Emma Michaels's Blog, page 25
October 17, 2013
Steampunk recommendations!
As primarily bloggers, writers and readers we have a tendency to love to escape into the worlds that lie dormant between the pages of our beloved books. But don’t forget what J. K. Rowling once wrote, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” So from Oct 25th – 27th I am heading out into the real world for Steamcon but before I do I want to share a few fictional worlds that first got me hooked on steampunk and then I’ll share some i.r.l. shenanigans you can look forward to being covered from the 25th on!
Now keep in mind these are just a few of the books that inspired my personal interest in Steampunk.
Let the planning begin!
To start with… I will be walking the runway in the fashion show! That’s right. So you get the coverage as a viewer AND coverage from behind the scenes! One of the things that has really pulled me into the steampunk world and made me curious about the community is the way they express their love for steampunk!
I will be heading to panels, checking out the artist ally, going to book signings and who knows what else I might happen upon with all of the amazing events planned!
To get a feel for the types of events stop by the schedule page:http://www.steamcon.org/steamcon_v/index.php/programming/schedule because if you are local and the last two posts didn’t convince you, the schedule will.
In a few days I will feature some stand out steampunk book cover but stop by again on the 25th to make sure you catch the fun with my feature:
Until then I leave you with these awesome photo recaps of past years!
October 16, 2013
Interview with Diana Vick!
Welcome Diana! It is great to have you stop by and have a spot of tea/coffee with us newbies. We are simply fascinated with steampunk and would love to hear a bit more about you and what you do!Thank you. My primary function these days is as the art director, promoter and big picture person for Steamcon. We are about to have our fifth convention, and it gets more complex every year. As an artist and designer, I love creating the look and feel of the convention. I also enjoy costuming, and have taught myself a lot of prop building and fabrication techniques to accent my steampunk ensembles.
What is your favorite thing about Steamcon?
The costumes! It has a higher percentage of dressed up attendees than any other convention I have ever been to, and I have been to hundreds. One of my goals in life is to further the antipajamification of the world.
Top 5 reasons to go to Steamcon!
1. Professor Elemental
2. Abney Park
3. Brian Kesinger
4. S.M. Stirling
5. Too many more to choose from!
When you ask the average person what steampunk is the answers vary from the technical to very set ideas. I kind of get the feeling that everyone can find something to love about steampunk and something that they personally can relate to. What is it that draws you towards steampunk?
The creativity. In most other fandoms, you are recreating someone else’s ideas. In steampunk, you are encouraged to do the dreaming up. Dress up, build, mod, create, write. Whatever your creative outlet is, steampunk gives you the opportunity to play.
Your favorite steampunk related experience?
I recently had a birthday trip to France, and I intentionally planned it to be as steampunk as we could manage. My favorite place is now Machines de L’ile. It is awe inspiring.
What are you looking forward to most with the Around the World in Eighty days theme this year?
Our Steamcon World Passport Project should be a great deal of fun. And as always I am looking forward to costuming for the theme.
Last but not least, Tea or coffee (as a very readerly group we somehow always come back to this one)?
Tea, thank you.
Thank you so much for joining us!
We look forward experiencing the amazing convention you have been such a huge part of bringing to life!
October 15, 2013
Join me at Steamcon V!
Now I have been curious about Steampunk for a while now so decided to get in touch with Diana who will be featured here tomorrow. What I haven’t told her yet is that I am so inspired by what I have been finding that I am planning on doing a full steampunk themed feature around Steamcon based off everything I am finding out:
So lets start off with a shout out to this amazing event!
Here are a few pictures from previous steamcons to give you an idea of just of amazingly creative this convention is.
Yes, these pics are for real and just 6 of hundreds available on the steamcon website: http://www.steamcon.org/
Need more reason? Crazy amazing groups of people interested in all sorts of forms of the arts, amazing fashion, lit lovers, artists, musicians, concerts, tea, a mascaraed ball… I mean seriously, if you need more than that to have fun you must be either dead or the living undead. So join in on the fun! Anyone wanting to meet up just jet an e-mail or fb message my way and we can adventure together!
See you at Steamcon!
October 14, 2013
Eyrie has finally hit the shelves!
Eyrie:
Society of Feathers #2
Somewhere between falling and flying…you will find the truth.
The truth is being unveiled and Iris’ past is unlike anything she ever could have guessed. For Stryx, finding your missing half doesn’t always mean finding your mate. Iris has been missing a part of herself for so long that no one is sure she will be able to put the pieces back together and her ever reliable dreams may be forcing her astray. Coping with the death of someone she loved, she is forced to face the truth and break free from the lies that have caged her.
Kindle * Nook * iBookstore
Smashwords * Google * PDF
Iris lost herself in Falcon’s arms, feeling the world drift away again as her lips melted against his stronger, larger ones. The warmth spreading through her body felt like electricity filling very part of her, pooling at the tips of her fingers where she touched his shoulders then traced along his arms. The tension that had worked its way up her back and through her own shoulders released as his hand brushed lightly down the length of her spine, sending sparks through every nerve.
“Please,” she whispered softly, centimeters from his lips as they breathed in each other’s warm breath. She felt herself lean towards him, this time not holding back as she moved his arm to her waist, making him wrap both arms around her fully. His secure hold on her was the only thing keeping her upright.
“Anything,” he whispered into her ear a few moments later after she had caught her breath.
“Be the one beside me when I enter the masquerade. Be the one by my side when I change it all. I know I can do it on my own or with Nestor but…I don’t want to. I want you both there with me,” Iris said.
The look on Falcon’s face, the light in his eyes, showed her the joy he found in her invitation. “I was waiting for you to ask. Waiting for you to want to need me, even if you never will. It would be my pleasure, Izzy. I will always be there for you. Nothing could pull me away.” He didn’t say the words but they still hung silently between them, the knowledge that anyone who tried to pull him away from her would die trying. She knew she should be afraid, but somehow he was the only person she knew she could trust, the only one her heart was perfectly sure about, like a tether tied them together, connecting their lives.
“I do need you. Even if I don’t, I still need you.” She whispered and kissed him harder, forgetting the world outside their doors, ready to explore the man that the boy she had known had become. The man who felt like such a part of her now that she had accepted him. She didn’t know what she’d do if she ever lost him. She had never felt a connection this powerful, this all consuming.
“I love you.” He whispered, his eyes gazing into hers, their intensity only pulling her further into the joy of just being close to him, just letting herself forget the world she wanted so desperately to help, to change. “I want to do something for you.”
“What is it?” Iris almost pulled back, not wanting to lose the moment between them but instead she leaned the side of her face against his chest so that she could hear his heart beating.
“I want to show you what it’s like to run without hesitation, without taking away the one part of running that makes it so magical̶the freedom. I want to show you that freedom.” He bent and traced his fingers along the back of her legs. They buckled but he lifted her, taking it as an invitation.
She smiled and leaned against his chest. This time he wasn’t carrying her because something was wrong. It was like when they were kids and he wanted to show her he was strong enough to support her, that he could be that person who would pick her up even if she hadn’t fallen. He walked to the door and she turned the doorknob for him. They found Autumn in the hallway.
“Wanna go for a run?” Falcon asked Autumn, his voice a conspiratory whisper.
“Sure!” She said and smiled lightly when she realized what Falcon was planning. “Every girl should get to feel the aves inside of her come alive.”
Iris smiled feeling like she had her team. They were the people she needed and wanted by her side. They were the ones who kept her human and kind, protecting her at all costs. Nestor was upstairs with Nathaniel preparing for his duties in their upcoming plans. The rest of her family was downstairs. As they jogged by, they passed Jarem on the way, heading up to meet Diana. “We’re going running, wanna come?” Falcon offered and Iris laughed.
“If you invite everyone we may as well all go.” Iris giggled and smiled widely, looking forward to it, not caring who decided to come. Iris knew that no matter how people surrounded her and Falcon, somehow they were always alone. They were the only two people in on the secret. That was their unusual type of love. It would only grow with time and trust as long as it was never betrayed.
“Sure, why not.” Jarem said and smiled. He opened the door to Diana’s room and hollered, “We’re going running with Falcon, wanna come?”
“Absolutely!” They heard Diana yell back. She joined them even though she was wearing a short dress. Not bothering to change, she threw a pair of high-tops on with it.
As they jogged through the house David joined them, leaving the fort to Neal, Garah and Griffin so as not to disturb Nathaniel and Nestor. When they went out the door, Diana led them to the back of the house, going through the garden to a strange trail beyond it. “Is this the fairy trail?” Jarem asked. When Diana nodded, he smiled and looked at Iris. “It’s perfect.”
“Wooooo!” Diana shouted, crying out like a hawk soaring through the sky. Jarem and even Autumn joined in and Iris realized it was for her and Falcon, egging them on. Falcon set her on her feet and knelt down the way he once had to offer her a ride on his back. She blushed feeling like that same little girl for one beautiful moment, attaching herself to his back and holding onto him tightly.
The bird calls got louder and louder until Falcon got ready and whispered, “You ready?”
“Yes.” She whispered next to his ear and then looked straight ahead realizing, she really did need him. Falcon knew what she needed even before she did. As he started running, she shifted her weight and realized, she fit so well against his back, like they had been molded for just this moment, for him to give her the freedom that her body robbed her of. Suddenly her grudges against her body for being made the way it was disappeared as the wind whipped her hair away from her face. She arched her back ever so slightly to get the full effect and to keep her weight manageable for Falcon as he ran faster and faster. Her heart felt like it was soaring for the very first time. There was nothing like it, the faster he went the more amazing it felt. All she could feel was the earth around her and the link to her aves.
She couldn’t help but giggle with glee as she watched Diana pass them, holding her arms out at her sides like wings. The wind was pushing her arms behind her, and her face was lifted toward the sunlight shining through the trees. Jarem sped to catch up with her and they started to race each other, getting competitive each time one of them would pass the other.
Autumn was at Falcon’s side as she called out, “Oh come on, go for it. She’ll love it!”
“Faster!” Iris squealed like a little kid, the sheer joy of movement giving her a rush she had never felt before. As she leaned her face against Falcon’s, she could feel that he was smiling as he gained speed. He wrapped his arms behind her, entwining his fingers at her back like he was stretching as his position formed a brace for her. She leaned into it and as he went faster and faster. She slowly let go of his shoulders and held her arms out at her sides like Diana. The sun beat down on her face and arms. As she closed her eyes, she felt like she was flying, really and truly flying.
Emma Michaels is a multi-talented bookish girl. Not only is she the designer of beautiful covers, but she has many other accomplishments under her belt. She started book blogging in 2009 and was first published in 2010 (The Thirteenth Chime). She started The Writers Voice in 2011 as a way to help readers get to know authors on another level.
She moved to Washington at seventeen to be with the man that she loves, who asked her what she secretly wanted to be when she grew up. Naturally, she told him that she wanted to be an author, but at the time she thought “it was a pipe dream.” He encouraged her to pursue her dreams and taught her that “sometimes reaching for the impossible can make a world of difference in your life.” Now she is published and reaching well beyond what most people can imagine.
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
Book 1 is now 99 cents on Kindle!
Add Book 3 to your Goodreads list!
coming October 13, 2014
Just Ella Blog Tour and Giveaway!
Just Ella by Annette K. Larsen
Book Summary:
A Proper Romance
Ariella was only looking for a distraction, something to break up the monotony of palace life. What she found was a young man willing to overlook her title and show her a new and vibrant way of life. But when her growing feelings for Gavin spiral out of control and clash with the expectations of her station, she will discover that the consequences of her curiosity are far more severe than she’d imagined.
I watched in helpless horror as two guards hauled Gavin to his feet and dragged him from the room. My voice was frozen, unable to protest as another guard took hold of my arm, leading me upstairs. From the confines of my room, I stared into the darkness beyond my window, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Gavin. He was gone, and I wondered if he would have been better off if he had never met me.
I write clean romance. Why? Because that’s what I love to read, but over the years I’ve discovered it’s quite a challenge to find good clean romance. I believe it’s a genre that many people are looking for and too few authors are writing. My first novel, Just Ella, took me many years to write because I wanted it to be more than just a cutesy love story. I wanted it to have depth, to feel genuine. Hopefully I succeeded, but you’ll have to be the judge.
Amazon Paperback * Amazon Kindle
Praise for Just Ella
“I fell in love with this book. Treat yourself to something wonderful. You can’t go wrong with Just Ella!” ~Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
“By far one of the best romance novels I’ve ever read. Pulls you in with great, likable characters and keeps you going with a sweet and exciting love story–plus a good plot to give it even more substance. Full of those tender moments you want to go back and read again, plus exciting moments, clever humor, and some suspense as well.” ~Jana Miller
“Annette Larsen writes a love story that takes time, is complicated, and yet still sweeps you up in the romance (without the cheese, thank you). It’s compelling and emotional and sweet and you will love every page.” ~Kimi
Book Blast/Blog Tour Special
Grab your copy of Just Ella for just $3.99!
Annette K. Larsen
I was born in Utah, but grew up in Flagstaff Arizona and St. Louis Missouri, the fifth of seven children. I attended college at Southern Virginia University and Brigham Young University where I studied English and Theater. I now live in Idaho with my husband and four children.
I have Charlotte Bronte to thank for the courage to write novels. After being bombarded with assigned reading about women who justified abandoning either their families or their principles in the name of love, I had the great fortune of reading Jane Eyre. And that was it: finally a heroine who understood that being moral and making the right choice was hard, and sometimes it hurt, but it was still worth it. After rereading it several years later, I realized that if I wanted more books to exist with the kinds of heroines I admired, then I might as well write a few myself. My books are about women who face hard choices, who face pain and rejection and often have to sacrifice what they want for what is right. The consequences are often difficult or unpleasant, but it the end, doing what’s right will always be worth it.
I believe there is no substitute for good writing or good chocolate. Fortunately, one often leads to the other.
“When have we ever seen anyone else out here?”
“Just because we haven’t doesn’t mean we couldn’t.”
“Well, I’m sorry you regret confiding in me, but I’m not going to stop coming here.”
“I don’t want you to stop coming here. I love that you come here. But you have to let me come with you.”
“Because you can protect me from the wicked world?” My voice was mocking, mean.
His eyes narrowed. “I can hold my own,” he said in absolute seriousness. For the first time I considered his build in relation to something other than his striking looks. The years of hard physical work had resulted in toned muscle and rough, strong hands. He would be good in a fight. The thought made me swallow. “Can you say the same for yourself?”
I looked down at the book I’d been reading, rubbing one hand over the cover in agitation while my face burned. The guilt I felt at his reprimand surprised me. “All right,” I conceded. “You can come from now on.”
He moved close to me, then brush a curl behind my ear. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.
I had to keep myself from closing my eyes as the warmth of his touch rippled down my spine. “I’m fine.”
“I’m still sorry.”
I rested my chin on my knees, staring at the water for a minute. “How old are you?” My quiet question broke the silence.
“Eighteen,” he answered, close to my ear. “How old are you?”
I turned to glare at him but was momentarily distracted to find him leaning toward me, smiling. I had the oddest urge to kiss the smirk off his face.
Forcing myself to look at his eyes, I resumed my glaring. He knew my age. Everyone knew, because everyone prepared for it. “I’ll be sixteen in five days,” I said caustically.
He just kept smiling. “Happy Birthday.”
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/5/13
Open only to those 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 enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
October 11, 2013
Cerberus Blog Tour and Giveaway!
Cerberus: Book 1 of Parish by P.K. Gallagher
Paranormal YA Fantasy
For Kaeden Parish, life in Solace has always followed certain rules—everything makes sense, everything can be planned for, and everything is as it seems. Unfortunately, the secret harbored by his gorgeous, albeit guarded girlfriend is about to shatter all of that.
After a successful attack on his life opens his eyes to a world of war, shadows, and supernatural creatures—a world he didn’t plan for—Kaeden finds himself resembling the sort of monster he has always feared. As he desperately struggles to resist a new temptation, danger draws ever nearer, threatening the ones he loves most. A prophecy tells of a final battle and great destruction, and Kaeden must decide which side he is on, a choice that could mean the end of the world.
In Book 1 of the Solace Series, P.K. Gallagher pulls readers into a realm where good and evil are at war, and the outcome of it all rests on one young man’s decision to either go and live…or stay and die.
This is where the story of Parish begins.
Author P.K. Gallagher
Despite writing stories that take place almost exclusively in New England, speculative young adult fiction author P. K. Gallagher has lived in the suburbs of the south her entire life. It is to this that she attributes her love of the fantastic and the supernatural—writing such things was her only escape from the monotony of Suburbia. Gallagher graduated from Florida A&M University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a fervent desire to never set foot inside a newsroom again.
She currently lives in Atlanta and divides her time between working a day job, finishing her works in progress, and perfecting her plans for world domination.
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/25/13
Open only to those 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 enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
October 10, 2013
Pendomus Blog Tour and Giveaway!
Pendomus by Carissa Andrews Series: Pendomus Chronicles #1
on October 10th, 2013
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Amazon • Goodreads
Humanity has colonized on a tidally locked planet known as Pendomus, a planet of extremes. Half eternal scorching desert and half perpetual arctic night. Surviving along the temperate band between the two, we’ve set up home in a complex known as the Helix. Within the Helix lies a highly sophisticated, highly technological society functioning solely on humans fulfilling their life’s purpose. That purpose is determined and nurtured through a person’s natural aptitudes, as read by their daily brain scans. Eating, sleeping, even procreation is handled by professionals. These basic concepts, no longer a part of society’s every day norm.
Seventeen-year-old Runa Cophem longs to be more than part of the Helix machine. Her life inside is anything but fulfilling. She feels disconnected, and longs to be more than society dictates. Inside, no one socializes, no one interacts in a meaningful way. It’s never set right with Runa. She would love nothing more than to reach out to her family, but not even her own mother can show any semblance of love for her. Instead, Runa has found solace in the ancient woods nearby, despite being strictly forbidden.
Runa’s life takes an unforeseen turn when she’s brutally attacked, and left for dead in those woods near the Helix. Rescued by a stranger with blue hair, she’s immersed into a surprising way humanity has survived. Fueled by a yearning to belong, and an attraction she didn’t even know was possible, Runa wants desperately to make a new life. Yet, there’s much she doesn’t know about herself, about the planet and the forces controlling her from afar.
What she needs is some answers.
Website | GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
Born and raised in central MN, Carissa Andrews has always loved books. She started her career at 15 in a bookstore, just to be able to afford her book fetish. By 19, she worked for a magazine publisher. At 22, she was working for printers to learn their trade. At 27, she went back to school for graphic design, and became an award winning designer. Little did she know all of her experiences would lead her to becoming a self-publishing power house.
At 31, a magical world on a planet far away, invaded her mind.
At 34, she’s learned what she needs to make her work successful.
Pendomus (Book 1 of the Pendomus Chronicles) will be released OCTOBER 10, 2013.
# # Runa # #
A long, abrasive, invisible tongue grazes the fleshy part of my left cheek. The creature snorts beside my ear, but I can’t bear to turn my head. My mind plays tricks, rippling my memory until all that remains is an incorporeal, cold touch. I don’t have the power left in me to fight. How do you fight something you can’t even see?
Hot breath flashes across my frozen cheek as a muzzle nudges along my neck, making me shiver. The creature takes slow, deliberate inhalations, edging to my ear, into my hairline. Repulsed by the intimacy of its touch, the burden of consciousness threatens to depart.
“Runa, you know what’s waiting outside. You can’t possibly be so stupid as to think you can live in the elements alone. I know you don’t believe me, but the Morph is out there. With the way its evolutionary leap defied nature, no one can predict what it’s capable of now. You need to respect that. Besides, RationCaps aren’t hidden in the woods. Food doesn’t grow on dead trees, you know.” The memory of Baxten’s warning echoes from the past.
Regardless of my brother’s admonishment, I had to take the chance. After everything that’s happened, after all that I’d be losing . . . I knew he’d never understand, but unfortunately, now he never will.
The Morph’s sticky tongue returns, paying particular attention to my eye socket, drenching the area in saliva. The viscous liquid pools in my lashes, cementing my eyelids together. Whatever its intention, it plans to take its time. I swallow hard and will death to claim me.
For a moment, darkness consumes everything. My eyes flutter open as my long white hair whips across my face. The delicate braids I’d taken so much time to arrange this morning would blend into the snow beneath me, if I weren’t staining it crimson. The sweet stench lingers in the air, tugging my impulse to gag.
With no warning and even less fanfare, the Morph’s claws slice through the flesh above my left eye. My skull screeches as claw contacts bone and an instant later squishes unceremoniously through my eyeball.
Suddenly, I’m four again. The smell of death carries from the present, clear through to the memory. But now, I can’t take my eyes off my father’s sunken face. The light in his warm brown eyes is gone, yet I clutch his hand, desperate to keep his essence somehow attached to his body. The room vibrates, pulsing with an energy that makes my skin crawl and my stomach lurch. The medics arrive, wrenching my hand from his without thought, and wheel him from my life. So I will move on. So we’ll all go on as if he never existed . . . So we’ll forget.
But I never did.
I still hear his deep, boisterous laugh echoing through the main corridor of our Living Quarters. I remember the way my head bobbed up and down on his chest when he held me close. The way he always smelled like engine grease and electricity. I recall his last few moments, his last few breaths, as if I’d taken them myself.
To have him treated like that–his body destroyed without so much as a salutation to a life once lived–felt wrong.
I blink away the memory, fighting through saliva, sweat, and blood.
The Morph’s enormous paw dangles above me, covered red so it can take the shape of my would-be killer. He’s massive, easily ten times the size of my frail body. My vision blurs, my head lolls to the side as I wait for the end.
Between the branches of this barren forest, snowflakes flitter through the air. They accentuate the blazing array of color from the sun as it hangs heavy in its locked region of the horizon. The halo is bright today, wrapping around the orb in a circular rainbow.
This place between life and oblivion is surprisingly peaceful.
Little gray birds gather in the trees. They call back and forth, seeming to be speaking to each other about me. A few scratch at the dirty snow beside me, looking for something. Their hops are odd, scritching back, a quick hop forward, just to start all over again. My memory download on animal resurrections from Earth called them juncos. Kind of a funny name.
One in particular hops closer, tilting its head from side to side, examining me, this dying bag of flesh and blood in front of him. The junco has beautiful black eyes and a white beak–an oddity, since the others’ are yellow. A small smile breaks across my lips, and I chuckle.
He’s just as different as I am.
The quiet silence with the birds is interrupted as a ferocious howl snaps me back to the present. Seconds later, my body makes a crevasse in the snow and slams backward, hitting an enormous tree. What little vision I have blurs and takes on a brighter, more intense quality. The Morph pushes my upper body through a huge gash in the side of the tree, dangling me partway inside. My scalp tingles as the inner chamber of the tree resonates all round me.
The birds screech, and the one with the white beak swiftly dives in. His little gray body is so small, and his swooping gesture does nothing to distract my attacker. Pinned inside the tree under a dripping paw, I watch again as the bird circles in, and like a bomb, dives. The Morph grunts as the bird bounces off the nothing that should be its back.
The air ripples around us as the tiny bird lands in a heap beside the tree’s entrance. Gray feathers ruffle in the breeze on an otherwise still body. Slowly, its white beak parts, to offer a final exhalation.
The unfairness tugs at my heart.
How could something so innocent give its life for me? What a waste.
My hair whips in circles, striking the sides of my cheeks, attacking my tears for even attempting to emerge. The tears burn and I struggle to blink away the blood streaming into my remaining eye. The massive structure I’ve lived in my whole life comes into focus.
The Helix.
October 8, 2013
My Sister’s Reaper Blog Tour and Giveaway!
My Sister’s Reaper by Dorothy Dreyer
Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.
When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo
Author Dorothy Dreyer
I’m a Philippine-born American living in Germany with my husband and two teens.
I write young adult books that usually have some element of magic or the supernatural in them. I also like to read those kinds of books. Aside from reading, I like movies, chocolate, take-out, coffee, traveling, and having fun with my friends and family. I’ve also been known to make a pretty sweet cupcake.
I tend to sing sometimes, too, so keep me away from your Karaoke bars.
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/20/13
Open only to those 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 enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
“So are we going to do this, or what?” Danny asked.
“First, the preparations,” Naomi said. She swung the canvas bag over her head and crouched down on the floor to unzip it. From it, she pulled a plastic bag, a lighter, and a game box with the word Ouija on it. “Help me with the candles, Zadie.”
Pulling tea-light candles from the plastic bag, Naomi and I placed them in a large circle on the floor.
“Nice touch, right?” she whispered when our heads were close together.
Gavin picked up the lighter and brought our circle of fire to life. Naomi and I looked at each other as we sat on the floor, our knees bent toward the glow of the candlelight. Gavin sat next to me, then gestured with his head to his best friend. Danny sighed, running a hand over his short hair before joining us in the circle beside Naomi.
“Zadie,” Naomi said.
“What?”
“Ready?”
“Oh. Yeah, sure.”
“Remember,” Naomi said as she started unpacking the Ouija board, “once the spell works, you two have to take us out on a double date.”
“If it works,” Danny said.
“When,” Naomi insisted.
“Did you ever notice that Ouija is made up of two foreign words for yes?” Gavin said. “Oui which is French, and ja which is German. Isn’t that strange?”
“You know what else is strange?” Danny said, turning off his flashlight. “That people still buy these things.”
Naomi snapped a reply, but I didn’t hear the words. Suddenly, all I could think about was Mara. What would happen if the doctors couldn’t live up to their promise? What if Mara was lost to me—and Dad—forever? What if this thin excuse to spend time with Gavin was the only chance I had to save my sister?
I shook my head. I felt the others watching me, but I ignored them, staring at the candlelight as if it would give me answers. If I tried to bring Mara back and failed, I would lose hope too. But what if Mara died, and I’d never even tried to save her?
A strange feeling came over me, like a buzzing in my bones. I found myself focused on the glow of candlelight. Everything else went fuzzy, disappearing into the dark.
“We don’t need the board,” I told Naomi as she moved to place it in the middle. “Put it away.”
“What?”
“I don’t need the Ouija board.”
“Ooh, you’re giving me chills,” she said. “Awesome!”
She set the board and pointer aside, and I reached out my hands to Danny and Gavin. Gavin’s hand felt warm in mine. My fingers brushed against some calluses on his palm. His touch was rough, but nice. Danny looked away from Naomi when she slid her hand into his.
I closed my eyes and thought about my sister. About how she used to let me squeeze into bed with her when I was little and couldn’t sleep. About how she held me the whole night when our mother was taken away, wiping away my tears and telling me it was going to be all right. I tightened my grip on Gavin’s hand. She had to wake up. She just had to.
A jumble of sounds suddenly tumbled from my lips—sounds from a language I didn’t recognize. The voice was mine, but the movements of my tongue and teeth were not. My fingers tingled, and the flames from the candles grew warmer. My blood felt electric. Still chanting, I slowly opened my eyes. My three companions stared at me. I stopped, my mouth falling silent.
For a moment, nothing happened. We simply looked at each other, waiting. A chill crept up my neck. In that instant, wind whipped through our circle, making the candles flicker wildly. There was a sound, like plastic scraping wood, and my eyes darted to the Ouija board Naomi had set aside. My body jerked, as if I’d been holding a huge mass of energy inside of me and it had suddenly escaped.
The buzzing and electric feeling were gone. I felt like I was going to throw up. What had I just done?
“It moved,” Naomi said.
“What did?” Danny asked.
“The pointer on the board.”
“No way,” Gavin said. “Where is it pointing?”
We all scrabbled over to look at the board, but the second we reached it, all the candles went out.
October 7, 2013
Blood Bound Tour (Interview)!
Blood Bound by Keshia Swaim Published by Spencer Hill Press on October 8, 2013
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder.
Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life.
But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.
Author Interview with Keshia Swaim!
1.) What would you like for readers to take away from your novel/novels?
I would like more people to have Brielle’s attitude of standing up for herself and what she thinks is right, no matter who disagrees with her.
2.) Who do you feel is your most unique character?
I’d like to think that all my characters have something that makes them unique, but overall, I’d have to say Pamie is my most memorable character, and that’s just the way she wants it.
3.) What’s your favorite way to procrastinate?
Oh, I’m good at that! Facebook is one of my favorite hangouts, reading when I really should be doing something else, and baking new recipes (which, of course, I then have to eat…)
4.) Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?
I have a toddler and a newborn, so free time is something I don’t have. But if I did, I like to think I’d learn a new skill. Like sewing. I’m terrible with a needle, but I have tons of home projects I’d like to make.
5.) Is there one book that has had an impact on not only your writing, but on you personally?
This may sound weird, but Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet. They were the first fantasy novels I ever read. Before then, I thought fantasy was a little silly, and I preferred straight contemporary. Obviously, that series changed my mind and showed me how to think on a different, deeper level.
Don’t forget to download “Family Ties” the story that inspired my book. And, if you have time, visit me on Facebook, Twitter, or my blog, The Book Addict.
I’ve come to the conclusion that reality is no fun.
I still check in every now and then to pay the bills and change diapers,
but I spend most of my free time reading, talking about what I’ve read,
searching for something new to read, or writing about my own fantasy world.
October 6, 2013
Forever Fredless!
Forever Fredless by Suzy Turner Published by Suzanne Turner Publishing on October 1, 2013
Genres: Contemperary
Amazon • Goodreads
Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday. Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?
Thank God for anti-perspirant, I thought as I sat on the couch and waited for the countdown to begin. I clutched at my hands until they were white and looked across at the two people sitting opposite, both completely at ease in front of the cameras.
Five, four, three, two, one…
‘Welcome back to this morning’s edition of Good Morning GB,’ announced Ireland Rothschild, the blonde-haired, blue eyed darling of morning TV.
‘I’m here with Fergus O’Reilly and we’ve a special guest with us this morning. None other than Britain’s love-struck multi-millionaire, Kate Robinson.
‘Welcome, Kate,’ she said with a dazzling smile aimed more towards the camera than at me.
As my cheeks began to heat up, I was so grateful to the make-up artist, who had insisted on caking on the foundation before the show had started. In fact, I had so much make-up on that I was hoping once I’d removed it, nobody would recognise me when I headed to the airport in my now rather stupidly chosen car. I couldn’t exactly blend in driving a pink Mini could I?
‘Good morning,’ I whispered shyly.
Fergus grinned back at me, tilting his head as if he was about to speak to a child. ‘Now, tell us, Kate dear, how does it feel to never have to worry about money ever again?’ he asked, his toothpaste advert teeth twinkling beneath the heat of the studio lights.
‘Erm, well, I guess it’s… erm, kind of… erm,’ I felt so bloody stupid. Great time for my brain to stop working. ‘I – erm. Great,’ I nodded. ‘Great, really great.’ Idiot.
Ireland glanced across at her grey-haired colleague and pouted before nodding. ‘Tell us how you knew this man. This,’ she glanced down at the iPad on her lap and continued, ‘Samuel?’
I cleared my throat and lifted my head, feeling like my brain was back in action. ‘He was a very good friend of the family, some years ago,’ I answered.
‘Just a friend? Why did he leave you all his money and his property?’ asked Fergus.
‘He didn’t have any family and I guess you could say that my mother and I were the closest he ever had to a family.’
‘Isn’t that lovely?’ pouted Ireland. ‘You certainly are a lucky woman. But what about your mother? Didn’t she receive any of his inheritance?’
‘No,’ I said before swallowing hard. ‘My mother lives a rather… nomadic lifestyle, in Africa. She doesn’t want any of it. All she asked of me was to donate a sum to charity which, of course, I have done.’
‘She lives in Africa? A nomadic lifestyle? That sounds intriguing. Perhaps we should interview her one of these days,’ laughed Ireland and Fergus together.
‘Have you splashed out on anything since receiving your inheritance back in June?’ they asked, leaning forward eagerly awaiting my answer.
‘Yes I have actually. I bought a car and a new house.’
‘Well good for you, Kate. But now, most of us are curious about this boy you lost. Tell us about him?’
Oh no. Why did I agree to this?
Taking a deep breath, I knew I had no choice. Several articles had been printed since the one in Liberty; everyone wanted to know more and nobody was going to leave me alone until I told them everything.
‘He was just a boy who I had a connection with when I was much, much younger. It was at Skegness. At an afternoon disco for kids. I was dancing and I felt someone touch my back and when I turned around there he was. The most beautiful boy I’d ever seen,’ I said, stopping and smiling as I reminisced. ‘It was one of the happiest memories of my life.’
Sighing, I continued, ‘We just looked at each other and it was like everything else just disappeared into the background. We stood staring, for what seemed like ages. I could barely move. And then, almost as soon as it had begun, my dad appeared and took me away. I couldn’t do anything as we walked to the car. I looked around for the boy but he was gone. And then, just as we were driving away, I turned around in my seat and there he was. He had a daffodil in his hand. I always assumed he’d gone to pick it for me, but that’s just a childish fantasy, I guess. The whole thing is probably nothing but a childish fantasy, really.’
Ireland was very carefully dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, pretending to be moved, while Fergus smiled sadly.
‘What a beautiful story, Kate. I don’t believe for one second that this is a childish fantasy. It’s romantic and beautiful,’ Ireland said.
‘Now, tell us, Kate. Why did you call him Fred?’ asked Fergus.
Smiling, I explained about the Right Said Fred song, just as the music began in the background.
‘What a wonderful tale. Thank you, Kate, for joining us today. It’s been a pleasure having you with us to share your story,’ said Fergus.
‘Thank you,’ I whispered before the camera moved back to Ireland as she straightened her skirt and looked alluring. ‘Do you remember this moment in time?’
she asked. ‘Are you the elusive Fred? We’d love to hear from you. You can contact us at…’
Before I could hear anything else, I was ushered off the couch and back behind the scenes where Jo stood, waiting patiently for me, with open arms.
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Suzy Turner has worked as a journalist, assistant editor, features editor and magazine editor. Early in 2010 however, she began writing full time and has since completed six books for young adults (the Raven Saga and The Morgan Sisters series) and one chick lit novel, Forever Fredless. Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. The Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband of 15 years, Michael, and their two neurotic dogs and a cat who thinks she’s a princess.
