Indie Author J.J DiBenedetto

Synopsis/Blurb:

What would you do if you could see other people’s dreams? If you could watch their hidden fantasies and uncover their deepest, darkest secrets…without them ever knowing? 

 

Sara Barnes is about to find out. She thought that all she had to worry about was final exams, Christmas shopping and deciding whether she likes the cute freshman in the next dorm who’s got a crush on her.

But when she starts seeing dreams that aren’t hers, she learns more than she ever wanted to know about her friends, her classmates…and a strange, terrifying man whose dreams could get Sara killed.

Slightly more detailed description:

Sara Barnes is a shy, hard-working pre-med student at Crewe University.  She’s worried about final exams, starting her medical school applications, the upcoming Christmas break, and what to do about the cute freshman in the next dorm who’s got a crush on her.  Sara thinks of herself as a very ordinary young woman.

But she begins to have very strange dreams, and she quickly learns that they aren’t hers – she’s seeing what other people are dreaming.  What’s worse, she discovers that one of the dreamers, a strange man whose dreams are filled with murder, isn’t just dreaming – he’s acting on those dreams.  Now Sara is the only “witness” to a killer, and she’s the only one who can stop him before he kills again…

Bio:

J.J. (James) DiBenedetto was born in Yonkers, New York. He attended Case Western Reserve university, where as his classmates can attest, he was a complete nerd. Very little has changed since then.

He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia with his beautiful wife and their cat (who has thoroughly trained them both). When he’s not writing, James works in the direct marketing field, enjoys the opera, photography and the New York Giants, among other interests.

The “Dreams” series is James’ first published work.

Link to purchase the book on Amazon

 

 There are three more books in the series:

Dream Doctor, which follows Sara to medical school (and marriage!)

Dream Child, which takes Sara into her residency, and finds her the mother of a little girl who’s inherited her talent for dreaming

Dream Family, in which Sara has to turn to her dreams to save herself after she’s mistakenly arrested and her life is severely shaken by a terrifying night in jail.

Indie Author Profile: Anne Conely

 

Dream On synopsis:  Alyssa has a hard time keeping up with her responsibilities, and she’s has a lot: her elderly mother, both kids, her high school students, and of course, herself. When she starts dreaming of a handsome bad boy living a kinky lifestyle, she wonders what in the world her subconscious is telling her. She barely has time for her own life, much less one involving a guy with those kinds of appetites.

Dalton has been living life on the edge for too long. When his he begins dreaming of a woman from his hometown, Serendipity, he initially thinks it’s something inside him, letting him know it’s time to settle down. When his dad gets sick, and Dalton has to move back home to take care of the family ranch, he realizes his dream girl is a reality.Sparks fly in this sizzling novel that explores love and lust in a small town setting, complete with ex-husbands, high school football, and nosy school boards.Warning: Some content not suitable for under 18 years of age

Author info:  Anne is a former high school teacher, who took a little time off for sanity’s sake, and hasn’t looked back since.  Living life in a rural East Texas town has taught her that she’s got to grab life by the horns, so to speak.  She raises goats, children, and writes.  When she has time, she cooks.  But by the looks of her house, she hates to clean.

Follow her on Twitter: @AnneConely10

Fan her on FB: Anne Conely Author page 

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Anne Conley

Contemporary Romance Author

www.anneconley.wix.com/anneconleyauthor

To view samples and purchase books at Amazon

 

Amazon GC and Book Giveaway

In trying to promote out new book series, The Dark Redemption, we are doing a little giveaway.

You see, Nicole and I were exceptionally busy today. We plotted out the entire series, created our first cover with a fabulous graphic artist and created a new FB timeline cover which I’m hoping isn’t in violation of their terms of service. *wipes sweat from brow* Yeah…BUSY.

We’d like to get some serious love on our Dark Redemption FB page before we reveal the cover design. And you know what, I’m dying to reveal it. But, I’m told to wait patiently. So, I’m trying. Really trying. Sigh.

Our goal before the big reveal…500 likes. Can we do it before I die in anticipation? We’re shameless promoters, what can I tell ya?

Giveaway linkie can be found by clicking here. I have no clue why the little Rafflecopter widget isn’t showing up for me, most likely it’s user error. My bad, I apologize. But click. Enter this giveaway we have going on this weekend. And help us grow our FB page so that I don’t have to be hospitalized for anxiety.

Um. Thank you.

Dark Redemption Trilogy

Recently, through some Bank of America issues that I was exceptionally vocal about, I became friends with a woman going through similar problems. At the onset of our friendship, it was just a connection due to the same type of circumstance. Well, as time went on, both our issues were resolved, yay.

Somehow, we connected way beyond our BofA situation. You see, it turns out that Nicole is an author of Contemporary Romance novels. And me? Well, I’m an author wannabe of the Paranormal kind.

One day, she and I got to talking. And we talked. And talked. And talked.

Until we came up with this…

Dark Redemption Series which is what happens when you take a YA paranormal writer and shake her up with a Contemporary Romance author. A trilogy of epic proportions which is in the works as I type this.

I couldn’t be more excited. And I can’t wait until I have more to share.

But in the meantime, there is a lot of work to do.

Please, go “like” the Dark Redemption Series Facebook page, we’d appreciate it!

Thank you.

Write on Edge Prompt

I’m participating in this weeks Write on Edge creative writing prompt. It’s based on the image below and has a 500 word limit. So, if you haven’t read the story I started a couple years ago about a vampire named Adina, here is the link. I decided to write a bit more about her. Because she’s been bugging me to. She’s annoying, that one is.

She pulled up to valet parking, grateful to see that it was free. It was too cold to self-park and she didn’t have a lot of cash with her. She’d have to remember to save a few of the scarce bucks to give as a tip upon retrieving her car.

A young, eager boy with an awkward smile opened the door. It was part of the job, she knew. But it was a nice gesture anyways. She swung her long legs out first, letting him have a glimpse up her short skirt, making him blush. She took the ticket he held out to her and brushed his hand with her manicured finger. She could smell him, the rise  in his hormones. She knew the effect she had on men of every age and it was something she brought out and played with often. They were nothing more than mice to her cat.

Heels clicking and hips swaying seductively, she walked toward the restaurant door. She slid past the doorman who nodded his head in approval and watched her walk in.

She hated blind dates as much as she loved male attention, one of the many ironies in her life.

This one was different though, she sensed it over their late night phone conversations. He was one of her kind, she was almost sure of it.

Vampires weren’t running rampant in this area. She’d met a few, mostly women that she now called acquaintances. There were some warlocks and a few demons she’d have occasional trysts with but she yearned for a male vampire. There was something to be said about staying with your own kind. A compatibility factor not to mention that sex between vampires, it was the best kind of sex if you liked it rough. And she did.

Adina walked past the hostess stand and into the crowded restaurant. She reeled for a minute, it was easy to forget how sensitive she had become to scents and sounds. She walked to the bar area where sex, desperation and loneliness were masked by beautiful clothes and simple conversations.

Xander had texted her earlier and requested she meet him at the bar. As inconspicuously as possible, she glanced around looking for a lone male. She was disappointed, usually she was able to pick her dates out of the crowd, and crowded this place was.

Feeling a cool hand on her neck, she whipped around and locked eyes with the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

“Xander?”

“Adina.” His white tooth smile met sparkling green eyes, “The rumor is true, you are spectacular.”

Adina returned his smile, allowing her fangs to flash briefly, making him smile wider. “Another rumor dispelled then.”

Xander took her hand and brought her wrist up to his mouth. Breaking the soft skin above her artery, he drank.

Adina moaned softly, “Well, you’ve had your drink, it’s my turn. Let’s get out of here. My car or yours?”

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So…I only had 500 words. And I used them all.

 

“Hallows Haven” Teaser

For me, sharing my writing is the equivalent to finding a decent fitting bathing suit. It’s hard. Well, the hard part, for me? It’s not the actual act of sharing my writing, that’s a no-brainer. It’s bracing myself for criticism.  And sure, as an aspiring writer, my skin thickens daily. But still. And I won’t even mention what’s it’s like to find a bathing suit, one that’d I’d wear in public without a cover up covering it up!

I don’t know if you know that I’ve actually been in the process of writing a book. Well, sure you know. I blab about it on Facebook all the time. Sorry for boring you! Since this new place is only about writing, authors etc, I figured it was appropriately time for a teaser.

So, without further writing and ado…here is a small sampling of Hallows Haven which, hopefully, will be released this summer. Via the self-publishing route. It’s a YA paranormal novel about a 16 year old girl named Gwen who finds out she is Magick.

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When Gwen finally awoke, it was bright out.  She had no idea how long she had slept; she couldn’t tell if it was morning or midday. It could have been minutes or months; she could not even fathom a guess. Something felt strange and out of sorts, it took her a moment to realize that she was no longer safe and warm curled up in her hospital cot because that was far below her, as was everything else. Far, far below her.

Gwen could see everything, all of Hallows Haven was spread out beneath her.  She could make out specks of  people looking up and pointing.  She was high above the ginormous tree from the center of the park. The men who were playing games in the park with the funny creatures, they too were staring up at her. Gwen felt as though she should wave at everyone but she was worried what would happen if she moved any part of her body. It was a long way down.

Unusual looking birds and tree dwelling creatures eyed her curiously; they seemed hesitant but unafraid. They were close enough to touch and Gwen could not help herself, she cautiously reached an arm out to make contact with a bright yellow, scaly bird creature sitting closest to her.

She wasn’t herself suddenly. She felt as though she had become a wisp, a vapor. A small bird like the one close to her then morphing into a hawk then an eagle.  She felt herself constantly changing.  A shape-shifter gone rogue; out of control. Panic welled in her throat but she was too scared to even scream.

When she was finally able to gain control of the erratic shifting by mentally picturing who she was, she reemerged, in some semblance of her proper form.  But not really, not completely.  Her regular old 11th grade self would never be sitting up high on a tree, perched so high from the ground.  She was a different Gwen now, one with magic abilities. She could fly. She could shift. She was now becoming the Gwen she was born to be. She was Magick.

Hiding Out by Nicole Andrews Moore

What a great way to launch a new blog…with a giveaway from the fabulous writer Nicole Andrews Moore!

Synopsis for Hiding Out:

Samuel Davenport runs his family’s New York based advertising agency. His brother, Adam, runs from responsibility and anything remotely boring. And his temp, Haley, runs so she’ll never be caught and hurt again. She moved to the city New Year’s Day to hide and recover, to build a new life far from her past. In an effort to lie low, Haley never expects to be more than a temp. What begins for Sam as an excuse to get to know her better, ends up being an opportunity for advancement and excitement for Haley. When Sam tries to uncover all of Haley’s mysteries, he exposes her hiding place, endangers her life, and threatens to destroy any chance of them ever having a future together.

Excerpt from Hiding Out:

“Come here,” Haley said softly.  “Want to hold her?”  And when he didn’t move, she walked over to him.  He tried to back away and began to protest quietly, but she simply took him by the hand, and gently sat him in the chair.  In an instant he realized he was genuinely afraid of handling anything that tiny.  “Arms like this,” she commanded as she demonstrated how she wanted his arms positioned.  He hesitated.  “Come on,” she urged.  “You’ve held women before.”  Her eyes sparkled as she teased him.

He cleared his throat, embarrassed.  “I like them bigger.”  He smiled.

“Women are suckers for men and babies,” she said quietly.

Suddenly, his arms shot out to hold the infant.  Behind Haley, Ellen’s eyes grew wide at the new side she was seeing of her boss.  Sam smiled shyly at her then focused on the petite bundle Haley deposited in his arms.  He looked at her with open adoration.  “Careful, Haley,” he said, “I could fall in love.”

“Oh, babies are easy to fall in love with when their sleeping,” she said, staring at the baby that he was holding so cautiously.

He lifted one hand and caught her chin, forcing her to face him.  “I meant you,” he whispered in a husky voice. Sam pulled her face close and brushed her lips with his, sending shivers down her spine.

Author bio:

Nicole lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, a teenage son and daughter, and Kenna. Every day is new and sparkly…which is why she chronicles them on her blog, Suddenly *Not So* Single Journey. It is a way for her to spread her brand of hope, happiness, and love.Previously, Nicole has been published by McClatchy News in their syndicated papers. In 2010, she joined the Yahoo! Mother Board, became a Shine Parenting Guru, and has become an award winning dating and relationships expert for Shine.After a few bad sailing experiences, the Moores decided they were safer on land. Their boating adventures will be limited to cruise ships. And those cruises are centered around their travel goal of visiting ever Margaritaville. Two down, eleven to go!

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Out-ebook/dp/B00BP963X8/ref=la_B0050J14P6_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1362833739&sr=1-7

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hiding-out-nicole-andrews-moore/1114766385?ean=2940016322377

And…we have a giveaway. Click the link to get to the giveaway form, for some reason I can’t get it to show up in all its splendor here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway