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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

*Arcadia Falls Chronicles by Jennifer Malone Wright Book Blitz*


Book Title:
Love & War (The Arcadia Falls Chronicles: Book 1)
Author Name:
Jennifer Malone Wright
Author Location (for press releases)
Laclede, Idaho
Name of series and book number in series:
The Arcadia Falls Chronicles: Book 1
Genre:
YA paranormal
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication:
December 2012
Formats Available:  book only


Purchase Links:


Blurb/Book Description:
A war is brewing between the hunters and the vampires and Chloe is determined to strike against the vampires before they have a chance to attack the hunter community.

While Chloe tries to convince the hunter community, and most especially tries to convince Drew, that they should move against the vampires first instead of waiting for an attack, the group of new friends—Oscar, Alice, Drew, Chloe and Christina—are distracted by news reports of a vigilante who is saving innocent humans against what can only be vampire attacks. Fearing this vigilante will cause unwanted attention that will expose the vampire-hunter community with each person he rescues, the group attempts to discover who this mysterious potential vampire hunter is.

When they catch up with him, the group learns a shocking revelation that might just change everything for everyone in Arcadia Falls, but will have the most profound impact on Chloe herself.

The Arcadia Falls Chronicles is the continuation of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter. Following the format of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter, The Arcadia Falls Chronicles is serialized into several novella-length stories.

Short Excerpt:

 ~~~***~~
Prologue—Chloe's Diary
~~~***~~

January 15:

Sometimes, when the sun goes down, I stare out the window of our house and wonder how much of the city beyond our community is being ravaged by vampires. How many people will die? How many will become newborn vampires?
I know I am not strong enough to kill them all… but that won’t stop me from trying.
The next chapter in my life has begun.

I received this journal as a gift from Oscar for Christmas this year and decided it would be a good place to chronicle the events of my life. Who knows what will happen to the hunters after this is all over? If it ever is all over. I feel like there should be some documentation of how things went down.
So here you have it: The life of Chloe Kallistrate, in my own words.

I never thought there was anything special about me. Actually, I still don’t, but apparently, because I'm the distant offspring of angels and demigods, there is something in my DNA that creates what I truly am: a vampire hunter.
Yeah, a vampire hunter. From angels and demigods. Un-freaking-believable.
It seems, a long time ago, there was a warrior angel sent to rid the world of vampires. This warrior angel, during his time on earth, found love with a warrior woman. The warrior woman was a killer, too. She was a hunter, the daughter of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.
Yes, I know. Artemis. Like… from mythology.
It’s true; I'm a distant descendent of Artemis, and more directly, her daughter, Sostrate. I know this because I’ve met Sostrate. She has visited me on more than one occasion. I can’t say I look forward to her visits all that much. The last time she appeared, she told me a war loomed between the hunters and the vampires, that the hunters needed to train even harder.
Sheesh.
Oh, it gets better. Not only am I carrying on the bloodlines of angels and demigods, but I just happen to be a dhampir, too!
What is a dhampir? Oh, that is the best tidbit of all. Remember when I said I was a vampire hunter? Well, that part of me is from my mother’s side. She fell in love with one of those we are supposed to hate the most: a vampire.
Out of that lovely relationship, I was born.
My father’s name was Trevor. My mother apparently loved him more than she loved killing vampires, because they had me.
That is where the story gets really strange. Right, like it wasn't strange enough.
My mother was born in an exclusive and unique gated community, properly named Arcadia Falls. The community is unlike any other of which I have ever heard. It's a vampire-hunter community. There, vampire hunters are born, and they train to kill, pretty much from the day they learn to walk. Only in Arcadia Falls can one find people strolling down the street with loaded guns and crossbows strapped to their backs.
This community is a peaceful, mountainous place. It is our safety from the demons on the outside.
I love Arcadia Falls. I love our house, where I live with my grandfather, my mother's father, who I didn't meet for the first time until after my mother was killed. I love sleeping in my mother’s childhood room, and I love that I am surrounded by others who cannot claim to be normal.
On the inside of the protective wall that surrounds us is our little town, just like any other town one might come across. We have a grocery store, a video store, even a bakery and coffee shop. Hunters’ homes cover the expanse of forested hills that make up Arcadia Falls, and the hunters rarely need to leave unless they are on missions.
I know my mother loved this place. She was one of the most renowned hunters among them. Trevor claimed, even after he met his final death, that he loved my mother, but that love did not guarantee he would love me. I only know this story as it passed Trevor’s lips, but I can see how it would be true. He fell in love with my mother, who left the community to live with him. She soon became pregnant with me. Apparently, he was ecstatic over the announcement of my birth. My mother must have been relieved, but she ran from him before I was born, for reasons I didn’t know until I was fifteen.
Why would a woman leave a man with whom she was having a child? If he was that bad, why not kill him? Who knows? All I know is that she found out his original reason for choosing her as his mate. Love, it seemed, ended up being a bonus in his case.
He bred me.
It was his plan from the very beginning, for years and years before he met her. Apparently, I was some kind of main ingredient in his make-the-vampire-become-a-day-walker recipe. Allegedly, if a vampire drinks the blood of a dhampir, who also carries the bloodlines of a vampire hunter, on the day of the dhampir’s sixteenth birthday, the vampire will forever be able to walk in the sunlight. Typically, vampires can't be in sunlight, because it kills them.
Okay.
I had no idea, initially. None of us did.
My mother knew. She found out his plan and ran from him with me in her womb. That wasn’t as simple as it sounded. She hid me away for years and years. I never knew any family, I never had many friends because we moved so much, and I never knew the truth… until that horrible day.
The day Trevor had her murdered, right in front of me.
But he wasn't trying to get to her. He was trying to get to me.
That day is branded into my memory like a hot iron burning into my skin. Trevor’s goons broke in and murdered her. They tried to take me away, but I was rescued by the vampire hunters. My grandfather sensed the pain his daughter was going through and sent the rescue team. If it weren’t for them, I would have been taken and would have never known who I truly was. I would probably be dead already.
Drew had led the hunters. I remember him lifting me into his arms and telling me he was taking me someplace safe. They had brought me home, to Arcadia Falls. It was there I found out about my hunter heritage. It was also there I found my true supernatural gifts.
Yes, I have supernatural gifts, abilities, you might say. My element is fire. I can make flames appear in my hand whenever I want. Although, it wasn’t always as easy as it is now to control. It took me a long time to learn to control the flames. Though I'm much improved at wielding the power of the flame, I am still learning to control the fire within me.
Moving on with my story, my father attacked the hunters, and I decided I didn’t want to lose anyone else to his vampires. I willingly went with him, ignorant to his true plans. I lived with him for nearly a year, and shortly before my sixteenth birthday, I found out exactly why he had wanted me so badly, why he had killed my mother to obtain me: He had wanted to be a day-walker.
I tried to run but ended up a prisoner.
We escaped only because of Alice, the housekeeper who had lived with Trevor for a long time, serving him. But while I was there, she had been my friend. She betrayed her precious Trevor and helped me get out. Drew was a prisoner with me, and when we escaped, we found Oscar, who had been my tutor, and who just happens to be a siren. Oscar had been bitten almost to the point of death. We grabbed him and managed to escape, only to fight a vicious battle in the end.
In the heat of the battle, we were saved by Gavin—who was once my almost-boyfriend—who happened to be Drew’s half-brother. And Christina—Drew’s ex-girlfriend and probably one of the meanest girls I know.
It was a nasty fight, but we are all alive.
The question remains: What happens now?

What it comes down to is this:

On the day of my sixteenth birthday, Sostrate came to us and told us all to prepare for war. She said we all needed to train hard because we were on the brink of war with the vampires, a big war.
It was in that moment I realized this—whatever it was—was never going to be over. Just like my angel grandfather was sent down to rid the world of vampires, I vowed to do the same.

I am Chloe Kallistrate. I am the vampire-killing angel of death.

Short Excerpt 2:

Christina turned me around so I could look in the mirror.
"You look like you’re five years older now, at the very least."
She packed all her things into her bag. She had changed, too, and now her outfit consisted of a tight black dress with short sleeves and lots of zippers. Surprisingly, it did not look as slutty as I thought it might: One zipper for the whole dress and two pocket zippers on the hips, along with two pocket zippers on the breasts. She had on a pair of insanely tall high-heeled black boots. Her normally straight dark hair was done in full, bouncing curls.
Alice, who had picked out a blue-jean skirt and a shimmery white tank top that hung loose down over her hips, eyed Christina curiously. "How can you wear heels all the time? Isn’t it hard to fight with them on?"
Christina zipped her bag shut. "Nope."
"Well, where do you keep your weapons?"
With a slightly annoyed tilt of her head, Christina turned to face Alice and lifted her skirt to show us her thighs.
"First of all, I have these."
She had a knife, sheathed and strapped to each thigh.
"Then there are the guns, knives and pepper spray in my bag, and this," she reached into her boot and extracted another large knife. "There is always a place to keep a weapon. Hunter Girl 101."

This is the FREE part of the prequel series, The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter that I like to always let everyone know about.
The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: Part 1




Author Bio:
Jennifer Malone Wright resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children. Between the craziness of taking care of her children, whose ages range from sixteen all the way down to two years old, and being a homemaker, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on freelance work or her beloved fiction.
When she grew up, Jennifer always had her nose in a book. She has been writing stories and poems since grade school. This love of the written word and her strong interest in the paranormal is what has led to her first novel “The Birth of Jaiden.”
In addition to being a mother and homemaker, Jennifer is also a very proud military wife. Moving around the country for the last ten years has made her a bit of a nomad and she finds it difficult to be in one place for too long.


Author web links: (web, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc)

Friday, January 25, 2013

Q&A with Author of Iscariot: Tosca Lee





1~ How did your opinion of Judas change after 
writing the novel? 


Tosca Lee: Through the writing of the novel, Judas went from being an intriguing infamous character to a lens on the first Century Jewish Everyman... to an Everyman I identified with closely. I was writing my story, ultimately--a story about the tension between love and grace, and our expectations of a God that cannot be controlled. And so the central question became for me: would I have done the same? And the answer is I can't say that, in the situation, I wouldn't have.



2~ And how can you relate our experience as disciples to Judas'?

Tosca Lee:For your second question, Ian--I think it was Baarth who said that all the disciples failed, really. Judas' was just the most spectacular failure. I don't think we always understand or expect what God means for us or what God is doing at the time, and we forget that it's usually something bigger than we could imagine.
I should add, too, that Jesus talked a great deal about how to live, and how to live included a lot of mercy and love. I think we, like the 12 disciples, can get very caught up in the intricacies of faith, in seeking answers, but the biggest answers always seem to boil down to being filled with love and mercy.


 3~ What was the hardest part of the creation of Iscariot?
Tosca Lee: The hardest part of the creation of Iscariot: The first hardest part was deciding to do it, because my initial reaction to Jeff Gerke (who had acquired and published Demon and Havah) and who had suggested I write about Judas was "NO WAY." The second hardest was doing all the research. I had a lot to learn.

 4~Did you learn anything unexpected while writing it?

Tosca Lee:I learned more unexpected things than I have room for here, from the context of the stories we know so well to nuances of the parables formerly lost on me. But the over-arching thing was the context of oppression under Rome. The fact that other would-be Messiahs had risen up in the past, only to be violently put down. You could not safely make a bid at Messiah-ship without risking life and limb, and the freedoms (including religious freedom) Israel already had under Rome. In Jesus' case, it became far safer to silence him than to risk retaliation.




5~ How have people in your church (assuming you have a home church. If not, we'll say people of your faith) reacted to you penning this book?

Tosca Lee:With wide-eyed looks, questions of "why?" and "Wow. That sounds fascinating." Not everyone wants to see a humanized Judas. But for me, I found looking at Jesus through Judas' eyes--and the eyes of the first Century Jewish Everyman--a way to understand Jesus far better. And the story is ultimately about Jesus.

Amazon/Goodreads/Mardel/Barnes&Nobles/Booksamillion






Where to find Tosca:

Website:http://www.toscalee.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tosca-Lee/176692373117

Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/427839.Toscae

Amazon Author Page:http://www.amazon.com/Tosca-Lee/e/B001JPCC42/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1359158087&sr=8-2-ent

Saturday, January 19, 2013

* Interview with Author and Blogger Emily Goodwin*

As part of Bloggers Love Blogger by the Awesome Tamara Beard, I had a chance to do my very first Interview with  Emily Goodwin.You can check out her blog and info on her books here.



Interview Questions:
~ What made you wan to start blogging?
I wanted to have a place where I could connect with fans. I post info about my books (and sometimes my life in general) including stuff like giveaways, contests, current works in progress, and release dates. It's fun to get comments and feedback from readers!

~ What is favorite mythical/paranormal creature ?
Witches. I've always loved magic and the world witches live in. I love reading/writing about the magical drama and trouble witches can get in and I also love how witches have power; I'm definitely a fan of powerful female characters. I grew up watching Charmed; I was convinced that if I practiced enough I could develop telekinetic powers like Prue Halliwell. I have been a witch for Halloween more times than not, and everything magical fascinates me. I think it would be so fun to own and manage a New Age store!

~ Do you rather read YA or Adult?
As long as the story is interesting and the main character (if a female) isn't whinny and wimpy, I don't really have a preference. I've noticed I'm usually drawn to YA covers more, for some reason that I can't really explain.

~ What is something unique about yourself?
I never wear matching socks. For as long as I've been able to dress myself, I've purposely mismatched my socks.

~ Who is your favorite book boyfriend?
Oh gosh, I can only pick one! Well then I'm going to be super lame and say Ethan Bailey from my series The Guardian Legacies. I created him perfectly! (*laughs evil laugh*)

~ Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? If yes,what?
Yes, I have a few. One of my top goals is to finish The Contagium Series. I'm about halfway done writing book #3, which is still untitled, and I plan on diving right into book #4 as soon as I finish. I was able to write two books in 2012 while being a full time nursing student, so this year I'd like to try and write 3 books. I would also like to be more organized...again! I make this resolution every year!

~ What is one thing you will remember about 2012?
I will definitely remember working my butt off to write two books while going to school for 40+ hours a week. It was hard and at times I wanted to give up and focus on one thing at a time. I will definitely remember the feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment of sticking to it and getting everything done! (And of course graduating school lol)

~ What is your favorite color? 
Yellow. It's bright and cheery and happy. My living room is a (golden) shade of yellow. 

~When We Collide by A.L. Jackson Blog Tour~




                                                                                           
William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he’s reached a breaking point and something’s going to give.
Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He’d been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she’s surrendered herself to an existence she doesn’t know how to escape.
When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he’s sworn to never return to again. 
In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they’d once believed they’d have. 
Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before.
But he never imagined what that fight might cost him.  



Review:

Hmmm…Where do I begin? I don’t read many Adult books. I tend to stay on YA books. However, when I read the blurb for When We Collide, I had to know what tore Maggie and William apart. I needed to know if they found their way back to each other. I never imaged the horror that plagued Maggie would stir my soul into feeling her pain and fear. I wanted to reach in a save her, to give her the strength she needed to escape. By the time I got to the part that actually explained what torn them apart, I was so engulfed in the story that I felt like I was living it.
Maggie and William had a love that people dream of having, but they came from two different worlds and her world would not let her live in that love. Maggie is a fragile damaged girl who settles for what she thinks she deserves. William is strong and compassionate boy who wants to show Maggie the lies she had been told all her life are not true. She deserved someone who loved her.
Maggie finally realizes that she is strong enough to fight for against the monsters and horrors that keep her cage up in fear. William decides he will not just idly stand by and let Maggie settle for less than she deserves. However, their freedom to pursue their love may come at a price too high to pay.

On a side note,I have to say I love this book cover!


About The Author:



A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves. 

Friday, January 18, 2013

*Kallos by Khelsey Jackson*




                                                     


                  


Blurb for Kallos:
Kallos is a shy sixteen year old girl unready to face the world, but when she meets Ian and Sean Hunter the world will open up for her. Secrets revealed are too much to bear and her past life as a goddess, unimaginable. In a visit from the goddess Aphrodite, Kallos is told her soul mate must be found or her life will be forfeit. Kallos, desperate to find her one true match has discovered she may have two possibilities. Kallos has a choice to make and her decisions may have life ending consequences.

 Book Info:
 Kallos
    Kallos Series Book #1
     By Khelsey Jackson
Publication Date: January 18, 2013
Published By: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
                                                                        






 Excerpt from Kallos:

“We didn’t have any aftershocks,” Sean replies.
“We also didn’t have someone taking our pain. Maybe we’re
causing more pain.” Ian looks concerned. She feels someone touch
her right arm. She feels a cooling sensation enter her body, but the
pain is still there.
“Babe, look at me,” Sean says.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sean didn’t answer Ian.
“You can’t be serious! What if it doesn’t work? What if you do
more damage?” Kallos finally looks up and notices that Sean isn’t
even looking at Ian. Sean’s gray eyes are looking at her, and they
have gone stormy.
“Good. Where do you hurt?” he asks her.
“My head and my whole left side” she whispers. Sean nods and
puts both of his hands on either side of her head. Along with the
pain, she now feels an intense pressure. It feels like he’s pushing
her skull in. Kallos starts to see dark spots fill her eyes. She is just
about to scream; then, she hears a loud pop. All she can see is
darkness.
“Open your eyes,” Sean whispers against her ear. Kallos didn’t
realize that she had shut them. Slowly, she opens her eyes, and
Sean is only inches from her face. She sees Ian standing not far
behind him. He doesn’t look happy; he looks like he wants to hit
something. “I’m going to put my hands on your body now.” Now,
Ian’s face turns a bright red. If she didn’t know any better, she
would say he’s jealous. Then, he growls when Sean starts to touch
her neck on the left side. Sean hears him because she can see a grin
spread across his face. “Easy, brother,” he says and chuckles.
Kallos glances behind Sean, and Ian isn’t settling down; he seems
to be getting angrier.
“Sean, you don’t know if you are going to help her or do more
damage!” This does alarm her. She really doesn’t want more pain
or damage. Kallos doesn't think she can handle too much more.
She knows that Sean would never hurt her, and her head has
stopped hurting. So, that’s a plus… right?
Sean decides to ignore Ian’s protests. He's moving his hands
slowly down her body. As he does, the same cooling sensation is
there, and so is the pressure. The pressure is almost too much, but
just when Kallos can't handle the pressure, it turns back into
coolness. When Sean gets down to her hip, he pulls his hands away
slowly, and she has no pain. Her head and left side is tingling, but
the pain is gone. She looks back at Ian, and he still looks as angry
as he did when Sean first started touching her.
Kallos thinks back to all the times she has really kissed them,
and she realizes that the other one has never been around. When
they are both around, they would only kiss her cheek or forehead,
and she would always grab both of their hands when they are
together. Looking at Ian now, there is something different about
him. He is Kallos’ sweetheart; she thought that she would never
see him mad.
“Is that better, Babe?” Sean asks, and it brings her attention
back to him.
“It is. What did you do?” she looks into his eyes and notices
that they aren’t stormy anymore.
“It’s part of being part demon. I just took your pain and
replaced it with my cooling energy. That’s why you felt the
coolness.” Kallos remembers something that Ian said, that he could
do more damage.
“How many times have you done this?” Sean looks away from
her and starts to bite his bottom lip. That can’t be a good sign.

Giveaway:
A set of the Kallos Series Ebooks: Acidalia Sean & Ian, Aphrodite’s Curse and Kallos-1 set for every blog.Leave a comment on this post and I will use random.org to pick a winner,the first person who comments will be # 1,second person #2 and so on.Giveaway open until January 26th.Good Luck!





About the Author:



Khelsey hails from the Sunshine State (California) but moved to Minnesota when she was 11 years old. Her grandmother raised her and her brother. When she was 18, she did what any sane teen would do and moved to the city of sin, Las Vegas NV. There she met her handsome husband and the rest is history. She loves to read, and will read almost anything- guess when you have read just about everything, the only next logical step is to write :)
Acidalia: The Beginning of Kallos a short story was released September 15. Sean and Ian, another short in the Kallos Series, is available on Amazon. Kallos will be coming soon from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing!

 Author Links:

Monday, January 14, 2013

~Blog Tour: Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford Blog Tour and Review~




Her blood is toxic to vampires.
   If there is one thing eighteen-year-old Aurora Sky wants, it’s to get off the iceberg she calls home. Being kissed before she graduates wouldn’t hurt either.
Then a near-fatal car wreck changes everything. Secret agents step in and save Aurora’s life in exchange for her services as a vampire hunter. In Alaska.
Basically she’s a glorified chew toy. All thanks to her rare blood type, which sends a vampire into temporary paralysis right before she has to finish the job… by hand.
Aurora is alienating friends at school while attracting attention from the last person she wants noticing her – the dark prince of temptation himself: Fane Donado. And that can’t lead to anything good.

**This is a Young Adult paranormal urban fantasy romance with mild language, violence, and sexual situations. Recommended for ages 15+.
 
Review:
    I enjoyed reading this book.I always like when authors take "the norm" and twist into a fresh new idea.Yes Aurora Sky is a vampire teen romance but the fact that she is a walking weapon is intriguing.The fact that the government uses teens to hunt vampires in exchange for being saves from a fatal accident is a little disturbing,in a good way though.It adds dynamics to the story.I have to say the ending left me gaping at the last page,I need to know what happens next.
Aurora is a evolving character.She goes from "goody two shoes" to "rebellious teenager". However,this rebellion may just be a side effect from her new self. She is torn between duty and desire.She meets some strange characters in her new life when she befriends some "goth" under-classmates.This many prove to be more of a bad thing than a good thing. And the boys in her life seem to complicate things.I do admire Aurora for the brave kick butt girl that she has turned into.


Publisher: Self-Published (Dec. 2012)
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, New Adult/YA

Format: eBook (242 pages)
Source: SupaGurl Tours
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depositor



Author Bio:
Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt – especially ones who go by the name of Buffy. She is the author of the YA paranormal romance trilogy SPELLBOUND. Nikki married Sebastien, the love of her life, while working as a teaching assistant in France. They now reside in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands, 70 miles northeast of Forks, Washington.