Friday, November 27, 2015

New Release Alert: Betrayal by Julie Fugate + Teaser & 5 Favorite List

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to fellow Clean Reads author, Julie Fugate. Her new YA Inspirational Urban Fantasy, Betrayal, was just released!

5 of My Current Favorite Movies
by Julie Fugate

I love an underdog, anti-heroes, and comedies :)

The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson
The 5th Element with Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich
Beautician and the Beast with Fran Dreschner and Ian McNeice
Guardians of the Galaxy with Chris Pratt, etc.
Jurassic World with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard

About the Book Cover

My cover model and niece, Hope, represents the character Inara in the book. Like Inara she goes to high school in Florida, enjoys dance, and attends her local church. She is a proud participant of a Christian dance team. Her hobbies include reading, painting, and doing anything that makes her laugh. She loves all types of animals, including her own pet cat, Sugar, and a clumsy German Shepherd, Joe. 


Betrayal
Kings of Renown Book 1

Julie Fugate

YA Inspirational Urban Fantasy
Clean Reads
November 2015

Amazon | B&N | iTunes

A seraphim angel joins the fallen and uses his abilities to enhance the human race. After re-pledging his allegiance to God, centuries later his mission collides with the lives of three human-angel hybrid teens.

High school outcast Tara Cox hates her career criminal dad. Despite her reluctance she's as talented at deception and secrecy as him. When new friends, including the guy she has a crush on, shows her kindness, she dreams of a different life that doesn’t involve violence and solitude.

Sixteen year-old Inara Mason desires to break away from her controlling dad. She develops a supernatural bond with a real angel who shows her monstrous mermaids and offers the illusion of love.

Former juvenile delinquent Leo Price struggles with the stigma of being a killer and keeping his love for Inara secret. He takes comfort in his dedication to God and the support of his mentor, Inara’s father. As evil closes in, they will fight for their lives, love, and the future of their souls.


Teaser

Tara gripped the cool handle of the gun, a dark contrast to her pale fingers. Her gaze flitted to the man on the floor. A drunken stranger no longer flailed before her. Now she saw evil as he morphed into a hated and dangerous enemy. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears and her entire body tensed. The room darkened around her, shadows swirling and dancing around the walls.

Vin laid a hand on her shoulder, his fingernails biting into her flesh. His body blocked out even more light. “Some people deserve death. You are making the world a better place. Kill him.” 

About the Author


JULIE FUGATE writes young adult fiction where danger, suspense, romance and God collide. Her nicknames include Jay, Juju, Jules, Lizzie and Julio. A tomboy and girly-girl all wrapped into one. Growing up she would spend one hundred percent of her meager allowance on books. You could find her in the library, the porch swing, or in her room reading and listening to music. She fights off two German Shepherds and a snarky Maltese who try to take over her keyboard when she's writing.

Social Media Links:
Website: juliefugatebooks.com
Instagram: jfugatewrites
Twitter: @jfugatewrites
GoodReads: Julie Fugate
Facebook: julie.e.fugate

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Ten Tough Women Who Love as Hard as They Fight by Zen DiPietro

I am so excited to have author Zen DiPietro on the blog today. She's here with an awesome guest post about kickass female characters. Enjoy :)

Ten Tough Women Who Love as Hard as They Fight
by Zen DiPietro

I love books that give all the feels. Laughter, love, excitement, epic battles, and things that go boom. It’s what I write and what I love to read or watch on the big screen. So here’s a list (in no particular order) of my ten favorite female heroes who are awesome at being awesome, but are also strong enough to love.

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
Whether it’s the book or the movie, Lizzie is way ahead of her time in terms of feminism, standing up for herself and living her life on her own terms. But she and Mr. Darcy are so beautifully suited that their story remains a favorite a hundred years after it was written.

Leeloo from The Fifth Element.
She’s a supreme being and he’s the ever-reluctant hero. Her job is to protect him and the world from destruction. Which she does. Yet she’s not too high and mighty to know that Corbin Dallas and love are worth fighting for.

Jane Smith from Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
What to do when two top assassins are required to kill each other? They do their very best in spectacular fashion, only to fail. Perhaps intentionally. And only then do they realize how very much they care about each other.

Devi Morris from Rachel Bach’s Paradox series.
This is one of my very favorite book series. Devi is exactly the kind of heroine I want to read more of. More like her, please! But she falls in love (I won’t mention a name in case you haven’t read this series) and I love how she handles it.

Elizabeth Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean
She doesn’t start out all that tough but she does turn into a pirate and even becomes pirate king. Her love for Will goes back to childhood and once he gets over his shyness, there’s no stopping them. She even steps in front of a wall of swords and feeds a pal to a Kraken to save her beloved.

Kassimeigh from the Guardians of Terath series.
Okay, so she’s a hero from one of my own books. I don’t mean to shamelessly self-promote, but I wrote her precisely because she’s the type of character I love. So it only makes sense that I adore her, as well as her love story.

Amanita from Sense8
If you haven’t watched Sense8, it’s fantastic. I can’t wait for season 2.  Amanita is wicked fierce, particularly when it comes to her love for Nomi. While Amanita’s pure devotion to Nomi is a background B story, it outshines the A story for me.

Breq from Ancillary Justice
Her love is not a romantic one, but it’s all the more touching for it. As the humanized form of a ship-mind (I know, sounds weird, but that’s what makes this book great), the fact that she cares so much for a person gives her purpose and makes her relatable.

Kahlan from Wizard’s First Rule
I read this series a long time ago, but Kahlan is a great character. The Mother Confessor and the last of her kind. Even though it seems she and Richard can’t be together, it doesn’t stop her from loving him.

Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
If you haven’t watched the 2005 reboot of Doctor Who, there’s a long-term romance between the doctor and Rose that is every fangirl’s dream. Rose doesn’t wield a sword or magic but she leads with a wicked sense of adventure and a heart as big as the universe. The love between her and the doctor was pretty much everything in this series and once the show moved on past it, Doctor Who really suffered a big loss.

So that's it! 10 fantastic women who kick butt, take names, and create compelling love stories precisely because they are so dynamic. If I didn’t mention one of your favorites, do chime in! Especially if it’s a book hero, because I’m always on the prowl for my next favorite read. J

 Okay, everyone. Share your favorite kickass romantic female leads in the comments. Mine is Eve Dallas from the In Death series by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts. I also love Katarina from my romantic fantasy, Stolen Moon, and Ashlyn from Shadow Fire. They both fight for what they believe in and love with all their hearts.


Facing Fortune
Guardians of Terath #2

Zen DiPietro


A new manahi. A new military. A famous bard who suddenly resurfaces after a decade of hiding.
A lot of changes have taken place on Terath, and an ecological crisis has raised tensions to the breaking point. Kassimeigh and Arc must work with Luc and the scientists in the Capital to determine whether the discovery is a threat to the planet. Each discovery unspools more questions, as they question the nature of mana and what it means to Terath.

At the same time, they must try to calm an increasingly nervous population. Will and Izzy offer their help in that regard, but the newly-formed Guard has never been called into action before.
Meanwhile, Kassimeigh must deal with a shocking change in her own circumstances, which forces her to rethink her place in the world.

Life, death, mana, and chaos rival one another for supremacy. How can Kassimeigh help protect the world when she has no idea where she belongs in it?

About the Author

Zen DiPietro is a lifelong bookworm, a fantasy/sci-fi writer, a dancer, and a mom of two. Also red-haired, left-handed, and a vegetarian geek. Absolutely terrible at conforming. Particular loves include badass heroines, Star Trek, British accents, baba ganoush, and the smell of Band-Aids. Writing reviews, author interviews, and fun stuff at www.womenofbadassery.com. Very active on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

New Release Alert: UnCommon Bodies Anthology + Giveaway



NEW RELEASE: UnCommon Bodies is a collection of stories curated by Pavarti K. Tyler that span across genres to explore the lives of the odd, the unbelievable, and the impossible.

UCB Cover




SUMMARY: Step right up to the modern freakshow — We have mermaids, monsters, and more. You won't be disappointed, but you may not get out alive.
UnCommon Bodies presents a collection of 20 beautifully irreverent stories which blend the surreal and the mundane. Imagine a world where magic exists, where the physical form has the power to heal or repulse, where a deal with the devil means losing so much more than your soul.



PRE-ORDER NOW for Release on 11/24. FREE on Kindle Unlimited. Amazon.com

INCLUDES STORIES BY: Philip Harris, Sessha Batto, Robb Grindstaff, Brent Meske, Sally Basmajian, Robert Pope, Keira Michelle Telford, Jordanne FullerMichael Harris Cohen, Deanne Charlton, P.K. Tyler ,Bey Deckard , Vasil Tuchkov, Laxmi Hariharan, Samantha Warren, Rebecca Poole, Daniel Arthur Smith, S.M. Johnson, Kim Wells, Christopher Godsoe, and Bob Williams
You can see the full summaries of all the stories on GoodReads: smarturl.it/UCBGoodreads

To Celebrate, the authors are hosting a Facebook Party on 11/24 Join the Fun! https://www.facebook.com/events/495176633996990/

And there's more! What? Yep! The Authors are also giving away a Kindle! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, November 23, 2015

New Release Alert: The Phoenix Born by Kaitlyn Davis + Giveaway


Inspiration Board for A Dance of Dragons!
by Kaitlyn Davis

A snapshot of my inspiration board for A Dance of Dragons—just a little taste of the characters, settings, and mood of the series! To see all of the images and for original sources, please check out the board on Pinterest!






The Phoenix Born 
A Dance of Dragons #3

Kaitlyn Davis

Release Date: November 17th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis comes the final book in the thrilling A Dance of Dragons series—perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Graceling, and Game of Thrones!


For the first time in a thousand years, the fire dragon has been awakened and Rhen is its rider. But after destroying the armies that threatened the city of Rayfort, Rhen is shown a vision in flames that changes everything. The shadow's phantom armies are coming and the dragons are the only things that might stop them.

High in the castle at the top of the Gates, Jinji has learned something of her own. Janu, her long lost twin, is alive. And just as the spirit shares her body, the shadow shares his. In the blink of an eye, her quest for vengeance against the evil that killed her family has changed to one of protection. Because she knows that if Rhen learns the truth he will do what she cannot—end the shadow, and end her brother in the process.

As the shadow grows more aggressive, Jinji and Rhen fight to find the rest of the dragon riders. But with time running out, they are forced to face the impossible decision between honor and love. Alliances are formed, promises are broken, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance…


Buy Links:


A Dance of Dragons: Series Starter Bundle!
A FREE ebook bundle which includes the prequel novella, The Golden Cage, and the first full-length novel, The Shadow Soul! 

Description:

An ancient evil awakens.
Three unlikely heroes rise.
An age of myth is reborn.

Try the A DANCE OF DRAGONS Series Starter Bundle today! This bundle includes the prequel novella, The Golden Cage, as well as the first full-length novel, The Shadow Soul.

RAVE REVIEWS for The A Dance of Dragons Series!

"Gorgeous writing (spellbinding is a word that fits well here), creative and unique world and characters that steal your heart away, this is an unbelievably fantastic beginning to what is sure to be a new favorite series. I'm so eager for more!" - Candace's Book Blog

"The writing is flawless. The story and plot line, and plot twists, had me captivated and enamored for the first words. I couldn't put this book down for anything, and I absolutely cannot wait for book two...It's an amazing start to a new series that is going to have people of all ages wanting so much more." - Happy Tails and Tales

"One word to describe this book: intense! Everything from the battles, to the secrets, to the descriptions of the characters and scenery, are all incredibly intense. This book had me biting my nails, stomach tided in knots, and completely entranced til the last word." - Desert Rose Reviews

"Mind. BLOWN. Do you know that one book that made you love a certain genre again because it was so amazingly & beautifully written?? Well, The Golden Cage is the book that made me realize how good Fantasy can be." - Spiced Latte Reads

"The Shadow Soul was positively transportive, left me feeling refreshed, and renewed my faith in symbolism, imagery, and the importance of world building and cultural preservation...If you want to set out on a journey, read this." - We Do Write

Download Links (FREE):





About the Author
Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. 

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com

To stay up-to-date with all of Kaitlyn's new releases, sign up for her new release newsletter here: TinyLetter.com/KaitlynDavisBooks


Author Links:
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