Rave Review on Goodreads!

Wow, I am reeling (in a good way). One of the reviewers who asked me for an ARC of The Queen of Swords just posted a phenomenal five-star review on Goodreads. I stumbled upon it and, with racing pulse, started to read. Here's how it starts: "As sinfully seductive as chocolate The Queen of Swords is a tempting tale of undying love and dark desires . . . " That's definitely one for the posters: As sinfully seductive as chocolate. Holy cow. Does it get better than that? I swear, I have goosebumps as I type this. If you care to read the whole thing (it gets even better) here's the link. This is the fifth five-star review the book's received so far. 

Nine days left to release!

The Cover Unveiled

Here it is, the gorgeous cover created for the book by bestselling author and amazing artist Rue Volley. The Queen of Swords, a paranormal tale of undying love, will be published in Kindle and soft-cover formats by Vamptasy Publishing on March 22. The book tells the story of a white witch who returns every hundred years to reunite with her soul mate--a Scottish nobleman earthbound by a dark wizard's curse. For a better sense of the story, watch the new trailer:

Countdown to Cover Reveal: Only 10 more days!

The public cover reveal for The Queen of Swords, my debut novel, is only ten days away. I've got close to 60 bloggers participating in the reveal, but there's always room for more! If you're interested in sharing my cover or, better yet, reviewing the book when ARCs are available (soon, I hope), get in touch through one of my new social media links (under the banner) and I'll be sure you get the goodies! In the meantime, feel free to plaster the cyberuniverse with my eye-catching poster!

Counting down to cover reveal...

Eighteen days to go. Was up in the middle of the night because of an earache (going to doctor again today) and created this poster for the book. If you're interested in attending the private FB cover reveal party, please leave a link to your FB page in the comments or send to me via PM on Facebook (note that I added my social media links to the top of the blog). Super excited about the Birthday Bash/Cover Reveal. I'll be giving away hand-made spell boxes, tarot cards, and more fun witchy items related to the book.

Join the Cover Reveal Blogosphere Blitz

Still looking for bloggers for my Cover Reveal Blogosphere Blitz for THE QUEEN OF SWORDS on January 20th. If you can help, leave a comment with your email and the url of your blog. I've got more than 30 bloggers so far, so it's shaping up into a happening. Woo-hoo.

Don't Miss My Birthday Bash/Cover Reveal

On January 19th (my actual birthday), I'm putting together a Facebook event: a combined Birthday Bash/Cover Reveal for THE QUEEN OF SWORDS, my debut novel to be published March 22 by Vamptasy Publishing. At this point, I'm thinking the event will take place between 6 and 9 p.m. and will feature contests and giveaways (handcrafted spell boxes and tarot decks, for example). If you want to be included, please "like" my author's page on Facebook on or before New Year's Eve or follow me on Twitter.

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS, a paranormal tale of undying love, tells the story of a white witch who returns every hundred years to reunite with her eternal soul mate who's been earthbound by a dark wizard's curse. Will she free him this time around or will history repeat?

Excerpt from The Queen of Swords

Not the actual cover.

Are you ready for an excerpt? I'm busy building buzz around the internet with my book trailer (if you haven't yet checked it out, please do so on YouTube--and be sure to click "like" and share it with your friends).

THE QUEEN OF SWORDS tells the story of a white witch who returns every hundred years to reunite with her soul mate, who's been earthbound by a dark wizard's curse. Will she find a way for them to be together this time around?

Here's a wee taste:

Graham had just come upon the misplaced diaries—in the cupboard under the stairs—when he caught a whiff of something burning. Concerned, he stepped back into the foyer. A quick look around revealed nothing unusual. He sniffed the air, again detecting smoke, though none of the toxic undertones of a house fire. Neither did it smell of a choked chimney. It was, in fact, pleasantly herbal—like the juniper-laced bonfires of Beltane he knew in his youth. Was Branwen burning incense...or Benedict trying out a new pipe tobacco?

Shrugging it off, he grabbed the box of diaries and headed for the stairs. As he climbed, so did the smoke. A picture of Caitriona came into his mind. Or was it Catharine...or the new one? He couldn’t be sure as she was naked and her hair hung loose. As she reached for him, he saw something odd: a blue fire the size of a pilot light in the center of each palm.

Like moth to flame, you yearn for light. Come from shadow into my sight.

The words whispered. Caitriona disappeared. Desire blossomed. What was going on? At the top of the stairs, he was sweating and dizzy. Every nerve ending, every vein, burned like fire. He raced down the hall toward his bedchamber, dropping the box as he shot through the doorway. Bending to collect his spilled diaries, he startled at what he saw:

He had no hands. And no feet.

The smoke and ethers enveloped, pulling him apart cell by cell until he felt like the sands of time moving through an hourglass. The cosmos was silent except for a haunting echo—like the sound inside a seashell. He felt at once connected to everything and nothing. Adrift yet highly attuned; blind yet all seeing; numb yet hypersensitive; defenseless yet omnipotent. Others were there, too—phantasmal energies blowing past and passing through like sleet.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back, winded and disoriented. The room was dark save for the flicker of a solitary candle. He could make out only two pale shapes. The larger one, he presumed, was a bed, the smaller one, by the window, his summoner. His nostrils flared, seeking her scent, but found only the spices of the smoke.

“I told ye to stay away from me,” he growled. “Why did ye not listen?”

The Queen of Swords

Watch it here or click on the link for a bigger version: The Queen of Swords

Promo for the Queen of Swords

Here it is: my promo poster for The Queen of Swords. I looked and worked long and hard on it.
And it looks like this might end up being the image for the actual cover--since the cover artist for Vamptasy loved it. I love that she's goth, has long brown hair, and is reading a book. In the text, the heroine, Cat Fingal, is a total bookworm who also is a white witch and teaches literature at a British university specializing in occult studies. So, books are mentioned often, especially in the vampire genre. When the book opens, she's working on her doctoral dissertation on the evolving vampire archetype in literature.

Anyway, I worked hard on the graphic so I hope it doesn't suck (pun intended). :P