Monday, August 26, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Promise

The Promise (Coven, #1)
by Apryl Baker
Synopsis:
Armed with kick-ass shoes, can CJ stop a maniacal coven leader, save the town, and still get Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous while surviving the darkness coming for her?
The smoke from the fire burned her eyes, its heat caressed her skin and the taste of fear choked her. She was going to burn just as her ancestor did all those centuries ago in New Salem Village. How could she have been so wrong about everything?
Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up the only non-believer in town of Coven. When a stranger comes to the sleepy town of New Salem, everything she thought was true unraveled around her. Ethan made her question everything, even her sister’s death. Clues start to pile up and Cassie is determined to find out if the Coven was the real reason her sister died.
What she uncovers terrifies her to the very depths of her soul...

Other books by Apryl Baker


About the Author: 

So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friend Chazz laughs at me when I scare myself watching them and tells me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep. Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama on you. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters. Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my family and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol. I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories. 

You can reach me at any of these places:
PS: DO NOT GET IN MY WAY IF THERE IS A SALE ON AT TARGET - my home away from home!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Cover Reveal: Starchild

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.






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.







Giveaway Details
$10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Open Internationally
Ends 9/8/13

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.

*An additional $10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash is available to anyone who shares this giveaway on their blog by 9/8/13 See link in the rafflecopter form.


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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Spotlight: Steve Downes

Today I'm pleased to welcome Steve Downes to the blog to talk about his novel, Cosmogonic Marbles. 

About the book...

 In the endless Cosmoses that exist in the Multi-verse (with equally endless possibilities) the adventures of two brothers, on an Earth where all myths are real and on our own dull magicless Earth, don’t amount to a hill of beans (except in the Cosmoses where they do amount to hills of beans …but that’s another novel).

In this story Philip Philips, a failed businessman, and his twin brother James, are unwilling participants in a battle of Good versus Evil when a mysterious gateway is opened by a minor God from a Dark-Age twin Earth.

It should have been James Philips who was found by the Dark Stranger and transported by an inter-dimensional being in the guise of a Womble to the Dark-Age Earth filled with every magical creature imaginable. But, as Fate would have it, it’s Philip, the useless one, who ends up leading a group of misfits across Medieval England to mount rescues, battle Hobgoblins and generally save the World(s).


James Philips meanwhile is stuck on dull, magicless, Earth in his old college, Botolf-almost-Oxford, which he discovers is staffed solely by men dedicated to the protection of our Earth from the paranormal. His old mentor, now living in a video recording, introduces him to an array of strange allies, as London, England and the World face an ‘alien’ invasion of swords and sorcery.

Others are caught up in the events of the inter-cosmic connection between two Earths; Vortigern the King has been bred for conquest and now his eyes are on our world. He brings with his armies many wizards, who themselves have gained an eye for the throne.
Sam, a young boy from West London has been sent through the gateway to the dark world of magic where he meets Snodrod and the children of an enslaved village, their only wish to get back to their homes; but they face enormous challenges … not least, Dragon-shaped ones.The story, as told here in the first Chronicle of Botolf, takes place simultaneously in both Earths, where the connection between worlds has a strange echoing effect on every character.

Will the world be saved? Can the Wrong man do the job? Is this a rhetorical question?All will be answered in this comedy/fantasy/mock-u-history tale.

About the author...

Steve Downes is an Irish contemporary poet, playwright and novelist, currently living and working in Ireland. Born in Drogheda, Country Louth in 1973. 


Steve is currently working on the second Fantasy Novel in his series as well as a new poetry Collection, he also is in the process of publishing an anthology of New Irish Writers. 

Connect with Steve online 

Cosmogonic Marbles is available now from 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Review: Working it Out (Blog Tour)

working it out tour

Working It Out A chance encounter . . . Grace Warren's life is safe and predictable—exactly the way she likes it. But when she gets roped into going to an auction to help out a friend, everything changes. She meets Seth Tuttle—a guy who unexpectedly kisses her then disappears, leaving her flustered and upset. If she never sees him again, it will be too soon.

A chance for love . . . Weeks later, when Seth limps into Grace's rehab clinic post surgery, she immediately recognizes him. Unfortunately, he's every bit as frustrating and annoying as she remembered. Yet there's something about him that makes her second-guess her carefully placed boundaries even though he's everything she's sure she doesn't want in a man. But maybe Seth is exactly what Grace has needed all along—assuming she's willing to risk safe and predictable for a chance at love.



Review

For someone who believes a name can tell you just about anything you need to know about a person, Grace thinks she has Seth pegged after their run-in at a charity event. God of Chaos sounds about right after he disrupts the event, kisses Grace without warning, and takes off amid a trail of upset women.

After an accident lands Seth in Grace's rehab program, she curses her luck. Seth, on the other hand, is more than happy to continue teasing and flirting with Grace as he tries to get his knee back in shape. They both think they know what the other person is all about, but as rehab turns into friendship, both will realize they don't know as much as they think they do.

This is a very sweet romance. It's not sappy or gushy, and it's not graphic. This is a story that focuses more on the characters and their personal development throughout the story than steamy scenes. That doesn't mean that there isn't passion between Seth and Grace. Readers will definitely get pulled in by the depth of Seth's emotions and the struggle Grace feels as she tries to balance her guilt and fear with her growing desire to be with Seth.

Grace and Seth are both very well developed main characters. Seth may be a little harder to relate to for some because his attitude in the beginning is so carefree and his life has very little responsibilities he has to deal with on a day to day basis, but his feelings for Grace and his struggle to figure out how to approach her without scaring her away is definitely something readers can connect with. Grace is a bit easier to relate to right off the bat because she is dealing with guilt, fear, and uncertainty in her life. She thinks she has things figured out and that keeping everything the same is what she wants, but Seth limps into her life and challenges all of that.

The main conflict in the book at first appears to be whether or not Seth and Rachel will end up together. As readers delve deeper into the lives of these two characters, they'll see that it isn't that simple. The added depth to this romance was something I really enjoyed. It wasn't just about the chase. Their happily ever after isn't as simple as finally getting that date or kiss. It was more realistic, and I found it very refreshing. This was a pretty quick read for me, but I enjoyed it all the way through and would recommend it those looking for a clean, heartfelt romance.

***

Author Rachael Renee Anderson Rachael Anderson is the author of five novels (Working It Out, The Reluctant Bachelorette, Minor Adjustments, Luck of the Draw, and Divinely Designed) and two novellas (Twist of Fate, from the All I Want anthology and The Meltdown Match from The Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection). She's the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.


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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Review: Sooner than Gold

Sheriff Syl Tilghman's father was sheriff, and to the townspeople of Arahpot that was qualification enough to name him as sheriff as well. In general, it's not a tough job...until a murder brings out all the town's secrets. 

The main character, Syl, is a fun character to follow though the murder mystery that send Arahpot into turmoil. Syl isn't your typical sheriff. He's no Wyatt Erp, dedicated to the law and fired up to police the town. I chuckled a bit at Syl's general lack of knowledge of the townspeople he lives with his nonchalance about his job in the beginning. He seems more concerned with making sure he gets all his meals.

I enjoyed watching him face the mystery of the murders and the back-stories that led to the murders. Syl really steps up as the book progresses and seems to find out how much his job really means to him. His awareness of the townspeople and his relationship with them changes as well. I enjoyed his interactions with the gypsy people as well. His disbelieving attitude doesn't stop him from treating them respectfully. They gypsy people added an interesting element to the story. 

The side characters in the book like Syl's girlfriend, Lydia, and deputy, Cyrus, where great additions to the book. Lydia balanced out Syl's initial lack of knowledge of the townspeople and added a more gentle side to the investigation. Deputy Cyrus turns out to be more helpful than Syl thinks he will be and he adds a more humorous side to the story with his boasting and personality. Many of the side characters prove memorable and enjoyable. Even the bad guys leave an impression. 

The overall mystery was well thought out. I found some parts of it to be somewhat predictable, but I still enjoyed watching the characters discover the truth. This was a fun, fast read. It isn't a hardcore western or mystery thriller, but it's an enjoyable read that will entertain the readers who want interesting characters and good mystery. 

Connect with JR Lindermuth Online

Sooner than Gold is available from

Monday, August 19, 2013

Interview: JR Lindermuth

Today I am welcoming JR Lindermuth to the blog to talk about his new book, Sooner Than Gold. 

More about the book...

It’s the summer of 1898. The nation, just coming out of an economic slump, has been at war with Spain since April. And Sylvester Tilghman, sheriff of Arahpot, Jordan County, Pennsylvania, has a murder victim with too many enemies.
 
There’s Claude Kessler, who is found standing with a knife in his hand over the body of Willis Petry. There’s Rachel Webber, Petry’s surly teen-aged stepdaughter, who admits an act intended to cause him harm. Then there’s the band of gypsies who claim Petry is the goryo who stole one of their young women.
 
If this isn’t enough to complicate Tilghman’s life, add in threats to his job by McClean Ruppenthal, former town burgess; a run-in with a female horse thief; scary predictions by a gypsy fortuneteller, and the theft of Doc Mariner’s new motorcar.
 
There’s plenty of good eating, church-going and socializing along the way. And, before all is over, Sylvester solves the crime and even comes a little closer to his goal of finally marrying longtime girlfriend Lydia Longlow.

***

1.       What was your inspiration for this book?

JRL:  Sooner Than Gold is a sequel to Fallen From Grace. A number of readers expressed an interest in another book involving Sylvester and Lydia. As so often happens, the characters responded with an idea for a follow up.

 Since I grew up in a town much like Arahpot I thought it might be fun to see if I could portray it and its inhabitants in an earlier time period in the first book. I’ve expanded on that in this second.

 2.       Would you classify your writing as plot driven or character driven?

JRL: I’m definitely on the side of character driven. You can’t have a plot without characters.

 3.       Can you tell us a little about your main character?

JRL: Sylvester Tilghman is the third of his family to serve as sheriff of Arahpot, Jordan County, Pennsylvania, a generally tranquil rural community. Syl is an intelligent, likeable fellow trying to do the best job he can—often against difficult odds. But he does get the job done. And he perseveres, despite setbacks, in his goal of convincing Lydia Longlow, a strong-willed young woman with her own agenda, to accept one of his many marriage proposals.

 4.       Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the main conflict in this book.

JRL: Syl has a murder victim with too many enemies. The victim has a despicable reputation and suspects are falling over themselves for Syl’s attention. They include a man found standing over the body with a knife in his hand, the victim’s surly teenaged stepdaughter who admits wanting to cause him harm, and a band of gypsies who contend the dead man stole one of their young women.

 5.       What do you hope readers take away from this book?

First of all, I hope they’ll be entertained.  I try to give a historically accurate portrait of a small town in that time period, including some information about prejudice (which never seems to go away) and rigid attitudes. Oh, and there’s also the fact even the worst of us can have some redeeming qualities.

 6.       What song best describes your writing style?

JRL: I’m not sure of a particular song, but for this series the music genre would have to be folk.

7.       Night Owl or Early Bird?

JRL: During nearly 40 years in the newspaper business I was forced to be an Early Bird when my natural inclination was the opposite. I swore when I retired I would throw away the alarm clock. I did. Unfortunately, early rising is now so ingrained into my system, I no longer need the clock.

8.       Skittle or M&Ms?

JRL: Definitely M&Ms.

 9.       Who are your favorite authors?

There isn’t enough space here to list them all.  But some long time favorites would include Cervantes, Emily Bronte, John Steinbeck, Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Fowles, Ruth Rendell, James Lee Burke. I’m constantly adding to the list, and not all of them are familiar names. There are some terrific new writers out there waiting to be discovered.

10.   Can you tell us about any future projects?

Whiskey Creek Press will be publishing the sixth in my Sticks Hetrick mystery series, there’s a non-fiction book coming from Sunbury Press, and I’m currently working on the seventh Hetrick novel. Will there be another Tilghman book? I’ve been getting some vibes about a corpse missing from a funeral home in Arahpot.

Meet the Author

A retired newspaper editor, J. R. Lindermuth lives and writes in central Pennsylvania where he currently serves as librarian of his county historical society, assisting patrons with genealogy and research. He is the author of 12 novels and his short stories and articles have been published in a variety of magazines. He is the father of two children and has four grandsons who do their best to keep him out of trouble. When not writing, he can usually be found with his nose in a book. He also enjoys drawing, walking and browsing at flea markets.

Connect with JR Lindermuth Online

Sooner than Gold is available from

Friday, August 16, 2013

Interview: Melissa Ousley

Today I'd like to introduce my readers to author, Melissa Ousley! Melissa's debut novel Sign of the Throne is set to be released September 14th! 


About the book...


Abby is an ordinary girl haunted by dreams of an ivory castle, blood-thirsty monsters, and a striking stranger. Working as a babysitter for a family of mythology lovers in wealthy Newcastle Beach, California, she struggles to define herself among the elite class while trying to make sense of her strange visions. Upon meeting David, the doppelgänger of the mysterious young man in her dreams, Abby’s life is changed forever. 

Encountering the queen of Cai Terenmare, a magical kingdom in a parallel world, Abby learns of an evil lord hell-bent on usurping the throne, the murder of Cai Terenmare’s king, the Solas Beir, and the kidnapping of the Solas Beir’s infant son. 

As the kingdom struggles to endure, the queen shows Abby the full extent of her destiny. She must convince her mysterious crush, David, that he is the lost heir. While braving attacks from the dark lord's sadistic minions, David must realize his true identity and return to Cai Terenmare to claim his throne before time runs out, lest the evil that was temporarily locked away be unleashed, threatening to destroy both the kingdom and all of humanity.

Q&A

1. What was your inspiration for this book? 
I’ve always been fascinated by mythology and I have a background in psychology. In grad school, I studied Jung’s theories about the collective unconscious and archetypes. As I thought about similarities in the myths of human societies, I began to imagine a common origin for them, a place where all our legendary creatures come from. That place, for me, is Cai Terenmare. 

2. Would you classify your writing as plot driven or character driven? 
Both, but more character driven. While writing, certain scenes play out in my head like a movie and I scramble to write down everything I see. I don’t necessarily work from an outline—I have a basic idea of the plot and make notes as I go, adapting the story as I discover more about the characters and what drives them, what they fear, what they desire. Some characters are easier for me to relate to than others, but I need to understand their points of view, even the sociopathic ones. I have more in common with some characters than others. None of the characters are autobiographical, although sometimes I’ll weave things I’ve experienced into a story. The nightmarish thing that comes out of Abby’s closet? Yeah, that pleasant little dream was one of mine.

3. Can you tell us a little about your main character?
Sign of the Throne, the first book in The Solas Beir Trilogy, is written primarily from Abby Brown’s perspective as she discovers the world of Cai Terenmare and her role in helping the lost heir to the throne find his way home. She is a bit of an outsider because she is empathic and is very sensitive to others’ feelings—sometimes she has to take a step back to process the things she discovers about people and to recover from the intense emotional effect people can have on her. She has a special bond with animals and her dreams have a tendency to come true.

4. Without giving away too much, tell us a little about the main conflict in this book. 
After the assassination of the Solas Beir, the king of Cai Terenmare, his heir is kidnapped and taken from that magical realm to our world. The prince grows up with no idea about his heritage or the danger he would be in if his father’s enemies found out he was still alive. His life has been a lie, and if Abby can’t help him see the truth, his father’s rival will be set free and gain the throne.

5. What do you hope readers take away from this book? 
My books explore the nature of evil. I use the term well-meaning sociopath in the book. Not everyone is a sociopath, but everyone does bad things, and sometimes we do bad things with the best of intentions, for the greater good. What does that mean for the people who are hurt by our actions? Is the negative impact of our behavior eased by the thought that our intentions are good? If you do bad things, are you evil? And can you ever be redeemed? These are questions asked throughout The Solas Beir Trilogy.

6. What song best describes your writing style?
Empire In My Mind by the Wallflowers. Although I listen to a lot of different artists while writing, the Wallflowers are my favorite—I have several worn out t-shirts to prove it. Their new songs are just as relevant and timeless as their older material. Their lyrics are rich and multi-faceted, and the more you listen to them, the more you get out of them, just like some poems or books you read over and over.

7. Night Owl or Early Bird?
Night owl…I get my best ideas at night…or when I’m swimming (those quiet times when it’s easy to shut out the rest of the world). I’m sometimes an insomniac; if I get an idea I have capture it in writing or my brain will keep working on it and I’ll never get to sleep.

8. Skittle or M&Ms?
M&Ms all the way. I’m a chocoholic. There’s always a stash of Ghirardelli chocolate chips in the bottom drawer of my fridge.

9. Who are your favorite authors?
My top three would have to be Stephen King, Christopher Moore, and Neil Gaiman. I also like Isaac Marion and Kendare Blake.

10. Can you tell us about any future projects? 
Currently I’m working with my publisher on final edits for the second book in The Solas Beir Trilogy. The Rabbit and the Raven will be released in spring 2014. I’m also writing the third book, The Sower Comes, which will probably be available in the fall of 2014.


Meet the Author

Melissa Eskue Ousley lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States with her family and their Kelpie, Gryphon. When she’s not writing, Melissa can be found hiking, swimming, scuba diving, kayaking, or walking along the beach, poking dead things with a stick.

Before she became a writer, she had a number of educational jobs, ranging from a summer spent scraping road kill off a molten desert highway, to years spent conducting research with an amazing team of educators at the University of Arizona. Her interests in psychology, culture, and mythology have influenced her writing of The Solas Beir Trilogy.

Connect with Melissa Online