Welcome @LeTeishaNewton #Author of MURDER BY RITUAL to #TuesdayswithTaryn

Tuesdays with Taryn

Welcome LeTeisha Newton!

(clicking image above will take you to LeTeisha's website/blog)

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?

Wow. I think that I’d have to say Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey, which was, by far, one of the best debut books I have ever read. I think I was salivating with each one that came out, it was a nine book series by the time she stopped writing in that world. Any time you have people tattooing their flesh with something that was in your book you have done an amazing job. I wanted to do that, and it is still my “I want to get there” novel.

What book do you read over and over again?

It’s a toss-up between Kushiel’s Dart (because I have the first printing with the original cover and I love the feel of it in my hands) and Dark Fire, by Christine Feehan, also in book format. Dark Fire introduced me to paranormal romance and I’ve never looked back!

Tuesday Trio-

1)      Movie-  Fifth Element is still a favorite!

2)      Music-  Danger by Etro Anime

3)      Decadent Dessert- Vanilla ice cream and a warm brownie!

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?

That I have family members in England that perform séances! I was researching psychics and people who commune with object of the dead for my heroine, Eris, in my book Murder by Ritual. That was a shock to see! I hadn’t known she was doing it (and I don’t publish her name because she asked me not to. Something about interfering with the spirits and the people who ask for her help). Also, I studied East Asian Studies in college, hence my use of the Chinese Four Mystical Animals in Dragon's Ward.

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?

Dark Seduction by Gena Showalter. I wanted to read Paris’ story again. I was so heart-broken for him when he lost Sienna, and I was happy to see him get a woman!

Whom would you cast as your Main Characters/Hero/Heroine if your book became a movie?

Hmmm. When I think of Murder by Ritual, which is long enough to be a movie, I would have to say Thadie Newton (no relation I think) for Eris and Ken Watanabe for Ken, my hero and heroine of the story. I would also cast Alexander Skarsgard for Bosnair, head of the Vampire Houses, man he’s a beef cake, Julianne Moore as Bean, the Banshee director of the Special Core for Strands. I think they would be perfect. I would say who my villain would be, but then you’d know who the murder is and that would take away from the story!

Murder by Ritual-
(click book cover to go to Amazon Kindle buy page)

Eris Herrington on the scene of a grisly quadruple murder thinks she’s been pushed too far. Strands--humans who now had the power to walk as animals or, like her, could see into anything they touch--haven’t been public for long. A killer among them won’t be good.

Eris realizes she’s been manipulated for this case in order to join the Strand Special Core, and Ken Satou will be her partner. She’s ready to walk away, but Ken won’t stand for it. If he has to seduce her into submission to solve this case (TWEET THIS!) that is exactly what he’ll do.

Also available at

BARNES AND NOBLE

SMASHWORDS
 

And COMING SOON!
(September 20, 2013)
Dragon's Ward
LeTeisha Newton

She became the Dragon’s Ward.

Brook had been hunted by her stalker, Roach, for nearly two years. He’s become crazed to have her, toying with her, until he can make her his forever. Just that forever for him means death for her.

When Stefan caught a nearly frozen woman in his arms, he never thought he would find the Phoenix to his King Dragon. She’s priceless, and his nobles, Cadoc and Nero, have been awaiting her to complete their quartet as well. Come hell or high water they will save her from Roach and claim her.

You can also check out a podcast reading of the 1st chapter HERE on LeTeisha's PodOmatic Profile!

#TuesdayswithTaryn Guest is Karen Stivali @karenstivali #Author of Meant To Be

Tuesdays with Taryn

Karen Stivali

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?

I’ve always been an avid reader and my favorite books have always been the kind where you feel like you know all the characters personally when you’re done. As a kid my favorite authors were Judy Blume, Paul Zindel and Paula Danzinger because I’d come away from their books feeling like I had new friends. I started reading adult literature by the time I was twelve and I gravitated toward writers who painted vivid and memorable characters and focused on their relationships. I loved Catcher in the Rye and Judy Blume’s Wifey and every book Erich Segal ever wrote (Love Story and The Class being favorites). There are a few short love stories in Kurt Vonnegut’s Welcome to the Monkey house that I must have read at least a dozen times. Plus I used to read all of my grandmother’s sweeping romantic sagas. I’ve always been a sucker for a love story.

What book do you read over and over again?

There are several books I’ve read numerous times but the one book I read over and over again is The Last Convertible by Anton Myrer. I read it for the first time when I was fourteen and I fell in love with all of it. It’s an incredible story about the lives of eight men and women who met in college, just as World War II was beginning and it follows all of them as their lives change over the next two decades. This is an incredible example of what I mean about feeling like you know the characters. When I finished reading the book I felt like I’d known them all forever. What’s more impressive is that it’s told by one of the eight friends, and even though it’s all told through his point of view you feel like you know each of them equally well. It even includes letters they exchanged while they were separated by war or because they’d move away from one another. It’s just an amazing book and when I haven’t read it for a year or so I will, without fail, get the urge to read it again.

Tuesday Trio-

1)      Movie- I am way too much of a movie buff to narrow the choice to one but some of my favorites are Good Will Hunting, The Princess Bride, The Way We Were and Keeping The Faith.

2)      Music- That’s even harder than the movie question! I love classical music and pretty much all rock and roll. For classic/oldie rock I like The Beatles and The Hollies, for 80s rock I like The Cure and The Ramones, nowadays I listen to alternative rock stations that play a mix of old stuff, new stuff and upcoming bands. Kingsley Flood is a current favorite.

3)      Decadent Dessert- Chocolate truffle loaf with caramel sauce and crème anglaise (and if you keep an eye on my blog the recipe for that may show up one day…)

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?

I am currently reading a paranormal young adult novel that a member of my local writer’s group just completed. It’s amazingly good for a first draft and even though it’s not a genre I usually read I’m hoping she goes ahead with her plans for the sequels because I want to know what happens!

Whom would you cast as your Hero & Heroine if your book became a movie?

I get asked this question a lot and I have a hard time with it. When I create characters they form in my head, based out of my imagination. A lot of authors like to use photos as inspiration or will cast the movie in their mind as they’re writing but that doesn’t work for me. I like to see my characters as unique people, not associate them with a particular image. That’s why I prefer book covers that don’t show faces---they never look like the faces in my head.

That said, if I had to cast the movie I’d pick Robert Pattinson to play Daniel. Not the brooding Twilight version of the actor, more like the real life version---British, witty, well-read, self-deprecating and a little unsure why women swoon so much when he walks into a room---those are Daniel qualities. For Marienne I’d cast Ginnifer Goodwin---she’s beautiful but always plays the girl who feels like she doesn’t quite measure up---which makes her seem sweeter and more relatable, qualities Marienne embodies.

Blurb for Meant To Be:

Sometimes you’re already committed to the wrong person when fate finally brings you the right one.

When NYU professor Daniel Gardner’s career-obsessed wife convinces him to move to the suburbs, he hopes it’s a first step toward starting the family he longs to have. Instead of domestic bliss he finds his neighbor, Marienne Valeti. She loves her freelance design job, but must contend with a growing sense of isolation created by her husband’s indifference. A penchant for good books, bad movies, and Marienne’s to-die-for brownies sparks a powerful bond between them. Passion simmers, but they resist its lure, surrendering only in the seclusion of their minds. Their friendship helps them weather every hardship, from divorce to widowhood, leaving them both secretly wondering if it can survive a first kiss.

For more information on this book and my other novels, please visit my

WEBSITE 

(You’ll also find some yummy recipes there for foods that are mentioned in the book!)

I can also be found at the following places:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Author Bio:    

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she’s not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what’s left of her time and sanity.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic love stories filled with sarcasm and sexy details. 

Buy links for Meant To Be: 

Amazon
AllRomance eBooks
 Barnes and Noble
Publisher's site:
Turquoise Morning Press

#ThursdayswithTaryn @DianeIStrong

 

Impromptu Thursdays with Taryn 

with Diane Strong

It's my pleasure to guest a fellow KY Indie Writer, Diane Strong, who writes The Running Suspense Series. If you like Stephen King style suspense, you'll like these.

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer? I loved The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evens is the one that comes to mind.  I was living in Montana when the book was published so I knew all the places he was talking about.  I am a recovering horse-person so it touched a place in my heart.  I was also very young.  But the way he painted the story in my mind made me aspire to do the same.

What book do you read over and over again?  None.  If I ever catch up on my to-read list I don’t have a clue which book I would choose to read again.

Thursday Trio-

1)      Movie- Stand By Me (I know, I fell in love with it when I was 12 and haven’t gotten over it yet)

2)      Music- everything except Jazz…cause I don’t know how to dance to it.

3)      Decadent Dessert- Cheese cake with dark chocolate drizzled on it.

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?  At sixteen, Amish children are encouraged to go out and experience the world on what they call ‘rumspringa’ (you’ve probably heard of it) but what surprised me is that they are not baptized in the Amish way until they choose to be after rumspringa.  If someone choses to be baptized, then leaves the Way, they can be shunned.  But if you come back from rumspringa and chose not to be baptized you are not shunned.  Cool hu?

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?  Good Harbor by Anita Diamant (because I enjoyed The Red Tent) but if I can get a copy of Wild by Cheryl Strayed I’ll drop it and pick it up later.

Whom would you cast as your Hero & Heroine if your book became a movie?

I would cast Ryan Hall, the Olympic Marathoner, as Isaac Fisher…I can do that right?  I mean, he isn’t an actor but he can run, just like Isaac.  Ryan is Mormon and Isaac was Amish and I think that might add dimensionJ

Click Image at left to purchase on Amazon for Kindle.

The Other Way Blurb:

Isaac Fisher was not born a runner, he was born Amish. After getting a girl pregnant while exploring rumspringa at sixteen, he left the Amish community and ventured to the new world to become the girl’s husband. Now, four years and two children later, Isaac can’t help but sneak back home on his long runs for a feel of his past life and the taste of an old lover.

It is also available at Smashwords and will soon be available from other retailers such as Barnes and Noble.

Biography

Diane Strong lives in Kentucky with her husband and their two children. She received a liberal arts degree at Itasca Community College, a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Equine Studies from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana and a Master's degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Kentucky.

She writes a small column for the Georgetown News Graphic and homeschools her children. In her spare time she competes in road races, triathlons and adventure races. She is the founder of the Georgetown Run Club and Intellectual Society. She loves what she does.

You can find out more about Diane and her Running Suspense series on her

 Smashwords Author Page 

Also- if you'd like a sample of Diane's writing-

The Run Book #1

is currently FREE on Smashwords

(and soon to be free on Amazon and at other online retailers)

and on her site-

The Running Commentary

#TuesdayswithTaryn- Meet Wynn Mercere @wynnmercere #Author of City of the Gods:Forgotten

Tuesdays with Taryn

Wynn Mercere

City of the Gods: Forgotten

 Please help me give a warm welcome to Fantasy Writer, Wynn Mercere, co-author with M. Scott Verne of the City of the Gods novels, comics and games. So glad to have you with us today Wynn.

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer? The classics, definitely. Alice in Wonderland, collections of fables and myths, and a heavy dose of adventure a la Kipling and Stevenson.

What book do you read over and over again? Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Sometimes the adventurous plot stands out, other times the social commentary. It also satisfies my reader itch for books set in the 1800s.

Tuesday Trio-

1)      Movie – “You Can’t Take It With You” (1938) A wonderful farce that pits the military-industrial-banking complex against the “uncommon” man is as relevant today as when it was written. However, its most appealing theme is that of encouraging people to follow their dreams.

2)      Music – I don’t have a specific title, but my favorites are violin-centric. Whether it’s a Chopin etude or a bluegrass classic, I love it!

3)      Decadent Dessert – Baklava! The way the honey permeates the crispy layers of the pastry gives me something no other dessert can.

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel? I learned how an 1870s printing press works. It’s amazing what one can find on YouTube!

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading? I am reading Marching Through Culpeper by Virginia Beard Morton. It’s very popular, even has a stage adaptation. I cut my teeth as a young reader on historical romance, so a book like this one is an easy read.

Whom would you cast as your Main Characters/Hero/Heroine if your book became a movie? I am about as unaware of actors as one can be! Can I talk up production angles instead? I would love for City of the Gods to be a joint Hong Kong/French production. The Chinese are spectacular when it comes to putting mythical fantasy on the screen, and since our main characters are from France and Asia, it would be a perfect fit.

Click Image to purchase in Print from Amazon

Click HERE to get the Kindle version

Click HERE to buy from Barnes & Noble

Blurb: When the gods of old left Earth, they united to create a new world that mirrored their past glory. Most of mankind was left behind, but some humans were chosen to serve in the City of the Gods. One of these men, D’Molay, works for the ruling Council as a trusted courier. When a helpless girl under his watch is kidnapped, his efforts to recover her reveal her connection to a great beast which is ravaging the Olympian realm. His loyalty to the City is tested as his heart leads him to protect her against those who aim to exploit her powers for their own ends. Refusing to be a pawn of the gods, D’Molay pits his human guile against divine authority in an adventure that culminates in a battle for his soul’s redemption.

It can also be purchased at

Drive-Thru Fiction

The City of the Gods Gift Shop

And you can find out more about Fantasy Writer Wynn Mercere and her novels, comics and more at her

WEBSITE

or

BLOG

Wynn's next novel, City of the Gods: Guardian also has an active Kickstarter Project going on right now HERE
Hop on by and check it out! 

Come meet Jacqueline Corcoran @jcorcora on this #TuesdayswithTaryn

 Tuesdays with Taryn

Jacqueline Corcoran

Please help me welcome Jacqueline Corcoran to Tuesdays with Taryn this week!

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?

I read almost exclusively mysteries, so I am influenced by this genre, and I read almost always female writers as I find I can identify better with the viewpoint. 

What book do you read over and over again?

I’ve only read a couple of books more than once.  The most recent novel I repeated was Bridget Jones’s Diary.  That had to do with the fact that it really resonated with me at that period of my life. 

Tuesday Trio-

1)      Movie- Dazed and Confused

2)      Music- The Verve

3)      Decadent Dessert- Any of the chocolate cheesecakes at Cheesecake Factory

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?

I learned the most from researching a steampunk-inspired historical paranormal I wrote last summer.  I hadn’t written an historical before, and I learned all manner of detail about the late 1800’s. 

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?

Jeanne Dams’s latest mystery. 

Whom would you cast as your Hero & Heroine if your book became a movie?

I’m so out of touch!  Can I hear from readers of the blog some suggestions?  Who would make a good brunette actress for an angst-ridden 17 year old?  How about an actor for an 18 year old Latino police officer?  

Click Image below to purchase on Amazon-

Memoir of Death

Can you change when you will die, or just the way you live?

Keira Alexander still hasn't made any friends in her new town of Cedar Heights, but at least she's snagged a summer community service gig at the Cedar Heights Police Department. Normally, all she does is busy work, but this time, she finds herself at the scene of an apparent suicide--Rhian Sullivan, a girl from Kiera's high school. But when Keira finds a trunk full of Rhian's diaries, she becomes obsessed with the life of the girl she barely knew--and with her death.

Because Rhian didn't kill herself. She was murdered. And the murderer does not want Keira to talk...

 Also Available from

 Barnes & Noble

And...

You can learn more about Jacqueline on her

WEBSITE