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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Fallen: Greatest Sin Book One by, Lee French and Erik Kort

First, let's meet one of the authors, Lee French. Then, an excellent excerpt from Fallen: Greatest Sin Book 1!


Lee French lives in Olympia, WA with two kids, two bicycles, and too much stuff. She is an avid gamer and active member of the Myth-Weavers online RPG community, where she is known for her fondness for Angry Ninja Squirrels of Doom. In addition to spending much time there, she also trains year-round for the one-week of glorious madness that is RAGBRAI, has a nice flower garden with absolutely no lawn gnomes, and tries in vain every year to grow vegetables that don't get devoured by neighborhood wildlife.

Fallen: Greatest Sin Book One by, Lee French and Erik Kort 

The Fallen blurb:
For hundreds of years, the Blaukenev clan has wandered across Tilzam, from one end to the other and back. Each wagon carries history, love, laughter, pain, sorrow, and secrets. Their greatest secret of all may be Chavali, the clan Seer. 

Spirits claim/use/save/damn her. 

With her gift/curse, nothing surprises her anymore, no one keeps secrets from her. She, on the other hand, has more than enough secrets to keep. Secrets of her own, secrets of her clan, secrets of the world, secrets she even keeps from herself. 

There are always people who want secrets. 
Some will do anything to get what they want. 

The Fallen is the foundation of the story of The Greatest Sin, of a world adrift from its God that desperately wants Her back. Chavali's comfortable, predictable life will be ripped apart and burnt to ashes as she's forced into the middle of that struggle. Change, she hates it passionately. It hates her right back.


Excerpt from The Fallen:

“Come in.” They did not speak the clan tongue in front of Outsiders, not without dire need, lest someone overhear enough to translate it and learn it. Instead, they spoke Shappan, the dominant language of Tilzam. Nearly everyone knew it, regardless of country or native tongue. Along with the words, spoken in the light accent of the clan, she lifted a hand to gesture to the stool opposite herself. “You are welcome here.”

He was timid as a mouse and small like one, too. Keino could probably lift this man over his head with one hand, or break him in half over his knee. Chavali watched him take small steps and dart his eyes all around. “Um, you’re the Seer?” His Shappan was obviously better than her own, she could tell even with so few words spoken.

“Yes. No one can see into the tent, it is safe, you are safe here. Sit, be calm.” Coaxing a scared little man onto the seat was not her preferred way to spend her time, and she stifled a sigh and a roll of her eyes. “If you do not sit, I cannot help, yes?”

“Oh, right. Of course.” He moved quickly, practically jumped onto the stool while shooting terrified looks all around the tent. “I’ve just never done anything like this before, and, um, I’m worried about…”

Holding out her hand, she kept her tone calm and patient. “Give me your hand. I cannot help if I have no connection to you.”

His audible gulp made her want to roll her eyes again, but he tentatively offered her his hand. As she seized it, the spirits rushed him, eager as always for new people to interact with. DearCreatorIhopeyoucanhelpmeI’mdoomedthisissocrazy

“Calm,” she told him, shutting her eyes to make it easier to focus on this pile of crap. “If you do not calm down, I see nothing, just a bouncing jumble of nervous. Deep breath in through your mouth, out through your nose. Come, do this a few times.”

His thoughts began to settle as he followed her orders. It became less a rushed mush and more actual coherent ideas. Amy is going to kill me for this. I shouldn’t be doubting her, but I am, and I need to fix that. She’s a sweet girl, this is all my fault.

“I see a name. A-something, Anna? No, Amy. Does this name mean something to you?”

As expected, he gasped a little. How does she know that? Is this the real thing? If she knows that, she must know if she’s seeing Marcus or not. “Yes, that’s my wife.”

“You worry about her, you think she is meeting someone else?”

“Yes!” His mind flooded with images of Amy, who he loved, deeply, but also with images of a man much more virile than himself. That other man wore armor and used a blade for his work. A city guard, perhaps, or a soldier.

“There is another name, with a…’c’. But not at the front, maybe in the end? No, no, the middle. Arcu, Marcus. Yes, Marcus. He wields authority.”

“Yes, he’s in the Order of the Strong Arm, one of their knights. I need to know.” He already knew, of course. That was the beauty of what Chavali did. All the answers were in his mind already, he just needed someone else to say it out loud because he couldn’t, the poor fool. People really were the same no matter where she went.

Still, it wasn’t good to just say things like this aloud with no feeling or props, or anything to give her an air of more authority than just pulling things out of the air. Her free hand dipped into the pouch tied to the thin belt around her waist (it also held a small blade in a sheath at the small of her back), pulled out five objects at random and tossed them on the table. Keeping hold of his hand, she peered down at the bones, finding it amusing that all five were actually bones. The pouch also had crystals, stones, and even bits of shell and wood, all minimally shaped and etched with ink-stained runes by her own hand.

It wasn’t that the bones were only props - they had meaning for Chavali. It was that they weren’t tools for divining. In this context, she used them as prompts, as ideas for how to word things. “Mmm.” Starting with the one closest to him, because she didn’t like having them out of her control for any longer than necessary, she picked up a chicken wing bone, displayed it, then deposited it back into her pouch. “Pain of the soul, for you.” The next was a finger bone, from Seer Marika’s dead body. “Betrayal. Face down, the betrayer is a woman.” A bone from the paw of a dog was next. She liked that dog enough to preserve a part of him. “Love, but face down, so actually just lust.”

This was all so stupid and predictable. His mind raced as her words confirmed everything he feared. The next, a horse’s tooth, was an amusing addition. “Secrets. Many secrets.” The last one almost always turned up when she did this. It was a chunk of unidentified bone, picked up some time ago just because of its odd shape. “Fear. There is much fear through all of this.”

She needed nothing more from this man to make her pronouncement, and she didn’t care in the slightest if it turned out to be true or not. They would be gone tomorrow morning, and likely wouldn’t return for several years, if ever. Letting go of his hand, she gave him a mildly sympathetic look. “The bones have spoken. She has betrayed you, and you must deal with that in your own way. The bones, I think, suggest you confront it head-on, but this Marcus may not be wise to cross.”

He nodded, resigned. “Thank you.”

“It is not a thing I wish to be thanked for. Good fortune to you.” She watched him get up and leave, and snorted at him as soon as the tent flap was shut again. Idiot. He was, of course, the first of today’s parade of idiots and twits, each of them with a story as uninteresting as the next, a story Chavali had heard dozens of times before.

Reviews: 

"As every reader knows there are certain books we don't want to end, and when we finally do close the book, we seem to grieve it. Well, The Greatest Sin, is definitely one of those books. The author did a great job pulling me into the story immediately, and then keeping me there. The story moves along at a good pace, allowing the reader to connect with the characters, while keeping the action flowing. The main character, Chavali, is mystical, strong, and caring, making her very likable. I found this book to have everything a great fantasy needs, from humor to action. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Do yourself a favor and read it." - Kim S.

"The other reviewers are right. The Fallen is an excellent fantasy read! As I was reading through it, I could almost picture this Lord of the Rings type of hobbit village meets gypsies. And reading The Fallen was like stepping into this fantasy world of theirs and getting a behind the scenes peek at their lives. You'll want to read The Fallen when you have a lot of time on your hands, it's not a short read! Also, I would describe this book as an EPIC fantasy! The authors have created such a world that it would be a shame to not continue this series." - Carrie January

Purchase links:

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Media Guy **Book Feature**

Media Guy. God Blesses Media, but not Media Professionals,
by Aleksandar Krzavac


He passes through various happenings interesting, sometimes even dramatic but in any case funny. As simple as that he is Media Guy – very naive amateur journalist, almost stupid in some cases but at his best he is the “Top Gun” committed to excellence. Reporting from the heart of jungle full of man-eating savages or tribal war sites is for him as ordinary as chatting with colleagues in TV studio. As many others he is not sure whether TV journalism is profession or passion. That’s why he runs extreme risk doing his assignments. Doing that damned, cursed job he is not even sure whether he fulfills his or parents’ desires.

Even if it looks like he is the loser that’s just for short period.


All tense even dramatic situations Media Guy turns to happy end.  For the same reason he is fired and he is at the same time awarded as the “Funniest journalist of the Year”.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Novella Media Guy, God blesses media, but not media professionals is third book written by Aleksandar Krzavac. Through funny character of Media Guy writer, who is journalist too,  shows all dangers and traps of that divine, fascinating and damned profession.

Aleksandar Krzavac was born in 1959 in the former Yugoslavian capital Belgrade. Holder of a University degree in economics Krzavac is the author of e-book of, mainly satirical, aphorisms and cartoons titled Close Your Eyes the Future Has Just Begun too. In his second e-book Crossroads and/or Illusions, Coping with Plug & Play Ideology, Krzavac tries to challenge people thinking out of convenient life, in order, as subtitle of books says, to cope with Plug & Play Ideology. At this point even understanding is enough, and allowed, as first step to long journey of world continual changing to its optimal status, Krzavac quotes in his book.

At present Krzavac lives in Serbian capital Belgrade, employed with Serbian Broadcasting company on the position of journalist. He is married, father of three daughters.


The book is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1770764259

Monday, October 27, 2014

An Interview with Author, Celia Kennedy!

Celia Kennedy is both an author and blogger, and has hosted some of my favorite blog tours. This time she is in the spotlight for her novel, Venus Rising. Enjoy this interview with Celia Kennedy.


Celia Kennedy was born in Wurzburg, Germany on an American Army base. Her parents' penchant for traveling the world, via a Volkswagen Minibus with a Porsche engine, sparked her imagination. Staring out the window, sometimes through fog and rain, at other times at sunny blue skies, she began to make up stories for the places and spaces they passed by. The in-between time, the most fascinating to her.

The imagined world has always fascinated Celia. She has studied Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Interior Design, and pretty much every other subject matter. Like her childhood, it was the ride that was the most entertaining, arrival at a degree, not anywhere as important.

Mark Twain said, "Write what you know." When combining this concept with her unusual life experiences (working at a nuclear submarine base when Chernobyl blew, testing software Bill Gates kept close tabs on, travelling extensively while quite broke, or falling in love with her boyfriend's close friend) thinking of what to write about isn't challenging; there just needs to be more hours in the day.


Celia published Charlotte's Restrained, The Accidental Stalkerin December of 2012 and Venus Rising in August of 2013. Look for Kathleen's Undressed, The Accidental Enigma, a companion novel to Charlotte's Restrained, to be published in November 2014.

Currently she lives in Washington State with the loves of her life.

Where are you from?

Oh that’s a tricky one! My father was in the US Army when I was born in Wurzburg Germany. By the time he retired when I was thirteen we’d live in three countries and five states in the US.

Since 1987 I have lived in Redmond, Washington. I moved here when I took a job at Microsoft. (At the time there were only 2000 employees worldwide and I was the third software tester, testing ALL the international versions.)

When did you start writing?

Mrs. Copeland’s class, 5th grade, 1975! How’s that for knowing the exact moment? We were studying creative writing and I fell head over heels in love with writing. I’m still quite proud of the fact that my classmates would vote to have my weekly installments of my book, GaLinda in Space, read aloud!

What was the first book you wrote, and what did you learn from that experience?

I attended the University of Washington and studied Landscape Architecture. I had to write a paper for a Paleobotany class. I chose the Ginkgo biloba. It is a beautiful tree and has been in existence since pre-Jurassic (200+million years ago) – before the dinosaurs!! Not a book you say?? Well, it was a couple hundred pages and was bound and is held in collections at UW!

What did I learn from that experience? How to do research and that I love research. It allows the writer to truly understand the physical and emotional qualities of a space and with it comes the ability to transport the reader.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on Kathleen’s Undressed, Book 2, The Accidental Enigma (working title).

We meet Kathleen in Charlotte’s Restrained, she is one of Charlotte’s friends from graduate school in Oxford England. I realized after published Charlotte’s Restrained that Kathleen was a very aloof character and I wondered why. This gave me all kinds of ideas on how to bring the gang back together, but around Kathleen’s life, which really is a mystery to them.

Kathleen’s Undressed takes place in Paris, and we join her story as Fall Fashion Week begins. The first part of the book is all about location, fashion, food, and being French! We travel to Rome, England, Denmark and Seattle (I thought it would be fun to add in my stomping grounds).

Can you share a bit of your current work with us?

From Kathleen’s Undressed

Having barely sat down, a waiter stopped by with a coffee for Kathleen and then disappeared. Relaxing back into her chair, she twiddled with a loose strand of hair, hoping to emit a relaxed aura. She could tell no one was buying it when Yvette leaned forward, her arms folded across each other and asked, “Well Cherie, why are we here? Have you met your Prince?”

The waiter intervened again, handing out menus, and then quickly left. “Not to be a complete pain in the ass, but what is it that you like about this place? The ambiance is great, the service is mediocre and the food is barely tolerable.” Kathleen spoke quietly in English, from behind her menu.

“We come here because all the tourists come here, and it is amusing to watch them. They are the ones that lack imagination, not us. A guidebook tells them to come, so they do.” Yvette answered with a smile yet retaliated by blowing a cloud of smoke in Kathleen’s face.

Coughing and sputtering, Kathleen replied, “Says the woman who wants to go to Florida! Alright, speaking of where to go, after I left you last night, I decided to walk along the canal, and I ran into Keanu, the man from the restaurant. The one I let get away since I am cold blooded. He wasn’t as put off as you were because I have a date! We are meeting for coffee tomorrow morning. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!” Leaning forward she punctuated the big reveal with a poke of her finger into the stream of smoke that floated heavenwards from the ashtray.

“I thought you were a lesbian! Mon Dieu, those ridiculous tourists are trying to order pancakes. What is this about a pipe?” Yvette stated.

“What, a lesbian? Why would you think that?” Kathleen sputtered. “Pancakes, really?” She looked over her shoulder trying to decide whether or not to help.

Mid thought Yvette answered, “Well, you insist on doing all this carpentry work yourself. You never date. So, I just assumed you weren’t ready to tell us. I really thought it was a princess you were after.” Anais’s head bobbed up and down while Yvette spoke.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

I learned the hard way that having a strong presence on social media before I had a book ready was important. I think this is important whether you choose to be an Indie Author or go with a publisher. When your well-crafted, edited, proofread, beta-read manuscript is finally ready to roll out the door, you need to have a support system in place. I’ve spent a great deal of time over the last year meeting wonderful authors, readers, bloggers, editors, and finally feel like I have resources that I can reach out to without hesitation! Definitely do that first, or at least during.

Anything you want to say to your readers?

I have yet to meet an author, whether they’ve sold millions or a handful or books, who doesn’t feel absolute joy at the knowledge that someone has read their work and enjoyed it. It’s an absolute thrill to know that you have transported and entertained someone.

Honestly, I’d hug every one of them and probably cry if we ever laid eyes on each other, it means that much. In case readers wonder, authors are very approachable.

What are you working on next?

I have three novellas and two novels already started. A handful of years ago I began a book called Moonbow, set in Kentucky, and I really want to get back to it. (Incidentally, I put it on the back burner when I decided to begin working on my social media presence and participating in read/review groups – that’s how important it is to make contacts!)

While Charlotte’s Restrained and Kathleen’s Undressed (two of the four books in The Accidental Series) are comedies with a little romance thrown in, Venus Rising and Moonbow are more serious in nature – books about self-discovery and moving on with life.

One of the beautiful things about being an Indie Author is that you can write across many genres.

Is there anything else that the world should know about Celia Kennedy?

Tons! But is any of it interesting? My mother tells me I live under a lucky star, and she’s probably right. I’ve stumbled my way into jobs that others would give their first born for. I’ve travelled extensively (multiple trips for multiple months) on absolutely no money and survived. I met my husband via my fiancé and married him three months after we started dating. We’ve been married 19 years. I never thought I’d have children and now I have two of the coolest people on the planet call me mom.

Oh, I inherited my British mother’s sense of humor and timing, so I’m a bit cruel!

Not all things have been easy or perfect though, and if you want to find out about that, you should read my blog, www.WomanReinventsSelf.blogspot.com.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?

Barcelona, Spain! Frightening how quickly that answer came to me. Any major metropolitan city that has a beach when people strip down at lunchtime for a dip in the sea and a siesta is alright by me.

As a student studying abroad, at the age of 29, I spent a few weeks in Barcelona, hot on the trail of Gaudi (architect), Picasso, Dali, Hemmingway… At the end of hot and dusty days I would head to the Ramblas and have a beer the size of my head, and absorb the energy. City, beach, tapas and beer, the perfect combo!

If you could choose a super power, what would that be?

My favorite super hero is Aqua Man, my son assures me that Aqua Man is super lame, but I love him. He can swim really well, breath underwater, talk to marine animals, and his hair always looks great! In the late 1970’s there was a TV show called, Man From Atlantis, starring Patrick Duffy – basically Aqua Man!! I have loved Patrick Duffy since (and recently learned he lived in Seattle.

But the question is, what super power would I have? I want to be funny when I answer, but honestly, if I can have one, it would be to save children from suffering neglect, abuse, or illness. I have a long history with these issues, so, my answer can’t be light.
Follow the Tour:


Connect with Celia Kennedy Today: 



Twitter: @KennedyCelia
Google+: Celia Kennedy



Purchase Links:

Venus Rising

Charlotte’s Restrained http://amzn.to/1uKXr18

Friday, October 24, 2014

Aware by, David S. Reynolds **Book Blast**

Aware
By, David S. Reynolds


An accident in space has left Navigation Specialist Jenkins alone on a ship that is dying. She is almost certain that the initial malfunction was caused by a robot, proving in her mind that all robots are useless. Jenkins finds this conviction challenged by Repair Bot 3, the last of three bots that is struggling with becoming aware. The two advisories must find a way to understand each other and work as a team in order for both to survive.



Author Bio:

I am somewhat of a rarity - A Tucsonan that was actually born in Tucson, Az. Other than one semester of college at Northern Arizona University where I learned I don't like snow, always lived in the Tucson valley and consider myself a certified desert rat.


I enjoy reading and writing many different styles and genre, from political satire to mindless theater. Sometimes I write with a message in mind, sometimes I don't.

When I'm not writing I enjoy traveling, photography, riding motorcycles, building and flying model aircraft and trying new stuff.

You can find more about me and find out about new releases on Facebook by looking up Renaissance Redneck Media.

I hope you get something from my writings, even if it is just a laugh.

Thanks for reading.

Dave

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A Book Feature & Review of Sister, Psychopath By, Maggie James


A Book Feature & Review of Sister, Psychopath


By, Maggie James


Synopsis 

When they were children, Megan Copeland adored her younger sister Chloe. Now she can hardly bear to be in the same room as her.
Megan believes Chloe to be a psychopath. After all, her sister’s a textbook case: cold, cruel and lacking in empathy. Chloe loves to taunt Megan at every opportunity, as well as manipulating their mentally ill mother, Tilly, a woman blind to Chloe’s sociopathic nature.
Chloe currently has her eye on James Matthews, Tilly’s employer. James, however, is preoccupied with his own conflicts. Both his marriages have been failures. Now Megan’s former lover, Toby Turner, is causing him to question everything in his life.
When Tilly, under Chloe’s malignant influence, becomes dangerously unstable, the consequences turn ugly for everyone.  Megan’s world falls apart, allowing long-buried secrets to rise to the surface.  Her sister’s out of control, and there’s little Megan can do about it. Until she realises Chloe is targeting Toby Turner, and planning to step well beyond the rules…
A study of sibling rivalry and dysfunctional relationships, Sister, Psychopath tells the story of one woman’s struggle to survive the damage inflicted by her sociopathic sister.


 My Review:
Stunning and twisted are the perfect terms to describe Sister, Psychopath. The dysfunctional relationship between Megan and Chloe is like none you've ever seen. Chloe is a troubled woman that will do anything to get what she wants. This is the second novel that I've read by this incredible author, and I cannot help but predict great things from her. Her writing is so engaging and quick paced, that you get lost in the story, and simply cannot put it down until the very last word. This book was such a suspenseful read and I doubt I'll be able to forget it!

More Review Highlights:




'Sister, Psychopath' will be discounted to 99c/99p in the 

US and UK Amazon stores from November 3 to 

November 6.


About the Author:

Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels.



The first draft of her first novel, entitled His Kidnapper’s Shoes, was written whilst travelling in Bolivia. Maggie was inspired by an impending milestone birthday along with a healthy dose of annoyance at having procrastinated for so long in writing a novel. His Kidnapper’s Shoes was published in both paperback and e-book format in 2013, followed by her second novel, entitled Sister, Psychopath. Her third novel, Guilty Innocence, has now been published, and like her first two, features her home city of Bristol. She is currently editing her fourth novel, The Second Captive.

Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Write Like a Wizard welcomes author, C.M. Stunich!

Write Like a Wizard welcomes author, C.M. Stunich!

C.M. Stunich is a self-admitted bibliophile with a love for exotic teas and a whole host of characters who live full time inside the strange, swirling vortex of her thoughts. Some folks might call this crazy, but Caitlin Morgan doesn't mind – especially considering she has to write biographies in the third person. Oh, and half the host of characters in her head are searing hot bad boys with dirty mouths and skillful hands (among other things). If being crazy means hanging out with them everyday, C.M. has decided to have herself committed.

She hates tapioca pudding, loves to binge on cheesy horror movies, and is a slave to many cats. When she's not vacuuming fur off of her couch, C.M. can be found with her nose buried in a book or her eyes glued to a computer screen. She's the author of over thirty novels – romance, new adult, fantasy, and young adult included. Please, come and join her inside her crazy. There's a heck of a lot to do there.

Oh, and Caitlin loves to chat (incessantly), so feel free to e-mail her, send her a Facebook message,  or put up smoke signals. She's already looking forward to it.


Social Media Links

Book Info
TABOO UNCHAINED - a 100,000 word stand-alone dark romance erotica - by International Bestselling Author C.M. Stunich - Recommended for Ages 18+
The taboo turns me on.

The dirty. The filthy. The nasty.

The man your mother f***ing warned you about – is me.

Hold onto your panties, ladies.

Lucas Carter is here to show you the dark side of the sheets.

***WARNING: This is a dark romance erotica – meaning lots of violence, sex, and emotionally disturbing inner dialogue. The main character does not, however, kidnap or force himself on women. The entire book is told in his point of view. This story does contain murder, tough choices, and strange sex.

***This book is entirely fictional, and the sexual techniques described within can be extremely dangerous. Read Lucas' story to spice up your sex life, have a little fun, and watch a man consumed by darkness grow into a different person. Please don't take any of the acts described within as instructional and always remember, safety first.

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM C.M. STUNICH

-Tasting Never (New Adult Romance)

-Real Ugly (Dirty Rockstar Romantic Thriller)

-Losing Me, Finding You (Motorcycle Club Romance)

Book Purchase Links