Today it is my absolute pleasure to turn my blog over to Mary Crawford, to help her celebrate the release of her brand new romance novel Sheltered Hearts (A Hidden Hearts Novel Book 2).

I first came across Mary's writing a few week's ago when I read and reviewed a series of novellas and short stories, centred around Mother's Day and titled: Mother's Day Magic: With Love. written by twelve different authors. Mary's contribution to the anthology was one of my favourites in the book; Vision of the Heart. When Mary asked me if I'd like to review her new novel, I jumped at the opportunity to read more of her work. I will be reading it shortly and reviewing it here of course, on my website, so look forward to that.

In the meantime, let's get on with celebrating the release of Sheltered Hearts, now available here at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LQEQzM  Grab your copy today!   

WHO IS MARY CRAWFORD?

Mary Crawford has been lucky enough to live her own version of a romance novel. She married the guy who kissed her at summer camp. He told her on the night they met that he was going to marry her and be the father of their children. Eventually she stopped giggling when he said it, and they just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. They have two children. The oldest is in medical school, where he recently found and married the love of his life, and the youngest is still in elementary school.

Ms. Crawford writes full time now. She has published six books and has several more underway. She volunteers her time to a variety of causes and has worked as a Civil Rights Attorney and diversity advocate. Ms. Crawford spent several years working for various social service agencies before becoming an attorney. In her spare time, she loved to cook, decorate cakes and of course, obsessively, compulsively read.

HOW TO CONTACT MARY:

Mary Crawford Contact Info:
Email: mailto:Mary@MaryCrawfordAuthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authormarycrawford 
Website: http://MaryCrawfordAuthor.com 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MaryCrawfordAut
​Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8294383.Mary_Crawford 
 
Credits:
Photos of Mary Crawford:
Photo Credit: Jennifer Flores  
Makeup: Madi Flores
©2016 Jennifer Flores
 
All other photographs courtesy of DepositPhoto.com
 
Cover design by Ada Frost of KageCoversDesign.

So, there you have it people, everything you ever wanted to know about Mary Crawford and her new novel Sheltered Hearts. Do go and check out her Author page at Amazon and see what else she has in store: http://amzn.to/1KSQBmu

Do remember I will be reviewing this book in the very near future and you can check out that review right here on the website, under Book Reviews.

Till next time, have a wonderful, peace-filled day! 

Exactly five years ago, around about this very time, 9.30 in the morning, I walked through the automatic doors at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and into the unknown.
Oh, it wasn't like I hadn't been to The Philippines before, I'd been here numerous times, although not for almost eleven years. Nope, it was the unknown for a very different reason. I had left my life in New Zealand behind; kissed my seventeen year old son and fourteen year old daughter and boarded a flight bound for Manila, with little possessions and bugger-all money, just a burning desire, at 51 years old, to try to rebuild a life that had been shattered by bad and calamitous decisions.
​Little did I know, as I took a deep breath at the top of the ramp that leads down to the waiting area what the next five years would hold in store for me. I was about to meet, in person, for the first time, some of the most important people in my brave, new,world; my future wife and two of her children. 

I was nervous, bloody nervous, if the truth be known, but I was also determined. I'd made a right cock-up of things up to that point and I figured it was about time to make something good happen in my life. Deep breath and walk; you can do this, Grant.
I knew I always had a fallback position, if things didn't work out, but that wasn't something I even wanted to contemplate, in my worst nightmares; running back to New Zealand with my tail between my legs and the expected taunts from family and friends; "told you so", "I always said it was a dumb idea Grant", and worst of all actually, the looks of sorrow and pity I would get from my nearest and dearest. No, I knew this was probably my last shot at happiness, at making something work in my life and I wasn't going to give it up without a fight.
I'd been friends with Thess for over four years, online, before I decided to take that ultimate step and come here. It had been something that had been brewing in my mind for a long time, but it was probably my 50th birthday that crystallised it and made me decide it wasn't just a good idea, it was essential. 
As we all do, probably, on these annual milestones I sat down and reviewed where the hell I was in my life. My son was about to head away to University and I would be left in a small town in southern New Zealand, essentially alone (my daughter having already gone to live with her mother in another City). If ever I was going to try something bold, exciting and new, now was the time. I was well aware of the relentlessly ticking clock and figured this might be my one and only shot left, at making something happen. I decided right there and then that come hell or high water, I was going to give this a good crack. 

So, there I was, standing on the apron of the waiting area at Ninoy Aquino Airport, surrounded by bustling people, yet somehow all alone. I knew Thess was around somewhere as I'd had a text from her earlier in the baggage collection area, but I couldn't see her and as the minutes ticked by, I began to worry, began to wonder. Shit, this wasn't how it was supposed to be; this wasn't how I'd imagined our meeting, a million times in my dreams and fantasies.
"Hi! Finally!" 
I turned toward the voice and although it sounds cliched, my mouth dropped open and I felt my eyes begin to water. There she was, my internet friend, my soon to be lover, my future wife; she was even more beautiful and more stunning in reality than any picture or cam could ever do her justice. I had long wondered if our first meeting would prove to be awkward, uncomfortable and filled with long, pregnant silences. I need not have worried. She dropped the hands of the two young girls she was with and literally flung herself into my arms, kissing me intensely and with more passion than I had ever thought possible.
Oblivious to the people bustling all around us, we clung to each other like two castaways who had spent years alone on opposite sides of the same island and had finally, somehow, discovered each other. Nothing and nobody existed in those few moments except two love-starved people seeking the long awaited succour from each other.    

We've discussed this moment since and we are both of the same opinion. It was in that split second when we finally found each other, that March morning five years ago that we knew we had found our life partners. For me, I felt a surge of joy and utter contentment, a feeling that had been sadly lacking from my life for so long. I knew, intuitively, I had found my soul-mate and everything was going to be forever changed from that point on. 
The last five years have thrown us many challenges, but we're still answering them and dealing with them. There are only two certainties in life, they say; death and taxes. Well, for me, there are three. Death, taxes and the love we both share. Whatever the trials and tribulations that may come our way now and in the future, we will face them together, until there is only one of us left. That is the certainty for me.
So much has changed in our lives over the five years but one thing I know without a shadow of a doubt, is that I am a much better person than the lost, lonely, 51 year old BOY, who walked off that plane and into the arms of the most amazing woman I have ever been privileged enough to meet...let alone love. I am now a full-time author and I have only one person to thank for steering me onto my true path in life and that is her; my best friend, my confidant, my lover, my wife and my other half. Thank you darling for finding me and saving me from myself.

​​MARAMING, MARAMING, SALAMAT PO!

So, here I am, five years on and has it been a brave, new, world that we've created for ourselves? Well, we're still working bloody hard on creating our brave new world, but I'll tell you something for nothing; It's a wonderful, happy, vibrant, new world I now live in. It's not easy, in fact, at times it's damn hard, but it is MY and THESS' WONDERFUL NEW WORLD and we wouldn't change it for anything. 
I have a picture of two of my biggest critics and detractors over the years; but also my two biggest supporters in this life, my wonderful parents, taped to the wall above the computer. They're both, sadly, gone now, but every so often I look up at their smiling faces, wink and say; "Well Mum, I got this one right!" I swear I can almost hear her voice whispering back; "Finally, Grant, finally...yes you did!" 

Till next time, have a wonderful, peace-filled day! 

A couple of weeks ago, I awoke to the horrifying realisation I had finally been raped and pillaged by the Amazon Review Police. Like so many authors before me, I was immediately filled with righteous indignation and rage. 

"HOW DARE THEY!" I railed to the empty room, which rapidly brought my wife hurtling down the stairs at a breakneck pace to see what terrible accident had befallen me. After assuring her that all was fine, I sat down at my laptop to seethe and stew at the injustice of it all. My gut reaction (and anyone who knows me well, will know how BIG a part of my decision making process, my gut is), like so many others in this position, was to fire off a demented and angry email to those awful people at that evil empire.

For once in my life, I didn't listen to my gut, I listened to the calming, dulcet tones of my beloved wife. "There's a reason for everything honey," she said soothingly. "If you can't review on Amazon any more, there will be something better coming along shortly. It's the way the Universe works." Oh yes, there are times I fume at the calmness and control my wife possesses. but this time I was glad I followed her advice and didn't react in the heat of the moment.    

Now, I have no idea why Amazon targeted me for their retribution. There could be any number of reasons why, but at the end of the day that is irrelevant. I don't like the fact that Amazon rule the self-publishing market with an iron fist. I would love more competition in this market, but the reality is most ebook sales happen on Amazon's website. That's just the way it is. I remembered the old adage. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Despite my inherent antagonism to Amazon and the dominant position they hold in the ebook market, I keep reminding myself of one important factor: Without Amazon, very few of us would have had the opportunity to fulfill their lifetime dream and become Authors and in my case, full-time Authors. For that we must always be inherently grateful.

The first I knew that Amazon had deleted all my reviews (I would guess, some 150 odd, at the very least) was when I started receiving messages from other Authors, sad that my reviews had disappeared from their books. Invariably, their comments were always the same in tenor. "Your review was one of my favourites. I'm saddened that it has gone.Your review was thoughtful, honest and helpful" Rest assured, I was just as saddened at the review's demise, but after much thought and contemplation, I decided there was nothing for it, but to accept their, in my opinion, short-sighted decision.

I believe they have, by their actions, lost one of their more, honest, helpful and thorough reviewers. I bought the books, I read them from start to finish (even the ones I didn't like) and I spent a considerable amount of time composing and posting my reviews in a number of places. On reflection, I have decided their decision is their loss, not mine. 

I did get a little frustrated by some people who sent me messages telling me it was my own fault; that I should have done this thing, or that thing, disconnected this link or that link, or posted from a different IP address. The reasons were numerous. My reaction to this is simple: I don't believe I've ever "bought" or been paid for a review, my reviews are honest, thoughtful and thorough. If that's not good enough, then so be it. It appears the trolls who happily besmirch other authors with one star reviews and negative comments are acceptable, but my reviews are not. Their choice! 

It is Amazon's website; their private kingdom and as such they have every right to set the rules (silly and indeed prejudiced against Indie Authors, as some of the are) so I have no problem with them enforcing those terms and conditions. I just wish they would stop targeting Indie Authors exclusively and concentrate also on the MILLIONS of fake reviews that legacy published authors attain through intermediaries. That having been said, I would challenge most Indie Authors to prove to me they have never broken any of Amazon's terms and conditions. We all know the value of reviews for our books and we all want them. Yes, I've done reciprocal reviews, but those reviews were not "paid for" in my language, they were honest reviews of other author's books I have bought and read. I am reading more books these days than I probably used to, but the difference now is those books are almost 100% Indie Author's books. 

As I have contemplated the situation over the past few weeks, I wondered what I would now do about my reviews. Two things are clear: 1/ I will continue to read voraciously and my diet will almost exclusively consist of indie books. 2/ I will continue to review EVERY book I read, it just won't be on Amazon anymore, which is sad for the authors of those books, but no real skin off my nose. I will review on Goodreads and my own website exclusively.  

Some time ago, I began a review section on my website, where I posted my reviews that I was already posting on Goodreads and Amazon. Interestingly enough one friend has suggested it is this review section on my website that Amazon may have objected to. They apparently may believe they own the copyright on MY words on MY review on THEIR website. If that is written into the terms and conditions of their website use, then fine, that is the case. This friend suggested that my review section of my website made me (in Amazon's eyes, at least) a professional or editorial reviewer. To that assertion, I said BOLLOCKS!

I had a review section on my website for two reasons. 1/to have more content that may interest visitors and 2/ to hopefully draw more people to my website, so they would read the other content I had created and also hopefully discover my wonderful and fantastic novels. If that makes me a professional reviewer, then so be it.       

The idea that I would or could be a "professional" reviewer got me thinking - why not? I still buy all these books and I still read them, from cover to cover, so why not offer my services as an editorial reviewer?

Now, as an editorial reviewer I cannot post that review on Amazon, that is clear. (I can't anyway, because I'm now persona non grata with the powers that be), so what I would be offering is to post these reviews on my website, Goodreads and indeed any other site (apart from Amazon) that the author requested.

The important thing here is what is the quid pro quo? There is none. This is a service I am happy to offer for free. You supply the book, or give me an Amazon gift voucher, or provide it on Amazon as free and I'll review it - end of story.

This is the "something else" that my wife talked about earlier in this blog. Rather than Grant Leishman - Author. I am now; Grant Leishman - Author, Blogger and Editorial Reviewer. If anyone wants to take advantage of this service, I intend to update my website to provide a sign-up option for people to use, but in the meantime, if you want me to review your book, just contact me, through the contact form available on this website under Contacts and Links. I'm more than happy to do it.

As one door closes, another door opens. Life is like that - we never know how the journey to our dream is going to pan out, we just have to follow the twisting, turning labyrinth to find the prize at the end.

Amazon's loss is my gain!

One final point, before I end today. Someone asked me why I hadn't even questioned Amazon as to why they had deleted my reviews. "At least you'd know then, what you'd done wrong and you could rectify it." The answer is plain and simple - FEAR!​

I have heard the horror stories from other Authors who have dared to question the all-mighty mega-conglomerate, that is Amazon, and their reward for their indignation and anger; to have their own books pulled from Amazon's website. Now, again, as I stated before, it is their private fiefdom and they can literally do what they want within it, but to take away the one opportunity us Indie Author's have to have our voices heard, is cruel and unusual punishment in my book. I cannot and will not take the risk of losing what is the opportunity to "live my dream" as a full-time author. I cherish that way too much.

​The day may come when Amazon's dominance of this market is broken and real competition becomes a reality. When that day comes, I will cheer and shout "Viva La Revolucion" along with the rest of the peasants, but I can't, at this point in my fledgling career as an Independent Author risk the chance of losing it all over this matter. Sad, but true. For now, I will bow obsequiously at the foot of the Bezos Throne and accept their ruling.     

Till next time, have a wonderful, peace-filled day!   ​

Hi guys, once again, I'm handing my blog over to the very capable hands of Chantel Seabrook and Stella Marie Alden, two wonderful authors who have just released Dark Vortex: Mated by Magic Book 1 and are dying to tell you all about it. So, without further ado, over to them.

SYNOPSIS:
For the survival of his clan, Jack Fialko needs to mate with a witch of equal power before the end of the solstice. He finds the perfect woman, except for one serious flaw. She has no idea how to engage in the dangerous magical foreplay–the duel for sexual equality. The task of training her in two days seems insurmountable, especially while other warriors are trying to kidnap her.
 
Zoe is a warrior-healer hybrid. The trouble is, she has no idea what that means. It’s all a harmless game until one night a dominant, brooding, sexy-as-sin warrior touches her and ignites a shameless craving to mate. Zoe must decide if the scorching chemistry between them is worth fighting for.
 
Can love and lust exist together in an exhilarating magical combination? Or will their bond combust?
 
WARNING: Book contains mature themes, steamy, sexual scenes and graphic language.
 
Buy Links: Free on Kindle Unlimited
 
AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1JUr26b 
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1WYNIEb
AMAZON CA: http://amzn.to/204zHF7
AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/23FFHZB 

Excerpt:
 
Power coiled through him. Roughly, he hauled her to the bed. Her back met the mattress and he positioned himself above her. He spread her thighs wider with his knees. She curled her hands over his broad shoulders, feeling the muscles clench and tighten under her palms.
He stilled above her. The thick head of his cock nudged the swollen folds.
Amidst the addictive hunger, there was something more. Something Zoe didn’t want to speculate on. For a moment, apprehension edged at her arousal. 
“Say it, Zoe. Say you’re mine.”
It was a claiming.
He was claiming her.
And she desperately wanted to belong.
“I’m yours,” she whispered.
He thrust into her, working himself deeper, his gaze locked with hers. She gasped and gripped his shoulders tighter. He eased back, then pushed inside her again, slowly, deeply. He filled her perfectly.
“Mine,” he growled. “My mate.”
“Yes.” She was fighting to breathe. Fighting to make sense of the sensations tearing through her.
His hips jerked hard, burying himself inside of her.
 “You need to say it back to me, angel.”
“My mate,” she whimpered, feeling a new surge of energy pulsating through her body. A brilliant array of color, pleasure, sensations vibrated through her. For a brief, intense moment, she felt as if her body and soul merged with his, and her senses exploded with the pleasure of it.
His cock throbbed inside her, thick and hard, stretching the sensitive tissue. Electric pulses began to race through her body. Jack’s jaw clenched, fighting for control. He pulled back, then slammed in, harder, deeper. Impaling her with swift, hard strokes.
She dug her nails into his shoulders and gasped. Her vision darkened as she cried out with her release. The pleasure broke her. Every neuron in her body seemed to explode in ecstasy.
The vortex burst, sending violent waves of energy ricocheting off the walls. She heard Jack’s shout, felt the overpowering pleasure of his release pulsating inside her.
Closing her eyes, Zoe held onto him and knew nothing would ever be the same again.
She was lost to him. 

AUTHOR BIOS:
 
CHANTEL SEABROOK:
 Chantel Seabrook currently resides in London, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters. She is passionate about writing and enjoys reading fantasy, paranormal romance, and science fiction. Chantel has a four-year Anthropology degree from Western University.
 
Website: http://www.chantelseabrook.com
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chantel-Seabrook/e/B00ZRNQFHC/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorchantelseabrook?fref=nf
Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25737458-cara-s-twelve?ac=1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChantelSeabrook?lang=en

STELLA MARIE ALDEN:
 
Stella Marie Alden loves Zumba, yoga, watercolor painting, and fixing up her house.
Growing up in Vermont, crayons fought over placement in their cardboard box and imaginary friends crowded the house. Her brother complained. “Tell her no one’s here, Mother.".
She’s been a librarian, a clarinetist, recording engineer, electronics repairman, and now architects software. She lives in NJ with her life-long hero and two cats. Her girls are grown but ever supportive. Go Mom!
 
Website: http://www.stellamariealden.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stellaMarieAlden/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27212966
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/StellaAlden/how-to-marry-your-wife-book-2/

Today, I'm very happy to give my blog over to the Dirty Doms for the cover reveal of their new book. 

Who are the Dirty Dom's I hear you say? Well, they are ten top-selling authors who have got together to write a series of stories based around the world of BDSM. So without further ado........drum roll please. The Cover of Dirty Dom's 

Dirty Doms
 
Ten of your favorite NY Times, USA Today, and Amazon best-selling authors have delved into the world of BDSM Kink. Explore your darkest desires, and deepest secrets under the expert care of a sexy Alpha Dom.
 
(Capture) Fantasy Surrender by Lori King
(Sensory Deprivation) Deprived by Jordan Ashley
(Bondage) Binding Her To Him by TL Reeve
(Impact Play) Sizzle by McKinlay Thomson
(Medical Play) Electric by: CP Mandara
(Daddy Dom) Professor Knows Best by Juliet Braddock
(Corporal Punishment) Beauty and the Badass by Lucy Felthouse
(Orgasm Control) Secrets & Lies by Serena Akeroyd
(Fire Play) Kaise by Jade Belfry
(Pet Play) Club Menage:Fifi by: Tara Crescent
 
Spice up your night and indulge your kinks...

Today blog is absolute and utter plagiarism and for that I make no apologies. 

As new authors we sometimes forget how bloody hard it is to sell in this saturated marketplace. I read Michael Kelly's blog on self-publishing and immediately knew I had to spread it as far and wide as possible. I know Michael from a wonderful Facebook Group we are both members of, called Writer's Who Review and I want to assure my readers I do have full permission from Michael to plagiarize his blog. If you would like to see Michael's original post and discover more about this amazing man, you can check out his website here: http://bit.ly/1Lc5DGd 

Indie writers, eh?  We’ve all been there, we’ve put the finishing touches to our first novel, our veritable masterpiece, we’ve uploaded the files and ticked the boxes to complete the self-publishing process, we’ve converted the files for Kindle and now … now we sit back, checking our Amazon reports every 5 minutes, rubbing our hands together as we wait for the sales to start flooding in.  Which they don’t.
Don’t be disheartened.  This is how we all begin.  We’re one among millions and nobody knows who we are or why they should risk their hard-earned cash and time on us.  We have to learn how to make our book noticed, how to make people willing to take a chance on reading our work.  It takes time and effort.
I’m not pretending to have all the answers, because I simply don’t.  Seven years on from the publishing of Rampant Damsels, my first novel, I still wish I sold many more books than I do.  Having said that, I’ve progressed from being someone who sells 3 or 4 books per month to someone who sells about 300 books, with royalties of £600 – £700 per month.  So I guess I’m doing something right and that it may prove worthwhile for me to share a few observations from my experience here.

Book Covers
The cover art for your book is enormously important and I’ve learned the hard way how vital it is to create a professional, eye-catching image.  I’ve tried to ‘do it myself’ in the past and have suffered with lack-lustre sales in consequence.  A lot of people tell me that my horror novel Earth Mother is one of my very best novels.  But its sales have remained dismal and the only reason this should be so is that its cover is dull and uninteresting.  I’m having it redone in a couple of weeks’ time and will share the results here then.
Good covers can cost money, and sometimes (as with the recent Damsels and the Dark Arts title) I’ll pay full price to get a really good artist to produce a work precisely to my specifications.  But if the cover image has some room to manoeuvre, there are a great many artists offering their services on Fiverr, who will produce a very decent cover at a great price.  A good cover will pay for itself, and these days you don’t need to pay through the nose for one.

Ultimately, there appear to be no secrets to writing success (provided you can write to begin with, of course) beyond hard work, perseverance and productivity.  There’s no pot of gold to be found here as far as I can see, but I have managed to cut my day job back to a three day week (which is a good reward in itself) and face the very real prospect of becoming a full time writer in the not too distant future.  My sales keep slowly but steadily rising and I keep producing new books.
I hope that this may have helped with some of the things to avoid, some of the things to do, and finding the best way forward.

Today, I am again turning over my blog to another talented author who has an exciting new book she wants you all to know about. 

The author's name is Danielle De Vor and the title of the book is Sorrow's Point: Book One of The Marker Chronicles. Published in December 2015, the book is available now.

So, without further ado, I'll let Danielle tell you all about this exciting horror/fantasy.

 Blurb:
Not All Exorcists are Equal....One is Marked.

​When defrocked ex-priest, Jimmy Holiday, agrees to help an old friend with his sick daughter, he doesn’t expect the horrors that await him. Blackmoor, his friend’s new residence, rests upon the outskirts of the town of Sorrow’s Point. The mansion’s history of magic, mayhem, and death makes it almost a living thing – a haunted mansion straight out of a Stephen King novel. Jimmy must decide if the young girl, Lucy, is only ill, or if the haunting of the house and her apparent possession are real.
 
After the house appears to affect him as well with colors of magic dancing before his eyes, rooms warded by a witch, and a ring of power in his voice, Jimmy is met by a transient who tells him he has “the Mark”. Whatever being “marked” means, Jimmy doesn’t care. All he wants to do is help Lucy. But, helping Lucy means performing an exorcism.

BUY SORROW'S POINT TODAY AT:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OVwwch
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1QT3b3r
Itunes: http://apple.co/1QwNins
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Tx90dV

Excerpt #1:
Jones crept around the side of the massive home. He looked this way and that like they taught him in the academy. This was the first time something serious had gone on in Sorrow’s Point. He set his jaw, bound and determined to do the best damn job he could.
The sheriff’s footprints pressed into the tall grass, making it easy for him to know where to look. They led him to the back of the house and stopped as soon as they reached the stone patio. Something smelled sour-sweet. Flies would be swarming along soon.  He walked up the steps and across to the door. The smell grew stronger, but he didn’t notice anything else out of the ordinary. Suddenly, his foot slid and he almost fell.  His eyes drifted to the patio. A pile of puke almost the same color as the stone coated the bottom of his shoe. “Great.”
Backing up a step, he wiped his shoe on the stone as best he could. Then, sidestepped the puddle and peered in the window. Black was there, sitting at a butcher block table, facing the window. His dark hair stood up from his head in all directions. Eyebrows arched like the Devil's own. The deep red blood covered him, almost from head to toe. He took another bite out of the small human leg he held in his large hands, grinding his teeth through the raw flesh.
“Oh shit.” Jones shook, unable to release his death grip on the windowsill. Then, the world shifted.
Blam!
Jones peered down the smoking barrel of his gun, following the path through the broken window. He hadn’t meant for the gun to go off. He didn’t even remember reaching for his weapon. Black’s chin slumped against his chest, the back of his head gone. Bits of gray matter stuck to the wall behind him. Black’s fingers relaxed. The leg fell to the floor. 

Excerpt #2:
“This is Lucy, this morning,” he said.
The blond hair hung limp around her face. The blood vessels around the whites of her eyes appeared burst from pressure. Her skin had a strange yellow cast, almost like the color of an old bruise. Her face had thinned from the wallet photo. She looked…sunken. The basic facial features remained, but I could hardly tell it was the same little girl. My body grew cold again, just like it had in the kitchen. This time, though, there was nothing to make a draft. The only window in the living room was the large picture window. It didn’t open. I rubbed my arms. “What the hell happened?”
He clasped the phone like a lifeline. “The house.”
My brows rose. I tried to think if any abuse could cause what I saw, but I came up short. The blood in her eyes clearly occurred from some sort of internal pressure. Punches to the face could have caused intense bruising outside the eye and around the socket, but that wasn’t what I saw in the picture. Scratches littered her face, but they were thin, as if caused by her own fingernails. I was dumbfounded. What did he expect me to do? My body gradually warmed up again, but I’d had just about all the oddness I could take for one evening.
“Are you going to help her?” he asked.
Help her? She needed a doctor, not an ex-priest. “Will,” I said. “How can I help her?”
“You know what to do.” He sat motionless in that chair. Nothing, no part of his body moved. He didn’t even blink.
I stood up and turned away from him. I couldn’t face him to say the next part. I wasn’t even sure he’d listen to reason. “She needs a doctor.”
“Goddammit!” He grabbed me from behind and spun me around. His face burned red with intensity. His grip on my shoulder was so tight it hurt. “She’s had a doctor! She’s had twenty fucking doctors. She’s been to internists, psychiatrists, PCP’s, neurologists, and they all keep passing the buck.”
I reached over and peeled his fingers from my shoulder. I wanted to beat the shit out of him for grabbing me and maybe knock some sense into him, but the man had clear stability issues. If something didn’t give soon, he was going to have a nervous breakdown. “What do they all say?”
He threw himself into the recliner, the rage dissipating with his spirits. I had let the air out of his basketball. “The shrinks aren’t sure what she has, maybe a split personality, or schizophrenia. I took her out of the last hospital because the quacks were considering electroshock therapy. ECT on a six-year-old! Jesus Christ.” He put his head in his hands.
I sunk into the sofa. “What makes you think she’s possessed?”
His voice came out in nothing but a whisper, yet the words had more impact that a five alarm fire, “Because she’s not my little girl anymore.” 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - DANIELLE DE VOR

Named one of the Examiner's 2014 Women in Horror: 93 Horror Authors you Need to Read Right Now, Danielle DeVor has been spinning the spider webs, or rather, the keyboard for more frights and oddities. She spent her early years fantasizing about vampires and watching "Salem's Lot" way too many times. When not writing and reading about weird things, you will find her hanging out at the nearest coffee shop, enjoying a mocha frappuccino.

Visit her at http://danielledevor.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sammyig
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/danielledevorauthor
Instagram: http://www.imstagram.com/danielledevor76
Blog: http://ddevor.weebly.com

RAFFLECOPTER:

Giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card and a crocheted possessed doll

Click and win:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d49687083

DANIELLE'S USEFUL TIPS ON WRITING HORROR:

Writing dark fantasy and horror is a little different than writing other genres. Mostly, I think, because there is more freedom. You can choose whether to let your characters have the gift of a HEA (Happily Ever After) ending, or you can make things as dark as you like. You can choose to concentrate on gore and horror only, or you can get deeply into character development and make the story psychological. Heck, you can even dip your toe in just a little and make the frights subtle. Other genres don’t let you do that.
One thing to remember though, you aren’t going to scare everybody. No matter what you write, someone is going to chuckle and say it didn’t scare them at all. Don’t worry about it. We all have different fears. Keep your sights on those who will get creeped out by what you’ve written. I, personally, have been told that I have forever made a reader scared of 3 a.m. Sometimes, it is the little things that stick out.
Above all, don’t be afraid to write about what scares you. In fact, I recommend it. If it is something that scares the writer, chances are, the descriptions will be more vivid and the horror will have a certain life to it. So, that next nightmare you have, write it down. It just might turn out to be the best thing you’ve written yet.