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Friday, October 26, 2018

Review: Salt for Air by M.C. Frank

Greek mythology meets The Little Mermaid in this delicious fantasy novel about a quiet, nerdy girl who meets a mer prince in her bathroom. Perfect for fans of The Heroes of Olympus and the Lux series.

Seventeen-year-old Ellie dreams of mermen. She writes fanfiction about them and spends time in underwater kingdoms in her imagination, trying to escape the sad reality: she is an orphan. And not only that, but she’s bullied every day at school -she’s a nerd, she hates sports, she loves books and she used to be overweight. What’s not to bully?

One day, the bullies go too far. They try to drown her, but at the last minute an otherworldly creature shows up in the water. He keeps her breathing and tells her to live: "How will you be able to save anyone if you can't even save yourself?"

She thinks it was a dream, but the emerald-eyed merman boy who rescued her appears in her school the next day. Is he really the exiled prince of an ancient kingdom that's on the brink of utter destruction? And is he asking her to save him? Or is something far more sinister and deadly lurking in the water that surrounds her little Greek town?

When myth and reality collide, can love save their lives


Review:
If you Mermaids, mer-people, Greek Mythology, and of course a heroine whose a little nerdy and an introvert(like many of us bookish people and authors) you'll love this story!
Ellie had me laughing from my beginning with her inner monologue of "yeap no way this is happening, I'm totally crazy". I swear her inner monologues sounds like something like mine!
She also has to contend with real life issues that many teens deal with, mostly unknown to those around them,on a daily basis. I could totally relate to the bullying aspect and creating your own world so you can escape real life problems, it's a self defense mechanism that I do myself,although at her age I hadn't learned to create my own world as I do now, my mind would often wonder to worst case scenarios(I had sick parents and always worried about losing them) until I started drawing then I found reading and learned to fantasize my own worlds and characters because real ones just didn't live up to the happily ever after like in books. But enough about me.
Ellie's real life world collides with fantasy blurring the lines of reality. Now she must deal with regular life problems along with school and home life while she's also faced with the destruction of a fantasy world. If a mere man who resembles someone you created in fanfiction suddenly appears at your school...and in your bathroom insisting he needs your help to save his world and possibly his throne,would you believe him or think you've gone mad? Would you run screaming or say okay? Ellie will surprise you as so does the author with her twists and turns. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster filled with plenty of real life issues and a unique fantasy world filled with creatures of all kinds! Dive into Greek life and Greek Mythology and see it from a whole new perspective. You won't be disappointed,I know I wasn't and now MC Frank has now joined the list of one of my favorites!

                     AMAZON/GOODREADS


The Scythian Trials by Elizabeth Isaacs Blog Tour


The Scythian Trials
Elizabeth Isaacs
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: October 16th 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
Descendants of the Amazons, the Scythians work alongside prominent governments but answer to no one. Warriors living on the fringe of civilization, they live by one credo: Strength through Equality. Power through Knowledge.
Nya Thalestris is the brightest Scythian of her generation. Strong, capable, ruthless,she is sure to earn a spot in the Trials, a time-honored mating ritual responsible for the evolution of her species.
Abducted by their sworn enemy, the Drahzda, Nya is forever altered and spirals out of control. The Society sends in Jax Nickius. Infamous psychologist and one of the most brutal warriors of their kind, he discovers triggers planted in Nya’s mind. As Nya solidifies her spot in the Trials, Jax develops a plan to help her heal—while pursuing her as a mate. But, Nya’s attraction to Jax is at war with her instinct to never let anyone get too close.
During the Trials, Nya’s repressed memories surface, revealing a new enemy—one from inside the consulate walls—and a traitorous alliance on the horizon that could irrevocably change the course of history.
Since before the Bronze Age, the Society has managed to safeguard humanity from itself… until now.

Review: This is  very intriguing, on the edge, and adventurous story. After she's abducted by her enemies and has to contend with triggers they planted, life and the trails become complicated. What does she do when she discovers an enemy closer than she would have ever thought? 

Author Bio:
Elizabeth is an author, teacher, and publishing professional who began her career as a national presenter for Resource Profiles, where she developed teacher seminars designed to foster creative brain stimulation. Moving into formal education, she helped at-risk students improve their writing skills as well as created and implemented a creative writing/blogging program that centered on teaching the 21st-century learner. Works stemming from this initiative were published online and seen in over 40 countries.
Elizabeth receives invitations to speak nationwide at schools and book clubs. She co-founded the popular book site, Chirenjenzie, which reaches thousands of people throughout the world. The writer support and reader interest group promotes and interacts with followers on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and various other blog sites. Elizabeth has a Master's degree from Austin Peay State University, where she studied classical opera. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.
"The Light of Asteria" received Honorable Mention at the New York Book Festival. Her newest work, "The Scythian Trials" will be released in 2017 by Vesuvian Media.
For more information, please visit www.elizabethisaacs.com

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Broken Arrow Tour


Broken Arrow
Azaria M.J. Durant
(Darkened Destiny Saga #1)
Publication date: July 29th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
An ancient power long kept dormant stirs in the shadows once more as one boy embarks on a quest to earn his freedom and the freedom of his world!
Magic has turned to myth, the Vaelhyreans of old to legend, and the power wielded by the ancients has long been forgotten. However, with Ealdred, a mere half-breed slave boy, myth becomes real, the forgotten remembered, and the power of legend is reborn within him.
Ealdred is merged into a world of mystery, brimming with deceit, where the remaining Vaelhyreans are in a desperate fight for their very survival. When Ealdred is kidnapped by the power-mongering dark lord Zeldek himself, he must make a choice; tocommit his newfound magic to Zeldek’s service or die. But when he meets Bellator, clever yet treacherous servant of Zeldek, an alternative is presented to him: to escape from Zeldek’s stronghold and embark on a quest to find a cursed arrow and free the Vaelhyreans from the spell that keeps their powers at bay.
Yet how can he survive in a world where magic is illegal, half-breeds are hated, and the four countries are on the brink of war?

Guest Post Top 5 favourite childhood memories.


1. Ice skating with my dad for my birthday. When I was a kid, I had this dream of being an ice dancer. I’d already done some ballet, but I’d never gone ice skating before. So on my birthday that year, I asked my dad if he could take me. It took some convincing, but he finally agreed, and the week after my birthday, we went ice skating. The snow hadn’t fallen yet that year (my birthday is the first week of December), but I remember it being really cold anyways. On the way we stopped at Tim Hortons. I tried mint tea for the first time, and really loved it. We got there, and I put on my skates, and got onto the ice. And promptly fell. My dad helped me get up, and taught me how to skate. It was the best hour of my life. I glided on the slick ice. A lady came by and said she had never seen someone learn as fast as I had. I was so puffed up with pride that I got a bit cocky, and fell flat on my back, smashing my head on the ice.  I felt sick and dizzy after that, but I only sat down for a minute before I was up again and skating. This time I was a bit more careful, and when it was time to go home, I’d had the time of my life. Unfortunately, I’ve never gone ice skating again. And besides, right after that I discovered that writing was my calling.

2. Sword-fighting with my siblings. Having a lot of siblings means having a lot of opponents to practice your swordsmanship skills on. This was one of my favourite memories; playing outside all hours of the day living an intense battle between men and orcs, fighting both invisible and real foes, and winning glory and fame! One day I was a warrior princess who was renowned for her skill with the sword, the next I was an elf, and the next, a common village girl who rose above the rest and stopped an attack on her town. It was a lot of fun.

3. Staying up late for hours talking with my sisters about our stories. I’m the third oldest in a family of thirteen kids, smack dab between two girls. Growing up, we were each other’s best friends. We used to sit up for hours at night and talk about everything and nothing, laugh hysterically for hours, and then finally pass out long after midnight. That’s where a lot of story ideas happened.

4. Playing out stories with my sister, Tabitha. Much of my childhood was made up of playing make believe stories. My older sister grew bored of it, but Tabitha (the sister closest in age to me who also happens to be a writer now, and my best friend) was always there to play out the stories that I came up with.  Those were the best moments of my childhood, steeped in both of our wild and wacky imaginations.

5. Christmas. I’m really just a child at heart, so Christmas is still a big delight for me. But my parents really made Christmas magical with their own added traditions. There was a time when my parents woke us all up right after we’d gone to bed, and took us out into the van to drive around and look at all of the Christmas lights with some hot chocolate. Or the time my mom my mom filled a metal garbage can with sweets and kept it outside in the snow because we didn’t have room in the freezer for all of the chocolates and cookies she’d made. The tradition of putting up the tree on my birthday also really made me feel special. A lot of my best childhood memories are from the holiday season.


Author Bio:
Azaria M. J. Durant is a young, passionate writer of fantasy with plans to branch out into sci-fi and dystopian. She enjoys writing stories with action, adventure, unexpected plot twists, and fleshed out characters that challenge gender roles and expectations.
Azaria lives in Atlantic Canada with her family, cats, and dogs, and her big dreams to travel the world. In the moments when she isn’t writing, she is sketching concept art for her stories, participating in community theatre, or curled up with a good book and a bag of mint chocolates.

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Saturday, October 20, 2018

The Maiden Blog Tour


Maiden
Teresa A. Harrison
(The Lightwalker Series, #1)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: October 13th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Marta and Jayme are childhood friends with different beliefs. Marta dreams of becoming a healer. Jayme has been schooled by the black-coats, a group of priests who claim women are inferior, and he fears Marta is jeopardizing her eternal future.
Despite a heated debate over Marta’s soul, Jayme betrays her to the priests. The consequences of this betrayal change Marta’s life forever and sends Jayme on his own journey.
After a brutal massacre, Marta awakens deep in the forest overcome with grief for her lost sisters, but the world will not let her rest. The tragedy has changed her. She hears the call of nature, eventually steering her toward a small cottage in the wilderness. There she learns of nature’s magic and what it means to be a LightWalker. The path is there for her to follow. If she’s strong enough to embrace it…


Author Bio:
Teresa Harrison grew up in Decatur, Illinois, and graduated from Eureka College with a BA in Speech and Theatre. She has a son and daughter-in-law and now two beautiful grandchildren.
She met her husband, Glenn, while on a spiritual journey to Sedona, AZ. They realized they had something special, but they lived on opposite edges of North America. Two years later, she joined Glenn in Southern California.
Teresa has been studying spiritual topics for nearly 40 years and is a Reiki Master, a Breathwork Facilitator, an herbalist and teacher. She has studied Universal Laws, Reincarnation, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation and many other spiritual topics.
Teresa has been reading and telling stories her whole life, and now she has finally written one of them down.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Frequently Blog Tour


Frequency
by Christopher Krovatin
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: October 2nd 2018
Entangled Teen

Summary:

Five years ago, Fiona was just a kid. But everything changed the night the Pit Viper came to town. Sure, he rid the quiet, idyllic suburb of Hamm of its darkest problems. But Fiona witnessed something much, much worse from Hamm’s adults when they drove him away.

And now, the Pit Viper is back.

Fiona’s not just a kid anymore. She can handle the darkness she sees in the Pit Viper, a DJ whose wicked tattoos, quiet anger, and hypnotic music seem to speak to every teen in town…except her. She can handle watching as each of her friends seems to be overcome, nearly possessed by the music. She can even handle her unnerving suspicion that the DJ is hell-bent on revenge.

But she’s not sure she can handle falling in love with him. 



PURCHASE LINKS CAN BE FOUND HERE: https://entangledpublishing.com/frequency.html



About the Author
Chris Krovatin is an author and journalist of some ill repute. His past novels include Heavy Metal & You, Venomous, and the Gravediggers series. He is a contributor to Revolver Magazine and MetalSucks.net, and formerly sang in Brooklyn-based metal band Flaming Tusk. He is an avid fan of weird fiction, the occult, horror movies, heavy metal music, and Halloween. A native New Yorker, he now lives in Denver, Colorado.

GIVEAWAY:

Blog Tour Organized by:

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

Lady of a Thousand Treasures Special Scavenger Hunt Blog Hop



Welcome to  Lady of a Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd Scavenger Blog Hunt with an awesome giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!  On each stop, there will be:
  • special content by the blogger, plus
  • a clue
  • then head back to the launch post on JustRead or straight to the main crossword puzzle to fill in the words and get the special phrase to enter the  giveaway!
Before we begin, there's a bit about Lady of a Thousand Treasures. 


ABOUT THE BOOK



Title: Lady of a Thousand Treasures
Series: Victorian Ladies, Book 1
Author: Sandra Byrd
Publisher: Tyndale House
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Genre: Historical/Gothic Romance
Links: Goodreads


Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.

Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.

With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.

Review:
A story filled with intrigue and mystery with a dash of romance interwoven with loss,heartache survival,independence, intellect,and treasure of the physical and emotional nature.  In a world where women are not seen as independent people but must rely on a man for financial stability, one woman seeks to combat that tradition for the sake of her family's legacy and her heart. But when she has to make a crucial decision is laid before her the struggle for her financial stability and her heart becomes the deciding factor of her future. Can she trust the man who broke her heart with the treasure he was supposed to inherit and her heart or will it all shatter at her feet? I absolutely love this era and the author did well depicting the time period and the creativeness of the characters and story are a masterpiece!

TO PURCHASE A COPY*

Goodreads | Amazon | iTunes | Christian Book | Book Depository | Books-A-Million


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published fifty books.

Sandra's delighted to kick off her new historical romance series with Tyndale House Publishers, Victorian Ladies, with Lady of a Thousand Treasures. The three-book Victorian Ladies series follows her historically sound Gothic romances, Daughters of Hampshire, launched with the bestselling Mist of Midnight, which earned a coveted Editor's Choice award from the Historical Novel Society. The second book, Bride of a Distant Isle, has been selected by Romantic Times as a Top Pick. The third in the series, A Lady in Disguise, was published in 2017. Check out her contemporary adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2011, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.

Sandra has published dozens of books for kids, tweens, and teens, including the bestselling The One Year Be-Tween You and God Devotions for Girls. She continued her work as a devotionalist, with The One Year Home and Garden Devotions, and The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional.

Please visit www.sandrabyrd.com to learn more or to invite Sandra to your book club via Skype.

CONTACT: website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram


SCAVENGER HUNT CROSSWORD PUZZLE


Instructions: Head to every stop on the tour to collect a word to finish the crossword puzzle. Hint: You might want to print out the crossword puzzle (link below) and enter it everyday to make it easier.

Crossword Board: https://crosswordlabs.com/view/lady-of-a-thousand-treasures-scavenger-hunt

Not a crossword puzzle fan? Just compile the clue words from each stop and enter it on the Rafflecopter entry.

This stop's CLUE is:  all



TOUR GIVEAWAY




(1) winner will receive:
  • a copy of Lady of a Thousand Treasures (print to US addresses OR ebook to international)
  • Cork coaster set of the British Isles (US Only)
  • "To The Lighthouse" diffuser made by Seawitch Candles in Cornwall, England. (US Only)
  • $10 Amazon gift card (open international)
Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 15, 2018 and lasts through 11:59pm October 22, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.




Be sure to stop on every stop on the Tour Schedule for all the clues to enter!




TOUR SCHEDULE


For the full tour schedule, click on either of the launch pages below.
(All stops expected to post by 12:00 NOON EST)

Launch Page at JustRead

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Review: An Unpresentable Glory by Eleanor Gustafson

 Linda Jensen leads a relatively quiet life in Westchester County, New York, as the owner of a highly-acclaimed garden. Inherited from her parents, the garden is her pride and joy. What is not so joyful is finding a strange man sprawled near her delphiniums! The mysterious man is sick, unable to do anything more than drink water—and beg for secrecy. Ignoring all alarm bells, Linda sees to his needs, but her caring act takes on unexpected significance, an unpresentable glory.


Seeds of trust, and perhaps love, are planted in Linda’s garden haven. But as secrets are revealed and scandal hits the headlines, the act of caring for this man threatens to tarnish both of their reputations. Like weeds in Linda’s garden, circumstances threaten to choke out their fledgling relationship, and small moments prove to be the biggest influencers—on a national scale.
 

Review:
his was the first book I've read by the author and I was blown away! Very good story and great depiction of real life struggles! A gripping story full of emotions. It helped me remember God is always there and moving in our lives even if we don't see it.
                                   AMAZON 

Monday, October 15, 2018

The Dragon Heart Series by L.L. Hunter

Title: The Dragon Heart Series
Author: L.L. Hunter
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Illustrator: Arnild Aldepolla
Publication Date: November 30th, 2018
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Blurb:
Framed for a crime he didn't commit, 18 year old Ash Brandon finds himself being whisked away to what he thought was jail. Until he wakes up the next morning feeling really strange. But what's more strange are the people he meets.
When Ash discovers he is going through a frightening new metamorphosis, he has no choice but to trust these people.
Until he meets their beautiful young daughter, Eva, his whole outlook on life changes and she helps him accept who he was destined to become.
For they are the Keepers, and he is a Dragon Heart.
Buy Links:
Blurb:
I remember excruciating pain.
I remember unimaginable heat.
I remember an undeniably beautiful young woman.
But I’m not sure whether these things are real.
One year ago, Ash Brandon was framed and sent to an unknown realm where he learnt his fate. A fate where he held the blood of an ancient line of Dragon shifters called Dragon Hearts. The thing is, he can no longer remember. All he knows is that he is a nineteen-year-old guy who wants to study architecture and one day, take over the family business.
Then two beautiful girls show up in his life — one who is sexy as hell and could be the woman of his dreams, while the other claims to have known him from a past he cannot remember. Only there is one thing he can’t wrap his mind around — Why does he crave each of the girls?
A now eighteen-year-old Eva, a powerful Dragon Heart Keeper from the Dragon Realm, is punished by her parents and sent to the earthly realm by her witch maiden. Her memories have all been wiped clean, but why can she still remember Ash, and the undeniable bond they once shared?
Emily is a Siren princess, and she always gets what she wants. When she sets her sights on Ash, all bets are off. She will make him hers — if only his Keeper weren’t in the way.
Will Ash discover who he truly is before it’s too late? Or will his deadly addiction to both girls get him killed?
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Eva and Ash thought they were safe.
What they don’t know is someone is watching their every move.
As the bounty on their head looms, Eva will do anything to protect Ash, even if it means trusting the enemy.
Ash must learn to work with Henry if he is to survive, and Eva must put up with both boys—and her feelings for them.
But their plan to escape the clutches of Eva's father is ruined when the trio is separated.
To find their way back together, they must all confront their own demons—in order for them to confront the Man with the Fire in his Eyes.
When you’re the last of the Dragon Hearts, everyone hungers for your blood.
Crave Love. Crave Blood. Crave Death.
Buy Links:
Blurb:
Ash and Eva have been reunited.
Henry has found his brother.
Happily ever after.
The end. Right?
Wrong.
They may be together, but all is not what it seems.
They soon discover everyone has their own goals.
Some want freedom. Some want blood. And most want answers.
Who will lose their life in the thirst for power?
Alliances will be forged, battles will be fought, and lines will be drawn.
In the thrilling conclusion to the Dragon Heart series, will Eva and Ash finally have their happily ever after?
Crave Power. Crave Blood. Crave Freedom.
Buy Links:
Blurb:
There is a place that is parallel to you and me, but yet it is not.
It does not have a name nor has it ever been mapped.
The only thing we know about this place is that it is filled with every creature you have ever heard of, but some you have not.
How do we know so much about this place you may ask?
Turn the page and discover for yourself.
For these are just a handful of stories from some of the creatures that live there…
Based on L.L. Hunter’s bestselling fantasy series,
This colouring book features scenes from all four books in the Dragon Heart world.
L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. 

She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog - http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.

Friday, October 12, 2018

The Gathering: The Ivy Blackwood Chronicles by L.A. Fiore

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  Words like unnatural and impure started the whispers. From the very beginning, Ivy Blackwood was different. She was only a child when she was accused of setting the fire, one she passively watched engulf the small house she had called home. Her fingertips burned and her hair singed. Some who watched her crossed themselves, convinced she was soulless for she showed no emotion at all. Calm and dispassionate, even when the screaming started that quickly turned to bellows of agony before dying into nothing but the roaring of the fire. She was locked away where she couldn’t bring harm to herself or others. To all involved, they had protected the world from a monster, but sometimes things are not what they seem.

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  LA Fiore is a hybrid author of thirteen novels. She believes in a happily ever after, but she likes to make her readers work for it. When she's not writing, she can usually be found in the garden or hanging on the deck with her family and friends. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two kids and their four fur babies.

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