Gina Conkle: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. Today I'm showcasing GINA CONKLE !!

I write Viking and Georgian romance (talk about polar opposites!). My next release 'To Find a Viking Treasure' is a fast-paced enemies-to-lovers romance where the hero and heroine try to steal back a Viking hoard. That one releases in September (pre-order available!). The follow-up, To Heal a Viking Heart, comes out in November. It's about a bad-boy Viking outlaw who finds unusual redemption with a healer.
Oooo, I've been a sucker for Viking romance ever since I read the Wolf and the Dove by Woodiwiss back in the day. *one-clicks*

Ok, Gina, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at time management , but these days I'm pretty rusty." What would you pay for Hermione's time-turner? Ooof, so many books, so little time.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.
Aretha. My favorite musical era is late 1960s through 1979.
That's a hard stop! I love 80s music too, but in a totally different way. Like 70s music and 80s music are brother and sister and I love them both, but not the same.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused.  Diet Coke?

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Meeting local readers.

5. What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Michigan, Detroit, or Troy?
Everything's so green. Bad roads. Funny what we notice, isn't it?

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? Her mouth touched the microphone.
Provocative!

Optional: What's it about? Girl from the wrong side of the tracks conquers uptight industrialist.
Classic. I love it.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?

Yes!

Yay!!  You chose to work on Alchemy Rusts, our paranormal, anything-goes story.  Your challenge words are:

 

lunar, sacred, rite, finicky, and vain

Part 1, by Laura Bickle
Part 2, by Calandra Usher
Part 3, by AJ Norris
Part 4, by Roselynn Cannes

Part 5:

The testy dragon blew three smoke rings on Izyk's chest. Tiny ice crystals formed on pasty white skin, the sign of changeling suspension. Mara dropped to her knees beside his lifeless body. Her dry mouth worked, but no words came. She needed to touch him, tried to, but Spike hissed at her outstretched hand.

"Dragons prefer to do CPR alone." A cool voice spoke from the shadows.

"CPR? Spike's saving his life?" Mara's voice notched higher. She checked the dark room. Soiled cloths shrouded laboratory instruments. Aquariums sat empty, green bits of algae stuck to tainted glass. The algae glimmered as though small diamonds clung to the slime.

Water slapped the floor, the sound echoing off high ceilings. "Behind you, dear."

Mara scooted around. A woman hovered on the surface of a giant tank, her slender fingers gripping the glass rim with authority. Long blonde hair draped one shoulder, floating like white silk in cerulean blue water. Hard light shined in her eyes, eyes the same shade as the water, the same blue as Izyk's. Mara swallowed hard.

The woman's lips split in what could be called a smile. "No need to be afraid. I'm Ayla, a distant...relative of Izyk's."

A chill walked slowly up Mara's spine. Ayla didn't say relative, rather it slithered off her tongue.

"Funny," Mara said, pushing to her feet, hiding the astrolabe in the folds of her cloak. "He's never mentioned you."

Ayla stroked her hair, preening the way a vain woman would. "Impertinent little piece."

Metal warmed Mara's hand. The plate-sized orb buzzed to life, its cogs and gears ticking behind three small, glass windows. The machine was coming to life. But who started it?

"Give me that." Ayla's arm stuck over the rim.

Mara hefted the instrument. "This?"

"Yes. It belongs to me."

The water woman's fingernails scraped the bronze casing. Alarm bells rang in Mara's head, and she stepped back. "Let's wait for Spike to revive Izyk first."

"No!" A violent wave crashed over the tank's edge. It splattered on the floor, but the water didn't go down the drain. This water slid across concrete, slipping past Mara's shoes as if on a mission. To reach Izyk's body.

She swung around fast. Water surrounded Izyk, lifted him an inch off the floor. Spike carried on his dragon's remedy, blowing smoke over Izyk's body. Hazy concentric circles floated over well-muscled legs formed from long runs. Sluggish wisps of indigo and purple swirled over Izyk's nicely cut lips before funneling sylph-like into his mouth. Much of his color came back, but he lay perfectly still covered in ice crystals. Not dead. Nor alive.

Mara sank to floor beside Izyk, yet her legs, her shoes were dry. Spike flew to a stainless steel table. Onyx eyes glittering, he squawked twice at Ayla and folded his wings.

A long-suffering sigh came from the water woman. "Everyone's conspiring against me today."

"Why isn't he awake?" Mara brushed a soft brown curl off his forehead.

"Our little dragon friend won't share the final, healing breath until I..." Water sloshed. "Never mind. Spike and Izyk are up to something."

The dragon and Izyk?

"But--" Mara turned, gasping.

Ayla's pearlescent torso pressed the glass, a long, graceful fishtail twisting sideways, flicking water impatiently. A thousand diamonds sparkled on her tail. Mara blinked twice at diamond tipped nipples squished against the aquarium. The Mermaid Queen of the North Seas wore diamonds. She was the only person in the half-world who could make them.

The elegant tail snapped to and fro. "Don't gape. It's bad manners."

Mara's chin dropped to her chest. It was no business of hers how the Mermaid Queen dressed. Izyk was her business as were his cheeks warming under her hand. "What's happening?"

"He's still in suspension."

A faint hue colored his skin. "No. Tonight. My being here."

"Izyk used you."

"Used me?" Mara's feet shifted on the strange water that didn't wet her feet.

"Your silly book of spells, the flame of anthor--" The queen's nose wrinkled at Spike like a finicky cat sniffing at a bad morsel. "--even my friend the dragon. All meant to bring the astrolabe to me with the bladeless sword hilt," she paused. "Which you obviously forgot."

The bladeless sword grip. Mara flashed on the rusted hilt with its dirt-smeared stone on the pommel. She rubbed her hip covered by her cloak about to say something, but a hint of breath pushed from Izyk's lungs.

"He's breathing." Mara bent over him all the better to watch the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

"We needed a full-blooded human to get the relics," the Queen went on. "If The Others smelled a changeling..." she shivered visibly. "Well, even a queen in her element is no match for their magic."

The elements --the natural order of humans in their world and changelings in theirs. Every being served a purpose. The Mermaid Queen of the North Sea and her people made diamonds from ice. The Hind Deer people of the forest, Izyk's kind, wove forests and greenery. Landsmen of the South manufactured metal from stone. Each faction guarded their process jealously. Humans lived with this delicate balance, taking but never giving. It was why they were the lowest order.

"Wait." Mara squinted at the Queen. "Is someone trying to change the half-world?"

Wind whistled outside the laboratory. Spike cawed at the building's lone window, his talons clanking steel as he tried to sink them into the table.

The Mermaid Queen swished back and forth in the aquarium. "We need the bladeless sword. We've only this lunar cycle to perform the sacred rite."

Ayla's gaze flit to the window as sheets of water spilled over the glass rim. The strange liquid lifted Izyk and Mara higher. Mara had heard a distant tale, a prophecy of breaking the half-world's unseen chains. Is that why her wise-cracking mentor tricked her into this daring quest? But, why risk death and kiss her?

"They're coming." The Mermaid Queen hoisted herself up and balanced her body on the rim where skin met scales. "There's no time. Give me the astrolabe," she ordered. A thin line of blood oozed where glass edged her scales.

Leaves flew against the laboratory window. The pane rattled from gale force winds.

Mara handed over the astrolabe to the queen. "What about Izyk?"

"He'll live! Grab his hand."

Mara squeezed Izyk's lukewarm hand. If he survived this, she'd kill him for not telling her the truth.

Ayla's frenzied fingers twisted black and bronze knobs. The machine hummed until the bronze shell radiated brilliant light. Fierce winds rattled the lone window. Pitch black shapes loomed outside, their eyes bottomless holes. Glass cracked, the rending sound a sharp chill on Mara's skin. Against her hip inside her cloak another piece of metal pressed hard. The bladeless sword.

The laboratory shook. Empty aquariums snapped in two, raining glass on the floor.

"Hold on," Ayla yelled above the storm.

"The bladeless sword," Mara yelled back, hair blowing across her face. "What does it do?"

The laboratory's shattering window swallowed her words. Shards flew at them like daggers sent to destroy, the power of The Others on full display. A jagged glass knife flew at Mara's eye. She screamed. Her back hit the Queen's aquarium, and all went black.

Fantastic! I love that you brought the mermaid back, and wow, you made the Aquarium so creepy and atmospheric!

Thanks so much! I had way too much fun with this; could hardly stop writing!  I look forward to connecting with readers and writers at Rust City. Until then, please find me in these places:

Website | Twitter |  Facebook |  Pinterest  

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Reader Registration is still open for #RustCity16!

 

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Roselynn Cannes: Rust City Featured Author

 

Welcome to your early-bird peek at some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the conference. Today I'm showcasing Five Words Repeat Offender... uh, I mean, returning champion:

ROSELYNN CANNES! 

Hi! I'm Roselynn Cannes. *waves* I'm newly addicted to Tumblr, I love gin and pantsless dancing, I have the time management skills of a carrot - oh! - and sometimes I write.

Currently I have one book out, FALLEN, it's a literary fiction, historical fiction-fantasy hybrid.  Personally, I don't think it falls into lit-fic. (I read it and loved it) I'm pretty sure it would be considered fantasy, even though there's no magic.

*side eye* I don't think you're supposed to contradict the author about these things, Nicola... The second book in the Fallen Series, DESTROYED, will be out October of this year. *pantsless happy dance* Set in an ancient Greco-Roman inspired world, the Fallen Series is about deciding what to sacrifice and what to fight for - and living with the fallout - when faced with a no-win scenario. < james kirk > I don't believe in no-win scenarios! </james kirk > Err, sorry, I just re-watched the movie.

Uh, yeah Nicola, that's... great. As for my writing, stay tuned for updates on a future project: Games of Thorns, a series of Novellas in which fairy tale princesses are their own villains in the story.  Oh hey, that wouldn't have anything to do with a certain interview on Alpha Heroes, would it?? Sorry, sorry, carry on!

ANYWAY... the first novella, THE BEAUTY OF THE BEAST was supposed to be out this year, but I did mention my time management skills, didn't I?

Ok, Roselynn, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at not cursing like a sailor , but these days I'm pretty rusty."  I know what you f*cking mean, lady.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Eminem. His music is so angry and angsty; much better fodder for my writing playlists. I still love you, Aretha. *loudly whispers, "Forgive me!"*

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here. I have no idea what this means, but I really enjoy the word Faygo  Guess you'll find out in Michigan!

4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Gin and pantsless dancing
Eureka! Gin and Faygo, we just invented a new drink. We can call it The RustCity Roz.

5.What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Troy, Detroit, or Michigan?
Rust City Book Con Well that certainly makes sense!

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R&B singer. What's the first sentence? "Maybe if you would lay off the hookers and blow, we could actually get some fucking work done around here." *chinhands* Tell me more.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game? *rips pants off in response*  OK, well, that was  hardly necessary, but we love your enthusiasm!

You'll be building on our paranormal story featuring a conjured magical dragon, titled Alchemy Rusts (I love that title, thanks Laura!)  The worldbuilding rules for this story are: there are no rules! Paranormal, magical, time travel... anything goes here. And finally, your challenge words are:

fealty, expectorate, bedraggled, alcohol, lovely   

Part 1, by Laura Bickle
Part 2, by Calandra Usher
Part 3, by AJ Norris
Part 4:

Mara was scrambling to get to the aquarium. It was well past dark and there was an excellent chance that Izyk had gotten tired— or bored, or irritated— and left. If she were truly being honest with herself, it was equally likely he’d found himself distracted and hadn’t hung around to begin with. Fickle, fickle man.

God, she needed a drink. Alcohol would make seeing him easier. Wouldn’t it?

A sharp pain lanced through her palm and Mara looked down to see Spike had clamped his teeth around the meaty part of her hand. Mara immediately unlocked the fist she’d unintentionally clamped over the poor thing, but it was already too late. It felt like he’d injected a shot of flames directly into her blood stream. Even as she watched burning heat, bloomed and spread from the points where his needle-like teeth had penetrated flesh.

“Spike!” The word left her lips on a gasp. Rushing to escape as tears stung her eyes and she tried her best not to scream into the night.

“What did you do?” Izyk’s chastising drawl sent her blood boiling for wholly different reasons. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to punch or kiss him.

“Izyk, please.” Mara barely managed to squeeze the words out of her throat.

“The dragon bit you.” The observation did nothing to rectify the matter, nor stop the spread of the poison up her arm. She could lick him—kick him! She could kick him. After he helped her, she reminded herself. “Izyk, please,” she repeated, pushing the words between her firmly clenched teeth. “Can you help?”

“Certainly,” he agreed. “But it’ll cost you.”

“Really, Izyk? Really?! Soliciting favors? Now? You’re despicable.”

“Not favors. Fealty.”

“What?”

“Fealty.” Izyk walked two fingers up her shoulder. “Not much time. The poison is nearing your heart.”

Mara didn’t need the reminder. She could feel it searing its way through her chest.

“Fine! I swear.”

“Say, ‘I, Mara, swear my unwavering fealty to you, Izyk.’ Basic, but we’re in a bit of a rush so it’ll have to do.”

The scathing remark she might have thrown his way disintegrated on her tongue as her chest seized and her breath hitched. “I Mara swear my unwavering fealty to you, Izyk.” She hoped this worked. Ruefully, she acknowledged that it might not. The sounds she’d managed to expectorate hardly sounded like words.

Izyk grabbed her face in both his hands as her feet turned to Jell-O beneath her.

“If I die, I’m going to haunt the shit out of you.”

The next thing she knew, his lips were on hers. Figured. She should have known better than to trust him. He’d always been a phenomenal kisser and all he was doing presently was blowing air hard into her mouth. Mara felt a fleeting moment of disappointment. There wasn’t time to dwell on it. In an instant it was as though every atom in her body collapsed in on itself and then exploded outward. Only the feel of Izyk’s hands on her face and his mouth on her own confirmed that she hadn’t been blasted to the four corners of the globe.

When he pulled away from her, she stumbled, catching her footing and standing dazed. His usually stunning blue eyes were matte and pale.

“You look lovely,” he said softly, his pallor going whiter than when he was in his deer form.

Clearly he was delirious if he believed her bedraggled appearance was even remotely attractive. What had gotten into him?

“Izyk—”

“Did you bring the astrolabe?”

Confused, Mara nodded.

“Time to make good on your vow.” With no warning, he collapsed into a heap on the ground.

“Izyk!” She rushed to his side and couldn’t find any trace of breathing or a pulse.

What the hell was she supposed to do?!

Mara pulled the antiquated tool out of the inside pocket of her jacket. Spike—who was mercifully free of her shredded palm, though she had no idea how— settled himself directly over Izyk’s heart. “I hope you’ve got a clue, because otherwise we’re screwed,” she told the pocket sized dragon blowing smoke rings on the chest of the only man she’d ever loved.

Man, I love this game. 

Any last words for our readers, lovely Roselynn?

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you have to wear pants.

Words to live by!  For more words from Roselynn, find her at her online home, My Twisted Fairy Tales. You can find her latest in social media on her Stalk Me page (hah, that's classic Roselynn!).

Amazon US Buy Links for Fallen: Kindle | Paperback

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Registration is now open for #RustCity16!

 You'll be able to register right up until the doors open, but swag bags are guaranteed only if you register by July 10, so don't wait any longer...

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Tuesday Terrine - Worst post title ever?

Photo Credit John Herschell, lic ref

In the Soup Terrine This Week
Mixing it up a little!

In the... Layers? 
❃ OK, so I like alliteration, so sue me. I can't believe it's been so long since I did a regular Soup post!  June has been just non-stop and unfortunately the blog has come in last, and a lot of reading time has gone by the wayside too, so I didn't have that much to report on. In other news, there are some really revolting photos online if you search for "terrine". That one up there is made of Jello^TM. Isn't it pretty? I am using the photo under Flickr's Creative Commons license, links in the caption.  Coming up, I have a pretty busy schedule of posts for the upcoming Rust City Book Conference, so I wanted to get something in early this week.

❃ Rust City! it's getting epic in here.  I got a larget wave of later-joining participants than I expected for the Five Words Games, so I'm going to start running several posts per week. I'm chucking #ConThu out the window until August. Look for up to four Rust City posts per week, Wednesday through Saturday, and then once we hit August it will likely be daily.  I want to reserve Sunday for my Soup posts and possibly some Tuesday review posts... we shall see.

❃ I generally do not get political on this blog, but I have a distinct point of view. I believe in basic human rights for all humans, including people of color, all religions, and all sexual and gender identities. I believe that basic human rights include access to affordable health care, and governance of one's own body, including reproductive choices. I believe in the separation of church and state. I believe that the time has long past for some sensible gun control measures. I believe that science is better than myth, and knowledge is better than ignorance, and that anti-intellectualism hurts everything about our country. And I believe that a vote for Donald Trump is a vote for fascism, racism, and pretty much every ugly human urge. Jeffe Kennedy wrote some good words about speaking up, here.  So this is me, speaking up.

❃ Badass Librarians - fantastic must-read article about heroes who saved thousands of ancient manuscripts in Timbuktu. Hat Tip to the Seattle Public Library @SPLBuzz Twitter feed.

❃ Obligatory BookRiot link -- dang, I love this site. 2016 Best Books So Far.

❃ Best Tweet:

❃ Vox has a great article on Chuck Tingle vs. the Sad (and/or Sick) Puppies. If you haven't been following the last couple of Hugo Award controversies, this will bring you up to speed as well as explain how hilarious satirical gay erotica writer Chuck Tingle fits into the whole picture. If you haven't heard of Chuck Tingle before, you're missing out. The piece he produced in honor of being nominated is evocatively titled Pounded In the Butt by Chuck Tingle's Hugo - and for 99 cents, I bought a copy just because I love what this man is doing so much.

What I've Been Reading
I've got a pretty good list, but I'm going to catch you up next Sunday.  Hope you enjoy the links!

Cindy Pape-Spencer: Rust City Featured Author

#ConThu is back!  Welcome to your introduction to some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the Rust City Book Conference. Today I'm showcasing:

CINDY SPENCER PAPE

Can you tell us a little about your work, Cindy?

Sure thing! I've written almost all subgenres of romance, an award-winning steampunk series and a little bit of urban fantasy. My current project is getting a bunch of my backlist titles out again, so I'm honestly not sure what's coming next.

Ok, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at softball , but these days I'm pretty rusty."
I was never a big softball player, but my mom and sisters were! I spent a lot of summer afternoons watching games.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

As a Detroit girl, I have to choose? Probably Aretha. Everyone needs some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Completely fair.

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Meeting new readers and connecting with other authors. Well, that works out great, since it's exactly what RustCity is about!

5. What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Michigan, Detroit, or Troy?
I lived in Troy through High School and was born in Detroit. I've spent a few years out of state, but I came back. No place like home, eh?

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R'nB singer. What's the first sentence? " Five hundred dollar suit in a blues club--talk about slumming," the singer said, his voice as deep and soft as velvet.

What's it about? Her development corporation is trying to take over the block that includes his club, as well as the youth center where he volunteers. Love it!

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  YES!!

YAY!! Your Mission: Write Part 4 of our STEAMPUNK Five Words Game, using the challenge words:

absinthe, bound, eight, menagerie, wish

Part 1, by Lorelei Brown
Part 2, by Marie Piper
Part 3, by Seleste deLaney

“Did you see the menagerie at the Tower of London?”

Alma shook her head. Which of her eight little brothers had asked didn’t matter. Her mind was on other things. “Apprentices don’t get a lot of free time to see the sights.” Especially apprentices who were being blackmailed by foreign agents into stealing one of the Alpha Cross’s most valuable inventions.

Paying attention to her family was difficult, as Alma had only one thing on her mind. She knew why the Frenchman had wanted to meet here, in Fairmeadow. Father, Mother, and eight young boys. Every one of them was a hostage, nothing but a pawn in the game. If she failed to deliver the analytical engine, they would all die—and so would she. Alma hadn’t wanted to ever return to this miserable little town, to witness the poverty her family had suffered after the factory closure, but that didn’t mean she wanted them all dead. So here she was, bound for her own destruction when the Order found out, but at least the others would be safe.

“I think I’ll go for a walk.” Trying to sound casual, she stood and brushed off her skirts. “Perhaps I’ll go see Jenny and her new baby. I brought her a gift.” Most of her school friends were married now, with children of their own. Aside from the dead or imprisoned, only Alma had escaped this place.

The boys clamored to come along and Mother abjured her to be home in time for dinner. Alma dismissed the boys and pinned her jaunty little hat on her upswept hair. How elegant this coiffure and ensemble had seemed in London, a perfect foil for her auburn locks. How out of place the cheerful coral and russet feathers and silk seemed here.

There was no gift in her valise, of course, only the stolen engine. Once Alma had turned the corner toward her old friend’s tiny house on the edge of town, she doubled back on the next block toward the pub.

Once inside, she blinked to allow her eyes to adjust to the miasma of cigar smoke and flickering gaslights. Her valise clutched to her side, she found a place at the very end of the bar and did as she’d been instructed. When the bartender came to take her order, she asked for absinthe—something she normally abhorred, as licorice had never been her favorite flavor. After her drink arrived, the vivid green liquid clouded from the sugar cube through which the liquor had been dripped, she pretended to sip as she studied the others at the bar.

One, at least, was probably a badger. She was certain they’d be after her by now.

*How I wish I’d never snuck out of the dormitory that night.* If she’d followed the rules, if she hadn’t had that illicit rendezvous with Franklin, then the Frenchman would have never targeted her for his blackmail scheme. And her family might be safe.

Never trust a Frenchman named Franklin, that's what I always say. Come back to visit Alpha Heroes for another installment soon! In the meantime, if you'd like more of Cindy's fiction, here are some (Amazon US) links:

Brand new! SEA CHANGE, winner of the Prism Award.

New re-release: CURSES, Cindy's first paranormal, which was an EPIC finalist.

Website 

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Reader Registration is still open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Wanna Be An Avon Addict?

I rarely do straight-up promotional content on Alpha Heroes, but I'm looking at this as a public service announcement. If you love romance, Avon really does have some of the best authors in the business. I think they're especially good at historical, but their contemp and paranormal lines are also strong and getting stronger.

I've worked with the Avon team for more than four years now, and I can say that it's a system unlike any other I've found. The Avon Addict program was a pioneer in putting together a team of "super-readers."  It's kind of a street team, but different in important ways:

1. The Avon PR team will never pressure you to up-vote good reviews or down-vote bad reviews on Amazon. They have NEVER remotely suggested any of the kind of shenanigans you see some street teams being called out for.
2. The Avon PR team will never pressure you to post a review that is anything but 100% honest.
3. You are not supporting an individual author. You get exposure to new authors, review copies from coveted favorites, multiples that you can offer for give-aways or to your book club, or whatever you want to do in order to share the book love.
4. I have had so many opportunities to meet some serious romance ROCK STARS. We're talking Julia Quinn, Lyndsay Sands, Jeaniene Frost, Gordon and Ilona Andrews, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Eloisa James. (note: travel and event expenses are not covered by Avon -- but if you can get yourself to these events, odds are good that you'll have an inside track to meeting the Avon authors!)
5. It's a limited time gig. Maybe you get tired of blogging or reviewing (never reading, I'm guessing!). After your time is up, the physical swag ramps down, but you're still in an inner circle of bloggers & reviewers with occasional lovely perks -- I just got a galley for an all-time classic favorite, the first ever FORBIDDEN full-length romance I ever read: Shanna, and it just makes me so happy. Being an Addict will bring a smile to your face more often that you can imagine.
6. Last, and to be honestly, possibly least in my mind, is a handful of fun physical swag in every box. I would love being a part of this program without any of this stuff, but it's definitely a fun extra that you don't get from many publishers. In our first box, we received the most cuddly fleece blanket that I have STILL managed to keep out of the hands of my children and it's in my favorite reading nook. Over time, my group received tee-shirts, cute stuffed animals, a playing die from Sarah MacLean's "gaming hell," a beach mat, and just tons of fun little extras.  (should I work in the word "fun" a couple more times here? seriously, it's all super-fun!)

So here's the deal: if you want in, you have to apply! There are tons of applicants, and only 25 will be chosen, but if you don't apply, you won't get in!  Here's everything you need to know, straight from the most awesome team of PR pros you'll ever meet:

As Avon Books celebrates its Diamond (75th) anniversary, we are excited to announce that we are seeking 25 new Avon Addicts, dedicated book aficionadas who want to become part of the most coveted super reader team in the romance community!

Avon Addicts take their love for the genre to a whole new level, and love sharing their passion with the world! If this describes you, then you need to apply now for a chance to be one of the 25 accepted into the sixth sisterhood of Avon Addicts. If you became part of Avon’s social media-savvy inner circle of romance lovers, you will help spread the love of favorite Avon authors via blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads posts. You’ll also be given the ability to pass along physical copies to the other bibliophiles in your lives!

Applications should be submitted to us from June 1 through June 30, 2016.

To apply: http://avonromance.com/join-avon-addicts/ Avon Addicts receive special invitations to meet authors behind-the-scenes at book events, and to mix & mingle with all the Avon ladies at our special events at RWA, RT, BEA and other bookish gatherings.

If you think you have what it takes to be an Avon Addict, apply here!

What you’ll receive:
Over the course of a year, Avon Addicts will receive six special packages containing advance copies of forthcoming books to read and share with friends; fun promotional items (swag!), and other goodies. We will send our Addicts early copies of hand-selected Avon, Avon Impulse and William Morrow titles.

Addicts, in return, should share their feelings about these books on their social sites, on the Avon website, Edelweiss, and online retailers!

We hope the Avon Addict program helps us reward our most devoted readers – and we know your enthusiasm is infectious…so we hope you’ll help make everyone as excited about our extraordinary books and talented authors as you are.

Applications should be submitted to us from June 1 through June 30, 2016.

Does being an Avon Addict sound like all that and a box of romance novels to you? Well, don’t take our word for it:

“I have to say, I've been blown away by your generosity with books, packages, good times... I've done something similar with a couple of publishers and NO ONE has come close to the level of generosity Avon has. Totally blew me away, and continues to do so.”
—Ruth Salisbury, Avon Addict

“Thank you so much for selecting me to be an Avon Addict. It has been a joy and has done absolutely nothing to quell an already rampant addiction. ”
—Grace L., Avon Addict

“Being an Avon Addict has been the greatest privilege and experience. I am so proud to say that I am an Avon Addict and always will be.”
—Amy Valentini, Avon Addict

Thank you for participating! We hope to enroll you in the Avon Addict program soon!

Need more tempting? Here's what my first box looked like: 

Good luck, and good reading!

Rue Allyn: Rust City Book Con Featured Author

#ConThu is back!  Welcome to your introduction to some of the fantastic authors who are already signed up for the Rust City Book Conference. Today I'm showcasing:

RUE ALLYN

Can you tell us a little about your work, Rue?

Hi! my newest historical romance will be released April 25, 2016. Knight Defender is the third installment in my Knight Chronicles. Set in the Scottish highlands of 1295 the story centers around Baron Raeb MacKai who is done allowing himself and everyone he loves to live in poverty and despair. His betrothal to a wealthy English heiress will solve a decade of problems. He will do everything necessary to defend his home and his country, but can he defend his heart? There's plenty of action, intrigue and most of all romance between two people who never planned to fall in love.

Ok, Rue, let's talk about RustCity!

1. Fill in the blank: "I used to be really good at house cleaning , but these days I'm pretty rusty." I can certainly relate to that, although I'm not sure I can say that I was ever actually good at it.

2. Eminem or Aretha? Explain.

Sorry, both or neither. I love all sorts of music, both Eminem and Aretha represent Detroit in very specific ways, ways that no one else could manage. If I must pick a hometown voice as a favorite, it would probably be Bob Seeger.
I love this answer!

3. Choose One:
Vernors
Faygo
I'm confused. And not from around here.


4. What are you looking forward to most at the RustCity conference? Readers! Readers! Readers! Readers! Readers!

5. What is an off-the-cuff association you have with Michigan, Detroit, or Troy?
I'm from the west side of the lower peninsula and I never expected to live in SE Michigan, let alone stay for more than 20 years. That's a long time! I feel the same way about Seattle.

6. Your latest work of fiction features a wealthy industrialist and an R'nB singer. What's the first sentence? I don't care which music industry bimbo is at my table, you'll invite her and her entourage to leave, or I'll have a chat with your boss and you'll be out of a job.

7. And finally, would you like to participate in the Alpha Heroes Five Words Fiction Game?  YES!!

YAY!! Your Mission: Write Part 4 of CURVE AND HOOK, using the challenge words:

Misty, Crazy, Liquor, Flex, Dark

(personally, I think you're getting off pretty easy there!  I'd have given you aardvark and tango, or something like that. )

Part One, by Shelly Bell

Part Two, by Josie Kerr

Part Three, by MK Schiller

Part Four:

“Eggs Benedict on sprouted, dark rye with a side of Beluga caviar and mimosas to wash it all down.” She named the most outrageous meal she could imagine. She knew what he was up to. He wanted a roll in the sack for old time’s sake but without any of the social dancing required to sweet talk her into it. Not only no, but hell no. She wasn’t that misty-eyed, lust-crazy teen any more. Sweet talk wouldn’t work either. She wasn’t about to fall into his arms just because he offered her breakfast. Sheesh, how cheap did he think she was?

“You’re kidding, right?”

She wasn’t, not really. She liked every food item she’d listed... just not all together at one meal.

“Nah.” She tossed back the last of the liquor in her glass and stood. “Doesn’t really matter if I’m serious or not. I have an early flight in the morning, and I must decline your generous invitation. Goodbye, Hunt.”

She opened he purse and took out a twenty to pay her tab. Hunt’s fingers closed over her wrist as she laid the bill on the bar. He’d always been quick.

“I’ll get it,” he said and released her wrist.

Her gaze met his. “No thank you.”

He blinked those long lashes over his gray-blue eyes. “C’mon Maddie. For old time’s sake? I owe you. Back in high school I never had cash on me, and you always paid when we went out for burgers.”

The memory flashed before she could suppress it. The two of them in the local diner. Ketchup oozing down her chin from taking too big a bite. His finger flicking the juicy red condiment from her skin and into his mouth. Then his hand returning to her cheek. His palm flexing as if he didn’t quite know what to do with his hand or his feelings.

“I’m sorry, Maddie.”

The note of regret in his voice snapped her back to the present. One corner of her mouth kicked up. “You’ll have to tell me what for, if we ever meet again.”

She left the twenty, turned, and walked away, letting the party crowd swallow her from sight.

I like Maddie's style! Wonder what Hunter will do next? Thanks for hanging out and playing, Rue!

If you'd like more of Rue Allyn's fiction, you can find her at these locations:

Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

=====================================

Reader Registration is still open for #RustCity16!

Be sure to keep up with all things Rust City 2016, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Tumblr | Instagram | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

Allegiance of Honor, by Nalini Singh - Review

Information
Title: Allegiance of Honor
Series: Psy-Changeling
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 14, 2016 
Reviewing: eARC for Kindle 
Reason for reading: Author love, series love

The Short Answer
This is the book for the die-hard fans who love epilogues (especially "baby-logues"), who love to catch up with old friends, and who have a list of loose ends from the previous 14 books and NEED CLOSURE. If you love the montage episode at the end of the TV series, you'll love this book. I absolutely loved this book. But just so you know, if you're looking for a traditionally-structured PNR with a single focal couple, this isn't quite built on those lines.

The Blurb

The Psy-Changeling world has undergone a staggering transformation and now stands at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: Old enemies. New allies. Wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten and threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: A child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost, protect the vulnerable—and save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

On Optimism
One of the reasons I love romance is for its optimism. One of my friends uses a quote from Conan O'Brien as her tagline, and I love it:

"I hate cynicism, for the record, it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen."

And possibly the best part of this book is its optimism for the the future of the Psy-Changeling world. It's been a dark ride at times, with man's inhumanity to man spotlighted in a way that doesn't require paranormal trappings to recognize from our own world. In the past fourteen books, Singh has built an amazing complex, textured world-- and then she tore it all down. Shards of Hope and Allegiance of Honor are the beginnings of its rebirth. The notion of a new world order built on honor is a powerful one. I wish that just a few more politicians of this day and age ever seemed to demonstrate a passing acquaintance with the concept.

A Little More
I will say that this book meanders a little bit, sort of like when you've moved away from a close-knit family and then go home to visit. You spend a little time here, a little time there, talk about bits and pieces. It's less about the overall narrative and more about getting caught up. The revisiting is interspersed with an action arc related to events in Shards of Hope, as well as an epistolary thread about a beloved secondary character, who -- spoiler alert -- indeed, gets his Happily Ever After.  It's for sure not the place for a new fan or to start the series. For the die hard fans (like me), there's a distinct risk that it will push you into a re-read of the whole series... which sounds like kind of an awesome way to spend the summer, to be honest!

I've been lucky enough to see Nalini in person a few times, and sometime in the last couple years, when it became apparent that the series was leading up to a finale, she answered a question about a spinoff or future series. At the time, she wasn't making any commitments, but she mentioned that she thought it would probably be about the next generation -- all those pups, cubs, and various psy/changeling/human variations. Based on Singh's intro, and all the focus on the babies in this book, I'd say that is where she's going. And if cute cuddly babies make you melty, you are going to be a puddle by the end of this one. There are teenagers, little kids, teeny babies, and killer scene detailing what a shifter baby's first shift looks like. (And I thought parenting a regular toddler was a challenge...) 

See?! You can believe me!

Thanks to the awesome publicity team at Berkley, you get an excerpt! YAY! And it is a REALLY adorable one:

Lucas had had to chase Naya around the aerie at bedtime last night—her walk might still be a little shaky, but she was a rocket when it came to crawling. Dressed only in a diaper, she’d laughed uproariously and said a loud, firm “No” each time Lucas caught her and put her in her crib.

After which she’d clamber out—she’d figured out how to escape a month earlier—and the game would begin again. Of course, since Lucas was a cat, he’d been having just as much fun as their daughter. Sascha, meanwhile, had sat in the living room with a cup of hot chocolate and just indulged in the sight of her mate playing with their cub.

She’d had to pretend to be stern when Naya ran over and pleaded her case with loud sounds and wild gesticulations of her hands. “No, Naya,” she’d said, biting her tongue in an effort not to laugh. “It’s time for bed. Go with Papa.”

At which point, Naya had growled at her, eyes sparkling with mischief.

And Sascha had cracked, laughing so hard she’d had to put down her hot chocolate before she spilled it. Lucas had shaken his head as Naya plopped down on her diaper-covered butt and joined in, clapping her hands at having made her mommy laugh. “No discipline.” Lucas had mock-growled at her before picking up their misbehaving baby. “And you”—a growly nuzzle that made Naya laugh harder and pat his stubbled cheek—“time for bed.”

He’d finally got her to sleep—by walking around with her pressed up against his bare chest.

Today, their cub was playing in the living area just outside the kitchen nook. Sascha had locked the aerie door to ensure Naya wouldn’t undo the latch and go out onto the balcony, and Lucas had childproofed the entire main area of the aerie, so Naya was free to roam as she liked. A lot of the time she practiced her walking skills. And no matter how often she fell down, she started back up again after a little break. Stubborn, determined baby. Peeking out from the kitchen, Sascha found her concentrating on stacking the colored alphabet blocks Faith and Vaughn had given her as a gift. Beside her sat a more than slightly ragged wolf plush toy, aka “The Toy That Shall Not Be Named.” Hawke had given that to Naya when she was a newborn, and it remained her favorite snuggle toy, much to her father’s despair.

Though Lucas did enjoy it when Naya went leopard on the toy, growling and “fighting” with the wolf. Then he’d smile and say, “That’s my girl.”

Find Nalini online:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Posted by arrangement with Berkley Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Nalini Singh, 2016.

Bottom Line
I couldn't love this book more. 100% adoration from me.  But if you haven't been reading this series, first of all, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN LISTENING TO ME AT ALL, HAVE YOU??! and, uh, ahem. Secondly,  just go start at the beginning and get back to me.

Oh, and fair warning, this happened:

Around the Blogosphere --what others are saying

RT - 4-1/2 stars Top Pick!
Big love from The Book Eaters (what a great blog name!)
More love from The Book Swarm
Nice detailed review from Harlequin Junkies
There are a few folks who found it a bit slow in places or wanted a stronger focal couple. But most of the reviews I've seen are overwhelmingly positive.