Sunday, March 31, 2013

Fool for Books Hop: After Dark by @emijgayle #YAlit #Paranormal #Giveaway


April Fools!  

Just kidding.

No seriously. 



Welcome to the Fool for Books Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer.

In celebration of the May 6th release of Day After (The 19th Year #2), I'm offering up an ecopy of the first book in the series, After Dark. What's it all about? Keep reading!




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Click on image to add on Goodreads
After Dark 
The 19th Year #1
YA / Paranormal

What eighteen year old Mac Thorne doesn't know will probably kill her. In exactly eight months, five days, three hours and thirteen minutes, Mac has to choose what she'll be for the rest of her life. She has no choice but to pick. As a Changeling, it's her birthright. To Mac, it's a birthchore. Like going to school with humans, interacting with humans, and pretending to be human during the pesky daylight hours. Once darkness descends, Mac can change into any supernatural form that exists-which makes her as happy as she can be. That is, until Winn Thomas, the biggest geek in her senior class, figures out there's more to what hides in the dark than most are willing to acknowledge. In this first of the 19th Year Trilogy, Winn might know more about Mac than even she does, and that knowledge could end their lives, unless Mac ensures the powers-that-be have no choice but to keep him around.




Don't forget to check out the linky list below for over 100 other participating blogs.

Thanks so much for stopping by & best of luck!



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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

#Blog Tour : Silent Echoes by @aimeelaine #GuestPost #Giveaway


I am thrilled to have the lovely Aimee Laine here today in celebration of her newest release, Silent Echoes (Games of Zeus #2)!!!  

For her blog tour, Ms. Laine came up with a super unique idea. I'll let her explain.




Silent Echoes is a "Games of Zeus" novel but it's not a traditional mythological conundrum. No, as the author, I’ve taken quite the liberties in creating a situation Zeus could have use to mess with we puny humans. 

So, to have a little fun as Silent Echoes releases this month, my host here at Terri Rochenski’s blog has challenged me to create a Game of Zeus out of Dutch Blitz!

How could Zues use Dutch Blitz upon two unsuspecting humans? How could he manipulate a seemingly inocuous game into a maniacal, devious relationship conflict? Oh, let me count the ways ... or rather, let me show you.

Dutch Blitz

According to Wikpedia, Dutch Blitz is a fast-paced, family oriented, action card game played with a specially printed deck. The game was created by Werner Ernst George Muller, a German immigrant from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The game is very popular among the Pennsylvania Amish and Dutch community, and among Christian groups in the United States and Canada (primarily in Dutch and German communities). 

Blitz Pile: This pile of 10 cards is the most important pile of cards to each player since it is the key towards "Blitzing" the other players when all cards from this pile have been cleared.
Dutch Piles: Stacks of cards in each of the four colors - 1 through 10 an ascending sequence - placed in the center of the table and played upon by all players. Each player accumulates scoring points here.
Post Piles: Groups of cards placed to the left of both the Blitz and Wood piles in descending sequence For each player, the Post Piles serve as a "trading" or replacement area during the game. There are generally three post piles but in a two person game four or five post piles are often used to prevent the game from stalling.
Wood Pile: Stack of cards built to the right of a player, from cards held in that player's hand.

The objective of the game is to accumulate points by building as many cards in sequence, 1 through 10, in the same respective colors in the center Dutch Piles using as many cards as possible from the Blitz Pile.
Before we get to the ultimate Dutch Blitz Romance ... let me tell you a little about Silent Echoes.



                              Games of Zeus #2
PNR / Suspense / Thriller
Release Date: March 11, 2013

For years, Ian Sands has enjoyed his life as a bachelor, taking advantage of singlehood and exploring his own definition of passion—whoever she may be. Blonde. Brunette. Tall. Short. Hot. Not. Five months ago, all that changed.
Ian’s been celibate, frustrated and desperately seeking answers to why one woman, who doesn’t play by girls’ rules, haunts his every waking moment.
As a renovations specialist, Taylor Marsh lives, works and breathes construction—a profession her southern belle of a mother would rather Taylor not touch. The same goes for Ian; Mama Marsh would never approve of him.
Like Ian, though, each time he and Taylor draw near, something compels her to get closer.
Something else tells her to run away.
Fast.
As much as their histories suggest they shouldn’t be together, neither Taylor nor Ian can deny the pull, and the two succumb, indulging in a relationship that brings pleasure to body, mind and soul.
Doing so, though, also ushers in a series of events both should have foreseen as well as one final outcome neither expected.

And now ... 
Dutch Blitz
Cards. Two piles. A goal to get all ten in two, in order.

In sequence. 

Now in any good card game, there’s always one player that seems to have it all, who can figure out the next card to play or take that will give them the edge. To win. 

Of course, in a Game of Zeus, one of the two players is going to be given the edge, but if they play the next hand, if they lay down that next card, they will lose.

But that’s not fair, you say. Oh, but that’s a Game of Zeus. You see, every game is tied to a relationship. Win the game, lose the relationship. Win the relationship, lose the game. What’s going to be the win-win for both?

That depends. Every game is different. Take a card game for example ... do you have to get all the points to win? Is there another way? Sometimes.

If, however, there isn’t, a Zeus twist will pop up, because it’s never going to be ‘that’ easy. Not when love is the end game, the prize, the true goal.

Let’s have our pair, our he and our she, playing against each other. The next move they make could make or break their relationship. One more. One step. Ruin or tie them together forever. 

Which move would you take if the one you love is across from you about to do the same?

Thereinlies a great story ... with the ending yet to be written.

And there you have it. What do you think? Is Dutch Blitz a possible Game of Zeus?



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Purchase Links:


Add Silent Echoes on Goodreads HERE!

For additional stops on Ms. Laine's blog tour head over HERE, or click on the tour widget in the side bar.

And finally, head over HERE to my post for the March New Release Hop for a chance to win an ecopy of Silent Echoes!

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About the Author:

Aimee is a romantic at heart and a southern transplant with a bit of the accent (but not a whole bunch). She's married to her high school sweetheart, and with him, she's produced three native North Carolinians, two of whom share the same DNA.

With an MBA and a degree in Applied Mathematics, there's absolutely no reason she should be writing romance novels. Then again, she shouldn't need a calculator to add two numbers, either ... but she does.



Web  |  Blog  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Are YOU A-Zing? #AtoZChallenge


Last year right around this time one of my fellow Scribo buds, Kelly Said, told me about the A to Z Challenge. It's blogging every day in the month of April except for Sundays, with each day assigned a letter from the alphabet.

April 1 - A
April 2 - B

And so on. 

Since I'd been TRYING to get my but in gear with the whole blogging thing, I thought it sounded like a cool idea. I decided to give it a shot. Of course, knowing how I love to procrastinate (and realizing this was a HUGE commitment) I decided to do the challenge MY way. Instead of daily I went with a weekly plan.

Anyhoo. I think I got up through E or somewhere thereabouts before crapping out. BUT!!! I started blogging regularly after that. Gimme a gold star!



This year I decided to check out the challenge for real. I went to the website, signed up all official-like, and chose to do a theme to make it easier on myself.

My theme? Here's my little homemade banner. Kinda proud of my non-artistic self seeing as how I can't even draw a decent stick figure.







I decided to take the month of April to showcase some nuggets of insight, inspiration, and encouragement from those who've gone before us, AND promote other authors' works. Fantasy, PNR, and a smattering of a few other genres. Most are from my publisher, J. Taylor Publishing, and the rest are other favs & friends.

The best part? ALL my posts are finished & scheduled. *patting self on back* I get to sit back & relax the whole month long - and hopefully get some work done on my WiP!!

I hope you'll stop by! Perhaps you'll find your new favorite author or book! 

If you're interested in A-Zing, head on over HERE  or click the widget in the side bar for the official sign up list. 



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Are YOU A-Zing? Pick a theme, or panster to the end?

Monday, March 25, 2013

#Review : Purely Relative by Claire Gillian #Contemporary #Romance



Click on image to add on Goodreads
Contemporary Romance

Unemployed and living far from home, Gayle Lindley is nevertheless lucky to be alive after narrowly escaping her murderous ex-employer. She’s also thankful to the boyfriend gods for having blessed her with a former co-worker. Jon Cripps is brains, brawn and bedroom-certified, all in one delectable package. Life is finally on the uptick.

…Or so Gayle thinks until Jon pops the big question—no, not marriage, but meeting the rest of his family. What he neglects to mention is his loose familial definition also includes the parents of his ex-fiancée. And too bad Gayle has already met one sibling while engaged in a vigorous mattress inspection with Jon. Everyone will think she’s a man-stealing hussy!

As Gayle tiptoes into the bosom of Jon’s extended family, she is deluged with more secrets than even her curious nature can absorb. But the drama hits hardest when Jon, mysterious as ever, drops a bombshell that threatens to unravel every single stitch of progress she has made with him and his … ‘interesting’ relations.








Too short! Too short!

That's my only yucky, & not worthy of deducting stars, so onto the yummies. This is a little shorty follow up from the novel The P.U.R.E. which released last April. HERE is my 5 star review for that book. If you haven't read it, do so. But on to the first yummy ...

Voice voice voice voice voice. Ms. Gillian knows how to tell a yummy, fun story. I love her style and snark. Nothing like reading a good romance with a hint of humor to keep a reader giggling or snorting. As I mentioned in my review of TP, the MC, Gayle, is a total hoot. She's one of those great characters you could read about all day - especially if you're having a shi##! day like I've been enjoying today. 

The man. Oh yes, Mr. Cripps. Yum. Need I say more? What a romantic sap - what woman wouldn't want (LOOK AT THAT ALLITERATION!)  a man like that? And his family? Hoot #2. The family dinner scenes were hilarious. So real. It's like I was sitting there, jaw slung open & wide-eyed as all get out. Excellent!

And the ending. Oh, the HEA.  :) LOVED how Ms. Gillian brought this story to a close with all that inner monologue argument between sex, reason, & heart. Once again, excellent!

If you haven't read The P.U.R.E., DO SO. Then nab this enjoyable little nugget.



Friday, March 22, 2013

#CoverReveal : Stone Chameleon by @JocelynAdams #Paranormal



Click on image to add on Goodreads

Stone Chameleon
An Ironhilil Jinn Novel
Urban Fantasy / Mystery / Romance
When a series of unusual murders point to Lou Hudson, Ironhill’s equal rights advocate, as the primary suspect, she has but one choice:  find the real perpetrator before her trial begins or face execution.
Lou, the last of the Jinn, survives by hiding her abilities after the rest of the elementals fell victim to genocide.  As a preternatural pest exterminator and self-proclaimed guardian of the innocent, she’s accustomed to trudging through the dregs of society.  Hunting down a pesky murderer should be easy, especially with help from the dashing and mischievous local media darling. 
For Lou, though, nothing is ever simple.  When she discovers the killer’s identity, to reveal it would unearth her secret and go against her strict moral code, resulting in a deadly catch twenty-two.




Excerpt:

A flare shot over the rooftops to our left.  I dove at Blake and slammed him to the pavement as another column of fire streaked toward us.  The flames seared my back.  The dragon bat was not a happy camper.  Someone landed on my backside, crushing a grunt out of me and pounding my shoulder blade while Blake gasped beneath me.
“Bloody hell, Amun,” I said, before I realized he did it to put out the flames eating up my shirt.  “Oh, I see.  Thanks.” 
He pulled me up, and the three of us ducked behind a car in the parking lot beside the Whip and Tickle, a vampire fetish-wear shop.  The owl-sized bat swooped over us again, blasting an inferno that exploded the front window of the shop, sending studded leather and melted mannequins onto the sidewalk. 
Three of the other creatures we’d hunted lay dead on other streets, the scorpion included, all by my sword when I’d been left with two options: kill or die. Twelve more were contained in three trucks.  The bat remained the only unwelcome visitor in Fangtown.  Other than us, of course.
“This is madness, Lou.”  Amun panted beside me, his arms rising to shield his head as the bat exhaled on a Mini Cooper two cars over, the crackling and popping suggesting we should find a new hiding place.
“I agree with Mr. Bassili,” Blake said, his drawl worsening with his fright.  “What the hell in a hand grenade do we do now?”
Rudy poked his almost translucent head out from behind the newspaper boxes he dove behind during the first fiery blast.  The poor guy shook so badly I’d have been surprised if he could see anything.  I gestured to him to stay put.  “We’ve scared it, not something you want to do to a dragon bat.”  A deep exhalation centered me enough to think.  “I seem to recall the pecking order in a colony of bats.  If we want protection from the dominants, we must present an offering of food.”
“And that helps us how?”  Amun, his face blackened with soot and smeared with dirt, tilted to rest against the tire of the car, appearing as frazzled as I’d ever seen him.  The sight induced a belly laugh that wouldn’t be contained.
He took on a strange expression of one eyebrow cocked and a half-grin, as if he wasn’t sure whether to be amused or offended.  “What?”
I waved him off.  “Nothing, I think I’m just losing my marbles.”  Rising up enough to see around the car to Rudy, I shouted, “Rudy, do you have any rodents in your truck?  Rats or mice?”
“No,” he hollered back, “but I can call some for you.”
I nodded.  “As fast as you can.”
Flapping came from our rears.  Crackling.  A blast tossed the front of a car up until it crashed down on its hood, crushing a Mazda behind it.
“Move!”  I shoved at Amun and tugged Blake toward the back of the fetish shop, since it was much closer than the front where flames still poured out of the broken window.  Amun kicked out with a startling force against the wooden door.  It took three tries, but it finally gave.  My, but he was strong.  We rushed inside and crouched behind a cement wall beside a set of stairs leading down.
“What do you want the rats for?” Amun asked with obvious suspicion.  “Tell me you don’t want one of us to go out there and dangle something for that thing to come and snatch, probably toasting us to a golden brown in the process?  Because I think I’ve grown a healthy dose of sympathy for marshmallows right about now.”
“Don’t worry, Amun.  I’m going, not you.  We just need to listen for Rudy to come back, if he hasn’t chickened out and run for the hills.  Hopefully rats like to hang out here and aren’t snapped up for evening snacks.”  There was a reason the umikan stuck to small, normal pests, other than his ability to talk to them. Although he’d deal with the scarier stuff when the need called for it, he usually didn’t have enough courage to fill a thimble.
“What?”  Amun palmed his forehead.  “You can’t be serious.”  He gestured toward the door.  “Have you been oblivious to the destruction that thing caused just in the last ten minutes?  It’s pissed, and I don’t think it’s going to care about some little morsel you offer it.”  His frown tugged at his features.  “Why are you smiling like that?”
I shrugged, hopped up on adrenaline and enjoying the sight of the great Amun Bassili squirming.  “This is what I do for a living.”
“You’re enjoying this?”  Both of his eyebrows jacked up.
“Yup,” Blake said, rolling his eyes and chuckling from deep in his belly.  “Weirdest broad I ever knew.  Takes a bit of starch outta the ole manhood, don’t it?”
I wiped the char from my hands onto my jeans.  “To do a job one takes no pride in is a travesty, in my opinion.” 
At Rudy’s shout from beyond the wall, I said, “Stay here.  Don’t come out until I call or you could send the bat into fits again.”

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About Jocelyn Adams
Jocelyn Adams grew up on a cattle farm in Lakefield and has remained a resident of Southern Ontario her entire life, most recently in Muskoka. She has worked as a computer geek, a stable hand, a secretary, and spent most of her childhood buried up to the waist in an old car or tractor engine with her mechanically inclined dad. But mostly, she's a dreamer with a vivid imagination and a love for fantasy (and a closet romantic — shhh!). When she isn't shooting her compound bow in competition or writing, she hangs out with her husband and young daughter at their little house in the woods.


Links:

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Whatcha think? That sword is cool with a capital 'C'.
Can't wait to get my hands on this latest novel from one of my favorite paranormal authors!!

Never Too Far by Thomas Christopher #YAlit #Dystopia #Giveaway





Title: Never Too Far
Genre: Dystopian, Adventure, Sci-Fi, YA
Publisher: Kalmaha Press
Format: Ebook
Length: approx. 212 pages



A harrowing story of love and survival. In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.






Purchase Links






The giveaway for this tour is tour-wide for a $10 amazon gift card and Kindle copy of Never Too Far by Thomas Christopher Ends 3/29/13

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Book Blitz: Bleeding Edge (Weeping Dark #1) by Raven Bower #fantasy #FMBTour



Click on image for tour schedule


Bleeding Edge
Weeping Dark #1
Fantasy, Adventure Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Crescent Moon Press
Ebook, Paperback


When a rash of brutal murders target the most defenseless of her people, spunky captain Shayla Dormyr is determined to bring the culprits to justice. Defying the command of the Prima Canticle, who claim jurisdiction over the ritually slain children, Shayla embarks on a rebellious mission that could cost her rank and freedom.

When she unwittingly exposes a Blood Rune to her prime suspect, the troublesome sell-sword Daibryn, it unleashes arcane consequences that renders them vulnerable to an ambitious and cruel Blood Mage.

Shayla and Daibryn embark on an adventure that will take them to worlds far larger than they ever imagined where love, hate and mystery put their souls to the test.


Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N 


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$25 Amazon Gift Card. Ends 03/28/2013



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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Spring Cleaning #Giveaway Hop : A box of books!





Thanks once again to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for another opportunity to give away some goodies! 

This time around we get to clean our shelves.

I'm giving away a box of books - 6 historical romance novels by the great Susan Wiggs. US & Canada only - sorry!

Be sure to check out the linky list below, and best of luck!






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Monday, March 18, 2013

IT'S FINALLY HERE!! Eye of the Soul Cover Reveal!!!!! #SQUEEE


I have been DYING to share the cover of my debut fantasy novel, Eye of the Soul for what seems like FOREVER.

This WiP has been in the works for over 5 years. Five long, stinkin' crazy years. In that time I've moved twice, got married, and had 2 kids. Been a bit busy, and I'm surprised I ever finished this labor of love!

When J. Taylor Publishing offered me a contract for the 2-book series, Pool of Souls, I was jumping out of my skin. Excuse the cliche, but there's no other way to say it. Book #1, Eye of the Soul, is set to release on October 7th of this year, and book #2, Secret of the Souls, in October 2014.

Anyhoo. Here's the purdy & blurb.



Click on image to add on Goodreads



Escape. 

That should be Hyla’s first thought as her people are chained and imprisoned for no imaginable reason. 

Instead, Hyla finds herself traveling through a land void of Natives, with human soldiers pillaging in desperate pursuit of her, and in search of the mystical Pool of Souls—home to the one man who can save her people.

Or so she believes.

Led by her faith in the deity Fadir, Hyla is met along her journey by Jadon—a human male and fierce King’s warrior, and his childhood best friend Conlin—one of the few Natives aware of his Fadir-given Talents.

Protected by Jadon, guided by Conlin, and with an unfailing belief in the purpose of her pilgrimage, Hyla carries on. 

Like her, though, another searches for the Pool, and should he gain access first, everyone she loves, and everything she knows, could be lost.

Forever.


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So whatcha think? I couldn't be more thrilled with it. This cover IS the story in picture form.


Feel free to reblog and share!!!


Friday, March 15, 2013

#CoverReveal : Need by Stephanie Lawton #iwantneed


I am HONORED to be included in revealing this kick@$$ cover for Ms. Lawton!! Need is the *adult* follow up to her awesome YA novel, Want. You can find my 4* review of Want HERE

On to the purdy ...



Need
Romance
By Stephanie Lawton
Published by Inkspell Publishing
Release date: May 17, 2013


Isaac Laroche is cursed. All he wants to do is hide out and feel sorry for himself. Never mind that he got caught sleeping with his seventeen-year-old piano student, or that he abandoned her when the truth was exposed.
 Isaac’s feisty high school sweetheart has different plans. Heather Swann has returned to their hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to regroup after breaking up with her troll of a fiancé. She’s restless and looking for a diversion, but she bites off more than she can chew when she sets her sights on rehabilitating Isaac with her unorthodox sexual, mental, and physical plans.

The two quickly reconnect, but their happiness is threatened by family secrets, old vendettas and the death of a beloved father-figure.

Can Heather handle Isaac’s baggage, or will her own come back to haunt them both?
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After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.

A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.


Links:



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Whatcha think????! Let's compare it to Want, shall we? Check out the ongoing theme in all its 
awesome-sauce-ness.





Yup. They rock. 

May 17th can't come soon enough!





March New Release Hop : Silent Echoes by @AimeeLaine #Giveaway #PNR




Thanks to Book Twirps & Refracted Light Reviews for hosting this hop.

Be sure to click on the image for the list of other participating blogs - and chances to win lots of goodies!!


On to my giveaway ...






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Silent Echoes
Games of Zeus #2
PNR 
Release Date: March 11, 2013


For years, Ian Sands has enjoyed his life as a bachelor, taking advantage of singlehood and exploring his own definition of passion—whoever she may be. Blonde. Brunette. Tall. Short. Hot. Not. Five months ago, all that changed. 
Ian’s been celibate, frustrated and desperately seeking answers to why one woman, who doesn’t play by girls’ rules, haunts his every waking moment. 
As a renovations specialist, Taylor Marsh lives, works and breathes construction—a profession her southern belle of a mother would rather Taylor not touch. The same goes for Ian; Mama Marsh would never approve of him. 
Like Ian, though, each time he and Taylor draw near, something compels her to get closer. 
Something else tells her to run away. 
Fast. 
As much as their histories suggest they shouldn’t be together, neither Taylor nor Ian can deny the pull, and the two succumb, indulging in a relationship that brings pleasure to body, mind and soul. 
Doing so, though, also ushers in a series of events both should have foreseen as well as one final outcome neither expected.

 You can check out my 4* review HERE. Don't forget to click on the hop image above, and best of luck!  



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