I’m tickled to have Melissa Snark drop by today. She’s sharing a recipe for Cinnamon Roll Swirl Cake as well as information about her newest release. 


Hello!
My name is Melissa Snark, and I’m a fantasy and romance author. If I
could have a moment of your time, I’d like to ask for your help as a
reader. Please consider nominating my Norse folklore fantasy novel
Battle
Cry

on Kindle Scout.
Amazon’s
new publishing program is called
Kindle
Scout
,
an innovative platform that provides readers with a sneak peek at
unreleased books as well as the opportunity to have a say in what
gets chosen. The timing of
Scout
was
amazing. The announcement came just as I neared completion of my
novel. The terms being offered are attractive. As a publisher, Amazon
has as much clout as one of the traditional publishers. This simply
seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass on, so I submitted
Battle
Cry
for
consideration.
Per
the FAQ:
How
does Kindle Scout benefit readers?

Kindle
Scout readers get to preview new, never-before-published books and
influence which ones are made available to millions of readers on
Amazon.
In
addition, any time a reader’s nomination gets published, they will
receive a free copy.
I
appreciate your support! To nominate
Battle
Cry
,
you only need to be logged into your Amazon account. You can head
over to the Kindle Scout website and view Battle
Cry’s profile page
. If you like what you see, please consider
voting for
Battle
Cry
.
Thank you so much!
BATTLE
CRY
Book
#2 in the Loki’s Wolves series
Melissa
Snark
Genre:
Norse folklore fantasy
Number
of pages: 375 approx.
Word
Count: 95,000
Cover
Artist: Farah Evers  
Tags:
#Fantasy #Amreading #Kindle @MelissaSnark
Promo
Tweet:

One man dares defy Fate. Please nominate BATTLE CRY on
#KindleScout.
#Fantasy #Norse #amreading @MelissaSnark
Logline:
One man dares defy Fate.
Survival
demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness.

Men
revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious Hunter
King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the
daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets
off a chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the
lives of both wolves and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake
seeks

the truth at any cost.
After
losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to
get on with building a new life in Sierra Pines, California. A
vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization aren’t going to make that
easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction between her and the
Hunter King’s second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil plague
Victoria.
When
the Norse Fates predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties
as a priestess of Freya come into conflict with her responsibilities
as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they tell her she will do it to save her
unborn child, she’s not so sure they are wrong.
Sawyer
Barrett has been trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn’t know
whether he loves her or hates her. Desperate to end the war, he’s
willing to take chances with everything–except his heart. The
hunter harbors a deadly secret he can’t reveal without risking the
ceasefire and his life.
At
Sawyer’s urging, Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the
while, an ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters
alike. If the embittered rivalry between hunters and wolves doesn’t
end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria’s pack… or for their
world.
Attribution:
Norns weaving destiny,
by Arthur Rackham (1912). Public domain.
Short
excerpt (PG):
Shade
enshrouded Skuld, and her voice manifested upon the air, thick and
oppressive, closing in from all sides. “Your daughter will not
grow to adulthood in Midgard.”
Victoria’s
heart slammed against her breastbone. Her breath expelled in a
horrified gust. The bowl dropped from her hands and flew to protect
her abdomen. “What do you mean?”
“Your
daughter will be taken from you on the eve of her third birthday,”
Skuld said. “The one you trust most, a member of your own pack,
will give the child over to your greatest enemy.”
A
growl trembled in Victoria’s throat, and her entire body shook under
the dual assault of fear and rage. The suggestion of betrayal from
within her own pack filled her with disbelief to the core of her
being. It was unthinkable. Gritting her teeth, she sought a solution,
refusing to dwell on it. “How am I to prevent this?”
“We
speak of what will come to pass,” Verðandi said in a
sympathetic tone.
“Your
predictions are not carved in stone,” Victoria said. Arguing
with Fate was a foolish endeavor, but she refused to accept their
prophecy.
The
old woman, Urðr, smiled with a frightening gleam in her eyes.
“Predictions, carved into the trunk of the World Tree, carved
into the spiritual fabric of the world.”
Stubborn
determination settled over Victoria like armor. Her mother had taught
her there was no absolute fate, just as there was no absolute free
will. Life consisted of a wide range of possibilities between the two
extremes. She refused to allow her daughter to die at three years of
age. She would move worlds, alter fate, slay gods.
Whatever
it took.
“Do
you wish to save your child?” Skuld asked.
Victoria
answered without thought. “Yes. I’ll do anything. Tell me.
Please.”
“The
final days are upon us,” Verðandi said.
Skuld
took over speaking. “To save your daughter, you will side with
Loki against the Aesir. You will use your enchanted dagger to cut the
binding of the great wolf Fenrir. You will be responsible for freeing
the beast that kills Odin.”
Victoria’s
stomach turned. Her head shook in automatic denial. “When the
gods imprisoned Fenrir, my people pledged fealty to the Aesir. We
have served them loyally ever since. Even when we were driven from
the homeland, almost a millennium ago, we remained faithful. I will
never cut Fenrir’s bonds. To do so would end the world we live in and
doom us all.”
Skuld’s
gaze held steady. “You will.”
Victoria
snarled her denial. “No. I will never become the servant of the
Trickster or willingly take part in bringing about Odin’s death.”
Skuld
turned her head and pinned Victoria with one black eye that rolled in
its socket like a liquid marble. “To save your daughter, you
will.”
Fast
Facts About Melissa Snark:
  • Melissa
    Snark is published with The Wild Rose Press & as an Indie author
    with five unique titles: A CAT’S TALE, THE MATING GAME, LEARNING TO
    FLY, THE CHILD THIEF, and HUNGER MOON.
  • Her
    Loki’s Wolves series includes THE CHILD THIEF, HUNGER MOON and
    BATTLE CRY.
  • She
    lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children
    and a glaring of cats.
  • She
    is a professional cat herder and unrepentant satirist who blogs
    about books and writing on The
    Snarkology
    .
Connect
with Melissa Snark:

Email:
melissasnark at gmail.com
Twitter:
@MelissaSnark
And now the recipe!
Thanksgiving
is just around the corner, so I’d love to share a delicious dessert
with you. This cake is a yummy treat that will fill your entire home
with the tempting aroma of cinnamon and sugar. Enjoy it after your
evening meal… or as a tempting breakfast pastry.
Cinnamon
Swirl Cake
Ingredients:
Batter:
  • 3
    cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4
    teaspoon salt
  • 1
    cup sugar
  • 4
    teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2
    cup milk
  • 2
    eggs
  • 2
    teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2
    cup butter, melted
Topping:
  • 1
    cup butter, softened
  • 1
    cup brown sugar
  • 2
    Tablespoons flour
  • 2
    Tablespoons cinnamon
Directions:
  1. In
    a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

  2. Mix milk, eggs,
    and vanilla. Stir thoroughly.
  3. Pouring
    slowly, stir wet mixture into dry ingredients.
  4. Slowly
    add butter, stirring until batter is mixed.
  5. Pour
    into a greased 9×13 pan.
     
  6. For
    the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
  7. Sprinkle
    evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife.
     
  8. Bake
    at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes.
  9. Allow
    cake to cool for 15 minutes before glazing.
Glaze:
  • 2
    cups powdered sugar
  • 5
    Tablespoons milk
  • 1
    teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
  1. Combine
    ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined.
  2. While
    the cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top. 

L.J. Harris

I’m pleased to welcome L.J. Harris and her new release “Just Like Pulling Teeth”

A trip to the dentist has never been so… interesting…

EXCERPT:
“BOLLOCKS,” I groaned, failing at my attempt to chew on the wedge of pickle-covered cheese. It was only Tuesday, and yet, as I sat at the end of the bar at the Thistle and Lion, whining and moaning with every bite of my ploughman’s lunch, this particular week had already begun to drag. I’d had the mother of all headaches for two days, and throbbing gums for three, the pain so bloody awful I’d been driven to take some long overdue time off work. My bite had been out of alignment for weeks, thanks to the swelling in the back of my mouth, and everything above my shoulders hurt.
Even my sodding hair.
The ibuprofen I was taking was no longer helping, and I hadn’t slept well in days. Luckily my sister, Rachel, was able to secure an appointment with a new dentist near where she worked. Dr. Anderson had been looking after my teeth ever since I was a young lad, but retired earlier in the year. As much as I felt awkward around new people, I figured I’d give this new bloke a shot, considering my dear sister had been gushing about how wonderful he was non-stop for the past few weeks. It wasn’t as though I had much choice, anyway. The other dentists I’d contacted, including every one of them at the Holistic Solutions Clinic, were booked solid for months ahead.
I didn’t even give a toss if I had to get my teeth pulled, if it meant the pain would go away.
Unable to finish my meal, I downed the rest of my pint to help sate my hunger and perhaps give me a little Dutch courage before I left a tenner on the end of the bar and headed for the men’s to carefully floss and brush.
It was torture, yes, but no sense in grossing out the new dentist with my recently acquired mustard pickle and beer breath.
I made my way across the cobbled alleyway that was a stone’s throw away from the city centre, the London sun shining and the air brisk with mid-October winds, until I found myself standing in the lobby of the two-storey building. Quickly checking the directory located next to a small cafe, I made my way up the single flight of stairs, passing by everything from chiropractors to physiotherapists, acupuncturists to hypnotherapists.
I was certain the name on suite door number ten, Acacia Dental Spa, was a contradiction in terms.
JUST LIKE PULLING TEETH is also a part of the BOLLOCKS! Anthology



BUY LINKS:

L. J. HARRIS is a mother of teenage twin boys who she loves with all her heart. Her family is her life, her soul, and the very reason she gets out of bed every day. Coming a close second to her family is her writing.

She only just discovered a passion for writing in the past five or so years. She’d always written little poems in birthday cards for family members, but that was as far as her writing aspirations went…until she decided to write poems and give them to family members as homemade gifts.

It was then a spark was lit, and ever since, she hasn’t been unable to switch off the urge to write.

After a close family member fell ill, she began questioning what she wanted and searching for answers. Unable to sleep one night, she sat up and typed out her feelings on the laptop. Her husband read what she’d written and encouraged her to write more. It was then she knew she wanted to share her thoughts with others. She began with writing what she knew–her life story, but couldn’t get into it. Instead, she decided to write about something not based on fact, but fiction, and wrote a dream sequence which she showed to her family. They encouraged her to expand on it, and she hasn’t stopped since.

L.J. Harris discovered that as much as enduring pain, loss, betrayal, or any other negative thing in our lives can be devastating, if she hadn’t experienced them for herself, she not only wouldn’t have found some lifelong friends, she doubts she would have been able to write the feelings of anguish and loss that some of her characters have had to endure.

L.J. has been previously published and has shared several online stories and looks forward to continuing to share her work.


CONTACT LINKS:
Also by L.J. Harris:

Interview with Gavin from Wolves’ Pawn

For those of you that didn’t read this when it was on Linda McLaughlin’s  blog, here it is:

Me: Gavin, you fell for Dot almost immediately. What attracted you to her?

Gavin: Her eyes, I think. She has beautiful eyes and they are so expressive. I dated lots of women from both my pack and others, and none of them ever attracted me like Dot did. Her courage shines through them, and that’s what got to me.

Me: Is Dot really as tough as she acts?

Gavin: Tougher, maybe. I think there are still things she hasn’t told me about her past because she’s afraid I’ll try to take revenge on the people who hurt her.

Me: You chose not to challenge your father for pack leadership for a long time. Why not?

Gavin: He was doing a good job, and I didn’t see any need to take over. He was open to suggestions and made some changes to make the pack more modern, and the pack, for the most part, seemed content. I saw how much of his time was spent keeping the pack functioning, and I didn’t want to be tied down like that if I didn’t have to be.

Me: Which form do you prefer to see Dot in—human or wolf?

Gavin: (laughs) I know better than to answer that question. She’s beautiful no matter which form she’s in.

Me: We’re running out of space, so one last question. Have you and Dot discussed adding any little ones to the pack?

Gavin: We’ve talked about it, and that’s all I’m going to say right now.

Me: From the smile on your face, I think there’s something you’re not telling me. But I know our time is up, so I want to thank you for your time today.

Gavin: Thank you for stopping by.

Do you have any questions for Gavin? Drop them in the comments, and I’ll see if I can get an answer.

You can still see the post in it’s original glory at http://lindalyndi.com/interview-with-a-wolf-shifter-wolves-pawn-by-pjmaclayne/

On Sale!

Because October hosts my birthday and Halloween, I’ve decided to put Wolves’ Pawn on sale for the rest of the month. If you don’t already have it, now is your change to pick up  the e-book for only 99¢


Check out the My Books page to find all the links. My Books

Cover Reveal for Logan and Cecile

I’m happy to help my friend Ryleigh Rhodes with the cover reveal for her new book, Logan and Cecile. It’s the first book in her Treasure State series.

 And to give you a hint of what the book’s about, here’s a teaser

Update!

Logan and Cecile is live! You can buy it at the stores listed below.

I’m still here!

I feel like I’ve been neglecting you guys. I’ve been buried deep in writing, and I’ve gotten to the point where I’m trying to tie the plot into a neat little bundle. It’s hard, because Harmony dragged me all over the place trying to solve this mystery.


To make up for it, I’d like to leave you a picture. I debated between another old Victorian house picture or something else. I decided to go with something else- a picture taken in the high plains of Colorado. When I say high plains, I mean the area is over 8000 feet in elevation, and surrounded  by even higher mountains. Enjoy.

Deleted scene from the new book

I try not to edit too much when I’m writing a first draft, but it does happen. And sometimes I think I have a good idea for a new scene in a book, but once I get it written I ponder it and decide it just isn’t going to work. I present you one of those scenes today. I didn’t even finish writing this one before I knew it didn’t fit with the storyline. I still like it though, and maybe I’ll find a way to use it in another book. We’ll see.

When I woke, my bed seemed smaller than
usual. And the room seemed darker than I remembered. I wondered if I
was dreaming and just thought I was awake.
I
tried to roll over, stretch to wake myself up and look at my clock,
but something heavy had me pinned in place. I stifled a scream, not
wanting to alert my captor to the fact that I was awake. Or was I
asleep, and this was no dream but a nightmare? Or a flashback to last
fall?

I
closed my eyes again for a second, but when I re-opened them nothing
had changed. I cautiously wiggled each of my arms, and then each of
my legs, to analyze the situation. To my relief, only one arm was
pinned down. If I took it slowly and carefully, I could squirm out
from under the weight holding me down and roll off the mattress.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

And just for eye-candy, here’s another house that could serve as a model for a home in Oak Grove. Or I could see it as a farmhouse out in the country somewhere.


Another week gone

 I’m going to try an experiment. I’m going to post a snippet of the new book here, and then post about it over on Facebook. That way anyone who hasn’t finished the first Oak Grove book won’t have to read the spoiler if they don’t want to. Sound good?

Because I’m having a lot of fun writing it and I’d like to share and get your reactions. 

As of now, the working title is “Her Ladyship’s Ring.” But I reserve the right to change the title anytime before publication.

Remember, this is raw and unedited, so I almost guarantee it will be changed!

     The wine glasses still
graced the coffee table when I made my way to the kitchen and turned
on the coffee pot. Sleep had been hard to come by, and I needed more
of a kick start than my favorite mint tea would provide. So much for
my effort to cut back on caffeine. Despite the brave face I’d put on
for my friends, the all-too familiar prickle of worry kept me from
sleeping soundly.
     As I waited for the coffee to brew, I
put away the glasses and returned the chairs to the kitchen table.
With my first cup in my hand, I settled into the loveseat and tucked
my feet under me, ready to face the day. I’d venture downstairs to
retrieve my newspaper after I woke up a little bit more.
     The footsteps on
the outside stairs broke my temporary sense of contentment. Like a
phone call in the middle of the night, anyone coming by this early in
the morning could only be bringing bad news. 
Freddie’s advice rang in my head as I
headed to the door, and I peered through the peephole as my visitor’s
fist struck the door. Pale blue eyes looked back at me. I grinned,
and threw the door open.
     “Still hacking into the police
computer system, Eli?” I asked.
     His answer was his arms pulling me
close and his lips pressed to mine.

As an added bonus, here’s a house that can serve as inspiration for one of the houses in Oak Grove. The picture is raw and unedited as well.