Welcome Kasper Beaumont & Her New Release

  By Uncategorized

I am tickled pink to welcome Kasper Beaumont on the occasion of her new release, Captive of the Darkness. For my readers that aren’t familiar with you and your stories, introduce yourself, please.

Hi everyone, so nice to be here with PJ on the blog today. I’m Kasper, a dragon-loving, lightsaber-wielding fangirl who likes to write.

I guess things are quiet here in my sleepy little town in Australia, which causes my imagination to run wild. I write high fantasy books about a quest to restore the stolen Elven Jewel. And my new Captive of the Darkness book is an adult paranormal one about angels and demons in a strip club. Something for everyone in the family, I guess.

What book was most influential in your decision to become a writer yourself?

These kind of questions are always hard because I read so widely. Probably have to name Enid Blyton as an early influence. The Magic Faraway Tree and the Famous Five series.

What sorts of conditions are most conducive to your productivity?

Quiet times when no-one is around to distract me. I like to write in the wee hours of the morning or late at night. Also, I put a ban on Facebook until I finish a chapter. It’s a good incentive.

In your experience, what is the best thing about being an author?

Two-fold in my book. One, is bringing happiness to others when they read it. Two, is a lasting legacy after I’m gone. I like my family to be proud of me and the thought that a piece of me will live on.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Hand down it’s gotta be revisions. I do several self-edit passes on every book before they go to the editor. Only thing is, I’d much rather be writing.

Are you a plot driven or character driven writer? Why?

Do I have to choose? You’re being mean. Well sometimes I have a certain place to get to in the plot and I coerce my characters into behaving.

Other times there is total anarchy and the characters definitely call the shots. I had planned for the plot to veer a certain way but one of the characters becomes difficult to fit the script and we take a new tangent. That is sometimes where the best writing is discovered,

Tell us a little about your new release. Where did you get your inspiration?

It’s confession time, I see. The type of books I read is always subject to change on a whim or a good recommendation. Someone gave me the Fallen series to read and I loved it. The idea of angels and demons sprang into being there and soon morphed into the new Hidden Angel series. So far, I have finished book one: Captive of the Darkness. I also have book two written in draft form and the bare bones of a plot for book three. This series both excites and terrifies which is a thrilling way to write.

Thanks, Kasper. May your sales be plentiful!

Title: Captive of the Darkness

Author: Kasper Beaumont

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Captive-Darkness-Hidden-Angel-Book-ebook/dp/B081MW4D1P/

Release date: December 14th.  Preorder is now available.

In Kasper’s own words: 

On Riley’s 18th birthday, she is told she’s a demon hunter, like the rest of her family.  She shrugs the news off in disbelief but that very night she unwittingly enters the lair of a powerful demon and her whole world is turned upside down.

She meets a stripper nicknamed Cupid, who states he is prisoner of the demon.  He is a graceful ballet dancer forced into slavery but yearning to escape his dangerous master.  When she sees a glowing aura around this young man, she realizes he isn’t just any ordinary lad, but something very special.  She knows she must try to save him.

Blurb
Can an angel be hiding here on Earth?

A veil of secrecy is lifted on Riley’s 18th birthday. She thought she knew the world, but now discovers she is a demon hunter. It doesn’t seem real, but then she meets Him, a charismatic young dancer with special powers.
He is a prisoner of a powerful demon.

What secrets does this stranger hide? Will Riley risk her own family to save Him?

 
Excerpt:

Small sandy feet pounded the warm pavement along the beach.  His heartbeat thrummed in his ears, faster than he ever thought possible.  The whispering kept getting closer, no matter how far or fast he ran.  He swiped a cap from outside a shower cubicle.  It was rather large for his head, a perfect disguise.  This covered most of his blond hair and shaded his eyes.  He hoped to outwit whoever was chasing him.  Turning a corner, he dove into a shaded alleyway and bent over to catch his breath.  An aching side-stitch now caught his attention, winding him.  His hands trembled as they rested on shaking and weakened knees.  Turning his cap backwards, he held his breath and peeked a look around the corner.  There was no sign of pursuit.  He let his breath out and wiped the sweat cascading down his cheeks that had soaked his swim shirt.  Fear drove him on.  It was instinct, not a rational decision on his behalf.  Then all the hairs on his body stood up on end.  A cold shiver ran down his spine.  A shadow passed over him.  A whisper, quiet and close.  Warm breath could be felt on his neck.  He turned around slow.  His eyes widened as his hands grasped for the wall at his back.  There was nowhere left to run.  “Oh please no…”

Biography:

 
Kasper J. Beaumont was born and raised in Australia and lives a quiet life with the family in a seaside town. Combining a love of fantasy and a penchant for travel in the Hunters of Reloria trilogy, she started to write on the urging of friends and family and enjoys watching readers become immersed in the magical world of Reloria. Kasper is a pen name for a rather shy author who is happy to remain unnamed.

 

The Hidden Angel series is a urban paranormal fantasy involving Angels and Demons in the seemingly ordinary city of Brisbane. Riley discovers she’s a demon hunter on her 18th birthday and enters a dangerous new world.
Book 1: Captive of the Captive, published 2019.

The Hunters of Reloria trilogy is about the magical world of Reloria where halflings and fairies share a lifelong bond. Dwarves, elves, knights and dragons inhabit this country, but their world is about to be invaded by scaly lizardmen and giant Cyclops.

Prequel: Fandri’s Adventures, published 2016.
Book 1: Elven Jewel, published 2012.
Book 2: Hunters’ Quest, published 2013
Book 3: Dragon’s Revenge, published 2014.

 
Kasper’s links:

Meet Eli Hennessey #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

December 9, 2019

It’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Interview one of your characters. Introduce them to a new audience or give existing readers new insight into their motivations.

Spoiler alerts ahead! If you haven’t read The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, this interview may spoil some of the fun.

Today we’re talking with Elijah Hennessey, owner of Shifter Technologies, a tech company that specializes in  providing computer software for law enforcement agencies. We agreed to meet at his office in the Orlando, FL area. When I arrived, I only had to wait a few minutes until I was escorted into his office. The first thing I noticed was his unusual eyes- they were the palest blue I’d ever seen.

The anticipated offer of coffee came quickly, which I declined in favor of water. I noticed that there were at least three cups in various spots on my host’s desk, buried between various stacks of paperwork.

Me: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Mr Hennessey.

Him: Please call me Elijah.

Me: Sure. Elijah, when I started my research for this interview, I discovered you basically don’t exist on the internet. Can you tell me about that?

Him:  It’s deliberate on my part. I want potential customers to see how serious I am about security, and by not using every social site and app that’s out there, I set a good example.

Me: You think social sites are a security problem? 

He smiled, picked up a manila file folder off the top of a stack, and passed it to me.

Him: Here’s what I found out about you. Do you still drink London Fogs with peach tea? By the way, you should change your password and have a different one for each site you visit.

Me: (Taking a drink of water to cool the heat in my cheeks.) Thanks. I’ll get that taken care of. But moving along, your software is listed as a top performer by Law Enforcement Magazine. Congratulations.

Him: Thanks. I give credit to my staff. I’ve got some real sharp people who can see a coding error a mile away and fix it before anyone else knows it exists. They get all the credit.

Me: What’s your vision for your company?

Him: It’s no secret that we’re making a big move into mobile apps for law enforcement. Police officers don’t need to carry around oversized tablets and laptops when they can do everything they need to on their phones. We just have to up the security factor by ten.

Me: Where did your obsession with security start?

Him: It was a necessity when I served in the military. When I moved into civilian life, I saw an opportunity to use my knowledge as a career.

Me: Switching topics, there’s a rumor about you and a librarian up north. Care to confirm?

Him: (grinning) What does the internet have to say about it?

Me: Nothing. I looked. She must follow the same theory about a social media presence as you do.

Him: (His grin getting bigger) Imagine that.

Me: Can you at least tell me what your “type” of women is?

Him: (Leaning back and clasping his hands behind his head) Easy. Smart ones. Ones that know how to think on their feet and come up with alternative solutions to existing problems.

A knock on the door interrupted us, and his administrative assistant  stuck her head in the door. “Your next appointment is here.”

Me: Thanks for your time. I’ll send you a copy of the interview when I get it pulled together.

Him: My pleasure. 

*****

Do you have any questions for Eli? If so, leave them in the comments and maybe he’ll answer. 🙂 While he waits, I’m going to go meet some new characters on the other blog hop entries.

December 9, 2019

It’s been awhile since we’ve done this. Interview one of your characters. Introduce them to a new audience or give existing readers new insight into their motivations.

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Living The Dream #IWSG

  By IWSG

December 4 question – Let’s play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?

The awesome co-hosts for the December 4 posting of the IWSG are Tonja Drecker, Beverly Stowe McClure, Nicki Elson, Fundy Blue, and Tyrean Martinson!

*****

Funny how well this topic ties into Monday’s Blog hop.

So let’s pretend. I’ve changed one little thing and suddenly I’m a best selling author. I no longer have to work my day job and I have all the time in the world to write. Hey, this is a dream, right?

I’m living in a mountain cabin that has a creek and a small lake nearby. I love to write sitting by the flowing water, and the lake is big enough for my husband to fish in. The cabin has enough room that we aren’t cramped when my daughter and her family come to visit. Of course, it magically has internet despite being in the middle of nothing. And speaking of magic, the house would clean itself. 

Image by ArtTower from Pixabay

Because I have all the time in the world to write, I’ve started my series about the gritty female PI in Pittsburgh. It’s a lot edgier than the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, but my audience loves her. too. And I’m even fitting in more of the Free Wolves books.

 

Oh, and I get to travel to writers’ conferences and book signings more often. That way I can still improve my craft, meet existing fans, and hopefully make new ones.

That sounds pretty darn good to me! What am I missing? I’ll take suggestions in the comments!

 

 

It’s a Trade-Off #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

December 2, 2019

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

It’s a deceptively simple question, really. I only have to change one little thing. Except I’m the kind of person who worries about the domino effect. If I change this one little thing, what else breaks? For example, the day I got out early and got sideswiped on the way home. That wouldn’t have happened if I left work at my normal time, right?

Or how about the time I got stuck in a long line at the grocery store? Sure, I was saying bad words and pushing the speed limit on the way home. Until I saw a guy in a motorized wheelchair barely moving. I pulled over to see if there was something wrong. Turns out his battery had run down, but help was already on the way. I stayed and talked to him until his family got there. Nothing earth-shaking about the incident, but if the timing hadn’t been perfect the encounter wouldn’t have happened.

So, maybe it’s all part of the butterfly effect. You know, if a butterfly flaps

it’s wings in the Amazon a tornado happens in Texas. It’s part of the chaos theory. One simple, small change can have a much bigger consequence.

As a result, the initial question—one thing I would give up to become a better writer—makes me nervous. What would the unintended side effect be? If I spent less time cleaning house and more time reading, would war break out in Canada? (I know, that’s extreme. It was supposed to be!)

I can’t give up watching TV. because I did that years ago. Giving up reading would have the opposite effect- I firmly believe that as a writer you should also be a reader. I suppose I could spend less time on the biggest time waster of all, the internet, but I never know when something I stumble across may be the spark for a new story.

But there is one thing I’d be willing to spend last time on—playing games on the computer. Sure, I do it mostly while I’m searching for the right words to use, but it’s easy to play two games instead of one. And I can’t imagine which part of the chaos theory that would trigger. I think it’s a safe solution. Fingers crossed.

I hope all of you out there are still safe. No tornadoes, right? I can’t help the winter storms—they started before I made the change. Now, as is my habit, no change there, I’m off to find out what the other authors would change.

P.S.  But you could make one little change for me…I’d love it if you would leave a comment.

December 2, 2019

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Marketing 101 #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

November 25, 2019

We’ve touched on this in the past, but it bears repeating. What’s the best way to market your books?

It’s the eternal question for those of us struggling to sell books, looking for a break, trying to find how to reach the right audience. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of time and energy. And I’m no expert.

What I do have is some experience. And I’m happy to share. Take it with a grain of salt, because I certainly haven’t found the magic formula.

Before I begin, I’m going to refine the question a bit and answer in two different sections—what I enjoy doing, and what sells the most books.

Me at the Deadly Realities book signing.

First, what I enjoy doing. I love going to events. Book events, cons, heck, this year I attended a chili festival. Anyplace where I can look the public in the eye and try to sell them my books. And talk to them about my stories and what they like to read in general. I consider it a win if I make enough to cover my table fee and what I paid for my books. Everything beyond that is a bonus.

Of course, one of the great parts of going to events is meeting other authors and vendors. Even if they don’t buy a book or two, it’s fun hanging out with new people. Or ones you’ve met at other events. I’m looking forward to the Bizarre Bazaar  in Loveland, CO this weekend (Saturday Nov. 30th). This will be my third year and it’s always an entertaining day.

What sells the most books? Paid ads in various readers’ newsletters., especially when the book being advertised is on sale. (I don’t do free books, but that a discussion we’ve had before and I won’t get into this time.) There’s a bunch of them out there. Some of my favorites are The Fussy Librarian, Book Doggy, and of course, ENT- EReaders News Today. I’ll be trying a new site next week, that came highly recommended by another author. It’s called Book Rebel, and we’ll see what happens. I haven’t even tried for a BookBub ad because their price is too steep for my pocketbook.

I understand the boost you get from those sites is temporary, but gosh darn it, if feels good to see the numbers go up on Amazon and other book selling sites. 

What doesn’t work for me? I can’t use Facebook to sell a book no matter what I try. Ads, posts, groups, I get crickets. Blog tours don’t do me much good either. And Twitter? Does anyone sell books on Twitter?

What’s on my to-do list? I want to try an Amazon ad. I’ve done my homework, and I think it has potential, although some articles say the ads are past their peak. We’ll see. I won’t hold my breath.

I’m hoping my fellow authors have additional wisdom to share. And if you know something I don’t, please tell me about it in the comments!

P.S. For those of you in the Unites States, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

November 25, 2019

We’ve touched on this in the past, but it bears repeating. What’s the best way to market your books?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Deadly Reality Photos

  By Uncategorized

Just a few of the pictures from my stay in Estes Park, CO for the Deadly Reality book signing on November 9th.

How Long? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

How many hours a day do you write? How long on average does it take you to write a book?

There are authors out there that aim to write book a month. We’re not talking NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where the goal is to write 50,000 words during the month of November, we’re talking about kicking out a complete book each and every month including editing. I have no idea how they do that. Writing that many words in one month is tough, (and I have done it) but to throw in a comprehensive edit? Wow. Just wow.

But I guess they have more time to write than I do. During the week, I’m doing good if I get two hours a day to write. I spend additional time taking care of social media and publicity. In those two hours, I’m lucky if I get 500 words written. Weekends, I can get more written. If the characters are talking to me, I can write 1000 words or more in a day.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

At that rate, it can take me five to nine months to write a book. That doesn’t include the editing. Editing is easier, but it is also dependent upon other peoples schedules. (Especially when you consider how many rounds of editing one of my books goes through!) And it may be easier, but it’s also the part I despise. It’s so easy to miss things no matter how hard you try and how careful you are. That’s why my books go through three or four rounds of editing.

That means I typically release a book a year. (Okay, a book every ten months or so.) I’d love to write faster, but it is what it is. I’ve got enough ideas to keep me busy, and new genres I’d love to try. I’m leaning towards a hard core female PI or an action-adventure-thriller. Which do you think I should tackle?

I don’t like to compare my output to other writers, but I’m curious to see how fast the others on this blog hop write. Join me in the journey by following the links below.

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Spirit Animal #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

November 11, 2019

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Wolf. How many of you said wolf? Come on, raise your hands and let me see. Keep them up for a minute so I can get a good look.

And the answer is … not a wolf.

But yes, I will still graciously accept the various wolf-related gifts that people like to give me. I know, I’m hard to buy for. Wolf T-shirts, statues, and note cards are great gifts. I have no  problem with them.

But my spirit animal is not an animal at all. 

It’s the dragonfly. An insect. I’ll even accept it’s cousin, the damselfly. Most of us can’t tell the difference, anyway.

I’ve felt an affinity with these marvelous creatures since childhood. Their

variety of sparkling colors. The delicacy of their translucent wings. The way they own the air as they dart about, seemly without effort.

I’ve known people who are creeped out by dragonflies. Not me. I’ve been known to rescue them  when they accidentally get stuck inside a building, encouraging them to land on me so I can take them back outside. 

And yes, I am aware that at their core, they are deadly predators. Those amazing aerobatic maneuvers are executed in  not to entertain us, but to catch and eat another insect. but with mosquitoes and midges being their meals of choice, they serve a helpful purpose to us humans.

Why do I think a dragonfly is my spirit animal? I don’t know the answer to that question. I didn’t have a dream or vision that revealed it to me, the answer just came to me after watching a Star Trek episode. Yeah, go ahead and google that.

And what does a dragonfly have to do with writing? Well, maybe it’s that we, as writers, have to snatch at words that dart through our imaginations and capture them to feed our readers’ souls. 

I’m curious to find out what the others on this blog hop have as spirit animals or mascots. You can find out, too, by following the links below. Or, hang around for a few minutes and share your spirit animal in the comments.

November 11, 2019

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

Rules:

1. Link your blog to this hop.

2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.

3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.

4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.

5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Strange things in research #IWSG

  By IWSG
 
November 6 question – What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching a story?
 
The awesome co-hosts for the November 6 posting of the IWSG are Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie!
 
Good question! This week I googled myself for a blog post, and that was pretty strange. I’m fairly boring, but I did find people who shared my name that were more interesting. (See Monday’s blog post.)
 
I google a lot about guns for both of my series. But that’s not really strange.
 
More interesting, to me anyway, are the fancy driving stunts I search for, and how do do them. Not that I would ever try, but a couple of my characters do, as a hobby of sorts. And to evade pursuers, be they the bad guys or the good guys.
 
Then there’s the self-defense techniques the heroine in my mystery series uses. Thank heavens because she’s always getting herself into trouble.
 
But even those aren’t strange. You know when I get into really interesting topics? 
 
When I get off track. 
 
When I see something shiny and go down the rabbit hole. My blog post about googling my name led me to a page about about bridge jumping. (Bridge Day in West Virginia). And the report of two political opponents who had a gun fight after a meeting.  Looking up information on jet boats in Oregon led me to the web page of a lodge in Oregon you can only get to by boat. 
 
Then there’s the stuff that comes up at work. We have interesting discussions. Like the gradual salt intrusion into the fresh water aquifers of Florida. Or the logos of car manufactures no one has ever heard of. Or the farthest geographic compass point location for each direction for the continental Unites States. (Hint- at least one of them you would never guess!)
 
Still, I don’t know if I’d rank any of these as  strange. I’d call them fascinating. 
 
How about you? Google anything strange lately?