at the lumber mill. He is apprehensive, but feels he owes the man who saved his life. Then he crosses paths with the most delectable, yet bewildering female he’s ever encountered.

In His Thoughts by Peggy L. Henderson

Assigned to a position in the newly formed Yellowstone National Park, life seems like it couldn't get any better for Ben Ferguson. But patrolling for poachers is fraught with danger, and he soon finds his future looking bleak. Images of a blue-eyed guardian angel are the only thing he has to pull him from the edge of death.

Crazy. Worthless. Demon-possessed. Clara Youngblood has been labeled many things by people who cannot understand the challenges she must confront every day within her own mind. When all seems dark, a glimmer of hope appears in the form of a retired soldier.

Ben and Clara wouldn't have chosen the circumstances that brought them together, but they soon discover their importance in rescuing each other.

The High Stakes Bride by Margery Scott

Chloe Taggart has one goal—to leave Rocky Ridge as soon as possible and see the world. She has no intention of ever being under a man’s thumb, and she has no desire to spend her life cooking and cleaning when she could be sailing the Pacific or touring ancient Greek ruins.

Even though Austin Hayward is content with his life on his ranch, it would be perfect if he had a wife to share it with. Unfortunately, there is only one woman he’s interested in marrying—Chloe Taggart. Chloe and Austin have known each other for years, but she’s never looked at him as anything more than a friend.

When Chloe’s father loses his diner to Austin in a poker game, Austin makes her a proposition—her father will get his diner back, and Austin will get Chloe."

Note: the formatting issues mentioned by some of the reviews have been corrected, and we apologize! :)

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In His Thoughts by Peggy L. Henderson

5 facts about the author and/or book

1.   I am currently living in Yellowstone National Park.

2.   English is my second language. German is my first language.

3.   The heroes in all my books are left-handed.

4.   Not really a fun fact, but I suffer from anxiety and panic attack, like my heroine in In His Thoughts. This was a tough book for me to write.

5.   I wrote In His Thoughts on location in Yellowstone, where some of the scenes in the book take place.

Snippet 

Guilt washed over her as she listened to him. That familiar feeling of dread crept up inside her. Because of her uncle and her cousin, his dreams had been destroyed. He had no idea that she’d been to Yellowstone, or that her uncle had shot him, or that she’d been the one to remove the bullet from his leg and cut away his britches to put flour on his burns. If he found out, that warm look in his eyes would turn cold as ice for sure.

“Is something the matter?”

Clara blinked, her eyes focusing on the man who stood in front of her, his face inches from hers.

“I’m so sorry for what happened to you,” she whispered. “Your dreams shattered like that.”

Ben shook his head. He chuckled. “As much as I would have liked to remain a soldier for a while longer, it clearly wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes one thing leads to something much better.” He straightened, and squeezed her hand. His eyes darkened and the tone of his voice lowered to a sensual rumble. “I wouldn’t have met you.”

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