Rochelle Campbell's Blog: The NoteBook Blogairy, page 8

Really quickly…

I’m driving myself CRAZY with battening down my grammar lessons.  While editing my book, I am checking and double-checking all the rules, deciding how I feel about the Oxford comma and making sure that I use the words “passed” and “past” correctly.

Do you drive yourself crazy with grammar and the mechanics of writing??!  Please share.

(Yeah, I know you, and I, are not really crazy.  We’re grammarists.  It simply feels like we are a bit coo-coo at times!)

Wonderfully Wicked Giveaway with C.J. Burright!

She’s an ordinary girl with a nightmare problem…or is she?

Wonderfully Wicked
by C.J. Burright
 
My rating: 5 stars
 
Series: The Dreamcaster Series – Book 1
Publication Date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: C.J. Burright
Genre: Paranormal Urban Fantasy
Print Length: 268 pages
Available from: Amazon

 

 DREAMS CAN BE DEADLY

She’s an ordinary girl with a nightmare problem.

For as long as she can remember, Kalila Montgomery has been tormented by

creatures from her nightmares. Doomed to a solitary life with a herd of

cats, she’s determined to go down fighting. Until the man of her

dreams—literally—kidnaps her and claims to know a cure. If only she

believed him…

He’s not your average supernatural hero.

Lydon v’al Endrian will stop at nothing to be free of the V’alkara, a

dangerous brotherhood who feed on dreams. But the key to his freedom,

sassy dreamcaster Kalila, might be his toughest challenge yet. No matter

how much she protests, he intends to keep her safe from the

V’alkara…even if it requires the ultimate sacrifice.

Their love is forbidden.

Now on the run with a man she can’t quite trust or resist, Kalila must

decide—fight for her dream of a normal life? Or, embrace a power she

doesn’t want to save Lydon?

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The jukebox song ended in a condemning silence. More than a

few customers watched her with suspicion and perhaps a hint of hostility. An

oily man in a dirty leather jacket muttered something to his companion,

glancing at her as if she might be the antichrist.
She pushed at a crumb on the table. “I’m not hungry

anymore.”
“Eat anyway.” Lydon bent his full concentration on devouring

his stew. “You’re too skinny. Whenever a strong gust comes up I expect you to

float away with the leaves.”
In other words, her boobs weren’t big enough. Kalila tore

off a chunk of bread. She stirred her soup in half-hearted interest, the

carrots, potatoes, and peas bobbing in crazy circles. How could she allow her

fascination for Lydon to take root, blossom, and ripen into fond feelings? For

a V’alkara? The man her night vision warned against?
The life of the restaurant resumed with a bright fiddle song

from the jukebox. Alun squeezed her shoulder. The concern filling his eyes made

her cringe. How did he always seem to know what she was feeling?
A low, ominous growl emerged from across the table.
Alun froze. The fine hair on the back of Kalila’s neck

lifted in warning.
Lydon towered above them both. In a snap, her nightmare had

come to life and murder hovered a second away. His voice seethed with

possessiveness. “We’re dancing.”
Before she could object, he shackled her wrist and towed her

onto the dance floor. He hauled her against him and noosed her back with one

arm. His free hand curled around her neck, controlling.
Her mouth went Death Valley dry. She was trapped, and not only

by the man caging her. Her feet had become leaden blocks, her legs wobbling

like wet noodles. What should she do with her hands? Resting them on his

marvelous chest again was a bad idea. Wrapping them around his back would be

the point of no return. She settled for placing her fists on his hips.
“I can’t bear to see anyone else touch you.” The velvet-soft

murmur drifted over her neck. He nuzzled the sensitive area beneath her ear and

inhaled.
Kalila swallowed hard, her skin two sizes too tight. She

wanted to surrender, to sink into him, if even for a moment. To know how it

felt. In ten minutes, an hour, tomorrow she could go back to reality.
His fingertips skimmed her throat and all outside noise

faded into the distance. He tightened his embrace, drawing her closer into his

solid form.
“You win, Lils. I thought I could endure any torture

imaginable, but I can’t take this anymore.” The unsteadiness of his voice drew

her gaze to his. He leaned near until their noses almost met and cupped her

chin. His large, warm hand caressed her spine in a slow path, driving shivers

up and down her body.
Screw it. With a small sigh of defeat, she slipped her arms

around his waist and relaxed into his strength.
Lydon took a sharp breath and his eyes flared, as if he was

surprised. Which made no sense. It shouldn’t shock him to know she wanted him

like every other woman in the world.
“Kalila.” He sounded strangely shaken. He grazed her mouth

with the pad of his thumb.
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I blame my love for reading and all things Medieval on my father, who plied me often with fantasy novels ranging from Sir Lloyd Alexander to Piers Anthony. My love for romance, however, lies completely at the feet of my best friend Michelle, who dared to give me a romance novel for my birthday. I smiled, politely said thank you, and tossed it in the corner, where it gathered dust. In a moment of desperation, when only the revolting romance remained in my almost-always toppling stack of awaiting books, I sucked it up and read the romance. Doomed. I started writing fantasy and paranormal romance for the cathartic experience, decided I liked it, and after two overlong, horribly written novels joined RWA and the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal special interest chapter. Best classes and critique groups ever. Double doomed. Now, writing is a necessity, not just a hobby.In my spare time when I’m not writing or reading or actually working, I might be found in the dojang (4th Dan Black Belt, baby), rooting on the Mariners (who will some day win the World Series), working out (P90X, anyone?), gardening (a little dirt never hurt anyone), or playing Music of the Night on the piano (without mask or cape). I live in Oregon with my fabulous husband and daughter. Not to mention my minions, a herd of cats.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Connect with C.J.
Website*Facebook*Twitter*Goodreads

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Book Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A good friend of mine suggested I read Deborah Harkness’ book A Discovery of Witches, part of the All Souls trilogy.  My friend cajoled me on so many occasions that this is the book to read (she also wanted someone to discuss it with!).  Well, after many months I caved in and began reading book 1 of the series.

Initially, I was totally underwhelmed.  Ms. Harkness (a New York Times Bestselling author) is also an historian.  In my experience, historian-turned-writers have the need to explain all of the minute details and provide the proper context for everything.  Ms. Harkness does this to an extent.  Not so terribly that I wanted to put the book down but enough that I would fall asleep in the first few chapters of A Discovery of Witches.  Once the historical throat-clearing was done, and the setting up of the initial conflict(s), the story took off and I was hooked!

The story focuses on a witch — Diana Bishop — that does not want to be a witch.  She does everything in her power to avoid and NOT use her witch-ly powers.  While the majority of readers will wonder at this seeming paradox, as the story moves along, it becomes clear why Diana strives to be as human as possible.  However, the reader finds out soon enough that Diana is pretty much only fooling herself!  Others notice her unusualness and her otherness becomes the true focal point of the story.

The supporting POV character — Matthew — happens to be a vampire that is over 1,500 years old.  He has been a part of every major world incident (very much like Forrest Gump) but this vampire has a heart and it belongs to Diana, the would-be, maybe-could-be witch.  Their slow dance into romance is enchanting and will have you rooting for them as if you knew them in real life.  Ms. Harkness portrays this couple well!

I love that this trilogy came about by Ms. Harkness wondering, ‘If there really are vampires, what do they do for a living?”(Check out Deborah Harkness‘ website for more!)

I do not want to give any spoilers but I have to say that the intricate world of other creatures in this story world make for great page-turning reading fun!  Again, I have an issue with the sheer amount of back story and historical data dump, but that’s my pet peeve.  Ms. Harkness is a bestselling author and she has written a top-notch book that makes you yearn to read book 2 of this series which is Shadow of Night.

A Discovery of Witches is definitely a great read!

4.75 Blogairy Notebooks

Cindy Irish’s: The Song That Seduced Paris Book Giveaway + $100 GC

Opera is getting Sexy!

Enter to Win $100 Gift Card in the Sexy Santa Giveaway

The Song That Seduced Paris
by Cindy Irish
 
My rating: 5 stars
 
Series: The Bel Homme Quartet – Book 1
Publication Date: January 9, 2015
Publisher: Enoch Publications, LLC
ISBN: 1942627017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Print Length: 340 pages
Add to Goodreads | Shelfari

 

 
 Opera gets sexy!

American music mogul Teddy Wilson combines the beauty of opera with the

marketability of pop and creates the pop-opera multinational singing

group called “Bel Homme.” French for “Beautiful Man,” the four

performers he chooses are much more than that.Gabriel Grenier

is already a huge celebrity in his native France, but even at the height

of his career, he’s bored and lonely and still wants more, so he

accepts Teddy’s offer, hoping it will become his redemption.

American

music teacher Annie Morgan is brought into this venture by her Aunt

Harriet, who’s Teddy’s executive assistant. Annie becomes Teddy’s

special emissary in this new undertaking—but she’s not prepared for her

instant attraction to the charismatic Gabriel. And he’s blindsided by

the life-altering effect of Annie’s very first smile.

It doesn’t

matter, anyway, because Teddy wants nothing personal mucking up this

gig, and he forbids the two to get involved. Gabriel has never had to

answer to anyone, and he’s not sure he wants to start now. Annie is

still mourning her deceased husband’s memory, and she’s not sure of

anything.

What happens when beautiful music meets predestined love? Seduction always wins.

Gabriel’s

and Annie’s love story is the first book in this romantic, sexy Bel

Homme Quartet. Don’t miss being there from the very beginning. Vive la

France!

 

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble




 

 
The Song That Seduced Paris by Cindy Irish 

(The Bel Homme Quartet Book 1)

Review Written by Dii Bylo



Annie Morgan’s life has been one of loss and a feeling of becoming emotionally stagnant when her aunt, assistant to one of music’s most powerful moguls calls her with an offer she is not allowed to refuse. This small town music teacher is about to enter the world of the talented, the beautiful, the movers and shakers of the ever-changing music world without a parachute if she falls. Annie has been elected to become the den mother of four of the most diverse, talented, egotistical, and drop dead gorgeous men to grace a stage as they come together to make one band destined to take on the world and win! And it is all up to her…hmm…from controlling eight-year-olds to adult males in one day, she had no idea what she was in for. Will one of those godlike men mesmerize her with his beauty, both in body and soul? Too bad he was completely off limits! Cue the singers, let the fun begin!

Meet the band, Bel Homme, Teddy Wilson’s latest project that he is determined will rock the world. Gabriel is French and his voice and soulful eyes burrow deep into the hearts of the crowds. He seeks to be freed from the shallow life he leads. When he meets petite Annie, all of his worldly charm goes out the window as his heart beats a staccato of lust and love.

Follow their game of seduction and need as the secrets they withhold become like sharp twangs on the romantic harp of love while in the background another sonnet of love is finally played by two longtime co-workers, each with high energy personalities that make watching them fall like both endearing and hot.

The Song That Seduced Paris by Cindy Irish is going to sweep you off your feet with the freshness of unique characters, “get-to-know-you” brawls and over-the-top testosterone wrapped in four beautiful packages. Humor, heart and excitement builds throughout as love and romance beats double time! Cindy Irish has created a contemporary romance with a unique twist, sure, we have signers, but they are NOT a rock band only, they do opera, they are magic on stage and off as we get to know each singer, some more than others! Inside Annie is a firecracker just waiting to go off, while Gabriel is clearly her chosen flame. From Bruno to Aunt Harry, this cast is fabulous and sparkles with life. And Teddy? Teddy is man at the top, the wildcard of the industry who takes no prisoners, and has things his way, even if he has to trick one into doing his bidding. Fast, fun, furious, fresh and sizzling with heat, Ms. Irish has a series that is destined to become a hit!

Do you love romance with imperfect characters, no over the top angst, spot on humor and passionate heat? It’s all here, thanks to this talented author who knows how to balance plot with passion.

 
Feel the
 
 
As you can see, I was a happy, carefree child.
Obviously, I had a fabulous fashion sense
that touted the stunning charms
of short-sleeved patterned shirts
with earthy grime around the neckline. 

I completed my farm-girl assemble

with the practical flair of bib overalls.

It made for frustrating tinkle breaks,

I’m sure, but then it never bound me at the

waist, either. 

You’d think for that reason alone I could have at least unfurrowed my

brows and cracked a smile, wouldn’t you? 

Maybe it was that hideous hair. 





My kinky hairstyle was totally fabricated by the application

of a very bad perm, as I have naturally straight locks.

The overall sweaty look of it was created by the hot and humid

temperatures of a sultry Michigan summer. My mother could

never trim my bangs in a straight line, and as a result,

to this day no one but me cuts my hair in front. 

Trust once betrayed leaves deep repercussions.



I don’t remember what happened to that bunny in my arms,

but I wouldn’t be surprised if my older devil-brother

buried him alive years ago.



Actually, I don’t remember being as testy

as I look up there, either, but the camera doesn’t lie. 

Nonetheless, this is my favorite photograph of myself

because it never fails to make me laugh—and I love to laugh.

There’s nothing more entertaining than human beings, is there? 

Not even puppies. 

Well, okay, except maybe puppies.

I love puppies, especially Old English Sheepdogs.

This is our dearly-missed Sam,

or Lady Samantha Amber as she was formally titled.

I like Golden Retrievers, too.

I love cats— and, it seems, the mangier the better.

I’ve always adopted strays someone else has abandoned.



My childhood consisted of playing cars in the sand

and making up stories starring my paper dolls.

Even then, I was a Romance Writer-in-Training.   

Before I turned five and posed for this equally giddy-looking

picture here, I’d sit at a table—any table—and play it

like a piano, so it was decided to get me a real one

(a piano, not my very own table) and see what I could do. 

I took piano lessons from Mrs. Draveling for many, many years.

She was a strict instructor who insisted I learn the classical composers only.

No Broadway show tunes for Cindy. 

For that I’m extremely grateful because today I love classical music.



In my pre-teens, I took organ lessons from Professor Romeo Fracalanza

whose home always smelled like garlic bread and Chianti. In retrospect,

I think that must have been when I fell in love with everything Italian.

I remember looking out his beautiful beveled glass windows as I played.

He was born in Piombino Bese, Italy, and his teacher was the organist

at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. How cool is that? I was a lucky little girl

to have him as my teacher, and I was blessed to have known him. 

My first job was in fourth grade when I became a church organist. 

I wanted to become a nun, but I hate being told what to do, 

so I scratched that idea pretty fast.

( Don’t act so surprised. Look at those two pictures

above again. Is that the face of a peaceful, pious person?)

Anyway, music has always been a big part of my life.  

I sang and wrote music.  I wrote poetry. 

I read all the time—the library was one of my favorite places.

Now, I write all the time. 

I honed a lot of my skills as a copywriter creating radio commercials. You think it’s easy coercing the public in sixty seconds or less to buy a product?

Think again, unaware consumers. 

That kind of writing sharpens the brain cells and focuses the mind to turn emotion

and need into a blur of mass shopping ejaculation. 

(Using snappy double entrendres is a given with romance writers.)  

Then in my late teens,

I picked up an astrology book,

and that’s all it took.

In a flash,  I was well and truly hooked.

I sound like a metaphysical Dr. Seuss…

But this is sincerely true: I’m very serious about the subject of the stars and the planets, and how their magnetic energies affect and correlate with everything on our earth.

I’ve studied with the best astrologers in the business, and I’ve taught adult education astrology classes and had my own astrological radio program. I’m one of only a handful of astrologers who uses the INCARN program to calculate natal charts. (This fact should tell you that the rest of them look on INCARN with a mixture of patient humor, subtle skepticism, and thinly-veiled disdain.)

The theory of soul-based natal charts, rather than birthtime charts, is mentioned in some of Edgar Cayce’s readings, and the computer program to implement them was created by my m entor, t he late John Willner. The ancient algorithm itself can be traced back to a British w oman who used it to formulate spiritual-birth charts at the turn of the 20th century, but beyond that, I have no further knowledge of its true origin. I only know that THIS is the astrology of the future.

So the music and the metaphysics in my background explain the subject matter in my writing today. My romantic heart, I attribute to being a water sign with a very heavy emphasis on Pisces.

For years, it never occurred to me to try writing romance.

Now it seems impossible not to.

W hether my setting is contemporary or paranormal, the tales are super sexy, witty, sen timental, and uplifting. I want you to smile and sigh when you finish the last page.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have you read and enjoy the stories  I’ve been privileged and honored to have come through me. See, although I reached up through the frail barrier of the collective imagination and claimed them as my own, they’re not really mine. 

But knowing that doesn’t keep me from joyfully passing them on to you…

Want to Connect with Cindy?

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Cindy has a  Sexy Santa Giveaway

Doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice!





Enter below to win a

$100 Gift Card!





Open International WHERE ALLOWED

Ends December 21, 2015

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Tina Seskis’: One Step Too Far Book Giveaway

Emily has a secret…But is running away EVER the answer?
Enter to win one of TEN Paperback Copies

ONE STEP TOO FAR
by Tina Seskis
 
Publication Date: January 27, 2015 – (Original)
Publisher: William Morrow

 

ISBN-10: 0062340093

ISBN-13: 978-0062340092
Genre: Mystery | Suspense
Paperback: 304 pages

No one has ever guessed Emily’s secret.
Will you?
A happy marriage. A beautiful family. A lovely home. So what

makes Emily Coleman get up one morning and walk right out of her life—to

start again as someone new?
Now, Emily has become Cat, working at

a hip advertising agency in London and living on the edge with her

inseparable new friend, Angel. Cat’s buried any trace of her old self so

well, no one knows how to find her. But she can’t bury the past—or her

own memories.
And soon, she’ll have to face the truth of what she’s done—a shocking revelation that may push her one step too far. . . .
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Add to 
       
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Also by Tina Seskis
 
Click on Cover for more!
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Tina Seskis has done a marvelous job of creating a compelling and

intense novel with One Step Too Far. Written using both the present

tense and flashbacks to the past, we live through the painful journey of

Emily Coleman, who escapes her life one morning, turning her back on

her family and her identity. Emily has decided its better for everyone

if she were to leave Ben and Charlie behind. She heads to London,

changes her identity, tries to recreate herself, forget the painful

memories of the past. As Cat Brown, she finds she is ill-equipped to

deal with life, everything is an uphill battle. With the help of a

slightly quirky new friend, she stumbles through life, becomes

moderately successful in her job, makes new friends, but her secret past

still haunts her, its always there. Through one of her many dubious

and self-destructive choices, Cat’s new life comes crashing down around

her.

She must face reality and her past, how it has

affected her and those around her. She must learn to forgive herself

for being human. Is she strong enough? Can she face her new future?

Can those around her accept her as she is?

There was

not one point in this brilliantly written story that I could clearly

know what would happen to Cat. The tangled twists and turns made the

answers illusive until the very end! The world building put me right

there, watching over Cat’s shoulder, living her story along with her.

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I grew up in Hampshire, England, where my father worked at Heathrow for British Airways and my mother was in sales. My parents bestowed upon me a certain degree of eccentricity: my dad amongst other things built a boat in the front garden on our commuter belt housing estate, moved us into a touring caravan when our new house wasn’t built, and took us all over the world with his free air travel and limited budget.  I think part of my story-telling is shaped by those experiences.

I studied business at the University of Bath and then worked for over

twenty years in marketing, advertising and online sales, with varying

degrees of success, before starting to write.

I originally wrote One Step Too Far for my mum, whilst attending a local writing class on a Thursday afternoon. I completed my second novel When We Were Friends (formerly called A Serpentine Affair) in 2011.  It took me way longer to finally get the books published, and One Step Too Far is now available in over 60 countries. I live in North London with my husband and son, and currently write full-time(ish).

Connect with Tina

              


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Tina is offering TEN Paperback Copies of ONE STEP TOO FAR
Enter to win!
US only
Ends December 20, 2015
Remember, books make great gifts, anytime!
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Book Review: The Killing of Mummy’s Boy by Joan Ellis

Sandra is sitting on the train heading home…alone.  An attractive, dangerous-looking man seats opposite her.  She realizes that she lost her train pass and unwittingly gives her address to the representative on the phone in earshot of the man across from her.  After a bit of small talk not totally forced upon Sandra, she finds that she’s sitting across from Ben — a murderer newly released from prison!

Sandra’s reign of terror begins a few days afterwards when a new train pass and some roses show up on her front doorstep.  Then, her bathroom has foamy urine in it…and she didn’t use the facilities!  She begins drinking earlier and earlier in the day in hopes of a mental escape from the murderer who she is sure is trying to toy with her prior to getting down to the business of offing her…

This British mystery thriller is wonderful!  It has so many twists and turns and it is superbly written.  You will not regret this read at all.

The Killing of Mummy’s Boy will shock you, alarm you yet ultimately intrigue you.  You will not be able to put it down until you get to The End.

5 Blogairy Notebooks

 

The Kristy Brown Middlegrade Fantasy Giveaway!

Five Winners will each receive the first two books in the 
Kiera’s Quest Series!

Kiera is a Great Role Model for Tweens!
Book One


Kiera’s Quest: Awakenings
by Kristy Brown
 
My 5 star Review
 
Series: Kiera’s Quest – Book 1
Publication Date: October 17, 2011
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Genre: Fantasy – Middle Grade/YA
Print Length: 80 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads | Shelfari

Synopsis:
 
Meet Kiera, a pretty,

intelligent, and talented girl, brought up by her uncle, and abandoned

by her parents. Life is as normal as she believes it to be, apart from

the deep ache inside her,

telling her she’s different. For years,

Kiera had dreams where she ventures into a different reality. She’s not

alone; a presence is always there, keeping her safe, yet she feels

vulnerable,

and hunted. Zakk, Prince of Zantar, is under the

Witch Queen’s spell as she tries to take over his world. He crosses

paths with Kiera, and their fates are entwined.

As their journey

unravels, she learns that she is not the only one affected by this

prince. Who is on her side? Will she find out why she has been chosen?

How can someone so young, defeat such evil? Will she find the strength

to save the ones closest to her? Will this be Kiera’s only Quest?

Great for MG-TEEN readers.( 9+)

Book Two


Kiera’s Quest: Sacrifices
by Kristy Brown
 
My 5 star Review
 
Series: Kiera’s Quest – Book 2
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Genre: Tween/YA Fantasy
Print Length: 89 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Synopsis:
 
After almost beating the villainous Witch Queen, Kiera’s triumph is tainted with sadness for the loss of Joe and Daz.

When the handsome Prince Zakk asks Kiera to re-enter his world in order to save her friend, she does not hesitate.

On

their perilous journey Kiera realizes that she is there to save many

lives. As she comes face to face with her evil nemesis once again, Kiera

comes closer to finding out the truth to why she has been chosen.

Will she succeed? Will this be the end to Kiera’s quest?

The Rest of the Series
Book Three

Kiera’s Quest: Perceptions

by Kristy Brown

My rating: 5 stars

Series: Kiera’s Quest – Book 3

Publication Date: May 22, 2013

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

Genre: Tween/YA Fantasy

Print Length: 153 pages

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

The Witch Queen has reached a new level of evil.

Kiera is helplessly

stuck in Zakk’s realm. With the vortex destroyed, she is desperate to

find a way home. Her Uncle Tom, her friends and now the boy she loves,

are in danger. Will Kiera find the strength and the self-belief she

needs to save them?

On her lonely journey she meets new allies

from peculiar races. The Prophecy is all falling into place. Will Kiera

be able to forgive the people she trusted? Will she be able to save the

world from her twisted nemesis, the Witch Queen? Will she finally

believe that she is indeed the ‘chosen one’?

Book Four 

Kiera’s Quest: Choices #4

by Kristy Brown

My rating: 5 stars

Series: Kiera’s Quest – Book 4

Publication Date: April 16, 2014

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

Genre: Tween/YA Fantasy

Print Length: 176 pages

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Feeling desperately

confused and betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Kiera chooses

to jump through the disappearing vortex. Did she make it over to Zakk’s

kingdom or was she pushed back to Earth? Would she even survive this

time?

The next four years are long and heartbreaking for both

worlds. Some of Kiera’s allies will not know if she is dead or alive. As

the darkness spreads throughout the lands will Zakk’s army be able to

stop it reaching Earth? Will Tom’s small band of rebels stand a fighting

chance?

At the time of the final battle will the chosen one have the power to stop the oncoming evil or will it be too late?

Hi I’m Kristy and I live in

the U.K. I have always written short stories and poetry. I went to

university to study acting which I loved, but my real passion has always

been writing. So now I write the kind of stories I would have wanted to

read when I was a teen. “Kiera’s Quest-Awakenings” is my first ebook.

There will be four in the series. I have written the chapters like

scenes in a film, with the action cutting to different characters. It’s

fast paced! Book two-“Sacrifices” came out August 2012(Muse It Up

Publishing) Book three, “Perceptions,” was released in May. Book four,

the last, was out Feb 2014. I am now writing A YA book. My dream is to

have them in print someday! I love reading YA angels,vamps etc. I love

my kids and hopefully one day they will enjoy my crazy tales!

Connect with Kristy Brown
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Only we can teach kids that:

Enter to Win the first two books in the Kiera’s Quest Series for a young reader in your life
 
Five Winners will EACH receive Kiera’s Quest: Awakenings AND Kiera’s Quest: Sacrifices
 
International where allowed
Ends December 13, 2015
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The Dirt Giveaway: From Author C.C. Hogan!

Welcome to the Fantasy World of DIRT
Where one boy turns in his shovel for love, war, adventure & Dragons

Dirt
by C.C. Hogan
 
My rating: 5 stars
 
Series: Dirt – Book 1
Publication Date: October 26, 2015
Publisher: C.C. Hogan
Genre: Fantasy | Epic
Print Length: 370


Available from:

 Smashwords | Scribd | iTunes | Createspace | Inktera | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Book 1, Series 1 – A fantastic tale of love, war, friendship and dragons!

If

Johnson Farthing thought that life as poor cart pusher in the coastal

town of Wead-Wodder was going to be his lot in life, then he was about

to get a rude surprise, and not necessarily a good one.

Once it

becomes clear that his beautiful younger sister has been kidnapped along

with the daughter of the Prelate, his life is completely turned on its

head. Farthing has to rush across a vast ocean and a huge continent

carried by an incredible Sea Dragon and accompanied by a strange

magician if he has even a chance to save his sister Rustina.

And very strangely, neither the rich Prelate nor his chief of police seem keen to even lift a finger.

Dirt,

the first book in a huge, continent spanning saga where dragons are an

intelligent, cultured people, magicians cannot destroy mountains with a

magic wand and the heroes have no wish to become tyrannical kings and

queens.v

But through all the dramatic events, the battles of life

and death, Dirt is a place of humour, love and ultimately, the quest to

find a home.

“I told Truk you would be slacking off the minute

he turned his back,” shouted the old fool, Barkles, who sold greasy

vegetable pasties from a dusty stall on the corner. “Young people can’t

be trusted, I told him. I was right too.”

“Shut your face, Barkles,”

Johnson shouted back as he grabbed his coat from his hand cart and put

it around his shoulders to ward off a faint chill in the sea breeze. “I

have been down that hole every day non-stop for nine days, and you know

it too, since you have been feeding me your disgusting pies for most of

them.”

“Pastries, slacker. Not Pies; Pastries.”

“I thought pastries were just posh pies?”

“Can be.”

“Well, yours ain’t posh. So they are definitely just pies.”

“Ain’t seen you complaining!”

 

 

 
The Saga Continues with Book 2
 

Bloody Dirt

 



Book 2, Series 1 in the incredible fantasy saga

It would

have been so easy to forget everything that had happened, find a quiet,

out of the way place to go and live and enjoy life just as it was, but

for Pree and Farthing that is simply not an option.

As they return

to The Prelates, idealism flowing through their veins, they find

themselves embroiled in a war that will span a continent.

In the

sequel to Dirt, the truth behind the ambitions of Tekkinmod and the

people in the far west are revealed and Johnson Farthing will rely on

the knowledge and friendship of incredible people, humans and dragons,

as he and Pree build an army.

Through the blood and terror of war,

this is still a tale of the heart; a story of passion, love, and the

strength found in bonds of friendship.

“I don’t know what you

are up to, magician, but I take exception to my island being used as the

base for one of your wild political missions.” Bren-Diath sat in one of

the small sunken seating areas of the Catre Sarad, halfway up Taken

Mountain in front of the Neuath.

“It is not strictly speaking your

island, Bren-Diath; actually not your island at all! The mountain is

claimed by just about everyone and dragons don’t even go down to the

town.”

“It is too small and quaint; I wouldn’t fit.”

“That is not the reason, old man!”

“Last I checked you were older than me, and I am not a man, Eafa of Tepid Lakes.”

“Well,

you look your age.” Weasel frowned. This conversation had been repeated

in one way or another for a week, though on the upside, at least the

huge ice dragon had stopped referring to Weasel in any dietary context,

not that dragons actually ate humans. Bren-Diath stretched and looked

around the vast Cartre Sarad, the Place of Speech that was cut into the

side of the mountain. It was busier than it had been for centuries,

mostly because of an influx of Sea Dragons from Bind in the last couple

of months looking for new places to live.





On to Book 3

 

 

 

The Fight for Dirt 

Book 3, Series 1 – A Tale of dragons, freedom and the search for a home

The war is spreading.

As

Tekkinmod and Henry tear each other apart in the Northern States, Pree

realises that it is vital to cut off Tekkinmod’s money and steel supply

by taking the war to Wessen in the North of Bind.

But

as the outcome of the war looks less and less certain, something

terrible is happening to the dragons and Weasel and Mistry must dig into

ancient histories to find a solution.

The dramatic

conclusion to the first series of Dirt tests the friends as they have to

suffer the true heart-breaking cost of war and fight to the bitter end

to create a new future for the tired world of Dirt.

“You have seen more decline recently?”

“We

have lost two to illness that we do not understand. It was three years

ago and quite sudden. They lost much of their colouring and grew weak

and then the breath left them. We have not seen such a thing before nor

since, for which I am thankful.”

“How old were they, if I may ask?”

“One

was but forty and the other in their third century. They had no other

illness nor were they bitten or affected by accident.”

“You say they lost their colour?”

“Why is unknown to us, but they became grey in patches and their skin was dry and lifeless. Eafa, they looked much like ghosts.”

  The fantastic sequel to series one of the high fantasy Dirt

 

Hope

  

The fantastic sequel to series one of the high fantasy Dirt

Deoram

Ham is a beautiful little village in the far south of Bind, a peaceful,

simple community perfect for dragon riders who miss the dragons and

want to live a life far from the wars they fought.

It is not to

last, and as new threats emerge, fighting is not now an option; the only

solution is to escape to the beautiful island of Hope.

Johnson Farthing, the former general and now farmer, has no choice but to travel north once more to find a boat.

Includes the short story Mistry’s Tale, the prelude to Dirt, Series 2.

Farthing put his hand up for them to stop.

“What

is it?” Silvi whispered. She had started riding next to him in the last

hour as she slowly recovered from her embarrassment and fear.

“Over there,” he said, pointing. “Those are deer.”

“They are very small!”

“Scrubland

Deer,” Seb said quietly, riding up on the other side of the girl. “Go

on, Silvi. I have seen you get a small boar with your bow. You can get

one of those. They make great eating.”

“You think?” She looked nervously at the two men, both of whom for different reasons she felt she must impress.

“I think you should try,” Farthing said. “Get down so you are stable, I will hold your horse.”

“What if I miss?”

“Then it is beans again.”

Silvi

concentrated, trying to ignore her audience of two men and six horses

as she notched the hunting arrow and pulled the string back. She took a

slow breath as she brushed her cheek with the string. “Come on Silvi,”

she said to herself. “He is watching, you can do this, you know you

can.” Feeling her mouth going dry she aimed at the lower chest of the

deer standing closest to her and let fly.

 

 

 

Who IS the man behind A World Called Dirt?


https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CxnU_DMalbc?rel=0
 
C.C. Hogan, See-See to his friends, was born in North London.
This

was bad planning, mostly, as he had wanted to be born in Bermuda,

preferably near the beach and one of those bars that sell cocktails

underneath palm trees.
As a kid he played with music, mostly guitar with a bit of very bad blues harp thrown in. 
Some where along the line he learned to write and with the advent of spell checkers was able to do something useful with it.
CC

also like photography, though never with him in it. Selfies are very

unlikely, though he is occasionally known for taking photos of coffee

cups.
He likes wine, loves women and lets his heart get broken on a

regular basis. He still agonises over some rather beautiful friends

from his youth, but in a nice way.
Genre wise he has no fixed

opinion and is as likely to write about London in the 1970s as a fantasy

set, well, wherever a fantasy is set.




See all of C.C. Hogan’s Books HERE




Want to Stalk C.C. Hogan? Website | Twitter | Facebook | The Stink | A World Called Dirt | Goodreads | Amazon






Here is YOUR chance to pick up Book 1 – DIRT Free at ALL of these sites!

Just click on the sites below!
 

C.C. Hogan (See-See to his friends)
Is giving away ONE SIGNED copy of DIRT 
PLUS an eCopy of BLOODY DIRT
~AND~
A PERSONAL letter from Fren Eriol the Dragon
Open to  US, Canada, UK, AUS, New Zealand, EU
 
~PLUS~
FIVE eCopies of BLOODY DIRT
with a Thank you note from Fren Eriol
  ~International~
 
Get Ready to Immerse Yourselves in the World of Dirt!
Ends December 7, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thankful for Writing and #Writer Wednesday

On this #WriterWednesday, I wanted to share something writerly.  So, I thought about it and nearly smacked myself on the head.  I’ve recently had an epiphany about my WIP and I would prefer not to sweep it under the rug (as I often do).  So, here it is.

This January, I started writing vigorously on a “new” project.  I put it in quotation marks because it is actually an older project that I re-invigorated and revived from 3 years ago.  It’s a generational time slip story that spans 300 years.

To do this story justice, I researched books, journals, old newspapers, etc.  I began reading book after book.  Yet, the subject matter was heavy; this WIP deals with emotional baggage carried from generation to generation as well as the general societal concerns American society has/had with people of color.

As I was doing the research, so many of the themes from the old books I was reading were in play in current events.  Watching CNN’s coverage of the University of Missouri racism scandal that resulted in two top University officials resignations made me cringe.

It was only days after these unsettling events that I realized I could not work on this WIP right now.  I have put it aside in hopes that there will come a day when I will be able to better handle the angst that arises within me as I work on this novel.

For each writer/author, there is a different set of checks and balances that allow them to create the works that the reader will eventually enjoy.  While attempting to write this novel (I have written almost 30K words), I learned that there are moments in time that I am incapable of properly handling a subject matter.  I hope that my WIPs are akin to the caterpillar; they will evolve and become things of creative beauty.

I have returned my focus to a writing project I do enjoy — the sequel to Fury From Hell.

In this second book, NYPD Detective Jennifer Holden returns along with her cronies in this novel ready to finish what they started — finding Kyma Barnes’ killer and ensuring that Fury Abatu doesn’t re-possess the good detective!  In this story, Jen has to find her way forward emotionally.  This former atheist has no idea what believing in something greater than herself looks like — even if that thing is love.  However, she doesn’t have much time to dwell on her personal demons.  Almost immediately, there are some mysterious deaths that don’t pass muster; the killer, or killers, do not seem to have a discernible motivation except to brutally kill their victims.  Or, if Jen is right, Fury Abatu is back…

I am loving the writing process and how I work through challenges of what to work on next and the feelings I experience during these mental gyrations.  Being a writer is truly a novel experience!

In the meantime, enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.  Eat lots of good food.  Enjoy time spent with family, good friends and loved ones.  Each day with them is precious.

Roman Mask by Thomas M.D. Brooke Book Review + Giveaway!

Cassius was living a lie – Until Fate made him a Warrior

Enter to WIN 1 of 3 Print Copies

Roman Mask
by Thomas M.D. Brooke
 
My rating: 5 stars
 
Publication Date: June 29, 2015
Publisher: Thomas M D Brooke
ISBN-13: 9781783017966
Genre: Historical Fiction |War
Print Length: 390 pages


Available from:| iBooks | Kobo | Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads | Shelfari
 
Rome AD 9

Augustus Caesar rules Imperial Rome at the

height of its power, as the Roman Empire stretches across the known

world. Cassius, son of one of her most powerful families, is the

personification of Rome’s imperial strength: wealthy, popular, a war

hero with a decorated military career – none of Rome’s fashionable

parties are complete without him – except, he hides a secret.





After

his nerve is broken in Germany, the thought of genuine armed combat is

enough to send him into a cold sweat of fear and shame. But this doesn’t

dissuade him from living off a false reputation so he can continue a

life of casual affairs, wine, and parties, as he is seduced by the many

vices of Rome.





However his scandalous life is soon upset by a

summons from the Emperor’s wife. It ends his happy decadent life and

returns him to Germany to assist the Roman legions in their greatest

ever trial, and the events that will resound down in history, in the

dark forests of the Teutoburg…



 
 Roman Mask by Thomas M D Brooke

Visit Rome at the height of its power through the eyes of a would-be hero who hid his shame at the accolades he thought he didn’t deserve. Cassius was living a lie and he knew it, silencing his torment with wild living and alcohol. As the son of a powerful Roman family, he has prestige. As a hero, he had the adulation of the masses. He had fought in Germany, distinguished, but broken, he ran and now was his chance to truly earn the title “warrior hero” when the Emperor’s wife summons him to her side with a command. With no way out, Cassius was to go back into the bloodiest battles Rome of AD 9 would ever see. What he didn’t expect was to have a young and brash young soldier at his side, by far the best swordsman to be seen. This is Cassius’ story, as he grows from a spoiled socialite to a true warrior and commander when the odds are not in his favor and Rome’s mighty legions are brought to their knees on the battlefield against the German warriors defending their homelands.





Feel the desperation of a force reeling from their greatest defeat ever. Endure the lack of true leadership by men ill-prepared to wage real war and be amazed at their willingness to fall on their own swords to save face. As Cassius takes on more and more of the strategic planning, he finds he has the intelligence to map out the paths of least resistance and the charisma to command men to follow him, even when it is surely to their own deaths. There is a traitor among them and Rome is being repeatedly stabbed in the heart, the blood of their warriors coating the battlefields as the monstrous Germans hack them to pieces, enjoying the torturous screams of their enemies. Where will Cassius lead his followers? Will he ask more of them than he is willing to give? What happened to the coward who ran scared as in his place stands a great warrior, a leader of men, willing to die for those around him if it would give them even a slight chance to live.





I read Roman Mask in one sitting; it was that powerful, that mesmerizing and that well-written. Thomas M.D. Brooke is a master storyteller as he brings the glory and the shame of war to life in a time long ago when Rome thought it was its right to rule the known world. Vicious battles, brave soldiers, bloody battlefields and the brutality of hand to hand combat when one misstep means certain death. Mr. Brooke does not argue the rights of one country over another; he presents a tale of war, of one man’s battle within himself and his chance for personal redemption and honor.





There is tentative romance, heroes falling to the blade as the villain survives. This is war at its worst and best. Heroes will rise, as will the strong and the very lucky, deceit will be uncovered and inhumane torture will turn your stomach, but war is to the death, to the victors go the spoils. Through it all, one man distinguishes himself for the sake of his countrymen, but will he be rewarded if he survives or will knowing he has done the best he could under the worst of circumstances be the only acknowledgement he needs? Powerful reading that should be on everyone’s shelf.

Thomas Brooke lives in London where he works in the exciting, and

sometimes crazy, fashion world.  He is also a committed writer and he

spends as much time as he can in his beloved Northumbrian hills, where

up until recently could be seen walking with his black Labrador Fergus,

who sadly passed in January 2015.  Fergus was a constant companion to

the writing of the novel and prevented many writers’ tantrums.

Roman Mask is Thomas Brooke’s second novel, although this will be the first available for sale.

 
Connect with Thomas Brooke
Website | Goodreads | Amazon








 

Thomas M.D. Brooke is offering 3 Print copies of ROMAN MASK

a Brilliant Gift for yourself or anyone who loves great historical fiction!

Open to US – AUS – UK – EU – CA – New Zealand

Ends December 7, 2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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