INTERVIEW WITH MELANIE NOWAK AUTHOR OF ALMOST HUMAN AND CONTEST.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to welcome Melanie Nowak to Books R Us. Melanie is the author of Almost Human ~ The First Trilogy . Thanks For stopping by.

 

 

What is Almost Human about?

Melanie: ALMOST HUMAN puts a venomous new twist on the classical vampire, and blends elements of many genres. It has drama, humor, romance, some action, and a pinch of horror and even a touch of science fiction in the 2^nd trilogy.

The story begins with a vampire who found that in losing his life, he gained his faith and a purpose. He now spends eternity trying to teach younger vampires to exist without hurting humans – working the will of God among the undead. Enter a young college girl in danger, the beginnings of an ill-advised love affair, and a few vampires who aren’t eager to follow the advice of an elder, and you have the opening of the ALMOST HUMAN series. At the start, it may seem like a familiar story, but as readers become involved, it reveals itself to be an original new experience, immersing readers in fresh insight. The books can be read as fun and light, to a certain degree, but they also lend themselves to deeper contemplation.

For me, the driving force behind the series is the emotional connections of the characters. I do not have black and white villains and heroes in my books, although different characters fit those roles from time to time. I have a core group of realistically evolving characters with different motivations, making choices throughout the story. Each reader will connect with the characters differently; some they’ll love, and some they’ll love to hate. Some readers will agree with the character’s decisions, and some won’t, but hopefully all can understand the characters on an empathetic level. The story prompts the reader to ponder what they would do in similar circumstances.

I am not in the habit of quoting from reviews and things, but I recently received a fan letter from a reader who described what I was striving for beautifully:

“I fell in love with the characters and your wonderfully descriptive use of language. There was something different about your books, some element that put me right into the storyline, giving a fantastic dramatization of what was unfolding before me. Almost as if while reading, I was inserted into a vivid dream-like representation of not only the plot, but the characters feelings and emotions as well. Your books are so much more than just vampire novels. You are writing about real people, who have real emotions.” Alison Irvine.

(I hope she doesn’t mind my quoting her, but I so greatly appreciate her letter, and want to give her credit for her own words!)

It is so rewarding to know that what I feel in my heart as I write, actually does get transcribed to the paper in a way that strongly resonates with readers. I don’t think I can describe the books better than that. It is a story of vampires and humans, interacting in circumstances that can be fun, exciting, romantic and scary at times, but most of all, hopefully they will stimulate your mind and touch your heart.  

Can you tell me who or what was the inspiration for the book?

Melanie: A few things came together to bring ALMOST HUMAN to life. I’ve always been interested in bats. Vampire bats have a anticoagulant in their saliva called “draculin” (named after Count Dracula!) that keeps blood from clotting. I had the idea that such a thing would be useful for vampires as well. It would also be useful if they had something to keep the victim calm, like a drug.

I always wondered about a vampire’s ability to put victims in thrall. In old movies, vampires are always able to hypnotize people, and it’s never really explained. People are just ‘under their power’. I always wondered – why? How does it work? I put those questions together with the anticoagulant/drug idea, and took it further. What if vampires could inject their victims with venom – like a snake? Only the venom would not be deadly poison, but a combination of drugs that kept blood from clotting, kept the victim calm and even willing, and also could mark territory for the vampire – leaving a mark that other vampires could see. The vampire could then use the existence of this ‘drug’ in their victim’s system, to put them in thrall as well. 

The idea of venomous vampires seemed so logical to me, that I assumed for sure that someone else had done it already. I began searching my library for a book like that, so I could read it! This was probably in the early 90’s and there weren’t very many vampire books around at that time. I never found what I was looking for, and I filed the idea away. It never occurred to me to write it myself, LOL.

In the late 80’s, I had discovered Anne Rice’s vampire chronicles and absolutely loved them. That was the first time I read something from the vampire’s point of view. The way that she captured emotions and described surroundings was mesmerizing to me, and I really connected with her story. I’m also a huge fan of the T.V. series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. Joss Whedon is a genius! That said - towards the end of the show, I started disliking some decisions the writers made. I understood their vision, but I also saw missed opportunities. I would have done things differently.

That started me thinking of my own storylines and my own characters, incorporating my venomous vampire idea. None of this was written down, just daydreamed during housework. Then one day I realized that a lot of the ideas I had were really good, and it depressed me to think that it would all just be forgotten. So, I sat down one night at the computer, to write out a few things so I wouldn’t forget, and could look back at them one day. The scenes just came pouring out and before I knew it, I’d been up writing almost the whole night! That’s when I realized that I had a real story to tell, and wanted to write it all out from beginning to end. That is how my ALMOST HUMAN vampires were born.

How long did it take to write the book, and how long did it take to get the book released?

Melanie: That’s not an easy question for me to answer, because I did not start out writing a book that I planned to publish. Bored with housework and lacking a creative outlet, I began making up a story one day, using my venom idea, just for my own entertainment. I had no aspirations of relating it to anyone, I just didn’t want to forget it. So one night, I sat at the computer and decided to just write it down for myself, so I could look at it again one day.

Before I knew it, I'd been writing for hours! It just came pouring out! I never planned to publish it, I just had fun writing it. The story was very long but I knew just where I wanted it to go, and what I wanted to happen. I knew it was too long, so I decided to break the story into 3 parts and make it a trilogy. I still wasn’t sure what I would do with it, but it was nice to feel the accomplishment of finishing the books. I wrote all 3 books in 2 years (I was completely obsessed, I wrote every free moment, staying up until 2 am most nights). Then I spent the next year polishing them up, editing and such. I let a few people read it; family and friends insisted my books were better than many others they'd read, and should be published, so I decided to try.

I first tried publish my series back in 2004, and as it is for most authors, it was a long and difficult endeavor. I spent a few years trying to get published by traditional methods. I researched the whole process and jumped through every hoop. Unfortunately, most publishers and agents are swamped with inquiries these days, and are unable to give each submission the attention it may deserve. I got numerous rejection postcards without a single request to actually read my manuscript.

As a busy wife and mom, I wasn’t able to attend conventions or camp out on door-steps to be read. I was earning my Masters Degree to be a school librarian, when a professor mentioned that Amazon would accept previously unpublished books for the Kindle. I knew that once you self-publish, most traditional publishers will not consider your work, but no one was considering my work anyway. After some research and deliberation, I decided to publish on Kindle in 2008, because it was an effective way to share my stories with the public. I could have closure, feeling like I'd done something with the books, and be able to move on. I wanted to begin writing the 2^nd trilogy for the series, which had already been playing out in my head, no matter how I tried to focus on other things.

After my series began to gain Kindle readers, I got many requests for print copies of the books. To try and make that happen, I shopped around again for agents & publishers in January ’09. This time I had verifiable sales to show them – but it didn’t help. There is still a stigma against ‘self-published authors’ (although I believe that is slowly changing). They didn’t like the fact that my books were already out in e-book format, even though they had never been printed. Again I was constantly rejected without even being read first. I finally decided to publish in print independently, because I was more interested in sharing the stories with readers, than waiting for a publishing house to back me.

There are quick and almost instant methods to publish, but I wanted to be very thorough in doing everything myself, and owning all rights and my own ISBN numbers. I handled every aspect from editing & formatting, to cover photos (that's me on book 1). It took a lot of time, research, learning what needed to be done, and finding the most cost effective way to carry it out. I chose a printing company that allows me complete control, and I learned what was involved to become Independently published in print. In April of 2009, WoodWitchDame Publications was born. Word-of-mouth through readers has helped spread the addiction of my venomous vampires, and I’ve been blessed with many devoted readers. I am very happy with the success of my series being Indie published.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?

Melanie: Being asked to choose a favorite character, is like trying to pick a favorite child. I can’t choose one among the others. Honestly, I really am all of the characters in this book! It may sound strange because my characters are pretty diverse, but it’s true. Each of these characters has been taken from the seed of something within myself. I have been lucky enough in my life never to have been sexually abused or addicted to drugs - but everything that goes into making up the personalities for my characters, how they feel and react to things, has come from some little grain of dealing with something in my own life - magnified. At some point in my life I have totally identified with and "been" these people. Even if it didn't outwardly show - this is how I felt and wanted to react.

I wondered a little at first, whether I would be able to write a believable ‘guy’, but when you come down to it, we are all just people. I take care to really examine his motives throughout each scene, and to try and observe and notice things the way I think a man would. It’s actually rather fun writing for my guys Cain and Ben, and stepping into the male perspective.

Outwardly I’m sure my friends and family would say I am most like Felicity. Physically, I have modeled her after myself; intellectually and emotionally she is very much the girl that I was at that age. I was usually pretty quiet and shy, constantly reading my fantasies rather than trying to live them out. Because of that, I identify very closely with Felicity, but I have to admit that it’s often more fun to write for my other ladies, Allie and Sindy. Allie is much more sassy and daring than I have ever been in life, and Sindy… well let’s just say it; She can be an evil bitch – and who wouldn’t think that was fun to write?

Do you have any tips for a young writer starting out?

Decide why you are writing. Is your ultimate goal to be on a bookstore shelf, or to tell an amazing story? If you just want to see your name on something, that is an entirely different path from someone who wants to truly express & share feelings and ideas. If you are passionate about your writing & want to share your story with readers, here’s my advice: 

1^st - If you have a story inside of you yearning to be told, then be unafraid to really give in to it and write your true thoughts and feelings. The passion will come through! You cannot write while worrying about who might read it or what they will think. First, be true to that inner voice and write the story that you want to write. 

2^nd – Edit – a lot. You’ve poured your heart out onto the page and it’s a moving and wonderful work. Now you need to look at it with a critical eye for grammar, story structure, continuity, and make decisions about what you’re comfortable sharing with the public. If you’ve bared your soul (writing can be wonderfully cathartic) you have to decide if anything should be kept strictly in the “author’s edition” rather than shown to the public. I made the decision to keep everything I’ve written in the original story – but that isn’t right for everyone. Do not write “down” to your readers – it is important to be sure they can follow the plot and understand the story, but don’t be afraid to write something that will make people stop and think. Proper grammar, spelling and punctuation is so important I have to say it again. If you’re unsure about something – look it up! EDIT!

3^rd – Believe in yourself and be strong. Getting published is HARD. Even if you have the best book ever, getting the right people to read it will be even harder than writing it – you have been warned. I was rejected over 200 times without anyone even being willing to read my manuscript! Do not give up!

4^th – If you want to share your story, you will find a way. Traditional publishing isn’t for everyone – neither is Independent publishing. You have to figure out what is right for you. Large publishing companies will be hard to reach without connections. It’s not impossible (but close). Be aware - larger publishers often want you to edit your work to fit their image. There are many small presses that are more open to accepting new work without many changes, you just have to find the right one for you. Otherwise, Independent publishing is also a good option to keep your story true to your own vision – but be prepared to put in the effort.

5^th - Decide how you will define your success. If to you, success = money, quit now, LOL. To me success is the feeling of accomplishment and the swell of excitement I feel when someone tells me they read my book and it really resonated with them. In my experience, take care of the emotional success and the physical success will follow. I concerned myself with telling a good story, putting in tons of work to research certain elements, refine and edit it to the best of my ability, and learned what was needed to publish and promote it. I make myself accessible to readers and view it all as a labor of love. Through that sincere effort with no help from paid promotion, I have earned approx. 7,000 readers in 2 years. That number may seem small by traditional publishing standards, but for an Indie, it’s more than I ever expected! Now writing is my full time job and I can pay my bills with it!

What was some of your favorite books when growing up?

Melanie:

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony

Split Infinity by Piers Anthony

The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope

WitchDame by Kathleen Sky

The Secret Country by Pamela C. Dean

Ariel by Steven R. Boyett

Wolfwalker by Tara K. Harper

Those were (and still are) some old favorites.

I would sincerely like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce everyone to my venomous vamps. The ALMOST HUMAN series is available in ebook and paperback, online and in your local bookstore – if it’s not on the shelf – ask for it!

Also available through the authors website, where you can read free sample chapters:

 www.MelanieNowak.com

And on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Melanie-Nowak/e/B002BRGYWS/

Happy reading!

~ Melanie Nowak

 Check out my review of  Volume 1- Fatal Infatuation and check back for my review of Volume 2- Lost Reflections coming soon.

And Now for the contest-

Enter to win a signed set of Almost Human- The First Trilogy (All three books)

To Enter-

Please put all entries into one comment.  Thank You.

1. Please leave a comment with your email. +1

2. Become a follower via Google connect +2

3. Follow me via twitter (@ginger_high)  and Tweet about the contest. +2

4. Like Books R Us on Facebook +2

5. Blog about contest (post link)+2

Contest ends 12/18/10 at 11:59pm EST

GUEST POST BY M.J. ROSE AUTHOR OF THE HYPNOTIST

I want to welcome M.J. Rose to Books R Us.  M.J. is the  is the Author of  The Hypnotist (The Reincarnationist, Book 3) She is presently touring the blogosphere on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!  Thanks for stopping by.

At the Museum

by M.J. Rose

Growing up, I didn’t want to be a writer; I wanted to be an artist. We lived a block away from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and I started taking Saturday morning art classes there when I was just seven years old.

I’ve often felt art is my religion and that museums in general but the Met specifically is my temple of choice. It’s where I go to be renewed, refreshed and inspired.  I don’t think I’ve ever gone longer than a month without visiting there.

So its not all that surprising that sooner or later I’d write a novel with a museum as one of my main characters and that I’d pick the museum that was in my backyard when I was a kid.

But how I got idea for the Hypnotist is surprising, at least to me.

One day about three and a half years ago, on one of my regular pilgrimages to the Met, I headed straight for one of my favorite spots. The Mastaba Tomb of Perneb is a tiny bit of 5^th Dynasty Egypt transplanted to Manhattan. A gift from Edward S. Harkness to the museum in 1913.

You can enter the limestone tomb from the left or the right.  One doorway leads to the main offering chapel. I took the other, which leads to a second ritual chamber. The space is very small and only three or four people can fit at the same time.  I was lucky to be in the intimate ritual chamber alone and looking through the slot in the wall at a wooden statue of Perneb in the room beyond known as a serdab. In ancient times this passage way allowed for family and priests to offer up incense and chants to the deceased.

I heard footsteps. A little girl about seven or eight had entered and came up beside me to look through the slot. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a school uniform. I watched her examine the space, giving every section careful attention.

 “It hasn’t changed much at all,” she said finally in a wistful voice.

I asked her what she meant.

“Since the last time I was here,” she said.

Something about the way she said it made me curious. “When was that?” I asked.

“When I lived in Egypt.”

“You know this tomb has been on display in this museum since 1916.” I said.

“I lived in Egypt way before that,” she said and smiled. She was about to say something else when from outside the chamber an older woman’s voice called out.

“Veronica, it’s time to go. Now. Please.”

The little girl ran off, quickly, without looking back, without giving me a chance to ask her anything else.

Even though I write about reincarnation, I haven’t had any meaningful reincarnation episodes of my own. I don’t get visitations. I’ve never seen a ghost.  But I’m not sure what happened that afternoon.

I can picture Veronica in her navy jumper and white blouse that had a dark smudge on the collar. She had a one-inch scratch on her left hand. Her hair was pulled off her face with a silver barrette. A lot of curls had escaped. She had a child’s voice but it was so charged with adult emotion.

It was that emotion which sparked the idea for my novel, The Hypnotist.  And the paintings and sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum that fueled it.

 If you go the Met, please go visit Perneb’s tomb. And if you see a little girl there with long blonde hair and a blue school uniform… ask her if her name is Veronica… and if it is, thank her for me.


Please visit  M.J.'s website and check back on 9/2 for my review of this fascinating book.

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW OF FINAL TOUCH BY B.AND A. COLLINS

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books.  A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured.  The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between!  Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card authors are:

Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins

and the book:

Final Touch (Rayne Tour, The)

Zondervan (May 7, 2010)

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Brandilyn and Amberly Collins are a mother/daughter team from northern California.

Brandilyn Collins, known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense, is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Coral Moon, Crimson Eve, Eyes of Elisha, and other novels.

Visit the Brandilyn's website.

Amberly Collins is a college student in Long Beach, California, majoring in marketing. She’s active in her Alphi Phi sorority and dotes on her Yorkie puppy, Bear.


Here's a video about the first book in the Rayne Series:



Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071933X
ISBN-13: 978-0310719335

Press the browse button to view the first chapter:

Z

Browse Inside

Browse

Info

Add

My Thoughts-

I loved the book. This is the first book in the series that I had read and I was able to follow the storyline with no difficulty. There was a lot of excitement and the development of the characters was great. It was a quick read and I was able to finish the book in about three hours.The authors did a great job and I hope that they will continue to write in the future. I highly recommend the book for the young adult reader.

GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW OF THE PROPHECY BY D. MILLER

CLOSED

In The Prophecy (Watchers Chronicles, The) by D. Miller there are five teenagers ( Jonah, J, Jenna, Sam, and Carly) who were best friends growing up and after some traumatic events they went their separate ways.  All of them do not remember the events that happened. They are all having nightmares and strange voices that help them to remember what had happened. Sam decides to contact the others because he feel that they may be in trouble. As the story progresses they realize that they are "Watchers" and  they help to decide the outcome of the battle between good and evil. The are able to see the angels that are among them. Will good or evil win and what happens to the teenagers? I guess you have to read the book to find out.

About the Author-

Dawn Miller is an award-winning filmmaker and author who has written and produced several books, a music video and an urban teen drama. She lives in St. Louis with her teenage son and is currently at work on the graphic novel and feature film version of 'The Watcher Chronicles'. 

My Thoughts-

I thought that the book was a confusing and I found it difficult to follow the characters in the beginning, but as the story progressed I was able to follow the storyline. I actually had to write all of the angels names down to keep track of them. There were suspenseful parts and I felt that the ending was appropriate. A great YA thriller and I look forward to book two in the series.

And now for the contest-

Thanks to the folks at PR by The Book, I am able to giveaway one copy of the book.

Contest ends July 30 at 12mn Eastern

TO ENTER CLICK HERE! 

Extra entries :

Follow via Google connect +3

Follow via twitter +2

tweet about the contest+2

grab my button +2

blog about the contest +2

Please do not enter via comments 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW OF CAPTAIN BONNY MORGAN (THE CASSANDRA PROPHESY) BY R. "DOC" GOWDY

Join Robert “Doc” Gowdy, as he virtually tours the blogosphere on his first virtual book tour with  Pump Up Your Book!


In Captain Bonny Morgan: The Cassandra Prophesy, Captain Bonny,a space pirate, kidnaps the  Empress's daughter, Princess Cosette, and sets into motion an adventure mixed with conspiracy, crazy characters, and secrets. She is trying to fulfill a prophesy that was initiated by a ancient order.The Princess's sister Lysette sets out to find her. With the help of her slavegirl, Tink, they travel throughout the galaxy to find the Princess. They run into many shady and hilarious characters along the way. Tink is no ordinary slavegirl. She is beautiful, mischievous, intelligent and extraordinary. Does Captain Bonny Fulfill the prophesy and does Lysette find her sister? I guess you have to read the book to find out.

About the Author-

Robert “Doc” Gowdy is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a Ph.D. in Literary Criticism and Theory and an emphasis on Nineteenth-Century British literature.  His specialization in literary theory is psychoanalytic criticism and theory, particularly Lacanian psychoanalysis, with further emphases on Milton and Eighteenth-Century literature.  He is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Texas Woman’s University where he teaches various literature classes.  His interest in writing is long standing, but aside from academic writing his first novel, Captain Bonny Morgan: The Cassandra Prophesy is his first foray into fiction.  Captain Bonny Morgan is based on archetypal themes and patterns from mythology, such as fairies, goddesses, and the Hero’s Journey, and based loosely on Doc Gowdy’s active duty service in the United States Marine Corps with special emphasis on the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean at the turn of the Eighteenth-Century.

My Thoughts-

The novel was full of action, adventure and was very erotic. The book is definitely for adults and I was happy when my daughter, Melissa asked me to review the book. She knew right away that it was not for her. I did like the plot and all of the crazy characters that were introduced in the book. The author was very creative and the writing style was great. I have to admit that the book was not for me because of all of the descriptive sex scenes that was happening throughout the book. If you are into x-rated novels then this is the book for you.




Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book by the author and I was not compensated for my review.

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW OF IMMORTALIS CARPE NOCTEM BY KATIE SALIDAS

Becoming a Vampire is Easy

Living with the condition that's the hard part.

In Immortalis Carpe Noctem by Katie Salidas, Alyssa is mugged on the campus of her college and is rescued by a vampire, Lysander. She was bleeding to death and he decides to "turn her". He gives her the gift and the curse of immortality. When she wakes up, she realizes she is a vampire and has to learn how to live as one. Even vampires have enemies and Lysander must protect her from an ancient sect of vampire hunters, known as the Acta Sanctorum and the powerful and evil vampire mistress Kallisto. Kallisto is out for revenge because Lysander has taken a new mate. She is out to destroy them both. Will Lysander protect Alyssa and will she learn how to live as a vampire?




About the Author-

It was only natural that a love of reading about vampires, and a love of writing, turned into a desire to write her own stories. Thus, Immortalis Carpe Noctem was born.

A Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin, Katie loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories. You can find Katie at her blog, My Immortal Stories and Rising Sign Books.




My Thoughts-


This is not your typical vampire book. You get to experience what it is like to be a vampire first hand through the eyes of Alyssa. She had to go through so many different feelings about her new life and with the help of Lysander; she can understand her feelings. I had a little crush on Lysander because he was good looking, compassionate and liked to get into trouble at times. The book clearly shows Katie’s love of vampires. The book was well written, captivating and I was able to feel the emotions of the characters. I look forward to reading the second book in the series Immortalis: Hunters and Prey due out in 2011.




Read an Excerpt-

                                                              CHAPTER 1

                                                            Hated waiting!


I shot impatient glances at my phone, checking the time displayed in green LED.

It was late, and I was restless.

Sounds of clapping in the background signaled another poetry reading had finished.

It was a busy night at Café Copioh, but then, just about every night here was busy.

Copioh drew in a unique crowd from the nearby college. It wasn’t one of those fancy, fru-fru coffee houses. It had bohemian feel; colorful, vibrant, and eclectic. Each wall had been painted in different colors; teal, maroon, sand, and sage. Reprints of various, famous artwork lined the walls including a large mural of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, in black-light reflective paint. A plethora of flea market-style furnishings had been strewn about haphazardly in the large space, completing the relaxed, homey feel.

Mike, the manager, a stereotypical beatnik-esque guy, complete with goatee and long pony-tail, set down a Styrofoam cup, filled with a dark, chocolaty drink. “You adding this to your tab, Alyssa?”

I smiled. “Yeah, I’ll pay up on Friday. Thanks.”

I was a regular here. Mike knew this and usually let me slide until payday. I could be found here almost every night. And so could my, currently absent friend, Fallon.

I shot another impatient glance at my phone.

“Ten p.m. C’mon Fallon, I don’t want to wait all night,” I sighed.

A loud, shrill voice spoke over the café’s speaker system. I cringed, hearing the start of another dreary poem. Someone was almost always on the makeshift stage. Reading poetry was the custom here. I sat back into the cushions of my favorite brown, threadbare love seat in the front window--far away from the stage—and tried unsuccessfully, to ignore the babbling. I never did care for poetry. Most of it was nothing more than nonsensical emotional ramblings. Too much use of words like: dark, black, emptiness and despair.

A hum of mumbling voices tempted me to listen. Eavesdropping here was like having a front row seat to a taping of my own personal soap opera. Tidbits of gossip about people I knew piqued my interest, momentarily stealing my focus.

The sudden jingle of my cell phone startled me. I jumped to answer it almost knocking over my mocha. I didn’t need the caller ID to tell me who it was. Fallon was well over an hour late.

“Please tell me you are close. You would not believe the day I had. I need to vent,” I blurted out, forgetting the pleasantries of a proper greeting.

“Sorry, Alyssa, I’m not going to make it out tonight.”

Great, what else can go wrong today?

“What, No! Oh C’mon, Fallon. Don’t leave me hanging. I need a friend today. I got fire-“
“Lyss, I don’t feel like going out tonight. I’m tired and it’s already late. Let’s just meet up tomorrow, Okay?”

I huffed, not wanting to answer.

“Alyssa, I promise, tomorrow,” Fallon said in her most sympathetic voice.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” I didn’t bother hiding my disappointment.

“Sorry, Lyss, I’ll make it up to you. I promise. We’ll go out tomorrow. You can tell me all about work then, okay.”

“Fine,” I grumbled. “Next time, don’t leave me hanging here by myself for an hour before you decide to cancel on me.”

I breathed a disappointed sigh and pressed the end button on the phone.

“Well, isn’t this the perfect end to the perfect day? Might as well pack up and go home.”

I gulped down the last bit of my mocha, waved to Mike, and walked out the front door.

The hot summer breeze greeted me; a mixture of coffee, car exhaust, and the lingering tang of grease from a nearby taco shop.

I set off across the street to the University. My apartment was on the other side of campus. Just a quick ten minute walk and I would be home.

Being a petite woman, I never did like walking home alone, especially at night, and tried to avoid it whenever possible. I’d heard too many horror stories about college girls-like myself-being raped or worse. This time though, I had no choice. There was no friend to take me home, so I had to hoof it.

Reaching a thin hand into my bag, I pulled out a keychain of pepper spray. Old Reliable. Knives could be turned against you and do some serious damage. I knew pepper spray was a good enough deterrent without having the potential to be deadly. If someone managed to get it away and use it against me, worst I would expect is stinging eyes and that was better than a stab wound.

UNLV was quiet at this time of night. All the regular classes had ended hours ago and the walkways were all empty. My finger covered the trigger of the keychain as I took the pathway leading towards the theater and music halls.

Just walk fast and don’t talk to anybody. I took a deep breath, steeling my courage while attempting to calm my nerves. I hated walking home alone.

Sounds of distant chatter caught my attention. Echoes of raised voices reverberated off of brick buildings, sounding like a couple of men arguing in somewhere ahead of me. Tightening my grip on the keychain, I quickened my pace.

Almost home, just keep going.

Small lamps dotted the walkway, and flood lights hung from the corners of some of the buildings. Normally, there was plenty of light on the walkway but something felt different. Things seemed darker. A light on one of the buildings flickered. I noticed another building’s lights had completely burned out leaving a portion of my path in darkness.

I gritted my teeth and fought against the weak voice of my intuition telling me to go back to the café.

The arguing voices faded. An eerie quiet sent a shiver dancing down my spine. I stopped and looked around, checking for any movement in the shadows. Intuition, no longer a weak voice in my head, screamed at me to run. Something wasn’t right here.

Probably just some frat boys. Calm down Alyssa, No reason to get scared. My heartbeat sped, pounding against the wall of my chest.
“Excuse me, Miss,” a voice called out from behind me.

I stifled a gasp. My heart skipped a beat.

“Excuse me, Miss. Hello. Can you help me?”

Against my better judgment, I turned towards the voice.

“Sorry to bother you, miss. I’m new here and kind of lost. Could you tell me where the library is? I’m supposed to be meeting a friend there.”

The voice sounds friendly enough. Okay, just give a quick answer and leave.

I squinted, trying to get a better look at him as he walked towards me. He passed out of the shadowed path into the light.

A wide-mouth smile covered his face. He didn’t seem intimidating. He looked like an average skinny college guy; short spiky hair, glasses, and generic sarcastic sayings t-shirt. For a second, I thought I recognized him from somewhere.

I took my finger off of the pepper-spray trigger. “Sorry, I’m a little jumpy tonight. It’s no problem. Just go down that…” I pointed in the direction of the library.

Something tapped me hard on the shoulder. I turned around, seeing a blur of knuckles just before a fist slammed into my face.

Excerpt taken from here

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book by the author and Pump Up Your Book I was not compensated for my review.

GUEST POST BY BARRY POLLACK AUTHOR OF FORTY-EIGHT X: THE LEMURIA PROJECT

I want to welcome Barry Pollack to Books R Us. Barry is the author of Forty-Eight X: The Lemuria Project. He is presently touring the blogosphere on his virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book! Thanks for stopping by.

"Five Things I Learned About My Book After Becoming an Author."

 (1) While you have to consider that you write for a particular audience, you have to foremost be true to yourself. You can’t please everyone. I have read comments about my book that have noted that “there’s too much sex,” and then another that “wanted to see more romance.” Or, “the science interrupts the action,” and another who “found the scientific jargon fascinating.” Keep an audience in mind but trust your own vision.

(2) Several people that have read FORTY-EIGHT X want to know if there’s a sequel in the works. They want to know what happens next. Anything can happen next. Afterall, I write fiction. I felt, however, that the story had to end when it did. But my characters lived and if enough people buy and read the book and clamor for more, well, they can live on. And, I can almost guarantee you they will if my book’s ranking rises dramatically on Amazon, if Oprah becomes a fan, or if Tom Clancy, Elmore Leonard or James Patterson call with a word of praise.

(3) I love writing. I abhor marketing. But there’s no point in being a writer if no one reads what you’ve written so I have accepted the latter task and, as I am forever learning how to patch words together, I am learning how to find an audience for them.

(4) No matter how many times you proof your work and an editor as well, someone will find a typo.

(5) What joy there is when a reader enthusiastically describes one of your scenes or characters; it’s the pride one feels when someone lauds your children. As a new author, I am excited to communicate with readers and hope they’ll take the opportunity by visiting my website: http://www.barrypollack.net./

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW OF FORTY-EIGHT X: THE LEMURIA PROJECT BY BARRY POLLACK

Join Barry Pollack, author of the contemporary science fiction thriller, Forty-Eight X :The Lemuria Project (Medallion Press, December ‘09), as he virtually tours the blogosphere on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

In Forty-Eight X: The Lemuria Project, there are secret experiments taking place on a tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The United States has assembled a group of geneticists to work on the top-secret Lemuria Project. They create a warrior that is so strong, fearless and obedient. Colonel Link McGraw is chosen to train the soldiers and he is haunted by a shady and dangerous past. He is skilled in the techniques of combat, and he knows how to train a perfect soldier. When two scientists Fala al Shodaha and Joshua Krantz, accidently stumble across the project, they are determined to uncover the truth. When Krantz meets McGraw they clash over the project and compete for the affection of Fala. Who are these trained soldiers and who gets the girl in the end? I will never tell.

About the Author-

Barry Pollack is an emergency-room physician and a writer who has written prime-time television screenplays, a newspaper column, and a travel book. He also wrote and directed Cool Breeze, the 1972 blaxploitation remake of John Huston's 1950 classic Asphalt Jungle. He lives in West Lake Village, California.

Authors Website.

Read an Excerpt.

My Thoughts-

I have always loved Sci-Fi thrillers. I enjoyed the book and the author was able to combine romance, adventure, politics and sci-fi into a military thriller. Some of the language was a little bit racy but the plot was engaging and fast-paced. I recommend this book to all of you Sci-Fi lovers out there.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review.

GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW OF SHADOWS OF MYTH AND LEGEND BY E.J. STEVENS

Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J Stevens, may be only fifty four pages long but it is filled with poems about vampires, demons and other creatures of the night. It is not your typical book of poetry but “dark poetry”. I have always been a fan of the supernatural and I enjoyed the book. The author has a wonderful imagination and some of her poems were chilling. I recommend this book to everyone who is not afraid of the dark and what lurks within it.

About the Author- 

E.J. Stevens is a graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. E.J. has worked a variety of jobs that demonstrate the human condition including schools, psychiatric hospitals and (*shudder*) shopping malls. She currently resides on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Authors Website


Watch the Trailer-



AND NOW FOR THE CONTEST-

 Thanks to the author,I am able to give away a signed copy of the book and a swag pack for one lucky winner.

TO ENTER- PUT ALL ENTRIES IN ONE COMMENT AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL



+1 entry for a comment
+3 entry for Google follow ( Google Connect on right- it pays to follow me)
+1 for sharing on facebook ( use share button below)
+1 For following me on Facebook (melissa.gingerhigh)
+1 entry for Twitter Follow @ginger_high
+2 for tweeting about the contest(please leave link to be counted)
+2 entries for blogging about contest (post link)
+2 For grabbing my button- Please leave the link to the site to be counted.

Contest ends May 5th at 12MN Eastern.



Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author for my honest review and opinion. I was not compensated for my review.