Book Blitz: When An Omega Snaps (A Lion's Pride #3)

When An Omega Snaps (A Lion's Pride #3) by Eve Langlais
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: August 6, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Leo is the calm guy. The nice guy. The one nobody screws with. So could someone explain that to Meena so she stops driving him insane—with desire.

When Meena literally throws herself at Leo and declares he’s her mate, his first reaction is to deny—and run far, far away. This lion/tiger mix doesn’t do drama and chaos. Problem is, once he sets eyes on her, he can’t help but want the vivacious blonde with plus-sized curves, perfect for a big man like himself.

He wants her even if it breaks all his rules when it comes to women. Wants her even if she destroys his serenity. Wants her more than a perfectly grilled piece of steak with a dash of garlic, pepper, and salt.

Thing is, someone else wants her too.

This poor omega is about to have his world turned upside down, which means everyone better watch out because when Leo experiences love, jealousy, and frustration for the first time, he doesn’t just snap—he roars!

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Excerpt:

Leo was just minding his own business when he heard someone shout, “Heads up! Or is that heads down?” Thunk.

Either way it didn’t matter. Leo caught the Frisbee with his noggin, which, given he was in the lobby of the condo complex he lived in, didn’t impress him one bit.

Book Blitz: Bound by Spells (Bound #2)

Bound by Spells (Bound #2) by Stormy Smith
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: March 19, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Aidan Montgomery hadn’t been prepared for Amelia Bradbury to walk in and then out of his life. He also hadn’t expected to find the powerful magic hidden deep within him for the last nineteen years, but he’s embracing it — finding more control and more answers every day. 

Now, with the help of Amelia’s best friend, Bethany, Aidan is on a quest to understand his destiny and find Amelia.

Amelia decided to stand by her duty, which meant walking away from her first chance at love. Trapped in Cresthaven at the Queen’s mercy, she spends her days with Micah — an ally she still holds at arm’s length — struggling to manage her heartbreak while keeping her mind focused on the task at hand. As she continues to unlock the secrets of the Keeper power, Queen Julia’s true motives reveal themselves, forcing Amelia to decide, yet again, how much she’s willing to sacrifice.

Will Aidan get to Amelia before it’s too late, or will the very power that sustains them keep them apart?


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Today, we’re talking about the amazing urban fantasy, Bound by Spells.

Bound by Spells is book two in the Bound series and was endorsed by USA Today’s Happy Ever After Blog, where Serena Chase said, "Featuring a cast of mages and shapeshifters with unique magical abilities, one destiny-shaping prophecy, a genocidal megalomaniac, and a budding, heated romance (or two!), this book is paranormal gold! Read the first book in the series first, of course, but once you finish this one you're sure to be salivating for the next release in this not-to-be-missed romantic paranormal series."

The great news for you guys is BOTH books in the Bound series are on sale for 99 cents each (US and UK) from June 11 – 14!

Stormy Smith, author of the Bound series, shared an excerpt with us from Bound by Spells she thought you’d enjoy. So, take a read, and if it catches your fancy, go grab both books for just $2!

From Amelia – Bound by Spells

I stayed true to the promise I had made myself. Once Micah drove us away, I hadn't cried another tear. But as his SUV took me farther from Aidan, the madness within me spread, burrowing into every crevice and threatening to push me over the edge. I heard her voice, but couldn't make out the words. It was all emotion and sound and color, but nothing I could understand. It was a feral agony and it consumed me.

Book Blitz: Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl (The Zombie Girl Saga #1)

Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl (The Zombie Girl Saga #1) by A. Giacomi
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: January 25, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Book Depository

Book Description:

Eve used to be an ordinary girl, from an ordinary town, with ordinary dreams, but her dreams rapidly turn into nightmares when one grave mistake leaves her a little less than human and a lot less average.

Eve’s not quite the same girl she used to be. She desperately clings to her humanity as new desires, new abilities, and new urges take over with each passing day.

Eve Brenner: Zombie Girl is a tale that takes you on an emotional and terrifying journey as Eve struggles to cope with her new life and find a cure for her strange illness before time runs out. She desperately clings to her humanity as she tries to control the monster she knows is lurking inside her.

Turns out living was the easy part.

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Where did the idea for the story come from?

Eve was born a very long time ago, in a dream. When I woke up from the dream I became obsessed with sketching her. Initially she came across as a sort of undead superhero. During my adolescent years I yearned for strong female leads in literature and film, but I often felt many female leads were either lacking or nonexistent.

She was my superhero for the next few years. I would spend time doodling and creating comic strips about her adventures. As the years went Eve’s story evolved into something less super and more human. I know what you’re thinking…it’s odd to say a zombie story is in fact a very human story. This is why I love zombies, they’re a metaphor for many things.

In Eve’s case the virus is a plague on her humanity, something stopping at nothing until the virus takes her humanity from her. This sort of notion starts with fairytales, which I am also heavily influenced by, the fact that good can win against all odds, the fact that hope can remain, you may even say “the force is strong in this one.”

Review: Divine Sanctuary (Divine Trilogy #3)

 

Divine Sanctuary (Divine Trilogy #3) by Cheryl Kaye Tardiff
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Release Date: June 15, 2014
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

In the Divine trilogy finale, the heat is tripled when CFBI Agent Jasi McLellan must rescue Emily, the ghost girl that haunts her dreams; expose her own mother's killer; and uncover a murderer that preys on the weak at Sanctuary, a controversial cult nestled in the woods near Mission, BC.

Something insidious lurks behind the safe haven of Sanctuary's wrought iron gates. Led by the charismatic Father Jeremiah, the cult's idyllic lifestyle seems perfect on the outside. But a lethal hunter is on the prowl, and in a carefully executed game of cat and mouse, the body count rises.

Along with Victim Empath Natassia Prushenko, Psychometric Empath Ben Roberts and Special Consultant Brandon Walsh, Jasi follows three trails of clues that lead to one terrifying conclusion: home is not always the safest place on earth.


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"Divine Sanctuary" is the third book in the "Divine Trilogy" by Cheryl Kaye Tardif. Normally I don't read books in a series unless I've read them from the start, but I was told that "Divine Sanctuary" would read as a standalone book, and I was pleasantly surprised that was true. While reading, I wasn't confused about anything and Tardif did a good job creating a story that works on its own as well as part of a series.

The story revolves around a CFBI Agent named Jasi McLellan, who is part of the PSI branch of the CFBI. The PSI branch is a secret one whose agents have paranormal abilities that help them solve their cases. Jasi, for example, is a Pyro-Psychic. That means that if someone is killed by fire, Jasi can gain more information from the scene by smelling the smoke from that fire.

The main mystery in this book comes when one of Jasi's friends gives her a call because a woman she knows has been missing for awhile after investigating the inner workings of a cult called Sanctuary. This woman is a reporter who went undercover in order to prove Sanctary and the man who runs it aren't all that they appear. However, once she stops checking in, her friend gets worried and wants Jasi to investigate. This all happens right before the remains of a body are found in the incinerator at Sanctuary, prompting the need for an investigation. Jasi and her team go in to Sanctuary to find answers, but what they find wasn't necessarily what they were expecting.

Review: Freakshow (Episode One: The Nighshade Cases)

Freakshow (Episode One: The Nightshade Cases) by Patti Larsen
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Release Date: June 13, 2014
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

When transsexual starlet Aisling is murdered, Detective Geraldine Meyers is assigned the case. With help from medical examiner Dr. Rachel Hunter, Gerri realizes this is no ordinary killing. 

While she might not want to call in over-eager anthropologist Dr. Kinsey DanAllart, the detective is forced to trust her friend’s expertise in symbology, even though doing so means admitting “weird” things might be happening in Silver City. 

As the three friends unravel the mystery of the dancer’s death, one thing is made absolutely apparent—something isn’t right in their new hometown. And someone is doing everything they can to make sure the truth doesn’t come out

In Silver City, sometimes friendship can be murder. Welcome to the first Nightshade Case, a series of twenty-one episodes in twenty-one weeks. Please note: this episodic series is based on the television show model, with screenwriting notations and shorter formats. There will be a complete mystery each week, with cliffhangers only occurring in the full season story line.

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"Freak Show" by Patti Larsen is the first ‘episode’ in the series, "The Nightshade Cases". I say ‘episode’, because Larsen has done something a little different with this series. Instead of modeling it like a normal book series, "The Nightshade Cases" is more like a TV show on the page.

"Freak Show" is the first of 21 episodes that are going to be released over 21 weeks, and each one will deal with a new mystery for the characters to solve, but there's also room for an overall arc that will span for the ‘season’. There are even notations like you would see in a screenplay, like the settings and if they're interior or exterior.

I was interested to read this story, because the whole TV show angle isn't something that I've seen in a book series before and I wanted to see how it would pan out. Thankfully, Larsen was able to make it all work. For the most part, "Freak Show" read just like any other book, except instead of being split up by chapter numbers or titles, it was split by the notations for where the scene was set.

Review: Stolen Dreams (Cassie Scot #4)

Stolen Dreams (Cassie Scot #4) by Christine Amsden
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

Edward Scot and Victor Blackwood have despised one another for nearly a quarter of a century, but now their simmering hatred is about to erupt.

When Cassie Scot returns home from her sojourn in Pennsylvania, she finds that her family has taken a hostage. 

Desperate to end the fighting before someone dies, Cassie seeks help from local seer Abigail Hastings, Evan Blackwood's grandmother. But Abigail has seen her own death, and when it comes at the hand of Cassie's father, Victor Blackwood kills Edward Scot.

But things may not be precisely as they appear. Evan persuades Cassie to help him learn the truth, teaming them up once again in their darkest hour. New revelations about Evan and his family make it difficult for Cassie to cling to a shield of anger, but can Evan and Cassie stop a feud that has taken on a life of its own? Conclusion to the Cassie Scot series.

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"Stolen Dreams" is the fourth and final book in Christine Amsden's "Cassie Scot" series. I've read the entire series before this point, so I was excited to see how Amsden was going to tie up all of the loose ends and finish Cassie's story. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed in this last book.

The two main characters in this series are Cassie Scot and Evan Blackwood, who have been friends since they were children and harbor more intense feelings for each other. However, their love isn't something that their families approve of since the Scots and Blackwoods have been feuding for as long as anyone can remember. Whereas the tension in the last book focused mainly on the town and its feelings towards magic, in "Stolen Dreams," it's the tension between the two families that is at an all time high. Cassie must figure out a way to solve the matter before someone gets hurt.

Amsden's "Cassie Scot" series is definitely one that you have to read all the way through from the beginning. While each book may deal with a different mystery to solve, they aren't really standalone books. The main tension and drama is between the two families, and it takes all of the knowledge that's been set up from the beginning to fully understand what is going on. What's good about that though is that the books are an easy and quick read, and are the type where you want to keep turning the pages to keep up with all of the action.

Book Blitz: Not Quite Dead (A Lowcountry Ghost Story)

Not Quite Dead (A Lowcountry Ghost Story) by Lyla Payne
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.

When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.

Her brand new “I don’t give a crap” attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion.

If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.

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Excerpt:
No one notices me leave the sidewalk and traipse around to the rear of my place of employment. It’s darker back here, away from any street lamps and lit signs. The unlocked window slides up under the pressure of my palm with no resistance and, most importantly, no noise. I have to jump a few times before my hands hook the sill, and it’s clear that I need to do more than walk to work if I’m going to get back into shape.

My grunts don’t carry far, and after a few more minutes of trial and error, I manage to hoist my hips over the painted wooden lip. It digs in, scraping hard enough that it’ll leave a bruise, but there’s no time to worry about that while my body is dangling half in, half out. The chance that anyone will wander back here seems slim, but there’s no excuse in the world that will work if I get caught like this.

Review: Mindgames (Cassie Scot #3)

Mindgames (Cassie Scot #3) by Christine Amsden
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: May 15, 2014

Book Description:

Evan broke Cassie’s heart two months ago, and she still doesn’t know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff’s department, but nothing helps.

The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him... irresistible

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the nonmagical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor’s wife.

It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze.



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I was really excited when I was asked if I wanted to review Mind Games by Christine Amsden. I had already read the first two books in her "Cassie Scot" series, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this third installation. And I'm happy to say that Amsden did not disappoint.

For those of you who have also followed along on the Cassie Scot journey with me, I'll let you know this right away – there isn't a lot of Cassie and Evan interaction to cling on to. As someone who definitely shipped these two (regardless of the many problems they have to work out), I was a little disappointed that I didn't get many scenes between them. I missed their back and forth banter and the bond that they obviously have, but I was still able to enjoy the book.

Promotional Event: Ivory Terrors (The Cavaliers #3)

Ivory Terrors (The Cavaliers #3) by Georgiana Derwent
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: May 1, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

A Tale of the Posh, the Privileged and the Paranormal...

The Cavaliers are the most elite society at Oxford University. Though its members are universally wealthy, charming and handsome, they have a darker side - they are deadly vampires who have been secretly running the country for the last four hundred years. No one ever claimed that third year at Oxford University is easy, but Harriet French has more to worry about than just her final exams.

Richard, an ancient vampire with no love for Cavaliers or Roundheads, has dragged Harriet to his French fortress as part of his quest for revenge and power. Can Harriet support Richard’s plot to kill Augustine? He may have the country in his thrall, but he’s still family. She has no such qualms about killing the Roundhead leader Fea and her twin henchmen, but is she willing to sacrifice herself to do it?

And then there’s George, once the archetypal Cavalier, who now seems to have betrayed both Harriet and the society. It’s hard to be sure about anyone’s true loyalties and harder still to know the right thing to do. Ivory Terrors concludes the story told in Oxford Blood and Screaming Spires of Harriet French’s time at Oxford and her involvement with an elite vampire society.

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Excerpt:

Josh stared at the news website, barely able to comprehend the words his eyes were seeing.

“A 21-year old girl died today in tragic circumstances.”

The words swam on the page. His eyes couldn’t focus on anything but the picture of Julia the BBC had selected to accompany the news story. He recognised it as one that he’d taken the previous summer at the ball. They must have copied it from Facebook. She looked beautiful and fragile in equal measure.

He wanted to close the page and pretend that none of this was happening. Instead, he clicked on the video news story.

“Julia Jenkinson, a popular student at Oxford University, was the victim of a stabbing, after stepping in to save a child from an attempted kidnapping. A forty year old man is helping the police with their inquiries.”

The presenter's solemn words drifted over him. He reached into the top drawer of his desk and drew out a letter. When he’d found it in his pigeonhole a few days earlier, he’d considered it as a cry for help from a girl who seriously needed the support he so desperately wanted to give her. Now, it seemed all too prescient.

“I’m writing this in a brief moment of clarity. I don’t believe I’ll survive the Cavaliers’ party. If I die, don’t believe their lies about my suicide or accident. The society will have killed me, just like Stephanie and Alice and so many other girls.” He forced his attention back to the screen. A striking middle-aged woman with red hair, easily identifiable as Julia’s mother even without the caption underneath, tried her best to answer an interviewer’s questions through her tears.

Book Blast: Hawthorne

Hawthorne by Sarah Ballance
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery
Release Date: March 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it takes ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. 

She seeks peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she finds is an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she can right.

Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett has never forgotten about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents reveals a truth that can cost him everything. 

What he finds gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?

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Excerpt:
Noah closed in on the convertible, giving the nearby grounds a cursory look. The lawn was meticulous, the beds overflowing with sprays of purple garden phlox which trailed around the bend in the road and disappeared. A riot of white and rust-red irises backed the smaller purple flowers, their leaves deep green and glossy.

Overhead, Spanish moss swayed only occasionally atop a maze of live oak, more likely a result of a passing swarm of insects than an actual air current. The land was still. If there were tourists snapping photos of the historic plantation — or doing anything else — he didn’t see them. But someone had been there. The car was certainly real, even if that too-familiar scream had been a figment of his imagination.

Review: Raising Chaos (Earthbound Angels, #2)

Raising Chaos (Earthbound Angels #2) by Elizabeth Corrigan
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

When good fails, chaos rises to the challenge. The daily life of a chaos demon is delightfully sinful—overindulging in Sri Lankan delicacies, trespassing on private beaches in Hawaii, and getting soused at the best angel bar on the planet. 

But when Bedlam learns that the archdemon Azrael has escaped from the Abyss in order to wreak vengeance against the person who sent her there—Bedlam’s best friend, Khet—he can’t sit idly by. Only one relic possesses the power to kill Khet, who suffers immortality at Lucifer’s request: the mythical Spear of Destiny, which pierced Christ’s side at His crucifixion. 

Neither angel nor demon has seen the Spear in two thousand years, but Azrael claims to know its location. Bedlam has no choice but to interpret woefully outdated clues and race her to its ancient resting place. 

 His quest is made nearly impossible by the interference of a persnickety archivist, Keziel—his angelic ex—and a dedicated cult intent on keeping the Spear out of the wrong hands. But to Bedlam, “wrong” is just an arbitrary word, and there’s no way he’s letting Khet die without a fight

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When I was asked to review "Raising Chaos" by Elizabeth Corrigan, I was excited. I had already read her first book in the "Earthbound Angels" series, "Oracle of Philadelphia" and loved it, and was excited for more. The first book had me hooked with all of its mythos and biblical tie-ins, and "Raising Chaos" did a great job of keeping me interested. The second book in this series definitely did not let me down, and I couldn't be happier for it.

The one big change that happened in "Raising Chaos" is that, unlike its predecessor, it is told from multiple perspectives. We are given the story from Caela (who we knew as Carrie, the main protagonist in "Oracle of Philadelphia"), Bedlam the chaos demon, and the angel, Siren. While we know Caela and Bedlam from the first book, Siren is a new addition and we get a lot of the angels' back story through some flashbacks in her chapters.

Author Spotlight: Elizabeth Corrigan

Raising Chaos (Earthbound Angels #2) by Elizabeth Corrigan
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

When good fails, chaos rises to the challenge.

The daily life of a chaos demon is delightfully sinful—overindulging in Sri Lankan delicacies, trespassing on private beaches in Hawaii, and getting soused at the best angel bar on the planet. But when Bedlam learns that the archdemon Azrael has escaped from the Abyss in order to wreak vengeance against the person who sent her there—Bedlam’s best friend, Khet—he can’t sit idly by.

Only one relic possesses the power to kill Khet, who suffers immortality at Lucifer’s request: the mythical Spear of Destiny, which pierced Christ’s side at His crucifixion. Neither angel nor demon has seen the Spear in two thousand years, but Azrael claims to know its location. Bedlam has no choice but to interpret woefully outdated clues and race her to its ancient resting place.

His quest is made nearly impossible by the interference of a persnickety archivist, Keziel—his angelic ex—and a dedicated cult intent on keeping the Spear out of the wrong hands. But to Bedlam, “wrong” is just an arbitrary word, and there’s no way he’s letting Khet die without a fight


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What made you decide to write a series based on angels and demons?

My friend and I sometimes have the “werewolf vs. vampire discussion” because we are firmly on opposite sides. I just don’t see the appeal of turning into an animal, and he thinks having a room temperature lover sound seriously creepy. Plus, he says, vampires tend to be just as sexist and hierarchical as werewolves, and I have to concede that vampires, though better than werewolves, still aren’t that great. So I thought more about it and realized that I like stories with relatively clear cut good and evil, and I like religious fantasy. So if I can pick any supernatural race, I’m on Team Angel. So it only makes sense that I would make up stories about them.

Did you do much/any research for the biblical aspects of the books?

Promotional Event: Witch Emerging (High Witch #2)

Witch Emerging (High Witch #2) by Mona Hanna
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: September 27, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Sequel to High Witch.

After surviving being hunted by Julius, Brayden and Ariel settle into their married life. \

Ariel is determined to find the other High Witches to make sure they’re alright. But there’s something going on with her pregnancy, something unusual, and she needs to find out what.

In the meantime, Hallie, an eighteen-year-old witch, is being pursued by Nicholas, a strange young man who knows about her past. 

What does Nicholas want with Hallie, and how are they both connected to Ariel? And what about Sean, the man Hallie loves? Will they end up together, or will Nicholas’ plan hurt all of them? The two witches will need to work hard to save those they love, and each other.

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Excerpt:

Ariel sighed deeply in Brayden’s arms, and he smiled. He adored it every time she sighed.

She moved to look at him. “Brayden?” she asked, looking a little nervous. “Are you mad at me?”

He frowned, confused. “Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because,” she began, “I haven’t started looking for the other High Witches yet. I told you I would—I told you I’d try to find them. I love living here, being with you, but I can’t put it off forever. They need to be protected. We know one is only a baby, born the day Nadia died, but the other one might be my age, or younger, or older. I don’t want someone to turn her.”

Brayden kissed her hair. “I’m not even remotely angry with you. We only just got married—we deserve to rest for a while. But if you want to start looking, we can. The thing is, she could be anywhere. She’s not likely to be nearby.”

Promotional Event: Submerged

Submerged by Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
Release Date: February 20, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn't the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption—until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger's calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.

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Excerpt:

Prologue

Near Cadomin, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 12:36 AM

You never grow accustomed to the stench of death. Marcus Taylor knew that smell intimately. He had inhaled burnt flesh, decayed flesh…diseased flesh. It lingered on him long after he was separated from the body.

The image of his wife and son's gray faces and blue lips assaulted him.

Jane…Ryan.

Mercifully, there were no bodies tonight. The only scent he recognized now was wet prairie and the dank residue left over from a rainstorm and the river.

"So what happened, Marcus?"

The question came from Detective John Zur, a cop Marcus knew from the old days. Back before he traded in his steady income and respected career for something that had poisoned him physically and mentally.

"Come on," Zur prodded. "Start talking. And tell me the truth."

Review: Atlas

Atlas by Becca C. Smith
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: November 16, 2013
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

Kala Hicks is part of a covert elite military team that answers directly to the President of the United States. But during an emergency mission aboard Air Force One, Kala is shocked to discover that the real threat is none other than the President himself. Defying her commanding officer, Jack Norbin, Kala takes the shot, and her life changes forever.

The moment the President is killed, a supernatural force speaks to Kala, telling her that she has to commit one act of atrocity every four days… or the world will end. Thrown into a reality she never could have imagined, Kala faces off with creatures of legend; from demons determined to make her fail and plunge the Earth into chaos, to angels who don’t trust her to do the job and are willing to kill her to claim it for themselves.

Pitted against the forces of good and evil, Kala must choose whether to save the world by doing the unthinkable, or sit back and let it burn. And four days later, she’ll have to do it again.


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What drew me to "Atlas" by Becca C. Smith was the fact that it was an urban fantasy book that dealt with Greek Mythology. We've all heard about the Greek Titan Atlas, who was punished by the Olympian gods and forced to hold the world up on his shoulders (or hold up the columns that separate heaven and Earth, depending on which mythos you're listening to), but Smith takes the god and gives him a new twist. Instead of literally holding up the world, he is instead charged with keeping the balance between good and evil, otherwise there will be catastrophic consequences.

Enter Kala, our female protagonist. In Smith's story, much like the myth where Atlas tricked Hercules to do his job for him, Atlas has been tricking humans to keep the balance for him for centuries while he relaxes from afar. Through a series of events that weren't in her control, Kala accidentally becomes the "new Atlas" (or the human who has to do his dirty work for him).

Book Blast: Warrior's Moon

Warrior's Moon by Jaclyn Hawkes
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: November 15, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

They loved each other desperately.

Never in all the kingdom has there been a more brave and protective champion. Nor such a loyal and capable maiden. He rescued her the first time when she was three years old in a killing storm. Years later, he was still occasionally rescuing her.

'Twas in him to be a hero, and she had a pure intrepid way of getting into the kinds of scrapes that took rescuing. With such a brawny, masculine guardian around, 'twould have been a fair pity to waste the gallantry anyway.

Their childhood friendship between two young peasants had grown into a devotion few are ever blessed to experience. It was strong enough to withstand all their dark age held—danger, feudalism, disease, and unfair oppression.

Or is it strong enough? They truly loved each other desperately. They loved their kingdom more.

♥ ♥ ♥
Giveaway:

Review: Oracle of Philadelphia (Earthbound Angels, #1)

Oracle of Philadelphia (Earthbound Angels, #1) by Elizabeth Corrigan
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: March 20, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

Carrie works at a diner in South Philadelphia, dispensing advice to humans and angels wise enough to seek her counsel. But there are some problems that even the best advice can’t solve. Her latest supplicant, Sebastian, is unique among those who have sought her aid. He sold his soul to a demon in exchange for his sister’s life, but his heart remains pure.

Carrie has lived for millennia with the knowledge that her immortality is due to the suffering of others, and she cannot bear to see another good man damned when it is within her power to prevent it.

In order to renegotiate his contract, Carrie must travel into the depths of hell and parley with the demons that control its pathways. As the cost of her journey rises, Carrie must determine how much she is willing to sacrifice to save one good soul.

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Reading "Oracle of Philadelphia" by Elizabeth Corrigan was a ton of fun for me. I've said before that I'm a huge nerd when it comes to mythology and different types of lore, so a book series revolving around angels, demons, and their relationships was a dream come true.

Even though our main character Carrie is technically human, she's been made immortal and has gone all through history seeing different civilizations rise and fall. Throughout her time she's also met her fair share of angels and those fallen angels that are now put in the "demons" category. Some are more friendly than others, and she forms a lasting friendship with Bedlam the "demon" or "fallen angel" (depending on how you look at it) of chaos and Gabriel, who's still an angel of Heaven.

Promotional Event: Insanity

Insanity by Cameron Jace
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Release Date: December 20, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. 

Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll’s paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland’s real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. 

In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

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Excerpt:
The writing on the wall says it's January 14th. I am not sure what year. I haven't been sure of many things lately, but I’m wondering if it’s my handwriting I’m looking at.

There is an strange key drawn underneath the date. It's carved with a sharp object, probably a broken mirror. I couldn’t have written this. I'm terrified of mirrors. They love to call it Catoptrophobia around here.

Unlike regular patients in the asylum, my room is windowless, stripped down to a single mattress in the middle, a sink, and bucket for peeing--or puking--when necessary. The tiles on the floor are black-and-white squares, like a chessboard. I never step on black. Always white. Again, I'm not sure why.

The walls are smeared with a greasy pale green everywhere. I wonder if it's the previous patient's brains spattered all over from shock therapy. In the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, politely known as the Warneford hospital, the doctors have a sweet spot for shock therapy. They love watching patients with bulging eyes and shivering limbs begging for relief from the electricity. It makes me question who is really mad in here.

Review: Waking Up Dead (Callie Taylor, #1)

Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Buy Links:

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Book Description:

When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex.

Now she's witnessed another murder, and she's not about to let this one go. She's determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison.

And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up in Alabama?

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"Waking Up Dead" follows the journey of Callie Taylor, who is newly dead and finds herself as a ghost in Alabama. Seeing as she was from and died in Texas, this turn of events is a mystery, but it's not the only one she has to deal with. Callie fills her days with going back and forth between the residents of the small town she is stuck haunting and watching television with them, even though they can't see her.

Her newest problem (after the whole being murdered and waking up dead in a strange state thing) arises when she witnesses the overly gruesome murder of one of the residents of the house she likes to frequent. The police arrest the woman’s husband for the murder, but Callie knows that he didn't do it (but being a ghost eye witness isn't going to do much good for the case).

In order to get help in finding the real murderer, Callie goes to the local Wal-Mart to try to find someone who can see her. This is where she meets Ashara, who at first, is less than thrilled that "a white ghost lady" keeps bothering her. It isn't until Callie follows Ashara to her grandmother's house (who Ashara calls "Maw-Maw"), that she gets the help she needs. Maw-Maw can also see Callie and tells Ashara that God has given her a gift, and she should use it to help Callie find the answer to this mystery.

Author Spotlight: Margo Bond Collins

Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥  Barnes & Noble

Book Description:

When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex.

Now she's witnessed another murder, and she's not about to let this one go. She's determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison.

And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up in Alabama?

♥ ♥ ♥

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always known. The first story I remember actually writing down was basically fan-fiction of The Wizard of Oz. I wrote it in long-hand in a yellow legal pad. I’ve been writing ever since. But about ten years ago, a friend suggested I join in National Novel Writing Month (nanowrimo.org). Until then, I had always written short stories. That year, I finished the first draft of what would eventually become Legally Undead—it will be my second published novel, but it’s the first one I wrote.

What comes first for you, the characters or the plot?

Characters, usually. Or an idea or a phrase or a setting. Plot is something I have to work through. The other things tend to simply show up.

Do you have a specific time of day that you work on your writing?