Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 270

November 9, 2017

A Bewitching Thursday

Interview + Giveaway: The Beautiful Dead by Jun Prince #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/FHiI30gsHKs

"Unfinished" by Amy Snyder #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/pl7g30gsI1y

Interview: PNR Author C. L. Wilson - The Sea King (Weather Mages of Mystral Book Two) #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/8wCg30gsHPC

INTERVIEW - The Sea King (Weather Mages of Mystral, #2) by C. L. Wilson
https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blog...

#Book #Promo…The Waiting Gate…#BookBoost #Mystery #OnTour @jmerrillforrest #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/q49630gsHY0

THE MONSTER OF SELKIRK By C.E. Clayton #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/S69p30gsHN7

The Waiting Gate by J Merrill Forrest
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...

Prey by Tim Majka #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/7T5j30gsHAt

Tarnished Legacy by Ann Gimpel #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Z4S030gsHGl

http://ow.ly/AIEi30gsHDr No One But You Tessa Levy #bewitchingbooktours

Spotlight ~ The Sea King by C. L. Wilson ~ #AvonBooks #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/50dL30gsHSl

Prey Spotlight! #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/t4ao30gsHEp

Author Spotlight: J Merrill Forrest
https://kimpetersendotcomdotau.wordpr...

The Monster of Selkirk
http://www.silverdaggertours.com/book...

Spotlight ~ No One But You by Tessa Levy #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/gsfO30gsHu5

Her Dear and Loving Husband - Excerpt - Spotlight - Giveaway! #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/GgeH30gsHs5

Book Spotlight ~ Ghost Slayer by Majanka Verstraete ~ New Adult Paranormal #PNR ~ Majanka Verstraete #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/9LFx30gsHjt

Goddess of the Wild Thing by Paul DeBlassie III Book Tour #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/gb9630gsHm8
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 09, 2017 08:46 Tags: a-bewitching-thursday

Is it Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy? - Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard




I still don’t know how exactly to classify Her Dear & Loving Husband. Sounds funny, that statement, especially since the book has been out since April and now I’m working on the second book in the series. I’ve only recently become familiar with the term Urban Fantasy. Not too swift for someone who writes about vampires, right? I’m not sure how the term escaped my notice. I had heard it before, certainly, but for me the term Urban Fantasy conjured images of a futuristic city—like the Jetsons with their flying saucers and talking toasters. Since I don’t read novels that fit into the science fiction/fantasy genre, I didn’t pay much attention to the label Urban Fantasy.
Before, my best guess for the genre of Her Dear & Loving Husband was paranormal romance, and yet I was never entirely comfortable with that label. I have nothing against romances; in fact, I love them. But for my vampire James Wentworth and the human woman he loves, Sarah Alexander, I wasn’t sure the romance genre fully described their story. James and Sarah’s love, how it grows from tentative caring to passionate connection, is a major part of their story. And James is a vampire, which fits in nicely with the supernatural aspect of Paranormal Romance. But the romance, while important, isn’t the only facet of the novel. 
Then I began reading Paranormal Romance blogs, and I saw various discussions about Urban Fantasy versus Paranormal Romance. After some research, I found out that Twilight and the Harry Potter books fall into the genre of Urban Fantasy.  How did this affect how I viewed my own book? I found that paranormal characters are welcome in Urban Fantasy. Check. I found out that in Urban Fantasy there is a coexistence between human and paranormal characters. Check. In Urban Fantasy the human learns of the existence of the paranormal. Check. In Urban Fantasy there can be romance. Double check. There is also emphasis on backstory, historical settings, and the characters may have tragic pasts. Check, check, check. Salem, Massachusetts doesn’t quite qualify as a city, but otherwise we’re on the right track here. And since Her Dear & Loving Husband is book one in a trilogy that features the same characters, that further qualifies James and Sarah’s story as an Urban Fantasy. Who knew?
What a realization—that Her Dear & Loving Husband fits into a genre I wasn’t even familiar with. Personally, I think that’s a pretty neat trick. I can’t wait to write my next book to find out what genre it belongs to.


Her Dear and Loving HusbandThe Loving Husband TrilogyBook OneMeredith Allard
Genre: Paranormal/Historical/Sweet Romance
Publisher: Copperfield Press
Date of Publication: 4/19/11
ASIN: B004UVQOBO
Number of pages: 289Word Count: 89,000
Cover Artist: LFD Designs
Book Description:
Love the history, fantasy, and romance of Outlander and A Discovery of Witches? Read Her Dear and Loving Husband.
Professor James Wentworth has a paranormal secret, and he lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties with anyone. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets librarian Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth’s death, James cannot move on.
Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares, and every night she is awakened by terrifying visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail–scenes from the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must also dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. Soon James and Sarah discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?
Part historical novel, part romance, part paranormal fantasy, Her Dear and Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.
Amazon     BN     iTunes      Kobo  Excerpt:
I am looking lovingly into the eyes of a man, though I cannot see his face because it is featureless, like a blank slate. We are standing in front of a wooden house with narrow clapboards, and there are diamond-paned casement windows and a steep pitched roof with two gables pointing at the laughing, hidden moon. I am certain I hear someone singing sweet nothings to us from the sky. From the light of the few jewel stars I can see the halo of his hair, like the halo of an angel, and even if I cannot see his eyes I know they look at me, into me. I stand on my toes, he is much taller than me, and I point up my face and he kisses me. As the warmth of his lips melts into mine, making me weak from the inside out, I feel my knees give from the thrilling lightness his touch brings. I know the face I cannot see is beautiful, like the lips I feel. His hands press me into him, clutching me closer, closer, unwilling to let me go. I grip him with equal strength, wishing he would carry me inside, yet I cannot bring myself to break our embrace. “I shall never leave you ever,” he whispers in my ear. I promise him the same.
I do not know how I have been so fortunate to have this man in my life, but here he is, before me, wanting me. I am overcome with the joy of him.
About the Author:
Meredith Allard is the author of the bestselling paranormal historical novels The Loving Husband Trilogy, a great read for fans of Outlander and A Discovery of Witches. Fans of Downton Abbey will love her newest release, When It Rained at Hembry Castle. She is currently writing Down Salem Way, the prequel to Her Dear and Loving Husband. Meredith lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.
http://www.meredithallard.com
https://www.facebook.com/authormeredithallard/
https://twitter.com/copperfield101
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4866638.Meredith_Allard

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 09, 2017 03:05

November 8, 2017

A Bewitching Wednesday

Guest Blog - Prey by Tim Majka #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Ct7U30grbnK

SHANNON MUIR’S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS – Blog Tour: Unfinished #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/1eQc30grbF6

Featuring The Monster of Selkirk, a YA fantasy book, by C.E. Clayton #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/kQoL30grbw9

Read an Excerpt from The Beautiful Dead by Jun Prince & Enter the #Giveaway ~#UF #PNR #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/tdMP30grbr1

#Book #Promo…The Sea King…#BookBoost #PNR #Romance #OnTour @RoxanneRhoads C.L. Wilson #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/fyNx30grbBh

The Waiting Gate by J Merrill Forrest Book Tour
http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.c...

The Monster of Selkirk Book 1 Spotlight Tour! #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/P7OM30grbxx

Ghost Slayer by Majanka Verstraete #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Cfi230grbah

The Sea King by C. L. Wilson #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/I3A130gr26W

The Waiting Gate by J Merrill Forrest #bewitchingbooktours
http://ow.ly/jjKQ30grbPC

"No One But You" by Tessa Levy #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/iRjm30grblx

Her Dear&Loving Husband by Meredith Allard #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/HAyt30grbhh

#Excerpt: Ghost Slayer by Majanka Verstraete Majanka Verstraete #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/ZIlg30grbct
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 08, 2017 09:08 Tags: a-bewitching-wednesday

Guest Blog - Prey by Tim Majka



Hello readers,
A little about me
My name is Tim Majka. By day, I spend my time as a mild-mannered high school social studies teacher, molding the minds of America’s youth. By night, I dive into fantastic worlds of my creation, hoping to entertain and warp the minds of readers everywhere. The magic happens in my hometown of Dunkirk, New York, nestled along the shore of Lake Erie. I reside there with my loving and supportive family that includes my best friend and bride, Bridget, two intelligent, caring, and good-looking sons most people could only dream of, Jacob and Alex (I wonder who they take after? J), and our rescue cats: Stanley and Corky. 
The genesis of Prey
Prey goes back many years and has many layers.
As a young child, I read comic books (still do) and took to creating my own, which my grandfather (pictured here in his WWII Navy days) would buy from me for a quarter.My grandfather is also the inspiration for the all-knowing bartender, Sheik, it was his actual nickname, in his younger years he could be found with a gaggle of women around him.
He was also a brewmaster at the now defunct KOCH’S BREWERY. The Na Zdrowie lager Eric Archer loves so much is a nod to this cherished local beverage and my family’s Polish heritage.

Years later, my seventh grade English Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Lynne Clarke got me hooked on storytelling. We had a unit of study in creative writing during which I wrote an episode of STAR TREK (see picture), she gave me an ‘A’ on it along with many positive accolades about plotting, pacing, and characterization. I didn’t write much creatively for many more years, but as a history teacher I used those skills verbally to hook my students. A veteran teacher once told me: “We are entertainers, performing five shows daily.”

High school: I hit a rough patch, had some terrible thoughts for a brief amount of time and remember writing, Death Is Final And The Only Solution on a notebook. Put the first letters of that statement together and you either get the name of a heavy metal band or a badass god-king that wants to put all of Earth under his control.
In college, I put as much creativity into my writing assignments as I could and actually jotted down a few notes and lines that would one day become Prey.
Fast forward 15 years: Marriage , a house, a teaching career, two kids in school, both playing hockey, one traveling all over the country, and me coaching football (another passion of mine). After 13 years of coaching, I hung up my whistle to be available for my parents, both of whom were dealing with health issues. Football had been a year round activity and I didn’t know what to do with myself. One night, I was having a conversation online with an old high school friend, who happened to be writing some horror themed short stories. As we talked, I got more excited at the prospect of putting pen to paper for the first time in a long time (or fingers to keys, as it were). I realized there was more in my head than football knowledge. Cleaning out my desk, packing up everything football related, I found a CD-ROM with no label. Out of curiosity, I popped it in my desktop tower. It contained one Microsoft Word document titled PREY. There were two names on the page and three lines of a story I started years earlier. The two names: Eric Archer and Difatos. The three lines were an early version of the beginning of chapter one.
How and why that very disc was in the drawer at that exact time, I have no idea. I dug in and started writing.
Fast forward again, six years this time, after numerous re-writes, almost 40 rejections, and nine months spent with the best editor (and friend) I could have hoped for, Rob. M. Miller, in June of 2017, Prey was released by Devil Dog Press.
Book synopsis:
The Other Side Has Broken Through Following the mysterious death of his parents, Detective Eric Archer goes home to the idyllic Western New York town of Chadwick Bay.
There, he joins old colleagues and makes new acquaintances in Jessica Benitez, Eliseo Gomez, and the enigmatic Dr. William Dirk.
They uncover decades-old family secrets that shakes the foundation of their reality. Alliances are formed, friends become foes.
An ancient entity’s plan to enslave the people of Earth is about to be unleashed.
With the fate of humanity at risk, Eric Archer and his friends must race to unravel the mystery of how to defeat a God-king.
(Cue the scary music)
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the history of Prey. One might say it’s the book I’d been waiting my whole life to write. Now, what are you waiting for? Go have fun reading it. There’s still plenty of time to get to it before Blood of the Ancients Book II: Difatos Ascending is released.
Until next time, peace, and be good to each other (RIP Gord Downie), Tim
 P.S. Before I forget, my sons, they take after my wife of course. J
PreyBlood Of The AncientsBook OneTim Majka
Print Length: 281 pages
Publisher: DevilDog Press
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: Horror, SciFi, Paranormal
Book Description:
The Other Side Has Broken Through
Following the mysterious death of his parents, Detective Eric Archer goes home to the idyllic Western New York town of Chadwick Bay. There, he joins old colleagues and makes new acquaintances in Jessica Benitez, Eliseo Gomez, and the enigmatic Dr. William Dirk.
They uncover decades-old family secrets that shakes the foundation of their reality.
Alliances are formed, friends become foes.
An ancient entity’s plan to enslave the people of Earth is about to be unleashed. With the fate of humanity at risk, Eric Archer and his friends must race to unravel the mystery of how to defeat a
God-king.
Amazon        Smashwords       Goodreads


About the Author:
I spend most of my time molding the minds of America’s youth teaching high school social studies, along the shores of Lake Erie, in my hometown. I reside there with my loving and supportive family that includes my best friend and bride, Bridget, two wonderful sons most people could only dream of, Jacob and Alex, and two rescue cats: Stanley and Corky.
My reading interests cover a wide range genres. Suspense, mystery, thriller, action, adventure, sci-fi, historical, and noir. My goal is to explore as many of these as I can in my career as an author.
I am a self-professed pop-culture geek, and wear that label proudly. My sons and I have a comic book collection that is in excess of 5000 books. And we NEVER miss an opening night for any of the super-hero movies.
Living in Western New York I am conditioned to be a fan of both the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. I have dealt with much heartbreak over the years, but hold out hope that my teams will bring home those elusive championships someday.
https://www.amazon.com/Tim-Majka/e/B0721T9RJ9/
https://twitter.com/tmajic52
Publisher Links:
http://www.devildogpress.com/newsletter.html
https://twitter.com/devildogpress

https://www.facebook.com/DevilDogPress/


 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 08, 2017 03:00

November 7, 2017

Join the Holiday Extravaganza Facebook Party

$5 Per Author

This party will take place Thursday December 14 and
Friday December 15 10am- 10pm EST each day

Please put you name and email next to the two hour time slot you want
https://goo.gl/roVva2

And send $5 via Paypal to RoxanneRhoads@BewitchingBookTours.com or https://www.paypal.me/bewitchingbookt...

Authors Are Responsible for their Party Materials, Graphics and Giveaways
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2017 08:43

Holiday Sale

Bewitching Book Tours Holiday Sale

Receive 10% off any November or December tour package booked by November 15

Use code: HOLIDAY17

This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts, sales or special offers.

Sign up here: http://goo.gl/dNgqXv
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2017 08:39

Will your book be free or on sale for Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Bewitching Book Tours will be sending out Black Friday and Cyber Monday news blasts to all of our subscribers and posting sales and freebies on all of our social media networks.

Add your details to our social media and newsletter blasts for $15 for one blast (Friday or Monday) or do both Friday and Monday for $25.

Email RoxanneRhoads@bewitchingbooktours.com with
"Black Friday" in the subject line to sign up.
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2017 08:36

A Bewitching Tuesday November 7

Outsmarting My Inner Critic - The Great and The Small by A.T. Balsara #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/bC4x30gpod9

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/grgQ30gpnNv

Bitter Harvest Series Book Tour #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/CUHU30gpnyK

No One But You by Tessa Levy #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/hkYP30gpnvQ

The Sea King by C. L. Wilson #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Q9Yh30gpoo1

The Monster Of Selkirk by C.E. Clayton #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/A2A230gpok6

Spotlight & Giveaway - The Beautiful Dead by Jun Prince #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/OScj30gpofW

Prey by Tim Majka #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/DNKR30gpo3h

#Giveaway Book Spotlight ~ The Great and The Small by A.T. Balsara #YA #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/xXR830gpoeu

Spotlight & Giveaway - Unfinished by Amy Snyder #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/1Iqt30gpoRi

Read an excerpt on Ghost Slayer by Majanka Verstraete #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/qLuz30gpnJQ

GODDESS OF THE WILD THING by Paul DeBlassie III #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/YZRL30gpnFY

Spotlight & Giveaway - The Beautiful Dead by Jun Prince #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/tyKP30gpo6g

Ghost Slayer by Majanka Verstraete Excerpt
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...

Changed by Heather MacKinnon Excerpt & Giveaway
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...

The Beautiful Dead by Jun Prince: Giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/P90v30gpo9d

Spotlight ~ Ghost Slayer by Majanka Verstraete #NA #Paranormal
http://teatimeandbooks76.blogspot.com...

Authors- Put your book in the holiday spotlight with the 2017 Bewitching Book Tours Winter Holiday Extravaganza December 1- 22
Sign Up Here: https://goo.gl/forms/k3d9GdPR5Bt7SxRP2
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2017 08:35 Tags: a-bewitching-tuesday-november-7

Outsmarting my Inner Critic - The Great and The Small by A.T. Balsara





I despise writing first drafts. That voice in my head gets loud…what a bunch of crap…no one is going to read this…just give up already…It makes writing that first draft feel like I am a punching bag for my own thoughts. The same is true when I try to put an illustration on paper. That first, very rough drawing is fodder for my inner critic.
So I outsmart it.  
[caption: An illustration of Scratch and Fin, two characters from The Great & the Small]
First of all, when I’m writing, I start with an outline, or I at least have a rough idea of where I’m going. Now comes the fun part: I find soundtrack music. In The Great & the Small, I had to figure out how to have a gang of rats run through sewer pipes and air ducts. I found Beauty in Your Eyes by Deep Forest and cranked it. I played it on a loop while I immersed myself in the scene. I pretended I had a camera, and all I was doing was recording what I saw. Here is a snippet of that scene from the point of view of Fin, the scrawny rat who is nephew to the Beloved Chairman:


Fin gritted his teeth against the throb in his foot and pushed himself forward, straining to keep pace with the hulking louts that loped in front of him. Even the smaller females dwarfed him in size.Up. Down. Squeezing through dripping holes and plowing into murky troughs filled with lumpy sludge. Running. Running. Sludge in his eyes, up his nose, through his fur. Running blind, just following the shadow tails and legs always in front of him.
The small tunnels began to change into drier, square metal ducts that were impossible to get any traction on. Fin’s claws scrabbled against the smooth surface. Once he slipped and overshot a corner, smashing into the duct wall with a reverberating gong.
“Quiet!” Bothwell barked. For the next while, except for the pinging of their claws on the metal, they ran in complete silence. Suddenly Bothwell stopped. The rest of the squad came to an immediate halt except Fin. He sailed headlong into the rump of a thick-necked brute called Squid.
“Oi!” The giant sneered down at him. “Wotch it!”
[caption: An illustration of young Pip, from The Great & the Small]
For scenes that were really tough, and required full immersion into it in order to write it, or illustrate it, I had to search for the right music.
[caption: An illustration of Ananda, a character from The Great & the Small, when she first reads about the history of the Great Mortality]
Near the end of the book, in a scene between Fin and Zumi (I’m not telling you what happens!) a song by Amadou & Miriam, M’bifé Blues, put me in that perfect place to write the scene.

Some other songs I used were Delerium’s Indoctrination and Awakening. Both songs have strong bass lines, with singing that almost feels like chanting; perfect for being able to immerse into a scene. When I find the right song, I play it over and over (and over, and over, as my long-suffering family can attest) until I get the scene on paper. Then I play it while I rewrite and polish, and keep polishing until that voice has nothing left to say.
The Great and The SmallA.T. Balsara
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Common Deer Press
Date of Publication: October 31, 2017
ASIN: B07543NL6H
Number of pages: 292 pages
Cover Artist: Ellie Sipila of Move to the Write
Book Description:
Deep below the market, in the dark tunnels no human knows exist, a war has begun. Lead by the charismatic Beloved Chairman, a colony of rats plots to exterminate the ugly two-legs who have tortured them in labs, crushed them with boots, and looked at them with disgust for as long as anyone can remember.
When the Chairman’s nephew is injured and a young two-leg nurses him back to health, however, doubt about the war creeps in. Now the colony is split—obey the Chairman and infect the two-legs with the ancient sickness passed down from the Old Ones, or do the unthinkable...
Rebel.
Common Deer Press      Amazon      Chapters/Indigo      BN
Excerpt from The Great and the Small: The Market
A loud crash boomed from the fish stalls, making them both jump.A huge man wearing rubber boots and a plastic apron came charging down the aisle. “You filthy piece of… I’m gonna get you!” He was focused on something on the ground and didn’t seem to notice that he was charging straight at them. Ananda’s father braced himself, toothpick though he was, in front of her. But the fishmonger barrelled past, following a streak of white and grey. A mouse! The man raised his boot, slammed it down on the mouse. Ananda gasped. So did others in the crowd. The mouse squirmed in pain, its back paw crushed. A dark splotch of blood bloomed on the pavement.  The man lifted his boot again. Everything seemed to slow down for Ananda. “Stop!” she roared. She pushed by her dad and jumped between the man and the mouse. Blood pounded in her ears and her heart thrummed. She held up her hands to block him and shouted, “Leave it the Hell alone!”  The man stumbled backward, tripping over his own enormous boot. He pulled himself up to his full height and glowered down at her. His face was as red as boiled lobster, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his fat upper lip and quivering jowls. He sneered.  “What’s your problem, you stupid kid?” he snarled. Ananda was too pumped with adrenaline to be cowed by this mastodon. She rose to her full five-foot-one-inch height and glared up at the giant. “I’m not the troublemaker here, you bloody, murderous jerk! What gives you the right to hurt an innocent animal?”  “Are you crazy?” the guy sputtered.Ananda wanted to sink her fist into his fat ham of a face. “No, you’re crazy! Torturing an innocent mouse who hasn’t done you any harm—ouch!” She was suddenly yanked to one side. Her skinny father, with his thick glasses and mop of dark brown hair, stepped forward, putting himself between her and the fish-selling Goliath. Tom pushed his glasses up his nose. “Let’s all just calm down…”Giant Fish-Guy began ranting, waving his meaty hands, drops of sweat flying off him like a dog shaking itself after a dip in the pond. Tom’s voice began to rise. Leaving her dad to it, Ananda swooped around and crouched on the ground before the mouse. It was white with grey markings. It looked like it had a little cape. It was still moving, its long, pink tail flickering like a groggy snake. “Come on, little guy,” whispered Ananda. “You’ve got to get up now.” The small creature seemed to know it had been given a reprieve. It picked itself up, slowly peeled its crushedback paw from the pavement, gave itself a small shake, and lolloped away, holding its crushed paw to its belly. It made it past the gargoyle statue. It had just leaped onto the column when Fish-Guy caught sight of it. He swore and lumbered after it. “Leave it alone!” screamed Ananda. She went to run after him but was stopped by an iron grip on her arm. “Stop him, somebody!” she shrieked.By now, the entire market had stopped to gawk. The mouse was halfway up the column. Cursing, Fish-Guy hopped on one foot and ripped off a boot. He threw it. The boot bounced off the column. The mouse kept climbing. Fish-Guy threw the other boot. Missed!   Ananda cheered as the mouse slid over the rooftop. “Yes! The mouse got away!” She jumped up and down, clapping, and swung around. Dozens of people were staring, jaws flapped open. She froze. In the crowd she saw one of the guys from her school. He looked like Ed the Hyena from The Lion King. His mouth was in perma-sneer mode, and his head thrust forward on his neck like someone was leading him by his pimply nostrils. He shook his head at her. “Loser,” he mouthed, and laughed. She’d seen his type a million times. A coward until he smelled blood. There was no way he was going to bully her.Although prickling sweat had broken out all over her body, Ananda thrust out her chin. She smiled—a bright, fake mask. “Good!” she called to the crowd. “The mouse is safe. All’s well that ends well, right?” She curled her mouth into a sarcastic grin and stared down the hyena.




About the Author:
Website: http://www.torreybalsara.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndreaTorreyBalsaraAuthorIllustrator
Twitter: https://twitter.com/torreybalsara
a Rafflecopter giveaway






 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2017 03:00

The Sea King by C. L. Wilson



The Sea KingWeather Mages of MystralBook TwoC. L. Wilson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Date of Publication: 10/31/2017
ISBN: 9780062018984ASIN: 0062018981
Number of pages: 608
Tagline: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter King comes a breathtaking new tale of love and adventure set in the mystical land of Mystral
Book Description:
He wasn’t supposed to choose her…
Seafaring prince Dilys Merimydion has been invited to court the three magical princesses of Summerlea. To eradicate the pirates threatening Calberna and to secure the power of the Sea Throne, Dilys vows to return home with a fierce warrior-queen as his bride. But politics has nothing to do with unexpected temptation.
She didn't dare wed him...
A weathermage like her sisters, Gabriella Coruscate’s gentleness exemplifies the qualities of her season name, Summer. Yet her quiet poise conceals dangerous powers she cannot begin to wield. Better to live without excitement, she reasons, than risk her heart and lose control—until an irresistible Sealord jolts her awake with a thunderclap of raw desire.
Until evil threatens everything they hold dear…
When pirates kidnap Summer and her sisters, Dilys begins a desperate quest to save the woman he loves. Only by combining his command of the seas with the unleashed fury of Summer’s formidable gifts can they defeat their brutal enemies and claim the most priceless victory of all: true love.
HarperCollins      Amazon        Google Play      Apple      BN
Excerpt:
You can get off me now,” she ordered, mimicking Autumn’s haughtiest tone.He didn’t move. Instead, he locked his gaze on hers and, with slow deliberation, laid his left wrist flat against her right.Summer sucked in a breath and went rigid be- neath him as a fresh surge of energy shot through her. Only this time, instead of an electric thunderclap that stunned the senses, this surge fired up every sen- sual cell in her body. If Dilys hadn’t been straddling her, she would have wrapped her legs around his waist and dragged him down atop her. As it was, she burned for him in the worst way. The way his nostrils flared and his tattoos went bright with a fresh burst of phosphorescent blue light only fanned the flames of her desire. She wanted to command him to touch her . . . to kiss her. Her gift of Persuasion flared, bringing the words and the magic to the tip of her tongue.


About the Author:
C. L. WILSON grew up camping and waterskiing across America, from Cherry Creek reservoir in Denver, CO, to Lake Gaston on the border of Virginia and North Carolina, to Georgia’s Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona. When she wasn’t waterskiing and camping on family vacations, you could usually find her with a book in one hand and a sketch pad in the other—either reading, writing stories, or drawing.
Sometime around the ninth grade, she decided she was better at drawing her pictures with words than paints and charcoals, and she set aside her sketchpad to focus entirely on writing. Wilson is active in Tampa Area Romance Authors (TARA), her local chapter of Romance Writers of America.
When not engaged in writerly pursuits, she enjoys golfing, swimming, reading, playing video games with her children, and spending time with her friends and family. She is also an avid collector (her husband says pack rat!), and she’s the proud owner of an extensive collection of Dept. 56 Dickens and North Pole villages, unicorns, Lladro figurines, and mint condition comic books.
Wilson currently resides with her husband, their three wonderful children, and their little black cat, Oreo, in a secluded ranch community less than thirty miles away from the crystalline waters and sugar-sand beaches of Anna Maria Island and Siesta Key on Florida’s gulf coast.
Website: http://clwilson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clwilsonbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clwilsonbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1310735.C_L_Wilson


 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on November 07, 2017 00:00