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Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Blog Tour: Spotlight & Giveaway - The Soul of the Sun by Genevieve Crownson




The Soul of the Sun
Genre: Paranormal/Young Adult
Author: Genevieve Crownson
Publisher: Genevieve Crownson
Pages: 348
Format: Paperback; Kindle

Book Description:
“The hands of time turn on the face of the sun. Only you can move them. If the Watcher controls the hands of the clock he can go anywhere, past or future-- and destroy our planet.”

Since the days of ancient Greece, the Argos dynasty has kept a secret, a mystery passed down through their descendants from generation to generation, in the hopes that the forces of good can stop the evil destruction of planet Earth.

Margaret Ingall is harboring that secret. Time is running out for the descendants of the Argos. They know a great healer and time traveler will be born of their blood. But the only person that knows whom they will call “the soul of the sun” is Margaret’s sister, Abigail. Before she can reveal the healer’s identity, disaster strikes…

Evil stalks them, watching and waiting to find out which member of her family has the ultimate power. Is it Margaret’s own child? Or her beloved granddaughter? Or even herself? Their only clue is a powerful protective amulet that will lead them all in a cat-and-mouse game to discover secrets as ancient as time.

If the Watcher discovers the truth before they do, all will be lost.

Fate, time and love weave together in their struggle to fulfill their destiny. Will Margaret’s fears sabotage her family’s protection? Can the healer accept her gifts in time? And once the soul of the sun is finally revealed, will it be too late?

Her power is incredible. The sacrifices required of her are immense.

Will it be enough to stop the Watcher?

Buy Links:



Excerpt from The Soul of the Sun

The rain fell in sheets around me, it was gloomy and depressing, but I didn’t feel a drop. I was completely encased in light; I was a moving, breathing, flaming yellow orb that no one could penetrate. I watched in amazement as my broken leg instantly healed and the torn pajama fabric cinched itself back together. My jaw pain ceased. I closed my hands over the amulet, now humming with intensity. In a split second, I was vibrating with the same power. The wind picked up and the sky loomed black. The moon lay dark behind an inky sky and somehow strange chanting words flowed out of me. Lava hot and fraught with meaning, they rose to a fever pitch. Every word was a part of me, part of my being. Words from another time, Tanga’s time, slipped from my lips as though it were my native tongue. It was the inscription on the amulet, of that much I was sure.

I stretched my glowing hands out to Thomas.

I call on you Lady Isis.

Protect Me.

For I am the one, the Soul of the Sun.

I plead with you and your son Horus to give refuge.

Patroness of Nature and Magic bring all my power and your power together to glorify
what is right and true in this world.

Honor your name and those we safeguard from harm. Let time be taken from no man.

Amen.”

He was laughing at me.

“You stupid little twit, did you honestly think that would work? You think that I can’t take what’s mine?”

As he spoke, I chanted the same words, repeating them over and over. I saw fear cross his face just for a moment when he realized I was using the amulet’s power. A brilliant beam of light continued to radiate from my core. It was strange, the light now shone gold instead of blue. It must have changed when it sealed together. I continued to watch and to my astonishment, he became transparent and, with a puff of smoke, evaporated into the heavens. I could hear his heart-rending screams echoing through the ocean’s storm. Drained completely of energy, I crumpled, exhausted, onto the sand.


About the Author
Genevieve Crownson graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelors of Science degree. A love of writing led her to pen her debut novel, The Soul of the Sun. This is book one in her highly anticipated trilogy, The Argos Dynasty. She currently lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with her family and beloved four-legged friends.

You can find her at www.genevievecrownson.com.

Author Links:
Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Goodreads








Genevieve Crownson is giving away 2 $25 Amazon Gift Cards!

  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
  • This giveaway begins April 7 and ends June 27.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, June 30.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!


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

Blog Tour Organized by:

Monday, 19 May 2014

Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway - Spirit Seeker & Illuminate-Alive, She Cried by Jamie Haden




Spirit Seeker
Author: Jamie Haden
Release Day: September 2013
Genre: Native American/Paranormal Romance/New Adult

Book Description:
Life is strange and difficult for the granddaughter of a shaman. Sixteen-year-old Talisa Santiago was born in the desert underneath the full moon in January-the wolf moon. However, she left the desert with her mother when she was a young girl. She remembers bits and pieces of her past but it isn't until she and her mom move to a remote barrier island off the coast of North Carolina that she feels fate has finally called-secretive and mysterious he stands alone on the edge of the bank.

Her friends tell her to stay away; she hears rumors that he is dangerous. Still, she can't resist. Whether Talisa realizes it or not, she knows a thing or two about boys like Jag Chavez. Fate is funny that way. For the first time in her life, Talisa meets kids just like her-Native Americans who know the ways of the spirit. The closer she gets to Jag, the more she realizes he is hiding a dark secret. He may have the markings of the Thunderbird, but he is named for the powerful Jaguar. Together they embark on a journey that will haunt her forever.

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Illuminate-Alive, She Cried
Author: Jamie Haden
Release Day: March, 2014
Genre: Native American/Paranormal Romance/New Adult

Book Description:
Seventeen-year-old Talisa Santiago, the pregnant Native American shifter and granddaughter of a shaman is about to begin the self discovering journey of a lifetime, taking her from the only place she truly remembers and putting her on sacred land. The trials and tribulations there lead her into what can only be described as truly illuminating. She also finds herself in a love triangle, one that throws her life into utter chaos. Leaving her to learn not only how to deal with her shape shifting abilities, a new baby and now two men who will both tug at her heart in very different ways. Who will she decide to live with and what will it mean for the rest of her journey?

Buy Links:



Author Interview

1. What inspired you to write your first book?

My daughters inspired me to write the first and second book. My oldest daughter was in the library complaining that there was nothing she wanted to read. She said everything bored her. I asked her if she'd be interested in something if I wrote it. She said she'd be very interested. That night I started Spirit Seeker.

2. Do you have a specific writing style?

I try my best to say what I mean. I don't want to alienate readers. Instead I want to bring them in to the world I've created.

3. How did you come up with the title for your book?

Talisa Santiago is a Spirit Seeker so the title of Book One came easy.  The title of Book Two came from the names of each part. Part One is ILLUMINATE and Part Two is ALIVE, SHE CRIED.

4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

In the end, I hope the readers see the world of Natives in a different light. Native Americans have beautiful traditions and a great respect for the land and the animals that live on it, but like so many of us they have such a difficult journey.

5. How much of the book is realistic?

In both novels, I have tried to bridge the gap between Native Americans and shape-shifting. With the underlying philosophical principals of the supernatural worlds, reality and fantasy are able to stand alongside one another and not be mutually exclusive.

6. What book are you reading now?

I'm rereading The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

7. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

John Green for sure.

8. What are your current projects?

I'm writing episodic fiction for Big World Network. I currently have two series that I'm working on.

9. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I have more patience than I ever imagined. Also, I really do enjoy rereading words.

10. What were the challenges (research, psychological etc) in bringing your story to life?

The biggest challenge was to find the time to write.


About the Author
Jamie Leigh Haden is the author of Spirit Seeker, a young adult fantasy. Jamie lives and writes near the seashore in North Carolina. She has a Bachelor's degree in philosophy. Jamie is currently working on An Unimagined Life, the sequel to Illuminate-Alive, She Cried.

Author Links:









***GIVEAWAY***

5 Kindle, ePub or PDF copies of Spirit Seeker and Illuminate-Alive, She Cried up for grabs.

Ends June 8th (midnight GMT).

International giveaway.

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. The winner will be posted on this page after the winner responds. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.


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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Since Forever Ago by Olivia Besse



Since Forever Ago
Release date: May 13th 2014
Publisher: Wunderland Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Fresh off the heels of a devastating breakup, Riley Benson is a mess. But with her ingenious plan to become a ball-busting heartbreaker herself, she’s pretty sure she’ll survive. After all, what better way is there to get revenge than to move on?

Riley’s determined to become the perfect bachelorette—she’s going to drink like a bro, belch like a beast and swear so much that she’ll make even the most seasoned sailors blush. After all, those are the qualities that every guy’s secretly looking for…. aren’t they?

Max Fletcher is in love with the girl who gave him chicken pox and his first broken leg. When his best friend seems to finally be out of the picture, he can’t help but want to keep Riley all to himself. And, after coaching her with the very best of the very worst love advice, it seems as if he might actually get what he's wanted after all those years. But just as the two come to the realization that they're actually kind of perfect for each other, along comes a secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Buy Links:



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia Besse is a rookie to the literary scene, moonlighting as a writer to keep what's left of her sanity! Stay tuned for relatable New Adult novels penned by an actual new adult!


Author Links:







***GIVEAWAY***

$10 Amazon Gift Card up for grabs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Blast & Giveaway - Goddess Born By Kari Edgren

goddess born cover
Goddess Born
by Kari Edgren

Pennsylvania, 1730

Selah Kilbrid keeps a dangerous secret: she has the power to heal.

A direct descendent of the Celtic goddess Brigid, it’s Selah’s sacred duty to help those in need. But as the last of the Goddess Born living in the New World, she learned from an early age to keep her supernatural abilities hidden. The Quaker community of Hopewell has always been welcoming, but there’s no doubt they would see her hanged if her gift was revealed.

When a prominent minister threatens to try her with witchcraft unless she becomes his wife, Selah has only one hope—that her betrothed, a distant cousin from Ireland, arrives as planned. Marrying Samuel would keep her secret safe, preserve her sacred bloodline, and protect her from being charged as a witch.

But when news of Samuel’s death reaches the Colonies, Selah is truly on her own. Terrified, she faces an impossible choice—forfeit her powers and marry the loathsome Nathan? Or find an imposter to pose as her husband and preserve her birthright?


Buy Links:



2013 RWA Golden Heart© Finalist

2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semifinalist

ABNA Publisher Weekly Reviewer
Set in the colony of Pennsylvania in 1730, this riveting novel begins as 18-year-old Selah Kilbrid runs into Quaker minister Nathan Crowley, a man who “labor[ed] under the delusion that [Selah] would soon be his wife” despite the fact that she was betrothed to a man on his way to America from Ireland. Nathan tells Selah that if she refuses him, he will have her “charged as a witch” because of her ability to heal the sick. To avoid Nathan’s plan to marry her the following Sunday, she leaves for Philadelphia to wait for the arrival of her betrothed and marry him before returning home. In Philadelphia, she discovers that her betrothed has died at sea. She then purchases Henry, an indentured servant, and convinces him to pose as her husband and help protect her from Nathan. As the story continues, the reader learns of Selah’s family history and the powers she possesses; Selah is half human, half goddess. It's important that her secret stay safe, because if discovered, she could be killed. The characters are well developed and relatable; the reader empathizes with Selah and her plight. The fast-paced plot is exciting and keeps the reader guessing and in suspense. The end leaves room for a sequel, which, after such a tremendous beginning, would be anxiously awaited. A clear winner!

Kari Edgren
About the Author

Kari Edgren did not dream of becoming a writer. Instead, she dreamed of everything else and was often made to stay inside during kindergarten recess to practice her letters. Despite doting parents and a decent school system, Ms. Edgren managed to make it through elementary school having completed only one book cover to cover – The Box Car Children, which she read approximately forty-seven times. Things improved during high school, but not until she read Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude in college, did she truly understand the power of a book.

Ms. Edgren aspires to be a Vulcan, a world-acclaimed opera singer, and two inches taller. She resides in the Pacific NW where she spends a great deal of time torturing her husband and children with strange food and random historical facts. Ms. Edgren hasn’t stopped dreaming, but has finally mastered her letters enough to put the stories on paper.

Author Links:



Goddess Born Tour


book blast button


***Giveaway***

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/15/14

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. 

BOTW - WEEK 53 {Wattpad}

First Kiss & Broken Promises
Author: Neerunni
Genre: Teen Romance

Wattpad Book Blurb:
First Kiss can be earth-shattering and so can ‘broken promises’, especially when both are sealed and delivered by the one who has held your heart in the palms of his hands since the day you turned a teen.

Seventeen year old Divya Narayan is a high-spirited young girl with an adventurous streak in her, who doesn’t think twice before taking a risk. She learns very early in life that broken promises by ones you love equals a broken heart. So she makes two promises – Never to fall in love and never to break a promise.

One fateful night four years ago, Aryan Diaz not only broke Divya's heart but also her trust and their unique bond of friendship. When the charming heart-breaker returns next door to Divya, he holds more than a key to her locked heart; he has answers that can set her free to break the promises she made.

Click here to read the book.

Every Day In May
Author: Amberkbryant
Genre: Teen Fantasy

Wattpad Book Blurb:
"You are a secret kept from the world, but not from me." So begins the peculiar message found slipped under a bedroom door on the morning of May first.

Theo is the heir to a powerful dictatorship.  The number of people allowed to know he exists is few.  He has spent his entire life walled up in the Tower, the looming stone monolith from which his father rules over the Land.

Merryn is the daughter of political prisoners.  She’s known who Theo is longer than he would think possible, and she is taking a great risk contacting him via handwritten notes in order to convince him he deserves more than the fate his father has designed for him.

She has one month to exchange daily messages with him, to answer his questions and open his eyes to the realities of a world he has never been allowed to see.  A transformation is coming to the Land at the end of the month, and if Merryn’s notes fail to get their point across, Theo may never live to see the sunrise on June first.

Author’s note: During the month of May, you will have the opportunity to read the notes Merryn leaves for Theo.  Theo is allowed to write down a question for her each evening, but you, the reader, won’t see these (at least not right away).  It may or may not be obvious from Merryn’s response what Theo’s question is, so if you’re still curious, I will post a list of everything Theo has asked her in an afterword the day after their story concludes.

This project is called Every Day in May.  With that said, it probably won’t be too big of a surprise to hear that updates will occur daily from May 1st to May 31st so that you can follow “in real time” as the events in the story play out.

Now, without further ado—I believe a young heir is about to unfold a slip of paper found on the tile floor near his door… Let’s see what it says!

Click here to read the book.

Category X
Author: CT_Hill
Genre: Sci-fi / Mystery / Thriller

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.

Perception
Author: EvilGhost
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Wattpad Book Blurb:
It wasn't her demon, but soul, searching for freedom within.

It wasn't in her hands.

It was his lust that turned into love.

It was his promise that he broke.

And it was her turn to avenge the death that the broken promise brought.

Click here to read the book.

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Book Blitz & Giveaway - Set Me Free by Melissa Pearl



Set Me Free
by Melissa Pearl 
(A Fugitive Novel #2)
Publication date: May 18th 2014
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Lucy Tate has spent the last 5 years on the run. That is, until she met Zach, the one guy she couldn’t bear to leave even though it could cost both of them their lives.

Hunted by a crooked FBI agent who killed her parents, Lucy has taken on one disguise after the next. But Zach knows exactly who she is and in spite of mounting evidence indicating her guilt in her parents’ death, he knows she’s innocent.

Convinced that it’s time to put her years on the run behind her, Zach and Lucy vow to fight back, clear her name, and take down the real killer.

With support from Zach’s loyal friends and his uncle, an investigative reporter, they set out on a dangerous mission hoping that the truth...will set them free.

Buy Links:




Promotional Sale Offer!


I Know Lucy
(A Fugitive Novel #1)


Buy Links:


About the Author
Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan… not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. “Best. Year. Ever!!” She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has produced four more books and has a YA fantasy trilogy coming out this year. Unknown and Unseen (The Elements Trilogy) out now!

“I am passionate about writing. It stirs a fire in my soul that I never knew I had. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be and transport my readers into another world where they can laugh, cry and fall in love.”.

Author Links:


***GIVEAWAY***

Paperback copies of I Know Lucy and Set Me Free up for grabs.


Book Blitz Organized by:

Nook Daily Find on Sunday - Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon

99c-promo-Nook-May-18-2014

Guest Post by author Eliza Gordon

When you sit down to read Must Love Otters, I’ll bet you aren’t expecting to learn something along the
way. I’m not a writer who seeks to hide secret messages in the material. Readers are smarter than that. The savvy writer works to infuse meaning and subtlety in their words without smacking folks over the head with an unspoken agenda.

But a book isn’t a success unless the reader, who grants the writer the privilege of time, walks away with something. And with this book, I wanted that something to be more than a smiling face or a filled heart—I wanted to share a little love with the animal kingdom.

I know, I know—you’re reminding me that Hollie Porter is not a fan of Yorkies. Sorry, pups. No offense. You’re cute enough and lots of people love you. But what about the endangered sea otter? Enhydra lutris has three subspecies: the Southern sea otter (found in California, concentrated in the Monterey area), the Northern sea otter (Washington, Canada, and up into Alaska), and the Russian sea otter (off the coast of eastern Russia with reported sightings as far as Japan). We’re not talking huge numbers, though—the temperate central California coast is home to only about 3000 otters. While the Pacific Northwest boasts a healthier population of 65,000 to 78,000 critters, we’re talking about close to 3000 miles of coastline. When you do the math, that’s a lot of beach, and not a lot of otters.

Since Must Love Otters hit the digital shelves (and some wooden shelves for our diehard fans!) in October
2013, folks have shared their otter pictures, memes, and stories on our Facebook and Twitter feeds—which is awesome. I follow Friends of the Sea Otter, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Vancouver Aquarium, SeaOtters.org, and Michael Yang Photography (he specializes in photographing California’s otter population) and I love hearing news like what came through this morning—two orphaned and rescued pups, rehabilitated by the folks at Monterey Bay, have found their forever homes in Oregon. The Oregon Coast Aquarium welcomes Otter 649, now named Oswald, and the Oregon Zoo welcomes little Juno, just six months old and ready to meet her adoring fans.

If writing a silly love story about a girl who loves otters means more people take notice of the plight of the beloved sea otter, then mission accomplished. Awareness is the first step toward conservation—and I’m proud that Hollie Porter is doing her part.

Thank you for reading!

Note: Pictures of the otters were taken by Eliza Gordon and are of Elfin (male) and Katmai (female) who live at the Vancouver Aquarium


Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon is an adult romantic comedy that released in October 2013.


About the book:
Hollie Porter is the chairwoman of Generation Disillusioned: at twenty-five years old, she’s saddled with a job she hates, a boyfriend who’s all wrong for her, and a vexing inability to say no. She’s already near her breaking point, so when one caller too many kicks the bucket during Hollie’s 911 shift, she cashes in the Sweethearts’ Spa & Stay gift certificate from her dad and heads to Revelation Cove, British Columbia. One caveat: she’s going solo. Any sweethearts will have to be found on site.

Hollie hopes to find her beloved otters in the wilds of the Great White North, but instead she’s providing comic relief for staff and guests alike. Even Concierge Ryan, a former NHL star with bad knees and broken dreams, can’t stop her from stumbling from one (mis)adventure to another. Just when Hollie starts to think that a change of venue doesn’t mean a change in circumstances, the island works its charm and she starts to think she might have found the rejuvenation she so desperately desires. But then an uninvited guest crashes the party, forcing her to step out of the discomfort zone where she dwells and save the day … and maybe even herself in the process.  

Book Links:
Goodreads |  Amazon  | B&N | iBookstore


About the Author
Eliza Gordon is a husband-and-wife team of controlled chaos who writes stories to help you believe in the Happily Ever After.

Author Links:

Cover Reveal - Midnight Runes by Celeste Buie


Midnight Runes
by Celeste Buie 
(The Bestowed Ones #1) 
Publication date: May 21st 2014 
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:
WHEN YOUR FUTURE’S AT STAKE, DO YOU FOLLOW YOUR HEAD OR HEART?

Brynn Emerson has always been in control of her life—until a mysterious stranger invades her dreams and her boyfriend, Trevor, suddenly dumps her.

Life gets more complicated when secretive newcomer Landon shows up at school. The playful and handsome Landon is somehow connected to Brynn’s ex-boyfriend.

Determined to find out how they know each other, Brynn draws closer to Landon…only to realize too late that she’s risking more than she thought possible.

Meanwhile, a person of power has his sights on Brynn. Will Trevor and Landon work together to keep her safe? Or will she be pulled against her will into their mysterious world?


Cover Reveal Organized by: