Thursday, April 28, 2016

Blog Tour | Demigods and Monsters by Raye Wagner


Demigods and Monsters (Sphinx #2)
Release Date: April 25th 2016


Summary:

Can Apollo’s curse be broken?
Seventeen-year-old Hope Nicholas is done running. Apollo’s curse has ruled her entire life, limiting her choices and robbing her of the things that matter most. But she refuses to live in fear any longer. In fact, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to break the god’s power over her existence.
When the goddess Artemis instructs Hope to impersonate a demigod and infiltrate a conservatory to get access to the Olympian library, she doesn’t hesitate. As she sees it, there’s nothing left to lose.
But once inside, Hope discovers the only way to get what she needs is to work with her sworn enemies. As the lines between demigod and monster are crossed again and again, Hope has to dig deep for the courage to accept her fate or fight for the freedom to save herself.

Demigods and Monsters is the second book in the Sphinx series.

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Excerpt:
Hope gaped at the goddess of night. Artemis’s dark umber skin contrasted with her pale, almost silver hair. Her slight figure was clad in black, fitted garments, and as she pulled the silver bow and quiver of arrows from off her back, her midnight eyes settled on Hope.
“You are very young.” She set her weapons on the spongy moss and stepped up to Hope. “Very young, but not too naïve, I think.” Her gaze held Hope captive for a moment, and then the goddess contemplated the puppy struggling in Hope’s arms. “Who is this?” Artemis giggled as Angel licked her face.
“She’s . . . she’s for you.” Hope held the pale Labrador out.
Artemis peered from Hope to Priska and back to Hope again.
“You are giving me an offering?” She raised her brows but did not take the dog.
Hope shifted her gaze to Priska for help. Hadn’t she said she would do the talking? Priska was studiously examining the night sky.
“No . . . I mean, yes. Yes.” Hope shook her head. “We got her for you.” She extended her arms again, the dog’s back paws dangling in the air.
“Hope wants to break the curse,” Priska said, taking the puppy from Hope. “The Lab was my idea. She comes from a long line of hunters. She will be loyal and easy to train.”
Artemis extended her hands. “Loyalty is difficult to come by. I will accept this with gratitude.” She took the puppy and set her on the ground. The pale fur glowed in the moonlight, and the puppy scampered about. “What do you need my help with, Hope? It was my brother that cursed you, not I.”
Hope shifted her weight. “Yes, but do you know anything that could help me? Has he said anything to you?”
Artemis drew in a slow breath and closed her eyes.
Hope again looked to Priska, but she’d chased after the puppy, leaving Hope alone with the goddess.
“She’s scared,” Artemis said, breaking the silence. “She feels responsible for what happened to your mother. And she feels bad about what could’ve happened to you.” She grabbed Hope’s chin and forced her head side to side. “You want to break the curse?”
Hope nodded.

“It won’t solve your problem,” the goddess warned, dropping her hand.


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Origin of the Sphinx Buy Link:



Curse of the Sphinx Buy Link:

About the Author
Raye Wagner grew up in Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction. As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing, thinking to help the world one patient at a time.
One summer afternoon, when her then young children were playing in the pool, a plot dropped into her head, and she started writing. 
She enjoys baking, puzzles, Tae Kwon Do, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.

Origin of the Sphinx, a novella detailing the story leading up to the creation of the mythological creature, is her first publication. It is the beginning of the Sphinx series. 


Curse of the Sphinx, the first book in the series, is completed, and set to be released in August 2015.

Author Links:


GIVEAWAY:

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Monday, April 25, 2016

Blog Tour | No One Dies in the Garden of Syn by Michael Seidelman


No One Dies in the Garden of Syn
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: April 26th 2016


Summary from Goodreads:


Synthia (Syn) Wade is a teenage girl who struggles with cystic fibrosis, an incurable life-threatening disease. One day she is pushed into a pond by an unseen figure and wakes up in a new world – a mysterious garden where illness and death don’t exist.

Welcomed by the garden’s residents and now free of her symptoms, Syn decides to stay. But, before long, she realizes that this apparent utopia holds many dangers and dark secrets.

Surrounding the garden is a fog that Syn is warned never to enter. She encounters bizarre creatures that defy reason. And always lurking in the shadows is a masked woman - a woman who may have a connection to the disappearance of Syn’s parents many years ago. A woman whom no one will speak of, but whom everyone fears.

While No One Dies in the Garden of Syn, Syn will soon discover that some fates are worse than death.

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Excerpt
“Honey,” Synthia heard her mom say, “You need to wake up.”
“Is it morning?” she asked, yawning and squinting on account of the bright ceiling light.
“No, Sweetie. Not yet.”
Synthia’s nose was dripping. Her mom wiped it and her upper lip with a tissue. “Your dad and I are going to take you somewhere. Some place wonderful. But we have to leave really soon so you need to get out of bed right away.”
“Can’t we wait until morning?”
“I’m afraid not, Sweetie. We have to get you dressed and leave tonight. You will love where we are going. I promise.”
Synthia reluctantly sat up and allowed her pajama top to be pulled off. The bottom of the undershirt had just been lifted when Synthia’s father walked in.
“Deb, Masie is outside.”
Her mother’s face turned white. She pressed her palms against each side of Synthia’s face. “Sweetie, we’ll be back in a few minutes. Please get dressed.”
After they left the room, Synthia listened to them thumping down the stairs, opening the front door and slamming it shut.
She was tired, not to mention bewildered, and didn’t want to go anywhere. She lay down, coughed lightly, and fell back asleep in less than a minute, despite the gleaming ceiling light above. If she had stayed awake for just one minute longer, she would have heard yelling outside, and seen a bright white light flashing through the window.
When Synthia woke, there was enough sun shining in, even with the blinds shut, that she didn’t notice the ceiling light was still on. She rubbed her eyes, wiped her runny nose with a tissue, and coughed until her throat was clear. She took a sip of water from the cup on her night table and checked the time; 9:32 a.m. She was late for kindergarten. Her mom usually awakened her at 7:30. Was that a dream, when her mom shook her awake last night? If not, why didn’t she come back?
Synthia coughed a few more times, put on some slippers and left the room. Her parents’ bedroom was empty. So were all the bathrooms and the bedrooms. The living room was empty, as were the dining room and kitchen. She tried to turn the knob on the basement door, but it was locked as always. She looked through the kitchen window into the gardens out back and didn’t see so much as a bird.
Synthia was more confused than worried. In the kitchen, she took her morning pills with a vanilla shake. The back door was slightly ajar, so she pulled the doorknob and stepped outside, curious.
A light wind ruffled her undershirt and pajama bottoms. A robin landed on a tree in the garden as a breeze rustled its leaves. There was no sign of her parents. Holding the handrail, she descended the stairs and peeked inside the carport. Both her parents’ cars were parked there. Now Synthia was no longer just confused. She was worried.
The basement window on the right side of the carport had always been covered by blinds, so she couldn’t see in. She knocked on the glass, hoping her parents were down there as they often were. Quiet taps at first, then harder and louder. Nothing. A tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another.
Now Synthia was more than worried; she was scared. She left the carport and went to the front of the house. The mailman was walking up the driveway.
Concerned to see this little girl, partially clothed and crying in the driveway, he bent down to her level. “Are you okay? Where are your parents?”

Synthia broke down, tears flooding from her eyes. Through the phlegm building up in her throat, she managed a quiet, yet desperate reply. “I don’t know.” 

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About the Author

My name is Michael Seidelman.  I was born in Vancouver, BC Canada where I continue to reside. When I was growing up, my passions were reading, watching movies, nature and creative writing. Not much has changed since then. In high school when I had an opportunity to write short stories in class, I relished reading them out loud to my classmates who would gasp at the unexpected twists and applaud when I was done. I took several creative writing classes and have continued writing over the years while working in Interactive Marketing.

About two years ago, I decided to take some time off to focus on my writing and work on a Young Adult trilogy. The first book in The Garden of Syn series – No One Dies in the Garden of Syn – will be released on April 26th. Meanwhile, I am working hard on the second and third books in the series.
Getting up every morning and sitting down to create new characters and bring new worlds to life is the most fulfilling job I have ever had. Beyond the trilogy, I have many ideas plotted out and I look forward to sharing them all with the world!

Author Links:


GIVEAWAY:

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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Guest Author Annie Douglass Lima

Today, I welcome author Annie Douglass Lima, who is here to annouce the release of her new book. Welcome Annie!

I'm excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel, The Gladiator and the Guard, is now available for purchase! This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to The Collar and the Cavvarach

First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1: 


Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.  With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?


What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?


The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone.  Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).  

Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.



Click here to order The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon 
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!
 
And now, The Gladiator and the Guard, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!

 
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard in Kindle format from Amazon 
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through April 28th!


Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard from Smashwords (for Nook or in other digital formats) 
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!


Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.


Connect with the Author Online:



Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of The Collar and the Cavvarach!




Or find the giveaway at this link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ad2fd99a3/?

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Book Blitz | Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman



Adorkable
by Cookie O'Gorman
Release Date: March 31st 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.


Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she's done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There's only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.

Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.

Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally's best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He'd do anything for Sal--even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she's "more than pretty," and expertly kissing her at parties.

The problem: Sally's been in love with Becks all her life--and he's completely clueless.



This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:



Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?





Excerpt

     Okay, so I knew there would be some grief.  But seriously, was that grin really necessary?  Becks was leaning against my locker, all six foot two of him relaxed, wavy black hair brushing the tips of his ears, watching me as I walked toward him down the hall.  It wasn't like I could just turn tail and run.  I had to get my books for next period, and he was in the way.  His eyes, the ones I knew nearly as well as my own, were swimming with mirth, his expression expectant.
     Determined to wipe the grin right off his face, I said, "Hey there, Baldwin.  How's it going?"
     He blanched.  "Jeez, Sal.  Not this early in the morning, okay?"
     I smiled to myself.  Baldwin Eugene Charles Kent, aka Becks, had always hated his Christian name.  With a name like that even I wanted to hate him--and he was my best friend.  Luckily, Becks had escaped that clumsy mouthful with a killer nickname.  Born with the last name "Spitz," there'd been no hope for me.   From the first grade on, my peers had refused to call me anything else.

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ADORKABLE Book Playlist

1.  "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap
2.  "Can You Tell" by Ra Ra Riot
3.  "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson
4.  "July Flame" by Laura Veirs
5.  "So Insane" by Discovery
6.  "The Trial of the Century" by French Kicks
7.  "Hysteric" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8.  "Powerful Stuff" by Sean Hayes
9.  "Call It Off" by Tegan and Sara
10.  "Your Song" by Kate Walsh
11.  "Nicest Thing" by Kate Nash
12.  "Hyperballad" by Whitley
13.  "Syrup & Honey" by Duffy
14.  "Oh Boy" by Duffy
15.  "She's Got You High" by Mumm-Ra
16.  "Heart Skipped a Beat" by The XX
17.  "Tessellate" by Tokyo Police Club
18.  "I'm With You" by The Stills

19.  "Crash Into Me" by Dave Matthews Band (Live at Folsom Field, Boulder Colorado)



About the Author

Cookie O'Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.

Author Links:
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png


The ADORKABLE Challenge

I wanted to do something special and fun to celebrate the release of my debut novel ADORKABLE.  Since the book is all about the dorky, the awkward, and embracing your inner-nerd, I came up with the ADORKABLE Challenge!

Here's how it works:

1) Take a picture of yourself being adorkable.

2) Post that picture on social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc.) with the hashtag #AdorkableChallenge.

3) Enter the link to your picture in the Rafflecopter and earn as many extra entries as you can.

4) Sit back and relax while 4 adorably dorky winners are randomly chosen :).

3 winning runners up will each receive: $10 Amazon gift card.

The ADORKABLE Challenge Champion will receive: $50 Amazon gift card.

 And that's it!  If you're adorkable and you know it, this is your time to shine.  I can't wait to check out all of your pictures.  Now, show me your ADORKABLE!

Cookie O'Gorman

GIVEAWAY: