Anida Adler - The Ancient - You Gotta Read It!

Meet author Anida Adler! Her book The Ancient came out September 15th from Loose ID. Sound interesting? Then read on! You won't want to miss this fabulous writer!

You can visit her other stops by going to: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/09/virtual-book-tour-ancient.html

In keeping with the Irish theme to her story, Anida will be giving away a Shannon O'Shamrock bear to one randomly drawn commenter from the tour, so be sure to comment early and often!

Here's a great interview with Anida Adler.

1. Describe your writing environment.

Until we moved house in September, the desktop computer stood next to the television in our sitting room, and I wore headphones, listening to loud music, when I needed to write and either the kids or my husband wanted to watch TV. I got the netbook I'm working on, sitting in a cafe in town, at the moment. The reason for that was because I work pretty much all the time, and with the netbook, I could sit beside my man while he watched the box. That way I could be close to him without having to stop working.

We moved house recently, and I now have a wonderful workspace in front of a window that overlooks the Cooley Mountains. More space, yippee! It also helps my eyes to be able to look out of the window every now and then. I'm so far too poor to afford a nice flat screen, so when I work at the desktop I have to wear glasses, and I have to watch out for eye strain.

2. Where do you get your ideas for your work?

That's almost impossible to tell. Out of probably about twelve novels I've written, I can only remember the seeds that gave birth to two of those. The rest I couldn't tell you if I tried.

With my very first one, I created a fantasy world that was a translation of the isolation I felt as a brainy girl growing up in a very working class environment. I'm sure many people feel that they are alone inside their heads, looking out at the world, no matter how close they may be to other people. I don't make friends easily, and when I tried earlier this year to make a deliberate effort to socialise more and maintain more friendships than I had before, I became desperately unhappy. I've now made peace with the fact that I prefer having a few close friends instead of a plethora of superficial friendships.

The other novel whose birth I can remember vividly is The Pebble, my novel published through Amira Press under author name Nadia Williams. I was cycling towards Warrenpoint along the shore of Carlingford Lough when I became aware... let me stop here. I know the difference between fantasy and reality, but for me, fantasy is so vivid that I prefer leaving out the 'I imagined' or 'I thought'. So just bear with me here. I became aware of my bicycle's spirit forming an elated bubble around me, gaining life from my enjoyment of the cycling. This got me brooding out a scenario where a woman bought a bicycle which was possessed by a spirit from someone who lived long ago - of course, it would be a sexy hunk. But how would his spirit have got into the bicycle? I pondered the possibility of the ore which made the frame having contained a stone to which his spirit had been banished by a witch. If you read The Pebble, you can see how far the eventual plot strayed from that initial story idea, but it might also be interesting to see the remnants of the first imaginings still embedded in its foundation.

3. Which authors do you admire and why?

There are a few authors I really love, because their books leave me silent, stunned and withdrawn when I finish. I am, however, really pathetic with remembering author names. Even so, I have a few favourites: Terry Pratchett, James Morrow (though I've only read 'The Last Witchfinder' so far), Tricia Sullivan (who is also a cyber-friend of mine), David Gemmel, Diana Wynne-Jones. I'm bound to think of a few more as soon as I've sent you the answers to these questions and can't add more!

4. Any tips or suggestions for new writers?

This is not the first time I've been asked this question since starting my mini-tour for The Ancient, and in truth, it makes me feel uncomfortable. I feel as if I'm a beginner myself, as I never stop trying to learn more, trying to write better. My good friend Mike Stone, also an author, was the first to gently chide me for still calling myself a beginner, and I know few other writers consider me to be one.

What I told a new group of teens at the Apple Tree Foundation, where I lead a writers' workshop on a voluntary basis, was this:
a. Cut out adverbs. It forces the rest of your writing to be stronger.
b. Read 'The Turkey City Lexicon' http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/
c. Read 'Holt's Ten Mistakes' http://www.holtuncensored.com/hu/the-ten-mistakes/
d. Read 'Everything you need to know about writing successfully in ten minutes' by Stephen King http://mikeshea.net/Everything_You_Need_to_Kn.html

I gave a different answer to this question every time I answered it, I think, but there is just so much you need to know if you want to write stories other people will want to read, and enjoy reading. I would also wager each author you speak to would give you a different answer to that, though there might be similarities. Listen to all of them, and try their advice before discarding it. Take the adverbs thing, for instance: when I was first told this by my dear first writing mentor, Pat Jacobs, I thought it was stupid, but I trusted her, so I just did it. I couldn't believe the amazing effect it had on my writing. You have to give something that might not sound right, a shot before you decide it doesn't work for you. Unless it threatens your voice... urgh, there is just so, so much to say, all the lessons I learned over about six years of working at writing the way other people work at a fulltime job, and this answer is getting too long.

5. What's your best childhood memory?

This http://nadiawilliams.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/small-adventure/ (Thank God, a short answer, I can hear you think. Well, wait until you follow the link :P)

6. Are you a people-watcher? If so, tell us a funny or interesting story about someone you saw.

I love watching people, but the story that comes to mind is one I heard from someone else. I'm in fact not sure if it's true. A very abusive woman walked into a Tesco (big supermarket chain in Ireland and the UK) with her two children. She was truly horrible to staff and other customers alike, loud and rude. When she got to the checkout, the youngster at the till asked: "Are your kids twins?"
"No, you moron. How can you think they're twins? Are you blind or just stupid? They're not the same age and they don't even look alike."
"Oh," he replied calmly. "I just thought they were twins, 'cause I couldn't imagine anyone shagging you twice."

Want to know more about The Ancient? Here's the blurb and a fun excerpt:

Blurb:

What would you do if you fell in love with the goddess of death?

June 1945 - Tadhg Daniels sees a woman clad in strange clothes and a feathered cloak, but she’s invisible to everyone else. He’s convinced his mind has been unhinged by the horrors of the D-day landings four days before, but when she appears to him again, the woman proves she is real. She is Morrigan, goddess of death, come to warn him his life is about to end.

Morrigan is disturbed by the man she meets. He looks in her eyes unflinching, while all others avoid her gaze. She’s never found such a strong will to survive in any of her charges before. He refuses to accept he’s going to die.

There is a way for Tadhg to cheat death, a secret Morrigan has guarded for millennia. Morrigan can save him if she takes him as her lover, but sex with the goddess of death will change him. He needs time to decide if he’s prepared to give up his humanity in order to be with her forever.

But Tadhg is not the only one who knows Morrigan’s secret. Someone else wants to take by force the gift she can bestow. And he’ll stop at nothing to get it.

Excerpt 2:

“Look above you.” He searched the ceiling. “No, I mean at the bedstead.”

Tadhg shuffled his elbow under him and studied the ornate wrought-iron metalwork. For a moment, he didn’t know what she meant, then he saw the chains and blanched. He turned to Morrigán. “No. The shackles in that poem were a metaphor, Morrigán. I don’t do that sort of thing.” Except in his fantasies, but he’d die if she discovered that.

“I’m not asking you to. The shackles are not to bring pleasure to either of us, it is for my protection.”

He frowned and sat up. “Your protection? What the hell kind of man do you think I am?”

“I’m sure you’re very honourable. I told you, the change you’ll go through will be difficult. Just because I’m immortal doesn’t mean I can’t hurt and bleed.”

Tadhg felt cold dread trickle from his scalp down his neck and over his shoulders. What was he letting himself in for? He remembered the panicked feeling of his lungs filling with blood, the horror of his airway blocked. He lay back, stretched out his arms. Then he closed his eyes and slipped his wrists into the old-fashioned shackles hanging from chains on the bedstead. Every muscle in his body was tense as a bowstring.

He heard the rustle of fabric as she came closer, felt the dip of the mattress as she knelt beside him, making the sheet slide over his skin with a tantalising brush. For a moment, he wanted to snatch his arms from the shackles, but he forced himself to keep still as Morrigán closed first one, then the other bond, slipping the pins that held them fast.

The sound sent a rush of blood to his cock.

First Lines

Okay, you have to start somewhere. When you write a short, long, or mid length story, you have to have that first line.

Something I learned along the way: You cannot just start a story with First name Last name did something.

Why?

Boring!

Does this really sound interesting: Polly Anna rounded the corner and plopped into her favorite chair.

Not to me.

Why not try this: "The world's full of Dicks, but not the one I want." Polly Anna plopped into her favorite chair. Her ex-boyfriend, Dick Tremain stared at her from across the room. "You're here and the man of my dreams roams the streets."

I like the second. Why? Because it sounds more interesting. The line draws you into the story.

A good friend of mine who happens to be a famous writer told me, "You gotta hook the reader from sentence one. If you start off boring, then you won't keep the reader's attention and you won't have the reader for the rest of the book."

She's right.

There's nothing wrong with starting a story with the person's name and what they did, but that should be in the first draft version. For a final, make the opening interesting.

And would you believe, you don't HAVE to put the first and last name in the first line? Yep, you don't have to do that. For example, here's the lines from above with a little more:

"The world's full of Dicks, but not the one I want." Polly Anna plopped into her favorite chair. Her ex-boyfriend, Dick Tremain stared at her from across the room. "You're here and the man of my dreams roams the streets."

"I tried to fulfill your desires, but I can't compete with a ghost, Ms. White."

She crooked a brow. "It's not desire when it's over in a moment, Mr. Tremain."

See? You find out that her last name is White, but I didn't put it in the first line.

The key is to draw in the reader. Make them want more.

So now, as I try to finish my farmer (oh BTW, he's up to the 64k word count!), I'll close. But tell me... is there a novel in which the first line just grabbed you? Which one was it? Was there one that really stunk? Without embarrassing the guilty, which one was that? I'd love to know, as long as it's not one of mine (Nah, let me know if it's one of mine so I can fix it).

Toodles.

Cooperation - That's the Name of the Game

Okay, I wanted to have some great long post today telling of how I managed to get my MS done. Yeah, right. Didn't happen.

Why is it, when you want the characters to cooperate, that's when they decide to do the OPPOSITE? Why?

I want to just say it's because they are men and men don't cooperate when you want them to, but that's too easy. I could say it's because they are human and who cooperates 100% of the time? Sorry, not I. (Shocker to find that out, huh?).

Well, I'm not sure why and I'm giving up worrying about it for now. I had two wise people tell me not to force the story, to let it write itself... okay, okay... I'm doing that. Maybe I've been hitting it way too hard lately... maybe not hard enough... I don't know.

I'm going back to my bat cave to stew about next week's Law and Order and to try to write something...

In the Mood...

I may have mentioned him before now, but I'm working hard on my farmer story, entitled A Matter of Trust. Now, I have a key scene and a wrap up scene yet to write.

Am I worried?

No.

I'm I a bit stuck?

You bet. I love to write a love scene. It's a beautiful way to express the devotion and passion between two people BUT I believe you must be in the right mind frame or, shall we say, in the mood. Really.

Think about it. When you feel arduous, its a mood. Anger sometimes brings it out, other times its the vision of a particularly yummy person of the opposite (or not so opposite) sex. But it's still a mood.

The same goes for writing about it. You can't write about sex if you aren't in the right mood. If not, it becomes a shuck and f**k and, really, is that sexy? Maybe, but not all the time. I like it to be beautiful and passionate, but that's me. Don't think I'm all sweetness and flowers. Roses do have thorns. Tee Hee.

So what do you do to get in the mood to write a love scene? I listen to a couple of favorite tunes and try to imagine in my head exactly what's going on between the two (or three or four) people. Dierks Bentley's "I Want to Make You Close Your Eyes" is a good one. So is "Putting My Misery on Display". I also use "Relentless" by Jason Aldean, "Come a Little Closer" also by Dierks, "The One" another by Gary, "Please Forgive Me" by Bryan Adams, and "See If I Care" yet another Gary Allan tune.

Now I ask again (Since I shared one of my iPod playlists), what's your song to get in the mood?

Thank a Librarian

If you haven't guessed by now, I love books. Did it show? I hope so. But I also love my libraries. Yep, I'm lucky to have 4 within a 30 mile radius. There's just something about going into a building and being surrounded by all those stories and the knowledge.

Plus, I think it's essential to get to know your librarians. Yep, get to know them because if you need help or happen to publish that book, they are the ones who can help get your book onto the shelves. They are also the ones who can help you with a bit of free promo too.

I went on Saturday, and there was one counter attendant and a line of 20 people, but she never lost her smile. There's a lady who my DS adores and he begs to go when she's there so he can say hi. You gotta give props to a person who can smile when it seems like the world is crushing down on them.

But then I have many librarian friends and one close pal who has a FAB romance presentation each February -- Love and Chocolates [that's you L : )]. Heck, I wrote a character that is a Romance Coordinator for her local library. (You can read about Abby in my upcoming release Learning How to Bend from Total-E-Bound in April.)

Before I got my first contract and was still an amateur writer, I strolled the aisles and dreamed MY BOOK would be among the many one day. Well, that dream will be true come June, but I still wander the library. You never know who's book you'll find AND what book that may not look interesting might be a favorite in the future.

I love to read the titles without looking at the covers (and yes, I'm a cover-holic. If he's buff and not hairy, then I'll read the back blurb, but if he's too hairy or she looks trashy, I will probably walk on by.). If you just go by the titles, you'll find some hilarious ones. And if you read the back without looking at the cover, you just might find that one you'll love (although there is NOTHING wrong with a great cover... just sayin').

So my long winded point is that you should thank those hard working folks down at the library. You'll be glad you did.

That Bugs Me!

Okay, I know I haven't been in the romance game for that long. I read romance in middle school and high school, but stuck primarily to the contemporary stuff. I've never been big on historicals, but I don't dislike them. I'm finding I like vampire stories (and sorry, but not because of Twilight - I own a copy, but I've never cracked it), and I'm still on the fence about wolf-shifters.

But this blog is about what bugs me. (And thank you to Catherine who made me think about this when I read her blog.)

Recently, I had a conversation with a couple friends of mine, both avid romance readers, and we discussed zombies, angels, and demons. I know, I know... what a combo. Not really. But these characters are cropping up in romance as heroes. I say, to each his or her own, but still there are a couple of things I'm questioning.

I have an opinion that many may argue (why not argue - it's a free country). How can a demon who is, by definition an evil entity, have a conscience? How can the demon in question decide to do good things? Now there are writers who have demons who change their stripes. More power to them. But I still wonder, how can evil be good? Maybe it's the idea that little white lies aren't always bad. But still...

And how can a zombie be a sexy hero? Again, by definition, zombies are walking dead who feast on the brains of the living. They are half decomposed. (IE Michael Jackson's Thriller video). So really, how can a zombie (without a brain) be a positive character and HOW CAN HE BE SEXY??? He's half there! Okay, there are those who get into more Gothic novels. I'll let this one go, but it still perplexes me.

And lastly (for now) how can an angel be bad? Now I've read the Bible and I've been to church. When I went to Sunday school, Angels were positive entities that did good in the world. Yes, I know there are such things as fallen angels (those who were angels, but decided to act more like humans or those who decided to partake of the pleasures of the flesh). Still, unless the writer tells the reader that the angel is a fallen angel or it's a fantasy where he's an angel in service of another Deity, then the angel can't topple to temptation. Yes, this drives me nuts!

Okay, so it might sound like I'm knocking fellow writers. I'm not. I'm voicing my opinion and everyone has a right to challenge it, Heck, you might make me change my mind. So what do you think?

So Now What?

Waiting on the paperwork and the edits to begin. I know its coming.

What do I do in the mean time? Well, I went to school to be an art teacher. Yep, I thought I could deal with high school students and impart them with fabulous art techniques and the thrilling world of art history. Um..... it didn't happen.

One word - Jaded.

But that's not the point...

When I gave up teaching but took up crafting, well I actually never really quit crafting, but this time I decided to try the arts/crafts show circuit. Yep, I paint ceramics and trinkets. I love doing it because while I'm painting, I can work out the sticky issues in my plots and make the novels better. Oh and there's nothing like taking time away from a pesky character and working on a painting of a prized pup or kitten. Yep, I paint animal portraits for patrons.

Do I get to do it often? Well, no, but it's all bad. It's a great balance and that's what I think everyone needs -- a little balance in their lives and careers.

Well, enough random thoughts for now.

Toodles.

Sandy Lender - Author of Choices Meant for Kings

Today I bring you the fabulous writer, Sandy Lender. Her current work, Choices Meant for Kings is out now. Grab yourself a copy today. Here's her interview. Enjoy and please stop by her other stops on her Virtual Tour. You can win prizes and have lots of fun visiting new sites. As always, leave comments, we'd love to hear from you! You can find her other stops here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/08/virtual-book-tour-choices-meant-for.html

What’s your favorite part of the book? Why?
Sandy Lender: OMG, Wendi, you’ve asked the world’s hardest question! Kudos to you… I kinda had to address this question when I had to pick a scene to put on the inside front cover flap as a teaser. So I was trying to figure out what my favorite scene was. It’s sort of a toss-up among a few: this scene where Chariss blasts the crap out of this obnoxious king’s castle on the island south of Onweald; this scene where Jake Taiman has to rescue Tiatha; this scene where Chariss tries to kill a sorcerer by flinging herself (and him) over a cliff; and this horrible scene where Chariss is “supposed” to marry Nigel Taiman. The destruction of the castle won out for the cover flap, but I think the wedding scene is my fave because it’s so reminiscent of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

When you create your novels, do you know right away who will be the protagonist, or is it a process of letting the characters develop into their parts of the story?
Sandy Lender: Yep, always know who the good guy is. Now, there are some extras who surprise me with their roles or how they develop, but the main characters reveal themselves to me before I start writing. You’ll see in a few of the reviews I’ve already got on Amazon that characters aren’t always who they seem to be…and the readers are loving that.

Where’s your favorite place to write and why? Did that place affect your current work?
Sandy Lender: I can write anywhere at any time, but I prefer my den with all my little “writing goodies” around me. I like having my reference books and candles, dragon paintings and favorite music…that sort of stuff. I think setting a mood influences some of the characters’ thoughts and actions, but it’s not essential to me. I can float into the world on Onweald and pick up where Chariss and Nigel are at the drop of a hat, whether I’m stuck in traffic or sitting on a plane or standing in the shower wishing I had a pen…

Thank you for the insightful questions. Maybe your visitors today will have more. I’ll be checkin’ in!
“Some days, you just want the dragon to win.”

Here's the blurb for Choices Meant for Kings:

Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend’s marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way. When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

A Tense Little Excerpt From Choices Meant for Kings
By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender
http://www.authorsandylender.com
You won’t find this excerpt anywhere except Sandy’s current online book tour…

As the soldier stepped toward him, Nigel reached out his arm and caught him by the neck. He slammed the captain against the far wall. He pinned him there with his body, leaning against the man as if he could crush the wind from him with his presence.

He brought his face close to the soldier’s ear and spoke lowly, fiercely, so that no one could have overheard him. The menace and intent behind the words was as surprising to the captain as the words themselves.

“I asked you to accompany [Chariss] on this journey tomorrow because I have faith in your sword, and until this moment I trusted you to keep your distance from her. Now, I find her down here at your side with a look upon your face that suggests more than you realize. So help me, Naegling, the only thing that stays my hand is how displeased she would be if she learned that I sliced you open.”

“The look you see is merely my concern for her honor. Nothing more.”

“I’m not a fool. And I’ll use every last piece of Arcana’s treasury to pay the prophets to justify my reasons for marrying that woman, so you can unconcern yourself with her honor.”

Hrazon stepped off the staircase then and saw Nigel pressed against his guard.

“I still believe you’re one of the best soldiers Arcana’s ever seen,” Nigel continued, “and I want you at her side for this journey, but, so help me, Naegling, she comes back alive and well and not confused in the least about her affections for me, or I will string you up from a tree in the orchard and attach your intestines to your horse’s saddle before I send it—”

Hrazon cleared his throat. “Excuse me. Is there an issue here I should address?”

Interview with Debbie Alferio - Author of A Forever Kind of Love and Waiting for Tomorrow

Today I wanted to feature another friend and fellow writer, Debbie Alferio. She's the author of A Forever Kind of Love and Waiting For Tomorrow. She's decided to sit down for a quick interview and to share a bit about her books.

Welcome Debbie!

1. How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for almost five years.

2. Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Absolutely! In fact, I have suffered so much that I actually had a t-shirt made that says, "Writer's Block: What happens when your imaginary friends stop talking to you!" LOL Seriously, I think this is something every writer faces at one point or another. The best strategy that I have found to overcome the problem is to take a break from my work and engage in anything that isn't related to writing. This gives my brain a chance to rest. When I am not forcing myself to think about it, my muse generally returns stronger than ever, and I am able to move on.

3. What comes first: the plot or the characters?

Can I say both? To clarify: With my first novel, A Forever Kind of Love, the dream that inspired it was about Mitch, my hero. So, in that case, it was the characters. The plot unfolded as I wrote, and new characters were added as I went along. Since I am a series writer, obviously the characters were already in place when I began to write Waiting for Tomorrow; therefore, the plot came before my newest character, Casey, (the villianess) was introduced.

4. What are you reading now?

I'm currently engrossed in a wonderful book by a good friend of mine, Sandra Valencia, entitled Song of Turand. The books I have found most intriguing over the past few years are those written by authors I either know personally or have met during various events we have done together. There is a lot of wonderful, undiscovered talent out there, and I feel that people need to give these authors more of the credit they deserve.

5. How do you come up with the titles for your books?

Since I don't work with any sort of outline, nothing is really premeditated, so to speak. A Forever Kind of Love was taken from a phrase of dialogue toward the end of the book. I just liked the way it sounded and thought, "Why not?" As for Waiting for Tomorrow, I wanted something that depicted the theme of the story itself, and after much thought, this title is what came to mind. It seemed to fit very well.

6. What inspired you to write your first book?

First, let me say that I have no formal training in writing and never aspired to be an author as I was growing up. I also had little interest in writing after I hit about age 13. In September, 2004, I had a dream one night in which I was sitting on a couch in what appeared to be an office, talking to a man that I didn't recognize. I don't recall what the conversation was about, but I turned to him and said, "Okay, Mitch," just before waking up. The strange part of all that is, I have never known anyone named Mitch or Mitchell, so I have no idea why I addressed him that way! A story began to form in my head from this remnant of a dream, and I felt a strong need to get it on paper. When I sat down at the computer, it flowed from me as though it had always been there. Five-and-a-half months later, A Forever Kind of Love was born, and Mitch became Mitch Tarrington, my hero. I chalk the whole experience up to "Divine Intervention" and now view writing as my passion.


Debbie Alferio is a native of northern Ohio and the author of the Forever Love series of moral and tasteful fictional romance. Inspired by an actual dream, her debut novel, A Forever Kind of Love, was a ForeWord Magazine ‘Book of the Year’ Award Finalist and an Authorhouse Publishing bestseller. The sequel, Waiting for Tomorrow, is a ForeWord Magazine ‘Book of the Year’ Silver Award Winner and a Long and Short Reviews ‘Best Book’. Her refreshing and realistic approach to writing has earned her a multitude of prestigious speaking appearances, rave reviews, and the title of Ohio Representative for Authors Across America. She is listed in the online editions of both Empire’s and Biltmore’s Who’s Who Among American Business and Professional Women and is a member of the International Writer’s Association and Sauna Friends Literary Group. You can visit her at her website: http://www.freewebs.com/debsbooks

Another Author You Should Know - Sandy Lender

Choices Meant for Kings is the second book in the Choices trilogy by Sandy Lender.

Chariss is in danger. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way. When prophecies stack up to threaten Master Rothahn, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

Long and Short Reviews said, "She did it again! Sandy Lender is a treasure for fantasy readers and all other readers who like intriguing, well-told tales. The world she creates, inhabited by mortals, gods, goddesses, wizards, sorcerers, dragons, and monsters, lures the reader into a total spectrum of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual upheavals."

Sandy will be giving away a first edition, autographed, hard copy edition of the first book in the trilogy Choices Meant for Gods to one lucky commenter at the end of the tour, and the blog host with the most comments, excluding duplicates or Sandy's comments, will also win.