Cover Reveal for Violet Patterson's End of the Night!!!!

Cover Reveal for Violet Patterson's End of the Night!!!!

It began with tragedy.

Continued with rebirth.

Intensified with an uncovered past.

How will it all end?

The wait is almost over!  

Storm Sullivan's epic journey comes to an end tomorrow with the release of 

END OF THE NIGHT

I am thrilled to reveal the stunning new cover created by the brilliant and fabulously talented, 

Tammie Clarke Gibbs.

And, a teaser excerpt.....

Storm

Beep, Beep, Beep.

Storm groaned and rolled over, right into PacMan’s back.  “PacMan, you bad boy.”  She halfheartedly mumbled the reprimand and attempted to push his body to no avail.  “Fine.  Be that way.”  Slapping the snooze button to silence the alarm, Storm draped an arm over her dog and snuggled into the short soft fur, relishing the gentle rise and fall of his chest. 

Beep, Beep, Beep.

PacMan snorted and licked Storm’s face.  “Alright,alright, I’m getting up.  I don’t know why you’re so put out, you get to lay around in bed all day.”  Pushing off the bed, Storm reached down and flipped the alarm to off before breaking into a yawning stretch that was highlighted with a serious of soft cracks and pops as her spine realigned.   For a second, Storm swore she heard a baby crying and paused at its closeness.  She mentally chastised herself and shrugged.  Must be the neighbors.  The apartment walls were paper thin after all. 

Stepping into the shower, Storm stood for several minutes under the steaming hot water, washing away the grime from the day before and the vague discomfort following the vision she’d had.  The vision.  It was an ugly one and somewhat painful if truth be told.  She’d made the call to the precinct from her disposable cell and hoped they been able to nab the sicko in time.  Part of her wanted to call Dan and Shane to ask about it but then they would wonder how she knew.  Every time Storm had the same internal argument but ultimately did the right thing and waited for the news story.  She rinsed off and stepped out, wrapping herself in a worn bath towel.  PacMan sat in the doorway of the bathroom staring at her in his usual concerned way.  Storm called him a worry wart because he always appeared to be frowning in concern. 

“I think I talk to you too much, boy.”  Storm turned from her dog and wiped off the mirror.  A man’s face looked back at her.  She blinked, rubbed her eyes and wiped at the mirror again but only saw her own reflection.  “Yes, definitely.  I am losing it.”  Storm grumbled to herself and went about methodically combing the tangles from her hair before neatly plaiting it.  With the towel secured tightly around her body she slipped back into the bedroom and flipped the television on to the morning news.  Sifting through her wardrobe, Storm half listened to the weather and traffic.  By the time the main anchor re-took the screen she’d slipped into a pair of black pin-striped pants and her least ratty white lace camisole.  The story Storm had been waiting for came on just as she was slipping into her emerald green satin blouse.

Author SJ Byrne's new book, 'Once a Druid'

Looking for something new?  In only 5 days Author SJ Byrne's new book, 'Once a Druid' comes out!  While you are waiting check out an excerpt...

More will be happening on April 25th

              than most realize...

"By the light of the Lunar Eclipse—let them see!"

There is something seriously wrong in Kirra Munro's head. Besides suffering from amnesia, night after night she is plagued by dark dreams of other worldly rituals and a past she has no right in remembering—or does she?

Psychology professor Cayden McKinnon has the ability to unlock the blockages in her mind, but after one visit things begin unraveling far too fast. 

Time is running out...or has the battle for one woman's soul just begun?

Available in print and digital April 25th, 2013!

Beyond her heavy eyelids, Kirra knew she was no longer alone. In the darkest shadows a presence had joined her.

The being didn’t breathe. Her sensitive hearing would have detected the slight whoosh of air filtering through the spongy mass of a living lung.

It also wasn’t human—her tongue would have tingled from the imminent promise of a blood offering.

Whatever the thing was, she had never encountered its kind before.

A slight shift in the air to the left alerted her to the creature’s exact position. Part of her wanted to be afraid but her stronger essence knew there was nothing to fear.

A prickling began in the tips of her toes as she pushed the comforting thought into every corner of her brain. Curious about the cause, she stilled her mind and focused on the heat spreading from her feet throughout the rest of her body. Not an entirely unpleasant sensation, it was much like bathing in a gentle wash of warm water.

Once the sensation penetrated her brain she knew all her past actions were being picked apart and judged by the invading heat. Somehow she understood that the being held her life in its hands. Despair saturated the infrastructure of her spirit but ceased almost immediately, leaving a sense of weightlessness at her soul’s core.

“Only the pure of heart can receive my protection—all others perish during the purging.”

The edict slipped into her thoughts like soft feathers turned to a thick warm liquid. Through the haze washing over her reflective process, Kirra sensed her body being lifted off the slab of stone and was unable to resist the movement.

To be cradled against an essence exuding such strength and vitality made her want to cry. All she’d been lacking in her heart flooded her system, choking the breath from her lungs.

“Weep not...”

The voice drifted off into unintelligible murmurings as the shadows behind her eyes turned pure black and Kirra’s thoughts were no more.

Pre-order your print copy today!

Once a Druid

Tonight I had the strangest dream...

Did you think I was going to say, "I sailed away to China, in a little row boat to find ya"?  Well, that was not my dream, but at least we are on the same page.
My dream started off in a dark bathroom, the only light I could see was coming in the window from a street light outside.  I was standing near the toilet and a black ooze dripped down from the ceiling and fell into the toilet and I flushed it away.  For whatever reason, maybe I didn't want to know what I was, I ignored it and went to bed.  When I woke up the bathroom was brightly lit by the sun.  I don't know why I couldn't have just turned a light on the night before, but maybe I was just too tired to deal with the ooze.  Though since this is not a regular occurrence around my house maybe I should have investigated it.  In the dream I remember thinking maybe it was a snake.  I am not that familiar with snakes, but I don't think they emit huge wads of ooze, or maybe they do.  I don't know.
Anyway, when I awoke I went back into the bathroom and looked in the toilet, there were remnants of the ooze, but most of it was gone.  I looked down at the floor and I could see something hanging there next to the copper pipe that fed the toilet.  It was long and black.  It looked like a charred hot dog, though it was much longer, about two feet long, and it was hanging from behind the toilet and went into a hole in the wall.  I had no idea what it was, but it looked awful.
I bent down on my knees to get a closer look.  Suddenly, a big, fat, orange and white cat jumped out at me.  At first I was a bit relieved that it was only a cat, but I was still slightly confused by the slimy charred rope hanging nearby.  The cat started to hiss at me and tried to bite me.  I had my cat in my arms, she was a soft gray cat, much smaller than the other one.  How did that cat get in here, I wondered?
My first priority was to get my cat to safety, then I could try to get rid of this strange cat.  It would not let me near it, so I slowly backed away, with my cat still in my arms, and I left the bathroom.  Normally I wouldn't put my cat down in the basement, but it seemed like the safest place for her right now.
In the dream the basement was in an old house of mine, and my cat, was a cat I used to have, her name was Poppy.  However, the bathroom was my current bathroom, and later in the dream I am in a kitchen, a kitchen I had never seen before.  I had also never seen the other cat that was in the dream.
So, back to the basement.  I opened the door and Poppy said to me, "please don't let that other cat get me."  Now, my cat did not actually speak, but clearly I heard her.  I assured her I wouldn't, I shut the door, and proceeded back to the bathroom.
The other cat was still in there, as I tried to get closer to her she would swat at me, hiss, and try to bite me.  Then I heard faint meows coming from inside the wall.  I finally managed to grab the cat and it was not easy to hold onto her, she was squirming all about and trying to claw me.  I could not free my hands enough to open the door, if I had she surely would have jumped down and ran away.  I wanted to get her out of the house.
I walked into the living room where the tv was on and there was a video game on that I must have been playing.  I am not sure when I was playing this video game, was it before the ooze?  If so, why didn't I shut it off before I went to bed?  Either way, it was on and I sat down on what must have been some sort of game chair that was connected to the game.  It looked like a very simple driving game, nothing like the driving games that are out today.  This looked like an old fashioned video game with very simple graphics and very little surrounding scenery.
So, I sat down.  Apparently the object of the game was to drive and not get hit by other cars.  As soon as I sat down, with the cat still in my arms, I was hit from behind by another car.  The chair jolted forward and shook.  This seemed to frighten the cat.  I let another car hit us, same effect, the chair moved and the cat was scared.  I figured if I could leave the cat here it would be distracted long enough for me to get the door open and then I could get her outside.  Of course in this dream I am obviously brilliant because before I could not put the cat down because she would just run away, but now I had devised a plan where the cat would play video games and be distracted allowing me time to leave and go open the door.  This works with kids too, right?
Apparently, this is a great way to distract a cat.  Who knew that cats like video games?  So the cat sat there in the chair, but sitting like a person, and she was fixated on the game.  Cars kept slamming into her from behind and the chair would thrust forward and shake violently.  I was free to go open the door.  At some point I had also dressed the cat in a small, red, silk Victorian dress with black lace around the collar, and an old dusty, worn out, brown hat with a red ribbon bow.  The dress was proportional to her size.  I don't know when she got the dress or where it came from, but there she was an orange and white cat, sitting like a person, wearing a dress, and playing video games.  Seriously though, if you are a cat and you are going to be playing video games, don't you want to be well dressed?
While the cat was distracted by the video game I managed to sneak into the kitchen and open the door.  I then ran back into the living room, grabbed the cat, and made a beeline to the front door.  I quickly tossed her outside and shut the door.  I then went back over to the basement door so that I could let my cat back into the house.  My cat came in, walking on her hind legs and wearing a green grass skirt and a small light brown top made of a canvas material.  Poppy thanked me for getting rid of the other cat.
Well, that was the end of the dream.  The only other thing that could have been missing was if Porky Pig came out at the end and said, "That's all folks!"
I have no idea what that dream meant, but please feel free to comment.  What was the last weird dream that you had about?
Enjoy your Friday, the weekend is almost here! :)

Poem-a-day

April is PAD (Poem-a-Day) Month.  Today I would like to share some of the poems I have written over the past 12 days.  Please enjoy. :)

One of my favorites, written on 4/1/13, I call 'Haiku for Homer'.  Normally haikus don't have titles, and this one doesn't either, but I do still unofficially call it by it's title.  Everyone got that?  Good, and now onto our poem...

A fresh batch rises
sweet aromas fill the air
Homer laughs softly

This poem is a combination of love, my love for the tv show 'The Simpsons' and Homer's love for donuts. This poem did receive a reply, it said..."tasty for sure".
(I will not reveal the names of the people who replied to the poems on this blog because I do not know them and I do not know if they would want to be mentioned or not.)

4/6/13

“Post”

The post office is gone

there is no more mail

We'll save a ton of trees

no one thought a snail

You can always make posts

on sites like a blog

Your posts can be sent

while you sleep like a log

No stamps are needed

just the click of a mouse

No need for the office

you can stay in your house

Times they are changing

technology moves fast

The post office is gone

It's a thing of the past

One person replied to this, "Technology finally stops the carriers from their appointed rounds." I thought that it would be ironic if this were to happen considering all of the elements and obstacles that the postmen must overcome each day to ensure their packages, parcels, and posts get delivered to their intended destinations.

I have written a number of haikus for the PAD challenge. I don't normally write any, so I thought it would be a good idea to try it more often. I have enjoyed writing them, here is another haiku from 4/10/13.

The waiting brought pain

The revelation was worse

Now I suffer alone

This was was of my favorite ones, and I enjoyed the reply it invoked, "Oh my … heartbreaking …" It felt really good to be able to stir up that kind of emotion in someone.

Finally, since my book is a romance I thought I would leave you with a romantic poem written on 4/11/13.

'In case of...'

In case of forgetfulness

I leave you this key

Use it to unlock memories

and then think of me

We had some good times

but some were also sad

I'll cherish the little things

our love wasn't half bad

We have both moved on

we each have a new life

I wonder what would be

had I made you my wife

Looking back on it now

I surely have no regret

I will always love you

and I will never forget

One woman replied to this poem with one simple word, "sweet." I will be posting more poems until the end of April. Right now I am working on editing Cerridwen Moon and I must say it is going rather well. I have written a few thousand words over the last couple of days. By the time it is complete I think it will be a very good book to read. If you would like to see an excerpt please click on the link on the top right hand corner of the blog. There is only about one month left to help me by supporting the book, please support it if you can. Thank you all once again, have a great weekend!

PS. Don't forget the Virtual Ebook Fair this, and every, Saturday! You can also click the link for that too! It's located on the top right hand side of the blog! :)

Internet and TV BAN!!

Well folks, it seems that Mayor Bloomberg is at it again!  Since the repeal of his ban on soft drinks the mayor has been trying to come up with new ways to improve our quality of life.  His latest scheme?  Proposed restrictions on TV and internet use!
The proposed bill, to go into effect May 1, 2013, will limit your use of the internet and television.  The article states...
Children under the age of 18 will be restricted from using the internet or TV for more than 3.14 hours per day.  Adults 21 and over can use the internet up to, and including, 6.47 hours per day provided that such use is work related.  An additional 1.18 hours of personal use will be granted to anyone who used more than 4.23 work hours in one single day.  Anyone going over the allotted 7.59 hours per day will immediately and forcefully have all driving privileges suspended indefinitely and children will be placed under mandatory state care.
Also, as a rider to this bill...
You will no longer be able to use Pi in any mathematical equations.  You can no longer enjoy pie in any form, and you are strictly prohibited from joining any sorority or house that utilizes the Greek letter Phi.
Mayor Bloomberg assures us that this is in our best interest and if we don't like it we can move to NJ.  Starting on April 17, 2013 government teams will be in your neighborhoods to assist local cable, satellite, and internet companies with placing monitors on your house and computers to easily allow them to track your usage.
The mayor thinks that our kids need to get outdoors and play more sports, it is the way he was brought up and he knows what is best for us.  Also, he suggests that we need to READ more.  Sometimes on a Sunday night the mayor likes to relax with an 8 oz. glass of water while he reads his favorite articles about himself in the newspapers that past week.
I don't know about anyone else, but it doesn't seem worth it to even try to fight the mayor on this.  Ultimately I think it will pass and we will have to succumb to his will.  So, we may as well get used to this, might I suggest you start by reading a book right now.

As many of you know I am working towards generating support to get my book published.  There is not much time left, so if you have been thinking about helping me and supporting me, now would be a great time to do it!  Every bit of support helps!  So please read an excerpt from my book, and if you enjoy it please help out!  In the immortal words of Abe Simpson, "if we don't support this thing, it might not make it!"  Yes, he was talking about the Superbowl, but I think it applies here too!  There are only 37 days left and then my book either lives or dies!  Please help me bring it to life!  All it takes is a dollar to help me realize my dream!
Thanks everyone!  Have a great Sunday!

Excerpt

Thought I would post a little excerpt from my book this weekend to help promote the Virtual Ebook Fair!  So here goes...

 At this point in our relationship we really started to plan to be together and we started to discuss more serious subjects including our past marriages, her children, and our pasts in general. There were a lot of things that we had planned to discuss in person, but as time drew on we just opened up more to one another and it just became natural to discuss these things. Even though we were not physically together we were truly involved in our relationship and we were truly together in every sense of the word but one.

We had taken the time to get to know one another. A lot of times when you first get involved in a relationship you rush into things. Because of the physical distance between us we really didn't have a choice. We had to let things go at their own pace. We really took the time to get to know one another and we always felt that this would help us and we would be better off in the future because we did take the time to get to know each other and really build a strong foundation on which to build our relationship.

Want to read more?  Just click on the picture to read a much longer excerpt!

Thank you so much for all of your support, every bit helps, and spreading the word around really helps a lot too!  I appreciate it!  Can't wait to get this published!

Looking for some new authors?  Want to chat with a few of them?  Want to read excerpts from their latest works?  Want to win a prize?  Do you want to have some fun?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you really need to check out the Virtual Ebook Fair this and every Saturday!

Have a great weekend everybody!  Hope to see you at the fair!

Blog Feature

Hey everyone!  This week I am being featured on Annamaria Bazzi's Blog  Click on the link to check it out.  She interviews me about my book 'Cerridwen Moon' and also asks me questions about the crowd-funding site Pubslush.com that I am using to help generate support for my book.  Please have a look!  Hope you enjoy it!

Virtual Ebook Fair

Hi everyone!  Did you get a chance to come to the Virtual Ebook Fair last week?  No!  It's ok, you are in luck because we are doing it again this Saturday!!
This is your chance to discover new books and new authors!  There will be giveaways, lots of new features, and the whole thing is FREE!!
So, do you enjoy reading?  Well then stop on by, say hello to some of the authors, and read excerpts from their latest works!

While you are at it, stop by and see my book before it is published.  You can read a lengthy excerpt there.  If you enjoy what you read please tell other people about it, and if you really like it any and all support really means a great deal to me!  

Thank you so much for stopping by, hopefully we can meet up at the Virtual Ebook Fair!  

Have a great weekend everyone!

PAD

Hey all!  I am participating in PAD (Poem a day) for April through http://www.writersdigest.com/  The object is to write a poem each day based on that day's topic.  For day one the topic was 'New Arrivals'.  Since I am new to the site my first comment/ poem is awaiting approval, but you can still click the link above and see a lot of other poems.
For now I will post my poem here...

A fresh batch rises
sweet aromas fill the air
Homer laughs softly

Well, that's it, hope you enjoyed it.  I will continue to post a new poem each day, today's theme has not been posted yet so I will check back later and create some new art!  Have an excellent day!

The Leibster Award!

What a way to start a Monday!  I've been nominated for the Leibster Award by JH Gaines!  Thanks JH!!  Everyone should stop by and check out JH's blog, lots of great stuff there.  Click here to visit JH's blog!  
If you are looking for his books you can follow this link... Zachania (Tome 1)

So what is the Leibster Award?
"The Liebster Award is for bloggers with under 300 followers and the rules of the award is that the nominee must link back to whoever awarded them, write 11 random facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions from the award giver, and then nominate another 11 bloggers and make up 11 questions for them to answer. It's a great way for new and undiscovered bloggers to meet new people, get more followers and find some blogs that they want to follow."

11 random facts about me:

1. I never thought I would live past age 30.

2. I played soccer for 28 years, coached for 6 years.

3. I talk to myself and inanimate objects, a lot!

4. Twinkees are one of my all time favorite foods, and I love mac n cheese.

5. I own a 2006 Honda Rebel Motorcycle.

6. If I could pick one place to live in the world it would be the Upper East side of Manhattan.

7. I have owned my own businesses in the past including a motel and a video store.

8. When playing cards, or in a lot of situations, I usually break even.

9. The Simpsons are my all time favorite TV show.

10. I have always wanted to go to Ireland.

11. Last year I broke my left elbow, right wrist, jaw, cheekbone, orbital socket, lost a tooth, and got a concussion all at the same time.  It hurt a lot, but I am feeling much better now.

My answers to the 11 questions:

1. Tea or coffee? Coffee (Or how some people think NY'ers pronounce it Cawfee!)

2. What is your favorite quote?  "It's time to get busy living or get busy dying" from Shawshank Redemption

3. Who is your all-time favorite author?  I'd say me, but I am not published yet, so I will go with Stephen King

4. What is your favorite game?  To play, soccer.  To watch, football or hockey.

5. Who was your favorite president of the United States and why?  Reagan, he was the first president I could vote for, I think he did a good job for the country in many ways.

6. Which Simpson would you compare yourself to?  Probably Homer, lol.

7. iPhone or Windows phone?  Neither :)

8. Who would be your dream literary agent?  Anyone willing to sign me!

9. What was the last thing you gambled on?  I am taking a gamble right now trying to get my first book published.

10. If you had to spend the night in a haunted house, what would you take with you?  Toilet paper, and lots of it!

11. And finally, what gives you the most satisfaction about writing?  I have always enjoyed writing for my own pleasure, but I have always been a people pleaser too, now I am hoping that my writing will bring other people joy as well.

My 11 questions to pass on:

1. Where would you like to travel?

2. If you were a superhero what would your superpower be?

3. What was your first car?

4. Who is your favorite author?

5. Do you prefer cold weather or warm weather?

6. When was the last time you built a snowman?

7. Who is your favorite actor or actress?

8. At what age did you start writing or drawing?

9. What do you enjoy most about your art?

10. Who would you like to see in concert?

11. Do you know anyone you would take a bullet for?

11 Blogs that I would like to pass the Leibster Award onto:

Don Schlising

Annie D

J. Lenni Dorner

Carey Heywood

Jill Sanders

D. VonThaer

Sarah O'Hara

James A. West

Marta Szemik

Christine Cunningham

JJ Ellis

Please stop by and have a look at their blogs, each one has something unique to offer and I am sure you will find something you enjoy!

Thanks again for the Leibster Award!!