BOOK BLITZ [Excerpt + Giveaway] Bone Dry by Candy Vance

Check out the promo event for the first book in Cady Vance's paranormal series. 

Series: Soul Shamans #1
Release date: February 3rd 2015
Publisher: Sagan Press

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Sometimes it isn’t as easy as choosing right or wrong.

Sixteen-year-old Holly Bennett is a comic book nerd, a con artist, and a shaman. Most days Holly wishes she could trade in her power of spirit communication for something more useful--like fireballs or Wolverine claws. She knows spirits aren't exactly Casper the Friendly Ghosts. They're dangerous beings from Lower World who snack on human life, and messing with the magic from their world is an express ticket to big trouble. But when a shaman sticks her mom's mind between their world and ours, Holly becomes the unexpected breadwinner in the family. She uses her burgeoning shaman powers to set up fake hauntings and "banish" the so-called ghosts from her wealthy classmates' bedrooms. For a fee, of course.

When actual spirits start manifesting, Holly discovers that other shamans have come to town, summoning life-sucking spirits for their own ends. And the newcomers may just hold the clue Holly's been looking for--the one that can release her mom's mind from its Lower World prison. With the help of both a cute web comic artist and her partner-in-con, Holly plots to take them down, throwing her into a whirlwind of speedboat getaways, breaking and entering, and astral projections into the spirit world. And as her mom's mind slips further away, Holly has to fight to save her, and the rest of the town, before they get sucked into Lower World permanently.

EXCERPT

There are times when I listen to the moralistic words of the angel on my right shoulder rather than the wicked whispers of the demon on my left. With Kylie Wilkinson leaning across the cafeteria table, eager to hand over cash I so desperately needed, I couldn’t help but smack the halo off that perfect little angel.

“Two hundred bucks,” I said, holding my hand palm up. The eagerness on Kylie’s heart-shaped face fell into a scowl. She tucked a stray strand of glossy hair behind her polka-dotted headband and shifted in her seat.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Holly.”
I pulled back my hand, closed my fingers into a fist and pretended to be interested in my bologna sandwich. That move got them every time. The din of cafeteria chatter rose up around us as we sat in silence. Girls laughed, plates clattered and sneakers squeaked. Five seconds passed before Kylie cleared her throat.

“Okay, wait.” She reached into her Eddie Bauer backpack and pulled out her wallet. 

I kept my attention on my sandwich, nibbling away while she anxiously counted the cash. She had exactly four fifties which made me think she already knew what I charged and had been playing me to see if I’d go lower.

A guy walking by our table stopped to watch the transaction. I turned to raise my eyebrows at the tall, thin figure towering over us. Nathan Whitman, Kylie’s ex-boyfriend. He flashed a grin at me, his dark, wavy hair curling on his forehead, his high cheekbones carving a V on his otherwise boyish face. I smiled around my sandwich and hoped I didn’t have bits of meat stuck between my teeth.

“Is our friendly, neighborhood ghostbuster in action again?”

I’d taken a case for Nathan last year. He’d thought he was being haunted—they all did. Before that day, I’d considered Nathan just another bland guy navigating the Seaport High popular crowd. A preppy sailor only interested in country clubs and stock points. But after seeing the stacks of comic books in his room, I decided there might be an interesting guy hiding behind the polo shirts.

Not that I’d ever had the time to find out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cady Vance is the author of YA and NA speculative fiction. After growing up in small-town Tennessee, she decided to embark on a grand adventure by packing up her bags and moving to NYC. Now, she studies for her PhD in the UK and dreams of seeing the world.

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COVER REVEAL [Giveaway] RED SKY DAWNING by Ian J. Malone

Synopsis 

Five years after the historic Battle of Dulaston, Danny Tucker, Lee Summerston, and the Renegades have settled nicely into life on Aura — yet none more so than Tucker. Fueled by a rising career as an ASC staff sergeant and a love unlike any he’s ever known, Danny is in the prime of his life and at last free of the demons that have stalked him for years.

Some demons never die, though, and when an old enemy beckons to settle a personal score, Danny soon finds himself swept up in the backlash of a climaxing civil war, and straight into the crosshairs of a father’s bloodlust for revenge.

RED SKY DAWNING is the much-anticipated sequel to 2013’s MAKO, and the tale of one man’s quest to bury his past and protect those dearest to him as the fate of billions hangs in the balance.

“Thematically speaking, this is very much a story about growing up,” says author Ian J. Malone, a native Floridian who now resides in Durham, North Carolina with his wife and step son. “Whereas book one was this plucky little tale about five bar-flies, rocking through hyperspace on the road trip of a lifetime, book two chronicles a lot of the unforeseen fallout stemming from decisions they made along the way. From an author’s standpoint, it was an intense story to write, but I think readers will really like where it leaves the saga entering the third and final book.”

Among the things readers can expect from RED SKY DAWNING are an array of new characters, a deeper look into the Alystierian Empire, and a healthy dose of political intrigue.

Still, Malone insists that MAKO fans will still find all of the action, humor, and pop-cultural charm that have since become the series’ calling card. “C’mon, guys. What’s a MAKO book without beer jokes and Funyuns?”

RED SKY DAWNING arrives on Amazon April 30, 2015. The audiobook will follow shortly thereafter on Audible and iTunes.

Order a Copy Here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a graduate of Florida State University, I’ve written in a number of arenas over the years ranging from public health to news and sports. When it comes to my fictional work, however, I’m a firm believer that nothing shapes an author’s writing like experience. That’s why I credit my tenures in radio, law enforcement, sport management, and the military for much of my thematic inspiration, plus the legion of family and friends who’ve stood with me along the way.

Beyond writing, I’m an avid fan of audiobooks and sports, though it’s also not uncommon to find me at a concert (LOVE music!), a movie, or somewhere out by a grill.

At present, I reside in Durham, North Carolina with my incredible wife, son, and our two dogs — but I’ll always be a “Florida boy” at heart. ;)

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BLOG TOUR!! Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis

BONES & ALL 
by Camille DeAngelis 

Maren Yearly doesn’t just break hearts, she devours them. 

Since she was a baby, Maren has had what you might call "an issue" with affection. Anytime someone cares for her too much, she can’t seem to stop herself from eating them. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 16, Maren goes looking for the father she has never known, but finds more than she bargained for along the way. 

Faced with love, fellow eaters, and enemies for the first time in her life, Maren realizes she isn’t just looking for her father, she is looking for herself. The real question is, will she like the girl she finds?

You can purchase Bones & All at the following Retailers:

        

Camille DeAngelis is the author of Bones & All (St. Martin’s, 2015), Petty Magic: Being the Memoirs and Confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger, Temptress and Troublemaker (Crown, 2010), and Mary Modern (Crown/Shaye Areheart, 2007), as well as a first-edition guidebook, Moon Ireland (Avalon, 2007). She is a graduate of New York University (B.A. in Fine Arts, minor in Irish Studies, 2002) and the National University of Ireland, Galway (M.A. in Writing, 2005). Her fourth novel, tentatively titled Immaculate Heart, will be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2016. She is a board member of the Writers’ Room of Boston.

A longtime vegetarian, she went vegan in April 2011, and in June 2013 became a certified vegan lifestyle coach and educator through Victoria Moran’s Main Street Vegan® Academy. She is also planning to receive her yoga teacher training in 2015.

Originally from New Jersey, Camille now lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.

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BOOK BLITZ [Excerpt + Giveaway] Orenda by Ruth Silver (Orenda #1)

Orenda 
by Ruth Silver 
(Orenda #1) 
Published by: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: December 5th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Join forces with a parallel universe.

Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can’t exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for.

A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages.

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Willow scoffed at the idea, grabbed his arm, and pushed him down onto his knees, her hand tight behind his back. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. Don’t touch me, creep.”

“Got it.” Bray winced, relieved when she let go of him. He rubbed his sore arm where she'd death-gripped him. “Who's Eilith?”

She stepped toward the stone door and bent down to examine the keyhole. “Of course, it's made of dead pixies!”

Bray watched, but he refused to approach her after what she'd done to him. “Dead pixies? As in fairies?” he asked, walking to the side window. He glanced outside to see the pink sun gradually setting.

“When silver touches pixies, they die. Their remains, in the form of dust, become a weapon that shields us from using our power. To answer your question earlier, no, pixies are not the same as fairies. It would do you well to learn that, should you ever come across one.”

“This isn’t funny, Lil.”

“I don't joke, and it’s Willow,” she said, correcting him. There was no hint of humor in her voice. “Pixies and fairies do not get along. Come over here,” she commanded him.

“No way.” Bray hesitated. “I'm not falling for that again.”

“Just do it.” Her voice held an urgency to it. “I saw you earlier at the door.” She gestured toward the lock. “You were able to touch it. You're not from here, which perhaps means your blood is immune to dead pixies.”

“The name's Bray, by the way,” he said as he hesitated before he approached the door. “What do you want me to do?”

“Bray.” She paused, giving him a putrid look. “Put your palm to the keyhole and I can handle the rest,” Willow said.

Bray did as instructed and pressed his palm to the lock. He masked his fear behind his eyes.

“Good, you're immune. Now, let's try this.” She moved to rest her hand on his.

 “Is it working?”

Heavy footsteps erupted from just outside the chamber.

“Quick!” Willow pulled Bray away from the door. “Get back.” The door swung open and Bray stumbled backwards.

Bray glanced from Willow to the strange dark-haired woman looming over them in a black lace dress. Her fingernails were dark as night with a strange translucent appearance. Her lips were a deep fiery red, and her eyes held no hint of color or light. Her skin was incredibly pale. Had she ever been outside?

“What's going on?” Bray asked once he’d steadied his heartbeat.

“Silence!” the woman said. She held up her hand, making it impossible for Bray to speak again. He struggled to breathe. She not only sucked out his voice, but also the air from his lungs. After a moment, she lowered her hand and Bray fell to the stone floor, gasping. He didn't bother to get up again. “Come now. If you wish to live, you'll do as I tell you. Understand?” his tormentor said.

AUTHOR BIO:
Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She has written under three unique pseudo names and penned well over a hundred stories.

She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.

Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling.

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BLOG TOUR [Guest Post + Giveaway] We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

We All Looked Up
by Tommy Wallach
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 31st 2015

Synopsis:

Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.

They always say that high school is the best time of your life.

Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait.

Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.

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1) Most likely things to cause the apocalypse and why?

Oh my, that’s a depressing question! Well, there’s a whole lot of climate change going on, and for many people, it’s going to result in apocalypse. California droughts, rising tides in island nations, deforestation…I don’t want to think about this stuff! So I’ll say that it’ll probably be squirrels. Squirrels are everywhere, and they’re fast and small, and I think they’re smarter than they let on. Yeah…watch those squirrels.

2) Top ten things you'd do if the end of the world was coming? 

10. Get a bunch of puppies and just roll around in the grass with them for a few hours.

9. Eat a $1000 dinner somewhere. I don’t know what’s in a $1000 dinner, but I know I want it.

8. Convince Natalie Portman to fall in love with me.

7. Go to a bungee jumping place, but chicken out.

6. Watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy again, because it’s that good.

5. Read The Remains of the Day again, because it’s that good.

4. Listen to a lot of Belle and Sebastian, because they make me happy.

3. Go back to the bungee jumping place. Chicken out again.

2. Eat some Domino’s Pizza, and for the first time, not worry if this is the one that will kill me.

1. Convince Chloe Grace Moretz to fall in love with me. Make sure she gets along with Natalie Portman.

3) When have you felt like the world was ending? (Metaphorically of course!) 

So many times! When my high school girlfriend broke up with me and started going out with her boss. When my last relationship ended. When my agent dropped my third novel and me as a client. When my fourth and fifth and sixth books failed to go anywhere. When Breaking Bad ended. Life sure is full of catastrophes, isn’t it?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tommy Wallach is a Brooklyn-based writer and musician. His first novel, We All Looked Up, will be published by Simon and Schuster in April 2015. His work has appeared in many nice magazines, such as McSweeney's, Tin House, and Wired. He has released an EP with Decca Records, and will be independently putting out an LP in Spring 2014. He also makes music videos, including one that was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum. You should buy him dinner.

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BLOG TOUR [Excerpt] Riddle of Fate by Tania Johansson

Riddle of Fate 
by Tania Johansson 
Publication date: May 29th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Khaya’s life, a life the Order say was never meant to be, is thrown into turmoil when she discovers she has a second ability. The Company who employs people like her – with rare and special abilities – insists that having more than one inevitably leads down a dark spiral into madness. So they are watching and waiting, ready to terminate her at the first sign of trouble.

Now, on the run from the Company’s agents while trying to prove her sanity, Khaya realises they are not the only ones she should fear. Angels are working towards her demise as well.

The question that haunts her is this: What did she do that was terrible enough to elicit the wrath of angels? And can she trust the mysterious Derrin, or is he the cause of all her tribulations?

Derrin tapped on the door before walking in. He frowned as he pushed the door open. The room was dark and no lamp had been lit. His stomach became a hard pit of tension as he stepped into the room, not knowing what he would find. A faint burnt smell hung in the air. “Khaya?”
A whimper.
“Khaya, are you hurt?” he asked.
She didn’t answer. He squinted to see her silhouette huddled on the bed, her back leaning against the wall. Derrin lit a lamp.
Her eyes were red rimmed. She sat staring at him without saying a word. Then he saw it. The bag he’d given her was on the floor. The drawstring was still pulled tight, but there was no longer any movement.
“What happened?” he asked, knowing – more or less – what the answer was going to be.
She gave no response apart from her mouth pulling into a tight line. He picked up the bag and pulled it open. He grimaced. “What happened?” he repeated.
“I did what you asked. I used my cursed ability. Did you know what would happen?”
“Did I know you would kill it? No, of course not.”
“It was an accident,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“I’m sure it was, Khaya. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
She swallowed hard and, turning her face away, blinked back tears. She took a moment to compose herself before speaking. “I tried to look inside the bag with my ability. Took me a while before I managed to sense it in there. It was amazing.” A small smile appeared on her lips and she looked up at him. “I could see its little heart beating, the blood rushing from one chamber to the next and through its body. I saw its lungs fill and empty of air.” She fell silent and was staring at the wall as though watching it all again. “Then I found its nerves. Remarkable. Like little lightning bolts shooting from one part of the body to the next. I couldn’t draw my attention away from it. I… I don’t know what happened. One moment I was just watching it, the next –” her voice faltered. “I got so fixated on this display and I wanted to see more of it. The next thing I knew, there wasn’t anything happening at all. Its heart had stopped and its lungs were still. And then I smelled it.
“It was as though an actual lightning bolt had hit it. I killed it.”


AUTHOR BIO
I grew up in a small town called Ficksburg in South Africa and moved with my family to England aged fifteen.

I then completed my schooling through a correspondence course from South Africa. This challenging time taught me a lot of self-discipline and determination. Qualities that have been invaluable while writing my first novel.

In 2004 I started studying optometry at Aston University in Birmingham, UK and currently I live and work as an optician in Kent.

In 2008, I married my wonderful husband, Tor. He has been such an amazing support and wealth of internet wizardry from when I started writing through to designing a cover for Book of Remembrance, to publishing my book on amazon as well as setting up this website. I cannot thank him enough.

Reading has always been one of my passions. I have fond memories of trawling through the library aged five (yes I was a geek from a young age!). More recently, I found myself wondering about the process writers must go through to complete a novel. I started thinking about how they would go about planning out a story and keeping track of all the various aspects of it. Finally, I decided to try my theories out. I have not looked back since!

I started writing Book of Remembrance end of May 2011 and finished it in December 2011. Since then, I have self-published it as an e-book on amazon. I have also started writing the follow up novel, which is untitled at the moment.