Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.

Today we are interviewing Turtle from Jennifer Priester’s novel  Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic.

Katelina: Hello Turtle and welcome! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Turtle: I am a witch living in the Other Realm with my familiar. I have brown hair and green eyes. The first time I appear in the series is in Book Two, Mortal Realm Witch: The Magic Continues (avail. this Spring.)

K: I have to admit I am kind of relieved to be interviewing someone whose human after last week’s fish fiasco!

Turtle: Fish?

K: Yes. I interviewed someone named Sampson. Very single minded guy – well, fish. Do you know him?

T: Yes. Sampson is the closest I have to an enemy, although my experience and time with him was very short. He became my enemy while he was my familiar and kept getting himself in trouble. He once scared away my mom’s friends when he broke out of his cage. He did it on purpose because he thought it would be fun. Another time he taught me how not to use magic by actually having me do the wrong thing before telling me that it was what I shouldn’t do with magic. That one I couldn’t fix myself and had to get help from the Head of the Witches Council to get rid of what my magic had created.

K: He sounds like a pain in the you-know-what. Dealing with him had to be a challenge.

T: Yes. I would say that either learning how to deal with Sampson as a familiar or the challenge brought to me by the witch hunters was the biggest challenge I faced.

K: I thought as much. How would you say you evolve over the series?

T: I begin by expecting others to tell me what to do and I am not always confident in my abilities. Over time I learn to be much more independent and confident, although I still often look to others for their advice and opinions.

K: That’s always a good thing to learn.

orange fish by Jo

T: And actually, I believe having Sampson as a familiar played a big part in this. I’m sure it would bug him for me to say I learned a lot from him since he wasn’t trying to teach me anything.

K: So the evil fish did some good, then? That’s an odd thought. Okay. Moving on, I don’t suppose you were involved in a romance at all?

T: Contrary to what readers might believe, no. Taron and I were just friends, we were never romantically involved.

K: Oh really? Who’s Taron?

T: Taron is a wizard who is one of my closest friends. We had many adventures together before I moved from the Mortal Realm to the Other Realm. Even though some mortals were now allowed into the Other Realm, unlike DWW’s friend Sam who came with her, Taron felt more comfortable in the Mortal Realm and because of this he lives there. I still see him sometimes. Besides living in the Mortal Realm he is married to a mortal and has a girl, Sky, who is a wizard like himself.

K: Oh. Do you think that if one of you had chosen differently, you’d have ended up together?

T: There is a strong possibility that if Taron had chosen to live in the Other Realm, or I the Mortal one, we would have been romantically involved, but even so neither of us regrets the decision we each made and both of us really love the lives we currently have.

K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find Turtle in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Realm-Witch-Learning-About/dp/193878300X/  

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mortal-realm-witch-jennifer-priester/1111957728?ean=9781938783005

Also check out the website for more info: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/meettheauthor.html

And a special thank you to Jennifer Priester for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/

The whole pack – 15 Executioners and one “cover” card:

the whole set

The cards are printed on both front and back:

Each card has a front and a back

Pretty cool, huh? But how can you get your hands on them? It’s easy. Just follow the links below and leave a comment on at least three of the blog posts. You’ll need to comment here and leave me a contact address (either Facebook or your email) and if you want you can tell me where you commented, but you don’t have to. Every comment you leave on an additional blog is an extra entry, so you could actually get up to twenty-two entries by commenting. And if someone says you sent them to this blog in a comment, you get five extra. Oh, and if you’ve already commented on them, say back when the tour was running, then that counts. How easy is that?

Winner will be chosen on June 1, 2013 by Random.org and will be notified by their preferred contact method. If, after two weeks, they haven’t responded a new winner will be chosen. This is open to US and International participants.

And now for that list of eligible blog posts!

• 3×5 with Vickie Hudson Part I   Part II   Part III
• Interview on Wicca Witch 4 You Blog
• Centeno’s review of Heart of the Raven
• Interview on Lift You Up Blog
• Review of Heart of the Raven by Amanda
• Interview with Verchiel on Wicca Witch 4 You
• Review of Heart of the Raven by Donna Yates
• Guest Interview on Tempest Works
• Penny for Them review of Shades of Gray
• Spotlight on Joleene Naylor with Morgen with an E
• Rashika’s Review of Heart of the Raven
• Jorick’s Character Confession on I Smell Sheep
• Review of Shades of Gray by Amanda
• Interview on Three Hoodies Save The World
• Review of Legacy of Ghosts by Amanda
• Guest Post: inspiration, from Where Does it Spring?
• Review of Ties of Blood by Amanda
• Author Interview on Zig Zag Timeline
• review of Ashes of Deceit by Amanda
• Interview on Sallie’s Book reviews and More 

Good luck and hope to see you play along!

Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.

Today we are interviewing Sampson from Jennifer Priester’s novel  Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic. 

Katelina: Hello Sampson and welcome! Can you tell us a little about yourself? Wait… Sampson? Why is there a goldfish bowl sitting here? Is this someone’s idea of a joke?

Sampson: *Ahem*No. I am Sampson. Currently I am a Goldfish but previously I was a warlock. I live in the Mortal Realm in a fish tank.

K: Um… Okay. Last week we talked to a warlock who is currently a dog, so I guess a goldfish… eh. Why not. I suppose I shouldn’t ask you any questions about fish food or whether you swim in your sleep or… *stops as Sampson gives her a dirty look* Never mind. Let’s start with which books in the series we can find you in.

S: The first book in the Mortal Realm Witch Series that I appear in is Book One: Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic. I am then in books two, three, four, and five, although my role in five is hardly big enough!

K: That’s often a complaint of second string – erm, I mean side characters, heh-heh.  Moving on, how would you say you evolve during the series?

S:  I am a villain that becomes more villainous!

K: I guess it’s safe to say you have enemies?

S: I have two main ones, DWW and Asantra, both of which keep ruining my plans, and another witch, Turtle who would never let me have any fun! Oh, and then there’s Trom who turned me into a mouse as a punishment the first time I got caught. There’s also DWW’s friend Sam and the chocolate Labrador Retriever, Max, who helped DWW interfere with my plans the first time. I also probably have others that I can’t currently think of.

K: Sounds like you’re, um, picked on. Yeah. I suppose the biggest challenge you face-

S: Isn’t it obvious? I keep trying to take over the Realms and someone is always getting in my way!

K: Right. I’m no psychiatrist, but was there some tragic event in your past that made you this… power hungry?

fish by Jo

S: I don’t know, I think I have always been this way, but some believe it is because I always got whatever I wanted as a kid. At least back when I was a kid people knew who was in charge!

K: I don’t imagine there’s in point in asking you whether you have a significant other?

S: Of course not, I’m in love with power, nothing else!

K: So the thing you want the most in the whole world is-

S: To control it!

K: I’d ask what you’d do with it, but I don’t think I want to know. It, um, looks like we’re running out of time. If there’s one piece of advice you could give your readers, what would that be?

S: If you are going to take over the world don’t tell anyone your plans in advance.

K: Um… right. Do you have a message for your author?

S: Since you won’t let me kill my enemies would you mind doing it for me, or at least turn me human again! Oh yeah, and give me a bigger role in Book Five, or better yet give me my own series where I am in charge!

K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find Sampson in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Realm-Witch-Learning-About/dp/193878300X/  

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mortal-realm-witch-jennifer-priester/1111957728?ean=9781938783005

Also check out the website for more info: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/meettheauthor.html

And a special thank you to Jennifer Priester for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/

1. Readers: To celebrate that spring is FINALLY here, the Inkslinger’s League presents a Spring Book Sale from May 18 – 24 – all books are $2.99 or less, including Heart of the Raven, Shades of Gray and Vampire Morsels by yours truly, all of which will be only $.99! Yes, $.99 for the newest book! And of course, those aren’t the only savings, DM Yates, Roger Lawrence, Theresa Dawn Sinclair, Beth Muscat and LC Cooper also have ebook deals in the sale.

2. Authors: If you’d like to join, please price your book less than $2.99 and send me the title/author name and a description no more than 400 characters to Joleene (at) JoleeneNaylor.com and I’ll add your book. You’ll want to tweet/FB/Blog about the sale for maximum exposure.

3. Readers: Glitterary Girl is hosting a HUGE giveaway, which Heart of the Raven is part of. You have until June 14th to enter, but there’s no point in putting it off. They also have a prize for authors, so be sure to check it out.

4. Contest: You may have noticed that the second giveaway has not materialized yet. Thanks to the above mentioned circumstances, I haven’t gotten it put together yet, but I will by the end of the week. It’s pretty simple and just requires a couple of blog comments to enter. Details coming soon.

5. 3×5 with Vickie Hudson – part 2 is up, and has been up, as I have been terribly remiss in sharing links. So stop by if you get a chance and leave a comment!

6. Blog Tour: I’m afraid I don’t know who won, as the blog tour organizer handled all that, but I sent her a mail and am waiting to hear back.

7. Trippy Link: What’s a blog without a trippy link? Check out the online kaleidoscope and tell me if it brings back memories of your childhood. I know I used to love those things, though my mom never let us buy them because they were a “waste of money” however, I loved playing with them at the store. Did you own one as a kid?

Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.

Today we are interviewing Trillman from Jennifer Priester’s novel  Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic.

Katelina: Hello Trillman and welcome! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Trillman: I am currently a Golden Retriever living with my witch in the Mortal Realm.

K: Currently?

T: I wasn’t always a dog, there was a time when I was a warlock. Depending on what rule was broken, witches and warlocks are often turned into animals for punishment. (You will be able to learn all about the reason and read many familiars stories in, Tales of Familiars: The First Mortal Realm Witch Series Companion to be released between books Two and Three of the Mortal Realm Witch series.) The animals as you might have just figured out, become known as familiars. Familiars are described as talking animals that teach witches and warlocks magic, although they also teach other magic users as well. Their punishments usually end at some point, and mine did, but I chose to remain a dog rather than become a warlock again because I enjoy being a familiar.

K: Can you tell us what you did to be changed into a familiar?

T: The short version of my story goes like this. I was a young warlock living in the Mortal Realm. I was going to college to learn to become a teacher and was failing at this. A girl in my class offers to tutor me and I accept. We later become friends and one day she asks about me, where I come from. I come from the Other Realm and tell her this. I also tell her that I am a warlock. Neither of these things got me turned into a familiar but I was breaking rules by telling her these things. It was what I did next that got me turned into what I am today. The girl asked if she could see the Other Realm. One of the Other Realms biggest rules is no mortals allowed, and while I should have said no, I said yes. I couldn’t help it, I liked her. Well, Trom caught me bringing her into the Other Realm and practically turned me into a dog on the spot. Because I was a familiar now I ended up having to quit school and I never saw the girl again, but I did fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. You can read the full version at http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/extras/freetoreadstories.html

K: Can you tell us whose familiar you are?

T: Sure. DWW’s.

K: How did that happen? I mean did you get to pick, or did you get assigned or…

T: Upon becoming a familiar I was sent to familiar training in the Other Realm where I would learn how to do my new job. Trom gave me to DWW’s parents asking if I could live with them. DWW wasn’t born yet. Trom’s strategy was for me to become friends with my witch in training before becoming her teacher. The biggest challenge I faced at the time was acting like a normal dog and not talking to her until she became a witch. Another Other Realm rule is that familiars aren’t supposed to talk to mortals, even those that will be a witch one day, or current witches that have had their powers taken away as a punishment.

K: So you and DWW must be good friends?

T: Well, the first witch I teach is DWW but I end up quitting on her when she won’t listen to me anymore. Then when I end up becoming the familiar of the second Head of the Witches Council in the series, she expects me to constantly babysit a kid, just because I am the most responsible guy she knows. The kid never listened to or even liked me. In Book Two I learn that quitting on DWW was a mistake and regret it. Then in Book Five, my opinions of the kid begin changing when I learn why she doesn’t like me. (The reason had much to do with me and for so long I thought it was just her.) I guess you could say that by the end of the series I am much more patient and understanding. I also start trying not to just expect things, such as their becoming a hero or a villain, without getting to know them first.

A golden dog by Jo

K: Do you have any enemies in the series?

T: Yes, Asantra, although by the end she isn’t one anymore. Asantra is the kid I was telling you about. We become enemies right from the start when I expect her to be something she isn’t and treat her this way.

K: I guess dealing with her must be pretty challenging, huh?

T: Yes. Getting past my prejudices against Asantra, and really getting to know her is hard. This might not seem like much of a challenge to many people, but Asantra’s dislike for me is so deep that at one point in the series she even goes so far as to try to kill me, so you can see we had much to work past.

K: Oh wow! That had to be a life changing moment.

T: Yes. The fight with Asantra and the reason it happened both were. (This is also the moment she attempted to kill me.) It all starts when she discovers a truth about me. Reflecting on what was said later I come to realize the kind of guy I had been to Asantra and this pushed me to make the decision to work at trying to improve our relationship as well as becoming a better guy…or dog, as it is in my case.

K: We’re getting short on time, so real quick I need to ask, The Mortal Realm Witch is a series, right? Which books are you in?

T: I first appear in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic, and am in all the books except for the First Companion (although someone mentions me), the Third Companion, and the Guidebook.

K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find Trillman in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Realm-Witch-Learning-About/dp/193878300X/  

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mortal-realm-witch-jennifer-priester/1111957728?ean=9781938783005

Also check out the website for more info: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/meettheauthor.html

And a special thank you to Jennifer Priester for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/

the whole set

More details will follow shortly on how you can enter to win these, but I’ll give you a hint; those who visited some of the recent guest posts are already ahead.

Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.

Today we are interviewing Trom from Jennifer Priester’s novel  Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic. 

Katelina: Hello Trom and welcome! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Trom: I am a warlock and the first Head of the Witches Council that you meet in the Mortal Realm Witch series. I am short with black hair and dark brown eyes, and I am much older than I look. Specifically several hundred years older.

K: Like a vampire, huh? We interviewed DWW last week and she was telling us about this Other Realm…

T: Yes. I was born in the Other Realm where I was raised by my dad for the first part of my life. Then, as it was required by Other Realm rules for all witches and warlocks to spend at least a year in the Mortal Realm, I did so with my mom. Even though my parents lived separately they weren’t divorced or anything. What separated them was rules. See, my dad was a warlock and had a job in the Other Realm as the Assistant to the Head of the Witches Council which required him to live in the Other Realm. My mom was a mortal and one of the Other Realm’s biggest rules was, no mortal allowed. There were no exceptions to these rules.

K: I guess those rules have probably played a big part in shaping who you turned out to be.

T: Yes. Living in the Mortal Realm with my mom helped to shape who I am. I learned a lot from her and the mortals I went to school with. The reason had much to do with my second power which I discovered while I lived here that allowed me to see things in a whole new way.

K: I imagine asking about your second power would be too much of a spoiler, huh? Mortal realm Witch is a series, right? Which books can we find you in?

T: I first appearance in the Mortal Realm Witch series is in Book One, Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic, but you will be able to discover my orgin story in the unnamed Fifth book in the series. I am in all the books of the main series (1-5).

K: How would you say you change during the course of the series?

photo by Jo

T: I learn that even as the Head of the Witches Council, who is in charge of everything and everyone with magic and is required to know a lot, there are some things even I don’t know about magic until DWW comes along. Up until that point I thought that I knew everything there was to know about magic.

K: What would you say is the biggest challenge you face?

T: Teaching DWW. It can be hard to teach a witch rules that has the ability to find ways around them almost every time!

K: So you don’t really have any enemies then?

T: The closest thing I have to one is Sampson, although I don’t really think of him this way. Sampson could be considered an enemy because this is how he sees me. The reason is that I was the one in charge of punishing him the first time and he doesn’t like me for that, but even as true as this is Sampson’s real enemy is DWW.

K: It looks like we’re running out of time, but before you go, inquiring minds want to know: are you involved in a romance?

T: No, I don’t really get out much and meet new people anymore.

K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find Trom in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Realm-Witch-Learning-About/dp/193878300X/  

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mortal-realm-witch-jennifer-priester/1111957728?ean=9781938783005

Also check out the website for more info: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/meettheauthor.html

And a special thank you to Jennifer Priester for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/

While you wait to find out if you’ve won or not, be sure to check out the participating blogs, including a wonderful review of Heart of the Raven from Kristy Centeno. A Super huge thanks to her for reviewing and to Incandescent Enchantments for setting the tour up!

“…I love vampire books and this is definitely one of my favorites of all times. There was enough violence and humor to satisfy my need for the supernatural. Though I love a good overall vampire romance, every now and again I crave a dark romance, with plenty of action to keep me interested and Heart of the Raven definitely did it for me…”

So far what is your worst criticism/attacks, and how have you overcome it?

It was my first bad review. It was on a blog written by a Mrs. Chuckles, or something like that, who tore the first book in the series to shreds. I was upset and told my husband that I needed a chocolate muffin, because only chocolate could soothe my injured soul. We went to the grocery store, but they were completely out of chocolate muffins. No big deal, so we went to wal-mart who, oddly, had no chocolate muffins. Next we tried a gas station, but again, no chocolate muffins. After stopping at every one in town (it was now the principle of the matter! It was a quest, by god, and I *would* succeed!) we finally found one chocolate muffin at Kum ‘N Go. We bought it and headed home. I got in the door and had just settled in to get back to pouting when my mother called (she lives next door), so I left my muffin sitting on the coffee table, still in it’s plastic wrapper. When I came back, the wrapper was there and the muffin was gone. Furious, I yelled at my husband, “I can’t believe you ate it!” He denied it, and it was then that I noticed that the paper muffin cup was also missing. And the dog was smiling. Since then the dog has become a chocolate fiend (he begs for it whenever I have any) and I’ve given up pouting because, in the end, the dog just eats the muffin anyway, so there’s no point. Better to move on and put it behind you.

read more: http://liftyouup.blogspot.com/2013/04/guest-author-interview-with-joleene.html

Be sure to enter the giveaway at: 

http://incandescentenchantments.blogspot.com/2013/04/heart-of-raven-book-tour-schedule.html

The book tour has started! Enter to win an awesome prize pack that includes a “Got Blood?” T-shirt (your choice of size), a book mark pack,  digital calendar, and ebook set. Ebook and calendar will be emailed while the t-shirt and book marks will be snail mailed. There’s an awesome rafflecopter entry widget on the blog tour home page: http://incandescentenchantments.blogspot.com/2013/04/heart-of-raven-book-tour-schedule.html

While you’re there check out the participating blogs! Today’s posts include an author interview and a book review of Heart of the Raven.

Hope to see you guys there and thanks so much for all you do – your awesomeness keeps me writing

Dream girl (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

That’s the question I attempt to answer today on Michael Brookes’ blog. Michael has been kind enough to host me as a guest, and I hope that you will stop by and say, “Hi.” While you’re there, check out some of his other great posts!

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/guest-post-where-did-idea-for-your-book.html

Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.

Today we are interviewing DWW from Jennifer Priester’s novel  Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic.

Katelina: Hello DWW and welcome! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

DWW: I can’t tell you what I look like at this time. I currently live in the Mortal Realm, your Realm, in a place called Fountain City. The Mortal Realm is not where I have always lived but I was born in it and this is where I learned that I was a witch and how to use my magic. Later on I lived in the Other Realm, the place where most witches, warlocks, and their familiars live, for a few hundred years, where I worked before moving back to the Mortal Realm. My first appearance is in Book One of the Mortal Realm Witch series, Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic, and I am in every book after this one except for the Third Series Companion, Tales of Other Realm Creatures, and the Guidebook: The Guide to Other Realm Creatures.

K: So this book is the first in a series, right? From what I understand it’s a little bit different than a “traditional” novel.

D: Yes. Each book, with the exception of Books Three, Five, and the Guidebook, are told in short story form. Each short story builds off the last as a chapter would in a chapter book, but is told in different ways. Here is what I am talking about: In Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic, I tell the first story. I tell about myself and it is the story of how I became a witch. In the next story my familiar, Trillman, takes over and tells about his teaching me magic and the challenges he faces as I learn more about what my powers can do. In the third story, the first Head of the Witches Council that you meet in this series, Trom, takes over my training after Trillman quits, leaving me with no familiar and no one to teach me magic. Trom tells this story from his point of view. In the fourth story I teach the wolf pups, Witch and Warlock. This story is told in third person rather than first to give you the feel as if you are watching me and these pups. It is also told this way to make the story feel more natural as you read about them learning to hunt as regular wolves as well as magical ones. The next story may feel out of place to some as it is about a witch living in the Other Realm, not me, who wants a dragon for a familiar. This story is told from her point of view. This story is told where it is because it shows you the impact I had on some of the rules and how it affects witches in both Realms. The characters in this story, the witch Ally, and the dragon Air Raid, also play a big role later in the series. The final story in the book is told in first person once again by me and tells the story of how I met Sampson and leads up to my new life in the Other Realm.

K: So what is the second book about?

D: Then the second book picks up where the first leaves off and Sampson’s story continues and his adventures with a new witch in the Mortal Realm begin. In this book I help the witch, Turtle, a lot, whether it’s dealing with Sampson, learning magic, or something else. She is also a big help to me when a battle breaks out between witches and witch hunters. In Book Two, Mortal Realm Witch: The Magic Continues (avail. this Spring.) you also get to go deeper into some events of Book One in an all new story featuring several shorter stories in one. One of these shorter stories tells what might have happened to lead up to Trillman’s quitting.

K: You said book three was different?

D: Yes. Book Three, Mortal Realms Witch: Realms Unite?, is one large story about my plan to unite the Realms, the challenges I face, and how I go about it. You will discover some big secrets in this book about Trom and myself. In the end of the book Trom will come to me with a message that will set off the events of Book Four, The Adventures of DWW2, with some stories about my daughter Asantra and her challenges and adventures leading up to my return to the Mortal Realm and setting off the events for Book Five (currently unnamed), the final book in the main Mortal Realm Witch series (there are three companions and a guidebook, as well as some upcoming free to read stories.)

K: What about the fifth book?

D: Because Book Five is the final book it is told as one large and fast paced story that answers many questions that were raised throughout the series, as well as setting off a big chain of events that hopefully leads to the final step in uniting the Realms forever and hopefully ends with both Realms fully united, but Five isn’t finished yet and knowing my author the way I do, anything can happen!

K: Wow! Sounds like it’s all fairly mapped out. Your author is way more organized than mine! How would you say that you evolve over the series?

D: I start out like any other kid or witch in training. I break some rules, find ways around others, don’t really take my duties seriously, and don’t always listen to the ones trying to teach me. This leads to many problems including my magic teacher, my familiar, quitting his job. Over time I learn to be more responsible, stop breaking rules and because of this I am given a big opportunity. It’s not the only reason but I was given the opportunity but if those things hadn’t changed I never would have been given it. Upon accepting the opportunity I get a new job and life in the Other Realm. Now I would be the one in charge of punishing rule breakers. Besides this I would get to do more enjoyable things as well, such as train new familiars. Throughout the series you will discover the good, the bad, and many of the challenges that came with my job.

warlock accouterments by Jo

K: Do you have any enemies?

D: Yes, his name is Sampson. Sampson is a, or was a, power hungry warlock who wanted (and probably still does!) to control both the Mortal Realm and the Other Realm. We become enemies from the moment I refuse to help him with his take over plans.  Besides being power hungry, Sampson also has natural ability to twist things around so you believe he means one thing when he really means another. He gets me with this trick a few times throughout the series.

K: Oh wow! That sounds very “epic”. Hopefully you don’t face any other challenges!

D: .In the series I also face the challenge of uniting the Realms. It’s a difficult task that is only made more difficult with Sampson’s interference. And I also face the threat of witch hunters, black magic, an attempt by a warlock to rid the world of wolves, my daughter Asantra, and…I think that’s enough for now.

K: Wow! You’re author sounds as mean as mine. Did she at least involve you in a good romance?

D: Well, I was involved in one, once. It was very short and not really worth mentioning except my daughter, Asantra, was the result of it. Who was he? Someone who first appears in one of the first three books in the series. I won’t say who it is or which book because I think it is something that is best discovered for yourself rather than hearing it from me. I will tell you that I liked him because he was creative, smart, and ambitious.

K: Do you think that has helped to make you who you are, or is there another event that shaped you?

D: I actually believe it was when I became a full time teacher to two wolf pups, Witch and Warlock, for a year. As I was teaching them about their magical powers, how to use them, and also how to be regular wolves, I learned a lot about myself. There were some things that the two of them did that I didn’t agree with yet realized that I would have done the same thing. The biggest example of this is when the pups are protecting their territory from an enemy wolf.

K: What is the one thing you want the most in the whole world?

D: I would really like for mortals to see past all the predjudices against witches and see us as we really are.

photo by photophilde CC via flicker

K: That sounds fair enough. It looks like we’re running out of time, so real quick, if you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?

D: Sometimes you might fail at something that you really wanted to succeed at and might consider giving up. If it’s something you really want don’t give up. Just believe in it and try again. Depending on what it is, sometimes all you need to do is figure out what went wrong the first time and change your approach. If you get the chance, when the time comes, check out:  Book Three, Mortal Realm Witch: Realms Unite?, and you will see what I mean.

K: That is excellent advice! And if you could say one thing to your author?

D: I would say thanks for not giving up on my first story. If you had we would have missed out on a lot of great adventures together.

K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find DWW in Mortal Realm Witch: Learning About Magic available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Realm-Witch-Learning-About/dp/193878300X/  

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mortal-realm-witch-jennifer-priester/1111957728?ean=9781938783005

Also check out the website for more info: http://www.mortalrealmwitch.com/meettheauthor.html

And a special thank you to Jennifer Priester for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/ 

If that’s not bad enough, Amanda at Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog has very kindly posted a review of the whole series; Shades of Gray, Legacy of Ghosts, Ties of Blood, Ashes of Deceit, and Heart of the Raven! And have I shared links? No!  You should stop by her blogs too, and leave her some comments about her excellent reviews and my poor social skills! **

I also have a blog tour coming up, engineered by Incandescent Enchantments Book Tours  that will run April 29 to May 4 and includes prizes such as:

There’s also a free ebook, and a t-shirt, if I recall. That is If I haven’t been clamped in leg irons and had tomatoes thrown at me by then.***

* Or you could leave comments about what a great blog it is. That would be good, too. No real need to mention my faux pas.

** Or you could just tell her what great reviews she does. I mean, pointing out my lack of social skills might bring the tone of the blog down.

*** I don’t think anyone will REALLY clamp me in REAL leg irons. They can’t find me. Now digital leg irons… those are a possibility.

Related articles

• Amanda and I are Talking about Verchiel… (joleenenaylor.wordpress.com)
• The First Review! (joleenenaylor.wordpress.com)

Voting ends the 27th, so if you get a chance stop in!

Woe, but It’s a Wicked World

photo by Jo Naylor

For those new to the genre, it’s sometimes a murky line distinguishing the early gothic tale from a mystery or mere romance. How do you know for certain whether you’re reading a true gothic story?  You need only look at your heroine and ask:

While gothic stories abounded with heroines named Adeline, Antonia, and Ellena, you’ll be hard pressed to find even a Matilda or Isabella residing in our modern novels. Gothic heroines simply aren’t made of stern enough stuff for today’s readers.

But in all fairness, the life of a gothic heroine is not easy. Her beauty creates endless complications. Her deepest distress makes her appear even more beautiful and so she tends to be greatly desired by men with wicked intentions. Aside from the man she is being forced to wed, there is likely yet another soon to make a kidnap attempt and still others she might hear discussing her, which only adds to her vague fears and nameless dread. All the while, of course, her mind is greatly preoccupied with memories of happy moments spent with the man she has given her heart to and from whom she’s been cruelly torn. His absence creates the deep melancholy she can never shake, but which serves to make her…still more beautiful.

One wonders if the lot of the gothic heroine would be easier if she didn’t feel things so deeply. While we admire, she feels extraordinary awe rendering her speechless. We may be nervous, but she’s assailed by horrid apprehensions her spirit can not overcome. We experience fear, but she’s convulsed with horror so excessive her senses are threatened. Her recollections are too painful to be endured and her astonishment is always profound. Imagine the fatigue!

by Jo Naylor

Perhaps this is why gothic heroines are so prone to sinking lifeless and falling senseless. Their penchant for long solitary walks leads you to believe they possess hardy constitutions. In actuality, they’re quite delicate. In continual need of walls and window casements to lean upon, they lose consciousness with alarming regularity. Their steps falter with the arrival of bad news and their maids are ever ready with open arms to catch them when murder or possible loss of chastity threatens. The bravest gothic heroine might indeed seek out her cruel uncle to plead her case one last time, but it causes her to tremble terribly and she’ll likely end up falling at his feet, overwrought with emotion. The unexpected appearance of a lover, a circumstance occurring with far more frequency than one might expect, could well bring on a slight fever.

Tragically, gothic heroines are also not known for their deductive powers. Despite the lateness of the hour, the remoteness of the castle, and the strangeness of their situation, they’re unable to deduce that some foul plot is afoot. Although we can see numerous reasons why unaccountable terror might grip them, they, strangely, often fail to produce a single one. They’re only, yet again, overcome by their most constant of companions – nameless dread.

At least they’re rarely bored. As is often the case when locked in your room, there’s ample time for introspection. The gothic heroine spends a good portion of her day tormented by unanswerable questions such as, “What have I gained by my fortitude?” or “Is this a charm to lure me to my destruction?” and “Have I truly been abandoned to meet the storms of life alone?”

Their days fill with activity, especially as people leave much lying about for them to find. Chancing upon deadly daggers and mysterious manuscripts keeps a gothic heroine busy. Hours pass quickly when you’re discovering the veiled recesses of rooms not opened in years. Chance upon poetry carved into the trees outside your villa or begin wondering what is behind this or that door and, before you know it, it’s teatime.

by Jo Naylor

A gothic heroine is also quite literate and, in an effort to resist the pressure of sorrow, usually makes at least a feeble attempt to read. Yet how impossible when the silent tears can not be stopped! And most amazing of all, the deepest melancholy or the most sublime enjoyment of nature puts her at her literary best. She can pen a two-page sonnet before the sun completely sinks below the horizon.

Although the gothic heroine finds the world to be a wicked place, in the end she manages to triumph, coming away a wiser, and usually happily married, young woman. She has been:

willowdot21 AKA Shaun has started a new award, and  here is what Shaun had to say.

“This is an award for everyone who is part of the “Word Press Family” I start this award on the basis that the WordPress family has taken me in, and showed me love and a caring side only WordPress can. The way people take a second to be nice, to answer a question and not make things a competition amazes me here. I know I have been given many awards, but I wanted to leave my own legacy on here by creating my own award, as many have done before. This represents “Family” we never meet, but are there for us as family. It is my honour to start this award”

Rules:

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family.
4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them.
5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people that have taken you as  a friend, and spread the love.

I started on WordPress in 2010 because though I was blogging on MySpace, I noticed that most of my readers didn’t comment, or seem interested in, post that had to do with my books or with writing/publishing. I also needed an author only blog that had real RSS capabilities, so I could stream it to Amazon, LinkedIn and all those other places. My  first post had one comment on it, and that was from a friend who, alas, never came back and it was a long time before I consistently got comments on WordPress. There was a point where I almost abandoned my blog here – but the RSS capabilities and easy post composition and theme editing kept me hanging around and I’m glad it did as I have met some great people! So thanks so much to everyone who has stopped in, commented, given me encouragement and written their own fantastic blogs! You’re all my WordPress family, but alas I can only pick ten, so…..

• Juli Hoffman
• Susan Koenig
• Ruth Nordin
• DM Yates
• Barbara Tarn
• Roger Lawrence
• David Knight
• Janet Coulter
• Steve Evans
• Alannah Murphy

Spotlight (Photo credit: Nathan Wells)

And boy is it warm. Wow. Could someone turn that air conditioner on? Only joking.

Today I am featured on Morgen Beiley’s Writing blog (That is Morgen with an ‘E’) as an author spotlight and discussing the question, “Do readers really want to read about our writing process?” As authors we love to discuss it, but how interesting is it to the average reader? Be sure to stop by and leave your opinions!

Hope to see you there!

http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/author-spotlight-no-205-joleene-naylor

So, to give this post a little more bite, I thought I’d share something funny I ran into the other day. You may remember the publicity surrounding the alleged proof of  Nicolas Cage’s vampire-ness? Did you know John Travolta is one, too?

Okay, so you may have seen this already, as it similarly appeared on ebay around the same time as Nicolas’ supposed photo, but I thought it was still fun, anyway!

And as a special bonus link, for all you authors out there, check out Donna Yates post full of tips for your book release!

stolen from I Smell Sheep

Jorick is visiting the I Smell Sheep blog today to talk about the new book, Heart of the Raven,  and about the plans we have for the next book. I’m sure they’re going to have a lovely time… Hmmm. Maybe I should have written him a script? He does have a habit of getting distracted. Well, not distracted so much as going off on a tangent that usually involves the redheaded idiot and what a bad writer I am and… Oh dear. I don’t think I should have let him go unsupervised. I better get over there and make sure he stays on topic.

Hope to see you there!

And be sure to enter to win some cool Sunday Swag, too!

Hello! My name is Katelina, and welcome to Weekend Character Interviews. Using state of the art-mumbo-jumbo author magic, Jo has temporarily bent the laws of fictional space and time to allow various literary universes to converge long enough for me to ask different characters a few questions. Since I spend a lot of time in the Amaranthine series quizzing vampires on what they’re doing, where they’re going and why, Jo thought I would be the perfect interviewer.

Today we are interviewing John Hendry, who is from Roger Lawrence’s horror novel Kongomato.

Katelina: Hello John! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

John: I’m an Exo-biologist which is just a fancy name for someone who searches for mythical or just extinct animals. I like the job because I don’t have to deal with people too often. I live in London now since I got fired from my job with a university which funded my research. I’m in my mid thirties. I’m no Brad Pitt but the girls seem to like my appearance and I am always keen to be with them when my research allows, which is not often. For some reason they don’t really get what I do.

K: Sounds safe enough. Not the kind of job where you have a lot of enemies, is it?

J: My biggest enemies are the government bureaucrats I managed to upset by breaking into that foreign embassy and stealing secrets. Oh, and calling the Prime Minister of Great Britain a rude word couldn’t have helped much. Compared to them, the monster currently roaming the skies of London and eating people, is relatively harmless.

K: Whoa! Monster? There’s a monster?

J: Yes, that’s what the Kongomato of the title is. A rather large, nasty monster.

K: Wow, so you’re fighting a monster?

J: Yes. I’m trying to end this madness before it’s too late by working with someone I hate and cannot trust while trying to work out what is really going on behind the scenes.

K: Do you hate the monster?

J: No not really. He’s just looking for food. But if it comes near me and I’ve got a gun, I’ll kill it.

photo by Jo

K: So, you mentioned government bureaucrats as enemies. I imagine there’s some kind of government cover up – or else it’s all their fault?

J:…

K: Are you saying you really don’t understand what the government is doing?

J: No I really don’t. Our government wouldn’t do anything to hurt us, then cover it up – would they?

K: Ah. I see. But you’re fighting the monster and fighting the government. Doesn’t that make you a hero?

J: To which I’d answer yes, but in reality, not really. I’m terrified most of the time.

K: Well there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m scared a lot of the time, and I’m just dealing with vampires! I don’t suppose there’s any time for a romance in all this, is there?

J: I have to work with my ex-girlfriend, whom it turns out, was working for someone else against me. So I never thought I would meet another girl that I could love. But now I’ve met a young doctor called Annie. My friend Carl has a thing for her. I can’t help myself. I think there could be something between us but it’s going to hurt Carl.

K: Man, nothing in your life is easy! What would you say is the one event that has helped to shape who you are?

J: My mum and dad’s money. I never had to work really hard and a result, I’m very selfish. It’s a bad trait and I hate it in myself.

K: Ah. Well how do you evolve during the story?

J: I’m a user. I’ve been doing it for years and hate myself for it. So now I am trying very hard to stop it and repay my friend, Carl’s kindness. I think I’m managing it, some of the time.

photo by Horia Varlan via Flickr

K: Well that’s good, right? You’re getting better. And you recognize the problems. They say that’s the first step to recovery. What would you say is the one thing you want the most in the world?

J: My own research project, where I discover the remains of the most fantastic mythical creature. A bit childish, I know, but we all have our dreams.

K: Nothing wrong with that. At least it’s a goal. It looks like we’re almost out of time. If you could say one thing to your readers, what would it be?

J: If you have true friends, don’t abuse them. I’ve done it all my life and now I don’t know who I can trust.

K: And finally, If you could say one thing to your author, what would it be?

J: I’d say: Can I have a bit more time with Annie. And why couldn’t she live in a different block of flats from Carl, and why did he have to know her? And of course – if you’re thinking of it – please don’t kill me off.

K: And with that we’re out of time. You can find John in Roger Lawrence’s Kongomato available at

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kongomato-ebook/dp/B008GMVZ08/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/276611

And a special thank you to Roger Lawrence for playing along!

If you’re an author and would like your character(s) to be interviewed by me, then check out this very cool page that has all the details:

 http://joleenenaylor.wordpress.com/character-interviews/

verchiel (Photo credit: Jo Naylor)

todayI am hanging out with Amanda Masters on her  Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog. She had some great questions for me, including:

Verchiel is a pretty big pain but I think he helped out a lot in Heart of the Raven Do you think he should be forgiven for what he did?

Go see what I said and let me know what you think! Should Katelina and Jorick forgive him?

http://wiccawitch4.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-interview-with-joleene-naylor.html#.UWj8HbVQEeE

Related articles

• The First Review! (joleenenaylor.wordpress.com)

by me

…Is where I am today! Troy Jackson has been kind enough to do an author interview with me. he asked some great questions, including:

 What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?  Easiest?

Writing fight scenes and sex scenes. I will literally get bored and wander away in the middle of both. The conversation scenes are the easiest for me, and the ones I have the most fun with because that’s when I find out all the things about the characters that I didn’t know before.  Editing and revision aren’t so much hard as time consuming and repetitive.

Visit the link below to read the rest and while you’re there check out his other posts and his Fantasy novel The Elementals (which is on my TBR list!)

http://www.tempestworks.com/1/post/2013/04/guest-interview-joleene-naylor-author.html

Roger Lawrence, the author of Three Hoodies Save the World and Kongomato, has been kind enough to host an interview with me. He had some great questions such as “Are there any other completed novels which you have considered too bad to publish, and would you consider resurrecting them?”

Can you guess what my answer was?

Check it out on:

blogspot: http://threehoodies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/an-interview-with-joleene-naylor.html

or

wordpress: http://rogeey.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/an-interwiew-with-joleene-naylor/

Blood Sweat and Tears. Number 2 (Photo credit: Jakob E)

Fellow author Steve Evans was kind enough to share an article with me about a new beauty craze dubbed “Vampire facials”. The essence is that your blood is drawn out, spun around in a centrifuge machine to separate the platelets, and then, in many cases, after your face is “perforated” the blood is then slathered over your skin. or, in other cases, it’s injected into troublesome areas (the treatment, it seems  originated as therapy for sports related injuries).

No, it wasn’t Dracula that brought this new craze out into the open, but rather Kim Kardashian who tweeted a bloody faced photo of herself that has since inspired people all over the world to have themselves slathered in their own blood. While Verchiel is all for this, I’m a little bit repulsed (as I like my blood in my veins, not on my face.) But what do you think?

Source article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/beauty/8509964/Kiwis-thirst-for-vampire-facials

Zig-Zag (Photo credit: zigazou76)

Yeah, okay, weird title. Today Mary Fan at Zigzag Timeline was kind enough to post an interview with yours truly.  Where in I discuss such interesting things as the inspiration behind my series, the importance of cover art, and what I’d like to do with one fictional character. So check it out, and while you’re there be sure to read some of her other interviews and also check out Mary’s sci-fi novel Artificial Absolutes.

http://zigzagtl.blogspot.com/2013/04/author-interview-joleene-naylor.html

In 1933 the Great Depression and Dust Bowl brought devastation to thousands of people. For thirteen-year-old Sammy Larkin, it made him an orphan. Refusing to allow the state to take his seven-year-old sister, Birdie and himself from their farm, he decides to do the impossible—live as if his parents were still alive.
Learning to lie and steal, he embarks on an eye-opening fight for survival in the Oklahoma panhandle, finding help in the most unexpected places. The fear of failure overshadows his every decision. Along with a mangy stray dog and new-found friends, he struggles to adapt to the world of adults, discovering the ugly side of life, all the while questioning why his parents left them.
Battling constant dust storms, known as black blizzards, a menacing drifter, and hunger, he fights to get through each day, hoping for a miracle. When circumstances dictate a change in his plans, he has to make a life altering decision.

Winner of the B.R.A.G. Medallion

Excerpt:

Outside the wind roared, tore at the cellar door, moaned through cracks, bringing with it a cloud of dust. Sammy and Birdie turned toward the wall and buried their heads within their arms. On and on, the roaring wind shrieked. The temperature dropped by almost forty degrees. Each new gust slammed the door against the frame. It blocked out the sun and turned day into night. The faint light from the lantern flickered. After what seemed like hours, the short dust storm finally passed them over and kept heading east. One minute the roaring filled the tiny room; the next, a blanket of dead quiet descended.

“Is it over?” Birdie asked

“I think so. We need to sit and wait a while, jus’ in case it comes back.” Sammy unrolled himself and leaned back against the wall, his heart pounding. The storm seemed a lot worse now that his ma and pa weren’t there to comfort them. Usually they made a game of hiding in the cellar waiting for a storm to pass. It wasn’t fun anymore.

He crept up the steps and listened for the wind. He could hear the blowing dirt whisking against the door and house. It seeped through the cracks, rained on his face and in his eyes. He wiped at the dirt on his face and listened again for the wind. It seemed quiet beyond the door. Sammy pulled the latch back and slowly raised the cellar door a few inches, looking and listening for the hateful storm. With the exception of a few minor gusts, the storm had passed.

He turned back down the steps and said to his sister, “Come on, let’s git out of here.”

Birdie jumped to her feet, blew out the lantern, and scooted up the stone steps, eager to leave the dank, dark cellar. By the time she reached the top step, Sammy had thrown the door all the way back.

A haze of dusty sky covered the sun. The day seemed confused as to whether it should be early morning or dusk. With a dark yellow-brown hue blanketing the lonely landscape, it was hard to tell.

“I didn’t like that, Sammy. It ain’t like when Momma and Daddy was with us down in there,” Birdie said when she climbed out of the cellar. She stood on the cellar door, hugging herself against the chill, while Sammy secured the latch.

“I know. Ain’t nothin’ fun no more. Next time maybe we can ride it out in the house, ‘stead of the cellar. If’n it’s a big‘n we still go to the cellar. The little ones . . . I ain’t goin’ down there.” Sammy struggled with the rusted latch, finally giving up after pinching his hand. He kicked it shut. “Oh, snake boogers. That there door done up an’ bit me.” He squeezed the side of his hand, holding back the blood.

“Mamma don’t like ya to be sayin’ that,” chided Birdie.

“Ain’t nobody gonna be around to say nothin’ ‘bout it.” He stomped around the corner out of her sight.

Birdie hurried to fall in step with her brother as they made their way back to the house, stopping first at the pump for some cool, refreshing water. Breathing in all the dust that had crept into the cellar had parched their throats. Ma woulda remembered to bring water to the cellar, Sammy thought. And Pa woulda got them down ‘for the winds got too strong.

“Don’t make no difference. Gotta do it my own way now,” he mumbled. “I gotta think smarter and faster, too. If’n I don’t, me and Birdie gonna git hurt or maybe even kilt.

“Who’s gonna get kilt, Sammy?” Birdie asked, catching up with him.

“I ain’t talkin’ to ya. Mind yer own business,” he said.

“Who ya talkin’ to? Ain’t nobody ‘round cept us”. Birdie grabbed his sleeve. “Who ya talkin’ to, huh?”

Sammy stopped walking and turned to his sister. “I’m talkin’ to myself, okay? I gotta make some sense of all this and there ain’t nobody to be talkin’ to that knows nothin’. We gotta make plans.”

“What plans?”

“Plans on how we keep a-goin’. Gittin’ food and stuff.”

“I’m hungry,” Birdie whined.

“Me too,” Sammy agreed, knowing there wasn’t much left in the house. He had to find a way to bring some food in.

“I want one of Momma’s roast chickens with mashed tatters and corn ona cob. Wouldn’ that be good?” Birdie licked her lips, savoring the memory of what used to be on the table.

“Yeah, if’n we had us a chicken or tatters or corn. We ain’t got nothin’ ‘cept some bread ‘n that there can stuff. I gotta git us some food.”

.

http://www.amazon.com/DIRT-ebook/dp/B008NXEIKO/ Available in paperback and kindle

About Sharon Dwyer:

What can I say. I dream. I write. I dream some more. I love books with a good story that keeps me up way past my bedtime.

Seriously, well I was serious but, I’ve worked in several professions – nursing, engineering, finance and technology. I love a challenge, so when I felt bored with an occupation, I went back to school for a new one. Along the way I discovered I loved to write and once again changed profession.

As my website says, “Books are the gateway to adventure”. Reading is more than just an enjoyable story, so many books out there have tidbits of information weaved into the story, we learn something everytime we pick one up. At least I do.

Website http://www.sldwyer.com/

Check it out.

Moon (Photo credit: shahbasharat)

Thanks to the lovely Amanda Masters, Heart of the Raven has it’s first blog review! Of course, her kind words left Verchiel crowing, and hard to live with for awhile. That boy is going to get himself into trouble one of these days! But don’t just listen to me blather on, go check out the great post she did! Also be sure to check out her other reviews and author interviews while you’re there, including one for Donna Yate’s Always.

http://wiccawitch4.blogspot.ca/2013/04/heart-of-raven-by-joleene-naylor-book-5.html

Speaking of the website, I am in the middle of redesigning it. Okay, not the middle, the beginning stages, but a redesgin and streamline is eventually coming. Now’s your chance to tell me what you like or don’t like about the site, what you’d like to see, or what you think can go, go, go. Of course the main focus is going to be on the books with a minor focus on the cover art, and I think I may leave the photography section just because it’s cool. However, I think the short stories, poems and artwork sections may bite the big one.

So, if you haven’t checked it out before, do so now – http://JoleeneNaylor.com – sometimes it takes a moment or two to load on slower connections, and in some browsers the “loading” does not show up for some reason, so give it a moment before you say “It’s not working”. (this is one of the things that will be addressed in the new design). Then, share your thoughts in the comments.

Have a great day! 

My name is Katelina and I am the main character in Joleene Naylor’s Amaranthine vampire series. Joleene had this really boring post planned about celebrating her newest book, Heart of the Raven, and blathering on about the parallels of springtime renewal and her new book covers… trust me, it was dreadful. Who wants to read that kind of crap? So I stepped in to save all of us.

You’re welcome.

Since this is a Hop sponsored by Gliterary Girl Media Group, who happens to be giving away not only gift certificates for their lovely graphic services, but also a fantastic makeup basket, I thought I’d take a moment to get girly. Following after my vampire lover, fighting monsters, hiding out in dark cellars and occasionally becoming a mobile snack can really take it out of a girl, and doesn’t leave a lot of time for pampering. But, there’s one cosmetic I have to have, and that’s my nail polish. Something about that sharp, chemical smell just makes all the weirdness in the world – the blood, fire, and nightmares – fade away and as I paint the bright colors over each nail, it’s like I am painting over all the horribleness with a shiny new coat of promise.

I want to share that joy with one lucky commenter! And since I’ve been painting my nails for five books now, we’re giving away not one bottle, but five in what my author likes to call “Amaranthine colors”.

Leave a comment below with either your email address or a facebook profile link (that accepts messages) to be eligible to win the nail polish grab bag. Winner will be chosen on or around April 7th and notified by mail or FB message. They will then need to provide a mailing address that we can send their prize to.

If you’d like to know more about the Amaranthine books, check out the links in the banner above this post where you can read sample chapters, watch book trailers and more. You can even read the mini prologues for the latest book.

Please be sure to stop by the Gliterary Girl blog and to also check out the other participating blogs in this hop (by clicking the linky link below next to the adorable little frog) for your chance to win other great prizes!

Thanks for stopping in and have a great spring! (Meanwhile, I’ll keep muddling through vampire winter!)