Monday, June 23, 2014

SPOTLIGHT ON AN INCREDIBLY MULTITALENTED AUTHOR AND FRIEND "TRAVIS LUEDKE"


Today I am thrilled to introduce you to a very remarkable author and great friend
 "Travis Luedke"

Travis has written many books with unbelievable passion. His writing is flawless his delivery compelling, passionate, exciting, draped in violence and steamy hot sex. 


Travis Luedke is a husband, father, and author of Urban Fantasy Thriller, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and Sci-fi. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it.
As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.


So please sit back and join me as I introduce you to some of his mind-blowing work.

"THE SHEPHERD" 


The Shepherd was published in September of 2013.
http://goo.gl/VFhdRo

It is about a young man Mike Evans. He is a sixteen year old skate punk squatting in a white-trash trailer park with his loser drunk Dad. Seems he lost most of his friends when his Dad lost their home in foreclosure. Only Anita stuck by him. Worse, he kept having strange clairvoyant visions of things that always came true.
Then he almost ran over Nadia in his Geo. A passing truck finished the job – left a crumpled heap of skin and bone on the road. He fixed her. He did.
Now this fourteen year old girl won’t leave him alone. He sorta let her sneak in his window when she needs a place to crash.
Mike have a double life: daytime at school, Anita, skating, and then his nights with Nadia. She's his secret friend, gives him  money and listens to his problems when nobody else will.
His world is spinning out of control. Old friends have turned enemy, his grisly visions of death won’t quit, and Anita’s intentions make his head spin. Even with all that, he has got bigger stuff to worry about. Nadia’s hiding something.

In the words of a reviewer:
I loved everything about this book and thus, I recommend it to everyone:
<<< the tone is awesome, it makes you feel like the characters are absolutely real, flesh and bone, standing right in front of you ;-)

<<< the plot is stunning - it's impossible to put this book down until the very last word, and it makes you feel sorry and sort of empty that it has ended;

<<< the nice, quick pace and the unexpected twists of the story will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat;

<<< it's easy and pleasant to read - you won't even notice you've been turning pages until, all of a sudden, it's the end...
A big Thanks to the author for such a great job!

Travis followed up with a breathtaking collection of fabulous reads: 
THE  NIGHTLIFE SERIES"

"NIGHTLIFE IN NEW YORK" 




Nightlife in New York was release November 11 2013 

http://goo.gl/85FrhD


Aaron Pilan’s life is forever changed when he’s shot trying to rescue a drop-dead gorgeous woman on the streets of New York. Aaron is thrust into the shocking world of vampiric slavery when Michelle shares her blood to save his life.
Michelle's existence as a solitary vampire is also altered when she accepts this naive young man into her life. Bound by her blood, Aaron is subject to her authority. He walks a tightrope of strictly controlled feeding regiments and intense sexual adventures while catering to the neurotic control-freak tendencies of his new master. She vows to eliminate him if he proves too difficult to control.
This paranormal romance thriller is bold and evocative, infusing blood, sex, love and turmoil in an urban drama about two vampires battling evil outside and within themselves.

PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE IN NEW YORK:

˃˃> “The Nightlife New York is a raw brutal tale that slaps you in the face and keeps you asking for more! Travis Luedke has taken a genre flooded with angst teenagers to an adult level.”

˃˃˃ “Luedke brings his main characters to life, both incredibly flawed and powerfully charismatic, with a wonderful writing style, in this unique twist on the Vampire.”

˃˃˃ “This is unlike any vampire tale I have ever read, and is as far removed from Bram Stoker's Dracula, as New York is from Transylvania. Travis Luedke has fashioned a compelling tale of love, passion, violence and steamy hot sex, set against the backdrop of the Big Apple.”


BLOOD SLAVE  WAS THE NEXT TO BE RELEASED


Blood Slave was released November 13 2013
http://goo.gl/ybfx7b

Her mother named her Esperanza Salvación – Hope for Salvation. But when a girl works as an escort for Colombian cartel in the ghettos of Spanish Harlem...
...there wasn’t much hope, or salvation.
Hope’s telepathic ability keeps her a step ahead of ruin, but her unusual gift attracts the attention of a psychotic vampire bitch. Trapped in a Manhattan penthouse with the psycho, she thought she was dead meat.
Her survival lies in the hands of Vampire Master Enrique. He seems to respect her, perhaps even care. As a measure of protection, he makes her his personal Blood slave. Helplessly addicted to his bite, Enrique rules her every moment. As always, Hope must adapt to survive.
Swept into the decadent nightlife of Manhattan's elite, she falls in love with Enrique and prays someday he may grow to love her, too. But is it simply a relationship of convenience? Is she nothing more than a concubine desperate to satisfy his nightly demands for blood and sex?
And forever in the background is the fear that one day the cartel boss she abandoned will hunt her down to collect on old debts.

PRAISE FOR BLOODSLAVE:

˃˃˃ “Fast paced, no holds-barred, gripping, gut-wrenching, soul-ripping and most definitely tear-inducing. Perfection!”

˃˃˃ “Travis Luedke writes amazing characters and amazing stories and unbelievable passion flawlessly. After reading this book I


NIGHTLIFE IN PARIS IS AN AWESOME FOLLOW UP


Nightlife in Paris was released November 16 2013
http://goo.gl/hyv19u

Vampire master Michelle, and her slave, Aaron Pilan, leave the heartbreak of Vegas...
...for a new start in Paris. Aaron’s mistakes in Vegas make him question everything he knows about Michelle, and the prospect of a long, lonely future with her.
Struggling with his predatory alter ego, Aaron chafes under Michelle's rules. His animalistic desires drive him to take a lover without conditions – a blood slave – but Michelle refuses.
Michelle is not blind to Aaron’s needs. She answers his demands by opening her heart and soul to him. Their minds intertwine and Aaron relives her dark, gritty tale of survival in the ravages of war-torn Paris under the German occupation. Her disturbing revelations are met with shock, pushing Aaron even further from her. For the first time, Michelle begins to reconsider the way she has lived all these decades.
And they are not alone in Paris. An investigator has shadowed them from Vegas, seeking the unique gifts of Michelle’s blood. He hunts the vampires, attacking them at their most vulnerable time. Michelle and Aaron face death and worse – separation.
Aaron and Michelle’s wicked, pulse-pounding tale drags readers breathless through one cataclysmic event after another.

PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE IN PARIS:
˃˃˃ “I was screaming at one point, crying, at another. It was an emotional roller coaster of a book.” 


˃˃˃ “This segment of Michelle and Aaron's tale is dark and graphic, but with mesmerizing descriptions and a morbidly compelling storyline, I felt this was the best of The Nightlife Series by far.” 


˃˃˃ “Decidedly darker and somewhat disturbing, THE NIGHTLIFE: PARIS takes the series for a turn towards the dark side and I loved every minute of it!”

"NIGHTLIFE IN LAS VEGAS" 

Nightlife in Las Vegas was released December 24th 2013 

http://goo.gl/i3lTq9


Vampires, Aaron Pilan and his master Michelle, live by one rule...
...no bloodslaves. EVER. Aaron breaks that rule when he meets Anastasia.
All Anastasia wants is to be loved and cherished, but the predatory men she’s attracted to bring her only pain and abuse. Escaping one train-wreck relationship for another, she finds happiness with Aaron and Michelle as a bloodslave, a pet.
When Aaron uses his telepathy to win thousands at the gambling tables, he attracts the deadly attention of the Colombian Cartel and Aaron and Michelle are disappeared. Addicted to the bite of her vampire lovers, Ana is desperate to find them.
But, Las Vegas isn't ready for vampires mixing heroin, sex and vengeance. 
Ana is trapped in the spiraling chaos.


PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE IN LAS VEGAS:

˃˃˃ "Go grab a copy before this much fun is declared illegal."

˃˃˃ "Mr. Luedke once again showcasing his considerable talent for crafting romantic, action-packed, supernatural thrillers that leave the reader saying "Wow!"


˃˃˃ "A no-holds-barred, easy-to-read romp that mixes fantasy, suspense, horror and paranormal romance, and does it well."



THE NIGHTLIFE SERIES  ( BOOKS 1-4 )



The nightlife Series (Books 1-4) was released December 24th
http://goo.gl/JxgPbo

The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.
Vampires, strippers, escorts, night clubs, pimps & dirty cops – the Nightlife Series is never boring.
Can decadence, corruption and prostitution go hand in hand with self-control? Over-indulgence, crime and vampires lurk in darkness when night falls on the city.
The Nightlife Series explores the sexy, dangerous misadventures of vampires and an interesting assortment of wickedly corrupt men and women of the night. Gangs, pimps, prostitutes, cartel, mafia, drug dealers, addicts, alcoholics, all those wonderfully colorful people you find rubbing elbows in the back alleys, night clubs, and strip joints.
These creatures inhabit a world of constant blood, sex, and arousal. The act of feeding is highly erotic, victims often experience multiple orgasms. A vampire’s bite is the most powerful drug imaginable, ecstasy, euphoria, and an ever-present potential for addiction. Lethally violent predators, they can cut through flesh like a hot knife through butter. They slip through the nightlife quietly, unobtrusively, until cornered. Then it gets ugly, people die.


PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE FOR NIGHTLIFE SERIES BOOKS 1-4

˃˃˃ "The ensemble of wickedly sexy and disobedient characters are an interesting assortment that you will love and love to hate – even the villains have endearing moments."

˃˃˃ "Full of raw emotional turmoil and intense action; I was captured from the start and did not want to put it down….I felt so much passion for the characters while reading this book."

˃˃˃ "If paranormal romance packed with action and chaos tickles your fancy, then you really must read THE NIGHTLIFE SERIES."


"NIGHTLIFE IN LONDON"


Nightlife in London  was released in January 2014

http://goo.gl/1AvMoQ

Experience the violent, sensual underbelly of Nightlife London, as Aaron and Michelle mix up a wicked blend of sex, chaos, mayhem, and vengeance.

Vampires Aaron and Michelle prowl the dark, gritty, strip clubs and back alleys of London on the hunt for Michael Jamison, the man who stole Michelle's blood and left her for dead. To assist them, Aaron’s new master, Urvashi, calls in favors from her friends, Russian mercenary werewolves.
Wolves Katya and Ivan, hunters adept at killing rogue vampires, set aside their animosity for Aaron and Michelle to stop Jamison from murdering another woman – he already has one bloodless victim lying in the morgue.
Jamison, ex-special forces, feels his enemies closing in, but he won’t go down without a fight – and like Aaron and Michelle, he also has powerful friends.

PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE IN LONDON:

>>> Masterfully written the dialogue has many puns and punchlines I would like to remember, the characters are excellently drawn and are seriously flesh and blood throughout.

>>> The sex scenes are short, hot and also serve the purpose of character illustration. The language is explicit but realistic, particularly the UK - English vocabulary and the story is so well paced that I finished it almost in one sitting.
For fans of erotic fantasy/ vampire stories the Nightlife Series is a must.
>>> The ever consistent Travis Luedke does not disappoint in the next installment of The Nightlife Series. Aaron and Michelle is once again involved in a gripping adventure in London in an action packed and sensationally embellished love triangle, complicated by the introduction of two new characters and a whole cast of bad guys after them!

His new release is another amazing book 

"NIGHTLIFE IN SAN ANTONIO"



Nightlife in San Antonio was released June 11th 2014 

http://goo.gl/R8Z0Kr

Vampires, Mafia & Mayhem: The Nightlife San Antonio is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.
All she wanted was to escape the police. All he wanted was to get laid. They both got more than they bargained for.
EMT on call, Adrian Faulkner resuscitates a beautiful woman after a Mexican mafia shootout. He can't explain why he picks her up in the hospital parking lot three days later and then ducks the San Antonio police and the Feds. Well, the hot sex might have something to do with it.
She needed to hide. With no memory of even her name, she didn't know from who. She only knew she wasn't safe.
Adrian soon learns she is much more than a damsel in distress, and he’s stuck with her. It isn't long before the past she cannot remember begins to catch up with them both…
THE NIGHTLIFE SAN ANTONIO is a non-stop thrill ride through the shadowy borderworld of mafia politics and vampires – and sex.
PRAISE FOR NIGHTLIFE SAN ANTONIO:
"Luedke writes with a raw and honest style that is a breath of fresh air and makes the scenes realistic and powerful. The sexual tension is made even more gripping and intense by the constant 'playing with fire' that accompanies the sex with a vampire."
"Spiked with great one liners, fast paced writing, filth, sex and violence this is paranormal writing at its best."
"Travis Luedke takes so many genres and melds them all together into an exciting thrill ride that you can't escape from. Just when you think things are going to calm down and finally head in one direction, the platform is swept

Thank you Travis for letting me show your work. Your work is amazing and your books are great!!!
If you have not picked up a copy of Travis Luedke's books I would recommend each and everyone of them as an amazing read!!



You can find Travis at the following locations:

https://twitter.com/TWLuedke


http://www.twluedke.com/


http://thenightlifeseries.blogspot.com/


http://twluedke.blogspot.com/


https://www.facebook.com/TWLuedke


https://www.facebook.com/TheNightlifeSeries


https://www.facebook.com/pages/TW-Luedke/231016383686967


http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517376.Travis_Luedke





















Wednesday, June 11, 2014

SPOTLIGHT ON A GREAT FRIEND AND A VERY TALENTED AUTHOR, CHARLES JAMES

Today I am delighted to have on my blog a very gifted and talented writer

Author Charles James


Charles James, grew up fast and hard. He writes with the same lessons he learned on the streets. He says what he needs to say with powerful words and phrases. He keeps his 
writing clear and concise.



To my blog followers thank you for coming in. Please sit back

 and let me introduce you to the author and his

fabulous work.


"The Tarnished Shooter"


Is a very powerful and compelling non-fiction story.

Charles wrote this book in a confessional mode

 which makes it an exquisite piece of work. 

It provided him the ability to express his deepest 

thoughts and strong emotions of what 

it takes to battle bullies and conquer abusers

 in his own form of justice. 

This book connects with the reader from the very 

first page to the last. It is a book worth owning,

reading and making it part of your library Collections. 





  


Charles James' natural storytelling abilities are revealed in his writing style. His first novel "THE TARNISHED SHOOTER" is about a fictional character named Frank Henry Barker who
grew up during the Vietnam Era in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This book focuses on 
many issues related to a coming of age teen and follows him into middle age.

He truly does an "AMAZING JOB IN TELLING A VERY GRIPPING STORY THAT KEEPS THE READER GLUED TO THE PAGES FROM COVER TO COVER."


The Tarnished shooter is a 5 star rated book on Amazon

And 

#1 on the Goodreads' list "Non-Fiction that reads like fiction"

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9210.Non_Fiction_that_reads_like_fiction#18388177


IN THE WORDS OF A COMPLETELY HONEST REVIEWER: 

The words that talented Author Charles James pens as he inspires his reading audience with this heart wrenching and thought provoking story do just that. To quote the author himself... "Everyday decisions hang on a thin string, pulling each and every one of us into an unknown future. Right or wrong, every choice we make today will effect many tomorrows. This compelling story of adversity, adventure and the consequences of the choices one makes, is based on actual events." At long last...listening to the "lighter voice" pays off. Good stuff!

THE BOOK REVIEWER SAYS:

It is an excellent book that tells a compelling story filled with pain and sadness. It is hard to believe that a parent would fracture their child’s life and not think of the consequences of their actions. The author shows you how Frank Barker endured the terrible circumstances as a young boy, and as a young adult and how those circumstances provided him with the teaching to start fixing himself. Things in life become overwhelming and look very complicated to those who have gone through abuse as a child. Being ignore and bullied is a nasty form of abuse.






Charles James is also the author of the newly released

 remarkable non-fiction short story 



"Johnny Black and the Tibetan Monk"




Johnny Black and the Tibetan Monk, by author Charles James is a brilliant piece of work. This short story draws the reader in and holds the attention. Charles James' Johnny Black captures the plight of the psychologically traumatized war veteran. This is a great story because PTSD is a troubling factor in so many returning war veterans. It is an inspiring piece because it offers hope and a way for those suffering in the darkness of the war to see some light again. A segment in the story called "The Every Day Man" makes one think about life and the price we pay to maintain a belief in a capitalistic society and the American way.


This short story has 5 star reviews on Amazon and great feedback from the readers. 

In the words of reviewers:
"Johnny Black and the Tibetan Monk" by Charles James is a wonderful short story with great depth and an thoughtful and inspiring message.
It is the story of Johnny Black, a man who signs up to fight for his country in Vietnam, but whose original course in life is dramatically altered by this experience.
People like myself, who never went to war, will always remain unable to grasp the profound effect the war had on many of its participants but author Charles James does a great job at bringing that message home.
We follow Johnny as his life drifts further until the Tibetan Monk helps him to get back into the right groove / on to the right course.
While the part about Johnny's early life is heart wrenching the latter part is uplifting and inspiring with great insights about the human psyche, happiness and life goals. Buddhist teaching made accessible to anyone with logical explanations and a solid argumentation.
This is very convincing in its message, entertaining as a story and thought provoking overall. Very recommendable.


Author Charles James Books can be found for sale on Amazon 

The links on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Tarnished-Shooter-Charles-James-ebook/dp/B00EB3XNWY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402422869&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tarnished+shooter

http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Black-Tibetan-Charles-James-ebook/dp/B00JCARNEA/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402425240&sr=1-4&keywords=johnny+black


I urge you to purchase and read his books. I read both and loved them. 
Thank you Charles for allowing me to present your wonderful work on my blog, and thanks to my followers for stopping to visit and read all about this amazing author.