Sunday, January 31, 2016

Book Spotlight | Search for the Red Ghost by Sherry Alexander

Search for the Red Ghost



The Book

Thirteen-year-old Jake Thrasher’s mother is dead, and the only clues left by the beast that killed her are a few strands of red hair and a set of plate-sized tracks. When his Army Scout father refuses to hunt it down, Jake takes matters into his own hands. Feeling abandoned and betrayed by his father, Jake’s desire for revenge takes him on a dangerous journey that not only tests his courage but his desire to survive. Wolves, snakes, grizzlies, renegade Apache, and the ever-present threat of death are waiting for him. Will Jake find his Red Ghost? Or, will he succumb to the inherent dangers

Released by MuseitUp Publishing is an award-winning Canadian Publishing house of ebooks and print books in several genres. Available at all ebook retailers including



Excerpt:
Storm lunged forward, reared, and lost her footing. She drove her back hooves into the ground, but her front feet slipped out from her, and she went crazy—snorting, bucking, sliding, and kicking up dirt. Jake grabbed the saddle horn, and struggled to stay upright. He pulled up on the reins, and tried to regain control. Suddenly, the leather-buckling strap ripped, and the cinch broke free. There was no time to react.

The saddle slipped, and catapulted Jake over the mare’s head. He hit the ground hard then started to roll. He caught a glimpse of Storm struggling wildly to get to her feet, and she was coming toward him—nostrils flared, mouth wide open, and legs flailing.

One hoof kicked the fullness of his right calf, and another knocked the air from his lungs when it struck the middle of his back. Jake tumbled and rolled as the sunlight flickered to black, grew hazy, and disappeared.


About the Author
Sherry Alexander is admittedly obsessed with American and Native American history, and she is quick to point out that she comes by it honestly. Her ancestors were 1800 pioneers who traveled West in hopes of making a new life, and she was fascinated by the stories of their lives on the frontier. “As a kid, I wanted to be a pioneer, so reading books was the last thing on my mind. Instead, my siblings and I explored the forests of Scappoose, Oregon, and dreamed of foraging new trails to unknown lands.” When she’s not thinking or writing about historical adventures, she is homeschooling her 11-year-old granddaughter, listening to Hawaiian slack guitar, watching a John Wayne western, or exploring the forest behind her home with her husband of 47 years.
Search for the Red Ghost began with a legend. “While researching my non-fiction book, The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West, I came across the Legend of the Red Ghost. It is about an unknown beast that tramples a woman to death on a small 1880s Arizona ranch. This legend made me wonder what would happen if the woman’s son wanted revenge against the creature who killed his mother. This book is the answer to that question.”



Saturday, January 30, 2016

Book Blitz | The Boy who Wields Thunder by Gibson Morales

The Boy Who Wields Thunder
Release Date: December 23rd 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

In 2060, the Naga are in charge. Humanity lives off of 1940s technology and teenagers are expected to spend their post-graduation lives serving a Naga overseer. Living with his adoptive parents in an upscale human city, Olton Sorrell has studied hard to have a great career serving under his father’s Naga friend. 


But as graduation nears, Olton meets the enigmatic Orun, a Naga who reveals the truth about his species’ arrival on Earth and sympathizes with the anti-Naga human resistance. Upon learning the secrets of the Naga, Olton must choose whether to stay true to his family or true to his past. What will happen if he does the unthinkable and serves Orun instead of his father’s friend? 


Olton’s decision will take him to the labor camps of a land once called Greece. Now a slave under the Naga, he is assigned to a top secret operation that may change the world. As Olton navigates dangers both ancient and new, two questions trouble him. What are he and his fellow slaves digging for? And what will he do once they find it?




The bones of a large animal were scattered through the dirt. Only when he saw the skulls did he know they were several animals. A couple of cows. Maybe goats. Each with an unsightly pair of puncture marks. He hastened his steps, something jagged catching inside him.
“Chupacabra,” Ebdon said.
“What?”
Olton grimaced. The word itself sparked an unrelenting dread in him.
Ebdon cleared his throat three times in telling it. “When I worked in the mines of Quadrant One, we used to spend our free time out in the jungles. I was only a kid, and my tribe would try and scare me with stories of El Chupacabra. The goat-sucker. According to the legends, it terrorized livestock decades ago.”
“Good thing we’re not goats,” Sarvo said, his attempt to suppress his nervousness not very convincing.
A faint rumble under Olton’s feet sent his eyes to the ceiling. It still looked intact.
“Did you feel that?” he asked.
Ian started to answer, but a high-pitched siren blared too loud to hear.
Olton’s pulse quickened as he determined the origin. Then to his horror, he registered the cracks splitting in the ground at the edge of the chamber. Twelve openings formed with a mechanical cry that he thought
would make his ears bleed.
Kayen stiffened. “What now?”

Olton glanced at the others. The looks of shock on their faces begged him not to turn around. So naturally he did. The horrific beasts that funneled out resembled chimera. But instead of gun fixtures on their backs, rows of spines snagged up. And they were organic, not mechanical. Muscles bulged under coats of orange-brown fur. The only sign of weakness were the grooves of their ribcages. As his eyes met one beast’s, it snarled, baring the daggers in its jaw. The chimera-chupacabras closed in, in a stalking motion typical of a tiger. Olton checked the door they’d entered through. The chupacabras had cut them off.

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About the Author

Gibson Morales is the author of the young adult novels, The Deadliest Earthling and upcoming The Boy Who Wields Thunder, as well as the satirical novel, Johnny Ali vs America. He publishes these under his imprint, Mo Bros Books, which he formed with his brother and writer Vicente. Gibson graduated from USC and lives in Los Angeles. When not writing, Gibson enjoys boxing, most things geek-related, truth-seeking, and, occasionally, satirizing.



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Friday, January 29, 2016

Book Blitz | Elementals by Michelle Madow

Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows
Release Date: January 26th 2016


“We’re witches. You are, too. And regarding your question, we don’t use wands because real witches don’t need them. That’s an urban legend created by humans who felt safer believing that they couldn’t be harmed if there was no wand in sight.”

Summary from Goodreads:

Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love! 

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.


Excerpt
“There’s energy everywhere.” Chris moved his hands in a giant arc above his head to demonstrate. “Humans know that energy exists—they’ve harnessed it for electronics. The difference between us and humans is that we have the power to tap into energy and use it ourselves, and humans don’t.” He smiled at me, as if I was supposed to understand what he meant. “Make sense?”
“Not really,” I said. “Sorry.”
“It’s easier if you relate it to something familiar,” he said, speaking faster. “What happens to the handle of a metal spoon when you leave it in boiling water?”
“It gets hot?” I said it as a question. This was stuff people learned in fifth grade science—not high school homeroom.
“And what happens when it’s plastic?”
“It doesn’t get hot,” I said slowly. “It stays room temperature.”
“Exactly.” He grinned at me like I’d just solved an astrophysics mathematical equation. “Humans are like plastic. Even if they’re immersed in energy, they can’t conduct it. Witches are like metal. We have the ability to absorb energy and control it as we want.”


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"Elementals is going to blow your mind!"
-Crossroad Reviews, ★★★★★

"Five glittery stars for being such a compelling read!"
-Andrea Heltsley, Goodreads Reviewer ★★★★★

"A perfect mixture of magic and mythology. An entrancing story of trust, friendship and well naughty boys. WITCHES are not the only thing walking the earth!"
- BenjaminOfTomes, BookTuber ★★★★★

About the Author
Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.

Author Links:
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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Blog Tour | Blood Moon by J.D. Wright

Blood Moon (Everealm #3)

Release Date: January 1st 2016


Summary from Goodreads:


The aftermath of the wildfire has caused undesirable events to unfold in Everealm. When something precious is taken from Junacave, Bree and the others must hunt down a wizard and retrieve a stolen amulet in order to save their beloved. Little do they know, the amulet may very well be hiding secrets of its own.
On her journey to a better life, away from Labara, Rianne discovers that being on her own is more challenging than she had predicted. Determined to escape her betrothal to King Carneath, she must do everything in her power to avoid being captured or else face a certain life of misery. Along the way, she stumbles upon a new ally, who may be the answer to her prayers.

Bonds are broken, relationships are tested, and new love is forged under the Blood Moon, Book Three of the Everealm Series.

Adult content. Intended for mature audiences.


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Excerpt

“So… has he asked you to do it, yet?” Sidonie asked, nodding her head toward where Reeve was sitting behind her.
Bree frowned and started toying with her long auburn hair which was braided to the side today.
“Just this morning, actually,” she replied, then leaned in closer to keep their conversation private. “Is it wrong that I told Reeve I would send for the mysta, but didn’t? Just to give it more time?”
“I am heartbroken, too. For the both of them. They look miserable. I really hoped the situation would work itself out, but you can’t force it, Bree. No one can. If Reeve and Rhea want to absolve the marriage, who are we to interfere?”
Even though Sidonie said the words, she didn’t entirely mean them. If she could find a way to fix things, herself, she probably would. So Bree’s notion of delaying the mysta wasn’t a terrible idea.
“I’ve interfered plenty,” Bree said, smiling slightly. “Why stop now?”




Buy Links:
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Writing Playlist for Blood Moon

By: J.D.

I have a strangely diverse taste in music and have favorites in nearly every genre (except disco… I really dislike disco). My playlists usually have country, rock, pop, oldies, and everything between. If a song has powerful lyrics, I could care less about the rhythm. However, I can also overlook the lyrics entirely if the beat is nice. Prime example: The Hills by The Weekend. I have no clue what that song is about but when the beat drops… so do my standards, apparently. ;)

I listened to a lot of music over the approx. 2 months it took to write and edit this book. Here is a short sample of what was on my writing playlist during the evolution of Blood Moon:

~ Switchfoot – Dare You to Move
~ Taylor Swift – Wildest Dreams
~ Little Mix – Black Magic
~ Nickelback – Savin Me
~ Brooks & Dunn – My Next Broken Heart
~ Ed Sheeran – Give Me Love
~ Celine Dion – Taking Chances
~ Taking Back Sunday – Slowdance on the Inside
~ Reba McEntire – Till You Love Me
~ Blackhawk – Almost a Memory
~ Cold War Kids – First

~ Taylor Swift – Red

About the Author
Writing has always been a hobby of mine, beginning as a young child. It was a way to cope with losing my father at seven years of age. I started with poetry and was featured several times on the amazing poetry blog, Autumn Leaves, by Sondra Ball. My love for poetry soon led to writing songs in middle school and beyond, which I still do occasionally. Music has always been an important part of my existence, so writing songs came naturally to me. In high school, I started my own novel, however, life got in the way and I never finished it.

Fast forward many years later and I find myself married with three children, absorbed in my busy life with commitments to my family, work, school, church, and charities, among other things. One day I came across my old binder, with notes from my first novel, and it was with those notes that I conjured up the elusive Everealm.

I write to please readers such as myself, who have a love for fantasy and romance, but like a little danger and sex in their reading. I wrote the book with a mature audience in mind, who can appreciate a hearty imaginary world with magic and the unknown, but want more than fluffy love stories with wizards in them. They want the romance, magic, and danger, all wrapped into one.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Blog Tour | Ascenders by C.L. Gaber

Ascenders: High School for the Recently Departed


Release Date: April 20th 2015


Summary from Goodreads:


Walker Callaghan doesn't know what happened to her. One minute she was living her teenage life in suburban Chicago...and the next minute, she was in a strange place and in a brand new school with absolutely no homework, no rules, and no consequences.

Walker Callaghan, 17, is dead.

She doesn't go to heaven or hell. She lands at The Academy, a middle realm where teenagers have one thing in common: They were the morning announcement at their high schools because they died young.

These high school kids are now caught in a strange “in-between” zone where life hasn’t changed very much. In fact, this special teen limbo looks a lot like life in a quaint Michigan town complete with jocks, popular girls and cliques. "There are even cheerleaders in death," Walker observes. It's not a coincidence that the music teacher is a guy named Kurt who "used to have this band." The drama teacher, Heath, is crush worthy because back in his life, he starred in some superhero movie.

Principal King explains the rules -- there are none. Why? You can't die twice.

There is no homework.
No tests.
No SATS.
You're just there to learn because the human brain isn't fully formed until you're 24.

By the way, you can't get hurt physically, so race your Harley off that hillside. But falling in love is the most dangerous thing you can do ...because no one knows how long you'll stay in this realm or what's next.

"Losing someone you love would be like dying twice," Walker says.

* * * * * *
Walker Callaghan has just arrived at the Academy after a tragic car accident. “Is this heaven or is this high school?” she asks.

She finds out her new life is a bit of both as she falls in love with tat-covered, bad boy Daniel Reid who is about to break the only sacred rule of this place. He's looking for a portal to return back to the living realm.

He needs just one hour to retrieve his younger brother who strangely never arrived at The Academy. Bobby is an Earth Bound Spirit, stuck at a plane crash site that took both of their lives as their rich father piloted his private jet nose-first into a cornfield on Christmas Eve.

Walker loves Daniel and risks it all to go with him.

Have they learned enough to outsmart dangerous forces while transporting a young child with them? Can their love survive the fragmented evil parts of themselves that are now hunting them down as they try to find a way back to the middle?

At the Academy, you learn the lessons of an after-lifetime. 


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Reviews

Resch Reads:
One word to describe this book is EPIC. Sheer writing brilliance.”


Amazon: “A new ‘Twilight Zone’ of a world. Speaking of Uncle Stevie, otherwise known as Stephen King, ‘Ascenders’ reads like something he might have written back in the Twilight Zone of his own youth. I love Koontz and King and haven’t been this excited about an author in a long time.” 


Author Groupies: “If you’re a fan of dystopian epics, this bring a whole new element to the genre: the afterlife. I loved this book. What an original concept! Constantly changing, riveting and thought-provoking.”


Amazon: “The next big book series. Powerful and beautiful. I was so moved by this book that I actually cried, tears streaming down my face. Five minutes later, I was cheering. I felt like I had just seen a movie.” 



Mugglenet, The #1 Harry Potter Site: “Ascenders is one of those books that stays on your mind for days after reading it. Though you continue your days, your mind keeps wandering back to the main characters, the overarching theme, and of course, the scenarios of what could possibly happen next. I finished this novel within the span of two days, and I wish that I could start over and read the whole thing again.”

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About the Author
C.L. Gaber is the author of the ASCENDERS SAGA and co author of Jex Malone. A well known entertainment journalist, she lives in Nevada with her husband Ron, bonus daughter Sabrina and two unruly dogs. ASCENDERS 2 is due out in early 2016. 

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