A Buck A Book, Win a Nook with Shiela Stewart!

My name is Shiela Stewart and I’m part of the Decadent ‘A Buck A Book Win a Nook Giveaway.

Not sure what that is, then let me explain. From May 13^th to June 30^th Decadent Authors will be posting interesting tidbits about their books, short interviews and other fun stuff. For you, the readers to be eligible to win you must leave a comment on the author’s blogs. There is a list of authors, their books and where they will be here at this address:

http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.ca/p/giveaways.html

So follow us on our blog tour and you could be the grand prize winner.

Now, let me tell you about Awaken the Demon which is part of the A Buck A Book Giveaway.

Ten years ago, I woke to a horrifying dream of demons attacking humans and one woman who was on the run.  She found herself caught in a group who she thought was safe only to find herself embroiled in a battle between good and evil. Before she could run, a gunshot rang out and she felt the searing pain slice into her.  She fell to her knees, bleeding from the gunshot wound, but she didn’t die. Instead, she turned into a demon and began attacking the men around her.

I woke, sweat pouring off of me, panting as I tried to grasps what I had just dreamt. Now, most people would have been freaked out by the dream, but not me. I ran from my room, grabbed a notebook and pen, and began jotting it all down. I put my own spin on it and made it a romance.  My mind was in a frenzy with this dream. It captivated me, mesmerized me, and refused to let go. I felt like a woman possessed. I couldn’t write it fast enough. Because my dream began in the middle, I was curious how it all began. What made this young woman run away? How did she end up with this group of men who were obviously into trouble? Why had she become a demon? I needed to find out and to do that, I needed to become the women.

Missy Green was born, and she needed her story told. Thus, Awaken the Demon was born.

Buy Awaken the Demon HERE

To find out how she became a demon you’ll have to read the book. I know, I’m cruel, but hey, I do write about demons so is that really a surprise to you?

Now, you’re probably wondering why it took ten years to get this book published. Not for a lack of trying, that’s for sure. I entered Awaken the demon in a contest and it actually came in second place. The reason it didn’t win was that in the original, it didn’t have a happily ever after ending which is a no no in romance. So I reworked it so there was a happy ending, submitted it again to this publisher who chose it as second place and it was rejected. Why you may ask? Satan. Yes, the devil and no he didn’t make me do it. LOL  There are aspects of Satan in the book and the publisher didn’t like that the hero was a direct descendant of the big bad.  Not willing to rewrite it, I submitted it to other publishers and got the same response. “Romance Novels are supposed to be romantic and bringing in someone as horrible as Satan just doesn’t work for us.” Well hell. I get the same response time and time again. Finally I thought, okay, I’ll rewrite it. I changed it up so instead of Satan, I created the King of Demons.  And instead of Missy being a descendant of witches, I made her a descendant of angels. 

But something wasn't right. It just didn’t feel right. So I dropped it.

Awaken the Demon still possessed me and I longed to have it published. So after years of letting it gather dust on my computer, I decided to give it another shot. A friend recommended I try Decadent Publishing and so I cleaned it up and sent it in. Despite wanting desperately to have it to be published , I wasn't about to hold my breath. I knew they’d send me a rejection saying they couldn’t publish a book with Satan in it. 

Much to my surprise and delight, they accepted it. I think I nearly swallowed my tongue. I was speechless. My dreams, my passion for this book were finally coming to fruition. Missy Green and Draco Starr would finally have their story told.

Now, you may think that is the end of it. Guess what? It’s a series. After

Buy Offer the Demon HERE

writing Awaken the Demon, another story came to me with as much passion as the first. Offer the Demon. It’s the story of Missy and Draco’s daughter Aurora, who, despite hating having to do it, is Satan’s minion and must collect souls for him. It’s a struggle between good and evil with an ending that will leave you gasping. But like everything else I write, it spirals into more and book three was created. Who knows, there may be more but for now, there are three books in the Demon series.

Offer the Demon is the second book in the Demon series and available at Decadent Publishing.

Dreams do come true, if you hold onto them long enough.

Have you ever experienced something so gripping that you fought tooth and nail to bring it to life? Was there a story that you wrote, or are writing that has a hold on you and tugs at your heart? 

Shiela’s Website: www.shielasbooks.ca

Awaken the Demon, and Offer the Demon available at Decadent Publishing. http://www.decadentpublishing.com/

Amazon Frustrations

Buy Offer the Demon HERE

by Shiela Stewart

Amazon frustrates me. Am I alone or are there others out there that have had problems with the in dealing with your books? Three years ago one of my publishers sold to another publishing house and most of the authors were either dropped or opted out.  I was one of those that opted out and took my books elsewhere. Since then I have been trying to get all the old publishers books removed from Amazon. Those books are currently published with another house with completely different covers.

I assumed, maybe foolishly, that the old publishing house would remove them. I was wrong. So here were my books, with the old pub house, posted along with the latest release. Not only are they up, but they have them in ebook and print. Now, I know they’re not available and when you go to purchase one it tells you that. Here is my problem. It’s confusing to the buyers. I had buyer contact me to say the book she wanted was no longer available and could she get it elsewhere. I informed her of the latest release of the book and guided her in the right direction.

So I’ve sent numerous emails asking for the books to be taken down. Given detailed information on the books information and I get the runaround. At first they tell me to get the current ISBN numbers so they can take down the old ones. I do that, send them to Amazon and get the reply back that I don’t have authorization to take them down and since the company is no longer operating there is no one to give the okay. They’re my books, but whatever.

Another year goes by and I try again thinking, well maybe I misunderstood them. This time they tell me they will have them removed but six months later they are still up there. I contact them and they tell me they don’t have the authorization to take the books down. UGH!!!!

Another year goes by and I try again, thinking there has to be a way to remedy this. So I tell them my problem, they send me a reply that says if the new publisher has different ISBN numbers for the new releases to let them know then they can have the books removed. Great!!! Yeah…not! I’m elated and give them information and ask how long it will take to have the books removed. Then I get this reply.

I’m sorry for any misunderstanding on our recent correspondences with regard to the request to remove some of your books from Amazon.com.

Kindly allow me to explain this situation to you.

Although we can list the availability message of the book on website to ‘Out of print’ and display it as an unavailable title, we cannot remove the Detail page completely from the website in order to support activities such as sales through Amazon.com Marketplace.

I realize this can be disappointing and I’m sorry for this.

UUUUGGGHHHH!

So okay fine, I’ll have that done. Put the sticker up that says out of print. But still, I think it will be confusing to the buyers as to why some of my books, with the same titles are not available. I’m worried it might discourage buyers from purchasing my books.  I’m not sure why Amazon has a ‘No Take Down’ policy. All I can say is that its frustrating.

On an up note, Offer the Demon, the second book in my Demon series is now available in print. Yeah!!!!!! Here is a little teaser.

Offer the Demon available at Decadent Publishing. 

http://tinyurl.com/c44fnw3

Satan doesn’t take no for an answer but Aurora Starr and Scott Monroe are about to challenge that.

Awaken the Demon book one now available in ebook and print. http://tinyurl.com/c2hhmz5 

Supernatural, Demons and Shiela

By Shiela Stewart

I was asked to tell a few things about myself which is harder than you might think. I hate talking about myself. But because I was asked so sweetly, I gave in. ( They have me at gunpoint. Please for the love of God, call the police!!)

1: I am obsessed with Supernatural. I have watched every episode and own every season which I watch over and over. I count down the days until it’s on and if anyone dare talk during the show I get very angry.

2: My house burned to the ground when I was seven. We lost everything and my mother had third degree burns on both her hands and arms from going into the house for our belongings.

3: I’m bipolar, as are my oldest son and my daughter.

4: I was asked to be in a rock band at 15, but my parents forbade it.

5: I have eaten chicken hearts, chicken feet, pigs feet and cow brains. And lived to tell the tale. I will never eat those things again. (Thanks mom for ruining my taste buds)

6: I learned how to ride a horse when I was nine and never once did I get bucked off. My little sister was not so lucky.

7: I can cross one eye while the other stays straight. Freaks my husband out. LOL

Want to know more about me you’ll have to get me drunk first.

Check out my latest release, Offer the Demon Book 2 in the Demon series

Blurb:

Twenty-one years ago was the beginning of the end.

Born to serve Satan, Aurora Starr wishes she could lead a normal life.
Being a demon, that’s not so easy to do. By night she takes the lives
of those Satan chooses. Despite her hatred for her job, she knows she
must continue, but all she wants is to live like a normal human.

Enter Scott Monroe.

Tall, blond, and gorgeous, he is more than Aurora can resist.
Although mating with a human is taboo, Aurora throws caution to
the wind and begins seeing Scott. But when Satan makes her choose
between her family or the man she loves, Aurora has had enough.

Will love win in the end, or will Satan damn them all?

Excerpt: About to approach them with his card and the usual speech, he spotted her. He wasn’t sure how he’d known it was her when she didn’t look anything like herself. Maybe it was the hair. Not many women wore it so long, long enough to graze her backside. It certainly wasn’t the clothes she wore, or lack thereof. The skirt should probably be illegal. The top—he didn’t want to even go there. It was her, there was no doubt. It was Aurora, and the way she moved to the beat of the music looked damn good.

Her body floated, rolling in such erotic moves it had him swallowing a hard lump in his throat. And apparently, he wasn’t the only one affected.
As she swayed on the dance floor seductively, men crowded around her.

It was time he put a stop to this.

He stepped into the crowd surrounding her and before he could take control of the situation, she leaned against his chest, wound her arms
around his neck, and began gyrating.

He probably should put an end to this, his mind was all but screaming it, but his body refused to listen. Putting his hands on her hips, he swayed to
the beat with her.

Slowly, seductively, she turned, and her eyes widened with surprise. “Scott? Well, you certainly know how to move.”

Gathering his thoughts, Scott grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her away.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Website: www.shielasbooks.ca

Blog: http://shielassays.blogspot.ca/

Purchase/Publishers Website: www.decadentpublishing.com 

Meet Shiela Stewart and her Demons

How did you start your writing career?

I guess it all started when I was five. I loved telling stories to my friends and cousins. I would make up elaborate tales that had them mesmerized. I often turned those stories into songs and would sing them as I twirled in the cornfield. The real writing started when I was in my teens. I used it as a means to escape reality. Often the stories were brutal and dark and didn’t always have a happy ending. Aside from writing dark stories I wrote poems of love. I soon found that was the heart to my writing.

                                     Tell us about your current release.

 

Awaken the Demon is book one in the demon series and has been a passion of mine since it was first created in 2004. It’s one of those books that captures you and won’t let you go until the entire story has been told.

Draco Starr is a demon and direct descendant of Satan himself.  Sent from hell to capture souls, Draco did his masters bidding until decades later he discovers he wants something more. Finding out a female child had been born from a demon and a human, a taboo in the demon laws Draco sets out to find her. Despite not knowing her, he decides she is the only one for him.

Missy Green is on the run from an abusive fiancé. Adopted at birth by a wonderful family Missy is embarrassed to tell her family the man she loved wants her dead. So she fleas her home and finds herself on a bus headed for Erie and the home of the illustrious Draco Starr.  It seems like the perfect getaway until the truth comes out. But that’s not the worst. Discovering she is a demon is more than she can handle.

With Draco’s help she discovers being a demon isn’t so bad, until the urge to kill rears its ugly head.

Tell us about your next release.

Offer the Demon is book two in the Demon series.

Aurora Starr was born to serve Satan. A deal made between her parents and Satan writes Aurora’s future. Aurora is determined to take control of her own life. Satan has other plans.  Wanting to be somewhat human, Aurora takes a job at a local shelter. When she meets Scott Monroe, she falls head over heels in love.

Running the Monroe Shelter, Scott Monroe is the savior to those in need. Helping the addicts and the homeless is his sole purpose in life. But when the raven haired Aurora Starr enters his life, everything begins to change.

Despite the laws preventing her from mating with a human, Aurora begins seeing Scott. Until Satan finds out and gives her an ultimatum. Love of her family or the love of her man.  Having to choose pisses Aurora off and she decides its time to take control of her destiny. Even if it means losing it all.

Has someone been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

That would be my husband. He has been my biggest supporter and fan. He read everything I wrote and gave me tips on how to improve it. He’s always believed in me and knew I had potential despite me feeling the opposite. He was the one who got me started on the road to getting published.  If it wasn't for him and his love and support, I wouldn’t be here today telling you this story.

What was your first sale as an author?

Kidnapped. It’s a story of a rich snobby woman who is kidnapped by Bart and Betty Rubble. Despite her circumstances, Liz refuses to obey her captors.  She does everything in her power to make their lives miserable.

All Mackenzie Tyrell wants is to save his father’s farm. Even if it means kidnapping someone for the money. The last thing he expects is to capture the debutante from hell.  Liz gives him the run for his money and the last thing he needs is to fall in love with her.

It’s the last thing Liz expects until the truth of her captor comes out.

Shiela’s website: www.shielasbooks.ca

Publisher: Decadent Publishing www.decadentpublishing.com

10Q Tuesday with Shiela Stewart!

Tell us about your current release.

A Taste of Humanity is part of the 1 Night Stand series. With the help of Madam Evangeline, Cade and Penny have been placed together for their one night of love. Penny has always been sheltered. Her parents even went so far as to move out into the middle of nowhere and home schooled her. They feared something awful would happen to Penny if they lived in the city or even a town. The instant Penny came of age she moved out on her own. What a surprise that was. The sites and activity of a big city was a bit overwhelming at first, but soon she blended in. Holding down a job, paying her own rent and bills was at times daunting, but she didn’t like the alternative which was moving back home. Wanting a thrill in her life, Penny signs up for a 1Night stand.

Cade has more money than even he knows what to do with. He’s the head of a mob and is highly respected.  That is until his employees and enemies find out he’s a virgin—of sorts. Given his stature, having his enemies mock him is a blow to the gut for Cade. Sure, he could wipe them out, but then he’d have a war on his hands he wasn't willing to fight. Instead, he decides to do something about his predicament.  A card left on his desk for a dating service intrigues him and after checking it out Cade decides to give it a try. What better way was there to relieve him of his burden than with a one-night stand.

Together the pair explore not only each other, but the sights and sounds of the city of sin. But when it comes down to that final moment, the big hurrah, things turn out to be very different than expected. The thrill Penny was looking for might very well be her last.

A Taste of Humanity—A 1 Night Stand series available at www.decadentpublishing.com 

Tell us about your next release.

Offer the Demon is the second book in my Demon series.  Offer the Demon takes place 21 years after the first book, Awaken the Demon. Aurora Starr is the daughter of the renowned Draco Starr who happens to be a direct descendant of Satan himself. A bargain between Satan and her parents puts Aurora in the hands of Satan as his Soul Collector. As a demon she must obey all of her demonic rules which include never mating with a human. Having grown up in a sheltered environment Aurora wants to have more. She wants to breathe. Being at Satan’s beck and call is not her idea of breathing. But she knows if she refuses, Satan will take away her parents.  Still, wanting more in her life she takes a job at a local shelter where much to her surprise she finds herself falling for the owner.

Scott Monroe has grown up seeing the destruction drugs and alcohol can do to a person to a family. His famous rock star father had indulged in plenty during his career, but when his body begins to fail he decides to open a facility for those who suffer as he has. Unlike his famous father, Scott has chosen to go into the medical field and not music. But when his father suddenly dies, he decides to take over the shelter and finds a passion in helping the needy and the addicted. When a dark haired beauty walks into his life, everything suddenly gets turned upside down. Being much younger than himself, Scott first rejects Aurora’s advances. But a guy can only say no so many times. On one fateful night, Scott learns the truth about his lover and isn’t sure how to handle her being a demon. Love has a strong hold on his heart and soon Scott is asking how he can be with his love despite the rules.  He’s willing to do anything to anything to be with her including taking his own life.

Love is never easy, especially when Satan gives her an ultimatum. Chose between the man she loves, or her father.

Offer the Demon—Book 2 in the Demon series coming soon from Decadent publishing.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Hell yeah!! I grew up in a haunted house where the entity enjoyed having tea at early hours of the morning, waking everyone up at the crack of dawn, and even providing my baby sister with her night time bottle. Since then hauntings and ghosts have intrigued me.

If you could be an animal, what would it be?

I would love to be a Dove. It’s such a beautiful bird. It has been used in Weddings, Funerals, messaging and lastly on the ark when Noah sent it out to find land. But above all that, it can fly. I imagine myself soaring high about the ground, breaking through clouds, without a care in the world. Now that is peaceful.

If you could spend the night anywhere, where would it be?

A haunted castle. There are too many to name, but anyone of them would do. Though I doubt I would sleep. I’d be to busy trying to listen and watch for paranormal activity.

Tell us about your family.

I’ve been married for nearly 26 years. Actually, tomorrow the 14^th is my 26^th anniversary. I met my hubby when I was 17 and we both knew instantly we were meant for each other. Two months after we started dating we told everyone we would be married in 1985. They thought we were nuts and that we wouldn’t last. Guess what? We have. :P~~~ He is my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without him.

We have three children ages 23, 19 and 16. Older two are boys and my baby is a girl. They are brilliant in their own right and though each one is unique, they share plenty of similarities. They’ve inherited my hubby and my sense of humor and fun loving nature. There is never a dull moment in our house.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a ballerina. I would often dance around the yard twirling about like I was a princess.  I loved the tutu’s and the way the dancers would twirl around jumping like they were noting more than feathers. Dance has always been a part of my life.

What are your favorite TV shows?

Oh wow got an hour? LOL

Supernatural
CSI (Vegas)
Chuck
Big Bang Theory
How I Met Your Mother
Survivor
Torchwood
America’s Got Talent
Fringe

Just to name a few. LOL

What would we find under your bed?

Plenty of dust bunnies. LOL I tend to hide presents under the bed, but aside form that I put unused duffle bags, crafts, and empty boxes.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Believe it or not, I wanted to be a Psychologist. I wanted to help people with their problems, give them an ear to bend a shoulder to cry on but mostly help them better their life.