Blog Tour Tens List & Giveaway - Gift of the Phoenix by Donna Cook

Tour Schedule

Gift of the Phoenix

When three strangers are brought together by the discovery of a common enemy, they must fight to keep the magic of the Phoenix out of dangerous hands before their world is destroyed forever. The Three must learn to unite in spite of what separates them, and unlock the magic of three stones that seem to harm as much as they help. But uniting will not be easy for Nicolai, the simple peasant with a powerful secret; Marcellus, the warrior prince who’s no longer heir to the throne; and Corren, a gifted wizard whose ambitions threaten to ruin them all. Full of magic, mystery, and a touch of romance, Gift of the Phoenix is an epic fantasy that takes the reader deep into the heart of a wondrous world and the three men destined to defend it.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ Kobo

iTunes ¦ The Book Depository ¦ Smashwords

Tens List: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being An Author

1. I get to listen to the voices in my head and no one tries to prescribe me medication.

2. I can write anywhere: on my back porch, on vacation, in waiting rooms, on top of an elephant. Sky’s the limit, really. 

3. I get to play in a world of make believe every day.

4. I can be fussy about who touches my pens and people chalk it up to a charming, writerly quirk, when really I’m just a control freak. 

5. I can write off book purchases as a business expense. 

6. Nobody thinks it’s strange that I have a notebook collection. (My cheese doodle collection is another matter.)

7. When I meet young, aspiring writers, I get to encourage them to never give up, because I remember being in their shoes. 

8. I can claim all those years of daydreaming in school were part of my professional development. 

9. I get to hang with other writers and entertain fantasies about being part of the next Lost Generation. 

10. Saying “I’m an author” makes me sound far cooler than I actually am.

Praise for Gift of the Phoenix

“An incredibly impressive book that grips you from the very start. There is plenty of action in the story, some wonderful characters and magical, atmospheric settings. Donna has created a fascinating realm in this story which, even if you don’t consider yourself a fantasy fan, you’ll definitely enjoy.”

– Excerpt of Stephanie Dagg’s review at Books Are Cool.

“As an avid reader of fantasy, I often encounter boring or overused plotlines—this was neither! With a fresh new take on fantasy adventure, Cook constructs an enchanting world of magic, kingdoms, rebirth, and death.”

– Excerpt a review by Artemis at Fantasy Book Lovers Unite

“Gift of the Phoenix reminds me of a mix of Paolin’s Eragon and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but stands on its own as a unique fantasy-adventure. Cook creates a magic system that is intricate and unique, which can be hard to do in a genre littered with magic. The story is very complex, and yet very easy to follow… layers upon layers of intertwined plots that all culminate to a fantastic ending. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age.”

– Excerpt of a review by Will Wortner at Zero2Fiction

Awards

Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards, including Semifinalist in the Kindle Book Review Book of the Year Awards, and Notable Read in the Shelf Unbound/Half Price Books Indie Book of the Year competition

Amazon ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ Kobo ¦ Book Depository

iTunes ¦ Smashwords ¦ IndieBound

About the Author

Donna Cook is an Arizona native transplanted to Boise, Idaho, where she is delighting in the change of scenery. When she’s not writing she spends her time chasing the kids, exploring delicious eateries downtown, and dancing with her talented husband. Her fantasy adventure, Gift of the Phoenix has won several awards, including Semifinalist in the Kindle Book Review Book of the Year Awards, and Notable Read in the Shelf Unbound/Half Price Books Indie Book of the Year competition. It was also nominated for the Whitney Award, which recognizes LDS writers. She’s currently working on the sequel to Gift of the Phoenix.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Goodreads

Pinterest ¦ Google+ ¦ Instagram ¦ Blog

***Giveaway***

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

Ends 4/31/14

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Author Spotlight - Amber K Bryant {Wattpad}

Unseen

Author: Amberkbryant

Genre: Teen Fiction / Paranormal

Wattpad Book Blurb:

Clara has been alone her entire existence. People pass through, but no one can see or touch her and she cannot leave the grounds of the nondescript hotel she calls home. She doesn’t know how she came to be there, nor does she understand exactly what she is or why she’s different, but Clara does know one thing—she wants to be seen. 

After running away from his abusive father, Nolan lands a job at Clara's hotel. Trying his best to fly under the radar, Nolan hopes to attract as little attention as possible while he raises enough money to find his long-absent mother. Depressed and heartbroken, Nolan wants only to be invisible. 

Despite opposing goals, the two share a palpable loneliness. But there is little hope that they’ll share anything beyond that, until the morning a barrier separating their planes of existence is breached, and for the first time, Clara’s unseen world is made visible. As Nolan is drawn into Clara’s reality, he must decide whether the love of one person is worth crossing into a world that may never let him back into his own.

Author Links:

Wattpad ¦ Twitter ¦ Tumblr

Author Interview

1. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Hello, my name is Amber and I’m a librarian.  I’ve been a Wattpad addict for about a month and now have only have vague memories of what life was like before.  My career brought me from the Midwest to the west coast of North America over ten years ago.  When I’m not in librarian mode, I’m writing, and when I’m not writing, I’m growing flowers and food or hiking in one of the mountain ranges near my home.

2. What types of books do you write?

I write young/new adult speculative fiction, predominantly.  Some of my work is science fiction, some of it veers more towards paranormal and fantasy.  I can’t seem to get away from the topic of other planes of existence/parallel universes in my work.  Each universe seems to manifest differently depending on the context of the story, but it’s always there.

3. How many books have you written?

I started writing almost two years ago.  The first thing I wrote is a book called Adherence, which is the beginning of a sci-fi trilogy set on—you guessed it—a parallel world.  Next, I took a break from that trilogy to write Unseen, so that work is essentially the second story I’ve written. I also wrote a novella, a short story, and several flash fiction pieces.  And I’ve got several novels currently cooking, including the second book in the Adherence trilogy and another novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) last November.

4. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

I actually have the book in my possession now!  It’s called The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton.  This was the first book I discovered on Wattpad.  Walton posted the first six chapters leading up to publication and I was immediately taken in and had to get the book.  It’s wonderful!  As for movies, I must admit that I used to go to them all the time but rarely do now.  I have a young child, which means the last movie I saw in the theater was The LEGO Movie (not that I’m complaining because it was awesome).  I’m tentatively excited for The Maze Runner, but as with all of the film adaptations of YA trilogies, I’m fearful that it won’t do the book justice.

5. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

Because of my job, I’m exposed to a lot of Young Adult fiction and therefore, I end up reading quite a bit of it.  I think it’s important to read beyond the kind of work you write or are most comfortable with, though.  While I might be a sucker for dystopian sci-fi, paranormal fiction, and magical realism, classic authors like Austen, Dickens, and Tolstoy have had a significant impact on me and I enjoy returning to their work now and then.  I think it’s easier to find your own voice as a writer if you have eclectic tastes in what you read.

6. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

I’ve thought about this one—or more correctly, I’ve over-thought it.  I’m going to make some assumptions—the island has a fresh clean water source, it’s tropical so no need for heavy clothing or shelter, and it’s large enough to provide food.  So here goes:

1.  A really great knife.

2.  A copy of Moby Dick.  Because if it’s the only book I have with me, I’ll actually finish it.

3. A survival expert who will take care of that pesky day-to-day keeping-us-alive business.  I will even let him use my knife and read Moby Dick aloud to him each night by the light of our campfire, if he asks me nicely.

I think there’s a chic-lit romance in there somewhere—something I’d want to read on a beach vacation on a not-so-deserted island (I’ll leave Moby Dick at home for that one).

7. Are you considering a sequel?

Yes!  In fact, the second installment is already underway. My goal is eventually to have three interrelated stories, Unseen being the first.  Once they are completed, the stories combined will create one novel-length book.

8. What inspired you to become a writer?

Reading!  Being an avid reader for 30+ years made me want to write, as well as having a desire to see something through to its end.  I’d thought about writing for a long time, but held off doing it.  When I finally started and actually finished a 115,000 word novel, that was really huge for me.  It gave me the confidence to keep going and write more.

Excerpt from Unseen

Clara hasn’t always been alone.  She is almost certain of that.  She can’t say that she remembers someone else exactly.  Nothing is that concrete for Clara.  But sometimes, when she lies on the edge of sleep, she unintentionally brushes her hand against her cheek, and the touch seems familiar in some inexplicable way.  Someone touched her like that once.  Gently, nonchalantly, as though to caress Clara was a routine and expected gesture repeated often throughout the course of a day. 

Clara believes someone loved her once, a long time ago.

Besides, someone must have taken care of her as a baby.  It just stands to reason.

Whoever they were, they left her before she was old enough to remember them properly and it has been Clara and only Clara ever since.  She does not count the breathing people.  They are different, set apart from her.  They have always been oblivious to her, and her interest in them merely passes the time.

That was before the boy, Nolan, came along.  Her fascination with Nolan is on a vastly different scale than anything she’s experienced for other breathing people.  Nolan interests her, and that interest began before she became visible to him.  Nolan avoids speaking to everyone, if he can help it.  He keeps himself wrapped up in a dark hoody in order to hide himself from the world.  Nolan doesn’t want anyone to notice him.  He is a complete contrast from Clara.

And yet.  Clara sees how sad the boy is.  He goes to great lengths to keep his emotions secret from the other hotel employees.  They might start asking questions that Nolan isn’t interested in answering.

He doesn’t want it to, but the lack of attention from other breathers seems to make Nolan lonely.  This is exactly how Clara feels.  She wishes for his sake that they didn’t share this in common.  But as long as they do, she must admit that she is oddly comforted by it.  She is lonely and he is lonely.  Maybe their loneliness can somehow cancel each other’s out and become something else entirely.

Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway - Girls Love Travis Walker by Anne Pfeffer

Welcome to my tour stop for Girls Love Travis Walker by Anne Pfeffer. This is a New Adult contemporary recommended for ages 16+.  The tour will consist of reviews, with a few guest posts and interviews.

Girls Love Travis Walker

by Anne Pfeffer

Book Description:

To nineteen-year-old high school dropout Travis Walker, women are like snowflakes--each one different, but beautiful in her own way. He can charm any girl he meets, and yet down deep he fears he'll always be a loser like his jailbird father. As the landlady threatens to evict him and his sick mother, Travis takes a job he hates and spends his evenings picking up girls at a nearby night spot. When he enlists in a teen program at the local fire station, he finds out he’s amazing at it. Then he meets the smoking hot Kat Summers, enlists Kat’s friend Zoey to help him woo her, and falls in love for the first time ever. But he keeps the details of his life secret. His girl will never love him back if she knows the truth about him….

Book Links:

Amazon | Goodreads

Guest Post: The Grammar Grump Speaks

No one has perfect spelling, grammar, and punctuation all the time.  I sure don’t.  So let me say it up front. If you catch any mistakes in this post, call me on it. 

I’ll deserve it, because now I’m going to talk about some of my language peeves.  You know, those mistakes that appear over and over again in books, and let’s face it. A lot of times they’re in the self-published books.  In fact, self-published books are notorious for having mistakes, which is too bad, because it brings down the reputation of indie books and authors overall.

So here are a few things I see all the time and that are, for the most part, easy to get right, if you just know the rules.

1. “Loose” versus “lose.”   A lot of people insert a second  “o” when they shouldn’t.

If she failed, she would lose everything.  CORRECT

If she failed, she would loose everything.  INCORRECT

MEMORY AID:  When you lose weight, your skirt gets loose.  

         

2. “Myself.”  “Myself” should always be the object of a sentence, not the subject (except in this sentence).  Most people get this right in the singular, but in the plural they get it wrong. 

EXAMPLE:

Because it sounds funny, no one would never say:  Myself  went to the store. INCORRECT

Instead we say:  I went to the store.  CORRECT

But people do say:  Veronica and myself went to the store.  INCORRECT

It’s the same rule for singular and plural:  Veronica and I went to the store.  CORRECT  

MEMORY AID:  say it to yourself in the singular, then do the same thing for the plural 

I played tennis. CORRECT

James and I played tennis.  CORRECT

The  misuse of “myself” has become so common that now people even sometimes misuse it in the singular! (I added an exclamation point to reflect the horror that we all feel upon hearing this news.)

EXAMPLE:  He gave it to me yesterday.  CORRECT

 And yet, it’s not uncommon to see: He gave it to myself yesterday.  INCORRECT

As for the plural:

He gave it to me and Harold yesterday.  CORRECT

He gave it to myself and Harold yesterday.  INCORRECT

3. “Lie” versus “lay” (and what about “laid” and “lain”?)  Unlike the first two, this is genuinely complicated. So much so, that I confess I studied Grammar Girl before I wrote this section and discovered I didn’t know this as well as I thought I did. So I’ve learned something, too, from this post.

First of all, we’re not talking about “lie” in the sense of “telling an untruth.” We’re talking about “lie” as in “getting horizontal.”  (That woke you up, if nothing else did.)

I’ll do the present tense, which is simple.  “Lay” requires a direct object, while “lie” does not.

EXAMPLE:  I lie down on my bed.  CORRECT

I lay down on my bed.  INCORRECT

I lay the book down on my bed.  CORRECT

Again, these sentences are in the present tense. Those of us who write our books in present tense have to know this! Of course, all writers should know this, but especially us present-tensers.

For the past tense, I’m going to give you this link from Grammar Girl, because she explains it really well, and I would just end up copying all her charts and examples and probably violating copyright laws . So here goes:

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/lay-versus-lie.aspx

I’m going to bet that almost nobody reading this post understands this topic completely. I didn’t. So take the challenge! 

Learn about the author at:

www.annepfeffer.com

***Giveaway***

$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Confessions of a City Girl - Los Angeles by Juliette Sobanet

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Confessions of a City Girl LA
by Juliette Sobanet

Book Description:

In their efforts to start a family, talented DC photographer Natasha Taylor and her professor husband have plunged headfirst into the stressful world of fertility treatments, scheduled sex, and IVF-induced debt. When an opportunity arises to sell a gallery left to Natasha by her late mother, Natasha hopes the sale could dig the couple out of financial ruin, give them one last shot at a baby, and save their crumbling marriage. 

But when her husband walks out on her and doesn't show up to her most important exhibit, an intense encounter with the alluring Nicholas Reyes—a once-famous photographer turned investor—leaves Natasha questioning everything she believed she wanted for her life. 

Nicholas offers to buy the gallery...on one condition: Natasha must join him for a decadent weekend in Los Angeles, where he will give her the career opportunity of a lifetime and one unforgettable Hollywood night. 

How harmless could one night be? 

As it turns out, one night with the disarming Nicholas Reyes has the power to unravel Natasha's tightly-wound world and awaken her in ways she never could have imagined.

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Excerpt from Confessions of a City Girl - Los Angeles

Chapter 6

Our drinks arrive, and I take mine with haste, sucking down the minty fresh alcohol, hoping it will soothe the butterflies that are suddenly wreaking havoc in my stomach, making me feel all light-headed and dizzy—a thirty-two-year-old teenager in heat.

After Nicholas slides his empty glass down the bar, he takes my hand and nods toward the dance floor where couples are draped all over each other, laughing and grooving underneath the dim lights in this steamy club.

“Dance with me, Natasha.” The intensity in his voice means there is only one answer to that question.

I let Nicholas guide me out to the center of the floor, vaguely recalling all of the tiring arguments I’ve had with Ethan in recent years, begging him to put off his work for just one night so we could do something fun. All the times I suggested that we take a weekend off from our insanely busy lives, from infertility, from writing and researching and photo shoots, to go somewhere exciting together. To remember who we were as a couple, why we’d fallen for each other all those years ago.

But the nights out, the weekends away—they never did happen. Ethan just wouldn’t carve out the time, make the commitment. It was never important enough to him. Everything else came first.

And now, here I am in the middle of a booming Los Angeles dance floor, finding the excitement and romance I’ve been craving for so long with a man I’ve only met a handful of times, a man who cannot keep his eyes or his hands off me.

And I must admit—it feels incredible.

So incredible, in fact, that any hints of guilt I may have been harboring over my decision to say yes to Nicholas’ proposal have been abandoned at the door of this club.

A sultry piano and sax tune moves over the dance floor, prompting Nicholas to wrap his arms around my waist and pull me snugly into his chest. Our hips find each other instantly, a perfect fit as they sway in time to the music, grinding together in urgent, passionate waves. He presses his cheek to mine, the heat of his breath running down my neck and over my breasts, making my core throb with desire.

Song after song, we dance like this—our bodies intertwined, not able to get enough. And with each new song, I feel myself unraveling even further in his arms, marveling at the way his body moves so naturally with mine, at how comfortable I feel letting loose in front of him.

As the beat slows down, Nicholas threads his fingers through my long hair and dips me back, running his hungry lips down my neck. When we resurface, I am flushed, hot, and ready.

His mouth finds my ear. “I want nothing more than to ravage you right now.”

I don’t wait for him to say more. Instead, the inner seductress I didn’t know I had gives him a suggestive grin, takes his hand, and leads him out of the club.

About the Author

Juliette Sobanet earned a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.A. from New York University in France, living and studying in both Lyon and Paris. She worked as a French professor before turning a new page in her career, penning romantic women’s fiction with a French twist. Today she lives in San Diego, where she devotes her time to writing, eating chocolate, and dreaming about her next trip to France. Visit Juliette's website at www.juliettesobanet.com.

Author Links:   

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Mailing List

***Giveaway***

Enter to win a wine and spa gift basket as well as 3 ecopies of Confessions of a City Girl LA

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Tour Organized by Indie Sage, LLC

Book Blitz & Giveaway - The Accidental Socialite by Stephanie Wahlstrom

The Accidental Socialite

by Stephanie Wahlstrom 

Release Date: 04/15/ 14

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Quirky and clumsy twenty-two-year-old Paige Crawford arrives in London on a cold Saturday in January. Just when Paige starts to think that moving thousands of miles away from home with no real plan was a bad idea, Jason Frost appears. Confident and classy, Jason is the complete opposite of Paige and just what she needs in her life, or so she thinks.

But before their romance has time to blossom, Paige trips and falls into the arms of a mysterious man on a drunken night out. She’s snapped by paparazzi, and newspaper headlines the next day suggest that she’s having an affair with a married footballer.

Paige finds herself instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status which isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job at Fashionista magazine, a catalog of dating disasters and a nagging doubt that she maybe she can’t conquer London after all.

When a trip back to Canada for Christmas reminds Paige why she left her old life behind, she returns to London with renewed vigor realizing that while jobs, flats and men may come and go, friends in London are forever.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Excerpt from The Accidental Socialite

I was practically down on my knees praying they would have a table for one when the Gap model/waiter from the other day spotted me and came over.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, eyes darting around behind me.

“Ummm, you serve food and I’m hungry, isn’t that normally how restaurants work?” I was clearly doing all I could to squash that ‘Canadians are super nice’ rumour.

“Come with me.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the back of the restaurant. “No, I mean what are you doing out after last night?”

I knew I looked like shit, but how did he know what kind of night I had? He grew impatient with my obvious hangover induced mental handicap and shoved today’s copy of The Sun in my face.

It took me a minute to register what I was seeing but once I did, I dropped onto the banquette in shock. There I was on the front cover of England’s best selling national newspaper in an apparent romantic embrace with a man I’d never seen before. The paper named him as Stuart Smith, superstar Chelsea footballer, notorious ladies man, and apparently married to some pop star named Kerry. Poop.

Gap model/waiter sat down next to me. “What happened? Are you dating him?”

“Uh –Uh-, No! No I’m not! I was at The Box and there were all these flashes and I tripped and I don’t know. Oh my god! Seriously, I got here YESTERDAY!” Why was I on the front cover of this paper?

The article insinuated that I was some home wrecker that this Stuart guy had been fooling around with behind the back of his beautiful wife. Easy, I was just going to have to call up the paper and get this whole thing fixed. No big deal. And it was a pretty good picture of me, so that was an upside to the whole debacle.

The waiter was freaking out. “Listen honey my name is Duncan and this is my number. I know someone at The Sun and I’m sure he’ll sort this out for you. Are you hungry? Eggs Benedict again?” This guy seemed to think this was a bigger deal than I did. My brain knew I should be slightly more alarmed, but my head was still clouded and would be until I had food.

“Yes please.” I gave him my biggest smile. Nobody actually cared about this, right?

I picked at my meal and pretended not to notice everyone staring at me. My appetite was gone, which was not only strange, but also tragic because the hollandaise was shouting ‘eat me now!’ Why on earth did this paper jump to a conclusion that was so clearly false? And why did everyone believe what they read?

About the Author

Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, a significant amount of Stephanie’s time was spent making up and acting out stories. She was studying to be an actress when she realized there weren’t any parts for women being written. So, Stephanie wrote herself a short screenplay just to be in it and quickly realized that writing was her true passion. She graduated from the University of Alberta with an English and Sociology degree and she also has a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College. She moved to New York on a whim after University and has written a variety of TV shows including an environmentally friendly lifestyle series and a tween magazine style show about celebrities. Stephanie moved to London in 2008 and aside from being obsessed with Eggs Benedict, shoes, Fruit Roll Ups and travelling, she also works in Children’s Television. 

Author Links:
Goodreads ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Blog ¦ Swoon Romance


Publisher Links:
Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook

***GIVEAWAY***

1 ebook of The Accidental Socialite + $10 Amazon Gift Card (INT).

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Book Blitz Organized By:

BOTM - Beautiful Mistake {Wattpad}

Beautiful Mistake

Author: Gryffindork90

Genre: General Fiction / Romance

Wattpad Book Blurb:

A drunken night with her former enemy caused Emma Collins to make a mistake. But something beautiful came out from her nightmare. Problem is, how would former prisoner, Drake Rogers, react when he finds out this one mistake?  All Rights Reserved.

Author Links:

Wattpad ¦ Twitter

Interview

1. Please tell the readers a bit about yourself.

My name is Laiza Millan and I am a Journalism major in college here in the States!

2. What types of books do you write?

I like to write about the ‘opposites attract’ romance, drama books

3. How many books have you written?

I’ve written fanfiction before, but I only have one original book so far.

4. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

I’m looking for the last book of the Nevermore trilogy by Kelly Creagh. That series is so amazing, I honestly can’t wait for the third book to come out!

5. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I like different types of books! A mixture of adventure, romance, and drama.

6. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

1. Books to entertain me

2. A helpful tool to cut some trees to build myself a boat

3. Drinking water

7. Are you considering a sequel?

Okay, personally, I am not a huge fan of sequels. So no, I am not going to create one myself.

8. What inspired you to become a writer?

I’m not really sure. I just remembered in elementary school, I would keep this journal and constantly write on it about my thoughts. Then being in middle school and just randomly had the urge to write a story. I did that for a little bit. Then in high school, my friend and I would write a fictional story about us as the characters, instead of paying attention in class. Ever since then I just kept writing on and off.

Beautiful Mistake Scavenger Hunt

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Blog Tour Guest Post - Broken Family by Kevin Hopson

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Broken Family
Author: Kevin Hopson
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Pages: 34
Genre: Crime/Mystery
Format: eBook

Book Description:

Sheriff Joseph Mauro is summoned to a local lake in Stone County, having received a report of a dead woman along the water’s shore. With foul play a possibility, he utilizes the help of his two female deputies in questioning family members and friends. As the three of them search for clues and possible motives, the case takes an unexpected turn, and Sheriff Mauro must rely on his instincts if he is going to weed out the killer.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Guest Post: The Four Seasons of Broken Family

As much as I would love to take credit for the topic idea, this was something suggested by the blog host…and a brilliant one at that. If I had to pick characters from Broken Family to represent each of the four seasons, who would they be and why?

Winter:

It would have to be Stephanie Gass, the daughter of the victim. Stephanie is a moody teenager, and the freezing temperatures and snow/ice storms that accompany the winter season are enough to make even the most optimistic person a little unstable (assuming you aren’t a spoiled individual living in a temperate area). Furthermore, Stephanie can’t leave for college soon enough, just like many of us are anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring.    

Spring:

Ira Batista, the younger of the two deputies, is energetic and full of life, similar to the rejuvenation we feel when spring finally reigns. She’s also a very sociable person. Like many of us, I’m sure Ira enjoys the flourishing plant life, the constant chirping of birds, and even the traditional mating period…for wildlife of course.

Summer:

Without a doubt, this goes to Deputy Janelle Bowden. She’s a little hot-under-the-collar, so much that even a 100-degree day probably feels cool to her. Aggressive and willing to say what’s on her mind, Janelle’s temper can get the better of her. At least the rest of us have an excuse for being like this three months out of the year. It’s called the heat.

Autumn:

Sheriff Joe Mauro wins hands down. His calming influence is like a crisp, autumn breeze blowing in after a massive heat wave. Joe is also an understanding and compassionate man. Not only is he grateful for what he has (Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday), but Joe enjoys the simple things in life. Now if he could just find a woman. Psst. Read the book and maybe he will.

Excerpt from Broken Family

“Who’s the victim?” A woman’s voice inquired from behind.

Joe didn’t even bother turning around. He knew who it was.

“Claire Gass,” he said. “Is Ira with you?”

“She’s coming down the hill right now,” the woman answered.

Joe rotated his head with his knee to the ground, looking in the direction of the deputy. Janelle Bowden, an African-American woman with wide brown eyes, stared back at him. Her coffee-colored hair was tied up in a bun.

“Looks like someone hit her over the head and dumped the body here,” Joe said. “A fisherman discovered her early this morning when he was putting his trailer in the water.”

“A forced drowning?” Janelle asked.

Joe shook his head. “I don’t think so. The body would be bloated and show signs of decay. Plus, it can take days or weeks for a drowned body to surface. They usually float on top of the water, not wash up on the shore of a still lake. This body is fresh. I figure she died in the last twelve hours.”

About the Author

Prior to hitting the fiction scene in 2009, Kevin was a freelance writer for several years, covering everything from finance to sports. His debut work, World of Ash, was released by MuseItUp Publishing in the fall of 2010. Kevin has released several other books through MuseItUp since then, and he has also been published in various magazines and anthology books. Kevin's writing covers many genres, including dark fiction and horror, science fiction, and crime fiction. 

His latest book is the crime/mystery, Broken Family.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Goodreads

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE

Blog Tour Organised By:

Book Blitz Promo & Giveaway - Complication by K.A. Salidas

Complications

Author: K.A. Salidas

Series: Chronicles of the Uprising, Part 2

Release Date: April 14, 2014

Book Description:

Narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Magistrate, Mira travels west, toward the coast. With three weakened human fugitives accompanying her, she searches for the mythical land of Sanctuary.

After encountering a pack of wolf shifters, headed by the charismatic—and brazen—Stryker, Mira learns that Sanctuary is real after all.  Caldera Grove: home of the Otherkin. Hidden in the mouth of a dormant volcano, it has protected its residents from humans since the early days following the great cataclysm. For Mira— a vampire— Caldera Grove is a land of peace; an escape from the relentless persecution of the humans who once enslaved her, and an end to the daily struggle and bloodshed of being a gladiator.

For the humans accompanying her, Caldera Grove means death. Humans, greedy and untrustworthy creatures, are destroyed before they can penetrate its borders.

To plead her case for entry into Caldera, Mira must abandon her companions, albeit temporarily, and follow Stryker into the heart of the city. What she finds within Caldera Grove presents her with an unenviable decision between her own desires for freedom and peace, or honor and the human companions who risked it all for her.

About the Author

  

Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women,  I can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  I can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, I still find time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). I can do all of this and still have time to write my novels.

Sorry… I can’t even write that with a straight face.

Lies all lies.

Here’s the reality. I’m a sleep-deprived, overworked, mom who just doesn’t know the meaning of the word balance. I try so hard to do it all, (be super mom, wife, & author) and at the end of the day I fall face forward into the couch.

Yes, you read that right, I tend to sleep on the couch. It’s a point of frustration for my hubby and a thing of comedy for my daughter. Imagine waking up to your little child yelling, “Mom slept on the couch again!!!”

Because being supermom (or trying to) means a lot of time devoted to family, writing is often done when said family is peacefully snoozing away. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen asleep with my laptop, on the couch. It just happens. Then, bright and early at 7am either my hubby (on his way to work) or my daughter (getting ready for school) wakes me up.

Writing is my passion. It’s a part of me. More than just a hobby, it’s a compulsion. I have to do it. If I don’t do at least one writing related thing each day I get cranky.

Hopefully, my passion can be your entertainment!

Author Links:

Website ¦ Facebook ¦ Amazon ¦ Twitter ¦ Rising Sign Books

***Giveaway***

One $5.00 Amazon Gift Card.

One Complication purse charm. 

One Dissension purse charm.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOTW - WEEK 48 {Wattpad}

Being Recruited

Author: KomalChandwani

Genre: Teen Fiction / Mystery /Thriller

Wattpad Book Blurb:

When Emma Lamarque is kidnapped and recruited by the Secret Intelligence Service, her world turns upside down. Torn from a normal life, she is forcibly trained as a covert assassin and finds herself in a world where criminals are privileged and deadly weapons are not outlawed.

Haunted by deception and secrets about her life, Emma sets out on her own mission to unravel the mystery behind her recruitment, but the truth may be more terrifying than she ever imagined.

Click here to read the book.

Category X

Author: CT_Hill

Genre: Science-Fiction / Mystery

Wattpad Book Blurb:

Evan and Alexander make a disastrous discovery, but instead of using the compound for the benefit of the world, they move to release the pathogen; the very pathogen to which they have the only cure.

When Special Agent Olivia Frey is given the case of her career, it does not take long for her to realize that what she is investigating is no ordinary murder, but something that will be forever etched in history.

The world takes a breath as it realizes its greatest catastrophe, as the gift of reproduction is snatched right from humanity's hands.

Category X means that the world will change.

Will you survive?

Click here to read the book.

Unseen

Author: Amberkbryant

Genre: Teen Fiction / Paranormal

Wattpad Book Blurb:

Clara has been alone her entire existence. People pass through, but no one can see or touch her and she cannot leave the grounds of the nondescript hotel she calls home. She doesn’t know how she came to be there, nor does she understand exactly what she is or why she’s different, but Clara does know one thing—she wants to be seen. 

After running away from his abusive father, Nolan lands a job at Clara's hotel. Trying his best to fly under the radar, Nolan hopes to attract as little attention as possible while he raises enough money to find his long-absent mother. Depressed and heartbroken, Nolan wants only to be invisible. 

Despite opposing goals, the two share a palpable loneliness. But there is little hope that they’ll share anything beyond that, until the morning a barrier separating their planes of existence is breached, and for the first time, Clara’s unseen world is made visible. As Nolan is drawn into Clara’s reality, he must decide whether the love of one person is worth crossing into a world that may never let him back into his own.

Click here to read the book.

Overseas

Author: ErisDecember

Genre: Teen Fiction / Short Story

Wattpad Book Blurb:

“I loved him but he loved her and she loved me.” 

After all this time, they finally decide to send each other the letters they kept tucked under their mattresses.

Click here to read the book.

The Unusuals

Author: Mayakakos

Genre: Teen Fantasy / Adventure

Wattpad Book Blurb:

Jamie Smith was never a normal girl. All her life she was training and running from The Government. Everything changes when everyone except her and five other Unusual are left to fend for themselves. Jamie Smith must now over come not only running from the Government but also betraying best friends, prophecies and the fear of losing everyone she loves...

Click here to read the book.

Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway - Fortune Cookie by Josi Kilpack

Tour Schedule

Fortune Cookie

Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list.

With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago.

Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder.

The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.

Buy Links:

Amazon ¦ Deseret Book ¦ Barnes & Noble

Culinary Mystery Series

Guest Post: Top Ten Tips for Writing Mystery

1. Know the difference between Mystery and Suspense.

2. Have a likable hero or heroine.

3. Have a villain worthy of their position.

4. Learn the craft of 'slight of hand' in fiction.

5. Know what subgenre you are writing for.

6. Create a unique mystery.

7. Give multiple people realistic motives to distract from the true villain.

8. Open strong in chapter one.

9. End chapters end with a question.

10. Keep your hero or heroine flawed enough to be real.

Author the Author

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Blog

***Giveaway***

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

Ends 4/30/14.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway