Valentine Countdown Blitz: WITH THE MAGIC by Donna K. Weaver

Award-winning author, wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Army veteran, karate black belt, and online gamer girl.

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As the eighth earl of Kellworth, Gareth is accustomed to getting what he wants. Then he encounters a woman he suspects is from the future--a utopian future that he feels compelled to see. He intends to get what he wants, but it will involve dealing with fae magic. And that could lead to disaster--for his heart.

Dr. Catherine Ryan is drawn to the handsome guest at Twickenham Manor, with his odd combination of childish excitement and old eyes that have seen too much pain. She loses her heart to him before she discovers the truth of when he’s from. Now she faces the biggest decision of her life!

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Q&A With the Author: 

Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?

Besides spending time with my family, I love to read. I like to do the Goodreads Reading Challenge. Last year I read 165 books. Now, most of those were audiobooks because I don't have time to sit and read. Another thing I love to do is play League of Legends, an online video game. It's so fun to play with my family members.

When did you first realize you were an author?

This may be arbitrary, but I'd classify being a writer as someone who writes. I became an author when I became published. So with that definition, I became an author in June 2013.

Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?

I write a mean set of city council minutes. I did that for over twenty years.

What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?

I guess distractions are the biggest conflict. I can be writing along, and I need to open my browser for research. *squirrel* When I'm really struggling, I have software called Anti-social that helps. I turn it on and it keeps me from opening social media.

What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to encourage old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)

Probably the biggest theme I hear reviewers comment on the "family." Frequently, it's about people who create their own "families" from friends.

Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?

I draw a lot on my own experiences or those of people I know or have read about. It's a lot of taking an experience and asking a bunch of "what if" questions. I don't tend to write about real people, but I've had a couple of characters that were inspired by real people. More that they were fodder for "what if" questions.

What are your future projects?

This is going to be a busy year for me.

* I have another book in my Billionaires of REKD series coming out on St. Patrick's Day. It's called The Luck of the Billionaire, and it includes a trip to Ireland. Appropriate, right? There will be another two of them that will come out by the fall. 

* The next Twickenham Time Travel romance--For the Magic--will come out in the summer. 

* I have a romance that's a follow-up to my Christmas novella that should come out later this year. 

*This fall I'll begin releasing a new western novella series set in Wyoming in 1905.

  

* I'm also working on a young adult/new adult portal fantasy I'm excited about.

Hmmm . . . looking at all that I think I may need to clone myself.

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Valentine Countdown Blitz: AUTUMN WINGS by Stan Crowe

Stan published his first book at age 5, when he managed to win a local writing contest for the library.

He's matured (slightly) since then, and has switched from writing about a boy and his dog, to clean contemporary romance, murder mysteries, and light fantasy/sci-fi.

Along with his wife,  9 (and counting) children, and a ninja cat, he inhabits a place with a pair of national parks in his backyard.

He considers himself really rather blessed.

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Jim Sharp is the only widower in the senior class of Mendon State University. Still reeling from the tragedy that claimed the love of his life, he struggles to pick up the pieces and close his heart forever to love. 

When an otherworldly encounter places him squarely in the path of new love, Alex sees no way to give his crushed heart away a second time. 

His wife, however, has other plans.

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Q&A With the Author:

1.     Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?

o Along with my wife and children, I love taking advantage of the two national parks in my backyard, camping, hiking, and taking in scenery people come from all over the world to see. I also enjoy playing games with my kids, reading books (aloud) with my wife, sketching, building models, and (very occasionally) woodworking.

2.     When did you first realize you were an author?

o The first time I consciously decided I wanted to publish was in 2008. After writing various short stories (largely fan fiction for a game), I began listening to a number of audiobooks during my daily commute. When I realized that I was on par with a number of the authors whose books I was listening to, I decided it was time to work on getting myself published. Four years later, my first novel The Cinderella Project was put in print by Breezy Reads Publishing.

3.     Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?

o During a college course on technical writing, the former head of the school's English department pulled me aside and complimented me highly for my writing. He was so impressed that he wrote a glowing recommendation for use in my upcoming post-graduation job hunt. While I already knew I enjoyed writing, it hadn't occurred to me that I was particularly good at it until the professor in question (who I had never met before the course) pointed it out to me. That one event bolstered my confidence tremendously, and was a motivational stepping stone toward publishing.

4.     What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?

o Moving forward and finding motivations amidst the busy-ness of any given day is probably my biggest struggle. Once I "get off the ground," so to speak, I can lay down a few thousand words (on a good day) without breaking a sweat. It's getting past the inertia of not writing that I find most difficult.
I've used several techniques to deal with this problem. The first is a daily word count goal (I keep it very modest). This gives me a measurable target that keeps me moving forward (even if not very quickly), while still fitting into my oft-taxing daily schedule. A more recent technique is simply "Writing to write," where I push myself to put words on a page, even if they're not well polished, and I know I'll have to go back and edit them. When I do this, I still make progress, and I find it's much easier to fix poor wording than to fix a completely blank page.

5.     What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to encourage old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)

o I feel that writing has long had a variety of purposes, among which education and entertainment are two of the most common. I can't bring myself to write pure "fluff" pieces, most of the time. While I don't intend to be didactic or to push any specific views or agenda, I do aim to provide opportunities for readers to evaluate the way people face challenges using a solid, moral core and personal determination. In other words, "Good guys don't necessarily finish last."
I write clean romance because I know that both my wife and my oldest daughter read my books; I'd rather not have to explain to my teenage daughter why I wrote something racy.

6.     Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?

o Absolutely. My first two published novels, The Cinderella Project and Love Spell were based heavily on real-life events and people. The Cinderella Project features a scene in which the main characters are having a discussion about love. The male lead tells the story of a girl he once loved. That story is, in fact, my own story from my freshman year of college.
Similarly, my novel Love Spell is (in large measure) an apology to a girl I was unfortunately cruel to when I was still in high school (thankfully, I've grown past that).
My novel Autumn Wings is set on a campus based heavily my university's campus and its surroundings. The story also involves events that parallel my college career.

7.     What are your future projects?

o Several projects are currently in the works. My most active one is a yet-to-be-titled tale that blends dragons and the Old West, and may yet become serialized. When two immigrants from opposite ends of the social spectrum find themselves transformed into dragons, and tasked with bringing the species back from the brink of extinction, they struggle to come to terms with their hastily arranged marriage, and the tremendous change of their very beings. Set against the backdrop of the San Francisco Gold Rush, the two of them must learn to love one another before they end up killing each other, and still manage to save the world as they know it.

o An on-going back burner project is a middle-grade sci-fi fantasy blend series. In the first book, a boy with literally no imagination is thrust into a world created by his father's flights of boyhood fancy. Desperate to prevent his parents from divorcing, he sets out on a quest across his dad's imaginary world to find the one person who may be able to convince his father not to leave the family. Who he finds, however, is nothing like the person he was looking for. Further books follow the boy, his family, and inter-planar friend through adventures that risk breaking the fate of two worlds, three planes, and Creation itself.

o I have numerous other story idea covering several genres, but they will need to wait their turn.

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Valentine Countdown Blitz: The MacBrides-Logan and RJ

J. L. Petersen lives in Denver with her husband. She finds inspiration in her adopted state of Colorado and her belief love is the most powerful positive emotion we can experience.

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Logan, the eldest of the MacBride clan, is thrilled at his brother Clay's pending nuptials to Sandy. But when Sandy's sister RJ arrives at the family's ranch, Logan's world is turned upside down. 

However, the sisters' shared past has created scars and barriers against love testing Logan's ability to push aside his need and patience to win RJ's trust and ultimately her unwavering love.

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Q&A With the Author:

1.     Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?

Some of what I enjoy outside of writing are identified in “My Favorite Things” but one a professional level having spent years in HR developing talent and seeing lights go on was truly rewarding.

2.     When did you first realize you were an author?

I’ve always enjoyed writing but being an “author” came later in life. I final asked myself what was I afraid of and went for it. The Independent Publishing movement eased a lot of fears though.

3.     Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?

Actually, no. All my other writing was work related and that had to do with effective, clear communication. I find that I see that in my creative writing and have to sometimes work to build the soft edges of the story instead of being so direct and pointed.

4.     What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?

Finding time to tap into my creative side is hard. I get distracted and the first thing to go is the creative side. That probably comes from years of conditioning of raising a family and building a different type of career in the business world. Can’t say that I have defeated it but I try to retrain the brain.

5.     What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to encourage old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)

I see it simply as love is something we all want but it requires vulnerability. There are enough complex issues going on in all our lives that I want to provide a simple love story. A few hours of remembering that connecting to someone is the human condition and we should still treasure that.

6.     Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?

In the MacBride’s I’ve taking inspiration from the Grand Mesa area of Colorado. It is spectacular country and what people there have done to adapt to changing times and using their land in new multifunctional ways.

7.     What are your future projects?

Now that the holidays are over, I’m trying to buckle down and finish book 3 in the MacBrides series, Brand and Callie’s story.  Wish I could give an ETA on its release but hopefully this summer.

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Valentine Countdown Blitz: SIXTH TURN: KAT by Ren Garcia

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, taking pictures of clouds, and architecture. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, and their four dogs.

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Raised in the dark under the lash of the Black Hat Sisterhood, when the woman who would become known as Kat, is sent on a suicide mission into the heart of the League, she was not expected to survive. Her mission: discover the identity of the fabled Shadow tech Goddess, a being who does not exist. All other considerations, including her possible death, are secondary.

But, Kat is guided by higher powers, by merciful hands that feed her, clothe her and whisper in her ear. As she watches the sun rise for the first time, she recalls their words: “Be strong,” they said. “You have much to live for.

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Q&A With the Author:

1.      Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?  

--I like to play volleyball, ice hockey and go cave exploring.

2.      When did you first realize you were an author?  

--Since 1^st or 2^nd grade. I’ve always had a big imagination.

3.      Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?   

--Not that I can think of.

4.      What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it? 

 --After 13 books, it’s difficult to stay fresh and original. I try not to repeat myself, but it gets tough sometimes.

5.      What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose to encourage old-fashioned values, encourage romance, or do you have different purposes in different books?)  

--My hidden messages and themes vary with the books. For Kat—I tried to demonstrate that all things, no matter how unlikely, have the potential to better themselves.

6.      Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?  

--Not really. Sort of, but no.

7.      What are your future projects?  

--Still trying to finish the Shadow tech goddess series, and then, who knows …

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page Part 1 
and Official Event page Part 2 

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