Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Cover Reveal: BLUE BOTTLE TREE by Beaird Glover



Title:  Blue Bottle Tree
Author: Beaird Glover
Release Date: Oct. 24th, 2017

Blurb:

 There’s no such thing as Voodoo. At least, that’s what most of the Baptists in Bellin tell themselves. But Seven LaVey knows better. 
In a small rural town just outside of Nashville, Voodoo conjures and curses simmer and seethe under the noses of the many who will never know. Seventeen-year-old Seven romanticizes about the meaning of life while held captive as a zombie under the shell of a kiddie pool. He's counting on the strength - and maybe even love - of a certain redheaded clarinet player to save him. But will she?
Filled with betrayal and revenge, two families struggle with a curse that stretches back to Queen of the Voodoos Marie Laveau in this contemporary Southern Gothic adventure. Prepare for a wildly original twist on the paranormal. 

About The Author


 
Beaird Glover grew up on a farm in rural Tennessee. He graduated from The Evergreen State College of Olympia, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing. He then moved to Southern California and wrote Secret Ciphers of the 1876 Presidential Election (Aegean Park Press). He has traveled extensively and lived in eleven of the United Sates, and Taipei and Buenos Aires. His poems have been published in the New York Quarterly and his chapbook of poetry was selected by the Austin Chronicle as one of the Top 10 Best of 1994. More recently, he acquired a Bachelor of Science degree from Long Island University in Brooklyn and has worked as a physician assistant. Beaird now lives in New Orleans with his wife Kim and their cats. 



Friday, March 17, 2017

Cover Reveal: PATH TO OLD TALBOT by Jordan Elizabeth


PATH TO OLD TALBOT
A Young Adult Fantasy





Thank you, Rue Volley, for creating this stunning cover!
Thirteen-year-old Charity can escape her unpleasant reality by stepping through the parlor closet of her mother’s new home, a mansion built in the 1800’s. 

In her hometown of Talbot, New York, in the year 1880, she doesn’t have to worry about her depressed father skipping his medications or her mother flirting with her coworker. Instead, she gets to know the hatter’s son, who shows her a lifestyle of manners and pride. Few have ever accepted Charity’s old-fashioned ways…until now. 

However, old Talbot can’t banish the present. Charity can stay in the mansion, with access to the hatter’s son in the past, and the prospect of a steady family unit with her mother and the new man in her mother’s life, or she can go back to her father, who has been given the option to straighten out his life and join them in their new home. Instead, his world unravels, and he spirals into violence and self-harm.

Torn between two worlds, Charity knows that if she doesn’t help him, she may lose him forever if he follows through on his threats of self-destruction. 
PATH TO OLD TALBOT will be available March 24 on Amazon from CHBB.
Check out early reviews on GoodReads!



Jordan Elizabeth is known for her odd sense of humor and her outrageous outfits.  Surrounded by bookshelves, she can often be found pounding away at her keyboard – she’s known for breaking keyboards, too.  Jordan’s young adult novels include ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW, COGLING, TREASURE DARKLY, GOAT CHILDREN, and VICTORIAN.  PATH TO OLD TALBOT is her third novel with CHBB.  Check out her website for bonus scenes and contests. 
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Books can be our window into the past when we don’t have a portal in our new house.  In honor of PATH TO OLD TALBOT, enter for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
All winners will be notified after verification of entry at the end of this promotion.  Prizes have been supplied by and the responsibility of delivery are solely that of the author and/or their representatives. Blogs are not liable for non-delivery on the part of the author. No purchase necessary.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Book Review: THE ETERNITY ROAD by Lana Melyan

The Eternity Road


Title: The Eternity Road
Author: Lana Melyan
Category/genre: Young Adult Fantasy
My Star Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Blurb:
On her eighteenth birthday, Amanda has a dream that feels strangely lifelike. When Amanda recounts the experience to Melinda, the faithful housekeeper who has looked after her since her mother’s death, she assures her it’s meaningless, with no significance at all. But Melinda isn’t telling Amanda the truth.

Craig, the older brother of Amanda’s friend Hanna, has loved Amanda from afar for years. But a deep secret, going back centuries in time, keeps him from ever making a move.

When Melinda, who has a secret of her own, tells Craig about Amanda’s dream, it changes everything between them. Two vampires posing as men are pursuing Amanda, and Craig is devoted to keeping her safe. Luckily Craig and his sister are Hunters, the only supernatural creatures able to defeat the evil beings.

Craig and Hanna will do anything to protect Amanda, because they know that their friend has a special mission … even though she doesn’t have any idea of what’s happening around her or who she truly is.



My Review:

This was a unique, imaginative tale that captivates the reader and keeps you engaged.  The second half is even better than the first half, but you'll have no problem getting into the book from the get-go.  Even the prologue (I generally hate prologues and wish most authors would omit them entirely) is a necessary part to the tale.  There is no filler here, which is awesome!  My major issue with this book, however, is the lack of a thorough professional edit.  There are a good number of typos, and I'm afraid the sentence structure itself is a struggle in most of the book.  Simply replacing all the formality would do wonders; for example: Most people don't say "I am" they say "I'm" (as a general rule)...if the author went through the manuscript and applied contractions, it would be so much easier to read!  I could look past it though, simply because the story itself was magnificent. 

**I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily offered a honest review**

Friday, August 5, 2016

Cover Reveal: OAK & MISTLETOE by J.Z.N. McCauley

oakmistletoecoverreveal

About the Book

Oak & Mistletoe
Title: Oak & Mistletoe
Author: J.Z.N. McCauley
Genre: NA Fantasy
A Druid Curse, A Prophesied Love, A Consuming Vengeance…
Catherine Green, along with her twin sister and older brother, travels to Ireland on a college graduation trip. Her vacation takes a permanent turn when she lands her dream job at an art and history museum on her beloved Emerald Isle. She meets a handsome stranger named Bowen, an expert of sorts on local ancient studies. Though their first meetings are turbulent at best, Catherine finds herself drawn to him.
Unaware that she is the key to breaking a hidden curse, Catherine unleashes the evil madman Conall and his druid followers, imprisoned since ancient times. Tragedy and loss ensue, sprouting within Catherine the deep seeds of rage that thrust her onto the damaging path of vengeance. Confused by the enigma that is Bowen, his mixed signals, and her own feelings, she is swept away with him on an unexpected journey surrounded by myth and long-forgotten knowledge. In order to stop the evil plans of Conall and his reunified army, Catherine must entwine her fate with peril. Her survival is trivial to her as long as Conall dies. She’ll do whatever it takes.
Release Date: October 11th, 2016
Pre-order: Amazon
Add On Goodreads
Advance Reader Copy Requests: For bloggers and reviewers interested in requesting an Advance Reader Copy of Oak & Mistletoe, please see Contact Form

Author Bio

J.Z.N. McCauley resides in lovely New England, where she loves wearing jackets and boots in the unpredictable weather there. She is a wife and mother who enjoys life to the fullest. Also, being a nerd across many genres is something she expresses openly.
McCauley spends most of her spare time writing, drawing, or reading. She loves archeology, mythology, history, music and many other forms of art as well. Always having a variety of interests and talents, she could never pick just one. When the chance pops up to travel to any of her favorite places, she takes way too many pictures. Otherwise she is exploring a mystical land in a daydream. Which all provides fuel to her immense joy of writing.
Follow J.Z.N. McCauley on Goodreads Follow J.Z.N. McCauley on Amazon Author Website: http://www.jznmccauley.com

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Book Review: ALICE TAKES BACK WONDERLAND by David D. Hammons


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Title: Alice Takes Back Wonderland
Author: David D. Hammons
Category/Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
My Star Rating: 4/5


Goodreads Blurb: 

After ten years of being told she can't tell the difference between real life and a fairy tale, Alice finally stops believing in Wonderland. So when the White Rabbit shows up at her house, Alice thinks she's going crazy.

Only when the White Rabbit kicks her down the rabbit hole does Alice realize that the magical land she visited as a child is real.

But all is not well in Wonderland.

The Ace of Spades has taken over Wonderland and is systematically dismantling all that makes it wonderful. Plain is replacing wondrous, logical is replacing magical, and reason is destroying madness. Alice decides she must help the Mad Hatter and all those fighting to keep Wonderland wonderful.

But how can she face such danger when she is just a girl?

Alice must journey across the stars to unite an army. She discovers that fairy tales are real in the magical world beyond the rabbit hole. But they are not the fairy tales she knows.

Fairy tales have dangers and adventures of their own, and Alice must overcome the trials of these old stories if she wants to unite the lands against Ace.

With the help of Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White and heroes old and new, Alice may have the strength to take back Wonderland.


Review:

**I received a complimentary ecopy of this book in exchange for a honest review**

I don't watch much television, but one show I absolutely can not miss every week is ONCE UPON A TIME.  I'm in love with the way all the fairy-tales I grew up with are twisted and interwoven in ways that defy imagination.  That said, I was not a big fan of the spin off ONCE WONDERLAND.  I found it too drawn out and simple, doing no justice whatsoever to the show it was spawned from.  ALICE TAKES BACK WONDERLAND is like a wonderful adaptation of ONCE WONDERLAND.  One that I might actually watch and enjoy.  Like the show, this story begins with Alice in an asylum, having medication shoved down her throat in hopes of making her forget the make-believe nonsense she believes to be her memories.  And, like the show, as soon as she begins to believe that maybe she is a little bit wackadoodle, she takes one more trip down the rabbit hole.  
  
This is where  Mr. Hammons breathes his own life into the story, making it his own.  He successfully re-introduces us to the characters we think we already know, and connects the classics together into one imaginative, thrilling ride.  Most of the villains we think we know are nothing like the "echoes" we have heard while tucked in our beds; on the contrary, the majority of them are heartfelt victims of circumstance deserving of our sympathy (Pinocchio's father got me right in the feels!).  Each individual is woven into a web of personal complexity-- there is no "good" and "evil.  Life isn't that black and white.  And Alice is a creature worthy of her own praise.  She is a brave, fantastic young American girl in this adaptation.  

There were a few parts where I feel as though the story lulled, but overall this was a delightful spin on several of my favorite childhood stories. 
  

Monday, May 4, 2015

BIG GIVEAWAY!

Hey all!  I'm gearing up to release the print version of my Voodoo based paranormal romance, Healing The Bayou...Complete with a shiney new cover! 

Healing The Bayou


Isn't it beautiful? I love it!  To celebrate, I'm giving away Prisoner of Poseidon FREE on Amazon from May 5th-8th, and hosting a BIG Giveaway!  Also, totally unrelated but perfect timing, Creativia has set The Roman Mongrel at $.99 from May 5th to the 11th!

Starting May 5th, follow the Rafflecopter below to win a free signed paperback of Healing The Bayou, free signed paperback ARC of Prisoner of Poseidon AND a $5 Amazon giftcard!


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Book Review: DARK SOUL SILENCED (Part 1) by Simon Goodson


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Title: Dark Soul Silenced (Part One)
Author: Simon Goodson
Category/genre: Adult Fantasy
My Star rating:  4/5


Goodreads blurb:

These vampires don't sparkle. They hunt and kill, driven to evil by the raging darkness inside them. From the moment they feed on their first victim they are lost – but what if the darkness was destroyed before that happened? What would be left? Something not seen in thousands of years.

A chance encounter leaves Daniel in just that position. With no memories of who he once was, and powers he barely understands, can he survive in a world where all magical powers are viewed as a sign of darkness? Can he convince others that he is free from evil?

And is he? Has the darkness truly been purged from his soul? Or is it merely driven into hiding deep within, silenced for now but waiting to strike again?


My review:

This was a very different type of "vampire novel"...in a good way. It wastes no time intriguing you, and I didn't want to stop reading once I started. Full of adventure and action with strong characters highlighted by a man's struggle to cling to his humanity while his biology is trying to drag him another direction. My main complaint though is that there was a lot of telling with out much showing. "He was scared" is a given...make me FEEL his fear. 

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

FANGS AND FAME by Heather Jensen: Cover Reveal

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cover reveal



COVERGIFTitle: Fangs And Fame
Series: Blood And Guitars, #3
Author: Heather Jensen
Audience: New Adult/Adult
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Formats: E-book and Paperback
Publisher: Heather Jensen
Cover by: Indie Designz
Pages: 350 pages
Expected Date of Publishing: August 25, 2014
    







blurb
Trey and Aurora have hit the road with Catalyst for the Until Sanity Tour. For Trey, adjusting to life as a vampire while getting on stage in front of screaming fans every night proves difficult. The limelight forces him to do things he swore he wouldn't, like feeding from the occasional fan. Keeping his secret from the band is harder than Trey expected, and the dull ache of hunger is always with him. Aurora tries to help Trey adjust while attempting to further her career from the road. She continues to paint, determined not to lose herself in the media maelstrom that comes with being married to Trey Decker.
But strange vampires are popping up at concerts, and the newlyweds realize they may be in over their heads. They owe a powerful vampire a favor, and he’s come to collect. But the price is too high, and Trey’s band mates are at risk of becoming collateral damage. Will Trey and Aurora be able to thwart the forces working against them and ensure that everyone they love is still around to share in their success in the end?
excerpt
(Trey's Point of View)
I hadn't been on stage for all of five minutes when I felt the little buzz of power vibrating in the back of my skull. I was careful not to let it throw me off my game as I casually searched the crowd for the source. My first thought was that my vampire stalker was back, but she hadn’t generated a power buzz like this one. Aurora was backstage tonight – not like I’d mistake her power signature for anyone else’s – but it was clear that at least one vampire was standing in the crowd. When the song we were playing ended, I took my guitar off and walked back to the stand Chase and his drums were perched on. I grabbed a bottle of water and took a big drink, just to give myself some time to think. O’Shea started telling the crowd a story – leave it to him to fill in the silence – and I turned back around to scan for potential vamps again while he spoke. It took a moment, but I spotted him. He was sitting in the third row from the front, off to the left. He was even wearing a black suit, kind of like the ones the Emissary wear, but I couldn’t tell whether it had their emblem embroidered on the breast pocket or not. I met his gaze and held it, letting him know that I’d found him. He stared right at me in that way that vamps do when you just know they’re trying to read your soul, one wispy layer at a time.
He wasn’t just here for the show. That much was obvious. If he was Emissary, what on earth was he doing at a Catalyst concert? Certainly the Emissary had more important things to do than check up on Aurora and I, like tracking down Malena, for one. And if he wasn’t Emissary, well, that was even more confusing. I wished Aurora were sitting there in the front row. At least that way I would know she was trying to decipher the same questions I was. At least that way I would know she was safe. Instead, she was enjoying the show on a screen from the backstage lounge tonight, while simultaneously snapping pictures of several paintings to upload to her website so she could ship them back to The Waking Moon.
Then I realized there were two of them.
The second one was dressed like the first and was sitting in the lowest section off the floor to my left. He met my gaze as well, and I had to force myself to look away so the camera wouldn’t catch my stare-down on the big screens. O’Shea’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I heard him asking the crowd if it was okay if we slowed things down for a minute. The cheering that resulted was my cue to at least try and forget about the vamp in the crowd.
Like that was going to happen.
I set my water bottle down by my mic stand and leaned into the mic. “Let me see those cell phones in the air,” I said as the guys starting playing the intro to “Sweet Disguise.” I strapped my guitar back on and waved one hand back and forth to direct the crowd until the verse began. As I sang, I scanned the crowd again for the mystery vamps but they were both gone. I tried not to worry about it, not to wonder where they had gone and why they’d left in such a hurry, but it was easier said than done. I couldn’t for the life of me imagine why they were here. Even if I’d wanted to warn Aurora, I wasn’t capable of sifting through all the thought trails in the building to find hers. I’d tried on several occasions, but I could never quite manage to hone in on her specifically through all the energized, almost frantic thoughts, coming my way – more than half of which were about me.
The rest of the set seemed especially long after that, which made me feel like crap. The crowd was really into us, and I did my best not to be distracted. I’m even pretty sure it worked, but I was more than relieved when we finished the last song before the encore. I made my way to the dressing room at last. Aurora was sitting at her laptop, and jumped up when we all came into the room.
“I’m ready, I swear,” she said, hurrying over to the makeup chair as Chase plopped down in it for his zombie makeover.
I changed into my tattered suit, suddenly feeling more than a little ridiculous about the paranoia that had rattled my brain throughout the show.
Aurora was here. She was fine. In fact, everything seemed fine.
I started to wonder if I’d seen the vampires in the crowd at all. It didn’t make sense, anyway. Why would a vampire make an appearance in the crowd just to completely vanish moments later? Maybe I really had imagined the whole thing. Maybe I was in worse shape than I realized. I made a mental note to down some blood from the stash first thing after we finished here. I couldn’t help but scan the crowd again for the vamps when I took the stage as a zombie for the encore. No buzzing power, and no Emissary-looking mystery vamps. I was mostly relieved, and I focused on giving the fans the best zombie performance I knew how to give. Aurora was waiting for me in the lounge and we headed for the bus together. It wasn’t until we were about to climb the bus’s steps that we both felt it at the same time.
A power signature.
Aurora froze, her foot hovering just above the bottom step. She looked over her shoulder at me and said, “We have a visitor.”

 04
hardbackstandingstraight_890x1110Title:   Blood And Guitars
Book # or Vol #  1           
Pages: 358 pages    
ISBN-10: 1463511884 and ISBN-13: 978-1463511883
ASIN: B00529IDZS
blurb
When Aurora meets Trey, a famous singer and musician, she’s only hoping to get her fill of human blood for the week. The last thing Aurora expects is for Trey to make her feel alive for the first time since she was, well, alive. It begins with a casual painting lesson at her art studio, The Waking Moon, and quickly turns into a forbidden romance. Aurora is forced to hide her true identity from Trey, while keeping her relationship with the human a secret from other vampires in her Brood.

Trey’s band is recording a new album and with Aurora as his muse, Trey is writing songs like never before. After being hired by their record label to paint the cover of the new album, Aurora has a legitimate reason for spending so much time with Trey and his band mates. Aurora can’t deny the unexpected connection she has with Trey, which is fueled by glimpses into his emotions every time they share a kiss. Caught between two worlds, Aurora must attend celebrity award shows and vampire rituals, find time to feed, and protect Trey from the dangers of the night, all while preserving her secrets.

book links
04
hardbackstandingstraight (4)Title:  Immortals And Melodies
Book # or Vol #  2      
Pages: 264 estimated      
ASIN: B0086GMMAQ
blurb
Catalyst frontman Trey is no stranger to chaos, but even the life of a rock star couldn't prepare him for the consequences of loving a vampire. Trey's life is in danger; threatened by the very group he must join to stay alive. His struggle to continue his career and release a new album with the band is marred by events that force him to ask a powerful Synod Elder for help.
Aurora has to keep Trey alive until she can make him a vampire, but her own kind will stop at nothing to prevent it. The head of the Emissary is having her followed, and if she can't figure out who is behind the violent attacks, Trey might not make it to the full moon. As Aurora battles her own kind, she's also plagued by the risk she's taking by changing Trey. Will her moon-given power be enough to carry Trey through the change, or will he be left floating in the wake of destruction?
book links
about the author
imageI write fantasy for teens and adults. I've been creating stories for as long as I can remember. I'm also an avid reader, and I blame Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and her book "In The Forests Of The Night" for my vampire obsession. I absolutely love vampires and anything paranormal, but I enjoy fantasy of all kinds.
 I'm addicted to Oreos and Raspberry Dr. Pepper from Swig. When I'm not writing I enjoy traveling, playing board and card games, killing zombies on the Xbox with my hubby, and spending time with friends and family.
 Music has always been a passion of mine. I've been playing drums since I was 12. I also love playing guitar, singing, and going to concerts.
 My favorite color is green, and the uglier the shade the better. I get bored of my hairstyle easily which has resulted in me having many looks in the last ten years.
 I live in Southern Utah with my husband and son. I'm currently preparing for the release of the third installment in the Blood And Guitar series, Fangs And Fame, which will be out August 25, 2014.
media links
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