Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Spotlight: Discovery by Brina Courtney

Discovery- FINAL

Nine months ago, Teagan Matthews' boyfriend disappeared and took her sense of stability with him. But when the opportunity to live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides it's time to get on with her life. A new home, new job, and new friends are adding up to a beautiful summer... ...until a young girl's body shows up one night in town, wearing a pentagram necklace exactly like Teagan's. Now a guy, looking remarkably like her missing boyfriend, has arrived in Salem along with a mysterious stranger, who may have some answers that Teagan has desperately been searching for. Teagan must now decide who to trust. It's a matter of life... and her death.

Discovery Teaser Image
Discover Teaser 1

Giveaway

Pentagram Bracelet
To celebrate the release Brina Courtney is giving away a pentagram bracelet! Please note: this is for US residents only. a Rafflecopter giveaway  

About Brina Courtney

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Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She’s spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

Links:

Friday, October 18, 2013

Book Blast: Starchild: The City of Souls

 
Starchild: The City of Souls In The Age of Akra, a pilgrimage to the Valley of a Thousand Thoughts brings together four children as an ancient prophecy is set in motion. Having triumphed against dangerous adversaries, Mai, Long, Akra and Sahib are now pursued by the melkarie and must escape to the City of Souls. In the land of Naroan, in a city hidden under a blanket of living green, they are confronted with the challenge to find the Singing Soul. But the underworld has other plans, and a beast so fierce is conjured to stop the children from finding anything that will add to the power to the prophecy of the seven nations.
Praise for Starchild:
“Strong and riveting start to what is sure to be an engrossing series for young readers keen on fantasy, mythology and sci fi.” “Following in the footsteps of shamanic storytellers, the wizardess Vacen Taylor has delivered a winner! Mystical and magical, it’s a thoroughly engaging adventure that will delight both children and adults.”


*** Starchild: The Age of Akra (Book One) is only $0.99 in the Kindle Store for October ***

Excerpt:

 The children were unaware of the dark forces that had gathered in the south. A force far greater than any seen before had grown into a power of unconquerable strength. From the very first night of Mai and Long’s journey, the eyes from which this force had grown had been searching for them. The search would not stop until the prophecy, its foreknowledge and the children were extinguished. The four children had travelled a long way. The mountain had disappeared behind them and so had the crumbled Castle of Stone. Akra had been attentive throughout the whole journey, listening to Sahib talk about the City of Beams. Behind them

Long listened in, but Mai sensed a twinge of jealousy was beginning to twist his thoughts. Sahib and Akra were friends now. Long’s ‘buddy for life’ had been yanked away from him—by a sealer of all things. Mai noticed the frown on Long’s face, pushing his eyebrows closer together as he watched Sahib and Akra talk. Every so often he stopped to rub his ankles. Mai knew the burns around them would not heal quickly. The wound left from the searing grasp of the invisible hands of the underworld, which had almost pulled him to his death, would soon blister.

What she didn’t know was that two nasty red streaks were beginning to snake their way up Long’s legs, and with them came an unusual meddling in his thoughts. When it was clear to Mai they had walked as far as possible for that day they found a place to rest. Long collected some dead wood, and with Akra’s fireruling skills a crackling fire soon spread its warmth as the darkness of the night settled over them. It was a clear night. A starlit blanket twinkled above them. Each of the children, too tired to eat, curled up around the fire and soon they were all asleep. Mai was happy to be back on her journey to the Valley of a Thousand Thoughts. But as she slept her flickering eyelids told a different story. Her mind replayed memories of the last few days that had passed. It was a skill only thoughtbankers possessed: the ability to replay a memory as if it were a dream.  

Author Vacen Taylor Vacen Taylor is an author, writer, storyteller, occasional artist and amateur photographer. She describes her writing as a basic prose style with the occasional splash of creative penning. She collects comics and loves superheroes, anime and science.  

Facebook * Twitter * Website
  BookBlast Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Open Internationally Ends 11/4/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Review: The Ghost Files

Mattie Hathaway pretends she's a normal girl...well, as normal as a foster kid ever really feels. This is the closest she's ever been to a regular average girl next door. Her current foster family is a little odd, but they're nice enough. Mattie has a boyfriend she's happy with. So, what's holding her back? 

Seeing ghost on a daily basis. 

Even still, that's nothing new, she deals with it by ignoring the ghosts. Until her foster sister becomes one of them. Now Mattie must start listening to the ghosts clamoring for her attention and do something else she's never done before, trust someone with her secret. 

Mattie's story is one readers will have a hard time putting down. Not only is Mattie a great character all around, the story is spooky and well planned, and Officer Dan is a whole other draw. But, one at a time. 

Mattie is a complex character that readers will connect with from page one. Maybe not everyone knows what it's like to be a ward of the state and bounced around from home to home, but Baker has an effortless way of bringing readers into Mattie's life and showing the reality of her experiences without making it overwhelming. Mattie is strong, but not so strong that nothing can hurt her, quite the opposite in fact. Mattie is vulnerable in many ways, and overcoming her fear of being hurt or abandoned is where she truly shows her strength. 

As Mattie struggles to identify the killer with the help of the ghosts, she is forced to accept the hep of a young police officer. I love Officer Dan. He's adorable and sweet and everything Mattie needs in this situation. He's a very likable character, and very realistic. What I really enjoyed was how Baker kept the status of their relationship balanced on the tipping point between caring for each other like siblings and romantic feelings. Their interactions are as big of a draw as the storyline, the characters are that good. 

Now, for the story itself. I can honestly say, Baker had me guessing right up to the end. She wove a complex plot that kept me interested and eager to turn the page. I loved the interactions between Mattie and the ghosts, and especially learning more about who some of the ghosts were. Some of the interactions were downright scary, and a few might surprise you by how emotional they are. 

My only word of caution with this is that it may be too scary for young readers. I'd definitely recommend this to older teens and adults looking for great characters and a fabulous scary story. 

Well you can catch up with Apryl at any of these places:
 
Pinterest 

And don't forget to check out her other books!