I’ve always loved science fiction and stories about traveling to different galaxies.  I remember the first time I saw Star Wars with all those interesting planets and the different life forms that occupied them.  I was fascinated and totally hooked.  Every time a new space show came on television I’d be planted right in front of my set to watch Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Farscape, or Babylon 5.  Last spring I started laying the ground work for a futuristic romance series.  I had a pretty good idea of the different characters that will be in my stories; the hard part was creating the universe where they would all live.

Good world building is essential for any futuristic or paranormal story.  Every world has to have rules that govern how things work.  They can be different from the rules we have in real life, but they have to be established and in some way explained to the reader, as well as recognizable.  For example, if you have a world with magic, there has to be a limit to what it can do or what creates it, such as energy.

Populating a universe is another essential part of world building.  I had to figure out what sort of sentient beings live on the different planets?  What is their political system?  What are their religious beliefs?  Which species get along with each other and which ones don’t?  What do they eat?  What type of housing do they have?  Is it above ground or below?  In short, each civilization has to be constructed from scratch.

There is so much detail involved that creating a story bible is an absolute must.  You can never remember all the characters, creatures, places, settings, and other details necessary for the story.  It saves a lot of time to have it all written down and easily researchable.  I use excel spreadsheets for all the things I need to keep track of.

My first story in this new world was for the anthology, Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology Book #3.  The prequel for the series is called The Last Christmas on Earth.  The first book will be out on April 24^th and it’s titled A Scattering of Seeds.

Do you like to read or watch science fiction?

The Last Christmas on Earth

What if you had to make a choice, your lifelong dream or your soul mate?
Scott Southerland has his dream job and his dream woman. What could go wrong? With his mother around, plenty. Scott’s on his guard, and his soon-to-be fiancé, Harper Castille, is, too. Scott has no interest in the other women his mother dangles in front of him, but can his relationship with Harper survive the destruction of his dream?

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Last-Christmas-Earth-Frontier-Book-ebook/dp/B07B9WJY1J/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1521404782&sr=1-4&keywords=augustina+van+hoven

Barnes & Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-christmas-on-earth-augustina-van-hoven/1128145828?ean=2940155037538

iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1360478283

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-last-christmas-on-earth

Augustina’s Social Media Links

https://augustinavanhoven.com
Twitter:  @augustinavhoven
FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Augustina-Van-Hoven-Author/336028986575129
Pinterest: Augustina Van Hoven, Author

According to the calendar it is officially spring. The bitter winds have subsided and the snow has begun to melt. Even if  winter is still lingering in my neck of the woods, the hope for warmer days, for daffodils and crocuses is there.

I’m like a bear—once winter comes I want to hibernate. And like the bear, I wake in the spring, look outside my home, and wonder what’s happening in the world. The longer days make me want to go outside and do more instead of scurrying from place to place as fast as I can. Being able to leave the boots, scarf, heavy coat, ear muffs, and gloves behind is a sign that the worst of the winter is behind me. I doubt I’ll get quite to that stage for another month or more, but I’ll be able to start shedding some layers as the days progress.

Opening the window on a warm day and allowing the breeze to freshen the air, not having to turn the lights on until much later in the day, watching the birds come back. These are the things I love most about spring.

It won’t be long until the lawn chairs come out and I can sit out on the patio at night and watch the world go by. I live in an apartment, so I miss that during the winter months.

First we have to get through the dirty stage of spring, where the snow melts to reveal all that’s been buried over the past few months. But clean up will begin, the sun will shine, and the warm days will be welcome.

In the meantime, when the days are still chilly, I’ll curl up with a good book. If you’re looking for something to read, you might check out my Blood of the Drakon series.

Drakon’s Past

Blood of the Drakon, Book 4

Constance Owens has a gift for finding unique items in the most unlikely places, which comes in handy since she buys and sells artifacts and antiques for a living. When she purchases a set of four dragon statues, she has no idea just how unique they are, or that finding them will thrust her into a world of secret societies, men who think nothing of kidnapping and murder to get what they want, and dragon shifters.

Nic hasn’t survived for four thousand years by letting his guard down, and he doesn’t trust anyone except his drakon brothers. The loneliness haunting him has been getting worse since all his brothers have found their mates. And when he finds the woman his drakon recognizes instantly as his fated mate, he doubts he’ll ever have what his brothers have, because it seems she’s involved with the secret society of hunters who have been hunting and capturing his kind for hundreds of years.

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0786R7LSM/
Entangled: https://entangledpublishing.com/drakon-s-past.html
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drakons-past-nj-walters/1127620047?ean=9781640634695
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drakons-past/id1324091386
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drakon-s-past

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/awakeningdesires/info
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

My life is a little crazy here! I’ve been ensconced for a week at my dd’s house. I’ll be here for another 10 days, while she’s off helping a relative with a sudden upswing in his business. So, I moved in. I have 2 kids, 6 dogs, 5 cats, and 2 guinea pigs to care for.

And I’ve been working really, really hard between getting kids ready for school, doing mountains of laundry and dishes, and general upkeep around the house. I’m writing a sequel to Reaper, which includes plenty of Dagger, too. And I’ve been working on finishing up 5 editing projects by the end of the month. I’m going from the wee hours of the morning until midnight.

How am I doing it? COFFEE! 🙂

What’s bad is I worry about the fact I’m still not unpacked from the conference I attended and my place across the street needs cleaning, but what can you do?

One of the editing projects I’ve been working on is one of my own—A Long, Hot Summer. And it’s coming out next week!

If you’ve been reading the first two stories of The Triplehorn Brand, I will tell you that this story is the sexiest and the sweetest. Enjoy the excerpt!

A Long, Hot Summer

When two lonely hearts collide, age becomes just a number…

Sarah Colby’s marriage was over long ago, but she’s never shed the scars her abusive husband left behind. One shameful indiscretion, an affair with a younger man one long-ago summer haunts her.

Tommy Triplehorn is happy his brothers have settled down and started families of their own, but he’s feeling a little smothered by all that domesticity. Carousing and drinking no longer provide him any thrills, and he thinks he knows the reason why. He’s waited long enough for Sarah Colby to get over being ashamed of their past. He’s old enough to know what he wants, and he wants her.

Pre-order your copy here!

Chapter One

Tommy Triplehorn sat back in his chair, drinking while trying to ignore the noise from the scratchy jukebox and the jarring laughter from the blonde at the bar, who couldn’t seem to help glancing his way as she whispered with her girlfriend. After the annual Memorial Day picnic at the Triplehorn ranch, he was ready for a celebration of another sort. Looked like the blonde was going to be his date.

Candy Crowe. Tommy blew out a pent-up breath, relaxing as he gave himself permission to be disappointed. Looked like his partner this night was going to be a rarity for him—a repeat. But a quick glance around the room confirmed the only other women here were married or engaged or going out with friends of his, and he never crossed that line. So, Candy Crowe it would be.

He mustered up a smile and lifted his chin, inviting her to join him, and then cringed inwardly as she sauntered toward him, her wide hips swaying too deeply, a predatory gleam in her green eyes. Like a tiger on the prowl.

Or a cougar.

She topped him by ten years, but that didn’t bother him. He’d had older. Age wasn’t a deal breaker. Fact was, he liked women who knew their way around a man’s body. Liked their confidence. Still, his chest hurt a little as she drew nearer, because even though she was blonde not brunette, and even though her figure was as full as a centerfold’s rather than lean and trim, she reminded him of what he’d never have. Read the rest of this entry »

As always, thank you Delilah for letting me come to hang out and play. I talk a lot about books when I come to visit, and today I wanted to shift gears a little. I wanted to talk about action movies. I grew up in the 70s/80s, and I loved action movies as a kid. I remember seeing The Black Hole in theatres, and Star Wars was the first movie I ever saw in a movie theater—yes, I know, I’m dating myself.

There were loads of other great action films: Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, and Terminator…you know there’s too many to list. My love of action movies didn’t dissipate in the 90s, or the 2000s, or the 2010s. In fact, we have action movies in the guise of superhero films now.

Now here’s where I pivot a little toward books. See, I said I was shifting gears, but not totally.  The primary reason I love action movies and the genre in general is the excitement you feel, the adrenaline rush of a chase scene, the fight for survival, and the laughs or romance or both the characters.

John McClane crawling through the air vents talking to himself. Sarah Connor falling in love with the man who traveled back in time to save her. Martin Riggs wigging out on criminals and his partner alike. All of these characters kicked ass, but they had deep histories, which colored their reactions to everything.

So here we are, racing along, laughing and cheering, and hoping these guys and gals make it to the other side. Remembering how much I loved this part of the movie, any movie, reminded me that I love it in books, too.

Remembering how much I loved the action/adventure/romance aspect, I wanted to recreate it one of my books—what about a whole series of them? I had some of that tension in Her Marine Bodyguard, but it wasn’t quite the same thing. Then along came Securing Arizona, my first book in Susan Stoker’s Special Forces: Operation Alpha Kindle World. Then Chasing Katie in Elle James’ Brotherhood Protector Kindle World, and I zigged back to Guarding Gertrude.

In each of these books, I ramped up the action. I wanted to add those touches of laughter in the face of danger, wild chases that keep you on edge, and some crazy antics for survival.

Then came Protecting Pilar, a book which started out action from beginning to end. Cannon had made previous appearances in this series within a series, and he’s even driven a truck through a barn collapsing it. So how could I one up that? How about car chases? Shoot outs? And exploding cars?

Action movies offer delightful fun and rewards. Their very first job is to entertain, but the very best of them balance out their action with solid characters, a good plot, and the emotional immersion that has you pumping your fists into the air and saying yes. Protecting Pilar did all those things for me while I was writing, I hope it brings you equal delight when you read.

Do you love action movies and books?

Protecting Pilar

Love doesn’t come with an instruction manual…

Ben “Cannon” Stone had been called many things—pretty boy, rich kid, and heir-apparent. The one title he earned and made him proud was that of Navy SEAL. Although he wore his scars on the inside, it didn’t make him any less screwed up. He just deflected with a grin and a smart-ass comment. At least until a pouty princess collided with his car…

War isn’t always fought abroad…



Born a Napolitano but raised as a Petrucci, Pilar knew all about blood feuds and the family business. Her personal policy of non-involvement falters the day she overhears her grandfather order an assassination. Worse, the killing promises to launch of a war of retribution with Pilar in the crosshairs of a killer. The last thing she needs is a car accident and some pretty boy offering to help her…

Hell is a road we make…



Cannon doesn’t know where she came from or who is after her, but he isn’t letting anyone hurt her. Isolated. On the run. And unfamiliar with the enemy, this SEAL will use every skill he has to protect the woman who just might be his Mrs. Right.

Learn more about Heather’s Special Forces Brotherhood Protectors series and her other books!

A sexy trio of romances: Three passionate billionaire siblings follow their hearts in search of happily ever after — from a bet that leads to love to an unexpected baby!

Get at Amazon

This series was really the start of my career. Sure, I wrote books before, but none took off like The House of Morgan. I was always in all stores with this series, and I’m a big proponent that authors should be wide and in all stores. But at the same time I know there are tons of readers in Kindle Unlimited. So what I decided to do as these readers reach out is cycle books in and out. So, from the end of March until mid-June, I put the first three books in The House of Morgan into Kindle Unlimited. The eighth book in the series isn’t scheduled for release until October. So, now was the perfect opportunity to let the KU readers at least get a peak at the beginning of this family saga.

And I will say it’s a saga. The stories all begin at a funeral, though it’s the funeral of a man who, in his efforts to keep his family, almost destroyed everyone involved. John the second son walked away from billions and joined the FBI to find out exactly what his father did to his sister, Victoria ‘who died.’ However, his father died before any evidence is found and his sister Victoria ‘returns from the dead’ to ensure her own father is really dead. (She walked away from the family.) And then there is the oldest son, Peter Morgan, who stayed close to their father because he wanted to protect his siblings and take the brunt of his father’s will. This is just the beginning, and all three of them are now out to find out what happens next, when their lives are finally their own.

If this sounds like drama and romance all mixed together then you’re prepared to enter the House of Morgan and see for yourself!

And if you’re in KU, the book is available now!

Plus you can now enter to win a Kindle and get the link to the book at,

https://victoriapinder.com/house-of-morgan-boxed-set-giveaway

Or you can go to the raffle copter, directly!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Whew! Almost missed posting today! My website was kaput! German for fucked (not really). I just moved from one hosting site to another. There have been, ahem, issues.

Anyway, because I’m completely anal about posting every single day, here’s something quick and fun! Enjoy! This one’s coming in just a few days. You can pre-order it here: Cute Cowboy

I’ve always been a huge fan of strong female characters. Buffy, Wonder Woman, Selene, Hermione, Ripley, and many more, have all been key inspirations for not only my writing but also, in a lot of ways, the essence of who I am.

What would Hermione Granger do? Is, in my opinion, a morally sound way to make a lot of decisions. And yes, I fantasize about having the same super strength or fighting skills as Selene, and I would totally step into Buffy’s shoes if a Watcher came to find me.

Vigilante justice is also something that really intrigues me. Partly, because I like the idea of a hero who is not bound by the laws and restrictions of conventional society, and partly, because I know what a slippery slope that can be. There’s very little black and white when you’re writing vigilante stories, because the character’s motivations and actions go against the very essence of our societal structure and yet their motivations are usually honorable or, at least, for a pretty good reason. That, to me, allows for more complex characters and world building. And being a rebel at heart (and sometimes in action), that kind of character greatly appeals to me.

Which is why I wrote Burning Kiss. Jade is a complex character. She’s not all sugar and spice, she’s also raw, hot anger, and she has an agenda that she feels is justified and a motivation that is not only about revenge but also about penance. It’s not a love story, like most of my romances to date, but it is a story, when you get right down to it, that is all about love and what love can drive you to do.

About Burning Kiss

Rehabilitation doesn’t work. Prison therapist, Jade Harris, learns this firsthand, after one of her paroled patients came looking for her, only to find her best friend instead. Driven by rage, Jade sets out to hunt down potential predators, baiting them into attacking her, and then ensuring they’ll never rape again.

Fighting the lure of her own demons, Jade finds herself sucked into a gruesome murder investigation that drags her back to the grounds of her old university. There’s a man hunting women on campus the police have no real leads, but Jade doesn’t have to play by the rules. And she knows just how to entice a predator.

Trapped in a triangle of toxic lust, driven by her need for retribution, Jade will risk not only her life, but the obliteration of her sanity, in her quest to take back the night.

WARNING: Jade is ruthless and daring. She will make you squirm. She will make you doubt. Whether you trust her or not is up to you, but she’s going to make you question everything you think you know about justice. Contains explicit adult content, graphic depictions of rape and other violent crimes, psychological mind games, and vigilante justice.

Universal Link: books2read.com/u/4jwRzD?affiliate=off

About the Author

Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios and has recently started down a dark path to disturbing thrillers and erotic horror.

Her Order of the Wolf series, featuring kick ass Amazon warriors and their mates, and her Dark War series, set in a world of witchcraft and war, are available from Entangled Publishing.

She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder, and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.

She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband, children, two cats and a couple weird guinea pigs.

Website: https://www.angelaaddams.com/
Newsletter: eepurl.com/blFHeL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaAddams
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angieaddams/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/angelaaddams/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4801196.Angela_Addams
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/angela-addams