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Red on the Moon Banner

Sunday 28 December 2014

Lightsone Dynasty has arrived!

On the eve of Christmas eve Lightson Dynasty was released into the world :D.



I've had a really nice holiday. I'm playing with my new toys... my son's new toys, he had an x-box and some games so we've been playing. I also got some really nice presents, including a tablet with a keyboard so I can write on the go. Now that Christmas is coming to an end I finally have time to write a blog and tell you all about it.

It's doing really well so far and has actually been nominated for an award. I only found out last night so i'm gonna put the link here and ask you pritty please to vote for me.

Voting Page!

It's in alphabetical order so Lightson Dynasty is about half way down.

I'm still overwhelmed at how well it's been received, I've had two 5*  reviews already. (and I haven't had to pay anyone for them lol)

I had a lot of fun writing this story. I wanted to write a sweet romance, that had some comedy and yet deal with a bigger issue. I think I've achieved that.
I don't think this will be the last we see of Jo and Marcus.


Synopsis

Jo has always been what he is and never what he seems. Will his grandmother force him to live a life he doesn't want, or can he figure a way out?
Jo's life had never been simple. But since he moved in with his grandmother, things only became worse. First, she assumes that Jo stood for Josephine not Joseph. Then she believes all young women should be suitably married, especially her granddaughter, Jo.
So now Jo's expected to marry a man he's never met and whose own grandmother also wants the match. But how can he when he must protect his secret?
Marcus would rather spend time with his books and the gentlemen at his club than women, let alone marry one.
With both their grandmothers working against them, will they be able to find their way out of this potentially scandalous situation? After spending time together, will they want to?

Excerpt



Jo couldn't help but laugh out loud at that statement. "I will bet you any amount of money you care to name that you will never meet a girl like me again." Jo moved well back from the edge of the cliff and opened the basket to retrieve the blanket that lay across the top of the food. Marcus helped Jo to set out the food, and they sat down.
"How did your grandmother convince you to come, if you do not mind me asking?" Jo asked.
"She did what every mother and grandmother does when she wants a male of her acquaintance to do something he might not want to do. She threatened me. She told me that if I did not comply, then I would be cut off and disowned."
"That seems rather extreme."
"My grandmother wishes to see me settled down before she dies. And my mother, well..." Marcus paused, staring down at his food and avoiding eye contact.
"I know we just met, but I promise you nothing you say to me will go any further than the two of us. My grandmother, after all, is doing the exact same thing to me."
Marcus nodded. "I suppose we are somewhat in the same boat, as it were. Very well, my mother is too frightened of my grandmother to dare oppose her on anything. She is my father's mother, and very used to getting her own way. She also has the type of mind that once 'tis made up, there is no changing it."
Jo nodded. "Grandmother is just the same, but I have no mother and father any longer whom I could turn to. I shall have to put up with it. I must confess, I fully intended to make myself as unpleasant as possible for the duration of your stay to insure that you wouldn't even think of making me an offer."
Marcus laughed goodnaturedly. "I planned to be as boorish as I could manage, so you wouldn't accept when I did. Ye gads, we are a pair, aren’t we."
"What are we going to do now? You have to ask, and I have to say yes."
Jo couldn't help but feel downcast as this all became extremely overwhelming. He just did not know what he could do now.
"I do not know. If they were not such close friends, I would suggest we lie. You could say I never asked, and I could say that you refused me."
Jo huffed a laugh. "A good suggestion, but it would not work. I never expected to marry. My mother used to tell me that one day, I would find someone I wished to spend my life with, and she and my father would be happy for me no matter who the person was. But now they are gone. All Grandmother cares about is that I marry someone suitable."
"Why would you not marry? You are a beautiful woman; gentlemen must have made you offers before," Marcus asked as if genuinely surprised that Jo thought so lowly of himself.
"We better get back to the house. You'll want to settle in and get ready for dinner," Jo said, getting up and artfully avoiding the question.
"Yes, you are quite right. It would be most rude of me to delay you any further."
Jo couldn't help but smile. "I doubt the staff expected me back in time for dinner tonight. That is why they gave me the packed meal."
"Planning to avoid my arrival?" Marcus asked with a wry smile.

The links to have a read of the book for yourself are below. I'd love to know what you think either by leaving me a review on one of the sites or dropping me a message on my facebook page.


I post on my face book page all the time and will always respond to messages and comments. The fastest way to find out what I'm up to is by liking and following my page.



Wednesday 17 December 2014

Amanda Marie in a quick Q&A




Amanda has joined us today to answers some questions about herself and her new release Scandalous Endeavors.

1.         What do you do when you are not writing?

When I am not writing I can be found spending time with my family or enjoying one of my other pursuits. I spend a lot of time carting my kids to their after school activities and back. My son is involved with basket ball and attends an after school tutoring program. My daughter is in dance, cheerleading, and basket ball. In the summer we like to spend time at the beach. The rest of the year we can be found at parks, movie theaters, bowling allies, or just out enjoying nature. When I do find me time I enjoy reading, crocheting, taking pictures, playing on Photo Shop, and scrap booking. I fancy myself a photographer and can sometimes be found photographing my friends and families children. I am also a pageant mom and as a result spend a great deal of time helping my daughter prepare for pageants, shopping for pageant close, booking pageants, and traveling to and from the events. Occasionally my son also competes, but only when the prizes are really good. I also enjoy baking, crafting, and horseback riding though I rarely get the opportunity to indulge in them. When I am very lucky I get to travel. I love visiting new places especially when they have great history attached to them. 

2.         Do you have a day job as well?

I have two, technically three day jobs. I am a substitute teacher for my children’s school district and edit for two publishing houses. As a substitute I teach kindergarten through twelfth grade and all subjects. I love the variety and flexibility that subbing provides. As an editor I read manuscripts and determine viability. I also complete content edits and act as a liaison between the authors and the house. This job has many perks but the best one is discovering new authors and great stories. I am blessed to have three fantastic jobs. 

3.         When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

Technically I have been writing since the day I learned how. As a child I wrote poems and letters to family. In college I wrote tons of papers and a few short stories. However, it was not until recently that I started writing with the intention of becoming published. The first chapters of Scandalous Endeavors were written almost exactly a year ago. I began working on it in December of 2013. I completed the manuscript in September then spent some time spit shining it before I submitted it for publishing in late October early November. 

4.         Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Oh my goodness—all the time! When I was writing Scandalous Endeavors I constantly found myself stuck without any ideas. I discovered that having someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of was a great help. For me that someone was my sister Dawn who is also an author. On the rare occasion that talking did not help, I would just write anything no matter how crazy to keep going knowing full well I would be deleting it all. I learned that the best way to get past writers block is to keep writing.

5.         Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I do a combination of both. With Scandalous Endeavors I planned how many chapters I needed and then wrote a short sentence for each chapter telling me what I wanted to happen in it. I also made character notes. Ultimately I ignored the notes and the story went in its own direction. For my new WIP Once A Lady I decided just to write down my main plot points and some character notes.


6.         Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

I would love to! Scandalous Endeavors is a historical romance set in Victorian London. The heroine, Amelia, finds herself in want of a husband after her father dies and her American uncle orders her to move to America. Amelia has no intentions of leaving England and devises a plan to trap an English lord in matrimony so that she will not have to.
Lord Goldstone is a Scottish duke who finds himself staying at his aunt the Duchess of Abernathy’s home. The duchess has also agreed to act as Amelia’s chaperone for her remaining time in London. Lord Goldstone and Amelia find themselves at odds with one another as she continues to pursue her plans for an English husband and he continues to fumble them.
Here is an excerpt that shows there tactics in action:

Lord Roseington wrapped his arms around her and stood up, setting her on her feet. “Yes, Amelia, everything is okay now.” He reached up and removed her arms from around him, then took a step back. “We must stop winding up in these situations before we cause a scandal.”
She looked at him through hooded eyes. “‘Tis a wonder we haven’t already.”
A man cleared his voice behind her.
Amelia turned her head, already knowing who had caught them. “Lord Goldstone, you mustn’t trouble yourself with keeping our secret.”
“What she means to say is that there is no secret to be kept. Amelia carelessly got close enough to the hearth to catch her skirts ablaze. I could not very well let her burn up.”
“No, Roseington, you were obliged to help. I am glad to know that you were not taking advantage of our dear Amelia.” He glanced at her and flashed a rakish smirk. “Indeed, you are a hero. Let us go share the story while Amelia changes her charred gown.”
She tried her hardest to shoot daggers at him from her narrowed glare. His grin only deepened at the attempt, which increased her ire. “Don’t you dare tell a soul. I would most definitely perish from the embarrassment!” Amelia spat the words out with anger and annoyance. How dare he ruin everything for a second time, and then jest about sharing her humiliation. If he were not Scottish, she would trap him instead. That would teach him a lesson.
“Do not worry your head over it, Lady Amelia. We will not breathe a word of this little mishap,” Lord Roseington said. “Right, Goldstone?”
“Of course not. All of your secrets are safe with me.” He winked.
Amelia blushed at what he had implied. “Thank you. Now that it is settled I am going to retire for the evening. Enjoy the rest of the party. Lord Roseington, Lord Goldstone.” She inclined her head to them before spinning on her heels and speeding from the room.

7.         How did you come up with the title?

My original title was A Twist Of Fate but the more I wrote the less it seemed to fit. I started to think that maybe I needed a new title. Then one fateful day I ran a search for my working title and discovered that several other books already used my chosen title. At that point I knew I needed a different title but had no idea what it should be. I got on the phone with my sister and we started bouncing around idea. The call concluded with a list of potential titles but I liked them all and did not know how to choose just one. After pondering it for a bit I had a brain child and posted them all on my blog. I asked readers to vote on it and picked from the ones that were tied. In the end Scandalous Endeavors seemed to fit the book best.

8.         What project are you working on now?

I am currently working on two projects. A Veiled Identity is a compilation with author Dawn Brower and is a contemporary romance. It is about a princess who flees her kingdom to escape an arranged marriage and finds herself working on a ranch in America. I am writing the female POV and Dawn id writing the male POV. My other project is title Once A Lady and is a medieval romance. Princess Isobel leaves her kingdom to search for her missing lady in waiting. Shortly after she sneaks away Sir Ariston discovers her in the woods. He is a freelance knight swearing loyalty to no king or lord though he is currently contracted by Isobel’s father. When she refuses to return to the castle he refuses to let her travel alone. The pair must work together to save the missing lady. While they are busy on their quest Isobel’s castle is over taken and her father poisoned. Among their budding attraction Isobel and Ariston must now save her kingdom. It is planned to be a romantic adventure full of twist.

9.         Do you prefer fuzzy or tub socks? 

The fuzzier the better in the winter, but tube socks in fall and spring. Once summer makes an appearance I abandon socks altogether. 

10.       Coke or Pepsi? 

Hands down—Pepsi, but it must be cherry Pepsi.

11.       Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you! I know how many books and authors there are out there for you to choose from. I am honored that you choose me.
Lady Amelia has only known the comfort of life in mid-eighteenth century English aristocracy. But when first her mother and then her father die, she finds herself alone, grief stricken and….. not of age. Her appointed guardian, an American uncle, has ordered her travel to his plantation where she must remain for at least two years when she will come of age.
With the help of Lady Grace and Lady Sarah, Lady Amelia gets her uncle to agree to give her four weeks to settle her affairs and unbeknownst to him…find an English lord to marry so she can remain in her beloved England. Despite her mourning period she endeavors to trap one of London’s eligible bachelors in matrimony.
Lord Goldstone, Lady Grace’s nephew is devilishly handsome, but a Scottish Duke and so entirely unacceptable as a possible husband. After all Scotland is not her beloved London and environs. He also has a nasty habit of showing up at all the wrong moments and thwarting her carefully laid plans to ensnare a suitable husband. Sparks fly as the pair find themselves at odds with each other and drawn to each other at the same time. Can they find a way to stop arguing long enough to explore their growing passion? Is it strong enough to make Lady Amelia give up her English home after all? Or will Lady Amelia find a suitable English lord and avoid social exile in America? Time is running out.

Buy Links:
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Meet the Author

Amanda Marie dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. Her hobbies include reading, writing, crocheting, traveling, photography, and spending time with her family. Some of Amanda Marie's favorite places in the continental U.S. are Harper's Ferry West Virginia and Sea Brook New Hampshire. She loves the history that surrounds them and visits them every chance she gets.
Amanda Marie lives along the Lake Huron shore line in northern Michigan with her husband and two kids. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts Degree with a concentration in literature and has a long standing love affair with sugary junk food. 

Join Amanda Marie on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmandaMarie
Write to Amanda Marie at amandamarieauthor@gmail.com
Follow her on Twitter @AmandaMarieAuth

Scandalous Endeavors is published by Three Worlds Press. For more information on this book or their other works please visit: Three Worlds Press.