Showing posts with label Elisabeth Naughton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elisabeth Naughton. Show all posts

Friday, January 11, 2013

HEART PUMPING READS FOR A COLD WINTER NIGHT




There's nothing like a good suspense or thriller to get your heart pumping on a cold winter night. If it has a bit of romance in it, all the better. I thought I'd share a few with you today.


BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND 
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT

Vicki Hinze

ENTER THE WORLD OF MILITARY INTELLIGENCE...

Can a first-grade teacher from Grace, Alabama stop a terrorist group from its deadly mission?

Can she trust her heart again?

Former Air Force scientist Dr. Julia Warner-Hyde went into hiding three years ago to escape her abusive ex-husband. Her new life as a small town schoolteacher is safe and peaceful-until her old lab partner, Dr. Seth Holt, arrives.

Terrorists have stolen the missile system Seth and Julia designed, and they fully intend to use it. Seth needs Julia's help to find, outwit and halt them, but he and she didn't part on the best of terms. He doesn't know that Julia has a secret enemy who might kill them both. Can she fight that threat and the terrorists-all while keeping Seth in the dark? How can she refuse to try, with millions of lives at stake? Excerpt


This is a good 4 star read. Good blend of military, black box (black ops) research lab, and a villain with a vendetta against the United States and for whom the idea of treason doesn't apply--in his mind. Good character driven story. A good romance played out against the background of treason and devastation. Lots of pressure to figure out who the villains are, their motives, and a race to stop a bomb from being detonated and taking out millions. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I definitely plan on reading more from this author.



BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND
WAIT FOR ME


A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach. excerpt  (HEADS UP FREE ON KINDLE)
In my opinion this is a 4 1/2 star read. Love a good romance with a twist. Smooth and filled with suspense, lots of tension, unexpected twists, and danger. Elisabeth does a great job with romantic suspense (and on paranormal too.) This book was chosen as a nominee for 2012 Best Romantic Suspense--for good reason.
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Speaking of heart pumping reads: yesterday's winner for Colby Marshall's, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND is John Philipp! Congratulations John!
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Friday, November 30, 2012

THE DEAD HERO




My guest is romance author, Elisabeth Naughton. Her topic is one of interest because as writers we do have a plan when it comes to our characters and our stories. Sometimes the story is better served when we allow input from our beta readers or critique partner, even when the suggestions take us in a different direction than we first planned.

Gryphon: The Dead Hero

Thank so much to Sia for inviting me to stop by during release month for ENSLAVED, the fifth book in my Eternal Guardians series. I’m super excited to be here talking about the series and my hero who almost wasn't…Gryphon.

For those of you who don’t know me…I write the bestselling Eternal Guardians series about a group of gifted warriors all descended from the heroes of Greek mythology. They protect their realm and the human world from threats born of the Underworld, specifically one evil goddess with a bad attitude. Gryphon, one of these warriors, has been in every book in the series, but it wasn't all unicorns and sunshine for this guardian. No, he’s been to hell and back—literally. You see, Gryphon spent three months in the Underworld being tortured by Hades and his father Kronos, so in every way possible, he’s the tortured hero (again, literally) of the group. His story is all about coming back from the brink of insanity and becoming who he was meant to be. But originally, I didn't set out to write him this way.

I am an author who believes in writing reality. It’s not realistic that seven warriors span time and realms and battle evil again and again, only to triumph at each turn with no loss of life. Even the best warriors die in battle – look at Achilles! So originally, I planned to kill Gryphon off. I had his death scene all planned out. It was to happen in TEMPTED, book three in the series. He was going to take a mortal blow by sword in an attempt to rescue the heroine of that book. The hero in that story would ultimately be responsible for his death because his actions contributed to Gryphon’s death. It was going to add even more angst to an already angst-ridden story. But when I started to write that death scene, and my critique partner—author Joan Swan—caught wind of it, she freaked out.

I believe her words were, “You cannot kill Gryphon! If you do I will never speak to you again! Your readers will never speak to you again!”

Harsh words from a usually even-keel person. I considered. However, it wasn't realistic that everyone always survives!

And then….after much thought…I realized that realistic in the paranormal world is different from realistic in the real world. Gryphon didn't have to die…exactly. I could simulate death—even simulate torture in the afterlife—all while leaving a thread of hope for his resurrection. This is paranormal…anything can happen! In the end, I wrote it so his body was possessed by a power-hungry warlock and his soul was sent to the Underworld. The hero of TEMPTED was still blamed for Gryphon’s tragedy, the rest of the Eternal Guardians still didn't know if Gryphon would ever be rescued, and it still added in a whole new level of angst and betrayal to an already dark and emotional story. But it added something else. Something I didn't expect. It gave me a brand new storyline to explore in future books.

Gryphon’s imprisonment in the Underworld led to book four - ENRAPTURED – and a brother’s quest to rescue Gryphon from the Underworld. Then it culminated in ENSLAVED – a story where Gryphon is now free, but changed in every way imaginable. Can someone survive that kind of torture? Can a man so mentally and emotionally scarred learn to live in the real (er, paranormal) world again? If I’d killed Gryphon off in TEMPTED, I’d never know. Because my critique partner saved his life, readers can now answer that question for themselves.

One of the fun parts about writing—for me—is that things don’t always happen exactly the way I plan. Over the years I've learned to be open to changes. Yes, I wanted to kill Gryphon off for the storyline in TEMPTED to work, but I accomplished the same thing by sparing him. And my readers got so much more out of the fact he lived.  When I sit down to write, I usually have a vision of where I want to end up. Getting there is always the fun part. For me it means taking characters to the brink, sometimes pushing them off, but more often than not pulling them back and giving them a reason to become more than they ever were before. And after all, isn't living up to ones destiny the true definition of a happily ever after? I think it is.

I've got a copy of ENSLAVED to give away to one lucky commenter. Just ask me anything about me or my books in the comments to be entered to win!


BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND
ENSLAVED
ELISABETH NAUGHTONIN STORES NOVEMBER 2012

GRYPHONHonorable, loyal, dependable...tainted. 

He was the ultimate warrior before imprisonment in the Underworld changed him in ways he can't ignore. She calls to him. Come to me. You can't resist. But Cryphon will not allow himself to be ruled by the insidious whispers in his head. And there's only one way to stop them: kill Atalanta, the goddess who enslaved him. But with so much darkness inside, he can't be sure what's real anymore, Even the Eternal Guardians, those who protect the human realms and the gods, want to exile him.

Finding Malea is like a miracle. Somehow he doesn't feel the pull of the dark when she's near. And he's determined to keep her as near as possible, whether she wants him close or not. But she's a temptation that will test every bit of control he has left. One that may ultimately have the power to send him back to the Underworld...or free him from his chains for good. EXCERPT



“Creative worldbuilding and ever-present danger pull the reader into this mesmerizing tale.” RT Book Reviews, 4-½ star review of Enraptured


A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test-tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full-time from Oregon, where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including the RWA RITA© Award, the NJ RWA Golden Leaf, and the RWA Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park, or dreaming up new and adventures. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com and follow her on Twitter, @ElisNaughton.




Friday, April 13, 2012

LOVING YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS




It's our love of reading that has us visiting (or haunting) libraries, bookstores, book blogs, and online bookstores. Personally, for me, I would add visiting their websites because you can find amazing deals, excerpts, contests, and all sorts of extra goodies. If you're a writer, you first learned to love reading before you even considered writing.


What can we, readers, do to show love of our favorite author's work? Elisabeth Naughton shares some ways we can make a difference and ensure we're able to continue reading more from our favorites.

First of all, thanks so much for inviting me to stop by during my blog tour for ENRAPTURED. ENRAPTURED is the fourth book in my Eternal Guardians series and recently garnered a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and was named a Top Ten Romance for Spring 2012.

One of the things authors struggle with is how to get their books into the hands of readers who want to read them. There are so many books out there right now to choose from–especially with the boom in the Indie market. Does online advertising work? Do blog tours work? Do giveaways work? We’re constantly asking ourselves this question because all of these things—as fun as they can be—take away from what writers love and want to do, which is write that next book. For me the hardest part of being a published author is balancing the promotion side of writing with the actual writing. It’s so easy to use up a whole day (like today!) doing promo for my most recent book when what I need to be doing is writing the next book in the series.

I get a lot of fan mail from readers telling me how much they love my books, and while I truly enjoy hearing from them and appreciate the fact they’ve taken the time to email me, I’ve started passing on information telling them what they can do to help me out. Whether readers want to “see” it or not, publishing is a business. Publishers don’t buy and publish books, series and authors that aren’t selling. And the only way for an author to increase her readership and guarantee there will be additional books down the line is to sell more books.

If you’re a reader (or a writer who also loves to read…which we all are), there are a number of things you can do to help your favorite author sell more books, thereby guaranteeing he/she will continue to write the stories you love.
1. Post a Review! Reviews help new readers find and buy books. If you love a series and want to see it continue, write a review so NEW readers can find the book too. Then publish your review at Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, etc. to guarantee it will be seen.
2. "Like" books on retail sites like Amazon. Overall rankings are based on a combination of "likes" and sales. The higher the ranking, the better odds new readers have to find the book and author.
3. Tell your friends! Give them a book to borrow, tell them about an amazing story or series. Talk about it via social media sites like Twitter and Facebook and your own blog (if you have one).
4.  Sign up for the Author's newsletter so you can find out when the next great book is released. If you already get an author's newsletter, forward it to a friend you think might be interested. 
5. Like the Author's Facebook page. Follow the author on Twitter. Get involved in their online community and spread your interest to your friends.
6. Join the Author's readers group - if the Author has one.
7. Form a street team – a group of readers who spread promo materials like bookmarks and trading cards to readers they think will love an author’s work.

Any and all of these things help authors spread the word about books AND guarantee those authors will keep writing the books you love. They also help cut down on the amount of promo authors have to do from one book to the next so they can focus on writing that next story you’re so eagerly waiting for.  If you’re a reader who wants to help an author continue writing, you can pick and choose from the list. All efforts are appreciated on the author’s side. Trust me!

Thank you so much to all the readers who have found my books, loved them and spread the word! And thanks to all the readers who have bought ENRAPTURED so far! For those who haven’t…what are you waiting for? Run out and buy it today!

Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of my latest release, ENRAPTURED, to two lucky commenters today. 
  • Simply tell me what you've done lately to help spread the word about your favorite author or series.

ENRAPTURED BY ELISABETH NAUGHTON – IN STORES APRIL 2012

Orpheus—To most he's an enigma, a devil-may-care rogue who does whatever he pleases whenever he wants. Now this loose cannon is part of the Eternal Guardians—elite warriors assigned to protect the human realm—whether he likes it or not.

Orpheus has just one goal: to rescue his brother from the Underworld. He's not expecting a woman to get in the way. Especially not a Siren as gorgeous as Skyla. He has no idea she's an assassin sent by Zeus to seduce, entrap, and ultimately destroy him.

Yet Skyla herself might have the most to lose. There's a reason Orpheus feels so familiar to her, a reason her body seems to crave him. Perhaps he's not the man everyone thinks... The truth could reveal a deadly secret as old as the Eternal Guardians themselves. EXCERPT

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A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test-tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full-time from her home in western Oregon, where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including the prestigious RITA Awards of Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, the Golden Leaf, and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park, or dreaming up new and exciting adventures.
Visit her:
www.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about her and her books. Her next book in the Eternal Guardians series, Enslaved, will be in stores in November 2012.