Release Event | Phantom Dreams by T.K. Harris

Book Title: Phantom Dreams

Author: T.K. Harris

Release Date: June 7th

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Length: 81,956 words, 273 pages

Publisher: GMTA Publishing LLC

Presented by: As You Wish Tours

Cover Design by: Benjamin Poelman and Tipping Point

BLURB 

FBI Special Agent Jack Matthews finds himself on yet another serial killer case, having barely recovered from the last disastrous hunt. Still stiff from a gun shot wound in his leg, under investigation for a botched job, and having lost his fiancée when she walked out on him, Jack is beginning to wonder if it isn’t time to move on to something new. But, for Jack, these cases are personal and he can’t say no. 

Marketing specialist Kathy Gilliam leads a fairly boring life. If she’s not working or caring for her ailing father, then she is doing whatever it takes to avoid going anywhere near crowds of people. Her few distractions include her friend Margo Longfellow, occasional hiking trips, and her increasingly alarming dreams of women dying.

As her nightmares cause her to begin to doubt her sanity, the media releases news of the “Coast-to-Coast Killer” and Kathy discovers her dreams may be related. In a moment of panic, Kathy does something that places her on the FBI’s “persons of interest” list. Suddenly, her life is set on a collision course with Jack who must decide if Kathy is the killer or destined to become a victim.

EXCERPT

He hadn't meant to kill her. No. No. No. Tom stared down at the woman, first turning his head one way and then another, fascinated by the way the moonlight glinted against the blood pooling out around her. He was just angry, but Tom didn't understand why. He just really wanted to get away, go back home. It had been so long since Tom had been home.

Stepping over the body, he walked forward, trying to decide where he had brought Tom this time. They were in an alleyway. Across the street, he could see what looked like a hospital or doctor's office of some kind. But what city? What state?

Tennessee, the man in his head told him.

Yes. Yes. Still Tennessee. Hmm. Why are we here?

To find the girl, remember?

Right. The girl. Woman actually. Tom turned around and looked at the woman on the ground, the full moon shining clearly on her face. It's not her, he thought.

I KNOW!

Tom winced at the pain in his head, wishing he would just go away. But he wouldn't. Even before Tom had killed his mother all those years ago, the man had been in his head, slowly taking more and more of his memory and control away. Hours and even days now passed that Tom no longer remembered.

He took another look at the mental image of the man in his head. Mr. Mustache, he called him when Tom thought he wasn't listening. Tom had seen black and white pictures of men with mustaches like his. The man looked to be Tom's age, but wore clothes he had never seen except in movies. Why did he dress so weird?

Can we go home yet?

No.

Tom sighed, taking one last look at the dead woman before he started walking. In his mind, he could still see the fear in her face. He smiled at the thought, looking around as he emerged from the alleyway into the busy street. At least, they were in a city this time. Another thought widened his smile. Maybe there was a Starbucks nearby!

He began to whistle as he crossed the road, remembering her screams.

AUTHOR BIO 

T.K. Harris was born in California and lived a gypsy sort of life traveling the world as a military brat. She has been writing since she was a child and as had several short stories published by various magazines, including one in Woman's World. She currently lives and works in Colorado as a Senior Solutions Architect and IT Instructor and has recently had her first novel, Phantom Dreams, published. She is looking forward to her next two books, already outlined and partially written. You can find out more at: http://www.tkharrisonline.com. 

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Tour Stop | Broken Strings by Nancy Means Wright

Book Title: Broken Strings
Author: Nancy Means Wright
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: GMTA Publishing, LLC
Presented by: As You Wish Tours

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

When puppeteer Marion collapses during a performance of Sleeping Beauty, her friend Fay Hubbard promises to carry on. But Fay already has her hands full with three demanding foster children, Apple and Beets, who have a fractious jailbird father—and sixteen-year-old Chance, who has a crush on a much older guy in a band called Ghouls. And now Marion’s husband Cedric seems more interested in a drop-dead-gorgeous French teacher than in any string puppets. And who is the mysterious Skull-man who warns of death if the show goes on with one of Marion’s offbeat endings? When an autopsy reveals that Marion had swallowed a dose of deadly crushed yew—and a friend finds her sister dangling from a rod like a marionette, a shocked Fay goes after the killer.

EXCERPT

Finally Cedric said through his teeth: “The yew got in her drink, absolutely. She bought it at the local co-op, you know, some fool could have put in the wrong herb. But the control stick couldn’t poison her.”

They locked eyes a moment. She said, “It was you gave her that yew controller, wasn’t it. Wasn’t it? Cedric?”

He was quiet a moment. She could feel the electricity in the air, like a storm was brewing in the room, ready to break. Willard put a hand on her shoulder; the rough skin of his hand gripped her Valentini Marionettes tee shirt, digging in, but she didn’t want him to take it away. Cedric’s back was against the wall; his shoulders curved like a bow that might spring any moment and loose the poison arrow. “You gave her that controller,” she repeated.

“It was a gift,” he said finally. “For her birthday. I had it made. Yew is a beautiful wood. Supple, good for stringing, for operating marionettes. She loved it, she strung Beauty onto it. I was planning to lacquer it but she wanted to use it right away, so what could I do? You know Marion when she gets a bee in her bonnet.”

He was breaking down, his face like a split egg, the yolk running down his cheeks, onto his hands that were holding his face. She mustn’t feel sorry for him. He knew plants, he probably knew wood. Knew yew, the yew sap that still bubbled in the untreated wood. He could have warned his wife, stopped her.

Seeing his face she backed off. Willard’s hands lifted from her shoulders and she turned away. Her signmaker went back to his packing. She didn’t want any part of these accusations, his stance told her, he just wanted everyone to be happy. Willard the peacemaker.

But Fay was angry. The man had lied! His grief was false, he was playacting; he had a new girlfriend. Now he was turning his back on her. She went after him half running, into the kitchen. “You lied to me,” she shouted. “I don’t like that! I want the whole truth from you.”

‘I gave it.” The back door slammed. She opened it to follow but Willard pulled her back, his hands firm on her shoulders. ‘It’s okay, Fay, okay,” he said, and maneuvered her back into the livingroom. The day had turned dark. Rain was beating at the windows, and the ceiling was leaking into a box of puppet stuff.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nancy Means Wright has published 17 books, including 6 contemporary mysteries from St Martin’s Press and two historical novels featuring 18th-century Mary Wollstonecraft (Perseverance Press). Her two most recent books are the mystery Broken Strings (GMTA publishing) and Walking into the Wild, an historical novel for tweens (LLDreamspell). Her children’s mysteries have received an Agatha Award and Agatha nomination. Nancy lives in Middlebury with her spouse and two Maine Coon cats.

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Release - Blood of the Sire by Andrea L. Staum

 

Title:  Blood of the Sire Book 1 of Dragonchild Lore
Author:  Andrea L. Staum
Release Date: June 11th
Genre:  Fantasy
Length:  300 pages

 

When raiders come to the shores of Kalahtaya, Kitra, the village outcast, is sent to find allies by the village's Elemental Guardians. Along the way she uncovers the villages long forgotten past, as well as, learning how misguided her own memories have become.

The first book of lore reveals the birth of the Dragonchild and her tie to the Guardians of Kalahtaya.

About the Author - Andrea L. Staum is a 2012 NaNoWriMo winner with Blood of the Sire, her first published novel. By day she works in a motorcycle dealership and by night she spends way too much time on her laptop. Andrea lives in south-central Wisconsin with her husband, two cats, and two ornery rabbits.

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Tour Stop | Bemused and Bedeviled: Terpsichore In Love by John Tucker

Book Title: Bemused and Bedeviled: Terpsichore in Love

Author: John Tucker

Release Date: May 15, 2013

Genre: Supernatural Romance/Comedy

Publisher: GMTA Publishing, LLC

Presented by: As You Wish Tours

Interview with John Tucker

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I've lived in Georgia for 48 of my fifty years. One in Florida (hated it) One in North Carolina (hated it more). I've had three wives, two children, and a few cats and dogs.  I have an extensive DVD collection of what I call the gretaest movies of all time -- approximately 500.  I have submitted myself and my life to the Guiness World Records organization for the boringest man alive, but have yet to recieve an answer.  :-) 

What do you do when you are not writing?

Sleep, work, eat...bathroom activites...Facebook, TV. (See boring reference above)

Do you have a day job as well?

Yup...Tues - Sat...Pizza Management.

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

I started writing for real in 2008 and finished my first novel in 2009. Since it ended at 600,000 words, I am currently making it a five volume series of books - the first is Romancing the Fox. Joining the IWW (Internet Writers Workshp) in 2010 taught me how to write competently and since then, I have self pubbed Divisive, The Little Girl You Kiss Goodnight, and Romancing the Fox.  My first novel under a publisher, Terpischore in Love : Bemused and Bedeviled Vol. 1 - has just been released.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I don't have a specific genre. Divisive is a dark adult comtemporary, The Little Girl You Kiss Goodnight is a YA Mystery, Romancing the Fox is an adult romantic-dramedy, and Terpischore in Love is a supernatural romantic dramedy. I am  currently working on an Erotic novella and have just submitted a Horror short story to an Anthology project sporsored by Vamptasy.

Where do you get your ideas?

Since every basic plot a novel can have has been done already, it's up to a writer to make fresh characters and situations to go into a book.  Divisive came to me as a murder mystery to start with. Instead, it wove itself into a psycholgical journey into the mind of a sociopath. That book was so dark, with utterly reprehensible characters, that a fellow author made a bet with me that I couldn't write a story with 'good, morally responsible characters.' That book turned out to be The Little Girl You Kiss Goodnight. Romancing the Fox stemmed from a daydream/fantasy I had while in the middle of a deteriorating marriage. Terpsichore in Love was originally a series of episodic screenplays with a hybrid of Bewitched, Melrose Place, and How I Met Your Mother. :-)  Weird, I know.  I'm also working with a fellow author (Twila Vernon) on a straight Romantic tale that's coming along nicely.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

I do, but instead of moaning, bitching, and complaining about it, I start working on something fresh. At times I've had three different projects going and eventually, I got around to completring them all.  Keep the juices flowing, even if you have to switch from Grape to Pineapple.  :-D

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

First, I come up with a plot - start, ending, middle scenes. Then I outline a book into a twenty chapter synopsis that usually veers off somewhere around chapter six - ten when I actually start to write. I also compile a character list with their description, habits, attitudes, and add to it over the course of the book so I don't get mixed up. It sounds complicated, but it works for me. 

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

I read Stephen King voraciously as a pre-teen and teenager. As an adult, I absolutely love John Jakes and his American Bicentennial Series. For my own work, I combine Jakes' emphasis on characters, and King's casual style of writing - especially with pop and cultural references.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

For self-pubbing, the formatting process turned my salt and pepper hair into a full gray. For professional publishing, I tried submitting manuscripts to several organizations before GMTA (Great Minds Think Aloud) took a chance on me.

BLURB

The nine traditional Greek Muses, who are now living on Earth, find their everyday lives disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious mortal who is developing powers beyond human capabilities. After Dan Gordon falls in love with Terpischore, he finds himself in the midst of a power struggle between the forces of Heaven and the denizens of Hades – with the winner claiming his heart and soul.

Bemused and Bedeviled takes you into the drama-filled lives of the nine sisters, headed up by the impetuous Terpischore, oversexed Melpomene, irascible Calliope, and the impossibly cheerful Euterpe. On the dark side, Lucifer and his three Sirens – the level-headed Calypso, wrathful Celestia, and the effervescent Chanteuse – deal with their own darker issues. The representatives of good and evil vie for Dan’s loyalty and allegiance, despite family issues that threaten to rip the very fabric of the universe apart.

AUTHOR BIO

John. D. Tucker is a longtime Georgia native who began writing at the age of forty-three. He has self-published three novels: Divisive – a psychological crime thriller, The Little Girl You Kiss Goodnight – a young adult mystery, and Romancing the Fox – a contemporary romance/drama. He seems to be becoming a jack of all genres with his first novel under the GMTA banner – Terpischore in Love (Bemused and Bedeviled Book One) a romantic comedy filled with mythological characters interacting with contemporary mortals.

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Next You: Destined for Something Official Book Tour

Book Title:  Next You: Destined for Something

Author:  Angus H. Day

Release Date:  April 23, 2013

Genre:  Sci-Fi Fantasy

Publisher:  GMTA Publishing, LLC

Presented by:  As You Wish Tours

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

In the last year of mandatory school each soon to be graduate takes a multitude of tests to

efficiently funnel them into the right career. Personality profiles showing you to be low IQ, bigoted and prone to senseless violence really increase your chances of being denied. Scores mean enough to tempt test takers to cheat using answer sets bought from sketchy characters. You don't always get what you pay for as Felix Dernoft discovers in Destined for...Something, a Next You novel.

EXCERPT

Spiritual Yearning

The fourth time I met with Angela she was telling me about how we needed to act to be a part of the...group.  No lying, stealing, random violence, bad thoughts, and to not give ground to other belief systems.  This was the one true way.  She would say these things while holding my hand then we would bow our heads and speak to god.  Meeting in the room was always crowded as other dorm mates were drawn to the other counselors.  Angela would move closer to permit us to talk without yelling and I could smell her scent.

After the fourth time half of the dorm would go to meeting halls specifically for their groups yet I stayed and Angela would again speak with me in the meeting room of the dorm.  Though it was not crowded she still got so close that her legs would press against mine and the heat would increase my discomfort causing me to cross my legs before getting shamed.  Angela saw this and with her right hand cupped the inside of my left knee urging me to uncross my legs and I resisted with my leg muscles.  I lost my focus during this and released some air from below.  She cupped her mouth and nose with her left hand while rubbing my back with her right.  "That happens.  Sorry.  Shall we move somewhere else?"

"I would like to go somewhere else with you.  I never get to leave the dorm except for classes."

"You know you are allowed to leave right?  The dorm matron says that you never show any interest."

"The dorm matron never speaks to me."

"Well then let's go for a walk."

I realized that she was maybe a couple of years older than me but not much.  We were almost the same height.  As we left out of the entrance to the dorm her hand brushed the swelling in my pants sending a rush of pleasure up my stomach causing me to release a moan.

"Are you worried about leaving?"

"No."  She looked me in the face and cast her eyes down to my crotch briefly.

"Oh.  I know a place that we can walk.  Let's go."

We left the mandatory school grounds and walked along the White river as I found it was called from Angela.  She told me how she had graduated from Mandatory school two years ago and gotten further training to help at the school in counseling.  Pastor Silvia had explained salvation of souls to her and she had joined the church as a way of finding deeper meaning in her life.  The laws against proselytizing, she had to explain that word to me also, had Pastor Silvia worried as she already had four complaints lodged against her.  One more and she would be terminated.  Somehow we found ourselves in front of an apartment building.

"This is where I live.  Would you like to come up to my apartment?"

"Yes."

AUTHOR BIO

I live in Fort Collins Colorado with my wife and son. My daughter has embarked on her career as a graphics designer. I've been an Infantryman, Swine Farmer, smattering of other trades and jobs and now I'm a manufacturing pharmaceutical chemist. What aspect of my life that is devoted to fitness favors swimming in open water which means I spend most of the year working out in a pool then hit the lakes when it warms up a bit. My wife Cheryl safety kayaks for me when we manage to make it work. One day when I was waiting on everybody else in the house to get off of the computer when it hit me. Start doing what I had wanted to do for the last thirty years, write science fiction stories. I've read extensively, experienced way more than a person is entitled to and I am a scientist. That being said, sometimes I just pull them out of my ass. The ability to picture a scene in my head helps, once I stop laughing uncontrollably for no reason.

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