Gillian St Kevern discusses Thorns and Fangs

Nate is caught between two dangerously hot vampires who can compel people to do whatever they want and a ruthless necromancer who wants Nate for all the wrong reasons—and that’s only the start of his problems.

Escort Nate prides himself on two things: his ability to please his clients and his normality – living in the monster capital of the world, ordinary is rare. Hunter, a darkly charming vampire with more charisma than is good for him, decides Nate is just what he needs. Nate’s sympathetic nature and skill in the bedroom are put to the ultimate test. But Hunter wants Nate for someone else – his brother, Ben. Nate is immediately attracted by the control with which Ben holds his sensitive nature in force. Too afraid of becoming a monster to allow himself to feel, Ben struggles to resist Nate’s generosity of emotion. As a vindictive necromancer makes Ben his target of revenge, Nate discovers that making people feel good doesn’t compare to making Ben feel. As Nate’s normal world crumbles around him, and he desperately searches for a way to save Ben, Nate is unable to escape becoming the necromancer’s latest victim.

But Nate’s death is only the beginning. Coming back to life in the bathroom of Gunn, a Department Seven officer who hates the vampire family that Ben and Hunter belong to, Nate doesn’t know who to trust or even what he is. As the necromancer’s trap pulls tighter around himself and Ben, Nate is forced to let go of normal and embrace powers he doesn’t fully understand. In defiance of Ben’s vampire sire and hunted by Department Seven, Nate and Ben finally learn to trust and rely on each other. But when the necromancer succeeds in capturing Ben, Nate alone can come to his rescue.

Gillian St. Kevern is the author of the Deep Magic series, the Thorns and Fangs series, the For the Love of Christmas series, and standalone novels, The Biggest Scoop and The Wing Commander’s Curse. Gillian currently lives in her native New Zealand, but spent eleven years in Japan and has visited over twenty different countries. Her writing is a celebration of the people she encounters on her journeys.

As a chronic traveller, Gillian is more interested in journeys than endings, with characters that grow and change to achieve their happy ending. She’s not afraid to let her characters make mistakes or take the story in an unexpected direction. Her stories cross genres, time-periods and continents, taking readers along for an unforgettable ride. Both Deep Magic and The Biggest Scoop were nominated for Best LOR story in the 2015 M/M Romance Groups Member’s Choice awards. Thorns and Fangs came third in the category of Best Bisexual Historical/Paranormal in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Atlanta Writers Club Talks Writing

In the Coffee Shop, we have an extended conversation about writing. A panel of five writers gathered around our favorite table addressed “What’s Really Wise in Conventional Writing Wisdom,” with advice gleaned from years of experience writing and marketing their work. Many of their lessons apply to new writers and multi-book authors alike.

Joining us are:

Emily Carpenter (http://emilycarpenterauthor.com/), Amazon best-selling author of three suspense novels: BURYING THE HONEYSUCKLE GIRLS, THE WEIGHT OF LIES and the upcoming EVERY SINGLE SECRET, which is coming out May 1, 2018.
Ellie Jordan (http://elliedecker.com/), writer and actress, who has developed screenplays and appears in numerous films and TV shows, including THE WALKING DEAD.
JD Jordan (http://www.o-jd.com/), the author of the sci-fi Western CALAMITY, which he is now developing for television in collaboration with a production company.
Chris Negron (https://chrisnegron.com/), whose short fiction has appeared in a dozen online and print literary publications; his first middle grade novel is currently on submission with publishers.
George Weinstein (http://www.georgeweinstein.com/), who is making his second appearance in the Coffee Shop. He’s the author of five novels that span a variety of genres, the latest being the mystery novel AFTERMATH, which we discussed in 2017. He also is the former president of the Atlanta Writers Club (http://atlantawritersclub.org/) and runs the twice-yearly Atlanta Writers Conference (https://atlantawritersconference.com/about/).

They bring a variety of perspectives, having written extensively and across a wide span of genres, including suspense, middle-grade fiction, sci-fi Western, mysteries, historical fiction, and more, as well as screenplays. The common thread that connects them is that they all met each other in the Atlanta Writers Club writers critique group George has managed for more than a dozen years. During that time, they saw each other grow in many ways. Ellie and JD fell in love because of the critique group and George even performed their wedding ceremony! Both Emily and Chris obtained their first agents through the Atlanta Writers Conference. After years of helping each other succeed, overcome setbacks, and achieve milestones along their individual writing journeys, they remain a tight-knit, supportive network, assisting one other with contacts, advice, and opportunities.

In addition, they assist new writers by sharing lessons they’ve learned and, as often, dispelling wrong assumptions, misunderstandings, and outright bad advice these writers have been exposed to, especially from online so-called resources.

Among the alleged pearls of conventional writing wisdom they’ll support or dispute (or sometimes do both) during our extended conversation are:

Write every day
Restrict the points of view you use
Write what you know
Write about people like yourself
Pick a genre and stick with it
Create an outline vs. write by the seat of your pants
You’ll be set once you get an agent/publisher/bestseller
Writing is a solitary, non-collaborative activity
Write what you read
Read books to learn how to write; watching TV shows and movies doesn’t count
And much more!

So, join us for a special, multi-hour addition of the Coffee Shop!

Lee St John Discusses She’s a Keeper

Lee St. John confesses, “In my defense, I was left unsupervised.” She may not show restraint but you have to give her credit, at least she knows herself.

A mayhem confessor, St. John’s SHE’S A KEEPER! series is a tell-all about mothers, husbands, boyfriends, children, friends, jobs, families, students, acquaintances, and HERSELF! No one is off-limits.

Lee finds her mementos of high-jinx in her closet, attic, basement, and her former classroom. These keepsakes explode into stories she shouldn’t tell, but does. A rogue Southern Belle, she was brought up to behave better but she just can’t help herself. Bless her heart.

Females in her generation will understand when she shares and reminisces about these reminders found in

SHE’S A KEEPER! ~ Confessions from a Southern Girl’s Closet

SHE’S A KEEPER! ~ Anecdotes from a Southern Girl’s Attic

SHE’S A KEEPER! ~Bombshells from a Southern Girl’s Basement

SHE’S A KEEPER! ~ Compositions from a Southern Girl’s Classroom

This book is written by teachers, for teachers, about teachers from elementary to college about the true but naughty stories from the classroom.

How many people do you know who have been kissed by a President of the United States? And what about playing golf with a Master’s Champion golfer where she, oh my stars, told him what’s what to his face. Why wasn’t she fired from teaching when she disclosed that she cussed, showed nudity, and demonstrated a lewd gesture to her students?

St. John’s humorous storytelling is entertaining as all get-out. It’s wicked, deliciously scandalous, and sometimes shocking. But Lee also shares stories that will melt your heart. And like a cold drink of lemonade that is tart and sweet, Lee was raised with class but will show you her Southern sass. Why not join her for a glass?

About Lee:

Author and humorist known for her Southern Charm, Lee St. John writes for the Newnan Times-Herald in Georgia – the same newspaper where her idol, Lewis Grizzard started. A popular stand-up comedienne and lecturer, she has published 5 books/2 audio books in the SHE’S A KEEPER! series.

Lee started writing her own column in high school and continued during/after college. She received her B.S. in Journalism/Public Relations from Georgia Southern University. She studied English/English Education from The University of Georgia and Georgia State University graduate schools. Later adding her Gifted endorsement, she taught Gifted education.

A Georgia Peach by birth and an adopted Alabama Camellia, Lee splits her time and humor between her Georgia newspaper column and as a radio and TV-contributor for Charter Cable in Alabama.

She is a she-devil with a halo, a Southern Belle who doesn’t play by the rules, and a prankster setting her next trap. Like a train-wreck, we can’t help but be curious about the mayhem she inflicts. She is just plain naughty but with a heart.

While most of Lee’s roguish memoirs are inspired by the family funnies of Erma Bombeck, by the down-South flavor of humorist Lewis Grizzard, by the honesty of Ali Wentworth’s entertaining memoirs, and by the inappropriate frisky behaviors of any SEINFELD episode, she also expresses sentimental anecdotes. The mementos found in her closet, attic, basement, and even her former school classroom unleash her secret vignettes about mothers, husbands, former boyfriends, children, friends, jobs, families, students, and more. Her confessions may unleash your hidden memories and journeys, too. Get ready to be amused. An only child who used her no-holds-barred imagination to entertain herself, Lee now blogs, is a paid program speaker, audio book narrator, and producer of her Facebook SUTHERN’ COMFORT, LIVE AT FIVE!

Lee St. John is found on every dang social media outlet. She continues to rank #1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers under Humor & Entertainment Essays Kindle e-books short reads.

Married for 34 years, Lee and her husband have 2 grown sons, a tater-tot dog, OBIE, and a kitty, BOO. Oh, and Lee LOVES to laugh.