Sneak peek at Chapter 1 of, 'Icing on the Cake' by Becky Moore... *Contest*

“Marty! Where are you?”

Hellon Masters, also known as Hell-on-Wheels to her technical crew, was enraged. “You can’t hide from me forever you little snake!” She yelled across the studio.

She charged over to the assignment desk in the studio pit. There stood her mark, Martin Bancroft, with an owlish cast because she’d found him. He gotten five Emmy’s, managed the nation’s leading around-the-clock news channel, along with the myriad of prima-donna talking head personalities on six continents, and at six and a half feet towered over most people he met. Yet he was cowering in the corner, hiding behind a handful of producers working the lines. Cowering from a five and a half foot woman who probably weighed as much as his right leg.

“Hellon … now, dear,” he said calmly when the jig was up and he had to come out of hiding. “We’re about to go on air and you’ve got two hours to put this package together.” He looked at his chronograph watch that was a big as her fist and continued: “The team’ll be finished with practice just in time for you and Javier to get there.”

She huffed out a breath and stomped her bare foot. Nobody in the studio had the balls to even crack a grin. She was a firecracker. She handed her sexy, spiky stiletto pumps to her partner-in-crime and favorite cameraman, Javier, so she could re-button her beautifully tailored eggplant suit jacket. The wool fabric was finely knit, and one of her favorites because it wasn’t bulky and didn’t make her too hot. It was the perfect top for her gray sleeveless slip dress. She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and reached for one of the shoes.

“I almost broke my neck racing to find you. Poor Javier could hardly keep up.” She glanced at him and then scowled when she noticed he wasn’t even winded. Bastard.

Everyone in the room had paused in their work to watch the fireworks at the desk. Javier ran marathons, like Hellon, so that made a lot of folks grin.

“You remember that I’m a Health & Life reporter, right? Why on earth would you assign me a story about a hockey team preparing for the new season? I can’t figure out where that fits into this afternoon’s taping with the Governor.” She held onto Javier’s forearm while she slipped into the other shoe.

She turned her head and glared at Javier. “Did you put him up to this? Are you already tired of working on our show?” Despite her irritated façade, he could see her bottom lip poke out in a tiny pout.

“No, kid. I didn’t.” He patted her on the shoulder, and squeezed it affectionately before dropping his hand. He loved working with Hellon. She was whip-smart, funny, beautiful … she was the total package—not that he’d ever admit it to her. She’d probably knock his block off. But he definitely didn’t want the rest of the crew to see her sad. It would ruin her badass reputation.

“But, honestly, I can’t complain. I haven’t worked any sports assignments since the Carolina Oak Leaves came to town five years ago, so I’m really excited.” He clapped her on the shoulder. “We got this.”

She glared at him while she finished buckling the little strap on her shoe and then stood up straight, hands on her hips. “Damn it! Fine. We’ll do it. But Marty…” She turned and caught his gaze like a magnetic beam, stopping his rodent-like scurry across the back of the room. He blinked and stared at her. “Don’t you ever pull this shit on me again! I’m not dressed for the hockey rink, and I don’t have time to go change. At least give us a better heads up next time,” she said with a sharp tongue.

He nodded, and held in his grin until she and Javier had walked through the studio door. Javier trailed behind and gave a big thumbs up to the studio at large, relieved she gave in. He was excited about the assignment and knew she’d be fine once she settled down; she was just more of a planner than a pantser. He didn’t even crack a grin when the room erupted into huge whoops and hollers—he didn’t have a death wish. Hellon huffed, and then straightened her shoulders and picked up the pace.

Visit Becky on the Web- http://beckymoore.wordpress.com/

Purchase THE PENALTY BOX-
AMAZON 
XOXO Publishing
All Romance EBooks

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*CONTEST*
Becky will be giving away an E-copy of  THE PENALTY BOX and an E-copy of THE RIGHT WORDS to two lucky commenters! Two winners will be chosen at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address with your comment so we may contact you should you win! Author choses who wins which prize....

Excerpt from 'ICING ON THE CAKE' by Becky Moore...*Contest*

Becky's forthcoming novella, Icing on the cake, will be released mid-summer. It’s the follow-up to the fan favorite, The Penalty Box, and the second story in her hockey trilogy about the Carolina Oak Leaves. We hope you enjoy this excerpt from Icing on the Cake.

~ ~ ~

Sometimes, being the charismatic ‘Mister Popular’ of hockey just isn’t enough. For Quinn Dawson, star right winger for the Carolina Oak Leaves national hockey team, there was no truer statement. Caught in the middle of a sex scandal involving the owner of his team’s wife, Quinn soon finds himself public enemy number one. Guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time more than actually being a bad guy, he bears the brunt of public humiliation.

Journalist Hellon Masters is also a fan favorite, both in the medium market that broadcasts her weekly magazine program, and in the national market that broadcasts her monthly road trip series on CBS Sunday Morning. When she fills in for her station’s sports reporter one morning on her way to the Governor’s Mansion, where she’s set to cover the State’s annual financial summit meeting, Hellon discovers that the Mighty Quinn is harmless when he’s out of his pads. He’s dreamy, and sweet and gentle.

But in the face of adversity, it seems the budding romance between Quinn and Hellon is doomed before it can ever take root. She’s got a choice to make, and it’s now compounded by the fact that Quinn is reaching out to her, soul to soul, heart to heart. Their introduction may have provided an instant connection, burning hot enough to melt the ice on any surface, but their geographical distance is hell on a sketchy relationship.

Quinn’s exile is not only making Hellon cranky and unbearable, but it’s wreaking havoc on his psyche, affecting his time on the ice, and killing his charismatic openness that legions of fans found so compelling.

Taking a leap of faith, Hellon accepts Quinn’s challenge to close the continental divide and finds her efforts to be the icing on the cake.

Visit Becky on the Web- http://beckymoore.wordpress.com/


*CONTEST*
Becky will be giving away an E-copy of THE PENALTY BOX and an E-copy of THE RIGHT WORDS to two lucky commenters! Two winners will be chosen at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address with your comment so we may contact you should you win! Author choses who wins which prize.... 

See what the critics are saying about Author Becky Moore...*Contest*

~Reviews


For The Right Words
“Becky Moore delivers a page turner that’s both scorching and sweet!”
- Deb Marlowe


~ ~ ~

After me and the missus read The Penalty Box, we searched for more contemporary romances by Becky Moore (yes, I’m happy to admit I like a happy ending, too). The Right Words was another great story. Becky’s style is easy to read and believable. This time, the dude had a CIA background which I liked. Definitely will recommend to others. (5 stars, Amazon.com)

 
For The Penalty Box

I enjoy watching hockey! It is one of my favorite sports and when I found out that Becky Moore had written a hockey romance I ran home from my local book club meeting yesterday night. I found this ebook to be a great read and a must for all hockey fans. I liked the characters interaction, the love scenes are tastefully written and very expressive. I really enjoyed reading this ebook, The Penalty Box by Becky Moore published by XoXo Publishing. (5 stars, Amazon.com)


~ ~ ~

I read faster than the library or local bookstores can ship in my favorite authors, so I’m always on the hunt for someone new. I really like Becky Moore’s style, quick dialogue. The characters were interesting, and the love scenes sexy without being … crass or tacky. I’m going to keep my out for more of her work. (5 stars, Amazon.com)


Visit Becky on the Web- http://beckymoore.wordpress.com/


*CONTEST*
Becky will be giving away an E-copy of THE PENALTY BOX and an E-copy of THE RIGHT WORDS to two lucky commenters! Two winners will be chosen at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address with your comment so we may contact you should you win! Author choses who wins which prize....

"Getting to know" Author Becky Moore ...*Contest*

Becky Moore is tall and buxom, highly educated and culturally savvy. She’s a world traveler, problem solver, crusader. Thankful for the love of reading she inherited from her mom, mother to a superbly cool kid, wife to the world’s most handsome man. A marathon runner, freelance photographer, faithful companion to Magnolia May the beagle, and a prolific reader and writer.


In her down time, and in the real world, Becky loves to spend time with her husband and son. They live in the urban wilds of central North Carolina. Becky is an avid gardener, hiker, kayaker, bicyclist, knitter, and community volunteer. She spent over a dozen years working as a writer, graphic artist, photographer and PR whiz in the pharmaceutical advertising, hi-tech, performing arts, and HIV/AIDS (grantwriting) fields before venturing into her current status of full-time author.


And like her favorite characters, when you close her books, Becky will be just be a fond memory.


She’s a PRO member of the Romance Writers of America, and a member of her local chapter, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.


You can reach Becky by e-mail at becky@beckymoore.net. She loves to hear from her readers.


Visit Becky on the Web- http://beckymoore.wordpress.com/


*CONTEST*
Becky will be giving away an E-copy of THE PENALTY BOX and an E-copy of THE RIGHT WORDS to two lucky commenters! Two winners will be chosen at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address with your comment so we may contact you should you win! Author choses who wins which prize....

Our SPOTLIGHT is on Author Becky Moore, and THE PENALTY BOX ...*Contest*

Justin Mangum, otherwise known as “The Monk,” has just turned the National Hockey League on its ear with his announcement of retirement. Just five games into the new season following a Stanley Cup win, the sports world can’t fathom why the number one enforcer would willingly step aside. He further throws the world into a tailspin with part of his reasoning behind retirement: he wants to get out of the spotlight, start a private practice as a physical therapist, find a wife, buy a house, get a dog, and just settle down.

A year later, he runs into Olivia Casey—quite literally—and one hospital trip, a concussion and the shifting of the moon and the stars later, finally lets out the collective breath he’s been holding his whole life. For Olivia, a hotshot young architect taking the world by storm with her revolutionary yet simple designs, fate could not have been more obvious. She awakens to find the goliath man who knocked her down, and out, checking her body for damage; her good friends standing close by are no soothing balm to the primitive struggle of fight or flight she’s experiencing. But Fate can be brutally honest, whether its expected or not, and Justin and Olivia both wonder if they can relax their guard enough to let fate take its course and wind up lucky in love … or in the penalty box.

Purchase THE PENALTY BOX-

AMAZON 
XOXO Publishing
All Romance EBooks

Visit Becky on the Web- http://beckymoore.wordpress.com/

Connect with Becky Online

Twitter

Facebook 


*CONTEST*
Becky will be giving away an E-copy of  THE PENALTY BOX and an E-copy of THE RIGHT WORDS to two lucky commenters! Two winners will be chosen at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address with your comment so we may contact you should you win! Author choses who wins which prize....

AND Introducing ... GARGOYLES by Alan Nayes ...*Contest*

In the tradition of Robin Cook and Richard Preston, Alan Nayes has written an absorbing, terrifying novel about what happens when human beings have the ability to save their own lives – but only by changing the face of humanity. — Brilliant pre-med student Amoreena Daniels needs money. Desperately. Her mother is dying of cancer and her medical insurance has run out...

When a seemingly perfect women's clinic offers Amoreena a generous payment for service as a surrogate mother, Amoreena thinks her prayers have been answered. But then -- much too early -- her baby begins to move.

The strange dreams, another surrogate's mysterious death, and a drug-addicted former medical intern confirm Amoreena's worst suspicions: there is something terribly wrong with her pregnancy.

Amoreena embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth behind the endless battery of genetic tests, sonograms, and frightened patients, only to discover that she has unwittingly become a pawn in a high-stakes game of biomedical experimentation.


~PROLOGUE FROM GARGOYLES ....

Somewhere near Itzimte Ruins, Guatemala, rainy season


She turned her first trick four months shy of her thirteenth birthday. Patricio had been a small man, only a boy really, being just two years older than she. His father had been a teniente in the security police that patrolled Mexico City, and he’d paid sixty pesos for Gabriella’s services.

Gabriella wasn’t her real name then, but it was the name she’d used while plying her trade, and it was how she was currently registered at Las Canas.

Now, three years later, the teenage girl with the truculent almond eyes sat huddled under a gnarled tree limb, seeking refuge from the tropical shower. Her skin glistened moistly from sweat and precipitation, and she could smell her own fear above the pungent odor of the earth.

Gabriella stroked one hand across her gravid abdomen, then quickly climbed from the security and cover of the lush vegetation to resume her flight along the muddy carretera that would eventually lead her to San Andres. Nightfall was fast approaching. She pressed onward, prodding herself another half kilometer, though her feet and thighs cried out for rest. Surrounded by miles of unfettered jungle that comprised the Guatemalan lowland rain forests, she longed for a shortcut. There was none. And carved out of this most intimidating habitat in all Central America was Las Canas.

Wump. Wump. Wump. Wump. Los helicopteros. The choppers.

“Mi bebe!” My baby. Gabriella dashed back under the gloomy cover of the rain-forest canopy. She would rather risk an encounter with el tigre or even Desmodus rotundus, the loathsome bloodsucking vampire bat.

Wump. Wump. Wump. Anything but not the choppers. She could never return to Las Canas.

Never.

Gabriella clutched desperately at her stomach. It heaved with each laborious breath. She couldn’t maintain this frenetic pace; it was impossible. She forced herself to think through the tears, through the pain. She might still stand a chance if she could thwart their initial assault.

Wump. Wump. Wump. Wump.

“Que merida,”Gabriella cried out.

Her hands protected her eyes as she stumbled farther through the thick underbrush. Thorns ripped at her skin, and vines threatened to ensnare her ankles as if they possessed wills of their own.

She tripped, stumbling forward. Terror gripped her like a giant anaconda. Her breaths catapulted from her convulsing chest in short gasps.

Oh Dios, por favor, she prayed. Please God. If she could just make it to the Itzimte Ruins before dark.

High above her head, the canopy of epiphytes, vines, and towering ferns gyrated into a living tempest. The powerful downdraft from the Sikorsky’s blades created a whirlpool of flying debris.

Gabriella threw herself on the forest floor, cowering under the onslaught of tangled vegetation.

Wump. Wump. Wump. Wump.

“No!” she cried. “No!”

With nothing to cling to but remnants of past dreams, Gabriella began to pray. She prayed for herself. She prayed for Las Canas. But mostly she prayed for the bebes.

The men from the plantacion de azucar were coming.

~REVIEWS

"Gargoyles is a heart-stopping page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. Alan Nayes combines his expertise and slick writing to brilliantly bring to life the all-too-real possibilities of genetic engineering in the wrong hands. Gargoyles is a frighteningly good read!"-April Christofferson, author of Buffalo Medicine"

A splendid debut. A timely tale, steadily accelerating suspense . . . and a warning."--Charles Wilson, USA Today best-selling author of Deep Sleep and Extinct on Gargoyles

"The idea behind this story is first rate. Dr. Nayes shows the dark side of genetic engineering run amok, in a nightmarish biotech scenario. . . . Gargoyles is an audacious beginning for a bold new writer of medical thrillers."--David M. Shobin, New York Times bestselling author of The Provider

"Slickly suspenseful . . . The mix of breezy science and lab-smock sadism makes for breathless page-turning."--Kirkus Reviews on Gargoyles"

[A] gripping, thought-provoking tale of mounting distrust, betrayal, brutality, and greed."--Booklist on Gargoyles


*CONTEST*
Alan will give away a print copy of his novel GARGOYLES to one lucky commenter!! One winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address so that we can contact you, should you win!

Contact Alan on the web- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Nayes/12586042413992839928

Excerpt from BARBARY POINT by Alan Nayes...*Contest*

CHAPTER 1 – A MOTHER’S REQUEST

I was seated behind my desk when my mother called.

“Kelly, I have some awful news,” Mom blurted out. “Your father has passed away.”

A frozen silence coated the office interior like newly formed frost from a winter chill. I no longer heard the morning fashion editor prognosticating on the radio, no conversations from the hall, no sounds of copy machines and faxes.

My father. Dead.

Not the kind of revelation I had grown accustomed to. Up to that time, bad news had been nothing more serious than a speeding ticket, a missed deadline, and once or twice a broken date.

The morning had started out ordinary enough. I was driving into work.

Since graduating from a prestigious East Coast university with master’s degrees in comparative literature and broadcast journalism, I had launched a whirlwind of successes. I called it connecting the dots. My position as chief editor for West Coast Today magazine, a glamour publication with more CEOs and movie celebrities on its board than most Fortune 500 companies, was my most recent acquisition. Seeing my nameplate, Kelly English, mounted on the finely grained oak door always gave me goose bumps, though I would be the last person to admit this. That was one dot. And I’d built the magazine to a circulation of three-quarters of a million readers. Another dot.

I couldn’t resist a brief smile of pride in the rearview. My smile always reminded me of my mother. I looked like her. We both were blessed with high cheek bones and a thick mane of auburn hair. I’m just a younger version. And even though I’d recently turned twenty-eight, I could still lay claim to the title of youngest editor-in-chief of any major publication in the U.S. That was important to me. But I never realized priorities could change so fast when you least expected it.

I’d always believed winning was everything. And it seemed I never stopped rushing. That’s because I loved the game of life and enjoyed all its trimmings--a half million dollar residence, a fantastic job, and glamorous lifestyle--all dots on my future life investment. The sky was the limit and I was fueling my own rocket ship. Not bad for a shy kid growing up in a Dallas , Texas suburb who’d been cut from her junior high school soccer team because she couldn’t run fast enough.

Well, hell, this filly was running now!

I raced my snow white BMW convertible down the exit ramp, through a yellow light, whisked around a corner and moments later pulled to a stop in my own private space in underground parking.

No sooner than I rode the elevator up nineteen floors to my high rise office in the center of Los Angeles ’ financial district, the indicator light on my desk phone reminded me the morning business had begun.

My heart rate picked up a notch, though, when I recognized the voice on the line.

“Kell-bee,” a deep baritone resonated in my ear. “How was the ride in?”

“Wonderful, Thomas,” I replied. “I’m at my desk now.”

“Then I won’t bother you, baby,” he said. “Just wanted to ensure you arrived safely.”

“I’m here.”

“You mean a lot to me, Kell-bee.”

“I know.”

“And I’m not referring to your position as my editor-in-chief.”

“I know that, too, honey.”

“I love you, Kelly English.”

I kissed him through the receiver and disconnected.

Thomas Gregorian was perhaps the most surprising dot of all. The first time he’d called me Kell-bee, a sobriquet for Kelly and baby, I had blushed. So corny, yet from the CEO and chairman of Mayflower Ltd., a conglomerate of cable, real estate, and financial concerns and parent of West Coast Today, the nickname had seemed as natural as my birth name. After a dinner a year ago, our relationship blossomed rapidly to a flowering romance, culminating in a four karat engagement ring six weeks ago, thanks to his tenacious persistence. The wedding was set for October, a mere five months away.

Thomas Gregorian was rich, handsome, caring, everything a woman could desire. I reminded myself every day I couldn’t have been more blessed. Like Mother constantly cajoled me, when you net a fish that big, you don’t dillydally around and debate how to prepare it, you simply toss it in the skillet with plenty of grease and turn the heat to high.

Thomas liked to describe the physical attraction between us as akin to a finely blended vodka martini, his favorite drink, with all the ingredients measured to perfection -- goes down so smooth, yet leaves one feeling a warm afterglow long after the glass is empty.

Alone in my office, I allowed myself a moment of self-contemplation. My stepfather was several decades older than my mother and my parents seemed quite happy. Thomas’s age didn’t matter either. A fifty-one year old man as virile as Thomas was in his prime -- professionally, emotionally, and mentally. Eight years had passed since his divorce and I was ready to be a first time bride.

“I want a grandchild to spoil,” Mother constantly teased me.

Well one day soon, I thought as I perused the morning’s hectic schedule -- meetings with staff, audits to complete, a gazillion calls to clients, and layout artists for the new Seagram’s account.

Then came that phone call from Dallas , Texas .

“Your father has passed away,” Mother had said.

“Josh!” I exclaimed.

“No, not Josh. Him!”

“Him?”

“Your father.”

Instantly, any concern ground to a halt. “Oh, him,” I said. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since my parents divorced when I was three.

Josh English was my stepfather and had been since I was seven. Though as an adult, I addressed him as Josh, he was still the only father I had ever known. He raised me, schooled me, clothed me, and most importantly, Josh deeply loved a woman named Melody, my mother.

In contrast, him was simply a blank slate, devoid of anything human. There was nothing reminiscent of family, and certainly no sense of love and loyalty. I didn’t hate him, though at one time I might have despised his existence. Now there was no feeling whatsoever. He might as well have been a stranger on a deserted island somewhere off the desolate coast of Antarctica . For me, he simply didn’t exist.

“I received the notice in the mail yesterday,” Mother explained. “Gene died almost two weeks ago. The funeral was last Sunday.”

“Why were you notified so late?”

“Well, Kelly, we weren’t exactly in touch. Also, he was living in Wisconsin .”

“I thought you mentioned one time he was from Chicago .”

“I guess he moved back. Anyway, this letter from the probate lawyer states Gene left his entire estate to me and you.”

“What?”

“I know, it’s absurd. What’s it been --?”

“Twenty five years,” I answered for her.

“Yes, I suppose so, dear. There is one slight problem with all this.”

“And...”

“One of us needs to fly up there to close out his estate. It wasn’t much, a small house or cottage on a lake, and other miscellaneous items the letter says. Gene never made much money, I gather.”

“So fly up there, Mom,” I said. “It shouldn’t take but a few days.”

“I can’t. Josh is going into the hospital for some tests.”

“Mother.”

“Oh no need for worry. Something to do with his colon. You know Josh, as strong as a bull.”

“Can’t Dad’s estate business wait?” I asked, instantly aware of an odd sensation in my chest at using the possessive adjective Dad.

“Not according to the lawyer. He would prefer to close this in person and soon.”

“How soon?”

“Like in the next couple of weeks.”

I exhaled heavily. “Mom, you would not believe how busy I am -- the magazine, the wedding, Thomas.”

“How is Thomas?”

“He’s fine.”

“And you?”

“We’re fine.”

“So Kelly, can you do this for me? Like you said, one day, two at the most. Gene didn’t have much.”

“Mom...”

“Please, one little favor.”

“Okay,” I acquiesced. “I guess I could get away for a little break.”

“Oh, dear, I knew you’d make time. You’re the best. Josh and I would go if it weren’t for the hospital appointment.”

“You don’t have to say it, Mom. By the way, where will I be flying to?”

Mother paused to read. “It says here, Gene had a tiny place just outside of Oshkosh on Lake Winnebago .”

Lake Winnebago . For some inexplicable reason the name touched a chord, I don’t know why, it meant nothing to me, and I decided this was fitting, as neither did my deceased father.


*CONTEST*
Alan will give away a print copy of his novel GARGOYLES to one lucky commenter!! One winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address so that we can contact you, should you win!



Contact Alan on the web- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Nayes/12586042413992839928

Purchase Barbary Point -http://www.amazon.com/Barbary-Point-ebook/dp/B004FV4S6W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1292119255&sr=1-4ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1292119255&sr=1-4

Reviews of Barbary Point ... *Contest*

~REVIEWS~

Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
5 stars *****
Barbary Point is one of the most beautifully written love stories I’ve read. It will make you laugh and cry. It’s so well written that you will feel the pain that Kelly, and I’m sure her father too, felt throughout their lives. But you will also feel the joy and love that Kelly feels as she spends more and more time on Barbary Point. I loved this heartwarming story of love.

Rebecca Rose's review
Dec 27, 10 5 stars *****
Warning: The tears will flow.
Sometimes you read something and it changes you. You appreciate your life so much more and thank the heavens for the wonderful life you have. I finished this beautiful piece of fiction and then dreamed about it. How cool is that? I fell in love with the characters. My heart bleed when the inevitable happened and when it was over. Even now my eyes are starting to mist because my heart is weeping with joy and sadness. What an art form Barbary Point is. I saw the water, felt the wind and was over joyed with the discoveries. This novella will stay with me for a long time. Stories like this only come around once in a great while. If you want to feel, Barbary Point by Alan Nayes is a must read. You won't be disappointed!Congratulations, Mr. Nayes on receiving the special Five and a Half Blue Roses! I'm so thrilled to have found Barbary Point.


Reviewed by Val @ Books that leave you breathless.
Having come from a similar situation with my own father, this touching novella really hit home with me. I felt I could relate to it in a way that I can't relate to most books I read. Kelly has felt one way about her father all her life and if afforded the opportunity to experience a new outlook on who her father really was. Solid characters and an intricately wound love story will leave you wishing this book had been longer. Mr. Nayes writes with intellectual flair that leaves you wanting to read more.Barbary Point was a breath of fresh air. In this fast paced life I live in, I love to read to escape and Barbary Point was worth every minute I spent reading. I felt as though I could slow down and enjoy the story. I know nothing of fishing but left this story with a little bit of knowledge and a great appreciation for the life of a fisherman. I would have to say that this book evokes similar emotions to any of the Nicholas Sparks Books. To Mr. Nayes I would like to say, this book was a job well done. It's evident that you researched the location of the book very well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kelly's story and I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

~Prologue from Barbary Point~

Mother always reminded me, “Kelly, love from the mind is nothing more than a pleasurable arrangement, whereas love from the heart lasts forever.”

I had listened to these same exact words beginning in junior high, again in high school, and throughout college. And it always worried me I might not be able to tell the difference.

A man I deeply loved once told me that a fish lunges after an artificial lure solely on instinct.

He sees it, wants it, and zappo, he’s hooked.

Love is a lot like that. You see someone you want, the chemistry is there, and zappo, you’re hooked.


*CONTEST*
Alan will give away a print copy of his novel GARGOYLES to one lucky commenter!! One winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address so that we can contact you, should you win!


Contact Alan on the web- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Nayes/125860424139928
Purchase Barbary Point -
http://www.amazon.com/Barbary-Point-ebook/dp/B004FV4S6W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1292119255&sr=1-4

TOMORROW- CHAPTER 1 OF BARBARY POINT ......

Getting to know Author Alan Nayes...*Contest*

Alan Nayes was born in Houston and grew up on the Texas gulf coast. After attending medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, he moved to Southern California where he divides his time and energies between medicine and writing. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed biomedical thrillers, GARGOYLES and THE UNNATURAL. His most recent release is BARBARY POINT, a love story.

An avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast, he is one of only a few individuals to ever swim across Wisconsin’s chilly Lake Winnebago. When not working on his next project, he enjoys relaxing and fishing at the family vacation home in Wisconsin.

Contact Alan on the web- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Nayes/125860424139928

Purchase Barbary Point -

http://www.amazon.com/Barbary-Point-ebook/dp/B004FV4S6W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1292119255&sr=1-4

*CONTEST*
Alan will give away a print copy of his novel GARGOYLES to one lucky commenter!! One winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address so that we can contact you, should you win!

Our SPOTLIGHT is on Barbary Point, by Alan Nayes ...*Contest*

When Kelly English flies back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to close out her father's estate, the last thing on her mind is falling in love. Again.

Kelly is twenty-eight and engaged to an older man who is quite wealthy. She's happy, and only desires to make the trip back brief, sell her deceased father's place, and return to her stable life in Los Angeles. However, while taking care of business in Oshkosh, Kelly meets a fishing guide, launching her on an emotional journey she never could have predicted or foreseen.

Barbary Point is Kelly's story of what happened that one magical week in May on the shores of Lake Winnebago when the ducklings hatch and the walleye run.

Contact Alan on the web- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Nayes/125860424139928

Purchase BARBARY POINT- http://www.amazon.com/Barbary-Point-ebook/dp/B004FV4S6W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1292119255&sr=1-4

*CONTEST*

Alan will give away a print copy of his novel GARGOYLES to one lucky commenter!! One winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. Please leave your E-mail address so that we can contact you, should you win!

ALSO...Be sure to pop over to The Writers Mind to meet another super author and to enter for a chance to win yet another great prize!

www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com

Our SPOTLIGHT wraps up with a SNEAK PEEK, of THE FORBIDDEN LOVE...*CONTEST*

~ Excerpt from, "THE FORBIDDEN LOVE"

On a whim Vailean went to the stable and stood in the darkness caressing the back of his horse. Dressed in a trench coat, he could feel the chill of the December night and longed for a room well heated with wood fire. In the light of the torches affixed in the corridor connecting the stable to the living quarters he saw her.

To say she was beautiful would have been a gross understatement; her white skin had the freshness of a dew covered rosebud on a wintery morning and her features that of a doll. Her hazel eyes had the innocence of toddler and inquiry of youth. Her long golden hair overflowed behind her and she floated away as if in a dream, leaving her admirer awestruck.

*
The large town square of Dunvegan Castle was host a travelling fete of gypsies that the king has invited especially for the holiday season. It was a riot of colors, a noisy and overcrowded place with tents, stalls and flea market. Palm readers, crystal-gazers, knife-throwers, fire-eaters, massage healers, antique sellers – you name it and it could be found in the fair.

Amidst the crowd of shoppers, thrill-revelers and holidaying families was a handsome youth dressed in a smart shirt and kilt. He could have easily been mistaken for the son of a wealthy merchant and the prince preferred to keep his identity a secret. He was there for a rendezvous set up by the clown with his lady love Marietta. The girls were out to visit the carnival in the afternoon and the jester had taken promise from the melodic singer to meet a good friend of his.

PURCHASE "THE FORBIDDEN LOVE"
- http://www.xoxopublishing.com/our-books/coming-soon.html

Visit Vickram E. Diwan on the web - http://vickramediwan.wordpress.com/
Follow Vickram E. Diwan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/denysebridger
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*CONTEST*
Vickram E. Diwan will be giving away an E-copy of THE FORBIDDEN LOVE to one lucky commenter! On winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over!

Find out what people are saying about Vickram E. Diwan ....

Nas
November 21, 2010 at 2:42 am
I’m also familiar with that era via bollywood movies etc…so was magic prevalent in that era? And I would definitely love to read THE TATTOO ANTHOLOGY.

Kristal McKerrington
November 21, 2010 at 8:30 am
Awww thank you Vickram, I do try to help out authors who ask me for what help I can give them. Andrea’s blog is an awesome place to do a Spotlight week there. She is so nice and so is her readers. Take care hun and congratulations on an awesome Blog. Kristal x

James L. Hatch
November 21, 2010 at 8:37 am
I understand. You are right about the paranormal activity being too confined to the US and Canada. Even a recent movie (I don’t recall the title) parodied the “fact” the UFOs always land in the US. I like your concept.

Katalina Leon
November 21, 2010 at 10:04 am
Vickram this series sounds scary and lush, and very interesting.

JOYE
November 21, 2010 at 10:35 am
Enjoyed reading the comments. I am always looking for new authors to read. Your book sounds interesting. Of course, here in the Phoenix area we have seen many lights that are flying over and are unexpained.

alan nayes
November 21, 2010 at 10:36 am
interesting blog, vikram. a fun read. the “x-files from british india” is a novel concept. every culture has their own “monsters and goblins” and it’s nice to escape the mundane frankenstiens and werewolves once in a while. good luck with all your projects.

alan nayes
November 21, 2010 at 10:53 am
great blog, vikram. and you’re so correct–every culture has their own “frankenstiens and werewolves and things that go bump in the dark.” it’s always intersting to read and experience someone else’s monsters and goblins every once in awhile.

alan nayes
November 21, 2010 at 11:11 am
hi vickram, great blog entry. a fun read. and you’re so correct–every culture has their own “frankensteins and werewolves and things that go bump in the dark”. it’s fun to read and experience someone else’s monsters and goblins every once in awhile.

alan nayes
November 21, 2010 at 11:21 am
hi vickram, great blog. a fun read. and you’re so correct–every culture has their own “frankensteins and werewolves and things that go bump in the dark.” it’s always fun to read and experience other peoples monsters and goblins every so often. good luck with all your projects.

Robin Mitzelos
November 22, 2010 at 7:15 am
Love disovering new authors. Turned a Monday frown unside down:).

desi reilly
November 22, 2010 at 8:07 am
hi i would love to read your book i do like the paranormal and the ghost and every thing that attracted to them good luckwith the books.

Victoria CK
November 23, 2010 at 8:50 am
Wow, this sounds interesting. I am use to historicals and to paranormals, but not to both together (at least not often). And I can’t recall any outside of English speaking countries. I’m sure they are out there, I just haven’t come across them.
Good luck with your Christmas Anthology!

Rashda
November 23, 2010 at 10:59 am
Wow, I’m hooked. I love that you’re taking paranormal out of the Western, urban limits… I wish more authors realized the world is a big place. Only thing that’d make it better is if at least one of your main characters was someone Indian. Books can only get more interesting with diversity. But thanks for a step in that direction. Good luck!

Marianne Stephens
November 23, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Great concept…setting a paranormal in a different place than we usually read…and taking it back in time makes it more intriguing. No modernization, now-known facts to use. Good luck with this books!



Visit Vickram E. Diwan on the web - http://vickramediwan.wordpress.com/

*CONTEST*
Vickram E. Diwan will be giving away an E-copy of THE FORBIDDEN LOVE to one lucky commenter! On winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over!

Get Up Close & Personal with Author Vickram E. Diwan ...

Vickram E. Diwan has been an avid follower of all things paranormal and magick since childhood. A jack of many trades he has worked as a shop-assistant, shop-keeper, tele-caller, banking executive and as an insurance-agent. He is a post-graduate from Delhi University.

Vickram lets himself be 'possessed' and works as a medium or channel for the stories of far more capable writers that come out through him.

Writing is a passion, obsession for him; much like a demonic possession that he does not wish to be cured of. It is like a catharsis to get rid of the demons that haunt him; until he writes their piece and buys his short-lived peace with them.

He plans to follow up his debut story with many more tales of Historical/Paranormal and Adventure Genre.

He lives in New Delhi, India.

PURCHASE "THE FORBIDDEN LOVE"- http://www.xoxopublishing.com/our-books/coming-soon.html

Visit Vickram E. Diwan on the web - http://vickramediwan.wordpress.com/

Follow Vickram E. Diwan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/denysebridger

Friend Vickram E. Diwan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/denyse.bridgervickramediwan

Join Vickram E. Diwan's Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vickram-E-Diwans-Fan-Page/124646507599801

*CONTEST*

Vickram E. Diwan will be giving away an E-copy of THE FORBIDDEN LOVE to one lucky commenter! On winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over!

Our SPOTLIGHT is on THE FORBIDDEN LOVE By Vickram E. Diwan...*Contest*

THE FORBIDDEN LOVE, Is a Christmas story coming soon from
XOXO publishing... Part of their Christmas Anthology- xoxopublishing.com

The Forbidden Love is a Christmas story set in Scottish Highlands in the middle ages. It is the tale of a Prince who falls in love with an Italian choir singer who is to be initiated into nun-hood. The Priest heading the monastery cannot allow a nun to elope with the Prince and forces the young man to choose between the crown and love.

Characters like the Jester, a beggar woman who loves the Prince as a son and the picturesque Castle, Gypsy fete add color to the story.



On Christmas day he was to be crowned the King and she was to become a nun. But once their paths cross their lives are changed forever. The picturesque Scottish Castle is on the edge, torn between conflicting loyalties. Love, betrayal, power, religion, friends and foes all play a part in a story that takes the lovers on the brink. Will the love and spirit of Christmas overcome the conventions or become its victim? A heartfelt story of the star-crossed lovers.

PURCHASE "THE FORBIDDEN LOVE"- http://www.xoxopublishing.com/our-books/coming-soon.html


Visit Vickram E. Diwan on the web - http://vickramediwan.wordpress.com/
Follow Vickram E. Diwan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/denysebridger
Friend Vickram E. Diwan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/denyse.bridgervickramediwan
Join Vickram E. Diwan's Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vickram-E-Diwans-Fan-Page/124646507599801


*CONTEST*
Vickram E. Diwan will be giving away an E-copy of THE FORBIDDEN LOVE to one lucky commenter! On winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over!

AND introducing FREEDOM IS EARNED by Kristal Mckerrington ...

Freedom Is Earned
(Back Cover)

What would you do if you saw two Street Hip Hop crews face off?

Would you recover from a shooting, then go on to lead your dance group to victory; not only to save your training ground, but to find out who tried to kill you?

In a love triangle of lies, who would you turn to?

What would your life be like after a showdown like that?

A confrontation that could tell you who tried to kill you, and disband the very people who were behind the attack: would it be worth the risk of you losing a crew that you had built up yourself with your own bare hands?

Welcome to Ambers life in 'Freedom Is Earned' where its all about the Streets and what you have to do to survive?

Can you heart take the heat?

Now for a preview of Kristal Mckerringtons latest release- FREEDOM IS EARNED!

Out on the street, the wind started to pick up again and I shivered against it while I wrapped my wool cardigan around me tighter. The bitterness of the wind whipped at my face as I rounded the corner.

In the distance, I heard the sound of a motor bike revving. It was a sound that I liked and it reminded me of the country boys on their trail bikes bombing around the hills.

Moving around the corner, I started to walk towards the entrance of the local children's playground when I heard the bike draw closer at a fast-pace.I stopped now and took out my car keys while looking around for the bike. There was no sign of it even though it didn't sound far away now.

I walked on with a shiver. I now crossed the entrance to the playground and it was then that I saw a black shining Blackbird come flying around the corner, slowing ever so slightly as the rider straightened up the bike. I noticed the bike was completely black, but I could tell it was a Blackbird by its headlights. Upon nearing me, the biker seemed to shift his hands and, as he grew closer, I realised he was holding a gun.

The next thing I knew there were a series of loud bangs, then I felt my body being thrown to the ground. Pain swerved my body, pinning me to the ground harshly and with a force that knocked the air from my lungs.

I felt my mouth falling open where I let out a scream of pain that erupted through my throat and I felt alone and trapped in my searing pain-filled body, hearing the distant screams of my friends and, not long after they started, the sounds of distant sirens.

Struggling not to let my eyelids droop shut, I could see blurry images of my friends all around me, but was unable to communicate to them. The searing, burning pain roared and stabbed harder at me before I slipped into the darkness that had been clawing at me to enter.

In the darkness, I found peace and felt myself drift away into nothingness.

Purchase- Freedom Is Earned:- http://xoxopublishing.com/shop-online/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=93

Blogspot for Kristal's latest updates:- http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot.com/

Kristal's Author Site:- http://www.kristalmckerrington.webs.com/

Kristal's Facebook Fan Site:- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristal-McKerringtons-Offical-Fan-Page

Another Sneak Peek into, HIGHLANDER WITH THE INK...

Marked me? Kill me? Those words stuck inside of Nancy's head and she felt herself wanting to scream as she pulled out what looked like a discarded baton from behind a coat stand. That was the one thing that Nancy's grandmother had taught her. That was how to protect herself just in case she was fighting men twice her size. She wanted her granddaughter to be safe.

Reaching it, she picked up the baton. When she turned, she took a deep breath. Nancy rose, sucking up the pain, hoping that it would help fuel her strength. Then she fully extended the baton with a simple flick of her wrist, and she raised her foot, kicking the one she knew as Odin into Thor, taking them by surprise as they landed on the ground on top of one another.

“They are already tired too, and no I haven't marked her yet. Well, at least she has the fire inside her.” Thor stumbled out as he rolled his uncle off of him, then had to roll over his left shoulder as the baton narrowly missed, hitting him right between the legs. Then he had to duck and dodge her as Nancy threw everything at him that she had.

Odin stepped to the side, where he watched Nancy closely, realising that she would indeed fit into their world once her power was restored to her. Nancy had been one of the few children born that he hadn't known about. She was rare. She was a demigod and that was something that really didn't happen all that often. Her mother was the one goddess who had disappeared; her mother was Freya.

“You are right about that, Thor, but if we are going to protect her from the others then you are going to have to mark her before we have a visit from my brother, my other nephew and your ex wife,” Odin said wearily as he moved so that he was in no way near the fighting, as Nancy who was growing stronger despite the increased burning of her tattoo. Her strength was going to be short-lived. Before she knew it, she was back down on the ground with the burning taking a tight hold of her back yet again, but this time with such force she was whimpering and crying.

“Please don't hurt me. Ah!” Those were Nancy's last words before Odin rotated his hand in a full circle and she went unconscious where she lay.

“You couldn't have done that earlier?” Thor said, panting ever so slightly as he bent over, placing his hands on his knees and taking a deep breath even though he didn't need to because that was the one thing about being a god—you didn't really need to breathe; but without air, they had learned that their skin went into funny shades and they started to resemble the monsters that were always on the prowl inside them.
“No, she was fighting my presence there within her mind. What a troubled life she has had, poor thing. Losing her human father, thinking her mother is dead, then her granny really did die and her grandfather had taken off. You know who that was, right?” Odin said, as he came close to Nancy and gently lifted her up into the tattoo chair that was nearest them.

“No, who?” Thor asked, as he leaned against the wall of the tattoo booth where he was trying to decide whether or not he was going to go and get changed into something more powerful.

“Skadis, you know Freya's real father?” Odin asked, as he looked through more of Nancy's memories and seeing all that she had done to protect herself. “She is a nurse. That is good. We need some human knowledge careers in our group.”

“That is true. We need to take care of our people better. I believe that she will do just that and I believe she has a great chance of being a good leader of our people. Besides, I wouldn't worry about Freya; we know she will turn up, Uncle, and she will be looking for you since you are her real husband and she is bound to you,” Thor said as he moved around to where he picked up the tattoo gun and inspected it carefully. Odin had left it fully loaded and ready for him to mark Nancy as his before the ceremony of love could be finished, which would give her powers that were locked away deep inside her soul, after which she would truly be his.

“Oh, I am not worried about Freya. I am worried about what will happen when mother sees daughter again and especially when she sees that she is bound to you.” Odin spoke and moved away from the booth to give them privacy for what Thor was about to do.

Purchase- Highlander with the Ink~ http://xoxopublishing.com/shop-online/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=84

Visit Kristal on the web- http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot.com/

Excerpt from Highlander with the Ink ...

Even though she had never drunk in her life, she took a flute full of a liquid. Nancy saw a male come down the stairs who stole the breath right out of her chest. He was wearing tight black jeans that had bleached claw-like marks across the front pockets and they were so tight Nancy wondered how he could even stay in them. He was wearing a black silk shirt with an interesting symbol in gold embroidery where his heart would sit.

The symbol was of a hammer upside down and it had what looked to her like detailed tribal lines through it and around it. He had the same leather cowboy hat on that she did and he was wearing boots with silver shining metal that was wrapped all around the boot only leaving some black leather to show through.

Looking around, Nancy saw that everyone had stopped dead still and were staring up at him with huge, wide eyes. This stranger had black hair that reached down to his hips which he had tied up in a full length pelt tied off with a piece of black leather. That man was completely stunning in the way he moved down the stairs, and even the clinking of his feet against the wood made Nancy's heart feel as if it were up in her throat. The more she tried to tell herself she was being silly the more she got caught up in the image of this man.

“Thank you all for joining me here today and I think we will start the proceedings, now that Nancy is here; who is our dear friend’s only remaining daughter.” The male’s strong voice revealed very heavy and hard words for Nancy to swallow back as she raised her eyes to meet the cool black ones that had very cold blue centres.

Nancy felt herself shiver under the weight of his eyes as she made her way towards him, trying to force her lungs to breathe air in that, if she were honest, didn't seem to want to.

“We know this is a great deal for you to deal with Nancy, as you never knew your father. However, I can tell you that this is because he wished to protect you.” The male’s voice spoke softly, as if he were trying to charm her.

“Protect me from what?” Nancy blurted out, tightened her fingers around the rim of her bag, as she began to shake with a mixture of emotions that felt like it was going to topple her. This man was telling her that her absent father had been trying to protect her from something, yet she didn't understand what it was that he was meant to have protected her from. She had already lost all her family, and she was more alone than ever and her mind was unable to get control over itself.


Purchase- Highlander with the Ink~ http://xoxopublishing.com/shop-online/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=84

Visit Kristal on the web- http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot.com/

Kristal's Author Site:- http://www.kristalmckerrington.webs.com/

Join Kristal's Facebook Fan Site:- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristal-McKerringtons-Offical-Fan-Page

Get up close & personal with Author Kristal Mckerrington ...

Kristal McKerrington is a twenty one year old writer from Scotland, UK.

She has a love for Scotland and for Vikings. Kristal has only recently started to publish with XOXO Publishing; she lives with her boyfriend in the heart of Glasgow.

Kristal also has a love for going out with her boyfriend on their motorbike and spending long hours soaking in her bath tub writing her stories.


CLICK LINK BELOW to view an interview with Kristal Mckerrington-
http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/2010/09/scottish-writer-kristal-mckerrington.html?zx=958cf187d361de1d


Visit Kristal on the web- http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot.com/

Kristal's Author Site:- http://www.kristalmckerrington.webs.com/

Join Kristal's Facebook Fan Site:- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristal-McKerringtons-Offical-Fan-Page

Our SPOTLIGHT is on Kristal McKerrington & HIGHLANDER WITH THE INK ...

'In a town that was small and full of hot headed Highlanders there is a nurse who has a tattoo that is about to change her life.

Nancy was a nurse who had recently graduated from the Nursing Program who decides to take a year off for herself after her father dies leaving her very well off.

What Nancy finds in Immortal Thor is going to turn her world upside down as he is looking for a wife and she just happens to be the perfect fit.'

HIGHLANDER WITH THE INK, is just one of the great stories in ' The Tattoo Series Anthology', Volume 1

Purchase- Highlander with the Ink~ http://xoxopublishing.com/shop-online/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=84

Visit Kristal on the web- http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot.com/

Kristal's Author Site:- http://www.kristalmckerrington.webs.com/

Join Kirstal's Facebook Fan Site:- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristal-McKerringtons-Offical-Fan-Page

Check back with us tomorrow - we'll be learning more about Author Kristal Mckerrington!