Our Guest Today is Author Teri Riggs #ourauthorgang

Welcome, Teri! So glad you could join us today!

Teri Riggs was destined to be a writer.  As a small girl, she didn't read bedtime stories, she made up her own. Who needed LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD or THE THREE LITTLE PIGS when there were so many great tales bouncing around in her head?

When she grew up and became a mother to three little girls, she continued the tradition of making up bedtime stories.  On the occasions she chose to tell conventional fairy tales, Teri usually gave them a bit of tweaking here and there or added a new ending. Her girls loved it.

After her daughters had the nerve to actually grow up and leave home, Teri discovered she had a passion for writing and jumpted right in. It came as no surprise she chose to write romantic suspense and happily-ever-after's since that's the genres she loves to read.

Teri lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, one daughter, and new puppy, Winnie.

She still frequently tells herself stories as she falls asleep. The only difference now is she wakes up the next morning and turns her bedtime stories into books.

Teri loves hearing from her readers and may be reached:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teri-Riggs/329379907142621

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/TeriLRiggs

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898896.Teri_Riggs

http://a.co/6rkc6a5

Lindsey James has just graduated from grad school and is ready to begin her life. A stalker has other plans for her. She swears off men and runs to Heaven’s Beach to hide, the place she feels safe and loved. The place her stalker knows nothing about—or so she thought.

Zack Simmons has promised Lindsey and her friends that he would keep her safe while she is living and working in Heaven’s Beach. Immediately Zack finds himself drawn to her, but after a recent and disastrous breakup with an ex-girlfriend, he plans to pursue the bachelor life.

Zack soon learns that keeping things professional in order to protect Lindsey isn’t quite as easy as he thought. Lindsey finds giving up on men to be a much bigger challenge when it comes to Heaven’s Beach’s sexy sheriff.

Our Guest Today is Nicole Morgan

Nicole Morgan is a USA Today and International bestselling author who has written romance in various genres. Many of her novels are erotic romance, which more often than not have a suspenseful back story. Basically, erotic romance mixed with your good old-fashioned whodunits. While she's written everything from contemporary to paranormal, her leading men will more than likely be wearing a uniform of some kind. From military to police officers, she loves writing about those who protect and serve. It all began with her very first novel about Navy SEALs – which turned into a fan favorite series – and continues with her more recent releases. When you’re reading a book by Ms. Morgan, you’ll be sure to find a few twists and turns you were not expecting.

She is the founder of Romance Collections and is a proud member of Writerspace, a Romance Books ‘4’ Us Gold Author, and a Sweet and Sexy Diva. Additionally, you will find Nicole writing under the names of Taylor Brooks and Nicki Day.

When she’s not writing, Nicole can be found spending her time mentoring other authors or offering marketing and administrative assistance.

MYSTIC REALMS

A Limited-Edition Collection of Paranormal & 

Urban Fantasy Romances

What goes bump in the night? What causes you a fright? While the answers for each may vary, I promise that these stories will not leave you wary.

From vampires and demons to shifters and creatures that you’d never suspect, this set will leave you breathless in the best possible ways.

So, don’t be afraid. Come, step inside our realm. Allow the mysticism of romance in many shapes and forms fall over you like a veil of sweet, soothing, spine tingling comfort.

We promise…you won’t be sorry.

Purchase Links:  Amazon   iBooks   Kobo   Nook

Featured Stories

Secrets of the Hollows (Book 2) by Nicole Morgan

What’s a girl to do once she falls in love with a demon? 

Fallen by Tamsin Baker

Gabriel thought he’d do anything to earn his way back into Heaven. He was wrong.

Cursed by Tracy Goodwin

Forbidden love. Dangerous prophecies. Limitless power. Fate is a witch.

Avenging Aingeal (Protectors of the Earth 1) by Lynn Crain

Bound by vengeance, she is humanity’s one hope…

Her Fate, His Mate (Wolves of Windsor Woods) by Krista Ames

Can she accept all he is and all he stands for?

Sleeping in the Dragon’s Den by Lexi Thorne

His Hungry Dragon My Curious Desire

His Tattoo Curse My Wet Dreams

Dark Side of the Moon by Laura Baumbach

Vampire rentboy vs. the world.

Angel Vindicated by Viola Estrella

Some sins are hard to avoid...

A Wolf’s Touch by Christine Donovan

Can she love him--wolf and all?

Dr. Magic (Vampire Island, Book 1) by Jo Grafford

One more dance with the devil...

Dark Heat by Jan Springer

Betrayed by her two forced mates, she hides within Vampira.

Torkel by Mardi Maxwell

Love unites them in the mists of time.

Silent Storm by Sadie Carter

Sometimes the monster is the good guy...

Tangled Sin by Georgia Lyn Hunter

She was the light in his eternal darkness...

Seduction’s Scent by C.I. Black

Giving in to temptation threatens everything.

Ghost Mate by D. Anne Paris

She was going to kill him even though he was already dead.

Living on the Edge (Clan Book 1) by Laverne Thompson

Mate wanted. Dead or alive.

The Warrior’s Curse by M. Elliott & T. Eden

What comes next may be the end of it all.

Three Days From Hell by Dariel Raye

Can a permanent resident of Third Hell be trusted?

Just Tell Me What You Want by Tina Donahue

Her wishes will leave him breathless…

Dragon Mythology Part 3

Rebecca Tran

Dragons come in all different shapes and sizes. There is no limit on what they can look like or the myths behind them. Every corner of the world seems to have their own legend. In the previous two posts I discussed dragons from Europe and China. Today I'll cover dragons even more foreign. Some would even argue that they aren't really dragons at all. I'll leave that decision to you.

For today's post first we'll travel to south east Asia. The dragons in this region share similar traits and origins but are very different from other parts of the world. The first dragon originates in India and spread to Indonesia and Cambodia changing slightly as it went.

From Wikipedia.com

This dragon is a great serpent called a Naga, or Neak. There is some argument that they should not be considered dragons since they more closely resemble large snakes. Many of them in fact have hoods like cobras. Most of them though are divine in nature and/or have magic. Depending on what part of the culture they are associated with they may have up to nine heads or appear in human or part human form. Others have more crocodilian features. One feature seems consistent through the countries and cultures Naga and Neaks are protectors and benevolent in nature. Many of them were associated with kings and some protected Buddha himself. These dragons typically live in lakes, rivers, ponds and caves.

For the next type of dragon we move to Australia where one common myth predominates the country. The common dragon here is called a wurm. The description is an uglier version of the great serpent. They have thick snake like bodies with a head like a horse or crocodile. They have large fangs, big eyes and some have horns. In addition to Australia they are also found throughout the UK, France and Western Europe. Unfortunately for wurms they have no redeeming qualities. They are always destructive and malicious towards humans. Luckily for us they have few supernatural abilities. They are only able to spew noxious fumes or flames. They are commonly found in swamps, marshes, or other wet places.

Mzayat.com

The last dragon for the day is found in the oceans and lakes of the world. The sea serpent is another class of dragons and Cetus is probably the most well known of his kind. While most would argue they aren't dragons there are enough people who would argue that they are to include them here. The description of sea serpents vary from sighting to sighting. Some claim they are up to 300 feet long with horse heads and mane and no appendages. While the next person may say it's only 30 feet long with arms, fish face, and seaweed like hair. The color varies from grayish to black. The only consistent feature are large eyes that are grey or blue. Sea serpents were known for sweeping men off deck into the ocean or into the water. They could also coil around a ship if big enough and crush it causing it to sink. They were feared by all sailors for hundreds of years.

If you would like to see how dragons inspire me please check out my dragon shifter romance series Dragons of the North and Dragons of the South. You can also find out more about me on my website, my page here, twitter, or instagram.

Inspired by comic books, part 3 by Toi Thomas

Image via Pinterest from the My Geekdom board

I’m so excited to dive right into this third installment of my “Inspired by comic books” series. Today, I’ll be talking a bit about Marvel Comics. (If you missed part one and part two, please check them out).

In the first two installments of this series, I included images from the My Geekdom board I created on Pinterest, so I think I’ll just continue with that. I’ll also continue to include posts from My Geekdom, a blog series I wrote, over at The ToiBox of Words. For your convenience, you can check out the post, My Geekdom 04: Marvel Comic Books right here. For this installment of the series I’ll, obviously be focusing on how Marvel Comics have influenced me and my writing in general terms.

But first, here's a very brief history of Marvel Comics.

Marvel is just as old as D.C comics starting near the same time, but it didn’t hit its high point until the 1960s, which is often referred to as the Silver Age of Comics in the US. I can’t remember the original name of the company, but I know it was once called Atlas Comics. It didn’t become Marvel Comics until the Fantastic Four series took off. At the beginning of Marvel’s heyday, many criticized the company for creating knock-offs of D.C. characters (which they did do back then). The company eventually made a name for itself with the talent of Stan Lee and the perfection of the “flawed hero”.

For me, Marvel Comics represents the scariest part of possibility- “fear of the unknown or possible.” Aside from the fact that many Marvel Comic stories take place in the real world, the overall theme of the flawed hero adds a sense of realism or humanity to this comic book universe. There was once a time when all super heroes were near perfect. They were boy scouts and girl scouts, who were perfectly well-adjusted, with little to no vices; and most of all, they were all happy and willing to be heroes. Marvel put an end to all that, and in time, other comic book companies followed suit.

It used to be that freak accidents only created super villains, but in the Marvel Universe, there’s a thin line between what makes a hero or a villain, and freak accidents can and will happen to anyone. This is an idea I like to explore in my own writing. Not all my villains are evil for no reason, though some are; and not all my heroes are perfect angels, even when they happen to be part-angel. While the comic book industry has always been ahead in the game of diversity, it was the Marvel Comics that really stood out to me as embracing the differences in character’s culture, skin color, social economic status, and more.

Marvel Comics gave us the X-Men (mutated humans often hated by other humans even when you can’t look at them to tell they are different). One of my favorite superheroes, and one of the most powerful created, is Storm (from the X-Men), an African woman with the ability to control all weather. Marvel also gave us Peter Parker aka Spiderman (a nerd by social standards who fights crime under a secret identity). One of these heroes was born this way and the other had a freak accident. They both have personal issues, yet they are both heroes, often times fighting to save people who hate them. I hope to someday write something as powerful and impactful as that.

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads | The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

COMMENTS

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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Toi shares part three of her series on inspiration and comic books. Marvel, Spiderman, X-Men, Storm, how can you go wrong???

 

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Ruth de Jauregui

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I haven't really followed comics since the tragic demise of two thirds of my collection, but this is fascinating. And I do enjoy X-Men, in part because of Storm! Thank you, comics are a source of inspiration for many artists and writers I know.

 

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

So sorry you lost so much of your collection. I can't even imagine that.

Rebecca Tran

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Toi Thomas shares how Marvel comic books inspires her writing on Our Author Gang.

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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas​ continues her discussion on how comic books, and especially Marvel Comics, inspire her writing.

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Joe Bonadonna

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

This is great, Toi! I'm of the age where I was already comic books when the first Marvel comics hit the stands. Marvel stole me away from DC Comics, lol! I've gotten a little inspiration from comic books, too. Looking forward to your next installment.

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Joe Bonadonna

9 months ago

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+Toi Thomas -- I don't remember Prince Targo, mentioned in this article, but it might have been before my time. Dax appeared occasionally in Eerie -- not in every issue. I found the issue picture in this article several years ago on eBay.
http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/warrenverse/dax.html

Toi Thomas

9 months ago

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Cool. I'll check this out.

Toi Thomas via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Today, I focus on the influences Marvel Comics has made to my writing. Check it out.

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Erika M Szabo

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

As a kid growing up in Hungary I didn't read comic books because the US comic books were not available and the Hungarian ones were loaded with Russian communist propaganda which my dad forbade me to read. I read humorous children's books with good moral values instead. As a young adult when I had a chance to read them, by that time, I was more interested in other things

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

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I can understand that. I think comic books is one of those artforms that's hard to get into as an adult; it's not impossible but having that childhood experience really helps.

Mary Anne Yarde

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Such an interesting post.

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

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Thank you.

Grace Au

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Loved learning the history behind the scenes!!!

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

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I think people in the book industry have much to learn about the comic book industry and vice versa. They are both incredible storytelling mediums and can learn a lot from each other.

Chris Weigand

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

I am a little late coming into the comic book world, and I still don't read them. I have to ask my daughter to fill me in on all the history, which she will gladly do for hours on end. All that being said I do enjoy the Marvel characters a little more than the DC characters. I love how you can use the example of the comic books to inspire your work.

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

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In recent years, writers have taken on the task of novelizing many of the more popular comic stories to give these incredible characters and worlds a whole new audience. There's a series out now that has already novelized Batman and Wonder Woman, with many more on the way. Even indie comic writers are starting to do this.

Chris Weigand via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

A little more about how Toi is influenced by Comic book characters

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Nikki McDonagh

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Sadly Marvel Comics are not that big in the UK. I haven't read one since I was a child, but I did enjoy them. From what you said I think I might enjoy them now.

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Toi Thomas

9 months ago

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That's interesting. I can think of a few UK characters from the Marvel Universe such as Captain Britain and his sister Psylocke, but I haven't personally read a lot of their stories. I think the main reason why Marvel sometimes has trouble in foreign markets is the fact that one of its major heros is literally called, Captain America. If there are any tensions between the US and any other country, stories involving that character are likely to suffer.

Rich Feitelberg via Google+

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

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Rich Feitelberg

9 months ago  -  Shared publicly

 

Classic Marvel comics are great, but recently they have changed so many of their characters that I don't recognize any of them. Frankly they should've found a different direction to go in, one that didn't alienate long-time readers.

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Rebecca Tran

9 months ago

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I have to agree with Toi on this one. If there is anything that comics are famous for its changing their story lines. The Marvel universe is famous for this. Wolverine has so many tangents and story arcs its hard to keep them straight. Its why no one ever questioned the plausibility of the movies when they just relaunched one set while the other set was still going.

Toi Thomas

9 months ago

 

 

Plus, when it comes to the movie, many of the film goers are seeing these stories and characters for the first time, so they don't know what's original or not. They are just seeing what they are seeing.