Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Skin Deep by Allana Kephart and Melissa Simmons



Skin Deep
Fractured Fairy Tales # 1 (Standalone Series)
By- Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons
Genre- YA/ Fairy Tale/ Fantasy
Expected Publication Date- ?

Beautiful, selfish and spoiled are the three words most commonly used to describe Princess Eliza. Common people are expendable in her world, there only to serve her needs. Betrothed to the most handsome prince in her land and adored by her father, Eliza had little thought for others or their feelings. An unkind word directed at the wrong person brings down a curse on Eliza, marring the perfection of her physical beauty making it so her outside now reflects what is within her. Horrified by her own reflection and tired of the whispers of everyone around her, Eliza flees the safety of her father’s castle, seeking out the solitude of the outlying forests.

Greysen James spends his days hunting and gathering in the forests that fall between the kingdoms. In his small no-man’s land, he owes no one fealty and he likes it that way. His life is all about keeping himself and his younger sister, Cornelia alive and fed. When Eliza comes stumbling into his path, he has two choices: let her flounder on and drag every royal guard searching for her through his forest or take her in and teach her to survive on her own. Neither option is appealing to him but once his sister meets the prickly princess, Cornelia won’t let him leave Eliza out in the cold.

Greysen finds himself at odds with the princess almost immediately; he can’t stomach her entitled attitude. As far as he can tell, Eliza has no grasp on the true realities of life outside the castle and she isn’t overly fond of Greyson’s seeming indifference to her. With Cornelia urging them to coexist they’re finally forced into a grudging respect for one another.



Can Greysen help Eliza change her ways before it’s too late? Or will she learn that her beauty really was always just skin deep?



The Easter Bunny Caper by Cassandra Rose





The Easter Bunny Caper
by Cassandra Rose
Children’s Book (Pre-K - 3rd Grade)








Will Zoey Flower along with her puppy, Munchichi The Great, be able to stay awake long enough to catch the Easter Bunny and prove that he is real once and for all? (Perfect for children Pre K - 3rd grade.)







And here she is. . .
CASSANDRA ROSE!!!


Cassandra Rose believes in telling stories with characters true to the world we live in. She believes diversity in characters, the odd balls, are the worlds greatest assets and they produce great tales. Cassandra's books celebrate what makes everyone special and unique.






Sunday, March 29, 2015

Snake in the Grass by M.E. Sutton




 Snake in the Grass
Hero’s Sword Vol. 4
by M.E. Sutton
 Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy










Things are getting interesting at Tanner Middle School. The only official candidate for student council president is Jaycee’s nemesis, Trina Poppelman. Plus there’s a new girl in school. At first glance, she looks like she’d fit right in with the cheerleaders, but Jaycee senses something different about her.
Things are getting interesting in Mallory, too. Lady Starla is expecting an Imperial envoy to discuss new taxes. She plans to oppose the measure and asks Lyla to stand by her side in a show of support. However, when the envoy goes missing, the situation becomes a lot more serious than a proposed tax increase.
In this fourth installment of the Hero’s Sword series, Lyla and Roger hit the road to find a missing envoy before Starla pays the ultimate price for his disappearance. Along the way, Jaycee learns that winning isn’t always the end-game result.



EXCERPT

We left at dawn. The morning air was thick and damp, promising an unpleasant day once the sun rose completely. Once again, the only sound in the muggy silence was the dull clop of hooves on the road.
As we had the previous night, we rode with our weapons out. This time, I left my sword sheathed and held my bow and an arrow balanced across my lap, my other hand holding the reins. “So how lucky do you think we’re going to be?” I kept my gaze focused on the roadside, looking for any sign of a disturbance.
Roger’s shoulders jerked in what might have been a shrug. “To be honest, I haven’t felt lucky in a long time,” he said. He also scanned the woods, sword across his lap.
“Not even when I saved you from the noose the last time I was here?”
He cracked a brief smile. “Okay, maybe that one time. But you must admit, Lyla. You don’t tend to turn up when things are going well.”
“Well, aren’t I special,” I said, gritting my teeth. Unfortunately, he was right. I did seem to have a habit of getting sucked into Mallory just when things were falling apart.
We rode in silence for a while. As the temperature went up, insects began to buzz in the trees. I heard the odd bird call, but there was no sight of any other animals. “Did we scare everything off?”
Roger took a gulp from his water skin and wiped his mouth. “I doubt it,” he said, passing me the skin. “It’s too hot. Animals were probably out early, before the sun came up, and will be in deep shade until this evening when it cools off again.”
I took a drink. I’d been on enough long hikes to know that drinking water was important when it was hot. “Well, it makes things a little freaky,” I said. “We haven’t even seen a rabbit.” I pointed to a spot ahead. “Hey, does that look like trampled grass to you?”

“Perhaps.” Roger dismounted and examined the ground. “Something rode through here. Several somethings, actually. These impressions look like they’ve been left by hooves that were shod, not wild animals.”




And here she is. . .
MARY SUTTON!!!





Mary Sutton has been making up stories, and creating her own endings for other people’s stories, for as long as she can remember. After ten years, she decided that making things up was far more satisfying than writing software manuals, and took the jump into fiction.
She writes the HERO’S SWORD middle-grade fantasy series as M.E. Sutton and finds a lot of inspiration in the lives of her own kids. A lifelong mystery fan, she also writes crime fiction, including THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS MYSTERIES, under the pen name Liz Milliron. Her short fiction has been published at Uppagus.com, Mystericale.com (Fall 2013), and in LUCKY CHARMS: 12 CRIME TALES (December 2013).

Links
http://marysuttonauthor.com
https://twitter.com/marysutton73
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarySutton

Friday, March 27, 2015

The Soul Thief by Majanka Verstraete with Giveaway


The Soul Thief
The Angel of Death Series # 1
By- Majanka Verstraete
Genre- YA Paranormal
Published By- Booktrope Publishing
Published On- November 11, 2014

When sixteen-year-old Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death.

Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.

   



EXCERPT

THE WORLD EXPLODED IN a chaos of fire, debris, and noise. Sirens screamed and low voices mumbled in the background. I lifted up my head and groaned. My head weighed about a thousand pounds and throbbed as if someone had hit me with a hammer. The interior of the car swayed from left to right.
A dark fog rose up in front of the car. Vague specters moved back and forth in the mist. I squinted and the specters turned into paramedics dressed in white clothes with stains all over them, who ran from one patient to another. Four or more cars had collided and mine was the last in line. Two cars burned with tall, flickering flames. A woman crawled out of one of the burning cars, half of her face blackened.
My stomach twisted and bile rose up in my throat. I searched for the door handle without turning away from the apocalypse happening in front of me.
The woman with the burnt face started screaming. The sound shattered my eardrums. A paramedic rushed toward her and pulled her away from the searing car wreck.
My fingers found the door handle and I pushed the car door open. A gush of fresh air entered the car and I took a deep breath. The air filled my lungs, and even though my surroundings still swirled around as if on a carousel, they started to slow down. I fiddled with the lock of my seatbelt, trembling like a leaf. Eventually the lock clicked and I tumbled out of the car. I gripped the door handle so hard my knuckles turned white while I pulled myself up, leaning on the car.
“Are you okay?” Someone grabbed my arm and helped me to stand up.
My savior was a forty-something woman with a round face, large eyes, and a red flush on her cheeks as if she’d just run a mile. She was tall and chubby, and while she appeared friendly enough, she stared at me wide-eyed, the chaos of burning car wrecks and wounded people reflected in her irises.
“I don’t know,” I said. “My head hurts and the world is spinning.” She nodded and helped me to the nearest ambulance. “Sit down.” She waited until I’d sat down and then looked at my injuries. She dabbed a wet cloth on my forehead and when she pulled it back the cloth was stained red.
My gaze fixed on the scene unfolding behind her. Two paramedics took turns performing heart massage on a young boy, whose broken body was spread out on the ground. His skin was the color of a bridal gown and his lips had turned a faint blue. He couldn’t be older than eight or nine. Broken glasses lay next to his body.
Right when the paramedics switched places, a girl appeared behind them. She popped up out of nowhere. One second there was no trace of her, the next she stood there, as if she’d been there all along.
My heart raced in my chest. I wanted to say something but the words got stuck in my throat.
The girl’s red hair with black extensions reached to her shoulders. She wore a short checkered skirt, black combat boots, a venom-green tank top, and black stockings. A chain dangled from her skirt. She chewed bubblegum with her mouth open. Everything about her screamed wrong; from the way she’d suddenly appeared to how she carried herself, as if she was strolling around in the park on a summer’s day, not standing at the scene of a gruesome accident in the middle of autumn. Even her clothes didn’t match the weather.
She knelt down and put her hand on the chest of the injured boy. For a while, nothing happened. But then a see-through, shiny form rose above the boy’s body. The specter looked exactly like the boy — same age, same height, same clothes, but it shone like a diamond.


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Taking Angels by C.S. Yelle

The Angel Crusades Series #1
By C.S. Yelle
YA Paranormal/Angels
Published On- March 26, 2013
Staccato Publishing






Britt Anderson went along with everything the doctors said for nearly four years, but she was still dying at eighteen. The cancer had won leaving her without a future, without any options, and without control. No control, except for how she would leave this world. As Britt tries to end her life by going into the frigid waters she realizes her mistake. She struggles to get back to shore, to cry out for help, but her atrophied muscles are useless and the frigid water steals the breath from her chemo-scarred lungs. Despite her father’s attempts to reach her, she flies over the waterfall.


When Allister Parks finds Britt’s fragile body on the riverbank something calls out to him. Ignoring the warnings of his sister, Allister brings Britt back from the edge of death. The only problem is that an Eternal like Allister isn’t allowed to touch those who have already passed from this world. It is forbidden; an infraction punishable by death.


As Britt relishes her new cancer-free life and senior year of high school, her very existence threatens Allister’s place in this world. Allister struggles to keep Britt a secret from the Eternal Council and out of the hands of the only Eternal who already knows the truth: the one who stole her guardian angel.






MY TIDBITS


Britt is going to be a senior hi high school. . .if she makes it that long. The opening scene introduces a frail, sick girl, who is simply tired of fighting for her life. She's doomed to die anyway. This immediately draws at the heart-strings and as she takes her own life, it's easy to understand her point of view. From here, the story takes off.

Britt is a loving character, who has learned to value life and is ready to fight and survive whatever is thrown at her. But she's not all powerful and super strong in every way. She makes mistakes and portrays all the dramatic emotions of a 17-year old, and still, she manages to come through with flying colors. The great guy on her side seems obligatory, but he too was easy to love and sympathize with. Unlike many heroes, I found him true and loving and not over-bearing or too cliche. 

I had no trouble diving into Britt's world and found myself wrapped up in her story from the very first page. There are always enough open questions, twists and turns to keep the pace going from one page to the next. Of course, the dark evil looming in the background kept a nice sense of mystery and suspense. At no time, did I feel as if I could predict what was going to happen.

Summed up, this is  an enjoyable read, and I recommend it to all those paranormal romance lovers who like a nice dash of extraordinary powers and a little bit of suspense. 



You can find this. . .




And here he is. . .
C.S. Yelle!!!





C.S. Yelle was born and raised in Grand Rapids, MN, the “almost” middle child of six. He attended Grand Rapids Senior High School where he enjoyed music and sports. He received his BS in Chemistry from Mayville State University, Mayville, ND in 1987. He taught 7-12 Science and coached for six years in several North Dakota schools and currently works as an Executive Account Manager in the Water Treatment Industry where he has been for over eighteen years. He is the father of four and grandfather of one. He writes novels, screenplays, and an occasional short story. He has been writing seriously for over 15 years and plans to continue until his fingers are unable, maybe longer. He currently resides in a Minneapolis, MN suburb with his wife Jennifer.



You can find him. . .

Website- http://p8.hostingprod.com/@csyelle.com/




Reflected by Majanka Verstraete with Giveaway




Reflected
(Mirrorland #2)
by Majanka Verstraete
 Young Adult, Paranormal Mystery, Romance, Dark Fantasy









When Alison was stuck in Mirrorland, all she wanted was to be alive again. Now she’s gotten her revenge by inhabiting Piper's body and trapping her behind the mirror. But pretending to be Piper is more difficult than she imagined it would be.

On top of that, the borders between Mirrorland and the real world are crumbling. Danger abounds, demons appear in high school, and if wasn’t for the help of a new mysterious guy, Alison might not have escaped. But there’s more to this guy than meets the eye, and she’s determined to find out what, especially since it might be related to her own supernatural problems.
Meanwhile, Piper tries to convince the Horseman of Death to help her return to her own world, but he's got his own hidden agenda, which may cause more serious risks. Can Piper find a way to restore the balance before both worlds collide?

Author Bio

Majanka VerstraeteMajanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library.
She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her.
She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in.
Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.”

Links

Giveaway

Win a $15 Amazon gift card to celebrate the cover reveal.
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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Return to Ter Chadain by C.S. Yelle


Return to Ter Chadain
Protector of Ter Chadain Series #3
By- C.S. Yelle
Genre- YA Fantasy
Release Date- March 17th, 2015

With their freedom won and the Empress of Caltoria defeated, Teah and Logan head back to Ter Chadain to finish what they started, to claim the throne for their bloodline.

But with a prophecy looming over them foretelling disaster should there be two Protectors of Ter Chadain, Viri Magus Grinwald must make a painful choice. Following orders means choosing the one Protector he will betray.

Who shall return to Ter Chadain…Logan or Teah, and what will be the fate of the one left behind?









Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Bella Chronicles-The Adventure Begins by Erica Leigh Austin



The Bella Chronicles - 

The Adventure Begins...

By Erica Leigh Austin

Illustrated by Mary Kessel

 Fiction/Children/YA

 Chadwick Publishing

286 pages




Bella the Shih Tzu is in the throes of her great escape, searching for the loving home she’s always wanted.  She hears someone cry out that there’s a dog in the street!  Bella immediately puts her escape on hold and springs into action as she frantically tries to save the dog…but she can’t find him. What will Bella do???
The Bella Chronicles: The Adventure Begins brings to life the journey of an extraordinarily smart, wonderful, and special dog named Bella as she wills her way to find a home full of love and warmth – and food! Told from Bella’s perspective, The Bella Chronicles is a warm and loving piece of literature that pet lovers’ and children alike have been awaiting…
 The Bella Chronicles: The Adventure Begins is the first in a heartwarming, humorous, insightful and action-packed chapter book series for young readers who have always wondered just what it is that their little pets are thinking.


You can find this. . .




And here she is. . .

ERICA LEIGH AUSTIN!!!




Erica Leigh Austin was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Palisades.  Both of her parents – all three of them, actually – were teachers and Erica was blessed to have grown up in an artistic, intellectual home.  Her summers were filled with club volleyball and serving as big sister and role model for her younger sister, Jenny.  Erica attended the University of Michigan, where she studied English and starred on the Wolverines’ Women’s Volleyball team.  After college, she returned home to obtain her MBA from Loyola Marymount University.  While studying at Loyola, Erica worked at the iconic Gladstone’s Seafood Restaurant “where Sunset meets the PCH.”  Erica’s studies then took her abroad to France.  There she immersed herself in the art and culture of one of the world’s most cosmopolitan locales.

Currently a highly accomplished professional in healthcare IT, Erica lives happily in the Venice Beach area.  She enjoys yoga, spending time with family and friends, and pushing Bella the Shih Tzu around in her stroller (Bella is too lazy to walk more than 20 feet).
She is pleased to introduce you to her dog, Bella the Shih Tzu, in this first installment of The Bella Chronicles.  Learn more about Erica at www.ericaleighaustin.com.

You can find her. . .

Website: ericaleighaustin.com/bellachronicles.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ericalaustin @Ericalaustin





The author is giving away 5 print copies of The Bella Chronicles
 – signed by both the author & Bella!


a Rafflecopter giveaway