Friday, January 31, 2014

Curse of the Scarab by H.Y. Hanna



Curse of the Scarab
by H.Y.Hanna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Missing puppies. Deadly secrets. Serious slobber.

Honey the Great Dane enjoyed a pretty peaceful life: walking her human, checking Peemail at the park… until the arrival of a puppy named Bean turns her life upside down. But when Bean goes missing – together with other neighbourhood pups – Honey sets out on a dangerous quest to find them. Joined by her canine friends, Honey tackles mysterious paw prints and sinister hieroglyphics as clues lead them to a deserted cemetery. But an ancient Egyptian curse has awakened and time is running out. Can Honey solve a cryptic riddle in time to save the puppies? And should she trust Max, a Pit Bull with a murky past, who is hiding secrets of his own?

Middle-grade readers and young teens will love this thrilling tale filled with suspense and humour - and adult dog lovers are sure to enjoy it to. An exciting new mystery series full of action and adventure, for dog lovers of all ages!

Excerpt

“Shh!” said Biscuit suddenly, up ahead. He was standing with one paw raised, sniffing the air uneasily. 

An old house stood on the far side of the clearing, surrounded by weeds and overgrown bushes. Barbed wire snaked along the ground around it and an old sign hung from a rope across the front door. Its surface was scratched and faded, but Honey could just make out the words: DANGER! KEEP OUT! 

“It’s a human place,” said Suka in a hushed voice. “Though it looks like nobody’s been here for a long time.”

Honey followed her gaze up to the darkened windows, many smashed and gaping open, the glass shards forming jagged rows along the window frames. It gave the disturbing illusion of many mouths with rows of teeth, all open towards them. Honey shivered. 

They went forwards slowly across the clearing, their paws sinking in the damp grass. Despite the brightness of the moon above, the night seemed to close around them like a thick glove. Honey felt the hairs along her back stand up, and she could see both Tyson’s and Ruffster’s hackles bristling too. 

They paused just outside the front door and pricked their ears, listening. There was nothing except the faint chirp of crickets in the woods behind them and somewhere closer, the tup-tup-tup of water dripping. 

“I don’t like this place.” Biscuit shivered. 

 “It’s just a stupid old house,” said Ruffster. He raised his nose to sniff the air. “Don’t smell anythin’.”

“The wind’s in the wrong direction,” said Biscuit, looking around uneasily. “It’s blowing our scent towards the house but we can’t smell anything from inside.”

Ruffster gave an impatient growl. He looked up at the house again, then let out a couple of loud barks. 

“Ruffster!” hissed Suka. “What are you doing?”

He turned to Suka in disgust. “There’s no one here,” he said. “Reckon it’s just some dumb story after all. There’s this old house sittin’ here, so they start makin’ up stuff about a feral cat colony.”

“No,” said Suka, looking around nervously. “It’s not just a made-up story.”

“Well, where are all the cats, then?” said Ruffster. “There’s not so much as a sniff o’ a hairball. I can’t believe we’re standin’ here scared—for kibble’s sake, we’re dogs, remember? Cats run from us!”

Biscuit made a funny sound, his nose quivering, and looked up. The others all raised their heads as well. On the roof above them, several dark shapes appeared. They stood like statues, silhouetted against the night sky, long tails flicking. Then, one by one, they dropped like plummeting shadows to the ground and encircled the dogs, their eyes glittering. 



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

H.Y. Hanna is Taiwanese by birth, British by education, pseudo-American by accent and currently Australian by residence! After graduating from Oxford University, she tried a variety of jobs, from advertising in London to English Language teaching in Sydney, before returning to her first love: writing. Always fascinated by dogs, she specialised as a pet writer for magazines in the UK, Australia and NZ, and has been heavily involved in training, behaviour, dog sports and photography. When she's not working on her next novel, she's usually found watching repeats of her favourite TV show, Fringe or wiping Dane slobber off the walls.

You can find out more about her (and the 'real-life Honey' who inspired the series) at: www.bighoneydogmysteries.com, where you'll also find book discussion questions and other parent/teacher resources, plus fun activity sheets and interactive puzzles.

If you'd like to be notified when the next book is released and get sneak previews, please visit www.bighoneydogmysteries.com to sign up for the Big Honey Dog Mysteries newsletter. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP  (or go to website)

EBOOK purchase links:


PAPERBACK purchase links:


EDITORITAL REVIEWS:

I just adored this mystery. Ms. Hanna did a remarkable job describing every dog to perfection and I loved all their individual personalities. Although this is labeled as a children's book, rest assured even adults will enjoy going on Honey's spine tingling adventure. Well done, Ms. Hanna! Please, please, please keep writing more books. You have a huge fan following you now!" - Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)

"I've read a few books marketed for middle-grades or younger this year and I have to say that this is hands down the best suited for those ages. It has a great plot, some truly well-rounded characters (with more depth than what I find in most adult novels these days), a fantastic storyline and a climax that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Not only was this book highly entertaining but there are some great messages in it. I could easily see this transitioning to the big screen and that's not something I say very often."-  Cory Balboni for LitChick Hit List

"H.Y. Hanna has delivered an animal story, an otherworldly fantasy, and a mystery, all wrapped in one, that is sure to please young readers. There is a magic to speaking to children and H.Y. Hanna has completely captured it."- Patricia Reding for Readers' Favorite


My Review:  January 2014     ~ Review Copies ~


Curse of the Scarab (Big Honey Dog Mysteries, #1)Curse of the Scarab by H.Y. Hanna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First, I would like to thank the author H.Y. Hanna for giving me this book for an honest review. This was a fun read, I read it to my grandson and he loved it. The storyline is fun and the characters are well written. I would like to read more from this author.

View all my reviews


The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon Gift Card and a signed copy of Curse of the Scarab to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US ONLY) Comment often for a better chance at winning, you can follow the tour here.



Big Honey Dog Mysteries: Message in a Bauble
Christmas intrigue. Daring rescue. Serious slobber.
When Honey the Great Dane finds a hidden note inside a strange Christmas bauble, the festive season takes a sinister turn. Was the note from a trapped child? Join Honey and her canine friends as they set off on a Search & Rescue–from snowy playgrounds to eerie libraries–while they race to solve the mystery of the message in the bauble. Kids and adults alike will love this action-packed Christmas mystery filled with suspense and humour – not to mention candy canes, gingerbread cookies and lots of mince pies!

This short novella is part of the Big Honey Dog Mysteries – a fun, action-packed, mystery adventure series for kids and dogs lovers of all ages. So if you’re looking for a little mystery and adventure this holiday season and some fun & laughs with a cast of adorable canines (and maybe even a feline or two!   ) – then don’t miss this heart-warming Christmas “tail”.

Tell your friends & hurry to grab your FREE copy today from:
Kobo 

What readers are saying:

“This was an adorable Christmas story! I loved the first Big Honey Dog Mysteries book and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one! I’m impressed by the amazing character development; even in a short story like this one, the author gives the dogs in the book such big personalities. I look forward to many more titles in this series.”

 “There are some genuine laugh out loud moments, as well as a message about the true meaning of Christmas. Just as enjoyable for adults as it is for kids!”

 “Ms. Hanna knows how to hook her readers in, both young and old. The cast of characters are great and I love each dog’s personality. If you love canine stories, you must look into this story!”
“An entertaining holiday story for kids of ANY age (even adults)! Don’t be deceived by thinking this is a ‘kids only’ book”

 “Recommend this book to teachers and parents, especially now during the holiday season. Great read!”

 “Read it aloud with your kids during holiday break, or savor it yourself with a hot mug of cocoa and a plate of Christmas cookies. It’s just the thing for a chilly winter’s eve and will leave a smile on your face!”

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The Eve by Keary Taylor



Series: The Eden Trilogy #3
Release date: November 21st 2013
Self-Published
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A plan was laid out as the Evolution crushed mankind, a plan that was right under Eden’s nose all along. And Eve is the key to everything. New Eden—mankind—they have a small chance at fixing their dismembered planet.

But it will be a reckless sprint against time and the coming Bane to retrieve the final piece to the plot. New Eden’s worst fears have become reality. The Bane are back in the city and they’re smarter and more aggressive than ever. They know where the humans are and they’re coming to finish what they’ve nearly completed.

Eve has been content with the family she’s found—Avian, West, Gabriel, Royce. But she’s about to discover she may have the one family Eve never thought she would: blood. With every odd stacked against her, all the lies and all the secrets of her origins will be exposed.

The past and the future are about to come full circle.

Excerpt

“Start checking vehicles,” I said, racing across the street to a parking lot.  “Maybe we’ll find something with keys.”
“Eve,” West said as we started yanking car doors open.  “You know if that kid was infected that it’s too late for Avian.  He’ll get infected.”
I shook my head, my jaw set hard.  “No,” I said as I checked another car.  No keys.  “There’s a chance the boy wasn’t infected.  And if it just barely happened, he won’t be able to spread the infection for a few hours.”
But even as I made my argument, I knew it wasn’t true.  Those bodies had been dead for days, maybe even over a week.  If the kid was infected, TorBane would be fully saturated into his system.”
“Got it!” West shouted.  He held up a pair of keys as a floor mat came tumbling out of the truck.  “Get in!”
I hopped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.  I tossed our supplies in the back seat.  “You don’t know how to drive,” I said, my voice breathy.
“Today seems like a good day to learn,” West said, shoving the key in the ignition.
The truck clicked and sputtered.  It had been a sitting, rusting dinosaur for six years.  We’d been stupid to think any of these vehicles might start.
“Come on!” West shouted, pounding the steering wheel.  He slammed one of the pedals with his foot and suddenly it roared to life.  “Yes!”
“That there puts it into drive, I think,” I said, pointing to the stick on the side of the driving column.
West yanked on it and the truck jerked backwards and slammed into the vehicle behind us.
“Okay,” West said, shifting the stick again.  “R stands for reverse.  So D for drive?”
“Let’s assume,” I said, my blood racing and pounding in my ears.  “Let’s go!”
D was indeed for drive and we rocketed forward, clipping another vehicle as we swung wildly out of the parking lot and onto the street.
“That woman was touched,” I said, bracing myself as we swerved madly.  “She had probably gone out to look for food or something when a Hunter must have found her.  West, this means they’re starting to come back into the city.”
The speedometer crept up to eighty miles an hour as we peeled back onto the onramp.  Just as we pulled onto the freeway, there was a figure ahead of us.  There was no time to stop and the truck plowed right into it.
The mechanical body broke right in half, completely cybernetic by this time.  The upper half of the body crashed into the windshield, shattering it.
We both screamed as the glass burst into tiny glittering pieces and an arm dangled between the two of us.
“Holy…” West bellowed as the truck swerved violently back and forth and we ran over the lower half of the body.
“Keep driving!” I shouted.  I was about to reach for the shoulders of the body, when its hand suddenly flung out at me, and wrapped around my throat.
West swore loudly.  “It’s still alive?!”
“Keep…” I gasped for air as West swerved in an attempt to put distance between himself and the Bane that was somehow still attacking.  “Driving!”
Wrapping my hands around the wrist, I squeezed until the cybernetic bones crumpled and bent and the hand let go.  Plowing the heel of my hand into what was left of where its nose should have been, its head whipped back with a sickening crunch.  The thing was instantly still.
But still carrying active TorBane.
I coughed violently, unbuckling my seatbelt.
“You okay?” West asked, wild fear in his eyes as he attempted to drive straight.  He leaned as far to the left as possible, attempting to put some space between him and the mangled Bane.
“Yeah,” I croaked.  My throat was probably bruised.  “Keep driving.  I’ll take care of this.”
I half stood as well as I could in the cramped space.  Placing my hands on its shoulders, I gave a good shove.  The body slid forward two feet and to the right.  But one of its arms slipped down the front of the hood and caught in the grill.
“Oh, come on,” West said, looking at the body in disbelief.
“Keep driving,” I repeated.  I used my boot to knock out the rest of the glass hanging around the frame of the window.  Crawling up onto the dash, I slowly worked my way out onto the hood of the truck.
As we drove over the bumpy freeway, the arm wedged its way tighter and tighter into the grill.  Finally, I simply snapped the arm off at the elbow.  The rest of the body crashed to the ground.  I tried yanking the rest of the arm free, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Get back in here, Eve!” West shouted.  “We can have it melted down later.  Sit down before I kill you!”
An amused chuckle worked its way through my lips as I carefully climbed back up the hood and into the vehicle.
“Well, this turned into an exciting day,” West said, shaking his head.
“Yeah, I think the Bane are getting back into the city,” I said, pushing my windblown hair back off my forehead.  “That store was supposed to be fifteen miles inside our perimeter.  They’ll be getting back into the center of the city soon.  I thought I’d cleared all of them out for five hundred miles after the beacon went off.”
“Just another day in the world of the Evolution,” West said.  “Must have been a Sleeper that recently woke up.  It could have been inactive when you called them all out to the desert.
“For once, could the element of time just be on our side?” I said, exasperated.
“What,” West said, smiling at me as he swerved around a particularly large crack in the road.  “And make life simple and boring?”
I shook my head and laughed.  “Seriously.”


About the Author

Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of THE EDEN TRILOGY, the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, and WHAT I DIDN'T SAY.



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An Element of Time by Bebe Knight



An Element of Time
Eternal Flame Series: Book One
By Bebe Knight

A vampire and a slayer walk into a bar… Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but for Veronica and Mackenzie, it’s the beginning of the rest of their lives…

The world has seen its fair share of evil, but Veronica Chase had no idea such monsters truly existed. Werewolves, poltergeists, witches… even vampires. Ignorance was bliss. But her reality was crushed on that horrid day her family was taken away from her. Now, Veronica has devoted her entire life to hunting those very creatures, searching for the werewolf pack that murdered her parents in hopes of finding her abducted sister. Nothing will get in her way of settling the score for the hand she was unjustly dealt. That is until her newest assignment brings her to her knees.

After one hundred and eight years on earth, Mackenzie Jones thought he had seen it all. With the exception of daylight of course, but that’s what comes with the territory being a vampire and all. Perpetually damned to live his life as a bartender in the shadows of the night, nothing has sparked his interest lately. Just once he wished something exciting would happen in his mundane life. Little did he know, his wish was about to come true. Walking through the door to his bar, and into his heart, Mackenzie allows love to take the wheel for the first time. There’s just one slight problem. She’s there to kill him.

Buy links:


Author Bio & Contact Links:
Bebe Knight is the author of the paranormal romance series, The Eternal Flame Books. She lives in Upstate NY with her husband and son. Writing has always been a part of her life whether it be books, plays, or handwritten letters to friends and family. It’s a dream come true for her to be able to share her stories with others.

She graduated from the State University of New York at Albany and holds a B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History. She is currently a member of the Romance Writers of America and has started working on the second book in this series. In her spare time, she also writes for her romance novel review blog at Reading Until I Fall Asleep (www.readinguntilifallasleep.com).

Visit the Bebe Knight – Author Facebook page for more on The Eternal Flame Series or email her at bebe@readinguntilifallasleep.com

Contact links:


TOUR GIVEAWAY:
GRAND PRIZE:
• A Signed Paperback of An Element of Time
• An Element of Time Tote Bag (from CafePress)
• $10 Starbucks Gift Card


Bebe Knight's AN ELEMENT OF TIME Book Blast  1/6 - 1/31

1/6 Book Monster Reviews
http://bookmonsterreviews.com

1/7 Sassy Book Lovers
www.sassybooklovers.blogspot.com

1/8 Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/

1/9 Charlene Blogs
http://charleneawilsonblog.blogspot.com/

1/10 Elle James' Blog
http://www.ellejames.com/

1/11 Coffee Talk
http://coffeetalkwriters.com/

1/11 Tome Tender
http://tometender.blogspot.com/

1/12 Kristina's Books & More
http://kristinasbooksandmore.blogspot.com/

1/13 Myla Jackson''s Blog
http://www.mylajack.blogspot.com/

1/15 Where the Night Kind Roam
http://paranormalromancenovel.com/

1/17 Rose & Beps Blog
http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/

1/19 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy Too!
http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com

1/19 Books And Their Seven Deadly Sins
http://booksandtheirsevendeadlysins.blogspot.co.uk/

1/19 Mythical Books
http://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/

1/21 The Book List Reviews
www.thebooklistreviews.wordpress.com

1/22 Books-n-Kisses
http://www.books-n-kisses.com

1/22 KT Book Reviews
http://ktbookreviews.blogspot.com/

1/25 Deal Sharing Aunt
www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com

1/26 Book Lovin' Mamas
http://booklovinmamas.com/

1/27 Paranormal Romance Fans for Life
http://paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com

1/31 Dalene's Book Reviews
http://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/

1/31 Toot's Book Reviews
http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com

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The Warrior & The Flower



Welcome to my stop on the tour for The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott.  This is an adult high fantasy.

To celebrate Chinese New Year the tour is running Jan. 27th-31st with mostly reviews and only a few interviews and spotlight posts.  Be sure to check out the tour page with additional info and list of tour stops.

 The Warrior & the Flower by Camille Picott

 Yi, a retired soldier, has lost everything he loves—his wife, his daughter, and his home. He seeks refuge from his heartache by plunging into a secret mission for the World Emperor. The assignment takes him to the doorstep of a brothel, where he witnesses the madam beating a young girl. Drawn by the child’s striking resemblance to his lost daughter, Yi rushes to her defense and negotiates for her purchase—after all, how hard can it be to care for one little girl? But between the child’s inquisitive nature and the dangerous secret she carries, he gets more than he bargained for.





About the Author: 
Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings. To visit Camille, go to www.camillepicott.com.


Website | Facebook | Goodreads



Giveaway:
This tour was organized and put together by CBB Book Promotions.
 


My Review:  January 2014   ~ Review Copies ~


The Warrior & The Flower (3 Kingdoms #1)The Warrior & The Flower by Camille Picott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First, I would like to thank the author Camille Picott for giving me this book for an honest review. I enjoyed reading this story, the characters are well developed, the main two characters are very believable, and I couldn't help but love them. I haven't read the other books in the series, and this is my first book by Camille Picott, but now I have her on my tbr list and feel I have to go back and read the other books in the series.

View all my reviews
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True Love's First Kiss by Heidi Garrett with Interview

  True Loves First Kiss is the bind up of Nandana's Mark, The Flower of Isbelline and The Dragon Carnivale.  This series is YA  (ages 14+) Fantasy/High Fantasy/Fairytale Fantasy and is a total of 681 pages.
 
Interview

1) First, tell us about yourself – where you live, your family, and those sorts of details.

Hi, my name is Heidi Garrett and I live in Eastern Washington State with my husband and our two cats. We lead a pretty simple life, although being from the South, I do love experiencing the four seasons for the first time in my life.

2) How long have you been writing?

Honestly, I’ve been writing forever.  I began writing free verse poetry when I was a young teenager. I’ve also written songs and for many years, probably over two decades, I kept a personal journal. I’ve been writing stories and novels for about seven years.

3) Do you have a favorite place to write?

Yes, I have a room and special chair that I sit in to do my hard writing, i.e., the first draft. I’ve reached the point where I can pretty much be anywhere when I’m revising. I do enjoy revising and editing at coffee shops on occasion. 

4) Why did you decide to write The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series?

The Queen of the Realm of series was inspired by my relationship with my beloved grandmother. She had a tremendous impact on me and my life. When she passed away, I wanted to share with others some of what she’d given me. The series came out of that desire. In the story, Melia’s relationship with the spring faerie, Flora is equally transformative. And though Flora is not exactly like Grandma, she is similar to her in essence. Grandma lived through many sad things, yet she still had an appreciation for the simple things in life—and much wisdom to impart. Many readers love Flora, and that makes me really happy.

5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

Flora, because she was inspired by my grandma. I also love Tatou. She’s Melia’s dear friend and pixies—petite faeries—are creatures I adore. I’m also very fond of Sevondi. She’s strong and beautiful and fierce, and she forced Melia to grow. I also love Melia because she’s a a paradox, cautious and impulsive, timid and bold, she’s determined to make her own rules and I love anyone who risks being wrong, as long as they’re thinking for themselves.

6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

Pressina and Elynus are my least favorite characters. Pressina is beautiful, but she’s so wrapped up in her own wounds, she has nothing to offer her daughters. It’s tragic. She could have passed on so much, but she’s quite barren in her role as mother. I dislike Elynus because he is so obsessed with Pressina, who’s really never forgiven him for making the mistake all mortals married to fullblooded faeries have made—violating his faerie troth. I always get the feeling that if Elynus had ever had the courage to question his relationship with Pressina, he might have discovered it to be rooted more in obession than love, and been able to move on. But then, The Queen of the Realm of Faerie would be a very different story. As it stands, the obsessive relationship of her parents and their inability to be available to their daughters seeds the challenges Melia must face and the burdens she must shoulder. It was important to me, when I wrote the series, to show the baggage that is passed from one generation to the next.

7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

Multiple beta readers have a go at each book before I submit them to a professional editor.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to relax and that could be doing nothing in my backyard, going for a hike on some mountain, getting a coffee, playing with my cats, chatting with my husband, or watching a great TV show like Bones.

9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I’m always reading something. I really look forward to reading anything by Alice Hoffman. I also enjoy Joyce Carol Oates, and would like to read more books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

10) What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but nobody has? Write it out here, then answer it.

Because it’s a funny story, in a black comedy kind of way, I wish someone would ask me:

Did the ending of The Flower of Isbelline change significantly after your first draft?

My answer would be, yes! My husband is always my first reader, and after he read the first draft of that book, he was like, no, no, no. I could only imagine Plantine talking the long walk down the stone staircase and plunging into the depths of the Great White Sea to end her life ala Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening. My husband pointed out how that wouldn’t make for a very happy—or satisfying—ending, nor would it do much in the way of  helping Melia overcome her serious trust issues when it comes love. After some discussion, it became clear Tuck needed to be be the catalyst so both sisters could experience some healing and hope for a better life. When I rewrote the end, it felt much more true to the story, but I had to laugh, because that streak of doom always hovers on the edge of my consciousness.


True Love’s First Kiss:

~ Books 1-3 of this five-book series in a single digital bundle ~

Half-Faeries and mortals. Black magic and genocide. Coming of age and coming into power.


~ Book 1 - NANDANA’S MARK ~

Melia longs to fly like the fullblood faeries.

Her mortal father plots to bring war to the Enchanted world.

Her faerie mother practice black magic behind closed doors.

Overshadowed by her parent's obsessions, Melia has become an outcast. She seeks aid from the mysterious Illustrator, who makes a strange mark on her forehead. The mark is meant to draw the help of a green-eyed stranger from distant lands. Before he arrives, a tragic accident destroys what's left of Melia’s already fractured family. Her mother is unforgiving. The punishment she metes out will leave her middle daughter torn between guilt and ecstasy—and will complicate her relationship with the green-eyed stranger.


~ Book 2 - THE FLOWER OF ISBELLINE ~

When a false marriage seduces Melia’s sister,

And the keys to power are at risk,

The cost of denying true love will be apocalyptic.

Melia is determined to stop her sister from pursuing their father’s damning legacy.


~ Book 3 - THE DRAGON CARNIVALE ~

In Illialei, a light queen practices black magic.


In Tyrannis, the dragonwitch rises to power.


In the Mortal World, Umbra pursues the halfbloods as vessels of incarnation.

Energies in the Enchanted World are shifting and new alliances are forming; the Battle of Dark and Light has begun. Melia is desperate to make things right with Ryder, the young priest from Idonne, but first she must warn the halfbloods in the Mortal World that Umbra is coming for them--and face the powerful Dragonwitch and her spectacular Dragon Carnivale.
Find it:
Amazon

If you don't have a kindle, download an app to read on any device here.


 About the Author:

In her life and in her writing, Heidi Garrett is fascinated by thresholds and borders between: human and divine, ego and Self, conscious and unconscious, reality and imagination.

Confronted daily with situations where the most superficial aspects of life are valued, she's obsessed with going deeper.

Whenever she's lost her way, fairy tales and fantastical stories have restored her faith.

Whether you've picked up The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series, or a story in her Once Upon a Time Today collection of contemporary fairytale retellings, these stories feature female characters who must draw from their deepest selves to win.

Heidi was born in Texas, and in an attempt to reside in as many cities in that state as she could, made it to Houston, Lubbock, Austin, and El Paso.  She now lives in Eastern Washington state with her husband, their two cats, her laptop, and her Kindle.

Being from the South, she often contemplates the magic of snow and hopes to remind readers that:
Once upon a time, you lived in an enchanted world...

 Find the author:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


My Review:  December 2013     ~ Review Copies ~


True Love's First Kiss (Queen of the Realm of Faerie 1-3)True Love's First Kiss by Heidi Garrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First, I would like to thank the author Heidi Garrett for giving me this book for an honest review. This book is books 1-3 of the The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series. I enjoyed reading this story. The characters are well developed and the world building is very good. There are different points of views throughout the first book the most, and it works as you learn a lot about the background and characters. I look forward to reading more of this series.

View all my reviews
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Thursday, January 30, 2014

His Wicked Dream by Adrienne deWolfe



His Wicked Dream
by Adrienne deWolfe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Haunted by scandal, Eden Mallory is determined to start over in a small Kentucky town.  But she won't soon forget the sexy, rugged doctor who rescued her from an outlaw, then rode off into the storm.

After losing his kid-brother to consumption, Dr. Michael Jones is obsessed with saving lives. He has no room for love or a wife. But the nights are lonely, and Eden haunts his dreams.

When Eden becomes his backdoor neighbor, she turns his world upside-down with her unconventional healing skills and sweet temptations.  Then outlaws return, forcing Michael to confront his past if he is to save the most precious life of all.


Excerpt:

Eden Remembers

His inky fringe of lashes lowered. Her pulse skyrocketed. It pounded so hard, she could hear nothing of the birds, the wind, the orphaned animals in their cages, or even the boys. There was only Michael and the singing in her blood as his head moved closer and his breath grazed her lips.

"Eden." His voice throbbed around her, as deep and rich as the fertile earth. "I—"

A bucket clanged behind them.

"Are you two gonna start smacking lips again?" Jamie demanded.

Michael reared back, his face crimson. Eden blinked, slightly dazed. She hadn't heard the boys' approach through the clearing in the woods. Jamie, his coonskin cap draping his left ear, looked as repulsed by the kissing idea as he had when Michael had tried to explain what worms could do to a dog's heart.

Collie, his muscles quivering like a wildcat ready to defend its young, halted beside her. Eden wasn't sure whether it was the 15-year-old’s narrowed stare or sheer embarrassment that caused Michael to climb so hastily to his feet. All she knew was a crushing disappointment, because whatever he had meant to say, whatever he had meant to do, were lost to her now.

"Did you finish watering the animals, Jamie?" Michael demanded, sweeping up his instruments with an economy that made Eden wince.

The boy nodded, growing contrite before that blazing blue glare.

"Good." Michael checked his pocket watch and muttered something that wasn't meant for children's ears. "Jamie, you'd better ride to the town marker with me before your mother hires a posse to bring you home." He jerked his head in the direction of the trees. "Fetch Brutus."

Eden's brow furrowed. Brutus?  That was the name of his horse?

A half-formed memory niggled at her mind. As Jamie scurried off for the gelding, she started to rise from her knees, her thoughts chasing dim, elusive specters.

Michael, as distant as Mars, closed his bag with a sharp snick. "Collie, I trust you can see Miss Eden back home?"

"I brought her here, didn't I?" the boy growled.

"My point exactly."

Michael gave her a curt nod. She felt like Alice must have felt when she'd shrunk to six inches in size.

"Michael, wait—"

She bit her lip. The gaze that met her own proved as dispassionate as... well, a physician's. She struggled with the frustration that welled inside her.

"You were going to say something," she reminded him.

Those placid, blue pools never wavered.

"Right before Jamie interrupted," she prompted huskily.

An alpine spring couldn't have been any cooler. "I don't recall."

She choked. She wished he'd slapped her. A slap wouldn't have stung half as much as his words.

"Please, Michael. Don't go back to being so—"

"It's better this way."

Why, damn you?

Tears threatened faster than she could blink them back. He was walking away. He was leaving her, his message unmistakable. What more could she say? What dared she say, with Collie standing like a guard dog at her side?

She stomped her foot. She hated the tear that slipped past her lashes, but she couldn't stop it any more than she could stop the maelstrom of yearning, the girlish hopes and fantasies that churned through her chest, unleashed after these eight long years.

Finally, she'd put two and two together.  The man who'd saved her life that night in Whiskey Bend—the unarmed hero who'd bluffed his way past the outlaw with the knife—had ridden a black gelding named Brutus.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Adrienne deWolfe is a #1 best-selling author and the recipient of 48 writing awards, including the Best Historical Romance of the Year for Texas Wildcat (Book 3, Wild Texas Nights) and Doubleday’s Book of the Month Selection for His Wicked Dream (Book 2, Velvet Lies.)  Adrienne is excited to announce that she will be donating a portion of her royalties from the Velvet Lies Series to urban reforestation efforts.

Fascinated by all things mystical, Adrienne writes a weekly blog about dragons, magic, and the paranormal at http://MagicMayhemBlog.com to help her research her upcoming paranormal romance series. She also writes a weekly blog featuring tips about the business of writing at http://WritingNovelsThatSell.com. She enjoys mentoring aspiring authors and offers professional story critiques with her book coaching services.

Follow Adrienne deWolfe


Purchase Adrienne deWolfe’s Books:


Tin-Stars and Troublemakers



My Review:  July 2014     ~ Review Copies ~


His Wicked Dream (Velvet Lies, Book 2)His Wicked Dream by Adrienne deWolfe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First, I would like to thank the author Adrienne deWolfe for giving me this book for an honest review. I enjoyed this story, the characters are nicely developed, the story flows nicely. I look forward to reading more from this author and the next book in this series.

View all my reviews
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Cover Reveal - Mistaken by Heather Fleener



Enemies by circumstance of Creation 
Sworn to their purpose, the Vampire and the Witch
were created to battle over the fate of mankind.

He was the First
Until one Vampire sought a Higher Purpose.

She was the Beginning
And one Witch’s faith brought Darkness into the Light.

Their love would turn the course of the Ancient War…
Before the Prophecy, an Ancient Queen and the Vampire she loved 
would forge the path for those that would follow.


Mistaken
Ancients of Light #4
Spring 2014

Excerpt

Tristan liked that the witch was not composed enough to hide her shiver and the responsive widening of her eyes, but he did not like the apprehension he viewed there. He could not ascertain whether her tremble was due to terror or because somewhere, deep inside, her need rivaled his own. Having witnessed her bravery in their earlier confrontation, he tended to believe it was the latter, even if she was too inexperienced to recognize that truth. Intensely satisfied that he had her under his control - even if it was only for this short period – her closeness eased his raging, predatory instincts. 
Leaning down to issue his gentle-toned inquiry, his breath stirred the tendrils of sun-bleached gold near her ear, “Do I scare you, Alia?”
Alia knew it was reasonable to be terrified; one of the darkest warriors within the enemy ranks had abducted her. Drawing back to look at him, she had no doubt that he was the stronger between the two of them. Those tips of teeth peeking from behind his upper lip should have her screaming in fright and begging for her life, but the longer she peered into that brilliant blue gaze, the more she calmed and her senses acclimated to their surroundings. 
The sound of cascading water came to her, and almost simultaneous to that she felt an internal pull. Disbelieving, her gaze flit to the mouth of the cave. During her hurried inspection on arrival – her oversight most likely attributable panic - she had failed to identify its most extraordinary feature. Standing deep within the recesses, hundreds of feet from that opening, Alia had been mistaken in thinking that the overcast weather was responsible for the wall of gray visible beyond the entrance. Now, coupling her recognition of the sound with a second look, she realized that it was not a foggy haze but that a waterfall curtained the opening. 
Those of her Caste were strongest when surrounded by nature’s bounty, which was why her kin settled within forests. It was also the reason they most often chose to bare their skin in a manner that was just short of improper. The feel of the rays of the sun and even the very wind against their flesh pulled at their magic. Understanding was in her eyes when they narrowed and shot back to him. It was obvious that he had been waiting for her to understand the significance of this location.
Her command over water and lightning was a new facet of Nature magic never before displayed by her kind, but her captor had witnessed her abilities firsthand. The more wild those elements, the more responsive her magic, and yet he had brought her here. His smug expression conveyed that his choice for her temporary prison had been deliberate and Alia was most certain that Tristan realized that her strength would be magnified being near such a powerful manifestation of one of the elements that she controlled.
Clever Vampire… Skatosita … She did not want to like him, but this one was making it rather impossible to relegate him to the pile of degenerate monsters that populated his breed. She had already determined that the Witch leaders were wrong in their assessment of his race. Rather than a rabid beast, Alia had witnessed the intelligence in this Vampire leader. During their first encounter, she had also glimpsed a side that suggested much more was lurking in him. Now he intentionally brought her to a place where she would feel strong, not powerless. A myriad of questions formed, and seeing her bemused expression, Tristan smirked and lifted a brow in invitation to speak her mind. 
Her lone question was accusatory, “How did you know?”
Tristan refused to believe she was as upset with him as her tone implied, but he was not going to pretend to be something that he was not for the sake of charming her. Alia was a divine creation while he had been spat from the pits of Hell. He was resolute - between them there would be no skirting what either of them was, or the bloodied history between their breeds. For that reason, he gave her the truth, “I told you that we know much about the Witch. Your breed spills secrets from its lips as rain falls from the sky… and even was your Caste not of the same ilk, your kin reveal their secrets as willingly as all the others with the proper incentive.”
It sunk into her slowly what he meant by incentive, and she whispered confirmation of her understanding, aghast that he would broach the subject with her and have the audacity to gloss over it, “Torture.” 
The word lingered between them and held no hint of question; the little witch had already convicted him. Tristan could have comfortably avoided the blatant confirmation, but he gave her a curt nod to make certain she had no room to doubt her conclusion. He did not want her young and fanciful imagination to make him into something more valiant than he was.
She did not move, but her eyes stabbed him, followed by words that were pious and clipped, “I would imagine, as a General in the Darks, that you are particularly adept at such practices.” 
Alia was acting as though the Vampire were exclusive in their use of such abusive techniques. Her youthful innocence was endearing, but her illusions about the moral fabric of her leadership required correction. Rolling his eyes over her naiveté, his arms folded across his chest. The response he offered was calmly given, not defensive, “I am no more adept than your own leaders, Alia.” 
There were rumors, of course, about the methods used by the Queens to interrogate the Vampire, but she had seen no such practice herself. She remained self-righteous, “I would not know, but I cannot think that our ways would be as twisted as those that the Darks employ and…”
Tristan snapped, leaning in, his sharp words interrupting her defense of her breed, “That is because you are young, Alia. You are foolish to believe that those you follow are so far above what I am and what I am required to do in order to fight this war.”
Starring at him for long moments, Alia realized that while she could allow his impatient interruption to push her into arguing, she was reluctant to fight with him. While she would not take his claim as fact merely because the handsome Dark proclaimed it, she would also neither ignore it. Many of her beliefs – beliefs that had been postulated as truths by her Queens – had been challenged recently, but she needed time and distance from him in order to form her own conclusions. The best choice was to move to another topic.
He had yet to withdrawal after those last words and his close presence was stealing her focus while her magic seemed to be coursing manically through her veins. The combination was leaving her feeling flushed and off balance. When she returned to his very first question, Alia was conscious that her breathy words most likely revealed too much of her attraction, “Should I be afraid?”
Tristan experienced a surge of triumph when she turned the topic rather than answer his harsh words in kind. The grin he gave her was a reflection of his pleasure and an entreaty to trust him, “There are parts of you that already know that answer…” 
Leaning in closer still, it required only a small movement on his part to close the small gap that remained between them. The beauty did not retreat. Her nearness had his eyes shifting black while they lowered to observe the delectable pulse dancing beneath the sun-kissed skin of her neck. Still the witch did not move away…instead, her gaze was waiting for his when it lifted, and sparkles of magic blossomed there in response to his entreaty, “Listen to those parts, Alia… something inside you already knows that you belong to me.” 
When she did not immediately deny it, Tristan could not help but wonder what it would be like to drink sunshine. 


About the Author

Heather Fleener lives in Indiana with her husband, D.A. and their twins, Thomas and Alexandra. Professionally she has spent her career working in the area of Intellectual Property law. 
Reading has been a passion of hers since she was young and she has adored romance novels her entire life. The romantic styles of Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood are her inspiration, though she has read and loved the stories of countless other authors. Her fascination with the paranormal began to form at the young age of six, watching late-night ghost and vampire movies with her Grandpa. Unfortunately, as a result, she also remains afraid of the dark to this day.
Combining her love of epic romances and the supernatural was a natural progression for her overactive imagination. When the idea for the Ancients of Light series began, it was an abstract story line rambling around in her head to help kill a few miles on the treadmill. As the stories and plotlines continued to grow, it finally became necessary to put the words to paper and build the characters that had been living in the Realm and having conversations in her head for months. 
The series is a testament to many miles on the treadmill and lots of characters that insist on having their stories told.


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Cover Reveal - Liquid Diet by William Tedford



Title: Liquid Diet
Author: William Tedford
Release Date: April 3, 2014



By day, Melissa French seems like an ordinary teenage girl, but when her infatuation with Troy Davidson turns into a dangerous obsession, she begins to stalk him through the night on the hunt to uncover his darkest secrets. Little does she know that the two of them are more alike than she ever could have imagined.


Melissa follows Troy into an abyss of pain and pleasure as she attempts to quench her thirst for blood while hiding her true nature from the rest of the day world. Soon, her dreams turn into a grotesque reality as she is caught in a web of ancient history, lies, and manipulation. As her thirst begins to take control, Melissa is faced with the challenge of her life and must fight for her survival—and the survival of the vampire race.

See The full wrap design below!


William G. Tedford was born in June of 1942, one of five children. He has lived in Davenport, Iowa his entire life, three blocks from where he was born. He dropped out of school in his senior year, acquired both a high school and college GED with the Army Air Defense Command, and proceeded to spend the next thirty years building combines and tractors to finance a wife and five children of his own. From age eleven, he wrote books. Nobody would read his first story of a green radioactive monster. He's gotten much better, he assures us. No more tractors or combines to build, children pushing fifty, lots of books written of late, lots to read, and a Goldwing to buy. If you would be so kind? 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Twitter Blast - Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington



Joclyn Despain has been marred by a brand on her skin. She doesn't know why the mark appeared on her neck, but she doesn't want anyone to see it, including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won't let the idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to. The scar is the reason she is being hunted.

If only she knew that she was.

If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten feet in the air.

Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart. When Ryland finds her scar; only he knows what it means, and who will kill her because of it.



HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!

You could win a $25 Gift Card!

Kiss of Fire by author Rebecca Ethington is FREE on Amazon! If you haven’t read KISS OF FIRE yet, trust me, you WANT to snag a copy!


Praise for KISS OF FIRE…

“KISS OF FIRE reminded me some of THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series and a few other books mixed together. It was absolutely great to read and hard to put down.” – I READ INDIE

“The way the story unfolds is expertly written. The introduction of the magic and magical characters is written so well that the story flows without any hiccups.” – Literary R&R

“I just loved this book! In Kiss of Fire, I immediately fell in love with Ryland and Joclyn, got completely sucked in the story and loved it till the end. The concept of this story is amazing. The twists thrilling. And, the romance so perfect and bittersweet.” – Shortie Says…


How can you help spread the word? Easy!

Just copy and paste the pre-made tweet below and share! Make sure to use the hashtag #KISSOFFIRE. Author Rebecca Ethington is giving away a $25 gift card to one lucky tweeter. Good Choice Reading will be picking a winner from the hashtag and sending them a tweet. :) 

 This giveaway is open international! 


TWEET:

#KissofFire by Rebecca Ethington is FREE on Amazon! Over 350 FIVE star reviews! #YALit http://amzn.to/MwrMSP


Good luck everyone!










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