December Issue Bewitching Book Tours Magazine

Interview and Giveaway with Xandra James

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

It was a natural progression as Sam the Gargoyle (the hero in the book) used to be a security guy and gargoyles, in my world, are super protective. From there it took me a while to hit on a title I like but I usually make notes of potential titles as I think of them, so I just had to use my brain a little, lol. Incidentally, the name of book 2 of the anthology is The Protectors as it fits with our heroes so it really did just fit together nicely.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I can't really concentrate until I have at least a working title for the story I'm working on. I think it's one of those obsessive writer things – either that or I'm not quite right ;)  For instance, Protecting His Own actually started out as 'Surprise, I'm A Gargoyle!' as I was first drafting it. Thankfully the title worked itself out as I went along, otherwise I may have been stuck with it.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Hmmm… I really just want readers to enjoy the story of Sam and Nina. I guess if there was a message, it would be that life is unexpected and the best laid plans are meant to be tweaked (or trampled over with a bulldozer!)

What books/authors have influenced your life?

So, so many books have influenced my life. Sometimes you'll just read a book and it hits you straight between the eyes as it's exactly what you needed to read at that moment in time. Other books are the perfect relaxer – your guilty pleasure that takes you away from life. If I had to say one author (and it's tough) I'd say it was Kerrelyn Sparks and her Love at Stake series. It introduced me to fun, paranormal romances and I haven't looked back since in my reading or writing.

What book are you reading now?

I've literally just started a Liz Fielding Christmas story called, Mistletoe and the Lost Stiletto. And I've just finished reading Baby, It's Cold Outside by Rice, Hardy, Carson and Andrews and it was a lovely xmas collection. As you probably guessed, I like to read festive stories over Christmas. It gets me in a jolly mood ;)

What books are in your to read pile?

What isn't? lol. I have older stuff from Johanna Lindsey and Catherine Coulter, right up to Tawna Fenske, Kerrelyn Sparks, Heidi Rice, Nicola Marsh and Gena Showalter. There's a bit of everything in the boxes of books I have stashed. And there's a whole lot of different stuff on my kindle now, too. I love me a free book so I always download them if they spark my fancy, but there's plenty I've bought that I just haven't had the time (so far) to read, everything from contemporary to paranormal, mystery and a bit of historical.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The first draft is the most difficult thing. To get the story out in a logical order, without killing the structure of it, is a painful process. I don't want to miss anything crucial out but I also know the writing isn't up to scratch either but cannot let my inner editor, who's perched on my shoulder shouting directions and hurling insults, get to me. Running through and editing, on the other hand, is where I can relax. Even if it needs a lot of re-writing, I know it can be fixed and that the story will come out in a logical way since I now know roughly where I'm going.

 Who designed the cover of your latest book?

Victoria Miller, a freelance cover artist who does work for Breathless Press. And I think she did a phenomenal job. She's made all three books in the series fit together nicely and, I must admit, it's probably one of my favourites so far. It just makes you want to go and buy the anthology, doesn't it? ;)

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write lots. And when you're not writing? Read lots. There is no magic formula for us writers. We just have to work hard and treat it as a job, and write the story, making it the best it can be.

Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?

I'm not usually a music person when I'm writing, but these past few days my natural grumpiness has faded somewhat and I've turned on the radio to listen to Christmas tunes. So although it doesn't pertain directly to this book, the story kinda reminds me of the festive season because it was this time last year that I was writing it!

Thanks so much for hosting me here today. I've loved answering your questions.

The Protectors Anthology

The Blood Bar Chronicles Book 2

Protecting His Own

by Xandra James

Genre: Paranormal romance

Publisher: Breathless Press

ISBN: 978-1-77101-812-8

ASIN: B00A1CICCA

Number of pages: 152

Word Count: 47999

Cover Artist: Victoria Miller

Breathless Press   All Romance eBooks   Amazon UK  

Amazon US  Bookstrand  

Book Description:

When the Wicked Ladies of Fiction meet up in a Scottish bar they don’t expect a night filled with danger, lust and hot supernatural men…

Widowed Nina was just looking for a warm body for one night when she walked into The Blood Bar. But with a little help from a Siren song and a sexy bar-owner, the universe had other ideas.

Gargoyle Sam wants a forever type of girl after years of meaningless encounters and now, he thinks he’s found the one. He just has to convince her of that.

But the night is full of mysteries and not only does Sam need to confront an enemy from his past, he’s pulled into a complicated tug of love and war with a group of misfit Supes and Nina’s friends. Will Sam be strong enough to save them both or will they both lose what they’ve only just found?

About the Author:

Multi-published author, Xandra James, has always wanted to write romance books. Even when she was sneaking peaks at the hot bits, too young to fully appreciate them, she dreamt of writing her own.

Now, older and wiser, she's got the opportunity to project her slightly dark and wacky, British sense of humour onto others, whilst still writing the hot bits - bonus!

When not writing, Xandra is thinking of excuses as to why she shouldn't be doing the housework, looking after a husband and cats that refuse to pick up after themselves and climbing the mountain in her house that's affectionately called her tbr pile.

She currently holds the crown for Queen Procrastinator – something she's very proud of – so you can usually find her online, somewhere, when she really should be writing.

Website  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads

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Wildewood by B.A. Morton

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The Stone Guardian Release Day Blitz

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Candy Cane Kink Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my Candy Cane Kink Giveaway Hop

I have a couple naughty goodies in the giveaway stocking for you today: 

four ebooks featuring sexy, naughty, and steamy holiday stories.

One lucky winner will receive all 4 books in pdf format

A collection of five festive erotic stories with mixed and varied themes.

Candy Cane Thrills – Roxanne Rhoads

Adrienne has a little Christmas seduction in mind when she dresses up in red velvet for her boyfriend Marcus. But it turns out that she's not the only one with sexy shenanigans in mind. Marcus has been thinking alone the same lines, and he has a sweet Christmas treat in store for her – quite literally!

Re-invention – Jodie Davis

Mel's so-called lover has told her she's too old to reinvent herself. But the gorgeous Adonis who's been working in the garden doesn't seem to agree. And Mel finds that reinvention has never been so much fun!

Screwge – Landon Dixon

There's nothing as head-spinningly attractive as riches, unless it's having sex on a bedful of gold, as Ted and Helen know. But the pair of thieves haven't read their Dickens, and they don't know the dangers of stealing money belonging to a man named Screwge at Christmas time...

Christmas Down Under – Mary Borsellino

Escaping from the cold, bleak English weather to spend Christmas in Australia sounds like a fantasy in itself. But there's more to come for Mary Borsellino's narrator, as the first person she speaks to – a hunky taxi driver called Alex – makes it his mission to show her all the joys of Christmas.

Sunny Side Up – Candy Bagham

Christmas has always been about the shagging for Vicki. Going abroad with her friend Donna, finding a sexy hot man or two in a sexy hot country. But Donna hasn't arrived yet, and Vicki might just have found a man she's not prepared to share...

These stories have also been published in Seriously Sexy Stocking Filler ISBN 9781906373818

Tasty Christmas Treats
Roxanne Rhoads
ISBN: 978-1897559901
ASIN: B003V8BHZA
Publisher: Eternal Press

Level of Sensuality: sizzling

Summary:

Kelly has had a long day working in her upscale adult boutique. She's ready to kick off her heels and spend some quality time with her husband, Marc, which just might include activities involving candy canes, ribbons and bows that would make even Kelly blush! 

But just as things are spicing up, an emergency phone call from one of Kelly's employees interrupts the festive fun. 

Kelly's troublemaking, oversexed cousin, Chrissy, is up to no good, and wreaking havoc in Kelly's upscale sex shop. Can Kelly convince Chrissy that her store is not a brothel before the cops shut it down? Will Kelly and Marc ever get to finish their passionate Christmas rendezvous?

Paranormal Pleasures Ten Tales of Supernatural Seduction

Roxanne Rhoads
Publisher: Bewitching Books
Genre: Paranormal erotica
ISBN: 0615470386 / 9780615470382
Page Count: 138

Book description: 

Ten tantalizing, erotic tales of vampires, witches and demons grace the pages of this short story collection by Roxanne Rhoads.

Step into the darkness and let these tales tempt and tease to satisfy your paranormal cravings.

Eight of Roxanne Rhoads' previous eBook publications appear in print for the first time, along with two brand new, never before published tales of supernatural love and lust.

Featuring the holiday paranormal erotica story:

Witching You A Merry Christmas

Witch Vicki has been leery of vampires ever since she was attacked five years ago. Daniel's a vampire and he's been secretly in love in with Vicki for two years ever since becoming Vicki's partner in The Guardians a supernatural group of paranormal crime fighters. Daniel loves Christmas and hopes the spirit of the holidays will soften Vicki's hatred of vampires and help her see him in a new light. Will he get his Christmas wish?


Lust Bites - A collection of five erotic vampire stories

ISBN: ASIN: B003UNJXBQ

Price: $3.49

Publisher: Xcite Books

Level of Sensuality: sizzling

Featuring the vampire erotica short:

Fangs for the Holidays by Adrienne Rose (my short lived pen name):

After spending the day baking holiday goodies Avery drops by her vampire boyfriend Jackson's home so they can spend some quality time together. He is surprisingly enticed by the smell of baked goods on Avery's skin which leads them to a discussion about family holiday gatherings...and a lot of very hot sex.

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Building a New World – Guest blog by author: Christie Palmer

Building a New World – Guest blog by author: Christie Palmer

I love being the author of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal I am blessed with the creativity and ability to create worlds and characters that have never been seen before or ever been imagined. It’s amazing, and wonderful and fits into my world of make-believe. Yes, I just used a Mr. Rogers analogy. Remember anything is possible in the land of make-believe. This is where I began creating my worlds, within the fantasies of a child’s mind.

For my debut novel Shadow Play, the setting might be in Montana. But it is worlds apart from the small town that the mortal eye would see, it is what lies beyond the realm of the mortal eye that makes any fantasy/paranormal believable. Those things that go bump in the night? The unexplained is what a writer thrives on. Imagine yourself on a dark corner the only light the street lamp shining over you, creating a halo of light and safety around you. That darkness the light is pushing back? The unknown? That is where a writer lives, where the unbelievable and imaginative mind lives. That is where I create my worlds.

Creating a new world and realm can be as easy or as difficult as you want it to be. You can create a world that has similarities to our world. Or create something from scratch with your own language your own creatures or world unto its self.

I love to create worlds that are within our own realm of existence. For example, taking mythology and bending it to my own will. By bending our own reality you have the basis of a world and you can fill in the blanks.

I have taken Druids, and made them a current day people. I have added Elements to the Druid history. But in my world I have six elements, Earth, Air, Water, Fire, Darkness, and Light.

In my world Atlantis was a true place, housing all the great Gods and mysterious of the world. There are hundreds if not thousands of blanks you can fill in when you just put those two ideas in front of me.

Basically all it takes is a basis in reality and an imagination that will fill in the blanks. So in a nutshell, for me, building new worlds is like a crazy Mad Libs game. And who didn’t love those.

So turn out the lights and stare into the darkness and build a world and create a history and mythology. Then write…

Shadow Play

Book 1 of the Tracker Series, Book 1 of the Others
Christie Palmer

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Publisher: Jinx Fantasy Fiction LLC

ebook: 978-0-9885557-0-9

Paperback: 978-0-9885557-1-6

Word Count:  375

Cover Artist: Jaycee De Lorenzo of Sweet N’ Spicy Designs

Book Description:

A small town in the mountains of Marshall, Montana is being plagued by an unknown entity. It’s mutilating and killing the women of the town. At his wits end the Sheriff of Marshall has nowhere to turn but to a friend. A friend, with the abilities to track and kill any prey.

Ryder doesn’t normally do mortal issues. However, he can’t turn his back on a friend. Besides he is the best at what he does. After all he is a Tracker, an ancient race with unparalleled abilities to track down any prey. With one of the three essential elements: Taste, Touch or Smell. Heartless and cold, Ryder knows what needs to be done and performs his duty without feeling.

Kyra, an Air Element and the only female Elemental Enforcer, is sent on a fact finding mission to Marshall, by the Druid Council. She needs to find out exactly what is happening in Montana before the Tribunal goes in and kills everyone.

The last thing she expects to find is a Tracker, and is even more surprised to find out that he is on her side. But can they get past their initial feelings upon meeting and the sexual tension? Or will the evil that is living in the mountain kill them both.

Ryder and Kyra must learn to work together to destroy the shadow and save Kyra from a fate worse than death. When pure evil is involved is love enough?

Author Bio:

Christie was born and raised in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Ut. She lives less than a mile from the home she grew up in. World traveler she is not. But what she lacked in travel she more than made up for in her imagination. Within her vivid imagination she has traveled the world over as well as different worlds and different times.

She works a full time day job to pay the bills but loses herself in books and her writing whenever possible.

She is a loving mother of two wonderful children that she admits she is obsessed with. She has been married for 18 years to a very tolerant man that is grounded in reality in order for her to fly to the heights of her own imagination.

She started writing when she was a teenager after reading a book that she didn't like the ending too. Took a hiatus to raise her wonderful children but has dedicated herself to becoming a published writer for the last several years.

www.author-christiepalmer.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christie.palmer.5011

Twitter: @christieauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11563672-christie-palmer

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