Monday, March 31, 2014

Cover Reveal: MY SOON-TO-BE SEX LIFE by Judith Tewes


About MY SOON-TO-BE SEX LIFE: 

Charlie is down to her absolute. Total. Last. Resort.

Despite a thoroughly comprehensive list of potential cherry poppers, er…suitors, and careful plotting, Charlie is three weeks into her devirginzation campaign, still untouched, and getting desperate. In the movie of her life, this aspiring screenwriter is giving herself a PG, for please, get some.

Her project goes into freeze frame when her mom checks herself into rehab and packs Charlie off to live with her estranged, or just plain strange, grandfather, Monty. How is she supposed to get a date when she has to go pick up his Depends?

Enter Eric, a hot rehab grad on the road to redemption, and the only one who can make Charlie rethink her strategy. The more she gets to know him, the more convinced she becomes that is the one, and not just another to add to the list of people who will abandon her.

In this hilarious and heartbreaking story of one girl’s detoured road to womanhood, Charlie’s list develops a life of its own – right when she realizes there’s so much more to lose.





About Judith Tewes: Multi-published, award-winning author, screenwriter, and playwright, Judith Tewes resides in small town Alberta, where she: writes, sings, plays bass guitar in an all-woman band, walks her three crazy labs, and suspects she's living the life of a superhero's alias. A commercial writer writing under several pen names, Judith’s work includes: paranormal, steampunk, and contemporary young adult fiction, as well as thriller, horror, and dramatic comedies for the stage and screen. 

Social Media Links:
FACEBOOK (personal an/or Author page): Personal: https://www.facebook.com/judithteweswritesAuthor

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

The Wind Whisperer by Krista Holle

At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious.  Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks.  But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.
As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him.  It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior.  Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief. 
Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated.  Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light. 
While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes.  Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.


Krista has stopped by for an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing but I knew I wanted to seek it as a profession when I sent The Wind Whisperer to a fifteen-year-old girl I’d never met.  Her father told me she stayed up all night to read it.  That was the best feeling in the world.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
 I’d have to say one. 
I’m a registered nurse by day and a writer by night.
 
? How long does it take you to write a book?
About six months.  I think I’m slower than the average author.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I write wearing sound silencing head phones.  I figure this is pretty neurotic.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
My main character Anaii was inspired by Pocahontas.  I was living on land once owned by her when I wrote The Wind Whisperer.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?
I’m interested in all sorts of love stories, but the theme has to be unchartered territory.  I have no desire to write about vampires.

? What books have most influenced your life? 
The huge success of Twilight  made me realize that there is a huge audience of women and girls who crave good old-fashioned love stories just like me. After reading the series, I started writing again after a decade of busy motherhood.

? What are you reading right now?
 I just finished Dead Beautiful.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I collect sea shells, watch movies, and sometimes paint pretty pictures.

? What is your favorite comfort food?
Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

? What do you think makes a good story?
I heard somewhere that every great book has three important elements: a great plot, interesting characters, and factor X.  If you figure out what factor X is, please let me know.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
I have lots of favorites but I’m going to go with Shannon Hale.  Shannon has a beautiful way of writing stories from other lands.  They feel like modern fairy tales and usually have a touch of sweet romance in them.

Fun random questions: 
  • dogs or cats? Cats
  • Coffee or tea? Water with lemon, please.
  • Dark or milk chocolate? Milk
  • Rocks or flowers? Rocks
  • Night or day? Day
  • Favorite color? Pink
  • Crayons or markers? Markers
  • Pens or pencils? Pens
Author website:  http://www.kristaholle.com/


More about the author:
Krista has been writing since she was nine-years-old when she scribbled out her first adolescent work entitled Merish, the completely illogical but heartfelt story of a girl who was part mermaid, part fish. As a young mother, Krista added to her repertoire some middle grade readers and picture books she’s wary of mentioning.
In 2004, Krista began an intensive four year period working part-time as a critical care nurse while homeschooling her four children. During this hectic time, courses of writing were taught and learned, and rules of syntax were scolded to memory. Ironically this period of study equipped Krista with the tools she needed to enter the next phase of her writing experience. Now equipped with the mysteries of the comma, Krista was ready to tackle a much bigger project—a full fledged novel.
After the kids were enrolled in public school in 2009, it occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love. Convinced that there was an unfulfilled audience waiting for what Krista loves to write—romance, she sat down in the family’s dungeon, a.k.a. the basement, and began to furiously type. In no time, her first novel was drying on crisp white paper.

Krista currently resides in Midlothian, Virginia with her husband, four daughters, and an eccentric cat with an attachment to the family’s socks. She continues to write obsessively every chance she can get.

(review to follow)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Release Day Party: Raven's Blood by Cassandra Lawson

This virtual book tour is presented by Enchanted Book Promotions.
We’re happy to celebrate the release for paranormal romance novel “Raven’s Blood” today. 
Happy release day!
To celebrate the release, we’re also hosting a giveaway. Three lucky winners will each receive an eBook copy of “Raven’s Blood”. Scroll down to participate.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Cassandra Lawson and Raven's Blood.


About the author:
Cassandra Lawson is an author and homeschooling mother of three from the San Francisco Bay area. She has always had a very active imagination and loves making up stories. When she is not writing she enjoys baking, spending time with her family, listening to music, or curling up with a good book.

Links


About the book:
Following the death of her wood nymph mother at the hands of vampires, Raven worked hard to build a life for herself in one of the few remaining human settlements. Her life takes a frightening turn when she finds herself an unwilling guest in a vampire settlement, but things are not anything like she expected them to be. Still, she cannot help but feel that her attraction to the vampire leader is a betrayal to her mother’s memory and her human friends.


From the moment Connor first laid eyes on Raven she has thrown his entire world off-balance. In order to prove his strength as a leader, he has no choice but to take her up on her offer to trade her freedom for that of her human friends. Having begun his life as a slave, he has no interest in keeping the wood nymph captive. As a man, he has no desire to feel this overwhelming attraction to a woman who hates him and his kind.

Giveaway:

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Buy links:




Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Blog Tour: Cover to Covers by Alexandrea Weis

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE for more tour information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Cover to Covers by Alexandrea Weis.

Cover to Covers
Alexandrea Weis

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: World Castle Publishing
Word Count: 79,000
Cover Artist: Laura Hildalgo
Amazon

Book Description: 

A man driven by his desires

Tyler Moore is considered cold, ruthless, and determined to get everything he wants. CEO of a flourishing oil company, he thrives on order and never gives up control to anyone.

The woman from his past 

Monique Delome has left her unhappy past behind to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. Love is something she believes is better suited to the pages of her novels and not meant for real life.

Whether in the boardroom or the bedroom, Tyler Moore is always in charge. But when Monique Delome walks back into his life, everything changes. A successful romance author, all the sexy leading men Monique writes about strangely remind everyone of Tyler. Intrigued, Tyler sets out to seduce the one woman he could never forget. Soon Tyler gets more than he bargained for, and his grip on his well-ordered life is turned upside down.

Tyler Moore is about to find out what happens when a romantic tale jumps from the pages and comes to life between the sheets.     


About the Author:       

Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Her first novel, To My Senses, introduced readers to the world of Nicci Beauvoir and garnered numerous awards and rave reviews.

Her popular second Nicci Beauvoir novel, Recovery, won the Gold Medal for best romantic suspense from The Reader’s Favorite Book Awards 2011, and was named best Romantic Suspense novel by the Spring 2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Awards.

Her fourth novel, Broken Wings, won best Contemporary Romance by the NABE Pinnacle Book Awards in 2012, was a Silver Medal winner in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards for Romance, as well as a finalist in the USA Book Awards for Romance in 2012, and a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards for Contemporary Romance for 2012.

Diary of a One-Night Stand, was released in August 2012 and was named a Paranormal Romance Guild’s Best Reviewed of 2012. Her last novel, Acadian Waltz was a Readers’ Favorite Book Awards honorable mention winner for Best Contemporary Romance, and finalist in Best Southern Fiction.

A permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.

Website: http://www.alexandreaweis.com/index.html
Blog: http://alexandreaweiscom.blogspot.com/
FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/To-My-Senses/113609858681394
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis
Author Amazon  BN

My thoughts:
This was a great read.  Short by some standards, but well done and filled with more than the number of pages should be able to hold.  This was my first Alexandrea Weis read and I can't wait to check out more.  The characters are interesting and easy to invest in, the setting is realistically created, and the story is perfectly paced.  The time flew by as I read and before I knew it, my evening and the story were done.  

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Blog Tour: Jack Cannon's Women of the House by Greg Sandora

This virtual book tour is presented by Dark Scream Book Tours.
Click HERE for more tour information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Greg Sandora and Jack Cannon's Women of the House.

Author Bio:
I'm originally from the Portland, Maine area and lived and worked there for years before moving to Southwest Florida. I am currently working on a Supernatural Romantic Thriller titled: Gabby, Angel of God. 
My Dad and Mom were artists, my father painted and my mother wrote poetry and loved to garden. Most Saturdays we loaded up the 1970 Chevy Impala to trek to a one man show somewhere or other. I took a different track graduating with a business degree; owning and operating an Award Winning Franchise Fitness Center. Currently a professional manager I am living in Florida with my beautiful wife and children, and following my passion.
My current project in the works involves angels - a man during a visit to Bar Harbor, Maine encounters an angel; quite accidentally, he is told - she was not supposed to make him aware of her existence. Only three others have ever seen the real thing. Naturally he falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful creature.
Author Links - The link for any or all of the following...
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Linkedin | Goodreads | Amazon
Goodreads   www.goodreads.com/book/show/18369918

Two months have passed since the long awaited inauguration of the New President of the United States - Jack Canon. Now he must live up to his promises. The World is wounded, people are hurting, the new President must keep the country afloat. Jack leads a very full life - The first couple's relationship is hot with passion, but he can never admit that to Sandy, his best friend who is also head over heels in love with him. The Women of the House provide a welcome distraction while helping with the arduous task of running the country. 
 As President Jack must make tough decisions: Global Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Korea on the brink of war, all while thwarting International Greed.   Women of the House is a story of noble sacrifice at extremely high cost. Who's going to be the first to be strong enough and willing to pay? It's not all work in Women of the House - Think the Wedding of the Decade meets the Crime of the Century.   
 Jack Canon's Women of the House, is a story filled with Love, Lust, and Loyalty where passions can run wild! In Sandora's monumental sequel, patriotism and valor mingle with an undying love that refuses to quit. Ride along as Jack Canon fights back against the most evil people on the planet. Readers are sure to embrace this unforgettable tale which will appeal to fans of political adventure, suspense and romance alike. Jack Canon's Women of the House is a story of kindness, passion and courage that can't be separated.

My thoughts:
Filled with interesting characters and a wide range of emotions, all wrapped up in a carefully created world of politics and people.  
I was worried at the start, with so many pages about hair and the multitude of women all who seemed almost too crazy about the President.  I was thrilled when the story moved on and the excitement kicked in.  The author writes with imagination and cleverness.  I enjoy an occasional political espionage read and this one worked to fill that for me.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Publication Day! Over My Live Body by Susan Israel

Happy book birthday to Over My Live Body and author Susan Israel.

Book Description




Delilah is accustomed to people seeing her naked. As a nude model – a gig that keeps food on the table while her career as a sculptor takes off – it comes with the territory.

But Delilah has never before felt this vulnerable.

Because Delilah has an admirer. Someone who is paying a great deal of attention to her. And he just might love her to death.


The debut of a shockingly fresh voice in suspense fiction, OVER MY LIVE BODY will work its way inside of you.

Excerpt



I’ve gone from posing in one studio to posing in another in less than an hour. Ordinarily I don’t complain about the cold. I don’t move before I’m told to. I try to be the model I’ve never had the good luck to hire. But today I feel like I’m lugging around a portfolio of hypersensitivity along with my usual artist supplies and it’s not even justified. Here, I’m among friends.

The instructor of this class has drawn a chalk outline of where I’m supposed to lie and indicates the pose she wants me to strike, that of a classic come-to-my-casbah odalisque. I feel my calf muscles tighten as I scrunch up into the framework of the drawing on the floor. There are no new faces in this class, no surprises, I’ll be forgiven if I twitch or scratch an itch. Morgan, one of the best artists and my best friend, has brought poppy seed pound cake and stops what he’s doing to tiptoe over and feed me morsels of it. “Should be grapes,” the instructor says. Someone down the hall is playing Carmen on a boom box. “Should be Scheherezade,” Morgan says, winking at me.

The wink isn’t misunderstood, wouldn’t be even if Morgan wasn’t gay. 
We artists are like a cast ensemble in repertory. Many of us have seen each other nude in classes. I’m dressed in the part I’m playing. It’s when I change locations, freelance in other schools, that I’ve felt uncomfortable and I’ve tried not to do that too often. I try not to, but sometimes I need the money to buy extra supplies or pay off mounting bills and I have to do it, like I did last night. I sometimes say never again, never again! What do I need this aggravation for? I feel smarmy; it makes me fight with Ivan more. Except, like a new enrollee in some 12-step program, I’m learning to recognize what I have and haven’t the power to change and ironically now that I’ve decided to kick Ivan and his half of the rent money out, I’m going to have to pay more bills than ever, starting with the new lock I’m having installed.

“Delilah, you moved!” 

I look down and see my arm and leg protruding from the smeared outline marking where they’re supposed to be. “I’m sorry.”

“Delilah rarely strays,” Morgan says with a smile, holding a pencil up to me to gauge the span of my body stretched out in front of faded brocade. Another artist, Keith, moves in for a closer look, so close that I can smell the eucalyptus cough drop lodged in his cheek that I first thought was an abscess. 
The others take turns approaching me, walking around me, appraising me with the dispassionate curiosity they would exhibit while looking at a piece on display in a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. The instructor, their tour guide, calls attention to my posterior as the center of gravity upon which all else rests. She points to my right shoulder with a well-sharpened Conté crayon and lightly touches it, then moves on to the sole of my right foot. My toes curl. “Notice how the light is distributed here and here, how opalescent these areas seem compared to this.” I feel the pencil glide along the base of my spine. “I want you to pay attention to these tonal differences in your drawings as if you were painting them because you will be.”

The door bangs open suddenly, unexpectedly; no one casually walks in and out of this studio. “Phone call downstairs for Delilah,” someone hollers, retreating down the hall.

“She can`t come to the phone right now,” the instructor bellows back. “Take a message.”

“Tell whoever it is I`ll call back,” I add, “unless it`s Ivan.” I know it’s Ivan.

One of the graphic arts students backs into the studio and looks around furtively, like one more step and she`ll be accused of breaking and entering. “He said he`d call back.”

“Who was it?”

She shrugs. “Beats me. He didn’t say.”

“Another member of your burgeoning fan club, Delilah. Maybe someone who’s seen your exhibits and wants to buy all your sculptures,” Morgan suggests, smudging the charcoal on the page with the heel of his hand.

“I wish.”

“Hey, you never know.”

I know it was Ivan on the phone. He’s the only person who has ever called me here. I can feel his heavy breathing impatience wafting all the way up from Wall Street. He knows a call from him will unsettle me, make me put my clothes on to rush to the phone at the very least and not be able to get back into the right pose and the right mood afterwards. He gets off on this. I`m not taking any calls until I`m through for the day.

“Delilah!” someone else calls. “Telephone!”

“Jesus, again? Doesn`t he take a hint?” 

“It’s okay, take a five minute break, you’re marked,” the instructor says as I scramble to my feet clumsily. I grab a blue-and-white pinstriped man’s shirt from the back of Morgan’s easel and throw it on and pad down the cold corridor and down the stairs, pulling the shirt closed around me, grumbling, steeling myself for what I have to say to him and that is, “Leave me alone!”

“Is that any way to answer the phone?”

I look down at the way I’m dressed. Is that any way to answer the phone? “Who is this?” It’s not Ivan’s voice. He’s the only person who has ever called me here, but it’s not him. Someone he put up to calling me, though, I’m sure of it, one of his co-workers wearing an oxford shirt not unlike the one that I’ve got wrapped around me like a toga, only fully buttoned down and fit to be tied. “Get him to come to the phone.”

“You don’t want to talk to anyone else,” the voice declares. “It’s me you want.” 

“No, I don’t.”

“Don’t say that!” the voice snaps. “You do. At least you will.”

Monday, March 17, 2014

Review: Her Summer with the Marine by Susan Meier

Their competition has never been so irresistible

The last person Ellie McDermott wanted to run into after returning to her hometown is Finn Donovan, her high school nemesis and the guy she crossed the line from enemies to lovers with one night years ago. Now ex-military, tattooed, and still sexy as hell, Finn is a complication Ellie doesn’t need—she needs to concentrate on saving her family business.

Finn’s entire life, Ellie was there, going head-to-head with him in every class, bee, and test. So it’s no surprise she’d show up just as he was about to take over her father’s struggling business. It is a surprise, though, that his attraction to her is even more explosive than it had been. Acting on their attraction is one thing, but Finn has to turn a profit to save his own family, and nothing—not even love—will get in his way.

My thoughts:
This was a great story.  The characters are fantastic.  Ellie and Finn are both strong characters; smart, determined, dedicated, and driven.  Both have parents who need them, and that need is a driving force in their business decisions.  They are easy to invest in and I couldn't put the book down, wanting to know what would become of their professional and personal lives.  I found it intriguing that although the story was essentially about Ellie and Finn, the secondary characters and their lives brought a depth to the story that was vital.  Each of the characters was carefully created with a connection to either Finn or Ellie and was, at some point in the story, tantamount to their lives.  With the many faceted backgrounds ruling both Ellie and Finn, emotions run high throughout the book.  I caught myself laughing and crying along with them as they struggle to find their way through.
The world the author has built is realistic to a fault, with the small town atmosphere and the fact that everyone seems to know and want to be involved in everyone else's lives.  I grew up in a small town and so it easy for me to connect with the the emotions of all of the characters on some level.  I enjoyed the way Ellie and B.B. relationship grew and changed, I wasn't sure at the start if it could do so given the small town resentments that can easily rule a person even though they have grown up.  
The story is well written and nicely paced.  I was thrilled with the way the author brings the billboard advertising piece full circle.  The ending was as good as the beginning and I found myself hoping for more books about the characters I had become attached to during the read.
I am looking forward to another book from Susan Meier and can't wait to see whose story the next one will be.  

The Montana Gallagher Collection Book Boost and Giveaway

The Montana Gallagher Collection Book Boost & Giveaway!

"Where words, romance, and adventure meet."


About The Collection
BOOK ONE - Gallagher's Pride
She was on a quest of discovery. He was on a quest for revenge. Together they would discover a second chance. Brenna Cameron travels from Scotland after losing someone she loves in search of family she didn't know existed. Alone now in the world, Brenna makes an arduous journey, following the trail of discovery to Briarwood, Montana. Here she meets Ethan Gallagher, and the rest of the Gallagher clan. Only with their help is she able to discover lost family, heal old wounds, and embark on a treacherous confrontation with a man who destroyed her family. As head of the Gallagher clan, Ethan has more than enough to occupy his thoughts and time he didn't need the complication of Brenna Cameron and he certainly didn't need the trouble that came with her. Ethan takes on the unwanted duty of self-appointed protector to the headstrong Scot, only to discover there is such a thing as second chances and more to life than revenge.
BOOK TWO - Gallagher's Hope
She sought a new beginning.He sought what he didn't know was missing. Together they would discover hope in unlikely places. Isabelle Rousseau must escape New Orleans and the memory of her family's tragic loss. With her younger brother in tow, she accepts a position as the new schoolteacher in Briarwood, Montana. Desperate to keep what's left of her family together, Isabelle joins her life with a stranger only to discover that trust and hope go hand in hand. Gabriel Gallagher lived each day as it came believing he had everything he could possibly want . . . until a determined woman and her brother arrive with a little luggage and a lot of secrets. It will take a drastic choice to protect her and give them both hope for the future.
BOOK THREE -  Gallagher's Choice
He finally had a family to call his own. She now knew what it meant to risk it all. Together they had a chance to find peace at last. Eliza Gallagher is tough, resilient, and rides a horse like she was born in the saddle. All necessary qualities for someone who runs a cattle ranch. She had more to avenge than any of them and she was counting on those skills to finally find the justice they all sought -- until she realized it could cost her everything and everyone she loved. Ramsey Hunter finally knew what it was to have a family and what it took to keep that family together. He knew coming back wouldn’t be easy, but he never imagined what he would have to risk to keep it. Eliza got him home; now Ramsey has to do whatever it takes to save her life and help bring peace to Hawk’s Peak.

About The Author

MK McClintock published her first novel, Gallagher's Pride, in July 2012, and followed one month later with the release of her second book in the same series, Gallagher's Hope. Her third novel, Alaina Claiborne, was published in January 2013. Gallagher's Choice, the third book in her Gallagher Series, was released in August 2013. She is now working on her next story. 
 
McClintock dreams of a time when life was simpler, the land rougher, and the journey more rewarding. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in Montana. 
 
McClintock is a member of Romance Writers of America, Montana Romance Writers, and Women Writing the West. 

Connect with MK!
Website  *  Goodreads  *  Facebook  *  Pinterest  *  YouTube  *  Amazon  *  Blog

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!
The author is giving away these fabulous prizes!
Prize 1 - $50

OR


Prize Two
*Any entrants for the gift card. For the book set and blanket, US winners only.*

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Phase by Adam Hamdy

“Remember this.”

Thomas Schaefer is haunted by a memory.
He has devoted a large part of his adult life to finding his kidnapped daughter. Since Amber’s disappearance ten years ago, Schaefer has become an expert in the recovery of missing people – his particular specialty is rescuing young adults from cults.

Schaefer inhabits a dark world populated by sinister characters. His obsession with finding Amber draws him down a desperate path. His only seeming sources of succor are Doctor Harry Gilmore, a renowned cult deprogrammer, and Ellen Ovitz, a psychic Schaefer once consulted in his desperation to find his daughter. Gilmore and Ellen represent different approaches to life – the rational and the spiritual – and Schaefer finds himself torn between the two. 

Against his better judgment, Schaefer takes on a case that Gilmore brings him – the disappearance of a young girl, Katie Blake. The case shares many similarities with Amber’s kidnapping – the two girls even look the same. Schaefer meets Katie’s mother, Sally Blake, and says he will find her missing daughter. Schaefer starts by shaking down known pedophiles, but has little success. He also asks a police contact to investigate an occult symbol found at the scenes of Amber’s and Katie’s kidnappings.

As he encounters events he cannot explain, Schaefer turns to Ellen Ovitz, who tells Schaefer that there is a dark cloud around him – that he must give up the search for his daughter if he is to have any hope of salvation.

Alistair Mathers, a distinguished occultist, discovers that Schaefer is at the heart of a dark conspiracy.  Schaefer cannot give up the search for his daughter, and finds himself struggling with the challenge of an increasingly macabre world. When he is used to kill an innocent man and implicated in the murder of his police contact, Schaefer goes on the offensive and tracks down the people who are manipulating him. Schaefer discovers that he and his daughter are part of an occult ceremony that goes back hundreds of years, and that there is much more at stake than their lives: their souls face the prospect of eternal damnation.

Adam has stopped by for an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Sitting in my commercial law tutorial realising that a career in law wouldn’t let me exercise an overactive imagination.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
I tried turning pro when I was 22, but lacked the discipline to do anything but kill time.  So I embarked on a corporate career and had four jobs before I had another crack at writing.  This time it seems to have worked out.

? How long does it take you to write a book?
So far the average has been about four months.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Phase is only my second novel, so I’m not sure I’ve been writing long enough to develop quirks.  I do like listening to drum and bass music as I write, however, so if things seem like they’re happening at 150 beats per minute there’s a reason.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
From life.  Live life, talk to people, expose yourself to the most colourful people you possible can, listen to their stories, peel back the layers and understand the psychology behind them. 

? How do you decide what you want to write about?
There’s a buzz of excitement that always comes with a new idea.  If the buzz remains after you’ve chewed it over for a couple of months, it’s probably worth pursuing.

? What books have most influenced your life?
The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Cloud Atlas, the works of Stephen King, the works of Peter Biskind, and Jeeves & Wooster.

? What are you reading right now?
A draft manuscript of Welcome Home by my friend Adam Sydney.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Spend time with my family, make films and go to the gym.

? What is your favorite comfort food?
Lamb shawarma from Ranoush Juice on Edgware Road.

? What do you think makes a good story?
An emotional reaction.  If I can write something that thrills, saddens, angers or otherwise emotionally engages people, I feel I’ve done something right.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
Alexandre Dumas.  He wrote entertaining tales of adventure that were considered a little trashy and populist by contemporaries, but have stood the test of time.

Fun random questions: 
·        dogs or cats? Dogs
·        Coffee or tea? Tea
·        Dark or milk chocolate? Dark
·        Rocks or flowers? Rocks
·        Night or day? Night
·        Favorite color? Blue
·        Crayons or markers? Markers
·        Pens or pencils? Pencils

Thanks for having me.


More about the author: 

Adam Hamdy is a British writer and filmmaker.  Hamdy’s self-published debut novel, Battalion, has been described by critics as a ‘blistering political, techno-thriller’ (The Lottery Party) and a ‘must read’ (Bookreview.com). Hamdy executed innovative deals with The Huffington Post and Qustodian to promote the book, which currently rates 4.3 stars on Amazon.com, and 4.6 stars on Amazon.co.uk.

Hamdy produced and co-directed the critically acclaimed, award-nominated cult feature, Pulp, which was sold to Microsoft and became the first fi lm to ever premiere on the Xbox platform. After Pulp’s successful UK launch, Microsoft released the fi lm in Australia and New Zealand, where it quickly shot to number one in the overall fi lm sales chart in both territories.

Hamdy has also written for the comic and video game industries, and created The Hunter, one of the most successful series of independent graphic novels in recent years.


Hamdy holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of London and an MA in Law from Oxford University. He had a successful international business career before changing direction to pursue his long-held ambition to become a writer and filmmaker.