• Is It True,  Paranormal

    Is It True: Shift of Destiny (Ice Age Shifters #2) by Carol Van Natta #RLFblog #Paranormal

    Is It True: Shift of Destiny (Ice Age Shifters #2) by Carol Van Natta #RLFblog #ParanormalWelcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Let’s play Is It True with today’s guest, Carol Van Natta, author of Shift of Destiny (Ice Age Shifters Book 2), a paranormal. This is a game with yes and no questions. Writers can elaborate on answers as much as they choose.

    Shift of Destiny (Ice Age Shifters #2) by Carol Van Natta

    Genre Paranormal
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    There is no such thing as magic, or sexy shifters. Or… is there?
    Moira Graham’s car breaks down in the tourist town of Kotoyeesinay, Wyoming. She’s on the run. Again. A crazy billionaire wants to possess her ability to predict the future, but it’s not a “gift.” It’s simple guesswork. Magic doesn’t exist. And this quirky town—which uses elves, fortune tellers, and fairy-tale gimmicks to draw tourists in—isn’t helping.
    Roving carpenter Chance McKennie is a prehistoric shifter on the lookout for a mate. Unfortunately, people fear his lion, and don’t stick around long enough to get to know the man. He thought his luck would change in Kotoyeesinay, but his skills aren’t needed in this magical sanctuary town with creatures of myth and legend on every block.
    When Moira bumps into him, she’s almost willing to believe in the magic of this place. But it’s going to take more than a red-hot handyman and some glowy lights to save her from ruthless hunters.
    Chance is determined to protect his mate and help her find the magic in her blood. But even a top predator can’t guess the lengths to which a desperate billionaire will go to get what he wants.

    Is it true:

    this is your first book?
    No, it’s my, uh… <quickly visits Amazon to count> eleventh book. I’m very bad at tracking numbers (don’t ask how old I am, because I’ll have to calculate it each time, and I might do the math wrong). Shift of Destiny is my third paranormal romance, and more are on the way. I also have a space opera series that starts with Overload Flux.
    this book is part of a series?
    Yes, it’s true! The Ice Age Shifters series features action, magic, and of course, romance. And sexy prehistoric shifters who find their mates. The first book is Shifter Mate Magic, set in 1993. Shift of Destiny, book 2, is set in present day, and involves more of the magical sanctuary town that was introduced in book 1.
    you lost sleep while writing this book?
    No, I don’t tend to lose sleep about writing books. My cats are the main culprit for sleep loss, what with starting epic battles, or licking noses or fingertips, or trying to get under the covers, or pushing the resident mad scientist off the bed entirely so they get the warm spot.
    you did research for this book?
    Yes, I do research for all my books because I love learning new things. I made the sleep-deprived resident mad scientist drive me to the southern Wyoming mountains so I could take pictures for where the sanctuary town is, and I have lots of reference photos and articles for extinct Ice Age animals. Also, too, I researched the Tunguska event, Tarot cards, and 1920’s residential house architecture.
    some characters in this book are not human? (pets for example)
    Yes, quite a few of the characters in Shift of Destiny are not human. In addition to a sexy male who turns into a prehistoric lion, there’s a polar fairy (not to be confused with their mortal enemies, the arctic elves), an ogre, a golem, a dark elf, a wraith, plus shifters galore. The sanctuary town is a safe place for all sorts of magical creatures.
    this book has more than one genre?
    Yes, if you count “paranormal” and “romance” as separate. I automatically assume all paranormal stories are romance unless someone tells me otherwise. Someday, I plan to write a paranormal space fantasy romance, to cover all the bases at once. ?
    you speak more than one language?
    Yes, sort of. I can get by in Spanish, but I don’t have anyone to practice with, so my vocabulary has melted away. I have a good ear for accents, so I can *sound* like I’m fluent in most languages, but this gets me in trouble when people assume I’m not just repeating a string of sounds.
    you grew up where you live now?
    No, but close. I grew up in Denver, went to Austin, TX and Los Angeles, CA for college, then moved back to Colorado, but 70 miles north of Denver in Fort Collins. It’s a pretty good place to live, all in all.
    you love to read?
    Hell, yes. As with many of my author friends, I don’t have as much time for reading as I’d like, because I’m usually writing, but I dearly love to read. I’m planning a few vacation days in September where my main activity will be tackling the virtual Mount Everest that is my TBR pile.
    you are never late?
    Yes, it’s true, I’m rarely late, and am usually early. This does not count acts of nature (e.g., the recent downpour that temporarily flooded our streets), acts of humans (some the idiot who to beat the light and caused an accident), or acts of cat (“look at me—I’m free, and you can’t catch me!”).
    you love pizza?
    I’d say I merely like pizza—it’s not something I’d eat every week, even if it was a white pizza with ham and pineapple. I would go for Chinese or Indian food every week if I could.
    you love sushi?
    Yes, I do, but I’m picky about what’s in it—no cucumbers, no avocado, no nothing spicy-hot, so it’s hard to find in the comparatively small town where I live.
    you have a pet?
    Yes, I have six cats. I know, I know, it makes us the crazy cat people down the street, but it’s what the cat gods gave us. Five of our cats (two gray, two striped, one Tonkinese who is the Empress of the Universe) are rescues, and all six are as eccentric as can be. Sort of like us, actually, so we can’t really blame them.

    Where to buy Shift of Destiny (Ice Age Shifters Book 2)

    Publisher: Chavanch Press

    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shift-Destiny-Ice-Shifters-Book-ebook/dp/B07DCFKF6R/ (and free to read in Kindle Unlimited)

    Carol Van Natta Social Media

    Website: https://author.carolvannatta.com

    Blog: https://author.carolvannatta.com/blog

    Facebook: https://facebook.com/CarolVanNattaAuthor

    Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/CarolVN_Author

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3980825.Carol_Van_Natta

    Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B002F4UN24

    Newsletter: https://bit.ly/CVN-news

  • RLF Gems

    #Romance Lives Forever @VickiBatman @DenaGarson #RLFblog

    #Romance Lives Forever @VickiBatman @DenaGarson #RLFblogThe top post was the RLF Gems announcement last month. I did not count it among the top bloggers because that award would go to me. I’d like to see the credit go to guests. You are why I do this!

    The Top Blogger for this month is Vicki Batman. Top chatter was also Vicki Batman. She wins a month of free advertising on the blog. Top Blogger of 2016 was Susan V Vaughn, who won a year of free advertising for 2017.

    Top Blogger Vicki Batman

    Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman
    Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ipdLkv
    Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman
    Google+: http://bit.ly/1zUggDF
    Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman
    Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman
    Plotting Princesses: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

    The winners are judged by page visits. Congratulations to these fine bloggers:
    Vicki Batman
    Dena Garson
    Julie D Revezzo
    Carol Van Natta
    Veronica Scott
    Honorable mention: Kayelle Allen, Alexa Aston

    Top Chatters for the Month

    #Romance Lives Forever @VickiBatman @DenaGarson #RLFblogThe person who gets the most comments in a month is not always the person who gets the most page views. For that reason, I instituted the Top Chatter Award. This award is for the bloggers who receive the most comments.
    This month’s winners are:

    Vicki Batman
    Kayelle Allen
    Susan V Vaughn

    New Server — New Power

    RLFblog has attracted so many visitors we crashed the server three times in the past month. On September 20th, we had no visitors on the blog so that we could move to a new, more powerful and roomier server. This should hold us for a bit! It also means I can add even more services. Look for new things in 2018, such as Free Book Friday and other goodies for readers (and authors)!

    Not only does RLF post automatically to Triberr with a reach of several million, each post is also featured on the Romance Lives Forever Pinterest board http://www.pinterest.com/kayelleallen/romance-lives-forever-rlfblog/ as well as on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/RomanceLivesForever/ and Twitter https://www.twitter.com/kayelleallen When you like, follow and share it increases the reach. Thank you for sharing with your readers and friends!

    Be a Guest Author

    Romance Lives Forever uses Signup Genius to schedule guests. The system also reminds authors of their visit. One post is available each day. Once you choose a date, no one else will be able to take it. You can sign up for more than one visit; however, each visit must be in a different month.

    October – December
    http://bit.ly/rlf4Q2017
    January – March
    http://bit.ly/rlf1Q2018

    April – June
    http://bit.ly/rlf2Q2018

    My thanks to all who took part this month. You made Romance Lives Forever a great place to discover new books and authors. Other guests during the month are (in alpha order by first name):

    Adam Mann, Alice Orr, Aurora Springer, Cailin Briste, Cynthia Roberts, Dawn Roberto, Dylan Callens, Faye Hall, Iris Blobel, Izzy Szyn, Jessica E Subject, Jessie Clever, Lauren Linwood, Lexi Lawton, Linda Mooney, Livia Quinn, MFRW Founding Day, Nicole Morgan, NJ Walters, Seelie Kay, Susan A Royal, Susan V Vaughn, Tara Randel

    Do you want to BLAST PIRATES?
    I recommend Blasty. When you use it, please mark Romance Lives Forever as a legal site. Thank you!

  • Science Fiction Romance

    Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 by Multiple Authors #RLFblog #SciFi #Romance

    Today’s featured book is Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, a science fiction romance by twelve best-selling and award-winning authors.

    Dogs for Heroes, and Pets in Space

    Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2 by Multiple Authors #RLFblog #SciFi #RomanceHi, there, I’m Carol Van Natta, science fiction and fantasy romance author. What do dogs for heroes and pets in space have to do with romance? Everything!

    First, there’s a new anthology coming out called Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2. Twelve authors came together to write science fiction romance stories all around the theme of pets in space. When we humans finally manage to explore the stars, of course we’ll take pets. I may have got carried away in the number of pets I included in “Pet Trade,” my contribution to the anthology, but I couldn’t pick just one.

    Pets provide humans with love, companionship, and service. It’s that latter that attracted us Pets in Space authors to a charity called Hero Dogs. They raise, train, and place service dogs and other highly skilled canines, free of charge, to disabled U.S. veterans, to improve the quality of life and help them regain independence. Current medicine has come a long way in making catastrophic injuries survivable, but we still have a ways to go in treating PTSD, prosthetic technology, and permanent disabilities. Hero Dogs not only places the dogs, but provides lifetime support of the partnerships. Sounds a lot like love to me.

    Authors Veronica Scott and Pauline B. Jones organized the anthology. They thought it’d be fun to mix scifi romance and heroic pets, and to see what different authors would come up with using the same theme. They agreed they wanted to donate to a charity that helped animals and veterans. Hero Dogs was the perfect fit for the group, since all of us have pets and personal connections to veterans. I begged and pleaded asked politely to be allowed to join the party.

    I asked some of the other authors as to why this subject and why this charity. Veteran and current jet pilot Susan Grant said, “As a veteran myself, I think what Hero Dogs is doing to help veterans is so important. As a pet lover, I know the special bond between humans and animals can heal the deepest wounds. As an author, I couldn’t pass up the chance to write about that special bond.”

    NY Times and USA Today best-selling author S.E. Smith said, “As the daughter of a disabled vet, I can appreciate how much having a furry companion enhances the quality of life for those struggling with day-to-day activities. Hero Dogs reminds us there are many wonderful ways to help others.”

    Author Cara Bristol said, “Everyone has or had had a pet at one point in their lives. If we were going to travel into space, of course, we’d want to take our furry companions with us. So, to me, sci-fi romance and pets was a fun blend. Besides relating to pets, we can relate to heroes. These are the men and women who gave their all for their country. Supporting Hero-Dogs is a great way to give back to the heroes who need our help now.”

    Laurie Green said, “It’s inspiring to know my fictional StarDogs are helping support Hero Dogs and all the wonderful things these service animals do for our veterans. The amazing healing power of animal companions is something I believe in.”

    Sabine Priestley said, “Like so many, I have friends and family that suffer from PTSD. Animals have the ability to affect our energies in ways science doesn’t fully understand. The group of authors is outstanding and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”

    The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors, brings you a dozen original stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject, Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!

    Ten percent of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

    Genre: Science Fiction Romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG-13 to R
    Publisher: Cats, Dogs and Other Worldly Creatures
    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Romance-Pets-Space-2-ebook/dp/B073W5WQBH
    Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/embrace-the-romance-mk-eidem/1126974793
    iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/embrace-the-romance/id1248937950?mt=11
    Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/embrace-the-romance-pets-in-space-2
    CreateSpace: https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Romance-Pets-Space-2/dp/1942583575

    Carol Van Natta Social Media

    Carol Van Natta writes science fiction and fantasy romance, including “Pet Trade,” one of the stories in Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, part of her Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. She also writes paranormal romance. She shares her Fort Collins, Colorado home with a resident mad scientist and various cats. Any violations of the laws of physics in her books are the fault of the cats, who are notorious gravity scofflaws. They all want to explore the galaxy.

    Website: http://author.carolvannatta.com/PetTrade
    Blog: http://author.carolvannatta.com/blog
    Facebook: https://facebook.com/CarolVanNattaAuthor
    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/CarolVN_Author
    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3980825.Carol_Van_Natta
    Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Carol-Van-Natta/e/B002F4UN24
    Newsletter: http://bit.ly/CVN-news