Book Blast: $100 Amazon Giftcard- Keegan's Chronicles


I Am A Reader, Not A Writer


All three books in the Keegan Chronicles in one book!

Coexist
Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Conflicted

Keegan, is only alive now due to Black Magic, and her bond with her Chosen is broken. She cannot remember Rourk at all.

For the first time, she feels like a normal teenager. She is dating Donald, her long-time crush, and everything seems perfect. But Rourk still feels their bond, and despairs for the woman he was always meant to love.

Keegan's best friend Anna is determined to find a way to use her powers to return Keegan's bond, no matter what it takes. The question is does Keegan even want it?

Consumed: 


Keegan has dealt with a lot over the last two years: Death, black magic and the loss of her bond to her chosen mate. But on her eighteenth birthday, the bond with Rourk returns.

Now, Keegan faces her hardest decision. Tradition requires elves marry at eighteen. If she accepts the path laid out for her, she will be spared a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. But will that life ever really be her own?

Praise for Keegan's Chronicles:
If you pick up this book, I'm sure it will not disappoint, it had everything, it was cute, yet dark..and well that combo just makes for a perfect book on my shelf, Julia has truly written an amazing read. (: 
-- Haley @ Ya-aholic.com
Purchase
Amazon * Nook * iBooks



Author Julia Crane

Julia Crane is the author of the YA paranormal fiction novels: Keegan's Chronicles, Mesmerized, Dark Promise and Eternal Youth. Julia was encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she's believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.

Julia Crane has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Links
Giveaway:

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 9/12/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.*




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Dark Tidings Blog Tour: Book Excerpt & Giveaway

 
Book Excerpt from Dark Tidings by Ken Magee
 
Way back in the medieval mists of time, long before most people counted which century was which, Tung shivered violently on an ice-cold, stone floor.
Dark, dank and putrid were the words an ancient estate agent might have used to glamorise this miserable dungeon. There were no words horrible or nauseating enough to describe what it was really like. To be fair though, it was not all bad, at least the green slime, which oozed like pus from small cracks in the walls, added some colour to the drab greyness
 
Tung huddled in the darkest corner of the freezing, granite cell wishing he was dead. He would not have to wait long for his wish to come true because he was due to be tortured to death the very next day. Now he just prayed for sleep, because sleep would give him merciful nothingness before the excruciating morning.
Roll on death, he thought, it could not come a moment too soon. He was soaking wet, bruised, starving and parched with thirst. Yes, roll on death
 
By some miracle his brain dragged his racked body into an uneasy slumber. Thank all the gods for sleep, at least he had not been denied that last sanctuary. His nightmares replayed his pathetic life as his subconscious tried to figure out how he had ended up in this tragic predicament. The work of the devil, no doubt… with a little help from his fiends
 
Blurb 
What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is certain, modern life will never be the same again.

A thousand years ago, a young thief, Tung, and a disgraced wizard, Madrick, are thrust together in an executioner’s dungeon.

In the darkness, Madrick reveals an incredible secret about a legendary spell. The great spell helps them escape their prison cell... and eventually their century.

Catapulted into the present day, their lives collide with Michael, a computer hacker who plans to destroy the world’s largest bank. But sinister people are tracking their every move and they will stop at nothing to steal their spell.

Add to Goodreads!


Author Bio:

Deep down, I have always wanted to be a writer. Like a lot of people, I was sure there was at least one book in me and I wanted to get it out. Unfortunately life intervened and it decided that I needed a career that would feed the family, so I worked for many years in the IT industry in a variety of roles including programming, sales and eventually CEO. Just to complicate things, in the middle of all this, I also served in the British Royal Naval Reserve for five years.

In 2010, I semi-retired and decided it was time to finish the book I had started writing years earlier. I don’t think any of the original book survived the process, although it did remain a Fantasy novel because that’s my real passion! Even as a young boy, I loved Fantasy and Science Fiction books and, if they had a good sprinkling of comedy, then I was happy. Harry Harrison and the Stainless Steel Rat probably paved the path which eventually led to the likes of Terry Pratchett. I would love to think that my first book at least hints at those influences. One review seemed to think so, and that really pleased me…

“Imagine the worlds of Terry Pratchett and Dan Brown coming together - Dark Tidings provides a witty and clever read that will appeal to all readers.”

I am married with two grown up children, and two dogs. I love reading, writing and words. I have a keen interest in music (mainly rock), technology, movies, travel and the Internet. To keep fit I play badminton when I get the time… and I walk the dogs even when I don’t get the time.

Buy the book:

Amazon.co.uk (Paperback)
Amazon.co.uk (Ebook)

Amazon.com (Paperback)

Amazon.com (Ebook)

B&N
Stalk the author:

Blog

Twitter

Giveaway:

Leave me a comment with your email address to be entered to win a giveaway of an ebook of Dark Tidings by Ken Magee. Giveaway ends 9th December!

5 extra entries if you comment on this post Ken Magee's top 5 favourite books!

 
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Riven Blog Tour: Guest Post & #Giveaway #RIVENDAY

Welcome to a tour stop for the Riven blog tour! Riven is the third book in a series from author Alivia Anders! Check out this awesome guest posst from Alivia Anders and the giveaway below!
 
2012 has probably been both the best and worst year of my short, fresh 21-year-old life.
Here we are, merely days from DECEMBER, and to sum up the events of the last 11 months would be hard. As both an author and person, I have seen supreme highs and devastating lows, unexplained stretches of gratitude and acts of plagiarism that continue to haunt me. But you know what?
I wouldn't trade it for the world.
When January 7th, 2012 came into clear view early this year, I was a wild, nervous wreck. My research of the indie and self-published world was solid, but that didn't mean I wasn't riding with a saddlebag of fear along the way. Illumine was fresh out of the gate, unveiled to the masses I had yet to meet, and while I understood what needed to be done to get it into the hands of readers, I had still been vastly unsure of how exactly to do that without looking like every other author out there. It was through some random chance encounters, both online and offline, that shot Illumine into various reader pools, and ultimately started to open a few doors in a long line of potential hope.
Fast forward to July 7th, 2012. This time, I'm prepared; Obumbrate had been written in advance, prepped and tested, advance reviews and ARCs, the works. The magic that sparked a drive within me to keep pursuing my dream flared to life. In some ways, I felt like Essallie; fire budding in my chest, ready to expel from my hands with a single thought. Those first few doors that unlocked and opened to me now have opened so many more, leaving me with a stretch of new friends and authors, bloggers and more.
Now here we are, dancing in a tour for Riven, and its release date of December 7th. And I can say with a strong, powerful certainty that with each book I write, the drive to keep writing only grows stronger. There isn't enough hours in the day to write everything that buzzes in my head, isn't enough paper to keep down the oddball notes I jot when an idea hits. On average, I carry 2-3 notebooks, all filled with writings, and add to them as a new idea hits, building and snowballing them until a full story forms with perfect clarity.
My hope with Riven is that you will laugh, you will cry, and you'll see why everything I have set-out in Illumine and Obumbrate was left untouched and hanging in the wind. Writing Riven played on my own heart, more than anything I have written to date, and my hope is that it will do that for you, too.
 



Blurb:
Captured, imprisoned, and left to burn.
You know what they say- where there's smoke there's fire...

For the last two weeks, Essallie Hanley has been a prisoner, in more ways than one. Held hostage by the Queen, she is forced to endure the mind-numbing pain tearing her body- and soul -apart, killing her with every tick of the clock. It seems all hope is lost, until one chance moment gives Essallie a name, Rinae Decante, the final person needed for the Queen to unveil her master plan to end Essallie. Armed with this name, and with the help of Ari and Kayden, Essallie breaks free from her captivity and launches in a search for this mystery girl.

But their search doesn't go as smoothly as planned, and the three soon find themselves fighting against an impenetrable course of fate aimed to destroy them all from the inside out. When Essallie falls victim to her altering soul, they all begin to wonder of there's any chance at all to save themselves from the burning effects of their actions.

Love, lies, and betrayal.
No one is safe from the undoing of secrets surrounding Essallie.
Riven will be available to buy on the 7th December!
Why not check out the other books in the series?
Illumine by Alivia Anders (Book 1)
For the past five months Essallie Hanley has been trying to forget about the frightening murder of her boyfriend. Haunted by vivid nightmares and hallucinations of the event she does anything she can to pretend she's like every other normal girl in High School.

Only Essallie is far from normal. Able to conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, she seeks the only known solace left to her name; her first home in Belfast, Maine.

But she soon realizes that her return home is only the beginning of a long and twisted road taking her as far from her humanity as possible, with Kayden, the demon originally summoned to slaughter her, leading the way. Unable to touch her but oddly curious, he joins Essallie in her search to find out just what she is. But neither of them were prepared for the secrets they've begun to unravel, secrets that will change Essallie and everyone around her forever.
Obumbrate by Alivia Anders (Book 2)
Essallie Hanley just wishes her life could go back to normal. But what's normal when you carry the burden of knowing you're a half-angel created for war, that the only person who can help you is a demon still waiting to kill you, and that your only chance for salvation lied in a boy who died in front of you?

If Essallie had turned her back on everything she'd learned, she could have made the most of her fractured life. That is, until Kayden told her that she's a ticking time-bomb; that at any given moment her blood could betray her, her veins burning her alive from the inside out until nothing but ash remains.

Desperate to find answers, and possibly find her only chance for survival, Essallie heads back for New York City, back to the place where it all began. With every answer comes a price, and with every price the risks and rewards become greater. But when Essallie soon finds herself the target of an unknown hunter determined to kill her, she's at wits' end. That is, until a fellow Nephilim named Ari steps in. But is Ari a piece of the puzzle to her salvation, or the promise of her demise?
About the author:

Alivia Anders was thirteen when she fell headfirst into the world of internet fanfic and RPG-forum board sites that showed her the 'back door' into the world of writing. Four years and many hours spent glued to a computer screen later she found her true calling in writing.

Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn't so intolerant to dairy she'd live at her local ice cream shop called The Inside Scoop.
You can say hi to Alivia on her Facebook Fan Page- http://facebook.com/aliviaanders

Alivia Anders Twitter


RIVEN Official Blog Tour + RELEASE DAY PARTY Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/381073831961610/406625919406401


Alivia Anders Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/aliviaanders


The Illumine Series Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheIllumineSeries


The Illumine Series Official Website: http://www.theillumineseries.com/



 
 
 
 


 
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Giveaway: $100 Amazon Giftcard- Wisteria by Bisi Leyton

 

Title: Wisteria
Author: Bisi Leyton
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: Aug 2012
Number of pages: 275
Cover Artist: Olivia Smith
 
 


Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.







Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.







Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.
 
Praise for Wisteria:


“I love the buildup of this story, getting to know the characters and watching their connection grow. I had no idea which way the story was headed and I was kept in suspense right up to the very end! It has plenty of action and a fascinating plot and I can’t wait to see what Bisi Leyton has for us next!!”

~ Naomi Hop
 
Purchase:

 
 

Author Bisi Leyton:
Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.
She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

Links




Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
 
Giveaway:
 

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/5/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.*

 


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YA Feature: Dianne Gardner


The Author- Dianne Gardner 

Now on AmazonI'm both an author and illustrator living the Pacific Northwest. Having really started my writing career doing interviews and articles for the National League of Pen Women's Magazine I found the desire for creativity was pulling me into fiction. I've always loved fantasy. It was my favorite thing to read when I was young, I was such a dreamer. I think something happens to a person when they get older that they realize if there's something you haven't done in your life, now is the time. Well, I had never written what was in my heart in a full length novel. I've painted it. But paintings leave so much to the viewer to interpret, that oftentimes what the artist really wants to say is overlooked. It was time for me to write.

 
A lot of my life has been pretty darn colorful. Sometimes very dark, but always unusual. I spent many years living out in the desert wilderness of the American Southwest, lived in a hogan made from adobe and cedar for thirteen years, co-owned 25 horses both pure bred and Native American ponies, traveled horseback and by wagon throughout the Navajo reservation, herded sheep and goat, worked in the forest planting trees and piling, farmed on barren soil and even lived in a teepee for a short while. I spent many long years using survival skills as a way of life.

Later my life turned around and I found a purpose in Christ. I studied pastoral counseling and was a Pastor's apprentice at a mainline church which ultimately has led us to feeding the homeless for over thirteen years. Today I'm able to draw on both my survival experiences and my passion for people, especially young people,to write. My stories are for entertainment, yes, but you might just find some subtle soul searching answers in them as well, and they will always stress an appreciation for nature.

The Books

The Ian's Realm series began I think because I've always wanted to paint a dragon. ( It's funny, but I have always believed that dinosaurs were really dragons.) That's when the story started taking shape. Here was this monster in this other world that someone needed to confront. And he couldn't be a super hero. What would the challenge be in that? No. There are too many dragons in our lives that having a superhero come and destroy them would be just too easy. My hero had to be an everyday boy, maybe even a bit on the timid side, who doesn't want to confront a dragon much less kill it.

And the dragon was so beautiful, wouldn't it be just like people to worship it no matter what it did to them?


Some bookie questions

Favourite genre and why?

I love fantasy, especially YA. Stories about other worlds are like parables. Many authors use them as such. Think of all the Dystopian novels that warn us what might happen if..? A good fantasy, like Lord of the Rings, can show the human race the rut that they are in and where it's going without offense and in a way that makes people think. Fantasy can have a big part if shaping our lives and making us aware of reality.


Favourite book series and why?

Narnia. I love the simplicity of the series and how it touches the heart.

Favorite author and why?

C.S. Lewis. He spoke to both children and adults about the value of life in its simplest form.I think Lewis understood more about life than many of us will ever know.

An author you would recommend my readers check out?

I think no matter what YA readers pick up, they should familiarize themselves with the classics. Through the Looking Glass, Mark Twain's work, the Narnia series, Tolkien, and even some Shakespeare. For modern days authors Richard Schmidt, Rick Riordan, and of course I'd like to recommend my series. Young adults are enjoying my books!

Buy Deception Peak:
 

Stalk the author

Blog with all sorts of work in progress reports for the next four books and short stories in the making, how to build a yurt, sailing on a tall ship, a place for fan art and more...http://dragontargeseries.blogspot.com/

Twitter @DianneGardner

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Embrace Blog Tour: Teaser of The Gryphon Series, Embrace!

Author Stacey Rourke has stopped by today with a teaser of the second book in The Gryphon Series, Embrace!
My head snapped up and my cheeks burned. “Wha…?!” Picture of eloquence, that’s me.
 
“Saturday. A date. You, me, dinner? Yah’ve heard of this concept, yeah?”
“Yes, the concept is somewhat foreign to me, but I’ve heard of it,” I answered. Still fearing this was some kind of joke, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why? Why are you asking me out?”
 
His expression was equal parts amusement and confusion. “Because if I don’t ask ya the chance of ya actually showin’ up on the date is highly unlikely, isn’t it?”
An abrupt—and incredibly loud—laugh erupted out of me. “True. But why? Why would you ask out the freaky purring girl?”
 
“Yar laugh is amazin’.” He grinned. Another wave of heat rushed through me. “And because from the moment I laid eyes on ya I knew there was somethin’ different about ya. The purrin’ just supported the theory. So, would ya like to go out with me?”
 
“Yes, I’d like to. Go on a date. With you. Please.” Smooth, huh?
 
On her way to another table, Sophia passed behind me. “Give him your number.”
“My what? Oh! My number! I have a number!” I scribbled it on my order pad and tore off the page to hand to him.
 
His chin jerked up slightly. “Who do I ask for when I call?”
I agreed to go on a date with a guy before I even knew his name, or told him mine. Please, don’t tell my mother.
 
“Celeste.” I chewed on my lower lip and I brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
 
He caught my raised hand and drew it gently to him. His emerald eyes stayed locked on mine, as he bowed his head to brush his lips across the back of my hand. Tingles of excitement tracked up my arm and down my spine. I clamped my teeth together to stifle the purr that threatened to escape.
 
“It’s nice to formally meet ya, Celeste. The name’s Caleb.”
Blurb: Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her. Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.
 
 
 
About Stacey Rourke: Writing is something I have always done. I can remember in elementary school creating stories that I would stand up and read aloud to my classmates…whether they liked it or not. As I grew older I didn’t flaunt my writing as freely. It became something I did just for me to vent my teenage angst, or chronicle my journey to adulthood. I never thought about becoming a writer because that title prompted the visual of a grey-haired man in a tweed smoking jacket with suede elbow patches, slaving over an old fashion typewriter while puffing away on a pipe. No way was that stuffy kind of life for me. (Plus tweed is itchy.) Instead I wanted to be in the spotlight! I wanted to be–pause for dramatic effect–an actress! I gave it my best shot, too. Got about as far as any aspiring actress can get in Flint, Michigan. Which is exactly no where. But I did get two great things out of my time delving into the theatrical world; I gained the ability to act out the scenes I write to make sure they’re believable (yes, I really do that and no, you can’t watch) and I met my amazing husband. My theater ambitions behind me, I decided to do the “mature,” “grown up” thing and went back to college. As I worked toward my Bachelor’s degree in marketing I did a lot of writing. Essays, research papers, PowerPoint presentations. All of it mandatory, none of it what I would ever call fun. Even then, becoming a writer never entered my mind. No, then I was going to be a business tycoon…or somethin’. Truth be told, I never picked writing. It picked me. During my time as a stay at home mom I needed an outlet to give me a mental break from diapers, formula and midnight feedings. That’s when my hands found their way back to the keyboard. Story ideas began coming at such an incessant rate that my rapidly clicking fingers couldn’t keep up. Post-It notes and scrapes of paper with story ideas decorated every inch of our house. In mid-conversation with my husband I would dart off to jot down things that would come to me. Sweet guy my hubby is, he would just shake his head at my obvious rudeness and hold my place in the conversation. My first book was completed for an entire year before I told anyone about it. I outed myself as an author and then sent out my first round of query letters to literary agents. Surely, it would be picked up immediately and become an overnight success! Yeah, not so much. For two years I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection…you get the idea. Thankfully with the ever increasing pile of rejections came feedback. I digested all the suggestions and applied the usable ones to my manuscript. Little by little, the rough edges were chipped away and the diamond shone through. The work paid off when I received an email from a publisher offering me a contract on The Conduit. It’s been a long road, and it ain’t over yet. But now, at thirty-mumble, mumble years old I finally know what I wanna be when I grow up–-a writer.  
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