Guest Post: JULI D. REVEZZO

I am Woman hear me… whimper?

Ask any Jane Austen fan and she’ll tell you her favorite character is Darcy. Ask me, I have to just shrug and I don’t care about him as much as say, Mr. Bingley.

[Mr. Bingley Image Credit: LunaNueva01]

Yeah, that’s right, you heard me. I find the whole Darcy-love phenomena leaves me scratching my head. Why? Well, just look at that character-type. It’s all over the darned place! From Austen to…ahem, Fifty Shades of Grey.

If you’ve read contemporary fiction for any amount of time recently, you’ve noticed a …shall we say lack of strong female characters?

Yes, I said it. A complete lack of strong female characters. Why? From women who owe something to the women’s movement — from everything to the ability to break the glass ceiling to now fighting in combat, why are we suddenly swooning over chest thumping Neanderthal men? (Apologies to the Neanderthals among my readers and characters ;)). Theoretically, it’s because of survival instincts, but I read an interesting article while writing this that said Alpha males tended to die out faster than betas. Why is that, I wonder? Could it be that the women in their tribes got tired of being told their only worth was in the kitchen and bedroom?

In these days, to say I don’t get the love of that type of character is an understatement. Where are the male leads who can lead others while saying “Sure honey, you don’t need to cook tonight. No problem. How’s takeout sound”?

So, when I sat down to write my new paranormal romance novel, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE, that’s exactly how my heroine, Stacy, turned out. She runs her own business and wrangles with bankers without a man’s assistance … However her bankers and rivals turn out to be a little different from the norm. So I had to introduce her to the strong, silent-like Aaron Fielding. While he might display some of those so-called Alpha characteristics he is also kind, thoughtful, a peacemaker, and will respectfully bow to a super — well, to say more will give you a spoiler for my book. ;)

Yes, he’s had experience dealing with odd types of foul fiends. He can, and will, lop off a head or two when necessary like a good warrior should. But when it comes to how he and heroine Stacy see one another, it’s eye-to-eye, thank you very much. He may be strong with a sword, but she can think her way out of a paper bag, and when I put them together, their chemistry went off the charts. She need not whimper, and he need not beat his chest. You see, to me, strong heroines and heroes complement each other very well especially when they can agree. Between them, they make for the perfect romance, I think. I hope you’ll give them a look and enjoy their chemistry.

Would you like to read a little bit more about Stacy and Aaron? Okay:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise -- but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help -- even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

PASSION’S SACRED DANCE can be purchased for Kindle from Amazon and coming soon to other venues. I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy the story I had to tell!

Thanks, Cherry for inviting me here today!

Passion's Sacred Dance by Juli D. Revezzo
Genre: paranormal romance

About Passion's Sacred Dance:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

Might this be something you think your readers would be interested in?

Source: Info in the About Passion's Sacred Dance was taken from the press kit from the publicity team.
Buy Link(s):


Book Trailer:

About Juli D. Revezzo:

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first romance novel.

Juli's Link(s):
julidrevezzo.com
blog at julidrevezzo.com/blog
https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo
google+
GoodReads
Shelfari
@julidrevezzo

GuestPost: M. Anthony Phillips

How to pick the right topics and audience

I’m a new novelist with three books under my belt. Picking a subject to write about to me has to not only be something that is passionate to you, but also is marketable in an ever changing audience. My genre of choice is fiction because I love a great story. When I was a kid I used to stay up late at night with my father watching old movies. The experience stayed with me, not just because it helped shape who I am, but also because it gave my father and I a chance to bond.

I guess you can say every fictional story has an audience, but if you’re just doing a story just because a particular genre is the latest thing, and you’re not really passionate about the story, then it could come off as not being believable. What defines you as a person? What cartoons, or movies did you watch as a child? Do you find yourself saying “That would make a great story?”

It’s okay to jump in on the latest thing—children’s books are very popular, so if you do, become educated—buy a book and read it to your kids to see their reaction. If it doesn’t warm your heart, then maybe it’s not the one. Picking the genre you want to become a genuine author in is the easy part. The hard part is finding a core audience and how to market them.

If you choose to self publish your book, which is usually what happens to first time authors unless you’re a famous celebrity, send out a press release to announce your book. Do an online book tour that will reach a variety of readers, send out postcards to family and friends, post an add on your facebook page, start a website, and there are many other strategies as well. Eventually you’ll start to develop a hardcore following that will become avid supporters of your books.

M. Anthony Phillips is a native of St. Louis and studied writing and history at Harris Stowe University. M. Anthony is an avid historian and reader of fine literature of fiction and non-fictional books. This is M. Anthony’s third novel with a sequel to follow with hopes of becoming a full time novelist. M. Anthony resides in St. Louis and Los Angeles where he loves acting as a SAG member, practicing martial arts, writing screenplays, and living the life of a modern day renaissance man.

Isabella: Protector of the Last Dragon by M. Anthony Phillips

About Isabella: Protector of the Last Dragon:

An ancient Chinese celestial dragon–unearthed in the frozen mountains of Mongolia, miraculously survives and looks to locate a twelve year old girl whose the key to fighting the demons that chased him out of his kingdom, and to find his female mate.

Source: Info in the About Isabella: Protector of the Last Dragon was taken from the promotional tour information.

Guest Post: Jacqueline Paige

I feel like I was just handed a blank piece of paper and told to fill it. Well, lets see ... I could talk about the hundred + aspects of magic, but that one seems to be over done if you ask me. Do a Google on magic and see what I mean.

I’ve given my brain free reign to fill this blank page and the topic it randomly tossed me is curses. This theme is tied into my Salvation book, as well as many of my other books.

While writing them I didn’t see the connection, until someone pointed it out. In Behind the Mask my main character was cursed by her sister to be forgotten. In Twice Cursed (coming out in February) my main witch has been cursed, well, twice (coming up with that title was easy). I’m presently working on a trilogy and a spell/curse is the main plot. So I guess my cursed pirate ghost in Salvation isn’t an oddity for me.

While my unknown of theme of curses is a surprise to me, in truth curses have been around for all of human existence in all areas of the globe and all belief systems. To illustrate this I’m going to tell you about some ‘famous’ curses.

The first one is the curse of James Dean’s car: In 1955 James Dean was killed while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder. In the next year the very same car was involved in two more fatal accidents. The car was purchased by hot-rod designer.

During a tune up the car fell on the mechanic's legs and crushed them. Later the owners of the sold engine and transmission, two doctors who raced cars, while racing against each other, one driver was killed, the other seriously injured. Someone else had purchased the tires, which blew simultaneously, sending the driver to the hospital.

The car was set to appear in a car show, but a fire broke out in the building the night before the show, destroying every car except James Deans, which survived without so much as a smudge. The car was then loaded onto a truck to go back to California. The driver lost control en route, was thrown from the cab, and was crushed by the car when it fell off the trailer. In 1960, after being exhibited by the California Highway Patrol, the car disappeared and hasn't been seen since.

The next time someone says an object is cursed... I might listen.

There is also the famous Egyptian mummy curse Tutankhamen’s tomb – where the inscription read “Death comes on wings to he who enters the tomb of a pharaoh" and the person that found the tomb, apparently died from pneumonia and blood poisoning following complications from a mosquito bite.

I for one feel uncomfortable just looking at the artefacts on display in the museum from Egyptian tombs – never would I be brave enough to dig up one of their tombs.

Here is one I found entertaining... In 1945, William Sianis brought his pet goat to Wrigley Field to see the fourth game of the 1945 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers. Sianis and his goat were later escorted from the game, and Sianis reportedly put a curse on the team that day. Ever since, the Cubs have had legendarily bad luck.

Over the years, Cubs fans have experienced agony in repeated late-season collapses when victory seemed imminent. In 1969, 1984, 1989, and 2003, the Cubs were painfully close to advancing to the World Series but couldn't hold the lead. Even those who don't consider themselves Cubs fans blame the hex for the weird and almost comical losses year after year. The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908 -- no other team in the history of the game has gone as long without a championship.

I don’t follow sports that much – is this one true?

So there are a few famous, if not odd curses in history. I make mine much more interesting in my books and completely unpredictable.

Maybe the next time someone utters the words ‘I’m cursed’ I will definitely believe them.

Thanks for having me here!!

Salvation by Jacqueline Paige

Genre: paranormal romance

About Salvation:

Two centuries of not existing is about to change...

Lost in a place between living and dying, confined to roam endlessly over the same grounds for all eternity and cursed to never be seen again, Jareth wanders through time alone and longing for the sea once more. When he realizes there is one thing he yearns for more than he ever did the sea, he is tossed into a world he is unfamiliar with.

Stuck with a life that never goes her way, Miranda is determined to get at least one thing she wants. When that one thing turns out to be a sexy pirate that lived over two hundred years ago, she finds herself faced with more than one challenge to have him.
Can they break the curse and be together?

Source: Info in the About Salvation was taken from the press release received for this book from Goddess Fish on 02/11/10.

BOND WITH ME VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY

Today, we have Author Anne Marsh who was the talent behind the highly awaited paranormal romance, BOND WITH ME! Anne will be guest blogging with us as today's stop for the BOND WITH ME VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR. And thank you very much Anne for brewing a bit of mischief being with us at Cherry Mischievous :) ...and don't forget to stick around until the end of Anne's blog post for the chance to bag yourself some wonderful prizes!

Without further ado, let me give you... Anne Marsh!!!

Stone Soup and Sex: Cooking up BOND WITH ME One Sexy Ingredient at a Time

Stone soup bears a remarkable resemblance to sex in my opinion. Many of us are probably familiar with the old folk story about stone soup: strangers arrive in a rather unfriendly (OK, downright hostile) village and trick the inhospitable villagers into providing all the ingredients required for a lavish and tasty soup. Writing a great sex scene is rather similar to making stone soup, or so I’ve found. You have to coax your imagination into giving you the ingredients you need to make a kick-ass spicy book.

Author: I’d like to write a really hot love story.

Imagination: Fine. You want it, you write it. Don’t ask me for anything—I haven’t got any plot points for you.

Author: No problem—I have everything I need. I’m just going to start with this here plot rock: “Once open a time, there was a sexy alpha hero who met a feisty heroine. They fell in love and shared some really hot sex. The end.” This is going to be the best and hottest book ever!

Imagination: Ooookay. Really? You can make a whole book out of that?

Author: Sure. All I need is one more ingredient: a really intriguing hero. Someone sexy and dark. A little exotic and more than a little dangerous. Can you help me out?

Imagination: I suppose that’s not too difficult. What if he’s a fallen angel—and what he wants, more than anything, is to go back to the Heavens? But not because he’s some sort of saint (that would be laudable but kinda boring). No, what he wants is revenge—because he was set up to take the fall for an archangel’s crime. He lost his wings for someone else’s crime.

Author: Fabulous! Now our book is tasting better! But I think we need just one
more ingredient. Something to spice the hero up so he’s not just an innocent victim. Can you help me make him a real bad boy?

Imagination: Well… OK. What if he isn’t exactly sweetness and light? Let’s make him a master seducer. An expert in making sensual fantasies come to life— for a price. A piece of your soul. That ought to complicate things between the hero and the heroine. She’s going to resent him for the
ownership bid, even while the sexy dom aspect intrigues her.

Author: Yes! My hero gets his price—and then he realizes he wants something more. He doesn’t want the heroine for just a little hot loving (although they’re pretty darn combustible together). He wants her. For eternity. He makes the mistake of falling in love with her—even though she has every intention of leaving him as soon as she finds her cousin. And then it turns out she’s his soul mate—the one woman in the world who can restore his wings. He has to convince her to stay if he wants to go back to the Heavens.

One last ingredient and I think our soup is done… can you give me
Something to spice up the sex scenes? Just a little?

Imagination: What if, when you agree to bond with a fallen angel, there’s a special ritual? A special sexual ritual—one that is witnessed by other fallen angels?

Author: Ooh—a little voyeurism with a hint of ménage. That will work….

Little by little, the book comes together and your imagination kicks into overdrive and soon you’ve got your hands full of a sexy, determined alpha male conquering a bookful of obstacles to meet his heroine. What elements do you like in your sexy scenes?

Anne will be giving away: (CLOSED)

For one randomly drawn commenter: a gift package consisting of an autographed copy of The Hunt, a mother-of-pearl shell, shell necklace, tiare-scented bath salts, two monoi lotions, and monoi oil, all from Bora Bora ($75 value). Winners will be picked by Anne. Visit and comment in the other virtual blog tour stops to increase your chances of winning! Below is a list blog stops Anne will be visiting for this tour:

September 6: D. Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters
September 7: My Disorganized Ramblings
September 8: Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews
September 9: Cherry Mischievous
September 10: Book Junkie
September 13: Bad Girls (and Boys) Writer's Block
September 14: Alisha Paige
September 15: Simply Ali
September 16: You Gotta Read Reviews
September 17: Authors by Authors


Stalk Anne at:
site: http://annemarsh.wordpress.com/books
twitter: http://twitter.com/sexygoblins (@sexygoblins)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Marsh/339393391812 (Anne Marsh)

About Bond With Me:

They rule Moscow’s seedy underworld, promising untold pleasure to the females who dare to mate them. That promise – and Brends Duranov’s own raw sexual power – has hopefuls mobbing the velvet rope outside his elite club G2’s.

But Mischka Baran has no intention of hooking up with one of the Fallen. Not even after Brends gives her an unforgettable taste of the sin and seduction he can deliver with those wicked lips. She’s after information, not a stint as some Goblin’s toy of the month. What she doesn’t know is that with a sadistic killer carving up his brethren, Brends is playing for keeps, hunting the one woman whose bloodline can end the mayhem, whose bond can restore his lost wings.