Monday, June 8, 2015

The Web Cleanser cover reveal


I have a good friend and author, Franny Armstrong here today!! I'm so excited. She's really just a writing monster! I love it! She's prolific and loves her twists and turns.
 
 
 
Here's her guest post and cover :D Have fun!

Would you make love to a computer?

People today meet partners online, some of them going so far as to find their true loves, but there can also be danger when that happens. Imagine you have an online lover who lives many miles away. Now, he talks you into cheating on your husband. Is it your fault or his when you give in. The internet isn't always a safe bet. Sometimes even putting an ad on a website to sell your spare bicycle can lead to more than you'd hoped.

While writing The Web Cleanser, I thought about the consequences of online relationships, and fell into the vortex of a story where love can be deadly. You're cyber lover might not live as far away as he/she says. Stalkers can find their victims on the web easily, getting more information about you than you know. It's better for you to only put the minimal personal information in your profile. Danger abounds in the world you can't see.

My characters find out the true meaning of deceit when a killer lures them to their deaths. It's up to two tough cops to find him. Ryland Sanders chooses to be the bait, while her partner, Kane Nanuq tries to protect her from herself, and the killer. Imagine yourself in a similar situation, and perhaps caution will help keep you safe.

 

I'd love to know what you think of the cover and the tale. You can reach me below at any one of my links. Thanks.

 

Blurb

Ryland Sanders is a feisty, no-nonsense cop who protects her heart with her smart mouth. She has no friends, and every partner she's ever had gave up on her long ago. When paired with a new cop, Ry pulls out all stops to get rid of him, but he's not one to run.

Kane Nanuq is from the Northwest Territories on Baffin Island. He's tracking a serial killer who murdered his wife and children. When he meets Ry, his carefully planned revenge is altered. She wants to become bait, but Kane wants to protect her. She cracks open his carefully guarded heart, even as she loses hers.

The duo work together to capture the killer, but neither of them realize they've lost their hearts to each other until it's too late...

Excerpt

Normally, Ry wouldn't give a care in the world about people talking behind her back, but for some reason the gossip cut her deeply. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she saw a bewildered, angry woman, who had no friends, no family, and no one to talk to. For the first time since her teens, tears pricked her eyes. Shocked, she watched in the mirror as they glistened for a moment. Anger finally took over as it usually did when she became vulnerable. Lifting her chin, and throwing her shoulders back, she swiped at the offending tears, finally able to achieve the control she'd been missing all morning.

Nobody—and she meant nobody—could hurt her! Not ever! She gave her reflection a quick nod, squared her shoulders even more, and opened the door with a bang, making her way back to her office at normal speed. This time though, she took a moment to give the cops in the main room her best 'Go ahead, I dare ya', expression. Not a soul would raise their eyes to meet hers. With a sniff of distain, she opened her office door and entered her haven…at least, it had been a haven until her current resident showed up.

Ignoring Kane, she sat back down, and noticed that her computer ran smoothly. About to snarl at him, she found that he'd set a hot cup of coffee down in front of her. Now how could you get mad at a guy, when he'd given you the only saving grace of the whole morning? Deciding it best to keep her mouth shut, she opened up a few files, doing her best to ignore the aromatic brew. It took all of a minute before she gave in, and grabbed the cup. When it sloshed on her pants, she squeezed her eyes shut, and waited for the pain to go away.

Kane took the cup out of her hand, and used his clean hanky to dab at the large stain on her thigh.

Releasing a loud 'whoop', she nearly came out of her chair at his touch, but for his hand on her shoulder holding her down.

"Sit still," he said in a low murmur, continuing his ministrations.

In a million years, she wouldn't ever admit to him or anyone else, let alone herself, that his touch made her belly flutter with a swarm of butterflies. Keeping her eyes on her computer screen, she did her best to appear unaffected.

For a few seconds, he tapped the keys on her keyboard. "There," he said quietly, then returned to his desk.

Angry that she'd found an interest in him, she snapped, "I'm not going to thank you…for anything."

He smirked, saying clearly, "I don't expect you to."

The Web Cleanser will be available on Three Worlds Press upon its release.

BIO

Author of Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance, I love a good tale. A full time author, I have plenty of time to work on my projects. I write, promote, and daydream about my stories all day long, fitting in my chores and family in my 'spare' time. Writing has been a healing experience for me. Having Bipolar II disorder, I go through hoops to remain focused, but I love to write and it takes me away from dealing with illness. I've come a long way into good health because of my stories. After all, my characters can do anything! There's no reason I can't.

Franny Armstrong


Love is to DIE for...





 

 

Friday, June 5, 2015

The Beach at the Sea Foam Apartments by D.J. Kozlowski

Three Worlds Press has started a fun series of shorts which is planned to be compiled into anthologies as we go :) They all have to do with the Sea and a little light horror, and the one to launch this week is gothic horror! I have the author guest blogging as well as his buy links and a little som'in som'in from his book!
 
 
 
  • Would you want to live in the world you’ve created and why/why not?
My world (in the book) is our world. The only difference is much of the magic we see in movies or phony "documentaries" is real in the world of the book, though much more subtle than in traditional fantasy. I'd love to live in a magical world. My universe--to which the book provides only a glimpse through a window--has magic, monsters, gods and demons, and many typical fantasy elements, but is otherwise our normal, workaday world. What makes it interesting, I hope, is that nothing is overt. The magical underbelly of reality exists largely unnoticed by most people. 
  • Did you have a favourite book or author as a child? Have you got one now?
I loved a book series called The Three Investigators. I recall them having business cards and thinking that was so cool--there was some kind of power in that. They--much like Scooby Doo--always found a rational explanation for seemingly supernatural phenomena. That is attractive to me in a way. But then I have always been inspired by Poe and Lovecraft (my daughter is Raven and once son is H.P.). In the past decade, I've noticed a theme of Neil Gaiman running through my life--movies, books, and other forms of media had links to Gaiman. Long before I knew who he was (or recognized the value of following authors rater than stories) I was reading comics he wrote (one, Death: The High Cost of Living, is still a favorite). I figured he was one of these ubiquitous writers--a Stephen King who everyone has experienced somehow--but no. Gaiman appeals to a certain community, and those people gravitate toward his projects not necessarily because of him (generally), but because of their temperaments and the style and quality of his projects. I also enjoy the early writing of Orson Scott Card, and who doesn't love Bradbury, Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Dick, Blish, etc. 
  • What do you find hardest to write?
My mind always wants to explore my universe, so constraining stories to the relevant characters and plot lines is a constant battle. I sometimes satiate myself by dropping in Easter Eggs that only I recognize as such (as my body of work grows, maybe they'll be more recognizable). But when you've got a world in your mind filled with interesting characters, it's hard to keep them from popping up at every opportunity. I remind myself to keep a steady pace--over time I will begin to explore more of the people/beings.
  • Do you have any other books in the works?
I have a few in process, most set in this same world. I enjoy world-building, so expect to see at least some of the characters from Sea Foam again. 

 
 
 
Author Bio:

D.J. Kozlowski writes gothic horror, dark fantasy, and magical realism, drawing inspiration from the likes of Poe and Lovecraft. When he’s not writing, D.J. counsels businesses as an attorney. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, 3 kids, and fish, the latter of which is constantly being replaced for the sake of the children. He tries not to take life too seriously.

Blurb:

Minor magic can have unintended consequences.  At the beach across from the Sea Foam Apartments, the fates of five people are tragically altered through Melinda’s well-intentioned meddling.  Now, Melinda has a chance to help these people find their destinies and restore life to the beach, but she’ll need some help.  Fortunately, someone has been watching.

Quotes:

“She recalled the sun rising from behind the sea, darkening then illuminating the lighthouse and brightening the sands whose sparkle mixed with the shimmering waves to cast all the early joggers in a discotheque strobe. This place had magic to it.”

“The rustling of the curtains was enough to rouse Marc from a dead sleep. When he was younger and living in that apartment at the end of Seaside Avenue, the curtains rustled. At first, he thought he’d left the balcony door ajar, allowing a sea breeze into the apartment. Only later did he realize the curtains moved regardless of the door or the breeze.”