Authors4theCure: Entangled Anthology

Entangled
A Paranormal Anthology
File Size: 537 KB
Publisher: Authors4theCure
Available on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords

Eleven authors have banded together to support breast cancer research with their writing. Authors4theCure, which includes award-winning, USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors, as well as two breast cancer survivors, is donating proceeds from the sale of their paranormal anthology, Entangled, to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

SUMMARY: Ghosts, vampires, demons, and more! Entangled includes ten paranormal short stories from authors Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Edie Ramer, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, and Michelle Miles, plus a Seven Deadly Sins novella by Allison Brennan. Stacia Kane contributed the foreword.

I bought the Entangled as soon as it was released but I wanted to wait until October when the book tour was over, and perhaps reach a few people who still hadn't heard about this amazing anthology. I loved the stories-all ten are worth buying on their own, so $2.99 is a bargain. Some of the authors were favorites, but others were new to me. That's the joy of an anthology. This one though is special for another reason; proceeds from the sales are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

After each story the author shares why they decided to participate. It's a very special e-book that brings awareness and support for survivors and their families. It's so much more though, because as we all promote and talk about this anthology we are encouraging women we know to take care of themselves by doing self exams and going in for their physicals and mammograms.

MY FRIEND DIANE
A dear friend of mine, Diane, died before my children were born. She had skipped her physicals for two years, thinking it would be okay because she felt fine. She was short on money being a divorced, single mom, with one teenage daughter still at home. When she finally went in to the doctor, they found out she had ovarian cancer and it was too late for the treatments to work. She was at home as long as she could be, and then went to hospice. I still miss her and it's been over 20 years now. She taught me to open myself up to friendship and hugs, instead of holding back. She also taught me that it was okay to take a chance on love again after ending a bad relationship. If not for her, I might not have given my husband the chance he needed to get past my defenses.

I wish Diane and I had discussed our health and been as open about things as I am now with my family and friends. I would have encouraged her to go to the doctor, and paid for it, or at least helped her out with the payment, if I had known. She may have been able to fight the cancer and would have been alive to meet my children, who only know her through my stories. She would have loved them, and I could have told her what a difference she made in my life. I became a better person and opened up to my husband and later my children, because of the lessons she taught me.

Buy Entangled because it's a wonderful 5 star read, but also buy it because the proceeds will benefit others. Discuss the stories, and the authors, with the women in your life. Don't be shy about reminding your friends to take care of their bodies. They won't mind:)

*My Book Addiction and More has some amazing guest posts this month:
http://mybookaddictionandmore.com/

*Cynthia Eden has details and an excerpt here:
http://www.cynthiaeden.com/books/entangled/

*Stacia Kane has a wonderful post on Entangled here:
http://www.staciakane.net/2011/09/08/entangled-anthology-is-available/

*The Entangled Goodreads page is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12373508-entangled

~Brenda

Just Another ParaNormal Christmas

Today I have a special blog with K.A. M' Lady who's sharing her special message on the anthology Just Another Paranormal Christmas, and she's also graciously giving two of my reader's a digital copy of this special book. I've found that the writers I've met online the last year and a half are some of the most giving and caring people I've had the pleasure to meet. Here is K.A. with her message:

I believe, especially at Christmas, that each of us has the power make a small difference in the world. I have always thought that books hold the power to create genius. That myth and magic build dreams and inspirations – and, in an insane world, it is our dreams that spark the revolution of change. No matter which world is being conquered. Within our dreams – all things are possible.

Designated to be a PG-13 anthology by some of the brightest, most talented and award winning authors in the industry, Just Another ParaNormal Christmas Anthology offers a wide variety of paranormal stories for everyone’s tastes. From vampires to fairies, to dragons and werewolves – Christmas is in everyone’s heart, no matter their differences.

All proceeds from the anthology will go to benefit The Armed Forces Children’s Education Fund. Plus, though the eBook of the anthology will be for sale, it will also be available for FREE download to all members of the armed services through Operation eBook Drop, of which I and my entire house of authors at Mojocastle Press are contributors of.

In choosing a charity I wanted something that would makes difference in someone’s life. A charity that is a non-profit and provides something in a child’s future. A charity that is a stepping stone with which the foundation dreams are built on. Then I thought, ‘What better thing to invest in than a child’s education? What better way to give back than to the ones who have sacrificed everything for many with so little and paid the price with so much? I found the right charity in The Armed Forces Children’s Education Fund. The following is the note I sent out to the members of Just Another Paranormal Monday with the request for submissions.

“Regardless of our stance on war or our political opinions and views I feel that we, as authors, have something special that we can offer these surviving children. We are more than just mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Through our writing we build dreams, inspire hope and create worlds where all of life’s possibilities are within our readers grasp – they just need to turn the page. We are the teachers and dream-makers of tomorrow. What better way to give back than to give a future of learning – a future of becoming everything they could ever hope to be; become everything their parents would have wanted them to be, despite the difficult paths they have walked.”

I am grateful for the opportunity to share this bit of Christmas with all of you and hope that you will enjoy it as well. Thanks, Brenda!

Blessings ~ K.

K.A. M’Lady
Fantasy Romance Kissed With Dark Sensuality
http://www.kamlady.net/

You can learn more about The Armed Forces Children’s Education Fund here:
http://www.afcef.org/

Operation eBook Drop
http://operationebookdrop.com/
It is estimated that currently, 440,000 eBooks Coupons have been Dropped since September 2009 by OED authors.

Just Another ParaNormal Christmas
A Mojocastle Press Publication

Includes the following stories:

A Cornwall Christmas
Kayden McLeod
A Christmas the Vancouver vampires will never forget

A Future Holiday
Candace Sams
Two war-weary galactic defenders rekindle their romance when Armistice corresponds with the holiday season.

The Unexpected Guests
Heather Kuehl
Damian’s Christmas party is the last place Sarah ever thought she’d find trouble…

Once Upon A Dragon
K.A. M’Lady
Jeremy Owens and his older siblings want to believe in magic, but hope and belief are difficult things to hold onto even when you’re a child.

A Christmas to Remember
Brigit Aine
Pixie and Wolf politics still abound, but nothing will stop Kira from enjoying her first Christmas as a married woman.

Reflections of a Lily in Winter
Susan Gabriel
A single light shines brightest in the darkest hour of the longest night.

You can read an excerpt from the anthology HERE.

GIVEAWAY
K.A. is giving away two digital copies of Just Another ParaNormal Christmas.

Please leave a comment here with a question for K.A. or just a thought on what types of things your family likes to do for others at the holidays.

I'll randomly chose two winners next Tuesday, December 21st. Please leave your email if it's not associated with a Google profile.

~Brenda

Warming Up With Winter Wishes

Winter Wishes
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Carina Press
Released: 12/6/2010

Authors:
Moira Rogers
Vivi Andrews
Vivi Andrews

Summary: A woman has the Christmas Eve from Hell. Two cat shifters play naughty games. And a witch brings out the beast inside the man. The magic of the season takes on a whole new meaning in these three fantastic—and festive—novellas from some of the best voices in paranormal romance.

I asked to review Winter Wishes because all three authors are favorites of mine and it sounded as if the stories were all unique, and not your usual holiday fare. I was certainly correct in that assumption. All three stories were fast paced, steamy and the settings were imaginative and unique. The three novellas are available individually as well, so I'm going to do mini reviews of each one.

Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend: Viv has once again steamed up my Kindle with this awesome shifter story. El is a cop who prefers to deny her shifter side, but uses it to take Kyle Branegan into protective custody. Turns out Kyle is also a Cougar, but he embraces his shifter side and is a member of a shifter law enforcement organization. He makes it his mission to teach El how to embrace who she is, while she "protects" him until a trial where he's going to testify. This story has very steamy sex, plot twists galore, and witty banter. I loved it.

No Angel by Vivi Andrews: I love the author's writing style, full of humor, action and romance, but this story was not what I expected. It's a very cool plot involving demons straight from hell, and angels, who aren't as holy as they appear to be. Sasha is a kick ass stunt women who loves tough guys, but falls for Jay, who appears to be a generous, sensitive soul. She loves him even though he didn't exactly set her world on fire until he gets sucked back to hell where his new step dad rules, and the angels decide Sasha needs to rescue him. I loved this story for the humor, and the interaction between the demons and the angels, which ended up being complex with humans right in the middle. The two main characters are great- as is their banter.

Freeze Line by Moira Rogers: I've been waiting for this story from Moira Rogers since they announced it was coming. The world is in an ice age and humans know about werewolves and witches, but many of them would rather torture and test them than live among them. Shane is a werewolf who will do anything he can to not give into his instincts and Nadia is a witch who's escaped from a lab where she was tortured. He needs to protect her, and she needs help, but things aren't that simple in this wild and complex world where everyone is simply trying to survive. This story is different than the authors' other shifter stories because it's darker, the characters are brooding yet passionate, and the world they've created is stark and harsh. I loved the interaction between the two characters as they got to know one another. The story was emotional in so many ways, and by the end I was holding my breath in suspense of what would happen. I would love to see more stories set in this world.

For more information on the authors visit their websites below:

Vivi Andrews: http://viviandrews.blogspot.com/
Vivian Arend: http://vivianarend.com/
Moira Rogers: http://moirarogers.com/blog

~Brenda

Why Read Anthologies? Thoughts & Reviews

I always thought of short stories as short books that were wrapped up by the end like the Edgar Allen Poe classics. In the world of paranormal romance and urban fiction I think of them more as a hodge podge, a buffet of paranormal goodness. Readers can try out new authors they haven't read before to get a taste of their style or you can go back and read favorite authors who may have given side characters from their books their own little story. Some authors will write prequels to one of their series as a short story as well. A reader can't go wrong picking up a good anthology! In the last week and a half I've picked up two new anthologies: Inked and Bitten by Cupid. Let's start with Inked.

Inked
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Berkley; (January 5, 2010)

I bought Inked the week it came out because it had three authors I already liked: Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, and Yasmine Galehorn. Eileen Wilks, the fourth author, is new to me.

Karen Chance's Skin Deep: This is a story about Lia, a feisty, sarcastic gal who has to find her boyfriend Cyrus against the odds since she is recovering from injuries which have made her magic act wonky. I love Karen Chance's writing and her characters. This short story takes place in the same world as her books, so it will give you a glimpse into her writing, her books and her humor. I loved the story, but wondered if Lia was featured in one of her books I hadn't read yet. The answer is in this blurb from her website.

It follows the adventures of Lia, the half-werewolf war mage from our previous short stories "Rogue Elements" (in the Wolfesbane and Mistletoe anthology published last October) and "Vegas Odds" (in the Strange Brew anthology).

Marjorie M. Liu's Armor of Roses is set in the world of her Hunter Kiss books, of which I had recently read the first one, and reviewed it here. This story has Maxine going back in time to her grandmother's generation and we experience The Boys, her demon helpers, in duplicate. It takes place during WWII, and gives a glimpse into a young Jean who is more alone than Maxine; more cynical and dark. I think the story is better after reading the Hunter Kiss books, rather than as in introduction to that world. This is dark fantasy, which for me, always makes me ponder life and the difference we make in our own existence.

Yasmine Galenorn's Etched in Silver is the story of Camille and Trillian meeting for the first time. They partner up to find a bad guy, who's name I've forgotten because I was thinking of Trillian and my mind wandered to words like "sizzle, hot, protective, more sizzle, erotic...". I think you get my meaning. This story is a fantastic introduction to Yasmine's Otherworld series.
Eileen Wilk's Human Nature is set in the world of her Lupus series, which I have not read. The story is about Lily and Rule, weres who are newly mated and need to solve a murder mystery. I loved the story and the characters. Lily is a kick-ass gal and Rule is an alpha who wants to protect her at all costs. I'm buying the Lupus series as soon as I recover from my holiday spending. I can't wait to read the books after being introduced to Lily and Rule!

Inked was just released in January, and it was well worth the money and the read. The stories are urban and/or dark fantasy, mixed with paranormal romance. Fans of the authors involved will love this anthology. If you aren't familiar with these writers, Inked will serve as a great introduction to their writing.

Bitten By Cupid
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon; Original edition (January 12, 2010)
Authors: Lynsay Sands, Pamela Palmer, Jaime Rush

I'll have to confess that I haven't read any of the authors in this anthology, but the cover grabbed me and I bought it. The first story by Lynsay Sands was cute, and funny. For some reason I thought it would be a bit darker, so I kept wait for death and destruction, which weren't part of the equation. I know that fans of her Argeneau vampire series will love this story which features Mirabeau LaRouche and Tiny McGraw. It was a nice introduction to that world, and I'll move the series up on my TBR list.

Pamela Palmer is the author of the Feral Warriors books, which I haven't read. You can take a peek at them on her website. Her story in Bitten by Cupid is a paranormal romance with mystery, romance and sizzle. There are a few glances of the warriors in the story, which is about Julianne and Zeeland. I loved the story and will be running out going out to get her series as soon as possible.

Jaime Rush's contribution to Bitten by Cupid is a fast paced, paranormal romance with a couple who both have a secret, and find themselves drawn together to solve a series of crimes. I really can't give any hints as to the plot without spoilers. Let's just say I loved both characters, the romance sizzled, and fit perfectly with the plot. The world is from the author's Offspring series which has two books that were released in 2009. I really liked the story, and from looking at her website I think it's a good introduction to her other books. Her characters are quirky, and she really drew me into their situation. I will be reading her other books as soon as I can place a massive book order after finding all these new authors!

Bitten by Cupid is a great Valentine's Day themed read. All you need to go with it is bubble bath, wine, chocolate and romance:)

~Moonsanity