Thursday, October 31, 2013

Release Day Blitz ~ The Virgin Charmer (The Triple Goddess Trilogy: Book One) by Rachel A Olson



Tite: The Virgin Charmer (The Triple Goddess Trilogy: Book One)

Author: Rachel A Olson

Genre: Paranormal Romance









~Blurb~

Hope Richards has only ever known the life of a big city girl. When her boss gives her an ultimatum, she decided to try out the country life during her forced vacation. After falling in love with a mysterious old mansion on the edge of a town that time forgot, Hope finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of someone else's crazy love obsession, and realizes in the middle of it all how lacking her own life is in that department. Hope is faced with a decision: return to the mundane life she thought was her passion, or find a way to experience something far stronger that she secretly yearns for.

YOUTUBE BOOK TRAILER:

~Author Bio~ 
Somewhere amidst her forty-hour job and playtime with her three-year-old, Rachel finds time to walk the streets of worlds only existing on manmade paper. She resides in small college town Northwestern Nebraska with her young son, just a few blocks from a city park, the public schools, and her parents. She enjoys socializing with adults, sipping strawberry wine, and head banging to music that doesn't carry a beat worth the effort of rock star hair slinging.

"The paranormal world is a much more desired realm. There's no limit to possibilities, no comparison to probabilities, no concept of actualities. There's no solid platform for racism, judgment, or hierarchy. It is exactly the manifestation you choose it to be, darkness and death included."


AUTHOR LINKS:



~Excerpt~

“I think we should get a drink before we start Q and A.” The sound of Abigail’s voice made Hope jump enough to bump her knees on the table. Her tone was ice cold, sending prickly chills down Hope’s spine. She only nodded, certain that questioning how Abigail could be so dead about something involving her own brother would be a bad idea.

Abigail snapped her fingers in the air two times, and the man behind the bar immediately jumped on command. The closer he got, the stronger the pull became that Hope had felt previously. He walked with his face downcast, most likely watching where he stepped in an attempt to avoid tripping on anything or anyone. When he finally reached their table, Hope was in the middle of scrambling away, utterly terrified by what she was feeling. As soon as she caught sight of his face, her chair tipped back with her still in it.

Hope found herself sprawled out on a grubby wooden floor that didn’t look like it’d been swept in several days. Her sweater had somehow tangled itself around and between her knees, making any attempt she made to stand look very similar to a fish out of water.

Hope stopped all futile attempts to stand independently when a very masculine hand jabbed itself in front of her nose. With large, crossed eyes, she gasped and managed to scoot away from the floating hand by a few measly inches. A deep, silky chuckle rolled across languid airwaves and nearly choked Hope with its thick perfume. Hope glanced up through half mast eyes at the blurred face hovering just beyond the floating hand, and smiled crookedly, one eyebrow popping up a hair higher than the other. Another bout of chuckling ensued just as something lifted Hope to her seat.

“...Bump her head?”

“I’m...sure.”

Hope was only grasping portions of surrounding conversation. Her head swam through an enervated, unknown substance, causing a reaction similar to that of narcotics. She tried to shake herself and clear her mind, but whatever it was, it insisted on clinging tightly to every inch of her, inside and out.

“Do you mind telling me what your nose is doing on my boyfriend?” Hope was ripped from her strange trance when a cold, bony little hand landed abruptly on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, finding that her nose was indeed buried into the chest of a man.

No, not just any man. The man. The one that was causing the pull.

“Holy shit,” she muttered to herself, stuck in the glistening eyes of a man several years younger than herself. She was fully aware of the stares she was earning, as well as a perfectly annoyed Abigail behind her. She was also aware that, at that particular moment, she didn’t have the willpower to pull away from the younger man directly in front of her, or whatever it was that possessed her.

Slowly, Mr. Gloriously Addictive stepped away from her snout, swallowing loudly as he did. Hope could hear Abigail impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. The further he got from her, the stronger she felt. Finally, Hope managed to turn a bit to look at Abigail over her shoulder, knowing her cheeks would match the color of unfriendly fire. She opened her mouth to apologize, and the next thing she knew, she was falling face first toward the table. Abigail clumsily caught her full weight, gently lowering her into the nearest chair. Hope opened a single eye, finding the bartender entirely too close for comfort, and no doubt the cause of her sudden lack of leg control and balance.

He was frowning at her, probably just like Hope frowned at him. Abigail popped up out of nowhere next to him, the man that was yet to own a name, offering Hope a crystal clear glass of liquid heaven. She swallowed a mouthful, expecting it to slide down like the cool, refreshing water it should’ve been. Except it wasn’t water, and it ignited the very fires of hell in her throat and belly.

“Sorry,” Abigail winced as Hope coughed and sputtered. “I should’ve told you it was Vodka. Your weird dizzy spells and swooning had me convinced you were in desperate need of a hard drink.” Hope only offered a half smile, practically glaring up at the man still standing entirely too close to her. “Oh jeez, my manners ran away with my good mood. This is Garrett, my boyfriend.” Garrett offered a friendly hand to shake, but Hope just stared at it. She was more concerned about the close proximity of that hand, and why his very presence made her feel like her skeleton had decided to take a vacation without the rest of her.

“I think I need some fresh air,” Hope finally managed to announce.



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Release Day Launch ~ Chosen by Paulina Ulrich



~Synopsis~
Nothing can stand in the way of outspoken, rule-breaker-extraordinaire; Kaddy Richston...except destiny. Born with a spitfire personality and a take-no-nonsense attitude, Kaddy set her sights on being in a rock band and leaving her small Wyoming town along with the painful memories of her past. Kaddy knew she was a freak show with wildly colored hair and piercing gray eyes but was determined to do whatever it took to depart her broken childhood and make her own way.
But destiny had other plans for her.
The seemingly observant and mysterious Cole Huntington enters her life and becomes the bump in the road Kaddy is trying to pave for her future. Striking blue eyes, features to make any girl swoon, he's everything but the new-to-town bad boy. Calm, cool, and always collected, he plans on unraveling every one of Kaddy's dark secrets.
Hating him from the start and trying to fight her insane attraction to him, Kaddy is determined to undermine whatever intentions he has until she learns of a destiny she never asked for. Getting throw into a battle that's been raging for more than a thousand years, the fate of the world lies in Kaddy's hands as she learned just how different she is. The only person she can turn to for answers is the last person she'd want help from: the frustratingly attractive; Cole Huntington, who seemed to dislike her rule-breaking as much as she dislikes his rule-following.

~About the Author~
I love to write because if I didn’t then I wouldn’t be telling stories, I wouldn’t have gotten a degree in creative writing, and my insanely fluffy cat wouldn’t be “assisting” my writing by laying on the keyboard. I am the author of the Flightless Bird series (Flightless Bird, Broken Wings, Fair Feathered, & Timeless Sky) and the Fighting Fate series (Chosen). I was raised to big dream or don’t dream at all and my highly active imagination has been the cause behind many of my stories. I write because life wouldn't be as fun without the occasional break or two from reality. With my cat and a glass of iced tea nearby you can find me weaving stories and when I’m not writing, I’m out buying way too many cute shoes.
Links:

Chosen  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17288041-chosen


~Excerpt~

“Kaddy, wait.” I heard Mike trailing me as I turned out of the Wheel Barrel.

            I pressed a hand to my temple and sighed. “Yeah?”

            “You okay? I know you didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Mike scratched the back of his head and looked down at me, worried. “Maybe some lunch will help.”

            “What I need is sleep, and what needs to happen is for me to stop having these stupid night terrors.” I leaned back against the hot brick building for a moment.

            “You can’t help it. It’s not your fault.” Mike leaned on his shoulder next to me, his hands deep in his apron pockets.

            “I know, but I hate it. Why can’t they stop?” I smacked my hand to my forehead and sighed. Against my palm, my skin felt too warm. Was I getting sick? Great. It was the last thing I needed. “Do I feel warm to you?” I dropped my hand and looked over at Mike, giving him permission to touch me with a simple confirmation from my eyes.

            Slowly raising his arm, the back of his hand pressed against my cheek. “Damn, Kaddy. You’re burning up! Do you feel all right?”

            I shrugged. I did feel all right, just a little warm. “I feel fine. I need some sleep. Promise to plan on going to bed early tonight?” I doubted he would keep this promise. He and I always stayed up late writing music.

            Mike got a playful glint in his eye. “You know I’m a night owl. No promises there.”

            I sighed and rolled my eyes. “We both are.”

            Mike still had his hand pressed against my cheek until it shifted up to tug his gray beanie down on my forehead. “Maybe it’s just my awesome hat that’s making you overheat. Who wears a beanie in August?” he joked and I playfully scowled at him as I readjusted the knitted beanie.

            “Oh, I’m sure that’s it,” I laughed and gave him a gentle punch on the arm.

            “Whoa.” He took a step back. “You been working out or something? That hurt.” Mike held his upper arm like I had socked it with everything I had. I stood there waiting with my “really?” look and raised my eyebrows in anticipation for his mischievous face to appear. If Mike was anything, he was a jokester. Just like I expected, a few seconds later, he cracked a smile on his lips and started laughing.

            “You always think your little jokes are hilarious!” Even when I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t stop his infectious laughter from causing me to laugh.

            “Kadster, we know I tell the best jokes. I eat sarcasm for breakfast every day.” He winked and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I didn’t shy from his touch.

            “So do I, but no one but you finds anything I say funny.” I looked up at him as he walked me to the corner of the block, the direction of home. Only Mike called me the Kadster. Actually, he had a lot of nicknames for me and I didn’t mind it. He was one of the few I would let getaway with calling me things other than my name.

            “It’s because everyone is just jealous of the awesome friendship we’ve had since we were eight. Haters gonna hate.” He shrugged and his other hand pretended to dust off his shoulder. Mike was the only friend I counted on for anything. Long ago, we made a pact, and so far, he’s kept every word he promised to keep.


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Cover Reveal ~ The Kingdom by Emily Walker



Title: The Kingdom

By: Emily Walker


Genre: Horror








~Blurb~

What happens when Mother Nature is pushed too far....
She becomes a real bitch.

For centuries, man has been the predator over the animal kingdom, until today...

What happens when the deer kills the hunter and pets turn on their masters? Is it evolution or something far more sinister?


~About the Author~

Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She writes under her name and the pen name Lyra Mcken. Lyra writes zombies, Emily writes everything! She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view she writes mostly paranormal fiction, and horror, although a contemporary romance or two sneaks in every once in a while. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy.


Blog Tour ~ The Dark Side of Truth by Gary Caruso



Title: The Dark Side of Truth

Author: Gary Caruso

Genre: YA Mystery, Adventure


Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours


~Book Description~

Soon after fifteen-year-old Will Reed and his friend Mason stumble over a corpse in the woods, Will’s ex-con father is arrested for the murder—and it’s Will’s fault. With the police about to close their investigation, Will must discover the identity of the ruthless killer before his father wrongfully goes back to prison.
In the spirit of City of Ember and The Goonies, it’s the discovery of a coded message that starts them on an unexpected path of mystery and danger. Will hopes finding an ancient relic will guide him to the truth and prove his father’s innocence. Unfortunately, Will soon learns he isn’t the only one searching for this valuable object. It’s a race to follow hidden clues until Will is confronted with a harsh reality. His determination to help his father has jeopardized the lives of the people he cares for. With a cold-blooded killer on his trail, Will must choose between the safety of his friends and family or freedom for his father.

~Author Bio~

Gary Caruso lives in northern Virginia with his wife Jill, but their favorite place is in Ohio with their three beautiful grandchildren. Although Gary is exhilarated when he sits down to write, teaching middle school science is his first love. He’s passionate about empowering students to make thoughtful decisions and positive choices in life. Gary enjoys reading, especially fiction that blurs the line between what’s real and what’s fantasy. He never imagined becoming a writer until an ordinary car ride on a spring day jolted an unlikely thought into his head. Gary’s early experience writing is a reminder that no matter how intimidating the challenge, action and determination are the foundations for fulfilling any dream. Gary has an insatiable love for writing, a blessing he’s excited to share with his readers.

Links:



~Excerpt~


After returning the box to its hiding place, he reached for his phone, rotating it to different angles. “The next cache is about a mile up the trail. Once we loop around, we’ll stay to the left when the path splits.”
“I’ll follow you.” I didn’t want to admit it, but I was having more fun than I ever thought I would. It was like having a treasure map where “X” marked the spot, except the treasure was a bunch of worthless stuff.
We continued up the path for about a mile. Just like he said, we looped around and headed back on the Confederate side of the trail. After another thirty minute hike, it was time to turn left. That was until we noticed that turning left meant navigating a huge section of fallen trees and thick brush with thorns.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Well, it isn’t much of a trail, but the cache must be over there. The hint has to do with a pile of leaves.” He took a closer look at the trees, rocks, and fallen leaves that blanketed the area. “I think it might be by that big lump of leaves, but the map says it’s a little farther away.”
“Should we check it out?” I asked, hoping he would say no.
“I’ll search this area. Go ahead another hundred yards and see if you can find an easier path to the leaves.”
I started alone up the trail. Mason yelled a couple of times. He must have been knee-deep in thorns. I grinned. It was the first time I had heard him use profanity. I kept moving forward, but my trail narrowed and roots stuck through the dirt like speed bumps. With my attention searching for piles of leaves, I tripped on a root, falling to my hands and knees. As I brushed away the dirt, I looked in Mason’s direction, hoping he didn’t see how uncoordinated I was. The way the trail curved, he was out of sight. There was no way he saw me fall. I continued forward, keeping my eyes on my feet.
“Will!”
My head snapped around when I heard Mason scream. It wasn’t the same, I found the cache scream of joy as before. The pitch of his voice was high and sharp. He was panicking, yelling for help. I couldn’t imagine what could have scared him this much. I sprinted in his direction. The trail led me around a dense area of brush. Then I spotted him. He sat on the ground, frantically driving his feet into the forest floor, pushing himself backwards, away from a pile of leaves.
“Calm down,” I said. “Are you hurt?”
“Get him off me! Help! Get him off me!”
“What is it, a bug?” As I reached for his hand to pull him to his feet, I caught a closer glimpse of his face. He was pale, almost transparent. It was like something had scared him enough to freeze his blood. His mouth hung open and his eyes stretched wide, strained on something in front of him.
“Mason, you’re freaking out. What’s wrong?”
“Oh my God, Will! Help me! Please help me!” Tears now flooded down his face.
I moved behind him, hoping to recreate his point of view. Then I saw what had frightened him. Partially covered by a mound of wet leaves, a light, chalky grey hand, the color of sidewalk cement, lay flat across the ground. It almost touched Mason’s leg, like it was trying to grab at his ankle. I held my breath and my heart thumped in my ears as I followed the shirt-covered arm until I saw the dull, lifeless eyes of someone I knew.
“It’s Mr. Peters.”


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Book Blitz & Giveaway ~ Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden






Title - Sanctuary

Author - Pauline Creeden
Pub Date – October 10, 2013 (Paperback)

September 30, 2013 (eBook pre-release)

Price – $9.99
Buy Links:

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sanctuary-pauline-creeden/1117001506?ean=2940148755500



~Description~

“Left Behind for the Hunger Games Generation”

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?



Advance Praise

“Pauline Creeden managed to mix more genres into one book than I could possibly imagine. The overall concept, aliens attacking the earth, is straight out of Science Fiction, but then you throw in a few zombies and post-apocalyptic fiction with how the dead/sick humans are acting. Overall, the entire story was charged with the adrenaline and thrills of a suspense/thriller novel, but the mood was terrifyingly eerie like a Horror story. There was almost too much sensory information for my primitive human brain to handle. Still, all of these genres combined made for one unique and fascinating story. This kind of book is of the same flavor as The Hunger Games with its originality, which I really appreciated.” - Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite



“Sanctuary is a fast-paced Christian fantasy thriller that is original and quite entertaining. The story revolves around Jennie and her family, Pastor Billy and his wife, and two brothers who are polar opposites of each other. Each chapter is presented in the point of view of Jennie, Brad or Hugh (the brothers), which gives Pauline Creeden's Sanctuary, a multidimensional feel. The three different story-lines merge into a full-fledged fantasy/horror novel that never sags or lets up on the action. While there are Christian themes present in Sanctuary, and Jennie's faith is an important part of who she is, I, a non-Christian, did not feel I was being preached to or proselytized. I recommend Pauline Creeden's Sanctuary -- it's well-written and a lot of fun to read.” – Jack Magnus for Readers Favorite





YouTube book Trailers:







~About the Author~



In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil
between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.



Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.



Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary is scheduled for release September 30, 2013, and has already been nominated for two awards in YA Science Fiction.



One of Pauline's short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group.










A Note from the Author:



Why on earth did I write a Christian novel that has both aliens and zombies in it?



When I was a teen/young adult and my faith was wavering at best, there were several movies out with the likely design to shake faith even more. End of the world movies were in their hay day. Alien invasion was another big one. And I couldn’t help but wonder. If something like this actually happened, would anyone be able to maintain their faith?



And now today, Zombies are on the rise.



Could aliens be reconciled with the Bible? Zombies? This is the purpose of Sanctuary.



Because of its poetic nature, the book of Revelation lends itself to a plethora of interpretation. I am not saying that my book is the only true possibility, but it could be one. Could not demons be misinterpreted as alien life forms? Might not Satan use this mirage to his advantage to explain the bitter water or the blotting out of the sun, moon, and stars?  And then there’s Revelation 9:6 - "And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them."



Zombies?



If anyone reading this book at least opens themselves up to the fact that yes, a biblical interpretation could resolve the problems between faith and an apocalyptic reality, then Sanctuary has completed its purpose.





~Excerpt~



When Jennie reached the back door, she saw them. Four large dog-like creatures with pinched faces like bulldogs and lion-like manes. They snarled, and one of them leapt at the window on the top half of the door when it saw her. Jennie jumped back and fell hard on the cold tile floor. The bottle of painkiller bounced across the kitchen tiles. The creature slammed against the window a second time, cracking it. She blinked hard. Her heart sunk, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. A horrendous gargling howl rent the air, causing a shiver down her spine. She held her breath and waited for the creature to slam into the door again.

“What on earth?” she whispered to herself.

When the third attempt never came, she scrambled toward the door. Blinking hard, she used the door knob to help herself stand. Out the cracked window, her mother was still out of sight, but the last of the dogs headed across the field behind her backyard.

“MOM?” Jennie called out.

The rumbling faded, and the vibrations in her chest receded with the dogs. She pulled open the door and rushed onto their back deck. “Mom, where are you?”

When she reached the banister, she looked over the side. Her mom lay sprawled with one hand on the lattice. Blood gushed from Mom’s leg and her opposite arm. Jennie’s ears rang and flooded with every beat of her heart.

Jennie didn’t know how she got to the second floor of her house, but she found herself shaking her sleeping father. How had he slept through the rumbling? “Outside, it’s Mom…”

Her father leapt from the bed. Mickey, her little brother, lay asleep and undisturbed. Dad ran down the stairs and outside in his flannel pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. He scooped Mom up to his chest and carried her inside. Blood stained his shirt in crimson.

“Jennie, call 911!”  Her father had said it at least three times before it finally registered in her brain.

She pulled the cell phone from her pocket, but it refused to connect. With a groan, she grabbed the cordless from the wall receiver, glad her heart stopped pounding in her head so she could hear.

“All operators are busy at this time,” a mechanical voice deadpanned, “Please stay on the line, and the next available operator will take your call.”

“They have me on hold, Dad. Should I hang up and try again?” She held the phone in both hands away from her face.

“No, just stay on the line.” Her father lifted the shredded jeans from Mom’s leg. “It looks like a shark bite. What on earth happened?”

Jennie took in the damage through tear-filled eyes. A huge chunk was taken from her mother’s calf, exposing the fibrous tendons that covered the bone in her leg. A bloodstain grew on the beige couch. Was she going to die? Panic rose up.

“What happened, Jennie?”

“I...I...They looked like lions, or dogs, or something. The rumbling shook the whole house…I tried to go outside to get Mom, but—” A sob blocked her throat.

Her father grabbed a throw pillow and held it against the leg. Mom’s exposed forearm laid across her chest in much the same condition as her calf.

“Grab me the duct tape.”

Jennie suddenly remembered the phone, put it back to her ear, and headed to the hall closet. She reached for the shelf above the jackets and grabbed the junk basket next to the toolbox.

“Please stay on the line. An operator will be with you shortly.”

She shoved the phone in the crook of her neck and fished through the box.  Half the contents dropped around her feet. Who cares? When her fingers wrapped around the silver duct tape, a short-lived relief sent prickles down her arms. But the urgency gripped her chest in less than a heart beat, and she threw the junk basket on the ground with the rest of the items.

“Hurry, Jennie!” her father called from the living room. “And turn on the TV. Maybe they’ll have something about what’s going on.”

She handed her father the tape and turned toward the TV. The mechanical voice on the phone came through again, followed by more easy listening.

When she clicked on the TV, the shouting and wailing began before the picture warmed up on the screen. A sideways picture of New York City broke through, with the shaky voice of the newscaster voicing over.

“What we are watching now – I can’t believe it – is live footage of Times Square,” the newscaster’s voice paused for a deep breath. “We’ve lost our man on the scene and his camera man to what appears to be some kind of new alien creature. Just a short half-hour ago, the doors to the ship that hovered above Central Park opened and these dog-like creatures flooded out.”

Jennie couldn’t pull her eyes from the screen. She straightened and dropped the phone on the hardwood. The battery popped out and skidded across the floor.

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