Saturday, October 19, 2013

Blog Tour: Soul Games a YA Paranormal Anthology + Giveaway!!

 
 
 
Book Info-

Title: Soul Games (Anthology)

Authors: Jamie Dougherty, Leah D.W., Deborah Noel, Monique O’Connor James, Sacha Hope, W. H. Nielson, Carly Wallace, Alexia Purdy, Nadege Richards

Genre: Paranormal

Audience:  YA

Formats: E-book and Paperback


Cover By: Jamie Lynn Dougherty

Editor: Monique O’Connor James & Theressa M. Branham
Pages: 222 pages

Date Published: April 3, 2013


Blurb-

When the "Higher Power" grows bored and restless games are made. Souls are torn apart for fun, more souls are used in wicked collector games, and souls are twisted in cruel destinies.

This anthology is a collective piece of work to show different and beautifully crafted ideas of the plight ones soul must endure. Simple love and life are tainted and broken in these stories of love, betrayal, longing, and fate.

Book Links-


Excerpt-

“Get out of my way!” I shoved at the thick crowd, hearing others curse at me as I pushed them to the side. I didn’t care if they were woman or man; I needed to get through to find the one person who held the one thing that could save me. It was my only mission, and I wanted it to be over, already. Centuries of searching had left its mark on me. I was tired, and I longed for the end.

But she was gone, and I was left alone once more. Exasperated, I stood at the edge of the sidewalk, letting the scorching breeze of the speeding cars along the street hit me, sending my long blonde hair whipping in the air. One step and I could end it. But then, she would win the prize. I had not gone through all this pain—all this time—to let her win. I would never let her claim the prize. It was mine. This I had known since the day we were born.

***

“I wasn’t the one who signed over your soul to that demon Olivia,” Kaiya reached for her hidden blade in her sapphire dress. “You gave it up for power.”

“You banished me to that hell hole!” Olivia’s voice grew deeper. “We could have been so powerful together!”

“I never wanted that,” Kaiya dodged another attack and pointed her dagger at her sister.

Olivia hissed between her fangs that elongated and peeked out from her lips. Kaiya felt her heart break. Her twin sister, once her best friend, had become the very thing they used to hunt. They had been the best demon hunters across the seven kingdoms.

***

“Drake, where are we going?” I asked.

We’re going to my vacation home in Half Moon Bay. I have a feeling that Thaddius is on the hunt for you, and my place is close to the beach, secluded, and safer than here. When you were with him, did you ever get the feeling that he was off, as in—otherworldly—mentally unstable?” Drake glared at me, apparently anxious for a response.

As I glanced up at him over the rim of my coffee cup, my response was automatic, “Yes, on several occasions. But I just chalked it up to him being a complete, pompous asshole. Why do you ask?”

“Because things don’t add up, Shilo. He has no footprints, and there’s no record of his existence in any system. What gives? It’s almost as if he simply appeared.” He tapped his fingers on the table, obviously unnerved by the fact that he’d learned nothing about Thaddius from his investigation.
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My Review: I received this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Soul Games is a YA anthology of paranormal short stories that are eerie, creepy, and just plain fun. My biggest complaint is that some of the stories are too short. They were so good I wanted more; some would have been more satisfying in novella form. Also, several of the stories were more like preludes to a novel rather than a completed short story.

It's been a long time since I've read short stories, and I forgot how satisfying they can be. I enjoyed every story in this book, some much more than others. There was one story I'd love to purchase if the author decided to elaborate into novel form.

I recommend this anthology to everyone high school and up that is looking for something different than the usual paranormal fare. There is some graphic violence and gore, as well as some minor sexual situations. I read this anthology in one sitting; I just couldn't help but move from one story to the next, eager for more.

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About the Authors:



Leah DW

I am 21 years old and currently a journalism student at my local university. I live in South Africa in a town called Bloemfontein with my family and two beloved dogs. I have been writing since the age of 13 and my first published work is a short horror story titled Dracula’s Mistress. I am busy working on a number of novels and I am an editor/proof reader for Bayou Brew Publishing.

I love writing in the genres of paranormal romance, fantasy fiction and historical fiction and I am a proud bookworm with a mountain of reads stacked up in my room.



Monique O’Connor James

Monique is the mother of two beautiful children and lives in a small community outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She currently works full-time as an insurance agent, but her favorite jobs are mother, wife, and author. On her ninth birthday, her mother bought her a journal and said, "Write whatever you want.  Just write." And so, a love affair with words was born.

She wrote poetry and short stories in high school and college, until 1993 when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. After her mother's death in 1998, deep in depression, she found herself unable to write. Nine years passed, and only on rare occasions did she attempt to write. Finally, in 2007, under the urging of   friends, she sat down and pecked out her first novel. It was raw and unpolished, but the process had been unquestionably cathartic.

The next three years were spent filling her hard drive with seven complete manuscripts. At the beginning   of 2011, Monique decided it was time to edit the work and share it with the world. She hopes you enjoy the ramblings of a truly southern girl raised in a state rich with heritage and love.

In June of 2011 her first book, The Keepers, was published by Astraea Press and it has been a whirlwind of excitement ever since.  Please check out her website and feel free to contact her at any time via her email, facebook, or twitter.




Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada- Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing, or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She love's creating paranormal fantasy and poetry and loves to read and devour books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.

Feel Free to Come and Bug Her!!!

You can reach her at:



Nadege Richards

Born in New York City and raised in Pennsylvania, Nadege has traveled to five other states and two countries, but aspires to travel the world some day. Her name is of French origin, though she's never been to France. Forever a lover of art and all things pertaining to Literature, she hopes to obtain knowledge from her writing career, rather than popularity or fame. She wrote her first story about aliens and goats in the 8th grade and has had a passion for story-telling ever since. Her friends and family are her biggest inspiration, and the occasional cup of coffee. She enjoys being part of the Indie community and sharing her stories with the world.

Her debut novel, Burning Bridges, is her first completed novel. It isn't her first attempt in the writing world, but it's a tale about two lovers she hopes will change the way people view one another, in both big and small ways.



Carly Wallace

Carly Wallace is a woman with a dream, living in Texas where the sky is as endless as the heat. Carly pursues her dream of writing while bringing new and talented Indie authors to the front line. She reads and reviews independent books as well as writes promotional blurbs and marketing material. The Paranormal Book Club, Alchemy of Anne's Anomalies, PDMI inc and Injected Ink Publishing comprise her literary family. Carly is an ally and great friend to the some of the best independent authors and freshest voices of today.


 
 


Jamie Lynn

Jamie Lynn grew up in Southern California, where she continues to live with her husband and two children. Writing has always been a favorite pastime; recently she grew the courage to self publish a piece of her work. "The Guardian's Kiss"

It is currently released in ebook format available at Barnes & Nobles and Amazon. It can now also be found in paperback at Amazon. com and Createspace. (https://www.createspace.com/3714180 )

Jamie is currently working on the second installment to "The Guardian's Kiss" as well as a second series, "Hearts of Sand"(Trinity Pierce Series). She will also be releasing a Young Adult urban Fantasy book in late 2012.



 
Deborah Noel

Born and raised in North Eastern Pennsylvania, i fell in love with writing at the age of 12. I have written plays, short stories and poetry. Married at sunset on Hawii's Maui Island. I am still residing in Pennsylvania with my husband Herb and our Jack Russell Terrier, Rocket. While our demolition business slowed down in the year 2009 Herb encouraged me to follow my novel-writing dream and Tangled Blood Lines is the result.





Hello I am Wendy Lovetiggi Nielson, or Lovetiggi to some. I am an avid supporter of the the arts. I have 3 Facebook pages: The first is for my reviews and to post fun stuff to, the second, I created just for authors to have a place to post their links to, and the 3rd is forStreet Team work! #I# recently creted another group on Facebook that combines reviews and author links called I Love My Authors.
I am also a Goodreads Librarian, and have a Facebook group established for authors to post their issues in. It is staffed with more than one librarian to help. Sometimes it takes a little bit to resolve an issue, they do get resolved.

I have two blogs as well, First one is for my reviews (Lovetiggi’s Book Reviews)and the second one (I Love My Authors) is relatively new, I use it for Author Spotlights, Release Announcements, etc.


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Friday, October 18, 2013

Ednah-Palooza - Celebrating an Awesome Author + Giveaway!


Ednah-Palooza
Celebrating: Our Love for Ednah Walters
Series: The Guardian Legacy and Runes
Genre: YA Paranormal & YA Paranormal Romance
Presented by: Walking on Bookshelves & As You Wish Tours


 

Runes (Book 1)
Amazon | B&N
Goodreads

Blurb
Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about him. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only is she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.


Immortals (Book 2)

Blurb

Nothing can stop Raine Cooper when she wants something…

Raine finally knows that her gorgeous neighbor, Torin St. James, is a legend straight out of Norse mythology, and that her feelings for him are strong. Torin is crazy about Raine too, breaking the one rule he lives by: Never fall for a mortal. The problem is he no longer remembers her, his memories erased by Norns—Norse destiny deities—to punish her for defying them.

So Raine comes up with a plan...

She will make Torin forget his one rule a second time and fall in love with her all over again. But she quickly learns that well-laid plans do not work when dealing with deities and supernatural beings. Desperate, Raine makes choices that could not only tear her and Torin further apart, but lead to the destruction of everything and everyone she loves.

Grimnirs (Book 2.5)

Blurb

Straight out of the psyche ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The love of her life, the guy she’s loved from a distance for years, has moved away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing. The connection defies logic. It doesn’t help that Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful, and cocky. A general pain-in-the-butt. Being around him makes her feel more alive than she’s ever felt before. But more important, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Echo is perfect for her. Echo might even be her soul-mate. There is only one problem. Echo is a freaking soul reaper. A Grimnir. The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life. You see, once you fall for a Grimnir, your life will never be the same again.


 

Awakened (Book 1)
Awakened is prequel to the Guardian Legacy Series

An exciting world of Angels and Demons complete with magic and romance... Ells Readz Reviews

Most teens turn sixteen and get the license to drive, but Lil Falcon gets the license to kill demons. Orphaned as a child and raised by an eccentric grandfather, Lil is concerned with surviving high school and is unaware that she's a Guardian-a being with super powers charged with killing demons and protecting humanity. When she meets Bran, a mysterious boy with amazing abilities, his psi energy unlocks her latent powers. But Bran has a secret that can ruin their growing relationship, and the truth she discovers may destroy everything she believes in unless she finds the right balance between love and sacrifice.
 

Betrayed (Book 2)
Amazon | B&N
Goodreads

Blurb
Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

Hunted (Book 3)
Amazon | B&N
Goodreads

Blurb
Bran and Lil may have escaped an attempt to lure Lil to the dark side,
and recovered the contracts damned people signed with Bran when he was
a soul collector, but someone forgot to tell them that no one switches sides or
cancels contracts without consequences.

Hunted by an unknown but powerful enemy, Lil, Bran and the Guardians must
seek help from unlikely sources to avert total annihilation of the Guardians.
When they finally face their enemy, one of them may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
 

About the Author
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com

Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She is presently working on book 3, GRIMNIRS (Release date TBA). Read more about this series and the world she's created here www.runestheseries.com

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.



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Pre-Order Giveaway for Waterfell by Amalie Howard

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WATERFELL PRE-ORDER CONTEST

If you preorder Waterfell by OCTOBER 28th 2013, 200 random winners will receive a signed Waterfell bookmark, signed bookplate, and a cool Waterfell tattoo. In addition to this prize pack, you will be entered to a super-awesome grand prize: an IPAD MINI (worth $350).

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Here’s how to enter: You must preorder Waterfell (physical or e-book) by OCTOBER 28th to be entered into the giveaway. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below. No entries after October 28th will be counted. If your name is drawn for the grand prize, we will verify your emailed receipt that matches the date you entered (since this prize has a cash value). All receipts MUST be submitted prior to the draw date. If we pick a winner and no receipt has been submitted, another winner will be chosen. ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED. NOTE: The prize for this contest is not open internationally because of issues with taxes on mailing gifts. But if you are an international reader, you should definitely still preorder Waterfell. If you are one of the 200 prize pack winners, you will receive the signed bookmark, signed bookplate and tattoo. Every qualifying entrant (see prize rules) will receive a #WaterfellProm ticket for another chance to win an iPad Mini.
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Thursday, October 17, 2013

Book Blitz: Going Thru Hell by T.J. Loveless + Giveaway!



Going Thru Hell

T.J. Loveless

New Adult Mythology Fantasy

Available at  Amazon  B & N  Smashwords



Synopsis:

KYLIE RIPPONS is a SpongeBob pajama bottom wearing, Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 driving, USDA certified klutz, coffee-addicted mortal, seeking a normal life despite the constant harassment of gods and the ability to braid time.

Kylie sees actions and consequences as bright, shining timelines in her head. Born with the power to gather the strings and braid them into a new chain of events, she is the weapon of choice for many pantheons in their never ending wars. But using the ability requires fuel, and for a mortal, it means a piece of her soul.

One Mesopotamian goddess, the only forsaken Valkyrie, and a rogue, immortal, Berserker ally with Kylie. Constant harassment forces the group to take drastic action, and go on the offensive. She must braid time to save friends, and herself, as the gods drive them into situations in which she must choose: braid time, save her friends, and lose pieces of her mortal soul, or become slave to the pantheon of her choice.

Deception by an old friend sends Kylie fleeing to her parents’ home, where she hid her son, Riot. She’s too late, the gods found Riot and hold him hostage. Searching for him, Kylie experiences the most devastating betrayal of all.

Kylie faces her worst nightmare: kill a friend and permanently hide Riot, leaving him motherless, or become a slave in exchange for his safety, leaving her soulless and insane.

If only the gods allowed for personal choice.

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Excerpt:

            The headache started, pounding to the rhythm of my heartbeat. I silently begged to faint, but the power demands payment. There is no credit card or forgiveness for changing the strings of time. It doesn't care I only braided a mere twenty minutes. The ledger must always remain in the black.
“Hey, good looking,” a masculine voice called.
                Bloody hell. I glanced around, hoping someone else pulled up and captured the guy's attention. No such luck. The truck and Ferrari remained the only two cars at the pumps. I cursed silently while ignoring him. The earthy smell surrounded me, filled with green things, sun and a summer's breeze. 
                “Do you ignore everyone?”
                I jumped. I turned to find a tall, muscular, handsome male. Long brown hair streaked with various shades of silver, and a well-trimmed gray beard carted streaks of brunette, giving the impression of a mature man. He wore a black, faded AC/DC t-shirt, shabby blue jeans and black boots. His ice blue eyes caught my attention and held it.
The last one disappeared, leaving Aki to stand in the middle, turning slowly, the image of a grizzly bear superimposed over his form. He fell forward, hands out to catch himself. Blood splashed upwards in a graceful and grotesque arc, covering his upper body and face. He sat on his feet, sword laid carefully over his thighs, chin resting on the massive chest.
“Do not mock me,” his voice low and tight.
“Mocking you? Me? Nooo. I genuinely disdain you and all you stand for.” The threads vibrated, the need to braid becoming almost impossible to resist. The secondary ability rushed to the surface of my skin.
Come on, you big bastard, touch me, I thought.
                “Do not doubt that I will hurt you for such disrespect!” Spittle landed on my cheek.
                “Can't disrespect what I never respected in the first place. Thought you guys were supposed to have a superior intellect.” My palms began to melt the plastic ties. 
Come on, come on, before I lose control.
                His hand wrapped around my throat and squeezed. My wrists popped apart and I grabbed his forearm, the power sliding over him as the heat from my palms burned his skin. He jerked, but it was too late.
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Interview with Author T.J. Loveless

Tell us a little bit about Going Thru Hell.
 
Going Thru Hell explores parenthood, and the family we create. What would we do? Would we kill? Die? Lip service is one thing, having to actually make the decisions another. I constantly heard, while writing the book and sending pieces to beta readers, “I’d die in an instant for my child.” So would I. But you can bet your sweet bippy I’ll try to find a way for everyone to survive first, I want to watch my kids grow up, explore their world, I want to be there for their triumphs and failures. If the only way for them to survive was my death, take me now. And that is the constant question the MC, Kylie, asks herself.
 
Where did you get the idea for Going Thru Hell?
 
As with a lot of the books over the past two years, the spark for the idea came from Wild Horse Loop outside of Rock Springs, WY. We’d head up there, and watch the bands of mustangs for hours. One incident involved an older stallion and a lead mare with her new foal. The band’s stallion died a few days earlier, and the new one was sniffing around. A stallion sometimes kills the very young foals, and the lead mare fought the stallion. She was bleeding, limping, breathing heavy, but not once did she allow that stallion near her foal. Three days later, they found the stallion dead from the wounds, and a new, younger stallion in charge of the band. The foal survived. The lead mare never stopped limping.
 
What type of research did you have to do for GTH? 
 
Tons of research! Oh my gosh! I had to call a cousin in Hawaii, he’s an astrophysicist, to learn more about the fourth dimension, and if it was feasible. I also contacted an old professor to talk genetics, and then spent months looking for a dragon goddess, and the real mythology of several forgotten gods. My Google history would have likely landed me in the looney bin LOL
 
What genre is GTH?
 
Adult Contemporary Fantasy. It was really the only way it would work.
Why did you choose that genre?
I write mostly in the Spec Fic genre, although I have a dark Contemporary Fiction I’m working on. I love playing with mythology, using the old stories, not what is taught today. It’s fun to come up with a new twist to old ideas.
 
What actors would play the characters in your novel?

Oh! This one is easy! Kylie played by Genevieve Padalecki, Aki played by Anson Mount (so yummy!), Alicia Coppola is definitely Anahita, and I always see Brunhilde played by Emma Stone.  

If Going Thru Hell had a theme song, what would it be?

My friend, Joey Francisco, handed over the Kylie’s song: Immortal by Eve and Adam. It is the perfect fit, and of course, now I have every album LOL.

How long did it take your to write your novel?

When Kylie took over my imagination, it didn’t take long to get the rough draft out – approximately two weeks to write 66k words. I already knew the story, it was just a matter of typing it.

What is your favorite type of scene to write?
 
Definitely the action scenes. I used to be a Correctional Officer at a Men’s Maximum Security Unit, and it’s easy to write violence when you had to live through it.

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

Margaret Mitchell. I’ve gone through seven paperback, and one hardback, copies of Gone With The Wind, three VCR tapes (now I’m just dating myself), and two DVDs. She wrote Scarlett, and the entire cast, with such realism. They were flawed, making bad decisions, trusting at the wrong times, trying to survive a horrific moment in American history. She didn’t flinch showing they were human, with all the foibles and strengths inherent in all of us.

When did you decide to become a writer?
 
I’ve been dabbling for years. But early in 2012 we moved to Wyoming, and the opportunity presented itself to really dig into learning to write properly. I took that opportunity and ran with it.

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About the Author:

 

T.J. Loveless has been reading and writing stories since the fourth grade. She writes predominantly in the Spec Fic genres. A former copy/content editor at a small pub house, she now freelances at Cliffhanger Editing.

She lives with The Writing Zoo, a Hubby who prefers her mood when writing, and a teenager who loves to tells stories of her mother on the floor trying to visualize "legs all akimbo" and how Writing Momma has long, often yelling, conversations with the computer screen.
 
 
 
Giveaway!!
 


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