Review of Shaken (Mind Reader Series #1) by Susan Hatler

Kylie is just your average girl trying to maintain her perfect GPA, crushing on the one boy she can even talk to without suffering metal distress, and being a good friend. Raised by her father after mother died when she was four, Kylie in under the assumption that this is as bad as her life can get, until she opens the door one morning and can suddenly read minds. Now, Kylie is privy to all kinds of information she wasn't meant to know, which doesn't make life as easy as one might think.

While trying to get a handle on her new ability, Kylie is drawn into a kidnapping mystery that only she can solve. Her father is telling lies, and the detective's cousin, Trip Williams, is hot on the case, digging up information that wasn't meant to be found, and Kylie finds herself right in the middle of it all. Suddenly, the life she thought she knew is turns upside down, and Kylie learns that not everything in life is black and white.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up, but I had a good feeling about it. I ended up really liking it. From the first page I could tell it was solid writing and the tone was just right, making the characters likeable and about as true to life as you are going to get with a paranormal novel. I was never sure how Kylie's ability was going to play out--how much trouble would it get her into, who the kidnappers were, what her father was keeping from her, etc. The plot was really good and well thought out, and it held my attention all the way to the end.

The only thing that kept me from giving it a solid five stars was the predictability and how long it took the character, Kylie, to catch up to where I already was. Once I figured out something fairly obvious and self-explanatory, it took her a page or two more to make the same connections, which just made her appear slow. Other than that, I had no problems with anything. There were even some surprises toward the end that I couldn't have predicted--ever--because the information was never given until that point, and even then, it was played out well, which I really enjoyed.

I am glad this is a series, because I plan to find out what happens between all these characters. I want justice! I want in your face confrontations, and most of all, I want love.

 Shaken has a 4.9/5 star rating. You can pick up your copy here. 

Timeless Cover Reveal and Giveaway!

Today, along with the help of eight young adult book bloggers, the cover of Timeless is revealed!

Click here to add Timeless to your Goodreads to-read list!!

Timeless is the final part of the Transcend Time Saga, and will be released on November 20, 2012. 

If you haven’t started the Transcend Time Saga yet, the e-version of Remembrance is only $2.99 and can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.

 

 

A Note from the author:

Thank you everyone for your support of the Transcend Time Saga! When Remembrance released almost a year ago, I never dreamed that so many people would grow to love the characters and story as much as I loved bringing them to life while writing about them. Your support means the absolute world to me.

Now ... onto the GIVEAWAY!! 

To celebrate the Timeless cover reveal, Michelle is giving away to one person:

A signed copy of Remembrance, a signed copy of Vengeance, a signed copy of Timeless (to be sent after Timeless releases), three signed Remembrance bookmarks, a mask that looks like the one on the cover of Remembrance, and a mention in the acknowledgments section of Timeless. The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!

 

To enter, click here where you will be taken to Michelle's blog!

 

 

 

 

 

Author Interview-Charles A. Cornell

I introduced Charles A. Cornell earlier this week and his five star thriller, Tiger Paw. Now, we have the opportunity to get to know the man behind the book!

Name: Charles A Cornell

Book: Tiger Paw

Genre: Thriller

1. Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from and what do you do (besides writing)?

I’m what they call a ‘TransAtlantic’ - born in England, raised in Canada, now living in the Detroit area. I have a degree in Metallurgy from the UK and an MBA from Michigan. I’m nearing the end of a 35 year career in the automotive business. I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to travel extensively in Europe - where I lived on assignment for four years - as well as to Mexico, Japan and Australia. My career has given me many insights and helps me bring diverse perspectives to my writing.

2. Tell us about your book.  What is it about?

In Tiger Paw, FBI profiler Scott Forrester hunts an assassin belonging to a demonic East Indian cult that is wreaking havoc on Wall Street, murdering corrupt CEOs at the center of a billionaire’s stock scam. Firmly in the assassin’s crosshairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart the cult’s plans? 

I wanted to try something different in the thriller genre by combining the spiritual mysticism of a Hindu cult, the financial corruption of Wall Street and the world of political intrigue and covert ops.  Tiger Paw is more than a roller coaster ride… it’s a whole amusement park of mystery, psychological suspense and international intrigue. At the 50,000 foot level, it’s a story of greed, deception, and revenge. It contains an eternal narrative about people who have sold their souls in exchange for wealth and power. But at ground level, it’s also a very singular journey of one man’s struggle; a journey that places Scott Forrester inside the mirror of his soul and asks the question, in spite of all the odds stacked against him, does he have the psychological strength to defeat the greatest evil he has ever faced?

3. Where did the inspiration come from? (e.g. fact/fiction, reading, personal interest/passion, a story someone told you, personal experience).

As a small investor and a card carrying member of the 99% club, I had many of the experiences I write about in Tiger Paw when it comes to Wall Street’s uneven playing field. As an author, inspiration always starts with a ‘what if’ question. So for Tiger Paw, it was… ‘What if Wall Street defrauded the wrong investors? People who could really fight back?’

In the end, Tiger Paw is a classic tale of good triumphing over evil. But for much of the book, it’s a story of evil people taking revenge on other evil people. And that concept really interested me! 

4. Is there a little of yourself in any of your characters? If so, who?

The two main protagonists are brothers. Scott is an FBI agent and his brother, Jamie is a stock day trader and software programmer. He’s also a disabled Afghan war vet, paralysed from the waist down in an IED explosion. I think there’s a bit of me in both of these characters. Scott is very open-minded to the point of being unconventional. He probes beneath the surface of the evidence he finds. He’s a ‘possibility thinker’ which puts him at odds with his hard-driving, results-oriented boss at the FBI (and have I ever experienced that in my career!). Jamie is a carefree daredevil even after his unfortunate injury. When it comes to stock trading, he believes the deck is stacked against the small investor. I’ve had similar experiences in real life and empathize with his frustration and anger over Wall Street’s unethical and self-indulgent behaviour.

5. What do you do to relax?

Write! Seriously… it’s great relaxation and an escape from the corporate world and daily routine. I’m not a full time author yet, so I love to do research and reading for my novels. I love beachcombing and snorkeling, and I go down to Fort Myers Florida at least twice a year to enjoy the sand and sun… and to write!

6. What do you think is the greatest challenge about being an independent author?

There’s a stigma about self-published authors that says they are not as good at writing as the ‘published’ kind. Somehow, having an agent and a publisher conveys that old-fashioned ‘Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval’. There are so many examples of agents and publishers who initially overlooked immense talent like JK Rowling and Amanda Hocking. There are far too many agents who in my opinion are looking to latch onto trends rather than seek out new talent. When Dan Brown came out with the Da Vinci Code that was what everyone wanted you to write. Something else? Not interested. Then it was Harry Potter. Then the Twilight books. I understand it’s a business not a charity, and agents work on commission, so who can blame them for wanting to jump on the latest bandwagon? The problem is they can, and do, overlook good writers in the process.  However, on the other side of the argument, it’s equally true that the accessibility created by the ebook revolution is allowing work that is not well-crafted to get into ‘print’. So the greatest challenge for all indie authors is to build a reputation for quality while trying to attain commercial success through the arduous task of self-promotion.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring indie authors?

Don’t give up. Hone your craft. Learn continuously and improve. The Olympic Games are fresh in everyone’s mind and there are so many examples of this in athletics. Even gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt came second in his country’s pre-Olympic trials and there were so many other examples of perseverance and dedication over a long period of time to achieve a dream. The technology is now available to instantaneously reach out to an international audience. It’s like no other opportunity that has ever come before it. Use it wisely and you will succeed.

8. What do you enjoy most/least about writing?

I visualize everything. I see the ‘movie playing in my head’. It just takes so darn long to get it down ‘on paper’ and get it right - to transcribe the feeling and emotion, to really get the prose to the point where someone else can taste what you’re eating. I call it the ‘agony of words’ – obsessing over a page, a paragraph, a sentence, an adjective. Often for hours. But when you finally develop something that you believe will resonate, then that is the best and most enjoyable feeling of all.

9. Do other authors inspire your writing? If so, how?

This is a very hard question. I don’t read as much fiction as I think I should and I know that others do. The reason is that I don’t want to inadvertently copy another thriller writer’s style or storylines. Therefore when I read works of fiction, I rarely finish the whole novel. I want to get an understanding of how other writers have generated pace, characterization and setting; and of course how they created the initial hook. For inspiration I often draw from the classics. I have a sense of the macabre and enjoy Edgar Allan Poe. I have a decent wit and adore Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and I’m also a big fan of the satire of Bill Bryson.

10. What is your favorite book? Why?

George Orwell’s ‘1984’. It’s a dystopian novel but it’s also a psychological thriller. I grew up in the shadow of the Cold War and read this when I was about 13 years old. It had a profound effect on me. Orwell set a very high standard for writers in regards to framing the ‘big picture’. He wove the political and societal forces acting on the protagonist into a narrative that was both sweeping and grand in a nightmarish way, and intimate and personal at the same time. I’ve tried to do some of that in ‘Tiger Paw’, although it’s up to my readers to judge how successful I’ve been.

11. Anything specific you want the readers to know about you and/or your book?

Tiger Paw took seven years to write from its initial conception to publication. It took me two years to write the manuscript followed by a year of queries to agents. An agent in New York read it, liked it a lot and then told me that he was switching from thrillers to children’s books and wished me luck. He thought I would have no problem getting an agent. But I did. Discouraged, Tiger Paw sat in my ‘bottom drawer’ for about three years. For two of those years, I stopped writing all together. When the Occupy Wall Street movement started making headlines I knew I had the right story to tell! I revised the first chapter to add OWS because it was unknown in 2005 when Tiger Paw was written.

Tiger Paw is nominated for two Best Thriller awards (from the Kindle Book Reviews & from the Royal Palm Literary Awards). 

Links:

http://charlesacornell.com/archives/389

http://charlesacornell.com/archives/913

I’m writing the sequel to Tiger Paw. It’s called Lucifer’s Key. Scott Forrester returns to face his adversary again, the satanic cult called the Temple of Dvaipa. In Lucifer’s Key, Scott investigates the murder of an American virus researcher on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. He’s kidnapped by a voodoo cult and must uncover the deadly secret of Lucifer’s Key in a race against time to rescue his love interest from the clutches of the Temple and thwart their plan to unleash a new terror on the world. It has several shocking revelations. They involve the three prophecies of Obeah sorceress Tantie Neptune – a destiny that Scott Forrester cannot escape. The first two prophecies play out in Lucifer’s Key but the third prophecy leads directly to the third book in the series, Black Venom whose tagline is… will this be the end of the Temple of Dvaipa? Or will it be the end of the world as we know it?

Just for fun:

1. Plotter or pantser?

Mainly a plotter. It’s so important to have a strong arc when writing a mystery or thriller. The genre requires the timely placement of clues and careful build up of suspense. However, I find when it comes to writing dialogue, I do a lot of ‘improv’. I let the emotions of my characters flow onto the page in almost a free expression mode and then edit it later.

2. Summer or winter?

Beachcombing in a Michigan winter? No thanks! I prefer to migrate south. Definitely, summer. Year round summer would be ideal.

3. Beach or mountains?

Beach!

4. Morning person or night owl?

Night owl.

5. Chocolate or vanilla?

For everything in general, it’s chocolate. But when it comes to ice cream, it’s vanilla.

6. Favorite food?

Is wine a food?

7. Favorite TV show?

Bachelor/Bachelorette… very interesting characters! Better than fiction! I take notes.

Please include whatever links you want:

My website & blog: http://www.CharlesACornell.com
Link to the video trailer of Tiger Paw: http://charlesacornell.com/tiger-paw-video
Author’s page on GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5768487.Charles_A_Cornell
My Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CharlesACornell
Tiger Paw on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Paw-ebook/dp/B007DK91FU

Watch the Tiger Paw trailer now!

Review of Touch If You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

 

 

After 150 years, Jarvis has finally managed to escape the Den where he and his friends have suffered unspeakable horrors. His time there has left him emotionally scarred and untrusting of all women. The keeper of Hate, Jarvis is on borrowed time. As Hate consumes him, he must find locate his brother, the keeper of Love before he explodes, unleashing his gift on an unsuspecting world.

Reina works for the one and only Death. After losing every member of her family except one sister who is due to suffer the same fate at any moment. Her only hope of saving her sister is to get a promotion and to do that, she has an assignment to kill. The only problem is that Reina is a lover not a killer, but she will do what must be done if it means saving the person she loves. She just needs a little help from a certain woman hating warrior.

There was so much going on in this story, from Napoleon, Death's grandfather seeking to find his wife who has been kidnapped, to Death who is seeking to pull off the ultimate money making scheme in the history of reaping. Reina's mission to save her sister, Jarvis's mission to find his brother and save the world, his brother's journey to find a new purpose in life. We met the king of orgasms, and the ultimate assassin who has lost his own passion for the kill. Each was interesting in their own right, but I think they were deserving of their own story. Instead, they detracted from the main story line and Jarvis and Reina's journey to save the people they loved while finding their love for each other.

A perfect example of this would be Death. He is a huge womanizer and egotist, but he is also the most likeable, interesting and complex character. More than anything, I would have liked to learn more about him and what makes him tick. I hope there will be a book in the future that focuses on him. Overall, characters like this overshadowed the main characters, in my opinion.

When I first started reading this series, I loved the humor, and this one offered more of the same. However, as I said before, there was a lot going on. I had to juggle a lot of information, names, and places and sometimes it was difficult to keep everything straight. I love that the men each have their own unique coping mechanism, and for Jarvis that was hair. That alone lends a lightness to the story and at times created intimacy.

The execution was decent, the plot was solid and enjoyable. I really liked the struggle each character went through to reach their destiny. What I hated was the ridiculous amount of errors. This is a traditionally published novel? I would have thought indie considering the enormous amount of missing, added, and misspelled words that riddled each and every page from beginning to end. It was shocking really. With the way it stands, I would be surprised if this even went through the editing process at all. For me, it was distracting, sometimes even confusing and it interfered with the reading process significantly.

Aside from all that, this really is a decent book and a worthwhile read. The author clearly put a lot of thought into it and I can appreciate that. For all the problems, I will still pick up the next book in the series and recommend it to those who like a good paranormal romance with likeable, if not loveable characters and intricate plot lines. The humor alone makes me want to come back for more. 

Want to read it? Pick up Touch If You Dare here.

Indie Author Feature! 

 

This week I would like to introduce Charles A. Cornell, author of Tiger Paw.

 

Genre: Thriller/mystery

Publication: February 24, 2012

Purchase your copy on Amazon.

Add Tiger Paw to your Goodreads TBR list!

Description: 

In Tiger Paw, FBI profiler Scott Forrester hunts an assassin belonging to a demonic East Indian cult that is wreaking havoc on Wall Street, murdering corrupt CEO’s at the center of a billionaire’s stock scam. Firmly in the assassin’s crosshairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart the cult’s plans?

Tiger Paw is a thriller cloaked in mystery, psychological suspense and international intrigue. A story of people who have sold their souls in exchange for wealth and power. A story of greed, deception, and revenge. And a story of one man’s struggle to triumph against the greatest evil he has ever faced.

About Charles A. Cornell: 

Charles A Cornell was born in England, raised in Canada and now divides his time between Michigan and Florida. After 35 years of global business experience on three continents, Charles A Cornell brings a diverse and unique perspective to his fiction. His novels are mystery thrillers carved from today's headlines, blended with action and intrigue, and cloaked in psychological suspense.

What people are saying: 

“A spell binding thriller… The author’s talented use of imagery and suspense hooks you from the beginning and makes it a hard book to put down. A thoroughly enjoyable read with a surprise ending.” – Will Duncan, Michigan USA

“A haunting unnerving story… keeps you hooked until you come to its conclusion…. Impossible to put down… a riveting plot that sets it apart from usual crime fiction.” – Peg, Ireland

“Charles A. Cornell is a top-notch author, and Tiger Paw is a top-notch book. Remember the name, “Charles A. Cornell”. You will be hearing it for many years to come. Tiger Paw is filled with gut-churning suspense, incredible believability, and enough twists and turns to give you motion sickness… I am retired, and have read — on average — more than 1 book per day for the past several years. I can honestly say Tiger Paw is one of the top 2 or 3 books I’ve read during that time…. “Man, this stuff could really happen!”…after a whole-body shiver, you remind yourself it’s only fiction. Pick up a copy for yourself, and see if you don’t agree.” – Grampy, New York USA

Tiger Paw has a 5/5 star rating and is nominated for two Best Thriller Awards by Kindle Book Reviews and by the Florida Writers Association.

If you would like to stalk Charles on his website, please do! And don't forget to enter the giveaway! 

Teaser Tuesday!

We're back this week with Teaser Tuesday!

 Brace yourselves, this week's teaser comes from John Matthews Blind School.

 

Ryan Lorimar and Jessica Werner have a special gift: they can see ‘fallen angel’ apparitions within other people. But as the fallen angels in turn know that they’ve been ‘viewed’, it’s a gift that will get him killed. They need protection. They need to enter ‘Blind School’.

Their only hope is Ellis Kendell and his team of agents. Day in, day out, Kendell’s team trawl through street-cam images from across the nation to pick up that tell-tale eye light-refraction of ‘viewers’. Can Kendell’s team get to the viewers before the fallen angels and get them to safety in ‘Blind School’? But there’s also an added agenda: Kendell’s department want the ‘viewers’ help in tracking down more ‘fallen angels’.

Yet is Kendell deluding himself? Setting this small group of teens against a legion fifty-times their number of the most cunning and vicious murderers and criminal masterminds the nation has to offer – is he simply throwing them to the wolves? Fated to watch them one-by-one die. The odds are against them.

 Teaser 1

"It's okay. I know your secret. You don't have to keep it to yourself any more." 
"What?" A sharp jolt ran through her as she pulled back and stared at Ben. 
But her mom was approaching, she couldn't pursue it. Her eyes shifted uncomfortably between Ben and her mom, then a quick forced smile to hopefully cover, she headed out. 
"Bye y'all." 

Teaser 2

Her thoughts pounded in time with her step: surely he couldn't have found out. And if he had, how?  She'd been so careful to keep everything from him. 
She knew that she should wait until after the doctor's appointment to talk to Ben, could do without the agitation beforehand-but in the end it was burning too hot through her mind. At the next cross- street, she memory-dialed her home number. 
After three rings her mother answered: "Hello."
"Mom. Is Ben still there?" 

Blind School has a 4.5/5 star rating and is available for purchase on Amazon. 

Indie Author Feature! 

 

This week I would like to introduce Annalise Grey, author of Howl (Kane Wolves, #1). 

 

Genre: Older YA Paranormal Romance

Publication: January 4, 2012

Purchase your copy on Amazon and Barnes and Noble today! 

Add Howl (Kane Wolves, #1) to your Goodreads TBR list! 

Description:

Nineteen year old Sophie Matthews is a line-walker between two worlds - human and werewolf. She lives around humans but is never truly part of their world. That is, until she is spotted by a hiker.

What should have been a passing glance becomes so much more as Sophie falls for the one thing she is forbidden from ever having: a human mate.

Adding to her stress is newcomer Daniel, the arrogant wolf on Sophie's tail.

Then several humans are killed by a mysterious and dangerous beast within the pack's hunting grounds. The humans begin whispering of wolf-men roaming the forest and the threat of discovery looms heavy around the pack.

Everything is falling apart and Sophie realizes just how little control she has over her future.

Will she risk everything - her heart, her family, and her safety - for a chance to control her own fate?

About Annalise Grey:

Pennsylvania native, dreamer, explorer.

I write because I like talking to the voices in my head. They are (usually) good company. I love to travel (when I have the $ for it). My family is everything to me.

To find out more about Andrea, you can find her here. 

What people are saying: 

Andrea Heltsley (4 stars)- 

The fighting was epic and the storyline was solid. I wish the author had dug a little deeper with the characters and explored their personalities more. I could have used some more sympathy in this book other than Sophie and the love triangle.  The story had action up until the very end. I was on pins and needles to see what happened. Alas, I got no such end. The author left one hell of a cliffhanger and I am still sad about it.

Laura Thomas (5 stars) -  

Imagine my delight when I found out that I had won this book. I've been wanting to read it and now I urge you to do so.

I sat down last night and started reading. At first it was a bit slow, but then I glanced up at the clock and four hours had flashed past and I was finished.
Howl is about Sophie and her family of werewolves, living as a pack and trying to remain undiscovered. Glimpsed by a hiker in her wolf form, Sophie later runs into him again in her human form. A mutual atrraction grows, but since it is forbidden to be with human mates, Sophie secretly starts dating jaime.
The pack has problems of their own when people are being viciously attacked and sitings of an unusually large wolf are reported. 

I really want to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Annalise Grey gives you just enough detail, with flowing dialogue and well developed characters that you feel a connection with.
The end left me wanting more and i will be watching for another book, hopefully several.

 

A Warrior's Betrayal Update

 

New release date:

For those of you who enjoyed the first Brotherhood novel, Darkness & Lies, and were anticipating the arrival of A warrior's Betrayal at the end of August, I have a bad news.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have had to push the release date back. To be safe, I am projecting the new release date to be September 30th, allowing plenty of leeway to get everything in its place and raring to go. The countdown clock has been reset so you can keep track of how many days are left easily. 

In the meantime, please show your support and love for the Brotherhood by stopping over at Goodreads and adding A warrior's Betrayal to your TBR!

Thank you for being patient during this process, and for that, you shall be greatly rewarded. Make sure to watch for a giveaway celebration as we grow closer to the end of September!  

INK 2 Giveaway and Character Interview

Today I have the pleasure of hosting a giveaway for Ink 2! I don't want to give anyone a heart attack here, so get the defibrillators charged and nearby, ladies, because I will also be interviewing the one and only Slade! Yeah, that's right, I get to sit down and get cozy with that pierced lipped, bat toting, center stage make-me-wanna-scream bad boy from down the beach hottie, and I'm sharing all the gory details with YOU! 

 

For those of you who have read the first book, buckle up. You have no idea what you are getting into. For those of you who have not read Ink 1, you have NO idea what you are getting into. Which is why I feel it is my duty to inform you with a little synopsis I stole borrowed from Goodreads. Stick around, and don't forget to fill out the Rafflecopter for a chance to win INK 2!!

 

Hope is now a witch. She never realized becoming one meant dealing with evil. She soon is learning that being a witch comes with a lot of bad consequences. She is now a member of a dark circle that is bent on destruction. Evil is all around, begging her to join. She wants to be with Slade, but the darkness is a lot for a girl like Hope to handle.
She soon learns there is a side of Slade and magic that she wishes she never knew existed.
Soon she is battling a coven, and her own personal life.
Should she stay true to the girl she always was or take a chance with the greatest guy she ever met?
This new life could turn her into something evil; she has to decide if it is worth it.

Hold onto your seats, ladies, the party is about to begin! 

Checks watch. I am sitting in a trailer at a small table wedged into one corner, waiting patiently. It's late, and the concert out back is starting to wind down. My knee is bobbing under the table, my nerves shot...The doors opens, and there he is. Slade's eyes immediately fall on me and suddenly I feel like a bug under a microscope. He doesn't say anything as he sits down across from me, just stares, so I start.

Twisting Minds...: *clears throat and clicks on old timey recorder* So, today I want to welcome Slade Andrews. Welcome, Slade, and thank you for joining us today! 

Slade: Sup. 

Twisting Minds...: So, Slade. How long have you been a singer? 

*I can't help staring. Slade looks positively edible in a pair of dark jeans, a black band t-shirt that showcases lean muscles and artful tatts. Running his tongue across his lip ring, he lifts his aviators from the top of his head, places them on the table between us and runs his fingers through his hair. I'm wondering, as an adoring fan and all, if I could swipe them when he's not looking, but I decide against it. I bounce my knee a little more forcefully. He's taking forever to answer.*

Slade: I was born a singer, it's in my soul. That's like asking someone how long they been human. You just are what you are. *leans back and stares intently*

Twisting Minds...: *shifts nervously* Of course, of course. Very cool. Uh, next question. Do you consider yourself a good witch or a bad witch?

Slade: *perks up* I don't know, which would you prefer?

Twisting Minds...: Oh God oh God oh God! *twirls hair and smiles, resisting the urge to tell him how much I like bad ones* 

We're not talking about my preferences. I think the viewers would like to hear your answer much more than mine. 

Slade: *smirks* I don't know. I guess it all depends on the day. And how bad someone pisses me off.

Twisting Minds...: Wow, I feel sorry for that person already. So, is Hope your first? Girlfriend that is. I'm mean, we all know that you've dated before, like, a lot. Not that she couldn't have been your first! *flushes* Sorry, I suffer from foot in mouth disease. 

Slade: Hope is the first girl I have ever had feelings for. I have had many firsts, time and time again, believe me.  *appears to relax at the mention of Hope*

Twisting Minds...: So, is she like, The One? *crosses fingers he booted her ages ago*

Slade: *He shoots me a pathetic grin* I don't believe in fairy tales. Life is not perfect. If it was, I wouldn't have had to sell my soul to the darkside, now would I? *He leans back in his chair* But to answer your question, she's the one I currently can't get enough of. 

Twisting Minds...:   So that means I'm still in the running. *I wink at him, brazenly flirting, but who cares! This is Slade Andrews, a freaking rock star witch. Besides, he doesn't look like he's going anywhere any time soon, and I'm sure Hope won't mind a little innocent flirting, right? Right?*

So, Slade, describe your perfect date.

Slade: *winks back* A beautiful girl, some screaming metal vibrating our bones, me belting out the lyrics to some sappy metal love song and later serenading you right out of your cute little outfit and into my bed. 

Twisting Minds...: *My mouth goes dry. Did he just suggest what I think he did? I venture to find out* You mean Hope, right? You would serenade Hope into your bed? 

Slade:  *smirks* Of course, get your mind out the gutter.

Twisting Minds...: *splutters* Hey, you said it, not me. *I dismiss his obvious arrogance with a wave of my hand. Although, now...I sigh, completely jealous. Hope's a lucky girl* Moving on. What's the strangest/craziest thing that has ever happened to you during a performance? 

Slade: *wraps the table with his knuckles thinking hard* I had my clothes nearly torn off by a bunch of crazed fans, and once I was down to just my boxer briefs *winks at Twisted Minds* a fist fight ensued and I was splattered with the blood of the weaker chick in the fight. Hot right?

Twisting minds...: *fights from grimacing* Uh, totally. I can definitely see the appeal. *Suddenly, the trailer feels a little confining. No room to run* Hey, what do you say we take this to the roof?

*Standing, Slade motions for me to go first. The view from the roof is amazing.* 

Tell us something about yourself that we didn't learn in Ink. 

Slade: *Slade stares off taking in the view* Between me and you, I actually give a shit about what people think of me more than anyone thinks. And I wish I wasn't the person I had to become, things would be a lot easier.... 

Twisting Minds...:  Well, now that everyone knows the lion has a heart, I'm sure they will. *I want to touch his hand, reassure him, but I get the feeling if I do, he'll take off and the interview will be over.* I hear that Hope is going off to college this fall. How do you feel about that? Will you be going with her?

Slade: I have my own life, my own things to deal with. I wish her the best and we will see what is to come, Hope wants things out of life that aren't in the cards for me, sometimes life is one mess after another, I take it day by day. 

Twisting Minds...: Well, I think I speak for all of us when I said, we wish you both the best. Just a few more questions and I will send you on your way. 

Favorite food?  I like anything Italian.

First girlfriend? *grins* Probably kindergarten, I was a hot commodity straight out of the womb.

Most treasured memory? The first time my dad pulled out his guitar and I heard him sing. I knew that was what I wanted to be like. And if I could only be as half as good I would do great things in life.

Best friend? I'll always be my best friend, I've learned people are quick to turn on you. But Kidd will always be like a brother to me, he puts up with my shit and tries to talk sense into me when I am being a huge asshole, which is like all the time he says.

Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla *plays with lip ring*

Boxers or briefs? I wear boxer briefs on stage, but when I'm not I go commando... *wink*

Cool and sweet, or hot and spicy? Hot and spicy hands down.

What do you love most about Hope? That she doesn't realize just how great she is and how stubborn she is when it comes to fighting for what she wants.

Twisting Minds...: Whew, done! Thank you so much for joining us today, Slade. I, along with all your swooning, adoring fans out there can't wait to learn more about you in the future. Do you have any parting words for your fans?

Slade: Your welcome, and thanks for the support, I work hard to be admired by each and every one of you.

INK 2 will be available for release August 15th! Be sure to add it to your TBR and don't forget to rate and review!

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