Friday, July 24, 2015

Meet the Characters from Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince by Dan Wright


I am so excited to welcome Dan Wright, author of Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince, to the blog today. He has put together an amazing Meet the Characters post to share!

The Cast of Amanda Moonstone

Here are the profiles of the main characters in Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince. Each of these characters will have a part to play in the story in one way or another.


Amanda Moonstone

From a young age, Amanda always had something of an interest in magic – collecting dragon gems over the years to learn their secrets. After studying alchemy and potion making, she tried to set up her own potion business. After meeting Wilfred (who would become her boyfriend), the two moved into Ashfield together and Amanda set up her business with Wilfred’s help. It looked like the two would be happy – until a terrible tragedy befell them. Believing magic would help them, Amanda tried a dangerous spell to undo it. But this caused an incident in the village and Amanda became an outcast. Wilfred eventually left her and her life fell apart.

Now with her business down the drain and Amanda facing eviction, she learns of a missing Prince – his return offering a high cash reward that will help Amanda out of her financial problems. But finding him may also be the key to undoing her biggest mistake...



Daryl Gryphenpyre

Born the son of Queen Sheena, Daryl was loved by his mother and fiercely protected. However his uncle Kimera betrayed his mother and had her ambushed during a ride back from Brittana. Daryl survived and was adopted by two people from a nearby village and raised them as their own son. Six years later, Kimera and his army come to the village to capture Daryl. Daryl escapes but his village is burned.


Wandering the forest, Daryl stumbles across Amanda, who has recently learned about a reward for his return. Deciding to hand him over and claim the reward for herself, she takes Daryl under her protection. Daryl has no idea of Amanda's true motives – but comes to see her as a friend. And he may just be Amanda’s last chance of redemption.



Wolvie
A moon wolf (who are a supposedly extinct breed of wolf that can be healed by the moon) that Amanda and Daryl befriend in the Forest of Celt. Becomes a very close friend to the two – and may eventually end up being closer to them than either Daryl or Amanda think.

Moon wolves are said to be connected to the moon and can heal damage whilst in moonlight. Stories say that they are formerly humans who have lost their way – but can return when they remember who they were before.









Wilfred Adamtine

Son of Lord Adamtine, Wilfred's father discovered the Adamtine Mines near Cantasham – which in turn brought a lot of great riches to Cantasham and his family. Though Wilfred had his every need catered for, he decided to work in the mines, choosing hard labour over entitlement. He and his fellow miners would often drink in the local tavern where Amanda worked. Eventually, the two became lovers. Learning she wanted to start up her own business, Wilfred used some of his wealth to help Amanda start up her own potion business, moving into the town of Ashfield so that they could have some peace and quiet.


Later, an incident happened that tore him and Amanda apart and she turned to magic for help. This put their marriage at odds and eventually Wilfred left. Amanda blamed herself for the breakup of their relationship and she never saw him again. But maybe he is still there in spirit…




King Kimera Gryphenpyre

The tyrannical King of Celtland – Kimera was formerly a soldier in the Celtland army. However, he was passed over for kingship in favour of his sister, Sheena. Kimera was deeply resentful and hated his sister for being Queen. He plotted a coup where he murdered his sister and (supposedly) her son, making him the one true King.

Kimera has ruled Celtland with an iron fist, indulging in his own desires and treating his people with contempt. However, on learning that his nephew was still alive, he sets up a fake reward after his attempt to capture Daryl fails.

Cruel, heartless and completely lacking in empathy, Kimera will stop at nothing to protect his crown. Even murdering his own nephew.






Captain Luthar

A war hero that once defended a village single-handed, Luthar was awarded the honour of becoming one of the Royal Guard in recognition of his bravery. He became the protector of Queen Sheena – and eventually her lover. However, King Kimera attacked the Queen during a trek back from Brittana and Luthar could only watch in horror as Sheena and baby Daryl were forced off the side of the cliff.

Not wanting to lose a soldier like Luthar – Kimera blackmailed him to working for him, otherwise he would murder his mother. Since then, Luthar has worked for Kimera against his well.

Torn between duty and his hatred for Kimera, Luthar prays for the day that he can avenge Sheena's death and give Kimera what he deserves. But how many more innocents have to suffer before then?





The Man in Black

Who is the mysterious Man in Black? What are his plans for Amanda? He is even human? Or even part of this world? Is he a friend or an enemy? No one knows…
















For more about the world of Amanda Moonstone, please visit: http://moonstonefalls.weebly.com/
  
Many thanks for having me on your blog!


 All I can say is wow! This looks like a great story with an amazing cast of characters. I especially like Wolvie :) 



Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince

Dan Wright

YA Fantasy
February 23, 2015


“No one is past redemption”

Threatened with eviction, Amanda Moonstone stumbles across a lost Prince, of which there is a reward for his safe return. Little does Amanda know is that this “reward” is actually a wicked plan created by the tyrannical King Kimera to keep his claim on the Royal Throne intact. However, finding the Prince may just be the key to undoing the one mistake that has haunted Amanda for over a year. Because being a sorceress comes with a terrible price... 

From the shadows, a mysterious man in black watches every step Amanda takes. But what is his purpose? And what part does the insidious Blood gem (her most guarded of gems) have to play in Amanda's future?



About the Author

Dan lives Canterbury, Kent, UK. He picked up a love of Fantasy stories after reading The Lord of the Rings, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and numerous Roald Dahl novels. He is best known for his Draconica series, a Fantasy/Manga series that has been praised for its Anime style action, humour and illustrations. He has also had a short comic strip called Queller, which was published in an anthology for the comic Lighting Strike Presents . . . and has also been a judge for a book competition at his local school.


Dan also runs various websites dedicated to the world of Draconica, a blog and he occasionally reviews books. His other hobby is playing guitar in a band called Rage of Silence. He likes all kinds of music—but he mainly listens to rock and metal, rap, some pop music and also film and video game scores. He also loves Disney and Pixar movies—often finding himself singing along to the tunes, or crying manly tears!

He is also a slave to his cat, who takes up a lot of his time when he isn’t at work or writing!

Links

                  https://www.facebook.com/AmandaMoonstoneSeries
Twitter: @PandaDanWright

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Review: Madison's Song by Christine Amsden




Madison's Song

Christine Amsden

Paranormal Romance

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads


Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black...

Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison's nightmares are not.

Despite her fears, when Madison's brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton's home only to discover that he's vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she's not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott's are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.

*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series

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

Madison's Song is a standalone companion to the Cassie Scot series, yet I don't think you need to read them first to enjoy this novel. But you'll be missing out if you don't-- they are quite good.

Madison was a character I definitely wanted to know more about while reading the Cassie Scot series. Her magical talent, singing, was one I found especially intriguing. Madison typically came across as meek and soft, but when it really counted, she found her backbone. The romance, or rather lack thereof, between Scott and Madison was tragic. They were both attracted to each other for years but always afraid to connect. He was afraid his wolf would hurt her, and she was afraid of his wolf.

Evil sorcerer Alexander DuPris made an appearance in the story via proxy with an insidious plot involving werewolves. While I enjoyed the story and the interactions between Scott and Madison, I felt that the pacing was a tad too slow for my taste at times, especially at the beginning. The best part- Madison finally embracing the magic within her.

If you like paranormal romance, then this series is really a must read.

The Cassie Scot Series

Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective (Cassie Scot #1)
Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot #2)
Mind Games (Cassie Scot #3)
Stolen Dreams (Cassie Scot #4)


About the Author

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams. In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work. Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Social Media Links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Google+

Tour-Wide Giveaway

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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Meet the Characters - To Be Honest by TC Booth - Excerpt & Playlist

I'm very excited to welcome my fellow Clean Reads author, TC Booth, to the blog. Her new YA contemporary romance, To Be Honest, was released yesterday. It's a great story with wonderful characters. I absolutely adored Starla and Chase :)

Meet the Characters
Starla Emerson

Starla lacks self-confidence due to a deformity in her hand. Teens in general fear embarrassment in front of their peers, so the physical difference compounds this fear for Starla. She suffers from anxiety at a level that exceeds the norm and has had to learn ways to cope. The list below is what I learned through Star's character.

1. Tapping is a technique to lower anxiety. This method operates much like Chinese acupuncture without the needles. You use your fingers to locate tapping points on your body that trigger emotional balance along with focusing on words to bring you back in balance. I found it interesting and much more involved than my brief little snip of information here. Starla uses this technique in the story when her anxiety rises.

2. Photography is another outlet for Star that she enjoys. I learned about different types of lenses used in photography. The coolest thing I found out was that night vision lenses use infared light not visible to the naked eye in order to illuminate an area.

3. Starla loves to quote classic literature and apply it to her life. I added some classic literature titles to my 'want to read' list as a result of the quotes. I admit to never having read "Little Women". After reading some quotes from this classic, my interest is piqued.

4. Internet bullying is a means to target a victim in today's technology world. I've posted on this topic while writing the book. The information I learned was too valuable not to share. You can read my posts on this topic by clicking the titles: Big Hair and Bullies  & Her Hair is Full of Secrets

5. I learned to let Starla lead the story. Of course I started this story with an outline of where I wanted it to go. As Starla's character developed and she experienced things in the story, I allowed her to take over and lead. She turned into a much stronger girl than the one from the beginning of the story. I hope you enjoy her journey! 

To Be Honest

TC Booth

YA Contemporary Romance
Clean Reads
July 21, 2015


A freak accident left Starla Emerson with a deformed hand, low self-esteem, and a need to fade into the background. However, she finds it impossible to be invisible at her new high school where she is pushed front and center by a behind the scenes internet bully.

She joins forces with newfound friends to launch a counter attack in order to expose the cyber bully, aka grizzlygirl2015. Part of the plan involves a boy named Chase McFall. Star feels more for this golden eyed boy than she should as the plan progresses. The plan backfires and lands Star in a mountain of trouble.

Will she have the courage to be honest about her part in the plan and her true feelings for Chase? Or will she be left heartbroken?  Once the truth is out…there’s no turning back.

Excerpt

Still fueled from the anger coursing in my veins, I marched up to Maggie. “May I borrow your blue lipstick?”
Maggie creased her eyebrows. “Okay.” She reached in her purse and handed me a black tube. I twisted it until a blue waxy tip appeared. I smeared a thick coat of blue over my lips and puckered. I looked at Rayne. “You challenged me to do this, okay?”
Rayne glanced at Maggie. She shrugged. Jake arched an eyebrow.
“Ooo-kay,” Rayne said.
I spun on my heel. My heart thudded loud in my ears as I marched toward the group of skateboarders and BMX guys that stood in a circle. I scanned over the faces of the circle until I found my target. After I sucked in a breath, I pushed my way past the curious faces of the boys, until I was face to face with Chase. The group fell silent. Chase tilted his head and quirked his eyebrow. I took another deep breath then placed my hands on Chase’s broad shoulders, rose on my tiptoes, and placed a blue kiss on his cheek. The boys erupted with laughter and whistles.
“Tell your girlfriend where that came from.” I tapped the blue mark left on his cheek. The shock on his face left, replaced with a half-twisted smile. That infuriating grin of his was back. I shouldered my way through the boys. Heads turned, tracking my movements. My friends gawked at me like I’d grown three heads. I slipped onto the seat at the table so my back was to Chase.
“Whoa, Emerson. You just rocked the challenge above all challenges, even though you didn’t really get challenged,” Rayne said. “That didn’t make any sense, did it?” He lifted one dark eyebrow.
Jake shook his head, still wide-eyed. “Not at all.”


Playlist

"Steal My Girl" by One Direction
"Don’t Stop Believin’" by Journey
"Heroes" by Alesso and Tove Lo
"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten

About the Author

TC Booth was born and raised in a small town in Northeast Ohio where she currently teaches. She lives with her husband and four children ranging in ages from 13-23. Her pets include one dog named Sammy, and two cats- Sheldon and Sasha.

TC Booth views books as the best form of entertainment and her escape for life’s stresses. She prefers reading a book over watching a movie, and writing over almost any other way to spend her time.

When not attending her children’s sporting events and running them around, you’ll see her writing on her laptop, iPad, and even jotting ideas down on her phone apps.

She enjoys the escape from the adult universe into the adolescent world. The passion in which young people experience life is contagious and the driving force of her writing.



Author Social Media Links:

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Review: Descendants of the Rose by Juliette Harper - Giveaway

Descendants-of-the-Rose-Blog-Tour

Welcome to my tour stop for Descendants of the Rose by Juliette Harper! This fun, fast-paced paranormal is the first book in the Selby Jensen Paranormal Mysteries series and the tour runs July 20-31. Check out the tour page for more information.

Descendant of the Rose
Selby Jensen’s business card reads “Private Investigator,” but to say the least, that downplays her real occupation. Let’s hear it in her own words:

“You want to know what I do for a living? I rip souls out. Cut heads off. Put silver bullets where silver bullets need putting. You think there aren't any monsters? . . . I have some disturbing news for you. You might want to sit down. Monsters walk among us. I'm looking for one in particular. In the meantime? I'm keeping the rest of them from eating people like you.”

In this debut novel of her new paranormal mystery series, Juliette Harper, author of The Lockwood Legacy books and The Study Club Mysteries creates a cast of characters, most of whom have one thing in common; they don’t have a pulse. The dead are doing just fine by Selby, who is determined never to lose someone she loves again, but then a force of love more powerful than her grief changes that plan.

Join Selby Jensen as she and her team track down a shadowy figure tied to a murder at a girls’ school. What none of them realize, however, is that in solving this case, they will enter a longer battle against a larger evil.

Goodreads | Amazon

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

I really enjoyed this fun, fast-paced paranormal mystery. It's funny- when I first started reading Descendants of the Rose, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Selby. Since the story is told from her point of view, in her voice, that would be a big issue. She started out rough and gritty, but she really grew on me quickly.

The cast of characters were rather quirky making this a fun story even when the subject matter became serious. And it did become rather serious, especially toward the end. Though macabre, I did like the plot, especially the link to the roses and the history of the girls' school.

Selby was tough, yet soft. Yeah, I know, hard to explain. She was sarcastic, yet kind, angry, yet forgiving-- at times she was a study in conflicting emotions. She'd been hurt one too many times and preferred keeping company with the dead. In this paranormal world, ghosts have lots of power. In some ways it almost seemed better to be a ghost than living. Her best friend Helen seemed to be having the time of her life afterlife.

I appreciated the fast pace. In fact there never was much of a lull in the entire story. Lots of action along with research and investigation-- all of it interesting. I'd have to say the best thing about this novel was the characters and the potential for more. They were all quite intriguing. It will be interesting to see how they grow and work together as the series continues. I'll definitely be watching for book 2.


About the Author:

Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. Descendants of the Rose is the first installment of Harper’s debut Selby Jensen Paranormal Mystery series. Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan, worked as a journalist and university history instructor before becoming a full-time freelance writer in 2002. Juliette Harper is also the author of The Lockwood Legacy, a nine-book chronicle of the lives of three sisters who inherit a ranch in Central Texas following their father’s suicide. Four of the novels are currently available: Langston’s Daughters, Baxter’s Draw, Alice's Portrait and Mandy’s Father. And don’t miss her hilariously funny “cozy” Study Club Mysteries, a light-hearted spinoff of The Lockwood Legacy. The books, set in the 1960s, take on the often absurd eccentricities of small town life with good-natured, droll humor. The first book, You Can’t Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet is available with the second, You Can’t Put a Corpse in a Parade, coming in Summer 2015.

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Giveaway:
One (1) winner gets a $25 Amazon gift card (INT) & one (1) winner gets the Lockwood Legacy books, Langston's Daughters, Baxter's Draw, Alice's Portrait and Mandy's Father (US)
Ends August 5th
giveaway provided by the author, bloggers are not responsible for prizing.

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.


Monday, July 20, 2015

Cover Reveal! The Secret of Strange Waters by Kelly Hall


The Secret of Strange Waters
The Light Keeper Series # 2
By- Kelly Hall
Genre- YA Paranormal

Unfortunately for Lily Jordan, being a Light Keeper doesn't come with an instruction manual, but neither does being sixteen. While learning to use her powers, she’s confronted with unforeseen obstacles and forced to break her own rules in order to save her circle of friends.
With her mom’s wedding on the horizon, will misinterpreted visions create new enemies who could threaten Lily’s exposure? Will death and heartache ruin the big day? For Lily, the answers only lead to impossible decisions. Does she embrace her powers or abandon them for false normalcy?
Kelly Hall’s second book, The Secret of Strange Waters, proves paranormal powers aren’t always a blessing.




About the Author-
Kelly Hall was born and raised in Southeast Texas, and lives in a small town just a stone’s throw from the ghost road where her Light Keeper series is based. When she’s not busy writing or spending time with her husband and two sons, this self-proclaimed creative junkie dabbles in many different forms of art, including cake decorating and mixed media. Learn more about Kelly at authorkellyhall.com .

Links-