Friday, May 31, 2013

~New Release~ Child of the Sacred Earth by Alicia Michaels




Title: Child of the Sacred Earth
Series: The Lost Kingdom of Fallada, Book #2

By: Alicia Michaels
Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing

Release Date: June 2013 (Exact Date TBA)

Blurb:
Get a degree, get a job, save adorable foster siblings from the clutches of the evil foster mom …

These are Jocylene Sanders’ top priorities as she enters her sophomore year of college. The last thing she expects is to find herself the champion of an entire kingdom. However, that is just what happens when the mysterious Faerie, Rothatin Longspear, appears to her tasking her with saving a parallel world full of creatures from her wildest dreams.

Jocylene journeys with him into the world of Fallada, hoping for answers about her birth parents and background. What she finds is a mystifying past, and an even more uncertain future, as her heart becomes entangled with the stoic, battle-hardened Rothatin, as well as Eli, the untroubled Panther Shifter with no loyalties and no home. With her heart and soul pulled in so many directions, can Jocylene find the strength needed to become the savior one nation so desperately needs?

Excerpt:
Okay,” Jocylene held her hands up to halt Jake’s speech. “Let me get this straight. My mother is the bitch queen of all evil and wants to take over the world. You think that me and a band of teenage princesses have enough combined power to stop her, and you expect me to lead battles in this epic war against a hostile takeover?”

Jake cleared his throat again and blushed, nodded his head slowly. “That about sums it up, Princess.”

“Hell. No. Hell-to-the-no. Forget it. There is no way you can convince me that I’ve got what it takes to lead a freaking army, let alone go up against a woman evil and sadistic enough to kidnap seven girls and cast them into another world. Her doing that was obviously a warning; ‘stay away little princesses’. Fine by me!”

“You are being irrational,” Rothatin said in that infuriatingly arrogant way of his. Jocylene turned her narrowed eyes on him.

“Says a man who flew to my rescue tonight on a gigantic owl! If your world is separate from mine, then it’s all the better for me because I have no desire to go there or become part of anyone else's plans.”

“Do you have any idea how powerful you are?” Wil asked, his hands on his hips as he came forward and stared down at her from behind the smoke trailing out of his pipe.

“I do,” Rothatin muttered as he stared out over the blanket of pine trees beneath them.
“I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It is easy to see why Eranna would be afraid of her.”

“Sounds to me like she doesn’t have much to fear,” Jocylene countered. “If she’s as powerful as you’re telling me, I don’t stand a chance in Hell.”

“Not by yourself,” Jake agreed. “But with the others—“

“Where are they?” she asked, her arms spread wide. “Where are these others girls? As far as I can tell, you guys are just casting your net out to see who you can catch. Sure, you got lucky once and now you’ve done it a second time. But seven seems like a big number when we’re talking about the possible end of the world here. Besides, things happen in this world too; cancer, car wrecks … who says these other girls are even alive? I’m having a hard time believing your luck will hold out. And then what happens? I’ve given up what’s left of my life fighting for a lost cause.”

“Do not think to question the powers of the Fae Queen,” Rothatin growled, coming up from his relaxed pose against the ship’s rail, his shoulders squared and his jaw gone hard and tight. “Her power is ten times that of the dark queen and her all-seeing eyes are everywhere. She will find them, just as she found you.”

“I’m sure your queen is a nice lady, and I mean no disrespect to her when I ask this but, if she’s so dang powerful, why hasn’t she stopped my mother herself?”

“Because the Fae are the keepers of fate and destiny,” Rothatin answered with an agitated eye-roll, as if this were information she should already be privy to. “We do everything we can to guide those in our realm on the right path but in the end their decisions are ultimately their own. We cannot interfere. And even if we wanted to, Eranna’s iron fortress keeps us out.”

“The Fae’s only weakness is the element of iron,” Jake supplied from behind Rothatin’s hulking form. “Her fortress is surrounded by it.”

“Well, you just said yourself that you can’t force me,” Jocylene huffed. “So, do whatever you need to do to turn this ship around and take me home. Or, let me off here for all I care. I can find my own way back home.”

“That is foolish, as well as dangerous,” Wil said to her retreating back as she turned to make her way back across the deck. “Eranna will not stop sending her minions after you. Of all the princesses of Fallada, she fears her own daughters the most!”

She paused and turned, shooting a glance at the three men watching her walk away with expressions of horror, anger, and dismay on their faces. “In case your friend here didn’t tell you, I am more than capable of protecting myself and those kids in there. Send whoever you want; they won’t get far. Once Michael, Vincent, and Gracie wake up, I’m out of here whether you want to give me a ride home or not.”


Other Books In The Series:  
Prequel: Beyond The Iron Gate (A Lost Kingdom of Fallada Novella)
Video Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/CZ6BN0RquJk
Blurb: In the year 1845, before the mystical land of Fallada was separated from the realm of men forever, the two worlds coexisted in harmony. Man could mingle freely in the world of the Elves and Faeries at will and peace reigned. In the hills of Shropshire, England, just miles from the gate separating the village of Ludlow from the world of mystical creatures, farmer’s daughter Zara Wells longs for answers.
It is not only the golden hair that trail feet behind her, or the strange hue of her violet eyes that separates her from the other girls her village. There is something inside of her, something touched by magic that longs to know more about what lies on the other side of the gate. In Fallada, darkness has begun to spread. As the youngest and most beautiful girls of her village begin to disappear, Zara comes closer to discovering the true circumstances surrounding her birth. Little does she know, that the closer she comes to the answers she so desperately desires, the closer she will come to being ensnared in the dark queen’s web of growing treachery.
 
Purchase Links







Book 1: Daughter of the Red Dawn

Video Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/8TRLY5eKrD4
Blurb: These are dark times in the land of Fallada, and I fear that they will only continue to grow darker. Only the return of those we’ve lost will even the score.
It will begin with first line of the prophecy, which foretells of a red sun over the desert sky…
--Adrah, Queen of the Fae

On the outside, seventeen year-old Selena McKinley is like any other teenage girl. Yet Selena has always felt as if she doesn’t belong and is counting the days to graduation and her freedom from the small town that makes her feel so out of place, when the arrival of a stranger turns her world upside down. Selena will learn just how different she is and the truth of where she comes from.
A lost princess, they call her, the catalyst for a war involving a world that Selena was taken from as a child. An evil queen obsessed with her own beauty with a plan to enslave the human race.…the notion seems so silly, yet Selena knows in her heart that it is true. Then there is Titus, the shape shifter whose blue eyes and claims of destiny hold her heart captive. Can Selena find the strength to do what she must while following her heart?
Purchase Links






About The Author:
Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of two and wife to an Army sergeant loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

Author Links:

New Release~ The Edge of Darkness by Melissa Andrea


           ~New Release ~ The Edge of Darkness by Melissa Andrea




Blurb


The Edge of Darkness


After a tragic accident, Araya Noelle is left with a constant reminder that nothing is forever.

She is forced to give up her chance to be the youngest dancer accepted into Julliard & taking over their high society school by a graceful storm of determination is no longer an option. Instead of dwelling over her loss, she accepts the new future she’s been dealt. In a world as black as hers, there's no room for bitterness, no time for regret. Sheltered from the outside world, Araya has become suffocated by a life she has no control over. Until Ryland Dare comes crashing into her life.

You don’t know true darkness until you've felt light…

Like a firecracker, showering her with colorful sparks of freedom, Ryland quickly sweeps Araya away from her grey existence. For the first time since the accident, living in darkness is no longer something Araya wants to do willingly. Unleashed by the shadows of her reminder, being with Ryland, Araya touches light. Together they will learn what it’s like to feel alive for the first time.

At the edge of darkness, a ray of light, will dare them both to HOPE.

DARE them to LOVE

DARE them to LIVE



About the Author:

Melissa Andrea



I find it hard to sum up my life in a paragraph, but I’ll try.
 
I am the author of Flutter, The Discover Series! Reading
has always been a passion for me, and writing as instinctive as breathing.
Every inhale is an idea; every exhale a creation.  The only thing I do better than writing you ask? Making beautiful girls. My daughter’s will always be my greatest accomplishment.



I was born in Denver, Colorado–but I will always think of sunny Arizona
as my home. I don’t have a big family, but I’m close with my sister, brother
& my mom. My mom is my hero, my inspiration, and I couldn’t have asked for a
more amazing person to be raised by.

4 things you should know about me: I’m very girly, but I can get down and dirty
with the best of them. I adore the color pink and things that sparkle
(including vampires), I am a firm believer that chocolate cures ALL and I like
even numbers (hence 4 things about me, not 5) Okay, maybe I cheated a little
with my list, shhhh.


Stalker Links

Like me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/m.andrea.author

Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/melissa_andreaa

Pin with me on Pinterest:
https://pinterest.com/melandrea01/

Keep up to date on my website:
https://melissaandrea.com/

 
Buy links:

Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-edge-of-darkness-cassie-mccown/1115465479?ean=2940016792118
Kobo

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Edge-Of-Darkness/book-EpexF8_awUu5ckX2rplYaw/page1.html
Amazon
 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D4AAU08/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=paranortenden-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B00D4AAU08&adid=1W2VKXM5KX8KM54J10DM

Monday, May 27, 2013

Desolace by Lucian Barnes

Desolace by Lucian Barnes

Katie is frightened. There is a madman kidnapping and killing young women in her town. He leaves the headless corpses displayed for the police to find and he's working fast. Then Katie's friend Julie disappears and she's determined to find her. He journey takes her to someplace she never knew existed with more horrors to evade. She finds help from a very unexpected group of people, but can they find Julie before the unthinkable happens?

This book was different from what I expected. For the first half of the book it seemed to be a normal contemporary story about a serial killer. Then it got weird, but not in a bad way. The author threw in ghosts and parallel universes, a wizard and strange metal killing machines. Katie ended up in a strange land that seemed  mid evil and at the same time some parts were futuristic. She befriended a ghost, and a wizard and her journey began.
I honestly wasn't expecting the twists the author threw in, but I really enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. I would definitely recommend this book if you like paranormal, horror or even sci-fi. Fantastic read!

The series so far is Desolace, Haven, and Outpost 13.
You can get them on amazon. 
Desolace    Haven   Outpost 13


About the Author
 
Lucian began his writing career late in 2010, but has spent most of his life writing stories. He is
a fantasy/horror novelist that enjoys weaving aspects of the paranormal into each story. Lucian's first published works were released in 2012. His third series book, Outpost 13, was just released on March 13, 2013. His next project will be a horror novel titled Innocence Lost. Lucian lives in Pueblo, Colorado.
For more about Lucian Barnes and the Desolace series:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Desolace/292242934166864
also on Twitter @LucianBarnes




Join the Lucian Barnes Street Team on Facebook! 
                                Contact Lucian Barnes or Me to find out how!!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The making of a book trailer ~ Guest post with Sydney Logan

Sydney Logan is a romance author, and she's here today sharing her experience with creating a book trailer for her upcoming release Mountain Charm.

SL: I love book trailers! With their pretty pictures and music, book trailers are a fantastic way to showcase your novel.
Both of my book trailers were created by one of my faithful readers, Rebekah Moss. She is a film & media student, so designing my book trailers gives her some editing experience and offers her the chance to beef up her resumé.
For us, the first step in creating the book trailer is me writing the script. I take snippets from the book blurb and create 15-20 PowerPoint slides with the text. Next come the images, which can sometimes be the toughest part. Typically, it takes weeks for me to find the perfect pictures to complement the text. Once I finally have the presentation ready, I ship it off to Rebekah for her to work her magic.
Then comes the music. :)
This is my favorite part, even if it’s time-consuming to find the perfect song. For my first novel, Lessons Learned, I purchased royalty free music from iTunes which worked great. For Mountain Charm, I asked my readers if any of them were musicians and might be interested in having their music featured in my book trailer. Sarah Cowart, a singer-songwriter from Louisiana, contacted me and pointed me toward her Soundcloud. I fell in love with her music, and we finally settled on an instrumental of her song “Charlotte.” You can listen to Sarah’s music here:http://www.reverbnation.com/sarahcowart
I’m so lucky to have such talented people willing to share their gifts with me and my stories.
Here is the finished product. We hope you enjoy it!



 
Mountain Charm will be released July 4. Pre-orders for the paperback go on sale June 3. For more information about Sydney and her books, visit www.sydneylogan.com.


          Mountain Charm


 
“True love and sweet whispers, till death do us part;
Send someone to love my Appalachian heart.”

At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm.

That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch.

Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance.

Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly.

Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter.

The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell?

A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.

 


About the Author: 
Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the Romantic Interludescompilation. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.

Her second novel, Mountain Charm, is slated for a summer 2013 release.



Links:















Saturday, May 18, 2013

May giveaway #3

 Giveaway month continues with a brand new prize pack!

This weeks prize is a hardcover copy of Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon and a book light!




Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon

In the world of the Were-Hunters, like stays with like. Species don’t mix and they definitely don’t
fall in love. But from the moment Aimee Peltier took in a wounded wolf, her heart wouldn’t listen to what her head told her.
However, Fang Kattalakis isn’t just a wolf; he is the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion: the ruling council that enforces the laws of the lyncanthropes. His brothers are the wolf representatives and Aimee’s mother represents the Bear clan. Aimee is the heir apparent for her species. There is no way these two can ever be together and they know it.
But when war comes to Sanctuary, the establishment run by Aimee’s family, sides must be chosen and enemies are forced into shaky alliances. Aimee is accused of betraying her people, and her only hope is the one man who believes in her. Yet in order to save her, Fang must break the law of his people, and that breech could very well spell the end of both their races.



To enter: You must like my facebook page Paranormal Tendencies. Please comment below with your facebook name/ID so I can verify on your profile. ( If you provide the link to your profile that will make things easier on me.) For a bonus entry, please like my book club page Readers After Dark. I will verify both of these by checking your facebook profile under the likes section. :) I will choose a winner on Friday May 24, 2013 at 7pm cst via random.org.

www.facebook.com/ParanormalTendencies

www.facebook.com/ReadersAfterDark  

Good luck!!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Our month of giveaways continues! - May giveaway # 2

Our first giveaway has ended, but don't worry. I promised you a month of giveaways and I will deliver! Ready? Drum roll please.....


The second giveaway will be a 4 pack of signed Harlequin romance novels by Julie Kenner! 




You'll get:

Moonstruck by Julie Kenner

Starstruck by Julie Kenner

Just Fooling Around by Julie Kenner and Kathleen O'Reilly

Endless Summer by Julie Kenner, Karen Anders and Jill Monroe







To enter: Leave a comment below and a winner will be picked at random.org on Friday May 17th.  Good luck!!

*Only one comment per person please. Winner will be chosen from original comments only and not replies to comments. Please make sure you follow my blog and leave your email with your comment so I can contact you if you win.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Writer's Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy blog tour


The Writers workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy


About the Book
 

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry. Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in. Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.
This is, after all, a collection of advice from professional storytellers. And no two writers have made it to the stage via the same journey-each has made his or her own path to success. And that’s one of the strengths of this book. The reader is afforded the luxury of discovering various approaches and then is allowed to choose what works best for him or her.


 Contributing authors

Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, Alan Dean Foster, James Gunn, Tim Powers, Harry Turtledove, Larry Niven, Joe Haldeman, Kevin J. Anderson, Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Nancy Kress, George Zebrowski, Pamela Sargent, Mike Resnick, Ellen Datlow, James Patrick Kelly, Jo Fletcher, Stanley Schmidt, Gordon Van Gelder, Lou Anders, Peter Crowther, Ann VanderMeer John, Joseph Adams, Nick Mamatas, Lucy A. Snyder, Alethea Kontis, Nisi Shawl, Jude-Marie Green, Nayad A. Monroe, G. Cameron Fuller, Jackie Gamber, Amanda DeBord, Max Miller, Jason Sizemore

Writers Workshop Excerpt



Nothing fills a page faster than dialogue,” the writer said.



There it is, the blank page or screen, the intimidating and recurring challenge every writer must face. The temptation is to fill that page as quickly as possible, to advance the narrative however you can. Often the easiest way to do that, even for writers who are not masters of dialogue, is to get the characters talking. A few A few writers are even bold enough to begin novels or stories with a line of dialogue, something I don’t recommend unless you possess the skills of the early Robert A Heinlein, who began his story “Blowups Happen” with the suspenseful line: “Put down that wrench!” Orson Scott Card also opened his popular novel Ender’s Game with a piece of dialogue that immediately rouses the reader’s curiosity: “‘I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one.” Writing good and convincing dialogue is usually enough of a challenge without relying on it to hook a reader right at the beginning of one’s story. Writing dialogue, whatever the difficulties, is generally easier than, for example, crafting descriptive passages, offering insights into a character’s

psychology, creating vigorous and absorbing action scenes, or presenting necessary exposition in a graceful way.



Writers who harbor dreams of scriptwriting may be especially prone to fill pages with dialogue, but others also succumb, partly because dialogue is a shortcut and a very useful one. Sometimes a few well-chosen words of conversation can accomplish as much in a story as pages of description and exposition. There are also a fair number of readers who are more absorbed by stretches of repartee than by beautifully and poetically rendered descriptions. (Writers meet these people all the time; they’re the ones who tell you they skip all the dull parts, often meaning those carefully wrought passages that cost you so much effort.) Better just to cut to the chase, or in this case, drop in on the conversation.



The strength of dialogue—namely that it can be a useful shortcut—is also its weakness. Writers who rely too much on dialogue risk leaving too much out. The writer may hear the characters clearly and easily envision the scene, but that doesn’t mean that the reader will. (In a review of a novel some years back, Joanna Russ wrote that passages in that book seemed to be largely about names drinking cups of coffee, noticing the designs of ashtrays, or riffing on the furnishings in a room, the characters were so indistinguishable.) The beginning writer is likely to produce dialogue in which the reader will find it hard to tell one character from another. The useful shortcut can produce a story that is sketchy, in which too much has been left out. 








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