Introducing you to Ash Krafton...

I am blessed to be a part of a really fabulous author community, who have done such a lot to support me over the years, and who have become friends. One of these wonderful authors is Ash Krafton, whom I've known on line for about 5 or 6 years after we met through our mutual love of horror writing. This month sees the release of her latest book, 'Charm City' and I'm really delighted to share it with you, and encourage you to check her out, if you haven't already.

CHARM CITY Kindle release day!

There are demons all around us, legions of the dark that break loose from Hell's restraints to prowl the mortal plane. Most people can't see them and will never suffer their torments. They are the lucky ones. Guess that makes Simon Alliant the unluckiest man alive. He's learned that the only luck a man has is the luck he makes for himself. Call him exorcist. Call him master of the dark arts. Call him dime-store magician. Most names don't matter, not when Hell knows yours. Armed with his spells and his amulets and his desperate drive toward redemption, he fights the rising darkness and sends those demons screaming back into Hell, one minion at a time. But not all demons can be exorcised. Some dwell too deep inside a man's bones to be so easily banished. Simon is smart--or, at least, cynical--enough to know which battles are worth fighting. It takes more than a fistful of charms to stay alive in his line of work. And staying alive is the only way to avoid giving the Devil his due...

Welcome to the world of The Demon Whisperer.

It kicks off today with the Kindle release of

the first book in the series: CHARM CITY.

Now available on Kindle!

CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1)

The darkness is rising and one man stands against it: the exorcist mage Simon Alliant. But in Baltimore, he finally meets his match...a part-mortal divinity with the power to whisper away demons.

Simon Alliant is an exorcist who battles demons, whether he wants to or not. Sometimes it's not so bad...he gets to play with magic, after all. But for Simon, magic represents a demon of another kind. He's addicted to magic and it takes more than a handful of charms to keep that particular demon at bay. Chiara is part Light, part Dark, and stubbornly mortal. The woman has a way with words: she literally talks demons into abandoning their human hosts. Simon thinks that's not the only trick she has up her sleeve-and that's pretty high praise coming from a mage like him.

As intriguing as that may be, Simon has too many reasons to distrust her...one of them being his more-or-less partner, an angelic Watcher. Amidst all the celestial warnings of the rising dark comes a new prophesy that makes him wonder: is Chiara a threat to him and all of mankind?

Or will she be his salvation?

Join the legions and pick your side: Light or Dark. Just know this...decisions like this are never easy, because there's no black and white when it comes to good and evil.

Grab your lucky charm. You might need it.

Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction writer who, despite having a Time Turner under her couch and three different sonic screwdrivers in her purse, still encounters difficulty with time management. She's the author of urban fantasy (such as the trilogy The Books of the Demimonde) as well as paranormal romance (WORDS THAT BIND). She also writes for YA and NA audiences under the pen name AJ Krafton (THE HEARTBEAT THIEF, her Victorian dark fantasy inspired by Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death”). Currently, she's working on a new urban fantasy series, The Demon Whisperer. The first book, CHARM CITY, is now available on Kindle.

Author Interview with Catrina Taylor: Xarrok:Birth of an Empire #1

This week it is my great pleasure to introduce you to the writer, Catrina Taylor (@TheLadyWrites). Her sci-fi novel, 'Xarrok: Birth of an Empire' has been released this weekend and I know it's going to quickly aquire a cult following.

SYNOPSIS:
This is a universe in constant turmoil. The major species in this universe have been at war for centuries. Their lives have become driven and motivated by the war and everything around it. Peaceful relations are limited and require strict enforcement. Traditions adhered to are rapidly being challenged and in the worst way possible. Things will change and a new empire will be born. One that will bring an end to the pain its people go through. One that will stand for peace at any cost.


Two warring fleet commanders square off against each other. Each side holding a lost desire. Neither commander backing down. One takes them both on a walk through history in hope he won’t have to take her life.

In your own 40 letters, what is Xarrok: Birth of an Empire about?
It's about finding out there are no limitations to who you are. (is that 40 letters?)

What inspired this wonderful story?
It was inspired by a Twitter Roleplaying group, Rebellion. I'm a part of it, and the story of how the two main characters in the RP got together rooted this book in my mind and my heart poured the words out.

How long was it in the making and writing?
This book is decades in the making, but about a year in the writing. I'm excited that it's finally out and the partner book is nearly ready as well.

Was it inspired by any other works?
In a sense it was. The Rebellion RP Group is a Star Trek fan fiction story that unfolds on the timeline.

It's part of a series, is the next one written?
Not fully written no. I'd estimate about half way but the Editor is going to be breathing down my neck on this one so it won't take as long to get out. Not only that but with book one I still had a child home and one in school, and that obviously posed another obstacle to completion that I don't have with book two.

Where do you like to write and what is your writing method?
I write locked up in my bedroom usually. That's where my PC is and it's the easiest method for my creation, so that's where it is.

Tell us something lesser known about yourself.
I'm giving this one some thought. I guess that I'm stuck in the midwestern USA when I'm a city girl at heart.

Where can we find out more about you and your writing?
My writing can be found in a few locations.
My business site has http://thewritingnetwork.com
My universe - the world of Xarrok is located at http://Xarrok.com
Information on the aforementioned RPGroup from Twitter can be found at http://strebellion.info
And of course anyone can chat with me on twitter @TheLadyWrites