Guest Post: Rebecca Grant

Everyone, we are joined today on this 30th Day of March by the wonderful, Rebecca Grant, women's fiction and romance author. Welcome, Rebecca, please make yourself a home and tell us about you and your work.

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It’s a pleasure to be a guest here today. Many thanks to Julieanne for having me! 

 I've always believed that writing women’s fiction and romance is a little like cooking. First, I like to lay my hero and heroine out gently on a well-oiled surface, take some seasoning up in my hands and smooth it into them until they’re so flavorful they’re ready to pop. Then I let them steep awhile in a nice marinade. When they're at their most succulent, sometimes I'll put them in a slow-cooking oven and turn them over and over, and other times I'll toss them on a blazing grill to sizzle. Either way, at some point in the story, they are going to devour each other… because love is unstoppable. And that’s why I adopted ‘love is unstoppable’ as my brand phrase!

My romantic suspense, CRADLE OF LIES, which releases April 1, is the story of Cord Archer, the son of a renown psychopathic serial murderer who must overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

We first meet Cord at sixteen. He’s as trapped as the six women his daddy has kidnapped… and is about to systematically dismember… and then murder… when suddenly… Cord sees an opportunity to escape.

The only problem is… Cord has been kept so isolated and ignorant, he has no idea how to escape, or where he might go for help.

And what about the six women? If he’s able to escape, he can’t risk taking them with, can he? One lone boy might escape the diabolical reach of his psycho daddy… but the women will just slow him down, won’t they?

When I first sat down to write this story, I intended to write about the glorious west. The immense Montana sky. The courageous, driving predilection the American cowboy has for the open-range. Yet, what came out was a gritty, teeth-clenching, dark story about a man who was so abused for the first sixteen years of his life, I almost stopped writing… until I realized this story epitomizes the unstoppable nature of love, and underscores our phenomenally remarkable ability as human beings to overcome any obstacle.

Here is the back cover blurb:

Forced to spend the first sixteen years of his life witnessing some of the most epic murders ever committed, what kind of a life can Cord hope for?

When Cord Archer first meets Mattie Rayne, her incandescent smile heats him like the summer sun, bleaching him clean. Nothing else matters except making her his. Before he can do that, his conscience compels him to explain why he entered an institution at age sixteen and spent five years learning to read, write and function in mainstream society.

Upon learning that Cord is the son of a notorious psychopathic serial-killer, Mattie realizes what a monumental effort it took for him to survive, much less make it all the way back from crazy. Knowing this only makes her love him more.

Just when it would seem Cord is finally about to know love, two phenomenally staggering events irrevocably change the course of his life. First, a sociopath becomes fixated on him. Next, his daddy escapes from prison with the sole intent of tracking him down.

Without giving too much of the story away, Cord is haunted by the possibility that he might have inherited the ‘psycho gene’. Although there is a great deal of disagreement among experts about whether a ‘psycho gene’ actually exists, there is evidence to link psychopathology to genetics.

Cord’s greatest fear is that although he’s managed to escape his father, he may not have escaped his father’s legacy. What if, one day, he wakes up with the desire to kill and maim, the way he watched his father for the first sixteen years of his life?

What if he has a child, who also inherits the psycho gene?

And what about Mattie Rayne? Even if she’s willing to take this risk, can he live with the possibility?

Before Cord is able to answer these questions for himself, he finds himself being stalked by a female sociopath… a woman whose plans for Cord are possibly even more twisted than what he experienced growing up with his father.

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CRADLE OF LIES twists and turns through the story of Cord at age sixteen as he fights to escape his father, Cord at age twenty-one when he falls in love with Mattie, and Cord at age thirty-six when he resigns from the FBI and returns home to Cradle, Montana, his only thought to find some kind of peace, knowing he can never be close to the one woman he loves, or any woman, because of his DNA.

Now that you know a little about the story, I’m curious…

1.       Do you believe that the ‘psycho gene’ exists?

2.       If you fell desperately in love with someone, would you marry him, even though you knew he might one day turn into a diabolical murderer, just like his daddy?

3.       Would you have children with a man who might pass on the ‘psycho gene’?

4.       And finally… do you believe that love is unstoppable? Have a brief example you’d like to share about the unstoppable nature of love?

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you enjoyed reading about CRADLE OF LIES. Come by and visit me any time.

Rebecca E. Grant

Love is Unstoppable

Books by Rebecca E. Grant

CRADLE OF LIES is available April 1 through the publisher Red Sage, or from your favorite online bookseller. Read an excerpt.

Also available is LIBERTY STARR, my first contemporary western romance, available through Carina Press or your favorite online bookseller. Read an excerpt.

Soon to be released is my contemporary romance NAKED HOPE, available through The Wild Rose Press. Read an excerpt.

Here are some links of interest:

Author website

Blog

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Goodreads

LinkedIn

Cradle of Lies 

Cradle of Lies - excerpt

Liberty Starr - Carina Press

Liberty Starr - excerpt

Naked Hope - excerpt

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Thanks, Rebecca for stopping by.

Now be sure to stop by the links and grab yourself a copy or two for yourself.

Signed Within the Shadows GIVEAWAY

Would you like to be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of Within the Shadows?

 Yes? Then here's your chance.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are three simple things to do:

1. Follow my Facebook fanpage

2. Tweet about the Giveaway

3. Follow me on Twitter

Terms and Conditions apply. 

The winner will be announced on March 27th 2013.

Good luck to everyone :)

Well, 2013 has already been a pretty hectic year for me, and I don't mean that in a bad way. With the new merger of Vamptasy Publishing with the leading US Indie label, Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly Publishing, my world and career have begun to rocket! 

I was voted Indie Author of the Year 2012 by International Bug Your Library Day's poll and I was awarded this certificate, and wanted to share this with you all. I am very proud that I have reached so many people out there who took the time out to vote for me. That alone speaks volumes, so thank you to everyone who voted and thank you for your continued support and readership. 

Escaping Shadows released at the end of December, and has been a hit worldwide so far, and the ride doesn't stop there.

Through CHBB, ~ An Early Winter ~ was released on 20th January 2013. 

Amazon

A short novella based in a time when the world of the living and dead was only separated by a wall. It is story with a conscience moral; where good and bad deeds determine your future and your existence. Only the truest of love can overcome the darkness of the unknown, where once girl finds eternal happiness, another is damned from existence.Can true love really free you from the shackles? Or is temptation a road well traveled? 

Coming this Spring, HOT INK PRESS will be releasing the first installment of the Rose Saga.

The Curse of the Rose, a story that follows the journey of Bianka, a vampire who thirsts for her freedom and breaking a curse that bounds her to a lifetime of greed, want and sin. The series is based in Hungary, and has been a geographical roller-coaster during the writing process.

We will then see the Shadow World series draw to an end with the release of Fighting Shadows. 

Unconfirmed Cover

Giselle travels through a Hell she never believed existed. Her wit is tested beyond belief, and all the while her closest companion, Antoine fights to keep her sanity intact.
Atarah teams up with Xavier to finally bring Giselle's existence to an end, and raise baby Kaden as their own, but Alex is more than willing to end his son's life to spite them all.
Will Giselle finally break free from the lure of the Shadows. Can she avoid falling for the call of the Nymph and will Kaden survive the battle of all battles; Giselle and Alex?
Nothing has prepared her for what is about to happen.
Join Giselle as she brings closure to a story that catapulted her from her once ordinary life, to a world darker, and faster than anything she ever imagined.

Summer will then see the release of the first book from The Vilniv Chronicle; The Silver Strand. 

The entire series is dedicated to Antoine and his escapades before he met Giselle, before he learned to love and before he tamed the monster inside.
Through his eyes, we meet his twin sister Isobelle and their younger brother, Luka and soon find out just how much of a player he really was. From the Spanish Armada through to the French Revolution we taste life as Antoine once knew it.


There is also a little *secret* project ongoing at present, but there will be an announcement made further down the line. Stay tuned for that reveal, because to be quite frank, it is BIG!!!

So, as you can see, this year is already jam-packed with work and releases, but it proves to be my best year to date. So stick around, and join me on my journey.

Ciao :)

2013 - the year to beat all the others.

Giselle has barely had time to accept her new life, never mind the prospect of motherhood, but she finds herself, yet again thrown into chaos, only this time there is more than just her life at stake. 

With vampires and shadow creatures vying for her life, can Giselle escape the darkness consuming her, or will she finally descend into the world of shadows?

2013 sees me vying to fulfill my dreams beyond my wildest expectations! With the merger of Vamptasy and Crushing Hearts, Black Butterfly - the sky is the limit. With a team of dedicated writers, editors, promotional experts, I can only strive to be the best I can be. 

Escaping Shadows released on 27th December 2012, and has been on the bestsellers list already. This is a major triumph, and one I am proud of. I work pretty hard on my promotional drives and try to reach as many people as possible, and am considering doing a monthly Vlog, capturing my thoughts and reaching a whole new audience. 

Take a look at what some reviewers have said so far:

"The sequel to Within the Shadows was beyond amazing. The author carried off from where she left off in the cliffhanger from the first book, and Giselle's world becomes even more troublesome than before. Whilst the horror elements are prevalent throughout the story, there are moments of pure joy and elation that left me reaching for the hanky to dry my eyes. The intimate scenes of the birth of baby Kaden were beautiful and it brought back memories of my own experience at seeing my first child born.

Of course we have the intensity of the will they/ won't they scenario between Giselle and Antoine, and whilst there was a brief encounter, I am still not sure if he is the one for her.

I was shocked with the twist involving Marc, but it added a whole new depth to the series. I loved it. I truly didn't see that happening.

The writing was flawless, and I loved the insight into the different perspectives/voices of Giselle, Alex and Marc. The book was cleverly written and one I will surely read again.

Some of the scenes were very raunchy, for that alone I'd recommend this book for people over the age of 16. There was nothing too gratuitous, but nonetheless, they were sexy and hot.

This book was overall a GREAT read. I could go on, and ADD lots of spoilers, but that would not be fair to new readers of the series. Get your copy now, it will not disappoint."

"J.A. Lynch does it again! The continued saga of Giselle captures your heart and attention from the beginning! Picking up where she left off, Giselle's adventure continues through more ups and downs with many unforeseen twists. The ending again leaves you wanting more, wanting to follow Giselle on her continued journey through a world unimaginable!"

Now, it's time to get your bite on, and step back into the world of shadows, and join Giselle as she continues her battle with the darkness.

Get your copy here:

Amazon.com

Amazon UK

And last but not least, HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Another year almost gone.

Well, I am just the worst person at updating EVERYTHING in my life right now.  Do you ever have those days were you KEEP promising to do things, spend all day doing 'other' things, and never quite getting round to doing the 'things' that needed tending to in the first place? Yeah? Well, welcome to my world.

I have been so busy with running my EXTRA busy household, writing, having laptop trouble and trying to sane on top of it all. No easy feat let me tell you, BUT as life starts to settle down (somewhat), the baby becoming less dependent on me (no more night feeds, praise the lord) and my work schedule heading in the right direction, I can now BREATHE a sigh of relief.

Whilst this year has been a toughie in all respects, it has also be one of blessings. For one, my daughter came into the world safely and is thriving, and boy do we LOVE her. Secondly, I have found a home with Vamptasy Publishing, and have gained a WHOLE new family that supports, promotes and endorses each other on a whole new level. Respect is priceless and in the literary world, that is a precious commodity.

Me with my Paperback of Within the Shadows

Of course, my plans for 2012 haven't gone exactly the way I had foreseen them, but you want to know something? I am not going to beat myself up over the 'what ifs' or 'could have beens' I am just thankful that my books are reaching a wider audience and gaining the notoriety they deserve. I've worked long and hard on this series for it to be just another 'washed out series'.  I am passionate about my tale and can NOT wait for the conclusion to hit stores next year.

Books 1&2 and a little taste of both.

Vamptasy Publishing have been thorough with their work ethic and have supported my every endeavor. Back in September, we saw my first ever book launch which was a success, with people buying copies of my book, and having ME sign them. Crazy, right? I know. I still have moments of disbelief, but you know something, I am proud of myself, and proud of the writer I am becoming.  Each day sees me becoming more passionate about what I am doing, and THAT is a great place to be. 

A small crowd gathers for cake and a signature.

A reading as requested by fans!

With the success of The Shadow World novels, I've embarked on new journey, involving the lovable and desirable character: Antoine Vilniv.

The proposed art work for the first two books.

The Vilniv Chronicles follows Antoine and his life before Giselle and the Shadow World.  Of course we will meet familiar characters such as Leonid, and Afanas. We will also be introduce to Antoine's Twin, Isobelle, who proves to be just as flamboyant as her brother. From London, to the guillotines of France, we will see, taste and love the world through Antoine's eyes.

Escaping Shadows releases this Christmas.

Preliminary cover art for Fighting Shadows

So, as you can see, 2013 proves to be a planned busy year, BUT I am going to take it all in my stride.

Merry Christmas from a 'few' of my children, and of course myself.

Have a blessed Christmas wherever you are, and remember, "The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." ~ Jane Austen.

In other words, go read a book!

Ciao my lovelies :) 

Within the Shadows Paperback

What you've been waiting for. The PAPERBACK edition is here. Go pre-order your copy TODAY: 


Vamptasy Publishing

One Reviewer Said:

"I am going to do something I hate doing; I am going to mention another book in relation to this one. Do you know Twilight? Did you like it? Did you hate it? If you hated it, you will probably love this. If you loved it, again you will love this.

If you do not know Twilight, then I .... Well then I rest my case!

This book is nothing like Twilight, it has Vampires and it has good and evil. But these Vampires are not nice, they do not sparkle and they do not play games.

I felt horrible for the main character; she was forced into a life she would never have wished for. I have to so, at stages I felt overwhelmed by the amount of strife she had to cope with.

It is not suitable for YA, it has explicit scenes and this should be taken into account. This is one facet that I am sure will attract a new readership base.

I loved the fact that these vampires are evil. That they use, abuse and have agenda's as dark as midnight. I felt so bad for the main character though, that I will have to give this book a 4 * review. Her life was a torture and I can only hope her future will be better. All this said, go get this book. It is well worth the read.

WaAr

Oh, and I love the cover!" Wanda

'Tis that time of year....again!

Well it has certainly been an odd few months. Life always seems to be a roller-coaster of events in my house. Of course, being a mother of five, and writing, and everything in between certainly runs its course. Exhaustion, fatigue, and frayed tempers (the joys of night feeding) and the drama of a tween hitting her first year of high school, and a teen with the attitude of a monkey on meth, well lets just say, there is never a dull moment in Chez Lynch.

But saying that, I doubt I'd change any of it for the world, quite simply because my children (crazy little monsters that they are) are MY life. They are the fundamental reason for waking up in the morning and battling through what can often be seen as a 'warzone' - and that's just breakfast time. I guess in hindsight, no matter how tough it can be on me, I always wing it, and survive the awful days. 

You see, I am suffering from PND: Post Natal Depression, and as much as I try to ignore it or pretend that I am fine, I can assure you that I am anything but. Each day is hard, and brings with it new struggles. I find the simplest of tasks so hard and for the most part I feel guilty for feeling like this. It is just a viscous circle that leads to self deprecation and loathing, and the inner feeling of complete emptiness is often too consuming. It's a horrible place to be in, and the isolation that comes with it is horrendous. I no longer enjoy the things that once brought joy into my life: watching a movie, eating a nice meal, talking to friends - they are all redundant and mediocre 'chores' to me at the moment, but with the support of my husband and family, the road to recovery will be a little less stressful.

Of course, I do have my book and work to occupy my wondering thoughts, and none more so than the paperback release of Within the Shadows, which I am very excited about. Vamptasy Publishing have been great and have shown me so much support in the past two months, I am feeling very humbled by them. 

Within the Shadows will be released on September 14th and will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. 

If you like your books full of Gothic elements: suppression, submission, highly sentimental, and where the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror; suffering from raw nerves and a feeling of impending doom.Then Within the Shadows is the book for you.

One reviewer said:

“I was pleasantly surprised by this book– finally an author that isn’t addicted to her characters and is more than willing to watch all of them suffer in turn. That being said, I did appreciate the interesting way Lynch interacted with the world this series is set in. Lynch didn’t spend pointless pages having another character explain the hidden universe to the protagonist, instead the reader is left about as confused and lost as the protagonist (though honestly a bit more fleshing out of the universe would be quite nice in the sequel due to the lovely cliffhanger conclusion).If you’re even thinking about reading a slightly more dark vampire book– read this one, I read it in two sittings.”

So please continue to support me, follow me, and even bag yourself a copy or two of my book. It means the world to me and of course paves the way for future releases. 

Love to you all. xxx