author

#BookBlastCarnival – #Blog Hop & #giveaway – 10 Authors, 10 titles! Check it out!

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Welcome to my stop for the Book Blast Carnival Hop.  Ten authors are presenting their titles, and there is a giveaway where you can enter to win Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for Readers with prizes of $60, $40  $20 and $10 . Many of the titles are on a limited time only sale of $0.99 for the eBook version, and genres include Romance, Science Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, Paranormal, and Literary Fiction.

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Download a Sample  Purchase Now: Amazon
About the Author:

Born and raised in Ohio, Abby L. Vandiver is a former lawyer and college professor of Economics. She holds a bachelor in Economics, a master in Public Administration and a Juris Doctor. These days, Ms. Vandiver enjoys writing and endeavors to devote all her extra time to it.

Her debut novel, In the Beginning, an Amazon #1 bestseller, was written on a whim, put in a box for more than a decade, and finally pulled out, dusted off and published in 2013. It has inspired her to write a sequel, Irrefutable Proof, as well as start a series of books loosely based on her family and a true crime novel.

Ms. Vandiver resides in Cleveland, Ohio and has three wonderful grandchildren, Gavin, Sydne and Riley.

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About the Author:

Born and raised on the Canadian prairies, Dianne Greenlay saves lives by day (besides being a writer, she is a physiotherapist in a remote sole charge clinic as well as a retired EMT), and she tells lies by night (as any entertaining fiction writer would do). She is also a playwright and Creative Director of the very successful and long-running community theater group, Darkhorse Theatre.

As an author, she has won multiple awards for her historical action novels, Quintspinner- A Pirate’s Quest and Deadly Misfortune. Straying into the genre of humour/comedy, Greenlay is the author of The Camping Guy, which is also available as a one act comedy (live theater script).

Greenlay began writing her first novel to fulfill one of the items on her bucket list. It was either that or learn to play the bagpipes. Her husband is grateful for her choice. She is fluent in at least her mother tongue and she thanks her fierce English teachers for that.

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About the Author:

An award-winning author, Jackie Weger has been writing romance novels off and on for thirty years. She’s traveled to many interesting and exotic locales from London and Paris to Panama and Costa Rica. She’s sailed on a twenty-nine foot sloop in the Pacific, volunteered at a Sisters of Mercy Mission in Colon, canoed on the Big East River in the wilds of Canada and lived part of a winter with trappers in the Louisiana swamps—collecting memories, friends and experiences—which oft times make appearances in her novels. Writing and self-publishing enovels is a new adventure. Says Weger: “I won’t say it’s safe because half the time I don’t know what I’m doing. But, at least I don’t have to carry a machete or keep snake gun handy.”

Book Blast Carnival is Jackie’s first blog tour experience.
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About the Author:

Sweet romance author Joanne Hill is a born and bred Kiwi who grew up reading the romance novels of iconic New Zealand author Essie Summers. A founding member and past president of Romance Writers of New Zealand, she began indie publishing her books in late 2012 and now has three novels and a short story collection available.

She works in a heritage research library, and recently completed her Masters in Information Studies (MIS) where she examined readers’ advisory and Mills and Boon romances for her research project.  Although much of her life revolves around the past –  she also edits her local historical society newsletter and has a BA in Ancient History and History –  her reading and writing preferences are firmly in the present.

She lives in the North Island of New Zealand with her family, and like all romance authors, shares life with assorted pets –  including guinea pigs and a bunny who all have free reign of the back yard.
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About the Author:
I was born in Arkansas, played in Louisiana, and lived in Texas. Mostly in a small border town called Texarkana. It’s just about a mile from here to there. And you still aren’t anywhere. It’s the kind of town in which you can stand on the steps of a Baptist church and lob a rock across State Line Road to hit the front door of the liquor store. No matter how many roads you take to get out of there, it’s the kind of town that just hangs in your soul, coloring everything you do or think or say. Kind of like the small Texas town you’ll read about in A Home for Wayward Husbands. A Home for Wayward Husbands is about people surviving with the odds all against them. There’s some romance, some sex and a bit of mystery. The folks in this book are trying to keep secrets from each other and everyone knows you can’t keep a good secret in a small town. Not in any I’ve ever lived in anyway. I live with a dog and my imagination.

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About the Author:

Ju Ephraime began writing professionally at the age of 19, but her love of romantic literature developed when she was a teenager, where she often found herself dallying with her own tales of love and romance. Two decades later, Ju decided to write novels for women who enjoy a quick spicy-themed read that includes pure pleasure and escape from the real world. With ten romantic novels to her credit, Ju admits her books are part fact, part imagination – but only she knows what’s what.

Ju Ephraime lives in Connecticut with her husband, who blushingly reads every loving tale that she publishes. Her newest release, Complete Surrender, #3 in her LaCasse Series, is set to be released on January 2014.

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About the Author: 

From nine to five, Julie Frayn is a mild mannered accountant. But the rest of the time, her dark, bent, writer alter-ego comes to life. When she isn’t counting beans or making things up in her head, she is mother to the two most perfect adults on the planet. She isn’t biased, just observant. When they were younger, they were perfect muses for silly poetry about smashed peas and birds with gastroenteritis.

Julie has penned two novels (Suicide City, a Love Story and It Isn’t Cheating if He’s Dead) and published one trilogy of short, short stories. Two more novels are in the works. Stay tuned for She’d Kill for Normal, and The Orphan and the Rose, both in 2014.

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About the Author: 

Linda Lee Williams writes “contemporary romances with a paranormal twist.” After moving to Denver from Chicago, she taught writing classes at Arapahoe Community College and formed a writers group.  Recently, she teamed up with her husband Tim—the artist that illustrated her book covers—to publish her novels on Amazon.

An outdoor enthusiast, Linda enjoys hiking, biking, and birding.  She loves critters of all kinds—domestic and wild.  During her journeys, she’s called Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and Colorado home.  Wherever she roams, she draws inspiration from her surroundings.

Elsewhere
, her first published novel, ranked among Storm Goddess Book Reviews “favorite books of 2013.”  She also earned the Liebster Blog Award from fellow bloggers.  Her second novel, Old Town Nights, was among the nominees for “best romance of the year” on Critters Writers Workshop – P&E Readers Poll.

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About the Author
:

A Navy brat and graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, Lorrie Farrelly is proud to be a Fightin’ Banana Slug. Following graduate school at Northwestern University, she began a career in education that included teaching art to 4th graders, drama to 8th graders, and finally, math to high school students.

She’s a three-time winner on Jeopardy!, has shepherded wide-eyed foreign exchange students along Hollywood Blvd, and has happily curried and shoveled as a ranch hand at Disneyland’s Circle D Ranch. And always, she writes.

Lorrie has won a Presidential Commendation for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics. She’s been a Renaissance nominee for Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the Orange Rose Award in romantic fiction. She’s never won the lottery, except where her family is concerned. For her, they’re the ultimate prize.

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See the Trailer on YouTube


About the Author:

Sarah Lane’s first novel The God of My Art was longlisted for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Her short stories and poetry have been featured in literary journals, including The Antigonish ReviewRoar Magazine, and Quills: Canadian Poetry Magazine, among other magazines.
Sarah Lane was transplanted from California to Canada as a child and grew up in rural British Columbia. As a young adult, wanderlust led her to live abroad in France and the USA, and to travel extensively in Cameroon, Mexico, and Europe. She holds a B.A. in international relations and a M.A. in comparative literature from the University of British Columbia.
Mom to two young children, speaker of accented French, and all around xenophile, she currently lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she is working on her next novel.

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Giveaway!

Here is where you can enter to be one of FOUR Amazon gift card winners
There is a total of $130 usd to be given away in four  prizes of $60, $40  $20 and $10
This drawing will run through 23.59 EST on 1 March, winners will be notified on 2 March and have 24 hours to respond before another winner is chosen, Prizes are sponsored by participating authors and will be fulfilled by Bippity Boppity Book Virtual Tours. You must be 18 or older to enter.

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Guest Post: Marie F Crow – What Does a Horror Author know of Horror?

Originally posted on Marie F Crow’s website, re-posted with permission of author.

 

What Does a Horror Author know of Horror?

 

What does a horror author know of horror? When living in a home haunted by the ghost of a little girl, plenty. When we moved in the home, we excused a lot of the noises as simply being new to us. We shouldn’t have. Within the first week of calling our new home, home, shadow figures were soon a constant sighting. We dismissed alot of it to “tricks of the eye” or “too many late night movie binges”, but when the clock struck three a.m., it became hard to dismiss it as anything imagined.

The house always takes on a different feel as if by magic or some twist of the senses. The air in the home will start to feel thicker, heavier as the shadows grow deeper. Footsteps can be heard running up and down the hallways’ wooden floors. Voices will call to you as you pass doorways. Sometimes, the little girl will even stand in those doorways staring back at you. When that happens, you almost miss the voices.

Being a mom and a writer, I am often up late at night. That is when I do the best work with no one to ask questions about dinner or homework. I had thought the girl, and the others that seem to roam the house as if we are the guests, and I had struck a deal. By announcing that I was coming downstairs, I was able to avoid a lot of the surprises they used to gift me. They would still let me know I was being watched by the moving of papers, swinging the hanging lanterns, turning on the LED tea lights, or the rush of wind as a shadow crossed my path, but they also allowed me space. They wouldn’t touch me anymore or run up behind me to watch me spin with dread. They wouldn’t pull the doors shut as I tried to open them or slam them as I walked past like an angry teen. I could work with their “hellos” if they just gave me some space. I’m not sure why it changed.

Now, it is not uncommon to see the shadow of a man standing at the top of the stairs at anytime of the day. Sometimes he will wait, lurking the in shadow right past a doorway only to step out as you pass. He will walk behind you, letting you see him in the mirrors of the house and when I shower, I am never really alone. You would imagine that to be more scary for him?

Pictures are torn down from walls to be discovered broken on the floor when going to investigate the loud crash. Even with his new tricks, hers are more impressive. My husband will tell you of the many times she has ran up behind him, waiting for him to turn around only to run away again. You can hear her little feet running all the way from the bedrooms upstairs to the den and back again like a child playing a game of hide and seek. Only, we don’t really want to seek. She has even woken him with gentle shaking motions from sleep to lead him around the house in a state of half-slumber with that same game before she disappears. That is when he remembers that our girls are in bed asleep and have been the whole time.

For me, she plays a different game. She likes to stare at me through the cracked door of my office as I write. With only half of her face visible, I can still watch as she smiles at me when I finally see her. She will follow me from home in the back seat of my car where I will see her in the review mirror before that same smile and she is gone. I can watch her baby-sized handprints form on bathroom mirrors. Her laughter will sometimes come from opposite ends of the house when I am home alone, taunting me to “come play”. I don’t. I have seen enough horror movies to know what happens when you say “Hello?” into a dark room.

So, what does a horror author know of horror? My friends will tell you more than she needs to know. For me?  I think it’s all fun and games, but if the crosses should start turning upside down or my children start talking in languages that I don’t understand – text speak aside – you might want to ask me again.

Marie F Crow

 

Things to do now:

See Marie F Crow’s cover reveal for Remnants

See our review of The Risen Margaret

See our review of The Risen Dawning

Check out Marie’s website

Check out her most recent vlog

Tweet her on Twitter

Visit her Facebook Page

Save Me Blog Tour – Except, Cover and Giveaway!

Buy it HERE
 
 
 
 
BLURB

Andi was doing just fine on her own. Sure the world had been hit with an outbreak that turned anyone infected into flesh eating zombies. Not to mention that everyone she ever loved was now dead. She was alive though, taking care of herself. She had little desire to indulge in building relationships with anyone. People just couldn’t be trusted. Whether they screwed you over intentionally, or just managed to get themselves killed, no one stuck around for very long. She didn’t need anyone else either. That was until Will showed up to save her.

Will, with his sparkling green eyes, lips you just wanted to taste, and insanely adorable crooked smile, wasn’t letting Andi get rid of him so easily. Yet still, Andi did everything she could to push her feelings, and Will, away. The more time they spent together though, the more difficult that became. In a world where another day was not something you could count on, wasting even a single moment, could mean missing out on your only chance for happiness. 


 
 
 
 MEET L J Baker
 
L J lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband, four kids,
two cats, and an inherited dog from
  hell
(a.k.a. the sewer gremlin).
  Though
writing has always been her first passion, she got a degree in psychological
counseling and worked in the mental health field for awhile, which she finds
very helpful in dealing with her crazy family.

She is a lover of all different types of music and books, switching
between genres so wildly it sometimes makes people wonder if she has multiple
personalities.
  She is most likely to be
found writing romance stories of all kinds (contemporary, erotic, new adult,
young adult, fantasy, etc.) and has just finished writing her first book, Save
Me. When she’s not writing, she prefers to spend her time reading, taking
photos, or spending time with her family.
 
 STALK HER…
EXCERPT

“Andi,” He took my chin into his hand, gently lifting it to meet his sparkling gaze. “The last thing I want to do is leave you.” A tear escaped down my face and he wiped it away with his thumb, pulling me against him. I could hear his heart thump loudly in his chest and smell that familiar scent so unique to him. I wanted to stay there like that forever, forget the rest of the world. Will took a long deep breath into my hair and nudged me back to look in my eyes. “You don’t want me to leave, do you?”

“No.” was all I could manage. I wanted to tell him I couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving, that I didn’t even want to leave the middle of this street for fear of the distance that had been between us this week would return. He leaned down closer, his breath warm against my face, his lips almost touching mine.

“Good.” Will gave me one of his signature crooked smiles.


GIVEAWAY
 

Q&A with Kelly Samarah, author of Thorns of Glass. Her inspiration, her hobbies, and her newest release!

So today we’ve got a wonderful interview with Kelly Samarah, author of Thorns of Glass.

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Thanks for joining us today, Kelly! 🙂 We’re so glad to have you, and get some questions answered!

 So first off, where do you call home?

 Molalla, Oregon, a little logging town nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Range and just a hop away from the Mt.Hood National Forest. I grew up here, moved to Salem, Oregon for ten years, and just came back a little over a year ago. It’s still small and close-knit.

I’ve gotta ask, what’s your preferred genre to write?

Hhhmmm, I always hate this question. I write. I lean toward the horrific side of the spectrum, but not always. I have several ideas and story lines brewing from all over the board.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

 I always have been a writer. Reading and writing go hand in hand. I am a lover of books. No, let me rephrase that. I am in love with books. In kindergarten I was reading chapter books and getting in trouble for skipping ahead in our reader books. In second grade my teacher made me read all of my short stories aloud in class. Same thing in fourth grade. In junior high I tried my hand at poetry, and discovered I am not a poet. Fast forward to a couple years ago: Life had chewed me up and spit me out. I found myself a single mom, very little money and no future. Writing had been on the back burner for a long time. I decided to go back to school-for Criminal Justice of all things-and took a writing class as an elective. My teacher told me I was cheating myself if I didn’t focus on my love for the craft. I took his words to heart. How do you explain the feeling when you have finally come back to what you were meant to do? Complete? Not a strong enough word, I think. Maybe it’s unexplainable.

So, what stories and/or books do you have released right now?

Thorns of Glass

Thorn cover

“Sam Jude was a typical teen growing up in the 1980’s. He loved his little family-his mom, Cheryl and kid brother, James. But when Cheryl brings home her new boyfriend, Ray, Sam’s life is turned upside down. Ray is abusive, but more than that. He has secrets. Sam knows he has to find out what they are-they could be the key to saving his family from Ray’s grip. Sam comes close to revealing Ray’s dark past, but everything changes for him when he wakes up dead. Now he is lost, and his family doesn’t know what happened. Trapped within the walls he was murdered in, Sam is befriended by another spirit, Dahli, who has secrets of her own. Together, Dahli and Sam must find a way to help Cheryl and James before it’s too late.”

The Edge

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“The lines between dream and reality are blurred as Joe fights to escape from the demons in his head.”

My novel and a short story. Both are on the horror side, although Thorns of Glass is a little more complex than that. It deals with domestic abuse, murder, child abuse…it’s a sad read more than scary. The Edge is a straight up psychological thriller. It will also be included in my anthology. Both are available on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords.

Are you currently working on anything? Any details you can share?

Right now I am getting ready to release a short story collection, called Beneath The Blood Moon. It will be up on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords on August 25th. The stories are quick, scary reads, more psychological than anything else.

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I am also doing what I call Blog-A-Book Friday on my blog. Each week I am posting the roughest of the rough draft chapters to a YA fantasy novel I have been playing around with. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m hoping at some point I take it seriously and it turns into a book.

I’ve heard to be a great writer, you need to read and read a lot. Do you like to read?

I LOVE to read. Anything, but I prefer horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. The only thing I will not indulge in is romance or erotica. Not my thing.

 Wonderful! Those are some of my favorite genres as well. Who are the authors who have inspired you?

Stephen King, Anne Rice, Lois Lowry, Dean Koontz, Madeleine L’Engle, and lately, John Hart and Neal Shusterman. There are so may more, but let’s leave it here, at the risk of me going on and on.

Your novel and short stories are so original, I need to know, where do you get your ideas?

I have so many ideas I carry a small notebook around with me. I want to get a voice recorder, but the thought of listening to myself talk to me is unnerving. I would much rather write it down. I love to give people goose bumps. I blame the “what-if” conversations commonly held with my son and my brothers. The best story ideas come to me after one of those sessions.

 

Thank you Kelly for those wonderful answers! It’s always awesome to kind of get a glimpse into a writers head! 🙂 I cannot wait to pick up your newest anthology! Best of luck! 🙂

 

Here’s some links to interact with Kelly:

Blog: http://www.kellysamarah.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/kellySKnobf

Twitter: @kellysamarah

 

Interested in Kelly’s books:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/332184

http://www.amazon.com/Thorns-Glass-Kelly-Samarah/dp/1482622254/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376311404&sr=8-1&keywords=Thorns+of+Glass

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291615

 

Kelly’s Bio:

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Kelly Samarah grew up in a small town located in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. When she isn’t busy working on a new story to share with her readers she enjoys cooking, music, painting and of course, reading. She also enjoys spending time with her dog, cat and two children.

Blood of Kaos by J.D Miller – Review

Blood of Kaos by J.D. Miller

 BloodofKaos
Magic Synopsis
One night Etain is torn from the world of her childish innocence and plunged into a realm of deadly chaos.  Forced to run for her life, she stumbles into the world of the Alamir, human warriors with the magic who defend the delicate balance between good and evil. Even they can not protect her from the Bok’Na’Ra pursuer that murdered her family.
Lord Darknight and Midr raised as brothers are the light and dark of one single soul. Midr has known of Etain’s existence most of her life and he wants to possess the power she holds. Lord Darknight is unaware of her when he rescues her after a violent battle. His duty is to train and protect her in the ways of the Warrior.
Magic ReviewWizard A
Reviewed by Catherine for Sunshine & Mountains
A wonderful compelling read
This is a story that is centered around Etain, who has to face many challenges after faced with great loss. She has to learn how to use the powers she holds. She and her sister fall for the same guy and this guy is a demon. He has had a very hard life as well.  He and his brother are sworn enemies and they use the girls has little pieces in the battle they with each other. Etain has to endure so much through whole book, will she be able to survive?
All of the characters come together in very interesting ways. The dynamics and how things play out are very interesting. The internal struggles they all deal is fascinating, and the way they deal with them is beautifully written.
In the beginning I didn’t think I enjoy this book.  But I have to tell you that J.D.Miller has some of the most creative writing I have read in a while. I love the fantasy world in this book, it’s a very complex story and would be a great pick for anyone that loves reading about fantasy worlds.
** I was given this book to read in exchange for an honest review.  
Magic Author
nesa1
J.D Miller is just a little ole Texan living in the motherland – England – with my English husband. Moved here about 3-1/2 years ago leaving all my family & friends back in Texas – parents, brother, 2 daughters, 1 son, 1 talented grandson & 1 gorgeous granddaughter. But, on the bright side, She resumed her writing which had been put on hold for far too long.

“Blood of Kaos is the first. I have learned a lot on this path and my style has changed immensely along the way. I hope that whatever I write you will always enjoy.”

Magic Links
Plus you can see our earlier spotlight of J.D Miller here!

Review: The Risen: Dawning by Marie F Crow – Bringing the Zombie Novel back to Glory!

The Risen – Dawning  by Marie F Crow

Paranormal Fiction/Romance (Kick Ass Zombie Novel)

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Blurb:

Helena Hawthorn has lived her entire life in the dark shadow of her perfect younger siblings, The Hawthorn Angels. Now as the world awakens to a new horror, she will have to risk everything to keep them safe or forever be haunted by the failure to keep them alive. Each day will bring a new victory, or a new scar, as Helena learns that the dawn waits for no one.

With her newly bonded family, the local motorcycle club G.R.I.T., they will discover the world now holds much deeper horrors for them than they could have ever imagined. The Risen not only stalk the earth but stalk their nightmares as well.

Review:

Grade: A+

I don’t often give A+’s for book reviews, because honestly, it takes a lot for me to think a book couldn’t be a teeny, tiny bit better. A’s are wonderful, well written, interesting books, but A+ means, it has no fault in my eyes.

The Risen: Dawning is an A+ book for me for numerous reasons.

Marie F. Crow has an outstanding writing talent and a unique voice to her novel. The introverted thoughts, along with the fabulous descriptive writing kept me tied into the story from the moment I started. I felt how the characters felt, I smelled what the characters were smelling. Marie has an unbelievable talent for involving all 5 senses into her writing that few authors today do.

Zombie novels are a dime a dozen, and it’s almost comical how many there are. We lost the innate fear that zombies have the power to create. But not in this book; this book harkens back to a George A Romero zombie movie, a classic. Not in the plot, but as a real horror story, giving us chills, and sticking with us. Filling our minds with the wonderfully created terror that oh so few authors have the ability to grasp. She gives us the gore that so often has been ignored. Zombie and gore go hand in hand, and I’m glad to see a author who truly understands that.

She manages to interweave horror, humor, and a bit of romance is a way that’s natural, progressive, and interesting. There’s nothing in this novel that hits you over the head, no cliché scenes. Marie takes the zombie novel and elevates it into a movie for the mind. Every detail is there, each description is alive, but not overly wordy.

The character development of Helena as a character was also exciting and painful all at the same time. She has to wipe away years of resentment in a single instant, making decisions based on gut. She’s a strongly written, well described character. She has heart, a bit of humor, and a multitude of thoughts that help us really get into her character and sink into the story.

I’ve seen the reviews on Amazon for this book, and if you do not enjoy original thoughts, wonderfully well written stories, with lush descriptions, then fine, don’t buy this novel. It’s your choice and we can respect that.

In my opinion, saying that this novel isn’t worth the 2.99 price is a travesty. Readers who want to see new things, to be brought into a whole new world, experience great writing that uses wonderful description can be assured The Risen: Dawning is a great choice. I honestly loved it, and thought that it was a fresh take on zombies with a unique and not unwelcome writing style. Some may say it’s wordy, but I think it’s perfect.

I plan to buy the paperback and hunt the author down to get it signed, because this belongs on my real bookshelf, not just my kindle shelf! 🙂

** I was honored to have been given a copy of this novel, to read, and review honestly. All opinions are my own. I stand behind my comments.

If you’d like to delve into the world Marie F. Crow has created, check out her book on Amazon, and interact with her on Facebook, or Goodreads!

Cover Reveal: Christy Sloat – Unfound

I’ve got some of the best news yet! 🙂 Cover Reveal for Unfound by Christy Sloat! 🙂 She has got bloggers everywhere helping her celebrate the release of her cover for her new novella! 🙂

Cover:

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Blurb:

Kayla Hart was loved by some, but not all. There were whispers she was a witch. Most chose to believe she was merely a misguided freak. The sad truth was she was just unpopular and a bit shy. When Kayla went missing everyone pretended to care. The entire community scoured her small New Jersey town looking for her. But this tragic story has no hero. Kayla’s disappearance would remain a mystery. Only she knows why and what happened the night she became…Unfound

Don’t miss out on books one and two in this series; The Brown House and The Crimson Key.

This book has an expected release date September 2013 🙂

I cannot wait! I’m actually currently have The Brown House on my TBR list!

Connect with Christy on Facebook and Goodreads!

Casted by Sonya Loveday Released today! Best news yet!

Casted has been released! This is an amazing day for Fantasy fans everywhere!! 🙂
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Blurb:

“Jade had spent the majority of her life running from the Triad. The Triad, are a powerful group, who would stop at nothing to obtain Jade and the missing spell book for leader, Lorenzo’s, nefarious plans. And now that she has absorbed the highly coveted magic contained inside the missing book, there is nowhere left for her to hide.

With the help of her friends, Jade steps out from the shadows and learns how to fight back. But no one is prepared for Elinor-the woman bound inside of the book that’s trapped in Jade’s mind. Now she not only needs to protect herself from the Triad, but from what’s hiding inside her mind as well.

Jade never expected the answer to it all would revolve around love.

Edge is dark, mysterious, and a sworn member of the Triad. He also hides a secret past that threatens the thin line he walks between good and evil. Lives are at stake when Jade and Edge’s two worlds collide. Can Jade learn to trust him when he says he is her pre-ordained and vows to do everything he can to protect her? But more importantly, can she trust herself and the woman in her mind?”

It sounds beyond awesome! I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!

About the Author

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to the realization that this was the answer to the nagging persistent feeling that ‘there’s got to be something more’.

The dream came alive in 2009 when she purchased her laptop and began the tedious step of becoming a published author.

When she’s not reading, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. And when she’s not doing either of those things she’s sleeping, shuttling her children back and forth to school, letting the dogs and cats in and out of the house for the umpteenth time in the last hour and dreaming of a clean house.

You can find Sonya Loveday on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and WordPress on the links below:

http://www.facebook.com/sonyalovedayauthor?ref=hl

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11660396-sonya-loveday

https://twitter.com/SonyaLoveday – @SonyaLoveday

http://sonyaloveday.wordpress.com/

Check out Casted now!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Casted-series-ebook/dp/B00E891C06/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375308278&sr=8-1&keywords=Casted+Sonya+kindle

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/casted-sonya-loveday/1116240459?ean=2940148653486

Author Spotlight: Sarah M. Cradit – House of Crimson & Clover Series @thewritersarah

So, I am a new street team member for The House of Crimson & Clover Series, and honestly, I’m a little behind because I’ve only been able to read the first book, and I haven’t shared my love of this author’s writing yet! 🙂

Sarah M Cradit is one of those writers that writes outstanding fiction, and is just as wonderful and pleasent with her fans online as possible! This lady is an amazing author and sweetheart. You don’t always get both is authors, but it seems we get lucky in the indie genre, because we get great authors! 🙂

I just wanted to take a minute to highlight Sarah and her series! This way, once I start blogging about the first and second book, you guys will already know what’s going on! 🙂

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Author: Sarah M. Cradit

Sarah is the author of the Southern Fiction series, The House of Crimson and Clover. The series was born of her combined loves of New Orleans, family dramas, and the mysterious nature of love and desire. Her books combine elements of mystery, suspense, intrigue, romance, and even paranormal. She is always working on the next book in the series, and absolutely loves connecting with her fans.

Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest, but has traveled the world from Asia to Europe to Africa. When she isn’t working (either at her day career, or hard at work at writing), she is reading a book and discovering new authors. The great loves of her life (in order) are: her husband James, her writing, and traveling the world.

 

Sarah M. Cradit Online:

Blog: http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/houseofcrimsonandclover

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewritersarah

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6914411.Sarah_M_Cradit

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The House of Crimson and Clover Series

The House of Crimson and Clover series follows the lives of two New Orleans families: the august and mysterious Sullivans and Deschanels. The Sullivans, a family of hard-working Irish lawyers, have come from nothing and built a life they can be proud of. The Deschanels, a moderately wealthy family who became extremely wealthy by siding with the North during the Civil War, betraying their people. Both families have a dark and rich history, full of secrets, and full of surprises.

The books in this series unravel the stories of both the individuals as well as the families themselves, discovering the ways these families and their secrets intersect, and each story pulls us even farther into their stories.

While the series is meant to be treated as one long narrative, each book can stand-alone and be enjoyed without having read the other books.

The House of Crimson and Clover Series Online:

Home Page & Overview: http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/an-introduction-to-the-house-of-crimson-and-clover-series/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahcradit/the-house-of-crimson-and-clover/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/houseofcrimsonandclover

ENJOY! 🙂

Also, in honor of Sarah’s birthday, there’s a big 99cent sale on her books! 🙂

” I honor of my birthday week, I am running a 5-day sale where BOTH St. Charles at Duk and The Storm and the Darkness are just 99 CENTS! This price on Darkness ends August 5th! This is a great chance to snag both books at a great price. Please share with your friends!”

BN: http://bit.ly/12ClvWx
Amazon: http://amzn.to/16cNVrc

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Review: Jack Be Nimble: Gargoyle by @BenglishAuthor Ben English

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Grade:  B+

Jack Be Nimble: Gargoyle is the first in the Jack Be Nimble Series by Ben English

Available on Amazon and B&N

Blurb:

“The boy came to her out of water, unexpected. He was smart and strong and goofy, as boys are meant to be, but peculiar – he remembered everything.
In the span of a single summer, she made him fearless.
Now, even as Mercedes Adams is at the height of her career, forbidding changes loom over the world. That night, in the hushed calm of a spring evening, two plain-faced killers watch her home, waiting to make their approach.
A few hundred miles away, a brilliant technologist returns to his childhood town in order to begin a descent into darkness . . . in London, a military game theorist finds himself pursuing kidnappers . . . outside Prague, a hacker and a thief stumble upon plans for a weapon unique to the world . . . an FBI agent faces an unpredictable fugitive in Chicago, while in Germany, a sniper-turned-schoolteacher finds reasons to take up his ancient calling . . . and a sitting United States Senator finds his life and his work invaded to terrifying conclusion. In Paris, a widowed man begins to recognize the hints and patterns of a greater puzzle that will bring them together . . . or kill them all.
Mercedes Adams is about to find herself at the center of a vast, tightening knot of mystery, intrigue, and globe-spanning terror borne of her family’s legacy. Rising to her aid is a small group of specially-trained men and women. And at their center?
A man who remembers everything.”

Review:

Jack Be Nimble takes us on a journey through the lives and relationship of Jack and Mercedes. This is the core plot line throughout this book, and they both are struggling to keep their separate lives together, when all they want is to be together. They just haven’t completely realized it.

Note, this is NOT a romance novel, so those of you uninterested in romance keep reading, I bet this book will have something that interests you because this book has it all.

Spies, Heartbroken lovers, kidnapping, photographers, England, France, swimming, hidden weapons and action

Truckloads of action!

The other core plot line of the novel is spies, kidnapping, and secret missions. This novel could rivel any military novel, spy novel out there. It’s got all the hallmarks of a good action novel, but it also has the characters and history for a love story.

To be honest, the only reason this book got a B+ and not an A+ was because the scene switches were a little hard for me. I got lost a couple times trying to figure out if I was in real life, fiction life, or past time. The stories are amazing, well written and completely understandable once you are in a scene. I may be the only person who got confused but I loved this book so much, it didn’t hinder me from continuing! J

By the time you make it to the end of this novel, it all becomes clear, so hold on for the twist and turns and a bit of confusion from past and present stories, and enjoy it. This novel is the perfect premise for a well thought out, logical action movie!  Jack is an amazing character; the depth in the character is clearly present from the beginning, in the future scenes, current scenes, and past scenes. Jack’s character never wavers.

I love this novel, I’ll definitely be checking out his other novels, to see what happens to Jack next, and you should too! J

About The Author:

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Ben English’s first thriller, Jack Be Nimble:  Gargoyle, was based on a short story written for a literary contest while he was an undergraduate student.  He was first published at age 14 in Merlyn’s Pen magazine.

He attended Brigham Young University, where he studied international relations, English, and broadcast journalism.  Ben also holds an MBA with an emphasis in Global Management.  In addition to working as a novelist, Ben is the head of marketing for an international high technology firm based in Orlando, Florida.

An advocate of education, literacy, and helping children fulfill their potential, Ben provides pro bono strategic and marketing services to Read it LOUD!, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, dedicated to raising awareness about the profound positive impact that parents have by reading aloud to their children, in their success in school and life.

Ben currently lives in the Orlando area with his wife and two children, who infuse his life with hilarity and inspiration.

You can connect with him on his website, facebook, twitter, Amazon page, and goodreads! J

**I was given a free copy of this novel in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.