Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Safe & Sound: a Fields of Elysium Novella by A.B. Whelan!!! @AuthorABWhelan #Freebie #bookblast

Fields of Elysium Saga is a young-adult fantasy series that follows the adventures of sixteen-year-old Molly Bennett.The story is set in Los Angeles, CA, and on Arkana, the new Earth.  Safe and Sound is a prequel novella to Fields of Elysium and introduces the harsh lives of the Arkanians and follows Victor Sorren from birth till the moment he meets Molly. Victor is the Byronic hero of the series and this novella gives a very intimate insight into his life and soul. Safe and Sound is part of the series yet stands alone. A bonus story and also an introduction to the series. 
 DOWNLOAD IT NOW 
FREE from APRIL 30th - MAY 2nd. 

Recommended reading age 16+ due to mild violence and some mild sexual situation. In the world where freedom is no longer your right; where being in love and starting a family is not a blessing but a curse, a baby is born. To spare him from the harsh life the Arkanian slaves in Terraka City have to endure, his parents attempt the impossible. They have to pay a high price for their courage. Heartbroken and lonely, Victor Sorren spends his life waiting for his father’s return. But how much pain and suffering can be inflicted on an innocent young boy before hatred takes over his heart? Yet there is no darkness without light. And falling for a girl from Earth might provide just the right amount of light to bring hope back to Victor’s dark heart.
Paperback on Amazon 424 pages (book 1) Fields of Elysium List Price: $14.99 Price: $9.99 Kindle Edition on Amazon Fields of Elysium (a romantic fantasy, book 1)
List Price: $2.99
Price: $0.99

Paperback on Amazon 438 pages (book 2)
List Price: $14.99
Price: $10.99
Kindle Edition on Amazon:
List Price: $1.99
Price: $0.99

Paperback on Amazon 154 pages (Novella) Safe and Sound (Fields of Elysium)
List Price: $8.99
Price: $5.99 Kindle Edition on Amazon: Safe and Sound (A Fields of Elysium Novella)
List Price: $2.99
Price: FREE AMAZON EXCLUSIVE!!
Discounted prices are also available at the following sites: 
Safe and Sound Playlist
Adam Agin – Please Don’t Leave Quite Yet
(Abraham finds love in the slave camp.) 
Alexandre Desplat – Mary
(Abraham works up the courage to ask Halysia out.)
Clint Mansell - Death is the Road to Awe 
(Abraham saves the baby.)
Lux Aeterna – Clint Mansell
(Abraham massacres the Slavehunters to avenge Halysia.) 
Measure – Begin Again
(Kamm and Victor flies back from the Valley of Lost Souls.)
Nadia Ali – People
(Victor builds a hut at the gorge to help him cope with a betrayal.)
Leaving Earth – Clint Mansell
(The Prophet initiates the force field around Terraka City.)
Nadia Ali – Rapture
(Victor and Weston enter the underground dance club.)
Adam Agin - Safer in the Dark 
(Victor meets the albino girl.)
Francisca Hall – Until It Hurts
(Victor meets his ex at the under ground dance club.)
Digital Daggers – The Devil Within
(Victor walks away from his ex, his heart filled with satisfaction.)
Gentlemen Hall – All Our Love
(Victor thanks Weston for his unconditional friendship.)
Karmina – Prove
(Victor decides to become the man his mother wanted him to be.)
and more .....
Giveaway

Ends 5/18/14

Open only to those who can legally enter and have a US postal address. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy fromI Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
INTERNATIONAL WINNER will receive a Fields of Elysium eBook, Valley of Darkness Part 1 and Part 2 eBooks and a Safe and Sound eBook. 
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From the Author 
I'm a Hungarian born American writer, who was lucky enough to travel Europe, Africa, and The Middle East and live in Ecuador, Crete and Italy. I graduated as a computer engineer, thus if anybody tells you math and literature can't walk hand in hand, don't believe them. *smile* I'm the author of the Fields of Elysium saga, which I like to call a young adult romantic fantasy. The first book of the series was inspired by amazing movies like Dirty Dancing, Avatar, and Twilight and earned praise from prestigious review companies and readers. I'm currently working on book three and four, and planning to write one more novella to finish the series, dedicated to another very interesting character in my story, The Prophet, the mysterious leader of the Arkanians. Find me on Social sites. Friend me. Follow me. Message me. I love to connect.

       Blog            Pinterest          Goodreads         Twitter          Facebook

Friday, April 25, 2014

Review & Giveaway: Liberty Bound (Prophecy Girl #2) by Faith McKay @faithmckay

Liberty Bound Blog Tour
Liberty Bound by Faith McKay


 Liberty Bound
Lacuna Valley #2
by Faith McKay
YA Urban Fantasy
Published March 2014

*Ebook obtained directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*


Synopsis via Goodreads:
     All Sam ever wanted was to be free of her mother. With a happy home and Nick at her side, life should be great. But life has never been that simple. With the werewolves angry, the deal with the seasonals broken, and her mother on the run with the orb, Sam is more lost than ever. This would be a great time to make use of her prophetic dreams, if she could only figure out how to navigate them.     While Sam seems powerless, her little sister is not, and everyone wants to take advantage of her wish-granting abilities. It's all Sam can do to keep them at bay. At nine years old with powers that could save—or end—the world and a mother who left her for dead, Violet's had more than her share of awful. Sam's not about to let anything else happen to her sister. But Violet is starting to realize that with all her power, maybe she doesn't need Sam's help at all.



Grab Your Copy:
Also check out Prophecy Girl, Lacuna Valley #1 and add it on Goodreads!






Faith McKayFaith McKay writes quirky paranormal stories with guts. She is the author of PROPHECY GIRL and its new sequel, LIBERTY BOUND, a story where characters struggle with the idea of having a destiny. In comparison, she feels really lucky that her destiny was to struggle with comma placement and be that awkward lady who points out puns at parties. Other things to know about Faith… She wears two different colored shoes. She is a survivor of child abuse. She has lived with chronic illness for over a decade. A lot of people don't like her because she laughs too much. It's also the reason a lot of other people do like her, so go figure. She listens to more music than people are probably supposed to. She's a nomad. The word sounds really cool, so a lot of people say it, but she actually lives in an RV with her husband, Robert. If you'd like to know more about the Lacuna Valley series or Faith McKay, visit her website at FaithMcKay.net

You can also follow her on facebook and twitter.







 Yay for fabulous sequels! I really, really enjoy this series. It has really fabulous characters. Faith McKay created a really fun but nail biting world. You can go back and read my review of book 1, Prophecy Girl, here

This novel picks up right after the the last one ends. Poor Sam is still feeling like she's holding the entire world on her shoulders. She's trying her best to save everyone including her sister without having to actually use her little sister to do so. She's trying to spare her little sister from having to bare such a burden and also risk her safety because she can't quite control her powers. I love Nick and his little brother Zach. They melt my heart. Poor Nick is stuck basically being non-existent now that he's lost the orb to Sam's crazy mom. There's quite a bit of turmoil within his family because of it. They're all trying to find the orb and get it back to their town. A caution light causes quite a bit of uproar in the town of peacefulness. Everyone is fighting with everyone else. No one is happy in the quiet little town now. 

Great plot sequence in this novel! I was never bored. I did become a tad exhausted because of Sam's burden. Not exhausted in the sense that I wanted to put it down. Exhausted in the sense that I felt Sam's burden like it was on my own shoulders. She was basically losing everyone. I will tell you that Sam does quite of bit of whining and wallowing. I can't really blame her but it is a tad annoying here and there. 

I love that we continue to see the Seasonals! They're still one of my most fave fantasy characters! They're just wonderfully magical characters! Well, in this novel, they aren't exactly on such good terms with Nick & Sam. Quite a bit of hostility here and there. Love them though!

Overall, I'm so glad that I was able to continue reading Sam's story! I can't wait for more!!!! Yikes! What a cliffhanger! It left me wanting more and wishing the novel continued so I could find out what was about to happen. 

So overall rating: 4.5 Stars
Cover Rating: 3.5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Plot: 4.5 Stars
Climax: 4 Stars
Ending: 4 Stars

Can't wait for more!




Sunday, April 20, 2014

Tour: Against the Clock by Charlie Moore!

Against the Clock by Charlie Moore Banner
 
Against The Clock by Charlie Moore
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Action, Suspense

Synopsis


Shirin Reyes has come out of the cold with a vengeance. Determined to kill the men responsible for her husband’s death, she finds herself torn between her all consuming vendetta and the consequences her actions have on those she cares about. 

Unrelenting. Unstoppable. Uncompromising. Shirin ruthlessly hunts down each man, working her way to the top, never realizing she has penetrated the inner sanctum of a covert operation - entangled within an explosive web of scandal, treason, murder and government corruption.


Against the Clock by Charlie Moore

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YouTube Trailer

 

Buy Links


Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU


Author Bio


Charlie Moore

Charlie Moore was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. He started work on his first full length novel at age 18. When running through final edits for the book, he put it aside; wanting to live and experience some of the adventures his characters were thrust into. He became an accomplished martial artist, winning his first full contact fight by TKO and gaining over 30 medals before retiring from competition. He traveled the globe, got lost in dangerous parts of the world, swam with sharks, jumped out of planes, and became a Private Investigator.

Resuming his passion for writing, Charlie started ghost writing to build and harness his skill, and in mid 2012 "Against the Clock" was born.

Charlie now shares his time between rock climbing with his wife, and writing deadly action-packed thrillers.

Follow Charlie

Facebook | Amazon | Website

 
Against the Clock full cover
 
Inside Stone

Friday, April 18, 2014

Cover Reveal: Unconditional Love by Kelly Elliott @author_kelly

Unconditional Love
Wanted #5
by Kelly Elliott


Synopsis:

Lark Williams leads a fast-paced life, always on the edge of danger. Running from his past and fighting to keep his present life a secret, he keeps his heart out of reach from love. The walls he built around himself come crumbling down when he meets Azurdee Emerson.

Azurdee lives a peaceful life in the small town of Wimberley, Texas. Her tame world quickly becomes heated as she begins to fall in love with Lark. He’s everything she has vowed to stay away from—dark and mysterious, and not to mention, sexy as hell and full of secrets.

Just as Lark and Azurdee give in to their feelings of love, Lark’s present life threatens the safety of the one person he would sacrifice his own happiness for. When Lark finds history repeating itself, he makes a decision that will forever change both of their lives, leaving one heartbroken and lost and the other fighting to survive.





https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6581091.Kelly_Elliott



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Kelly is married to a wonderful Texas cowboy who has a knack for making her laugh almost daily and supports her crazy ideas and dreams for some unknown reason...he claims it's because he loves her!

She’s also a mom to an amazing daughter who is constantly asking for something to eat while her fingers move like mad on her cell phone sending out what is sure to be another very important text message.

In her spare time she loves to sit in her small corner overlooking the Texas hill country and write.

One of her favorite things to do is go for hikes around her property with Gus....her chocolate lab and the other man in her life, and Rose, her golden retriever. When Kelly is not outside helping the hubby haul brush, move rocks or whatever fun chore he has in store for her that day, you’ll find her inside reading, writing or watching HGTV.


Connect with Kelly:   Facebook   Twitter   Website   Goodreads








Cover Reveal: Findering Her Way Back by Heather Van Fleet @HLVanFleet






FINDING HER WAY BACK
By Heather van Fleet
Releasing October 7, 2014
A New Adult Contemporary Romance


Synopsis via Goodreads:

Meet Callie. She’s eighteen, quirky, and fears commitments. She also has a love/hate relationship with her tennis shoes.

Nine months of college, done and gone, and all Callie has to show for it is her freshman thirty. But alas, no worries, life has other crap plans for her now. Plans that include a set of nuptials from hell for her older, she–devil sister Anna. Struggling to rid her chubby–sexy vibe, Callie is put on a strict Anna regimen of ‘do this do that’ while attempting to avoid the unavoidable. The unavoidable being Ky Hampton: her once skinny–skater–boy turned sex–god, ex best friend from across the street.

Kylan feels as though he is a waste. A mechanic, country music singer with not a lyrics to his name. A boy with a proverbial skateboard still strung around his neck from high school. He’s lost, and he’d be the first to admit it. But the moment he spots Calla Lily––with a cemented penis in hand––the more he realizes that she’s exactly the muse he’s been missing.

But when the going gets tough, and the secrets of her past grow thicker, Callie has to figure out if her tennis shoes will be her escape this time around in life, or her demise instead.



Midwestern native Heather Van Fleet lives in a small town on the Iowa/Illinois border. She’s a wife to her hubby--and high school sweet heart--Chris, as well as a mom to her three little girls, Kelsey, Emma and Bella. When she’s not obsessing over her fictional book characters, cooking dinner, or running around chasing her crazy kiddos, you can usually find her with her head stuck in her Kindle, sucking down White Chocolate Mochas like they're water. 






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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Giveaway, Interview & Review: New Sight by Jo Ann Schneider



New Sight
by Jo Schneider
Young Adult Fantasy
Expected Publication April 22, 2014
Published by Jolly Fish Press

*ARC Provided in exchange for an honest review as part of the tour*



Synopsis via Goodreads:

After succumbing to the sudden and terrifying urge to rip people’s eyes out of their sockets, 16-year-old Lysandra Blake finds herself tied down in a psych ward, convinced she’s crazy. The doctors have no answers, and Lys is ready to give up when the mysterious Jeremiah Mason appears, telling Lys that she’s not insane—she’s addicted to a rare and deadly drug that she has no recollection of using. Mr. Mason offers to take her to his facility where he can treat her. Desperate yet suspicious, Lys agrees to go with Mr. Mason to his facility where she meets with a fellow addict, the tall and handsome Kamau. Together they discover that Mr. Mason may not have told them the truth about their condition—they’re thrown headfirst into a world of daunting powers that are not only unbelievable, they are dangerous.



http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18722333-new-sight



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JO SCHNEIDER lives in Bountiful, Utah, but she has spent countless hours traveling all over the world. Her goal is to visit all seven continents, and she's nearly finished. Being a geek at heart, Schneider has always been drawn to science fiction and fantasy; she writes both. Based on her travels and her experience obtaining a black belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate, Schneider's works feature authentic, impressive settings and extraordinary action sequences.


Connect with Jo:  Facebook   Twitter   Website  








Tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you like readers to know about the author behind the pages?


Hi, I’m Jo. My whole first name is actually Jo Ann, but hardly anyone calls me that. I’m way closer to forty than thirty, but right now I feel like I’m about twenty three because I just got married for the first time. Newlyweds are pathetic. Also, boys are kind of stinky. I have no brothers…some of this little adventure is totally new to me.  Apparently matching isn’t very important to me, because as I look around, there aren’t two pieced of furniture in my house that match. Gotta work on that.



Other than writing, what do you like to do in your free time?


What is this elusive “free time” that you speak of? Like the Rodents of Unusual Size, I don’t believe it exists. But if it did, I would travel the world. I really do want to go to all seven continents—five down and two to go. IF you count New Zealand as Australia. If not, only four down. Best trips so far: Lord of the Rings tour through New Zealand, tour through China with my Kempo class and Israel. But there have been so many more! I love traveling. And to keep safe while traveling, I’ve been in a Shaolin Kempo class long enough (I tell you, persistence is key) that I’ve earned a black belt. Mostly so it would match my shoes. Kidding, I’m kidding. If I’d known how fun hitting and punching things would be, I would have joined a dojo way earlier in my life.



Do you have any advice to individuals who aspire to become authors and get their work out there?



This is simple, but just do it. Yes, yes, stolen from Nike. But it’s true. Like anything else in your life, if you don’t put the time in, your goals will not be met. Fantastic manuscripts do not flow from your fingers each time you sit down at a keyboard. (And if they do, I hate you and am sending the flying monkeys to deal with you.) Put the time in, take the hit to your ego when someone says your writing sucks and make it better. Never give up…never surrender. (Bonus points if you know where that quote came from!)



Why did you choose the young adult genre? 


You may have noticed that I am a bit silly by nature. Sure, I can be perfectly mature and hob-nob with big-wigs and not even crack a geeky joke. But, if I have a choice, I’m laughing and poking fun at people and in general making sure everyone is having a good time. I felt like the Young Adult genre was better suited for my silliness.  Teenagers laugh easier than adults, and they’re always looking for great stores. At least I was. Also, those teenage years are when big changes come into our lives. It’s a natural point for something drastic to happen. As an author, I totally capitalized on that.



If you had to choose another genre to jump into, what would it be?


Suspense. I like making things dark!



What do you do to get into your “zone” when you’re trying to fill pages & create a new world?



Butt in chair. Headphones on—no actual music has to be playing, just the ear buds in place—and either computer or notebook in lap. I write on the computer, but almost always plan on paper. Oh, I also seem to need a variety of colored pens. That’s important.

Do you have any quirky habits that you have to do when you’re writing? A certain spot/chair/seat, a certain song you have to listen to before getting started, a drink, etc.



How long did it take you to write & finalize New Sight?



New Sight took me a year to write (and re-write and re-write about a million times). I declared it finished, went back a few months later and did another small revision.



Will it be part of a series or a standalone?



I hope it will be part of a series! I’m working on book two right now. Well, not right now…



What are the first five words that come to your mind when you think about New Sight?



Wish I could use magic.



Where did you get the idea behind the plot?


Lightning struck my brain. It came to me in the form of a thought as I was driving down the freeway. “Teenagers addicted to magic.” Not sure where it came from exactly, but I suspect all of the story ideas in my mind coalesced, mingled, separated and came up with it. Either that or I’m hearing voices. Either way is fine.



Is there a character in your work that you connect with most out of everyone? Someone’s whose PoV flows effortlessly while you’re writing or someone who you just can’t get enough of? 


Brady. He’s from England, and he’s the funny one. Also, the geeky one. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes me laugh, and even though his story may be the most tragic, he’s got a great attitude. That and he fancies himself a ladies man. And let’s face it, how many geeky guys are actually good with the ladies?



Do you have a favorite scene that you’d like to share a tiny bit about? Just a teensy little excerpt or quote? 


The climax of New Sight takes place at a place called Druid Arch. It’s a little known arch in the middle of Canyonlands National Park. As was writing, I Googled “Places of Power” or something like that, and it came up. The moment I saw it, I knew that it was exactly what I needed for my story. I happen to live in Utah, so I determined to hike to Druid Arch!



Let me point out that I am short and round. I’m in better shape than I look (remember, the black belt), but hiking has never been a strong point for me. The distance to Druid Arch and back is eleven miles. I won’t bore you with the details, but I tricked a couple of friends into coming with me, and we made it there and back. Barely.


You can’t actually get to the arch without anti-gravity boots or a helicopter, but as we sat down, had a snack and looked around, I knew I’d picked the right place. I’d already written the novel, but I felt like I already knew Druid Arch inside and out.


That was maybe the coolest part about the journey of New Sight. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to get the call from an agent saying they wanted my book while I was there. But alas, no cell phone service.


Here’s the moment that Lys steps under the Arch from New Sight.


     Standing at the base of the arch, Lys felt a familiar tug, like she’d spent time here as a kid, but she couldn’t remember the details. The rocks shot into the sky—impressive in their own right. Dark streaks stained them, as if the stone itself wept. The smooth ground beneath the arch sloped gently down to a lower center point

     Lys looked up and could see a small hole situated at the pinnacle. Well, it looked small from here, but the hole itself could be as wide as she was tall.

     Gold tendrils of magic reached down from the hole, wrapped through the stone and continued to the ground. Once they reached the bowl, the vine-like magic followed the circumference of the depression, spiraling downward into the center.

     She looked around in wonder. The magic ebbed through the stone, lapping at her feet like the ocean brushing a sandy beach. She could see every crack in the rocks and every ray of sunshine that penetrated the arch. The light seemed to linger in the arch, giving the entire scene an unearthly glow. The place felt alien, but it also felt like home.



Is there anything you’d like to share? You have the floor. :) 


Follow your dreams, especially when it becomes hard. Don’t hang out with people who don’t push you upward, and always remember that you are awesome.

I think we all need to be reminded of this.







I'm a sucker for a good book about magic and this one did suck me in once it hit a certain point in the plot. 

Poor Lys. That girl went through hell a few times and back again. Getting institutionalized because people thought she was crazy when it was really all linked back to the addiction of magic. I mean, hello... the girl wanted to rip people's eyes out. LOL I loved the twists and turns that the story took. There were a few intense moments when I couldn't turn the pages fast enough but overall, it was a nice, easy pace. 

I enjoyed the characters, though I felt like they could be a little bit more well-rounded. At times, the felt a little flat but it wasn't so bad that I disliked them or felt like putting the book down. 

The visual descriptions! Love! I was swept away by the author's descriptions of the past/history and how it moved to the present. I loved how descriptive the author was - it was like I could've reached out and joined in the craziness. Sometimes, authors are too descriptive to the point where I become bored. It wasn't like that at all with this novel. Jo did a great job. 

So overall, the action kept me glued to the pages and the characters kept me intrigued. 

Definitely a solid 4 for me. 

Overall Rating: 4 Stars
Cover: 3.5 Stars
Characters: 3.5 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Climax: 4 Stars
Ending: 4 Stars






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