Saturday, October 29, 2011

Things You'll Learn Reading By Virtues' Design

WARNING: Random LOLCats can lead to wheezing and hysterical laughter. 


If that didn't make you laugh, maybe this will.



And now for something completely different...

I was invited to talk a bit about my latest book, By Virtues' Design, at Killer Fiction. Here are a few things you'll learn when you read the book:

1. Girls beware! Dream men have a nasty habit of leaving their mark on you.

2. Never cross the protective ward into the land of serfdom, otherwise known as the kitchen.

3. While visiting Los Angeles, be prepared for an hour commute to the restaurant down the block.

There are three more listed in the blog post that you can read here.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

World of Wordcraft: Proof Readers Are Essential

I just had to post this here, because never were truer words said--Proof readers are essential.

Kathleen Yoshida, my editor, and I recently discussed this very topic after reading a number of books written by big name authors like Nicholas Sparks, Stephen King, etc. One would think that publishing houses for these authors would be particularly careful with grammar and punctuation given the amount of money invested in these books. But, these mistakes happen often enough that I wonder what is going on. If these were indie published authors, I could accept the mistakes to a certain degree. But from big names? Um...why?

Take a read here.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Author Spotlight: Teri Thackston

I'm honored to introduce to you all the brilliant author to Border Heat, Teri Thackston. She took some time out of her busy schedule to tell me a bit about her novel. Without further adieu...

Welcome Teri
Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog. I’ve been writing stories since I learned to spell, with a serious notion from about age eleven that I wanted to become a published writer. I just love the idea of creating stories…if those stories are romantic, all the better! Of course, it took quite a while to actually become a published writer, beginning with a few short stories from the True Confessions group of magazines, then a story in Woman’s World, and finally my first novel sale to Ellora’s Cave/Blush. That first novel publication was a long time coming, but well worth the wait.

My latest book, Border Heat, is a thriller with romantic elements, inspired by the illegal drug trade along the Texas border that our country has been enduring lately. I also pulled in the element of wildfires that have so decimated Texas—and other parts of the South—during this year’s terrible drought.

Murderous drug runners, a wildfire in the Texas desert and the President's runaway daughter…Game Warden Shannon Walker didn't sign up for any of this. Add the arrival of Tucker Daye—a sexy Secret Service Agent that Shannon used to date—unexpected betrayal and a desperate escape into the desert, and the border becomes hotter than Shannon can handle.

Here’s a short excerpt from the book
She strode right up to him and, with one hand on her hip, she jabbed the index finger of her other hand into his breastbone. “Let’s get one thing straight, Tucker Daye. I am in charge of this facility and this Wildlife Management Area. You and those other spies are welcome to help me and Sgt. Sanchez guard the prisoner, but we call the shots. Got it?”

Tucker lifted one eyebrow and resisted the impulse to push her finger away. Actually, his stronger impulse was to wrap his free hand around her wrist and haul her up close for a searing kiss on those pretty pink lips. They were entirely too tight for his taste and a long wet kiss would soften them up. He knew that about her, too.

But with the memory of Loretta apparently still fresh in Shannon’s mind, the odds on a long, wet kiss were about as low as his odds of riding a rocket to the moon. Not that it mattered. He’d made his choice on that score last February.

Besides that there were two teenage girls eavesdropping on their conversation. So instead of reacting the way he wanted, he relaxed his body and smiled at Shannon. “We’re not spies, sweetheart. We’re Secret Service agents. And I think we might know a little more about handling this situation than a couple of game wardens do.”

Her lips thinned more. “For your information, sweetheart, Texas game wardens probably receive more rigorous law enforcement training than you do.” The tip of her index finger pressed harder into his chest. “While you and your friends are here, you’ll do what I tell you.”

He cocked his head to once side. “I’ve missed you, Shannon,” he murmured, aware that the two teens had grown almost stone still. He lowered his voice a bit more. “Don’t tell me you haven’t missed me, too.”

BORDER HEAT is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and Smashwords.com

I hang out at my website www.terithackston.com as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Now Available: By Virtues' Design

By Virtues' Design, 1st book in The Judge Chronicles

Enter a world where wizards battle against necromantic forces in a fight to save mankind from total annihilation. Where a mighty ruler leads his people against the hordes that would weaken the Empire, even as his council plots his ruin from within. Where one woman can change the very fabric of time and space into something beyond imagining. Enter this world where nothing will ever be the same.


Read an excerpt here now.






Summary
A civil engineer meets a magic-wielding emperor from another world in her dreams and not only discovers that he is real, but that he stands at the center of a plot by a necromantic sociopath that threatens to destroy him and her sanity.

Synopsis
The Empire will fall. Jacob Murak, Emperor of Alinia and keeper of all magic, knows this and there is little he can do but watch and wait. There seems no hope for his people as they are systematically killed in a war meant to weaken his resolve as much as it is to weaken his forces. This is made worse by the magic he must use to fight the enemy, which traps him under the weight of guilt that leaves women battered and him bitter. The twinkling angels in the night sky do not weep for him. They have witnessed his shame. As punishment they send him one of their own, a woman from another world who knows no magic except the inventions she weaves in her mind. This beautiful engineer isn’t afraid to explore his nightmares and face the demon within him. This only deepens his sadness, even as it intensifies his desire for her. He must have her, but the cost will be great.

Maria can’t believe she’s fallen in love with a man she met in her dreams. Dream men are supposed to stay where they belong, in her head. She is a civil engineer, not a woman prone to flights of fancy, but there is something peculiar about these dreams, something a little too real. Then again maybe her mother is right. Maybe this dream man is just her subconscious trying to help her heal from the wounds of a nasty divorce. But things start to happen—marks appear on her body, the car keys go missing, and then there is a visitor who says he knows about the dreams and where to find her otherworldly lover. Could this be real? Dare she believe? It will take a miracle to be with Jacob, not to mention a whole lot of magic.

NOW AVAILABLE AT ONLINE RETAILERS
Order By Virtues' DesignAmazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble (Nook) or Smashwords (All). Paperback copies will go on sale November 1st, 2011.

Additional information on this and other titles can always be found on my website here

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Time To Make The Switch?




Today, on Amazon's front page, is a letter from the Founder, Jeff Bezos. "There are two types of companies: those that work hard to charge customers more, and those that work hard to charge customers less," Bezos states. "Both approaches can work. We are firmly in the second camp." He goes on to introduce their new Kindle products at a much lower price, including one for $79.

Many people who once refused to go to a device for their literature have slowly come around. My husband has made the switch, despite his persistent assertions to the contrary. Not only did he take over my Sony eReader, which is now collecting dust due to software issues (don't even getting me started on that!), he has taken over my Nook Color. It is the same one he bought for me for my "everything" gift (e.g., Christmas, birthday, anniversary, Valentines, just because, etc.). Gotta love men who buys their girl a gadget only to abscond with it. I LOVE YOU, CLINT!

I'm so excited about this, because it means more people will be exposed to other literature not found at your local B&N or big box super-store. Some have argued that these other ebooks do not have the same quality writing/edits one would get from a legacy published novel (a novel published through one of the big houses from New York). That is actually a fallacy. First off, you will find READERS, not critics, providing feedback on titles to help you, the customer, decide whether to buy the book or not. Also, many of these books are priced way below those found at "brick and mortar" storefronts. I suggest giving a few of these author's a try, including Jennifer Bray-Weber's romance novel involving pirates, Blood and Treasure, and Tea Trelawny's vampire-biker paranormal romance/erotic novel, Start Your Engines. There are a lot of other authors I could feature here, all of whom are equally talented writers, but it would get overwhelming and my little digits would require vats of Bengay. Not pretty.

In conclusion, there are many reasons to make the switch to an e-reader. Amazon has just made it a little easier for us by coming out with products at fantastic prices.