You Can Hear The Sound of My Soul! My Soul to Keep now in Audio!

I have some great news. After a long and arduous journey, the audiobook version of my soul to keep is FINALLY available!

 

Written by: Sean Hayden

Narrated by: Ren Ruiz

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

Series: Rise of the Fallen, Book 1

Format: Unabridged

Available at: [Audible][Amazon][iTunes]

(coming soon to Amazon and iTunes!)

It was only a wish. Connor Sullivan was painfully average. The very highlight of his existence was going to school, doing homework, and playing video games. He thought nothing would ever change that. Unfortunately, homework usually screws everything up.

A cut, some blood, and a hastily scrawled promise to sell his soul for his fondest wish… and all hell breaks loose. Literally.

The Demons take him up on his offer.

In a last ditch effort to keep his soul, he wishes to become one of the demons, or Fallen as they call themselves. Connor thought he had found a solution to his problem. He never fully understood the meaning of the phrase, “From the frying pan into the fire,” until his wish was granted. The biggest catch? Never ever fall in love with a human…

And then, she walked into his school. Beautiful, red-haired, funny… and blind. Connor’s heart didn’t stand a chance. Neither did the Fallen’s rules. He had saved his soul, but could he find happiness without hurting the girl he loved? Or would secrets Jessica didn’t even know she had destroy them all?

BLOG TOUR STOP- DRAGONTHOLOGY from Untold Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clicky the image to enter to win!

Today I have the honor of hosting the final stop for the Dragonthology Blog Tour! What’s a Dragonthology you ask? Only seven of the greatest dragon tales (see what I did there? Dragon tales? Dragon TAILS? HA!  I kill me) known to man, compiled in one book, with probably one of the coolest covers I’ve ever seen. What’s so awesomesauce about the blog tour itself? Um…hello….How about a chance to win a 25$ Amazon gift card. You can use it to buy the Dragonthology and a whole bunch of other books! How’s that for a sweet deal?

 

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 2012

Dragonthology

Enter the pages of the Dragonthology. No single story has ever been great enough to contain the mystical, wondrous creature known as the dragon. We
assembled the greatest draconian tales and put them between the covers of a single tome to satisfy your hunger for everything dragon. Seven magnificent
stories, ranging from science fiction to mystery, await you within.

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon by G.L. Jackson

A washed up has been, Private Investigator Clark is down to his last $100. That is, until the night a mysterious femme fatale walks through his door
weaving a tale of intrigue in hope of recovering an artifact steeped in mystery and danger. What follows is a raucous ride through a little known human and
dragon history, played out on the streets of New York City.

Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew

Jonathan Heller uncovers an unusual secret during one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One in the middle of horrific trench warfare. Can he convince
an ancient dragon that humanity is worthy of life during their darkest hour?

The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen

A dormitory full of fun loving female students, an angry red dragon with a litter full of hungry whelps, and a particular student of Irish descent. This
won’t end well for the dragon.

Egg Hunt by Jay Wilburn

A lonely smuggler must make decisions he never dreamt possible in the darkness of space to elude capture and protect his precious cargo of dragon eggs.
When one of them hatches, it threatens to damage his ship. Can a person change enough to save a ship, a dragon, and himself?

The Clan by Troy Lambert

Dragons return to the earth and humanity enslaves them with the last remnants of technology of their dying race. Now the technology of old is fading. Will
the dragons be able to rise again? Will the humans declare war, or will a peaceful solution be found? It all rests in the hands of an ancient dragon, and a
lowly shepherd and his clan.

Dragon Seeks a Wife by Sandra Graves

What happens when a dragon falls ill and is told he will die in a year and a day unless he finds his one true love? The only thing a dragon can
do. He sets out on a quest to win the hand of the perfect mate for a dragon–the daughter of the king. Aided by a Quetzal bird sorcerer, he begins his
quest. An old fashioned fairy tale with a Meso-American twist.

Darkness Taken by J.A. Campbell

In a land where children are warriors and the only adults are mythical creatures, all are called to fight the Darkness. Til and her dragon partner,
Heliodor, complete the perfect Welcome Ceremony, but their joy is short lived. The Dark has slain a unicorn and taken her foal back to the Darklands. Can
Til and Heliodor venture where none go and rescue the young unicorn?

Witch Hunt: of the Blood, a REVIEW

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Five novellas based on Devin O’Branagan’s bestselling novel, Witch Hunt!

 

You’ve closed the cover on Witch Hunt, but the story isn’t over … yet! Devin O’Branagan has handpicked writers to take up her characters’ stories and explore what happens next.

The anthology begins with O’Branagan’s own novella about Hawthorne matriarch, Vivian. Vivian and her fellow British witches work together to prevent a Nazi invasion during World War II. Then there is Colonial maiden, Bridget, who struggles with the guilt of failing her family in Salem, 1692. Her younger sister, Prissy, mysteriously disappears and finds another magical world. Julia, torn by family loyalties, love, and her spiritual quest, pays a huge price to continue the bloodline. And Miranda uses her powers against the great influenza outbreak of 1918—but finds the ultimate foe is prejudice against her kind.

 

Discover what was left out of Witch Hunt and revisit your favorite characters with these exciting novellas. The story isn’t done until the battle’s lost and won.

 

This anthology contains novellas by Devin O’Branagan, Suzanne Hayes Campbell, Keri Lake, K.L. Schwengel, and Krista Walsh.

 

All five authors of the anthology are available for discussion at Devin’s writers’ forum. This is the link to chat with them: Chat With The Authors!

Witch Hunt: Of the Blood is available in both print and eBook formats and may be found at Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. (Smashwords provides copies compatible with almost all types of eReaders including Sony, Apple, Kobo, etc.) It is also available internationally via Amazon worldwide!

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Two of the stories in this anthology are bridges to the upcoming sequel, Witch Hunt: Resistance, which will be released in 2013.

 

The original Witch Hunt is an international bestseller first published by Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books. It has been translated into German and Turkish and is consistently on the bestseller lists. It is the story of 300+ years in the history of a family of witches, from the time of the Salem trials to a modern-day witch hunt. It begs the question: could it happen again?

 

Witch Hunt is available as both a paperback and an eBook. It is available at Amazon,B&N, and Smashwords.

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The Review

You go through life. Sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen. Being contacted about doing a possible review for Witch Hunt was definitely one of the highlights of my week. I don’t do reviews often, and it’s not a matter of preference, it’s a matter of time. Having a full-time job, being a full-time publisher, and being a full-time author takes its toll on the amount of hours in your day. I don’t get to read much for pleasure anymore. It just isn’t a priority. So using the excuse, “It’s for a review,” came in quite handy and you can expect to see a lot more reviews from me in the near future. Now that I travel a lot, I have to do something to keep me occupied on the flights!

I’ve always been a fan of the Paranormal. In fact, other than some steampunk and a smattering of science fiction, it’s all I read. Vampires, werewolves, monsters, you name it. I’ll read it. Witches, vampires, and demons are without a doubt, my three favorite character types. It’s why I jumped at the chance to review Witch Hunt. This is the part where I lay down my honesty clause. I include this in all my reviews: I am an author. I am a publisher. That does not taint or tarnish my review in anyway. If you value my opinion, keep reading. If you don’t, don’t read any further. I was also given this book free of charge in return for an honest review. That will also not taint or tarnish my review in any way, shape, or form.

Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?

Fan boy moment–> LIKE OMG, this book was amazing!

There. Got that part out of the way. Now I won’t sound like an idiot during the rest of the review. But daaaaaaamn  I had to say that. The book itself is actually a compilation of 5 novellas. Don’t groan! I’ll smack you if you do. I am a kindle owner. NOTHING irks me more than to download a book and start reading it and have the percentage drop one percent with each page. You will not have one gripe about the length of Witch Hunt. I laughed maniacally as my “percentage remaining” dropped at a barely noticeable rate! So if you’re looking for a quick read, this book is NOT for you.

Now, for my other peeve when reading an anthology of different authors. Some are awesome, and some are so bad you want to take away their crayons. It’s human nature. Some people like a story…some people don’t. Some people like Twilight, the other 99.9% don’t. I kept looking for the story I was going to hate. When I got to the fifth story, I think I actually rolled my eyes and thought, Here it is. This is gonna be it. By the time I was done, I actually reread it to make sure I liked it. So here’s the bad part of my review. If you’re looking for one story in it that you will hate, this book is NOT for you. There. I said it. Im such a hard ass reviewer, eh?

Okay, now that we got the negatives out of the way, let’s focus on the positives.

Each story was just amazing, and no I’m not blowing smoke up your chimney. The stories themselves range from WWII witches doing all they can to aid in the war effort, witches in the 1700’s, A witch-doctor (hahahahaha, I mean a doctor who is a witch, not a witch-doctor, bing bang walla walla bing bang), and modern witches. The big surprise for me was finding two of the stories that are tied together and a prelude to the next book in the series. And no, I’m not going to tell you which two. I was surprised, you can be surprised! Trust me, you’ll be all like, “OOOOOH,” and stuff. Totally worth it.

Some of the authors truly shocked me. Some are well known, some are not, but all of them wrote with a quality of the most seasoned of veterans. I cannot recommend this book enough and it is truly worth every penny you WILL spend on it. No I’m saying YOU WILL BUY THIS BOOK, for I have commandethed thee. The future ruler of your world has spoken, make it so, number one, so shall it be.

Because I’m nice, here is a list of the stories inside:

Of the Blood of Witches

By Devin O’Branagan

Circle Unbroken

By Krista Walsh

Shadows of Dreams

By Suzanne Hayes Campbell

The Banishing

By Keri Lake

Blood Tells All

By K.L. Schwengel

BLOG STOP- KATY O’DOWD!

OR, Interview with a half-mad genius!  I’m a very lucky individual today. I have a guest. The lovely AND talented, Katy O’Dowd.  She is the author of THE LADY ASTRONOMER and hails from the emerald isle. I agreed to host her on her blog tour (after much threatening and bribery I might add), and I wanted to do something a little special…

An interview. I hope my questions let you get into the mind of this fabulous author (don’t worry if you can’t get out and are scared, we’ll send a rescue party)

The animals in your story were truly lovable, even the farting lemur. Who were your inspirations for them?

Why thank you kindly! The farts came courtesy of my beloved old dog – who sadly left this world for the next earlier this year – man, I don’t know what else he was eating but whooboy, those were some smells. I would be writing and eau-de-Boxer would waft its way to me. The ring-tailed lemur? One of my favourite animals, and a friend of mine did an oil painting of one for me years ago. Owls, awwww! Also, cats, of which I have two-ish. Well, I foster for the local cat rescue place, so that number goes up. So a mix really. I wanted to be a vet when I grew up. Sadly, it was not meant to be. Damn you dreamy-stare-y-out-of-windows brain!

The Great Forty Foot telescope and the Lady Astronomer herself have basis in real life, would you care to share your inspiration with the readers?

Read it in a book. No, really. A big fat fact book. It was heavy.

Your creations, especially your automatons, seem to be steeped in folklore as to the power-source (plant). Where did you get your idea for these?

Do you know that ad that used to be on? For a shampoo. It had a voiceover (while the lady threw her head around, showing of her glossy tresses) which said, ‘and now the science bit’. Y’see, I’m not, shall we say, that great at the science bit. So I kinda made it up. Also, shhhhh, I’m a bit of a veggie tree-hugging hippie. Still be my friend?

I laughed heartily while reading the Lady Astronomer. Do you often put as much humor into your work as an author?

I’m really glad you laughed! That rocks. I try.

What’s next for Katy O’Dowd? Any projects in the works?

I’m currently writing a follow-up to the book I wrote with my Dad, The Scarlet Ribbon. It’s historical-medical fiction.  We write under the name Derry O’Dowd (my middle name). As for me myself, have finished an historical crime novel and plotting another.

May we expect a sequel for The Lady Astronomer?

What a marvellous idea!

As a writer of steampunk, do you draw inspirations from any other sources or writers?

Oh my yes. Did you know that Edgar Allan Poe wrote a tale about a balloon reaching the moon? Not to mention HG Wells and Jules Verne.

When did you first start writing?

As I said above, I really wanted to be a vet. Fail brain set in, and I needed to do something else instead. So I decided to be a radio journalist. Vet to radio journalist, why not? Makes perfect sense!

How many times did you contemplate ending your existence before you found a publisher?

I am lucky to be alive.

Tell us about your current publisher. Are they all awesomesauce and stuff?

Awesomesauce doesn’t even begin to cover it. I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be published by Untold Press who have been a total delight to work with. I may just have to inflict something else ‘pon them J

LIGHTING ROUND…

Broccoli or Cauliflower?

Oh bleck! I just did a little vomit in my mouth – neither!

Favorite adult beverage

Anything with a really high caffeine content.

If you were a shoe, what kind would you be?

A big clodhopper of a boot. A black one. Flat. At least calf-high. With loads of straps and buckles.

How do you kill a vampire?

Noooooo! Vampires are your friends! Unless they are of the sparkly variety.

Milk or dark chocolate?

Milk.

Finish this sentence: All doctors are…

…. unable to make their handwriting legible.

You die and go to hell, what music is playing in the background?

Well, I would like to think that The Dark Lord would have better taste, but if you mean Hell as in a Horrible Place it would have to be freeform jazz.

Favorite holiday and why

Halloween! Sweets! Ghosts! Witches! Things that go bump in the night!

Most terrifying way to die?

Suffocation by Tribble. Ticklish!

Favorite movie

Little Nicky! Yeah!

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2012

Lucretia’s life as an astronomer is quickly turned on its head by her
eldest brother when he is commanded by the king to build the grandest
telescope in the land. Her nights spent on rooftops gazing at the
stars are replaced by adventure as the family move to be nearer the
king. In a race to build the Forty-foot telescope on time, misfortunes
take their toll. The lady astronomer finds court life to be more
dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Can she find the strength
inside to overcome the obstacles threatening her destiny? Only the
stars will tell.

THE GIVEAWAY! 

CLICK THE COVER TO ENTER!

You are cordially invited…

Greetings and salutations, my friends.

Well, once again the leaves are changing (everywhere but Florida), Summer’s heat is waning (everywhere but Florida), and Autumnal festivities are once again making their way into our hearts and homes (everywhere but Florida). In the natural world, most members of the animal kingdom give birth in spring. Not true for authors. November is the month favorited by our subspecies. Yes, I’m talking about NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month).

Every year I have started out with the best of intentions, yet life has a subtle way of sneaking up on you and bashing you in the spine with a cinderblock. Well, NOT SO THIS YEAR!!!!

I haveth something special planned.

Everyone knows about My Soul to Keep, my YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE. Well, I have been asked when the sequel is coming out, so many times, I’ve bumped it up on my priority list. I figured I would use November and NANOWRIMO to make you all happy. Well, I spoke to a good friend of mine and she gave me an idea!

I would like to cordially invite all of you to be there with me while I write it.

No, I don’t mean in spirit.

No, I don’t want you showing up at my house with popcorn and beer. Hmmm, okay. If you have popcorn and beer, I’ll let you in.

No, I don’t want you bombarding me with story ideas on FB and Twitter.

I have something else in mind.

I’m going to write Your Soul to Take in Google Docs

I invite you to follow along

The chat window will be open

DON’T EDIT THE DAMN THING WHILE I’M WRITING!!!

I’ll edit later

I want this to be fun. Everybody has been so great with My Soul to Keep, and I kind of wanted to write the sequel with everyone who read it. To make them feel like they were part of it. I’m sure it will end up just being me and a couple of crickets, but the invitation is open. Starting November 1, 2012, simply click the link below. I will leave this blog post open so you have the link readily available.

Happy writing!

To watch Sean Hayden writing Your Soul to Take, simply click:

* * *

HERE

ME, in a nutshell

Hello, world.

I’ve been catching a lot of heat on social media, and not for my usual…um…antics?

I thought I would use my blog to clear up a few hundred things about me. You see, the whole anti-gay agenda has really been setting me off lately. Politicians, business owners, and even some of my friends have been going on and on and on and on and on about “traditional marriage” and how “gay marriage” pretty much guarantees you your own skewer in the marshmallow pit of hell.

I’m going to go ahead and say it. That is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. Christians do love them some telling people they’re going to hell, don’t they?

I only know one thing, if you put your own religious beliefs over the chance of two people being happy, YOU, MY GOOD SIR, ARE AN ASSHOLE.

Before we continue this discussion, let me clarify two points. First of all, I’m not gay. I simply understand that you have absolutely no control whatsoever of whom you fall in love with. I fell in love with the most amazing woman in the world. If she had a penis, I’d still love her and probably would be gay. It’s that simple.

I also know for a fact that you can not help who you are attracted to.

“Huh?”
Yes, you hear me correctly. Just because a woman has a vagina, doesn’t mean I am attracted to her. I’m PRETTY sure the same thing applies to people who are gay. I don’t find blonde’s particularly attractive. That doesn’t make me a brunettasexual or a blondophobe. I simply have my preferences. If the blonde community starts sending me hate mail, I’d completely understand.

The second point I would like to reiterate for you irate Christians out there is….are you ready to be shocked? I’M NOT AN ATHEIST!

~waits a moment for the shock to wear off~

Yes, you heard me. I’m not an atheist. I was born and raised a Catholic. Let’s just say I’m disillusioned.

“HA! I KNEW IT. YOU HATE JESUS CHRIST! YOU ARE  GOING TO HELL!”

First of all, so what if I do go to hell? Is it any concern of yours? Are you going to be looking down at me in the fiery pits of hell yelling, “I DONE WARNED YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!”. Do me a flavor, haughty Christians…stop worrying about my eternal fucking soul, would you? It’s mine. I’ll do with it as I damn please. I’m surely not going to change the way I live because of your beliefs. I may joke and say I’m evil, but I truly don’t think so. I’m kind to people. I help when I can. I’m more likely to do something for somebody else instead of myself. I don’t hate people (NOT EVEN ZEALOTS). I’m not racist, sexist, or hurtful. If that earns me a ticket to hell…then so be it. I’ll fry in peace.

As to the hating Jesus Christ…Um, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t. I have never said I did. In fact, the parts about Jesus are the only parts of the bible I liked. He made sense. The rest of the bible…not so much.

GASP!

I know. To me the rest of the bible is pretty ridiculous. How can you quote a certain part of a book as a foundation for your beliefs and ignore the rest?

“I HATE GAYS CUZ IT SEZ SO IN LEVITICUS,” says the tattooed, pork eating, working on Sunday blasphemer.

Yeah. I know. I have issues. The problem is they’re not with Christianity. They’re with Christians. Blind faith can be a wonderful thing. It can also be a horrible thing. It’s when you stop listening to your brain that it becomes a problem. I’m sure Jesus didn’t intend his teachings to be used as an excuse for people to hate or control other people. I am sure he meant them as guidelines on how to live your own life.

If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t do it.

If you don’t like tattoos, don’t get one.

If you’re against abortion, don’t have one.

If you are offended by nudity, don’t look.

If you don’t like foul language, don’t listen.

DO NOT, tell me how to live my life. DO NOT, say to me I’m going to hell. DO NOT, tell me I’m evil (actually, go ahead. It makes me giggle.) DO NOT pray for my soul and tell me about it (pray all you want).

Don’t call me a hippy. Don’t call me a liberal. Don’t tell me I’m part of the problem. Don’t tell me I’m what’s wrong with this country.

Don’t tell me I’m persecuting you for your beliefs.

YOU are the one using your beliefs to try and control those around you. YOU are the one who insists your beliefs are more important than other people’s happiness. YOU are the close minded individual who insists you are right and everyone else is wrong. YOU are the one who believes your faith is more important than ANYTHING in this world.

This is what I believe. I could be wrong. I admit it. Maybe Jesus will cast me into hell. Maybe Jesus will come down and smite every gay person in the world. But you know something? I’m not fighting to take away your rights. I’m not telling you that “traditional marriage” is wrong. I’m not stopping you from believing what you want. I’m not telling you you’re going to hell.

THIS is what I believe.  Amazing how I can express myself without interfering with your life, isn’t it.

Hugs and Rainbows to all 😀

Well, I haven’t blogged in a while, so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m going to try something a little different from now on. I have a website. http://www.seanhayden.org. I thought I would move all my “book” related stuff and keep my blog here for rants, raves, and fun shtuff. So, I’f you’re looking for news about my books, CHECK OVER THERE!

So, as an inaugural post, I thought I’d pick something fun to pick on…I mean talk about.

So, boys and girls, today’s topic is…

NETFLIX

DUH DUH DUHHHHHHHH

Why I Fucking Hate NETFLIX

A composition

by Sean Hayden

I was a late comer to Netflix. Oh sure, I dabbled with it in my youth, but the fascination quickly wore off. Then one day, I found myself separated from my wife with no cable. “Sure, I’ll give it another shot,” I said quietly to myself. It will help pass the time. I quickly fired up my trusty laptop computer and logged on to Netflix.

Have you ever had a turning point in your life? That was one of mine. I had a bad feeling about it, but I quickly suppressed the silly voices in my head ( I shouldn’t have done that. It makes them angry). I set up my account, chose my password, and then…hit my first snag. If there’s one thing I hate in this life, it’s OPTIONS.

What kind of plan do you want?

Um…there’s more than one? I just want Netflix

You can chose streaming only!

Um…what’s a stream? Is it bad if you cross them?

Or, you can chose streaming with one DVD out at a time.

Um…why would I want a DVD if I can watch a stream of it?

Well, the most POPULAR movies aren’t available as a stream. Just the shit movies nobody wants to watch.

Um…give me the DVD then.

JUST ONE?

Um…That’s what comes with the plan?

Well, silly. We have more than one DVD plan. You can select the Streaming and ONE DVD, TWO DVD, or THREE DVD plan.

Um…what’s the difference?

Are you fucking stupid? You get one, two, or three DVD’s

Um…I kinda figgered that. I meant the difference in price.

Oh, SILLY US. Well, its around 5$ more per month per DVD

Um…Okay. I’ll go with the 2 DVD plan.

GOOD choice sir. Not too miserly, nor too rambunctious. Right down the middle. I see you like to play it safe.

DON’T CROSS THE STREAMS!

So. with that done, I was NOW a NETFLIXTER! Woo hoo. No longer would I have to be embarrassed when my friends asked me, “Have you seen this? Have you seen that?” Now I could respond without shame! I had joined the ranks of the masses! I had become one with the cinematic collective!

Yeah, right.

My first DVD came. I watched it. I don’t even remember what movie it was. I sent it back. The second one came and then the third one. I now had TWO movies out at the same time. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t chose.

And so life moved on. I kept up the charade of being happy for about a month. I watched a few movies. I sent most back without even watching. I probably wouldn’t have even opened them if you didn’t have to stuff them in those annoying fucking return envelopes that you have to line up the barcode through that little window thingy.

Then my universe crumbled.

NETFLIX TO RAISE PRICES

Ruh roh, raggy.

My 14 dollar bill had doubled. Well, being the frugal, pennywise, budget-conscious person (fancy term for BROKE MOTHERFUCKER), I decided to downgrade my plan and ditch the DVD’s.

Waa waaa waaaaaaaaa

Now I was paying for a service I hardly ever used. I watched anime, my kids watched other tv shows. You see I had given them my username and password so they could watch movies while at their mom’s house.

I got home from a particularly uneventful day of work

I plopped down on my couch

I turned on the xbox and brought up netflix

I found a nice looking morsel of japanese animation

I hit play

ERROR: your account has been downgraded to one stream. Please stop all other streams before watching on this device.

Um…WTF

SO I called.

Sure enough. NOT ONLY HAD THEY RAISED THEIR PRICES, but now You only got 1 stream. You could only watch 1 movie. Unless you went back on the DVD plan. But, with each dvd you got an additional stream.

Let’s just say, I told Netflix what they could do with their streams.

VIVA LA REDBOX!

Heeeeeeere’s JENNY!

Greetings and salumatations denizenz of Earth. Tis I, your fearless world conqueror here to share what he loves…

INTERVIEWING AWESOMESAUCE WRITERS!!!!

MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Today’s guest is none other than JENNY HILBORNE. I met Jenny a few years ago and we became good friends through social media. She even forgave me when I accidentally called her Jill one time on twitter. Talk about embarrassing! Whew! Anyhoo, Jenny is here to tell you a little bit about a fantastical new Murder Mystery she penned, HIDE AND SEEK. I do so hope you will download it, read it, and love it, and post glorious reviews about it. You do recall the punishment for displeasing me right? I will find your house and pump JUSTIN BIEBER music into the very foundation of your house if you fail me!

With that said, ON WITH THE INTERROGATION…er…I mean…INTERVIEW!

VISIT HER WEBSITE, DAMN IT!

1. I love it when I see new works out from you. Can you tell us a little about your newest without giving away the story?

It starts with a game and ends with a murder. The inspiration for Hide and Seek comes from a creepier version of the game I played in my early teens out in the grounds of an English manor house.

2. By far your best cover. What was the inspiration behind it?

I wanted the cover to convey the frightening mood of the story, the fear of being followed or chased, always looking over your shoulder. Patty Henderson of http://www.boulevardphotografica.yolasite.com/ captured it perfectly. 

3. You mainly stick to the murder and mystery niche, have you ever thought of trying another genre? Which would be your choice?

I’ve thought about it, and maybe I’ll try it. I’d probably go for horror, but without the bloody guts and gore. 

4. Could you tell us a little bit about your research process?

I ask lots of questions and I have several friends in law enforcement who answer most of them for me. The San Francisco settings come from my visits there. The rest is on-line research and library reference materials. 

5. What was your favorite (not yours) book of all time. Did it inspire you to become a writer?

I like too many books to have a favorite. I always loved to write. Sidney Sheldon’s books inspired me to get started on my first manuscript, and an English professor encouraged me to try for publication.

6. As an American transplant, do you see things differently when it comes to stories? Do you think it gives you an edge as a writer in any way?

I think my ex-pat status hinders me more than it helps. I’ve forgotten which are the Brit and US version of certain spellings and I often stick a “U” and extra “L” (and other things) where they don’t belong.

7. Of all the characters that you’ve written, who is your favorite? Why?

My favorite is Alex from Madness and Murder. She’s shared a lot of my own real-life experiences and she’s a survivor.

8. What’s the hardest part about writing murder mysteries?

As I’m a “panster” the ending is usually the hardest for me. I don’t have my novel all mapped out in advance and write as I go. The end has to be deserving and fitting for the characters and satisfy the readers. I never want to leave anyone disappointed.

9. Did you have any challenges writing your latest in terms of research, story, or characters?

Yes. The story and characters in Hide and Seek challenged me more than the first two books. I find the more I write, the harder it becomes. The challenge is in crating new suspense and keeping it fresh and unexpected. Writers have their own style. If you read enough of a writer’s work, you notice the style and the books can feel “samey.” The challenge for me is to avoid too much commonality between books. I don’t want my stories to be predictable.

10. What can we expect next from the great Jenny Hilborne???

I’m heading back to my homeland soon to research and write my 4th mystery, which takes place in Oxfordshire, England. As much as I love San Francisco, I’m excited about the new setting for this mystery.

Flash/fun round

1. You’re in a chinese restaurant, without looking at the menu what do you order?

Chicken chow mein 

2. Favorite type of pet?

Dog

3. If you were to spend the rest of your life painted another color, what would you chose?

Yellow or white.

4. Lefty or righty and would you switch if you could?

Lefty. I wouldn’t switch.

5. Trapped on a desert island, name three non survival items you would bring

A book (duh), chocolate, toothbrush.

6. iphone or droid?

Droid

7. favorite alcoholic beverage

Wine

8. What’s your favorite stuffed animal

a well-fed dog 🙂

9. You get to pick a nickname that will be used for the rest of your life…what is it?

Your Highness (sorry, I’m watching the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and I couldn’t think of anything else)

10. Worst thing you ever did….

When I was 16 or 17, a group of mods descended on our school for a showdown with the rockers. The rockers had to offload their knives and chains before they got caught, so they picked the least likely-looking suspect to take them off the grounds – moi. I walked home with their arsenal. Doubt anyone would have defended me if I’d got caught.

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WHAT WHAT WHAT??? FREE TODAY AND TOMORROW!

That’s right peoples! you hearded me right. It’s free today and tomorrow so PLEASE, take this opportunity to download it and read it! So far it’s my favorite out of everything I’ve written. Hope you like it too!

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ever have one of those bad ideas just pop into your head? You know the ones. They seem like a great idea at the time, but if you had stopped to think about it a moment…

I’m talking about those ideas where you just seize the moment and do what your heart tells you to. Then, after the dust settles and you get bandaged up, your parents say, “What the hell were you thinking?”

“But, Dad, I wasn’t!”

I had one of those moments.

I guess if you want to be technical, I had a whole chain of those moments leading up to the big bang moment. The problem was I didn’t have anyone standing around saying, “What the hell were you thinking?”

The moral of this story?

There are several.

First, stores don’t sell black candles for a reason. They’re bad news. If you happen to come across one in the mall that sells questionable items…walk away. Trust me on this one. Black candles are bad.

Second, always know what you want out of life. Coasting along, not caring about anything will get you into trouble. Maybe more than you can handle.

Lastly, if someone offers to grant you your fondest wish, wish for something you really, truly want. Wish for something that will make the world a better place or you a better person. Never ever wish to be a monster…

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Product Details File Size: 373 KB Print Length: 181 pages Publisher: Untold Press (May 4, 2012) Sold by: Amazon Digital Services Language: English ASIN: B0080N68AA Text-to-Speech: Enabled  Lending: Enabled

Enough is Enough

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m not the most religious person on earth. Do I believe in God? I’m not convinced. Do I believe in the possibility of god? Anything is Possible. Have I lived my life, the best I can without intentionally hurting anyone? Definitely. Do I judge people based on their religion? NEVER.

I very rarely post anything religious or political. Why? Because I don’t want you preaching your beliefs back to me. There are two sides to EVERY story. People seem to forget that when it comes down to religion and politics. They’re right and everyone else is wrong and they would be willing to fight for the death for those beliefs. Admirable? No, it’s stupid. There. I said it.

What everyone has forgotten is that the single most heinous crime that ever can be committed is OPPRESSION. Every single one of us as human beings has our (possibly) God given right to believe in what we want to believe in. The minute you try to force those beliefs on another person, you are engaging in the very thing you feel you were fighting against in the first place. You say we are one nation under God. No, we are one nation under many gods. Now do you think I’m un-patriotic? I’ve got news for you. Our nation’s founding fathers fought against religious Oppression, so why do you think being a religious zealot makes you more patriotic than me?

Do I have a problem saying, “One nation under God,” when I stand up and say the pledge of allegiance? NO. Do I get angry at the person standing next to me when they mumble under their breath during that line? Hell no. Because I don’t want them to say something that they don’t mean or that makes them uncomfortable. Because that is THEIR right. Before You get all high and mighty and preachy at me, I have more news for you. I get just as upset at the atheists who think that line should be stricken from the pledge or have In God We Trust off the Face of our currency. Does it show favoritism by being there? Quite possibly, but it’s been there for hundreds of years and it isn’t HURTING a single person by being there. The same goes for religious Icons on municipal properties. Let cities proudly display Nativity Scenes at Christmas. Do you get to complain? You could. But honestly, wouldn’t you be better serving your beliefs by asking the City to also display an Icon of your religious holiday if it coincides? If the city says, “Absolutely NOT!” THEN you have the right to complain and be upset.

Do I think that any one religion has a place in government? No I do not. Does it have a place in politics? Yes. If a person blathers on about his beliefs as a member of any religion, we should not be offended. If those beliefs are not yours, don’t vote for him or her. If that person makes it into office and tries to govern people by quoting a religious text, then by all means, be offended. You are then being oppressed.

Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe. Everyone has the right to worship as they want to worship. We have forgotten that on both sides. Hypocrisy seems to be the new craze sweeping our nation on both sides. We need to worry a little less about religion and focus a little more on common sense and humanity.

If you’re going to wear a WWJD bracelet and stop people from being happy when they are doing NOTHING to harm ANYONE else because you don’t think its right…then I have news for you. You are the problem of what is REALLY wrong with this country.

What Would Jesus Do? I’m not a theologian, but I’m PRETTY sure Jesus didn’t walk around being a bigoted, hateful asshole. He seemed to be a pretty tolerant guy, from what I’ve read. Maybe you should stop using the words, “The bible says,” when you are dictating to everyone what YOU believe in. If you swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, then do so. I’m pretty sure there is nothing in that document governing same sex marriages, sexual preference, birth control, or anything like that in there. STOP FORCING YOUR BELIEFS ON PEOPLE AND DO YOUR JOB.

I’m sure this little glimpse into the mind of Sean will get me unfollowed by the more religious personages of my friends and family. Oh well. You see, this is what’s known as the freedom of speech. This IS UPHELD by the constitution of the United States. I’ve said it. Do I get to MAKE YOU BELIEVE in what I have just said? No. Do i get to turn this little corner of my heart into a law that will affect the lives of millions? No. Are you starting to get the picture on how this works? I hope to all the religious deities out there that you do.