Ash Krafton's Blog, page 7

Happy Unbirthday, Forever Girl: A Victorian Celebration for an historical fantasy

As much as we romanticize Victorian times, life was much different back then—and not always in a good way. Due to sickness and undeveloped medical treatments, many children never had the opportunity to grow up. It is no wonder that birthdays were enthusiastically celebrated—each new year in a child’s life was truly a blessing. A birthday was another year’s victory over Death. And Death was a huge preoccupation for Senza Fyne, the young Victorian woman whose dark tale is spun in THE HEARTBEAT THIEF. Her seventeenth birthday marked her debut into society…but it did not leave the fear of early death behind. Now of an age to marry, Senza’s mother constantly reminded her that she needed to find her mate before her beauty withered and faded, before her chances of an advantageous marriage was lost. Senza didn’t want to be set out like wares at a market. She wanted a love-match—but that was one luxury a girl of even her station could not afford. She was trapped in a losing game, each passing day another hand won by Death.Until she met Mr. Knell, the mysterious man who promised her an escape from all of her worries.When Senza Fyne makes her dark deal with Mr. Knell, she is freed from the ravages of time and death, and her gives her a special present, a locket in which she must store heartbeats. “A gift on your Unbirthing day,” he said.And when more than one hundred fifty years, that day was the only day that she remembered. Unbirthdays were remarkable things.Throughout her long life, Senza forgot to celebrate her actual birthday. Perhaps immortality lessens the importance of another year’s victory over death. Whom would she have invited, when the loves of family and childhood friends had faded into the past? The world had become a sea of nameless faces, images flickering on a distant screen. Everyone around her would wilt like flowers in late summer, grown brittle in autumn’s chilling wind, and disappear beneath the final snows of eternal winter. Were there a cake served, a light fluffy delicate creation of sweetness and fruit and frosting, would someone have baked traditional trinkets into it? Would her slice hold the lucky coin? Or would she find a thimble, the harbinger of a life spent alone, unmarried?And what gift would Knell give her, when he had already stolen her life? His locket hung heavy with memory, with regret, with the pilfered beats of men and women who each lived out their lives in natural order.No. Mark the day, she would. Remember it, she was thus compelled. But no party. No celebration. Celebrations were for the living.

How dreary! Sometimes my heart aches for Senza Fyne, who, much like the narrator of Poe’s “The Raven” is constantly seeking companionship and release from loneliness. The tapping on her chamber door always yields an empty hall. No one there, and an eternity of it.Let us give Senza a respite from her fate, and remember her book’s birthday—and therefore her Unbirthday—with a much lighter heart. I, for one, will raise a cup of tea and have a slice of cake and cheer the day I “met” one of my all-time favorite characters: Senza Fyne, the Forever Girl, Death’s Immortal Beloved, the Heartbeat Thief.
This week until June 26th, THE HEARTBEAT THIEF ebook will be $0.99!
Find it at any of these retailers: Amazon US | Amazon CA  | Amazon UK   Amazon FR  | Amazon DE Kobo Apple  Smashwords  Barnes and Noble
About the author: Ash KraftonAsh Krafton writes New Adult speculative fiction under the pen name AJ Krafton. In addition to THE HEARTBEAT THIEF, Ash is also the author of a growing list of poetry, short stories, and urban fantasy novels. Currently, she’s working on a new series, THE DEMON WHISPERER. First book, CHARM CITY, can be found on Wattpad.com where you can read it free. Find it here: CHARM CITY on Wattpad.com Find more to love at www.ashkrafton.com
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THE HEARTBEAT THIEF: only 99 cents for a limited time!

"There was something smart, ominous, and romantic about this strange story..." Amazon reviewerThis month, we're celebrating the Forever Girl's book birthday.  Because of readers like you, Senza Fyne has found a new kind of immortality--living in the hearts of readers who fell in love with her story. (Thank you for all your support!)

If you haven't yet read the story that one reviewer has called "a beautiful love story stretching through time, filled with captivating characters and prose", you can get it at a great price today...

THE HEARTBEAT THIEF will be on sale for 99 cents until June 26th at a ton of ebook retailers...find it at your favorite!Here's a few... Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Kobo
  Apple
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble   I want to thank the authors who are helping me to spread the news this week. They're hosting a few guest posts in a mini blog tour, so be sure to visit them, check out their blogs, and see what worlds they've been creating! Lots of books to love in this universe...and my friends write some of my favorite books.From YA to adult, poetry to novels, and every shade of speculative fiction...here's a blogroll of truly generous authors!AF Stewart:http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/Andy Peloquin:http://andypeloquin.com/Clarissa Johal: www.clarissajohal.blogspot.comDebbie Christiana: www.debbiechristiana.com/blogJohn Linwood Grant: www.greydogtales.comKatie French: http://www.katiefrenchbooks.com/blogLeandra Wallace: http://leandrajwallace.blogspot.com/Marsha A. Moore: http://marshaamoore.blogspot.com/Nicole Ciacchella: http://www.nciacchella.com/blogRobRoy McCandless: http://highlandrogue.blogspot.com/
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CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1): Urban Fantasy Making Magic on Wattpad

A few months ago I posted my latest novel on Wattpad as a serial. I thought I'd try a new approach to pre-publication promotion as well as a new way to meet new readers. So far, so awesome...
Once it was complete, I submitted it for consideration as a Featured Story and it made it in :) CHARM CITY was listed on the Featured page about three weeks ago and...
...wow. It just blew up. Like, ba-BOOM.
And I'm thrilled to say that CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1) hit 10K reads on Wattpad today! Woo Hoo!!!

Follow me on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AshKrafton

I've been trying to keep in touch with followers over there and, as promised, I'm holding a name-a-character contest for readers who follow my profile and read CHARM CITY...
I'll pick one reader's suggestion for a particular character's name. Simply comment in the right spot to win. Read on for details...


The 10K character contest: Name That Ghost! (A Chapter 10 contest)
In CHARM CITY, chapter 10, Simon meets a sweet but very confused ghost in a diner. So confused, in fact, I doubt she remembers her own name. Help her out by suggesting a name for her! Leave the name in a comment right in Chapter 10 to enter.
Tell me her name and why you choose it. I'll pick one of those names to use when Simon sees the ghost again in book 2, MURDER THE LIGHT.
Also, the winner gets personally acknowledged in the book, even when the series eventually goes to print. That means you and your name will forever be a part of the story.
Thanks for helping this story get noticed. Keep reading...and don't forget to suggest a name. Leave it in a comment right in Chapter 10 itself so I can keep track of all the entries!
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Brain to Books Cyber Convention, April 8-10

I'm participating in this year's Brain to Books Cyber Convention, April 8-10, coordinated by Angela B. Chrysler!


Over 300 authors from 15 different countries have come together for the largest online book Expo. No tickets. No plane fare. No lodging expenses. This is the most affordable Convention anywhere! If you haven't yet heard about this online expo, you definitely need to check it out. The main deal is going on over at Goodreads but there are also several Facebook events, as well as events happening on many of the authors' websites. There will be panels, giveaways, spotlights, FB parties.... you name it, I'm pretty sure it's happening this weekend. I've got a page going over at Goodreads myself:  THE HEARTBEAT THIEF: Meet Senza Fyne, the forever girl I've got three giveaways going on so I hope you'll stop by. One of the contests will be for this little guy...  Grimm, the cutest Beanie Boo EVERSo, tell me. Can you resist that little fella? I can't (which is probably why I have the weird perception of death that I do.) And, I'll be honest. I actually bought four of those Beanie Boos. My dog stole one (she does that) but I promise, I won't give the spitty one away in the contest. The other two are renamed Heckle and Jeckle.  (For now, anyway. They've also gone by Sam and Dean, Bill and Ted, and Shut Up and You Heard Me.) If one of you guys wins this one, just be sure to come back here and tell me what you name him.  Have fun! If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Win a book bundle for your local public library!

In honor of National Librarian's Day on April 16, I thought I'd put together a giveaway.Show your local library some love!  I'm going to give away a book bundle to one lucky library... and it's up to YOU to win it for them!This bundle will have a copy of each of my paperbacks... 
BLEEDING HEARTS (Demimonde #1)BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2)WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3)(urban fantasy series) WORDS THAT BIND (paranormal romance) THE HEARTBEAT THIEF (Victorian fantasy) BOXED AND BROKEN (short story and poetry collection) THE SCENT OF HIS FEATHERS: a collection of dark verses(poetry collection) And there is no obligation, no purchase necessary to win! Just enter the name and location of your local library.  Don't forget to enter your email address, too--because the person who enters the winning library will also get their pick of a book, as well. Libraries aren't the only ones who need love, you know. *wink*    This raffle is open for any public library in the US. Sharing is ENCOURAGED! Please Tweet, Instagram, and FB this post to share this with your friends on social media. Tell your favorite librarian, too. It'll show them how much you really care. *hearts*   a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Listen to the Love: BLEEDING HEARTS #audiobook #review #giveaway

Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) recently came out in audiobook and it sounds like Demimonde fans are very happy about it. I'm happy, too.


I'm especially happy that long-time fan of the series Sophia Rose of the Delighted Reader blog was one of the first to review Bleeding Hearts (Audio). Her review is here: Delighted Reader reviews Bleeding Hearts So glad she loved narrator Kelly Pruner as the voice of Sophie Galen... she really allowed the heart and soul of the book to shine through.

I told Sophia Rose that, with her approval, I felt like I passed a huge test :)

A quotable quote:

"This story stood up well to a re-read and I am just as in love with the world, the characters, and the romance.  I recommend this refreshing Urban Fantasy book/trilogy to those who like their vampires on the gritty dangerous side and don’t mind a slow burn romance that has some dark days ahead."-- Sophia Rose from Delighted Reader

Please take a moment to read her review (and follow the blog for more great reviews).

In fact, I'm having Rafflecopter withdrawal... how about a quickie giveaway?

Up for grabs is a review copy of the Bleeding Hearts audiobook. Would you like a chance to listen to the first Book of the Demimonde? We'll make it easy:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Hey, Superfans, check out the special entry just for you!)

Good luck to everyone who enters. I can't wait for you to hear this book :)

Bleeding Hearts by Ash Krafton Narrator: Kelly Pruner
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Published by Self Published on December 22, 2015
Length: 12 hours 59 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Buy: Amazon | Audible
        
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Bad Love, Undying Love: Bloody Valentine Horror Hop 2016 #giveaway

Glad you stopped by my stop on the 2016 Bloody Valentine Horror Hop! I hope everyone has their fill of chocolates and roses and sweet sappy love things. I'm going to help keep you from going into sugar shock :^)

While I am a great fan of almost all things romantic, I also love playing in the shadows. Don't dark sides make the light sides shine brighter? Isn't the dark night merely an omen of the coming dawn? And aren't monsters the most interesting people?

If you like your love stories to have a darker twist, then I hope you enjoy this story... "The Downside of Undying Love" first appeared in Jersey Devil Press. Great mag... check them out for more of the strange and beautiful.

The Downside to Undying Love
By Ash Krafton
We don’t talk much. I suppose not having functioning vocal cords is a big part of that but, honey, I don't blame you for our lack of communication. I just wish our relationship was a little different.
Even if you blinked once in a while to make me feel like we were connecting. Some tiny affirmation that you know I'm here.  I love you to the point of incineration, to the point where I can't breathe because the conflagration steals the oxygen from my lungs. It's why I did this all for you.
Stealing your body was no easy feat. You know I'm a good person, wouldn't hurt a fly (never mind commit a felony) but I did it. I had to. You lived a stony life, chasing death and begging for release but I know you didn't want to die. Not permanently--
So hiring a zombie priest wasn't as big a deal as I might have once thought. It was no different than finding a lawyer or a mechanic or some other necessary evil.
Maybe if I knew you were going to die, I could have interviewed a couple zombie raisers. You know, look into their portfolio, ask about their zombie philosophy, their success rate and refund policies. Stuff like that. Maybe I could have found someone capable of actually putting some animation in the animating. But I was in a bit of a rush and had a limited window of opportunity. It had to be done while you were still fresh. Not that I'm complaining--
Because you're here. I really do like that suit on you and you look so handsome with your hair combed like that. Today we'll do all your favorite things--we'll go for a drive and we'll sit on the front porch and we'll go for a slow walk in the moonlight. I'll even put in that Three Stooges DVD I found in your coffin.
That way you won't mind so much when I change your embalming fluid and scrape the mold from the back of your neck. Curly makes you laugh. I think it's laughing, anyway, that long hollow rasp like a splintering tree. You make that sound whenever the Stooges slap each other. I don't know why that sound upsets the dog so much because laughter is such a beautiful thing in and of itself--
We don't talk much. But I suppose that's still better than not being able to talk at all.**~**~** Feeling lucky? Comment to win a copy of
The Scent of His Feathers! Glad you stopped by! A lucky commenter will receive a signed proof copy of The Scent of His Feathers: a collection of dark verses (US only; INT winner will receive ebook copy). Tell me... do you have a favorite monster love story? And the term "love" is way open to interpretation. :) Share your darkest dreams with us! If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Bad Love: Bloody Valentine 2016 Facebook Party!

Come join the fun on February 14th, and dispense with the sappy romance. Embrace heartbreak, love gone wrong, romantic mayhem and tragedy, hopefully with that little splash of humour and blood. It’s time to discover the Bad Side of Love.

All writers and readers are welcome.

Although this is an open event, in addition we will have special guests popping in with some darkly delightful Valentine goodies. There will also be free books be offered up as well.
I'll be giving away a signed proof copy of The Scent of His Feathers: a collection of dark verses
 "...amazing things, sometimes light and sometimes dark. This is not to be missed."--Amazon Review Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Featured authors scheduled to appear are:
Hostess With the Ghost-es  A. F. StewartClarissa Johal
Ash Krafton
Nick Paschall
Miracle Austin
John Linwood Grant
Debbie Christiana
Steve Vernon
Cinsearae S. Join the event HERE! And stop back here on Sunday... I'll be posting a short story that has a different kind of happily ever after. With zombies, of course. *hearts* See you then!  If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1) #amwriting

CHARM CITY is thriving on Wattpad.com! Over the past few weeks I've been uploading chapters of my WIP urban fantasy over at Wattpad.com. It's an experiment in more ways than one: I've never posted a full-length story on Wattpad before, let alone something that hasn't been scoured and shredded by my trusted beta readers. So why am I doing it? I think it has to do with the impulsivity of it all. Over the years, I've gone from a seat-of-my-pants writer to someone who has learned (and will never know all of) the craft of writing and the business in general. Every book I published took me farther along the path. Since my first publication upon my return to serious writing (a poem back in 2009) I've learned so much... and I've developed a lot of good habits and methods. However, a certain element of impulsivity was waning. I often think back to the first novel I started, one I wrote in secret during stolen moments when the ideas felt like they'd blow out the side of my brain if I didn't write them down. Those passionate bursts of inspiration truly kindled my happy writing habits. But with time and growth and knowledge and training came more planning, more foresight, more structure. Less seat-of-my-pants. It's a mixed blessing.   So... I'm giving myself a dose of impulsivity. (And it's so refreshing. Exciting. A little nail-biting, even.) Unfortunately, I can't turn off the part of my writer's brain that is addicted to craves feedback. If you'd care to offer a comment on any of the chapters I've posted, I would really love to hear it. Really. And if you like what you read, I hope you share it along.    CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1)  The darkness is rising and one man stands against it: the exorcist mage Simon Alliant. But in Baltimore, he finally meets his match...a part-mortal divinity with the power to whisper away demons.

Simon Alliant is an exorcist who battles demons, whether he wants to or not. Sometimes it's not so bad...he gets to play with magic, after all. But for Simon, magic represents a demon of another kind. He's addicted to magic and it takes more than a handful of charms to keep that particular demon at bay.

Chiara is part Light, part Dark, and stubbornly mortal. The woman has a way with words: she literally talks demons into abandoning their human hosts. Simon thinks that's not the only trick she has up her sleeve-and that's pretty high praise coming from a mage like him.

As intriguing as that may be, Simon has too many reasons to distrust her...one of them being his more-or-less partner, an angelic Watcher. Amidst all the celestial warnings of the rising dark comes a new prophesy that makes him wonder: is Chiara a threat to him and all of mankind?

Or will she be his salvation?

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Infinite Ink Authors Giveaway--100$ prize and lots of discounted books!

 Welcome to the Infinite Ink $100 Book Blast Giveaway!
CLICK HERE to go to the Rafflecopter post (and scroll down, its at the bottom)
And take a look at the featured books by our Infinite Ink Authors... Lots of free and discounted books!
The Breeders by Katie French
“When the Breeders come for ya, there ain’t no escape. They strap ya to a bed and all ya hear is the thud of your heart and the cries of your friends as they wheel ya down to hell. Then the doctors come. You squeeze your eyes shut and pray you can forget. But ya never do.”

Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world’s last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches– moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders’ long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society.
And they’re hunting Riley.

When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender– a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley’s affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?

The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico– escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is forced into the Breeder’s hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she’ll share unless she can find a way out.

Author Katie French
Katie French imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher. It was about birds and frankly, it wasn’t very good, but it sparked a love of literature. In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. This thoroughly solidifying her status as a class-A nerd. She currently works as a high school English teacher, a job that she loves even when it exhausts her. In her free time she writes, reads great books, and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. Her young adult best selling series, The Breeders, is available now on Amazon. She also has a kids series starting with Portia Parrott and the Great Kitten Rescue for ages 5-9.
Praise for The Breeders
Kindle Book Review, 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semifinalist
Over 45,000 downloads so far. More than 300 four and five star reviews. Top Ten in Free Kindle Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Romance.

“This is an Excellent book that should be published the writing is that compelling and suspenseful.” — The Book Runner, Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer

“Wow, just wow! I started reading the sample for The Breeders and before I was even halfway through it, I stopped and bought the book. I was completely enthralled after the first few pages.” — Amazon Reviewer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Virulent by Shelbi Wescott
Lucy King is only an hour away from embarking on the most incredible vacation of her life: White sandy beaches in a tropical paradise, snorkeling and sunbathing in peaceful tranquility. But as Lucy looks forward to her trip, a sinister plot is unfolding that will demolish the world as she knows it.

An unknown bioterrorist group unleashes a virus that virtually wipes out the earth’s population—leaving Lucy, and a small faction of survivors, trapped inside her high school to wait out the apocalypse. War, looting, and death wreak havoc outside the school; inside, the students must contend with a tyrannical and paranoid principal and their own struggles of being orphaned, frightened, and unsure of what the future will bring.

What begins as a basic fight for survival turns into a search for answers that will challenge everything Lucy has ever known about her life and her family.

Virulent is the first book in the Virulent trilogy, an enthralling post-apocalyptic adventure that takes you from the end of the world to the formation of a new society.

Author Shelbi Wescott
Shelbi Wescott is a high school Language Arts and Creative Writing teacher, a mother of two, a television junky, and a board game connoisseur. Her first book, “Virulent: The Release” was born from a challenge issued by her students to write a book that would interest them. When she isn’t writing or teaching, Shelbi can be found throwing unnecessarily elaborate birthday parties and officiating weddings. She is a fan of: Spanx, bourbon, Powell’s Books, and tabloid magazines. Shelbi lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, her two sons, Elliott and Ike, and an affectionate hound dog named Darby.

Praise for Virulent: The Release
“My favorite part was how realistic and authentic Wescott is about to make her characters. It is clear from the specific detail and the way she shapes her setting that Wescott knows her way around a high school. She also knows a thing or two about teenage minds.”
— Underground Book Reviews

“Great characters, amazing descriptions, suspense and the beginnings of a great conspiracy mark this beginning to a series that I look forward to following. I can’t wait for book two.”
— Cherie of Cherie Reads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Scourge by A.G. Henley
Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She’s never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings’ tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be.
And she’s always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone.
Author A.G. Henley
A.G. Henley is the author of the BRILLIANT DARKNESS series. The first book in the series, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.
A.G. is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they’ve had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she’s not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she’s inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

Praise for The Scourge
“Looking for a trenchant, imaginative, beautifully written novel to read? Look no further: it’s The Scourge, by A.G. Henley.”
— Sarah Cloots, former editor at Greenwillow Books, imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books

“The prose flows smoothly and easily but there are much deeper issues lying beneath the surface of the story that are captivating and will hold the interest of readers of any age . . . I was quickly transported into the world of The Scourge and plummeted breathlessly toward the resolution. This is a very good book and a good look at just what science fiction can achieve when in the hands of a capable writer.”
— Josef Hernandez, Examiner

“Lovable and relatable heroine? Check. Swoon-worthy, kick-butt hero? Check. Compelling romance that makes your heart melt and toes curl? Check. Captivating story and fascinating world? Check. Eagerly anticipating the next book? Check, check, check.”
— Refracted Light Reviews, blog review
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contributor by Nicole Ciacchella
When the Great Famine threatened the existence of mankind, the Creators saved humanity. Humanity has been their loyal subject ever since.

This history has been ingrained in seventeen-year-old Dara Morrow since her first day of Creator-sponsored school. Grateful for the life-giving necessities her Creator provides, Dara is thrilled to be one of three students chosen for an elite, year-long apprenticeship program. Now is her chance to prove herself a devoted Contributor.

But Dara’s competition is ruthless and will stop at nothing to win the competition. Worse yet, her exacting master has little patience for her.

Then Dara’s mother is seriously injured, and Dara realizes the price of being a Contributor: once you’ve outlived your usefulness, you’re discarded. Can Dara learn to manipulate the system to save not only herself, but everyone she loves?
Author Nicole Ciacchella
Nicole has progressed from scribbling in notebooks to banging on keyboards, but she’s never managed to stop daydreaming at inappropriate moments.
Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two wonderful children. When not answering the demands of her characters, Nicole can often be found curled up with a good book or spending far too many hours acting the hero in whatever video game is her obsession of the moment.
Nicole rarely meets a genre she doesn’t like, and as a result has written contemporary romcoms, fantasy fiction, fairy tale retellings, and dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction. She’s the author of the Fairytale Collection books, the YA/NA crossover Contributor trilogy, and the Astoran Asunder series.

Praise for Contributor
From the world of dystopia comes something different – The Contributor. A society set wherein all must either contribute or be nothing at all. Very intense story line with a daunting theme. This is a great read and I can not wait to see what happens in book 2.
— LadyLox

Mindblowingly good. This book is brilliantly constructed.
— Kelly Walker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Torturer’s Daughter by Zoe Cannon
When her best friend Heather calls in the middle of the night, Becca Dalcourt assumes it’s the usual drama. Wrong. Heather’s parents have been arrested as dissidents – and Becca’s mother, the dystopian regime’s most infamous torturer, has already executed them for their crimes against the state.

To stop Heather from getting herself killed trying to prove her parents’ innocence, Becca hunts for proof of their guilt. She doesn’t expect to find evidence that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about the dissidents… and about her mother.

When she risks her life to save a dissident, she learns her mother isn’t the only one with secrets – and the plot she uncovers will threaten the lives of the people she loves most. For Becca, it’s no longer just a choice between risking execution and ignoring the regime’s crimes; she has to decide whose life to save and whose to sacrifice.

It’s easy to be a hero when you can save the world, but what about when all you can do is choose how you live in it? The Torturer’s Daughter is a story about ordinary life amidst the realities of living under an oppressive regime… and the extraordinary courage it takes to do what’s right in a world gone wrong.

Author Zoe Cannon
Zoe Cannon writes about the things that fascinate her: outsiders, societies no sane person would want to live in, questions with no easy answers, and the inner workings of the mind. If she couldn’t be a writer, she would probably be a psychologist, a penniless philosopher, or a hermit in a cave somewhere. While she’ll read anything that isn’t nailed down, she considers herself a YA reader and writer at heart. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and a giant teddy bear of a dog, and spends entirely too much time on the internet.
Praise for The Torturer’s Daughter
“…a great read that plays with your nerves and sets great challenges before its characters…”
— Willing to See Less

“The society created by the author is incredibly oppressive and realistic in all its horror.”
— Le Chat de Bibliotheque

“My day stopped in its tracks once I picked up this novel, racing frantically towards the conclusion and the answers I needed to have.”
— Bookluvrs Haven
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Heartbeat Thief by Ash Krafton
Haunted by a crushing fear of death, a young Victorian woman discovers the secret of eternal youth—she must surrender her life to attain it, and steal heartbeats to keep it.

Poe meets Austen in this haunting tale of death and endless devotion…
Being the most beautiful debutante in 1860’s Surrey isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Senza Fyne knows all too well the expectations set upon a young Victorian woman—and she also knows that, in one fell swoop, death can just whisk it all away. When she meets the mysterious and mystical Mr. Knell, she is offered the chance to escape the chains of Life and Death and to enjoy the bliss of youth and beauty for all eternity.

But that takes magic…and a steep price. She’d have to surrender her life to gain an eternity and she’d have to steal the heartbeats of others in order to keep it.

She has everything to gain if she succumbs to his spell…but knows not what she might lose.

It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allan Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time…

How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?
Author A.J. Krafton
The Heartbeat Thief is the first release for AJ Krafton, a New Adult speculative fiction author from the Pennsylvania coal region.
If she’s not writing, it’s probably because she’s distracted by all the cool junk on her desk or by the stacks of books that have grown up around it.

She also writes novels, short fiction, and poetry for adult audiences as Ash Krafton.
Praise for The Heartbeat Thief 
“It’s a supernatural story, but it doesn’t rely on the conventions and themes that have gone before it. To be honest, when I picked it up I was expecting witches and/or vampires, but I found something else entirely. I loved the story and the concept.”

“True to its word, “The Heartbeat Thief” is part Jane Austen, part Edgar Allen Poe. The author revives the best of the style of writing found in the classics: the introspect of characters, lovely allusions comparing characters to nature and life, beautiful alliteration and prose. Mixed with this is a deep foreboding of death, a macabre sensation that follows Senza throughout the story.”

“Beautiful imagery and language shape this intriguing story that spoke to me about the meaning of maturity and purpose in life. Lovely!”


Book Blast Giveaway – $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash

Ends 1/31/16

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 and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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