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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Night Hawk by J.E. Taylor

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To panic or not to panic...
Public speaking makes me break out in sweat.
So does the idea of being on the radio or television. When I was in college, I got a shot at doing the news and froze the minute the “on air” light went on.  In one of my radio internships, I was put on the spot by the radio personality and stuttered a little in my response, but at least I didn’t freeze like I had in college. 
It was different when I held the microphone and was asking the questions, that seemed to be an easier route than being the one in the spotlight and of course these were not “live” situations.  I was just getting sound bites for the news, not actually conducting an interview.  The psychological pressure wasn’t there.
I transitioned from radio and television to the business world early on in my career and I still avoid formal presentations like they were a new viral strain that, if it didn’t kill me, it would at least turn me into a bumbling idiot.  When I have to do them, I still get the sweats – which these days I sometimes confuse with a hot flash.   
The first time I was asked to be on an author panel, I said yes, even though every fiber was telling me to flee.  I decided to have fun with it.  After all, a panel is quite different from a presentation.  That small mental shift seemed to open the door to make the event much more fun than I ever imagined. 
The next hurdle for me was an invite to speak to a creative writing class a few years ago.  That gave me a great deal of angst, because I wasn’t sure if I was ready to do a presentation in that space.  What I offered, and the teacher readily took me up on it, was to critique the opening pages of the books the kids were writing prior to coming to the school.  My session was focused on any questions the kids had from the critiques and we talked about the importance of a kick-ass opening. 
I found I didn’t have as much of a problem talking to the class as I thought I would.      
So when I was asked recently to speak to another group of high school creative writing students, I jumped at the chance.  But this time, I prepared a formal presentation, one that was meant to engage interaction with the kids.  I sat in the front of the class, going through the slide deck with books as props for the points I was making and had a wonderful time with those kids.  They were not shy about asking questions and nearly stumped me a couple of times.
I loved talking with them, getting them excited about writing, about publishing, and of course, about reading. 
These encounters energized me, and all it took was a little shift in perception.
Thanks for joining me today. 
Before you go, check out the blurb for my new release, Night Hawk...
Selling your soul has never been so charming and Mark throws in a little something to sweeten the pot, his girlfriend Naomi.

Sentenced to death at the hands of a demon, Naomi Hawk has a firsthand lesson in despair and betrayal in Mark’s deal for fame with all the trimmings. Deep in the clutches of the underground brotherhood, Naomi's light is coveted for the Master's gain.

When she slips and falls eighty stories from a precarious ledge, Naomi resigns herself to the inevitable impact and death by shattered bones. Before she can escape her demons in eternal slumber, something sinister plucks her from the plummet, stealing her out of the night to sacrifice her forever to the shadows.

Imprisoned in bottomless darkness, Naomi thirsts for justice…and revenge.

Until next time,
Ciao.
JET


Night Hawk        
Book One – Night Hawk Series
J.E. Taylor

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing, LLC

Cover Artist: CoverShotCreations.com

Book Description:

Selling your soul has never been so charming and Mark throws in a little something to sweeten the pot, his girlfriend Naomi.

Sentenced to death at the hands of a demon, Naomi Hawk has a firsthand lesson in despair and betrayal in Mark’s deal for fame with all the trimmings. Deep in the clutches of the underground brotherhood, Naomi's light is coveted for the Master's gain.

When she slips and falls eighty stories from a precarious ledge, Naomi resigns herself to the inevitable impact and death by shattered bones. Before she can escape her demons in eternal slumber, something sinister plucks her from the plummet, stealing her out of the night to sacrifice her forever to the shadows.

Imprisoned in bottomless darkness, Naomi thirsts for justice…and revenge.





Short Excerpt

“You’re more than welcome to join me,” I said when she showed no signs of moving.
Her mouth opened and she glanced back toward the living room. “When?”
“Right now,” I said, knowing she wasn’t referring to my offer.
She rolled her eyes. “When did you paint that mural?”
“A long time ago,” I said. “Now, are you going to join me or not?” This time I turned toward her, giving her the full view and I smiled at the way her gaze bounced, her eyes widening a fraction before inching their way back up my chest to my face. Her cheeks bloomed and I cocked an eyebrow at her.
She pressed her lips together and slammed the door, marching out of the room in a huff.
I chuckled and ran the soap over my chest, running my fingers over what was left of the welt on my skin. The vampiric healing powers still amazed me enough that I missed the shift in the air around me.
Nails scraped my back and I jumped, swinging my head in the direction of the disturbance. Her wide eyes met mine and I turned, drinking her in from head to toe. Exquisite was the only word that popped into mind and when her fingers touched my chest I reached, covering her hand and holding it against my skin.
“What are you doing?” I whispered because having her undressed and this close put me at a major disadvantage.
“I’m saying thank you,” she said and her hands moved lower.
Catching her wrists, I warned, “Naomi, don’t start something you can’t finish.” My body responded anyway and she closed the distance. Her lips grazed my chest and I closed my eyes, releasing her and surrendering to her exploration.
When her tongue trailed lower, I recalled the memories of her ex and my eyes snapped open. As much as the thought of her taking me in her mouth thrilled me, I didn’t want to be that memory and I grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her up to face me. She wasn’t one of the common harlots from my past that I let drop to their knees before me.
No, Naomi was different and I wanted more.
“You do not have to do this just because you aren’t ready for anything else.”
Her dark eyes met mine and I traced the frame of her face with my fingertips, studying every curve. Leaning down, I took her lower lip in my mouth, sucking gently before shifting and delivering a kiss that started as tender and rich as her blood, but it soon escalated into an all-consuming heat and I could envision living in this bliss for the rest of eternity.
I had lied to her today.
Fear wasn’t the only deep emotion I had encountered since I plucked her out of the sky, this need to connect, to love again overwhelmed me. The irony of her name and the form she turned into added to the feel that fate had prepared this feast just for me.




About the Author:
J.E. Taylor is a writer, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife and a business analyst, not necessarily in that order.  She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:

“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”

From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back and now her writing resume includes a more than a dozen published novels along with several short stories on the virtual shelves including a few within eXcessica anthologies. 

In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing

(www.novelconceptpublishing), Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory (www.allegoryezine.com), an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. She has been known to edit a book or two and also offers her services judging writing contests for various RWA chapters.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine. 


Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com




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