Monday, April 28, 2014

Cover Reveal: Honor's Lark (Rachel Hamm)

COVER REVEAL: HONOR'S LARK BY RACHEL L. HAMM

Here it is! The cover for my next book, Honor's Lark:

HonorsLarkCover

 This beautiful cover was designed by Jaclyn Parks of Twin Dog Designs (she also designed the cover for my debut novel, Twenty-Five). Her website is currently undergoing re-design, but you can reach her at twindogdesigns@aol.com.

Summary: In a world where everyone is assigned a lifemate at birth by the Gods, thirty year-old Honor is still looking for hers. When her new boss, Sedric, points out that her mate probably died before they met, Honor embarks on a quest for closure. She needs to know who her mate was and what he was like so she can move on with her life. Sedric is determined to help Honor, because he understands the emptiness she's feeling. As they search for Honor's lifemate and get to know each other, they start to wonder if the only kind of love is that which is fated and if there really is only one person for everyone.  

Excerpt from Chapter One: I stumbled into work the next day a half-hour late, thanks to the copious amounts of wine at Bonnie and Caron’s house. No one appeared to notice, though, as I slid into my cubicle and powered up my computer. "What day is it?" I muttered to myself, opening the company-wide calendar. "Ah." Wednesday, the fifteenth day of the tenth month. A meeting for my division was listed at 10:00, so I printed the agenda and answered the most urgent emails in my inbox before heading to the lounge to grab a cup of coffee. “Morning, Honor!” my teammate Alyscia said brightly as I added cream and sugar to my mug. I yawned. “Morning.” “Did you hear the good news?” I took a sip and shook my head. “What? Did Felix sit in paint again?” “No, silly, I found him!” “Found who?” “My lifemate, of course! Look!” She pushed aside the collar of her shirt to reveal her lark, now a complete, leafy tree. The last time she’d shown it to me, too many pieces of the puzzle were missing and I hadn’t been able to make out what it would eventually be. “Oh. Great. Congratulations.” It was a strange thing to offer congratulations on. It’s not like she achieved some major accomplishment. Everyone found his or her lifemate eventually. Well, everyone except me. I walked away without asking for more details, though I could tell she was dying to share exactly how she found him and what he said to her when they met and how perfect they were for each other. My stomach was already queasy from the hangover – I didn’t want to push it over the edge. Besides, Alyscia was only twenty-one. She started at the consulting firm a few months out of school. What right did she have to be flaunting her lark? She hadn’t been looking for a long time. Most people I knew found their mates at some point between eighteen and twenty-four. I slumped into a chair at the end of the conference table, as far from the front of the room as possible and gulped down my coffee, ignoring the bitter sting as it burned my throat. My co-workers filed in, bouncing to their seats like a bunch of toddlers. A few were even discussing Alyscia’s lark at high volume. To listen to them, one would think it was the biggest news to hit Linhill all year. I blocked out the conversation by reading over the agenda for the meeting. The leader of our division, Felix, walked in with another man I didn’t know. The new guy was tall, at least a head taller than Felix, and dressed in an expensive-looking grey suit. They took seats at the head of the table and the babble in the room quieted as Felix arranged the agenda and glass of water in front of him. “To kick things off today I want to introduce our new division manager, Sedric Eckland. He’ll be taking over Maling’s accounts now that she's been promoted and he’ll also be responsible for evaluating the team over the next couple of months. Sedric, would you like to say anything?” “I’m happy to be here and look forward to working with each of you.” Sedric surveyed the room, taking a brief second to meet each individual’s eye. When he reached me, I averted my gaze. Turnover was common in our section. It was kind of a joke within the company: head to Division Four if you’re looking for a life change. I was the longest-term employee at four years. The pool on how long Sedric would last was probably already forming in Divisions One, Two, and Three. Once Sedric finished all of his eye contact, Felix made a check on his agenda and moved to the next topic. I sank as low as I could in my chair and rested both arms on the table in front of me. Being the senior member of the team at least gave me the advantage of already knowing most, if not all, of Felix’s talking points. I tuned him out as easily as I’d tuned out the gossip regarding Alyscia and found my eyes focused on my own lark. When I was younger, I loved that my lark was so visible – always right there on my wrist. I could look at it whenever I wanted. I could show it to my friends, my family. It was a source of comfort and hope. I spent hours tracing the pieces over and over with my fingers. Memorizing every line, every curve. Trying to figure out what picture it would form when I found my lifemate and it completed itself. As Felix droned on, I found myself falling back into the old habit – using my right index finger to continually follow the outline of the lark. I didn’t care what my boss was talking about. It didn’t matter. I focused my energy on tracing and willing the damn thing to just go away already. I did what I was supposed to do – I followed my stupid erratic pull as long as it led me, but it led to nothing. Nothing. If I was going to be alone, I didn’t want the horrible, ugly reminder of it staring at me day after day, week after week, year after year. What were the Gods playing at, anyways? Giving humans these marks, determining destinies, but leaving me out in the cold wondering what I’d done wrong to deserve such loneliness and the constant reminder of it. And if it wasn’t bad enough that I could see the damn mark every day, everyone else could see it, too. My co-workers, friends, and family saw the unfinished lark and their eyes filled with pity for poor, lonely, lifemate-less Honor. “Honor?” Felix basically shouted. I straightened up. One glance around the table told me he’d called my name more than once. “Yes?” “Welcome back. Were you having a nice daydream?” “I was. It’s strange how your voice can lull me into fantasy land every time you speak.” His face reddened, probably with both anger and embarrassment. He’d never gotten used to my sarcasm and I knew he wanted to fire me on several occasions, but since my clients were so pleased with my longevity, the higher ups wouldn’t let him. “Did you want something from me?” I asked, putting a sweet smile on my face. “Um, yes, well, since you've been here longer than the rest of the team, you’ll be partnering with Sedric for a few weeks. He’ll be going on your calls to shadow you and you’ll be going on his calls to introduce him to Maling’s clients. You know, show him the ropes. Do you think you can manage that?” “Nothing in the world would give me greater pleasure.” I wiped the smile from my lips and peered at Sedric. I expected eye contact again, but he was staring at my hand. No, not my hand. My wrist – my lark. Great, just great. I yanked my sleeve down and put both hands in my lap. He looked up and faced Felix. “Sounds good. Anything else on the agenda?” “No, we're done for today. Back to work, everyone.” I jumped from my seat and was the first person out the door. Practically running to my cubicle, I tripped on a loose piece of carpet and face-planted. “Whoa – careful. Are you okay?” Sedric reached down and helped lift me while the rest of the departing members of my division looked on. I brushed myself off and wriggled out of his grasp. “I’m fine.” I could feel his stare on me as I stormed away. I tried not to speak with anyone else for the rest of the day. Embarrassed by the fall, the meeting, and Sedric’s eyes on my wrist, I couldn’t face the normal around me. I didn’t want my new boss to immediately know just how sad I was. It would make the weeks of having to work one-on-one with him unbearable.  

Honor's Lark will be available for Kindle and in paperback on May 15, 2014. 

In the meantime, if you're looking for romance, check out my debut novel, Twenty-Five. book cover jpeg

Summary: Abigail Bronsen is sure her life is going nowhere when she turns twenty-five and realizes she hasn't done anything on a list of goals she made for herself as a teenager. Ben Harris is looking to find "the one" after his last girlfriend cheated on him. When they crash into each other, it appears they've both found exactly what they wanted. A year of firsts follows: first date, first kiss, first “I love you’s.” The first fight is inevitable, but neither of them saw a breakup coming. When Abigail is offered a job overseas, they’ll discover that no relationship is perfect and even true love sometimes finds itself separated by time and distance.

Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle Smashwords Kobo 

Social Media Links: Twitter Facebook Website Goodreads Wattpad


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About the Author: Rachel was born in Buffalo, NY but grew up in Burlington, NC. Raised by northern parents in the south, she likes to say she got the best of both worlds. Her writing is inspired by classic authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, as well as contemporary ones like JK Rowling and Claire LaZebnik. She loves to read and has been known to spend an entire weekend engrossed in the adventures of her favorite characters. Rachel now lives in Raleigh, NC, but someday hopes to make it to London. She's pretty sure (if reincarnation exists) she was British in another life.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Review: The Ghost Files Vol. 2 (Apryl Baker)

The trauma Mattie Hathaway suffered at the hands of her former foster mother is only the latest in a series of horrible events she's had to survive, but it left scars deeper than her what her damaged hands show. Mattie deserves a break, but fate is not so kind. As her personal relationships fall apart around her, she has to escape, but her escape only drags her further into confusion and danger.

I am a big fan of all of Apryl Baker's books, and I loved the first book in this series, so I was eager to get my hands on volume 2. When I was offered a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, I was delighted! The biggest question when starting a sequel is always whether or not it will live up to the first book. The Ghost Files Vol. 2 more than lived up to my expectations!

While this second book wasn't quite as graphic as book one, it was still plenty scary. I had a hard time going to bed after finishing the book! Of course, that might have also had something to do with the fact that I started reading it at ten o'clock at night and read it well into the morning hours until I got to the end. I literally couldn't stop reading, and that doesn't happen to me very often anymore.

The mystery that flows through this book was captivating, to say the least. There were many questions left unanswered at the end of book one about Mattie's past, and well as Dan's. Readers are in for a windfall of answers in this one as Mattie and a few new friends fight off some pretty scary beings intent of stealing their souls. That hardly means more questions won't follow, though! I loved learning about Mattie and Dan's pasts and how it will change their future plans. Baker certainly caught me off guard on more than one account!

As far as the main storyline, I loved watching them confront their enemies and meeting the new characters like Eli and his family. I won't be forgetting them an time soon, especially Eli. Each new character followed up on the usual depth and complexity I've come to expect from Baker. Their interactions had me laughing at times, and tearing up at others. Readers will find it hard not to become emotionally invested in them. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them as Mattie and Eli's family continue hunting down scary creatures. If they're anything like the one they face in this volume, I'll be sure to start reading in daylight and plan on not moving for several hours!

I'm not usually a horror reader, but I have loved both the Ghost Files books. I have every intention of continuing to read the series. As far as content, when it comes to romance and language, the story is prett clean. It can get pretty scary, though, so it's not for younger readers. Even though this is labelled as YA, I'd recommend it to older teens and adults who enjoy strong characters, a great mystery, a good scare.

Get your copy of The Ghost Files on Amazon


Connect with Apryl Online

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Review: End of the Line (Jesi Lea Ryan)

I absolutely fell in love with the Arcadia Series from Jesi Lea Ryan, so when I saw she had written a prequel from Cane's point of view (Arcadia's sister's ex-boyfriend), I had to get a copy. In the two full length books, Cane doesn't get a lot of face time, but he's the kind of character who doesn't need to be on every page for readers to remember him. You get glimpses of more depth than Cane is willing to show in those books, and in this one you truly get to know who Cane is and why he has made the choices he has.

I really enjoyed getting inside Cane's head. Even though I already knew the story and what would ultimately happen, I read each page eagerly. It was fascinating to see what made Cane who he is. His early interactions with Arcadia were laced with emotion that lingers with the reader. It was heartbreaking to watch him struggle, give up, and think he has to settle for someone who doesn't make him happy.

This is a novella, but every page has meaning. It's labelled as a prequel, but I enjoyed reading it after I'd already read the first book, Arcadia's Gift, because you then I got to go back and learn more about a somewhat enigmatic character. That's just my personal preference however. Whenever you choose to read this novella, you'll be happy you did!

The End of the Line is now FREE on Kindle and many of your favorite ebook stores. 

And don't miss Jesi Lea's other books. Find her on Amazon!


Author Bio:

Jesi Lea Ryan grew up in the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, IA. She holds bachelor degrees in creative writing and literature and a masters degree in business. She considers herself a well-rounded nerd who can spend hours on the internet researching things like British history, anthropology of ancient people, geography of random parts of the world, bad tattoos and the paranormal. She currently lives in Madison, WI with her husband and two exceptionally naughty kitties. Stalk Jesi Lea here:Facebook/Twitter/Website/Blog

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Giveaway from Clarissa Wild!

Author, Clarissa Wild is celebrating 4,000 Likes on her Facebook page with a fantastic giveaway! 

Check out Clarissa and her books on Facebook, then scroll down and enter the giveaway for you chance to win some awesome prizes!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Cover Reveal: Wicked Power (DelSheree Gladden)

COVER REVEAL: WICKED POWER by DelSheree Gladden

Book 2 in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series. 
Release Day: May 1, 2014
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Clean Teen Publishing 

Find out why Kirkus Reviews said: The pairing of a formulaic start and formula-breaking ending makes the book ideal for paranormal-romance readers seeking a new spin on the familiar. 



“Wicked Power is what he craves. He collects it and turns it into wicked glory—the glory of ruling everything and everyone.”

Even after Vanessa and Zander Roth barely survive the Eroi's attempt to expose them for what they are, they aren't safe. Sitting balanced on the edge of impending death and unthinkable power, they reluctantly turn to the other Godlings for help. 

What they find and learn while being trained by the arrogant leader makes them question whether they are being trained to be a weapon for good or evil. Soon enough, Van and Zander find themselves once again on opposing paths. 

A lot of things happen to Godlings as they near their sixteenth birthday, including the impending full strength of their hunger. When Van starts exhibiting some strange abilities, which include a heightened intuition and frightening visions of the future, she soon learns that she's not like the others. She knows she must do everything she can to protect her secrets from their leader, who will use her as a weapon if he finds out. Thankfully, Van is not alone. She has the help of her best friend—and the one boy she shouldn't be falling in love with—Ketchup. 

While Van is dealing with her own problems, Zander finds himself embracing the training of the Godlings, even though their methods are cruel and harsh. He finds himself clinging to the hope that he can redeem himself, even after falling into Ivy's trap and putting their family's lives in danger. Along the way, Zander finds himself falling for an unlikely accomplice, who has him wondering if he even loved Ivy at all. 

Redemption and protection both take a backseat when a shocking discovery puts everything they have worked for in jeopardy. The choice between safety and freedom has never been more important, and in the end… they may not have a choice at all. 

Wicked Power is the second book in the all-new paranormal series, Someone Wicked This Way Comes.


WICKED HUNGER by DelSheree Gladden

AVAILABLE NOW!
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing




“Save him and hurt him, don’t save him and hurt him. Pain, either way. Delicious pain. Hunger will be the only one that wins. Hunger always wins.”

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. Their whole life is a giant web of deceit made in an effort to conceal the deadly secrets that plague their family.

Zander will do anything to forget his mistakes, including pushing everyone away. He was barely surviving in his self-forced solitude before Ivy Guerra entered his life. The new girl in school, with her pink-striped hair and unyielding curiosity, incites something wicked inside Zander that can only be blamed on his family genes. Now Zander is forced to fight an internal war and make a choice between loving Ivy Guerra and killing her.

Vanessa wants nothing more than to shed the strange powers she wields and be normal. Because if Van were normal, she’d be able to have normal things… Like a relationship with the boy she’s been secretly in love with for years. Unfortunately, her life is anything but ordinary. That boy who owns her heart just happens to be her brother’s kryptonite and a potential liability for her entire family. When choices between love and family loyalty have to be made, Van finds herself faced with an impossible decision.



As if the Roth family needs anything more to worry about, a vicious plot to expose Van and Zander for what they are is uncovered. When it becomes apparent that someone close to them is at the center of this devious plan, the fight to maintain control and keep their cover ensues. It's a seemingly impossible battle because something is causing their powers to stir stronger than ever before… and it won’t stop until Van and Zander give in to their wicked hunger.

Wicked Hunger is the first book in the all-new paranormal series, Someone Wicked This Way Comes.


KIRKUS REVIEW OF WICKED HUNGER

Teenage siblings with a dark secret find their lives complicated by the arrival of a mysterious girl.

Zander and Van are tougher and heal faster than ordinary teenagers. However, the price is a terrible, mysterious hunger—a bloodlust that becomes intensified by specific individuals. Younger Van does her best to suppress it so she can have friends and a normal life; Zander instead keeps everyone at arm’s length and warns Van that once her 16th birthday hits and her powers reach full strength, she should do so as well. Ivy, a new girl—cousin to one of Van’s friends—puts everything at risk. Both Zander and Van hunger to hurt her, but Zander falls for her in a push-pull love story reminiscent of Twilight, right down to Zander’s sneaking into Ivy’s room to watch her sleep. Van, however—when she’s not busy with a love triangle of her own, with a mysterious boy she’s just met and her trusty best friend, Ketchup—is suspicious that certain things don’t add up with Ivy. The conclusion, made strong by unraveling secrets and formula-shattering twists, sets up a sequel.

The pairing of a formulaic start and formula-breaking ending makes the book ideal for paranormal-romance readers seeking a new spin on the familiar. (Paranormal romance. 13-17) 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. The first book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes series, Wicked Hunger, is scheduled to be released through Clean Teen Publishing on April 1, 2014.

Want to READ MORE from Clean Teen Publishing? 

Check out our huge selection of amazing reads! There's sure to be something for every reader! 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Cover Reveal: Leighton's Summer (KC Finn)

COVER REVEAL: LEIGHTON'S SUMMER by K.C. Finn

Release Date: April 15, 2014
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal, Historical, Adventure and Romance)

We are pleased to announce the official cover reveal for the sequel to The Mind's Eye: Leighton's Summer by K.C. Finn. Leighton's Summer will release on April 15th! Make sure to comment and let us know what you think of this new cover in the Synsk Series!



A teenage boy with something to prove gets caught up in a web of crime and deceit in England, 1945.

In the weeks leading up to his sixteenth birthday, gifted psychic Leighton Cavendish finds himself suddenly packed off to Blackpool, a glittering teenage paradise filled with plenty of opportunities for amusement—and trouble—to ensue. With only a preoccupied grandmother to keep an eye on him, Leighton’s desperation for adventure leads him out into a world of holidaymakers, candy and carnival rides—the ideal place to spend six weeks away from home.

But Leighton’s psychic visions are encroaching on his fun, trying to warn him of the danger that lurks beyond the shimmering lights of the Golden Mile. Who are the mysterious thieves Leighton sees in his head and what do they want with the children they seek? A girl called Faye holds the answer, but she has enough problems of her own. 

Amid the climate of a tourist town recovering from the impact of the Second World War, two lost teenagers will discover a shocking truth about human greed and together they will try to fight against it. For Leighton and Faye this will be a summer to remember—a summer filled with challenges that must be overcome.

A summer that turns a boy into a man. 


THE MIND'S EYE by K.C. Finn

NEW RELEASE AVAILABLE NOW!
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal, Historical, Adventure and Romance)


A girl with a telepathic gift finds a boy clinging to his last hope during the war-torn climate of Europe, 1940.



At fifteen, Kit Cavendish is one the oldest evacuees to escape London at the start of the Second World War due to a long term illness that sees her stuck in a wheelchair most of the time. But Kit has an extraordinary psychic power: she can put herself into the minds of others, see through their eyes, feel their emotions, even talk to them – though she dares not speak out for fear of her secret ability being exposed.



As Kit settles into her new life in the North Wales village of Bryn Eira Bach, solitude and curiosity encourage her to gain better control of her gift. Until one day her search for information on the developing war leads her to the mind of Henri, a seventeen-year-old Norwegian boy witnessing the German occupation of his beloved city, Oslo. As Henri discovers more about the English girl occupying his mind, the psychic and emotional bonds between them strengthen and Kit guides him through an oppressive and dangerous time. 



There are secrets to be uncovered, both at home and abroad, and it’s up to Kit and Henri to come together and fight their own battles in the depths of the world’s greatest war.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Born in South Wales to Raymond and Jennifer Finn, Kimberley Charlotte Elisabeth Finn (known to readers as K.C., otherwise it'd be too much of a mouthful) was one of those corny little kids who always wanted to be a writer. She was also incredibly stubborn, and so has finally achieved that dream in 2013 with the release of her first three novellas in the four-part Caecilius Rex saga, the time travel adventure The Secret Star and her new urban fantasy epic The Book Of Shade.



As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.



K.C. Finn signed with Clean Teen Publishing in late 2013. Her first book published with Clean Teen Publishing: The Mind's Eye, is scheduled to release on April 1, 2014. This will be shortly followed by the sequel, Leighton's Summer.




Want to READ MORE from Clean Teen Publishing? 

Check out our huge selection of amazing reads! There's sure to be something for every reader!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Cover Reveal: Lie To Me (Angela Fristoe)

Check out the brand new cover for Angela Fristoe's 

"Lie to Me" 

Book 1 of A Touched Trilogy!

Lie to Me (A Touched Trilogy, #1)
by Angela Fristoe

Published: November 2012

Phoebe Matlin has always felt broken. While one of her sisters sees the future, and the other can heal people, Phoebe has come to accept that her truth telling gift just doesn't work. Then her best friend, Tonya, lies to her and Phoebe's gift flares to life. With Tonya pissed at her, being a Truth Teller suddenly doesn't seem like such a great gift. Although, it is nice knowing she was the reason her crush, Nathan, dumped his stalker girlfriend. But in lies, intention is everything and Tonya's lies are a cry for help. The fear that her friend is covering darker and more serious truths is something Phoebe can't ignore. But knowing when someone is lying is the easy part. Now she has to decide what to do about it. And with Nathan and his doubts about her ability confusing things, finding a way to help Tonya isn't as easy as Phoebe thought it would be.

Cover Reveal: The Unraveling of Raven (Theresa Sederholt)




At 27, Raven Anderson experienced more heartache then anyone would in their lifetime.  She felt she finally had her life on track when she started doing what she loved the most, teaching second grade.  The best-laid plans are not always the right path as Raven learns when fate puts her in the direct path of a mega billionaire named Jaxson James Phillips, the owner of a corporate raiding company called Raiders, Inc.  With the spotlight now focused on Raven,her past is threatening her future. So, she does what she does best, run!
This beautiful girl with the violet eyes has left Jax, who never gets rattled, totally speechless.  He has always gotten whatever he wanted. So, why was this beautiful girl running away from him? As time goes on, he slowly unravels the many layers of Raven, but what he finds puts everyone around them in danger.
Can anyone survive?

This book is for MATURE readers only.



JOIN OUR RELEASE DAY PARTY EVENT ON FACEBOOK
for a Fun Time and Giveaways








Theresa Sederholt is new to the writing scene with her debut novel The Unraveling of Raven. Theresa is originally from New York and now lives in North Carolina.  Theresa has a wonderful husband of 33 years and an amazing son.  A recent graduate in Criminal Justice she applies some of her studies to her book and some of life’s experiences.  She will leave the reader to decide which is which. 




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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Review: High Maga (Karin Rita Gastreich)

Eolyn barely survived her quest to restore women's magic to the land of Moisehén, and nearly watched the man she loved die in the process in "Eolyn." Her journey is far from over, however, and now in "High Maga" she is once again faced with incredible danger and the possibility of losing everything she loves.

Fantasy is one of my great loves in reading. I grew up reading many of the fantasy greats, and because of that I'm extremely picky about fantasy and it takes quite a bit to get me to try out a new fantasy author. "Eolyn" was one of those rare books that completely blew me away. I was lucky enough to have a chance to read a copy of High Maga before it was released, and I was once again pulled into a story that was so completely captivating I couldn't put it down.

The world of Moisehén was expertly crafted in the first book in the book, and it lives up to it's legend in High Maga. Gastreich has a knack for description and world building. Every detail makes the world richer and I never once found myself skimming to get back to the main story when she described the scenes. The world itself is almost a character in it's own right because of it's richness. It affects the characters, their plans, and the outcomes of their journeys. It's a world I have come to love. 

The beautifully crafted characters also live up to their appearances in the first book. Eolyn is a very complex character. She has worked so hard and fought for everything she has. She doesn't want to give any of that up, yet her heart yearns for the one man she truly loves, and having him may mean losing a part of herself. Her struggle to balance her desires with her goals creates such depth in her character that readers will easily come to care about her. Akmael is also a strong character. He is determined and wants Eolyn, but he also has a kingdom to run and responsibilities to his people. Balancing all the different aspects of his life are not easy. At times he comes off as cold as he deals with his duties to his kingdom, but then he turns around and shows amazing tenderness to Eolyn. I loved experiencing the lives of both characters and watching them change throughout the story. The story of their love and all the difficulties they face is absolutely breathtaking. Its depth and emotion make it difficult to pull yourself away from.

The side characters, which it's really hard to call them that, are a strong addition to the story as well. Mage Corey was one of my favorites from the first book, but he becomes so much more in this one. It's difficult to know what is really going on inside his head at times, and it's as difficult for the reader to know whether or not to trust him as it is for Eolyn at times. Another set of characters that took on a whole new life were the villains of this book. Rishona and Tahmir were friends in the first book who betray Eolyn, and here they pick up their plotting and spur a war between their two countries. Watching them now turn against her was heartbreaking, not only because I cared about these two in the first book, but because of how much it hurt Eolyn. The connections Gastreich builds between reader and character truly bring this story to life.

It's hard to say too much more about this book without giving away details of the plot, but suffice it to say that it was an all-around beautifully written story. It's one I will read again, and one I recommend to all my friends whether they're fantasy readers or not.


It's not just me who loved High Maga, check out what Publisher's Weekly had to say about it!

“War propels the book forward, and the characters are at their best when the events engulfing them are at their worst. . . . Fans of Gastreich’s previous work will want to catch this continuation of her story.” –Publishers Weekly


Get your copy today!

Amazon Paperback
Kindle

Meet the Author

KARIN RITA GASTREICH lives in Kansas City and Costa Rica. An ecologist by vocation, her past times include camping, hiking, music, and flamenco dance.  Karin's first novel, EOLYN, was nominated for the 2012 Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award.  Her third novel, DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, is scheduled for release in 2015. Karin’s short stories have appeared in World Jumping, also from Hadley Rille Books, as well as in ZahirAdventures for the Average Woman, and 69 Flavors of Paranoia.  She is a recipient of the Spring 2011 Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency.

Follow Karin’s adventures into fantastic worlds, both real and imagined, at http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com and at http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com. For the latest updates on events and publications related to HIGH MAGA, join Eolyn on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eolyn/110814625640244 and on Twitter @EolynChronicles. 

Author web links:

Blog Heroines of Fantasy:  http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com
Twitter:  @EolynChronicles

Monday, April 7, 2014

Guest Post: Karin Rita Gastreich (author of High Maga)

Letting the Voice of Your Characters Come Through
By Karin Rita Gastreich, author of Eolyn and High Maga

Thanks so much, DelSheree, for having me as a guest on your blog! It’s really wonderful to be here again, and to be celebrating the release of my second novel. 

I’ve been asked to write about letting the voices of my characters come through, especially when those characters are very different from me.

This is one of the toughest parts of writing. It goes far beyond grammar, syntax, story arc, and all the other technical rules that we learn from workshops and writers groups. Tapping into the deepest parts of human nature is a complex task that doesn’t conform well to any set of rules. Yet this piece of storytelling is absolutely critical. An author can have everything else perfectly in place, but if the characters are not authentic, distinct from each other and most of all from the author, the story falls flat.

Two pieces of information form the foundation of any character I build: history and motivation.
The history of a character determines to a large extent how they will respond to any given situation. What were they taught about themselves and the world as children? What have they learned from experience? What traumas have impacted their worldview? Has their life been marked by success, failure, or a mix of both? Deep inside, how capable do they really believe they are of achieving their dreams?

In addition to history, usually a single primary motivation will generate the specific actions of a character in any context. Examples of motivations might be the search for love, a thirst for revenge, loyalty to family or kingdom, liberation of the oppressed, or the quest for freedom.

In practice, motivation is one of the hardest things for me to clarify, especially with my minor characters.  I wrote the entire draft of my first novel, Eolyn, without fully understanding the motivations of key characters such as Eolyn’s tutor Ghemena and the enigmatic Mage Corey. In the rewrites I came to understand them better as individuals, and that understanding led to much richer experience for my readers. Once a character’s motivation is identified, determining how they will respond to people and events around them is relatively straightforward.

One of the hardest characters I’ve ever written is the villain of High Maga, Prince Mechnes.
Mechnes is unlike anyone I know, and very unlike myself. He does things that are truly abhorrent and that were difficult for me as an author to let him do. But in understanding his history and motivation, I was able dig into his personality and paint him as a three-dimensional character.

Mechnes comes from a position of extraordinary privilege, having been born to a royal family in a misogynistic and rigidly stratified society.  From the moment he was born, Mechnes was taught that royalty, and especially Syrnte royalty, are superior to the masses that serve them.

However, as the son of a second wife in an extended family riddled by vicious rivalries, Mechnes’s future was not guaranteed. So he dedicated himself to the arts of war and became one of the finest generals in the history of the Syrnte Empire.

Mechnes’ primary motivation? Self-gratification. Anything that contributes to his personal pleasure is the “right” thing to do. Mechnes lives to suck the marrow out of life, so many things give him pleasure, including conquest, domination, battles, violence, bloodshed, wealth, women, beauty, sex, and music, to name a few.
Any obstacle to his self-gratification is smashed out of existence without hesitation. This includes internal obstacles, such as a sense of compassion, which Mechnes does feel on occasion, though he invariably swipes that impulse away with renewed violence.

Mechnes was a force of nature to deal with in the writing of High Maga.  There were scenes with him that literally made me ill. I would have to take a break from the novel for a week or more before I could get back into it. But Mechnes is also one of the characters who taught me the most about writing, precisely because he was so difficult to deal with.


I’m really curious to hear other writers’ experience with this.  Have you written about characters very different from yourself? How did you tackle those characters? What did you need to know and do in order to make them real?  Please share! I look forward to reading your comments.


Title: HIGH MAGA
Author: KARIN RITA GASTREICH
Publisher and imprint: HADLEY RILLE BOOKS
Publisher url: hrbpress.com
Trade Paperback ISBN  978-0-9892631-9-1
Cover price: $16.00 USD
Month and day of publication: April 4, 2014





Lands ravaged. Dreams destroyed. Demons let loose upon the earth.

War strikes at the heart of women’s magic in Moisehén. Eolyn’s fledgling community of magas is destroyed; its members killed, captured or scattered.

Devastated yet undaunted, Eolyn seeks to escape the occupied province and deliver to King Akmael a weapon that might secure their victory. But even a High Maga cannot survive this enemy alone. Aided by the enigmatic Mage Corey, Eolyn battles the darkest forces of the Underworld, only to discover she is a mere path to the magic that most ignites their hunger.

What can stop this tide of terror and vengeance?

The answer lies in Eolyn’s forgotten love, and in its power to engender seeds of renewed hope.

“War propels the book forward, and the characters are at their best when the events engulfing them are at their worst. . . . Fans of Gastreich’s previous work will want to catch this continuation of her story.” –Publishers Weekly


Get your copy today!

Amazon Paperback
Kindle


Meet the Author

KARIN RITA GASTREICH lives in Kansas City and Costa Rica. An ecologist by vocation, her past times include camping, hiking, music, and flamenco dance.  Karin's first novel, EOLYN, was nominated for the 2012 Thorpe Menn Literary Excellence Award.  Her third novel, DAUGHTER OF AITHNE, is scheduled for release in 2015. Karin’s short stories have appeared in World Jumping, also from Hadley Rille Books, as well as in ZahirAdventures for the Average Woman, and 69 Flavors of Paranoia.  She is a recipient of the Spring 2011 Andrews Forest Writer’s Residency.

Follow Karin’s adventures into fantastic worlds, both real and imagined, at http://eolynchronicles.blogspot.com and at http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com. For the latest updates on events and publications related to HIGH MAGA, join Eolyn on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Eolyn/110814625640244 and on Twitter @EolynChronicles. 

Author web links:

Blog Heroines of Fantasy:  http://heroinesoffantasy.blogspot.com
Twitter:  @EolynChronicles


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Cover Reveal: Shadow Fire (Kimber Leigh Wheaton)


 Shadow Fire
Light Chronicles Book 1
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
YA Fantasy Romance
Blurb
Ashlyn – a free-spirited teenager whose peaceful life is shattered when the village elders honor her with a perilous quest to recover a stolen relic.
Zane – a jaded mercenary, torn by his undeniable desire for Ashlyn and the dark secret that could make her hate him forever.
Delistaire – a malevolent sorcerer driven by an insatiable lust for power.
All three are bound together by an ancient relic supposedly infused with the power of a Goddess.
Shadow Fire – adventure, passion, secrets, and betrayal
As Ashlyn and Zane race to stay one step ahead of the evil lurking in the shadows, their passions are ignited and their bond strengthens. But will they find the relic before Delistaire? Or has their entire quest been orchestrated from the very beginning by a madman in pursuit of ultimate power?
Each installment of The Light Chronicles is a standalone story.


Praise
"This book contains monsters, magic, majestic creatures, and a evil guy that wants to destroy the world. If you love hot guys.....Zane is all that plus a few tricks up his sleeve. Just read it!" Venture ~Amazon Reviewer
"Adventure, magical creatures, fun characters, and romance make this book a perfect read for all ages." James Luby ~Amazon Reviewer


Favorite Quotes
The villagers will be awaiting my return, skulking in the shadows, desperate to catch a glimpse of the walking dead girl. ~Ashlyn

After all, love conquers nothing but fools. ~Delistaire

Perhaps you shouldn’t have chased the poor pirate all over the ship shooting light daggers at him. ~Zane

How would you like a tour of this grand vessel, my angelic beauty? I’ll show you my favorite trysting spots. ~Taranis


About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance and is a member of Romance Writers of America.
She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and four cats. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Her house is filled with dragons, though she does lament that they are the porcelain, non-flying variety.
Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!)
Her debut novel, Shadow Fire, is the first book in The Light Chronicles series. Watch for book two, Stolen Moon, a standalone sequel, coming soon.

Author Links:
http://www.pinterest.com/Cymberle/

 Excerpt
Every step I take is one step closer to death.
Hiking through the dense underbrush, I try to calm my frayed nerves and control the fear threatening to overwhelm me. Twigs and tendrils of ivy grab at my ankles as I continue to forge ahead, forcing me to wrench away from their skeletal grip. The sunlight is fading, signaling the end of another day, but this is no ordinary day.
A loud crack pierces the air. I freeze in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. Whipping my head around, I try to locate the source of the sound. My heart pounds in my chest, the erratic rhythm painful. These woods are full of predators, some animal, some monster, but the worst… human. Taking a deep breath, I listen to the surrounding woods: birds chirp, insects hum, and small animals scurry about as if they have no care in the world.
Lungs burning, I force myself to continue walking. I didn't collapse three weeks ago when this whole fiasco started, and I won't give in now. My family needs me to be strong.
The trees become sparser as I approach the edge of the forest. My shoulders slump when I pass the tree house we used to play in so many years ago. Any other day when I'm this close to home after a long day of hunting, I'd smile, breathe a sigh of relief, and perhaps look forward to dinner. Today there will be no raucous family meal, no solace in entering the peaceful village, and nothing to smile about.
The villagers will be awaiting my return, skulking in the shadows, desperate to catch a glimpse of the walking dead girl.
I've dealt with the whispers and pointing for three weeks with my head held high, my anxiety hidden behind a mask of indifference. I don't want them to see me like this, trembling in fear, broken. They've taken everything I am, every hope, every dream I've had for the future and smashed them to pieces with little hope of salvation. The townsfolk of Verdane decided my fate and they chose death.
The elders told me being Chosen is an honor. Either they are ignorant or apathetic. Every five years for the last twenty, a teenage girl has been chosen by the town, via secret ballot, to undertake this dangerous quest, never to return. Perhaps if the elders had to forfeit their lives instead they wouldn't be so quick to label it an honor, they'd call it what it is… a sacrifice.