COVER REVEAL: Becoming a Legend by B. Kristin McMichael

Becoming a Legend
by B. Kristin McMichael
Publication date: June 6th, 2013
Series: The Blue Eyes Trilogy, #2
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
Arianna Grace is about to turn seventeen and her life has been very complicated lately. She is the leader of four clans of night humans: dearg-dul, baku, tengu, and lycan. While the four clans seem to get along better with each other, there is internal conflict on both sides of her family, not to mention the three boys vying for her attention.

Edward Lucan is making a chase for the power to lead the baku clans and is playing his cards by using his nephew Andrew to lure Arianna into a trap. Unfortunately for Lucan, Andrew has his own plans. He has spent the last year waiting for Arianna to see him as more than a friend, and he now finds it necessary to make a move for her affection, despite his uncle.

In the dearg-dul estate, Arianna discovers that the ambitious Lord Seeger has been laying his own strategies for power and is slowly poisoning her. After getting away with her grandfather's murder, he is setting his sights on her. Luckily for Arianna, her team is on to all of the plans and is making some plans of their own. Will it be enough to keep Arianna safe? Several people close to Arianna have been keeping secrets. If Arianna is to take power and control of the night, she will need to know the truth. Will someone finally tell her what it truly means to become the legend everyone is waiting for, before it is too late to turn back?

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in Biology working as a scientist. In her free time she is hard at work on multiple novels; as each day passes, she has more ideas for both current and future novels.

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COVER REVEAL: Ruby's Fire (Fireseed, #2) by Catherine Stine

Ruby's Fire

by Catherine Stine 

Series: Fireseed, #2 (however, can be read as a stand-alone)

Publication date:  June 26, 2013

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Synopsis:

If everything about you changes, what remains?

Seventeen year-old Ruby, long-pledged to the much older Stiles from the Fireseed desert cult, escapes with only a change of clothes, a pouch of Oblivion Powder and her mute little brother, Thorn. Arriving at The Greening, a boarding school for orphaned teens, she can finally stop running. Or can she? The Greening is not what it seems. Students are rampaging out of control and as she cares for the secret Fireseed crop, she experiences frightening physical changes. She’s ashamed of her attraction to burly, hard-talking Blane, the resident bodyguard, and wonders why she can’t be happy with the gentler Armonk. She’s long considered her great beauty a liability, a thing she’s misused in order to survive. And how is she to stop her dependence on Oblivion to find a real beauty within, using her talent as a maker of salves, when she has nightmares of Stiles without it?

When George Axiom, wealthy mogul of Vegas-by-the-Sea offers a huge cash prize for the winner of a student contest, Ruby is hopeful she might collect the prize to rescue her family and friends from what she now knows is a dangerous cult. But when Stiles comes to reclaim her, and Thorn sickens after creating the most astonishing contest project of all, the world Ruby knows is changed forever. This romantic fantasy set in 2099 on earth has a crafty heroine in Ruby, and a swoonworthy cast, which will surely appeal to the YA and new adult audience.

Catherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by the author was granted a Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and an Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend. More and more, she’s enjoying writing speculative tales. She teaches literature at the School of Visual Arts and creative writing at the Philadelphia Writing Conference and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. Catherine earned a double focus MFA in Creative Writing at the New School. 

Visit her at www.catherinestine.blogspot.com and at www.catherinestine.com.

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SPOTLIGHT w/ EXCERPT: Epsilon AR by Zackery Humphreys

Epsilon AR

by Zackery Humphreys

Book Description:

Hundreds of years into the future, mankind has gone under ground to relocate to the beautiful city of Epsilon. Epsilon is run by a strong, secretive government that keeps its citizens in check by subtle manipulation and strict schedules. No one questions its authority and no one is unhappy. ALN-896, an average man who is just trying to live a normal life, begins to have dreams; something strange and rare in Epsilon. In his dreams, he meets a man named Harry and everything is fine- until Harry dies. When ALN-896 wakes up, he shrugs it off as if nothing has happened. It was only a dream. But then the next day, he is suddenly arrested and sent to prison for killing Harry, whom ALN-896 assumed was just a figment of his imagination. Now inside prison, ALN-896 begins to learn about everything the government of Epsilon has been doing and he plans on escaping. Not only from prison, but from Epsilon. This one decision turns him against everything he has ever known and forces him to face against centuries of lies. To escape means to live. But what will it cost?

Excerpts:

A black-and-white tie...

----
Thoughts froze within his mind. Spit bubbled through his pursed lips.
ALN-896 finally managed to pull away from the exposed wire. He fell to the ground and wiped away the spit dribbling down his cheek. His heart raced, and sweat poured down his body.
That was the most painful sensation he had ever experienced.
I never should have grabbed that wire...
ALN-896 stood up slowly and looked around. No one saw what had just happened. He was alone on the desolate stretch of Simov Street.
Fortunately, I did not get hurt.
Instead of continuing, he decided to get back into his car and let a nice cup of tea calm him.
From the center console of the car, green tea was automatically dispensed into a cup. He let the liquid slide down his throat, easing every muscle that had tensed. He melted into his plush seat as he let his mind come to a halt. Then the silence was interrupted by a robotic voice. “ALN- 896, your vitals are irregular. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. I went to inspect one of the house's trashcans as I was instructed to, but I noticed an exposed wire on the ground. I went to cover it back up when it...”
ALN-896 wasn't quite sure what had actually happened when he touched the wire. He hadn’t been electrocuted, but something strange had occurred. The only thing he could get out of the experience was that he had seen a black-and-white tie floating in the darkness behind his closed eyelids. Nothing surrounded it, but he knew it had been attached to a body. One he hadn’t been able see, but one he knew existed somewhere within the black.
Irrelevant.
“When it...,” ALN-896 stumbled. “When it shocked me,” he lied.
“Your job still needs to be completed. You still need to inspect the trashcans for Monday's workday. After your tea, you need to continue.”
“Yes, I understand.”

About The Author:

Zackery Alexander Humphreys is a Novelist, Actor and Poet who occasionally dabbles in Screen Writing and Play Writing.

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Promotion Event [Excerpt] Kiss Me, Curse Me by Kate Shay

Kiss Me, Curse Me

by Kate Shay

Release date: March 6, 2013

Genre:  Paranormal/Historical Fiction

Age Group:  Young Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

This is a story of a kiss--a simple kiss. . . and a boy. . . and a girl.

It's the Great Depression, but you would barely know it in Dam Town. The building of the great Carnee Dam has brought money, men, and mischief into an otherwise seemingly quiet desert community.

Ahanu is an outcast, born into a culture that despises him. He is Native American, of the land, a free spirit. If he wasn't in love with a girl that was already taken, maybe he could spend his days in the forest just as he pleases, but life isn't that simple.

Coreen is on a path to nowhere, dating the typical boy, and doing as her father always asks, or that's how it appears. On one moonlit night, her fate becomes entwined in an old curse unlocked by the boy of her dreams--true love--Ahanu.

This curse is old and it will have its way, it will do its damage.

“The wolf came one clear, hot night like this one,” Doc said somberly. “He stood back in the grass, hiding, but I saw him there, powerful and present. I wish I’d said something.
“Anyway, I got a call from a young clueless lad, whose sister had fallen ill suddenly from something—we didn’t know what at the time. She had a fever and she’d moan occasionally, mumble something about the moon, and she would fade in and out. On her third night, as I sat there with her, I heard his call. The spirit called out, and she died right there and then. He took her spirit away with him, though we knew it was really gone before. We could feel that she was absent and her mumblings were just his echoes or messages. He’s been awakened again by something.”
“I can’t hear this.” Ahanu put his hands over his ears.
“You need to hear it. This is your history, your people, your wolf.”
“My wolf . . . what are talking about? You’re crazy,” said Ahanu. “This is the first time I’ve seen him.”
“Yes, and he’ll come again. He’ll take and take till it stops.”
“Till what stops?” Betty was fascinated by now and had lost sight of her musings.
“Many died that summer, mysteriously, all random, all ages. You think this is just a fluke? It’s not. It never stopped till we stopped. The church, you see, was encroaching on the natives. We all thought we lived in peace and harmony with the natives, but we didn’t. They didn’t want our God, and we didn’t want theirs.”
“I thought you were an atheist,” said Betty.
“Shhhhh. I was. Not this week.”
Ahanu scrunched his face in confusion.
“You see, I bet it’s the dam, all those strange folks in town, all this bad energy here. He’s back. The old curse. That’s it, till it stops. Till he gets his fill.”

Kate Shay was born in Scotland under a full moon amongst the misty moors. Her homeland calls to her still, but now she basks in the Seattle rains and visits the Isle only in her dreams.

She took creative writing in college for two years and has been writing for the last five years. She keeps a diary with her sad and romantic poems for when she's in the mood: usually it's after watching The English Patient--her favorite all-time movie.

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COVER REVEAL: Keeper of the Lost Souls by Kristy Centeno

Keeper of the Lost Souls

by Kristy Centeno

Release Date: June 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

Bryn McCaskey is young, naïve, and can talk to ghosts. Like her mother and grandmother, Bryn is part of a breed of witches called The Keepers of the Lost Souls, whose main purpose is to guard those spirits which are permanently or temporarily grounded in the world of the living.

Because Bryn is a witch, she’s fairly comfortable dealing with all sorts of threats, which she does with ease and confidence. Handling supernatural creatures is as easy to her as baking a pie. Dealing with people however, is something she is yet to learn how to handle.

Unfortunately, as her 18th birthday approaches, and the time for her to take on her first assignment finally arrives, Bryn is forced to confront her inability to communicate with others in an effort to save the one soul that can mean the difference between life and death for mankind.

Johnny Shaw is a lost soul with a personal vendetta against witches. A vendetta he has carried on even after death. However, as much as he might hate them, in order to stop a century old threat, he must join forces with one. When fate brings them together, not only will they be forced to learn how to work as a team, but they will have to depend on each other to stop an evil witch carrying a six hundred year grudge. 

About the Author

I’ve always had a passion for writing but never had the opportunity do so until now. After trying out numerous options I realized that writing was what I loved the most so when I found myself with some free time on my hands, I decided to give it a shot. As it turned out, my very active imagination helped me achieve my goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that helped the stories move along in one way or another.

As I keep moving along in achieving my dreams of becoming a published author, I divide my time in between my four children and my very understanding husband.

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Release Event [Excerpt & Trailer] The Do Over by A.L. Zaun

The Do Over
by A.L. Zaun
Release date: May 20, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group:  Adult
Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:
Life doesn’t look like it’s supposed to for Dani Ruiz, a hopeless romantic.  After a painful and sudden break-up with Rick Marin—who  she thought was the One—Dani hides away from reality, retreating to a world of fiction, preferring book boyfriends over the hassles of a relationship.
After almost two years of watching Dani in a holding pattern, her friends stage an intervention and force her back into the real world of dating.
Unexpectedly, Dani meets Liam Lucas, a down-to-earth firefighter. He might be the person to show her she’s still worth something. Dani’s hesitant to trust her heart with another man, but their instant and electric chemistry is something she can’t deny.
As Dani starts to believe that she’s found her real-life book boyfriend, Rick decides that he’ll go to any lengths to get her back. Seeing Rick as a changed man makes Dani question everything.
Can Dani trust her patched-up heart with Liam?
Or has Rick transformed into the man she’s always wanted?
Told from various points of views, The Do Over is a story of second chances and new beginnings.

A.L. Zaun graduated from Florida International University with a degree in English Literature a long time ago.  A degree she didn’t use at all in her professional endeavors.  She loves to read, write and take pictures.  She walks around with her camera, and most importantly she has her e-reader available at all times.  Healthcare Management by day, Mommy in the evening and most nights, you can find her sitting in front of her laptop with a bottle of Diet Pepsi, bringing the voices in her head to life on the pages of her debut novel, The Do Over.

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“What about my kiss?” She pouted with a hand on her hip.
My eyes were trained on her lips. They were begging for my attention, and I wanted to give it to them.
“Baby…” I took a deep breath. “If I kiss you now, I won’t be able to stop.”
I wanted her. There was no doubt about it. She drove me insane and turned me on. There was nothing more that I wanted than to be with her. From the moment I saw her until probably the day I took my last breath, my desire would burn for her.
She moved toward me with an exotic look in her eyes, almost like a tiger about to catch her prey. “I want my hello kiss.”
My girl liked playing with fire. Good thing that was my specialty.
“I warned you,” I said, keeping my eyes focused on hers.
I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest. I had to clear my head. I could just kiss her hello. I could do this. Although I couldn’t stop thinking about the other night, feeling her squirming under my touch, I reminded myself that she deserved our first time to be special.
Licking her lips, she smiled and let out a sexy laugh.
I was a goner.

COVER REVEAL: Grounded by G.P. Ching

Grounded

by G.P. Ching

Publication date: November 15th 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal/ Sci fi & Fantasy

Synopsis:

All my life I've worked to be simple, but I can't pretend anymore. Nothing about me is simple.

In the year 2050, a secret government study nicknamed Operation Source Code injects eight volunteers with a retrovirus. The goal? To abate the energy crisis by reprogramming human DNA to power personal electronic devices. The experiment works but with disastrous consequences.

Seventeen years later, Lydia Troyer is far from concerned with the energy crisis. Growing up in the isolated community of Hemlock Hollow, life hasn't changed much since 1698 when her Amish ancestors came to America. She milks her cow by hand, makes fresh bread every morning, and hopes to be courted by Jeremiah, the boy who's been her best friend since she could walk.

But when Lydia's father has a stroke and is taken to the outside world for medical treatment, Lydia and Jeremiah leave home to visit him. An ordinary light switch thrusts Lydia into a new world where energy is a coveted commodity and her own personal history makes her the most sought-after weapon on the planet.

G.P Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers Series and variety of short fiction. She specializes in cross-genre paranormal stories, loves old cemeteries, and enjoys a good ghost tour. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and one very demanding guinea pig.

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BLOG TOUR [Review] Rocked: A Chelsie Valdar Saga, 1 by Gina Marie Long

Rocked: A Chelsie Valdar Saga, 1 
by Gina Marie Long 
Publication: February 16th 2013 
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller/Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:
The Apocalypse is coming...in one week. Chelsie Valdar and her brother are modern-day Viking warrior teenagers. They must find a mystical sword belonging to their ancient ancestor and flee to safety at a secret shelter, if they hope to survive. As the clock ticks, several Bigfoot and an outcast werecat become invaluable friends helping with the search for the sword and offering supernatural protection. Misfortune haunts their every move. Conflicts delay their progress. Especially when a devious and deranged enemy is infatuated with Chelsie and hungers for the sword, desperate to escape to the shelter with Chelsie by his side. Time is running out.

If you would have ever told me I would be reading a book about bigfoot & werecats I would have told you you were crazy. That's so far from my usual reads that I would have laughed in your face. Why did I decided to read this you may ask? Well it could be that I have a 12 year old son and about 2000 acres behind my house that my son and his friends LOVE to Bigfoot hunt on. This all began with the show Finding Bigfoot  on Animal Planet.  So when I read the blurb and it said that there was an impending apocalypse (Say the "A" word and my spidey senses start tingling. :))  I said oh what the heck!  I could at least maybe have a good bedtime story to tell him, so I might as well read it. And I was pleasantly surprised.

Gina transfers the reader-what ever age or gender-straight into a teenager named Chelsie's life with her younger brother and supernatural  friends. The plot centers around Chelsie, her brother, several Bigfoot and a werecat, Jessie, embarking on a journey to retrieve the viking sword that belongs to her family. They have to find the sword and get to the shelter before Yellow Stone erupts.  They run into all kinds of trouble and almost losing her brother. I was fascinated about how all of these supernatural beings worked together to help Chelsie hunt for the sword.

Chelsie was a great heroine. She was fiery and strong and had a great sense of humor so much so that I found myself laughing at some things she did. The other characters were great too.  I loved the role every one of them played. It was like a great big family. And Jessie, what can I say about her. She was great right from the moment she purred her way into Chelsie's lap. There was a hint of romance between Chelsie and one of the bigfoot brothers. But it was short and sweet. 

I really liked this novel. It’s a fresh new look at supernaturals trying to survive the apocalypse. And I will definitely be telling my son how cool these bigfoot were. :)

4Stars!!

Gina Marie Long is an author of paranormal thrillers, urban fantasy, and young adult novels. She has written the Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series and Rocked – A Chelsie Valdar Saga.

Gina's fiction stories are inspired from her interest in the supernatural, science fiction and fantasy world. She enjoys reading, watching evening TV shows, movies and listening to music. Writing indulges her passion for the entertainment arts, giving her active mind a playground of possibilities to explore. She stays active on social media sites and blogging, making connections with others who share the same interests. 

She writes about werewolves, vampires, witches, werecats, Bigfoot, an occasional demon, psychics, Vikings, and riveting human characters. But not ALL in the same book! In addition, a light romance is included to spice things up (come on-every book, movie and TV show has some sort of a love story in it). The books do not fall under the romance category...just enough in the storyline to satisfy the girls. And the boys can breathe easy with the knowledge that they're not reading a romance novel but a paranormal thriller, instead. Depending on which series, the ages of the main characters are 16 through 30. Most are on the younger side.

"It's exciting to create strong characters that the readers fall in love with…or want to strangle! Writing books about other beings, such as werewolves and vampires, allows rules to be broken concerning life and the world as we know it. The idea to have these supernatural species living and breathing among us is so wickedly intriguing. Having close contact with them, developing relationships, and dealing with the good vs. the evil - it sweeps you away into another reality – an escape from real life. You wonder and worry about what the characters will stumble upon next. Or, what horrific tragedy knocks them flat on their faces."~~Gina

She lives in Highland, Illinois, with her husband and Jessie Cat.

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