Guest Post: Writer and a Wrestler?

I am pleased and intrigued to welcome fellow Solstice Publishing author Kristal McKerrington, and her co-author, Joe E Legend, today to talk about their upcoming projects. The first question that came to my mind after hearing about this duo is, how does a writer manage to partner up with a professional wrestler? To answer this question and discuss her many projects, take it away Kristal and Joe . . .

Hello All,

Joe E Legends and myself, Kristal McKerrington are honoured Dan Springer, has given us the chance to speak to you all. We are on a wild promotional media tour at the moment for our new book Charlie’s Journal: A Man’s Desperation and Dragon. We are looking to talk to you about these wonderful books with you today. Joe will also share with you some of his movie news he has.

First before we get dug into the books promotional stuff and the heart of the projects we are working on. I often get asked how I met or ended up co-authoring with Joe E Legends. Its a very simple story, one that might make you want to go awe.

Joe E Legends and myself were working on a TV show together, we are actually still working on bringing it to life. When I started to tell him about the books I was writing for the series with FireFly & Wisp Publishing. Marie’s World, the first one is out on June 27^th. We were getting on so well with writing Layla’s World, we went on and started to write books together. Before I knew it we had 2 publishing contracts and another pile waiting for us to finish books, send sample chapters.

Dragon is our first Fantasy novel with Media Aria CDM LTD, its due out in 2015. Here is the upcoming blurb for the novel: Dragon’s being hunted by the dark magic shifters. She’s got one hope. Knox’s school of shape shifting, only she’s setup to be far more. She might have lost everything, but she has the chance to set everything right. Can she?

Media Aria CDM LTD link: http://www.mediaaria-cdm.com/author-profiles/

Charlie’s Journal: A Man’s Desperation is our first wrestling romance book together. Its being published by Firefly & Wisp publishing. Scheduled release is September 2013. Here is a taster of this wonderful book: “My wife died, daughters are going off the rails and everyone is looking to me to fix everything. A betrayedfriends set to destroy me. I’ll do anything for my daughters, but in the end will it end the world I know?”

Firefly & Wisp Publishing link: http://www.fireflyandwispbooks.com/charlies-journal.htm

Kristal McKerrington is preparing to release her first book with Solstice Publishing called “Calling You Home” here is a taster of the book coming very soon.

“Jason finds out May is back in town. The woman he let got all those years ago has returned. Now they could have the future they dreamt of. She carried a secret away from him. Now she’s back and her secrets come home to roost. Follow Jason and May on their adventures through their complicated love affair. These small Ebooks will make lunchtimes fun again. We will bring you a country experience unlike any you’ve ever experienced before.”

Solstice Publishing’s Website Link: http://www.solsticepublishing.com/

Joe E Legend is going to be appearing in the following films on his own.  Vampire Soul – Hidden in Plain Sight (Seattle, Washington, USA/ American Production), Salvatus (England/Scotland/ UK Production),  Broken Nation (England/ UK Production), 4) Pandemonium (Carribean/ Eastern Europe/ USA/ American Production),  Untitled Horror/Slasher Film (Canada/ Canadian/American/Japanese Production) , The Second Chance (Italy/ Italian Production, English language)

Further, Joe E Legend’s and myself have signed on to star in a reality series to shoot around the USA, following me and a series of wrestlers and dancers as we make efforts to get our other TV series (a drama) signed while still pursuing our wrestling and dancing careers.

Joe will be wrestling, a lot over the next year. He’s scheduled to tour India for some large stadium shows shortly which are meant to be broadcast across all of India and other parts of Asia. With the same company, he’s scheduled to be shooting their TV tapings (several months of content) for broadcast in more than 20+ countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. He has appeared for several years now for this promotion and is a writer for them.

He is also the head writer for a promotion in Turkey where our TV product is watched by 1,500,000 fans per episode according to the last ratings. Further, Joe is scheduled for a tour of Pakistan in the Summer which will get big media attention in this country, and also scheduled to return to Canada for a huge Heavy Metal festival called “Heavy TO” which draws a live crowd of over 25,000 per day over 2 days and has been given a writing job there as well.

Joe’s  in negotiations to return to Japan (he’s toured there 14 times) and have a strong fan base there. He is also the “World Heavyweight Champion” for a promotion in Russia and have a strong fan base there as well as Switzerland where I’m champ as well.
Please follow us on our intense Media tour which is currently going on. We are scheduled to appear on the following places:

May 20th- UK Radio with Mike George- Joe E Legend
May 21st– Spotlight @ Passion for Romance – Kristal McKerrington

May 21- Ken Reedy Show- Joe E Legend
May 25th – Skype Interview with Patricia Ann Show- Joe and Kristal
May 26th- Skype Interview with Novel Idea Live- Joe and Kristal
June 5th- Romance blog- Kristal with mentions of Joe
June 6th- Calling Spots Magazine for Print and Online interview- Joe E Legends
June 13th- Romance Radio Station with a Bestseller- Joe E Legends and Kristal McKerrington
July 23rd- Night Owl Reviews- Joe E Legend and Kristal McKerrington

Thank you for stopping by and we hope to see your reviews, thoughts on the following social media pages relating to this tour:

Joe E Legend’s Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-E-Legend/264168323626571?fref=ts

Dragon’s Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dragon/247850565354682

Charlie’s Journal Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlies-Journal/244619552343379
Kristal McKerrington’s Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/kristalsmckerringtonsfanpage

Kristal’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_McKerrington

Joe E Legend’s Twitter: twitter.com/TheJoeELegend

Guest Blog: KateMarie Collins

I am honored to have fellow Solstice author, KateMarie Collins, guest posting today as she kicks off her blog tour starting right here! KateMarie wrote a wonderful debut novel, DAUGHTER OF HAUK, which I enjoyed immensely–see my review here. I can’t wait for the release of her new book, MARK OF THE SUCCESSOR. Take it away . . .

Hello!

I’d like to thank Dan for giving me the chance to stop by today. He’s the kick off point for my blog tour! The tour will continue through May 16^th, with the grand finale being the release of my second novel, ‘Mark of the Successor’.

Dan and I met via our mutual publisher, Solstice Publishing. Hopefully, all of you are prodding him to do a follow up to ‘The Wilco Project’! It was hands down one of the best books I read last year.

I write fantasy. Okay, it’s more like I obsess over fantasy. After all, my favorite books and movies are all sci-fi/fantasy and I participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism. The short explanation of the SCA is we spend weekends re-creating the Middle Ages as they should’ve been. Basically, I’m 45 and still love to play dress up. LOL

My debut novel, ‘Daughter of Hauk’, came out last year. The upcoming book is still fantasy, but not the sequel to ‘DoH’. That’s coming later this year.

For me, there was a huge difference between writing the two novels. Take away some of the standard reasons, like new characters/worlds/situations, and why is both easy and hard to understand.

With ‘DoH’, my muse woke up. I’d been so afraid of even trying to write something that anyone else would want to read that I’d convinced myself everything I could come up with was crap. Right up until the day I got the proverbial cosmic slap alongside my head. And I was scared out of my mind when the story started. This was new territory for me. I’d never had this overwhelming urge to write as soon as I got out of bed in the morning before. My fingers were filled with this NEED to type, to take the images out of my head and put them down on paper. One of these days I’ll head back to my old high school, find my typing instructor for two years, and thank her. Because my mind can create images easier with my eyes closed, and my fingers know where to go to translate those images into words.

Yup, you read that right. I type with my eyes closed.

With ‘MOTS’, the process was much the same. Get an idea, sit at my computer, crank the stereo, close my eyes, and let my fingers do what they do best. The huge difference, though, is in me. I’m still critical of my own work. I think most authors are. But I’m more confident in being able to find those words, insert my voice, help the reader discover the story like I do as it plays out in my mind.

Finding that confidence in yourself as an author is amazing. I had one friend tell me she thought I’d blossomed and really came into the potential she always saw in me over the last year. It’s that sense of confidence, that I really can write a story worth being published and that others will want to read, that made the most difference.

So, what are you waiting for? Go find your muse and listen!

Coming soon: Mark of the Successor

Dominated and controlled by an abusive mother, Lily does what she can to enjoy fleeting moments of normality. When a break from school only provides the opportunity for more abuse at home, the sudden appearance of a stranger turns her world even bleaker.  Disappearing without a trace, he has left a lingering fear in Lily. His parting words to her mother, “Have her ready to travel tomorrow,” is something her mind refuses to accept.

Running away is the only answer. But before Lily can execute her plan, a shimmering portal appears in her room. Along with two strangers who promise to help keep her safe. With time running out, she accepts their offer for escape and accompanies them into a brand new world. A world in which she is

the kidnapped daughter of a Queen, and the heir to the throne of Tiadar.

Can she find her own strength to overcome both an abusive past and avoid those who would use her as a means to power?

KateMarie Collins is the author of two books, wife to her hubby of 17 years, mom to their two daughters, and herder of three cats . She resides in Seattle Suburbia, finding time to write while keeping the dust bunnies at bay.

Review: THE COAL ELF

Disclaimer: Just a few facts you should know before you read my review of this book. First, I know the author, Maria DeVivo–she had my daughter in class (she is Madison’s favorite teach of all time) and, a couple of years ago I spoke to Maria’s class as part of “The Great American Teach-In.” Next, I did not receive a free review copy of this book–in fact, I purchased both the Kindle version and the print version with my own money and the author did not ask me to review this book. Lastly, despite knowing the author, I believe this review is completely objective.

The teenage protagonist of Maria DeVivo’s debut novel, The Coal Elf, published by Twilight Times Books, November 2012, got screwed by “the Boss” of the North Pole. Imagine having your wonderful life and future destroyed when, instead of receiving the job assignment to make toys or bake cookies for a living, you were thrust into a gloomy, underground life of mining coal for the children on the naughty list. Ember Skye stole my heart from the first page as DeVivo describes her life as a Coal Elf and sets up the conflict and her epic battle with the antagonist, Sturd, a despicable, nasty elf who embodies evil.

Throw this conflict, these and a handful of other memorable characters into an incredibly creative North Pole setting, and you have a story that I could not put down. What I particularly enjoyed was DeVivo’s portrayal and extension of Christmas with her creation of a detailed fantasy world where we learn how the North Pole might actually work. This awesome setting is expertly woven into the story so that I was transported into this amazing world as I read.

Do yourself a favor and read The Coal Elf–I highly recommend it. This is one of those books that should be made into a movie (Tim Burton are you listening?). Great characters, engaging plot, believable dialog, wonderful setting and, above all, writing that compelled me to keep turning the pages (that’s what we all really want as readers, right?).

About the author: Maria DeVivo is a New York native who has had a lifelong love affair with “the pen” and a passion for all things mystical and mythological. She now lives in Florida with her husband, Joe, and daughter, Morgan, where she teaches 7th grade English and cries whenever Santa appears at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.