Nicole Zoltack's Blog, page 25

Book Blast - Christmas Ever After by Elyse Douglas

Christmas Ever After by Elyse Douglas



Can 26-year-old JENNIFER TAYLOR overcome her past—the death of her fiancé that has left her bitter and angry? Will she accept the gift of an adventure from a mysterious woman before it’s too late: a trip to New York City on Christmas Eve, where she’ll meet three men who will change her life forever?



Excerpt:



Suddenly, everything seemed to happen at once, and in slow motion. Mrs. Stanton stepped in front of the shop, stabbing away at the snow with her cane.



Jennifer’s back tires slid away into chaos. It was as if the world was spinning away from her. She frantically fought for control of the car, but the steering wheel became useless. She was slipping away toward the east wall of Cards N’ Stuff.  Jennifer held her breath.



Just then, Mrs. Stanton’s left foot found an unfortunate old patch of ice beneath the newly fallen snow. She felt it give way, and her cane, which should have been a support, slipped from her hand and sailed away into a snowdrift. Jennifer watched in horror as Mrs. Stanton’s body lifted from the earth and rose like a great bird above the spread of undulating snow. She seemed suspended in time. For a brief hopeful moment, Jennifer had the irrational belief that she could somehow scramble from her car and rescue Mrs. Stanton, as one would rescue a priceless fragile vase falling from a great height.



But there was no rescue. There was no one to catch Mrs. Stanton and there was no one to stop Jennifer’s car from its collision course with the garbage cans in the alleyway, and the inevitable impact into the side of the building.



Mrs. Stanton’s body finally hit the snow, like a massive meteorite striking the earth. The impact threw up a plume of whiteness. The crater was deep and impressive. Mrs. Stanton let out an almighty howl that scattered chirping sparrows into the trees. Her yell was eclipsed by Jennifer’s car slamming into the garbage cans, and colliding into the side wall of Cards N’ Stuff.



Then there was silence. But only a brief one.



From somewhere, close by, came a low rumble. It was a foreboding sound, like the low moan of fate in the apprehension of an imminent catastrophe.



Cards N’ Stuff began to shimmy and quake. Icicles snapped and fell. Fractures formed on the roof. Sliding snow whooshed down in avalanches, crashing to the ground.



Mrs. Stanton was frozen in fear, looking bug-eyed, hearing a roar, like the sea.



Jennifer managed to shove open the jammed car door and roll out, falling into a mound of snow. She heard the frightening sound, struggled to her feet and staggered away from the building, running, stumbling and gasping.



There was a terrible, miserable groan as the roof buckled and plunged down into the shop in a storm of wood, roof-tiles, dirt and snow. In violent hammer-like blows, it shattered snow globes, jewelry boxes and porcelain figurines. It smashed glass displays and chopped through shelves, burying Christmas angels, Santa Clauses, Christmas cards and delicate earrings. The window Christmas displays were blown into oblivion; the Victorian town demolished; the electric train flicked away and buried by a powerful cascading shaft of dirt and ice. The family around the piano was pummeled and destroyed.



In a final act of destruction, sprinkler pipes ruptured, shooting streams of water into the air like geysers, flooding the place. Books, CDs and DVDs floated by, little boats navigating a chaotic space.



When it was finally over, an uneasy silence settled in, like a warning.




Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords


Book Trailer









About the Authors





Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse's mother was a painter and her father a textile consultant. Elyse began writing poems and short stories at an early age, and graduated from Columbia University with a Master's Degree in English Literature. Douglas grew up in a family of musicians, astrologers and avid readers. His grandfather was a gifted humorist and storyteller from Kentucky.



Elyse Douglas' four novels include: The Astrologer's Daughter, Wanting Rita, The Christmas Diary and Christmas Ever After. They live in New York City.




Links

Twitter * Facebook * Website







Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash



Ends 12/16/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Elyse and leave the others blank.



Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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Book Blast - Goddess Girls #9 - Pandora the Curious

Goddess Girls #9 - Pandora the Curious



Is Pandora about to open up a box of trouble?



One of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy, Pandora is famous for her mega quizzical nature—not that she thinks there’s anything wrong with being curious, of course!



Her curiosity kicks into high gear when a godboy named Epimetheus brings a mysterious box to school. Epimetheus is the nephew of an MOA teacher in whose class Pandora once opened another box that sent a few weather disasters to earth. Still, Pandora can’t help but take a peek inside this new box when it unexpectedly lands in her lap. What could be the harm in that, right? Little does she know that opening the box will open up far more trouble than she ever expected!



Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.




Purchase

Barnes & Noble * Amazon





Praise for The Goddess Girls


“…a clever take on Greek deities…”

~ Booklist



"Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging."

~Publisher's Weekly



 “…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…”

~ School Library Journal




The Goddess Girls Series


The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa! 
Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld. 
Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love. 
Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave. 
Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. 
Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. 
Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair! 
Medusa the Mean Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy -- immortal. Is that too much to ask? 
The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as Mount Olympus Academy hosts visitors from many lands--including an adorable kitten!The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series! 
Pandora the Curious
Pheme the Gossip (Apr. 3, 2013) 
Persephone the Daring (Aug. 7, 2013) 



The Goddess Girls





Author Suzanne Williams



Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children's choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 - 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 - 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.










Website * Blog






Author Joan Holub



I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children's books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.



I illustrated my first published children's book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts -- Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!



Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children's books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.




Twitter * Website * Blog









Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/16/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Joan and leave the others blank.



Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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Guest Blog with Cherie Reich, Author of The Nightmare Collection, Talking about Fear

Fear: What Scares Me?




Thank you for having me on your blog
today, Nicole!




Nicole asked me to talk a little bit
about fear and what scares me. Everyone has different things that frighten
them, and as a horror writer, I try to use various fears to create the scare
factor. My biggest fear is the unknown. I like to know things and be prepared
for anything, but there are things out of my control, things I don’t know. I
think that’s why I have a fear of the dark. The dark itself doesn’t scare me,
but it’s what I can’t see that does.




I really dislike most bugs too. They
are more creepy than frightening, but I don’t want them to touch me, just like
I don’t want to touch them.




Even though I wrote a space fantasy
novella trilogy, I have a fear of aliens. This stems back to the unknown ...
and watching Signs. Dude, that’s a
scary movie because it makes too much sense! Aliens can be anything, look like
anyone.




And I also have a fear of talking on
the phone. I think that goes back to the unknown too. Why is the person calling
me? What do they want? What should I say?




Thinking about fear has made me realize
all my fears tend to go back to the fear of the unknown. And I often use the
unknown in my horror stories. Anything can happen out there. Are you prepared?
*shivers*




What are you afraid of?










Book Description:

A legend is hungry tonight.



A child monster will get its first taste of blood in Nightmare at the Freak Show. Four friend will enter the forest on
December night, but only one can survive in Once
Upon a December Nightmare. Almost ten years after Cassie's December
nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in Nightmare Ever After.




Publication Date: November 17, 2012




Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16089321-the-nightmare-collection




Cover art by Nicemonkey at
Dreamstime.com. Cover design by Aubrie Dionne. Bookworm logo for Surrounded by
Books Publishing created by Cherie Reich.




Purchase Links for the ebook:

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256004


Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A93EMNE


UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A93EMNE


DE https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00A93EMNE


FR https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00A93EMNE


ES https://www.amazon.es/dp/B00A93EMNE


IT https://www.amazon.it/dp/B00A93EMNE


JP http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00A93EMNE


Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nightmare-collection-cherie-reich/1113808878?ean=2940015726503


Nook UK http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/the-nightmare-collection-by-cherie-reich/2940015726503


Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Nightmare-Collection/book-NTs2Bn-DK0-ypSR2cseCvA/page1.html?s=K9KRpcbL8UC68DBm7NN-KA&r=9





Purchase Links for the print book:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4043291


Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/The-Nightmare-Collection-Cherie-Reich/dp/1480211001


UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Nightmare-Collection-Cherie-Reich/dp/1480211001


DE http://www.amazon.de/The-Nightmare-Collection-Cherie-Reich/dp/1480211001/


FR http://www.amazon.fr/The-Nightmare-Collection-Cherie-Reich/dp/1480211001/


ES http://www.amazon.es/The-Nightmare-Collection-Cherie-Reich/dp/1480211001/


IT http://www.amazon.it/The-Nightmare-Collection-Cherie-Reich/dp/1480211001/





Author Bio:

A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie
Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living
in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her
e-books include the horror series Nightmare,
a short story collection with authors Aubrie Dionne and Lisa Rusczyk titled The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk,
the futuristic space fantasy novelette trilogy Gravity, and The Foxwick
Chronicles, a series of fantasy stories. She is a member of Valley Writers
and the Virginia Writers Club.




Author Links:

Website: http://cheriereich.webs.com

Blog: http://cheriereich.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookworm0753

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4268457.Cherie_Reich




Rafflecopter Giveaway:

I am giving away prizes to two lucky
people. The prize packages are open internationally and include: a signed copy of
The Nightmare Collection, a signed
copy of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy,
and a $10 Amazon Gift Card.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast - For What It's Worth

For What It's Worth by Karey White



Twenty-four year-old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true. She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.



Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customer decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?



Praise for For What It's Worth



Reading Karey White’s books, like eating chocolate cake, is always satisfying and brings a smile to my face. For What It’s Worth is light, romantic, and delicious. It’s a great pleasure read. Sit down and get lost in the charming world of wedding cakes and love. As an added bonus, each chapter  starts with a recipe, so it’s a novel and cookbook all in one. A fun read!

—Teri Harman, KSL columnist, Studio 5 contributor, and author of Blood Moon, available June 22, 2013



I just loved the book – loved it. Hated putting it down and hated finishing it. Karey White is my new Maeve Binchy, her writing as warm as the bakery her novel is set in. For What It’s Worth surprised me, made me smile, say “no” out loud in a public place. I love when a character feels like my sister. I didn’t want to finish it, so now I may try the recipes that began every chapter.

—Amanda Dickson, author and radio personality



This book oozes charm, romance, and mouth-watering recipes. If you want to escape reality and curl up with a darling story, For What It’s Worth is the perfect fit. Thank you, Karey White!

—Rachael Anderson, author



This is a book worth every penny of the price. In the business of baking wedding cakes, every detail must be perfection, but this story remembers that real life is oh-so-messy. White’s clear and honest writing left me hungry for good food, a close family, and a little romance. A beautiful marriage of food, family, and faith.

—Regina Sirois, author of On Little Wings, 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award




Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble


Book Trailer















Author Karey White





Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.



She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.












Links

Website * Twitter * Facebook 





Blog Tour December 2012


Tour Schedule



Book Blast Giveaway Details

$50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash from Author Karey White

Ends 12/14/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow Karey and leave the others blank.



Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast - Julia Crane's Keegan's Chronicles Trilogy

Keegan's Chronicles Trilogy Set
Books 1-3

Coexist: 


Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.



In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.



Conflicted: 


Keegan, is only alive now due to Black Magic, and her bond with her Chosen is broken. She cannot remember Rourk at all.



For the first time, she feels like a normal teenager. She is dating Donald, her long-time crush, and everything seems perfect. But Rourk still feels their bond, and despairs for the woman he was always meant to love.



Keegan's best friend Anna is determined to find a way to use her powers to return Keegan's bond, no matter what it takes. The question is does Keegan even want it?



Consumed: 

Keegan has dealt with a lot over the last two years: Death, black magic and the loss of her bond to her chosen mate. But on her eighteenth birthday, the bond with Rourk returns.



Now, Keegan faces her hardest decision. Tradition requires elves marry at eighteen. If she accepts the path laid out for her, she will be spared a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. But will that life ever really be her own?



Praise:



Really enjoyed this book. The story draws you in, and the characters are engaging, especially Rourk. I've never read a book about elves, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This was really good. Would recommend to anyone interested in a quick, fun, paranormal read. 

-- Amazon Reviewer



I am not one for Elves or Fairies but yeah these Elves RULE! What is not to love? You have an age old prophecy, destined loves, a great family and amazing friends. Not to mention .... Rourk *yummy* All that is left is the amazing way it all is put together into this fantastic story. 

-- Amazon Reviewer



If you pick up this book, I'm sure it will not disappoint, it had everything, it was cute, yet dark..and well that combo just makes for a perfect book on my shelf, Julia has truly written an amazing read. (: 

-- Haley @ Ya-aholic.com




Purchase

Amazon * Nook * iBooks










Author Julia Crane



Julia Crane is the author of the YA paranormal fiction novels: Keegan's Chronicles, Mesmerized, Dark Promise and Eternal Youth. Julia was encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she's believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.



Julia Crane has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.






Links



Website * Twitter * Facebook


Book Blast Giveaway Deatils (Starts November 29th)


$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/9/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.




Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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's permission. 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. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Show and Tell in a Nutshell

Click to add me to Goodreads!

Have you been told there's a little too much telling in your novel? Want to remedy it? Then this is the book for you!



In Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing you will find sixteen real scenes depicting a variety of situations, emotions, and characteristics which clearly demonstrate how to turn telling into showing. Dispersed throughout, and at the back of the book, are blank pages to take notes as you read. A few short writing prompts are also provided.



Not only is this pocket guide an excellent learning tool for aspiring writers, but it is a light, convenient, and easy solution to honing your craft no matter how broad your writing experience. Keep it in the side pocket of your school bag, throw it in your purse, or even carry it around in the pocket of your jeans or jacket, to enhance your skills, keep notes, and jot down story ideas, anywhere, anytime.



If you purchase the e-book, you will be armed with the convenient hyper-linked Contents Page, where you can toggle backward and forward from different scenes with ease. Use your e-reader's highlighting and note-taking tools to keep notes instead.



The author, Jessica Bell, also welcomes questions via email, concerning the content of this book, or about showing vs. telling in general, at showandtellinanutshell@gmail.com



Reviews:

“Jessica Bell addresses one of the most common yet elusive pieces of writing advice—show, don't tell—in a uniquely user-friendly and effective way: by example. By studying the sixteen scenes she converts from “telling” into “showing,” not only will you clearly understand the difference; you will be inspired by her vivid imagery and dialogue to pour through your drafts and do the same.” ~Jenny Baranick, College English Teacher, Author of Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares

“A practical, no-nonsense resource that will help new and experienced writers alike deal with that dreaded piece of advice: show, don’t tell. I wish Bell’s book had been around when I started writing!” ~Talli Roland, bestselling author

Purchase the paperback:

$4.40 on Amazon US

£3.99 on Amazon UK



Purchase the e-book:

$1.99 on Amazon US

£1.99 on Amazon UK

$1.99 on Kobo



About the Author:

The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.



She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal , and co-hosts the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek Isle of Ithaca, with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.



For more information about Jessica Bell, please visit: 

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Guest Post - Aubrie Dionne, Author of Colonization, Talks about Aliens

Why I
wrote about benevolent aliens instead of crazy/scary/evil ones.





Crazy/scary/evil aliens are so much more fun to write about,
aren’t they? They could take over people’s bodies, exterminate entire
populations, read their minds, suck their brains….ah all the options….it makes
me excited just thinking about it. So, why did I opt for the world peace
version in Colonization?




Well, these aliens first appear in Paradise 21, the first book in my new adult space opera series. They’re meant to contrast with humans,
who have made Earth unlivable through wars, overpopulation, greed, and over
extending their resources. These aliens had created a perfect society of peace,
understanding, and living in harmony. They outlasted their own sun, while
humans destroyed the Earth long before its time should have been up. That’s the
message in Paradise 21, and you
finally get a glimpse of who they were in Colonization:
Paradise Reclaimed.




Andromeda, the main character, gets to meet one of them. Not
alive, of course, because their population has been wiped out by something
threatening her own colony, but readers of Paradise
21 will get a further glimpse into the aliens’ world and how they’d
interact with humans. The threat on Paradise 21 isn’t crazy/scary/evil aliens,
it’s something much more subtle and insidious.




See for yourself in Colonization:
Paradise Reclaimed.






“Forbidden love on a
paradise planet that’s anything but paradise...Dionne’s Colonization will keep
you guessing.” – Cherie Reich, author of Defying Gravity




Blurb:




Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.




Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a
deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is
about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take
the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer

assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander
of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love
for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The
results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus,
“the oaf”.




But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her
predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed
colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship
crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue
him with Corvus.




Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent
danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own
feelings for Sirius and Corvus.




Can she save the colony and discover her true love?




About the Author:




Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic

elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights,
Niteblade, Silver Blade,

Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in
Amber, and Aurora

Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing,
Entangled Publishing,

Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a
professional flutist in

New England.




Please visit her website: http://www.authoraubrie.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne

Blog: httphttp://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Twitter: @authoraubrie






a Rafflecopter giveaway






You can buy the book at:




Amazon

Barnes
& Noble

Inkspell
Publishing




Nicole's Review:




There's not much more you can want from a story than you receive in Colonization. Scifi fans will love this story. Romance fans will love this story. There are so many twists and turns. Colonization is a story to be read and reread.

Favorite Lines from the Darkness Falls trilogy from Author Krystal Wade

Wilde's Meadow favorite line(s). I find this segment so entertaining because Encardia is a world ravaged by literal Darkness. There is no sunshine, and everything is dying. They are at war, and Kate and Arland are discussing The Crossing Caves, a place full of dark, horrible magic: 

 

"Is there anything else I should worry about?" [Kate asks]

"Not unless you are afraid of the dark."

I laugh aloud.

Everyone glances at me as though I'm crazy.

"If I was afraid of the dark, we'd be in big trouble, Arland."

He smiles. "Good, because we cannot use light of any kind in the caves, and I am sorry I did not warn you about the dangers."




Wilde's Army favorite line(s). I like this segment because our heroes are trapped, staring up a cliff face, debating their options, and wondering the fate of the others:





Arland didn’t even question if. He already knows.

“All of them, sir,” Cadman says. “We watched them enter, but I do not believe they saw us.”

All of them. That means there are at least thirty. What does that mean for—”Perth . . . . “ The name escapes my mouth and hangs in the cool, dark air like the threat of death we continue to face.




Wilde's Fire favorite lines(s): I like this segment because Kate's embraced her powers, used them for good, and now she's paying a price: having to be honest with her friend. Honesty can be so difficult:





"He wanted to leave with you. Try the truth. Maybe he will surprise us all and be very accepting of it." [Arland says]

"Well, when you put it that way, casting a spell and sending him home sounds like the perfect plan. The truth is going to hurt him." I rest my head on his chest.

"The truth usually does hurt—and we should wait until he is dressed before talking to him."






Blurb:

Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.



Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.

Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way. Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?


About the Author: Krystal Wade can be found in the sluglines outside Washington D.C. every morning, Monday through Friday. With coffee in hand, iPod plugged in, and strangers--who sometimes snore, smell, or have incredibly bad gas--sitting next to her, she zones out and thinks of fantastical worlds for you and me to read. How else can she cope with a fifty mile commute?


Good thing she has her husband and three kids to go home to. They keep her sane.




Links: www.krystal-wade.com

www.facebook.com/author.krystalwade

Cover Reveal - Cherie Reich's The Nightmare Collection

Book Description:

A legend is hungry tonight.



A child monster will get its first taste of blood in Nightmare at the Freak Show. Four friend will enter the forest on
December night, but only one can survive in Once
Upon a December Nightmare. Almost ten years after Cassie's December
nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in Nightmare Ever After.






Forthcoming late November 2012




Add to Goodreads




Cover art by Nicemonkey at
Dreamstime.com. Cover design by Aubrie Dionne. Bookworm logo for Surrounded by
Books Publishing created by Cherie Reich.




Author Bio:

A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie
Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living
in Virginia.
Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her e-books
include the horror series Nightmare,
a short story collection with authors Aubrie Dionne and Lisa Rusczyk titled The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk,
the futuristic space fantasy novelette trilogy Gravity, and The Foxwick
Chronicles, a series of fantasy stories. She is a member of Valley Writers
and the Virginia Writers Club.




Author Links:

Website: http://cheriereich.webs.com

Blog: http://cheriereich.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookworm0753

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4268457.Cherie_Reich

Guest Post from Michelle Davidson Argyle - How Fairy Tales Speak to Us

Fairy tales have been around for as long as stories have been in existence. Whether they end happily or tragically isn’t as important as the thread of truth at the heart of each one. I think this is why fairy tales have lasted for so long, and why, like Shakespeare, you can plop a fairy tale story into any setting, and it will most likely work. It isn’t about the characters and setting so much as what we learn from the tale.




One of my husband’s favorite Disney movies is The Princess and the Frog. I love Disney’s version of the tale so much because it is the first Disney fairy tale told in an American setting (New Orleans). Not only is it a different setting than audiences are used to, but it also twists the fairy tale in some exciting, unique ways. At its core, we learn how much appearances aren’t as important as what’s inside (listen to the “Dig a Little Deeper” song, for instance), and that hard work is important only if you take time to smell the roses along the way.




I think, as humans, we cling to storytelling as a way to express the most important elements of who we are. Fairy tales boil down the essence of who we are. We value happiness and reaching goals and wishes. We value learning hard lessons, even if the endings are tragic. Even from an unhappy ending, there is a golden nugget of wisdom to be found—something that can lead to happiness if we will only stop to learn from it. This is why I like unhappy endings. They make me think a lot harder than happy ones!




Fairy tales started out as “little stories” passed down orally from one storyteller to another until the Brother’s Grimm started collecting some German tales in the early 19th century.  Since then, we’ve had tales written down to treasure. We continue to write them down today. I certainly can’t keep myself away from telling stories with a traditional fairy tale feel. What’s your favorite part about fairy tales? Do you prefer them happy or a little more realistic?





 BONDED




What
happened after Cinderella married her prince? How did the evil sorceress in
Sleeping Beauty turn evil in the first place? Discover these stories and a
world filled with magic, forbidden love, elves, sprites, dragons, and the most
powerful creatures of all— the fairies —in Bonded, a collection of
three fairy tale inspired novellas.



CINDERS: A Cinderella sequel. Money can’t buy
love, but magic isn’t a sure bet either. Cinderella, now officially a princess,
finds royal life is not what she once dreamed. When a mysterious elf from her
past stirs up long-suppressed passion, Cinderella begins to wonder if there
really is love beneath the spell that captured her husband’s heart. But undoing
magic can be harder than casting the initial spell, and the results are even
less predictable.



THIRDS: A retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale, One-Eye,
Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes. Issina is surrounded by magic, yet none of it
belongs to her. Despised and abused by her mother and sisters, she finds
comfort when she meets the beautiful elves living in the nearby woods. The
elves want to help her discover her own magic, but it’s not the kind of power
she hoped for, and she learns there is more to magic than getting what you
want.



SCALES: A Sleeping Beauty prequel. The sun
never sets in the realm of the fairies. When the young fairy Serina looks into
her sister’s eyes, she sees darkness for the first time. After her mother is
murdered, Serina defies fairy law to follow her sister to the human realm.
There she discovers the strength of a bond, the weight of a promise, and the
darkness in her own heart.






                                                   

PRAISE FOR BONDED:




Bonded is filled with engrossing, magical
storytelling. The only consolation when one story ends is knowing there's
another one waiting. ―Elana Johnson, author of Possession



Romantic and enchanting, Bonded is a beautiful,
magical read. All three tales are full of love and sacrifice, while each story
shows how one bond can save a person or destroy them. Ms. Argyle has a captivating
voice and beautiful writing. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
―Chantele Sedgwick, author
of Not Your Average Fairy Tale

LINKS

READER GUIDE: http://www.scribd.com/doc/108724258/Bonded-Reader-Guide

AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.michelledavidsonargyle.com/

AMAZON PURCHASE PAGE FOR BONDED
(PAPERBACK):
http://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Michelle-Davidson-Argyle/dp/1936850656/ref=la_B0044M0ED8_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1349152905&sr=1-7

AMAZON PURCHASE PAGE FOR
BONDED (HARDCOVER): h http://www.amazon.com/Bonded-Michelle-Davidson-Argyle/dp/1936850648/ref=la_B0044M0ED8_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1349152946&sr=1-8

BARNES & NOBLE PURCHASE PAGE FOR BONDED
(PAPERBACK): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bonded-michelle-davidson-argyle/1113051511?ean=9781936850655