Saturday, May 16, 2015

COME MEET FLOSSIE!

Welcome back to Dream Weaver Novels on Blogger! As you might have noticed I'm doing something a little different, but still bringing you some great indie authors to read and love.  So hold on to your seats, cuz here we go!

http://www.faebooks.co.uk/2015/05/Demoness-Dreams.html

Book Release Celebration!
Demoness Dreams
(Wytchfae #6)
By Flossie Benton Rogers


Blurb: Heaven or hell? Dream or nightmare? Where passion is concerned, the veils are thin.

As her Wytchfae powers intensify and nightmares invade her waking reality, Neva Jaxony seeks answers in the shadowy past. Then a mysterious stranger enters the picture, and she falls hard. Is he the man of her dreams or part of the darkness that threatens to consume her?

Acclaimed warrior Bane Heughar has orders to prove Neva is not dangerous-- or kill her before she can turn demon.  He never expected to find her so bewitching, or so damn desirable. He has until the Solstice Moon to carry out his mission. All he really wants to do is take Neva in his arms, kiss her senseless, and for the two of them to disappear off the radar. But when the Underworld is involved, no one can hide.

Logline: Desperate to escape her hellish nightmares, Neva Jaxony falls into the arms of rugged Bane Heughar. Is the mesmerizing man more dangerous than darkness itself?

First Line Teaser: Hell was the last place Bane Heughar wanted to visit.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Book Blitz with FaeBooks

Something a Little New...
Welcome to Dream Weaver Novels on Blogger! Normally, readers here get to read about a new author I've discovered, but this week I'm changing things up a bit and participating in a Release Blitz for John Paul Bernett's novel Atkinson's Apprentice sponsored by FaeBooks in the UK! So strap yourself in for the ride as I introduce...

 
Today FaeBooks.co.uk is launching this NEW RELEASE blitz on behalf of author John Paul Bernett, whilst Mr Bernett launches his latest book IN-STORE at Whitby Book Shop during Whitby Goth Weekend in England, UK!

Introducing the very new indeed, 
Atkinson's Apprentice (#4 The Reaper Series)
By John Paul Bernett

Blurb: We travel forward six months as the dust from battle settles, and another turbulent time gives way to some much-needed tranquillity.
The Dark Realm had been put to the sword, and its inhabitants removed and turned into positive energy by Mother Nature.
In the other realm, Atkinson and Dewhirst were once again in total control of the Realm of Death, with John Smith proving to be a great choice as Reaper. Also, a feud between the gods of the other realm and the Goddess of Nature which had raged for countless millennia was over, and made for a more stable future for the planet.
Paul Johnson now had three golden scars on his chest, and a wedding to plan with his beloved Dixie.
Sarah and Gavin have their son Paladin on Atkinson’s team, as he begins to learn who he is and why he is to be a full-time resident on the Plane of Existence.
John Smith and Tom Harper are now firmly a couple who have burst onto the gay scene and are most definitely out of their respective closets.
As the disgraced Chief Inspector Crawshaw goes to trial, the police station has once again become the happy place it once was, as the now Chief Detective Superintendent Viktoria Malik had relocated to Paul Johnson’s old police station. Also, she and Linda Harper are moving in together, and their whirlwind romance is bringing talk of wedding bells. 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Got A Weed Problem?

Hello everyone! I hope you're all surviving the last throes of winter. Hang in there East Coast! The sun is coming soon!

Got a problem with weeds? I've got the author for you. As always, I'm excited to bring you today's awesome author. I recently discovered Tam Linsey and read her amazing and clever...yes that's my favorite word for great books...novel Botanicaust. So today I give you...***drum roll please!***...Miss Tam Linsey!!!
Isn't she cute?!
Tam, welcome to Dream Weaver Novels on Blogger! Let's start off by telling readers a little about yourself.
Hi, Su, thanks for inviting me.
Like many writers, I’m shy when talking about myself, but I’ll give it a shot. I’m a lifelong Alaskan who went out of state to college intending to major in Biomedical Engineering. After a stint at Lawrence Berkley Laboratories, I decided I didn’t want to be tied to a lab eighteen hours a day, so I swapped majors to English, of all things. Now I write science fiction, which means I still get to read tons of scientific papers for research, and find myself holed up in my office eighteen hours a day… wait a minute. I just realized that. D’oh!

After graduation, I dragged my husband home to my High North homeland. Alaska is in my blood, and in spite of the harsh climate and hugely variable seasonal daylight, the rhythm works perfectly for me. During the summer, I’m an avid gardener, hunter, fisher, and all-around gatherer. (My goal is to be able to provide enough food for my family to sustain us year-round when TSHTF--can you tell I write post-apocalyptic fiction?)) During the cold and dark winter months, I write speculative fiction and create gluten free recipes for cookbooks.

I've read Botanicaust and that's the reason I sought you out for an interview. I found it very clever and original. Here's my review: 
'I have to say I loved this book!! Tam Linsey is a smart and creative writer. The story had just enough science-fact to make the science fiction believable. It's easy to become invested in her characters and the story was action-packed from beginning to end. I was skeptical at first with the use of Bible references and such, but Linsey was careful not to step over the line of being too preachy. What scriptural references she employed were necessary for 'fleshing out' her characters, vital to the development of the characters and the plot. I have a feeling she is a very intelligent woman and look forward to reading more of her intriguing stories in the future!'

Can you explain a little about what the Botanicaust is?

Thank you for that lovely review and support! The Botanicaust is basically what is called an Extinction Level Event; a rogue genetically modified (GM) plant escaped the lab and interbred with wild variants to create the mother of all superweeds. Long story short (I’m writing the “long story” right now in the form of the prequel, titled Amarantox) these weeds wiped out pretty much all competing plant life on earth, including the crops needed to feed humanity.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a story without survivors, so I came up with a list of mechanisms people might use to survive a situation like this. Cannibalism, of course, is what most post-apocalyptic zombie-like scenarios would call for, so the majority of surviving humanity turned to this. But I wanted more diversity than a typical horror-type PA. I thought perhaps communities like the Amish, who still rely on hand weeding fields, could survive if they protected their crops from the marauding cannibals and hungry animals. And I created scientists who genetically engineered photosynthetic skin so they don’t need to eat. Finally, I needed a really “bad guy” society, so I made up a group of scientists who’ve discovered the secret to immortality.

Where on earth did you come up with the idea to write a...plant apocalypse story?

This is the question I’m asked most often. As a certified Master Gardener, I am very attuned to the plant world. I think my time in the garden fighting weeds was the beginning of the idea. (If you’ve ever battled an overgrowth of chickweed during the continual drizzle of an Alaskan summer, you know what I mean. Rotten, pernicious weeds!) And then there’s the issue of invasive species. I watched invasive sweet clover creep along the edges of our Alaskan highways for years. One day a stand appeared on my street, and I was aghast. Eradicating a weed like this one takes constant vigilance, which is impossible on a governmental level–Alaska simply has too much land to cover. What would happen if these weeds were bioengineered, making them even more difficult to control? Botanical holocaust = Botanicaust! 

Your covers and Amazon Author image are lovely! Who does the artwork?
Thank you! I created my own covers using GIMP software. For my cookbooks, I used images of the food I’d actually cooked. For my fiction, I purchased stock images and combined and altered them for a sci-fi feel. My first few attempts were ghastly, so if any new authors out there are reading this, I strongly suggest hiring out your cover art. Prices have come down considerably since I first published Botanicaust.

I love the simplicity of this image!
The “leaf girl” illustration I use for much of my online presence is another image I purchased but didn’t alter. I don’t mind having photos of me taken, but I’m horrible about remembering a camera when I go places. And when I try to use my phone for selfies, the image is always blurry (maybe I need to work out more so I don’t wobble so much!) 

I see you have more books out, a couple that aren't fiction. Tell us about those and what's next in the creative mind of Tam Linsey? 

The cookbooks are gluten free recipes I developed to feed myself when I discovered I was celiac, long before going gluten free was a fad. I had so many hand scribbled recipes, and received so many compliments from guests, I decided to compile them into cookbooks and share them. I have a stack of pancake and waffle recipes I plan to make into another cookbook this year, once I find time to photograph them. (Around here, everything gets eaten before I can set up my “studio” to snap a picture!)
 
My true writing passion, however, is science fiction. I mentioned above that I’m working on Amarantox, the prequel for the Botanicaust series. It’s about the woman who accidentally set the weed free, and is scheduled for release in April 2015. Here’s the working blurb:
Vegetarian eco-activist, Jaide Acosta, will do anything to stop the spread of corporate control over nature, with a capital N. She pulls invasive weeds, pickets herbicide factories, and has even been known to break into a genetic test greenhouse to sabotage corporate computers. But when genetically engineered weeds invade Earth’s croplands, she learns nature isn’t the benign force she imagined it to be. Struggling to survive with her teenage daughter, she discovers just how far the human race can go, and must come to terms with the ugly side of her own true nature.
You can read a sneak peek of the first chapter on my website. http://tamlinsey.com/sneak-peek-of-amarantox-the-botanicaust-prequel/
Once I’ve finished Amarantox, I need to decide if I want to write the “other” prequel (how the Fosselites came to be) or if I want to begin another series that has been poking me in the brain about aliens.

Where did the scriptural elements and the German (Amish?ish) come from? You seemed very comfortable working them into your story. 
I have family in the Midwest, and always loved to visit the Amish settlements there. Their peaceful, rural, self-sufficient lifestyle appeals to my Prepper side, although not necessarily their dogma. (I am a Christian, but in a spiritual rather than a religious way.)
I was a little nervous about releasing a first book with such a strong undertone, but the scriptural elements are important in the first book because Levi’s religion defines his life. His religion IS his struggle. It is part of the world-building, not an attempt at evangelism. The second book in the series, Doomseeds, doesn’t have a POV character who is Christian, but one of the secondary characters is, and I’ve had quite a few readers tell me they love him.
As far as the German, I used Google Translate a lot—lol! Since publication, I’ve been taking a German language course, and was mortified to discover that the German in Botanicaust is grammatically incorrect in at least one place. Ah, well. Maybe the language went to hell 400 years in the future, right?

Ooo! This guy's a creeper!
Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about you and/or your books?
I produced Botanicaust as an audio book late last year, and it recently got accepted into the Whispersync for voice program. What that means is that if you purchase(d) the Kindle version, you can then buy the audiobook at a steep discount (like, 90% off!) and it will “sync” with the ebook while you read it. I listen to a lot of audio books while gardening or cooking, and I love to have the option to swap between listening and reading without losing my place. You can listen to a sample of the audio here: http://www.amazon.com/Botanicaust-Book-1/dp/B00OVH8JMY
I hope to be able to produce my other books into audio versions in the near future.

Okay, let's have a little fun.

If I gave you a piece of chalk, a red candle and a grape vine, what kind of story would you write? (You can give it a title too if you want.)
Fun! I love brainstorming! Let’s see…
In a steep, rocky cliff, about fifteen feet up, I see a depression I think might be a cave. Grasping a nearby grape vine, I pull myself up to the ledge. Broad leaves shade the crevasse, but behind them, the deeper darkness of empty space. I push back the leaves and a waft of dank air brushes my cheek. Someone has been here before me and left the stub of a red candle just inside on the floor. I pull my lighter out of my pocket and ignite the wick before venturing inside.
The walls are covered with drawings, cabalistic shapes and disturbing images. The red candle flickers, making the shapes warp and bend. I’m an artist myself, but these are not art. These pictures vibrate with something different. Something sinister.
I didn’t think the stories about the witch and her curse were true, but a tingle runs down my spine like a mild electric current. Maybe this explains the sickening flocks of sheep around the artist retreat.
I rub a palm over the nearest image, but the lines don’t even smudge. I think they might be drawn in blood. Another shiver passes through me. A take a step deeper inside, ears keen for any hint of sound. Something tells me I must eradicate the drawings, but how? Fishing inside my pockets, I discover a nub of pastel chalk left over from the morning at my sketch pad. I apply the chalk to the nearest drawing and quickly rub it out…
Well, you get the idea.

If you had to choose one of your characters to survive the Botanicaust with, who would it be and why?
That’s a hard one! Everyone is in danger! But if I had to choose, I’d probably choose Tula so she could give me pretty green skin. And if I had to live in the Protectorate with her, I’d find a way to change conversion policy, much like she did, only without needing to run away from cannibals.

Do you have a dream cast picked out if your book was to be made into a movie?
I don’t, sorry. But I’d be delighted if someone optioned it!

Tam, thank you so much for visiting Dream Weaver Novels and our great readers, today.
Thank you for hosting me!

I highly recommend Tam's book Botanicaust if you're looking for a well-written, and very original story. Here are the links to all of her books:




And if you'd like to connect with her and learn more her and her books, here are the links to get you to 'everything Tam Linsey'.

As always, I'd like thank all of you so much for coming by. I hope you'll check out Tam's books and give her interview a shout out on your social media. If you do, leave a quick note in the comments below.


And as always...
Dare to Dream!
Su

PS...Have a daring day!!

Monday, January 26, 2015

Who IS the Fairest of All?

Mirror, mirror on the wall.
Who's the fairest of them all?
It's the lovely and talented Miss Marissa Meyer, of course.
If you've been around Dream Weaver Novels on Blogger for any amount of time, you know I'm a HUGE fan of twisted fairytale author Marissa Meyer. I was so excited to meet her at a conference in Seattle a couple of years ago that I made a complete derp out of myself. And to put the cherry on the fangirl sundae, I asked to sit with her at dinner. Unfortunately, we ended up on opposite sides of the table from each other and could barely hear each other over the murmurs of all the other attendees around us. Dinner was served, but my eyes just kept wandering back to her lovely young face. And that's exactly what it was...I couldn't get over how young she is. Well, she caught me looking at her and gave me an awkward smile and a little wave. So of course, derp that I am, I went to wave back....and promptly dropped the knife in my hand onto my plate with a resounding clatter. My face glowed crimson and we both giggled a little...I'd have liked to crawl under the table for the night. But hey, she remembered me and has been so wonderfully gracious to do a couple of interviews with me on this blog. (Rapunzel, Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair & NYT Best-Selling Author Marissa Meyer)
Well, the fair Miss Marissa has her most recent novel, Fairest: Levana's Story, coming out on January 27! I emailed her for another interview, but I know she's crazy busy, what with being a NYT Best-selling Author and all, and may not have the time and freedom this time. But that's all good. My fondness for her goes beyond her visits with us and I will gladly promote her and her books either way. And, she's got lots going on too, so let's get started!

JUST A LITTLE BIO
Marissa Meyer is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three demanding cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day.
As Zelda
She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, any occasion that requires a costume), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was a child. Her favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.
She may or may not be a cyborg.

MIRROR MIRROR 
First of all, of course, there's Marissa's new book Fairest: Levana's Story. It launches on January 27. Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story—a story that has never been told … until now. Marissa spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from WINTER, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.




LOTS MORE MM NEWS!!!
Join Marissa in Tacoma, WA, for the epic launch party hosted by King’s Books and the Tacoma Public Library.
Tuesday, January 27 @ 6 p.m.
Olympic Room, Main Library
 
1102 Tacoma Avenue South
Tacoma, WA  98402
(253) 292-2001

INTRIGUED? THERE'S MORE!
She's published by MacMillanUSA and has an amazing blog with all kinds of fun stuff for fans and soon-to-be fans to do, see & read. And here's just a few:
You’ll find exclusive background information on Marissa’s books, free downloads, fanart, and more! Check back often, or sign up for the newsletter (located on the CONNECT page), to always be in the know about fun Lunar Chronicles extras, and all things, all the time, all Marissa!
A taste of her story-telling in Marissa's Short Stories
There are Discussion Questions Yes! She has group discussion for all of her books! How cool is that?
She even has foreign editions of her books and tons of extra fun stuff!

ARE YOU HOOKED YET?
So, if you love fairytale mashups, great fantasy reads, or you're in firm contact with your inner nerd/geek, you can connect with her here:
 For up to the moment updates on contests and drawings

I hope you'll all join me in showing support to Marissa and her books.

Cinderella, obviously
Little Red Riding Hood
Rapunzel
As always, thank you so much for stopping by to visit! I hope you're finding some great authors to follow and books to read from these interviews. Up next is the incredibly intelligent Miss Tam Linsey! We'll be discussing her novel Botanicaust.
Thank you again & again!
And as always...
Dare to Dream!!!
Su

Sunday, January 18, 2015

RAINY DROPS KEEP FALLIN' ON MY HEAD!


Yada Yada Yada!
You know I always say how excited I am to present a new author here. And I am. Every single time. And today's guest is no exception. I just learned something about her that I didn't know before...good reason to do these interviews, right? Today's guest is the lovely Miss Rainy Kaye, author of Summoned AND a USA Today Bestselling Author.

 Meet Rainy Kaye!
Rainy Kaye, welcome to Dream Weaver Novels on Blogger! I loved your book Summoned and had to get in contact with you after I read it. Can you tell readers a little about the book, please?
 
Thank you! I wrote SUMMONED to take a break from a 9 book series that has been in development for several years. The only goal I had for SUMMONED was for it to be steamy and full of personality, but I wasn't sure if I would really publish it. An agent saw it on Twitter, and it was under representation before it was even finished. A few months after release, it was added to the PANDORA boxed set which reached the USA Today Bestseller List. Who knew!
 
Wow! That is exciting for any author. Since I'm a devoted fan, I'd love to know more about what comes next. Any new releases? Or plans for new books?

Oh, yes. STIFLED (Book 2) should be out in March of this year. SHATTERED (Book 3) is about halfway done, and then there will be a fourth book, SABOTAGED, to wrap up the series. The prequel novella AXIOM was released in November '14, and there might be one more novella, but nothing in stone with that yet.

Who is your favorite author both in traditional publishing and indie?

Just one? That's so difficult to choose. Of course, I love many of the giants, but I also adore Kendare Blake, Rebecca Hamilton, Natasha Larry. . .Seriously, just one? :) 

Rainy Kaye is an unusual name. Is it a pen name? If so, how and why did you choose it?

Nope, not a pen name! There's a really long, boring story about how the name came to be, but I'm morally opposed to boring stories. ;) 

I've seen the question 'What book most influenced your life?' But I always wonder, what book/books most influenced your writing?

It seems silly, but the book that influenced my writing more than anything was The Giver by Lois Lowry. I don't write children's books, and outside of The Giver I don't think I ever lost sleep over any of her other books. But that one really sparked the "I want to do this!" fire as a kid, and it never went away. 

One of my all time favorites is The Giving Tree. And I just found out it's celebrating its 50th birthday! I had absolutely no idea it had been around so long. It's a great timeless children's story, about the heart of a giver. I gave a copy to a friend of mine who reminded me so much of that willing tree. So, what book is sitting on your nightstand right now?

The Everything Guide to Music Theory. My music genuis friend, Scott Haskin, suggested it to me, but I haven't cracked it open yet. Need more coffee! 

Any great/helpful websites you've found for indie authors?

Free Kindle Giveaway is my latest favorite. I get so much amazing promotion through it. 

For Fun Questions
I like to keep interviews fairly short and have a little fun at the end. Any indie authors you'd like to give a shout out to? 

So many of them! The ones mentioned earlier, plus Kiersten Fay, Kosta Angelou, there's just too many. 

What group did you hang out with in high school?

I was homeschooled, so that sort of ends that discussion, doesn't it? I hung out with troublemakers, mostly, and still do. ;) 

Me too! I knew there was reason I like you! Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

My motto is, "I need more coffee." Does that count? 

Absolutely! Speaking of which, I need to warm mine up again. What is one thing about you that is odd or quirky? Something that might surprise people who know you?

While I'm not a fan of Disney, I love The Lion King. Yep. No shame.

Nope! No shame here! The stage of The Lion King was amazing! Besides, quirks make us more human and more interesting. Anything else you'd like for readers to know? 

You guys rock! 
Thanks,
Rainy
USA Today Bestselling Author. 

Thank you so much for visiting us today.

Rainy Kaye can be found at the following sites:




My review of Summoned
Author Rainy Kaye now has a new fan. I loved her jinn book Summoned. It is well-written, fast-paced, intriguing (I lost a few hours of sleep) and original. I was actually expecting it to be a YA book, just based on the guy on cover...what can I say? I do judge a book by its cover. So when the 'steamy' scenes began to play out I was bit caught off guard. But honestly, even those scenes were so well-written...a challenge to many Adult/erotica writers. All the scenes were honest and believable. If I could add neon lights and flashing beacons onto my 5 star rating, I'd do it in a heart beat. Nice job, Rainy Kaye!

So there you have it! The magnificent Miss Rainy Kaye! So please stop by and check out her books.
Thank you one and all for being here again!
&
are all on sale for 99 cents each.
AND
is available for $3.99. All proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental!

And as always...
Dare to Dream!
Su

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

I'M STILL HERE!

Isn't it cool!
WELL, HELLO THERE, STRANGERS!
It seems I've been on a bit of a hiatus. That wasn't the plan, it just kinda happened. So what have I been doing without you? Well, I've just published the first anthology under Dream Weaver Novels. Nine other indie authors from around the world joined me in writing short stories in the dark paranormal genre. So now, we get to present to you....**drum roll**....Gates of Erebus: Dark Paranormal Short Stories! 

Dark Paranormal Short Stories by indie authors from around the world. These stories will take you from the most timid of shadows to the pitch black of hell—or the darkness of a murderer’s heart. You’ll find stories that will make you smile, and a couple that are downright gruesome. 

I'm feeling a bit like a proud Mama at this moment. This is a great bunch of authors from around the globe, so you get the flavors of England, Scotland, Australia and, of course, the USA. Please pop over and get a copy today...oh, and by the way, 100% of all the proceeds will be going to global charities. This quarter's charity is Reading is Fundamental.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
The KDP free promo went very well. And I realized sometimes it's more than just number of downloads, but the ranking that's so important. So, even tho we didn't get to 1000 downloads, the combo deal and Breaking Normal were in the top 7 in the teen action/adventure category, and in the top 34 for paranormal/urban fantasy. Can't complain about that one little bit. 

Of course, if you missed it, the individual books are only 99 cents each. Here's the links just in case.





What? You don’t have a Kindle? No problem. Kindle has an app you can download for free and read right on your phone, tablet or computer. Kindle Reading Apps - http://amzn.to/1BDybyx

LOTS OF BOOKS TO SHARE
I'm a current member of Rave Reviews Book Club, and recently they asked for short story submissions for their first anthology. So, of course, I had to join in on the fun! I submitted two stories and both were accepted into the project. So here's the info on another great collection of authors.  

 Here are some of the Rave Reviews: 
*Authors were looking at, and showing us glimpses of their lives through their various eyes that it became a kaleidoscopic of colorful words painted in poetry, and prose.
* ...the submissions were hauntingly beautiful for me to read. Congratulations to all the writers--masterful job!
* What a wonderful collection of short stories in such a variety of genres. Every reader will find a tale to sink themselves into for a brief moment.

NOW DON'T BE THINKIN' I FORGOT...
Yes, I remember. This is the place that hosts all the great indie authors. I haven't forgotten the mission. And the next one up is an author I fell in love with while reading her book Summoned. I'm very excited...ok, when am I not excited about this...to introduce Miss Rainy Kaye in the next post. Until then...
Dare to Dream!
Su