Roxanne Kade's Blog, page 342
January 4, 2013
Review: Cephrael's Hand by Melissa McPhail
Hello Therians!
Welcome to the final day in the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour, hosted by Novel Publicity. This epic fantasy tale penned by the amazing Melissa McPhail did not disappoint and fans of this genre NEED to get their hands on this book!!
SYNOPSIS
"All things are composed of patterns..." And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:
In Alorin...three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor's brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D'Lacourte's mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he'll have to find him...
In the kingdom of Dannym...the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord...
In the Nadori desert...tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them.REVIEW “A man may rule his household, And a King govern his land, But Death walks in the thrall of Cephrael’s Hand.”
I don’t often read epic fantasy novels, with their complex world systems and strange characters with even stranger, unpronounceable names, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I have to admit though, that at first I felt like I kept being thrown off track, because just as I was getting to know a character they would disappear and a new one would be introduced. But what started off as confusing soon melded into a fantastic plot with many twists and surprises. The thing I love most about fantasy novels are the magical worlds, complex characters and imaginative creatures that dwell within the pages of these books. McPhail brings to life a fascinating world filled with Mages, Healers and a number of other beings whom each play an integral part in bringing balance to the mystical world in which they live. With mesmerising creatures like the Sundragons and terrifying beasts like the Darkhounds, I was enthralled and just couldn’t stop reading.
With each flip of my wrist I was drawn in further. I had to know more about each character, I had to know how they were all connected, if at all, and what fate had in store for them. The story is filled with plenty of emotion, and each aspect will surely please each and every readers’ desire for a great read. Action, adventure, heartache, romance and betrayal make up the very “Elae” of this book in a beautiful way.
Readers of epic fantasy novels will devour this book in no time.
I give it
“All things are formed of patterns, from a single blade of grass to the most majestic of mountains: air and water, fire and earth; Life itself.”
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.
The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media event
About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
Welcome to the final day in the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour, hosted by Novel Publicity. This epic fantasy tale penned by the amazing Melissa McPhail did not disappoint and fans of this genre NEED to get their hands on this book!!
SYNOPSIS
"All things are composed of patterns..." And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:
In Alorin...three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor's brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D'Lacourte's mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he'll have to find him...
In the kingdom of Dannym...the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord...
In the Nadori desert...tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them.REVIEW “A man may rule his household, And a King govern his land, But Death walks in the thrall of Cephrael’s Hand.”
I don’t often read epic fantasy novels, with their complex world systems and strange characters with even stranger, unpronounceable names, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I have to admit though, that at first I felt like I kept being thrown off track, because just as I was getting to know a character they would disappear and a new one would be introduced. But what started off as confusing soon melded into a fantastic plot with many twists and surprises. The thing I love most about fantasy novels are the magical worlds, complex characters and imaginative creatures that dwell within the pages of these books. McPhail brings to life a fascinating world filled with Mages, Healers and a number of other beings whom each play an integral part in bringing balance to the mystical world in which they live. With mesmerising creatures like the Sundragons and terrifying beasts like the Darkhounds, I was enthralled and just couldn’t stop reading.
With each flip of my wrist I was drawn in further. I had to know more about each character, I had to know how they were all connected, if at all, and what fate had in store for them. The story is filled with plenty of emotion, and each aspect will surely please each and every readers’ desire for a great read. Action, adventure, heartache, romance and betrayal make up the very “Elae” of this book in a beautiful way.
Readers of epic fantasy novels will devour this book in no time.
I give it
“All things are formed of patterns, from a single blade of grass to the most majestic of mountains: air and water, fire and earth; Life itself.”
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media event
About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
January 3, 2013
Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour: Melissa McPhail Guest Post
Hello Therians!
Today is the fourth day in the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour, hosted by Novel Publicity. Author Melissa McPhail gives us her take on magic systems.
Please enjoy this guest post by Melissa McPhail, author of the spellbinding epic fantasy, Cephrael’s Hand. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
My Take on Magic SystemsA guest post by Melissa McPhail
One of the most enticing aspects of writing fantasy is developing a magic system. The author’s magic system is inextricably woven into their world and contributes greatly to the reader’s vision of the world overall. The way a system is created either makes the world seem real or unreal, depending on how well the author has grounded the system with laws and limitations.
For example, scientists in our own world have defined laws—inertia, gravity, the periodic table—that describe the physical limitations and properties of energy. We don’t expect a stone to rise upwards when we throw it, but we might believe it could float if it were somehow made of helium. Likewise in a fantasy world, it’s important to codify the system with laws and rules (and to stick to those rules once established), to set boundaries for what the magician can and cannot do with magic, and to establish consequences for and ramifications of magical misuse.
This all shows that magic systems require significant thought and research on the author’s part to develop realistically. Yet for all of this, the manner in which one might design and describe the magical process is potentially limitless—there are as many magical systems as there are fantasy novels, and equally as many readers eager to pontificate on their pros and cons and/or to organize the systems into categories and types.
The one thing most magic systems have in common, however, is that they all handle energy. Whether that energy is spiritual, omnipotent, corporeal, or derives from physical objects or living things, the working of arcane arts surrounds the manipulation of energy.
I designed the magic in Cephrael’s Hand based on scientists’ existing understanding of electrical fields. The process of thought has been scientifically proven to produce energy, and human bodies are known to generate electrical fields. For the magic in Alorin, I proposed that all living things produce a metaphysical energy which is formless but which flows across the world in natural currents. This energy is called elae. This is the energy a magician of Alorin uses to produce arcane workings. How he does this is the creative part.
In Cephrael’s Hand, all things are formed of patterns. A single leaf derives its pattern from the larger pattern of its motherly oak. The snowflake harbors the pattern of a storm. Rivers form patterns that mimic the pattern of the world, and a living man harbors within him the pattern of his immortality. These inherent patterns collect and compel energy (elae) toward a certain purpose—growth, action, states of change.
To compel energy, a magician of Alorin (called a wielder) must learn to first identify and then usurp control over the pattern of a thing in order to command it. This is a laborious process requiring a lifetime of study.
Unlike wielders, the Adepts in Cephrael’s Hand are born with the ability to manipulate certain patterns. Adept Healers can see creation patterns (life patterns) and mend them where they’ve become frayed. Truthreaders can hear certain thoughts and read minds to see what a man saw versus what he says he saw. Nodefinders have the ability to move long distances with a single step by traveling on the pattern of the world. And Wildlings tap into a variant aspect of the lifeforce called elae to shapeshift or even skip through time, among other intriguing talents. The last type of Adept can sense the patterns of nonliving things—stone, air, water, fire, etc.—and use those patterns to compel the elements themselves.
Adepts are limited by nature of their birth—they can only inherently work one category of patterns. They are limited by their training, their inherent intelligence, talent and ability. And of course, like us in real life, they are limited by their own vision of their capabilities.
Above all of these limitations, we find Adepts limited by “Balance.” The concept of Balance draws from my studies of Eastern philosophies. It is the high governing force, the yen and yang, karma, cause and effect, fate. It’s as esoteric and arcane as these concepts imply. How far can the Balance be pushed in one direction without lashing back at the wielder? Which actions stretch it and which ones defy it? Balance is a complex and complicated subject—as difficult to define as our own world’s myriad competing religions. The only real agreement on the subject of Balance is that all magical workings stretch the Balance to some degree. Understanding how far they can be stretched without snapping is central to survival in the arcane arts.
The concept of Balance provides, well, the “balancing” force to all magical workings in Cephrael’s Hand and is central to its plot. You see, the entire realm of Alorin is out of Balance and magic is dying—and the Adept race dies along with it.
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!To win the prizes:Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media event About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.
Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
HAPPY READING!!
Today is the fourth day in the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour, hosted by Novel Publicity. Author Melissa McPhail gives us her take on magic systems.
Please enjoy this guest post by Melissa McPhail, author of the spellbinding epic fantasy, Cephrael’s Hand. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.My Take on Magic SystemsA guest post by Melissa McPhail
One of the most enticing aspects of writing fantasy is developing a magic system. The author’s magic system is inextricably woven into their world and contributes greatly to the reader’s vision of the world overall. The way a system is created either makes the world seem real or unreal, depending on how well the author has grounded the system with laws and limitations.
For example, scientists in our own world have defined laws—inertia, gravity, the periodic table—that describe the physical limitations and properties of energy. We don’t expect a stone to rise upwards when we throw it, but we might believe it could float if it were somehow made of helium. Likewise in a fantasy world, it’s important to codify the system with laws and rules (and to stick to those rules once established), to set boundaries for what the magician can and cannot do with magic, and to establish consequences for and ramifications of magical misuse.
This all shows that magic systems require significant thought and research on the author’s part to develop realistically. Yet for all of this, the manner in which one might design and describe the magical process is potentially limitless—there are as many magical systems as there are fantasy novels, and equally as many readers eager to pontificate on their pros and cons and/or to organize the systems into categories and types.
The one thing most magic systems have in common, however, is that they all handle energy. Whether that energy is spiritual, omnipotent, corporeal, or derives from physical objects or living things, the working of arcane arts surrounds the manipulation of energy.
I designed the magic in Cephrael’s Hand based on scientists’ existing understanding of electrical fields. The process of thought has been scientifically proven to produce energy, and human bodies are known to generate electrical fields. For the magic in Alorin, I proposed that all living things produce a metaphysical energy which is formless but which flows across the world in natural currents. This energy is called elae. This is the energy a magician of Alorin uses to produce arcane workings. How he does this is the creative part.
In Cephrael’s Hand, all things are formed of patterns. A single leaf derives its pattern from the larger pattern of its motherly oak. The snowflake harbors the pattern of a storm. Rivers form patterns that mimic the pattern of the world, and a living man harbors within him the pattern of his immortality. These inherent patterns collect and compel energy (elae) toward a certain purpose—growth, action, states of change.
To compel energy, a magician of Alorin (called a wielder) must learn to first identify and then usurp control over the pattern of a thing in order to command it. This is a laborious process requiring a lifetime of study.
Unlike wielders, the Adepts in Cephrael’s Hand are born with the ability to manipulate certain patterns. Adept Healers can see creation patterns (life patterns) and mend them where they’ve become frayed. Truthreaders can hear certain thoughts and read minds to see what a man saw versus what he says he saw. Nodefinders have the ability to move long distances with a single step by traveling on the pattern of the world. And Wildlings tap into a variant aspect of the lifeforce called elae to shapeshift or even skip through time, among other intriguing talents. The last type of Adept can sense the patterns of nonliving things—stone, air, water, fire, etc.—and use those patterns to compel the elements themselves.
Adepts are limited by nature of their birth—they can only inherently work one category of patterns. They are limited by their training, their inherent intelligence, talent and ability. And of course, like us in real life, they are limited by their own vision of their capabilities.
Above all of these limitations, we find Adepts limited by “Balance.” The concept of Balance draws from my studies of Eastern philosophies. It is the high governing force, the yen and yang, karma, cause and effect, fate. It’s as esoteric and arcane as these concepts imply. How far can the Balance be pushed in one direction without lashing back at the wielder? Which actions stretch it and which ones defy it? Balance is a complex and complicated subject—as difficult to define as our own world’s myriad competing religions. The only real agreement on the subject of Balance is that all magical workings stretch the Balance to some degree. Understanding how far they can be stretched without snapping is central to survival in the arcane arts.
The concept of Balance provides, well, the “balancing” force to all magical workings in Cephrael’s Hand and is central to its plot. You see, the entire realm of Alorin is out of Balance and magic is dying—and the Adept race dies along with it.
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!To win the prizes:Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media event About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.
Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
HAPPY READING!!
January 2, 2013
Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour: Interview with Melissa McPhail
Hello Therians!
Today on the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour, hosted by Novel Publicity, we get to know author, Melissa McPhail, a little better :) ... Enjoy!!
Please enjoy this interview with Melissa McPhail, author of the spellbinding epic fantasy, Cephrael’s Hand. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
1. Your debut novel, Cephrael’s Hand was the winner of The Written Arts Award for both the best fiction and the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy categories–congratulations! So tell us, what was the inspiration behind this story, and can you tell us a little bit about it?
I started the first version of Cephrael’s Hand when I was going through a difficult time in my life. I needed the cathartic joy that I’d always found in writing. I didn’t set out to write a novel—just to write. That first draft had no planning, no world-building, no design. It was pure creative inspiration. And it was awful!
But the characters… I had brought them into being, and they insisted that they had a story to tell. It took my growing as a writer—and over a million words tossed into the trash—to finally tell their story properly.
Cephrael’s Hand is the result of a philosopher’s approach to fantasy. It’s the story of one man’s steadfast determination to save the realm he swore to protect, and his willingness to do anything it takes to accomplish that end—even to betray those he loves. It’s the story of the unlikely pieces (men and women) who unknowingly fall beneath his shadow, and of the players who follow him. Ultimately, it’s a story of salvation.
I see fantasy as a metaphor for life in this world. We all face tests of our honor. We’re all working to accomplish our goals and flourish and prosper. Few of us set out to do evil. Yet evil is done. Goals are abandoned. Integrity is compromised. We totter precariously on thin wires as we move through the labyrinth of life. I strive with my series to illuminate those wire-thin paths, that we might find solid ground beneath them.
2. Without giving away too much, can you reveal what’s in store for the readers when they crack open Cephrael’s Hand?
If you listen to my critics—too many characters! But this is an epic fantasy dealing with a conflict that spans multiple kingdoms. It takes a team to save the world.
Hopefully you’ll meet interesting characters and a world you can easily find your own place within. You’ll discover pirates, princes, star-crossed lovers and philosopher-soldiers. You’ll see many characters who are not as they appear, and a few who are exactly as they seem. You’ll find adventure on a perilous road with prince Ean val Lorian, and farcical escapades with Trell of the Tides and the pirate Carian vran Lea.
You’ll often wonder who is good and who is evil—because most villains in real life are cloaked in shades of gray.
3. Can you tell us more about some of the key concepts that inspired the world of Cephrael’s Hand?
The story is crafted out of many of the philosophies I’ve studied. As I was planning Cephrael’s Hand, I had been reading about game philosophy. Game philosophy speaks on the importance of games in our lives and takes a look at their composition (barriers, purposes and freedoms) and their anatomy (pieces, players, maker of games). It’s a compelling concept with abundant applications, and I became immediately interested in exploring the ideas more via the story of Cephrael’s Hand.
Balance is another concept that threads throughout the story. Exploration of this idea comes out of my study and practice of yoga. If ever a concept permeates our lives, the pursuit of balance is one. Whether seeking to balance work and parenthood, our social commitments and our private lives, or even just the juggle of that list of a thousand things we’ll never get to, every one of us is seeking balance in some fashion. Placing this concept within the framework of a fantasy story embellishes it with a magical lure.
4. The Cephreal’s Hand constellation plays an important role in the book. Is there a real life constellation that plays a similarly important role in your life?
I can’t say that a particular constellation is important to me personally, though I’ve studied Astrology for many years. But I’m drawn to the idea, both scientifically and philosophically, that we are all connected somehow with each other and the broader universe. String Theory and General Relativity play to this idea from the perspective of science. Certainly, if we are connected to the stars in some esoteric way, then the actions of the stars can impact us. Astrology believes this, and the graphing of natal charts proves an underlying truth in this ancient, mystical and often misunderstood science. Philosophies far and wide declare that we’ve descended or separated from a universal oneness and teach karmic values with the intent of helping us return or re-ascend to that harmonious state.
The concept of Balance in Cephrael’s Hand stems from this idea of universal connectivity.
5. Ever since a linguist named Tolkien came along, language has been a very important aspect of the epic fantasy genre. What inspired the various languages in Cephrael’s Hand?
The desert languages are based on Farsi or Arabic, depending on the tribe. Farsi is one of the oldest languages still in use today, and its traditions lent themselves well to the Kandori culture, which is one of Alorin’s oldest races. Likewise Arabic, being originally a language of the nomadic tribes, seemed the correct base from which to draw the language of the Akkad.
Even older than both of these languages in my novel is Old Alaeic, which is the original language of theangiel, the Maker’s blessed children, and of the two original races: the zanthyrs and the drachwyr. Old Alaeic draws primarily from Gaelic root words. I chose Gaelic because the language maintains some of the earliest roots of our Indo-European linguistic heritage. Its spellings and pronunciations are almost universally reminiscent of mythological beings from ancient times and are often associated, especially in the fantasy genre, with elves, Druids or other mystical races.
6. Which other authors have served as influences and inspiration for your own work?
I love lyrical writing, so my bookshelves host an eclectic mix (albeit heavily weighted with fantasy and science fiction). Those who first come to mind from the fantasy genre are Anne Rice, Patrick Rothfuss and Jacqueline Carey, all of whom carry on a great and fabulous romance with the English language, much to the ecstasy of millions. Being able to string words like pearls into a story that reads at times like poetry in motion seems the greatest pinnacle of storytelling skill.
7. It’s been said that one of the most time-consuming processes of writing epic fantasy is world building. Without giving too much away, what are a few of your favorite world aspects and what inspired them?
As I wrote in a recent guest post, world-building and the magic system developed for the world are intimately connected. We can’t really describe a fantasy world without talking about the magic that rules it, because so much of what we understand about the world derives from our understanding of how the physical laws of the world work.
In creating my world of Alorin, I established five “strands” of the lifeforce known as elae. These strands are a way of describing and codifying the lifeforce which is the source of energy in the world, but they are only one way of describing it. While most of the viewpoints I am writing from agree with describing the lifeforce in terms of “strands,” there are other races in Alorin who have codified it differently, darkly, or with less purity for lack of philosophical simplicity.
I love exploring different viewpoints and imagining how each would describe a universal energy. I love examining the cultures that seek to describe this energy and how their ideals might alter their understanding of it. For example, the Adept race believes that Adepts are born with the ability to work one of the five strands, but only one. Yet some of the “Wildling” races are known to be able to innately work more than one strand.
The Fhorgs race works blood sacrifice to fuel their magic. Would their magic work without such sacrifice? The Adepts believe that it would. Yet within the Adept philosophy, a working of magic requires faith both in the existence of power and in one’s ability to manipulate it. If the Fhorgs don’t believe themselves able to wield the lifeforce without letting blood, it follows that magic would become unavailable to them simply because of their lack of belief. Moreover, because the Fhorgs don’t limit their ideas of their magical ability to a five strand approach, it’s possible they might achieve more through the wielding of it–or not. These are existential questions for these two races, questions which set them at odds with each other. Questions from which derive conflicts and persecutions, intrigues and betrayals.
Such explorations fuel both world-building and magic-system building, because their delineation establishes how the world works, how the people of the world interact with the energy that fuels it, how they interact with each other, and how they use the energy itself to work arcane acts.
8. You grew up in a house full of musicians, but your creativity emerged in the form of writing. Have you always felt called to write?
I always thought I would end up with a career in music like the rest of my family. I grew up harboring such an appreciation of these accomplished, classical musicians all around me, it seemed a natural course to follow in their footsteps.
Instead, I stumbled into writing the way one sometimes bumps into providence, colliding with it accidentally. I happened to take a creative writing class in high school. My creative writing instructor believed the best way to teach writing was to send her students out to actually write. So I did—hundreds of pages over the next few years. Writing became both an outlet for my creativity and the escape reading had always provided. I know I share that love affair with many authors.
9. At one time or another, most writers hit the wall and their work stalls because of the dreaded writer’s block. What do you do to get around or over this mental wall to resume writing?
Usually I turn to music—either composing it or listening to it. If I can find a great new song, sometimes that will help inspire me out of the hole. When a scene just isn’t working, I’ve learned to go back to where I was last doing well in the story and scrap everything that came after. It’s an agonizing process, but often necessary.
10. The Dagger of Adendigaeth, Book 2 in your series, has just been published. How has your vision expanded from book 1 to book 2, and what kind of creative growth have you experienced in your process this second time around?
We grow as writers with every novel—at least I believe that’s the goal. Many of the things I gained in writing The Dagger of Adendigaeth are intangible, ineffable understandings of myself and my creative process. I think of those times of being fabulously, fantastically stuck and the final moment of inspiration that launched me out of that depressing well. I think of the plot twists that came to me completely without warning, and the absolute magic that is the creative process.
The thing I loved most about writing this book was being able to explore so many viewpoints—especially the viewpoints of those characters who might be viewed as antagonists. But I don’t and never have seen them that way. It’s my greatest purpose in writing this series to be able to show the motivations and ideals that mold and shape each character. The more we can understand each other, the closer to a peaceful coexistence we will find, whether in the microcosm of our lives or the broader political and religious zones.
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.
The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media event
About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
Today on the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour, hosted by Novel Publicity, we get to know author, Melissa McPhail, a little better :) ... Enjoy!!
Please enjoy this interview with Melissa McPhail, author of the spellbinding epic fantasy, Cephrael’s Hand. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.1. Your debut novel, Cephrael’s Hand was the winner of The Written Arts Award for both the best fiction and the best Sci-Fi/Fantasy categories–congratulations! So tell us, what was the inspiration behind this story, and can you tell us a little bit about it?
I started the first version of Cephrael’s Hand when I was going through a difficult time in my life. I needed the cathartic joy that I’d always found in writing. I didn’t set out to write a novel—just to write. That first draft had no planning, no world-building, no design. It was pure creative inspiration. And it was awful!
But the characters… I had brought them into being, and they insisted that they had a story to tell. It took my growing as a writer—and over a million words tossed into the trash—to finally tell their story properly.
Cephrael’s Hand is the result of a philosopher’s approach to fantasy. It’s the story of one man’s steadfast determination to save the realm he swore to protect, and his willingness to do anything it takes to accomplish that end—even to betray those he loves. It’s the story of the unlikely pieces (men and women) who unknowingly fall beneath his shadow, and of the players who follow him. Ultimately, it’s a story of salvation.
I see fantasy as a metaphor for life in this world. We all face tests of our honor. We’re all working to accomplish our goals and flourish and prosper. Few of us set out to do evil. Yet evil is done. Goals are abandoned. Integrity is compromised. We totter precariously on thin wires as we move through the labyrinth of life. I strive with my series to illuminate those wire-thin paths, that we might find solid ground beneath them.
2. Without giving away too much, can you reveal what’s in store for the readers when they crack open Cephrael’s Hand?
If you listen to my critics—too many characters! But this is an epic fantasy dealing with a conflict that spans multiple kingdoms. It takes a team to save the world.
Hopefully you’ll meet interesting characters and a world you can easily find your own place within. You’ll discover pirates, princes, star-crossed lovers and philosopher-soldiers. You’ll see many characters who are not as they appear, and a few who are exactly as they seem. You’ll find adventure on a perilous road with prince Ean val Lorian, and farcical escapades with Trell of the Tides and the pirate Carian vran Lea.
You’ll often wonder who is good and who is evil—because most villains in real life are cloaked in shades of gray.
3. Can you tell us more about some of the key concepts that inspired the world of Cephrael’s Hand?
The story is crafted out of many of the philosophies I’ve studied. As I was planning Cephrael’s Hand, I had been reading about game philosophy. Game philosophy speaks on the importance of games in our lives and takes a look at their composition (barriers, purposes and freedoms) and their anatomy (pieces, players, maker of games). It’s a compelling concept with abundant applications, and I became immediately interested in exploring the ideas more via the story of Cephrael’s Hand.
Balance is another concept that threads throughout the story. Exploration of this idea comes out of my study and practice of yoga. If ever a concept permeates our lives, the pursuit of balance is one. Whether seeking to balance work and parenthood, our social commitments and our private lives, or even just the juggle of that list of a thousand things we’ll never get to, every one of us is seeking balance in some fashion. Placing this concept within the framework of a fantasy story embellishes it with a magical lure.
4. The Cephreal’s Hand constellation plays an important role in the book. Is there a real life constellation that plays a similarly important role in your life?
I can’t say that a particular constellation is important to me personally, though I’ve studied Astrology for many years. But I’m drawn to the idea, both scientifically and philosophically, that we are all connected somehow with each other and the broader universe. String Theory and General Relativity play to this idea from the perspective of science. Certainly, if we are connected to the stars in some esoteric way, then the actions of the stars can impact us. Astrology believes this, and the graphing of natal charts proves an underlying truth in this ancient, mystical and often misunderstood science. Philosophies far and wide declare that we’ve descended or separated from a universal oneness and teach karmic values with the intent of helping us return or re-ascend to that harmonious state.
The concept of Balance in Cephrael’s Hand stems from this idea of universal connectivity.
5. Ever since a linguist named Tolkien came along, language has been a very important aspect of the epic fantasy genre. What inspired the various languages in Cephrael’s Hand?
The desert languages are based on Farsi or Arabic, depending on the tribe. Farsi is one of the oldest languages still in use today, and its traditions lent themselves well to the Kandori culture, which is one of Alorin’s oldest races. Likewise Arabic, being originally a language of the nomadic tribes, seemed the correct base from which to draw the language of the Akkad.
Even older than both of these languages in my novel is Old Alaeic, which is the original language of theangiel, the Maker’s blessed children, and of the two original races: the zanthyrs and the drachwyr. Old Alaeic draws primarily from Gaelic root words. I chose Gaelic because the language maintains some of the earliest roots of our Indo-European linguistic heritage. Its spellings and pronunciations are almost universally reminiscent of mythological beings from ancient times and are often associated, especially in the fantasy genre, with elves, Druids or other mystical races.
6. Which other authors have served as influences and inspiration for your own work?
I love lyrical writing, so my bookshelves host an eclectic mix (albeit heavily weighted with fantasy and science fiction). Those who first come to mind from the fantasy genre are Anne Rice, Patrick Rothfuss and Jacqueline Carey, all of whom carry on a great and fabulous romance with the English language, much to the ecstasy of millions. Being able to string words like pearls into a story that reads at times like poetry in motion seems the greatest pinnacle of storytelling skill.
7. It’s been said that one of the most time-consuming processes of writing epic fantasy is world building. Without giving too much away, what are a few of your favorite world aspects and what inspired them?
As I wrote in a recent guest post, world-building and the magic system developed for the world are intimately connected. We can’t really describe a fantasy world without talking about the magic that rules it, because so much of what we understand about the world derives from our understanding of how the physical laws of the world work.
In creating my world of Alorin, I established five “strands” of the lifeforce known as elae. These strands are a way of describing and codifying the lifeforce which is the source of energy in the world, but they are only one way of describing it. While most of the viewpoints I am writing from agree with describing the lifeforce in terms of “strands,” there are other races in Alorin who have codified it differently, darkly, or with less purity for lack of philosophical simplicity.
I love exploring different viewpoints and imagining how each would describe a universal energy. I love examining the cultures that seek to describe this energy and how their ideals might alter their understanding of it. For example, the Adept race believes that Adepts are born with the ability to work one of the five strands, but only one. Yet some of the “Wildling” races are known to be able to innately work more than one strand.
The Fhorgs race works blood sacrifice to fuel their magic. Would their magic work without such sacrifice? The Adepts believe that it would. Yet within the Adept philosophy, a working of magic requires faith both in the existence of power and in one’s ability to manipulate it. If the Fhorgs don’t believe themselves able to wield the lifeforce without letting blood, it follows that magic would become unavailable to them simply because of their lack of belief. Moreover, because the Fhorgs don’t limit their ideas of their magical ability to a five strand approach, it’s possible they might achieve more through the wielding of it–or not. These are existential questions for these two races, questions which set them at odds with each other. Questions from which derive conflicts and persecutions, intrigues and betrayals.
Such explorations fuel both world-building and magic-system building, because their delineation establishes how the world works, how the people of the world interact with the energy that fuels it, how they interact with each other, and how they use the energy itself to work arcane acts.
8. You grew up in a house full of musicians, but your creativity emerged in the form of writing. Have you always felt called to write?
I always thought I would end up with a career in music like the rest of my family. I grew up harboring such an appreciation of these accomplished, classical musicians all around me, it seemed a natural course to follow in their footsteps.
Instead, I stumbled into writing the way one sometimes bumps into providence, colliding with it accidentally. I happened to take a creative writing class in high school. My creative writing instructor believed the best way to teach writing was to send her students out to actually write. So I did—hundreds of pages over the next few years. Writing became both an outlet for my creativity and the escape reading had always provided. I know I share that love affair with many authors.
9. At one time or another, most writers hit the wall and their work stalls because of the dreaded writer’s block. What do you do to get around or over this mental wall to resume writing?
Usually I turn to music—either composing it or listening to it. If I can find a great new song, sometimes that will help inspire me out of the hole. When a scene just isn’t working, I’ve learned to go back to where I was last doing well in the story and scrap everything that came after. It’s an agonizing process, but often necessary.
10. The Dagger of Adendigaeth, Book 2 in your series, has just been published. How has your vision expanded from book 1 to book 2, and what kind of creative growth have you experienced in your process this second time around?
We grow as writers with every novel—at least I believe that’s the goal. Many of the things I gained in writing The Dagger of Adendigaeth are intangible, ineffable understandings of myself and my creative process. I think of those times of being fabulously, fantastically stuck and the final moment of inspiration that launched me out of that depressing well. I think of the plot twists that came to me completely without warning, and the absolute magic that is the creative process.
The thing I loved most about writing this book was being able to explore so many viewpoints—especially the viewpoints of those characters who might be viewed as antagonists. But I don’t and never have seen them that way. It’s my greatest purpose in writing this series to be able to show the motivations and ideals that mold and shape each character. The more we can understand each other, the closer to a peaceful coexistence we will find, whether in the microcosm of our lives or the broader political and religious zones.
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media event
About Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
January 1, 2013
Excerpt: Cephrael's Hand by Melissa McPhail
Hello Therians,
Welcome to the second day in the Novel Publicity, Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour. Today I have the pleasure of giving you a sneak peek into this awesome book...
Please enjoy this excerpt from Cephrael’s Hand, a spellbinding epic fantasy by Melissa McPhail. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.
Ean hugged the shadows as he tried to find his way back to le Comte’s estates. He feared they’d hurt his head worse than he thought, for the twisting alleys of the city disoriented him now. He was sure he’d passed the last street corner already once, and he had the uneasy feeling that he was walking in circles.Trying to break the cycle, he turned into a long and shadowed alley, spotting a streetlamp at the other end. Abruptly a form reared out of the shadows. Ean reached for his sword—“…Ean?”The prince halted with his hand around the hilt. “Fynn?”“Balls of Belloth!” Fynnlar crossed the distance in a rush and grabbed him by both shoulders, giving him a shake. “What are you doing out here, you wool-brained fool?”“I might ask the same of you, cousin.” Pushing a hand to his throbbing head, Ean closed his eyes. He’d seen so much death since the last moon…so many lives lost, and for what? He couldn’t fathom the events that spun violently around him, only knowing they somehow had him caught in the whirlwind.“Ean, are you unwell?”“Hit my head pretty hard,” the prince murmured, lifting tired eyes to refocus on his cousin. “I’ll be all right.”“Come on. We’d best keep moving.”The prince shook off the numbness edging his thoughts and followed his cousin. Fog was rising from the river as they headed back toward le Comte’s villa, fat fingers sliding through the streets to leach the color from the night. They reached a corner, and Fynn paused and looked warily around.“Fynn, what are we waiting fo—”But the words stuck on Ean’s tongue, for he heard it then: a strange whispering, the whisk of silk across the rough edge of glass. The sound had prickly tentacles that pierced into the soft flesh of Ean’s inner ear and twisted there, making him cringe.Something flew out of the shadows and Ean swung his head after it, straining to make out what he’d seen. “What in Tiern’aval was that?”Grimly, Fynn held his sword before him. “A Wildling—a Whisper Lord.”The whispering continued, tormenting, growing soundlessly louder until it shrieked inside Ean’s skull, shattering any hope of focus.The Wildling shot out of the shadows again, and Ean forced his eyes to follow, to find him in the shadows where he hid.There.He saw him lurking against the wall, smiling around big white teeth. His leathery skin was pitch black , and his eyes were golden like the desert sands. The man locked gazes with him, and—Suddenly they were nose to nose. Ean felt the heat of his breath in the same moment that the fiery sting of steel pierced his flesh.Shade and darkness! “Ean, he cut you!”“I’m all right.” But Ean grimaced as he gingerly probed the wound. “Shadow take the abominable creature.” Fynn gave him a long look. “Be ready,” and he rushed to meet the Wildling.The fight turned instantly vicious. Whisper Lord fought with long, stiletto daggers that speared like claws out of his gloves. His hands crisscrossed with amazing speed, never failing to find their mark on Fynn’s person, while his body twisted and spun. Fynn’s thrusts in turn only seemed to meet with the slashed silk of his garments. So fast did the Whisper Lord dart and cavort that Ean at first felt helpless to join in, for he could barely see the Wildling move until after it had happened, as if the sight had to bounce off the back of his eyes…as if he could only see the man’s reflection.Then Ean found his focus and rushed to help Fynn.The Whisper Lord marked him before he even got his blade around, a long swipe at the joining of neck and shoulder that burned bitterly. Ean realized that trying to use his sword alone would get him killed, so he pulled his dagger and dove in again. The Whisper Lord dodged like a jumping spider and managed in the same maneuver to slash a deep cut across Ean’s thigh, his daggers flashing first with the silver of steel and then dark with blood. Ean snarled a curse and staggered into the wall, teeth clenched against the pain, for the wound was angry and deep.Abruptly Fynn threw himself backwards, himself narrowly avoiding a deadly thrust to his gut. Those spine-like blades sliced a chunk of flesh out of his side instead. The royal cousin clenched his teeth and held one hand to his midriff, using the other to pull himself out of reach.Ean dove at the creature with renewed determination, his battered head forgotten in his haste to keep the man away from Fynn. He wore a malicious grin as they battled, and his golden gaze was flecked and sparkling against his face of leathery pitch. As Ean’s strength failed, the Wildling grinned even broader and began to chant in a voice like sand, “Tur or’de rorum d’rundalin dalal! Tur or’de rorum d’rundalin dalal!” Over and over while he pressed Ean on the retreat; gleefully, like a madman.And then he made a sudden thrust, and Ean jumped to avoid the slashing daggers that barely missed his throat. He came down unevenly on his bad leg, and his knee buckled. Stumbling, he hissed a curse and the man bore down on him. A swipe of his hand, and three spiny daggers cut deeply across Ean’s back with their sharp fire. The Wildling’s other hand darted for his throat again, but the prince veered and twisted so the blades caught his chin and cheek instead. Ean rolled and thrust upward, but the Wildling merely laughed and arched out of his way; the weapon met only the whisper of silk.Ean lay panting. His dagger seemed lost along with his will, and desperation could no longer drive him on.The Whisper Lord advanced slowly wearing a grim smile. With the shrieking noise still accosting his skull and the loss of blood and nausea in his stomach, Ean felt only numb acceptance. Shaking, he lowered his head—A tall form pushed past him, knocking Ean aside as it rushed to engage the Whisper Lord, driving the Wildling back and away, taking the battle out of Ean’s hands.Ean fell onto his back, gasping as the last of his strength bled out of him, and lay watching his rescuer take offensive control.The woman’s brown half-cloak floated behind her as she advanced with long, fast strides, forcing the Whisper Lord on the retreat beneath two short swords wielded in a flashing figure-eight.The Wildling smiled no longer. Every thrust and swipe of his daggers was blocked by the woman’s whirling black blades. She matched him stride for stride, spinning when he spun, darting as he did, dodging as he lunged. They performed a ferocious, twisting dance of death where both knew the steps intimately and took them with ease.As Ean watched, the Wildling slashed his daggered gloves in a motion that should’ve gutted the woman, but she flipped out of his reach, thrusting long as she landed. Her sword met with the flesh of his side, drawing a hiss as he jumped back. He glared malevolently at her and pressed one palm to his side.“Merdanti,” he snarled, his golden eyes hot as they assessed her black blades.Arching brows with a predatory smile, she twirled her blades and lunged for him again, and once more the dance began, the meeting of their deadly weapons a rhythmic beating that seemed in time with Ean’s still-racing heart.And then—Ean thought he must’ve dreamed it, his tortured mind inventing an impression for what clearly defied explanation. The woman and the Wildling seemed to shift and slow, their cloaks floating as if suspended on the wind. Then the woman launched out of her turn so quickly that Ean lost sight of her, only to spot her again as she stood squarely before her opponent, blades crossed. With naught but a grimace of effort, she chopped her short swords crosswise through the Wildling’s neck, removing his head completely. His body toppled to the stones at her feet, paying respects to her skill.Silence hung in the street, a palpable blanket sewn of incredulity fringed with pain.The woman lowered her dripping blades and leveled tawny eyes on the prince…
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!To win the prizes:Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media eventAbout Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.
Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
Welcome to the second day in the Novel Publicity, Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour. Today I have the pleasure of giving you a sneak peek into this awesome book...
Please enjoy this excerpt from Cephrael’s Hand, a spellbinding epic fantasy by Melissa McPhail. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.Ean hugged the shadows as he tried to find his way back to le Comte’s estates. He feared they’d hurt his head worse than he thought, for the twisting alleys of the city disoriented him now. He was sure he’d passed the last street corner already once, and he had the uneasy feeling that he was walking in circles.Trying to break the cycle, he turned into a long and shadowed alley, spotting a streetlamp at the other end. Abruptly a form reared out of the shadows. Ean reached for his sword—“…Ean?”The prince halted with his hand around the hilt. “Fynn?”“Balls of Belloth!” Fynnlar crossed the distance in a rush and grabbed him by both shoulders, giving him a shake. “What are you doing out here, you wool-brained fool?”“I might ask the same of you, cousin.” Pushing a hand to his throbbing head, Ean closed his eyes. He’d seen so much death since the last moon…so many lives lost, and for what? He couldn’t fathom the events that spun violently around him, only knowing they somehow had him caught in the whirlwind.“Ean, are you unwell?”“Hit my head pretty hard,” the prince murmured, lifting tired eyes to refocus on his cousin. “I’ll be all right.”“Come on. We’d best keep moving.”The prince shook off the numbness edging his thoughts and followed his cousin. Fog was rising from the river as they headed back toward le Comte’s villa, fat fingers sliding through the streets to leach the color from the night. They reached a corner, and Fynn paused and looked warily around.“Fynn, what are we waiting fo—”But the words stuck on Ean’s tongue, for he heard it then: a strange whispering, the whisk of silk across the rough edge of glass. The sound had prickly tentacles that pierced into the soft flesh of Ean’s inner ear and twisted there, making him cringe.Something flew out of the shadows and Ean swung his head after it, straining to make out what he’d seen. “What in Tiern’aval was that?”Grimly, Fynn held his sword before him. “A Wildling—a Whisper Lord.”The whispering continued, tormenting, growing soundlessly louder until it shrieked inside Ean’s skull, shattering any hope of focus.The Wildling shot out of the shadows again, and Ean forced his eyes to follow, to find him in the shadows where he hid.There.He saw him lurking against the wall, smiling around big white teeth. His leathery skin was pitch black , and his eyes were golden like the desert sands. The man locked gazes with him, and—Suddenly they were nose to nose. Ean felt the heat of his breath in the same moment that the fiery sting of steel pierced his flesh.Shade and darkness! “Ean, he cut you!”“I’m all right.” But Ean grimaced as he gingerly probed the wound. “Shadow take the abominable creature.” Fynn gave him a long look. “Be ready,” and he rushed to meet the Wildling.The fight turned instantly vicious. Whisper Lord fought with long, stiletto daggers that speared like claws out of his gloves. His hands crisscrossed with amazing speed, never failing to find their mark on Fynn’s person, while his body twisted and spun. Fynn’s thrusts in turn only seemed to meet with the slashed silk of his garments. So fast did the Whisper Lord dart and cavort that Ean at first felt helpless to join in, for he could barely see the Wildling move until after it had happened, as if the sight had to bounce off the back of his eyes…as if he could only see the man’s reflection.Then Ean found his focus and rushed to help Fynn.The Whisper Lord marked him before he even got his blade around, a long swipe at the joining of neck and shoulder that burned bitterly. Ean realized that trying to use his sword alone would get him killed, so he pulled his dagger and dove in again. The Whisper Lord dodged like a jumping spider and managed in the same maneuver to slash a deep cut across Ean’s thigh, his daggers flashing first with the silver of steel and then dark with blood. Ean snarled a curse and staggered into the wall, teeth clenched against the pain, for the wound was angry and deep.Abruptly Fynn threw himself backwards, himself narrowly avoiding a deadly thrust to his gut. Those spine-like blades sliced a chunk of flesh out of his side instead. The royal cousin clenched his teeth and held one hand to his midriff, using the other to pull himself out of reach.Ean dove at the creature with renewed determination, his battered head forgotten in his haste to keep the man away from Fynn. He wore a malicious grin as they battled, and his golden gaze was flecked and sparkling against his face of leathery pitch. As Ean’s strength failed, the Wildling grinned even broader and began to chant in a voice like sand, “Tur or’de rorum d’rundalin dalal! Tur or’de rorum d’rundalin dalal!” Over and over while he pressed Ean on the retreat; gleefully, like a madman.And then he made a sudden thrust, and Ean jumped to avoid the slashing daggers that barely missed his throat. He came down unevenly on his bad leg, and his knee buckled. Stumbling, he hissed a curse and the man bore down on him. A swipe of his hand, and three spiny daggers cut deeply across Ean’s back with their sharp fire. The Wildling’s other hand darted for his throat again, but the prince veered and twisted so the blades caught his chin and cheek instead. Ean rolled and thrust upward, but the Wildling merely laughed and arched out of his way; the weapon met only the whisper of silk.Ean lay panting. His dagger seemed lost along with his will, and desperation could no longer drive him on.The Whisper Lord advanced slowly wearing a grim smile. With the shrieking noise still accosting his skull and the loss of blood and nausea in his stomach, Ean felt only numb acceptance. Shaking, he lowered his head—A tall form pushed past him, knocking Ean aside as it rushed to engage the Whisper Lord, driving the Wildling back and away, taking the battle out of Ean’s hands.Ean fell onto his back, gasping as the last of his strength bled out of him, and lay watching his rescuer take offensive control.The woman’s brown half-cloak floated behind her as she advanced with long, fast strides, forcing the Whisper Lord on the retreat beneath two short swords wielded in a flashing figure-eight.The Wildling smiled no longer. Every thrust and swipe of his daggers was blocked by the woman’s whirling black blades. She matched him stride for stride, spinning when he spun, darting as he did, dodging as he lunged. They performed a ferocious, twisting dance of death where both knew the steps intimately and took them with ease.As Ean watched, the Wildling slashed his daggered gloves in a motion that should’ve gutted the woman, but she flipped out of his reach, thrusting long as she landed. Her sword met with the flesh of his side, drawing a hiss as he jumped back. He glared malevolently at her and pressed one palm to his side.“Merdanti,” he snarled, his golden eyes hot as they assessed her black blades.Arching brows with a predatory smile, she twirled her blades and lunged for him again, and once more the dance began, the meeting of their deadly weapons a rhythmic beating that seemed in time with Ean’s still-racing heart.And then—Ean thought he must’ve dreamed it, his tortured mind inventing an impression for what clearly defied explanation. The woman and the Wildling seemed to shift and slow, their cloaks floating as if suspended on the wind. Then the woman launched out of her turn so quickly that Ean lost sight of her, only to spot her again as she stood squarely before her opponent, blades crossed. With naught but a grimace of effort, she chopped her short swords crosswise through the Wildling’s neck, removing his head completely. His body toppled to the stones at her feet, paying respects to her skill.Silence hung in the street, a palpable blanket sewn of incredulity fringed with pain.The woman lowered her dripping blades and leveled tawny eyes on the prince…
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!To win the prizes:Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media eventAbout Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.
Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
December 31, 2012
Cephrael's Hand by Melissa McPhail Blog Tour
Hello Therians!
Welcome to the first day in the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour hosted by Novel Publicity.
SYNOPSIS
"All things are composed of patterns..." And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:
In Alorin...three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor's brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D'Lacourte's mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he'll have to find him...
In the kingdom of Dannym...the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord...
In the Nadori desert...tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them.
Be sure to stop by each day this week for excerpts, interviews and more...and be sure to enter the daily events!
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!To win the prizes:Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media eventAbout Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.
Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
Welcome to the first day in the Cephrael's Hand Blog Tour hosted by Novel Publicity.
SYNOPSIS
"All things are composed of patterns..." And within the pattern of the realm of Alorin, three strands must cross:
In Alorin...three hundred years after the genocidal Adept Wars, the realm is dying, and the blessed Adept race dies with it. One man holds the secret to reverting this decline: Bjorn van Gelderan, a dangerous and enigmatic man whose shocking betrayal three centuries past earned him a traitor's brand. It is the Adept Vestal Raine D'Lacourte's mission to learn what Bjorn knows in the hope of salvaging his race. But first he'll have to find him...
In the kingdom of Dannym...the young Prince Ean val Lorian faces a tenuous future as the last living heir to the coveted Eagle Throne. When his blood-brother is slain during a failed assassination, Ean embarks on a desperate hunt for the man responsible. Yet his advisors have their own agendas, and his quest for vengeance leads him ever deeper into a sinuous plot masterminded by a mysterious and powerful man, the one they call First Lord...
In the Nadori desert...tormented by the missing pieces of his life, a soldier named Trell heads off to uncover the truth of his shadowed past. But when disaster places him in the debt of Wildlings sworn to the First Lord, Trell begins to suspect a deadlier, darker secret motivating them.
Be sure to stop by each day this week for excerpts, interviews and more...and be sure to enter the daily events!
As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Cephrael’s Hand eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $450 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes isRIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!To win the prizes:Purchase your copy of Cephrael’s Hand for just 99 centsEnter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity or belowVisit today’s featured social media eventAbout Cephrael’s Hand: Two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a great battle, neither knowing the other is alive… A traitor works in exile while preparing for the disaster only he knows is coming… A race of beings from beyond the fringe of the universe begin unmaking the world from within… And all across the land, magic is dying. Cephrael’s Hand is the first novel in the award-winning series A Pattern of Shadow and Light.
Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
About the author: Melissa McPhail is a classically trained pianist, violinist and composer, a Vinyasa yoga instructor, and an avid Fantasy reader. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, their twin daughters and two very large cats. Visit Melissa on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
HAPPY READING!!
December 20, 2012
Review: Touching Smoke by Airicka Phoenix
Hello Therians!! If you haven't heard of Airicka Phoenix, or if you haven't read any of her work, then it gives me great pleasure in introducing you to my new favorite author! Touching Smoke is the first book in the Touch series. Touching Eternity (Touch series #1.5) will be released today ( 12.20.2012 ) so I urge you to get your hands on this series. You won't be disappointed!!
SYNOPSIS
Secrets...
Fallon has one. She doesn’t know it, but it will kill her... if she’s caught.
Love...
Isaiah. Her soul mate. Made especially for her. Created especially for her. Designed to be everything she would ever need. But loving him will destroy her.
Betrayal...
Willing to die for her, kill for her, Isaiah must first save her from the monster chasing them — the man that had created them to annihilate the world.
What would you risk for love? BOOK TRAILER
REVIEW
I won a copy of Touching Smoke in a giveaway a few months ago. I only wish it hadn't taken me so long to read it, as it has to be one of my favorite new series.
From page one this book is a non-stop, thrill ride, with plenty of action and just as much romance. The story is well written with clever twists and turns, and I couldn't put it down. Fallon is a seemingly ordinary teen, with the exception of never settling in one place long enough to have a real life. Although it soon becomes obvious that she isn't normal, in any way, the truth is revealed gradually throughout the book instead of one big info dump, which is fantastic.
Isaiah is the mysterious protector who literally rides into her life. It was like an electric spark went off every time they were near each other and the chemistry and sexual tension was almost tangible. Fallon cannot understand why she is so drawn to him, a complete stranger. She even feels compelled to defy her own mother when it comes to Isaiah. It is only after meeting the mad scientist/doctor, Garrison, that the reality of their situation is uncovered. But I still have my doubts. I still believe that their connection runs deeper than what Garrison told them. Or maybe that’s just hope talking…
It is also at this point in the story that the truth about Amalie, the girl who haunts Fallon’s dreams, is exposed. This truth unravels Fallon’s, as well as Isaiah’s, entire existence. At the same time shattering any notion I had of knowing exactly what was going on in the story, raising a bunch more questions.
I love a story that keeps me guessing, and this one delivered in all the right ways. The characters are exciting and I want to get to know them a whole lot more, so I cannot wait for the rest of the books in the series to be released.
This outstanding novel gets...
About the Author
Airicka Phoenix is the author of TOUCHING SMOKE (Touch Series Book #1) and has a short story, TORRID, as part of the Whispered Beginning: Clever Fiction Anthology. When she's not hammering away at the keyboard, she can be found banishing pirates or crawling through the attic looking for lost treasure with her kids. She loves baking, gardening and reading. She also likes to travel and take pictures of everything she comes across. When asked, Airicka describes herself as a sarcastic basket case that has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, old movies and really bad jokes. She loves to laugh, make friends and write. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to spend one day as a fly-on-the-wall inside Stephen King's mind. If she could have two wishes granted, she would ask for a castle dedicated entirely to her overwhelming collection of books.For more about Airicka, also on how to win giveaways, read author interviews and reviews, visit her!
You can add Airicka on any/all of her social networks. Making new friends is the highlight of her day!
WebsiteGoodreadsAmazonTwitterAiricka Phoenix Facebook PageTouch Series Facebook Page
Happy Reading!!
Release Day: Touching Eternity by Airicka Phoenix
Happy Release Day to Airicka Phoenix and Touching Eternity!!! If I could, I would be doing cartwheels and backflips right now :) I am so in love with this book!!
SYNOPSIS
Before Fallon was created to destroy. Before love became the ultimate weapon of destruction. There was Amalie and the horror that started a revolution that tore the fabric of humanity, of everything standing in the balance between power, hope and survival.
Amalie has one wish, one gnawing desire — she wants to die.
She wants to leave this world behind with its pain and darkness. She wants to finally breathe. But Amalie is a prisoner, a disease, not fit for life. She is unwanted, unnatural. She is defective, something useless and broken. Her own mother hadn’t wanted her. Her father hated her. The world shunned her and the only person she had ever loved, truly and with all her heart and soul, couldn’t stand the sight of her, couldn’t stand the thought of ever being with her. She repulsed him. Her insanity disgusted him. He’d forgotten her. He’d left her behind, deserted and abandoned her to a madman hell bent on crushing her, stealing her soul and shattering her will.
But what if she’s finally given hope? A reason to live? Can Amalie finally accept the hand offering so much for so little in return? Can she love again when she has nothing left to give?
Can she finally be free?
WARNING:
Due to sensitive matters portrayed throughout the novel, Touching Eternity (Touch Series, book 1.5) is rated 18+ (Adult).
BOOK TRAILER
Favorite Quotes:
"When I was eight, I found my best friend. Then, one day, I came home and she'd changed. During my absence, she'd become the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in my life and I fell in love with her so completely that the very idea of ever being without her became an impossibility I couldn't stand. That same girl has always been the only one to ever hold my heart in her hands. She's the only one who can both build me and destroy me if she wishes and I wouldn't change that for anything. I can't live without her." ~ Isaiah - Touching Eternity by Airicka Phoenix.
"She heard the cock. Then the bang. Then the silence as darkness swallowed her whole." ~ Touching Eternity by Airicka Phoenix.
Get your copy today!!!!
REVIEW
It's not often that I am left breathless after reading a book, but I'm still trying to recover after reading Touching Eternity. Words cannot express how fantastic this book is, but I will try my best...
I was so excited to read the story of Amalie and Isaiah, characters I was introduced to in Touching Smoke. Their story is heartbreaking.
The chemistry and love between Amalie and Isaiah developed beautifully. Their feelings were built on friendship and acceptance, blossoming into something more definate as the years passed and as they grew.
Amalie lives a tragic life. Prisoner in her own home, subjected to all kinds of torture by her father, who is hell bent on fixing in her what he believes is broken. It was clear that Garrison was a bit of a nutcase when I first met him in Touching Smoke, but boy oh boy, is a crazed lunatic in this book. He is so blinded by his own ideas and his drive for success, that nothing and no one can make him see that what he is doing is evil.
Amalie is treated like a crazed animal, locked up under heavy guard, never allowed to venture out her room unless Garrison gave the word.
Isaiah was such an endearing character. I loved his mysteriousness in Touching Smoke, but I loved him even more in this book. He will do just about anything he can for the love of his life. But, he too, was blinded by his need to please Garrison, the man who took him off the streets, giving him a better life. It's only when Isaiah witnessed the extent of Garrison's torture that he realised his own mistakes, and he did everything he could to make amends. Which I personally feel he did brilliantly. Find a guy who'll take a needle in the arm for you...not in this lifetime!!
Many of the secondary characters were of the unsavoury kind, but none made my skin crawl as much as Gabriel Tomas. From the minute he entered the story I knew there wasn't something quite right with the situation. He was a real slime ball!
This story is dark and twisted. Filled with tragedy and heart-shattering moments that had me gasping and sobbing throughout. But it also held a bright shining light, one filled with love, hope, devotion, selflessness, courage and heroism.
If I had to sum it up on one word, it would be PERFECTION!
It gets...
Times this by a billion and that's what it truly deserves :)
About the Author
Airicka Phoenix is the author of TOUCHING SMOKE (Touch Series Book #1) and has a short story, TORRID, as part of the Whispered Beginning: Clever Fiction Anthology. When she's not hammering away at the keyboard, she can be found banishing pirates or crawling through the attic looking for lost treasure with her kids. She loves baking, gardening and reading. She also likes to travel and take pictures of everything she comes across. When asked, Airicka describes herself as a sarcastic basket case that has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, old movies and really bad jokes. She loves to laugh, make friends and write. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to spend one day as a fly-on-the-wall inside Stephen King's mind. If she could have two wishes granted, she would ask for a castle dedicated entirely to her overwhelming collection of books.For more about Airicka, also on how to win giveaways, read author interviews and reviews, visit her!
You can add Airicka on any/all of her social networks. Making new friends is the highlight of her day!
WebsiteGoodreadsAmazonTwitterAiricka Phoenix Facebook PageTouch Series Facebook Page
Happy Reading!!!
December 17, 2012
Nikki Powergloves by David Estes
Hello Therians!
Are you looking for a fun read for children? One with a good message, that will keep your daughter, son, niece, nephew, or just about any kid between the ages of 7-10 years ( 4-6 for advanced readers ), entertained for hours of reading fun? Then I have just the thing for you!
If you haven't heard of the super talented, David Estes, then where have you been? David's YA, Evolution Trilogy, as well as his YA Dystopian saga, The Dwellers, are some of the most amazing books I've ever read.
But, David doesn't only write for YA readers. His Nikki Powergloves series, is fun, imaginative, and each story has a good message, making them perfect for younger readers. So what are you waiting for, grab the first four books in the series today!! They'll make the perfect Christmas gift for that little reader in your life. And what's more, you can get the entire series in paperback for only $27.00 on Amazon. This means you qualify for the FREE Supersaver shipping, if you live in the US. Or you can get the series for only $10.00 in eBook format :)
What is the series about, you may ask??
BOOK 1- Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born
Nikki Nickerson hates her name and her boring life as a nine-year-old in the small town of Cragglyville. That is, until she finds a disappearing path into a forest that is rumored to be haunted. At the end of the trail, she and her dog, Mr. Miyagi, find a beautiful treasure chest, standing ready for her to claim.
What does the chest contain? Gold? No. Diamonds? Nah. Money? Not even close. The chest contains twelve multi-colored gloves. Nikki’s disappointment quickly morphs into delight when she discovers that the gloves are much more than just a cheesy fashion accessory. You see, each pair of gloves gives her a different power, such as stopping time or super-strength.
With a little help from her best friend, Spencer Quick, Nikki Nickerson is transformed into Nikki Powergloves, crime-fighting superhero. But every hero needs a villain and she soon finds hers in the form of Jimmy Powerboots, a smug and misguided youth who uncovers a similar treasure and chooses to use his newfound powers for evil. Nikki must find a way to de-boot her arch nemesis and stop his maniacal plans.
BOOK 2- Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council
The adventure continues as Nikki Powergloves joins forces with the Power Council to take on the Power Outlaws in a showdown of super-cool superpowers that only the awesomest of kids can handle. Have your powergloves and powerboots ready as you read the stunning sequel to Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born.
BOOK 3- Nikki Powergloves and the Power Trappers
The adventure continues as Nikki Powergloves and her friends face off against a secret organization called STING and their army of Power Trappers, who are trying to capture all of the power kids. Can the Power Council prevail and rescue the power kids? Find out in the third installment of the Nikki Powergloves series!
BOOK 4- Nikki Powergloves and the Great Adventure
Nikki is back in action and on a quest to travel the world and beat both her friends and enemies in the Great Adventure. Who will be able to steal the leprechauns gold in Ireland, cover the Great Pyramids of Egypt in chocolate, and ride the biggest waves Hawaii has to offer? The winner of the Great Adventure might just rise to the top of the Power Rankings and get one step closer to discovering who the Power Creator really is.
Get yours today:
In Print and Kindle Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
Nook Ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/nikki...
Smashwords Ebook: https://www.smashwords.com/books/sear...
About the author
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table
Connect with David Estes:
Blog Author Facebook PageTwitterGoodreadsGoodreads fan page
Happy Holidays!! And Happy Reading :)
Are you looking for a fun read for children? One with a good message, that will keep your daughter, son, niece, nephew, or just about any kid between the ages of 7-10 years ( 4-6 for advanced readers ), entertained for hours of reading fun? Then I have just the thing for you!
If you haven't heard of the super talented, David Estes, then where have you been? David's YA, Evolution Trilogy, as well as his YA Dystopian saga, The Dwellers, are some of the most amazing books I've ever read.
But, David doesn't only write for YA readers. His Nikki Powergloves series, is fun, imaginative, and each story has a good message, making them perfect for younger readers. So what are you waiting for, grab the first four books in the series today!! They'll make the perfect Christmas gift for that little reader in your life. And what's more, you can get the entire series in paperback for only $27.00 on Amazon. This means you qualify for the FREE Supersaver shipping, if you live in the US. Or you can get the series for only $10.00 in eBook format :)
What is the series about, you may ask??
BOOK 1- Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born
Nikki Nickerson hates her name and her boring life as a nine-year-old in the small town of Cragglyville. That is, until she finds a disappearing path into a forest that is rumored to be haunted. At the end of the trail, she and her dog, Mr. Miyagi, find a beautiful treasure chest, standing ready for her to claim.
What does the chest contain? Gold? No. Diamonds? Nah. Money? Not even close. The chest contains twelve multi-colored gloves. Nikki’s disappointment quickly morphs into delight when she discovers that the gloves are much more than just a cheesy fashion accessory. You see, each pair of gloves gives her a different power, such as stopping time or super-strength.
With a little help from her best friend, Spencer Quick, Nikki Nickerson is transformed into Nikki Powergloves, crime-fighting superhero. But every hero needs a villain and she soon finds hers in the form of Jimmy Powerboots, a smug and misguided youth who uncovers a similar treasure and chooses to use his newfound powers for evil. Nikki must find a way to de-boot her arch nemesis and stop his maniacal plans.
BOOK 2- Nikki Powergloves and the Power Council
The adventure continues as Nikki Powergloves joins forces with the Power Council to take on the Power Outlaws in a showdown of super-cool superpowers that only the awesomest of kids can handle. Have your powergloves and powerboots ready as you read the stunning sequel to Nikki Powergloves- A Hero is Born.
BOOK 3- Nikki Powergloves and the Power Trappers
The adventure continues as Nikki Powergloves and her friends face off against a secret organization called STING and their army of Power Trappers, who are trying to capture all of the power kids. Can the Power Council prevail and rescue the power kids? Find out in the third installment of the Nikki Powergloves series!
BOOK 4- Nikki Powergloves and the Great Adventure
Nikki is back in action and on a quest to travel the world and beat both her friends and enemies in the Great Adventure. Who will be able to steal the leprechauns gold in Ireland, cover the Great Pyramids of Egypt in chocolate, and ride the biggest waves Hawaii has to offer? The winner of the Great Adventure might just rise to the top of the Power Rankings and get one step closer to discovering who the Power Creator really is.
Get yours today:
In Print and Kindle Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...
Nook Ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/nikki...
Smashwords Ebook: https://www.smashwords.com/books/sear...
About the author
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010. He´s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a tableConnect with David Estes:
Blog Author Facebook PageTwitterGoodreadsGoodreads fan page
Happy Holidays!! And Happy Reading :)
December 13, 2012
Cover Reveal: Redemption by H.D.Gordon
Hello Therians!! I'm super excited to be included in the cover reveal for the fourth book in The Alexa Montgomery Saga: Redemption by H.D.Gordon!!
And here it is...
Isn't it just gorgeous?!! Anyone who knows me, knows I love this color palette! I'm practically drooling right now! Kudos to Regina Wamba, cover artist extraordinaire :) SHORT SYNOPSIS
The final test is here. The war is no longer a worry of tomorrow, but a reality of today. Turning back is no longer an option. Maybe it never was. It is time for Alexa Montgomery to look fate in the eyes. Death waits there for certain. The only question is... for who? Add Redemption to your Goodreads TBR list. I love this saga and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you grab a copy of the first three books and get reading, so you can be ready for Redemption!!
Connect with author H.D.Gordon: hd@hdgordon.comWebsite Facebook Twitter Goodreads Happy Reading! 
And here it is...
Isn't it just gorgeous?!! Anyone who knows me, knows I love this color palette! I'm practically drooling right now! Kudos to Regina Wamba, cover artist extraordinaire :) SHORT SYNOPSISThe final test is here. The war is no longer a worry of tomorrow, but a reality of today. Turning back is no longer an option. Maybe it never was. It is time for Alexa Montgomery to look fate in the eyes. Death waits there for certain. The only question is... for who? Add Redemption to your Goodreads TBR list. I love this saga and if you haven't read it yet, I suggest you grab a copy of the first three books and get reading, so you can be ready for Redemption!!
Connect with author H.D.Gordon: hd@hdgordon.comWebsite Facebook Twitter Goodreads Happy Reading!
Grab Furthermore and help support the American Cancer Society
Hello Therians!! Furthermore is a fantastic anthology by some of the most exciting authors around!! Get your hands on 17 fantastic short stories while also doing your bit to support the fight against cancer. ALL royalties earned will go to the American Cancer Society. Find out more about the American Cancer Society
SYNOPSIS A first date, a lottery, treachery and deceit. Sometimes fate has other plans. Sometimes there’s more to tell.
In Furthermore: An Anthology, seventeen original stories take you on a journey through worlds here and beyond. From the depths of the earth to the embrace of the sea, your favorite series continue. Prequels, alternative views, and new scenes give readers a chance to experience more than originally told. Including stories from Rebekah Campbell, David Estes, Amber Garr, Karen Amanda Hooper, Stephanie Judice, and Leigh Michael.
In honor of those who lost the battle and those who continue to fight, all proceeds from this anthology will be donated to cancer research and support.
SURPRISE VISITOR -Emily has never been a fan of surprises but Eric has something up his sleeve to change her mind. (The Darkness Through The Light Series)
GETTING TO KNOW THE HEAVIES - The two Sullivan bodyguards are still human beings underneath it all. And everyone has a weakness. (The Darkness Through The Light Series)
PEOPLE CHANGE - When Eric asks his dad a question about his mother, it’s time to go back to where it all began and then went so badly wrong. (The Darkness Through The Light Series)
THE RUNAWAY- TAWNI’S STORY - After learning of her parents’ treachery, Tawni leaves home seeking to make amends for their transgressions. (The Dwellers Saga)
THE LIFE LOTTERY- A STORY FROM YEAR ZERO - With the survival of the human race on the brink, there’s only one way to decide who will be saved in the underground caves: The Lottery. (The Dwellers Saga)
COLD FEET - Kain witnesses Eviana’s deceit on their wedding day and is forced to deal with the consequences of her behavior. (The Syrenka Series)
RIFT - Daniel encourages the group to make a detour to the Grand Canyon, as the distance between the friends begins to rival the great ravine. (The Syrenka Series)
DISCOVERY - Leila’s first encounter with her psychic mentor is nothing short of memorable. (The Leila Marx Novels)
HUMAN RESOURCES – Blake finds a new job while Mac finds a friend who reminds him of home. (The Leila Marx Novels)
THE SOUND OF LOVE - Glimpse into one of Nathaniel’s previous lives and see how his soul mate reacts when tragedy strikes. (The Kindrily Series)
MUIRNE’S MELODY--To escape her master’s vile desires, Muirne flees into the snow-swept night, finding a green-eyed stranger and a mystical destiny. (Saga of the Setti Series)
JEREMY’S HEART: Calm, cool, and complete scoundrel, Jeremy realizes the loss he’s suffered means nothing compared to true love. (Saga of the Setti Series)
FALL FROM GRACE: Warped by centuries of darkness, the creature Sveigja plots to capture Clara as his queen. (Saga of the Setti Series)
FATE: Experience Annabelle’s struggle to fulfill the ABA Prophecy in a new light through the parting words of Adrian, Aurelia, Blake, and Lady Katherine. (Annabelle’s Story) Get your copy now!! Amazon Kindle Edition
Amazon Paperback
Smashwords
Add it to your GoodreadsTBR list!!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Furthermore: An Anthology is the next project to hit the shelves by Leigh and a handful of other authors (coming December 2012). Proceeds from each sale will be donated to help further more cancer research.
Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle.
Please learn more about Leigh and her works at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.
Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.
Karen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. In high school she discovered her passion for putting her thoughts onto paper, but it wasn't until her late twenties that she wrote her first novel. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.
www.KarenAmandaHooper.com
Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie. Find out more at www.ambergarr.com.
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. David grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and started writing full time in June 2012. Now he travels the world writing with his wife, Adele. David's a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. Find out more at davidestesbooks.blogspot.com
In between working two different jobs and confusing myself about which job I should be at, I'm also a proud Indie Author. My debut, Living in the Dark, will be released in November 2012. Once I've stopped squealing and jumping in circles, I'll continue working on the rest of the Darkness Through the Light Series.
When I'm not tapping away at my computer, you'll find me busting some moves to my favourite bands or setting up on the Beach to have a bonfire with the best group of friend's I could ask for.Find out more at reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com
Stephanie Judice calls lush, moss-laden New Iberia, Louisiana, home where the landscape curls into her imagination creating mystical settings for her stories. She shares her small, southern lifestyle with her husband and four children. As a high school teacher of English and Fine Arts, she is immersed in mythology, legends, and art that serve as constant inspiration for her writings. Some of her favorite things are autumn leaves, southern accents, Gothic architecture, Renaissance festivals, family movie nights, and, of course, William Shakespeare. Writing is her haven for self-expression where imagination rules and dreams do come true.
RISING is her debut novel in the paranormal, teen series SAGA OF THE SETTI.Find out more at the Saga of the Setti Facebook page.
Happy Reading!!
And thank you for supporting this great cause!!
SYNOPSIS A first date, a lottery, treachery and deceit. Sometimes fate has other plans. Sometimes there’s more to tell.In Furthermore: An Anthology, seventeen original stories take you on a journey through worlds here and beyond. From the depths of the earth to the embrace of the sea, your favorite series continue. Prequels, alternative views, and new scenes give readers a chance to experience more than originally told. Including stories from Rebekah Campbell, David Estes, Amber Garr, Karen Amanda Hooper, Stephanie Judice, and Leigh Michael.
In honor of those who lost the battle and those who continue to fight, all proceeds from this anthology will be donated to cancer research and support.
SURPRISE VISITOR -Emily has never been a fan of surprises but Eric has something up his sleeve to change her mind. (The Darkness Through The Light Series)
GETTING TO KNOW THE HEAVIES - The two Sullivan bodyguards are still human beings underneath it all. And everyone has a weakness. (The Darkness Through The Light Series)
PEOPLE CHANGE - When Eric asks his dad a question about his mother, it’s time to go back to where it all began and then went so badly wrong. (The Darkness Through The Light Series)
THE RUNAWAY- TAWNI’S STORY - After learning of her parents’ treachery, Tawni leaves home seeking to make amends for their transgressions. (The Dwellers Saga)
THE LIFE LOTTERY- A STORY FROM YEAR ZERO - With the survival of the human race on the brink, there’s only one way to decide who will be saved in the underground caves: The Lottery. (The Dwellers Saga)
COLD FEET - Kain witnesses Eviana’s deceit on their wedding day and is forced to deal with the consequences of her behavior. (The Syrenka Series)
RIFT - Daniel encourages the group to make a detour to the Grand Canyon, as the distance between the friends begins to rival the great ravine. (The Syrenka Series)
DISCOVERY - Leila’s first encounter with her psychic mentor is nothing short of memorable. (The Leila Marx Novels)
HUMAN RESOURCES – Blake finds a new job while Mac finds a friend who reminds him of home. (The Leila Marx Novels)
THE SOUND OF LOVE - Glimpse into one of Nathaniel’s previous lives and see how his soul mate reacts when tragedy strikes. (The Kindrily Series)
MUIRNE’S MELODY--To escape her master’s vile desires, Muirne flees into the snow-swept night, finding a green-eyed stranger and a mystical destiny. (Saga of the Setti Series)
JEREMY’S HEART: Calm, cool, and complete scoundrel, Jeremy realizes the loss he’s suffered means nothing compared to true love. (Saga of the Setti Series)
FALL FROM GRACE: Warped by centuries of darkness, the creature Sveigja plots to capture Clara as his queen. (Saga of the Setti Series)
FATE: Experience Annabelle’s struggle to fulfill the ABA Prophecy in a new light through the parting words of Adrian, Aurelia, Blake, and Lady Katherine. (Annabelle’s Story) Get your copy now!! Amazon Kindle Edition
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Furthermore: An Anthology is the next project to hit the shelves by Leigh and a handful of other authors (coming December 2012). Proceeds from each sale will be donated to help further more cancer research.Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle.
Please learn more about Leigh and her works at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.
Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.Karen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. In high school she discovered her passion for putting her thoughts onto paper, but it wasn't until her late twenties that she wrote her first novel. Due to her strong Disney upbringing, she still believes in fairytales and will forever sprinkle magic throughout all of her novels.
www.KarenAmandaHooper.com
Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. She writes both adult and young adult urban fantasies and when not obsessing over the unknown, she can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie. Find out more at www.ambergarr.com. 
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. David grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and started writing full time in June 2012. Now he travels the world writing with his wife, Adele. David's a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. Find out more at davidestesbooks.blogspot.com
In between working two different jobs and confusing myself about which job I should be at, I'm also a proud Indie Author. My debut, Living in the Dark, will be released in November 2012. Once I've stopped squealing and jumping in circles, I'll continue working on the rest of the Darkness Through the Light Series.When I'm not tapping away at my computer, you'll find me busting some moves to my favourite bands or setting up on the Beach to have a bonfire with the best group of friend's I could ask for.Find out more at reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com
Stephanie Judice calls lush, moss-laden New Iberia, Louisiana, home where the landscape curls into her imagination creating mystical settings for her stories. She shares her small, southern lifestyle with her husband and four children. As a high school teacher of English and Fine Arts, she is immersed in mythology, legends, and art that serve as constant inspiration for her writings. Some of her favorite things are autumn leaves, southern accents, Gothic architecture, Renaissance festivals, family movie nights, and, of course, William Shakespeare. Writing is her haven for self-expression where imagination rules and dreams do come true.RISING is her debut novel in the paranormal, teen series SAGA OF THE SETTI.Find out more at the Saga of the Setti Facebook page.
Happy Reading!!
And thank you for supporting this great cause!!
