Hunger Games Role Play!

Twenty-six tributes… One winner in the end. Can you survive the Hunger Games? The Details: To enter send an email to homeawayfromhome.fb@gmail.com saying I Volunteer As Tribute... give us the district (1-13) you want to represent and the name you would have if you lived in the district. We’re looking for people who are willing to play along. It’s for fun but we need people to stay until the end or until they die a Mutt or Tribute related death. Once you have sent your email you will be contacted with additional information. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=454835387916872&set=a.136111083122639.26317.110389882361426&type=1 This beautiful charm is granted to the final winner!!!

Love Kills... Coming soon to an ereader near you this Valentines Day!

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Kills-ebook/dp/B00BFWXRXY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1360887903&sr=1-1&keywords=Love+Kills Every year on Valentine's Day we hear about the stories of perfect love and complete happiness and romantic encounters of the erotic kind... We never hear about the dark side to love and what it can do to a person. True love and real passion can be a dangerous thing. After all, Love and Hate are the strongest emotions in the world and if a person isn’t careful one, can lead to the other. Inside of these pages you will find the stories of what can happen when love goes wrong.

Nathan Squiers SPOTLIGHT with Ambrosia Arts!!

Nathan Squiers Interview with Ambrosia Arts!!

Ambrosia Arts – Tell us when you started writing and when you knew it would become a career.

Nathan Squiers - The "start" point is a bit hazy. I've always told stories in some way or another--enacting scenes with action figures or doing stick-figure drawings as a kid--and the fondness for writing grew as I learned how to. I never really considered the prospect of the career as a possibility until I realized that the piece that would become book #1 of the Crimson Shadow series, "Noir", started to become a novel-length project and the possibility of publishing became a notion.

Ambrosia Arts – That's awesome. So how many books do you currently have out and what do you have in the works for us? Anything you can share?

Nathan Squiers - While I'm no longer with my publisher there's nothing immediately on the market, but I'm working on re-releasing books #1 & #2 and a slew of shorts tied to the Crimson Shadow series as well as book #1 of my Death Metal series, "Curtain Call". Past that there's my comic book series--which I'm currently deliberating on with some artists--as well as a treatment for a TV series tied to the mythology that all those titles are set in.

Ambrosia Arts – Very nice. Do you plan to self-publish or are you interested in looking for a new publishing home?

Nathan Squiers. While I'm not quite ready to disclose the juicy details, I can say that my work will be featured with a publishing house.

Ambrosia Arts - Fantastic. I know that your work can really paint a picture, one of my personal favorite parts of your writing are the fight scenes for how incredibly entertaining and detailed they are. What is your muse, and can you share with us the method you use to create these types of scenes, I know a lot of writers have trouble with that type of thing.

Nathan Squiers - I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoy it (it's certainly not without a great deal of effort lol). If I had to attribute anything for the visuals and combat scenes, I'd have to lean towards more visual storytelling mediums. I grew up on comic books and action films, and, while I was in high school I started to get into Japanese anime and manga (featuring over-the-top visual scenes and choreography). The process of writing these scenes is more a trick of balancing detail with pacing (too much detail will deter how time flows and too little detail will make the fight seem like a blur--which isn't always unwanted, but if a character KNOWS how to fight it serves to reason that they'll see attacks coming).

Ambrosia Arts - A career in writing is certainly not for the faint of heart. It can be a real roller coaster for anyone involved in the literary world. Can you tell us how that's influenced you or your writing? And what have been some challenges for you in your writing?

Nathan Squiers - I think anybody who knows me or my work knows that I very rarely let the "typical" practice influence me or my work. For as long as I've been writing, I've known what I wanted to write and how I wanted to write it, and a combination of visceral detail, vulgar dialogue, and a cast of characters that have a tendency to put a spotlight on aspects of humanity that most don't like to see have made a lot of people attempt the ever-popular "you can't say/do that". The standard for certain themes to be breezed over makes a lot of people feel that I cross a line with my work. One of the hardest things to get past in that regard is showing those with the industry that not only is a reader capable of handling these subjects, but they usually feel more drawn towards it.

Ambrosia Arts - Can you give us any examples to this type of prospective contraband? *laugh*

Nathan Squiers - Absolutely! But, before I do, I'd like to clarify that these elements are utilized not strictly for shock value (I'll admit that it's shocking, but it's not the sole value of the themes); the elements that horrify and turn readers off are the same elements that make characters who they are. One of the most controversial scenes that have impacted readers (and understandably so), is the gang-rape and murder of Xander's mother in the Crimson Shadow series. Since the beginning, Xander was developed to be a tortured and heart-broken young man, and I needed a truly heinous scene that would define the path his life took. To witness the assault on his mother firsthand--to be forced to stand and watch while his abusive stepfather and a group of men ravaged his only living parent--and to, like Xander, see every scene and act unfold, creates a mindset that allows the reader to feel closer with Xander as he struggles with that memory. In my opinion, true horror is in the face of the victim. As a storyteller, my job is to present a character to a reader and do what I can to have the reader understand WHY they are who they are. If I'm going to tell a story of a young man that wants to die and has to struggle with his own pain to push on and be a hero, I need to have the reader know his pain enough to say "Damn! That IS an achievement, and I can say I would do the same."

Ambrosia Arts - That is actually a wonderful way to put it and certainly a powerful method to connect your readers to the story. A big question not just agents but every reader must as while reading the story from the very first word, is why is this worth my while? Why do I care? - So you mentioned you write not because of being fearless but for knowing what it is you fear. In regards to that comment, what challenges have you personally faced in your writing? Has there been anything that has affected you emotionally with your work?

Nathan Squiers - Oh most definitely! When I originally sat down to write what would later become "Noir", I was dedicated to writing a short story about a suicidal young man (Xander Stryker) and his struggle with self and past. The original intent of this piece was to serve as something that I could leave behind; a "creative suicide letter" so to speak. However, as I fleshed out more and more of Xander's story, I felt compelled to keep writing, and, as I did, I felt compelled to make him live; to overcome his suicidal goal and become something great. As this effort persisted, I ended up doing the same to myself and, by the time the book was done, I had not only decided that I wanted to live, but that I wanted to help inspire others. Because of a lot of themes in "Noir" that were tied to personal history and emotions, the project took about 5 years to finish and, in that time, I ended up in the hospital 3-4 times each year due to anxiety attacks during the writing process.

Ambrosia Arts - That is really incredible. A powerful story indeed. I find the best books in the world are the ones that are truly a part of the writer, not just an idea the sketched out on paper but something straight from their soul. Obsessiveness is the most passionate form of expression we have emotionally to physically. And when you say inspire, I often times ask writers if they could say anything to other writers what may that be? In general it's never give up, keep reading and writing. What would you add to that given your intense experience?

Nathan Squiers - I'm certainly an advocator of the "keep on writing", but, for me and those like me who are driven to purge their soul on the page for an enriched story, my advice is this: brace yourself. Some of the most terrifying--and inspiring--moments as a writer are the moments when you learn something new about yourself, and it's not uncommon for this to happen A LOT. While an aspiring writer should always write, it comes with some very intense revelations. Bearing your inner-most thoughts and feelings for the world to see will be an emotional kick to the groin every time, but if you can ride through the worst of what your mind has to offer and see it through to the end, you'll never feel more accomplished and your readers will love you all the more for the effort.

http://www.nathansquiers.com - official site

http://www.goodreads.com/Literary_Dark_Prince - Goodreads & author bio

https://www.facebook.com/Nathan.Squiers - Facebook author site

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Legion-of-Nathan-Squiers/329543403767153?ref=ts&fref=ts - Nathan Squiers "fan" (hate that word) page (newer)

https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonShadow.Legacy - Crimson Shadow series page on Facebook

On Twitter - @Lit_Dark_Prince

 

 

Crimson Shadow #1 Synopsis:

Xander Stryker wants to die.

Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves.

When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice:

Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be.

Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness...

... and allow it to finally destroy him.

 

 

..

Book Three - Blood Bonds

READ FIRST >

“Lianna. Her name is Lianna…” Damien shut his eyes; he sat still not even breathing. “When did Lianna become the Blooding?” His voice lit with anger. His jaw clinched tight.
“Your anger is deep mah son.” The old man shook his head sadly. “Don’tchu move now boy.” He pointed sharply as he stood, walking off into the dark hut. Damien watched him closely as he emerged. A black wooden bowl held stead...y in his hands as he slowly made his way to Damien, without use of any cane. Smoke lift from the bowl dancing in strange swooping loops, slowing and speeding as it wound. He blew the smoke in Damien’s face. Damien’s nostrils flared, his eyes narrowed. “Breathe it boy.” The old man’s voice whispered through the air all around him. Reluctantly he did. The vapors seemed to thicken on his inhale.
“She has always been da Blooding. Always da Blood Demon. Always Blood Child. You only see what you want to see. That's why she is sad, confused. Lost. She knows she not only what you see in her, it pains her. She believes her soul has gone da’k. She has lost the light in her eyes boy. She left it…” The old man’s hands pulled on the smoke, gathering a handful and blowing it in his face again. Instinctively now Damien breathed in deeply. “She left her light with you.”

SECOND >

“L, comere’.” Clarence was sitting on the same bench she’d seen him last time. She looked up to him as she finished unlacing her boots; she tugged them off and stripped her socks before walking over to him. He took hold of her wrist and pulled her down to sit by him. Clarence was older than any of the other fighters. He wouldn’t last much longer if he had to keep this up.
“What can I do for you Clarence?” She sat beside him, her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward, looking back to him.
“You can take this.” He held out a silver chain, from it dangled a simple medallion. It was covered in blood. “It was Dante’s I think he’d want you to have it.”
Lianna took the chain reluctantly. “St. Walburga, Patron Saint of storms…” Her fingers rubbed against the medallion, rubbing off the dried blood. “Why storms?”
Clarence shrugged. “Who knows. I’m sure it meant something to him. I bet it’ll mean something to you too. Now you take it, put it on. Don’t argue. You gonna need all the protection you can get for the storm that’s comin now.” Lianna nodded once, ducking her head and slipping the chain over her head. It hung low on her; Dante had been a big man. A big bear actually. Lianna lay a hand to Clarence leg in one firm pat. She looked back to him, her expression blank, emotionless, cold. Ready.
Lianna stood slowly, tucking the medallion down into the tank top as she walked to the door. “Stay ready Clarence. Storms comin in hard. You hear me old man?” She looked back; Clarence caught her eyes for a long cold second. He nodded. Lianna walked out the door. Even this far from the pit itself the chanting could be heard. Blooding they called her...

Third>

The rumbling calmed slowly leaving a cloud of dust filling the air as the wind whipped around them all violently. It was hard to tell who was causing what at this point. The wind began to clear the dust cloud away and through it they could see the mass of hundreds coming at them. “Ah feck.” Cash cussed low under his breath as he jumped back to his feet. Damien’s bro...w rose as Cash looked down at his watch. What was that man up to that the time of night could possibly matter? None of them easily trusted Cash. He’d proven himself in Brazil, and Lianna trusted him. But if Lianna hadn’t vouched for him and insisted his presence was vital they never would have trusted Cash to be a part of this.
“What the hell are you doing?” Hendrick snarled at Cash as he climbed back to his feet. Cash had pulled out a cell phone and was talking into it fast in what sounded like Swedish but it was hard to tell through the wind. “Is he seriously on his cell phone?” Hendrick was yelling furiously.
Cash was calling in the cavalry.

An Ambrosia Arts review of Hells Gate, first novel of the Seventh Seals Saga by Benjamin Daniels

Hells Gates have been opened… The world’s most powerful creatures once thought of as myths by many have been released into the open: our guardian Angels, Hell’s Demons, and the protectors of our earth, the Druids. Amongst them is Cole. A man merely trying to survive, thrown into the mix of a new damnation and war on Earth. Not even our churches can protect you from sin in Benjamin Daniels’ universe.

And truly he has created a masterpiece of one. His details are extraordinary, the story riveting as his creations keep you desperate for more.

No matter your beliefs, Daniels work here is impressive and inspiring, spiritually and mentally. As for the remaining books in this saga, I for one will be waiting anxiously to see this incredible story unfold.

(all royalties are donated to charity.) http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Gate-Seventh-Seal-ebook/dp/B009YXTYD8/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1357170750&sr=8-15&keywords=hells+gate

An Interview with Ben Daniels…

Ambrosia: So your life has been pretty intense compared to most. Most movies can’t even hold up to what you’ve lived. This must have some impact on your writing, would you agree?

Ben: Absolutely, the memories I have come through in my writing. There are elements of my writing that reflect about the characters that only a few know and why they are the way they are. However it did make them unique and the characters they have become. I use a lot of myself within it and a lot of my own life story but figuring out which is the fun part. *wink*

Ambrosia: It certainly adds to the intrigue. Your voice in your writing is very unique. How would you describe to a new reader your specific writing style?

Ben: Detailed… ;) Honestly no, my voice is unique because I live in my head 95% of the time. Most writers will tell you they do too but I'll tell you because I'm in a chair, I haven't seen sunlight in three months. I pretty much stay in one room because that is where my toys are and I have no reason to go flop out on the sofa and my friends left me a long time ago. To say that I don't live in my head is an understatement. Oh I do have to add that most won't think about, since I am in a chair, I can't feel 75% of my body, everything thought, feeling, sensual pleasure described down to the last detail. I have to go back through time to remember what it is like. You forget over time.

I don't know how to put it any other way. You really don't think about it, you don't remember it. You always feel your legs. You know what it is like to be covered in mud. I no longer have those feelings. I no longer feel them. I don't know what it is like to have my toes in the sand on the surf torn shore to have them wash over them anymore and feel the sand slightly pull it from under your feet tickling them as the sea robs the land of its mass but it is a memory to have and for just one more time, I would sell my soul to have again.

Review of Wiccan Lies by DJ Shaw

Ambrosia Arts Review of Wiccan Lies by DJ Shaw…

MacKenzie is one determined woman in this mysterious romance. So many questions, so little time. New discoveries astound as this heart throb clinches with deceit and suspense. Disillusion to spirituality, Shaw misses nothing as she leaves us wanting for more.

Jaelynn Faye of Ambrosia Arts

DJ Shaw belongs to the part of the Unseelie Sidhe that live in the Albuquerque, NM area with her husband, The Vengeance Demon, Terminal, the beast who stole her heart, and together they have spawned five children.  They also own an Ocelot and four Hell Hounds.  She loves to write about the experiences of her Dark Brethren, and some of her own.  Please enjoy some of her adventures. 

See more of this authors interview and find her work at http://www.ambrosia-arts.com/index.php/more/friends/77-december-author-spotlight

Review of Revealing Hamilton by Sarah Jayne Carr

Ambrosia Arts review of Revealing Hamilton by Sarah Jayne Carr

It was a privilege to be asked to edit this incredible story. Carr’s voice is positively unique. The idea of hungering for more isn’t enough. It came to me that in reading this unbelievable story and how hard it was to step back and actually focus on the details of what I was seeing that it was a lot like cheese cake. I just can’t stop. I read this book three times during the course of editing for how captivating it was. I doubt it will be the last. Amelia is not just someone you can identify with, but someone who grabs ahold of you and demands your attention. Well done.

Interview with Rue Volley!!

http://www.whatboredombrings.com

Ambrosia: Your entire life has really seemed like something out of a novel. One adventure after the other! You were a rock star for a while, a model, you make some beautiful jewelry, you’re an incredible photographer and you’ve published over forty plus books. What else has been memorable for you with things that you’ve done in life?

Rue: Oh man. When you mention all of that I feel like I should take a nap. Lol Well, I think the most memorable things in my life have to be the quiet moments I had with my Mom when I was growing up. Curling up behind her legs and napping mid-day. The day I knew in my heart that my husband was my true love and when I realized that I could and not just dream that I could do what I wanted  in life. I honestly take it one day to the next and each challenge as it comes. I am never overwhelmed by anything, in fact I welcome change and new things as often as possible. I think this is why I teach myself to do so many things, I love being able to stand back and say “yes, I totally pulled that off.”. Now, if you need surgery, don’t call me. I have no idea about that.

 

Ambrosia: What is your roll with Vamptasy Publishing? Now that Vamptasy has united with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing what will your roll be?

Rue: My roll always was first and foremost an author on Vamptasy. I stepped into head of promotions a few months ago and all the while I have been close friends with SJ.Davis (owner of CHBB/Hot Ink Press). In fact I had books on both her pubs before the merger. Now, I write and still do promotions but the family is larger and I can focus more on my books, marketing and side projects like my jewelry company, Vivid Book Designs and my online magazine. As you might imagine my time was spread thin anyway so the merger has made it a bit easier on me. Now I had been and will continue to make covers for Hot Ink and Crushing Hearts whenever SJ Davis reaches out and needs them done for her.

 

Ambrosia: What’s your favorite thing to do out of all of your ongoing projects? Writing, jewelry, photography for example…

Rue: That is tough to answer. Well, it’s a tie really between photography and writing. Both allow me to express my art. I don’t approach writing as someone trying to work out the technical this and that bullshit. I go into it as a storyteller and remain that way from start to finish. I also do that in my photography. Every shot tells a story, every edit I do enhances the story until I see the vision of it that I saw when I first took the shot. I guess I am just strange in that way. Everything speaks to me, a shot, a story and piece of jewelry. I just try to do my very best at all of it and hopefully it shows.

 

Ambrosia: Writing is obviously a great passion of yours. What lead you to become an author? Have you been writing all your life, or was this a sudden thing at the time?

Rue: I told stories to my sisters when they were little. As in I made puppets and made up elaborate fantasy filled stories mainly starring two black rabbits by the names of Oogie and Ogabond. I actually included them in a short prelude to the Blood & Light series called “Birth of a Vampire” but anyway, that was all the storytelling I did as I grew up and so it kind of makes sense to me that I still tell stories in that way. I am all about characters and plots, wrapped in fantasy. I write like I am sitting at a campfire and telling you the story, well more accurately, my characters tell you the story. Not me. I never over explain, over describe or over anything, I let you get immersed in the story by caring and feeling like you are there and the characters are real. I love to have sci-fi elements, paranormal elements and damaged characters who could be you on so many different levels. Now, my writing has one beginning. I turned 40. I went out, I was aggravated and drank too much and then I came home and hand scribbled the first few pages on book one in the Blood & Light series and hand to Goddess, I still to this day have no idea why other than the fact that I placed my Father in the story( William). You see he left when I was 7 years old and that impacted me in a very heavy way. I missed him, I felt rejected and I watched my Mother struggle as a single Mom and the hurt she felt as he left us. Well, come to find out, I received a call 13 days later from my Mom telling me that he was dead. He had been on vacation, had a heart attack at home and no one knew until he did not return to work 13 days later. His death certificate is dated the day I started to write and that is the truth of where I started in February of 2010. I had no dream of being a writer, I was working in retail as a Store Manager and suddenly I was obsessed with the story and had to write it. So, 2 years later and 6 novels/2800 pages, The Blood & Light series is available to the world and I am grateful. I grew so much while writing it seeing I was not a writer when I started but I came out the other side an author and for that, I am forever in debt to the powers that be. Just on a side note, I did take breaks from writing that series and wrote another novel called “Stuff and Things and what boredom brings” for my Mom and quite a few shorts. Strange but true in the land of Rue.

 

Ambrosia: Of all of your books, do you have an all-time favorite and what makes that book more special than the rest? What’s your favorite quote from that book?

Rue: Oh my God. Well. I have 28 books out and to me they are all my children as any author will tell you. I guess I will do my best to pick one line although I could never snub any of them and call out one book as my favorite. I would share lines from my erotic’s but I would fear the server fry. Hahahaha So, I will pick Stuff and Things and what boredom brings, chapter 4 a section of a conversation as I normally do not have “favorite” lines, but sections “The Logistics of Sex” when Alexi is reluctantly having the “talk” with her Dad about sex and he says…

“Are you looking at porn?”

“No!  Oh my god…no.” I said as I crossed my arms on my chest.

“Oh… okay good.  That stuff is not realistic anyway, I mean some of the stuff they do… holy crap!  I mean how you get legs up that high…”                                                 

“Dad!  I am not looking at porn, nor will I.” I said as I shook my head.

“Oh… okay.” He said as he looked back at my fries and popped one into his mouth.

“Well, do you understand the logistics of what happens when you have sex?”

“Oh god.”  I said.

“Well, the first time for a girl hurts, from what I hear…”

“Good to know.” I said as I slapped my hands on my legs.

“I would assume so, I mean your Mother was really…”

“Stop… stop… stop it.” I said.

“Oh… okay, yeah, you don’t want to hear about that.”

“Not really.” I said as I crossed my arms back on my chest and shook my head.

“Well… it gets really hard.” he said as he waved his hands at his crotch.

“Don’t… don’t do that, the waving thing at your crotch.”

He looked up at me and grinned as he shook his head.

 

Ambrosia: Outside of your own books, do you have a favorite book or a favorite author?

Rue: Well I love many, all of which are Indie’s. You can count every single brother and sister I have on Vamptasy Publishing and CHBB and Hot Ink in there. I also love Cassandra Clare and Anne Rice. But honestly I also love the writers of my favorite shows like Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Justified, Firefly just to name a few. I am also a huge fan of Quintin Tarantino and David Lynch as well as Joss Whedon. I mean what amazing storytelling and as I have always said, I am a lover of the character and plot and all of those shows and artists showcase just that.

 

Ambrosia: Does a lot of your jewelry stem from inspiration from your books, or is it sometimes the other way around?

Rue: I never really mixed the two honestly. I mean I mention clothing in my books but seldom any jewelry and that part of my art comes from things I see as in a charm here or a print I edited there and then I create something. I love Steampunk, so keys, compasses and time pieces always pop up with me as well as fairy tale themes and whimsical stuff. I just make what I like to wear mostly. I try to keep it simple for the most part. It changes from day to day. I may make earrings one day and the next I am making broaches. Then a necklace and then I make a head piece or choker. It all depends on how I feel just like when I write a story.

 

Ambrosia: I know you have a very supportive family, which is a wonderful blessing. Your mother was also a great mentor and friend for you also. If it’s not too personal, have you ever written anything for her or specifically for anyone else in your family?

Rue: I wrote “Stuff and Things and what boredom brings, a witches tale” for her. It was a way for me to deal with knowing I was losing her to Cancer and she passed in March of 2012. Her loss in my life is something I will never get over but it gets a bit easier to deal with daily as I guess anyone who has lost someone close to them will tell you. In that book, “Alexi” has lost her Mother and in the first book she spends time transitioning to a life without her. I am currently writing book two and now she is accepting which is step two in the process. I have a tendency to write what is going on with me personally in my novels as I work through stuff. Now with that being said that series is some of the funniest stuff I will ever write as my Mom had the best humor in the entire world and I wanted that to be the books for her, it is what she would have wanted and I just wish she had been able to read them. One thing I will say is no matter what you have going on always make time for those you love whether it is a coffee date or a simple stop in and Hi. You never know with life how long we have and to miss those moments is a tragedy and something you never want to wish back.

 

Ambrosia: You’re such a busy person. Are you looking to try anything new soon?

Rue: World domination in 2013. I mean I think I can handle it now. lol

 

Ambrosia: I loved your story of how this first started for you. Will you share with everyone how you became published and picked up by your first publishing house?

Rue: Oh well, I wrote and released Blood & Light book one with authorhouse and I had no clue what I was doing at all. I had no fanpage, website, blog, betas…nothing. I just released that book with a crappy cover and then kept writing. Then I said…”Ummm, why am I not selling any books?” and it hit me. Writing the book was just the tip of the iceberg and I could have slapped myself for that one. So, I joined Facebook, set up a page started networking and ran into some not so nice people at first. People who were snooty and did not want anything to do with networking at all in fact I had some authors tell me to basically go away so I did and I started my own pages of which I have many now with awesome people who like to network and understand it is a group effort . Anyway, I was approached to do a short in an anthology for Vamptasy Publishing called “Red Wine” and I jumped at it, I mean wow, it was on an Indie pub and I was so excited. So I wrote “Birth of a Vampire” which was a back story on one of the rogue vampires in the Blood and Light series and Nicola Ormerod contacted me and we started to talk, from that we skyped and then a contract popped up and I was signed 6 months after I self pubbed my first novel. I was so grateful and so very lucky and I am telling you now, Nicola is one of the most honest and hardworking women in this industry and I will always be her friend. She gave me my start when no one else would even look at me and now she has merged with SJ Davis (who was my pub sister on Vamptasy when I first got signed) and being back with Sarah and having Nicola by my side as an author and a business partner in Vivid Book Designs is a dream come true for me. Best publishing people in the business hands down.

 

Ambrosia: Is there anything you would like to say to your readers or fans? Or perhaps other authors and aspiring writers?

Rue: To fans I will say thank you for driving the train this year. You have taken me from selling a few books to being a bestselling author and linked, shared, gotten my books into libraries, reviewed, entered me in contests and won, as well as sent me messages, gifts and helped me keep my chin up even the day my Mother passed away. It is an amazing thing to have people connect with you on this level and support you so loyally. I love my fans, best people in the world.

To aspiring authors here is the thing. Know this, writing the book is just the smallest part of it. I know that sounds crazy but you have to promote it. Market yourself, have a website and or blog, fanpage, beta’s, get involved with as many groups on FB as you can to help support you. Link and share your news every day, do giveaways, share other peoples posts and support them too. Be on twitter, and as many social networking hotspots as possible. Think globally and not locally. Create digital posters, use them when promoting yourself and always keep it fun. Do not let crappy reviews get you down and block people who try, you don’t need them, even if you thought they were a “friend”. If you are serious, put everything you have into it and dedicate yourself to it. Do not expect huge results at first and watch as what you put in helps you grow. It will take time, anything worth it does and ALWAYS reach out to those who can help you out. You have too. It is not just you, it is a whole family in the Indie world and the more you dig in the better it will be.

 

 

On to the goofy and fun…

 

Ambrosia: Have you ever gone out in public with your shirt on backwards or your slippers on, and then when you realized it just said screw it? Or have you ever done this on purpose?

Rue: I have left my house in the most ridiculous clothing on purpose because to me it is Halloween every damn day.

 

Ambrosia: Toe socks? Fuzzy or cotton?

Rue: Leg warmers, gray:)

 

Ambrosia: Can you tell the difference in Coke and Pepsi?

Rue: I don’t drink anything but Cream soda in a glass bottle on occasion. But I would think the difference is a C and P.

 

Ambrosia: Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point if no one else is going to see it?

Rue: I never make my bed, in fact my Husband is the clean one, I just get up and leave a trail of shit in my wake. Lights on, clothing on the floor, I am horrible and I have no idea why he loves me. hahahaha

 

Ambrosia: Do you go out of your way to kill bugs / run from bugs / or save them?

Rue: I lock bugs in rooms like they can’t follow me then start harassing my husband on FB and telling him to come home and handle it.

 

Ambrosia: Any phobias?

Rue: Spiders

 

Ambrosia: Favorite strangest food?

Rue: I like ketchup on my eggs. I don’t know if that is weird to the world but my husband always looks like something is about to burst through his chest when I do it. hahahaha

 

Rue’s Bio…

Rue Volley is a bestselling author, graphic artist and photographer. She splits her time between writing and designing covers for books. She owns "Rue View" magazine and RV Radio, both dedicated to helping those in the Indie Arts get more exposure. She hosts multiple groups on facebook, all dealing with promotion and marketing for artists. She is signed to Vamptasy Publishing and also writes for Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing and Hot Ink Press.

 

 

Tell us about the books coming out in January…

Okay, well I have a few. I have book two in a witches tale series coming out called “This and That and what killed the cat” Book three in the Maddie Maze series called “Silly spells and Surefooted suckdiggery” and I have the first novel in the Hunters’ Blood series called “Dog will Hunt” coming as well as book two in the Double Gun Dealer series called “Lin”  I can give you a blurb on This and That and what killed the Cat…

 

I ran for what seemed like forever and then stumbled, over what I have no idea, but the fall is not what irritated me, it was the fact that something had the nerve to try to trip me up. How dare it! I mean I am Alexi Carvelle Damn it! Witch and all around badass…well, you know what I mean. Sometimes you have to tell yourself that and convince people around you that it is true, but you know what? If you believe it, then it is real, just like nobbles and elves and magick. Oh my god…magick. What a pain in the booty. I have tried over and over again to master it and although I proudly scream (in my mind) that I am a witch, I am so not even that yet…in fact I am trying to just get this heart flutter thing under control with you know who…you know, Mr. Deadish and super hottie Logan Stewart. I have too, I mean he is on a timer now, a when is he going to just stop ticking timer and my ability to master this hocus pocus this and that is imperative. I mean Kyle won’t do it, how could he? He is just the disease and I have to be the cure and I swear to you, when this is all said and done, I will zap him into some other dimension just for coming here and mucking up the clockworks.

               I looked up and grinned…Logan stared down at me with a smile so familiar and yet foreign to me. It is almost as if he teeters on being fake at times, but I took his hand and he helped me. I brushed the leaves off of my jeans and laughed, trying to play off the embarrassment of falling. I know, why the hell should I feel weird about falling? Well, it is the L word, it has me all messed up and doing things that suck on the daily. I straightened my shirt and adjusted my jacket, feeling myself starting to surface.

 

LINKS

To Rue’s website, http://ruevolley.moonfruit.com/

A place to buy and browse all your books, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=rue+volley&sprefix=rue+volley%2Cdigital-text%2C220

To Rue’s merchandise, http://www.whatboredombrings.com/

Fan pages, good reads, blogs, etc

Fanpage

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rue-Volley-Blood-Light-Series/166002266766880

goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4529674.Rue_Volley

twitter

http://twitter.com/ruevolley

jewelry page

https://www.facebook.com/StuffThingsAndWhatBoredomBrings?fref=ts

Vivid Book Designs

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-Book-Designs/455692004483796?fref=ts

Rueview Magazine

http://rueview.moonfruit.com/

 

 

Review of Vinsons’ CHRISTMAS And Other Oddities

An Ambrosia Arts Review of Vinsons’ CHRISTMAS And Other Oddities by William J. Vinson

 

History in itself is both beautiful and ugly. More often than not, what we quote and “remember” is also wrong. To quote Vinson, this is a “fluid madness of history” in a ripe and satiric yet comical form. There is no writing as great as a piece that ignites a passionate debate. His honesty about this work is nearly slanderous upon himself. It is refreshing as it is amusing! This work is the fruit cake of our seasonal parties. You love it or hate it, but no matter that, it is meant to be there for it would not be a holiday season without it. Take away from Vinsons’ Christmas what you will. Take it in stride and perhaps, just perhaps, let it open your mind to other views.

Jaelynn Faye of Ambrosia Arts

Review of In My Dreams by Cameo Renae

An Ambrosia Arts Review of In My Dreams by Cameo Renae

A love so intense it surpasses the confines of the state of mortality. Your heart will pound from the passion in Cameo’s voice in this heart wrenching love story. Not only will you feel Elizabeth Hayes’s every emotion as she pulls you into her world, her story, you will live it with her.

Review of Closure - Kim Carmichael

An Ambrosia Arts Review of “Closure” written by Kim Carmichael

I recently read the short story “Closure” written by Kim Carmichael. Unsure of what to expect, I dived in head first and found myself treading some boiling waters. The characters are well fleshed out and the storyline is something that just about everyone can relate to…that one person you missed your chance with back in high school.  Life goes on and people change.  Or do they? You’ll find yourself asking this very same question throughout the entirety of the plot. I found the struggle for power delightfully tormenting and many times I found myself unable to decide just who I wanted to have the upper hand in the situation. The sexual tension is palpable. The scenes left me wanting more, both disappointed and excited that what I expected wasn’t necessarily what I was given. It was a refreshing telling of wanting what you can’t have and not exactly getting what you want but wanting exactly what you ended up with and how you got it. Lost love, lust and just enough control or loss of it makes this story a MUST read!  No matter which side you ultimately choose, you are bound to be satisfied. 

K. Charbonneau

EXCERPT Chap 3 book 1

The air was dank, making my skin crawl and the hair on my arms rise. It wasn’t long before I felt nervous and I began turning more corners. Uncertain why my nerves were so tense I listened to them anyway. Detouring about a half a mile there was a convenient store I ducked into, which some friends of my father’s owned. Harper’s Corner Store. I’m not a chicken. I like to call it cautious.

It was eleven thirty in the evening and the shop was closing but I walked in anyway. Widow Barbara Harper owned the store and they usually never minded when I came in late.

Melody was working tonight. She was Amanda‘s oldest daughter and with age came beauty. She was a natural bombshell by the age of fifteen. Before that the most awkward looking kid imaginable. We’d been in school together. Well, I had graduated early during her freshmen year but we’d known each other before hand for years anyhow.

Her sisters were sweet. The youngest Tiffany, otherwise known as Tippy, was an actress. Or hell bent on becoming such. The middle child, Daphne always popular but not because of the fact she was pretty and had money but for how nice she was.

Melody was their opposite. She could be nice. But she was a strategist. How did being nice benefit her in each scenario? She practically ran the store now at seventeen and she hadn't even graduated. She reorganized the books when her father died and had actually done a better job than he'd ever dreamed. Her mother was astonished as she was proud. Melody was miserable knowing she'd never be able to leave because of it.

She knew Paul of course too. That was a strange relationship I have no intention trying to decipher let alone explain now.

“Hey Mel.” Calling as I walked in, it surprised me she didn’t even look up. In fact she looked absolutely irritated. Melody and I were not exactly friends so I had no wish to pry into her business. Although it would have been a good excuse to stay there for a bit longer as I had originally hoped. Oh wells.  I settled with buying a Sobe and left quickly. Standing just outside the closed door I drank down half the bottle before closing it and holding it down in my hand in an awkward angle.

Taking a quick scan across the street. A man stood cast in shadow across the street. He stood beneath a burnt out lamp post. I hadn't noticed that the bulb was even blown until now. The knot in my stomach started twisting and flipping violently. The hair on the back of my neck rose and gooseflesh covered my arms. It hadn’t just been paranoia. The bottle was held at a good angle to swing and it was glass.

Half my brain argued that I should run back into the store. The other half mocked me. And do what? Call the cops? That would be real great. Hey Richard! Just little ol me scared of the boogie man. Rescue me and please be sure to let Paul know! Uhm, no thanks.

The other possibility of me turning back that resulted in the negatory? What if I was right? I wasn't leading him to Melody and locking us in a store with some nut bag right outside. So the other half won.

Twisting to make a sharp right, I bumped my shoulder into the brick corner leaving the stores shallow entry way. Humph. So graceful. My feet carried me at a curt walk despite the fact I wanted to bolt into a dead run.

In minutes I made it to the next block and around another corner. For the entire block I heard the sound of foot steps behind me.

My pounding heart came to a sudden stop hearing tires squeal behind me on the damp street. –Breathe. The streets wet. Just someone skidding is all. Keep walking. - Heart racing, my stomach started doing flips and my knees were shaking so hard I felt paralyzed. Forcing myself to look over my shoulder I turned to see the vehicle just as it rolled up beside me. And stopped.

It was a huge black Jeep, lifted and completely tricked out. Shiny chrome gleaming paint job and all. I had seen it every night I had worked for a few months now. The window rolled down automatically as I heard a familiar golden voice. Rougher now than it ever had been before though. “Lianna. How about I give you a ride. It’s starting to rain. Come on.”

BLOOD ROSE

Coming soon... BLOOD ROSE

It’s true no one can out run Death. But Death doesn’t always want your existence. In Lianna’s case it wants her mortality.

Long have Lianna’s dreams been a window into another time. A place that is as magnificent as it is dark. Frightened and weary from the nightmares' physical toll they take on her body she turns to her psychic friend for guidance, which results in prophetic visions of Lianna’s death.

Mercenaries come after Lianna to stop her from fulfilling her fate. A destiny at her beloved’s side while rediscovering the real magic within her. Facing demise brought down on her by the hands of the mercenaries, the power of love offers her a new life as a vampire which ultimately fulfills the same epic fate the murderous villains fought to keep her from.