C.A. Milson's Blog, page 195

VBT: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires by Belart Wright

Average Joe and the Extraordinaires

by Belart Wright

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GENRE: Action Adventure, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

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BLURB:

On a dark and balmy Floridian night, a strange and mysterious dark haired woman stalks the shadows of the local college football stadium, on the prowl for secrets buried deep beneath the Earth. These secrets, she knows, may change everything including this small town.

While knocking back illegal drinks with his friends at the hallowed Orangetown Pickers’ college football stadium, average kid Joe Black finds himself desperately trying to save the life of a beautiful dark haired woman after a deadly explosion violently interrupts his fun and games. While trying to fathom why he would even do something so reckless he soon finds himself entangled in a dangerous game of terrorist plots, mistaken identities, hard boiled detectives, the criminal underworld, and of all things magic as he tries to escape with his life and make sense of it all.

Joe faces many challenges from all new enemies, assassins, and even his own friends. Can Joe navigate all this danger, escape with his life, and handle his biggest challenge to date, finding something about himself that is truly extraordinary? Find out within the pages of Average Joe and the Extraordinaires.

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Book Excerpt:

The brunette woman barely heard her, only figuring out what she said by reading her lips.  She continued to watch her body language closely. The blonde looked frantic as she surveyed the situation below her. The group of people were being escorted into the elevator. The blonde suddenly stood up as the kid with the silver aura, a dark-skinned little girl with almost no hair, was almost at the elevator doors.  She looked ready to leap down and attempt a rescue, but the fool had no idea how outmatched she was, or perhaps she just didn’t care.

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AUTHOR Bio and Link:

Belart Wright was born and raised in Detroit Michigan with a short but adventurous stint in St. Ignace during his childhood. Always poor, Belart had to learn to use his imagination to fuel the fun he had. Whether it was drawing cool and dangerous looking heroes to creating fully fledged storylines with his action figures to writing stories about kids similar to himself with fantastic abilities and destinies, Belart was always an expert in delving into other worlds that were not his own.

Always naturally talented at writing, it took the advice of his brother, and a little creative boost from his high school creative writing teacher to get him to realize that writing was something he could do really well and pursue as a career. To this day he revels in building worlds and characters from the ground up such as the worlds of Hell Warriors, Story of K, Cyborgs and Deadmen, and Pannam which are all working titles.

In his spare time Belart tries to update his two blogs whenever he can, but mostly just ends up writing or editing. As a huge gamer he plays a lot of games online and off with his favorites at the time being Borderlands 2, Phantasy Star Online, X-Men Legends, and Dark Souls. He just wishes he had more time to whittle his impossibly long gaming list down which goes all the way back to PS1 and Sega Genesis classics. He and his buddies at FlubberKnuckle Studios are also working on several new game IPs. He is also patiently waiting for the next installment of the superb Legacy of Kain series.

Author Website: http://www.belartscorner.blogspot.com

Story Blog: http://www.belartsstories.blogspot.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+BelartWright/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11327592.Belart_Wright

Buy Books: http://www.amazon.com/Belart-Wright/e/B00R8ZPET2/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

The book will be $0.99 during the tour.

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

Belart Wright will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/11/vbt-average-joe-and-extraordinaires-by.html

 

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Average Joe and the Extraordinaires, Belart Wright, GoddessFishPromotions

Dymocks Book Signing

Danielle M. Maistry

Come along and meet me at Dymocks Bookstore! It’ll be awesome to see you and talk to you about books and things.

I’ve got some cool flyers and posters and I’ve been practising my signature, so you know it’s gonna be intense.

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Cover Reveal ~ Emerald Fire

Inside the Book:


Title: Emerald Fire
Author: Monica McCabe
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ecopy

Chloe Larson is a historian obsessed with clearing the name of her grandfather, eight generations back. After his heroic exploits during the Prussian Wars his life slid sadly into oblivion and madness, taking with him the location of a queen’s priceless emerald jewels. But the discovery of a cryptic two-hundred year old journal written by a man history declared insane might offer a clue.

Finnegan Kane is a top-notch marine bounty hunter on the hunt for the Emerald Fire, a 120-foot Sunseeker yacht stolen by ruthless Caribbean pirates. It’s the kind of dirty work that keeps his antique ship restoration business afloat, but that doesn’t mean he has to put up with the fiery demands of an admittedly gorgeous historian. But when Chloe offers the one thing that practically guarantees success—the GPS coordinates of the Fire’s location—he has no choice but to forge into uncharted waters.

With danger at every turn, Chloe and Finnegan must battle against the odds to decipher a historical legacy and settle a score against a family gone mad.

Meet the Author

Do you like stories set in unusual or exotic locations? How about unique or interesting occupations? Combine both, wrap them around romance and adventure, and that’s the kind of reading that takes you places!

It’s also a style of writing for Monica McCabe. Always a bit of an adventuress, she’s lived in and explored places like Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Florida, Mexico, California, Maine, Washington, Canada, and yes, even Las Vegas. At every location she seized the opportunity to explore, hike, camp, raft, canoe, fly, ski, scuba-dive, or zip-line. She’s climbed glaciers and ancient Mayan pyramids, dived shipwrecks and reef caves, camped in sasquatch country, drove across the USA three times, and is now working on gathering as many official stamps in her National Park passport as she can. So far, nineteen and counting.

Also an avid reader, the writing bug bit her hard somewhere between Alaska and Montana. Slowing down enough to actually put words on paper took a while longer. She scribbled notes, played at writing a historical romance (her favorite reading), but it wasn’t until she landed in Tennessee that writing became a passion.

Now that she’s sprouted roots alongside her husband of seventeen years, tossed in two lazy cats and two happy dogs, she’s finally turned that wanderlust into crafting stories of adventure and romance. And all that travel and exploration lends realistic detail to her writing. Plus she’s been known to sneak in a bit of her own experience, and a pet or two, because they like the fame.

 

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #monicamccabe, #pumpupyourbook, Emerald Fire, Monica McCabe, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB

Release Blitz ~ Russell’s Revenge

About the Book

Title: Russell’s Revenge

Author: Dennis Fishel

Genre: YA Humor, Adventure

Fate has been messing up Dennis’s life for as long as he can remember. It was Fate that decided Russell Folmer—the biggest, ugliest, and meanest kid on earth—would live only two houses south of Dennis’s. Fate was also responsible for making Russell the same age and placing him in the same school. So who else but malicious Fate would arrange for Russell to be in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time when the bombs crafted from the only product a dog manufactures fell from Dennis’s experimental kite? Now, with dog dumplings decorating Russell’s extremely large and angry face, it looks as though Dennis’s days of successfully dodging the well-known bully are over. As the sound of Russell’s pounding feet gets ever closer, two questions flare up in Dennis’s panicked mind like neon in the blackness of a cave: What has he done to make Fate hate him so much, and how is he going to get out of this fix?

Author Bio

Owned and managed by dogs for most of his life, Dennis shares a home on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula with his four-legged boss, Sally. Together they pursue their interests in wooden boats, fly fishing, chasing down obscure historic sites, and hiking to remote places just for the fun of it.

Links

Author Website: http://www.dennisfishel.com/

Goodreads: Goodreads

iBooks: iBooks

Amazon (Paperback)

Amazon (eBook)

B&N

Filed under: Release Blitz Tagged: Dennis Fishel, Enchanted book promotions, Release Blitz, Russell's Revenge

Book Tour ~ THE MEASURE OF LOVE

The Measure of Love

by Saundra MacKay

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

The Measure of Love is unique in that it is an authentic modern-day love story that captures the mystique and splendor of large size women of today.  It will captivate the hearts of the readers as they walks through Vanessa’s everyday life as she confronts the realistic obstacles from being a woman of size.  The story addresses size in a kinder, gentler way about full figured women beyond the realm of society’s idea of what is physically beautiful

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BOOK EXCERPT

Good fortune spared her from becoming further unnerved by allowing her to get to the airport without much delay, and to find a parking spot, with a few minutes left before his flight was to arrive. Vanessa felt as if she couldn’t make time move fast enough. With each passing minute, she couldn’t deny her mounting eagerness to see his handsome face come through the exit doorway. While the passengers were disembarking, Vanessa positioned herself in a place where she could easily see him come through the door, yet far enough away from the crowd of onlookers waiting for the same reason. As the doors opened and each unfamiliar face passed through the doorway, she felt as if her inflated heart was going to burst onto the carpet. She felt sure she would stop breathing if she didn’t see his face in the next few seconds.

Vanessa stood very still, watching the stream of emerging passengers. And then, suddenly, there he was, looking like the million dollars he was worth in her shining eyes. Unbeknownst to her, Jon had been anticipating seeing her just as much once the plane had landed, and the need had only increased as the plane, much too slowly, had taxied up the runway. His feet had wanted to run down the long walkway, making him impatient with the necessary procedures and the lingering passengers who, to his increasing anxiety, were taking their time walking down it. He didn’t know why, but he was nervous and very anxious, even though he’d been looking forward to this day since it had been arranged.

By the time Jon reached the exit, he was so wired it took everything he had not to push the people ahead of him out of his way to run the extra steps. Then, at the exact same moment, their eyes locked. Vanessa stood there, so statuesque, and wearing the biggest smile. It took all the remaining restraint he had not to drop his bag where he stood, run to her, and grab her up in his hungry arms to consume every inch of her big, beautiful body. She was one fine female, and he could see she had no idea of the enormous impression she made as she stood looking like a vision to all who had an eye for real beauty.

Never taking his eyes off hers, Jon walked toward her, lowered his bag, and forced himself to slowly pull her into his impatient arms. The feel of her softness revived the many feelings that had possessed him since he last left her, and gave him a new wish to hold on to her for a lifetime, just as he was at that very moment. For someone of such a large frame, she was so small in so

He had missed her. For someone of such a large frame, she was so small in so many ways not obvious to those who couldn’t see past the image taken in by the discriminating eye. Jon just wanted to hold her and protect her forever from all the ugliness around her and within her own insecure reflection. Vanessa wrapped her large arms around his neck, nestled her face deep into his shoulder beneath his scented square chin, and whispered, “I’ve missed you so much. Welcome, my love.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was a large-sized child shaped by the view of those expecting me to act a certain way because of my size and their narrow views. As a “fat” child I was treated just how they thought I would act, as if I was so sensitive I were incapable of doing most things thin children could do. It was around the age of twelve I started to gain weight, changing my physical image of my body. It was a slow, steady process, but the ramifications were not.

As I grew older and the pounds followed, the images changed dramatically and I wasn’t capable of fighting the effects from it. As a young girl of size, trying to keep some semblance of positive image was an uphill battle. It was the start of feeling isolated and unsure as an introverted child growing up and into most of my teen years. I didn’t feel I could trust anyone enough to talk to about personal issues, especially anything to do with my weight.

As a teen and into adulthood the meaning of unrequired love was lost to me. As I explored the world around me, I unknowingly learned how to trust many of the voices of the people I was blessed to have had walk through my life. In time, it showed me my innate trust in something bigger than society’s issues and helped me to listen to my own voice to hear the messages I tell myself.

Now, the image of my body is one of kindness, caring, and love. In light of realizing its society’s image of body that is distorted and do not accept the difference in every individual, I have come a long way to appreciate the uniqueness of my body. Today love means so many things to me, and is felt in defining ways that have helped shape me into the person I am today. I believe I have always reflexively felt a connection to my innate love for myself and on so many amazing levels love have helped me to understand and value the real me.

As a young adult, I started to read every opportunity I had. Then my love of words was found, allowing me to create a world in which I could express myself comfortably. I now have the pleasure of embracing the feelings of joy and excitement that come with being a writer of truth and a romance novelist. It’s possible because I evaluate myself and my growth with honesty in hopes of being capable of writing true-to-life love stories. Love stories about large-size women who are seen for more than their innate beauty and are worthy to be the heroine who gets the man

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Saundra-MacKay/e/B017JA3WIU/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Website: http://www.saundramackay.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saundra.mackay

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Measure-Love-Saundra-MacKay/dp/0996825401/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451756244&sr=8-1&keywords=the+measure+of+love

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY 

Saundra will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.

 

Enter to win a $30 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-blast-measure-of-love-by-saundra.html

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #bookexcerpt, GoddessFishPromotions, Saundra MacKay, THE MEASURE OF LOVE

Book Tour ~ The Last Kraken

About the Book

Title: The Last Kraken

Author: Skyler Patterson

Genre: Fantasy

This is a fantasy fiction tale. Get ready to UNLEASH THE KRAKEN! Its the 1800’s in London England. .A leviathan hunter Slaymore Seaborne is retired. The man longs for one last sea adventure! The man has slain every type of sea creature but one. The KRAKEN! All say the creature is myth until the king’s merchant ships turn up destroyed. The crown hires Slaymore to end the monster. This book was written by SKYLER PATTERSON, Author of :THE BOOK OF SWORDS series!

About the Author

How did I become a writer? My story could be a book of itself. My journey is as daunting as it is impossible. Yet it is all truth! I have been working in health care for many years. It was when I decided to read books on my way to work that I stumbled upon the possibility of writing.

How did it happen? I take the train to get to my job in N.Y.. I had become bored with reading the daily newspapers. It was then that I decided to read a book instead. Mind you, I had not read a book in years! I proceeded to read books by J.R. Tolkien, Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, and George R.R. Martin. I found those books sooo cool! I love fantasy fiction. It was when I became addicted to a certain series; that it happened. I read every book from that series and when I asked the book store clerk when there would  be more the man gave me terrible news. “Ha, that guy puts out a book every five, six years. “WHAT?! LIFE IS TOO SHORT”! I could not believe that. It was then that I began to wonder what if I (yes me) could write a book myself. This was a joke to me until I came up in minutes with a plot for a fantasy fiction tale. HOW did I do that!? The plot was way TOO COOL to just do nothing with.  And I will not lie. I made every type of mistake one could make in learning how to write. I have had no formal training and I successfully dropped out of college, years ago! (Please do not do this! It did not go well!) That first idea became THE BOOK OF SWORDS, a medieval styled swords and sorcery epic. That book gave me many headaches, before I figured out how to write it! (great e-book that it is). So I took a break and wrote: THE LAST KRAKEN, (The complete version on Draft2Digital/Smashwords/I-Tunes, only) a tale of a giant, leviathan squid running amok, in the 1800’s England. It was when I was writing that book that I began to realize that I had somehow in only  a little more than a year (2013) became an author. I finished that first book. I then proceeded to test a chapter of it on my extra –smart-school teacher sister Carol. My sister invited me over to hear my tale. My sister did not disappoint me. She gave me many words of encouragement: “Let’s all have a good laugh”! were her words! I read her a chapter. After I read that chapter my sister began to stutter and jaws were dropping everywhere! “HOW IN THE HELL”?! were her words! And then I began to write another book called REVENGE OF THE WOLF.  When my friends heard I was attempting this task they said: “You are crazy! All of your books (so far) are about action! What do you know about romance books”?! Who would do what I did?! It was crazy! I decided to become a writer not knowing if I could even do it! I who had never wrote any type of romance before did write that book! And what happened?! Four star reviews! And accolades and something I never had before: FANS! AND SALES! (Enchanted helped!) I can still remember when I was writing REVENGE OF THE WOLF (Draft2Digital/Smashwords/ Apple I-tunes) when I passed my laptop to a girl I was dating and asked her to read an emotional turning point of this Paranormal/romance/action/horror story. As she was reading it; I was in awe as the woman slowly began to cry! I then spent the rest of that year writing many books. And here I am! I am in this for the long haul. I am now an author and somehow a poet/songwriter.  I will now do my best to write many stories that all occur in different settings, worlds and time periods. All will contain my signature of fantasy fiction, Epic action and romance! “My impossible journey just goes to show that one can never truly know what they are capable of; until they give it that one good try!  Never let ANYONE tell you what you cannot do! I can be found on Goodreads Author page/Smashwords author page/Facebook Author page. I love to hear from my fans! What’s next?! Romance/Action :REVENGE OF THE WOLF2 (New Series) YA:THE WARPATH OF LOVE, THE BOOK OF SWORDS 2,THE BRAVE CRAB, “211” And many more! I can truly say I LOVE WRITING.—SKYLER PATTERSON

Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/LAST-KRAKEN-SKYLER-PATTERSON-ebook/dp/B00TBPWPFI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452009137&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+kraken

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Skyler-Patterson-The-Author-1637568183177650/?fref=ts

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/597513

BOOK EXCERPT

It was a majestic morn. The sea was calm but a whaling ship was not. It bounced across the waves in search of its prey. The deck of the King’s ship “The Sea Plunderer” was a flurry of activity. Men gazed into the horizon from the crow’s nest. The ship’s captain held on to the bulwarks waiting to hear word of the sighting of a spout. The ship’s hull was full of harvested whale bone and whale oil. There was enough oil to light the candles of all of London. Fact is there was nary a barrel left for filling. The ship’s captain however had not had his fill of the deadly hunt! Although his ship crew urged him to give up his sport and set sail for home .The man would hear of none of it. “Tis good sport lads! Tis good sport that will keep ye all sharp! We have got plenty of coin and there’s still plenty of sport to be had! Don’t be a maiden about it”! said the captain. Upon a sudden the deck hand in the crow’s nest shouted : “ SHE BLOWS THERE, AND THERE SHE BLOWS CAPTAIN”! The man pointed into the dawn at a huge leviathan as it surfaced then crashed down into the blue seas. The captain sprang up like a wave. “Ye heard him lads ! ”Full sail men! Windward “! Said he. The ship leapt forward, the captain held firm to the ships rigging and stood on steady sea legs. The waves crashed. The ship groaned and the captains sky blue coat blew in the wind. “Down he went boys! Tis air he needs ! He’ll be up starboard ! Mark me words! We’ll meet him proper”! Yelled the captain. The grey monster breached the water as if heeding the call of the blood thirsty captain. “Lower ye men ! Lower ye all men”! yelled he. The captain pointed to the boats tethered to the side of the large ship. The men grabbed their harpoons and darts . The deckhands lowered the small boats, they crashed into the water’s surface like an anchor. Finally all boats were in the water .The men picked up the oars and stabbed the water like long wooden knives. The boats cut through the choppy seas bound for the spot of the last sighting of the beast. Suddenly the waters churned and out jumped the monster unaware of his intended doom! The creature was at least 40 ft. long and many a ton. The four boats sped towards the whale. A flock of white seagulls gazed down at the boats from above. The boats were moving in an arrow formation. The men aimed their harpoons and darts. The captain still on board his ship jumped up and down and gazed at the whole affair from his long spyglass. He shouted towards the men and pointed at the gigantic fish. The boat that was first in the water gained quickly on the monster. Two men stood in the prow of the boat their harpoons and darts were at the ready . The boat heaved and the salty spray was in the wind. A man who was rowing gazed back at the harpooners and yelled: “Loose them needles lads”!! The boat leapt forward the men tossed their harpoons and they hit their marks! Blood sprayed out from the wounded beast like red rain! The great whale plunged ahead into the green waters dragging all of the small boats in its wake! What a sight! The men on the vessels held tightly lest they be swept overboard. The leviathan pulled the boats swiftly and then in a tremendous heave plunged down below the water’s surface! The massive fish had splashed the boats with a lot of sea water! The splashing waters almost sank the vessels! The men struggled to keep from falling overboard! The men began to use their hats to bale water from the crafts, as they waited for the beast to resurface. The three other boats had now reached the location. The sailors began to yell to each other . “He’s a big one lads! We’ve got the bugger bleedin! When he comes up we shall bleed him some more”! Said the sailor. The heavy lines that were attached to the creature began to pull the small boats prows down into the water! “A sailor yelled: “We’ve got him now lads! Those lines are bloody strong! Long as they don’t break we’ve got our prey”! Said he. Upon a sudden one of the sailors in a boat tethered to the whale gazed into the horizon. The sailor could just make out what appeared to be a huge white mass moving across the water’s surface and heading straight for the small boat! The sailor tapped the oarsman next to him and spoke. “What in the bloody sea hell is that”?! Asked he. The oarsman dropped his oar into the boat and put a hand above his brow to block out the sun and get a better view. The thing that was swiftly approaching, was like a small island that was moving, “That’s got to be a white ship”! said one sailor.” Probably pirates wanting to take our whale”! Stated another sailor. “They can bloody well have him! We’re just having a sport is all”! said the sailor. The whale continued to pull the lines. The small boats danced on the surface and the men continued to gaze at the lines. Suddenly the white mass was becoming bigger as it neared them. The other boats were now all beginning to point at the mass of white that was gaining on their location. “look men tis another whale”! Yelled one sailor. Another man yelled: “where’s his fluke”?! Now there would be no secret as to what the white mass was as the two huge white eyes emerged from the cold green water! They were the eyes of death! The monster plunged forward; its mighty tentacles driving it starboard with the speed of 200 oarsmen! A panic ensued! The men on the whale hitched boats yelled “THE LINE! CUT THE LINES”! A sailor on the prow of the small vessel reached into his waist and drew out a big knife and began to saw at the massive towline! Now all of the other sailors on the other boats cut their lines! All save one! Another sailor gazed back at the approaching mass of white dread and yelled. “In the name of the king what is that bloody thing”! The monster as if hearing the question revealed more of its massive body! Then all men on all boats yelled “KRAKENNN”! The leviathan was now bigger than the whale ship that brought them ! The men’s lines were all cut! All save one! The sailor struggled to free his boat! The men on the other boats began to dig their oars into the water with tremendous speed they turned their vessels back towards the whale ship. The massive monster was now gaining quicker on the only tethered vessel! The sailor was slicing with strong arms. The enormous hemp began to flay but did not snap free! The beast was now bearing down on the tiny vessel as it was now being left by the other boats. Men jumped onto the other boats! Some men fell into the choppy waters! Some of the boats became waterlogged causing some sailors to desperately hit men with oars climbing aboard to push them back into the water to avoid sinking the tiny craft! Finally the sailor cut the last of the rope from the diving whale. At this point the Kraken was bearing down on the vessel at such speed that escape would be all but impossible! The sailors of the escaping boats dug their oars in the water and tried to gain speed. The monster was now on the tethered boat! The Leviathan unleashed its massive tentacles they reached and grabbed the small boat like a child’s toy! The small vessel crumpled like a parchment! Wood and men flew through the air and landed in the churning sea! Tentacles grabbed men and sailors! From afar the deathly scene was quite a spectacle! The huge tentacles raised above the water’s surface like a tree with the leaves of dead sailors! The boats that were able to escape the deathly site made for the whaling ship with great speed. The leviathan plunged down into the waters . Seconds later the massive head emerged. The creature sat idle on the water’s surface. A mass of seagulls settled on the beast’s head, finding a respite from their journeys. They were like a crown for this demon of the deep! The whaling ship was a flurry of fear. The deckhands pulled up the escaping sailors and worked to raise the anchor, The colorful captain could be seen running about pointing at the masts and yelling orders, his coat as blue as the sea. The whaling ship slowly began to turn to begin its hasty escape. Suddenly the white seagulls took off from the creature’s huge skull like a great white smoke! Then the leviathan plunged into the sea like a ghost diving! The beast splashed up the water high into the skies as it dove. Then a deathly silence remained. The water calmed. The sailors on the ship could be heard yelling in delight at the disappearance of the creature. But.. as is always the way of it, first there was the calm, then the storm. The massive monster breached the water’s surface with a crash, near to the whale ship! The water splashed high into the skies! The death reaper was on the ship like reaching doom! The beast’s tentacles grabbed sailors and grabbed the masts and snapped them like matchsticks! The captain did make it to the lower decks! The man leaned on a wall in the rocking ship! The man took off his hat! The man’s brow was sweating waves! The man gasped when he heard his dying crews shrieks of doom! The man turned and saw a frightened sailor staring at him! “ORDERS SIR! ORDERS”?!! The captain said nothing! The man was in a trance of fear! The captain bounded into the cannon rooms! The ship rocked, the gunpowder was in the air, and the cannon blast was ringing the ears! The captain pushed a deck hand away from a cannon! The captain tossed in a ball, then prepared to light the fuse! Suddenly the walls could be heard crashing nearby! The Captain was in the cannon room, and The Kraken seemed to know! The captain glimpsed a tentacle outdoors and fired his cannon! The cannon thundered! Missed! Now could be heard the tentacles crashing through the ships side from the rear of the vessel! Then the sound was getting closer! A sailor dropped a cannon ball on the ground! The ball rolled as the ship rocked back and forth! Then there was silence! The men shivered and gazed from left to right! Suddenly a shivering sailor turned to the captain and yelled: “CAPTAINNN GETTT OUUTTT”!!! Then the walls were crashing! The Kraken’s tentacle breached the ship! The captain attempted to flee but was grabbed by the massive tentacle and yanked through the breached wall! “NOOOOOO”!! Yelled he! The doomed captain was raised into the skies, then smashed against the splintering decks, then dragged below the waves! Men tossed harpoons in vain. Men shrieked within their doom! Sailors jumped down into the sea, as made no matter! The sailors would be denied their folly, but The Kraken would not be denied his meal! And then the seas were calm again…

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #bookexcerpt, Enchanted Book Promotion, Skyler Patterson, The Last Kraken

Cover Reveal ~ Opposites Distract

Inside the Book:


Title: Opposites Distract
Author: Judi Lynn
Publisher: Lyrical Shine
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ecopy

In small-town Mill Pond, Indiana, living the good life means kicking back country-style, opening your home to friends—and opening your heart to sweet surprises…

Harmony Meyer arrives in Mill Pond focused on one thing—finishing her novel in peace and quiet while her apartment building undergoes renovations. A month at her friend Tessa McGregor’s rural resort is exactly what she needs—until she discovers that Tessa’s brother-in-law, Brody McGregor, is another guest. Tall, dark, and handsome is a distraction she can’t afford. Especially when it’s clear from the start they have nothing in common…

Brody’s a rugged yet polished and punctual businessman. Harmony’s a sassy, down-to-earth artist who makes her own hours. He likes kids, she doesn’t even want a pet. Still, when circumstances conspire to throw them together in Tessa’s warm kitchen every evening, the heat between them begins to simmer. Is there a future for two such opposites? Harmony’s not sure, but the more time she spends with Brody, the easier it is to cast him in the role of her romantic hero—and to wonder if love might be the perfect exception to every one of her rules…


 

Meet the Author
All of my works are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, smashwords, Scrib’d, Kobo, and more.I’m a member of Goodreads and my author page can be found at:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5023544.Judith_Post

I’m lucky enough to be represented by Lauren Abramo at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

I’ve been a member of Summit City Scribes for more years than I care to remember, and they’ve made me a better writer.  Thanks, guys!

 

 

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #judypost, Judi Lynn, Opposites Distract, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB

Cover Reveal ~ Her Australian Hero

Inside the Book:


Title: Her Australian Hero
Author: Margaret Way
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ecopy

“If you’ve never read Margaret Way before, you’re in for a treat.” —New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer

An epic tale of modern day Australia, where greed, desire, tragedy, and ambition collide . . .

Alexandra Ross has always known Lavender Hill will be hers one day. The grand old house, with its waving jacaranda fronds circling around it like a canopy against the white-hot Australian sun. The acres of orchards, trees heavy with sweet-smelling mangoes and prickly pink lychee. The rushing emerald creek that claimed her brother’s life; the genteel boudoir where her mother died of grief, gin, and stroke. Even the quad bike her bullheaded father uses to tear around the plantation like a teenager, as his covetous young wife plays tea party with Alex’s mother’s favorite china.
Someday Alex will undo her father’s blunders and be the good neighbor her childhood friend Rafe Rutherford deserves. The yearning she feels for Rafe can never overcome the heartbreak they’ve lived through together, but at least she will have his companionship.

Until her father is killed and the plantation is divided. If she wants to keep the land she loves Alex must break free of guilt and hesitation. And once she begins to fight for what her heart desires, there’s no telling where she’ll stop . . .



Meet the Author
USA Today bestselling author Margaret Way has written more than 130 books, many of them International Bestsellers. She has been published in 114 countries and 34 languages. Her novels are set in her beloved Australia, where she was born and lives to this day. Her stories always contain the beauty and rugged nature of the rural and Outback Australia, as well as the rainforests and coral reefs of Northern Queensland.

 

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Her Australian Hero, Margaret Way, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB

Book Tour – OBSIDIAN WORLDS

Obsidian Worlds

by Jason Werbeloff

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GENRE:  Sci-Fi

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BLURB:

Jason Werbeloff’s short stories have been downloaded over 20,000 times. Obsidian Worlds brings together his 11 best-selling sci-fi shorts into a mind-bending philosophical anthology.

In Your Averaged Joe, a man’s headache is large enough to hold the multiverse. Q46F is an obsessive-compulsive android who finds love in a zombie-embroiled apocalypse. The end of the world isn’t all that bad – The Experience Machine will fulfil your every desire (and some you hadn’t considered). A sex bot dares to dream of freedom in Dinner with Flexi. But mind what you eat, because The Photons in the Cheese Are Lost. Don’t fret though: The Cryo Killer guarantees that your death will be painless, or your money back when you’re thawed. Unless, that is, you’re The Man with Two Legs.

Plug into Obsidian Worlds for these and other immersive stories, including the hilarious Time-Traveling Chicken Sexer. Your brain will never be the same again.

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Book Excerpt:

(from Your Averaged Joe):

“Sorry, this is a bit overwhelming. Let me introduce myself.” Then all three men spoke in unison, extending their hands, “I’m Thursday.” They each chewed a piece of gum, their masticating movements simultaneous.

Joe eyed the identical hands. Long, frosty fingers. Whitest skin. He shook hands with each. Their grips were firm. All three.

Thursday continued, “This is the Chamber.” He waved his arm around the room proudly. Joe considered the space. The rows of beds seemed to stretch forever. He couldn’t see the end of the room. And no pillars. Nothing to support the pink ceiling that extended in all directions. Joe scrunched his feet at the enormity of the Chamber, and the floor squeezed between his toes. But the floor wasn’t smooth – it was … hairy? He glanced down, and yup, fine dark hairs covered its surface. It was like standing on a forearm. Goose bumps erupted along his arms, down his legs, Joe shifted his weight to his heels, trying to avoid the hairs from scratching between his toes. And as the goose bumps spread across his back, down his chest, the ground beneath his feet changed. Between the silky black hairs, the fleshy floor lumped in places. Lumps the size of fists. Bumps, goose bumps. On the ground. He shivered.

Trying not to think about it, and resisting the urge to jump, to get his feet anywhere but on the fleshy floor, he stared at the beds. Each held a single occupant, each with brown hair, each wearing the same pale blue nightgown he was wearing. Joe looked to the bed beside his, and his heart stopped.

The man in the bed was him.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jason Werbeloff is a novelist and philosopher. He loves chocolate and his Labrador, Sunny.

He’s interested in the nature of social groups, personal identity, freedom, and the nature of the mind. His passion is translating philosophical debate around these topics into works of science fiction, while gorging himself on chocolate.

Amazon Author Page – download all of Werbeloff’s fiction from Amazon.

http://smarturl.it/AuthWerbeloff

Newsletter – subscribe to get ‘The Solace Pill’ free, as well as VIP access to Werbeloff’s latest fiction.

http://smarturl.it/werbeloff

Goodreads – read reviews of Werbeloff’s fiction.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7340789

Facebook and Twitter – follow Werbeloff for release date information on upcoming shorts and novels.

http://www.facebook.com/solaceseries

https://twitter.com/JasonWerbeloff

Website – read about the author, and the philosophy behind his fiction.

http://www.jasonwerbeloff.com/

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GIVEAWAY

Jason will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Author Interview

Jason, thanks for being here. Tell us about you

Human, male, 31. From an obscure planet in the Milky Way Galaxy. Likes chocolates, Labradors, and zombies (not necessarily in that order). I’m a philosopher by training, a programmer in a previous life, and a novelist by profession. I’ve written two novels, ‘Hedon’ and ‘The Solace Pill’, and the short story anthology, ‘Obsidian Worlds’.

What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

Guilt. And the occasional stray positive thought. I do get excited occasionally. On a full moon.

Really, I love my lifestyle. I get to write every day about bizarre, previously untapped worlds. What could possibly be better than living this way?

If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?

Probably Oscar Wilde. Love his acerbic wit and effortless paradoxes. My favorite (partly misattributed) quote of his … On his deathbed, he remarked: “Either this wallpaper goes or I do.”

There’s something about a personality that runs against the grain … people like Wilde make the world a more dynamic place. Without them – well, we’d all be sheep.

What’s the story behind your latest book?

‘Obsidian Worlds’ is a collection of eleven short stories. Underlying them all is this idea: insert protagonist (and reader) into bizarre, harrowing world; see how protagonist (and reader) flail about to survive; and then resolve, usually through a further disaster, but sometimes through a wonderful surprise.

I named the collection ‘Obsidian’, because it’s a glassy, multi-layered, pitch-black, phenomenally sharp volcanic glass. It’s so sharp that it separates cells, rather than tears them as a conventional blade would. The stories in the book are meant to do the same: slice between your concepts and ideas, bifurcating them into dark configurations you couldn’t have imagined beforehand.

Tell us your writing process

Step 1: Eureka moment! Idea forms in brain.

Step 2: Reject idea. Couldn’t possibly work.

Step 3: Play with idea guiltily. This can’t possibly result in anything useful.

Step 4: There might just be a story here.

Step 5: Begin writing.

Step 6: Assume the story will never be finished.

Step 7: Shock and panic as middle of the story approaches.

Step 8: Eureka moment for next story.

Step 9: Finish story.

Step 10: Return to step 2.

Do you have any tips for other writers who want to spread the word about their book?

I’ve heard this said elsewhere, but I’ll reiterate it here. There are two sure-fire ways to build your author platform: write more, and grow your email newsletter. (Shamelessly, here’s the link to mine: http://smarturl.it/werbeloff).

The more you write, the more products you’ll have in your store, the better your writing becomes, and the more cross-advertising you’ll have at your disposal. The more your email list grows, the more reviews you’ll get for your work. The more reviews you have, the better your advertising potential is – sites like Bookbub will only look at authors with lots of reviews.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Quite late, actually. I was 28, and disillusioned with my job as a software developer and management consultant. I’d studied philosophy to PhD level, but didn’t really want to pursue it as a career. So I played with the idea of writing a short story, which turned into a novel (The Solace Pill). What convinced me to continue with it was the enormous release I felt each time I finished a story. It felt, and still feels, like something new has been birthed into the world. Something that breathes and converses and taunts without any further input from me. I love being an author.

Tell us about your main character:

Each of the 11 stories has a different protagonist, in a distinct world. They range from androids, to a smelly goat farmer, to a killer for hire, to a bottle of silicone lube. All of them took their stories in directions I hadn’t initially planned. All of them are strong-willed, vibrant, and unique.

My favorite is Barker, a killer for hire in a peculiar world. Barker is hired by his victims, because they want to appear to have died of natural causes, so they can be cryogenically frozen – cryogenic freezing only happens to those who die of natural causes in this world. Barker is level-headed, old-fashioned and reliable. But everything changes when a young client with a smile he can’t refuse, walks into his life.

What are you working on next?

I’m about half-way through a sci-fi biopunk gore novel. I’ve pulled out all the checks on violence and explicit gore on this one. It’s going to hurt your teeth to read it. More than that I can’t say, other than it’s scheduled for release mid-2016.

Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?

I love plumbing. There’s nothing quite like sealing a leaking pipe. It doesn’t talk back. Doesn’t complain or request revisions. It either works or it doesn’t.

Plumbing goes along with a love of renovation more generally. Tiling, painting, knocking through walls – all of it makes me genuinely happy, in a way I just can’t reproduce any other way.

Who are your favorite authors?

I love the sci-fi greats, especially Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, and Margaret Atwood. Anything dystopian, space-based, cyberpunk or mind-bending gets my vote.

What do you like to do with your free time?

I try (and fail) to gym. Love yoga. Listening to podcasts. Binge-watching ‘The Walking Dead’, and eating out.

Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.

The biopunk novel is set for release mid-2016. Between now and then, I’ll probably release a bunch of sci-fi short stories. Really interested at the moment in gory sci-fi. Been watching too much David Cronenberg. Have you seen ‘The Fly’? Woah. If you haven’t, do yourself a favor. And Stuart Gordon’s  ‘Re-Animator’ is insanely good. I challenge you to watch them, and see if you can ever sit through another romantic comedy without wishing the characters significant bodily harm.

Needless to say, my upcoming work will have plenty of body horror.

 

Any final thoughts?

Thank you so much for the opportunity to appear on your blog! I enjoyed answering the questions, and hope to engage further with your readers. Comment below! I’m always happy to respond. And don’t forget … join my newsletter for a free novel, and a lifetime of free and discounted stories: http://smarturl.it/werbeloff

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #JasonWerbeloff, author interview, author promo tips, biopunk novel, Book Excerpt, GoddessFishPromotions, Hedon, Jason Werbeloff, multiverse, OBSIDIAN WORLDS, philosophical anthology, Rafflecopter giveaway, sci-fi, The Solace Pill, zombie-embroiled apocalypse

Book Tour ~ The X Factor: Confession of a Naïve Fashion Model

The X Factor: Confession of a Naïve Fashion Model

by Ivan Sivec

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GENRE: Young Adult

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BLURB:

It takes three mistakes to be swallowed up and spat out by the fashion industry.

You trust the wrong people.

You think you know everything there is to know about life.

You abuse drugs.

The almost 18-year-old Maja is a regular high-school kid, who at the threshold of adulthood thinks she knows everything there is to know about life. As she enters the world of fashion modelling she gets completely enchanted.

However, the more her career thrives she’s less able to see the danger lurking around fashion industry.  Maja starts falling in a downward spiral of drug addiction and is torn between the tempting dream of becoming a world famous model and the horrendous thought of destroying her body beyond the point of no salvation.

At a yacht party Maja gets drugged, assaulted and tossed overboard. She’s found the next day. Barely alive. Only a shade of her former self, in a gray space between life and death, she realises the fashion industry sucked everything out of her – except one thing – the will to live. Maja wants to be her old self again.

Ironically, it means losing the only thing that made her special. She has to give up on her hidden X Factor.

The X Factor:

Confession of a Naïve Fashion Model

is a psychological YA novel showing the glamorous fashion world behind its less glamorous scenes.

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BOOK EXCERPT

“Please, Klemen, stop talking about fashion agencies and such!”

“And us?” he held her hand. He was surprised to see she was wearing the bracelet he had given her for Valentines.

“What do you mean, have you forgotten everything?” she smiled at him.

Reminiscence.

An element of an art work that revives memories of past events.

The memory of Bled.

“It’s all in your, my, our hands. Don’t fake ignorance and use Mr. Egon as an excuse!”

“Just say what you want!”

“I want things between us to stay exactly the same as they are right now. I want us to always tell each other the honest truth, even if I ever become as famous as… Claudia Schiffer.”

“Okay,” they shook hands. “Whoever breaks the promise shall be damned, a hundred times!”

“A thousand times! Damned for life! Okay?”

“Are you thinking of the curse that will strike the one who breaks the promise?” he looked at her from the side.

“Yes, exactly that one!”

“But will you be able to accept me back after all the bad things I’ve done to you? I feel like a hustler of the worst kind.”

They were quiet for a long time, staring through the window.

Two turtledoves were sitting on a branch, showing affection to each other.

“I’m sorry,” Klemen said, absorbed in thoughts. “I’m asking you to forgive me if you can.”

“I’m asking you to forgive me as well. It’s all up to you, Klemen,” Maja said softly.

He squeezed her hand strongly, as if he wanted to say that everything was back to normal.

That they were back to where they had started before Valentine’s Day 2004.

Now they could finally feel free, independent, free from evil people.

They were able to find anchor in their haven because their love was above all the filth.

And the end is always the beginning of something new.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ivan Sivec is a writer, poet and publicist from Slovenia, Europe. People say he is ‘a man with a hundred stories’ and he has been sharing them with his audience, both young and mature, for over four decades now. He is listed under the top five Slovenian bestselling authors.

In his rich and thriving career he has written in many genres. As a poet he has written more than 2,500 lyrics for ethnic and entertaining music for which he received several awards. His broad prosaic ‘repertoire’ includes biographies, historical, psychological and adventure novels, travelogues, youth book series, picture books as well as humorous stories. To this date he published over 130 books and is considered to be one of the most popular Slovenian authors.

His particular interest goes to psychological novels on issues teenagers face today, especially topics like suicide, drug addiction, adoption, AIDS…  He shares true stories to let the young reader know they’re not alone.

Sivec devotes his free time to his wife of 44 years, their two children and three grandchildren. Since his retirement a decade ago he enjoys his days hiking the Alpine peaks (he is especially proud to have conquered the tallest mountain in Europe, the French Mont Blanc (4,810 m/ 15,771 ft), together with his daughter-in-law Tina). When he is not gathering inspiration from the mountains he is soaking in the tranquility of the Mediterranean Sea with his wife.  Nature is his source of creativity. It allows Ivan to gather his thoughts and pour them onto paper.

Official Webpage: http://ivan.sivec.net/en/

Facebook: facebook.com/ivan.sivec.en

facebook.com/the.X.factor.the.book

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ivan_Sivec

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ISivec

http://bit.ly/1MOwSp0

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RJz7d9

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ZKSE29

B&N: http://bit.ly/1VXy1v4

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This book is free on Amazon on January 13 and 14.

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

Ivan will be awarding a free e-copy of the X Factor or a signed greeting card from Slovenia (international) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a free e-copy of the X Factor or a signed greeting card from Slovenia (international) to a randomly drawn host.

Enter to win a copy of the book or a signed greeting card from Slovenia – a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-blast-x-factor-by-ivan-sivec.html

Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #bookexcerpt, #Ivan_Sivec, Goddess Fish Promotions, Ivan Sivec, The X Factor: Confession of a Naïve Fashion Model