Author Kerr-Ann Dempster

Author Spotlight!

In my very first author spotlight, I have the Awesome Kerr-Ann Dempster author of Beneath Scarlett Valley and hers most recent novel The Reluctant Sacrifice. Kerr-Ann was very kind and let me interview her so my followers and fellow book worms could get to know her a little better. Thank you so much Kerr-Ann for being so kind and taking the time to answer my questions, I had so much fun reading your answers. Also her current novel "The Reluctant Sacrifice" is on sale for .99 cents and Beneath Scarlett Valley is currently free. To read my review for The Reluctant Sacrafice click here! 

1) Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Kingston, Jamaica where I got my start writing plays for a local church. After moving to the United States, I worked as a Flight Attendant and then in Marketing before deciding to pursue writing as a career and not just a hobby. I now live in Michigan where I am working on The Reluctant Huntress, a companion story to my YA novel, The Reluctant Sacrifice. When not writing, I spend my days reading, stalking my fellow authors on Instagram, and redecorating. I squeeze in an episode of The Big Bang Theory and The Vampire Diaries whenever I can. I am also a voracious book collector and have recently had my Amazon 1-click privilege revoked because I am prone to sleep-shopping.

I love chatting with readers and fellow authors. Find me on Instagram (author.kerr), Twitter (@annk3rr), and Facebook. 

2) When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I began writing as a child. I started with poems and then plays. After moving to the U.S., I began experimenting with longer stories. I wrote Beneath Scarlett Valley in 2011. Upon completion, I shoved it under my bed and wrote The Reluctant Sacrifice. I then shoved it under my bed too and pulled out Beneath Scarlett Valley again. I published it in 2014.

3) Is there any author or book that influenced you in anyway either growing up or as an adult?

1. J. K. Rowling. The woman is a genius. Her world building and attention to details are second to none.
2. C.S. Lewis. His creativity is beyond anything we’re seeing today. He had just the perfect mixture of light and darkness without being heavy-handed.
3. Nnedi Okorafor. Everything about her writing is fearless. I can’t get enough.
4. Stephen King. He’s an expert on all things dark, creepy, and bloody.
5. Ted Dekker. He gets it. He knows how to craft thought-provoking stories that stay in your head for years after reading them.

4) Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

No. When I want something, I make it happen. We live in an age where publishing on your own is possible. Please notice, I didn’t say easy. Sure, uploading to Amazon is a no-brainer, but an author who wants to do more than see their name in print has to invest in their craft. I invested, heavily, while publishing The Reluctant Sacrifice. I hired writing coaches and editors. Then, I hired book designers, and reached out to beta readers and reviewers. Will I still consider a traditional publisher? Yes. I have a secret project that I intend to pitch. However, if it winds up at the bottom of a slush pile, I’ll send it off to beta-readers and see if they think the story is worth publishing.

5) How did you come up with this title?

I chose The Reluctant Sacrifice as I ironed out the details of the novel and became familiar with the lead character, Aubrey Shaw. After the first draft, I began to have doubts and so decided on the title, The Hunted. All my beta-readers hated the new title, and encouraged me to stick with my gut. So, I went back to The Reluctant Sacrifice. I am happy I did.

6) Do you ever experience writers block?

Unfortunately, yes. I hate not writing, but I’ve found that it’s my body’s way of telling me to take a break. A day or two away from my story usually gets rid of it.

7) Do you have any advice to give aspiring authors?

Be fearless. It is easy to play it safe by copying others. Resist the urge to do so. Find your own voice and ideas, then work your butt off to hone your style. Readers will thank you for it. Plus, it’s more fun than putting a spin on someone else’s story.

8) Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you. Every review and letter is appreciated and treasured.

Purchase Links For The Reluctant Sacrifice

Amazon
Book Depository
B&N

Purchase Links For Beneath Scarlett Valley

Amazon
iBooks
Kobo
Nook
Smashwords

-SandraTheBookWorm

NightGlory Release!!

Nightglory

by Mathew Babaoye

The second release from new author Mathew Babaoye, Nightglory is a fantasy debut set in a hidden magical Realm ruled by the mercurial, but implacable, Queen of Night, Goldenslaughter, at the time of her greatest challenge…

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Will and Power

The wider world is a place of magic and adventure, host to a number of different races which bicker and war and love, all to their own passions.

But within that wider world are various magical Realms metaphysically each bordering different geographical locations rich in Power and history, each existing separate from all else, and each ruled by councils, covens, Faen courts, or nothing at all.

In the Realm called the forest vale by its oldest, immortal residents, and the Night Realm by the nearly mythic usurper Goldenslaughter, Queen of Night, a balance as old as the Realm itself has been long upset, and a reckoning comes for them all, big or small, brave or cowardly, good or evil.

So prepare for love, loss, adventure, and mayhem, all in a magical land where anything is possible…

The Night Realm.

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Nightglory is the first book in a trilogy. Not a simple fantasy story, it combines elements of myth, faery and legend to create a grand new world of immortal despots, noble Knights, terrible Wizards, sly Fae, and the commoners caught between them. Experience this unforgettable new epic from the start, and find out the price one must pay for Power…

About the Author

Mathew Babaoye is a writer.

www.mathewbabaoye.com

Buy Me!

Amazon

Excerpt!

Beginnings

A faint glow was the first hint.

Far below, from moon silvered forest, it slowly climbed the dark-shadowed trail, against dark-faced bluff. No brighter, but slowly visible, until it was a faintly glowing cage. Then passing, with interior luminescence impenetrable, it continued a slow rise up through dark. High, and higher, slowly heading up, towards the bright-rimmed ridgetop.

As subtly more was.

With cage silvering, wrapped by her vague arms, emerging beneath the starry sky, a full moon shining low above far-distant mountains encircling the forest vale.

And substantial, she became.

Goldenslaughter.

A red-lipped smile upon her bonewhite face, with her long blue-black hair, and black gown, streaming behind, she seemed to glide out, the cage held by her wrapped arms, towards an arcing greystone bridge spanning an abyssal chasm.

“Beautiful one,” she crooned.

From the cage’s interior luminescence, a soft chirrup.

She crossed the arcing bridge upwards, against night sky, then back downwards, to silvered plain, and headed out upon it. Distant ahead, above low hills, waited a dark castle, like a black shadow against the vista of distant encircling mountains, with the full moon shining just above them.

Flowing silent, through silence. Moving smoothly, through stillness.

Gently rising, the way.

She wound up through the low hills, bearing the faintly glowing cage among their silvered shadows. Ahead, slowly rising against moon and mountains, were dark towers, and keeps, above dark, weathered walls.

Caer Nocht, the Dark Castle.

It was old, stark, and sprawling. A dark bastion spread across the high end of the bluff, under shining moonlight, reflecting nothing back.

She came the last distance.

Across Caer Nocht’s darkly gleaming moat, within its shadowed gatehouse, a stirring.

Metal slithered. Wood groaned.

The drawbridge slowly descended, eventually landing before her with a soft thump.

She continued across it, then entered the shadows of the gatehouse, with moonlight shining down ahead upon a gleaming suit of black armor standing in the center of an empty outer courtyard.

And she called, “faithful one.”

The Wraith Knight kneeled, joints creaking.

“I finally caught it!” she crowed, and twirled around the kneeling Knight with a laugh, her long blue-black hair and black gown flying after, before she headed off.

The Wraith Knight rose, joints creaking, and strode after her, clanking.

She passed through the shadowed inner gate, then crossed a moonlit inner ward, and entered back into the shadows before the looming Great Keep, atop which flutter a pure black banner. “Open!”

The double-doors swung wide, to darker shadows.

She glided inside the Great Keep, a line of witchfyre torches, held in sconces placed evenly along the dark walls, bursting into sudden life to begin casting eerie green illumination across the empty Feasting Hall.

Clanking outside, crossing the inner ward.

She flowed down the old, hard-bitten gold carpet covering the central aisle of the Feasting Hall, passing by empty tables, beyond which were heavy drapes covered tall windows along the outward facing wall.

“Goldenslaughter, Queen of Night.” An old gnome in black and purple livery stepped out from a table before her, kneeling to present up a covered silver tray. “Refreshments?”

“I have work yet to do, Feasal!” she sang out, her wrapped arms hugging the faintly glowing cage tighter as she skipped, with black gown flouncing, around him kneeling.

Feasal turned to watch her go, muttering.

Clanking, the Wraith Knight entered the hall.

Feasal glanced behind himself at its approach, then leapt back up and scurried from sight.

The Wraith Knight strode down the old, hard-bitten gold carpet, clanking, as ahead, Goldenslaughter disappeared into a dark passage behind the dais.

Every witchfyre torch suddenly snuffed out.

An outline of motion finished crossing the dark Feasting Hall, the sight of which was leavened only by dull moonlight edging the heavy window curtains.

Then clanks receded.

Stillness.

In the corners of the hall, shadows darkened. And, fading to echoes, the receding clanks eventually softened away.

Silence.

In the corners of the hall, dark shadows stirred.

The 52nd

Book Review

Title: The 52nd

Author: Dela

Rating: ★★★★★

Date Published: October 27, 2015

Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing

Genre: YA Paranormal/ Fantasy

Page Count: 461

Connect with the Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram

Buy Me: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Add me on Goodreads: The 52nd

Synopsis:

Not one of the sacrifices chosen over the long history had survived--until now.

On the tip of the Yucatan peninsula, the immortal Castillo family gathers in Tulum. Weary and haunted, they receive the names of fifty-two human sacrifices chosen once every fifty-two years for the Underworld, a tradition thought to have disappeared with the fall of the Aztec and Mayan empires.

Driving home one night, college freshman Zara Moss swerves to avoid hitting a ghastly figure in the road. Lucas Castillo witnesses the car crash, but when it comes time to supervise her abduction from the wreckage, he intervenes. Something is different about Zara: Lucas has been having dreams of her arrival for five hundred years.

As Lucas and Zara come together to put an end to the bloody sacrifices, they discover that the ancient tradition isn't so easily broken. The gods are angry, and they have until the Winter Solstice to drag Zara to the Underworld.

My Thoughts:

The author was kind enough to send me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel blew me away, I can’t believe it's a debut novel it so well written and I loved every second of it. Lucas and his family have been chosen by higher gods to be the watchers that will make sure that the abductions of fifty-two sacrifices that are chosen every fifty-two years for the underworld god goes smoothly, but this year is different because Lucas has been waiting for this particular fifty-second sacrifice for five hundred years. So, when Zara is about to get abducted he decides to interfere and safe her. This interference makes the Gods angry and puts Lucas family and his life in danger, but the Castillo’s are ready to put an end to the bloody sacrifices and have finally found someone that can help them. 

This book was amazing! Dela hit it out of the park with this one. I loved every second of this novel; it's hard to believe it's a debut novel the writing just flows so easily and sucks you in to the point you don't want to put it down. I really enjoyed the Aztec and Mayan history throughout the book and I'm completely obsessed with it now. If you have been following me for a while then you know that I love mythology and Gods so, the fact this book had gods in it made it five hundred times better I also loved learning and reading about them. The romance in this book was very well written it wasn't insta-love it's something that grows between Lucas and Zara as the book progresses. I fell in love with all the characters in this book even the villains! Lucas has been added to my ever-growing list of book boyfriends that prince had me swooning all over the place especially when he would speak Spanish; he might come across as a little over protective, but it comes from a good place. Zara was such a strong character I don't think I would have handled being a sacrifice as well as she did, I loved that she didn't take any crap from anyone and when she wanted be heard she made people listen. I'm not sure if this book is a standalone, but I'm really hoping for a sequel because I couldn't get enough of all the characters and the world Dela created and I'm hoping to read more about them. If you're looking for a something different and fresh to read this is definitely it, it has everything you would look for in a book action, romance, paranormal, gods, royals and diversity. So, what are you waiting for?! You must buy this book!

-SandraTheBookWorm

The Mark Of Noba

Book Review

Title: The Mark Of Noba 

Author: G.L. Tomas

Rating: ★★★★

Date Published: August 12, 2015

Publisher: Rebellious Valkyrie Press

Page Count: 334

Connect with the Authors: Website, FB, Twitter for Libertad, Twitter for Guinevere

Buy Me! Amazon

Add me on Goodreads:The Mark of Noba

Synopsis:

Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career—distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: He and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.

If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive.

My Thoughts:

The authors were kind enough to provide me with a copy of their book in exchange for an honest review.

Sterling is entering his senior year of high school and is determined to leave a mark, but when he meets Tetra the new girl at school she turns his world upside down. She tells him that he is not from the world Geo and that they both come from a whole different world called Noba and that they are being hunted by a shapeshifter called a Naga. 

I really enjoyed this novel, I found the characters very easy to relate to and very down to earth. I loved that this was written in dual perspective, it lets the reader understand both the main characters so much better! Tetra was such a funny and lovable character, I found her very intriguing since she comes from a different world she is trying to adjust to the this new worlds slang and their way of life; one being that in Noba being female or male doesn't really matter everyone is treated equally; so, when Tetra moves in with Sterling she finds it very confusing that he's uncomfortable with her staying in his room; this also led to some very funny and uncomfortable situations for Sterling. Sterling was such an amazing character, he is so caring and very easy to relate to and I loved his sarcasm; he was such a well written character. I really liked how the authors focused on both Sterling and Tetra’s character development in this book, I really liked reading how they're getting to know each other, as well as themselves. This book had me hooked from the get go! I found the world Tetra and Sterling come from very interesting and I can't wait to see if the next book takes us there. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a new fantasy read. 

-SandraTheBookWorm

Finish Him Release Day!

Title: Finish Him (The Games of Love Book 3)

Author: Deanna Dee

Release Date: November 17, 2015

Genre: New Adult

Buy Me! Amazon

Synopsis:

Round One, FLIRT

Sonya Black never expected a petty sibling quarrel could lead to her sister being drugged. Overcome with guilt, Sonya vows to bring the jerk to justice. When she dives into her own investigation, she lands belly up in the company of Jaxon Nyles, the security guard who may have all the answers.

But being a detective isn’t as easy as Sonya thinks. On top of that, Jaxon always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Is he a suspect, or is he falling for her? More important, is she falling for him?

The round has begun. Who will flirt? Who will win? Will hearts break in the process?

Excerpt!

With a complex pressing of buttons, the screen goes dim, and my opponent explodes into a fountain of blood and innards. Take that, pixels. The familiar zing of a victory glides through my blood, and it’s all I can do to keep the smirk off my lips. I haven’t been on Thanksgiving break for three hours, and already I’m kicking ass at video games and racking up the bragging points.

Dawn mutters a string of unintelligible syllables. It’s too bad not everyone’s having as good a time as me. “I will defeat you, Dwarf.”

I hit X on my controller to bring us back to the character selection screen. Dawn is the GM, Game Master, of the Marshalls and Magics campaign our group has going, and I play a dwarf. Possibly, she thinks calling me by my race will unhinge me enough for her to win a round. Not likely. “Yeah, yeah. Pick a character.”

Dawn sighs and selects Kerdwin, a random character who appeared in one of the side stories ten years ago. His combos are weak, and his powers are weaker. I keep all this to myself. Dawn pulls no punches during M and M. It’s not my fault if she’s bad at selecting characters in Bloodrage Anarchy: Silver Edition…or any other edition, really.

“Good choice,” I say instead and, with automatic movements, navigate three down and two over to Dalara, warrior princess of the outer realm of Simenia. The screen goes dark for the loading process, and our characters appear on the top of a narrow mountain. Lightning arcs overhead, and drums pound a war beat.

Round One, the game’s automated voice, which sounds like a constipated ogre, says. Kerdwin stands in a pathetic pose Dawn probably knows a name for. Dalara also stands in a pose she would know, but hers looks kick-ass and involves balancing on the balls of her feet and swaying. FIGHT! The constipated ogre bellows his call to arms.

Constipation or not, the call is all I need. I send Dalara into a flying kick and knock Kerdwin backwards. Next, I close the distance to execute Dalara’s strongest combo, a series of kicks and punches that will result in Kerdwin flying across the screen.

“Damn you.” Dawn blocks, breaking my combo. She jumps back until there’s an entire screen of distance between us.

Unfortunately for her, the reprieve will be slight. I regain my feet and go into attack mode, pressing forward twice and then the A button to activate a special attack. Dalara says something understandable only by the people of some tiny country in Asia, and dark flames erupt from her hands. I do this twice more, and Dawn’s life bar drops to a quarter remaining. She ducks my fourth attempt, leaps my fifth, and comes at me, getting through my defenses and landing a punch. The tip of my health bar turns red.

Oh hell no. That shitake will not fly. “Nice.” I send a high kick into Kerdwin’s face and follow with a punching combo. Kerdwin sways on his feet, and I shoot more black flame. “But not nice enough.” Dalara shifts to her ready stance. Kerdwin falls, and the game constipatedly announces my victory. Vacation has never been sweeter.

“Rah!” Parker screams. He’s sitting across the room on my bed, and somehow, he still almost makes me go deaf. “Excellent! Continue! Piff the Eviscerator desires more bloodshed!”

Dawn’s character staggers to his feet, and Dawn and I exchange the kind of sideways glance gamers use when they don’t want to take their attention from the screen. Parker plays an illusionist mage in M and M and, because he’s Parker, has named his illusionist mage Piff the Eviscerator.

“Silence, Gnome,” Dawn says in her intimidate-everyone-but-Parker voice. She’s probably hoping the boy will one day have enough sense to fear her and be quiet.

“Eviscerate!” Parker punches the air. “Blood!” However, that day is not today.

Meet The Author:

Connect with Deanna: 

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Deanna Dee is strictly human and does not, to her knowledge, own a hyena. She lives by the sea, which she takes full advantage of in the summer time. People, reading, and pop culture make up the shameless downtime of her life. The rest of it is writing, and she’s okay with that.

The Need

Book Review

Title: The Need: An Erotic Thriller 

Author: S.L. Hannah

Rating: ★★★

Date Published: August 25, 2015

Publisher: The Adventures of Hannah-Concept Publishing

Connect with the Author: Website, FB, Twitter, Instagram

Buy Me! Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Add me on Goodreads: The Need

Synopsis:

Stood up by her boyfriend, she goes home with a woman… 

Straight-laced coed Angie has never felt daring enough to…experiment. Until tonight. The skin around Heather’s lips is soft, unlike the stubble Erik lets grow in, and the night unfolds like an erotic dream, tapping into an unexplored part of Angie’s body and mind. 

But Heather’s seduction turns into a nightmare when Angie wakes up tied to the bed and is told she can’t leave. Alternately seduced and tormented by her lover-turned-captor, Angie is pulled ever deeper into a twisted world of pain-for-pleasure and voyeuristic exploits. As the stakes rise, both women give into a desire for connections neither has had, and Angie’s struggle to escape becomes a bigger dilemma: Would she leave if she could? 

Winner of the Golden Palm Contest for New Adult Romance, this erotic thriller dares to explore the darker side of our fantasies and their sometimes unintended consequences.

My Thoughts:

The author was very kind and send me a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.

Angie has been stood up by her boyfriend so, when the woman she’s been staring at all night comes up to her and buys her a drink she doesn't decline. After a few drinks she decides to go home with her something she has never done. They have an amazing night, but when Angie wakes up to go home she is met with a completely different version of the woman she met at the bar; as she tries to leave she begins to feel dizzy and faints when she wakes up again she is tied to a bed and her lover turned captor refuses to let her go. 

This was the first erotic thriller I've ever read and it was very enjoyable and creepy, but I did have some minor problems with it. I'm going to start with what I enjoyed and work our way to what I didn't like so much. I really liked the LGBT in this book, the way Angie was finding herself and getting to know this new part of her that she was never brave enough to explore by herself. I also really liked the way Heather and Angie took care of each other of course when Heather wasn't being a complete psycho. The one thing that bothered me the most was that Angie didn't fight heather much when she found out she was holding her against her will, it’s like she immediately felt sorry for her captor and started making excuses for her behavior and the reason she was keeping her there. Also Hannah hit me with a twist that I was not expecting and I really liked that, it explained so much of Hannah's behavior, but then she hit me with another twist in the ending that left me with some unanswered questions. Overall it was a very enjoyable read that kept me in the edge of my seat until the very end and Hannah's writing keeps you turning the pages.  

-SandraTheBookWorm