HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS by Ann M Noser: Blog Tour w/ Review

 
Title:  How to Date Dead Guys
Author: Ann M. Noser
Category/Genre: New Adult/Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: July 15th
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson

Blurb:

College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice:  “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”.  But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back.  Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell.  The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury.  As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one. 

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first.  More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows.  Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.
Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.

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About The Author

My to-do list dictates that I try to cram 48 hours of living into a day instead of the usual 24.  I’ve chosen a life filled with animals.  I train for marathons with my dog, then go to work as a small animal veterinarian, and finish the day by tripping over my pets as I attempt to convince my two unruly children that YES, it really IS time for bed.  But I can’t wait until the house is quiet to write; I have to steal moments throughout the day.  Ten minutes here, a half hour there, I live within my imagination.

Like all busy American mothers, I multi-task.  I work out plot holes during runs.  Instead of meditating, I type madly during yoga stretches.  I find inspiration in everyday things:  a beautiful smile, a heartbreaking song, or a newspaper article on a political theory.  For example, a long drive in the dark listening to an NPR program on the SMILEY FACE MURDERS theory made me ask so many questions that I wrote HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS to answer them to my satisfaction.

I’d love to have more time to write (and run, read, and sleep), but until I find Hermione Granger’s time turner, I will juggle real life with the half-written stories in my head.  Main characters and plot lines intertwine in my cranium, and I need to let my writing weave the tales on paper so I can find out what happens next.

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

How To Date Dead Guys

by Ann M. Noser

Giveaway ends August 14, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/100174-how-to-date-dead-guys

My Review:

**I received a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review**

My star rating: 4/5

This was a really fun book.  Emma was intelligent, witty, and relateably insecure...even if she is a little odd.  Her personal journey through the story was gripping.  I loved that we never knew who the water was going to send Emma to deal with next.  Abby was my favorite secondary character for sure; she allowed us to really see the depth of Emma's nurturing spirit.  Ms. Noser's writing was clean, though more on the young adult level than new adult.  College life was explored thoroughly, an area typically left lacking in paranormal new adults, which I loved.  I will say there probably could have been a half-dozen or so less chapters.  There was a lot of filler that I found myself skipping over.

FIRES OF MAN by Dan Levinson: Blog tour w/ excerpt

Title: FIRES OF MAN
Author: Dan Levinson
Genre: Science Fiction

Blurb:

In a world where a gifted few can manipulate reality with their minds, two great nations—Calchis and Orion—employ these psionic powers in a covert war for global superiority.

In the heart of Calchis, a powerful young psion named Aaron Waverly is kidnapped, and forcibly conscripted. To the north, in the capital, a plan is hatched to decimate Orion, to be carried out by the ruthless operative known only as “Agent.”

In Orion, fresh recruit Stockton Finn comes to terms with his incredible new powers, and learns firsthand how dangerous they can be. Meanwhile, officers Nyne Allen and Kay Barrett navigate the aftermath of their shattered love affair, oblivious to the fact that Calchis draws ever closer to destroying the tenuous peace.

Finally, in the arctic land of Zenith, Calchan archaeologist Faith Santia unearths a millennia-old ruin. This lost temple might just hold the hidden history of psionic powers, as well as hints of a deeper mystery . . . that could shake the foundations of all mankind.
 

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Excerpt:


AGENT

He ran toward the edge of the cliff.
The sun beat down upon him as his limbs pumped. Earth crunched beneath his feet, and a breeze blew across his black-stubbled scalp. His breathing was calm, meticulously measured.
When the ground slipped away, he felt only anticipation.
Plummeting, the man inhaled. Power flooded into him, thrilling, delicious. He reached out with that power, warping reality with an energy born from the depths of his being. Suddenly . . .
He winked out of existence . . .
And then reappeared at the base of the cliff.

About The Author

Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Dan grew up immersing himself in fantastical worlds. While other kids dreamed of being astronauts and cowboys, all he ever wanted was to be a novelist. Now, he’s living his dream.

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HATE ME TODAY by Katheryn Kiden: Blog tour w/ giveaway

Title: Hate Me Today (#3 Save Me Series)

Author: Katheryn Kiden

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: June 18th

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

I hate her but I’d rather make her life a living hell than not play for a crowd anymore. Hate is a four letter word. So is life. So is love. Each one requires passion to make it worth it. Jason Jackson has lived his whole life fueled with hate. Hate for himself. Hate for his family. Hate for the one person he despises but is stuck on tour with. All he wants to do is rock the crowd and keep his head down, but it seems like every time he turns around, she’s doing something else to piss him off. What happens when everything he thought he knew turns out to be wrong? For the first time in my entire life, I’m taking control and not even Jason can get in my way. Vanessa Knox knows all about life being too short. She refuses to let anyone stand in the way of what she wants. That is, until what she wants is something she knows she shouldn’t have. It could break her worse than being sick ever had a chance to. Nothing she ever does seems to be right. However, that doesn’t stop her from doing it. Sometimes the best things are the one you thought would be the worst. Hate leaves you wondering why, love leaves you wanting more and life leaves you waiting.

Katheryn Kiden was born in Boothbay Harbor Maine in 1989 and raised in Newcastle. She was raised with four brothers. Katheryn graduated when she was sixteen and has been writing since she was young. When she isn’t attached to a keyboard you can usually find her with her two younger brothers, friends, or with a camera in her hand.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katheryn-Kiden-Author/397861730346941

Twitter: @katherynkiden

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Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1jSs5Rj

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1rFda22

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TAINTED WATERS by Maggie Thom: Blog Tour

Title: TAINTED WATERS
Author: Maggie Thom
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Blurb:

He didn’t commit suicide but who’s going to believe her...

Frustrated at being fired from her latest job and overwhelmed by her consolatory family, Sam decides to move to the family’s cabin at the lake. A place she hasn’t been since her dad committed suicide there, twenty years before. Or did he? Snooping is something she’s good at but someone seems to be taking offense to her looking too closely at what has been happening at the lake. What she discovers is shocking. Now she must uncover what’s real and what’s not. All that she learned growing up, may be false.

Keegan, who has recently moved to the area to finish his latest book, is also trying to find out if his grandfather, who’d passed away ten years before, died of natural causes or was murdered? The descendants of the four families, who own the land around the lagoon, are dying off.

Since Sam and Keegan are the only ones questioning the deaths, they find themselves working together to seek the truth. Are people being murdered? Who would benefit from their deaths? Why would there be barricades and armed guards at the north end of the lake? To stay alive, Sam and Keegan must find the answers and convince others, before more people are killed... including them.

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Blurb:

The man’s lips were still moving so she assumed he was still talking but she couldn’t hear any of it. It was as he yanked his hand back that she got a good look at him. Or at least part of him. Her eyes widened in recognition. He pulled her to her feet.
    “It’s starting to sink in.” The sound that came out of his mouth was the coldest, hardest, ugliest sound she’d ever heard. She wasn’t sure if it was meant to be his laugh but whatever it was, it sent chills through her body with sonic precision.
    “Steele. How you making out with her friend?”
    He stepped back and to the side, giving Sam a good view of the rest of the room. It was a large area; the outside walls were steel with the interior walls being drywall. Instantly she knew she was in the Quonset. And there wasn’t really much option for escape. Two men stood by the door and one man was standing in front of someone tied to a chair, whose face looked like it had been fed through a meat grinder.
    Blood ran down over his lips and dripped off his chin. From the bright red color of his shirt and the dark stain on his jeans, she’d have guessed he’d taken quite a beating. She bit hard on her lip to prevent herself from giving in to the urge to scream. She couldn’t stop herself though from closing her eyes. It was one thing for her to die, it was another to have dragged someone else into it. Her head snapped back as her hair was grabbed viciously. She glared at the man who had her at his mercy.
    “Don’t like seeing lover boy hurt? Well if you want to keep him from getting any more of a beating, you’ll tell me now what you know? And who you’ve told?”
Sam glanced at the man sitting motionless in the chair. His arms were tied behind him, his legs tied to the chair. Keegan? Oh my god. What have I done?
    She was thrown forward, landing hard on her knees. His meaty hand grabbed the back of her neck. If she had to die, she was okay with that. But Keegan didn’t have to.
    “Can I have a glass of water and I’ll tell you what I know.” She rasped out, embellishing her dry mouth. Her voice was so deep, throaty that even she didn’t recognize it.
The fact that she saw the fist coming saved her from at least one punch. She fell backwards narrowly being missed. The boot that followed though was too fast and unavoidable. She grunted in pain as she rolled away and flipped onto her butt.
    “I know that there is something happening at the lake. I don’t know what. But something. Something bad. I’ve never considered myself–”
    This time the punch connected, sending her sprawling backwards. Her last thought was, so much for saving anyone, Sam.
    The next thing she became aware of was being lifted by her neck and dangled in the air. Well that and the intense pain of being beaten up and being choked. Air was rasping through her airways like a veteran with emphysema.
    “You ready to talk?”
    She didn’t hear anything come out of her mouth but he seemed to be satisfied with her response because she was dropped, sprawling on the hard cement floor, gasping for breath. She flipped over onto her butt and scooted back, her mouth going before she even knew what she was going to say. “I know that this lake is called GOOM Lake, which is the last name of all the original owners. I’m sure you’d have liked to have been one of them but aren’t but I get a feeling you’re related or something. You want revenge or maybe you’re just filled with hate. I don’t know. I do know that there isn’t much information on you anywhere. I’m sure that anyone who would talk about you isn’t able to.” The whole time she was babbling, she was trying to determine who was in the room, were there any weapons she could grab and what were her chances of getting out alive.

About The Author

Maggie Thom

Award winning author, Maggie Thom, took the challenge and leapt off, leaving a fulltime, twenty year career in management, to write full time. After publishing her first suspense/thriller book Captured Lies, October 2012, she published her second novel, Tainted Waters, April, 2013. Tainted Waters went on to win 2013 Suspense and Thriller Book of the Year through Turning the Pages Magazine and Captured Lies won book of the Month through LAS Reviews (February 2014). She published her third novel, Deceitful Truths (The Caspian Wine Series - Book 2), March 2014. An avid reader and writer her whole life, she decided to break the monotony of wishing to be an author by making it happen. She is a wholehearted nature lover and likes nothing better than to take a book, hike to a remote spot by a river or waterfalls and read. Married to her best friend, she is learning that humor, love and patience help her navigate her way through her twins’ teen years. Her motto: Escape to read and Read to escape. "Maggie Thom writes a fast paced thriller laced with romance that keeps the reader interested and on edge!" InDtale Magazine

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POPPY: by Savannah Stewart: Cover Reveal

Title: POPPY
Author: Savannah Stewart
Release Date: Aug. 2014

Blurb:

 Poppy Taylor is a successful hair, makeup, and clothing stylist with a client list packed full of elite musicians, actors, and celebrities. After months of touring with the bands, The Daughters of Darkness and the platinum selling rock group, From Yesterday, one final night changes everything. Will love evade her, as always, or will she find it in the least likely of places, in the arms of a rebellious rocker she never expected?

Riley Huntington is the bass guitar player for the rock band, From Yesterday. His bad boy exterior isn’t exactly the lifestyle he lives though. With his longtime relationship on the rocks, Riley finds himself alone and full of new feelings for a girl he never saw coming. When life gives him a chance to start fresh, will he take it?

When two unlikely people are thrown together during one night of passion, will sparks ignite a long-lasting fire, or will the temporary flame burn out before it ever has a chance to catch?

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Twitter: @Savvy2287

ACROSS WORLDS: COLLISION by S.A. Snow: Blog Tour w/ giveaway

Title: Across Worlds: Collision

Author: S. A. Snow

Genre: mixed gender sci-fi erotica adventure

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

Jane expected six months undercover to be hard; she expected it to be lonely and bleak. She didn’t expect to find love.

Jane Butler, a CIA operative, is assigned the task of infiltrating the Xanthians and determining if they’re a threat to humanity. Going undercover as a Xanthian mate, she boards the transport ship and meets Usnavi—her new mate. After spending six days traveling through space, Jane is ecstatic to explore the Xanthian station and soon sets out to complete her mission. The only problem? Usnavi—and the feelings she is quickly developing.

Fumbling their way through varying sexual expectations, cooking catastrophes, and cultural differences, they soon discover life together is never boring. As Jane and Usnavi careen into a relationship neither of them expected, Jane uncovers dark secrets about the Xanthians and realizes she may no longer be safe. When it becomes clear she’s on her own, Jane is forced to trust and rely on Usnavi. Simultaneously struggling with her mission, her feelings for Usnavi, and homesickness, Jane faces questions she never imagined she would have to answer.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/435337

After chasing around puppies and corralling kittens, S.A. Snow flips open her BSG replicated console and enters her mysterious world of imagination. Seeking to escape the rigors of her day jobs, she enters flight mode and powers her engines full-speed ahead.

A prolific writer of non-traditional erotica, S.A. Snow grew up on a small alpaca farm high in the Andes Mountains. A lover of yoga and meditation, she spends her free time constructing alien space stations, organizing werewolf governments, and cataloging all episodes of Star Trek in order of technical soundness. A firm believer that one need not choose between Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas, she also has closely examines all Star Wars movies in order to determine which episode is more factually based.

S.A. Snow writes truth and only truth, factoring in all evidences she can find. She writes only about parallel universes she has personally visited, and believes if something about her books isn’t shocking, she’s not effectively telling the story.

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ALWAYS RAYNE by Sierra Avalon: Book tour w/ Excerpt and Giveaway

 

Title: ALWAYS RAYNE

Author: Sierra Avalon

Category/Genre:  New Adult/Romance

Blurb:

 

Would you spend ten days traveling the country with someone you despised if he promised to pay off your student loans?

Recent college graduate, Harper Leigh, can barely make ends meet working as the books editor for a new online entertainment magazine, Chatter. With $85,000 of student loan debt about to go into repayment, she has no idea how she’ll get by.

Just when she thinks things couldn’t get worse, Harper’s boss decides to embed her in the North American tour for the hot rock band, Always Rayne. Ten days on the road with the band for her to get an exclusive story. But Harper’s a homebody and the last thing she wants to do is go on the road with a rock band. And she definitely doesn’t want to spend ten days with the notorious bad boy and band front man, Nic Rayne.

When Nic proves to be too much for Harper to handle and she threatens to quit the assignment, Nic decides to sweeten the pot. If she stays with the tour for all ten days, he’ll pay off all of her student loan debt….but there’s one small catch.

Harper also has to sleep in his bed every night.

 

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Excerpt:

Brooke and I are wearing those plastic backstage passes around our necks and when two really big body guards standing at the backstage entrance see them they let us pass right through the door. 
As I glance around at all the other people with backstage passes I notice they all look a lot more like Brooke than I expected. All of the girls are wearing ultra-short, skin-tight skirts with barely there tops.
The guys all look like they just stepped out of the band themselves. They’re all young and hot and they seem to know it.
There’s definitely no shortage of arrogance in the room.
“I’m definitely going after Leo,” Brooke whispers to me as we approach the band.
All three of the band members are standing next to each other drinking beers and talking with a bevy of blondes.
Maybe this isn’t the best place for Brooke to be hanging out. She hasn’t been sober very long and I don’t want her to fall into temptation. I have a feeling if Leo handed her a beer she wouldn’t say no.
“I’m getting tired,” I say and fake a big yawn.
“You are not going to wimp out on me.” Brooke gives me a cold glare. “We’re not leaving here until we meet Always Rayne. All of them.”
Nic Rayne looks like he’s getting bored with the blondes. He’s glancing around the room rather than paying attention to what the girls are saying.
As soon as Nic’s eyes land on me I can see his expression change. His brows are furrowed and he looks puzzled. I’m sure he’s wondering what someone who looks like me is doing backstage.
Disappointment crosses over the faces of the two girls vying for Nic’s attention when he walks away from them and heads in my direction.
“You,” he points to me. At least I think he’s pointing at me. When I look around and realize I’m standing alone, I know he’s pointing at me.
Then I panic because I’m standing alone. Where the hell is my roommate? The one who dragged me here in the first place practically kicking and screaming. She completely abandoned me. I also notice that one of Nic Rayne’s bandmates seems to have vanished just as quickly.
It isn’t possible for Brooke to hook up with someone that fast, is it?
This is Brooke we’re talking about. Not only is it possible, it’s highly probable. 
Nic Rayne is now glaring at me. It’s like he can’t believe I didn’t jump as soon as he pointed to me. I can already tell this guy is a piece of work. He’s probably used to getting any girl he wants with the snap of his finger. Hell, he’s probably used to getting anything he wants the second the demand comes out of this mouth. 
I can see him let out an exasperated breath and then head in my direction. I quickly scan the room to see if I can spot an exit but by the time my eyes land on one, it’s too late. Nic Rayne has already entered my personal space.
And he’s not just close to me; he’s practically on top of me. And I don’t like it. He makes me extremely uncomfortable. I’d rather be anywhere than standing next to Nic Rayne. I’d rather be back in Economics class at the university and I hate Economics. It’s the only class I ever got a C in.
“What’s up?” Nic says.
I’ve seen him in movies so I knew he was tall and muscular. I guess it never occurred to me how tall and muscular he really is. The guy is towering over me and I’m not that short. I’m five feet six inches. Nic has got to be at least six inches taller than me.
“Did you see where my friend went?”
He nods but doesn’t say anything else.
“Okay. Would you mind telling me where she went?”
“With Leo.”
I assume he means Leo Donovan, his cousin and the guitar player in Always Rayne.
“Hey, Rayne.” Xander Donovan, Nic’s other cousin, and the band’s drummer, places a hand on Nic’s shoulder. “Pick the girl you want and let’s go. We’re all headed over to Troy.”
Troy is the trendiest club in the city. I’ve heard a lot about it but haven’t been able to afford the stiff cover charge and the fifteen dollar drinks.
“Come on,” Nic says and turns to leave as if I’m supposed to follow him.
He takes a few steps before he realizes that I’m not following him. Then he turns back around and gives me an odd look. “Aren’t you coming?”
I shake my head.
“Why not?” He actually looks puzzled.
“Do you want a list?”
His eyes narrow and then he walks back over to me. He gets so close I can smell his masculine scent and what’s left of his spicy cologne. “What’s the list?”
I gulp. I wasn’t actually expecting him to ask for the list. I thought he’d just get disgusted and find some other girl to go with him.
“Well, you’re not my type. I don’t find you remotely attractive. Or particularly interesting. I don’t like your music at all. And you don’t seem very smart. And I don’t sleep with guys I don’t know. So, maybe you should just find some other girl to take to Troy.”
He’s doing his best to bite back a grin. The smug asshole actually finds what I’ve said funny. I didn’t think I could dislike him more but he’s really pushing my buttons.
“I’m not your type, huh?” He leans in even closer. So close, I can feel his breath on my neck. “I’m everybody’s type.”
I try to swallow but I feel like there’s a golf ball stuck in my throat.
“You don’t find me attractive, huh? Then why are you sweating?” He places his hand right over my heart. “And your heart is beating a mile a minute. Maybe you should listen to what your body wants instead of what your brain is telling you.”
I take a step back and try to collect myself. I wipe my brow and realize I really am sweating. And he’s right, my heart is racing. What the hell is going on?
“I’m not some groupie who’s going to do whatever you want because you snapped your fingers.”
He looks me up and down. “I can see that.”
I place my hands on my hips. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He actually has the audacity to laugh. “No one would ever mistake you for a groupie that’s for sure.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Your clothes are like some crazy mash-up between a hippie and a school librarian.”
I glance down at my flowered skirt and strappy sandals. He has a point. I’m not exactly a fashion whore like my roommate. Not that I have the money to update my wardrobe even if I wanted to.
He steps closer again. He’s got a habit of getting right into my personal space and it makes me uncomfortable every time he does it. When I look into his deep brown eyes, I have the feeling that he’s doing it just to get a rise out of me.
“What are you doing here?” he asks. For the first time since we’ve met, he actually sounds sincere.
“I came with my roommate. She won tickets from the radio station. She wanted to see you. And your cousins.”
“I asked what you’re doing here.”
“I guess I’m here for moral support,” I stammer. And I have a press pass.”
I’m not sure why I tell him that. I guess I feel like I need some kind of excuse to be here because I’m definitely not here for the music.
“Why am I not surprised? You look like a writer. Or a librarian.”
I dig around in my purse and pull out my press pass. To my surprise, he grabs it from my hand. “Chatter. Never heard of it.”
“It’s an online magazine. A start up.”
He nods then hands me back my credentials.
“Do you like it?”
“Like what?” I’m surprised by the question.
“Writing. Working for a magazine.”
I shrug. “I’ve never thought about doing anything else. My parents named me Harper Leigh. I was kind of destined to be a writer.”
He’s looking at me with a blank stare. Maybe he really is as brainless as I think. And for some strange reason that disappoints me.
“Harper Leigh,” I repeat. “I spell my name differently but she was a writer.”
He’s still looking at me with a blank expression.
“She won the Pulitzer Prize.”
Then he smiles. “I know who Harper Lee is. To Kill a Mocking Bird. Won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. She was also good friends with Truman Capote. She helped him with the research for In Cold Blood.”
I can feel my jaw drop.
“I guess I’m smarter than you think.” He leans in close again. “And I’m also a great actor apparently because I had you fooled.”
I want to say something in response but no words come out of my mouth.
“Rayne.” It’s Xander again. “Come on. We’ve got to bounce.”
“Does everyone call you Rayne?”
“Always.”

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