tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1340460678561641302024-03-13T11:44:19.108-07:00LynneMurrayCursing, Book 1 of the Angie Faust series is now available!Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-74898991713843487172019-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:002019-09-19T18:50:01.547-07:00Paperback CURSING
CURSING is now in paperback. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1691303801"><i>CURSING: BOOK 1 OF THE ANGIE FAUST SERIES</i></a>
Anika Willmanns at Ravenborn Covers expanded the cover to do a lovely wraparound. <p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeBxI6FbiKRn9QQpJ3Y9EBFOtQ_NqQijgkBL5RC_ArqPpLBKifxWlvJvWFeKOwVZFNbs25NPyjBSVrWN_jk0xcvE5ZB0r8Wf-nl8v7dMAj1GDRhu1guz1Ff68Sf9WDP8UesFpdduHY1Q/s1600/LynneMurrayCursingBook1Paperback.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeBxI6FbiKRn9QQpJ3Y9EBFOtQ_NqQijgkBL5RC_ArqPpLBKifxWlvJvWFeKOwVZFNbs25NPyjBSVrWN_jk0xcvE5ZB0r8Wf-nl8v7dMAj1GDRhu1guz1Ff68Sf9WDP8UesFpdduHY1Q/s320/LynneMurrayCursingBook1Paperback.jpg" width="320" height="229" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1144" /></a>
<p>
I went with cream-colored paper, which is easier on the eyes but thicker. At 1.3 pounds the book could also serve as a paperweight.<p>
Still a free read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, but then you have to use your ebook reader as a paperweight.<p>
I can't help but think of this song:
<a href="https://youtu.be/yYvkICbTZIQ"><i>Paperback Writer</i></a>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-56393247187333563682019-05-07T16:46:00.000-07:002019-05-07T16:50:40.932-07:00CURSING Hits the Road to Over 50 Blogs with Silver Dagger<a href="https://youtu.be/dBN86y30Ufc"><b>On the Road Again!</b></a> <p>
Thanks to the amazing Maia Gomez at Silver Dagger Book Tours for organizing a month of blogs for CURSING! <P>
From May 7th to June 7th we'll visit two or three book-loving blogs each day. No tour bus required. <P>
<a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/cursing-book-tour-and-giveaway"><b>Check It Out Here</b></a> <p>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-35940037576594144652019-04-18T17:14:00.000-07:002019-04-22T19:27:53.562-07:00At long last...Angie Faust!I've been loving Urban Fantasy...<p>
too long to stop now. <p>
So I've finally written a straight-up Urban Fantasy, complete with a kick-ass heroine, a cover to die for from the incredible Ravenborn, and lots of quirky explanations for things I've always wondered about. <p>
Is fiction stranger than truth?
Here's more about Angie Faust:<p>
The day she killed her boss...<p>
Everything changed.<p>
She never laid a hand on him to take his life. She didn’t have to.<p>
As her boss lies on the floor with a dozen witnesses staring and paramedics working in a futile effort to save him, a mysterious stranger approaches Angie with a bizarre offer. <p>
It’s a job with the ExtraTerrestrial Protection Agency, a secret organization. Can Angie trust a group whose very existence is ultra classified? <p>
She has to decide in a hurry because her newly released power starts drawing attention from life-draining, telepathic Mindworms and alien scientists obsessed with abducting humans. Most terrifying of all she’s stalked by one of the most fearsome predators in the galaxy.<p>
If you love <i>Men in Black</i> or Ilona Andrews’ <i>Innkeeper Chronicles</i> series, buckle up for a wild ride with Angie Faust in Cursing.<p>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QQ42HZB"><b>Get it now!</b></a>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-62732949907603284592018-12-29T17:09:00.001-08:002018-12-29T17:09:49.602-08:00Happy New Year and New Adventures!As a Buddhist I celebrate the New Year as a time to start fresh. In that spirit, I will be launching <i>CURSING<b></b></i>, early in 2019. It’s the first book in a new urban fantasy series featuring Angie Faust, a mild-mannered bookkeeper who discovers she has alien assassin DNA.
Here's a sample from the first chapter:<p>
<i>Things changed the day I killed my boss. I was trying so hard not to.
He died quickly from cardiac arrest in front of a dozen witnesses in the glassed-in fishbowl of a conference room at Wolfe, Savage and Steele, the law firm where we work. I never touched him physically. I didn’t have to. The Office Manager’s death interrupted an extended yelling session aimed at me.</i><p>
If you want to be notified the minute the book is available, and have the opportunity to score a free ARC (Advance Review Copy) click on the link below.<p>
Wishing you all the best and wonderful adventures in the 2019!<p>
Lynne<p>
<b>Follow me in the Booksprout app!
You can now hear about my new releases and deals in the Booksprout app. Just download it, search for "Lynne Murray" and click follow! <a href="https://booksprout.co/download">Get the free Booksprout App</a></b>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-8392770911803929172018-08-02T17:34:00.000-07:002018-08-02T17:34:52.072-07:00Dragon Planet Trilogy on tour this month!Check out the Reviews, Excerpts and Giveaways on 56 different blogs this month, thanks to Silver Dagger Tours!
<a href="http://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-dragon-planet-romance-trilogy-book-tour-and-giveaway">Book Tour!</a>Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-29352840024915772592018-03-26T18:03:00.000-07:002018-03-26T18:06:48.654-07:00Ant vs Rubber Tree, How to Do the Impossible...There’s a tea commercial making the rounds that begins with the phrase: “Americans are inherently optimistic.” It uses a few lines of Frank Sinatra singing <a href="https://youtu.be/5svpFRGWXDs"><i>High Hopes</i></a> “Just what makes that little old ant think he’d move a rubber tree plant. Anyone knows an ant can’t move a rubber tree plant.” <p>
The commercial didn't downplay the effort involved in chasing impossible dreams, but somehow the image in this old song bothered the heck out me. It has a kind of whistling in the dark positive thinking that has caused harm to many people I know and love. Somehow goals that are literally, physically impossible can be magically achieved by rugged individuals bashing their heads against a brick wall only armed with that patented American trait of optimism. I’ve seen this in action and sometimes it can set people up for inevitable frustration and failure. Obviously, anyone with high goals will fail on multiple occasions. Failure can be useful when it leads to retrenching, rethinking and trying another tactic.<p>
But the whole idea of the futile efforts of the lone ant bugged me (pun optional) until I started to think, “Wait a minute. That’s not how ants, and indeed humans, get things done.”
Ants are the opposite of go-it-alone, rugged individualists. They could actually move a rubber tree plant if a whole bunch of them got together. That’s why people are freaked out about Army Ants. Do not get in their way folks, they nearly took out Charlton Heston in the 1954 film .
<a href="https://youtu.be/S9mYJQd0w_8"><i>The Naked Jungle</i></a> <p>
Pursuing dreams can make life worthwhile. Even solitary writers like myself can find ways to connect, learn and share resources. People do achieve amazing things, but mainly through hard work, planning and sheer cussed grit. Also joining forces with other people, just like the ants.
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-32060764480127931142018-02-17T15:49:00.001-08:002018-02-17T15:49:44.161-08:00New Ebook Covers for Josephine FullerThere’s always more to learn in book publishing. My new goal is targeting readers with ebook covers that pop up and wave at the reader out of the overcrowded waters of the sea of books. I've been bashing up against the wall of book publishing for decades now because I've got some pitbull terrier blood and an unquenchable need to tell stories and make jokes.
<p>Oh, yeah, so what about readers who might want to read these stories and laugh at these jokes? Who are they and how can they find my books? It turns out it's possible to answer these questions, at least I hope so!
<p>Here are the new covers on the ebooks for the Josephine Fuller mysteries. thanks to Sharon Lipman at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FantasiaCovers/">Fantasia Book Covers</a> for designing them and Peggy Elam at <a href="www.pearlsong.com/">Pearlsong Press</a> for putting them up on the net. (You may notice that the paperback books have different covers. Long story short: paperbacks change more slowly.)<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgpt3n2_YJe_9IGTHXVFsz4ZlQUdtaKbH6kq_1KiZL3zrSvRYimL5PH0kmYCYoMLsquI6I2YnvzPYq9pcAPirXaf1gUj9JupK-h59O8pI-obzVl4xppqPgzog6Wug9jA16t-qpL9fDE8/s1600/Larger+than+death+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgpt3n2_YJe_9IGTHXVFsz4ZlQUdtaKbH6kq_1KiZL3zrSvRYimL5PH0kmYCYoMLsquI6I2YnvzPYq9pcAPirXaf1gUj9JupK-h59O8pI-obzVl4xppqPgzog6Wug9jA16t-qpL9fDE8/s320/Larger+than+death+ebook.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" />Larger Than Death</a></div>
<p>
<a href="http://www.pearlsong.com/largerthandeath.htm">A slain designer of plus-sized clothing, a killer now stalks Josephine,</a>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ORVdJwp0nqgqqmxUFW1DfnCz_7psCtshGzm9_OS6f7EG0P_a7VDQRzDZJPM8LLgvfpWFh_J5iXUP9e0EhWNOzv4hvAn3vm5R645ps1zxX4OoqU9hC-rtBagTag3FHAyPXwe0l4V__GU/s1600/Large+target+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ORVdJwp0nqgqqmxUFW1DfnCz_7psCtshGzm9_OS6f7EG0P_a7VDQRzDZJPM8LLgvfpWFh_J5iXUP9e0EhWNOzv4hvAn3vm5R645ps1zxX4OoqU9hC-rtBagTag3FHAyPXwe0l4V__GU/s320/Large+target+ebook.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" />Large Target</a></div>
<a href="http://www.pearlsong.com/largetarget.htm">A Top Secret safe cleared out and an admiral kidnapped in San Diego. The family doesn't want him back and someone's targeting Josephine to keep her from getting answers.</a>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizz3XX7hZzeLhOpaQcv_ZTxOrkMzNLmQ_ibyM3p-4H8Ne5keFYDVjDILWAXDJ24sw-996rsqA9byvTSg7erz1fzjqAwZ1vKhr1bhMkJ3j8jgsLiuNpSURp1cTMhrKDJwsLm0YbFLzkBYk/s1600/at+large+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizz3XX7hZzeLhOpaQcv_ZTxOrkMzNLmQ_ibyM3p-4H8Ne5keFYDVjDILWAXDJ24sw-996rsqA9byvTSg7erz1fzjqAwZ1vKhr1bhMkJ3j8jgsLiuNpSURp1cTMhrKDJwsLm0YbFLzkBYk/s320/at+large+ebook.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" />At Large</a></div>
<p>
<a href="http://www.pearlsong.com/atlarge.htm">Josephine finds the body of a well-known mountain climber, who is also the woman who broke up her marriage. Now she's the prime suspect.</a>
<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwgPPmjtQLEJp-Cx7T8cESjFPOFdvvyog6Z1aXVAzaAz0YjIyWPSGq5vhT-uoWDkhP2akQmAIUhcG0vjN45peZAcLQYF503tdVgwYK94p7ZT7mzDYxd6T0c0hyphenhyphenbHthZYfR05PmL1tI4k/s1600/Ton+of+trouble+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwgPPmjtQLEJp-Cx7T8cESjFPOFdvvyog6Z1aXVAzaAz0YjIyWPSGq5vhT-uoWDkhP2akQmAIUhcG0vjN45peZAcLQYF503tdVgwYK94p7ZT7mzDYxd6T0c0hyphenhyphenbHthZYfR05PmL1tI4k/s320/Ton+of+trouble+ebook.jpg" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="1200" data-original-height="1600" />A Ton of Trouble</a></div>
<p>
<a href="http://www.pearlsong.com/atonoftrouble.htm">A body in a wine barrel in the Northern California Wine Country sets off a chain of murders and has Josephine trying to clear the name of a plus-sized adult film star whom she is sure is innocent--at least of murder.</a>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-14520888169523244932017-12-24T17:30:00.000-08:002017-12-24T17:30:33.450-08:00I'm Celebrating my new trilogy....my cats however....Just a quick note. My cats have been promised catnip, which must command my attention. But I had to share--see below. <p>
Happy Holidays and many happy catnip days to come!
Lynne
The Dragon Planet Romance Trilogy is now available in ebook and paperback. Three Complete Dragon Romances in one book!<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0BC60U3xteLujmGR5zm3DPq8k5Z1THeJS1OucBN9TdwGswd4JaroYIvRlcbmog5A0NprcmcvxwBR2I48kNu-Kwwt9X1MmUGacns1uePxB-xNiHdUCyeB3Y8HEAp7N5xkQj4Y2XlCr1g/s1600/Lynne+Trilogy+Paperback+-+Finished+-+Full+Size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0BC60U3xteLujmGR5zm3DPq8k5Z1THeJS1OucBN9TdwGswd4JaroYIvRlcbmog5A0NprcmcvxwBR2I48kNu-Kwwt9X1MmUGacns1uePxB-xNiHdUCyeB3Y8HEAp7N5xkQj4Y2XlCr1g/s320/Lynne+Trilogy+Paperback+-+Finished+-+Full+Size.jpg" width="320" height="212" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1059" /></a></div> <p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078HYQHGH">Click here for ebook</a> <p>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Planet-Romance-Trilogy-Billionaire/dp/1981558896/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514164849&sr=1-2&keywords=the+dragon+planet+romance+trilogy">Click here for paperback</a> <p>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-24229292574816013982017-12-09T18:23:00.000-08:002017-12-09T18:23:32.918-08:00Discount Price--99 Cents till December 24Spend the holidays on the Dragon Planet with a special discount on <i>Billionaire Dragon's Secretary<b></b></i>!<p>
<a href="http://a.co/5an54dK"><b><i>Billionaire Dragon's Secretary</i></b></a><p>
Meet Jill, kidnapped by a lying, cheating dragonshifter and stuck on the Dragon Planet, she only wants to earn enough to pay for a ticket back to Earth, but her billionaire dragon boss sets her senses on fire and he’s trying to give her every reason to stay. Targon, “the Gold Whisperer,” fiercely guards his heart and his hoard until his new secretary, Jill arrives. Instantly he recognizes her as his True Mate. How can a dragonshifter convince an angry Earth woman to trust him when he doesn’t trust himself?
<p>
<b>Praise for the Dragon Planet romances:</b><p>
<a href="http://a.co/fSOUD97"><b><i>Runaway Dragonette</b></i></a><p>
Can a human computer nerd defeat fire-breathing dragonshifters to win a dragon princess?<p>
“This book was so much fun to read!” Maia Silverdagger<p>
<p>
<a href="http://a.co/8MewIrd"><i><b>Bachelor Dragon Blues</b></i></a><p>
Jevrath, a Dragon Planet war hero doesn’t know that spy bots invaded his wound and threaten his life. Beth dreams of working to save endangered species. Can an Earth woman’s love save a dragonshifter from the ticking time bomb inside?<p>
“Reading this book made me happy in a totally non-serious, completely refreshing way. Caseystatlefox on Amazon<p>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-36537132488839077072017-07-17T19:36:00.000-07:002017-07-17T19:36:37.988-07:00WATCH THIS SPACE FOR NEWS ABOUT 2 FREE BOOKS!In the next few days and weeks I'll be able to offer <i><b>Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone</b></i> and <i><b>Valkyrie on Planet Fury</b></i> ebooks FREE. Details coming soon!Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-40726388898384337952017-04-12T21:29:00.000-07:002017-04-12T21:31:14.897-07:00Bachelor Dragon Blues- NEW & ON SALE for 99 cents till April 30th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMEuXdN-ZGCd4NnnjGnKoNFVvSy1KJSGvla8atC_6ZNvIk-SFU1tyiO7C2AI1hsx8-_iIUDeyQw7XupMseEI0tzrbD4600q2tCPjOeMeC1n-WVbtwXty1Ho_Qpw10J8Ix4Nw9du4UMiE/s1600/DragonBlues_CVR_XSML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMEuXdN-ZGCd4NnnjGnKoNFVvSy1KJSGvla8atC_6ZNvIk-SFU1tyiO7C2AI1hsx8-_iIUDeyQw7XupMseEI0tzrbD4600q2tCPjOeMeC1n-WVbtwXty1Ho_Qpw10J8Ix4Nw9du4UMiE/s320/DragonBlues_CVR_XSML.jpg" width="213" height="320" /></a></div>
It's finally here, on sale for the rest of April and free on Kindle Unlimited! <a href="http://a.co/f0BpFk5"><b><i>Bachelor Dragon Blues</i></b></a><p>
<i>Meet Jevrath, a war hero from the Dragon Planet, and Beth a lab tech trying to spend a weekend away from her lecherous boss...who could imagine that they would wind up on the Bachelor Dragon reality TV dating show?<b></b></i><p>
<b>Can the love of an Earth woman save a wounded dragon shifter from the ticking time bomb inside?</b><p>
Dragon Planet war hero Jevrath doesn’t know that spy bots were injected into his wound during the battle. Now spies monitor his every move and can kill him at will. He visits Earth for some no-strings-attached recreation--also to avoid the Dragon King who is nagging him to do a reality TV show as the Bachelor Dragon. Jevrath doesn't want his love life turned into a planetary joke. Then Beth walks through the door and everything changes.<p>
Beth desperately needs a weekend away from her first job as a lab tech where she has to dodge her lecherous boss. Sudden attraction overwhelms her as she walks into the resort bar and sees tall, dark, commanding Jevrath, not knowing her life is about to be uprooted.<p>
Overtake by intense attraction, Jevrath and Beth run straight into Beth’s predatory boss, whose leering grin promises a “put out or get out” talk for Beth soon. Frantic to get away, Beth confides her fears. <p>
Jevrath springs into action. He takes the King’s deal to become the Bachelor Dragon on condition that the King fund a fertility clinic on the Dragon Planet, hire Beth to run it, and invite her to join the 26 shapeshifter dragon women who will compete for his love. <p>
<b>Can the devotion of a dragon sustain Beth in the face of 26 dragon women who don’t mind killing for love?</b>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-44127341609564407852017-02-23T22:52:00.001-08:002017-02-23T22:52:24.907-08:00The end of the affair with Anita Blake...a new post for a new blogThe Creative Services Trading Group has a new blog discussing topics of interest to writers and readers. I had the honor of providing the first post—about how my love of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series has faded over the course of 25 books. There’s an “elephant in the living room” of that series that no one else seems to have noticed.
<a href="http://creativeservicesexchange.weebly.com/blog/the-end-of-an-affair-when-a-series-you-love-goes-wrong">When a series you love goes wrong...</a>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-51556451073679770202017-02-17T19:01:00.001-08:002017-02-17T19:01:10.940-08:00Bachelor Dragon Blues Cover & a Runaway Dragonette Review.More dragons on reality TV. This time it's Bachelor Dragon, Jevrath, a Dragon Planet war hero being pressured to put his social life on planet-wide television and his inconvenient attraction to Beth, a serious-minded human who works for a fertility clinic. <p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYZREkaIzyPOfUQnaXdIAMY0T-24ZaCEFjifrTxp9J6D5mpZhSvPzN_mboTKtq8abg7u7B4fZDHcyP74VGAMBdZf2xSTKFjFFJmZvRyTNfFLe6Jn5P6tz4dOuLLE_u6hhPmkQxOD8e2s/s1600/DragonBlues_CVR_XSML.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYZREkaIzyPOfUQnaXdIAMY0T-24ZaCEFjifrTxp9J6D5mpZhSvPzN_mboTKtq8abg7u7B4fZDHcyP74VGAMBdZf2xSTKFjFFJmZvRyTNfFLe6Jn5P6tz4dOuLLE_u6hhPmkQxOD8e2s/s320/DragonBlues_CVR_XSML.jpg" width="213" height="320" />This cover made me smile, <i>Bachelor Dragon Blues</i>.</a> <p>
Also this week brought a wonderful review from <a href="http://www.crystalsmanyreviewers.com/2017/02/5004.html">Crystal's Many Reviewers</a>
<p>
What a cute and fun story! The king of Dragon Planet is in love with reality TV from Earth and decided that his daughter would participate in the first Journey to Love show. Verity, on the other hand, doesn’t want to have anything to do with mating because that would mean she’d be stuck in a nest taking care of eggs for the rest of her life. That isn’t in her plans but she tried to runaway once before with disastrous results. She has no choice but to go along with her father’s and uncle’s plans, watching for a way to escape.
<p>
Ryan is a human on Earth and loves everything dragon related. He and his best friend have created an everything dragon library, collecting everything they can dragon related. They stumble upon the footage of the Journey to Love TV show and Ryan is immediately smitten with Verity, the “actress”. Soon he finds out that there is more to the universe than he thought when Verity lands in his basement. Verity’s uncle finds her quickly but Ryan goes back with them, incorporated in the competition to win Verity’s hand.
<p>
The poor dragonettes!! The more I read this story the deeper I understood Verity’s fear and how terribly the female dragons were treated. In the end, the only full dragon I liked was Stravos. I would definitely read a story about him. In the beginning, I had hopes there were good dragons in the story. There was this one poor dragon at the beginning, Runeroth who made me laugh out loud and feel terribly sorry for him. He wasn’t so standup as the story went on. Then there was the crazy out of control Thidrad who I disliked from the beginning but at the end there was a glimpse of something that made me believe that everything I thought I knew about him was wrong.<p>
The show and the producer, Tracy, I had this love/hate thing going on with both. I could understand where Tracy was coming from as a producer and the threats coming from the crown she had to contend with, but I had a hard time understanding how she could be a party to what Verity’s father wanted to do. There was this one detail about the nose ring that was vile and with all the examples of the mistreatment of the dragonettes I half expected something would be done to help them in the end. Perhaps that detail will be a part of the overall plot arc for this series.<p>
All in all, this was a cute read. The fantasy take on a reality TV show was surprisingly fun to read. Though there were slightly darker elements with the treatment of the female dragons, the story didn’t become burdened by them, somehow staying on the lighter side, having some downright humorous moments. The cover really doesn’t so this story justice. It’s also a series that I would be interested in seeing were it goes. I have a couple of dragons in mind that I would love to see get HEAs.
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-81404050016707428992016-12-19T15:09:00.000-08:002016-12-19T15:09:42.839-08:00The Dragonette gets reviewed...
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyubxoCoU94_hAcvQlh2Ub9uQXVSsAkM4YwG8Hq9sXFOqzIoRTN1rpktkhHvKHdG2WMcD26C_lOQi3pxzvjEt9sw3BYymnlJhjRRQCImIPZwEmqbxTOQ0e0EgPTnBLJ2PH1gKxhrTZeM/s1600/15390842_546459245542905_369915033099058477_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyubxoCoU94_hAcvQlh2Ub9uQXVSsAkM4YwG8Hq9sXFOqzIoRTN1rpktkhHvKHdG2WMcD26C_lOQi3pxzvjEt9sw3BYymnlJhjRRQCImIPZwEmqbxTOQ0e0EgPTnBLJ2PH1gKxhrTZeM/s320/15390842_546459245542905_369915033099058477_n.jpg" width="320" height="320" />Boundless Book Review--cool excerpt</a><P>
from Erin Bedford at Boundless Book Review,
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2OAXE4B9LITXL/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01LXMP6KI">Bachelorette does dragons</a>
<P>
Let me just say I dislike reality TV shows with a passion. They are fake and full of unrealistic drama but I have to say that if we threw dragons into any of them I'd be watching them every night. That is what this book does to you. You will be an addict and keep coming back for more because you need to know who gets that final nose ring (yea that's right!). I loved the main character Verity and how she doesn't let the alphas walk all over her on the show. I am so happy I had a chance to read this book!<P>
From IvaGh
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R2SZI1TP1F3HUU/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01LXMP6KI&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books">Forbidden Desire</a> <p>
Fun and sexy, as are all of Lynne Murray's books, this wonderful fantasy romance also speaks to the many of us who harbor hidden and forbidden desires that somehow, somehow, just might become reality if we magic them into being.<p>
from Jaqueline Girdner,
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R1OWU98M054056/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv">Both Sexy and Funny</a><p>
Murray has the ability to mix love, sex, humor, and adventure in the perfect proportions.... And the TV Dragonette show was hysterical!
<p>
from Lauri Owen,
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R2WXXB17242IF5?ref_=glimp_1rv_cl">You will not regret buying this book</a><p>
If you haven't read Lynne Murray, you're missing something really big, and I don't just mean her characters, or the tension, or the plot that drags you page after page, until night has long fallen and you know you have to get up in -- OMG is it 2am already?? -- but you still can't put it down....It's fun, sweet, enormously entertaining, and just plain great.<p>
from Peggy Elam, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/review/R27IQ1G121FSF0/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01LXMP6KI&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=133140011&store=digital-text">A Fanciful Romance</a><p>
While waiting for another book in Lynne Murray's Valkyrie series, I was delighted to discover this new novel set on another planet in the Valkyrie universe, as well as in the Forbidden Zone (Earth). In Murray's cosmos Earth is off-limits to extraterrestrials because of Earthlings' pesky tendency to worship visiting aliens. But inhabitants of the Dragon Planet have developed a fondness for Earth's reality TV. Couple that with the dwindling birthrate among full-blooded dragons and the dragon king's desire for an heir -- or grand-heir -- and the king's daughter, Verity, finds herself the reluctant star of a Dragon Planet version of The Bachelorette. Read & enjoy.
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-23393217181732191132016-10-13T14:39:00.001-07:002016-10-13T14:50:26.035-07:00Wow! Enter the Dragonette! Silver Dagger Scriptorium Blog Tour Links!Maia at <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/sdsxx-tours/runaway-dragonette-blog-tour-and-giveaway">Silver Dagger Scriptorium</a> has spread the word about Runaway Dragonette, and I am happy to report these blogs joined in the tour! <p>
<a href="http://www.tmbacorbett.com/2016/10/blog-tour-and-giveaway-runaway.html">www.tmbacorbett.com</a> <p>
<a href="https://rainne15.wordpress.com/2016/10/01/runaway-dragonette-by-lynne-murray/">rainne15.wordpress.com</a> <p>
<a href="http://vampyreladysbookstuff.blogspot.com/2016/10/runaway-dragonette-blog-tour-giveaway.html?zx=c1d95b6cc5c97d25">vampyreladysbookstuff.blogspot.com/</a> <p>
<a href="http://wannabesuperheromom.blogspot.ca/2016/10/runaway-dragonette-blog-tour-and.html">wannabesuperheromom.blogspot.ca</a> <p>
<a href="http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/2016/10/lynnemurray-silverdaggersxx-runaway.html">celticladysreviews.blogspot.com</a> <p>
<a href="http://reviewsbycat.blogspot.com/2016/10/runaway-dragonetter-lynne-murray-blog.html">reviewsbycat.blogspot.com</a> <p>
<a href="http://alexandraforrybooks.blogspot.com/2016/10/runaway-dragonnette-by-lynne-murray.html">alexandraforrybooks.blogspot.com</a> <p>
<a href="http://thereadingspotblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/runnaway-dragonette-and-giveaway-by.html">thereadingspotblog.blogspot.com</a> <p>
<a href="http://bound2escape.com/giveaway/blog-tour-giveaway-runaway-dragonette-by-lynne-murray/">bound2escape.com</a> <p>
<a href="http://tracey-a-wood.blogspot.com/2016/10/runaway-dragonette-by-lynne-murray.html?zx=59533e3115fbb092">tracey-a-wood.blogspot.com</a>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-71667270955632597262016-10-01T17:52:00.000-07:002016-10-01T17:52:21.056-07:00Runaway Dragonette Tour is on! Samples, Giveaways, Virtual RefreshmentsSilver Dagger Scriptorium is hosting a<a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/sdsxx-tours/runaway-dragonette-blog-tour-and-giveaway"> blog book tour</a> for <b>Runaway Dragonette<i></i></b> from October 1-15. All are welcome to drop by and indulge their inner dragons on free-flowing mead, salty marsh grass cakes and humorous romance stories. Any roses might be crunched up by dragons as pre-meal snacks.<p>
This is the first straight up paranormal romance novel I've written, so please be gentle with me. I have taken to heart the feedback I got from one reviewer of a book that had romantic elements. She took off a star because of the FTB factor (Fade To Black when the heroine and hero head for the bedroom). In this book--well, I won't say the lights are on because this is a reality TV romance, so the bedroom scenes are lit with the fires of a fireman's nightmare of softly flickering candles. But the reader gets to stay for the action.
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-65630130308856817972016-09-16T18:15:00.000-07:002016-09-16T18:15:13.830-07:00Dragons, Reality TV and Blog ToursThe amazing Maia Silverdagger at <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/sdsxx-tours">The Silver Dagger Scriptorium</a> is putting together a blog tour for <b>Runaway Dragonette<i></i></b>, the first book in my new Paranormal Reality TV Romance series. The book is due October 1st and the blog tour runs from October 1st to 15th. Here's <a href="http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weebly.com/tour-sign-ups/runaway-dragonette-blog-tour-sign-up">info about the book and the tour</a>. It also has sign up info for anyone who is interested.<p>
<p>I'm including the sign up link, but please don't feel even a hint of pressure. I haven't hosted blog tours myself because I suspect it might conflict with my usual routine of hiding under a rock and writing. I do appreciate the opportunity to be in Maia's event line up though! And I'm hoping Runaway Dragonette will be enjoyed by many. <p>
Here's an excerpt: <p>
<i><b>The First Night</b><p>
“WILL you accept this nose ring?” Verity repeated it over and over under her breath as she stood on the paving stones of the castle courtyard. Twenty-six dragon shapeshifter suitors would soon arrive. The Earth reality TV videos showed human bachelors and bachelorettes handing out roses to those who would continue on the journey towards finding mates. But roses would confuse the dragon bachelors. In dragon form, they might eat the flowers, thorns and all and then belch fire. However, gold in any form got all the dragons’ attention big time.<p>
Verity’s curves, prized on the Dragon Planet, were on ample display as she stood in her human form. She wore a sparkling ice-blue gown that matched her eyes. Her dress artfully molded to her in front, open nearly down to her waist and cut almost as low clinging to her backside, although her long black hair covered most of the skin revealed in back. Verity didn’t shiver from the cold, despite the thin fabric. Her dragon blood ran hot. Any trembling was completely due to nerves.<p>
“Will you accept this nose ring?” she muttered again. It was a simple enough phase but she just might mess it up.
Torches burned in the courtyard in front of the quaint old castle. It was a historic site, not a working fortress, a confection of towers and spires perched on a remote mountainside. Lights from the village at the foot of the mountain twinkled in the darkness below. Verity would stay here for the next nine weeks.<p>
Modern lighting illuminated the center of the courtyard where Verity would greet each bachelor dragon in turn as he arrived. Cameramen, sound crew and assistant producers circled around the edges of the courtyard. The whole planet was watching. Her every word and move were being recorded. <p>
No pressure. V
Tonight, Verity was The Dragonette, a bachelorette shapeshifter on a Journey to Love. She was also the Dragon King’s daughter. She stiffened her spine. She took a deep breath of the pine scented air carried by the breeze up from the forests below. <p>
Each of the bachelor dragons would introduce himself as he arrived. The camera crew roamed around her, waiting for the men to arrive. <p>
The king had summoned Verity to his throne room when he told her she would be the planet’s first Dragonette. King Harrenholtz was a big fan of reality television shows from Earth. The ruler of the Blood Claw Clan that dominated Planet Dragon had decided that a television show would promote mating in a planet with a dwindling shapeshifter population. The king’s closest councilor, his brother Cobravelos was in charge of making it happen.<p>
“We’re gathering together the best of the best young dragons from every corner of the planet, Verity,” the king told her. “All in one place for you to choose from. It’s one-stop-shopping as they say on Earth. You’ll be able to start nesting immediately, and I hope to see those baby dragons soon.” <p>
Verity had no answer to this. <p>
No problem there, the king wasn’t expecting an answer. The king, tall and stately, his dark hair streaked with gray and his blue eyes still compelling even in middle age, was a hopeless romantic—when it suited his purposes.
“You should be the bachelor dragon yourself, brother,” Verity’s Aunt Tryspidania told the king. Gray-haired and flint eyed with a spine of steel, Aunt Tryspi was a genealogy freak who had traced the family trees of all the contestants.<p>
The king didn’t mind a little flattery, but he waved the idea aside. “Your Aunt Tryspi tells me that these men all come from the best bloodlines,” he said. “Also, your uncle, who knows about these things, assures me that these men are all, as he says, ‘smoking hot.’”<p>
Verity’s uncle Cobra was just as tall, blue-eyed and handsome as the king but much more fashionable. He was gay and the king trusted his opinions on which males were hot and which were not.<p>
“We know your unusual interest in conversation and culture and—um, ideas, Verity,” The king’s tone indicated that these pursuits were useless at best, but he was willing to indulge her eccentric tastes. “So we made sure to include some men who are artistic or...well, I don’t know, clever. These dragons are the best of the best. Your hatchlings will raise the intelligence level of the whole species. So enjoy the journey and find me a son-in-law.”<p>
Like she had a choice.
</i>Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-71615489104892148452016-07-16T00:43:00.004-07:002016-07-16T00:43:59.666-07:00The Falstaff Vampire Ghosts, 99 cents during July only! Also Humorous Fiction on Display!Humorous fiction is a strange beast with many faces. Everything from chick lit, to dark satire. Many flavors will be on display July 16th to 23rd.
<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqhXZdGIZnIlNCOEvfcPbzmJp3LNrEWr0aY1CFXLRRIy6sUWKiMYIKGOGJ88IvVgOFeNnAuHELXAJQETXAZi-olIX5wRWyMzZk2pEhyphenhyphenhWKQOYPnklKXahpEAM6drAc5DCT4rhJkd3j-M/s1600/humor_book+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqhXZdGIZnIlNCOEvfcPbzmJp3LNrEWr0aY1CFXLRRIy6sUWKiMYIKGOGJ88IvVgOFeNnAuHELXAJQETXAZi-olIX5wRWyMzZk2pEhyphenhyphenhWKQOYPnklKXahpEAM6drAc5DCT4rhJkd3j-M/s320/humor_book+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" height="102" /></a>Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-44208160907743863322016-06-27T19:04:00.000-07:002016-06-27T19:04:46.306-07:00Choose Ghosts or Valkyries for less than a dollar!July 1st we'll celebrate Indie Pride Day. Last year #IndiePrideDay was a trending topic on Twitter. Who knows what we can do this year?<p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LQqqYgbbuUy4qQcnVuOh8R4cpCE5DLIseOIqDxAXvoTU0fbKF4_K_ZZUBNHbpURGQxycgf10gANKHzEUWfnIy1tsxuynJLCKa8sVbJAsqvYsslcTASTkAB-klgt8EWC2oq9HjfOr6JU/s1600/13407191_1176361902416092_2024359950268722463_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LQqqYgbbuUy4qQcnVuOh8R4cpCE5DLIseOIqDxAXvoTU0fbKF4_K_ZZUBNHbpURGQxycgf10gANKHzEUWfnIy1tsxuynJLCKa8sVbJAsqvYsslcTASTkAB-klgt8EWC2oq9HjfOr6JU/s320/13407191_1176361902416092_2024359950268722463_n.jpg" />Indie Pride! <p>
</a>
To add to the festivities I'm offering my newest book, <a href="https://amzn.com/B01HJ21YWE"><i>The Falstaff Vampire Ghosts</i></a> for 99 cents. <p>
Also 99 cents, the first book in the Sybil of Valkyrie series Gravitas <a href="http://amzn.com/B019YJ2KV4"><i>Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone</i></a> <p>Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-8230141823681972812016-06-06T16:52:00.000-07:002016-06-06T16:54:09.794-07:00What's Shiny and New in the Falstaff Vampire WorldA new cover for the ebook of <a href="https://amzn.com/B005HVU4EY">The Falstaff Vampire Files</a>. I wanted to put Falstaff himself on the cover of the book from the beginning, but it took the amazing <a href="http://julienicholls.com/artwork-for-sale/book-covers/">Julie Nicholls</a> to make it happen.
<p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S___k0XReaxzxYaHKsuo96vIq-ACItKDc_qn39u8w22yVY7CNKLBUHVip3AGVy8gghphix0EHXYrf97xnCsDSQSoLu_bul5xww9XfMmjNOzPCWIdMbtJ8ANkz8kOYEUPzQHD1sxh9Hg/s1600/falstaff+book+one-SMALL.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7S___k0XReaxzxYaHKsuo96vIq-ACItKDc_qn39u8w22yVY7CNKLBUHVip3AGVy8gghphix0EHXYrf97xnCsDSQSoLu_bul5xww9XfMmjNOzPCWIdMbtJ8ANkz8kOYEUPzQHD1sxh9Hg/s320/falstaff+book+one-SMALL.png" /></a>
<p>
Also looking forward to a review from a great new site for book readers and reviewers <a href="http://readersreviewroom.com/tag/lynne-murray/">The Readers Review Room</a>.Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-34069819661374947832016-05-31T20:27:00.001-07:002016-05-31T20:31:18.812-07:00Gravitas - Editor's Choice June Book of the Month on Sneak Peek!Here's news that made my week and lasted right through the next month. I'm really thrilled to report that the Gravitas series, featuring Sybil of Valkyrie is Sneak Peek's Book of the Month for June! Check out an excerpt from books 1 and 2 in the series on the
<a href="http://paulznewpostbox.wix.com/sneakpeek#!editors/anfpk">Sneak Peek site</a>. There are some great samples of other talented authors' work there too!
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-71357543774440256402016-05-25T18:56:00.000-07:002016-05-25T18:59:06.031-07:00FREE Short story - The Falstaff Vampire Werewolves The second Falstaff vampire book is only a few weeks away--depending on how soon I can usher it through the line edit, proofreading and formatting! In the meantime, here's a free short story as a Kindle book <a href="https://amzn.com/B01FYXJMTM">The Falstaff Vampire Werewolves </a>, and in <a href="https://www.draft2digital.com/book/169615">other ebook formats</a> The action in the story takes place between Book 1 and Book 2.
<p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18NlpmXQ3DznRY-nanITsmNEDNsu4v_R2Pnfqn63te1q8eWpeca3FG8Llb7a7IGqsyCMHtXzr4zcfnDB2YXEDtzdVrfA4PnQhiQ2Kk00_MuRAZBGjRuaA-YnwMPOH6XITvRZScvgj-yE/s1600/Werewolves+FB+size.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18NlpmXQ3DznRY-nanITsmNEDNsu4v_R2Pnfqn63te1q8eWpeca3FG8Llb7a7IGqsyCMHtXzr4zcfnDB2YXEDtzdVrfA4PnQhiQ2Kk00_MuRAZBGjRuaA-YnwMPOH6XITvRZScvgj-yE/s320/Werewolves+FB+size.jpg" /></a> <p>
<i>Mrs. Battle’s Vampire Survival 101 class comes to a screaming halt when they encounter a werewolf in the midst of a field trip to San Francisco Airport. The moon is full and the hot-blooded werewolf begs to meet Sir John Falstaff. The werewolf is on a desperate rescue mission and the vampires old and new agree to help him.</i><p>
I love the cover by <a href="www.julienicholls.com">Julie Nicholls</a>. <p>
This short story was originally published in the <a href="https://amzn.com/B016RCVIQY">Awethology Light</a> Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-13525056059167532512016-02-18T22:14:00.001-08:002016-02-18T22:15:48.210-08:00On Sunshine Somerville's Blog & 99-cent Sale of GravitasSunshine Somerville, author of the amazing, apocalyptic <a href="http://sunshinesomerville.com/">Kota Series</a> also generously features authors on her blog. <a href="http://sunshinesomerville.com/2016/02/18/authorsday-with-lynne-murray/">I was the fortunate author who was featured today!</a>
<p>
<b>Today I’d like to welcome Lynne Murray, sci-fi & fantasy author of Gravitas and The Falstaff Vampire Files.
Can you give us your quickest description of your books?</b><p>
Right now, I’m juggling two series. The Gravitas series featuring Sybil of Planet Valkyrie and the Falstaff Vampire series featuring Sir John Falstaff, Vampire, undead and misbehaving in San Francisco.<p>
<b>I’ve seen your cover of Gravitas all over the place and love it – keep meaning to read it, will soon! From just the descriptions of each series, I’m guessing the two storylines are completely different, correct? Do you write them at the same time, or how do you keep yourself in the right genre/mindset for each?<p>
</b>
I guess I’m a serial storyteller, I can only live in one alternate world at a time. The idea of Sir John Falstaff as a vampire living in San Francisco was so strong that the character immediately stood up and told me where he wanted to go—the Big and Tall Men’s Clothing Store, and what he wanted to do there, have me pay for a new wardrobe, followed by a nice dinner feasting on the diners who ate at a restaurant that served pork loin and sack sherry.<p>
<b>Naturally. :) What are you working on currently?</b> <p>
I’m in the middle of writing The Falstaff Vampire Ghosts. San Francisco is plagued by hordes of Hungry Ghosts. In The Falstaff Vampire Files, The Ghosts helped Sir John and his friends, but once unleashed, they wander out of their graves and into the streets, scaring humans and threatening San Francisco’s undead community with exposure to the humans whose ignorance the vampires depend upon for survival. There’s also a ghost-haunted famous movie actress who has made a deal with the devil and a pulled pork food truck operator whose brother-in-law has become a zombie.<p>
<b>Well, THAT sounds interesting! I can’t not laugh when thinking about pulled pork and zombies… Anyway, where did you come up with those ideas?<p>
</b>
The Hungry Ghosts played an important part in the first Falstaff book, but they seemed like the kind of critters who might get out of control if they could get out of their graves whenever they scented some of their favorite aromas. In some Asian traditions Hungry Ghosts live on scents, and they particularly like roast pork. The pulled pork food truck drove into the story when the owner, who was besieged by Hungry Ghosts had to deal with his brother-in-law Lenny who had come back from a New Orleans vacation in a zombified state, and with the power of communicating with Hungry Ghosts. That would be particularly awkward if the health department came around the food truck when Lenny was hanging around.<p>
<b>I love that mix of ideas. What is your favorite scene you’ve written? Can you give us a peek? <p>
</b>
I have to go with one from Valkyrie on Planet Fury. Sybil is about to renew her wedding vows to her true love, Josu, with the three husbands she married in his absence standing by. Sybil may lose her estate because she has chosen to have only Josu and no others in the past, a practice frowned upon on by the Clan Mothers of Valkyrie. In a desperate ploy to keep their estate, they have invited Kyr-Brelkin, an infamous seducer to attend the wedding:<p>
Marcus, Delan and Enfer had lined up next to the Chief Priestess. Josu and I stood next to them, holding hands. The guests stood waiting and the Chief Priestess was setting up the ritual instruments to begin the ceremony when Kyr-Brelkin walked in.<p>
<i>There wasn’t the smallest risk that anyone would miss his entrance. A murmur of surprise followed him through the door. Everyone turned to look at him. He was worth looking at. I’d forgotten how compelling he was in person. He was not a conventionally handsome man. He was tall, though not as tall as Josu. He must have been about fifty years old, with pleasantly abundant flesh. He was well past his first youth with short cut, curly brown hair laced with gray. The most compelling thing about him was the constant play of amusement in his dark eyes. He was clean-shaven with a sensuous mouth framed by laugh lines,
I stared along with everyone. Then I flinched when I realized I had work to do here. I let go of Josu’s hand, took a deep breath and walked up to the most famous seducer on Planet Valkyrie. “You must be Kyr-Brelkin. I have heard of you.” I reached out and grasped his hand.<p>
Every guest in the room gasped.<p>
Because of the Gravitas, Valkyrian women touch a man in public only to openly acknowledge lovers. I felt the rush as my Gravitas surrounded him. This close, he loomed over me. I stood on tiptoe to say loud enough that everyone could hear, “We haven’t met before, but now that we have, I have the most alarming desire to get to know you better.<p>
Kyr-Brelkin leaned down and inhaled my Gravitas as if savoring a fine wine. “Give me a chance to exercise my seductive charms on you, my dear, before you drag me off,” he whispered softly in my ear. “At my age, instant attraction has been replaced by infinite skill and irresistible charm.” <p>
He was right about that. With my Gravitas pulsing around us like a hot cloud, I wondered if I was in real trouble here. I held his hand and looked up into his eyes and couldn’t think of a thing to say.<p>
I rose up on tiptoe again, putting my hand on his arm for balance as I whispered in his ear, “Help me out here, you’ve done this before and I haven’t a clue how.” Everyone else in the room seemed to be holding their breath as much as I was. I finally managed to say almost too loudly, “May I speak to you in private?”<p>
“So bold, I think I’m in love already,” Kyr-Brelkin declared with a devastating smile. “You are as beautiful and your Gravitas as intoxicating as every man who has seen you testifies.” Then he leaned forward and captured my arm to keep me from stepping back. His face lit up with pleasure. His smile somehow made everyone else in the room disappear. I saw why women would make fools of themselves in front of everyone they knew and loved for a few minutes of this man’s total attention.<p>
If ever a man was made for mischief, Kyr-Brelkin was that man.</i><p>
<b>Your whole world-building setup for your story is really creative. Do you enjoy making up this culture for your characters? What’s your favorite aspect?<p>
</b>
I really enjoy turning cultural ideas upside down. Sybil of Valkyrie came about because I wondered what if monogamy was considered disgraceful? What if my heroine wanted only one husband, but her culture demanded that she marry as many mates as she could support.<p>
I had so much fun exploring the woman-ruled planet Valkyrie, where an aphrodisiac pheromone, Gravitas, is the main export. So for the sequel, I created a sister planet, Fury, where the women rulers secrete Wroth, a pheromone that produces anger, revenge, merciless destruction.<p>
<b>Yep, I’m definitely getting this book. What is one question about your books that you wish more people would ask?<p></b>
“Where can I find these books, I want to read them all?”<p>
<b>Every author loves hearing that one! So where CAN we find them – do you have a favorite retailer?
This year I’m experimenting with putting the Gravitas/Valkyrie series on Amazon Select so those who have Kindle Unlimited can read them for free.<p>
</b>
<b>Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone</b> – <p>
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00U4EOBR0">Kindle</a><p>
<a href="http://amzn.com/1514256320">Paperback</a> <p>
<b>Valkyrie on Planet Fury</b> –<p>
<a href="http://amzn.com/B019YJ2KV4">Kindle</a><p>
<a href="http://amzn.com/1523217847">Paperback</a> <p>
The Falstaff Vampire books are available in all ebook formats and paperback too. <a href="http://pearlsong.com/thefalstaffvampirefiles.htm">Pearlsong Press lists them all HERE</a>.<p>
<b>(PSST! Quick promo for anyone who wants a discount copy — Gravitas is on sale for $0.99 starting Friday, February 19th, through Monday, February 22nd.)<p></b>
<b>Do you use your personal experiences in your writing? <p>
</b>
I confess, I don’t like books that are “too much like real life.” I want to be swept away on the wings of stories. My heroines do the things I wish I could do in the way I wish I could do them. In terms of my personal experiences, I often get a “do-over” of a situation where I didn’t handle it the way I wanted, or it didn’t turn out the way I wished. My characters (and the readers) get a victory. I consider that as snatching fictional victory from the jaws of reality.<p>
<b>That is a great approach – having your heroines do what you wish you could do. By extension, of course the readers get that same sense of “Yes!” Even in your fantastical stories, how else do you think your characters are relatable?</b> <p>
I try to write about unapologetic and unconventional heroines. My motto is “Everybody can be heroic!” That is one part of real life is one I want to bring into my stories. I crave humor in the books I read as well as what I write, but I never use, or tolerate put-downs or ridicule of characters. One of my author heroes is Joseph Hanson, who wrote the detective novels featuring David Branstetter, a gay sleuth. Hanson put it eloquently: “Rarely in life can we know a real human being as completely as we come to know good fictional characters. When a writer scrupulously models his characters on the way men and women really are, he opens to his readers the opportunity to widen and deepen their understanding of others and themselves, and this can only make the world a gentler place for us all.”<p>
<b>Thanks, Lynne, for sharing!<p></b>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-49187240150421125572016-01-31T13:35:00.000-08:002016-01-31T13:41:39.759-08:00Book Launch Follies – the 12 Step approachThis morning, I read Derek Murphy’s <a href="http://www.creativindie.com/why-preorders-killed-my-book-launch-and-other-lessons-i-learned-marketing-my-first-fiction/">post on his book marketing woes</a>,
partly because the headline indicated that preordering had been a mistake for Derek.<p>
I hear you, brother. I just completed the preorder process on Valkyrie on Planet Fury this past week, bless the handful of people who preordered, but it was basically a disaster. It even got in the way of getting the book as perfect as it could have been by imposing a deadline for Amazon's convenience rather than my book's polishing. (I still did polish the best I could but the deadline got in the way).<p>
Alas for me, the numbers Derek so candidly reports as pitiful for his launch would have caused me to break out champagne and celebrate. Well, I don’t do alcohol anymore, but I would have brewed myself a very strong cup of Ceylon cut black tea and felt quite encouraged.<p>
That said, Derek does have some useful ideas about what exactly didn’t work for him and why using the preorder feature didn't contribute much. Unfortunately, most of the suggestions he has to improve the book launch process seem to involve strenuous people-seeking skills more appropriate to raving extroverts. If I were raving extrovert, I wouldn't spend so much time in front of my computer commuting to other fictional planets.<p>
I'm not even going to get into the world-class Olympic gymnastic Google keywording activities. Maybe after a cup of tea, I'll revisit them!<p>
I had to stand back and in the words of <a href="http://www.choosehelp.com/topics/alcoholism/aa-for-atheists-2013-how-to-take-what-you-need-and-leave-the-rest">that old 12 Step motto:</a> “Take what you need and leave the rest.” I share the link because I found some things worth taking in Derek's post.<p>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-134046067856164130.post-20755202153708682792016-01-20T23:18:00.000-08:002016-01-20T23:20:35.652-08:00Tickets to Planet Fury on sale now!Sybil of Valkyrie's latest adventure, is now available!
<a href="http://amzn.com/B019YJ2KV4"><b><i>Valkyrie on Planet Fury: A Novel With Gravitas</i></b></a>
Book 2 of the Gravitas Series<p>
A forbidden love.<p>
An impossible mission.<p>
A planet where death lurks at every turn.<p>
Sybil of Planet Valkyrie can’t go home until she confronts the rulers of Planet Fury, where assassination is a popular pastime. The Furies demand that Sybil tap the powers of her familiar demons to find an answer that may not exist—or die trying.<p>
<i>Advance Reviews for Valkyrie on Planet Fury</i><p>
“A heady blend of science fiction and erotic fun, satire and mind-thrilling and chilling detail.” Frannie Zellman, author of <i>The Fatland Trilogy</i><p>
“A thoroughly enjoyable read!” Karen J. Mossman, author of <i>The Secret</i><p>
“Weaves Greek and Norse mythology into an action-packed tale with visionary ideas, hilarious wit and sexy fun.” Jaqueline Girdner, author of the Kate Jasper mysteries<p>
<a href="http://amzn.com/1523217847">Also available in paperback.</a>
Lynne Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12549765142750458479noreply@blogger.com0