Mikki Cober Blog

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

"Deception" Book Two of The Demon Hunters by A.S. Fenichel Coming in July 2015

When Demons threaten Regency London, only a Lady can stop them.

Lillian Dellacourt is beautiful, refined and absolutely lethal. She’s also the most feared and merciless demon hunter in The Company. She’s come a long way from the penniless seamstress’s daughter sold to the highest bidder, and it wasn’t by trusting a man, let alone an exiled Marquis with more on his mind than slaying the hellspawn . . .

For Dorian Lambert, Marquis de Montalembert, being sent to keep track of Lillian is no mean task. He’s wanted the fiery vixen since he first heard of her five years ago. But wooing the lady while fighting the demon uprising is no easy feat, especially when the lady’s tongue is as sharp as the Japanese sai blades she favors for eviscerating the spawn of hell.

These two will have to learn to trust each other fast, because the demon master is back, and he’s planning to turn Edinburgh into a living hell…

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Genre: Paranormal Historical Romance
Publisher: Lyrical Press/Kensington Publishing
Date of Publication: July 7, 2015

Available for Pre-order at the following:

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Deception-Demon-Hunters-S-Fenichel-ebook/dp/B00ONTR7WS/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Barns & Noble- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deception-as-fenichel/1120611640?ean=9781616505622

Kensington- http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/31375

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Head over to Rafflecopter to participate in a giveaway - ends Friday:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bb0ebfb10/

About the Author:

A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.

A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.

Multi-published in erotic paranormal, contemporary and historical romance, A.S. is the author of the Mayan Destiny series, Christmas Bliss and many more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be bringing you her brand of romance for many years to come.

Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.

Want to know more? You can find A.S. Fenichel at the following:

Web Site- http://asfenichel.net/

Blog - http://asfenichel.net/blog/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5154640.A_S_Fenichel

Twitter - https://twitter.com/asfenichel

Tsu - https://www.tsu.co/ASFenichel

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/A.S.Fenichel

Google +1 - https://plus.google.com/113195747154467378107/posts

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/asfenichel/boards/

Romance Writer Weekly Blog Chat for February 17, 2015

Sunset on Maui's North Shore

Hello! It's been a few weeks since you've heard from me, and I'm glad to be back blogging with the Romance Writer Weekly group. If you've joined me from Jeana E. Mann http://jeanaemann.net then, welcome. Jeana is the author of the Felony Romance Series, and if you haven't read any of her novels yet, then please do so! Her latest novel, "Impulsive" is due out this June.

This week we are blogging about our favorite vacation spot. This was an easy one for me. There is no place I'd rather be than Hawaii, and in particular, Maui.

Sunset in Lahaina (Maui)

There's nothing like a sunset on Maui, or on any of the Hawaiian islands for that matter. Fantastic. People sit and wait for the sun to slip below the horizon, hoping to see the "green flash" - considered to be one of the most elusive events during sunset or sunrise. What causes the green flash of light? For a specific definition, Wikipedia says "Green flashes occur because the atmosphere can cause the light from the sun to separate out into different colors." But I digress...

Maui is an incredible place. The first time I visited the island, I was on a business trip with my boss. We arrived at the Kahului Airport at 7:00 pm, and by the time we had gotten our luggage (warning - it's a small airport, everything is done by hand, and it takes forever for the baggage to appear), gotten our rental car and started driving... it was already evening.

Evening in Kona (Big Island)

Neither of us had been to Maui before, and we were following a map to our hotel located in Wailea. We had no idea where that was or how far, only what our little rental car map showed us. We left the well lit town of Kahului and started a rather long drive between rows of towering trees that obscured our view of the sugar cane fields we had been told would be on either side. The trees also blocked out the moonlight and there weren't any street lamps. There were stars overhead, and as I peered up at them between the rows of trees, they seemed so tiny, so far away. To be honest, our trip along that unknown road was more than a little creepy.

Statue in Waikiki Gardens (Oahu)

I was starting to think we were going to end up in a Hawaiian version of 'Deliverance', and was about to suggest to my boss (who was driving) that we turn around. But I decided I was being a baby, after all we're on Maui! What could happen? A few minutes later, the main highway came to an abrupt end, and I really started to get nervous. There was only one way to turn, and that was to the right. As the road sloped downwards I looked around me, amazed (and relieved) at the sight. We were driving under enormous twisted live oaks and incredibly tall palm trees all covered with tiny white lights. The road towards the Wailea resort we were to stay in was gorgeous. As we arrived at the entrance to our hotel, framed by softly glowing Tiki torches, I truly felt as if I was Alice and instead of a rabbit hole, I had ended up in a magical paradise.

West Shore beach on Oahu

We both stumbled from the car, too exhausted from a twelve hour plane ride, to do more than check in. I took time to accept a beautiful flower lei, admire the hotel's open air lobby, and from somewhere on the other side of the lobby, could hear the faint strum of ukuleles. At that moment, I wasn't interested in sight seeing - I needed sleep!

When I awoke before dawn the next morning - a six hour time difference is hard to get used to - I left my room in search of breakfast and stopped short, mouth hanging open. The view from the lobby was truly amazing and I stood in awe staring at the view. The ocean caught the early morning sparkle from the sun as it rose over the mountains behind me. The scent of jasmine and plumeria was in the air, and the sound of cooing doves surrounded me. I have never been touched by beauty in this way, and it filled me with complete joy and absolute peacefulness. It was incredible.

Standing above the clouds, taking in the view across Haleakala crater

I have been back to Maui several times over the years, and have also visited Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island (Hawaii). But to me, Maui remains that most magical and its pull on me is intense. There is something in the air on Maui. Maybe it's the fragrance of night blooming jasmine or white ginger, or the fact the ocean is crystal clear. All I know is you can't help but relax when you're staying on this piece of paradise.

Blooming Silversword

The following are some of the mental images that I have taken away with me from my visits to the islands.

Surging waves crashing against dark black lava rocks;
Rattling palm fronds when the afternoon trade winds start to blow;
Standing above the clouds while on top of Haleakala, a dormant volcano 10,800 feet above sea level;
Chancing upon a blooming Silversword plant which grows on the top of Haleakala and only flowers once in 50 years and then dies;
Spotting a turtle on a black sand beach;
Watching a fire knife dancer during a luau.

Sea Turtle on a black sand beach (Big Island - Hawaii)

Too beautiful for words, I have shared a few pictures from my various trips - I hope you have enjoyed them.

Native dancer at a luau (Waikiki)

And as they say in Hawaiian, whether you've just arrived or are about to depart - Aloha.

Before you leave, please jump over to Veronica Forand http://veronicaforand.com She always has something amazing to talk about on her blog.

Mahalo for stopping by. See you next time!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Romance Writer Weekly Blog Chat for January 13, 2015

Welcome to my weekly blog chat, I'm glad you're here. I love to have visitors, so thanks for stopping by!

If you've joined me from amazing author, S.C. Mitchell http://scmitchell.wordpress.com/ then welcome. His new cover is posted here, and he's releasing his new book "Valentine's Day Canceled" on February 4th.

If you haven't been to his website, then I encourage you to click on the link above and visit him before you leave.

This week, we are discussing an idea posed to us by Elizabeth Janette http://elizabeth-janette.blogspot.com . She asked us to blog about our TBR list, or for those who hate acronyms, our "to be read" list.

My list is incredibly long. Partly because I received so many wonderful, free, books at the last Romance Writer of America conference held in July 2014. I shipped home a huge boxful and I've been slowly reading my way through the pile. I'm not the fastest reader, and that's the other reason that my list is so long. Besides the boxful of books, I have a list of other authors I want to read, and when added to my RWA pile, it's a bit intimidating.

I'm also still in the learning phase of writing. However, having said that, I'm not sure anyone is ever finished learning. I believe we're all constantly expanding and adding to our writer tool kits. Because of my desire for self improvement as a writer, I have a tall stack of books on the writing craft.

To be honest with you, I bought them, love them, and they sit next to me when I'm writing but I don't sit and read them. Most times I'm a flipper. You might be one too. A "flipper" flips through the pages when searching for the answer to a question on grammar, punctuation, or word choice. I don't actually read these books cover to cover. However, I count these on my TBR list, because one day I promise to read them thoroughly.

Back to my fiction TBR list. Some of my books are on my eReader, and others I have sitting on several bookshelves through out the house. I am slowly working through my list, and at this moment I'm reading Kathy Reichs "Bones Never Lie".

I have to admit I was proud of my reading list for 2014. I finished a total of 30 books last year, and I hope to read at least 50 in 2015. Remember, I'm not the fastest reader - I love to savor the words on the page - I have trouble skimming. So 50 books may be a bit optimistic, but I'm going to go for it!

I figure that with my current reading backlog, plus the new box of books I'm sure to receive at this years RWA conference in New York, and other books from various author friends who are publishing their latest in 2015, I'll have 50 books or more on my TBR list.

How about you? Are you reading? If not, give it a try. Reading a good novel that absorbs you, and transports you to another place is amazing. It's like watching a movie taking place in your mind.

All right, that's enough from me. Why don't you hop over to Fiona Riplee http://fionariplee.com/blog and see what she has to say about her TBR list. I'm sure it's terrific.

Have a wonderful week reading a book that's been collecting dust on your shelves.

Stop by anytime - it's always nice to have you visit.

Warmly,

Mikki Cober

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Romance Writer Weekly Blog Chat for January 6, 2015

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well, you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all…… About our writing of course! Every Tuesday we’ll all answer the same questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site, we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride. Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

Hello and Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready for 2015. I know I'm looking forward to this year and all of the opportunities for reading new books, writing my next novel, and creating some fun new blogs for you to enjoy.

So, without further delay, let me say thank you for stopping by my first blog of 2015. If you jumped over from the fabulous Ronnie Allen at http://ronnieallennovel.com/blog then thank you for stopping by. If you haven't visited Ronnie's website, then by all means, hop on over once you've finished visiting with me.

Today we are chatting about a question posed to us by the wonderful Xio Axelrod. Please stop by her blog website at http://www.xioaxelrod.com Xio asked us to describe "A Day in the Life...", or "What do you do when you're not writing?"

One thing I love and really enjoy doing is playing golf. Yes, I wake up early on my golfing days, stagger around in the dark to get dressed and grab some breakfast, before I meet up with my golf friends at the clubhouse. Sometimes we're there before the sun is up. Other times the fog is so dense we can't even see the ball after we've hit it. And on a rare occasion, there might be the tiniest bit of drizzle falling around us. As long as the rain isn't coming down in torrents, we're going to chase that ball around those eighteen holes.

Are we crazy? Maybe. But we do have fun.

And look at this beautiful picture of the golf course. Who wouldn't want to be outside on a lovely sunny day, feeling the breezes, listening to the birds, and driving a golf cart on emerald green grass. Mmmmm - lovely.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not a great golfer by any means. My handicap is an embarrassment and I won't print it here. But I'm not into golf for the glory, or a shot at the Ladies PGA. I'm into it for the fun. Some rounds are better than others, and it drives me crazy when I have a really great game one day, and then one of my worst games the next.

They say that golf is a four letter word - and I have to admit it, whoever first came up with that phrase is absolutely correct. Some days I want to break every club in my bag and hurl my balls into the lake.

But sometimes everything goes right, and you have a magical round of golf. There was one day in particular when my drive was perfect, my second shot sublime, my chip shot amazing and I ended up putting into the hole from four feet away. All I can say is that I shouted my favorite words - I MADE PAR!

I was so excited I took a picture of my chip shot, and then the ball in the hole after my putt to prove to myself, and to anyone else who might ask, that I actually did it!

These photos are a testament to a special day of golfing, when all the stars aligned and life was good.

I think golf is a lot like life, and Forrest Gump said it best "... life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get."

The same is true of golf.

Well, I hoped you enjoyed your visit to my blog and thank you for stopping by. When you leave here, please hop over to the lovely LaNora Magnano http://jeanne1965.wix.com/finding-lanora#!blog/c112v and see what she has to say about her day of not writing.

See you next time!

Warmly,
Mikki Cober

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Romance Writer Weekly Blog Chat for December 16, 2014

Hello! If you've joined me after visiting the blog of the lovely

J.J. Devine, http://definingjjdevine.weebly.com/ramblings-of-a-writer, then welcome. If you've found me directly via the web, then please make sure to check out Elizabeth's blogsite.

This week's blog chat idea comes from the fabulous Carrie Elks. We are blogging about our favorite Christmas stories as told through books, movies, or true-life romances.

My choice is movies. I don't just love holiday movies. I really, REALLY love holiday movies. I have quite a few favorites that I'd like to share with you. Maybe they will become favorites of yours as well.

Here is a list of those special movies, and my reasons for their selection.

Holiday Inn – Starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. What a great musical love story! A traditional love guadrangle between Bing, Fred and their two leading ladies. The songs are terrific, the dancing inspired (the Firecracker tap routine by Fred is amazing), and the storyline is sweet, simple and has a wonderful HEA finish.
White Christmas – Another wonderful classic starring Bing, who is paired in this terrific film with Danny Kaye. Danny is a super dancer, and when he partners with the fantastic Vera-Ellen, the dance scenes are typical glorious Hollywood magic. The love story is straight forward, with Bing pursuing the hard-to-get Rosemary Clooney who is looking for a knight in shining armor, but becomes disillusioned with Bing. The situation is reversed with the duo of Danny and Vera-Ellen, where Vera pursues the shy Danny Kaye, until he finally cries uncle and succumbs to her charms. Again, a terrific HEA ending for both couples that makes true love look magical.
A Christmas Carol – Not a traditional hero/heroine love story, but more of a man learning to love those around him. I adore the spirits from the Past, Present and Future as they guide Mr. Scrooge in his journey of self-discovery. The ending always satisfies as Scrooge throws away his “scroogey” ways, and welcomes the love that is his to receive and gives that love back ten times over.
Miracle on 34^th Street – What can I say about this movie starring Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle, and Maureen O’Hara as the heroine who no longer believes in fairy tale endings. With the help of her adorable on-screen daughter Natalie Wood, and the handsome neighbor, John Payne AKA the hero, Maureen discovers there really is magic in Christmas and that Kris might just be the real-deal Santa Claus he claims to be, with a good dose of cupid thrown in to the mix. It's a happily ever after for everyone, as the Hero and Heroine find true love, and Kris Kringle confirms that the world still believes in Santa Claus.
Love Actually – OK, so this one takes us out of the past and thrusts us into a more contemporary timeframe. However, there is something beautiful about eight unique holiday love stories portrayed in this film. We follow the different plot lines of young love, love found (in several quirky places), love lost (both in death and betrayal), love that’s reborn, love between friends, and the good old-fashioned love at first sight. A terrific film for the holidays with lots of laughter, and a definite HEA when the Hero, Hugh Grant realizes that he's found the love of his life in Natalie (played by Martine McCutcheon).
Babes in Toyland – What can I say. If you haven’t seen the Laurel and Hardy version of this movie, filmed in 1934, you’re missing some real Christmas magic. Is it corny? Yes! Is it a bit unbelievable? Of course! But if you want a simple love story with a good dose of silliness, this movie is fantastic. And the best part? The Hero(s) are the Wooden Soldiers who save Toyland from an invasion by the Bogeymen! What could be better?

I hope that I have provided you with some romantic options for your holiday viewing pleasure, and that you will make one of these fun and fabulous holiday movies a favorite of your own.

Now, please hop on over to the wonderful Gemma Brocato at her blogsite http://www.gemmabrocato.com/blog. I'm sure that Gemma has something special to share with you.

Thank you for stopping by.

Warmly,

Mikki Cober

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Romance Writer Weekly Blog Chat for December 9, 2014

But even before this magical version, I fell in love with "Carol of the Bells" as performed by Hand Bell choirs.

You're familiar with Handbells, I'm sure. I actually used to play Handbells with my old church - loved the sound, especially at the holidays.

If you haven't seen a Handbell choir, there is a wonderful YouTube video at the following link that features a Handbell choir playing "Carol of the Bells". They do a beautiful job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i-VlUiGxEQ This is the link to that video, but if you do a web search you will find other wonderful Handbell choirs performing this song.

What is your favorite holiday song? If you don't have one in mind, give "Carol of the Bells", a try. Especially as done by a Handbell Choir.

Now, please hop on over to Jeanne McDonald at https://authorjeannemcdonald.wordpress.com/. I'm sure that Jeanne has a wonderful Christmas song, she wants to share with you.

Thank you for stopping by.

Warmly,
Mikki Cober

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Romance Writer Weekly Blog Chat for October 28th

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well, you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all…… About our writing of course! Every Tuesday we’ll all answer the same questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site, we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride. Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

Hello and Happy Halloween! If you've hopped over from the fabulous Ronnie Allen http://ronnieallennovel.com/gemini/blog-1 then welcome, and thanks for stopping by.

Today we are all sharing a spooky story that is either true, or one we made up. I'll let you be the judge as to which category my story falls into. Be warned, and here we go.

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I had been given a Ouija board for Christmas when I was twelve years old. As all 'tweens', my friends and I spent a lot of time asking the Ouija board all important yes or no life questions so important to twelve year old girls. Some of our favorite questions were to ask the Ouija board for the names of our next boyfriend, or more importantly, the names of who we were going to marry. Fun stuff, but hardly scary, right?

Well, one afternoon, two of my girlfriends and I were asking serious questions of the Ouija board. One thing led to another and we started to feel a little creepy about the answers the Ouija board was providing to us.

I decided to ask a very important question. The three of us put our fingers on the three legged planchette and when we were ready, I asked in a serious tone, "Who runs this board?"

The planchette started to move after a moment and it slid across the board, resting on five letters in the following order.

D - E - V - I - L

We freaked out and screamed! My friends almost ran from the room. I picked up the board and the planchette, stuffed it back into the box and threw the whole damn thing into the furthest recesses of my closet. I never touched the Ouija board again - it terrified me. I was even too scared to take it out of the closet to put into the trash, and I think my mother got rid of it during one of her cleaning frenzies.

I was reminded of this entire incident when I saw the preview for the upcoming movie, titled "Ouija". No way am I going to see that movie. It gives me the creeps telling you this story, let alone seeing an entire movie that has a similar theme.

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So, what do you think? True or false? I'll let you be the judge.

Now that you've heard my spooky little tale, why don't you take a moment and jump over to the amazing Dani Jace at her blogsite http://www.danijace.com

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you next time!

Warmly,
Mikki Cober