The StarChild Trilogy by James Courtney and Kaisy Wilkerson-Mills

It's great welcome writing duo, James Courtney and Kaisy Wilkerson-Mills, authors of the soon-to-be-released series, StarChild. First, what's your trilogy about?

StarChild is a science fiction/dystopian trilogy set around the year 3211.  The United States fell, and a new nation, City-State emerged.

City-State is a vile nation that aims to control its citizens through horrific government policies and regulations.  The President is moronic, citizens are labeled and identified by intelligence, and the health care system aims to destroy all of the S-Class geniuses (citizens of exceptional intelligence) to keep civilization somewhat ignorant to government control.

James and I have a blog that tells the stories of various residents of City-State: citystatewritings.wordpress.com

None of the narratives in the blog appear within the novels- the novels have separate plot lines.  The information in the blog will give you more insight into our creation.

What inspired StarChild?

James served in the United States Navy for a number of years.  His love and first-hand experience of politics inspired many of City-State’s rules and processes.

Plus, James and I love dystopian literature.  It is fascinating and intriguing to “foresee” the future of the United States.

If your trilogy was made into movie who would you cast in the lead roles?

Oh my!  That would be a dream!  I would love Kevin Spacey, Robert Downey, Jr., and Zac Efron to be part of StarChild.  However, that may become a little expensive, so up and coming actors (at this particular time) would be fabulous!

Do you find it difficult writing as a team?

Absolutely not!  We find it ten times easier to write together!  If I am stuck on a section or chapter, I send it to James and vice versa.  Brainstorming and prewriting are vital to the writing process, and we bounce ideas off of each other effortlessly!

 

Additionally, James and I are very honest with each other.  If either one of us does not like an idea, we communicate those thoughts and work together to make the storylines and the characters enjoyable, intriguing, and clear for readers.

James and I were friends in high school, so when he asked me to assist him with his writings, I knew the process (and the end product) would definitely be successful. 

What do you plan to work on next?

James and I are currently engrossed in the entire The StarChild Trilogy.  We are feverishly working on Book One: StarChild.  Obviously, this will take a while to complete.

Additionally, James and I hope to publish a separate anthology of short stories that connect to the novel: Tales from City-State.

Lastly, we have a few interesting characters from the short stories and the novels who can “take on” their own novels!

James and I intend on being very busy with City-State for quite some time!

What are you reading at the moment?

I am a full-time English Instructor at my local community college, so as of now, I am reading lots and lots of research papers, essays, and other various assessments.  Summer is coming, so I will be able to actually read a novel!

James is currently reading the Divergent series!  He says it’s great!

What do you like to do in your free time when you're not writing or reading?

James and I both like to spend time with our spouses.  He is married to one of my best friends, Kelly, and they live in Colorado (as stated before, we all went to high school together).  They love their three dogs, and they also love to bike around the trails of Loveland, Colorado.

I am married to my main squeeze, Randy.  He is just about to graduate from nursing school and take the final nursing exam to obtain his official certification as a Registered Nurse!  I am very proud of him!  Randy and I love to exercise and play with our pets, Amaya the cat and Molly the dog.

Where can readers find out more about you? 

The main blog on WordPress:  http://citystatewritings.wordpress.com

Google Plus - http://google.com/+jamescourtney

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/citystateshorts

Twitter:  Kaisy – SciFiWriter @KaisyWMills

             James – Dystopian_Scifi  @jamesacourtney

Many thanks and let us know when Book 1 is released!

Sheikhs are hot at the RONE Awards! THE SHEIK RETOLD by Victoria Vane

Thank you everyone who voted for A BRIDE FOR THE SHEIKH last week at the RONE Awards! I really appreciate your help and support. This week voting is open for Historical Romance and it's great to see another sheikh romance among the nominations: THE SHEIK RETOLD by the amazing Victoria Vane. It looks like sheikhs are hot this year at the RONE Awards!

Here's what THE SHEIK RETOLD is about:

The Desert Was Never Hotter!

A haughty young heiress for whom the world is a playground…

A savage son of the Sahara who knows no law but his own…

When pride and passion vie for supremacy,

Blistering desert days are nothing compared to sizzling Sahara nights…

Pride and passion vie for supremacy between a haughty young heiress and a savage son of the Sahara in this steamy retelling of E.M. Hull's romance classic.

A BRIDE FOR THE SHEIKH Needs Your Vote!

I'm thrilled and honored that my latest sheikh romance, A BRIDE FOR THE SHEIKH, has been nominated for a RONE Award for contemporary romance! Here's what they are saying about the book:

Angelina Smith is on holiday visiting her father in the Middle East, due to start law school upon her return to London. Her father’s business collapsed in a bad economy, which resulted in his wife leaving him and his move to find work. When he is invited to attend a formal gathering at the Sultan’s home, Angelina agrees to accompany him. It is there that the Sultan’s youngest son encounters Angelina and is instantly drawn to her. Before he can get acquainted she is gone. His father has pre-arranged a marriage to a woman he cares nothing about.  He is desperate to find the girl he met and convince his father to let him choose his own bride. Will the Sheikh find Angelina before his time runs out?

Ms. Lane goes into great detail of Middle-eastern etiquette and its royalty. Her deftly written visual descriptions will emerge the reader in the middle of the very hot desert with palatial mansions. The romantic connection between a royal Sheikh and a commoner is a familiar love story but “A Bride for the Sheikh” has a twist which includes many western personalities and character traits. The story is a brisk romance. However, it keeps one engaged until the very end to see where the relationship will go. Readers will surely enjoy the sacrifices made in the name of love, and how family, along with friends, show their support. This is a quick-read novella and will not disappoint!

(InD'tale Magazine)

Win a copy of THE TEXAS COWBOY!!

THE TEXAS COWBOY is on tour this week at the following great websites where I am giving away 2 copies of the book! Drop by, enter and you could be a winner!!!

Tour Dates March 10th – 21st 3/10 – Author Paisley Brown 3/10 – Tamaria Soana 3/10-  Reading, Writing, and Roses
3/11 – Sexy Between the Covers 3/12 – The eBook Promotions
3/13 – Not Everyone’s Mama
3/14 – Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
3/14 - Sweet Books
3/17 – Clutter Your Kindle
3/19- The Phantom Paragrapher
3/20- BookwormBridget’s World
3/21- Musings From An Addicted Reader

Every cowboy has a past and this cowboy's past is about to destroy his future.

Kidnapped by the Sheikh is currently free!!!

You can now download a copy of Kidnapped By The Sheikh, Book 1 of the bestselling Desert Sheikh series, for free!!!

Here what it's about:

Sheikh Akbar needs a hostage.

Sarah Greenwich needs to escape.

But sometimes what you need is not what you want.

When a powerful sheikh kidnaps Dr. Sarah Greenwich, she leads him to believe that she is the wife of the British ambassador, but how long will she be able to keep up the deception and what will happen to her when the sheikh finds out that she has been lying to him?

Sarah is about to discover that the desert is an exotic wilderness, where anything can happen...

Grab a copy now from one of these retailers before they put the price up!

Amazon USA: http://amzn.to/1caTUR6

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1bwe4tW

Amazon Canada: http://amzn.to/1p6XpRx

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1jXaFr8

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1e2SaxR

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/MiGRWX

Happy reading! 

Love and Cowboys! Meet Romance Author, Lorraine Nelson

Today it’s great to welcome award-winning, bestselling romance writer, Lorraine Nelson!

Thank you for having me today, Katheryn.

First, could you tell us a bit about your great books?

Sure! I love to talk about books.

I write mostly contemporary romantic suspense. Those are the kind of books I enjoy reading, so it’s natural for me to gravitate toward that genre. Most of my books are westerns. I love my cowboys, such rough and rugged men. I’ve written two historical shorts, Hawk’s Woman (Virgins Behaving Badly anthology) and Riverboat Queen (HerStory antho). Those were a challenge for me, as I hate history, LOL, but I was truly surprised at the end result. I love Christmas and have four Christmas titles available. I’ve an ongoing series with Evernight Publishing, Thunder Creek Ranch, (6 books available and #7 coming) and a new series that I’m self-publishing, Hudson Ranch. (3 books available and the 4^th releasing soon.) In addition, I have several single titles, the latest being Suited to be a Cowboy from Sweet Cravings Publishing.

It's easier to buy a book than it is to book an air ticket

Who hasn’t dreamt of dropping everything, driving to the nearest airport and running off into the sunset? However, most of us know that we can’t just leave our friends, family and jobs, and jump on a plane every time we need a bit of R and R. However, we can pick up a book. Here are 5 reasons why it’s easier to buy a book than it is to book an air ticket:

Meet Bestselling Romance Author, Sharon Gillenwater

It’s great to welcome romance author, Sharon Gillenwater. First Sharon, could you tell us about your bestselling series, The Callahans of Texas?

Thanks for having me here, Katheryn.

The Callahans of Texas is a contemporary Christian romance series published by Baker/Revell. The Callahans are a wealthy, but down-to-earth ranching family in West Texas with strong ties to the small town of Callahan Crossing.  The three books—Jenna’s Cowboy, Emily’s Chance, and Megan’s Hero—are about the Callahan siblings Jenna, Chance, and Will finding their true loves.  Since they’re a close and loving family, everyone gets involved with the matchmaking.

Cover Reveal! Body, Ink and Soul by Jude Ouvrard

I recently interviewed the wonderful author, Jude Ouvrard, and today I'm thrilled to be sharing the fantastic cover of her upcoming book Body, Ink and Soul!  

Love and War: Meet Romance Author and Poet, Dawn Torrens

Dawn, it’s great to have you here! I love your romance novels. For people who haven’t had the chance to read them yet, could you tell us a bit about them?

I love romance combined with drama, so my books often contain heart-wrenching scenes. I like my books to evoke all kinds of emotions in people and for them to feel the pain, the love and all the emotions my characters are feeling. This is not easy to do and so I often find I have to get into character myself when writing certain scenes. Romance is a common theme throughout all of my books and combined with the drama my readers have come to know me well for I think it's a great combination.

Tripping Prince Charming, the tale of three romances by Ey Wade

To start off the new year with some great romance, it's great to welcome Ey Wade who's kindly agreed to give me a glimpse of her latest romance, Tripping Prince Charming, which was featured in USA Today's Happily Ever After column! Over to you, Ey.

I am really excited about sharing Tripping Prince Charming. It is the first serious romance I've written and came out better than I expected. It contains, humor, drama, and a bit of history.

Initially, my intention was to publish a three book series for a religious publisher, but their rules were so strict, I decided to add the books in one cover one after another. This final version of Tripping Prince Charming is the tale of three romances and is written in the format of acts and scenes. This excerpt is from the Act titled - Matchmaker, Matchmaker. 

How do you handle it when your best friend thinks she knows exactly what you need in life? Often, and without our knowledge, friends see our love life and relationships as a playing field they control. Ivy gets a kick out of pretending she's the world's best matchmaker as you will see in this scene.

Sheikhs and Cowboys - A Review of 2013

2013 was quite a year for me. It started off with the publication of my second sheikh romance, The Desert Sheikh, which became a huge hit! Seeing the book reach Number 1 on Amazon and then staying there for 3 months was amazing.

I then went on to write two more sheikh romances, The Sheikh's Beloved and A Bride For The Sheikh, with the Bride romance hitting Number 1 on Amazon yesterday. What a way to end the year!

Win a copy of THE TEXAS COWBOY at The Romance Reviews

With Christmas just around the corner I've paired up with The Romance Reviews to give away 2 copies of my latest romance, THE TEXAS COWBOY.

To enter, just go to their contest page, HERE, type in your email address and then click 'Enter the Contest'. How easy is that? The contest is open until December 25th, 11:59pm (EST) so hurry over and enter. Who knows, you might be a winner this Christmas!

The Texas Cowboy

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the problems.

When Vicky flies into Texas, she immediately falls for the charms of local cowboy, Jack Cassidy. However, her wealthy Dallas cousin, Laura, has other ideas and will do everything she can to steer Vicky away from Jack and into the arms of a rich oilman.

Jack is resigned to living the life of a lonely cowboy whose only female company is his horses—that is, until he meets Vicky. However, Vicky isn’t the only person with a claim on his heart. Jack wasn’t always alone and his ex is about to make a dramatic comeback.

Every cowboy has a past and this cowboy’s past is about to destroy his future.

5 Great Country Music Love Songs

I mentioned in an earlier post how much I love country music and that one of my favorite songs was Smoke Rings In The Dark by Gary Allan, and today I thought I'd share some more great country love songs - perfect to listen to while reading my latest romance, The Texas Cowboy! In reverse order:

5. You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This by Toby Keith

4. Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis

3. Let's Make Love by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

2. Remember When by Alan Jackson

The Number 1, All Time Favorite....

Always On My Mind by the legendary country singer, Willie Nelson

Enjoy!