AUTHOR GUEST POST - LONDON CASEY, THE BOYS OF DOWNCRASH

Writing a series isn’t quite like writing just a book.  And when you throw in connecting characters, story lines, and a band… it’s like creating everything.  At the end of it though, it’s quite amazing to see what’s been created. 

When I first started writing The Boys of DownCrash, I envisioned the series as something fast, even novella-like.  But the second I finished the first couple chapters and really got to meet the guys in the band (Tripp, Tatum, and Logan), I knew this wasn’t going to be short.  Or fast.  Or even easy to write.

These guys were cute, sexy, hot, and complicated.  They were together as one of the most popular bands going but individually they were so very different.  And maybe that’s what makes the series so fun… to write and read.  I didn’t want to have the same stories appearing in each book and I didn’t want the guys in the band to be the same either. 

Why Reading Classic Literature May Give Advantages in Your Education

(by guest blogger Pam Johnson)

Reading classic literature has never really been your idea of fun. However, you have started to realize that doing so might have some serious advantages for your career. Instead of pushing these novels to the wayside, start to consider the possibilities that they can offer to you.

Understanding Allusions

Whether it is in modern literature, history or class in general, allusions are often made to works of classic literature. Basically, an allusion is a reference to something else in its most simple form. However, if you do not read these classic works of literature, then you are not going to understand the allusions. This lack of understanding might cause you to fall behind in the coursework or to not fully understand what it is that the professor is trying to explain.

How to Read Effectively and Efficiently - Tips for young readers by Jason Harter

Reading is both fun and enjoyable when you are good at it. If you have trouble grasping written words, then chances are you do not enjoy it. One of the best ways to become a good reader is to find things that you actually want to read. The more you read than the better you will get. Use the following tips to help you become to most effective and efficient reader possible.

1) Read for Fun

One of the best ways to become better at reading is by practicing it. Pick of trashy books and fun magazines that pique your interest. You will be reading for pleasure, and it will teach you to become a better reader. You do not have to read things that are hard just to better understand wordy complicated texts. It will get easier with time, but only if you are willing to try and make reading fun first.

Women and Difficult choices - Blog Tour - David's Song by A.R. Talley: Guest post + giveaway

  

For those who have not read  book yet, in David's Song, the protagonist, Annie has to make a choice between her husband Jeremy and their fifteen years of marriage and David Andrews, a lost love from years before.  When I wrote David'sSong, I had been contemplating the 'what ifs' of different choices earlier in my life, and ultimately decided that I was happy with the course my life had taken.  But the idea still intrigued me and I wondered what another woman might choose if given the chance to revisit that 'First love.'

The Importance of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic in Early Life and Beyond

(by guest blogger Pam Johnson) Educational psychologists have stressed the importance of reading, writing and arithmetic for decades. When teachers instill in their students reading, writing and arithmetic skills early on, children demonstrate higher academic achievement and even higher cognitive ability scores years later.

What is Reading?

Reading is often colloquially defined as the process of assimilating new written information. In a broader sense, however, reading is the cognitive skill that involves making sense of symbols and deriving meaning from those symbols. Both reading and writing involve sharing and disseminating information.

Structure of Language

Reading and writing depend on the early acquisition of certain skills. To show high reading proficiency and comprehension, a working knowledge of syntax, diction and semantics is necessary to cultivate early in the schooling process.

HIGHLAND SURRENDER BLOG TOUR - AUTHOR GUEST POST BY TRACY BROGAN: WHY HISTORICAL?

HIGHLAND SURRENDER

Defiant Highland beauty Fiona Sinclair is shocked by her brothers’ treachery. To seal a fragile truce, they have traded her hand in marriage to their sworn enemy, a man she has never met, a man she was raised to despise. With no choice but to wed, Fiona makes her own private vow: though she may surrender her freedom, she will never surrender her heart.

Commanded by his king, Myles Campbell is no more willing than his reluctant bride. Still, she is a rare beauty, passionate enough to warm even the coldest marriage bed. Buy Myles quickly realizes Fiona Sinclair is no common wench. She has a warrior’s spirit and a fierce pride that only a fool would try to tame. And Myles Campbell is no fool. Their marriage was meant to unite warring clans. They never imagined it would ignite a once-in-a-lifetime love…

AUTHOR GUEST POST - WHY HISTORICAL? 

People often ask why I write in two different genres – contemporary and historical. One reason may be that I have dual personalities. My family is quick to point out I have both Princess and Ogre-like tendencies – but just because Mommy has mood swings, that doesn’t quite answer the question. Truthfully, I never expected to write a contemporary, but while I toiled away on multiple historical novels, a funny, little, modern-day romance popped into my head. So I wrote it, and voila! Dual genres.

GUEST POST - DAMARIS OSBORNE ON WRITING PARODIES AND LOVING RICHARD ARMITAGE

Richard Armitage as John Thornton in North and South

Richard Armitage fans who are familiar with C19 will not need any introduction for today's guest at FLY HIGH! Damaris Osborne is well known to them. For all the others dropping by and reading, I'll   invite them to read her guest post and welcome her to our little corner of the blogosphere. She loves writing parodies and spoofs inspired byi the works of our favourite British actor and would like to share her passions with us.

I began writing parody when at university, but I have to say it has rather a bad press as a genre, being treated like puns as rather ‘cringe worthy’.  I think that one needs to like the work being parodied, otherwise it becomes unsympathetic and snide.. It can also be seen as ‘jumping on the bandwagon’ of other people’s success.  However, I believe it can be more ‘original’ and draw in a multitude of threads to make it stand alone fiction, although the sort one dips in and out of for five minutes at a coffee break rather than become absorbed in for three hours solid. Like rich chocolates, parody is best sampled, and savoured, not scoffed.I am a member of the C19 forum, which sprang from the  2004 television adaptation of North  & South, and where discussion of nineteenth century literature rubs shoulders with admiration for the work of Mr Richard Armitage. He is an actor of wonderful nuance, and has the ability, first said about Greta Garbo, to drag you into the soul of the character through the eyes.

A CAST OF STONES BLOG TOUR - PATRICK W. CARR, GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

A Cast of Stones

An Epic Medieval Saga Fantasy Readers Will Love

In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Patrick W. Carr

1. Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a

TAKE MY HEART BLOG TOUR - MARIE HIGGINS, ROMANCE BACK IN THE COLONIAL TIMES + GIVEAWAY

Romance in the 1700’s

The question was brought up—how different was romance back in the Colonial times.  Answer…VERY different.

For those of you who don’t read a lot of historicals or watch historical movies, you’ll be surprised to learn that woman didn’t have a lot of options back then in regards to their life and marriage. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s countries began giving women the right to vote…which is a whole other story which I won’t go into right now. Keep in mind that women had to be chaperoned until they were married. They couldn’t go out anywhere unless a sister, mother, or lady’s companion went with them.

AUTHOR GUEST POST - NATALIE G. OWENS, AN ETERNITY OF ROSES

Natalie G. Owens got her first taste of serious writing by penning award-winning poetry, short stories, and articles for college and local publications. She sold her first book to a small publisher in 2007 and is currently indie published. Her favorite stories to write are romances with a dark edge featuring brooding heroes, strong heroines, and a good dash of fantasy. Today she's my guest to present her new release: An Eternity of Roses. Enjoy her blog post!

I happen to be a big fan of the Highlander series since it first came out. I simply loved Adrian Paul in his role of tortured hero fighting for justice and survival. Who can resist a character like that? 

So one day, I started thinking that there are some amazing series out there in the paranormal/fantasy romance genre, but I couldn't think of a specific one featuring immortals that live under a legal and political system they formed over time. Immortals with their own style of government and their own code of ethics. Basically, a secret society of these special individuals that aims at furthering the interests of its people and the humans they live with. Of course, as with each government, there is opposition—some justified, and some not so much.

TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE BLOG TOUR: WRITING IN THE SHADOW OF TOLKIEN - AUTHOR GUEST POST BY S. G. ROGERS

My guest today is S.G. Rogers. Originally from Southern California, she  has lived in Asheville, North Carolina and Laurel, Mississippi. She earned her first black belt in taekwondo from martial arts champion Billy Blanks.  Later on, she earned black belts in taekwondo and hapkido from Master Myung Kim. Currently residing in beautiful Savannah, Georgia, S.G. Rogers writes fantasy and romantic fantasy stories.  She’s owned by two hairless cats, Houdini and Nikita, and lives on an island populated by exotic birds, deer and the occasional gator. Although she’s most often drawn to speculative fiction, she’s been known to break away to write other genres.  Tab is her beverage of choice, but when she imbibes, a cranberry vodka martini doesn’t go amiss.

This post is part of S. G. Roger's  blog tour to launch her latest YA fiction book, A TOURNAMENT OF CHANCE. She's a Tolkien fan and she  decided to share her fondness with us today. Ready to read her post and win a $25 gift card? (see at the end of the post)

AUTHOR GUEST POST: MARILYN BRANT, MEMORIES AND HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS + GIVEAWAY

Marilyn Brant's newest novel is out and she's visiting to share her memories of past holidays. Read her enjoyable piece and take your chance to win a copy of her previously published romances.  The giveaway details are at the end of the post. Good luck and happy holidays, everyone.

I love holidays and special celebrations! Before my son was born, I used to be an elementary school teacher who loved nothing more than traveling and learning about new cultures. (Anyone who read my last women's fiction book, A Summer in Europe, already knows how much that's true, especially when it comes to traveling in beautiful Italy!! *waving to Maria Grazia*) Well, as the teacher of my classes, I would lead my students through social studies units on topics like “communities” or “cultures," which always led to discussions -- especially during the holidays -- about “celebrations around the world.” And, since I was also really fond of films like Bing Crosby's and Fred Astaire's "Holiday Inn" (one of the inspirations for my newest novel, Holiday Man, which is a contemporary romance that takes place over a year of holidays), I couldn't imagine what could be more fun than the idea of creating and celebrating holidays! These days, I might find myself chuckling about the goofy paper mache projects and plates filled with international appetizers my students and I made, but the truth is that always really loved teaching these units. They were so enjoyable. And, above all, my classes not only loved them, but they always learned a lot in the process.

TROUBLE WON'T WAIT BY AUTUMN PIPER - BLOG TOUR : AUTHOR GUEST POST + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

Hi. Thanks for having me today.

Traditional literature has certain typecasts for characters: Villain, evil. Hero, good. Staying inside these boundaries helps an author ensure her readers will dislike the bad guy and like her good guy/girl.

My characters tend to misbehave, though. In Trouble Won’t Wait, hating Mandy’s husband Mike from the start is easy—after all, he broke a sacred vow of marriage. And yet, as the story goes on, he’s not quite so hate-able. At times, it’s even easy to feel bad for the guy who did something really rotten, and still has a few bonehead moments, but underneath it all is a good man. Staying angry with him is also difficult for Mandy, which complicates her plight. And I have to confess, having a not-all-bad “bad guy” flustered some of the ladies in my romance critique group. But life isn’t always all straight lines and clean cuts, is it?

Giveaways! 

Have you ever empathized with a villain? If you leave a comment and share who, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a digital copy (PDF, EPUB or Kindle) of Trouble Won’t Wait. An Amazon gift card of $15 will be awarded to one lucky commenter from Buy The Book Tours  Media Page at the end of the 8 week book tour.

Have a great day.

Autumn Piper

FIRST TIME BLOG TOUR: WRITING & TIME TRAVELLING BY SAMUEL BEN WHITE - GIVEAWAY!

It has been said that all writing is time travel.  Even the coverage of last Friday’s football game is time travel in that it attempts to take the reader back to last Friday night.  Whether we’re writing about past events or futuristic happenings, we’re trying to take the reader to a place and a time where they aren’t.

I know that’s not what people want to know about when they ask me questions of time travel.  As an author of time travel novels (find them at www.garisonfitch.com) people want to know if I really think it’s possible for people to travel through time.  “What about the physics?”  Or, “Wouldn’t you need to exceed the speed of light, which science says is impossible?”

Those questions are interesting and I’ve waded through some scientific tomes on the subject (like Brian Greene’s “The Elegant Universe”) and have touched on them in my stories, but what fascinates me most of all—and what I’ve tried to write passionately enough about to excite my readers—is the human story of time travel.  “If it’s possible, what would it do to ME?”

My Favorite Romantic Movies Based on Books by guest blogger Jack Meyer

We all have our favorite romance movies. Some of us like Elizabethan romance, some of us like fantasy romance, and some of us like modern romance. However there is one thing we can all agree on. The best romantic movies all come from books. From books written long ago to those written today, there is just something complex and wonderful about a well-written story with a romantic twist. Here are some of my favorite romantic movies that were originally books:

1.   Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen is a romantic film staple and her works are well worth watching. The 1995 adaptation of her book of the same name is one that is filled with great actors, including Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman, and oozes with charm and grace. It also has lots of timely humor and great performances by the actors and actresses that do the famous novel justice. Thankfully it is succinct as well as sensible and never seems to drag. Definitely a romantic film I would recommend for Austen lovers.

2.      Pride and Prejudice – Another Austen based film, I know, but her work is just so relatable even to the present day.  There are actually many movies based on her most famous work, but the one I am talking about is the 2005 adaptation. Starring Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen, this film is bright and quick while still sticking with the novels key points. Though it lacks some of the pomp and circumstance that usually follows an Elizabethan film, it more than makes up for it with the acting and quick story line. Romantic and fun to watch, I would recommend this film for anyone who loves a good conflicted and complex love story.

AUTHOR GUEST POST - VANESSA MORGAN, GPS WITH BENEFITS + AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY

Vanessa Morgan is here today to present her hilarious new story. The launch of her book is supported by a great giveaway. Read the details in the post and take your chances to win in the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Maria Grazia. I'm truly honored to be here!

How many people do you know that make jokes about their GPS device or even talk to it?

Nearly everyone, right?

Also, GPS devices already know where you are and how fast you are driving. Who says that, in the near future, they won't be able to know  what you look at and what you say.

These thoughts form the basis of my new release, GPS WITH BENEFITS in which a womanizer purchases a new GPS device, not knowing that it has a mind of 'her' own.

BARBARA KYLE PRESENTS HER "THE QUEEN'S GAMBLE" - GIVEAWAY!

Maria, thanks for inviting me to reach out to your readers on Fly High. Flying high is what writing historical fiction is all about!

I'm happy to tell a little about my most recent release, The Queen's Gamble. It's Book #4 in my "Thornleigh" series which follows a rising middle-class family through three tumultuous Tudor reigns.

And there's a giveaway! It's open to the US and Canada, and the winner will receive a signed copy of The Queen's Gamble.

Take your chances in the rafflecopter form below and good luck! The contest will be closed on November 16th.

Synopsis

Young Queen Elizabeth I’s path to the throne has been a perilous one, and already she faces a dangerous crisis. French troops have landed in Scotland to quell a rebel Protestant army, and Elizabeth fears once they are entrenched on the border, they will invade England.

Isabel Thornleigh has returned to London from the New World with her Spanish husband, Carlos Valverde, and their young son. Ever the queen’s loyal servant, Isabel is recruited to smuggle money to the Scottish rebels. Yet Elizabeth’s trust only goes so far—Isabel’s son will be the queen’s pampered hostage until she completes her mission.

Matters grow worse when Isabel’s husband is engaged as military advisor to the French, putting the couple on opposite sides in a deadly cold war.

AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY: BRYONY ALLEN, THE ASSEMBLY ROOM

Her new YA ghost story is perfect for Halloween week, so I invited Bryony Allen to guest post at FLY HIGH to  tell us everything about it. There's a chance to win the e-book or kindle book of The Assembly Room for readers commenting this post and adding their own e-mail address. The giveaway contest is open worldwide and ends November 7th.

So, why did I write The Assembly Room?

The book is my third novel with my current UK independent publisher, Pneuma Springs, but it's my second in the YA genre. The story came in to being thanks to an old building that is  - believe it or not  - actually called 'The Assembly Room' . The building lies on the outskirts of the village of Hitcham in Suffolk, England. It was on passing this building over the years every time I go to see my parents that the seeds of the book started to take shape in my head. Just looking at the building makes the mind start to wonder what kind of history it may have had; well it does for me at least.

In  my research for the book I looked at the local history in the area as well as land registry records and found that the building (now a little bit derelict) was built in the early 1800's and had been used as a reading room and also a community hall. Its Gothic features are certainly reminiscent of the time period.

The reality is that it is now used as a storage area for its current owner who also owns and lives in an adjacent cottage, and the actual area of land around the place itself was formerly used as a commercial garage in the mid 20^th century.

AUTHOR GUEST POST - PHILLIPA ASHLEY, ROMANTIC ADVENTURES

Phillipa Ashley is my guest today with a lovely post about romantic adventures, castles and pirates. I love the setting of her latest romance, Miranda's Mount. It's a very special place I just happened to visit  last summer, it's in Cornwall and ... unforgettable. Discover more, read Phillipa's post!

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved romantic historical adventure stories such as The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Three Musketeers and I’m an addict for period dramas in this vein. In fact I think that the BBC’s version of Lorna Doone with Richard Coyle as John Ridd is probably my favourite of period drama of all time (alongside N&S of course!) I love the drama, the passion and the sheeer thrilling adventure of these wonderful books and productions.

Even now, if I’m not careful, I’ll find myself hooked on an old Errol Flynn Robin Hood movie, or Elizabeth & Essex... and The Wicked Lady would be my desert island movie. It may be in black & white but I love it so much I ordered a copy on DVD. Even my daughter, who saw it while at home ill with glandular fever, is now hooked.

Lorna Doone - BBC 

Are you ready for Halloween? The Rise of Zombie "Semi-Historical" Literature: A Growing Popularity with Students and Spook Thrillers

(by guest blogger Caroline Ross)

Traditionally the "living dead" doesn’t move with great speed or finesse, but in the book publishing industry Zombies have taken off like the speed of light. Over the past few years, book stores have displayed an increasing number of zombie-related historical fiction that has seemed to do quite well with the youth—so much in fact that some titles are even appearing on required reading lists at select universities. But of course you don't need to be a student to enjoy them. If you're looking for a few good historical reads with a satirical, dark twist then check out some of these titles just in time for Halloween.

Pride, Prejudice and Zombies

Just like the title sounds, this parody piece is a smashup of the classic 1813 Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice with sprinkles of brain-eating zombies, courtesy of author Seth Grahame-Smith. It might seem a little bizarre to picture a zombie infested 19^th century England and a zombie-slayer Mr. Darcy, but the story line actually works. Not only does Grahame-Smith do a stellar job at creating an alternative universe within a classic story such as Pride and Prejudice, but he's also successful at bringing out the laughs—this book is funny with a capital F. (2009)