{Guest Post & Book Spotlight} "A Secret Match" by Kelli Wilkins

*Disclosure: I received the following product(s) below from the Author in exchange for an honest review and in no way was I asked to give a positive review. I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Blurb:

Everett Kinkade is a world-famous professional wrestler and the sexy heartthrob of millions of adoring female fans. But Ev has a secret he doesn’t dare share with anyone. He’s gay.

After years of being Ev’s secret lover, Josh is tired of hiding in the shadows and wants Ev to openly acknowledge their relationship. Coming out is the last thing Ev wants and fears it will ruin his career.

One night in a moment of truth, Everett outs himself on live TV. There’s no going back, and his announcement sparks a firestorm of problems – both personally and professionally. He’s forced to come to grips with who he really is while facing down a tag team out to destroy him.

Torn between living a lie and losing the man he loves, Ev has risked everything… can he find a balance between his career and his heart?

Title: A Secret Match
Author: Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure
Release date: August 31, 2014
Genre: contemporary gay
Heat Level: 3
Approximate page count: 160/45,000 words

Buy links: 
Amber Quill Press: http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2022-A-Secret-Match.aspx

Coming soon to Amazon and B&N in e-book and paperback!

~Guest Post~ by Calico Daniels, Author of "Fried Pickles and the Fuzz"

*Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Blurb:

Big Creek might be a stereotypical small town but even they have drama.

Heather loves her little café, and her best customer is the county Sherriff. She’s been waiting months for him to ask her out…maybe she won’t have to wait much longer.

Bronson feels at home in Big Creek even though he hasn’t been the Sherriff for long. Small towns have their perks and a pretty café owner who cooks like an angel certainly doesn’t hurt. Now, if he could only get over his nerves and drum up the gumption to ask her out.

Throw in a gossip mill, a redneck festival and an ill timed attempt to help and you end up with some laughs, some ruffled feathers and a town that is….Redneck Fabulous.

Guest Blog Post by Jo Grafford, Author of "Breaking Ties" & Giveaway

*Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own.  My Cozie Corner is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.  This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

BLURB:

Portsmouth, England - April 26, 1587

One hundred and fifteen colonists embark on a trans-Atlantic journey to build the glorious City Raleigh. Unaware of the troubles already brewing, a young woman flies up the gangway at the last possible minute to join their ranks.

Was it fate? 

Educated well ahead of her times, ROSE PAYNE'S world is shattered after a secret betrothal to the duke’s son costs her job as a clerk in his father's household. Without a letter of recommendation, she becomes an easy target for recruiters to the Colonies. Desperate for work, she signs up for a risky overseas venture and sails for the New World, vowing never again fall for a wealthy gentleman. 

Returning from a diplomatic tour in London, CHIEF MANTEO is bewitched by the elusive, fiery-haired ship clerk and determined to overcome her distrust. He contrives a daring plan to win her heart – a plan he prays will protect her from a chilling conspiracy involving murder, blood money, and a betrayal of their fledgling colony so terrifying it can only be revealed in BREAKING TIES.

BREAKING TIES is the never-before-told rest of the story of the Lost Colony. It's a story of hope and sacrifice, love and betrayal, despair and tremendous courage of a group of first American pioneers who refused to quit when their best-laid plans began to unravel.

Guest Post by Author Kimberly Kinrade on Author Marketing

*Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

So you wrote a book, or are currently working on it. That’s awesome! But writing your book is only one part of the process. It’s a big part, don’t get me wrong, but if your goal is to actually make MONEY doing this, to make a living or, at least pay a few bills, then you need to take the marketing part of your novel seriously.

Most writers aren’t marketers. That’s where I come in.

I went from being a single mom on welfare after my divorce years ago, to an award-winning, bestselling author making a 6 figure income on ROYALTIES ALONE. That’s right, ALL of that comes from 

book sales. 

I don’t say this to brag, not at all. I’m not a New York Times bestseller (yet), or a household name (yet), but I am a successful mid-list author who has hit a few bestseller lists and sells consistently, particularly the titles I published under my own imprint. (Why I believe SO MUCH in being your own publisher, but that’s a story for another post.)

Guest Post by Alannah Lynne, Author of the "Heat Wave" Series & Giveaway - Ends 8/31

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of ABG Reads Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by ABG Reads Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. My Cozie Corner is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Guest Post by Alannah Lynne:

Writing blog posts is always a struggle for me, especially when I’m guest blogging. I don’t ever feel like the topic is interesting enough, and the last thing I want is be a big ole bore. So, to shake things up a bit, I took to Facebook and Twitter and told my readers now was their chance, did they have any questions they wanted to ask. I promised to answer as honestly as possible. I should’ve known what I was in for! These are, after all, MY readers. And the worst questions came from my street team… something tells me Alannah’s Beach ANGELS is a little deceiving. LOL Anyway, I promised, and they asked, so… *deep breath*… here goes…

Guest Post by William Matthies, Author of The 7 Keys to Change"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Pump Up Your Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by Pump Up Your Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

Research by McKinsey & Company and IBM Global Business Services says that 50% to 60% of companies fail to achieve some to all of their goals and objectives, with as many as 20% failing completely.

The divorce rate among first time marrieds continues to hover around 50% increasing to 60%+ among those marrying two times or more.

Is there correlation in these numbers?

This is no coincidence; these and other statistics describing our personal and professional lives demonstrate a strong correlation between failures in one leading to failure in the other.

"The 7 Keys to Change" teaches both the individual and the manager what they need to do to improve their efforts to manage change in their personal and professional lives."

Guest Post by Kelli Kretzschmar, Author of "Defending Wellton"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

Wellton, Arizona. Population 2,864… and falling. Something - or someone - is killing the kids in town, and the Wellton Police Department is called in to investigate the untimely deaths.

Officer Trent Buckley has lived in Wellton since the day he was born, and he’s been trying to get out of the small, dead-end town ever since.  Just when he has a shot at a transfer to Tucson, a disturbing case lands in his lap, one that has him working with Yuma Sun reporter – and ex-lover – Sarah Goodwin.  Trent is forced to push aside his resentment for Wellton and settle his own personal demons to focus on keeping more kids from dying in his town.

Chief John Walker has lived in Wellton for over thirty years.  When kids start getting sick and dying, it takes all his courage to face his own past and solve the case.  With the help of his best cop, Officer Buckley, Walker is determined to stop the deaths in his town, and keep them both alive in the process.

As the pair discovers what, or who, is behind the mysterious deaths, will two small-town cops be able to stay alive long enough to put a stop to it before any more kids have to die?

Guest Post by S.L. Morgan, Author of "Ancient Gardians (Book 1)"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Pump Up Your Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by Pump Up Your Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

No matter where you are, facing your reality with passion and purpose will always lead down the path you were intended to go.

While Reece Bryant is making her way through this world on her own, she is suddenly confronted with the truth of her existence, and the reality of her future. It is when she encounters two alluring and mysterious men, that a series of extraordinary events takes place, putting Reece’s life in grave danger. With her life in the balance, Reece must blindly trust the two mysterious strangers; and when she does, she is brought into an enchanting world that is beyond her logical comprehension.

This captivating land reveals new worlds and new dimensions to which her existence is paramount. But it is once she falls in love with the stunning Levi Oxley that everything will change, and Reece’s life will be in more danger than ever before.

Forced to return to Earth and face a Council of Worlds, Reece discovers there is more to this enchanting dimension than she could have ever imagined.

At a moment’s notice, even thru the fog of our denial, our journey can become crystal clear. And within the revelation, once our fear subsides, we can find contentment and purpose if we focus on the things that matter most. Trust—Courage—Love.

Guest Post by D.C.J. Wardle, Author of "Trading Vincent Crow"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Pump Up Your Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by Pump Up Your Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

Vince Crow had heard somewhere that you could trade a piece of useless junk on the internet and within a year of swapping it for better and better things you could get cool stuff. Crow decided that he himself was going to start off as that piece of tat, jump from one job to the next; indeed he would trade one lifestyle for a new one, until he was finally a success. Every three months he would have to trade-up for an entirely new life - new job, new girl, new wheels, new pad, new threads - until he reached the top.

The plan of comparing himself to a used item traded over the internet was of course marginally flawed, as there is a human factor to all of this which he'd over-looked. Besides, success isn't just about work. It's about the car, the clothes, the house, and getting the girl, so changing all of that with every new trade upwards is a lot more difficult than swapping an old stereo in the classifieds. Crow quickly learns what the price of success really is. An education he would never have got if he had gone to college.

Guest Post by Jill Elaine Hughes, Author of "Templand"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. My Cozie Corner is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

The heroine, Melanie Evers, is a plucky young working-class woman from Akron, Ohio struggling to support herself in Chicago in the post-9-11 economy. TEMPLAND follows Melanie's journey through the temporary employment world from a college student on "just a summer job" to a 28-year-old woman with a lot of intelligence (and a heap of student loan debt to match) through multiple layoffs and a series of ever-more-wacky temp assignments, as she struggles not only to survive, but also to find romance and always remain true to the honest, working-class values instilled in her by her beloved grandfather.

In her long, solitary journey through Templand, Melanie encounters adventure and romance on her search for that always-elusive Permanent Job---which she finally gets, along with her man. TEMPLAND is a highly entertaining, wickedly funny social satire, contemporary romance, and mystery novel all rolled into one.

Guest Post by Maria Andreu, Author of "The Secret Side of Empty" & Author Giveaway

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Worldwind Virtual Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by Worldwind Virtual Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. My Cozie Corner is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

BLURB:

You've heard the news stories.  Now hear the real story.

M.T. is starting her senior year with a lot going for her.  She gets great grades, has a best friend she met in kindergarten and a boyfriend who is sweet and into her.  But life – at least as she knows it – is about to end.

M.T. is what the news calls “illegal” – she came to the U.S. with her parents as a baby and never got the right papers that allowed her to stay.  She lives in fear of her family getting deported, in even more fear that she’ll have to go to the home country she doesn’t even remember, of people finding out her ugly secret and of the increasingly volatile situation at home.  When senior year is over, the protected world she’s found in her small parochial school will disappear.  Without a social security number, she won’t be able to go to college, get a job or, maybe worst of all, get a driver’s license.

But she’ll worry about all that later.  First, she’s got a senior year to take on.

Guest Post by Jame DiBiasio, Author of "Gaijin Cowgirl"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Premier Virtual Author Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by Premier Virtual Author Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

Working Tokyo nightclubs is easy money for beautiful and troubled American Val Benson - until a client with a rather unusual hobby - painting the private parts of his female liaisons - reluctantly gives up a map to a stash of Japanese war loot and tempts his favourite girl into a dangerous treasure hunt.

The Congressman's daughter is not the only one interested in the map: yakuza, bent cops, human traffickers, rogue CIA agents and her father are hot on her trail, snapping at her high heels.
So begins the dark, epic journey of a new anti-hero of Asian Noir, a protagonist both ambiguous and courageous, and utterly unreliable. From comfort women and tomb-raiding in Japanese-occupied Burma to the murderous echoes of the Vietnam War, long forgotten crimes come roaring back to life, as Val leaves a trail of destruction and chaos in her wake.

Together with her best friend, the equally unreliable nightclub hostess Suki, Val travels through Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok to the Thai-Burmese borderlands for a dramatic showdown with her pursuers. Finding the treasure before everyone else does is her only hope for survival, and perhaps redemption.

Guest Post by Joshua Silverman, Author of "The Emerald Tablet"

Book Description:

Leoros doesn't have many friends. The son of a scientist and archeologist, he is constantly on the move. But when his parents make a startling discovery in Egypt, Leoros' world is turned upside down. Do you wish you could have the power of a god? Would you use it for good…or for evil? When an archaeologist discovers the mythic Emerald Tablet buried beneath Egypt’s desert, her son decodes the ancient text leading him to a distant world. On that world, a slave girl begins a journey towards a destiny she cannot imagine. But when an ancient foe rises from the ashes, they will be brought together by forces neither understands. Leoros, who dreams of being like the heroes in the comic books, must fight to unlock the secrets of the universe to save a people he never knew existed. Atlantia, whose bloody visions wake her in the night, senses the darkness coming. Together they will face an enemy with the power of dark energy, lose a mentor to the assassin’s blade, and be betrayed by someone they trust. Their fight for the future is just beginning, and before it is over, a final sacrifice must be made. When the darkness comes, will they stand and fight or will they join it? There is darkness in everyone.

{Guest Post} Dealing with Violence in Fiction by Allan Leverone, Author of "Parallax View"

Book Description:

It's late in the Cold War, and the Soviet Union is slowly disintegrating.

In the midst of this uncertainty and upheaval, a mysterious group of KGB officials has concocted a desperate plan in an attempt to maintain power.

And one beautiful young CIA operative is all that stands between this shadowy cabal and the outbreak of World War Three.

Spring, 1987. CIA Special Operations agent Tracie Tanner is tasked with what should be a relatively straightforward mission: deliver a secret communique from Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

After smuggling the document out of East Germany, Tracie believes she is in the clear. She's wrong. There are shadowy forces at work, influential people who will stop at nothing to prevent the explosive information contained in the letter from reaching the White House.
Soon, Tanner is knee-deep in airplane crashes and murder, paired up with a young Maine air traffic controller and on the run for their lives, unsure who she can trust at CIA, but committed to completing her mission, no matter the cost.

Guest Post by J.T. Bock, Author of "A Surefire Way"

What’s stopping them?

Romeo and Juliet died because of it. Jack and Rose overcame it before the Titanic sank. Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy nearly lost out on love because of theirs. In fact, every romance has at least one, and the great romances have several.

So, what is this common thread compelling romance audiences to keep reading and watching?

Barriers.

Those pesky barriers keep lovers from living happily ever after in the beginning of the story.

During the Washington Romance Writers Retreat in April, I attended the workshop Why don’t they get together on page 3? Barriers to union and your WIP.  This workshop was taught by Kathleen Gilles Seidel (author of 14 contemporary novels, including two RITA® winners), and Pamela Regis (Professor of English, Director of the Nora Roberts Center for American Romance, and Director of the online Romance Writing Program at McDaniel College). Two women who know what it means to write a great romance!

Regis defines the barrier in her book, A Natural History of the Romance Novel:

Guest Post by Patricia Neely-Dorsey, Author of "Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia" and "My Magnolia Memories and Musings

Poetry Month: Celebrating Poetry ...and the South
by Patricia Neely-Dorsey 

I am very passionate about celebrating the south and promoting positive images of the south, especially Mississippi. It is very rare for people to highlight any positives about our state and region. I try to do that in my poems. I invite readers to "Meet Me and Mississippi Through, Poetry, Prose and The Written Word." I try to give a personal, up-close view of the southern way of life.  I do this through sharing childhood memories, personal thoughts and experiences.

"Search for the Lost Realm" by Kraig Dafoe {Author Guest Post & Giveaway - Ends 5/31}

Book Description:

Search for the Lost Realm is an epic journey in which a young man named Varan wants to find a power which has been missing from the world of Kantania for thousands of years.
 
Varan sets out but soon discovers his true mission is to save the worlds creator from a spiritual bond placed upon him by the powerful demon, Eldrok.
 
From demons to dragons and sorcerers to soldiers, battles erupt and Varan must hurry or the world could be lost to darkness forever.
 
This story does not consist of action alone as Varan faces dilemmas of the heart, struggles of the flesh and complex issues of the mind.