Tracy Brogan - HBS Author's Spotlight is on Highland Surrender

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on award-winning Author Tracy Brogan. She is the author of several best selling novels.

This blog is sponsored by the Buy The Book Tour.

Tour Dates: 1/28/13 - 3/11/13

Today's Featured Book is



Highland Surrender

Author: Tracy Brogan


AVAILABLE
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
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To seal a fragile truce, Fiona Sinclair’s brothers trade her in marriage to their sworn enemy. Though devastated by their betrayal, she has little choice in the matter, for if she refuses, her innocent young sister must take her place. The spirited Fiona is willing to sacrifice her freedom to protect her kin, but she vows never to surrender her heart.

As the eldest son of a clan chief, Myles Campbell is accustomed to having his own way. But when the king of Scotland commands he wed a defiant Highland lass instead of a French mademoiselle, Myles must obey his royal duty. Meeting his bride for the first time on their wedding day, he is pleased to discover the lass is a beauty, but she quickly proves she’d just as soon kill him as kiss him.

When two such warrior spirits collide, sparks fly, igniting a fiery passion that strains against the bonds of family honor, clan loyalty—and the ultimate surrender—love.

Excerpt:
Scottish Highlands, 1537

Fiona Sinclair could not reconcile the irony of nature’s twisted humor. For today of all wretched days the sky should be burdened with clouds as dark and dismal as her mood. But the morning dawned soft and fair, mild as a Highland calf, and she knew that God himself mocked her. At any moment, Myles Campbell and his father, the Earl of Argyll, would pass through the gates of Sinclair Hall, unwelcome, yet unhindered by her clan. Soon after that, she must stand upon the chapel steps and marry a man she had never met, and yet had hated for all of her life.

Through her narrow bedchamber window, sounds from the bailey filtered up. The smithy’s hammer tapped a mellow cadence as if this day were just like any other. Perhaps he shaped a horseshoe or a pointed pike. She smiled at the latter and imaged the heaviness of that same pike in her hand. Oh, that she had the courage to plunge it deep into the earl’s heart, if indeed he had one.

She rose from the threadbare cushion on the bench and moved without purpose toward the stone fireplace. A low fire burned, warding off the spring morning’s chill. From habit, Fiona slipped her hand into the leather pouch around her waist. She squeezed tight the silver brooch inside, its design and inscription etched as clearly in her memory as on the pin itself. A boar’s head, symbol of Clan Campbell, with words chosen by the king himself.

To Cedric Campbell, a true friend is worth a king’s ransom. James V.

The brooch had been a gift to the Campbell chief, the man about to become her father-in-law. But he had left it behind nearly seven years earlier, pierced into the flesh of Fiona’s mother so that all the world might know he had dishonored her. The priest found Aislinn Sinclair’s lifeless body in a secluded glen outside the village, stripped bare and broken, marked by Cedric’s lust and spite. Thus a feud, long simmering at the edges, boiled over.

But today the king thought to put an end to it with this farce of a marriage between a Sinclair lass and a Campbell son. It would not work.

Fiona paced to the window, restless and melancholy. She leaned out to breathe fresh spring air, hoping it might lighten her spirits. The too-sweet scent of hyacinth clung to the breeze, along with the ever-present brine of Moray Firth. Along the west curtain wall, more hammering sounded as masons worked to bolster the steps leading to the main keep. As if precarious stairs alone might halt the Campbell men from gaining entrance. But nothing would. Her fate as a Campbell bride had been declared the very day she drew in her first breath, and sealed when her father blew out his last.
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Author Genre: Romance, History

Website: Tracy Brogan - TIMELESS LOVE STORIES, PAST AND PRESENT
Twitter: @tracybrogan
E-Mail: tracybrogan@att.net
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook


Author Description: Past or present, Tracy Brogan loves romance. She writes both funny contemporary stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love and also sexy historical novels full of political intrigue, damsels causing distress, and the occasional man in a kilt. She is a two-time Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist, and has won several RWA awards. Like most people born in Michigan, she has a tendency to point to the palm of her hand to indicate where she lives.

During the rare moments when she's not writing, or thinking about writing, Tracy enjoys time with her family, traveling, and avoiding exercise at all costs.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Tracy shares with us the inside story of overcoming the guilt and the fear to become a Best Selling writer.

PUSH PAST THE FEAR

Writing is my favorite endeavor.

I love it so much that to celebrate the completion of one manuscript, I begin another. What joy to face a fresh, blank screen! So many possibilities!

But back before I had an agent and a publisher, back before deadlines tapped on my shoulder incessantly, I had a hard time sitting in the chair and actually drafting anything. I felt as if writing was indulgent. It was a hobby for my own pleasure only. It didn’t provide anything useful to my family or the world at large. It didn’t nurture my children, get the laundry folded, or the groceries put away.

Well, maybe some of that is true, but I still shouldn’t have felt guilty for doing something just for me.

Fast forward a few years and I can state emphatically, it’s not just for me anymore. Now I’ve sold three manuscripts, two of which came out in 2012. My first historical, HIGHLAND SURRENDER is one of them, and I’m beyond thrilled it’s being well-received! It has spent time in the #1 spot of Amazon’s Best Selling Historical Romance category, and continues to remain in the top ten. Currently, I’m working on additional books, both contemporary and historical. I’ve made promises to people that I will get them finished. Powerful people. Not the kind who might break my legs if I don’t pay up, but important people who want to help me succeed.

So again, I ask myself, “Why aren’t I writing right now?” Is it because I am a horrible procrastinator (or an excellent one, depending on your point of view.) Is it because I think other tasks are a more valuable use of my time, like watching Modern Family or getting a pedicure?

Nope.

It’s fear.

Fear that the lovely ideas in my head, the beautiful characters dancing through my subconscious, will not translate into words which capture their magnificence. I’m afraid to trivialize their story with my own inability. So, rather than tarnish it, I keep it to myself. It is the curse of the perfectionist writer, triggering the demise of many a promising novel. Bob Mayer said in an article a few years ago, “Harness fear as a motivator rather than letting it disable you.” I have that quote posted on my bulletin board.

If you worry you aren’t the best writer you can be (and who among us is satisfied with everything we’ve written?) then strive to be better. Don’t wallow in literary quicksand. Grab a rope (and a keyboard) and get yourself out of there. Don’t fritter away your time NOT writing because you are too afraid to harness your own brilliance. Sit down. Put your butt in the chair and type.

And remember that the first draft always sucks. But it’s only the first draft. Those nebulous characters whispering in your ear will begin to take shape. Eventually hey will sing and shout, and their story, your story, will come to life.

The laundry can wait, the children will forgive you for not making them a grilled cheese sandwich. (Or not. They’re kids. Who can say?) But at the end of the day, be proud that you have written.

By Tracy Brogan


Author's Book List

Hold On My Heart


COMING SOON

To build a future, sometimes you have to tear down the past…

Chicago event planner Libby Hamilton can turn any bland setting into a dramatic venue - but when she abruptly loses her job, and her fair-weather boyfriend moves to another state, Libby suddenly finds herself back in the tiny town she grew up in. Worse than that, her father wants help transforming an old schoolhouse into a vintage ice cream parlor and Libby must trade in her power suits for power tools

Widowed restoration specialist Tom Murphy can rebuild just about anything – except the shattered relationship he shares with his teenaged daughter. Hired by Libby’s father, Tom isn’t interested in sharing the details of his personal life with beautiful, spunky Libby. He just wants to get the job done. But she is tenacious – and sexy – and it doesn’t take long before she breaks down his walls, builds up his hope, and gets a hold on his heart that won’t let go.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Crazy Little Thing
If Sadie Turner is good at anything, it’s putting stuff in order. So when she finds her “perfect” life in disarray, she hopes a summer vacation at her aunt’s lake house will help her piece it back together. She wants to relax, reboot, and heal the wounds left by her cheating ex-husband. And that requires time away from men. All men.

Or so she thinks.

With two slobbering dogs and two cousins living there—one a flamboyant decorator intent on making over Sadie—it’s hard to get a moment’s peace at eccentric Aunt Dody’s house, especially with everyone so determined to set her up with Desmond, the sexy new neighbor.

Desmond is Sadie’s worst nightmare. Tall, tanned, muscular…and to top it off, he’s great with her kids. But he must have a flaw—he’s a man—so Sadie vows to keep her distance.

As summer blazes on, the life Sadie is trying so hard to simplify only becomes more complicated—a new career presents itself, her evil ex haunts her, and Aunt Dody reveals a tragic secret—but maybe a little chaos is just what Sadie needs to get her life back in order.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Author Recommended by: Buy The Book Tours
This blog is sponsored by the Buy The Book Tours created by Christine Warner and Florence Price. They specialize in tours for a varied mix of genres with packages and prices just right for any author's budget.

M. R. Cornelius - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Best Selling Author M. R. Cornelius. She writes post-apocalyptic thrillers.

Author Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction

Website: M. R. Cornelius
Author's Blog: M. R. Cornelius
Blog: Google +
Twitter: @marshacornelius 
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description:
After working for fifteen years as a cafeteria manager in an elementary school, I turned in my non-skid shoes for a bathrobe and slippers. Now I work at home, writing novels, ranting on Facebook and Twitter, and occasionally whisking a Swiffer across dusty surfaces. Like thousands of others, I thought I could write romance, but soon discovered I was a dismal failure. I did increase my repertoire of adjectives such as throbbing, pulsing, thrumming, vibrating, hammering, pumping . . .

I live in the country north of Atlanta with my husband, and two molly-coddled cats. My two grown sons occasionally visit for clean laundry and a hot cooked meal.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

First things first. Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called Losing It All. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

My next book Losing It All will be out this spring. It’s about a homeless man who helps a woman and her two young children get off the streets. (See blurb and cover below.)

You have a good following on Twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?

Social media is my top choice for keeping in touch with readers. I tried to build a following on Facebook, but so many people were caught up in politics that I cut back to just friends. Goodreads is a wonderful site that connects authors and readers, but some of their features are a little hinky. And LinkedIn runs a distant fourth for me.

So basically, I rely on Twitter as my main vehicle for promoting my books. But here’s the thing about Twitter. Once you have a lot of followers, your message is only out there for minutes, and then it’s gone. That’s why you have to tweet often, and at different times of the day.

Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when is your next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?

I think the book world is going through a tough transition right now. Bookstores are closing, especially independent shop owners who are fighting a losing battle against the big boys like B & N.

This transition is bigger than the book world, too. People demand convenience. First we wanted to go to a video store to get our movies; then we wanted them delivered to our homes; now we want to stream a movie at the click of a button.

So fewer people are willing to trudge to a bookstore to buy their books. First, they wanted Amazon and others to mail them the book. But now they don’t want to wait that long, they want a digital book right now. All this to say that, no, I don’t do many book signings anymore. I tried, of course. But no one came. Whenever I talk to someone who is in a book club, I invite myself as a guest speaker. I do a lot of interviews online, and I’ve done a few podcast interviews on Blog Talk Radio.

As a matter of fact, I have an interview with Coral Russell from The Indie Exchange on March 22, 2pm EST. (Everybody cut and paste this link to your calendars - http://theindieexchange.com/category/tie-online-radio/) For someone who wants to get in touch, I’d say start with:
Twitter @marshacornelius
Next my website: M. R. Cornelius
Then my Author page on Amazon

Marsha contact links for Facebook, Goodreads are listed above in the contact information section.

You have great covers. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

My first book cover for H10N1 was a family affair. I climbed into the back of a dump truck full of dirt, and my son took a picture of my arm dangling out. I had no budget, and wasn’t even sure I’d sell the first copy.

But after that, I hired a professional to design my covers. I tell him a good bit about the book, and he takes it from there. I show the cover to my editor first, and to a few of my beta readers. Then the artist and I hash out our differences.

I can’t imagine being with a traditional publisher who shows me the cover they have chosen, and I have no say in the process.

I enjoyed the book trailer for H10-N1. (See link below.) Do you know how much impact that had on your book’s success? Tell us about the process that you used to create your trailers? Was the young lady Dee a professional actor? Who was voicing the lady’s voice on the phone?

Again – limited budget, and family affair on the book trailer. My husband is in television, so he hooked me up with someone interested in getting some ‘practice’ with videos. The young lady is my son’s girlfriend (who would like to be a professional actor), and the voice of the Suicide Helpline caller is me.

Because it only has had 750 views, I would say the impact it has had on my book’s success is less than stellar.

What kinds of support groups do you belong too? Do they help with writing, marketing and the publishing process?

I’m a member of the Atlanta Writers’ Club. They were instrumental in my finding an agent at one of their writers’ conferences. They sometimes have speakers who talk about marketing, which always helps.

Years ago, I belonged to the Romance Writers of America, and I’ve never met a better bunch of warm-hearted, caring people always willing to help.

Tell us your experience with the The Indie Exchange. I noticed that they have a members column. Are you apart of that?


No, I’m not a member of TIE, but I follow them on Facebook. They are a truly dedicated group of authors and readers. I can’t imagine how much time they devote to promoting indie authors. And as I mentioned before, I’ll be appearing on their podcast March 22, 2pm EST. http://theindieexchange.com/category/tie-online-radio/

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I have done some book giveaways on Goodreads, and that brings exposure to my books. Sometimes when I do a guest blog or interview on someone’s website, we giveaway copies of my books.

But honestly, nothing compares to the giveaways on Amazon. If I really promote the freebie, I can giveaway over 10,000 e-books in two days. Now, I know some people freak out when they think about that. But here’s what happens. During the two days that my book is free, my ranking on Amazon shoots way up. Normally, I will be #1 FREE in drama. And I can usually get in the Top 100 FREE overall.

That’s priceless, because once my book goes back to $3.99, my ranking is right up there. Now buyers see my book, and buy it. And if I can stay in the top 20, on the first page of Amazon, that’s pure gold.

Obstacles? I just need a bigger wheelbarrow to haul this money to the bank. (Ha!)

Explain to us how the Next Big Blog Hop worked and what were the results?

The Next Big Blog Hop was created as a way to get new authors seen on the internet (where everyone hangs out these days) It’s kind of a virtual bookstore event. I just posted on the blog January 23, so it may be too soon to see what kind of results I get.


Author's Book List

Losing It All



Coming Soon.


Frank Barnes is content living on the streets of Atlanta. A soup kitchen and a makeshift shanty sure beat his days as a POW in Vietnam. But Chloe Roberts can’t handle the eviction that sends her into the hell of homelessness. With no family or friends to turn to, Chloe and her children are sucked into the traumatic world of night shelters, and dangerous predators.

When they bump into each other at a soup kitchen, Frank offers Chloe a glimmer of hope that she can pull her life back together. She rekindles his lost sense of self-worth. But they will not meet again until Frank is riding high in his new life as a working stiff, and Chloe has hit rock bottom. By helping Chloe rebuild her broken life, Frank banishes the demons from his own past. Unfortunately, the past comes strolling back into their lives, threatening to destroy the happiness they have finally found.
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The Ups and Downs of Being Dead
Fifty-seven year old Robert Malone is the CEO of a successful clothing store chain and married to a former model. When his doctor tells him he is dying of cancer, he refuses to go quietly. Instead of death, Robert chooses cryonics. He knows it's a long shot. His frozen body will be stored in liquid nitrogen for the next seventy-five years, and then he'll wake up in the future. That is, if technology develops a way to bring him back. He's willing to take that gamble.

What he doesn't realize is that he won't lie in some dreamless state all that time. His soul is very much awake, just like the others who were frozen before him. And like these souls in limbo, Robert begins a new kind of life outside his physical body.

He discovers that he can ride in the cockpit with the pilots, but he can't turn the page of a magazine. He can sit in the oval office with the president, but he can't prevent a child from dashing in front of a car. He doesn't work, or eat, or sleep. He can't smell, or taste, or touch. These obstacles make it difficult to experience love, and virtually impossible to reconcile with the living.

Over the next several decades, Robert Malone will have plenty of time to figure out The Ups and Downs of Being Dead.
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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H10N1
A deadly influenza virus rages out of control. There is no easy-fix vaccine. No eleventh-hour containment. Only death.

With no workforce, power plants are unmanned so there’s no means of communication; police and fire departments have collapsed so no one is safe; looters are scavenging everything from big-screen TVs to canned peas. When Dr. Taeya Sanchez finds herself unceremoniously dismissed from an emergency medical facility in New York, she decides to steal the hospital’s armored van for a midnight escape.

Unfortunately, Rick DeAngelo, a driver for the hospital, has already stocked the van for his own getaway.

Thrown into an unfriendly alliance, these two must pick their way across the dangerous wasteland of America in search of a safe haven. And as the miles roll by, they discover that the living should be feared much more than the festering corpses out there.
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Book Trailer: H10N1
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Jade Kerrion - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Award-Winning Author Jade Kerrion. She writes the DOUBLE HELIX series. Also, she writes a great blog featuring authors and writing.

Author Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Website: Jade Kerrion
Twitter: @JadeKerrion
E-Mail: jade.kerrion@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description:
Jade Kerrion, an award-winning author, got her start in fan fiction. She developed a loyal reader base with her fan fiction series based on the MMORPG Guild Wars. She was accused of keeping her readers up at night, distracting them from work, housework, homework, and (far worse), from actually playing Guild Wars.

And then she wondered why just screw up the time management skills of gamers? Why not aspire to screw everyone else up too? So here she is, writing books that aspire to keep you from doing anything else useful with your time. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her wonderfully supportive husband and her two young sons, Saint and Angel, (no, those aren't their real names, but they are like saints and angels, except when they're not.)

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Rumor has it that you have another book on the horizon called EARTH-SIM. Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease. (See below.)

Certainly! EARTH-SIM will be coming out in February 2013. The premise of EARTH-SIM is deceptively simple. Jem Moran has a reputation to prove and a secret to protect. The prestigious world simulation program seems the answer to both her problems, but only if she can succeed in spite of her partner, Kir Davos, and the uncooperative human beings who populate her planet. From the Great Extinction to the Renaissance, from world wars to intergalactic treaties, Jem and Kir's conflicting management styles will either save or doom our planet.

EARTH-SIM was, without question, the most fun I’d ever had in writing a novel. I really enjoyed blending popular culture with history, science, and religion, to create a whimsical romp through Earth’s history as seen through the eyes of the two students and the android assigned to manage our planet. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.

You have a great twitter following. How important are the social media relationships that you’ve formed to your writing success?

A social media presence is necessary (which typically includes a website, Twitter, and Facebook).

Quantifying the value of social media is much harder. The value is often indirect, and is frequently based on building online relationships as opposed to just blasting out marketing messages. For example, I’ve had several people tell me that they bought my novel because they enjoyed my “voice” on my blog (which isn’t entirely like the “voice” in my novels, but it’s a start…)

Others have bought my novel because I helped them out with a publishing challenge they were wrestling with. (Of course, they then liked the novel enough to get the sequels too.) My large social media network paid off when I organized my blog tour. During my first tour, my network was small and new, and I had an incredibly difficult time trying to fill 14-stops on my tour. The second time around, I tapped into my much more robust social network, and had no trouble filling in 66-stops on the tour.

Do you do book signing, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when is your next place where your readers can see you?

Most of my interactions with readers take place online through virtual book tours, which are listed on my blog. I don’t have a personal appearance scheduled any time soon, but if anyone wants to arrange one, they’re most welcome to contact me through my blog and I’m sure we can set something up.

You have very distinct covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

First off, let me confess that I failed art in eighth grade. For that reason, I outsource almost all my cover design work. I am very hands-on in the book cover creation process (I blame it on my control- freak tendencies.) My husband and I would brainstorm the key ideas for the cover and then I’d describe it to my cover artist who would head off for a few days and come back with something fairly magical.

My favorite cover is PERFECT BETRAYAL. It is the flashiest cover in the DOUBLE HELIX series thus far. It features curved and concentric rows of dominos arranged in a yin-yang pattern.

The yin-yang symbolizes the interdependence of seemingly contrary forces, and the cover emphasizes the duality of the forces at play; light, dark; male, female; fire, ice. Two hands—one male, the other female (representing the two contenders for Danyael’s empathic power)—are poised to push at the dominos from either end. The dominos will fall; the question is, will Danyael?

What kinds of support groups do you belong too? Do they help with writing, marketing and the publishing process?

I belong to several critique groups. I typically write too fast to run through my entire manuscript with the group before it comes time to publish, but I will typically take key scenes to the critique group and solicit feedback. I also have a group of trusted beta readers who provide feedback on near- final versions of the manuscript before it goes to the editor.

With your busy schedule, how do you have time to keep up with your followers? Between your book writing, blogging, marketing and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do your sort of play it by ear?

I don’t sleep. J Actually, I’ve found that a systematic process helps. Each morning, I spend about fifteen minutes on Triberr, approving posts to share via Twitter. I then go into Hootsuite and schedule additional tweets that will be released throughout the day. I check Twitter through the day for any personal messages and retweets. All in all, I don’t usually spend more than a half hour on Twitter, and a half hour on Facebook each day.

Marketing is much more labor-intensive, especially if it involves a blog tour, and that can suck up as much time as you put into it. I typically try to write when I’m feeling freshest, and when the creativity starts lagging, I spend the time on the more mundane, administrative aspects of organizing my blog tours.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

I’ve had one Kindle Select promotion to date, and it was for my award-winning debut novel, PERFECTION UNLEASHED. The promotion was a success. I gave away 9,000 books over three days. At its peak, the book ranked at #22 on the Free list across all Kindle books, and it was #1 in Science Fiction and #1 in Fantasy. My intention was to gain traction as a debut author and to get my book into the hands of readers. If they liked it, I figured they would buy the rest of the books in the DOUBLE HELIX series.

For the most part, the plan has worked. I haven’t actively marketed any book in the series other than the first book, and the sequels have been selling on their own. The biggest obstacle to a Kindle Select promotion is the amount of time needed to do it well. I must have spent hours on websites, listing my free book, and hoping that they would promote it too. I have a list of those websites and other resources on my blog, under the section “An Author’s Journey.”

I’ve participated in a few other giveaways, typically copies of my novels during a blog-related promotional event. With the right tools, e.g., Rafflecopter, those giveaways are typically fairly easy to organize.

In my research, I saw you have had a book tour for each of your books. Do you manage the book tour yourself? What has been the result? Do you get many comments?

I utilized a blog tour company once, but mostly, I manage the book tour myself. I’ve organized four tours to date: a 14-stop tour for PERFECTION UNLEASHED, a 66-stop tour for the DOUBLE HELIX series, and 20+ stop tours each for WHEN THE SILENCE ENDS and EARTH-SIM.

I really do enjoy blog tours. It is incredibly time-consuming up front when finding hosts, writing guest posts, etc, and sometimes, the value is hard to quantify, but it’s always fun connecting with readers.

You blog is impressive. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and providing useful information to other writers. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media, manage book tours and maintain your blog?

My blog evolved gradually. It started out a marketing tool, but then I realized I could only talk about myself for so long before getting bored. If I was getting bored with myself, surely readers were too.

So, I asked myself, what value could I create for others? Hosting authors was the obvious solution. The other was sharing the knowledge I’d gained in the process of writing, publishing, and marketing.

There is no shortage of ideas or contributors at this point. The other authors have really helped make my blog the vibrant place it is. Readers come to read about them and to find new and interesting books.

As for where I find the time…I don’t sleep. J I do put in long hours, but more importantly, I’m organized and I’m fast. Those two traits help me accomplish more than one would think realistic or possible in the time I have. It’s been a massive learning curve for me, and every day, I’m finding new ways to streamline my processes and keep all the balls in the air.

One of your books is a collection of short stories. What is your experience in working with other authors with a common theme? Do you see a bump in your other sales?

The collection of short stories started out as a writing competition. Linell Jeppsen had kindly sponsored a Halloween short story competition, and in so doing, garnered sixteen awesome short stories from various authors. I was one of the authors, and I thought that an anthology would prove an interesting marketing tool, so I took a lead in gathering the stories into an anthology. It’s hard to tell if a sales bump can be attributed to the anthology versus other marketing activities that I’m doing, but it was definitely fun collaborating with other authors to put out a shared piece of work.


Author's Book List

EARTH-SIM


EARTH-SIM is Coming in February

Have you ever wondered who’s really in charge of the world? If there’s a God, He seems accident-prone. How else can you explain the mass extinctions, global floods, and worldwide plagues? Are there days when you want to shout out to the uncaring sky, “Is there an intelligent, well-executed plan behind this mess?

Wonder no more. From Jade Kerrion, author of the award-winning Double Helix series, comes an occasionally whimsical, frequently irreverent romp through the history of Earth, as seen through the eyes of the two students and the android assigned to shape the future of the planet in EARTH-SIM. Seamlessly blending popular culture with history, science, and religion, this crash course in planetary management will charm and entertain as you attempt to decipher just how much is fact and what else is fiction. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.
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When the Silence Ends
When you choose your friends, you also choose your enemies.

Seventeen-year old Dee wants nothing more than to help her twin brother, Dum, break free from the trauma in their childhood and speak again, but the only person who can help Dum is the alpha empath, Danyael Sabre, whom the U.S. government considers a terrorist and traitor.

The search for Danyael will lead Dee and Dum from the sheltered protection of the Mutant Affairs Council and into the violent, gang-controlled heart of Anacostia. Ensnared by Danyael’s complicated network of friends and enemies, Dee makes her stand in a political and social war that she is ill equipped to fight. What can one human, armed only with her wits and pepper spray, do against the super-powered mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution?

America, nevertheless, is ripe for change. Exhausted by decades of belligerence between humans and their genetic derivatives, the clones, in vitros, and mutants, society is on the verge of falling apart or growing up. Which path will it choose, and can a mere human, her sassy attitude and smart mouth notwithstanding, light the way to a better future?

In her quest to help her brother become normal, Dee will learn what it means to be extraordinary. When the silence ends, the celebration of life, love, joy, and hope will inspire feet to dance and hearts to sing.
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Short Story Strands: Halloween 2012 Edition
Come celebrate Halloween in ways both spooky and fun in this collection of sixteen short stories spun by talented new voices in science fiction and fantasy.

Insecurity Complex, by Jade Kerrion
Empty Glass, by P.L. Blair
The Red Card, by Sheenah Freitas
Chanceus, by L’Poni Baldwin
My Soul To Take, by L.M. Boelz
The Nest, by Linell Jeppsen
The Medusa Touch, by Sam Kates
Skinshade, by T. Jackson King
Little Girls Squealing in the Yard, by Lalo LaFleur
Tender Moments, by Massimo Marino
Blood Relation, by Patrick Ottuso
Grandma to the Rescue, by Sharon L Reddy
The Power of Spirit, by Ch'Kara SilverWolf
Dominique, by Edwin Stark
In Space No One Can Hear You Scream, by Lisa Williamson
Spoils of Earth, by Michael Youngblood

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Perfect Weapon
Double Helix series - Book 3
Don't fear the army of genetically engineered perfect killers. Fear the cripple who leads them.

An alpha empath, Danyael Sabre is powerful, rare, and coveted, even among the alpha mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution. Betrayed by his friends and abandoned to a life sentence in a maximum-security prison, Danyael receives freedom and sanctuary from an unlikely quarter--the Mutant Assault Group, an elite mutant task force within the US military. Physically crippled and emotionally vulnerable, Danyael succumbs to the warmth of friendships and the promise of love he finds within their ranks.

Friendship and love, however, demand his loyalty, and Danyael rises to the challenge of training and leading the assault group's genetically modified super soldier army. The super soldiers are faster and stronger than the military's human soldiers; their animal instincts spur ferocity and fearlessness in battle. Who is the perfect weapon, though, the super soldiers or Danyael, the alpha empath, who can, with a touch, heal or kill?

Adversaries swarm like vultures around carrion; the pawn is once again in play. The threads of betrayal that sent Danyael to prison spin into a web, ensnaring him. When a terrorist group strikes Washington, D.C., how far will Danyael go to defend a government that sent him to prison to die?

PERFECT WEAPON is the third novel in the award-winning Double Helix series.
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Perfect Betrayal
Double Helix series - Book 2
You can defeat your enemies, but can you defeat your friends?

Danyael Sabre, an object of desire, would much rather not be. An alpha empath by birth, a doctor by training, and an empathic healer by calling, he is stalked by the military that covets his ability to kill, not heal. Bereft of two days of memories, he goes on the run under the protection of an assassin, Zara Itani.

The more he uncovers of his lost hours, the more he doubts everything that once anchored him. He knows only that he endangers those around him and that he is falling in love with Zara, who hates him for reasons he no longer remembers.

As forces--both powerful and ruthless--threaten those he cares for, Danyael has only two options. He can betray his values and abandon the path of the healer, or he can wait to be betrayed, not by enemies, but by his friends.

PERFECT BETRAYAL is the second novel in the award-winning Double Helix series.
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Perfection Unleashed
Double Helix series - Book 1
Royal Palm Literary Awards 2011, Winner * Next Generation Indie Awards 2012, Finalist * Hollywood Book Festival 2012, Honorable Mention

What would you do if you came face-to-face with perfection, and it looked just like you?

Two men, one face. One man seeks to embrace destiny, the other to escape it.

Danyael Sabre spent sixteen years clawing out of the ruins of his childhood and finally has everything he wanted--a career, a home, and a trusted friend. To hold on to them, he keeps his head down and plays by the rules. An alpha empath, he is powerful in a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution, yet his experience has taught him to avoid attention.

When the perfect human being, Galahad, escapes from Pioneer Laboratories, the illusory peace between humans and their derivatives--the in vitros, clones, and mutants--collapses into social upheaval. The abominations, deformed and distorted mirrors of humanity, created unintentionally in Pioneer Lab's search for perfection, descend upon Washington D.C. The first era of the Genetic Revolution was peaceful. The second is headed for open war.

Although the genetic future of the human race pivots on Galahad, Danyael does not feel compelled to get involved and risk his cover of anonymity, until he finds out that the perfect human being looks just like him.
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner. Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.

Debra L. Martin - HBS Author's Spotlight

Today our blog puts the Spotlight on Best-Selling Author Debra L. Martin. She is a Science fiction and fantasy author. You can also find her writing Romance novels as Debra Elizabeth.

Author Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

Author's Blog: Two Ends of the Pen
Blog: Google +
Twitter: @dlmartin6
E-Mail: dlmartin6@yahoo.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest


Author Description:

Science fiction and fantasy author who started writing with co-author, David W Small in 2006. Writing with a co-author is challenging in itself, but when 1 author lives on the East Coast and 1 lives on the West Coast, the challenges are a bit more daunting, but because we live in an electronic world of email, Instant Messenger and Skype, the partnership is totally workable. What makes the partnership even better is that David is my brother. We love the same types of books and that love naturally evolved into writing our own books.

The newest release is "The Silver Cross" in the series, VAMPIRE NIGHTLIFE.

We have published "Quest for Nobility" and "Crystal Façade" in the RULE OF OTHARIA trilogy. The final volume, "The King's Last Word" is forthcoming.

"Assassin's Curse" Book 1 in the WITCH STONE PROPHECY, was released in 2012. Witch's Curse" Book 2 in the WITCH STONE PROPHECY will be published in 2013.

If you like post-apocalyptic fiction, we have written three stories in the DARK FUTURE series, "Path to Destruction," "The Right Path" and "Zia's Path."

Debra blogs regularly at Two Ends of the Pen about writing, publishing, ebooks, guest posts, author interviews and book reviews. You can also find a complete list of published books.

SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author

Let’s start with what’s next. Are you going to do another Fantasy or a Love Story? Do you have another book on the horizon? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?

Dave and I are working on 2 sequels at the moment—“Witch’s Curse” and “The Silver Double Cross.” We hope to have “Witch’s Curse” published by the summer and “The Silver Double Cross” published in the fall. Right now these are our best guesses. Both Dave and I work full-time so finding time to write is challenging.

“Witch’s Curse” will pick up the story where “Assassin’s Curse” ended. Keisha, Jeda’s wife, is still in a coma and the only way she can be revived is through the most powerful amulet in the Tavia Kingdom, The Witch Stone. The problem is The Witch Stone has been lost for centuries and the ancient scrolls only reveal cryptic clues to its whereabouts. A quest is formed, but not everyone wants the Stone for good. The Black Council plays a prominent role in this book. Readers will learn more about Elizabeth Berkshire, Gelda DeLongo and the infamous twins of prophecy—Jeda’s daughters, Kala and Kara.

“The Silver Double Cross” finds Damon Harte trying to hunt for another magical amulet to help Lacey Gardner’s sister Rebecca. In the meantime, Nic Stannic, the new vampire king, in Boston has declared humans fair game for his horde of hungry vampires. Will Damon return in time to undo the damage caused by Nic and what of his love for Lacey? Will she shoot him on sight? It’s a tangled web of intrigue, murder and betrayal as Nic, Damon and Lacey fight for what they believe.

You have a good social media following. How important have your social media relationships been? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?

Social media is extremely important to authors, not only for getting the word out about your books, but for the personal relationships you develop with readers and fellow authors. I have met some wonderful people on Twitter and Facebook and they have been so gracious to mention my books to their followers. Of course, I try to do the same for them and host many author interviews on my blog, Two Ends of the Pen.

You have great covers. They carry a theme in both genres, Fantasy and Romance. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?

I’m extremely lucky to have 2 great graphic artists working on my books. John Dotegowski does the original cover artwork for our Witch Stone Prophecy series. He’s already completed the image for “Witch’s Curse” and all I can say is WOW! It’s awesome.

For the Vampire Nightlife series, I find the cover image and my other graphic artist, T.M. Roy, does the typography and the cool special effects. T.M. also does the typography on the fantasy titles as well. I couldn’t be happier with both of their work and will keep going back to them for new book covers.

Have you created a book trailer for any of your books to promote your books online?

No, I haven’t gotten to that yet. Maybe one of these days I’ll work on it.

What kinds of support groups do you belong too? Do they help with writing, marketing and the publishing process?

I have a very tight knit group of authors that I’m friendly with. We all offer advice to each other on the whole publishing process. They are invaluable to me and I’ve learned so much from them.

Between your book writing, blogging, marketing, family and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do your sort of play it by ear?

Besides everything you’ve mentioned, I have a craft business as well so time is tight. I don’t have a set schedule for writing, but I try to write during lunch hours and at least a few hours every weekend. Some weekends are devoted strictly to writing and others I need to work on my crafts for an upcoming craft show.

In my research I saw you were involved in several book tours. What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?

Book tours are one of the best ways to get the word out about your book. My last tour was with Promotional Book Tours and that one was the most effective one I’ve had. My name and book was mentioned on over 50 blogs and “The Silver Cross” received more than 20 reviews during the tour.

The only downside, of course, is that there are lots of interviews and guest posts that need to be written so it’s best to plan a tour when you can devote some time to it.

What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in other types of giveaways and how did that work out?

Giving books away free is a mixed bag. When Amazon first allowed this through the Kindle Lending Library, it was helpful because the number of downloads translated into a good ranking when the book came off free. Now that hundreds of authors have done this, a book coming off free will often have a worse ranking than before it was free.

This really doesn’t work well anymore. There are readers who will download every free book that is offered and never read them so that is a no win situation for an author.

I’ve also done two Goodreads giveaways of “Assassin’s Curse” and “The Silver Cross.” Those giveaways did bring more attention to my books and reviews have been slowly trickling in.

You are published under two names and two genres. Does changing hats create any problems? Any tricks you can share with us? Which genre did you enjoy writing the most? Does moving from one to the other give you some breathing room or a change of pace?

I publish my romance books under Debra Elizabeth so as not to confuse our fantasy readers. They expect a certain type of book from Dave and I and I want to make sure they keep coming back for our new releases. I love writing fantasy the most whether it is epic fantasy or urban fantasy. Writing with Dave is exhilarating and we get our inspirations from each other. We write one chapter at a time and then send the chapter to the other one for editing comments. It’s amazing how one of us will think of something and add it into the chapter and that leads to some awesome scenes.

You have a great blog. Promoting other authors is a rewarding process. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media, interview authors and maintain your blog?

I started Two Ends of the Pen in 2008 as a way to promote our books, but early on I found that talking about just us became rather boring. I wanted to know what other authors were doing and how were they managing this new self-publishing arena. I started offering author interviews over at Kindleboards and I quickly became inundated with requests.

It took me months to get to everyone. I also wanted to share information that I’d learned with new authors and that led to a series of Author Panel Discussions. Those posts are the most popular on the blog. From there everything just expanded into guest posts, new releases and finally book reviews. I’m currently closed to new submissions for book reviews, but I can always fit in another author interview. The details for requesting author interviews are in the right hand sidebar on the blog.

Where do I find the time? That’s a great question and one that I don’t have a definite answer for. Sometimes my writing time is devoted strictly to the blog. Being able to schedule posts is a great help and I often have 2 weeks of Monday-Friday posts done at a time.

I think it is special that you co-write with your brother, David. (David W. Small) How do you coordinate that process? Do you split up the duties, like you do the editing and he does the formatting? Is he just involved in the Fantasy genre or does he help with your Romance novels?

Dave and I have now written 4 full-length novels and we have our system for writing down pat. It is easier for us to write one chapter at a time and then pass it back and forth for editing. As I mentioned in the other question, we get some of most inspired tangents from each other.

For my romance titles, I have a very good friend who is also a romance writer so I turn to her for help with those titles. I do all the formatting and uploading the manuscript to the buying outlets, but I send the books to a professional formatter for the paperback versions. I can’t do everything and I’m happy to pay someone else to do it for me.


Author's Book List
The Silver Cross
A Vampire Nightlife Novel
There are two things Boston detective Lacey Gardner knows about killing vampires. Slicing off a head or a hit directly to the heart are the only surefire ways to kill one. Silver is their Achilles heel. A vampire never wears silver. When she meets bartender extraordinaire, Damon Harte, her heart does a quickstep for the dark hunky guy. She's learned the hard way that having a love interest in her line of work can be heart-wrenching. She's kept to herself for years, but something about Damon captivates her and draws her to him. When she learns Damon's devastating secret, she knows what she has to do: kill the man who has stolen her heart.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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Assassin's Curse: The Witch Stone Prophecy
When elite assassin Jeda received his assignment to kill a witch and deliver her twin daughters to the Countess of Berkshire, he had no idea it would be his last. The witch stuns him with an elemental blast, but not before he's able to throw his knife. When Jeda regains consciousness, the dying witch is performing a compelling spell between him and her twin daughters. Now bonded to the girls, Jeda's old life is forfeit. His only thought is to take the girls and run as far away as he can.

He has no idea that the twins are the ones spoken of in the long-lost prophecy of The Witch Stone. Forces are gathering: the white witches want to teach them; the Countess wants her grandchildren back, and the guild has sent their best assassin to bring Jeda back, dead or alive. Jeda must use all of his assassin skills to stay one step ahead of them all, but will it be enough to save himself and keep the children of prophecy alive?

Caution: This book is about assassins and contains violent scenes appropriate for the story.
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Love by Chance
When Alysa Stevens receives an invitation to attend the social event of the season, a Masquerade Ball, she thinks it's the perfect time to finally kick back and enjoy herself. After all, no one knows who she really is. The invitation came to her business persona, Mr. Al Stevens, but is that ploy about to backfire?

At the ball, she's immediately swept off her feet by a sexy stranger dressed as the Musketeer d'Artagnan. He sets her heart on fire, but he leaves abruptly without ever revealing his name. Will Alysa be able to track down the most handsome man she's ever met without a single clue to his identity?

Love by Chance is a short novella 12,000 words (60 pages in print).
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Love by Moonlight
Caroline Fleming had a perfect life -- a loving husband, 2 great kids, a lovely home -- or so she thought. When her husband of 23 years announces he wants a divorce, Caroline's perfect world crumbles in an instant.

She retreats to the beach house to clear her head and heal her broken heart. She swears off men, that is, until she meets a sexy stranger running on the beach with his 2 dogs. Will Matt Sylvan be her second chance at love?

Love by Moonlight is a novella of 18,000 words (72 pages in print)
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The Path (3 Dark Future Stories)
Dark Future series
A collection of 3 post-apocalyptic stories of survival and new found friendships.

PATH TO DESTRUCTION:
Can a ragtag band of soldiers save what's left of the USA?

In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide in a desperate war, General Matthew Smith of the American Freedom Fighters asks Samurai Master Kenzu to make a batch of the famed memory weapons--weapons that infuse its user with the skills and memories of a samurai warrior. But, in the wrong hands, the users can become uncontrollable killing machines who don't care whom they kill - friend or foe.

When General Smith orders Commander Hurley and his unit of augmented soldiers test the weapons, he believes that he's doing the best thing for all of the men under his command. What General Smith believes, however, and what is true is entirely two different things and Smith must live with the consequences of his decision.

THE RIGHT PATH:
Fifteen-year-old Abraham "Ham" Jones, a cripple, and Zia Slate, a fourteen-year-old tomboy with an attitude, find themselves unlikely partners in this post-apocalyptic tale of survival. It is decades later since the world blew itself apart. Life is harsh, gangs rule the streets, the system cops keep the peace anyway they can. Being a kid in this world isn't easy, being a cripple is about the worst sentence handed down. Being a girl with no protection is only slightly better.

Ham and Zia's lives are irrevocably changed when they meet a mysterious old man bearing gifts - a cane for Ham and a knife for Zia. But, nothing is as it seems. Everyone wants something and no good deed goes unpunished. Forced into a desperate encounter, they must fight for their lives when it's discovered they now have possession of two of the legendary memory weapons, the very weapons that ultimately destroyed the world.

ZIA'S PATH:
In this novelette featuring crippled teenager, Abraham "Ham" Jones, and his tomboy partner, Zia Slate, the stakes are even higher. They have agreed to accept the memory weapons from their new guardian, Henry Lloyd, but with the power of the weapons comes the responsibility to follow "the right path." It's suppose to be simple: help one person at a time, but nothing in this harsh world is ever simple. It's a dog-eat-dog world where food is scarce and gangs rule the street.

When Ham decides to go into the worst gang-ridden area of the city to save a little girl, Zia doesn't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous, but eventually she agrees and the two set off in search of the girl. When Zia goes off to scout ahead, Ham's worst nightmare comes true. Zia is snatched by slavers. Can Ham find out where she has been taken and mount a defense to save her in two days before she is sold as a sex slave?
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Love by Secrets
Eighteen-year-old Emily Stanton is excited to attend this season's society balls and begin her search for a husband. She is thrilled when the dashing and handsome Connor Preston begins to show her more attention. After each ball, Emily finds a love note in her drawstring reticule, and she expects a marriage proposal from Connor any day.

When her father objects and forces Emily to accept the proposal from Lady Tisbury's shy nephew, Ethan Richardson instead, her heart is broken. How can she love her new husband when her heart belongs to the man who wrote her such beautiful love letters?

Love by Secrets is a novella of 23,000 words (115 pages)
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Path to Destruction (Post-Apocalyptic Military Story)
Dark Future Series
Can a ragtag band of soldiers save what's left of the USA?

In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide in a desperate war, General Matthew Smith of the American Freedom Fighters asks Samurai Master Kenzu to make a batch of the famed memory weapons--weapons that infuse its user with the skills and memories of a samurai warrior. But, in the wrong hands, the users can become uncontrollable killing machines who don't care whom they kill - friend or foe.

When General Smith orders Commander Hurley and his unit of augmented soldiers test the weapons, he believes that he's doing the best thing for all of the men under his command. What General Smith believes, however, and what is true is entirely two different things and Smith must live with the consequences of his decision.

PATH TO DESTRUCTION is a SHORT STORY of 10,000 words.
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Buy Page: Amazon
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The Right Path (Apocalyptic Novelette)
Dark Future Series
YA post-apocalyptic tale

Fifteen-year-old Abraham "Ham" Jones, a cripple, and Zia Slate, a fourteen-year-old tomboy with an attitude, find themselves unlikely partners in this post-apocalyptic tale of survival. It is decades later since the world blew itself apart. Life is harsh, gangs rule the streets, the system cops keep the peace anyway they can. Being a kid in this world isn't easy, being a cripple is about the worst sentence handed down. Being a girl with no protection is only slightly better.

Ham and Zia's lives are irrevocably changed when they meet a mysterious old man bearing gifts - a cane for Ham and a knife for Zia. But, nothing is as it seems. Everyone wants something and no good deed goes unpunished. Forced into a desperate encounter, they must fight for their lives when it's discovered they now have possession of two of the legendary memory weapons, the very weapons that ultimately destroyed the world.

THE RIGHT PATH is 13,500 words (54 pages).
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Buy Page: Amazon
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The Crystal Facade (A Fantasy Adventure)
The Rule of Otharia series
"...The authors did a great job with the power hungry plot and the unique and charming characters. The writing is clear and easy to follow. This book will be well received by many fantasy lovers..." Readers Favorite

"The Crystal Façade is a distinctive and exciting journey into the fantasy genre and I can only hope that there are many more great trips to Otharia!" Syria Says

"A fast-paced and exciting book.. It was highly engrossing and, in a rare change of pace, even better than the first book." Katy Sozaeva

Royal Otharian twins Darius and Dyla Telkur have a big problem: they know too much about a secret sect of their countrymen living on the forbidden planet Earth. On a previous trip to Earth, they traced the sect's lineage back to the time of Merlin, but a run-in with a local crime boss forced them back to Otharia before they could unravel the mystery.

Now Dyla is dreaming again. Her dreams of the London crime boss portend an imminent threat to her family and she has no choice but to secretly return to Earth to find out what they mean. What the twins don't realize is they're walking into a conspiracy involving a centuries old interplanetary smuggling operation. Will they be able to capitalize on their superior PSI powers to get the answers they need before they fall victim to a telekinetic assassin who has hunted them across the galaxy?
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Buy Page: Amazon
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The Quest for Nobility (A Fantasy Adventure)
The Rule of Otharia series
"...this fantasy tale is highly imaginative and quite engaging..." Grace Krispy

."..science fiction/adventure novel has a lot going for it: believable lead characters, a classic coming-of-age narrative, and an interesting mixture of both high-tech science fiction and fantasy elements..." Isabela Morales

"...The end is fantastic when all the threads that run through the tale are uncovered..." Robert J. Duperre

The parents of royal Otharian twins Darius and Dyla have been murdered; their cousin is stealing their throne, and they are falsely accused of murder. Their only choice is to flee to the forbidden and quarantined planet Earth, but it could turn out to be a one-way trip.

To return home, they must find an ancient crystal, that once belonged to Merlin, to power the return portal. When the twins stumble upon the location of the crystal, the local crime boss sends out his assassin to retrieve it. Can Darius and Dyla use their PSI powers to open the portal home and reclaim their throne before the assassin catches up to them?
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Buy Page: Amazon - Barnes and Noble
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the HBS Author's Spotlight plus the blog: eBook Author’s Corner.
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.