Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 31

$10 AMAZON GIVEAWAY - TALES FROM THE FOREST by Johanna Sarah Aldridge

Tales From the Forestby Johanna Sarah AldridgeGenre: YA Mystery
The Forest Realm is a magical world within our own. You cannot see it, nor can you hear it, and only very few might be able to feel it. The realm feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, and protects the hunted... so long as their hearts are pure.

Recently orphaned, two heartbroken brothers are at risk of separation by the government...
A black Labrador leads a colony of rabbits away from danger...
A destitute family of rats seek a new life away from the pollution of the big city...
All have been rescued by the realm of magic, and their lives are truly about to change.
Come and join us in The Forest where magic thrives, adventures are rife, and friendships last forever.  

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Jo was born in Colchester, Essex, in 1974 and since an early age has always been accused of having a wild imagination. This didnt stop her from studying for an honours degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, training as a science teacher, then go on to train as a Biomedical Scientist. She eventually took a post in Clinical Chemistry at Jersey General Hospital in the Channel Islands.

Whilst holding down a full time job, and working 28 hour emergency on call shifts, she has managed to find the time to share that wild imagination with the world by writing online fan fiction stories about the CW series Supernatural.
She enjoyed it so much that, with a lot of encouragement from her husband, she decided to write her own stories. Not an easy task for somone dogged by anxiety and depression, and since her diagnosis in 2013 she has also been battling with Ulcerative Colitis.
In spite of her struggles, Tales from the Forest, a series of short stories set in a magical realm, began to take physical form on her laptop screen, and her black labrador Nelson is a valiant hero in some of the stories. As an avid animal lover, she has vowed that all proceeds from the sale of this book series will help to set up a forever home sanctuary for stray, elderly and abandoned dogs.
Although still working full time at the hospital, she has turned her thoughts to the future, and now holds a Diploma in Dog Training from the Centre of Excellence, and is currently studying towards a Diploma in Canine Communication in order to prepare for a life of working with rescue dogs.


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$50 AMAZON GIVEAWAY - AEGIS RISING by S.S. Segran

Aegis RisingThe Aegis League Series Book 1by S.S. SegranGenre: Action-Adventure Sci-Fantasy thriller
Aegis League is a multi-award winning series about friendship, courage and a quest to save humanity. MOVIE RIGHTS OPTIONED.
We had our chance. Our days are now numbered.Lifelong friends Jag, Tegan, Aari, Mariah and Kody are cast into an adventure of epic proportions when their small plane crashes in the remote forests of northern Canada. They are rescued by a secretive tribe in a hidden valley who possess astonishing abilities — and a terrifying divination. The group soon learns that not everyone in the peaceful village means them well. But the worst is yet to come when they discover a larger, more sinister force at work outside the valley. And it intends to remake the world in its image.Shocked to learn that the fate of humanity now rests on their shoulders, the teenagers struggle to accept their new roles. Armed with powers entrusted to them by an ancient prophecy and the resilience of their friendship, can the group survive the onslaught of a ruthless enemy and put an end to its cataclysmic scheme?If you like epic adventure stories with endearing characters in an immersive world then you will love the Aegis League series! Worlds Collide. Heroes Arise.
  "Astonishingly imaginative and thoughtful…” ~ Samuel F. Pickering, inspiration for Academy Award-winning movie Dead Poets Society~Over 125,000 copies sold/downloaded & 1.8 million page-reads in Kindle Unlimited!

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Aegis IncursionThe Aegis League Series Book 2
Aegis League is a multi-award winning series about friendship, courage and a quest to save humanity. MOVIE RIGHTS OPTIONED.
The first wave strikes. The assault on humanity begins.A mysterious plague destroys crops and leaves swaths of farmland around the world in ruins. Panic and riots break out. Famine and rebellion push nations to the brink of war.With the memories of their fateful summer suspiciously erased, straining their relationships, Jag, Tegan, Kody, Aari and Mariah must regain what’s lost to battle the forces of darkness advancing across the lands.Finding themselves hunted by operatives from a clandestine organization at every turn, can the group outmaneuver their pursuers and stop the world from descending into chaos?If you like epic adventure stories with endearing characters in an immersive world, then you will love the Aegis League series! Worlds Collide. Heroes Arise.
  "If Daniel Silva and Rick Riordan had a love child, it would be the young S.S.Segran. With the intensity of an adult spy thriller and the relatable characters that teenagers enjoy, Aegis Incursion takes YA Action, Adventure, and Fantasy to a new level."  ~ The OnlineBookClub.org ~Over 125,000 copies sold/downloaded & 1.8 million page-reads in Kindle Unlimited!

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Aegis EvolutionThe Aegis Series Book 3
For fans of Maze Runner, Hunger Games and Percy Jackson comes an award-winning story of friendship, courage and a battle for humanity. MOVIE RIGHTS OPTIONED.
The second wave is unleashed. The world is forced to its knees.Two strains of a devastating pathogen infect population centers around the globe. From mega-cities to remote villages, the descent into chaos is swift as the disease spreads like wildfire.When Jag is injured from an accident, Tegan reluctantly assumes leadership of the group as they are tasked with their most challenging mission yet by the Elders of Dema-Ki.But things take a turn for the worse when one of them becomes infected and hovers on the brink of death. The friends throw caution to the wind and risk everything in their quest for a cure… one which, for reasons unknown, has remained concealed for over two thousand years.Can Tegan and the League discover the remedy before a relentless enemy locates and destroys it, sending millions of lives to their end?If you like gripping action-adventure stories in an immersive world, then you will love the Aegis League series! Worlds Collide. Heroes Arise.
  "Following the tradition of the prior two books, readers are treated to chapter after chapter of fascinating characters, exciting action and apocalyptic consequences." ~ ~ The US Review of Books ~Over 125,000 copies sold/downloaded & 1.8 million page-reads in Kindle Unlimited!

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Amazon Bestselling author S.S. Segran is a lover of books, dogs and all the popcorn she can stuff her face with. Her genre-defying Aegis League Series traverses the exciting worlds of action/adventure, sci-fi, thriller and speculative fiction in the YA universe. Even as she delves into her creative endeavors, she intends to support youths in developing countries realize their potential through her non-profit organization, AegisLeague.org.


When not devouring a novel or writing one, Segran can be found drawing on paper and tablet, or tumbling into a black hole of comic books and video games. She's an ardent fan of horseback riding and parkour, and having enjoyed jumping out of a perfectly fine plane at fifteen thousand feet -- perhaps skydiving.
Subscribe to her Aegis Insider reading group and receive a 10-Volume short story collection and other exclusive material plus Advance Reader opportunities for upcoming books. Join here www.aegisnovel.com/insider



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$10 AMAZON GIVEAWAY - YOU DEAR, SWEET MAN by Thomas Nevaiser

You Dear, Sweet Man by Thomas NeviaserGenre: Psychological Suspense
Would you give up your life to enter an unknown world just to eat a hamburger? A fast-food company creates the Ultimate Perfect Ad, a 3D form of motion with a model having an evil agenda. Her telepathic ability has special powers over men, utilizing a simple phrase, “You dear, sweet man." Her plan jeopardizes a blue collar worker's life as he realizes that advertising is not as glamorous as it seems and that his relationship with the woman's ultra-ego has defined his destiny from which he may never escape.
The subway ad is enticing. One might even consider it elegant as well. A beautiful woman, sitting atop a desk in a sparsely decorated office, staring directly at Bobby Fastow, a blue collar worker, on his way to his monotonous yet physically exhausting job. The photograph has an unusual charisma, a spectacular presence. It seemingly leaps off and out of the poster. 
Bobby Fastow intensely absorbs the information directed at him. BurgerBlast, his favorite fast food restaurant, famous for quick service and reliable, if not artery-choking fare, is announcing a new name and a new direction.But, in the world of advertising, nothing is as it seems. What if the line that separates an advertisement from the real world were erased? What if an image stepped from an ad and beckoned you to follow it back, inviting you to melt into its world. Could you resist? Bobby Fastow couldn't, and his decision would turn his world upside down.

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Dr. Neviaser is a retired orthopaedic surgeon and author of many medical articles, papers, presentations, and contributions to medical texts.  He’s written extensively on shoulder conditions, his specialty. He is available as a speaker on most orthopaedic conditions.  His dynamic presentations involve a great deal of audience participation and personalized attention to attendees.Dr. Neviaser is proud of his orthopedic guide book for the lay person, THE WAY I SEE IT: A Head-to-Toe Guide Guide To Common Orthopaedic Conditions and his first novel, YOU DEAR SWEET MAN.He is now especially excited to introduce to his new novel, THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 2222,to be published this 2018 summer.
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BOOK REVIEW: QUIET by Susan Cain

QUIET
The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Susan Cain
Broadway Books
Non-fiction

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
MY REVIEW:

Loved QUIET. Packed with statistics, facts, mind-blowing research, Cain's masterpiece is an extraordinary explanation behind why some people are introverts and how they are more powerful and successful than most of us have been led to believe.
As an introvert myself, I felt justified. For the first time, I felt like I truly understood myself and my children, who are also introverts. Not only did I discover my "place" in this world, but I also learned how to take my natural abilities and use them to my advantage.
Amazing book well worth the read.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR OF THE DINING CAR

I recently reviewed THE DINING CAR by Eric Peterson. Loved that book! So I contacted him for an interview. You'll find that and an excerpt below. Enjoy!

INTERVIEW WITH ERIC PETERSON:


1. Your protagonist, Horace Button, is a distinctive character. Tell us about him.
Horace Button is a legendary food writer and social critic. He’s bigger than life. Enormous in stature, pompous, grandiloquent, often drunk -- his appetites are as unchecked as his opinions. He travels the country by private railroad car because he reviles airports and airplanes. He’s that curmudgeon who lives in the past, who uses his silver-headed walking stick to make threatening motions at immigrant taxi drivers and children playing in the streets.
2. Equally unique is Horace's chosen mode of transportation. What inspired you to set your book in a rail car?
The inspiration came from a real-life food and wine writer named Lucius Beebe, who traveled the country by private railroad car, and who gave form to my Horace Button character. Beebe’s heyday was the first half of the last century, but his eccentric mode of transportation—a renovated Pullman business car—worked in a contemporary novel, since private rail cars are still in service today. As a literary device, the private rail car serves as a crucible—it holds the characters together. When things heat up, we see how they react.
3. What is your favorite way to travel and why?
I regularly contribute travel essays to a friend’s online magazine, Pillar to Post. Many of these essays detail exotic trips that I’ve had the pleasure of taking: sailing to Alaska aboard a super yacht, traveling across the country on private railroad cars, touring the west in a 42’ luxury motorhome. The super yacht and railroad cars all had their dedicated crews, including private chefs, and the scenery on these trips was breathtaking—vistas you’d never see from the road. But in the motorhome, my wife, Teresa, and I are the crew. Teresa’s a terrific chef. We can start and stop on our own schedule, and wherever we go, we’re always at home. There’s a comfort in that. I suppose for the long haul, the motorhome is my favorite way to travel.
4. What has been your most memorable trip?
Three couples occupying two private railroad cars—a vista dome and a sleeper—on the back of an Amtrak train. We boarded in Los Angeles. The mahogany paneled vista dome had a glass-enclosed upper lounge with leather swivel chairs and below it, a large, formal dining room. The lower lounge was equipped with an in-motion satellite TV system and had an open platform on the back. In the sleeper car, each couple had their own stateroom, including full bath and shower. The cars were staffed with a chef and a car attendant, who served martinis and champagne upstairs in the vista dome lounge as we snaked through the mountains on our way to Chicago. We ate three meals a day on white linen tablecloths. I’ll never forget that one.
5. Fine liquor plays a major role in this story as well. Did you have bartending experience before writing The Dining Car?
I worked as a bartender in college. Then, much later in life, I found myself running a fine-dining steak and seafood restaurant, where I took occasional stints behind the bar. My brother was the original equity partner in the restaurant—he and I eventually closed it down—but the experience inspired The Dining Car. I wanted to write a novel about the restaurant culture, and what it means to be of service to your customers, no matter how tempted you might be to berate them or to tell them off.
6. In this time when our nation is so divided, you use humor to reveal your characters' political differences. What advice do you have for America today?
Somewhere along the way, I picked up a nugget of writing advice: as with real people, each of your characters must see himself as the hero in his own life. I’ve written some quirky characters, but if they ring true, it’s because each one believes firmly in his world view. So that would be my advice: respect others’ world views. Most people, I think, are sincere in what they believe. I write to entertain. I never intended The Dining Car to be instructional or symbolic, but if you’re looking for a message in the book, you’ll probably find one in the same way you’d find meaning in the inkblots of a Rorschach test.
7. As a self-published author, what challenges have you faced along your journey?
I’ve been unbelievably fortunate in my career as an independent author/publisher, fortunate that my work has gotten noticed, and that it’s won some awards. The greatest challenge for me, on a personal level, is production. Life as a Sandwich took me six years to write, and The Dining Car took five. I need to step up the pace, without sacrificing quality. When I decided early on, with Sandwich, to go the independent publishing route, I knew I was trading the challenge of finding an agent and a traditional publishing house for the challenge of building my own audience through my own books. It’s still the challenge I’d prefer to have.
8. How was writing The Dining Car different than your first book, Life as a Sandwich?
From inception, The Dining Car was much more structured than Life as a Sandwich. I spent a great deal of time on plot and subplots, and on developing the characters. I also mapped out each chapter in much greater detail. In fact, readers might be surprised at the level to which I outline before I start writing. I involved a story editor in The Dining Car, which I never had with Sandwich. My editor, Jennifer Redmond, challenged me to cut 20,000 words from the original polished draft, including all the backstory, and that’s what gives the book its great pace.  
9. Horace Button changes and evolves throughout the book. How has The Dining Car changed you?
The Dining Car has been my breakthrough book as a writer. It’s changed my world, both professionally and personally. Awards shouldn’t be all that important, but as an independent author and publisher, to win the Independent Book Publishers Association’s (IBPA’s) Benjamin Franklin Gold Award for Popular Fiction is a monumental event. It silenced that voice of doubt in my head that my writing might be self-indulgent and a waste of time. It showed that my work was taken seriously. And good things keep happening: We received a review in Publishers Weekly, we were named a BookLife“Book to Watch,” we won the San Diego Book Award Gold Medal for Contemporary Fiction. We’ve had inquiries about TV and movie rights from Hollywood. On a personal level, as a direct result of this book, I’ve met some amazing people, I’ve made some great friends, and I continue to receive invitations for travel and speaking opportunities that I wouldn’t have imagined a few short years ago, when I was sitting alone at my desk, working on this manuscript.
EXCERPT FROM THE DINING CAR:

On a long, straight stretch of causeway approaching Sacramento, California, the railroad runs parallel to Interstate 80.  For drivers on the highway that Tuesday morning in August, the old Pullman hitching a ride on the back of the California Zephyr must have seemed an oddity—an antique running at breakneck speed, hanging on for dear life, looking frilly and absurd as if some time-traveler’s experiment had gone horribly wrong. The Pioneer Mother was no more anachronistic or improbable than its demanding passenger, but tending bar aboard this vintage railcar suited me.  For once, I was free to reflect on ground covered without guilt or self-rebuke.  I relished seeing the endless thread of receding, creosote-stained track, the golden rolling foothills and heavily forested canyons east of Sacramento, the tunnels that plunged us into blackness and then yielded us, just as suddenly, into bright sunlight.  With each passing mile, I was shedding my incriminatory past as a snake sheds its skin.In the serpentine curves of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, hugging sheer granite cliffs, the train slowed to a crawl.  Then, on Donner Pass, we cleared a long snow shed and came to a dead stop.  We sat for nearly an hour under a chairlift at the deserted Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, where high weeds and blue lupine flowers overgrew the detached chairs that were scattered haphazardly around the bottom terminal of a lift.  Frequent stops for no apparent reason, slowdowns on extended stretches of track, long-drawn-out delays on sidings while waiting for an oncoming train to pass—these things did not bother me, but they drove Wanda mad.“Who the hell’s operating this thing?” she said.  “A stoned sloth?”Working behind the stoves in the cramped galley, Wanda’s trains always ran on time.  She could flawlessly choreograph a four-course meal without seeming to think about it, but you wouldn’t know it by the way she trash-talked her work.  “Dog vomit,” she said, poking at the sauce béarnaise.  “Monkey piss,” she said, dipping a finger into a pot of consommé Julienne.  “Regurgitated hog maw,” she said, taking a tray of potatoes au gratin from the oven. “Flush hard, ladies and gentlemen of the Zephyr,” she said. “It’s a long way to Mother’sgalley.” She held her nose, she fanned the air with kitchen towels, she sneered at the plates of food as they went out.  From the other side of the pass-through, I watched her closely. I listened for her voice. In my former world, the world of pampered, Division 1 college athletes, humility was a rare trait. If I was moderately attracted to this woman, I dismissed it as early onset of Stockholm syndrome—the hostage falling for his captor.I threw myself into my bartending duties without regard to where we were headed or when we would get there.  My future was squarely in the hands of my eccentric employer, a quirky chef, and the crew of the train to which we were yoked.              The Zephyr left Reno nearly two hours late.

BOOK GIVEAWAY - SHADOW'S HAND by Noelle Nichols

Shadow's HandThe Shadow's Creed Saga Book 1by Noelle NicholsGenre: Epic Fantasy
I used to believe our morals were absolute.
I no longer am certain.
Imposters pose as our Shadow group, spreading panic and killing innocents across the lands. These False Shadows wield a magic in its infancy, a power they call the Skills. There’s great potential to this power, but a menacing undertone taints those who wield it. Their intentions are sinister, without purpose, and their morals, questionable.
I am Kilo, a Shadow of Vaiyene, and I vow to put an end to these False Shadows. My friends have been killed. My homeland, threatened. These imposters know our weakness, and they seek to exploit who we are. I fear before the end, I may forsake the very creed I’ve lived my life by. Despite this, I must persist and find a way to return peace to the lands. I will become the strength our people need.
---
My parents were brave and honorable. I am neither of these.
This is no longer the world my parents knew. Peace is threatened in Vaiyene and across the lands. The False Shadows have attacked, and despite our Phantoms reassurance, I am not naïve enough to believe we are safe.
I am Shenrae, one of the next generation of Shadows. My comrades doubt me, as I often doubt myself, but I have no other choice than to fight. The Phantoms cannot protect us for long. Soon, I will have to find my place, and my strength, or I will lose everything I have left.

Shadow’s Hand is the first book in a heroic epic fantasy, inspired by Japan’s samurai and their warrior code Bushido. It’s a story about the makings of a hero and the hero’s sacrifice. If you like characters with strong morals, fast-paced epic storytelling and exploring magic’s morality, you’ll love The Shadow's Creed Saga. Pick up a copy today and join Kilo and Shenrae on their heart-twisting journey to restore peace.


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Hello, I'm Noelle. A writer, a creator and most of all a dreamer.

We have the opportunities, both as writers and readers, to experience people who are better than ourselves. Flawed still, but people who go against all odds, perhaps too great for us in real life to aspire to. They speak grander, fight against magical forces and live in a place where imagination and dreams can thrive. This is why I write Fantasy. Within my characters I find the strength and hope for a better tomorrow, one that can be more fantastical and beyond reality. It's these characters that I wish to write, and these journeys I want to take my reader's on.
I've been writing my trilogy, The Shadows Creed Saga, for the past five years. The original idea came to me back in high school where I had the support of many of my English teachers to continue writing the book. However, I realized that in order to write a good book, I needed to have experienced life more. I needed to lose someone close. I needed to have my heartbroken. I needed to know what it was like to really love someone, and what it means to be loved. So, I put my book away and came back to it eight years later. I feel that I can instill my life experiences into my characters now and really understand them.
I now feel I have the discipline, experience and imagination needed to bring the books to publication. For now, this is my records to publication and my writing process. My only wish is to write books that take people on a journey, and feel that perhaps they have a friend and someone to aspire to within the pages.

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$50 AMAZON GIVEAWAY - THE BLUE UNICORN'S JOURNEY TO OSM by Sybrina Durant

The Blue Unicorn's Journey to OsmBlack and White Coloring Bookby Sybrina DurantGenre: Middle Grade Fantasy
The wood-cut look illustrations in The Blue Unicorn’s Journey To Osm Black and White Illustrated book are reminiscent of old world fairytales by authors like Lewis Carroll and The Brother’s Grimm.  It is a story which transcends age and presents valuable life lessons on overcoming adversity through perseverance and valuing friendship.
Everybody loves unicorns! OK maybe they don't but for those who do, they will love this story about a little unicorn who was born into a tribe of magical, metal horned unicorns. The little guy has no magic and he has no metal but somehow he must save the tribe from an evil sorcerer. Read the book to find out if he can do it.


“The metal horned unicorns are doomed!” That’s what Lauda Lead Horn wailed when she first saw the tribe’s new savior. OK, so his horn was not metal. . .and he did not have a magic power. . .and he was really a puny little runt. But doomed? Were things really that bad?
Well, things were pretty bad in the land of MarBryn. Magh, an evil sorcerer utilized unicorn horns and hooves to create his magical potions and spells. Those he used, to increase his power and to conquer everyone in his path. All of the unicorns from the Tribe of the Metal Horn were now gone . . . except for twelve survivors.
Before the blue unicorn was born, Numen told Alumna, the aluminum-horned oracle, that he had a plan to bring the tribe back home to Unimaise. His prophecy was, “Only the blue unicorn can join with the Moon-Star. Until then, no new unicorns will be born.” Blue was the last unicorn born. Twenty years later, his horn was still covered with a plain blue colored hide. There was not a glint of metal to be seen on it or his hooves. And he still didn’t have any magic. But he was no longer scrawny and he had his wits. Though no one else in the tribe thought he had a chance, Blue felt ready to make Magh pay for his evil deeds. And he went off to do it alone. That was Blue’s first mistake. If the entire tribe was not standing horn-tip to horn-tip at the proper time and the exact place to help usher the Moon-Star Spirit into Blue’s horn, he would die. Then, the rest of the tribe would really be doomed.
Readers will follow along two journey paths in this book. Blue is joined in his travels by his mentor Gaiso, the Stag and his friend, Girasol the Firebird as they try to find their way across a danger-filled MarBryn to Muzika Woods. The rest of Blue’s tribe is forced to follow another route due to Nix Nickle Horn’s unfortunate incident with a Manticore. Nix, the great unicorn defender must safely lead the way for Ghel, the Golden-Horned unicorn; Silubhra Silver Horn; Cornum the Brass-Horned unicorn; Steel Horned Style; Cuprum the Copper-Horned unicorn; Tin-Horned Tinam; Dr. Zinko; Iown the Iron-Horned unicorn and the others in an action packed adventure to their destination in Muzika Woods. Both journey paths converge there in the Nebulium Circle.
This ebook, for teens and older readers, will introduce you to the Read and Color black and white version of The Blue Unicorn's Journey To Osm Illustrated book. If you love to read and you love to color, this is the book for you. Read a chapter, then color the fanciful pictures yourself in this fully-illustrated black and white version of "The Blue Unicorn's Journey To Osm". 
This book, written by Sybrina Durant and illustrated by Dasguptarts, offers readers a visual feast of over forty beautiful water-color pictures that each span two pages. Forty-two - easy to digest two-page chapters are chock full of adventurous and entertaining morsels. If you love to read and you love to color, this is the book for you. Read a chapter, then color the fanciful pictures yourself in this fully-illustrated black and white version of "The Blue Unicorn's Journey To Osm". This illustrated book will become a favorite of teen and older fantasy readers.  A companion coloring/ character description book is also available at any online bookstore.


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Hi!


I'm Sybrina. . .. . .Just one of millions of wannabe author/singer/songwriters out there but I hope, after reading or hearing my books and songs, you'll think my contributions to the world have as much value as any other famous artist out there today. 
Fame is all in being in the right place at the right time but at least with the internet and venues like this, all of us have opportunities to share our creativity with the world. I'm so happy that I am able to share my works with you. That is awesome!
The books I’ve written span a wide range between illustrated picture books, coloring books and YA novels to technical and how-to books. 
Enjoy!

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$20 AMAZON GIVEAWAY - WOMAN EX Real Laplaine

Woman Exby Real LaplaineGenre: SciFi Thriller
The world in the very near future undergoes a radical shift in power - changes forced upon it by two global catastrophic events. Wars suddenly fade to nothing. Religious conflicts disappear. Crime is all but gone. Nuclear weapons are banned and peace reigns across the globe. The proverbial "new-age of man" has come, but not without a price. Woman EX is a thrilling ride into the near future, one where women must take over in a world where men have become an endangered species and are expendable. But, all is not well in the new utopia. Power, as always, corrupts some entrusted with it, and the vision of a society without men drives Lady V, the President of New America, a woman haunted and driven by her own demons, to do the unthinkable. She is about to introduce Woman EX - something that will change the human race forever. 

"An utterly captivating and quickly-paced thriller..."
Author, Victoria Ichizli-Bartels
"Here is another fascinating book from an author I came to enjoy so much."A.G. Mogan, author of The Secret Journals of Adolf Hitler 


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I write existential thrillers in geopolitical, crime and sci-fi genres. I don't strictly follow the rules of the genres - my books have an existential weave to them. I invite the reader to step outside the box of mediocrity and see different perspectives and possibly even, to challenge the paradigms that have become our accepted  "norms."
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$10 AMAZON GIVEAWAY - SCHISMS by James Wolanyk

SchismsThe Scribe Cycle #2by James Wolanyk Three long years have passed since Anna, First of Tomas, survived the purge in Malijad after being forced to use her scribe sigils to create an army of immortals. Safely ensconced in the shelter of the Nest, a sanctuary woven by one of her young allies, Anna spends her days tutoring the gifted yet traumatized scribe, Ramyi—and coming to terms with her growing attachment to an expatriate soldier in her company.Away from her refuge, war drums continue to beat. Thwarted in her efforts to locate the elusive tracker and bring him to justice, Anna turns to the state of Nahora and its network of spies for help. But Nahoran assistance comes with a price: Anna must agree to weaponize her magic for the all-out military confrontation to come.Dispatched to the front lines with Ramyi in tow, Anna will find her new alliances put to the test, her old tormentors lying in wait, and the fate of a city placed in her hands. To protect the innocent, she must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. For even in this season of retribution, the gift of healing may be the most powerful weapon of all.
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ScribesThe Scribe Cycle #1
Pawns in an endless war, scribes are feared and worshipped, valued and exploited, prized and hunted. But there is only one whose powers can determine the fate of the world . . .Born into the ruins of Rzolka’s brutal civil unrest, Anna has never known peace. Here, in her remote village—a wasteland smoldering in the shadows of outlying foreign armies—being imbued with the magic of the scribes has made her future all the more uncertain.Through intricate carvings of the flesh, scribes can grant temporary invulnerability against enemies to those seeking protection. In an embattled world where child scribes are sold and traded to corrupt leaders, Anna is invaluable. Her scars never fade. The immunity she grants lasts forever.Taken to a desert metropolis, Anna is promised a life of reverence, wealth, and fame—in exchange for her gifts. She believes she is helping to restore her homeland, creating gods and kings for an immortal army—until she witnesses the hordes slaughtering without reproach, sacking cities, and threatening everything she holds dear. Now, with the help of an enigmatic assassin, Anna must reclaim the power of her scars—before she becomes the unwitting architect of an apocalyptic war.


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James Wolanyk is the author of the Scribe Cycle and a teacher from Boston. He holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts, where his writing has appeared in its quarterly publication and The Electric Pulp. After studying fiction, he pursued educational work in the Czech Republic, Taiwan, and Latvia. Outside of writing, he enjoys history, philosophy, and boxing. His post-apocalyptic novel, Grid, was released in 2015. He currently resides in Riga, Latvia as an English teacher. 

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BOOK GIVEAWAY: THE HELLCAT SERIES by Sharon Hannaford

A Cat's Chance in HellHellcat Series Book 1by Sharon HannafordGenre: Urban Fantasy
If the Demon Master gets his way the City is about to become Hell on Earth.

Gabi has some extraordinary talents. Some might call them supernatural, but for her they’re just part of everyday life. What she knows about the supernatural would give most humans nightmares forever. Ridding the streets of bad-ass creatures of the night is Gabi’s other job. Taking up the mantle of her father’s legacy, she is a Hunter for the Societas Malus Venatori. The first female ever bestowed the title. Her day job is a little less dangerous. Most of the time. 
Being ambushed and kidnapped by the sinfully sexy Master Vampire of the City should have been just another night on the job, except for the fact that Julius has other plans for her. When he reveals that his nemesis wants control of the City and has plans to fill it with Demons from the Etherworld, creating an army of Ghouls and turning humans into nothing more than cattle to feed his Clan, Gabi must choose her path. She must decide whether to join with Julius in a stand against the Demon Master or flee the City with her friends and family, leaving the Vampires to wage their own war and the rest of the residents to their fate.
But it’s not in Gabi’s nature to back down from a fight, no matter how impossible the odds. As the Malus Venatori prepare for war, Gabi finds herself pulled deeper into Julius’s world and she makes some disturbing discoveries about her unusual supernatural abilities. Her existence might just be the answer to a mystery as old as the Vampire race. Even more unsettling than that is her undeniable attraction to Julius and the taste of his blood. But before she can come to terms with her conflicting desires they must all survive the Demon onslaught and find a way to safeguard the truth of her heritage. 
While the supernatural bad guys know her as Angeli Morte, her friends call her Hellcat!
If you like your heroine smart, sassy and absolutely kick-ass and your Vampire hero sexy as sin and twice as dangerous you’re going to love the Hellcat Series.
Contains adult content.

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All Hell Breaks LooseHellcat Series Book 2
In the City, the Werewolves are restless. 

Gabi is striving to get back to life as usual. Dealing with the aftermath of being kidnapped and tortured by Dantè, wrapping her head around being a Dhampir, and trying to figure out Julius’s unexpected attitude as he withdraws from her and becomes cool and distant. As if that isn’t enough to cope with, she receives the disturbing news that someone she cares about has been dragged unwillingly into her world after a brutal and calculated Werewolf attack. 
As rogue Werewolves run rampant through the City, it becomes clear there will be no gentle reintroduction to Gabi's duties as Hunter for the Societas Malus Venatori. Once again the Vampires join forces with the SMV to contain the threat, but the odds seem stacked against them and the casualties keep mounting. Tensions run high as the perpetrators manage to stay one step ahead of the Hunters and the senseless violence continues. No one suspects betrayal from within, until Gabi’s pets unmask a traitor. But the traitor isn’t the real threat and the war has only just begun.
This time their nemesis isn’t playing by any rules and no one is safe in this deadly, new game. Not even the Master Vampire of the City. As the undeniable chemistry between Gabi and Julius reignites, they realise the danger isn’t only to the human population of the City, but threatens to overwhelm them all. What they finally uncover brings Gabi into very real conflict with the SMV Council and leaves her questioning her life-long allegiances. 
Not all monsters come in obvious monster packages and sometimes what you’re fighting to protect is what you should be fighting against. 
Not everyone will walk away from this fight intact. 
Strap in, hang on and grab a breath while you can. All hell is about to break loose!
"The Hellcat series is one wild ride ... one of the best new series to hit the dark urban fantasy world, ever! Two words: more, please." Diane Nelson (Sand in my Shoes Reviews)

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A Cold Day in HellHellcat Series Book 3
The City may be calm, but is the Hunter about to become the hunted?

For the first time in months the City is peaceful, so peaceful that Gabi’s suspension from the Societas Malus Venatori doesn’t feel like a punishment. Her relationship with Julius is stronger than ever and Kyle has finally found his soul mate, even if he seems to need some convincing. Gabi thinks boredom is her most serious problem. She couldn’t be more wrong. 
The visitor Julius has been both expecting and dreading arrives, bringing with him dire news. An old enemy, out to destroy them, has revealed to the Masters of the Vampire race that Gabi is a Dhampir. The visitor’s presence also answers the question that’s been simmering in Gabi’s head for years; the truth of her origins. This truth brings with it a deeper understanding of the implications of her very existence, and she doesn’t like what she discovers. But it’s too late to change what’s been done and Julius must now answer to the Princeps’ Court. 
As Gabi makes plans to leave the City, drawing danger away from friends and family, a dark prophesy by the Magi Oracles forces her to change course. She will not be leaving the City alone, and she will not be running from the threat. She, Julius and a handful of others will be heading straight into the mouth of the beast. They must present themselves at Court before the Princeps travel to the City and inadvertently uncover one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Magi world. 
While the Princeps wear a face of impartiality and civility, what boils beneath the surface is a storm of selfishness, greed, lust and perversion. Danger lurks in every corner and it soon becomes clear that someone is determined to ensure that Gabi will never get the chance of a fair hearing.
Old friends and old enemies do what they have always done best, while new friends and new enemies emerge at every turn. Only one thing is sure; it’ll be a cold day in Hell before Hellcat goes down without a fight.
Put the coffee on and warm up your page-turning finger, it’s going to be a long night. 
This is a full length novel. 
Please note this novel is written in UK English and contains some adult content.

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To Hell and Back Hellcat Series Book 4
SOME SECRETS ARE WORTH DYING TO PROTECT

When Werewolves start turning up dead, drained of blood, the City’s Alphas turn accusing eyes on the Vampires. It doesn’t take much to get the newly-formed Werewolf Alliance riled up. But once Vampires start dying the same way it becomes clear they have a mutual enemy. 
An unexpected visitor brings news that vulnerable supernaturals from neighbouring towns are also being kidnapped and murdered, and that the City seems to be the focus of the violence. With no idea of the motives behind the attacks, Gabi and the rest of the City’s defenders immediately commit to eliminating whoever, or whatever, is behind the bizarre and gruesome acts. 
Adding to the chaos, demons suddenly attack in unprecedented numbers, stretching the City’s supernatural resources thin. The reappearance of an old foe from the Etherworld sparks fears that Mariska is back and still seeking revenge. And that once again, she’s made powerful, dark alliances. When all fingers point to something hellbent on uncovering whatever secrets the City hides, eyes finally turn to the Magi. 
A war will be waged for the greatest supernatural prize of them all, and the outcome is impossible to predict. Not even the presence of a powerful Princep and the shocking revelation of Julius’s true potential can assure victory for the pure of heart. 
This time Gabi is determined to get Mariska in her crosshairs, and she’s ready and willing to even the score. But there is no guarantee that everyone will survive this trip to Hell and back!

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Come Hell or High WaterHellcat Series Book 5
IS IT WRONG TO FEAR SHADOWS WHEN THOSE SHADOWS HAVE THE POWER TO DESTROY YOU?

The City’s supernatural community is still in mourning, but there’s no time to spend licking their wounds. The face of the City has changed forever and now her citizens must keep up or risk succumbing to the darkness.
As the Magi withdraw to protect themselves and their vulnerable power source, it falls to the Werewolves to step into the void left by a crippled SMV. The Vampires are more than willing to help, but things are moving in the shadows; bad things that threaten to destroy everything Julius has worked for. Princep scheming seems suspicious, but in truth the greater danger lurks much closer to home.
When one of Gabi’s Werewolf friends is kidnapped by tech-savvy vigilantes it seems like an open and shut case of humans fearing what they do not understand. But as Julius travels from the City to answer the Princeps’ summons, leaving Gabi in the relative safety of the Clan, it soon becomes clear that they’ve misjudged the real enemy.
Left confused and floundering, it’s the Princep Benedict who finally provides the information they desperately seek. But his answers do not come without a price.
Defending their beloved City may seem overwhelming, but, come Hell or high water, Hellcat and Co will do whatever it takes.
Batten down the hatches, a tempest is imminent.

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There'll Be Hell to PayHellcat Series Book 6
THIS TIME IT’S PERSONAL

Just a few months ago Gabi thought her life was damn near perfect. She could never have imagined that meeting one man would spark a chain of events that would change everything. The only resemblance to her previous life is her relentless hunt for supernatural criminals. Right now, her world has narrowed to two points of focus; co-leading the newly formed Special Investigations Department alongside Julius, her Master Vampire Consort, and searching for the traitorous Vampire Caspian and his pregnant Dark Magus cohort, Mariska. Catching up with friends and making peace with her mother are also on her agenda for the week, but life may just have other plans.
Even the most rookie supernatural investigator would figure out that things aren’t going well for the Magi of the City, but the High Council is maintaining its silence and remaining distant from the other races. The safety and security of the City’s population is falling ever more heavily on the shoulders of the fledgling Werewolf Alliance, leaving Kyle, Trish and the other Pack Alphas to handle a rising influx of demons committed to infiltrating the City and wreaking havoc.
There are many scenarios that keep Gabi from her sleep, and when one of those concerns becomes a sickening reality, it rocks her to the core. Taking one of those most dear to her is a dangerous game, one that few would play, knowing what she and Julius are capable of. The list of suspects is short and the guilty party soon shows their hand, but is this all just a ruse and what could they hope to accomplish by riling up such powerful enemies?
There is no rest for the team as, with one emergency over, they are handed a scrap of information that will ultimately lead them straight to Caspian and Mariska. But are they truly ready for the final standoff?
Who will make the ultimate sacrifice and how will the rest deal with the repercussions of an ancient prophesy that culminates in the birth of Mariska’s twin children?
This is the nail-biting conclusion to the Hellcat Series.Buckle up boys and girls - there’s turbulence ahead.

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Raising HellA Hellcat World Novel
The rest period is over and the ultimate endgame round has just begun.
The City has seen a peaceful lull for the past three years. The Werewolf Alliance has settled into their role as peacekeepers, stamping out threats the moment they rear their heads. The Magi have recovered from their losses both in numbers and strength and the Veil is more solid than ever. The Vampires never rest; the desire to create Dhampirs grows despite the law and the deadly consequences, but even their weapons are gathering dust.And yet all of them know this peace is an illusion; a small space in time to rest and regroup. Because the Decuria still exist in the shadows and the Prophesy calls to all sides. The battle of the millennium is looming and only one side can win.A new player has joined the game as old foes prepare to once more roll the dice. The board pieces are set, the gameplan is decided and the protectors of the City are the only ones who don’t know the rules.Kyle and Trish have the family they never dared to wish for. Not only two daughters but an ever-growing, ever-strengthening Werewolf Pack. The love and security of family is everything they desired, but the weight of responsibility is burdensome and they can never let down their guard. Just when they thought everything was black and white, they are faced with a new choice; one that is all shades of grey, one that could change the Werewolf world forever.Still reeling from the shock of the decision they must make, the fragile peace is inevitably broken, leaving the Pack blind-sided and chasing their tails. It will take everything they have to keep their family and friends safe. They will have to find strength in their weaknesses and vulnerability in their strengths if they are to survive this assault. Can they ever be prepared for the consequences of that which has been prophesied?Fasten that safety belt and grab a handhold, this will not be a quiet Sunday afternoon drive.


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Sharon has been calling herself a writer since she was eight years old. She wrote her first auto-biography at age ten. As a teenager, she was teased about being a witch, because she wore lots of black and walked around with her black, Oriental cat on a lead. She never disagreed too loudly, after all, that may have drawn attention to the herd of unicorns that lived in her back garden. 
Born and raised in South Africa, she has called New Zealand home since 2008. Her life consists largely of looking after her husband, two kids, three cats, a dog, a pony and a horse, but her working day is spent writing, and her occasional hours off usually include books, horses or a glass of good red wine. Though she has had many jobs over the years, her favourite is, without doubt, being paid to write about the characters who take up residence in her head. After an early foray into writing for children, Sharon discovered Urban Fantasy; the genre that felt as though it had been created with her in mind. She loves nothing more than to create strong-willed, female lead characters, who challenge those around them almost as much as they challenge themselves. Sharon also loves animals of all shapes and sizes. She has owned all the usual suspects one would keep as a pet, and a few more exotic ones thrown in for good measure. She spent her teens working at a tourist farm and animal park, and as a result has handled everything from porcupines and warthogs, to ferrets and hedgehogs. She has been surrogate mom to many orphans including; kittens, lambs and an eagle owl. No matter how hard she tries, animals always seem to steal the limelight in her novels.


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