The Wisdom of Delphi...

Time really flies.  I can't believe it, but I'm back at Judith's spot!  The last time I was here,  I talked about taking a new direction in my writing.  Well, it wasn't a 'new' direction per say, but it was me getting back to my true passion and that was writing fiction. 




I had written a couple of books prior to that post and spent nearly a decade freelancing as an entertainment columnist, but it was my first time publishing fiction.  I was nervous but excited at the same time.  After all, all the writing, I had done up to that, point put the focal point of the article onto someone else and his or her accomplishments.  


Now, even though I'm writing fiction, the focal point is me: my characters, my story, my dream.  I'm back on Judith's blog to give you an update on my book Tempestuous Tales, (http://www.kandiedelley.com/books/ttales/) which is currently out as an eBook.  The feedback I've gotten on it so far, has been delightful and beyond encouraging.  To finally get a chance to put my stories out there and get this type of response from people is really a dream come true.  For those who have already purchased the book, thank you for making that happen for me.  


Anywho, people are 'gripped' by the consequences of these characters' decisions in Tempestuous Tales and one character in particular, Delphi Connors, seems to be getting quite the debate.  In fact, some readers have already asked me about a 'part two' because they feel Delphi's story is not finished, or as some have said, "It can't be finished!”  LOL.  


Keep reading to find out why!  


Delphi Connors is featured in the first story, Vanishing at Mountain Creek (see location here: )


In this story, Delphi returns to Dallas with a singing career that's on the rise.  In fact, she's sings background for an international pop star.  YAY!  Delphi is beautiful, smart and very much the thrill-seeker, who had a sexy man on her arm.  However, don't take my word for it; check out a little bit of his description below...


 The corners of her lips curled in soft delight as she thought about one hot and steamy weekend that she had shared with Marcus in Aruba the year before.  She thought of his bare chest and washboard abs springing from the cool, deep blue ocean and how his sculpted thighs glistening in the hot sun, invoked a fluttering in her stomach.  The memory of his twinkling hazel eyes and...


Oooh dreamy huh?  Where's my ticket to Aruba!  Haha.  But remember, the key word here is she 'HAD' a sexy man on her arm.  Yepper, Marcus did the fool and cheated on Delphi.  When you take a dive in heartbreak hotel, you have some decisions to make.  Delphi made hers and, instead of sulking about his no-good behind, she got back on the road to fulfilling her. 


What woman doesn't get to a point in her life where success doesn't overshadow matters of the heart, especially when her family and friends are settled, married, or getting married and have a baby on the way?  She got desperate, started serial dating, and eventually got stuck in a rut.  Actually, she got stuck near Mountain Creek Parkway, a woodsy area in North Texas, and let's just say...the unimaginable has happened--she vanished.   


I'm writing this blog so that we can get back to basics.  I love technology, but we also need to be mindful of staying (organic, real and intimate) with the people in our lives.  If you ever saw that movie 'The Net' starring Sandra Bullock then you know where I'm coming from.  Communicate, not just with social media tweets and likes, but genuine, pick up the phone and call someone moments.  REAL connecting.  I have friends who question me when I ask, "Hey text me or call when you make it home."  Yes, they are adults and I'm not trying to tell them how to live their life.  However, anything can happen on that short trip from the nightclub or restaurant and knowing information like, "the last time you spoke to so -and do" could help save a life!  


Oh and for my friend girls out there...please practice personal safety.  You never know.  YOU may be the one stranded on some deserted road at night with a dead cell battery, flat tire, no money, or a car charger.  Personal safety is so important.  Have an emergency and first aid kit in your car, learn to fix a flat and have a back up cell battery.  


Delphi's story is just a reminder to remember your dreams, the sacrifices you're willing to make to get there and to always practice personal safety.  That's the wisdom of Delphi's story.


To read an excerpt from this story visit:  Vanishing at Mountain Creek (http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/277714-tempestuous-tales)


To read other blog posts about the Tempestuous Tales visit:  Spooktacular Web Tour (http://www.kandiedelley.com/kandie/extras/)


Watch the Tempestuous Tales Video book trailer:  http://youtu.be/fQQYs7APquM
About Tempestuous Tales: 


An urban legend becomes a nightmare when three women face tragic consequences:  an unexplainable vanishing, a sadistic marriage, and a visit from beyond the grave, after an ancient talisman grants their wishes.  Tempestuous Tales adds a modern twist to three classic short stories: The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs, Night Drive by Will F. Jenkins and Bluebeard’s Bride by Sarah Holland, based on the works of Charles Perrault.


Paperback coming November 2011.  Download a free Tempestuous Tales mobile phone or desktop wallpaper here!  (http://www.kandiedelley.com/books/ttales/)

AMAZON KINDLE:  (http://www.amazon.com/Tempestuous-Tales-ebook/dp/B005M785DA)


BARNES & NOBLE NOOK:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tempestuous-tales-kandie-delley/1105563551


SMASHWORDS:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87652

GIVEAWAY: 



Comment to win a copy of Tempestuous Tales ebook!


CONTEST: 


Leave a comment and be entered into a drawing to win (list contest award here) Just leave a comment on this guest blog posts! 

Thanks again for allowing me to visit your blog and have a blessed holiday season!

LUST AFTER DEATH By Daisy Harris

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave / ISBN: 9781419935053 / Genre: Erotic Paranormal / Length: Novella

In the Pacific Northwest, where life hurries to keep pace with technology, a re-animated bride named Josie struggles to escape her creator.

Assassin Bane Connor wants to get the girl to the Zombie Underground and receive his payoff—a mental reset that will erase his memories as well as his guilt. But an attack by a rival faction derails his rescue, and the wide-eyed female ignites desire like he’s never known.

The newborn stein needs touch to live, and wanting her is a complication Bane doesn’t need. The last thing a killer wants is a his lover who can read his thoughts, but if Josie can love him the way he’s programmed, perhaps Bane can find a way to heal his past.

Excerpt:

Josie cocked her head to the side and her brows drew together. His words jiggled something in her memories, but only those hidden behind the clouds. None of the images she’d learned to associate with Adam shed any insight. She stared at his sky-blue eyes crouched deep in their sockets, and his short blond hair and chiseled face, searching for meaning. She flicked through all her interactions with him, looking for patterns, and found one. “You say that word a lot. What does it mean?”

Bane shifted a fraction. His shoulders rolled forward. “I say what a lot?”

For some reason, Josie felt a blush creep up on her cheeks. “Fuck,” she whispered. The word felt too aggressive and masculine to say aloud.

Bane raked a hand through his hair, causing the muscles in his shoulder and arm to ripple. He scowled. “Motherfucker!”

Confusion overtook embarrassment, and Josie pounced. “See. There it is again! You use it in so many ways I can’t tell what you mean.” She paused. When he didn’t answer, instead eyed her like a being he couldn’t understand, she added, “And what’s a mother?”

Bane’s laugh started as a deep rumble. Then his guffaws grew loud enough to scare her. He swiped the back of his hand at one weeping eye, then the other. A slow burn of embarrassment crept up her spine. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

Bane dabbed at his face with a napkin. “Oh babe. That dick who built you really did a half-assed job. And he didn’t try to…?”

She didn’t understand all the words, but could tell his meaning—all except the last part. Tears stung her eyes. Josie stood from the table. “Thank you for the food. I need to use the restroom now.” It was true, but not entirely the reason she wanted to get away.

Bane sobered. “Um, yeah. It’s up the hill.” He pointed out the window to a trail leading up from the dock. At the top of the hill, a brown shack peeked out between the trees. “Do you need help?”

She could tell it humiliated him to ask, and was glad.

“No. My maker made sure I knew that much.” Josie snatched up the blanket she'd used to sleep and wrapped it around herself. She marched out into the cool fall air and positioned her leg to climb onto the dock.

In the still morning, she heard Bane mutter to himself. “Fuck, I’m an idiot.”

Josie knew enough to know she agreed.

DAISY HARRIS

Birkenstock-wearing glamour girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn’t sure if she writes erotica. Her paranormal romances start out innocently enough. However, her characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris’s dismay, the sex tends to get completely out of hand.

If you like science-y subplots, fantastical creatures, and red-hot chemistry, you’ll love Daisy Harris. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and at www.thedaisyharris.com.

The Iron Admiral - Greta van der Rol

'The Iron Admiral' was the first book I ever wrote. I started it about five years ago and over the years, it has certainly changed. The book has evolved, as it were, from a crude first attempt to a polished piece. At least, I think so. It has been a journey of discovery, for me and for my craft.

I was going to write science fiction, because that's what I like to read. Not the heavy, hard science fiction, though. I liked the action-packed space opera you find in Star Wars, but I wanted a bit more science fact. So the Iron Admiral came into being and with it, first thoughts. I was always going to have an admiral at the centre and a female computer whiz as the other MC. From there my history degree took over as I looked for a plausible setting for my story. My universe would have a vast alien Empire which was starting to crumble at the edges, while the expanding human Confederacy would populate only one spiral arm. We would have known about each other for a long time but tried to avoid getting in each other’s way until both sides couldn’t help it. You could say it was a little like a crumbling Roman Empire encountering the expanding Huns – or maybe the other way around. The theme of the book was always going to be that truth is very much a matter of perspective, a lesson I’ve learnt from studying history.

I've loved the Star Wars universe for years – but always with belief suspended. My aliens would not be humanoid and I would try to ensure my scenarios were supported by science. No flying through space into a massive hangar on a battlecruiser without going through an airlock, for instance.

One thing I wanted to do with my admiral protagonist was to show that these very senior men are sometimes faced with very difficult decisions. It's easy enough for Lieutenant Smith to indulge in devil-may-care heroics – but admirals can't do that. There's too much at stake.

I have to admit it was something of a surprise to me when I ended up writing a romance. I can honestly say I've never read an entire Mills & Boon book, although I did enjoy the 'Angelique' historical series back in the day. Both Elizabeth Moon and Anne McCaffrey (two of my favourites) included some very mild sex scenes in their books – it worked for me, but I wanted to take it one step further – without going as far as erotica.

The Iron Admiral books are fast-paced adventures with a romance arc. Here's the blurb for book one, 'The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy'.

Politics. Hatred. Star systems on the brink of war. A species under threat of extinction from a deadly virus.

Ex-Admiral Chaka Saahren goes undercover to discover the truth. Systems Engineer, Allysha Marten, takes one last job to rid her of debts and her cheating husband. On Tisyphor, deadly secrets about the past explode, as Allysha and the undercover agent scramble to prevent the coming holocaust and xenocide.

When the ex-Admiral’s identity is revealed, she must come to terms with her feelings for a man she thinks caused the death of innocent civilians, including her father.

In a race against time, Allysha must set aside her conflicted emotions and trust a man she barely knows. Saahren must convince the woman he loves to find the truth as he once more assumes his position as … The Iron Admiral.

It isn't the end of the adventure, though. By the end of the book Allysha might be reconciled with Saahren to a limited extent, but she sure isn't ready to marry him. What's more, Allysha's estranged husband has been tasked by the shadowy Galactic People's Republic to deliver Allysha by whatever means he wishes. If he doesn't – he dies. And so begins 'The Iron Admiral: Deception', as fast paced and action packed as the first book.

Grand Admiral Chaka Saahren has the rewards of rank…
…but he doesn't have Systems Engineer Allysha Marten. Determined to keep her safe, Saahren will go to any lengths to win back the woman he loves. Allysha agrees to temporary employment by the Fleet, hoping to avoid at all costs the man she believes responsible for the death of innocent civilians, including her estranged father.

Sean O'Reilly has a plan…
…and it involves hijacking Allysha and convincing her, one way or another, to do just one more job—a job that would clear his debts and save his hide.

Allysha Marten must come to terms with her feelings…
…in the face of a reality that suggests she is a pawn in a growing power struggle, one where she will need all her skills and cunning to outwit a heinous plot that could result in the loss of billions of human lives.

When Allysha decides to tackle the conspirators on her own, she forces an impossible choice on… The Iron Admiral.

I had lots of fun writing them and I'm hoping that others will enjoy reading them. Although Saahren's and Allysha's stories are complete, I've set one more book in the same universe. That will be published next year. And yes, there may be others.

BIO

Greta van der Rol loves writing science fiction with a large dollop of good old, healthy romance. She lives not far from the coast in Queensland, Australia and enjoys photography and cooking when she isn't bent over the computer. She has a degree in history and a background in building information systems, both of which go a long way toward helping her in her writing endeavours.

   - http://gretavanderrol.com/
   - http://twitter.com/GretavdR
   - http://www.facebook.com/Author.Greta.vanderRol?ref=ts

Buy the book from Smashwords  printhttp://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45072

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+iron+admiral+%3A+conspiracy&x=0&y=0

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You'll find “The Iron Admiral: Deception” on

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93056

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Iron-Admiral-Deception-ebook/dp/B005QPAO3M/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1317441791&sr=1-3

Omnilit