N.R. Wick's Blog, page 4

Nine Levels Excerpt and Cover Reveal

Hi everyone! So, for this special day of Samhain (more commonly known as Halloween) I wanted to write a story based on a yearly tradition I had as a high schooler. Every year, my group of best girl friends used to go to this haunted house attraction during October called Frightmare on Market Street. Of course, this story is much more demented than what usually happened, but it was oh so fun to write even though I disturbed myself a few times. I’ve included the blurb and book cover below, and...

Five PG-13 Movies on Netflix to Watch for Halloween

If you are like me and don’t have cable (I know, right?), then you might be left trying to find decent, pg-13 rated movies to watch on Halloween. Well, the choices are not as numerous as the rated R counterparts, but there are a few really great one that are appropriate for the teen, young adult, and even adult crowd. So you don’t have to track them down yourself, I thought I’d list the better ones… or at least my favorites.

The Possession – This is a pretty cool movie. A bit different than mo...

YA Week of Creep Giveaway

Since I’m in the giving mood this week, I thought I’d follow suite with my adult horror pen name, Cole Knightly, and host a Week of Creep giveaway, but YA style. Samhain/Halloween is coming up and I always get overzealous with the giveaways and promos. Why? Because it’s probably my favorite holiday (next to Thanksgiving, of course). I did have another promo going on over at The 31 Days of Haloweenpalooza, but the prizes went so fast that I thought it would be good to have another one. If you...

Witchy eBooks Giveaway

One of my favorite types of books have witches in them. I love to write about them and read about them. There are just so many different types: energy-based, magic-based, Wiccan, Pagan, fantasy or real. The opportunities are endless when it comes to witches. The Dark Ascension series is all about one witch and her quest to help save the people she loves, and also the world. But there are so many other great authors out there who also write about witches, evil and good. So, in honor of my favo...

Cover Reveal – The Impending Demise of the Girl With Brown Eyes

The Impending Demise of the Girl With Brown Eyes

by Tracy Jorgensen

Even in a world without names, where neighborhoods are built on giant pillars and magic lurks in dark corners of humanity, usual people meet in typical ways—at work or by hiring a matchmaker. Boys do not meet girls sitting on their own headstones, or while running from giant cougar-like creatures. However, the Girl with Brown Eyes is not a usual girl. And the Boy, still with no title, is about to find that out for himself.

The B...

BBF Giveaway Winner!

Hi everyone!

It's time to announce the winner of the Blogger Book Fair giveaway hosted on the N.R. Wick blog during the BBF.

Are you ready for it?

Is the excitement killing you?

...

Krystina Balogh!

Congratulations Krystina!

Thank you to everyone who participated. I hope you had great fun meeting new authors and learning about their awesome books.

Blogger Book Fair Guest: Nathan Squiers

Crimson Shadow: Noir
The darkness seemed to stretch on forever. It encased and bled into Xander, making him blind even to his own thoughts. As he tried to focus, he became aware of a distant sound, followed by another, and then again by another—each time becoming louder. Ahead of him the darkness rippled as a figure emerged, and the red fabric of Depok’s robe became visible as he stepped into an invisible source of clarity. The darkness unveiled Depok’s smiling face and Xander couldn’t help but return the smile as he hurried towards him; the clan leader’s arms opened to him.
He continued forth, beginning to feel at last like he belonged, when suddenly a portion of Depok’s face peeled off and fluttered to his feet. Watching in shock, more bits of the still smiling—still waiting—vampire fell away, until Xander finally recognized the strips as paper; pages from the library’s dusty books! He looked up, horrified, at Depok moments before he suddenly burst in flames.
Startled, Xander fell back and watched as the clan leader’s face—still wearing the same caring, welcoming smile—melted away and exposed a grinning, chattering skull. His arms were still held open in an invitation as more and more sheets of burning paper fell. Xander rose to his feet to flee, and, before turning away, caught sight of the vampire elder’s dwindling arms as they snapped and fell from his body.
As he hurried away from the all-consuming fire, Xander could suddenly hear the blood chilling screams.
The darkness went on forever! No matter how far he ran there was nothing but infinite blackness surrounding him. And the screams followed! They closed in on him no matter how fast he ran, until finally they caught up to him, knocking him off his feet and drowning him in a thick, red noise that turned sticky and warm and seeped into him.
He tossed and shook, trying to free his body from the weight of the tragedy that was creeping into him. When he saw there was no salvation from the cries he looked up at the source—into the void above him—and saw them.
His clan!
His grandmother!
And there, in the abyss, Xander saw his mother.
All of them were crying; weeping bloody tears that fell onto his face and dripped into his open, horrified mouth.
And then he felt the hunger.
It was agonizing! He’d never felt so empty; so devoid of nutrition. Desperately he began thrashing within the suffocating darkness. There had to be a way out, had to be some way to find something—someone—to eat.
Xander? The voice in his head seemed distantly familiar.
Something skittered and made a noise by his ear.
Noise.
Meaningless noise.
He ignored it.
He had to eat! Had to find a way out! A way to escape the haunting nightmare! Damn it, he could still hear their screams!
His searching hands found something in the darkness; something long and smooth. He was about to throw it until he smelled the sweetness. Such sweetness. He pulled the prize to his nostrils and inhaled. The sweetness was contained within it; inside the cylinder. Blindly examining with his fingers he found a lid on one side and eagerly twisted it off and poured the contents into his mouth.
The taste of blood was not foreign to him.
Whether it was an innocent drop on his tongue after prying a loose tooth free or something more violent, he was more than used to the sickening, metallic taste. But this time was different. This time it was more than just the taste. His entire body seized as he emptied the contents of the cylinder into his mouth. Invigorated, he swallowed the small mouthful, the blood traveling down his throat and pushing a groan from his esophagus. As the rich substance sank into him, a jolt of life flooded over him.

...If you would like to read more, visit http://www.nathansquiers.com

Crimson Shadow: Noir
Xander Stryker wants to die.

Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves.

As his eighteenth birthday approaches, a chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his vampiric lineage begin to unravel and he’s offered the ultimate choice: Continue on with his wretched human life or begin a new one as the vampire prodigy he was always meant to be.

Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with a little support and even less hope, the chaos of his new world collides with his torturous past and threatens to crush him once and for all.

Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own darkness. . .

. . . and allow it to finally destroy him.


Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Emperor and the author formally known as “Prince”) is a resident of Upstate New York. Living with his loving fiancé/fellow author, Megan J. Parker, and two incredibly demanding and out-of-control demon-cats, Nathan lives day-by-day on a steady diet of potentially lethal doses of caffeine. When he isn’t immersed in his writing, he often escapes reality through horror and/or action movie marathons, comic books & graphic novels, Japanese anime & manga, and gnarly tunes. While out-and-about, The Literary Dark Emperor can be found in the chair of a piercing studio/tattoo parlor or simply loving life with friends & loved ones.

Find Nathan's work on Amazon HERE and on SmashWords HERE.
Follow Nathan on Twitter: @LitDark_Emperor

Blogger Book Fair Guest: Peter Dawes

… An Excerpt from Eyes of the Seer, Ch. 3
A pensive silence settled between us, with me already set to the thrill of stalking and Timothy following suit. We paused by a small grouping of humans and watched as a single female departed from the rest of her friends, walking for a narrower side street.
Timothy leaned close and whispered in my ear, “I think that’s your cue.”
That same need which had afflicted me when I beheld my first victim overwhelmed me again. A slow nod preceded my first cautious steps forward, a small gust of wind blowing through the short locks of brown atop my head. The winter wind failed to produce a shiver, and while the short, slender woman I trailed pulled her coat closed against her body, I allowed mine to sail open, wearing my apathy like an accessory of the hunt. She failed to hear me approach, which only pleased me further. My would-be victim wouldn’t know I was there until she felt my breath tickle at her neck.
We passed by the entrance to an alley.
“Now!” a harsh whisper commanded, from somewhere close behind.
I leaped forward, grabbing the human girl and pushing her into the alley until her back hit the unforgiving force of concrete. She yelped out the beginnings of a scream, but I cupped her mouth with my hand, my fangs descending and piercing her skin while she wriggled and clawed at me. I could smell her fear and tasted it in quantity while mouthful after mouthful of her blood cascaded down my throat.
Within minutes, her lifeless corpse fell to the ground at my feet.
“Brilliant!” Timothy said with a clap, walking forward and crouching down to regard my victim. Lost in the afterglow of such ecstasy, I beheld him in a dreamlike state, the decline back to my senses a slow, but steady one. He glanced up at me and smirked, macabre delight dancing in his eyes. “Why don’t we dispose of this and be on our way?”
A final shudder of pleasure rattled my psyche as I nodded and bent to help. Soon little more than remains inside a dumpster, the woman had been completely forgotten by the time we made it out toward the street. Mental clarity returned just in time for Timothy to open his mouth to speak.
“The Mistress tells me you’ve still been having trouble remembering things,” he said, reaching into his coat pocket to light another cigarette.
I nodded, glancing away. “I probably wouldn’t even know my name was Peter if you all hadn’t told me.”
“You had a wallet on you. It was hard not to know.” Timothy held the cigarette to his lips, drawing deep enough to cause the orange embers at the end to flair. He paused to exhale first before speaking again. “Memories are superfluous anyway. You know the important things. How to button a shirt. How to speak English. That you write with your right hand.”
The cavalier way he stated that startled me. “You pay close attention to details.”
“I always have. You could say I’ve been the Mistress’s eyes ever since my turning.” He offered me a wink, settling comfortably into the silence that followed until we made it to the coven. The downstairs was still bustling when we entered and I felt the urge to slink away from the activity. Michael was mercifully absent, but I felt it best not to tempt fate. “I should settle in a little. You guys gave me so much stuff. I have yet to sort through it all.”
“Just helping you get comfortable.” He nodded and allowed me to ascend the stairs. Midway up, he spoke my name, prompting me to pause and glance back at him. “Don’t be too troubled about it,” he said. “The memory loss, that is. It’ll come back. You just need time.”
“That’s what I was hoping.” I flashed an amiable grin, reflecting on the events of that evening. My smile broadened. “I’m having too much fun to be worried about it anyway.”
“That’s the spirit.”
My gaze evaluated the trappings of my new life again. Rebirth surrounded me, making me an empty canvas waiting to be covered with bloody brushstrokes. Still, when my gaze returned to Timothy, I could not help but to notice the wolfish grin return to his face. I perked an eyebrow. “Are you always like this with new vampires? You’ve been so helpful.”
“You’re special,” he said, “And the Mistress favors you.” He nodded once before turning his back on me. “Have a good night, Peter.”
“You, too.” Watching him until he disappeared into the common area, I remained standing there for moments afterward, weighing those words while not sure what his comment meant. The riddle continued to haunt me while I undressed in my room and even when I settled into sleep for the day. It took shutting my eyes in surrender to fatigue for the question to stop rattling around in my mind.
Deep inside the lull of sleep, however, the cadence of a persistent whisper encroached upon me from some distant corner of my subconscious. I heard a voice speak, bearing the tone of an unwelcome visitor from the grave, summoning me toward lucidity after only a few hours’ rest.Lydia.
Something other than the memory of her dropping dead at my feet rushed through my newborn vampire haze, bringing me face to face with a creature that looked strangely familiar. I saw the person she beckoned staring at me from across an expanse, a tall man who once bore sympathetic blue eyes and a kind demeanor. Shooting to a seated position, I blinked against the darkness while attempting to settle my shaky nerves.
And still her words echoed.
‘I love you, Dr. Dawes.’
Dr. Peter Dawes. That had been me.


Interested in reading more? Eyes of the Seer is available for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iTunes store.
***
Peter Dawes is the author of The Vampire Flynn Series, published by the micro-press Crimson Melodies. His serial story, “A Maker and His Child” appears on the BloodTideZine website and short “Lost Highway” has been featured in the Nocturnal Embers anthology, also by Crimson Melodies. While primarily a novelist, he has also written stories for the anthology Red Phone Box, featuring the work of fellow authors Warren Ellis, Dan Wickline, and more. Always working on something new, Peter leaves it up to the reader to decide if it’s by sunlight or candlelight.
The third book of The Vampire Flynn Series – Fate of the Seer – will be released late this August, through Crimson Melodies Publishing. Peter is also currently working on a medieval fantasy novel, The Unquiet Dead, which will be released sometime in early 2014.
You can find Peter on Twitter, Facebook, or at his blog, The Man Behind the Curtain.

Book Blogger Fair Guest: Noree Cosper

Five Demons You Don’t Want to Be Alone With
A Prescription for Delirium focuses on Gabby, a demon hunter, and her fight against evil in the world along with the descendants of Van Helsing. I’m not a hunter, however, and have a healthy fear of evil. Here are five demons that I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.

Asmodeus: The demon of lust, jealousy, and revenge, his primary goals are to prevent sex between husband and wife and to force men to commit adultery. He is also one of the chief demons involved in possession. He is said to have three heads: an ogre, a ram, and a bull. His feet are that of a cock and he has wings and a serpent’s tail. When Solomon binds him and commands him to speak of himself Asmodeus says, “I am the renowned Asmodeus; I cause the wickedness of men to spread throughout the world. I am always hatching plots against newlyweds; I mar the beauty of virgins and cause their hearts to grow cold. . . I spread madness about women through the stars and I have often committed a rash of murders.”

Belial: One of the most evil demons he appears deceptively beautiful speak softly. He is devoted in creating wickedness in humankind especially through lust, and sexual perversion. He was the second angel, created after Lucifer, and is said to have been evil from the start. Belial was the first to revolt against God and became the personification of lies and evil after he fell.

Lamastu: She was originally an Assyrian goddess who was evil for evil’s sake. She has the head of a lion, teeth of a donkey, and hairy body and bloodstained hands with long fingernails. She travels in about along the river in the underworld. She spreads disease in all humans but takes a particular interest in harming children.

Moloch: He is known as the Devourer of Children. To the Ammonites, he was a son god who they sacrificed to for protection. Soon he demanded children for his sacrifice and they were burned on large idols of him. The Greeks likened him to Chronos, who ate his own children to prevent them from ruling.

Murder: Ok, this is the only name he’s given. This is a headless demon that sees through his breasts and speaks in the voices he’s take from his victims. He was summoned by King Solomon and said that he has no head of his own. He takes the heads from his victims but they eventually are consumed from the fire that burns within him. Murder causes fever and inflames limbs, inflicts feet, and creates festering sores.

Don’t worry, you have Gabby to fight and kill these demons for you.


A Prescription for DeliriumNinety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise.  She was too far away to stop the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns the devil has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the devil before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.

However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects the devil is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession.  Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to fall victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the devil's plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.

A Prescription for Delirium is free during theBlogger Book Fair, July 22nd-26th!
Get Yours Now:Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

About Noree CosperNoree Cosper loves writing about magic in the modern world. While growing up in Texas she constantly searched for mystical elements in the mundane. She buried her nose in both fiction and books about Wicca, Religion, and Mythology. Everyday became an adventure as she joined a group of role-players, acting out her fantasies of vampires, demons, and monsters living in the world.

She embraced her nerdom wholeheartedly.
Noree grew, but never left her love for fantasy and horror. Her dreams pushed her and her hand itched to write the visions she saw. So, with her fingers on the keys, she did what her heart had been telling her to do since childhood. She wrote.


Connect with NoreeWebsite | Blog
Facebook | Twitter | Amazon
| Goodreads

Blogger Book Fair Guest: Penelope Reece

So, I had the pleasure of reading Phantasma by Penelope Reece. It’s a great book, and I’ll get to the review after we see the lovely book cover and learn a bit about it.

Good school, nice friends, and a loving family. Alphie Brewster's life seems perfect except for one growing problem. She's plagued with vivid nightmares, and is haunted by a forgotten past. And it's only getting worse.

The day she finds a mysterious necklace, Alphie wakes to see a ghostly figure leaning over her bed. Now she's got an even greater problem. A six foot four inch tall eccentric spook, named Noer, who has to possess her in order to stay in this world. He fills her with fire while slowly draining her energy as if she were a Duracell Battery.

Now her problems only seem to be escalating. The more she learns about Noer, the more she starts to remember her childhood. One that should have stayed buried and could very well tear her apart.

Just as a point of reference, the second cover is the old one. I adore it so much and wanted to share it. At any rate, let’s start with the review.

One of the fascinating things about this book is that the main character, Alphie, suffers from what is thought to be narcolepsy. I’ve never read a book with such a character before, which made for an interesting change. Her sleeping issues were also used as a plot device and had her falling asleep at the most inopportune times.

As for the romance aspect of the story, which is obviously important in a paranormal romance, I enjoyed it. This is coming from someone who doesn’t enjoy overly gushy and fake romance stories. Phantasma didn’t have this problem, and sometimes it even seemed like the romance was one sided, no matter who it involved. I like that Alphie was indecisive for real reasons rather than just because there was a love triangle, and it’s hard to pick from two hot guys. Noer was also a really interesting character because it was difficult to identify his motives. Also, I’m a sucker for great hair.

One thing I want to share is my favorite scene. When Noer first appeared, I couldn’t help but visualize the painting by Henry Fuseli called The Nightmare. This painting is often associated with night terrors and sleep paralysis, so it fits perfectly. I loved that scene enough that I even bookmarked it, which is something I never do.

Overall, I highly recommend Phantasma to anyone who likes paranormal romance and is looking for an interesting main character. If you would like to buy a copy of Phantasma for $0.99, Penelope is offering a Smashwords coupon.  Use the coupon code: WT44L

Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Phantasma and all of the other books featured during the Blogger Book Fair, as well as a $15 gift card to Amazon.


Penelope Reece is a young adult/new adult romance author living in Southern Indiana with her husband and Pomeranian. She's been writing ever since her nerdy high school days where her joys were limited it marching band and daydreaming.

Her blog:
http://penelopereece.blogspot.com

Twitter:
@PenelopeReece

Links:
+Sing for Me
+Sing for Me (Smashwords)

+Phantasma (Amazon)
+Phantasma (Smashwords)

+Goodreads