HMK 2015

Coming Soon- Information regarding HMK 2015

HMK2014!

Things are heating up here in Las Vegas!

We are busy preparing for the September event, adding an extra day AND shuttle service to the airport after the event!

We still have a few openings and its first come first serve with Featured and Spotlight openings. We are also looking for bloggers to round out our event. If you blog about books, review them then we are interested.

This years them is all about the military, historical or contemporary it makes no difference. After all we consider all soldiers to be Knights under a different name.

We are excited to have some return authors and some new ones. Kathryn Le Veque and Emerald are just a few returning authors. 

Be sure to check our website www.hotmojaveknights.com often for updates, specials, workshops and events we are setting up. If you have something you would like to see for Hot Mojave Knights we would love to hear your ideas.

Until next time,

Hot Mojave Knights Committee.

Valentines Special!

Limited tickets are available. Get yours today! Just go to www.hotmojaveknights.com and click registration. You will find the special listed below.

 



Sharknado, Alpha men, and Hot Mojave Knights by ML Guida

Hello Everyone,

I’m M.L. Guida and I’m so excited to be on the Hot Mojave Knights’s blog. Can you believe it? The conference is only a couple weeks away.

Do you like things that go bump into the night? Or drawn to scary movies? Or even campy Syfy movies? Yes, Sharknado is one of my favorites. Have any of you seen it?

Alpha men rule my family. I’m Italian. So, it’s no wonder I write about them. Supernatural’s Dean and Sam Winchester are the epitomny of alphas. I’m a Sam girl. And you?

I love the supernatural and grew up reading mysteries and horror. Alfred Hitchcock used to write a children series called Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators and I read everyone of them. The Mystery of the Green Ghost was a big hit in the third grade.

I write paranormal romance and it leans toward the dark side. I like to torture my characters before they reach their final goal.

Recently, I released a new series called Legends of the Soaring Phoenix. The first one is called A Pirate’s Curse and I will be bringing copies to Hot Mojave Knights.

Here’s an excerpt from A Pirate’s Curse:

Captain Kane O’Brien peered through his spyglass aboard the deck of the Soaring Phoenix. “Bloody hell.” 

The waxing moon and blazing firelight lit up the black ocean. The cursed Fiery Damsel loomed over a burning, half submerged flute ship, slowly circling its broken mast. Water spilled into cannonball-size holes. Fire licked the white sails, and wood crackled and snapped.

He gritted his teeth. A red-headed giant towered over the terrified sailors. His beard hid his face and his eyes burned red. Quinton Palmer. The sailors had the same look of horror when he met Palmer. ’Twas during the Irish Confederate War. He’d have been sixteen years old, a whelp, when Quinton Palmer forced him to become a man.

Kane’s hero had always been his father, Finn O’Brien, an honorable and courageous man. And Finn O’Brien relished freedom. When the British approached their home town of Wexford, burning their fields and homes, taking their livestock and raping their women, Finn rallied the men in the village to fight.

Kane and his father had hid behind an overturned wagon. Shells exploded around them. Kane shrank. Smoke stung his eyes.

He peered around a spinning wagon wheel. An Irish setter limped out onto the road. A beast of a British soldier, Palmer, held a bayonet in his hand and a sick smile crossed his face. Ten years old, Michael O’Shay, ran over to the dog, screaming. He wrapped his arms around the dying dog’s neck.

Palmer stabbed little Michael in the shoulder. Michael yelped, releasing the dog. Blood streamed down his chest. The dog snapped and growled. Palmer flicked the bayonet, slicing the dog’s throat and the animal collapsed onto the road, blood pooling around him.

Palmer’s cruelty had sickened Kane and bile rose up his throat. He gripped his sword, but his legs refused to move. His heart pounded and sweat drenched his back.  

“Kane,” his father ordered. “I want you to remain here. Do you hear me, lad?” He gripped Kane’s shoulder and shook him. Kane nodded as shells exploded around them, ringing his ears.

Kane had swallowed his fright. “Aye, Pa.”

Raising a cutlass over his head, Finn O’Brien charged Palmer.

Palmer took a step back, but whipped out his pistol and fired. His father staggered, but regained his step. Palmer was almost a head taller than his father, but Finn O’Brien never shied away from a fight.

Palmer fired again, but this time, Finn spun around and fell on his knees.

Palmer raised his bayonet. 

Kane had forgotten his fear. He screamed a war cry, running with his sword high over his head. But his legs failed to move fast enough. The blasts of cannons blocked out his yells. Sweat dripped in his eyes and bile burned in his gut.

 Palmer stabbed his father in the heart. Eyes wide open, Finn collapsed onto his back. Palmer smiled and threw his bayonet onto Finn O’Brien’s lifeless body.

He jerked out the embedded sword and lunged at Kane, knocking Kane’s sword out of his hand. Kane clenched his fist and swung, but Palmer grabbed him and threw him down next to his dead father. He raised the bloody sword. Kane sucked in his breath. He was dead.

“Something to remember me by boy,” Palmer promised. He slashed Kane’s face. Pain slid over him. He’d never forgotten Palmer’s promise, or his cruelty, or his smile.

Kane fingered his bumpy scar on his left cheek. Hate boiled inside him as Palmer spoke to a man. The terrified lad shook his head. Angered, Palmer slammed the man into the nearest mast. The poor fellow slapped at Palmer’s hands, but Palmer crooked the man’s head to the side and sank his bloodstained teeth into his throat.

Kane shoved the spy glass back into his breeches. “What the devil are you up to Palmer?” 

“Och, may the devil take Palmer, but I don’t have to tell you that Capt’n.” Kane’s best friend and boatswain, Sean Mallory, slapped the railing. He’d been with Kane through the Irish Confederate War. Despite his angelic face and long blond hair, his towering stature intimidated Sassenachs, like an avenging archangel. 

“He wants something.”

“How do you know?”

Kane gritted his teeth. “Because Palmer never asks his victims anything before he kills them. Prepare to board ‘er. Ready the guns.”

 “Aye, aye, Capt’n,” Sean called over his shoulders. “Ready the guns. Prepare to board ’er.”

Footsteps pounded on the deck as Kane’s crew rushed to their stations. Kane gripped the bow railing. Acid pitted in his gut. “Revenge is mine, Palmer.”

The Soaring Phoenix sailed steadfast and true, the crew ready to board the Fiery Damsel. Kane pulled out his sword and pistol. “Fire!” Kane shouted as the Soaring Phoenix closed in on the Fiery Damsel. Cannons thundered and hit the hull of the Damsel’s starboard side. The circling bats sped toward the Phoenix, but then landed on the Damsel, changing back into men.     

 “Ahoy, Capt’n, off the starboard bow. ’Tis a lad and a man!” Amadi shouted. Kane glanced up at the crow’s nest where Amadi pointed. Night or day, he swore Amadi possessed eagle eyes whether man or vampire. Amadi pointed at some broken wood, but Kane peered closer. Two figures clutched two pieces of drift wood. Palmer must be losing his touch.

Palmer ran to the side of the sinking ship. He jumped into the air and dove toward the man and the lad. Without thinking, Kane called upon his vampire powers, leaped into the air and the condensing sensation of his body shrinking, his muscles contracting and his bones shortening, shot through him. Kane’s arms transformed into wings, his vision grew keener, and his body shifted into a large bat.

Lucky he was able to transform. Sometimes the waxing moon allowed him to use his vampire powers. If it had been a crescent moon or a half moon, he’d never been able to call forth his powers and the victims would be good as dead. Although he was immortal, he didn’t have the ability to fight Palmer when Palmer was at full strength. 

“Capt’n,” Amadi yelled. “No.”

More crewmen joined in the protest, but Kane ignored them. He wanted to foil Palmer’s bloodlust.

He sped toward Palmer. The lad ducked under water, but the larger, swag-bellied man remained slumped over a piece of wood. Inches away from the man, Palmer skimmed the water and soared into the sky. As he whirled around, Kane collide with him, wrapping his wings around Palmer’s body, trapping Palmer’s wings. Kane bit the back of Palmer’s neck. Palmer screeched and arched his back, but Kane held on. The ocean, night sky and ships swirled around as they plunged into the warm water the way sea eagles clash over prey. Palmer arched again and broke free. He whirled around and bit Kane’s wing, tearing his flesh. Pain seized Kane and he sucked in sea water.

Palmer soared out of the water. Ignoring the blinding pain, Kane darted into the air and pursued him. Cannons thundered. A cannonball whisked toward him. Kane darted to the left, narrowly missing the shell. 

“Captain,” Amadi shouted.

“What the blazes are you doing?” Sean cried.

Others joined Amadi and Sean into yelling at him to return to the Soaring Phoenix.

Palmer glided toward the Fiery Damsel. Blood dripped onto the ocean. Damn! If Kane chased him onto his ship, Palmer’s men would not hesitate to sever his head and he’d join the floating corpses.

A movement in the water caught his eyes. Damn sharks.

The pain throbbed in his wing. He turned around and headed back to the Soaring Phoenix. Kane spread his wings wide, landed on the deck, and transformed back into a man. He half smiled at the holes marring the hull of the Fiery Damsel as she turned and headed back out to sea.  

Sean stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. “Capt’n, what the devil were you thinking?”

Kane rubbed his throbbing shoulder. “Denying Palmer his pleasure.”

Yes, Kane is my version of an alpha male and hope you liked the excerpt. I look forward to meeting all of you at the conference.

ML

About ML Guida:

You can contact me at my website: http://www.mlguida.com.  

Why Authors like Conventions: Books by Silver James

Hi, everyone! I’m Silver James and I like to walk on the dark side. Since I love the dark, why am I coming to Hot Mojave Knights in Las Vegas, the city of neon lights? Because I can’t wait to meet the readers and other authors who will be in attendance. Oh, yeah. And the knights. ;)

I do have a confession to make. I’ve never actually been to a reader event, much less been a featured author and I have this secret fear that I’ll be sitting in the room for my “personal” chat all by myself. I’m bringing some special swag as a bribe to get people to my room. Shhhh. Don’t tell. Just come. At least with the panels, I’ll have the company of some amazing authors. I’m sitting on the Otherworldly Panel and the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Panel.

So here’s my question to the folks who will be coming. What would you like to hear us talk about in the individual chats? Do you want to know about process? About the books we’ve written? About characters? Setting? Plotting? Trust me. You don’t want me to get up there and just “wing it.” You’re liable to get a song and dance and for anyone who has ever heard me sing….well, let’s just say they paid me to stop. ;)

I know why authors like to come to these events. We get the chance to meet readers and talk about books we love—yes, authors are readers, too. We have our own favorite authors and books. I’m guessing that’s why readers like to come too. Did I mention the knights? That’s another reason for coming. And the banquet costume party on Saturday night. And the gift basket raffle for charity during the book signing.

Do you have your costume ready? We went shopping for my daughter’s last weekend. Yes, she’s coming with me for a girls’ working weekend.  She’s a professional photographer and will be there to capture all the terrific moments at the panels and parties. She’s coming as Major Hannah McIntire,  heroine of BLOOD MOON, the first book in my Moonstruck series. I’m coming as an “older” version of Sade Marquis, the heroine of my new Urban Fantasy series, the Penumbra Papers. Sade’s a kick-ass FBI agent and I get to wear a long, black leather coat. I’m dying to see what costumes the other authors are wearing. And the knights. Will they come dressed for court?

Who’s going to Hunk Mansion for the male review? Who’s going to stay at the hotel for the wine tasting? Who’s going to bed early? No you aren’t! There will be too much fun going on. There are books to talk about. New friends to meet and get to know. There are knights to visit with.  And books. There are a couple of book signings going on in addition to everything else. What more could you want for a weekend filled with fun?

If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time. If you have signed up, what are you most looking forward to during the weekend? I’ll see everyone there in just 18 days! Come get your fun on!

About Silver James: BIO

Silver likes to take walks on the dark side and coffee. Okay. She loves coffee. LOTS of coffee. Warning: Her Muse, Iffy, runs with scissors and can be quite dangerous. She’s the author of the best-selling Moonstruck series and new urban fantasy series, The Penumbra Papers. She's been a military officer's wife, mother, state appellate court marshal, airport rescue firefighter and forensic fire photographer, crime analyst, technical crime scene investigator, and writer of magic and mystery. Now retired from the “real world,” she lives in Oklahoma and spends her days at the computer with two Newfoundland dogs, the cat who rules them all, and myriad characters all clamoring for attention. She writes dark paranormal thrillers, time travel romance, and light contemporary with a kiss of suspense. To find out more about Silver, visit her WEBSITE, like her

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, and follow her on TWITTER.

About SEASON OF THE WITCH (advance copies will be available in limited supply at the book signing):

Welcome to The Penumbra Papers, the exciting new Urban Fantasy series from award-winning author Silver James. Fans of her Moonstruck series will love the Penumbra Papers. These "Cases from the Shadow's Edge" explore the forces of light and dark as they dance through shadows humans barely glimpsed prior to the Big Rip. Since then, all manner of preternatural magicks intermingle with humans in ways mysterious, magical and, in some cases, criminal. Much to humanity's surprise, there really are monsters under the bed and the things that go bump in the night are bigger and scarier than anyone ever imagined.

SEASON OF THE WITCH

__________________________

Sade Marquis. Her best friend turns furry. Her godfather’s a master vampire. Her mother was once a mistress of the King of the Faerie Court.

After the Veil rips, FBI Special Agent Sade Marquis is picked to head up the newly-formed MAGIC unit. When magic’s in the air, Sade is the agent FBI Director George Bailey wants in the trenches. She's savvy, snarky, and sexy but she may have met her match when she's sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a congressional aide.

Is the vampire, Kristian St. John, guilty as sin? Once a Templar knight, Sinjen now teaches history at the University of Chicago. He must rely on Sade to clear his name and track the real culprit.

Together, they unravel a thousand-year-old mystery. If they don’t solve it, the world—human and magick—will suffer the consequences unleashed by evil incarnate.

Also available in all digital formats now: THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC – A Penumbra Papers Novella

Along with her FBI partner—and werewolf best friend—Caleb Jones, Sade is sent to New Orleans to investigate the murders of several high-ranking magicks. The Big Easy is neutral territory so Sade must find and arrest the culprit before war breaks out between the Realms. Things look up when the gargoyle Sentinel, Roman, a permanent fixture in Sade’s childhood, arrives to keep the peace. Maybe.

The investigation is hampered by Sade’s faerie nemesis, Ariel—the King’s Seducer. Oh, and then there’s the new dragon in town, Nikolas Constantine. Sade can’t decide whether to arrest his ass or admire it.

When guilt and innocence come to play in the French Quarter, it’ll take Sade’s brand of crazy to sort it all out.

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