BEHIND THE DELPHI BLOOD LINE WITH DONNA DEL ORO

THE DELPHI BLOODLINE : 

"Present day descendants of the ancient, psychically powerful Delphi bloodline face the threat of extinction when an evil tycoon hunts them for his own nefarious intent, a global spy network.

When artist Athena Butler, the modern-day descendant of a powerful, ancient bloodline of psychic women, realizes she’s the target of mysterious and dangerous kidnappers, she gets help from strange sources—the spirit of an ancient ancestor and a handsome man who claims to be one of her bloodline’s Guardians. Her mental powers and his brawny skills keep them one step ahead of the mastermind behind these kidnappers. Until the time when an FBI task force decides to use Athena as bait."

Behind THE DELPHI BLOODLINE
by Donna Del Oro

( Interview of  Michael Drake, the tech tycoon who wants to control and enslave the Bloodline )

Interviewer : You’re a billionaire, the owner of D.I.E., Drake International Enterprises. What does your corporation make?

Drake : All kinds of high-tech products, from cyborgs to unmanned aerial vehicles, military drones. You name it, we make it. Silicon Valley is the brain center of the high-tech industry.

Interviewer : You’re a single man with more money than you need. Billions! Why haven’t you married? I’m sure lots of women would love to be married to a billionaire.

Drake : That’s the problem. I’m drawn to exceptional people. Who DON’T NEED ME.

Interviewer : What made you think that true psychics would work for you?

Drake : Women in the Delphi Bloodline, as they call themselves, work for police departments for nothing. Why not work for me and make millions? There are governments and agencies all over the world that need their talents.

Interviewer : Doing what?

Drake : Corporate spying, intelligence of all kinds. Those women can do what the men of the CIA’s Stargate Program couldn't do. And a hundred times better.

Interviewer : And if they don’t want to work as spies? What then?

Drake : Then I convince them they have no choice. You've heard this before, I make them an offer they can’t refuse.

Interviewer : You’d go that far?

Drake : Whatever it takes. How do you think I got where I am today?  Just a matter of time and the Delphi Bloodline is mine.

Available: 

MusaPublishing.com / Kindle / Nook / Apple Bookstore app

My pen name is Donna Del Oro and I live in Northern California near the Sierra Nevada foothills and Folsom Lake. After retiring from high school teaching, I decided life was too short to waste. Thus, began a journey doing what I'd been wanting to do for many years--write fiction. 

I sold my first novel, OPERATION FAMILIA, right away and this book went on to win an award for the Best 2010 Latino Books into Movies Award. Following that first sale, I published three more women's fiction books, then branched out into writing my first love, romantic thrillers. 

This year, 2012, saw the launch of A BODYGUARD OF LIES and THE DELPHI BLOODLINE, both ebooks and available on Kindle, Nook, Apple, and elsewhere. If you have read any of my books, I welcome your input. Leave me a review on Amazon and your name goes into a pile for a $50 gift card at B&N, my favorite bookstore. You can email me: donna@donnadeloro.com. Thanks for dropping by!

Visit: www.donnadeloro.com

2 GUEST BLOGS - BLIND SIGHT

Inspirations from literature and bad table manners

There are two sides to every story.

That's the major premise behind how Blind Sight is written. Anyone who has ever listened to grandparents talk to each other without their hearing aids knows how funny those conversations can be. What one of them says is not always what the other one hears. Or trying to understand someone when their mouth is full, I wanted to capture the misunderstandings that occur when the perspective is limited to a single point of view, but I couldn't do it alone.

I was first inspired by Tom Stoppard who turned Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet into the comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Tom Stoppard's play follows the plot of Hamlet through the point of view of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, giving them their own voice and own plot so that even though it is the same story line, it is a very different story. It was exactly what I expected out of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

I made a few futile attempts to write the same story from different perspectives and eventually let the idea drop. I couldn't get the two sides different enough to where it felt like two different voices, but then I met Ermisenda on an RP site of all places. She was a brilliant writer, but more than that, she made me a better writer. We played off each other in a way that I just can't explain unless you've ever found that other RPer with whom you just click.

It was a true partnership, making Blind Sight a superior novel to anything we could have put together individually. It wasn't working from an already written manuscript and trying to put a new spin on it. We worked together every step of the way, literally RPing scenes over MSN and Skype since we live half a world apart.

Eliabeth Hawthorne

Dreams, imagination, and perspectives

I had a dream; I wanted to write novels. I have been writing since I joined a Harry Potter guild on Neopets at twelve years old. You could write short pieces to receive points. Writing didn't stop there.

I had a vivid imagination; I wanted to know more. Often, after finishing a book I pondered about how the story could have been retold from a different perspective, maybe a different character. What if we were able to read the story of Snape over the course of seven novels rather than Harry Potter?

I had chance on my side; I met Eliabeth and we were two young women crazy about writing. So, what did we do? We wrote. How did we write? The nature of our friendship began on a role-playing site whereby we wrote from different characters to create scenes and stories.

We had a dream, vivid imagination and each other. What more did we need? Not much else as we embarked on an amazing journey and wrote Blind Sight despite living half the globe away.

Writing a novel was a dream I have had for a long time but I was so excited to write a two-sided novel that followed two different perspectives. It was an ambitious choice for us to make but one of the best. We have not only challenged ourselves but have provided readers with a new way of reading. For those who only wish to read one side, that is okay, but for those of us who are interested in the power of different perspectives and multiple stories we have another side to offer.

The power of multiple stories cannot be emphasized enough in our daily lives. How many times have we heard one story about an acquaintance but once we have met them, we receive a second story, in which might completely contradict the first. Is either one wrong? Maybe not. But your understanding of the person, or novel in the case, is enriched.

Growing up in a Spanish family and living in Australia has taught me a lot about language in my, so far, short life. My very first language was Spanish, but when school started English became my "mother" tongue. A simple saying can dramatically change through translation, those of you who know more than one language will understand this perfectly. I have had to translate pieces of Spanish into English for friends and even though the words I have translated make sense in English, only I can grasp the full meaning and implications of the phrase.

Staying open minded, listening to varied opinions and soaking up what we can from the zillions of stories out there in the world is part of life. Eliabeth and I have channeled the essence of that concept into our first two-sided novel. We live on an earth with billions of people. We all think differently, we see the world differently and together, we are the characters of humanity. I am inspired by dreams, imagination and people.

The story of Leocardo, Aniela, and Odette in Blind Sight can be enjoyed through one color, one perspective but, why limit yourself? There is not only another color to live through but together, a new range of shades to enjoy.

Ermisenda Alvarez

Blind Sight

"A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. So when Odette Reyes, a girl blind from birth, begins to experience ominous side effects of the island’s “gift,” her brother Leocardo and best friend Aniela must figure out what the doctors cannot. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette’s drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

Who is right? Whose eyes will you read through?"

REVIEW - EYE CONTACT

"Spencer Lewis is famous for being the premier conditioned ‘locator.’ There's no one he can't find and he has a soft spot for missing children. But, Spencer has been through a trauma and locating Jeremy Wade may be dangerous both to himself and to those around him. In addition, he takes one look at ice cold Addison Wade and wants nothing more than to knock her down a peg."

Author: Rebecca Royce
Pages: 253 pages
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Published: March, 2011
Form: E-book ( from the author for an honest review)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: The Conditioned #1
Amazon: Buy / $10.34 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see US price )
Barnes & Noble: Buy / $6.99 (Nook)
Decadent Publishing: Buy / $5.99 (E-book)
Excerpt: First meeting...

Addison has been keeping a secret since she's been 3, she has psychic powers, and because of a Law made in the 70's taking gifted children and locking them up in institutions, she's been forced to keep it locked up inside. But now her nephew is gone and the only people left to help her are the other gifted in the institutions.

Spencer does not like the Wade family, mainly 'cause they sit on the committee that decides the fates of the gifted, ribbing them off their human rights, treating them like animals, so when Addison Wade comes in to ask for help he can't seem to help himself and agrees to find her nephew Jeremy, even if he needs to battle the attraction he feels for her.

Before they know it they are knee deep in betrayal, secrets and having to chase any little trace they can find on Jeremy.

I liked this book, it was very good! The plot was intriguing having a great urban fantasy feel in it, the treatment of Conditioned or as they so nicely put it demon spawns, is horrible, yet I can see humanity actually being capable of that in the 70's though this has leaked to 2000 and it seems so wrong - which is what the author aims for. Humanity is capable of a lot of horror, and this takes a great what if look at it!

The characters are great Addison is cool, collecting and aloof and hides all her inner emotions under a mask of spoiled rich girl. Spencer is rough, powerful and has inquisitive side that wants to figure Addison out, he's tough on the outside but has a soft core and it breaks the heart to see him hurt. They both fight the attraction between them ( which is always so delicious! ) knowing they can never be together, it'll never work, no matter how much they want it to.

I liked the cover it gives that cool, dark feel that the book is all about and it portraits Addison so well, definitely spot on advertisement!

Royce writing is flowing easy, and reading it is entertaining, something missing were the dialogue, it needed that little bit more authenticity towards reacting to one another like people do in real life, but that didn't bother me too much. This book is a really good read, not sizzling hot, more in the ball park between sweet and hot. Gorgeous building of a world I have to say! I know I said it at the top but such a fun, eerie, dark world she created, loved it, loved the struggles, the injustice and the people stuck on both sides of that world!

You'll love this if... you like your worlds spoiled, unjust and want your leads to make a difference, if you want romance that should never be and if you like your hero as bit of a bad boy.

Rating :

FARSIGHTED BLACK FRIDAY BLITZ EXCERPT AND GUEST BLOG: "DEAR JACOB BLACK"

I'd like to share an excerpt from Emlyn Chand's hot new paranormal novel, Farsighted (it just released on 10/24). Before diving in, check out this teaser for the book:

"Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider."

If you want to read my 4.5 Star Review of Farsighted, it's HERE. And Interview with the author Emlyn Chand can be found HERE.

Okay, now that you're caught up, on to the excerpt! I hope you'll enjoy it.

 Almost Kiss

excerpt from Farsighted, chapter 7

Simmi and I arrive at this rally point together from Mrs. Warszynski’s to wait for Shapri. Several minutes go by. I want to suggest we leave without her but don’t think that’ll score me any points with Simmi.

“You didn’t want Shapri to come tonight, did you?” Simmi asks.

“Well, I—no, I mean, it’s fine. I’m glad she could come,” I sputter.

“You’re such a horrible liar,” Simmi teases, pushing me playfully.

“Hey, that’s not fair. I can’t hit you back. You’re a girl.”

“I’m just teasing you.” Simmi blows a raspberry and pulls her body up onto the circular wall surrounding the flagpole area. I hesitate before pulling myself up too. Simmi scootches over so we touch at the hip. She loops her hand through the crook of my arm and places her head on my shoulder. “I never would have gotten away with this in India,” she says. “But I’m glad I can here. I’m a psychic feeler. I need to be in touch with others.” She pauses and strokes my arm with her free hand. “You know, when I touch someone I can make them feel what I want them to, but I can also sense their existing emotions. It’s almost the same as being able to read minds. Everything important has to do with the heart, not logic.” She lightens her tone. “But don’t tell Dr. Brown I said that, he’d take marks off of my next chem exam out of spite.”

I laugh nervously. Is she like Miss Teak in a way? Can she read my feelings for her? If she can, why hasn’t she said anything? I contemplate reaching over and kissing her, so I can know for sure how she feels. But I’ve never kissed anyone before. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to initiate it. Do I take her out for dinner and a movie first? Or make some lengthy speech declaring my intentions? Do I kiss her, just like that? Or do I ask for her permission before making my big move?

I decide to ask if it’s okay. Simmi is a classy girl. She needs respect. I swallow, hoping the motion will open up my airway, because right now, I’m kind of having trouble catching my breath. “Simmi,” I start.

“Yeah, Alex?” She lifts her head and links her hand in mine, nudging her slender fingers in between each of mine.

“Would it be okay if I…”

“There you two are!” Shapri says, running over to us, panting heavily. “I thought we were meeting in the commons.”

“No, we agreed on the flagpole,” Simmi says, hopping down from the wall.

The moment is gone. I don’t know when I’ll get the chance and the nerve again. My opinion of Shapri transforms from cautious indifference into outright hatred. Why did she invite herself along?

Shapri clears her throat. “Did I—Did I interrupt something here? Maybe a little romance?”

“What? No, no,” Simmi says shaking her head adamantly. “Nothing like that, Alex is like a brother to me.”

Ouch. Pain. Stabbed in my heart. I’m like a brother to her? I guess this means romance is off the table…

A guest post by Emlyn Chand

author of Farsighted

Dear Jacob Black,

Hi. How are you doing? Me? Not so good. You see, I have a bone to pick with you (tacky pun intended).

Okay, first of all, why on God’s green Earth did you ever fall for Bella? I mean, really. Even the most fanatic of Twi-fans can’t understand what you see in her. You are so much better than Bella Swan-Cullen (insert gagging noises here).

No, don’t get down on yourself, you are!

Look at you; you’re a hulking stack of gorgeousness both on paper and on-screen. You’re also really sweet and funny and strong and... swoon... Did I tell you that my husband is Indian—mind you, he’s not the same kind of Indian as you, but yeah, I appreciate that look (wink, wink, Jakey boy).

Back to my point... I don’t think I ever would have finished the entire Saga if it hadn’t been for you. You are just the kind of guy I would love to be friends with. You made Twilight so, so interesting. And that scene at the end of Eclipse when you told Edward that Bella loves you too? I almost died. I mean, that was one of the best scenes in modern fiction. Seriously, Jacob, it was, and that was because of you!

It’s cool how you were always there for Bella, no matter what the consequences—not that she deserved your unwavering loyalty. It is also cool how you not only ride motorcycles, but you also fix them. You’re a man’s man and a ladies’ man, Jacob Black.

But do you wanna know what’s not cool? It’s so not cool how you fell in love with baby Renesme.

So. Not. Cool!

I understand that there was some kind of cosmic imprinting thing going on, but yuck! I mean, she’s a baby, and she’s not even interesting anyway. I personally think your saga would have ended much better if there had never ever been a Renesme. She shouldn’t’ve existed not only from the freak of nature standpoint (cus let’s face it, you’re a freak of nature too, and I like you a whole lot), but from a literary standpoint. I don’t feel like she contributed to the plot at all. It was kind of a mess.

But what do you know about that? Did I just rock your world by revealing that your whole existence takes place within the pages of a book? I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to reveal this secret. Darn it! I have to be more careful.

But now that you do know and hopefully you’ve recovered from the shock a bit, I have to say this: the imprinting business with Renesme, that’s not really the universe playing games with you. It’s Stephenie Meyer. Oh, in case you didn’t know, Stephenie Meyer is the name of your God. She created you.

Anyway, I believe she had you imprint on Renesme for two reasons:

1. She didn’t want you to be alone after Bella rejected you but also decided to keep you hanging around on a tight leash (another bad pun, sorry) – but this bit shows that your God does love you – yay!

2. She was sick of people saying that 100ish-year-old Edward diggin’ on 18-year-old Bella was disgusting. She wanted them to be like Romeo and Juliet, so innocent, so fated. So what does she do? She takes the heat off of them by giving you an even more disgusting love affair. Gee, thanks, Steph.

I personally think you should be with Leah Clearwater. Maybe if the two of you both gouge out your eyes all Oedipus Rex-style, that horrific imprint will go away, and you can just be together.

I also think there’s a chance you could find happiness with Shapri Teak—she lives inside of my book, Farsighted. I’d be more than happy to introduce you...

So...

In summary, while Ms. Meyer clearly loved you, she loved Edward more.

Just like Bella. Ha, burn!

I come from a place of kindness. Eternally yours,





PS Edward sucks! Team Jacob!

PPS Do you know a guy named Sirius Black? If so, are you related to him? You have more in common than just your last name---aaaaawoooo!

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK:  Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t.  When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).

THE GIVEAWAYS:  Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR:  Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

REVIEW - FARSIGHTED

"Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions."

Author: Emlyn Chand
Pages: 218 pages
Publisher: Blue Crown Press
Published: November 24th, 2011
Form: E-book (provided by the author for an honest review)
Series: Farsighted #1
Genre: Paranormal YA
Amazon: Buy / $12.95
Excerpt: Prologue and Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4


Alex Kosmitoras is boy, turning sixteen in few days, he goes to school where he is pretty much only spoken to by the school jerk. Alex is blind, his family poor, his father unemployed and his mother working hard to support them.

As school begins after the summer, Alex makes his first friend he's ever had in school, Simmi. She's moved in from New Delhi and immediately intrigues Alex with her almond scented hair and lovely accent.

As fun as the new occurrence is something weird is happening, Alex "sees" other moment in the middle of his school days, and when Simmi's death pops up Alex takes to learn all he can about his "gift" to stop Simmi's murder!

"I spend the rest of English class trying to fade into the background, to disappear. The teacher doesn’t call on me a single time, so I guess it works. Classes go by with boring predictability:  the teacher mispronounces my name, gives me a stack of bulky braille books, drones on about how we’re going to work hard and learn lots this year.

It seems like the monotony will never end, when finally the moment I’ve been waiting for all day arrives:  the start of fifth period. Sometimes my blindness comes in handy. This year, for instance, phys-ed is a basic requirement, but the school doesn’t want me to get hurt, so they are exempting me, which means I get to take whatever I want to fill the gap in my schedule. I’ve decided on Advanced Chemistry, a course usually only offered to juniors and seniors. And since other sophomores won’t be in this class, I might be left alone for once.

Basic Chemistry was my favorite class last year and just so happens to be the most important subject for becoming a medical researcher. I’ve only got three years left of high school, then it’s on to a world class pre-med program, and I’m going to need to have a super high GPA in order to get the full scholarship I’ll need to make it happen.

Arriving at the chem lab, I stride across the room and take a seat in the back corner where I will be less conspicuous to my peers. I hoist myself up onto the raised stool and trail my hands over the worktable. It’s a little bit slimy, like it’s been coated with wax. Hand-carved etchings pepper the surface. In the lower right corner, somebody’s scratched in “I ♥ B.E.” Eww, B.E.—Brady Evans. Why do girls like him so much? He must be really good-looking, because he’s a complete and total jerk."

I loved Alex's character! From the beginning he's very reliable and has a unique vision and voice about his life. It’s so refreshing to read the first person narrative from a blind young man who doesn't fixate on looks, he "sees" colors, feels textures, and that was just LOVELY to read.

Alex grows immensely along the book, starting out feeling numbly normal and goes to having a psychic ability! His mother and father play really good and strong secondary characters feeding into the story the twist and the lulls it needs.

This book is wonderful, a unique view on life, it's a must read for YA fans. The easy beginning turns into a fascination read, into a book you can't stop reading, and if you have to it makes you grunt in disappointment.

Can't wait to read Emlyn Chand's next book!

Rating :

Don't miss my Interview with Emlyn Chand tomorrow, 

you don't want to miss it if you loved Farsighted or are interested in reading it!

Author Bio:

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity.

Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb.

Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info.

Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

Follow Farsighted and Emlyn Chand for the rest of the Virtual Tour!

Nov 23 Interview
http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

Nov 23 Guilty Pleasures Post
Another Look Book Reviews
http://anotherlookbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Nov 24 Review
http://www.ashleysuzanne.com/