Saturday, January 10, 2015

The Eleventh Commandment by Richard Van White, Jr.



Eleventh Commandment copy

The Eleventh Commandment

Richard Van White Jr.

Science Fiction
January 6, 2015
376 Pages
Stand-alone novel
       
Synopsis

  The Eleventh Commandment: “Prevail together or surely perish together.” —Prophet Naraji Ilkani, 4082 A.D.

The mighty Ambros clan have reined over the Imperium for many centuries, having first seized power following a series of brutal intergalactic wars known as “The Wasting” that ravaged the universe for hundreds of years, destroying entire star systems, sterilizing planets, and decimating populations with natural and engineered plagues. Only through absolute control and their strict adherence to The Eleventh Commandment have the Ambros been able to bring about centuries of inter-planetary peace and economic prosperity. But at what cost? Rigid conformity and homogeniz ation?

Now, after many years of study at the Academy on Tempel where he’s been carefully groomed as the next leader of the Imperium, Pfizer Ambros is returning to Earth to join his family in inaugurating the Omnividome, a multi-galactic instalink connecting every being in the Imperium. His mother, Emperor-Executrix Anastacia Ambros, intends the Omnividome to usher in a golden age of planetary autonomy and unprecedented inter-galactic collaboration. But many fear that a new era of autonomy and self-determination will bring back contentiousness, greed, war and worse—a second Wasting. There are dark forces that want to see this happen, forces that seek to destroy the Ambros and everything they have built.

Pfizer and his family are about to discover that even for the most powerful clan in the universe, a single day can change everything.

   


RichardVanWhiteJr

About the Author

R.V. White has long been fascinated by space travel and the infinite mysteries of the universe. His love affair with science fiction began while watching Star Trek on a black and white television in 1969, the same year that man landed on the moon. He soon developed a voracious appetite for all things sci-fi—from classics by Robert A. Heinlein and Frank Herbert to Doctor Who, Space 1999, and the Star Wars Trilogy. This is R.V. White’s first science fiction novel. He resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but also spends considerable time in Maryland with extended family.

Connect with R.V.
Website | Facebook

A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to Girl Power 2 Cure, Inc., an organization dedicated to finding a cure for Rett Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects girls almost exclusively. The author knows a special young lady living with Rett Syndrome and wants to help her find a cure soon. To learn more about the inspiring work of Girl Power 2 Cure, visit the author’s website at: http://www.GirlPower2Cure.org

Friday, January 9, 2015

Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Love Life by Jo Noelle - Excerpt & Giveaway

Lexis


Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Love Life

Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Love Life

Jo Noelle

Lexi Middleton has been socially invisible to her classmates, but starting her junior year, that’s going to change. First, she’s determined to hook a boyfriend, ensuring dates with flowers and possible kisses on the doorstep. Second, she wants to be a writer for the school paper, even though it freaks her out to think of everyone judging her by her punctuation and metaphors. High school is difficult enough—keeping up her grades, dealing with increasing sibling rivalry, and trying to stay out of the way of her personal nemesis, Amberlee—but when Lexi catches the eye of her long-time crush, she also becomes the focus of mean-girl tactics. Caught between who she was and who she wants to be, Lexi must decide how to confront a bully, and choose who to let into her heart.

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Excerpt

“Michaels, Middleton, table five.”
            Yes! Alphabetical order—genius. Because of the alphabet fetish teachers seem to have, if Brendon is in my class, there’s a good chance I’ll sit in front of, beside, or behind him.
            “Didn’t we have science together last year, and the year before?” Brendon asks, falling in behind me.
            Right behind me. I feel a slight flush on my neck and cheeks, which I hope isn’t turning red. We cross the room toward our assigned lab seats. “Yes, I think you must be following me.” Ugh, I sound formal. Relax. I drop into my seat and place my books on the table in front of me as Brendon sits down.
            “There are worse things to do.” The dimple in his left cheek deepens as he smiles, then he winks at me.
            Excitement lurches through my heart until I reminded myself, of course he winked—he’s good at being a high school celebrity. I’m not going to get my hopes up. I’ve got nothing to say, especially while my voice box is melting down my throat and my mind slams into neutral. It’s who he is, and it works for him. Often. I blush anyway and reach out to square up the corners of my books while we wait for our teacher to finish lab partner assignments.
            Science labs are the reward for taking extra science credits. And given this class is advanced chemistry, there’s an added element of curiosity and danger. I’m not excited yet. In a few days we’ll break out the equipment and the fun will start, but this is the first day our class has come into the lab, and our teacher, Mr. Williams, doesn’t disappoint—or does, depending on how you look at it. He takes the full seventy minutes droning out thou-shalt-nots for using the equipment and materials in the lab.
            The clock is moving toward the last gasp of his lecture when Brendon turns his notebook my way: Did he forget to tell us not to taste the chemicals this year?
            A small spark of excitement for breaking note-passing rules makes me smile as I pull his notebook toward me to answer: Yes. And don’t sniff, snuff, huff, or inhale them, either.
            Just as Brendon reads my reply, Mr. Williams intones, “Don’t sniff, touch, or taste chemicals.”
We both cover a snicker. Brendon writes, Our world is safe once more.
            From the back of the room, James yells, “If we bring our own chemicals, can we sniff those?”
            “Shut up, James,” Mr. Williams says without emotion.
            “It’s good to be back, Mr. Williams.”
            When the bell rings, Amberlee Williams materializes between Brendon and me. Her table assignment is two rows behind ours on the other side of the room. She must have hurdled a couple of tables to reach us before we could even stand. My body recoils swiftly from her.
            “I’m having a little back-to-school celebration at my house this weekend. Can you make it?” Her head tips to the right, and golden waves shimmer over her shoulders. Her smile broadens as her eyes sparkle.
            Brendon looks at me. I look at him. He seems as surprised as I am at her appearance. My surprise quickly become annoyance when Amberlee slides into the space between our chairs and turns her back so I’m blocked from Brendon’s view—and from intruding on her invitation.
            I rise from my seat. My brain warns me that Amberlee has her sights on Brendon this year.
            “Sure. Sounds fun,” Brendon answers as I join the flow of the masses moving through the halls. With a pang, I realize he’s all in for her party. Yeah, this is not over.


Jo NoelleAuthor Jo Noelle Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also spent time in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking especially for desserts, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains. Oh, and by the way, she’s two people— Canda Mortensen and Deanna Henderson, a mother/daughter writing team. They began writing separately several years ago but found the process much more fun when they started collaborating. They are debut authors, with Lexi’s Pathetic Fictional Love Life as their first completed work. Other titles include Newbie and Damnation. Deanna attended college before marrying and starting her family. Canda received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Reading Specialist endorsement, and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Her day job focuses on teaching teachers and children about literacy.



25_Amazon_Paypal

  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/29/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Book Review: Ghost of a Promise by Kelly Moran


Ghost of a Promise
A Phantom Novel

Kelly Moran

Paranormal Romance
Expected Release: January 26, 2015
Entangled Covet

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A paranormal category romance from Entangled's Covet imprint...

It might be love…but will they survive the night?

The ghosts of her family's estate on the coast of Maine never troubled Ava Trumble. When she finally inherits the historic mansion, however, there's a small string attached: Ava has exactly one year to solve a 200-year-old mystery of a missing girl, or lose her family's home...

The lead investigator for paranormal TV show Phantoms, Jackson Granger, is prepared for any metaphysical encounter—until now. It's not just the uncanny sense of "coming home" or even his reaction to the fiery redhead who seems to consume his every waking thought. No, it's that the ghosts are using Jackson and Ava's attraction to play out a centuries-old tragedy. Heartbreak. Loss. Overwhelming passion. Now Jackson and Ava must determine if they're sharing something real...or if they've been possessed by a love that never died.

My Review: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Ghost of a Promise is a fast-paced, exciting story featuring mystery, suspense, romance, and lots of ghostly goodness. If you are a fan of ghost shows on TV, then you'll love this look behind the scenes of Phantoms, the fictional show investigating the haunting in this novel.

What do you need for a good haunting? A tragic love story, two lost souls wandering the earth pining for one another is a great start. Ava has one year to solve a 200-year-old town mystery, or she loses the mansion she inherited from her great aunt. The house is and always has been an obsession for Ava, and she will do anything to keep it, including bringing in paranormal ghost hunters. Ava is determined, fiery, yet vulnerable-- just about everything I really like in a heroine. She accepts the ghosts and wants to help them more than she fears them.

Romantic interest Jackson is all kinds of hot: intelligent, open-minded, sexy, and wounded. Oh, and he has a British accent *sigh*. The chemistry between Jackson and Ava practically scorches the pages (good thing I was using a Kindle). The mystery was tragic but had a happy ending which I appreciated. I loved the entire investigation, it was all well researched and interesting.

I really liked the whole Phantoms team and would love to read more about each character. The focus of this novel was mainly Jackson and Ava. More ghost investigations highlighting some of the other Phantoms members would be great. If Ms, Moran writes more Phantoms novels, I'll definitely pick them up. I'm adding this one to my favorites list due to the great combination of romance, mystery, humor, and the paranormal.

Cover Reveal: Between Now and Never by Laura Johnston - Excerpt & Giveaway


Today we get to reveal Author Laura Johnston's newest book BETWEEN NOW AND NEVER!

Laura is an amazing author, so let's get to know her first:




Laura Johnston lives in Utah with her husband and two children. Growing up with five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed an active imagination and always loved a good story. She fell in love with the young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, traveling, writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids. REWIND TO YOU is her debut novel.

You may be curious about what this fabulous book could be about, well here is the back cover blurb:

A convict’s daughter should never fall for an FBI agent’s son, certainly not a teenager like Julianna Schultz who is furious over her mother’s incarceration and the injustice of it all. But that’s exactly what seventeen-year-old Julianna finds herself doing when Cody Rush, the cocky son of the FBI agent who put her mom behind bars, moves into her hometown of Gilbert, Arizona.

Cody Rush—studious, principled, athletic, good looking and blond to boot—is everything Julianna hates, or so she thinks. Yet a series of ill-fated events one night brings them dangerously close, entangling the futures of two people who were never meant to be.

And now for the Flirty Book Cover!!




Pre-Order your copy at one of these sites:



Excerpt

“Listen”—I cut him off before his flirtatious ways turn me into a puddle of mush at his feet—“for the record, that whole photo booth . . . incident . . . didn’t mean anything, okay?”
He sits up, leaning forward to pull a wallet from his back pocket. He fishes something out and slaps it down on the coffee table.
“Oh, yeah?” he challenges. “What about that?”
I glance down at the pictures—the photo-booth pictures. His index finger taps the third picture, the one of him practically kissing my neck. The nerve! I feel a wave of heat rising up my neck and into my cheeks. Wait, he keeps this in his wallet?
“Pulling out that dimple-loaded smile of yours and doing . . .” I fish for a term to describe what he’s doing in that picture. Smelling my hair? Kissing my ear? It’s too intimate, too personal to articulate. “. . . doing . . . that. . . might win over every other girl who comes your way, but it doesn’t work for me.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asks again and leans in dangerously close, his tone doubtful. His gaze drops from my eyes to my lips. “What does do it for you, Julianna?”
The sound of my name on his lips sinks right to my core, rich and tempting. Like chocolate.
“You would like to know, wouldn’t you?” I ask, loading as much spite into that challenge as possible.
One side of his lips kicks up, like he’s thoroughly enjoying this.


Don't forget to show support for the author by commenting below and checking out the other wonderful blogs joining the reveal!!!


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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Cover Reveal: Garden by Jane Yates


Welcome to the cover reveal for Garden by Jane Yates! Garden is a middle grade steampunk that releases in February 2015 by Autumn Orchard.




About the Book:

Inspired by the classic novel The Secret Garden, Jane Yates introduces us to a steampunk world of bio-domes, robots and mysteries. Eleven-year-old Aberdeen is so used to being by herself that all she has to fill her thoughts are stories of mighty dragons and grand castles. Aberdeen’s world is soon thrown into disarray however; her parents murdered.

Having no choice, Aberdeen is sent to live with her uncle back on Earth where her fascination into her new surroundings begin to take hold. Untrusting of new people at first, it isn’t long before Aberdeen comes across 3 other children, and taking a risk, befriends them as she tries to adjust to her new home. And yet, along with Maisy, Peter and Lenard, Aberdeen comes across a riddle – a set of clues to reveal the hiding place of a lost manuscript. A manuscript that forces more questions than answers.

Oh, and there’s Frank too, Peter’s robot dog, who completes this special circle of friendship.


Garden is a journey of self-discovery, of trials and friendship. With adventure boundless, Jane Yates follows up her acclaimed Paradox Child trilogy with a new tale for young fans of steampunk and science fiction.



Book Trailer:




About the Author:

Jane lives in the historic city of Oxford, England with her two spaniels. She works at the Pitt Rivers
museum there too and is amazed and inspired by its wondrous array of objects. Being a museum of anthropology and world archaeology, Jane often finds herself influenced by its exhibitions. And indeed it has helped Jane write a trilogy for children – the Paradox Child series.

Jane is not only a mother, artist and storyteller, but dyslexic too, which only highlights her success even more. Jane refuses to allow the disorder to halt her dreams and continues to enjoy her favourite hobbies. Jane is a lover of steampunk, adventure and children’s stories, which often play a huge role in her own books.
Facebook | Twitter (JYparadoxchild) | Goodreads




This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Family Heir by Sara M. Drake - Review

Family Heir
A Bigfoot Novel

Sara M. Drake

Urban Fantasy
May 30, 2014

Goodreads | Amazon |B&N


Kelley longed for a normal life – to go to college, to have normal friends, and to work a nice desk job. When an unknown predator starts a killing spree, she finds herself drug back into a world that includes vampires, werewolves, and her ex-husband. Kelley agrees to lead the small team to find the murderer – which consists of one uncommunicative ex-hubbie and an inexperienced federal agent. Only shots in the night prove that Kelley has become a target and her training as a Hunter does nothing to prepare her for being hunted.
My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Family Heir is an urban fantasy that really wasn't anything like what I was expecting. It's less about hunting and more about supernatural politics, relationships, and discoveries. That said, once I shifted my mindset, I enjoyed the characters and the story.

There were so many things I liked about main character Kelley but some things I really disliked as well. She was young, college age, rebelling against the role her family was trying to force upon her. There were times when she seemed so deep and knowledgeable and others she seemed idiotic. By the end of the novel, she had resolved the main issue that bugged me, so I guess I can let it go.

Ex-husband Troy was an intriguing character. When he was first introduced, I didn't know what to think of him-- he was so odd. As the novel progressed and we learned his back story, I grew to really like him. Agent Brent is sweet, nice, and somewhat bland. What I liked the most about him was his loyalty and his open mind.

As you can tell from the title, this book is about Bigfoot (Bigfoots or Bigfeet). Learning about their society was interesting, if not strange. Ms. Drake has quite the imagination! I really liked the first half of the book-- it was fast-paced and full of action. Around the midpoint, everything changed and slowed down-- becoming more spiritual and politically based. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the story and would definitely pick up another book about these characters.

About the Author
Sara developed her book addiction as a young child. Her concerned parents attempted an intervention and cut off her supply. These desperate times called for desperate measures forcing her to write her own stories. Since a human being cannot live on books alone, she has worked as a stage hand, care giver, active duty Air Force, college instructor, mental health counselor, and civil servant on the theory that more pay equals more books. Outside of that, she spends time developing a reputation as a crazy cat lady and irritating introvert.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Cover Reveal: Granted Wishes by Tanya Vought

final ebook cover granted wishes

Granted Wishes

Tanya Vought

Publisher: Booktrope
Expected Release: February 17, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance

A decision that will change her life forever.
After the loss of her husband, Gracelynn Calhoun has struggled with her life and career. Forced to take a four week vacation or be fired from her job, she surprises everyone including herself and agrees to the vacation. The owner of Antonetti Suites, Giovanni works hard and doesn’t have time for relationships or love. That is until he literally crashes into Gracelynn. She brings back all the feelings he thought he would never feel again. With the odds stacked against them in every way possible, will they forge ahead together or will this be the end of the road for their newfound love? Will the whispers from above bring them together or will misunderstandings ruin what could be an amazing second chance at love?




tanya voughtAbout the Author

Tanya Vought is a hopeless romantic who thrives on Dr Pepper. She loves to sing… whether it’s a song off the radio or one she makes up with her kids. Tanya can almost always been seen with a book in hand or reading on her phone. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two imaginative children.

 

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Cover Reveal - The Fire Mages by Pauline M. Ross



The Fire Mages

Pauline M. Ross

Epic Fantasy Adventure/Romance
January 9, 2015


Kyra has always been drawn to the magic of spellpages. She is determined to leave her small village far behind and become a scribe, wielding the power of magic through her pen. Halfway through her training, she has a mage as patron and her ambitions are within her grasp. But a simple favour for her sister goes disastrously awry, destroying Kyra's dreams in an instant.

Devastated, she accepts an offer from a stranger to help her find out what went wrong. The young man sees growing power within Kyra, potentially stronger than spellpages or any living mage. The answers to unlocking that power may lie within the glowing walls of the Imperial City, but its magic is strong and the unwary vanish without trace on its streets. Thirsty for knowledge and desperate to avoid another accident, she feels compelled to risk it.

While she focuses on controlling her abilities, a storm of greed and ambition boils up around her. Kyra is a pawn in the struggle for dominance between unscrupulous factions vying for rule of her country. Trusting the wrong side could get her killed--or worse, the potent magic she barely understands could be put to unthinkable evil.


About the Author

Pauline lives in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland with her husband, her grown up daughter and a mad cat. She likes chocolate, whisky, her Kindle, massed pipe bands, long leisurely lunches, watching TV with her daughter, chocolate, going places in her campervan, eating pizza in Italy, summer nights that never get dark, wood fires in winter, chocolate, the view from the study window looking out over the Moray Firth and the Black Isle to the mountains beyond. And chocolate. She dislikes driving on motorways, cooking, shopping, hospitals. ‘The Fire Mages’ is her second published work. ‘The Plains of Kallanash’ was published in September 2014.

Links