Hi everyone! I’m over at Jenny Hansen’s awesome More Cowbell Blog today giving an exclusive interview on the story behind INTO THE DARK and my inspiration for the Charity Blog Tour. Please stop by when you have the time for a chance to enter AND a shot at a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Thanks so much to Jenny for welcoming me to her awesome blog today! I’m excited to talk about INTO THE DARK and the charity blog tour I’m running.

1. Give me each of your main characters in 50 words or less.

Emilie is a master escape artist–she’s escaped a manipulative ex-husband and a cruel mother. She’s also vulnerable and on the edge of emotional disaster. Nathan is perceptive, loyal, and brave, but damage from his past drives him to atone for what happens to Emilie.

2. Your book features the homeless living in the Las Vegas tunnels? Tell me about them.

Read the rest here…

The homeless living in the storm drains beneath Las Vegas play an important role in INTO THE DARK. Stretching hundreds of miles beneath the city and known as the tunnels, the drains are a refuge for around 200 of the city’s homeless. Yes, people are living below Las Vegas in the storm drains, many of them directly beneath the Strip.

Reporter Matt O’Brien introduced the tunnels to the world in his excellent book, Beneath the Neon. He decided to research the homeless living in the drains after covering the Weber murder case of 2002 for Las Vegas CityLife.

A Cold-Blooded Killer Escapes.

Here’s your true crime case for this Thursday. In April 2002, Timmy “T.J.” Weber raped his girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter and then killed his girlfriend and one of her sons. Police found the woman stuffed in a storage container in a bedroom closet.

Her son was discovered facedown on the mattress, arms taped behind his back and a t-shirt in his mouth. A plastic bag was secured around his neck with speaker wire. He smothered to death.

Weber originally left Las Vegas but returned a week and a half later. He attacked his girlfriend’s surviving son and his friend when they came into the home to choose items for the funeral. The men fought, and an injured Weber fled on foot. He eventually made it to a storage ditch and disappeared into the storm drain where he spent five hours underground.

Weber was captured after more than 3 weeks on the run. He told investigators his journey through the drains reminded him of the movie The Fugitive.

Timmy “T.J.” Weber was sentenced to life in prison for one count of murder and was sentenced to death for the second.

INTO THE DARK

I first discovered the tunnels in 2009 when I was researching for INTO THE DARK. I knew at once I’d found my stalker’s escape route, but I didn’t realize what an important role the storm drains played in the book until after the first draft was complete.

There are only a handful of scenes that take place in the tunnels and yet, they’ve added true depth to the book. As SWAT and detectives are searching for the man who becomes known as the Taker, readers get a glimpse of the dark and sadness festering beneath the city. Seeing this reality gives both my hero and heroine a new perspective on life and ultimately helps make them into three-dimensional characters.

So when it came to figuring out how to market INTO THE DARK, I knew I had to do something to give back.

I hate the idea of marketing, by the way. I’m not going to go around telling you all to buy my book and to please tell everyone you know about it. Maybe it’s a mistake, but I simply can’t do it. I’ll tweet and Facebook here and there, share some excerpts, do some giveaways, but I’m not going to run off at the mouth on social media. That’s just not me.

So here’s the plan: from today until the end of February (covering both of my blog tours) I’m running the INTO THE DARK Charity Blog Tour to benefit the homeless. It’s through Rafflecopter. There are several entry options, including tweets and Facebook shares.

Even better is the option to donate to HELP of Southern Nevada, the organization that aids those living in the storm drains. The raffle’s grand prize is a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless charity of their choice.

Enter the INTO THE DARK Charity Raffle!

Will this help sell books? I have no idea. But I know it’s the right thing for me to do. I realize times are tight for everyone, but I hope we can raise a little money for HELP, and I’m excited to donate to the winner’s homeless charity.

If you’d like to help spread the word, feel free to grab some of the tweets listed at the end of the post.

And there’s more big news today! My official website is live! Visit stacygreenauthor.com for the full list of my blog tour. In addition to the Charity Raffle, I’m also hosting A Gift From Stacy–a chance for readers to win a $25 Amazon gift card, so don’t miss out on those events.

What do you guys think? Are you ready to spread the word and raise a little money for charity?

An Introduction to the Darkness Below.

WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS, a short story. (Contains exclusive excerpt from INTO THE DARK)

“5 Stars …”
“Creepy and Terrifying…”
“A Riveting, Fast Read…”

Dark, dirty, and terrifying, the storm drains below Las Vegas stretch hundreds of miles and house the city’s homeless and criminal element. Walking into the underground abyss is the last thing Tate wants to do, but his junkie sister has disappeared into the drains. Armed with only his flashlight, Tate wades into the gritty depths beneath Sin City to rescue his sister from her demons.

Every step into the smothering darkness challenges Tate’s resolve. With his sister’s life and his own sanity at stake, Tate must face his fears or risk becoming another victim of the Las Vegas tunnels.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
iTunes

An Excerpt from INTO THE DARK (11.30.12 in digital and print)

Emilie’s resolve faltered as they reached the tunnel entrance. She peered over Nathan’s shoulder at the triad of pipes branching off in different directions. Big enough for a tall man to walk through easily, their murky blackness was as foreboding as anything Emilie had ever experienced.

She pressed the button on her flashlight and shined it into the abyss. Four other lights joined hers, and the inner concrete walls of the tunnel became visible. Graffiti was scrawled over them. A bevy of cockroaches scuttled away from the intrusion.

Emilie followed Nathan and Chris across the threshold and tried not to give in to the claustrophobia that immediately wrapped itself around her. The tunnel was wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side with room to spare, but the sense of being closed in was amplified by the heavy silence. The group’s splashing feet echoed and then faded away into the never-ending darkness. How deep were the channels?

A smell resembling the rotten egg she’d once dropped on Evan’s porcelain kitchen floor hit her full force. Emilie’s hand flew to her mouth.

“Something else, ain’t it?” Chris’s voice broke the uneasy stillness. “I liken it to a men’s locker room filled with dirty socks and jocks after a five-mile run.”

“If you guys stink this bad, you need medical help. Christ.”

“At least my stomach’s not rumbling anymore,” Nathan said.

“Shit, I could eat,” Chris said.

“You can always eat. You’re like a human trash compactor.”

“Do you guys have any idea where to find Snake?” Avery’s voice came out muffled.

Chris turned around and shined his light on Avery. “Dude, that hanky over your face ain’t gonna stop the stink. Embrace it. Feel the burn.”

Emilie laughed as the knot in her stomach began to uncoil. The banter made it easier to forget why she was here.

Her right foot suddenly came down on something hard in the shallow stream of water. She stumbled into Nathan’s back before an arm caught her from behind.

“Watch it,” Avery said. “Last thing you want to do is fall face-first in this.”

“Sorry.” Emilie clutched the hem of Nathan’s thin T-shirt. “I tripped over something.”

She shined her light into the two-inch-deep water. A pair of soulless black eyes stared back at her. A child’s doll lay abandoned, its once-blond hair soaked with the filthy water.

Children lived down here?

“Into the Dark by Stacy Green explores deep, dark secrets and exposes a fascinatingly creepy killer!”

–Debra Webb, USAToday bestselling author of the Faces of Evil series

“Stacy Green writes suspense like a pro. You’ll be captivated from the first page to the end of this harrowing story. Don’t forget to breathe!”

–Diane Capri, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of The Justice Series and The Hunt For Reacher Series.

Pre-Order Into The Dark

Add INTO THE DARK to your Goodreads List

INTO THE DARK Charity Blog Tour Tweet Ideas

Helping those in need for the #holidays. Enter the #IntoTheDarkCharity Raffle and help an #author give back http://bit.ly/PlKhrP

#IntoTheDarkCharityRaffle Discover a great new #author and give back for the #holidays. http://bit.ly/PlKhrP

Hi Stacy, and thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog!

Predators

Creeps that prowl on the fringes of society even…

There’s the garage guy, the man who works in an office, the boss, the laborer… There are mothers and fathers, the brother who’s out of work, the waitress who doesn’t earn enough, and that strange woman who doesn’t drive a car. There are neighbors, family and friends, and there’s a rumor.

In my new novel, Divide by Zero, the rumor says there might be a predator in Paradise Park. But it could be any place near you. The predator could be anyone you know, someone who lives in the light of everyday society but prowls on the fringes again when nobody’s looking.

When I read the heading to Stacy’s blog—I write about the creeps that prowl on the fringes of society—I  knew what I wanted to write about in my guest post: The predator. The dangerous stranger. The person we tell all our children to avoid. And the rumor we always hope won’t be true.

But what if this predator’s not a stranger? Statistics suggest more children are preyed on by family members or close friends than by people they don’t know. They’re preyed on not by prowlers on society’s dark fringes but by upright citizens dwelling in the light. So perhaps instead of teaching our children to be afraid of strangers, we need to teach them not to be afraid of themselves.

Yes child, you can say no, and you should if something seems wrong. Don’t be afraid you’re just being silly. You’re not silly, child. You’re wise.

Yes, you can change your mind, even after you’ve said something’s okay. That doesn’t mean you’re foolish. It means you’re clever enough to learn.

Yes, you can tell, and you’re big enough and strong enough to live with the consequences.

Yes, you can cope, and you don’t need to let somebody else give you a ride, take you to their home, or offer to look after you.

Yes, you can run fast and you can run away if you need to.

Yes, you can shout as loud as a thunderstorm and we won’t always tell you to be quiet.

Yes, what you think, what you feel, what you imagine, who you are really matters. And we, the grownups, the ones who despite our best intentions can’t always protect you, will listen and will care.

Don’t be afraid to hurt someone’s feelings, Little Child. You’re important. Your feelings matter too.

The predator might be the garage guy, the man who works in an office, the boss, the waitress… or just someone you know and trust. But every child is precious.

Divide by Zero by Sheila Deeth

It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave a tapestry, until one breaks. Troy, the garage mechanic’s son, loves Lydia, the rich man’s daughter. Amethyst has a remarkable cat and Andrea a curious accent. Old Abigail knows more than anyone else but doesn’t speak. And in Paradise Park a middle aged man keeps watch while autistic Amelia keeps getting lost. Pastor Bill, at the church of Paradise, tries to mend people. Peter mends cars. But when that fraying thread gives way it might take a child to raise the subdivision…or to mend it.

Buy it here!

Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States near Portland Oregon, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green.

Thank you so much to Sheila for visiting and sharing her thoughts with us. The idea of someone preying on our kids is terrifying, and telling them about the bad people in the world can be just a scary. What did you think of Sheila’s advice? What do you tell your kids about strangers?

Very excited to welcome bestselling author Anna DeStefano to Turning The Page. When I first stepped into the online writing world, Anna’s blog was one of the first I followed. Her positive attitude and wealth of experience make her a standout author. Thanks for guesting, Anna!

Embrace the things that go bump in your nightmares…

Thanks for having me over to play, Stacy. Let’s talk about dark and spooky stuff!

You and your buddies seem to like that sort of thing—freaks. As luck would have it, I have a contemporary gothic suspense releasing on June 15^th, because mixing scary stuff with happily-ever-after-endings is one of my favorite things. Which makes me a freak, too ;o) So scoot over and pass the popcorn!

Her Forgotten Betrayal, a launch book for Entangled’s Dead Sexy line, is full of spine-tingling fun, with my amnesiac heroine fighting for her life, her love and her memory, and ultimately facing her nightmares in order save the day. Oh, and most of the book is set at night, over a forty-eight-hour period, while Shaw Cassidy believes either her mind or her creepy house (or possibly the hero) is trying to kill her. So much gothic-y goodness…

But the nightmares in this story, the things you’ll find at first most terrifying, end up being the key to the solving the mystery. The more Shaw listens to and learns from her sleeping mind, the better she’ll be able to protect herself. And the symbols in her dreams never actually mean what she’s at first afraid they mean. Her instincts are trying to tell her things she needs to know, and they’re using the strongest emotions they can to reach her—exactly the way our dreams work in our own lives. Paying attention to how your dreams make you feel is the key. Emotion is the conduit between your sleeping and waking self.

It was absolutely thrilling for me to be able to weave these tidbits of accuracy through a fun, fast-paced romantic suspense that most readers will love for a host of other reasons.

For me, and for others who’re fascinated by dream theory, and for everyone who revels in cool things that go bump in the night, finding this kind of “creepy” in the midst of a contemporary romance is a blast. Because it’s an almost-real kind of creepy. Dare I say it, an optimistic kind of creepy?

That’s right.

Optimistic.

The underlying message of Her Forgotten Betrayal is to follow your dreams—even the scarier ones. Because your dreams are just that—yours. They’re your thoughts and your intuition and your memories. And when your dreams go dark, it’s often your mind’s way of focusing you on the tough stuff you’re avoiding in your every day. In Shaw’s case, her mind’s completely shut down so she doesn’t have to face her worst fears. But those realities are bleeding through into her sleep and fighting their way back to her—so she’ll have everything she needs to beat her phantoms at their own game.

Our darkness is a very real part of us. And as you might have guessed, it’s typically a very real part of my writing, whether I’m penning home and family stories, suspense, or psychic thrillers. Because darker emotions are just as real as the breezier things we often prefer to spend our energy on. I’m all about the fun, and as a romance writer I’m all about the beauty of a happy ending. But isn’t the lighter stuff at its best when it’s the product of being real and honest and powerful? I think so.

Pay attention to the tough things that come your way, particularly in your dreams. Value them. Learn from them. You never know when your perfect ending is waiting just on the other side of the spooky thing you’re fighting so hard to avoid…

So, dreams and nightmares, fantasy and realism, lightness and spooky drama. Oh, and I forgot to mention a hunky FBI undercover operative and a sizzling, tense relationship that seems doomed from the start… Bwahahahahaha! Doesn’t Her Forgotten Betrayal sound like a blast?

What’s the scariest nightmare image you can remember? On my blog we talk Dream Theories all the time. I’d love to hear about your experiences, either here or there. And maybe help you make sense out of what you’ve seen in your sleeping mind.

Or on the lighter side, share your happiest dream memory. Remembering any dream—having it touch your waking world—is a powerful thing. Tell us how a dream has affected you in a positive way. Because that’s the gravy my friends. That’s what this imagination thing all about!

***

HER FORGOTTEN BETRAYAL

Remembering will save her life.
But will the truth destroy their love forever?

When the CEO of a global technology empire retreats to her ancestral mountain mansion to heal from a brutal shooting, she discovers the danger has just begun. Suffering from amnesia, Shaw Cassidy is at the mercy of nightmares that soon morph into something much more real…as well as a menacing stalker determined to toy with her sanity.

The FBI suspects her of illegally selling top-secret research, and has sent an agent to find evidence of her treason. She doesn’t realize the man who sweeps in from the cold claiming to be her protector, and her former love, is keeping dangerous secrets from her. She begins to trust Cole Marinos, unaware that he is about to repeat the most painful betrayal of her past–a past she doesn’t remember…a past that may kill her.

“DeStefano crafts a tense and touching suspense about forgotten pasts and reunited lovers.” —Caridad Pineiro, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author

***

Best-selling, award-winning author Anna DeStefano wants to you stop, look, and keep digging, until you find the soul of your own fantasies. No matter how moody the setting or impossible the dilemma, Anna’s characters and stories challenge you to hope and dream for your own exciting future, the way her strong heroines and hunky heroes do. Her Forgotten Betrayal has its own Pinterest page (http://pinterest.com/annadestefano/her-forgotten-betrayal/). Scoot over for all the fun details and updates. Then join Anna’s blog each week for posts on The Soul Of The Matter, Dream Theories, Things My Teenager Says, How We Write, Waterfall Challenges, and more. And to keep up with all her 2012 releases, friend her of Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Thanks so much to Anna for this inspiring guest blogs. My dreams are always full of crazy plots and characters, and figuring them out is a great way to dig deeper. Please take a minute and leave Anna some love.