Dark Tidings Blog Tour: Guest Post- Ken Magee's top 5 authors!

 

 

Ken Magee’s top 5 authors

 

This was hard because I love so many types of books and admire so many authors. You’d probably get a slightly different answer depending on what mood I’m in when you ask. My number 1 never changes though. Here’s the list as it stands today… modesty made me exclude myself and my ‘ancient magic meets the Internet’ series!

 

1. Terry Pratchett

 

The man is a genius and his books are hilarious. He has greatly influenced my writing and I was thrilled when a number of reviews for my books likened my style to his. I love nearly all his books although I think my favourite is Mort. I want to live in Discworld.

 

  2. Grant Naylor

 

This is a bit of a cheat because Grant Naylor is actually two authors, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. They combined names when they wrote the fantastic Red Dwarf books. I loved the early TV series of Red Dwarf and expected to be disappointed when I read the books later. How wrong I was, the books were brilliant with the humour shining through stronger that in the television show. I loved the ‘Better than Life’ book best.

 

 

 

  3. Pete McCarthy

 

One of my favourite books of all time is McCarthy’s Bar by Pete McCarthy. It’s a gentle comedy masterpiece which tracks his journey along the west coast of Ireland. We meet an array of wonderful characters and along the way he introduces us to his ‘Rules of Travel’... rule 8 being ‘Never pass a bar that has your name on it.’ I follow all his rules on my travels, but luckily there aren’t too many Magee pubs.

 

 

4. Douglas Adams

 

Following on from Pete, we have another travel guide! Douglas Adams must be one of the most creative writers ever. His Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a classic example of his work. I tend not to use expressions like ‘a must read’, but this books merits it without a doubt. Read it now.

 

5. Dan Brown

 

There are plenty of better writers, but there are few better at weaving complex conspiracy theories. The man seems to be able to make crazy ideas sound believable. In particular, I loved The Da Vinci Code, both book and film.

 

 

 

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

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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Once upon a baby by A Tale of Adoption by Shari Guess

Once Upon a Baby: A Tale of Adoption by Shari Guess

A heartwarming tale of LDS Adoption. Follow a child's journey from the Pre-existence to his family's home on Earth. The divine guidance of the Savior, along with the love and prayers of both birth and adoptive parents are gently and lovingly portrayed in this tender story of the ultimate "Happily ever after".

Praise:

"I cried grateful tears to finally find a book for our children that explains their unique place within our family in a spiritual way."

~Nancy Reynolds, CA


Review:


Once upon a baby is a 28 page picture book telling the story of LDS adoption. (LDS is the Latter Days Saints) I myself have always wanted to adopt/foster children and this book is a heartwarming story. The drawings are great and it is easy to follow the story with the few words it has. It is a great book to help children understand how they became to be part of the family they are adopted into and easy to understand. It is a beautiful story.

Purchase:

Author's Website * Amazon 

 LDS Bookstore * BYU Bookstore

 

Author Shari Guess

SHARI GUESS is a proud, first-time children’s book author and lives in rural North Texas where she is “Mom” to her beloved 9-year-old adopted son, Garrett. Happily married to her husband Walter for going on 13 years they share their cabin-in-the-woods with a small herd of Great Danes and farm animals. Shari is currently a part-time real estate agent and property manager and prior to marriage worked for over a decade in the music business, spanning from Los Angeles to Nashville. She wore many hats as a journalist and publicist representing multiple recording artists, magazines and music publishing companies, along with being a part-time performing artist and songwriter. Her hobbies include choral, Americana and rock music, martial arts, photography, travel and anything in the mountains.

Twitter * Facebook * Website

Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card + copy of Once Upon a Baby
Copy of Once Upon a Baby
(Book available to US & Canada only)
Ends 11/30/12

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Review: Vala: Angendas by J.F Jenkins

 

 

Book: Vala: Angendas
Author: J.F Jenkins
Publisher: Astraea Press
Pages: 266
Received paperback for review as part of tour

Blurb:

 

 Cheyenne Loveless was just a boring sixteen-year-old girl. Then Denver Collins bit her and

everything changed. Her plants start talking to her, she finds out she’s a Nymph, and a witch and the angel of death show up at her doorstep to take her away to the prestigious Vala School and Seminary. Oh, and she has no choice in the matter.

All she wants to do is blend in and return to being invisible, but the more time that passes, the harder that becomes. Plus she’s a daughter of the Divine, an exclusive secret society which rules the world of myth, and discovers she is a key ingredient to an ancient covenant created before she was born. A covenant that will reshape the order of the world.
Adjusting to a new school is difficult enough, but adding on everyone else’s hidden agendas is the icing on the cake. Cheyenne must learn to see through the lies in order to find her place — and possibly even love — in this new world.

 

 

I was happy when author J.F Jenkins contacted me and asked me to organise a tour for Vala: Angendas as I really liked the sound of the book. Vala: Angendas follows main protagonist Cheyenne Loveless who is a normal sixteen year girl.  She is quite shy and doesn't have many friends . Everything changes when she meets dark, handsome and broody Denver Collins. Every time she sees Devner she gets butterflies. She some how ends up at a new teen club that has opened and Denver approaches her and asks her to step outside with him. He then bites her. And from there everything changes.

 

I was a little annoyed when I first starting reading Vala as she just lets him bite her, even though she doesn't know he is going to, it just felt a little strange and unrealistic regarding the character, as she is shy and just basically the way it happened felt wrong. I was a little unsure of the book after the first few pages but I am glad I keep reading as the story really picked up and I couldn't put it down after the initial issues I had.

 

I really liked when Cheyenne went to Vala, the boarding school for people with "special skills", as it turns out Cheyenee is adopted, a decedent of Persephone and can talk to plants, it turns out she is a Nymph. There she becomes friends with a group of popular kids and finds herself on the other end of the popularity scale from loner to popular which is a bit of a shock to her. I really liked the twins Zes and Anj who are some of Cheyenee's new friends. They where total opposites and there "skills" intrigued me. I also liked that there is a love triangle between Zes, Cheyenne and Denver (as it turns out he attends the boarding school) I am not sure who I want her to be with but Zes is a little ahead of Denver.

 

It was great that there where alot of supernaturals in Vala: Angendas and not just your typical vampires and werewolves, we have nymphs, descendants of mythical creatures, witches, and an angel of death. I also really liked learning about the mythology of the creatures, there is of course Greek mythology in it which I am starting to really enjoy reading about.

 

Overall I enjoyed Vala: Angendas. There where great characters, a good storyline and lots of mystery which I liked. I can't to find out what happens next!

3.5/5 STARS

Buy the book:

Amazon.com

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Noble

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Twitter:
@jfjenkinstweets

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jfjenkinsauthor

Blog: http://adragonslove.blogspot.com

Dementional Blog Tour- Guest Post

It's the final stop of the First Rule-organized virtual blog tour for Dementional, my second novel, and I thank Megan for the opportunity to visit on the other side of the Atlantic. It takes a special kind of organizing and perseverence to manage blog tours, and I'm grateful she and other bloggers make the effort to help indie authors to get the word out about our hard work.

The irony of me saying that is that my day job is in a marketing department, and I'm in the process of going back to school to earn my MBA--with a concentration in project management and marketing. My first class in that process just ended a couple weeks ago, with a research assignment that had me investigating the current publishing trends. There is a huge debate in the industry about whether we're watching the death of traditional publishing, or whether readers will rebel at the volume of words inundating the market now that Mark Coker and Smashwords have offered an independent avenue to publication.

The numbers seem to indicate that readers are embracing the written word as never before: The number of eBooks sold in 2011 was, for the first time, higher than the number of printed books. And despite the global economic contraction, books are selling at higher volumes than ever. Not only that, but independent booksellers are making their own resurgence.

All of this information makes me very happy as a reader: I have more options than ever before, and the marketplace is that much harder to game.

It makes it much more challenging as a marketer: I have a fraction of a fraction of the budget the Big Six do, and I value the ethics of authentic word-of-mouth recommendations. That means I rely on the good offices of book bloggers and readers to an extraordinary extent. Which brings me back to my initial statement of gratitude, and a small lesson in what helps readers support authors. If you like a book (whether traditionally or indie published), the best ways you can help that author gain visibility are to:

1. Like the product page on which the book is listed.

2. Tag the book with keywords that will help people find the book if they're searching by genre or topic.

3. Leave feedback on the book, either in social media places like Goodreads, or on the book's product page.


I hope I earn those actions from my readers, but suggest that whether you're so moved for my work or someone else's, you understand that those actions are the only things that allow indie authors on shoestring budgets to gain any kind of visibility or following.
Thanks, again, for the opportunity, and I welcome any feedback on what drives readers to choose one book over another (writing, cover art, and genre being equal).

 

 

Blurb:

 

Mark Inman has two loves: particle physics and Sarah. She agrees to become his wife at the same time his experiment to find the Higgs boson goes off the rails.

Journey with Mark while his existence melts and reforms in unpredictable ways as the veils between realities thin. His exploration of the minutiae of quantum physics builds a fascinating tapestry of alternate universes.

His search for survival, and the search for meaning and what is real, drive Mark as he experiences lives he never dreamed possible. His only touchstones: find Sarah and find his way home.

About the author:


A voracious reader since she was a toddler, and an ordained spiritualist, Tonya Cannariato has now presided over the marriage of her love of reading and her love of writing. She'slived a nomadic life, following first her parents in their Foreign Service career through Africa, Europe, and Asia, and then her own nose criss-crossing America as she’s gotten old enough to make those choices for herself. She’s currently based in Milwaukee with her three loves: her husband and two Siberian Huskies. She suspects her Huskies of mystical alchemy with their joyous liberation of her muse and other magical beings for her inspiration. She loves to sleep, to watch her interesting dreams, some of which are now finding new life in written form.


Buy the book:

Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (Ebook)
  

Flash Blog Tour: Guest Post- Book Covers!

 

I am happy to welcome the final stop on the Flash Blog Tour! I love book covers so I thought I would get author Barbara Morgenroth to tell me about her book covers!

 

 

Bad Apple (Book 1) 

  This is a new cover for Bad Apple and I have to say I love it!


Burning Daylight (Bad Apple book 2)

"The cover reflects both the music and the warmth between the characters." Barbara Morgenroth

Rise (Bad Apple book #3)

 

"Very dramatic, just black and white, the keys of a piano, suggests the music and the challenges the characters face." Barbara Morgenroth

Flash (Book 1)  and Flash of Light (Book 2)



 "Light appeals to photographers, without it, capturing images is impossible." Barbara Morgenroth

Unheard

"A pretty girl both tough and vulnerable, echoing the story perfectly." Barbara Morgenroth

Just Kate

"Recently redesigned to suggest there is more to this pretty girl than what’s on the surface." Barbara Morgenroth

Blurb:

She’d been pretending to be 18 for so long, it felt like the truth.

When the only way for 15 year old Kip Chanin to earn a living is as paparazzi, she can’t say no.

Kip’s first photo is of Alex Milne, the handsome and volatile young actor. That one photo changes both their lives.

Lesson One--You do what you have to in Hollywood to survive.

Flash. You’ve been pap snapped.

Goodreads l Facebook l Blog l Amazon l Barnes & Noble l Kobo

Enlightened Blog Tour: $50 Amazon Giftcard & More!

 

 

I would like to welcome the Enlightened blog tour to Reading Away The Days. Enlightened is the second book in the Light Tamer series by author Devyn Dawson!

 

Blurb

Jessie Lucente, a Light Tamer, has started her junior year at Parca Academy in New Bern, NC. She has a new boyfriend, Caleb Baldwin. He is beyond good looking, he is her mate for life. They've been bound by the light and will rule and heal with it too. Her new classes aren't what she expected. Finding out the school is filled with 'gifted' kids is almost too much to comprehend. She finds out what it really means to be a Light Tamer. Some of the assumptions she had are debunked and now everything is crystal clear...well, clear as mud. Now that she is enlightened with the facts, she struggles with the truth.

The secrets that have been revealed by Fate will leave Jessie in a new role. It will all come down to bloodline versus logic. She must step up and embrace her new title, and life on the other side of the shimmer. With her small army together, they promise to vanquish Nyx back to the Underworld and seal the portal she came through.

The second book in The Light Tamer trilogy will answer the questions that are burning in your head. A beautiful tale of first love and friendship. Be prepared to be amazed at the twist in this story. You didn't see it coming, but you'll be glad it did!

Buy Enlightened now on Amazon

Check out the author:

Website
Blog


Devyn has brought us an awesome giveaway!

1st Place - $50.00 GC to Amazon

2nd place Signed paperback of Enlightened

3rd place $10.00 GC to Wal-Mart

4th place Light Tamer t-shirt

5th place Full size poster of Enlightened cover

5 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th place - E-copy of Enlightened

Just fill out the rafflecopter below!


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YA Feature: Author Tim Mettey - FREE KINDLE EBOOK DOWNLOAD

The Author:

Tim Mettey learned to value and lead a lifestyle of service from an early age. As the son of prominent local pastor Reverend Wendell E. Mettey, he had frequent opportunities to travel to Nicaragua, immersing himself in the culture and the environment to aid the less fortunate.  As part of those early trips, Tim offloaded and delivered humanitarian and disaster relief as well as rebuilt and upgraded schools and hospitals. In many ways, this work inspired the foundation of his writing style and the content of his stories.   

Tim attended the University of Cincinnati and spent his early 20s developing his marketing and promotional business skills through a number of entrepreneurial businesses.  Tim then began working at Matthew 25: Ministries.  He advanced through various roles within the organization to his current position of CEO and Disaster Relief Coordinator.  His experiences and expertise in responding to disasters around the world set the background for Tim’s first book.

Tim is happily married to his wife, Chanin, and is the father of four beautiful daughters: Olivia, Cora, Noel and Ashlyn.

The Book:

The Heroes Chronicles: Secrets Book one!

In Secrets, the Hero Chronicles Book 1, the Midwest lies in complete ruins after a catastrophic disaster kills tens of thousands and leaves hundreds of thousands injured. Nicholas Keller emerges out of the devastation as a shining light of hope for all. But his newfound fame comes with a price that his aunt will not let him pay. They flee into the shadows in order to protect his secret. However, as Nicholas begins his sophomore year at his fifth school in five years, strange and unexpected things begin to happen.  He soon tumbles into a web of doomed love, extraordinary talents and a secret past, which threatens the lives of everyone he cares about. It’s up to Nicholas to confront the truth, even if it means his own death. 

The inspiration & research behind the book

My inspiration for the book is the men, women and children that have either stood up for someone or risked everything for someone, no matter what the consequences were.

While responding to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as Matthew 25: Ministries’ Disaster Relief Coordinator, I got to experience first-hand the fury of a disaster and its devastating impact on people’s lives.  I had experienced some disasters in my past, but during this trip it was more intense. I spent a lot more time traveling from site to site.  The idea for the book came to me and slowly developed on those long drives back and forth. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was unintentionally learning and doing research for my book by responding to disasters, starting with Hurricane Katrina and continuing through the many other disasters I have responded to since then. The most interesting observation that I took away from these experiences was the profound impact that each individual played in the recovery.

Nicholas- The main protangnist

Nicholas is a typical teenager in many ways.  He struggles to find his identity and his place in the world.  Just like most teenagers, Nicholas has qualities that make him extraordinary and unique, but he has to go through a long journey of self-discovery.  Nicholas is forced into circumstances that make him stand out from everyone else around him, and these circumstances will transform his life and the lives of those he loves.

Some bookie questions:

Favourite genre and why?

Young adult fiction is my favorite genre because it makes readers feel young again and takes them back to their youth, which is such an enjoyable time in life.

Favourite book series and why?

Besides Harry Potter, the Percy Jackson books and Heroes of Olympus series are my favorites. They are entertaining, quick reads with captivating male and female characters. These stories offer a little bit of everything.

Favourite author and why?

My favorite author is J.K. Rowling, times 10!  She is able to draw the reader into her stories so that they really relate to and feel the emotions of the characters.  She transports her readers into her world.  My second favorite author is Stephen King because he also is able to grab his readers and really pull them into his stories.

An author you would reccommend my readers check out?

I would recommend Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series, to your readers. He is an excellent writer and his stories will entertain everyone.

Secrets- The Hero Chronicles book one is available in softcover and ebook. Visit: www.kenwoodpublishinggroup.com for more info.

FREE dowload of Secrets - The Hero Chronicles will be available till the 13th November 2012. Visit the above website for more info!

All proceeds from the sale of Secrets, the Hero Chronicles Book 1 will go towards the ongoing work and programs of Matthew 25: Ministries, serving disaster victims and the poorest of the poor throughout the United States and around the world.  Please visit www.m25m.org for more information on Matthew 25: Ministries.