Tawdra Kandle's Blog, page 73
July 31, 2012
Immortal Voyage Excerpt
Immortal VoyageI am thrilled to share with you an excerpt from C.G. Powell’s fabulous new novel! Enjoy. . .
“Must I leave my trunk behind?” She frowned as she hung her bag over Farth’s back.
“Unless you plan on carrying it in your lap, yes. I promise we will stop back here on our way home. Ugis and Edric will wait for our return to Dunfin before we all head home together,” said Tam.
“Can’t we use a pack animal?” she pleaded as Edric helped her onto Farth’s back.
“There have been problems with brigands lately, and I don’t want to be burdened with pack animals. If you do not wish to be parted from your comfortable bed and pretty dresses, you can stay here and forget your search,” Tam offered, attempting to sway her from continuing her quest.
Lenni sighed and said nothing further as they began their trip to Blackrock. Traveling along the well-formed trail Laird Dunfin advised them to take, the sun warmed the chilled air as it climbed high in the sky. Lenni closed her eyes as she rode. It had been awhile since they last stopped, but they were almost there, and Tam didn’t want to lose any more time. A vision began to form in her mind much like the one of her mystery man. This time there were arrows flying in front of her, the whistle of their fletching penetrated her ears. As she looked to Tam an arrow impaled his chest and knocking him to the ground. Lenni gasped and opened her eyes, her heart beating out of control as she saw Tam still mounted on Freya and looking at her like she was possessed by demons.
“We need to get off this trail,” she gasped, still recovering from her vision.
“What is going on, Lenni?” Worry crossed his brow.
“Just do as I ask,” she snapped, panic welled up inside of her.
“Very well, but be warned, I don’t know my way around here. We could end up lost,” he replied, turning his horse off the main path and onto a small side trail.
Lenni let out a deep breath before whispering to herself, “I would rather you be lost than dead.”
Minutes after they left the trail, an arrow crossed just in front of Tam’s face. He yelled for Lenni to hold on before kicking Farth in the haunch. They rode hard until they could see the edge of the forest, and once Tam felt they were safe, they slowed to a canter and then a walk. He could tell by the look on Lenni’s face now was not the time to question what just happened.
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July 29, 2012
Lust Garden
The Lust GardenWith her perfectly tousled blonde hair and pink, pouty lips, Gianna Salvani is the girl everyone loves to hate. She has it all – fame, fortuneand unrivaled beauty. But behind the seductive smile is an insecure girl who still grieves for the father she lost years ago. With a controversial new film in the can, and the release of her debut album looming, Gianna ispoised to take center stage. But when a shocking secret leaves her exposed, her fame will bring her face-to-face with a nightmare she never saw coming. Because lurking in the shadow of her spotlight is an obsessed killer with plans of his own for Gianna.
Ignited by his first conquest, Gianna’s greatest admirer begins a brutal hunt to claim her as the ultimate trophy in a string of look-alike murders. Motivated by envy, he forces himself into her seemingly untainted world and threatens to ruin everything she’s built by revealing a hidden tie that binds them. And if you knew his secret, you’d want to kill her too
Billy Jolie graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in Mass Communications. He lives in the Tampa Bay area.
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July 24, 2012
Stephanie Nelson Anniversary Giveaway
I’m happy to help author Stephanie Nelson celebrate her first anniversary as a published author!
July 25th marks one year since I published Craved – Book 1 in the Gwen Sparks Series. It’s been an amazing roller coaster and has forever changed my life. I’ve met some fantastic people, learned a lot and most importantly, found something I want to do with the rest of my life—write.
The support of my readers, friends and family has been amazing to say the least. To show my appreciation, I’ve put together one heck of a giveaway. Because of you guys, Craved reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller’s list and #5 on Barnes & Noble’s bestseller’s list. Thank you guys for making my first year of being publish something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Check out what you could win below!
Plus swag (postcards, boomarks, magnets, mousepads from multiple authors!)
July 22, 2012
Taming the Wolf
Attacked by a wolf while hiking in the m...
Taming the Wolf
Attacked by a wolf while hiking in the mountains, Anna Avery’s life just got a little hairier. Living in the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming, with a group of werewolves who are more animal than human, Anna must try to hold onto her human side.
It’s not easy when the alpha continues to persuade her into his bed, while another wolf is chomping at the bit to become her mate. To top it all off, dead bodies are showing up and it just so happens that Anna was the last to see them alive. She’ll have to work to prove her innocence and taming the wolf who bites first and asks questions never.
This book is not intended for readers under 18.
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July 18, 2012
DECEIVED: The Tour
Deceived – Book 2 in the Gwen Sparks Series
The vampire drug, brew, nearly ruined Gwen Sparks’ life. Just when things started to get back to normal between her and Aiden, she is summoned by the North American Witches Council to their central city of Moon.
A war is imminent between vampires and witches, and Gwen’s experiences with brew are being used to fuel the fire. She is about to discover just how powerful she is with the help of the ruggedly handsome Angel of Death and just how far some people will go to get what they want.
Gwen is going to learn exactly what it means to be Deceived.
We are thrilled to share this excerpt from Stephanie Nelson’s exciting new book DECEIVED!
“He sleeps naked!” I shrieked.
Patrick stopped talking and every head in the room turned towards Fiona and I. Oops, perhaps a bit louder than I intended. She giggled next to me while I wished the floor would swallow me whole.
“Gwen Sparks, up front,” Patrick ordered.
My stomach plummeted. It was like I was in junior high all over again—would he have me write my name on the chalkboard? With angry footsteps, I stomped up to the front of the room. Patrick looked like a general you’d find at any army base; shaved blonde hair, square face, brown eyes, and muscles that tried to escape his shirt. Once I was standing in front of him, he crossed the tree limbs he called arms and glared at me.
This is ridiculous I’m twenty-six years old! Why do I feel like I’m twelve?
“As much as everyone is interested in finding out who ‘sleeps naked’, I will not tolerate you disrupting the class. You will be my partner to demonstrate the lesson today.” Patrick’s face was hard and the caterpillars he called eyebrows, pulled together as he scowled. Fiona giggled a few rows back, but she covered it as a fake cough; the strong urge to use magic to tie her shoelaces together teased my thoughts.
“Today we will be practicing three different maneuvers,” Patrick continued, addressing the room again. “The first will demonstrate what to do if you’re being attacked. You will pair off. One will be the attacker and the other the victim.”
I bet I can guess which one I’ll play.
“Gwen, you will play the victim, and I’ll attack you.”
Ding, ding, ding! What do I win, Johnny?
While I was having a sarcastic conversation in my head, Patrick disappeared. Everyone’s head swiveled in different directions as they looked for where he went. As his intended victim, I was scared. Patrick wasn’t the type to pull punches. Being made an example out of at seven in the morning was a bitch.
Air whooshed behind me. I turned too late and was knocked across the padded practice mats—hard. I lay on the pad for a few seconds as I regained my breathing. Patrick stood over me with a satisfied smirk.
“You always have to be aware of your surroundings people. Vampires are quick and stealth; you won’t see them coming.” He offered a hand to help me up, but I ignored it and stood on my own. Patrick snorted at my childish snub and continued to speak to his soldiers. “So how do you anticipate a vampire if you can’t see them?”
A few hands rose in the air, mainly woman who cared more about getting his attention than getting the answer right. He was cute, if you liked the “I’m Tarzan, you Jane” attitude. I wouldn’t be surprised if he used a club to hit woman over the head and dragged them back to his cave.
“We could use a beckoning spell so vampires are always on our radar,” one woman said. “You know, because that way they couldn’t hide from us.”
“Wouldn’t that spell also make it so we were on their radar?” Patrick asked.
The woman’s cheeks turned a nice shade of red. “Yeah, I guess it would.”
More hands rose in the air, but he ignored them and turned towards me instead.
“Gwen?”
“What?”
“Do you know how to spot a vampire?”
“They’re the ones with the fangs?” A few people laughed at my sarcasm, but Patrick didn’t look amused.
“Give me ten,” he ordered.
“Ten what?”
“Pushups.”
Ah hell. “Seriously?” Someone needed to tell this dude we weren’t on an army base.
Enter to win one of 3 awesome prize packs – Autographed copies of both Craved and Deceived, and swag. This contest is brought to you by Author Stephanie Nelson and is coordinated by Promotional Book Tours
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July 12, 2012
Why review?
I love fan mail, and in the last few weeks, I’ve gotten some wonderful messages from people who really enjoyed Restless. Thank you so much!
I usually respond by reminding readers to stop by Amazon and/or Goodreads and leave me a review. The other day, someone responded, “Why? No one cares what I think about books.”
Au contraire, my friend! Reviews are essential to all writers, and they are especially important now, in the age of ebooks. Readers go to sites like Amazon, Smashwords, BN and Goodreads looking for a book to download. They can’t pick up a physical object, skim through it and get sense of its value. Most people judge by the cover, glance at the blurb and then skim down the reviews. Those few lines left by previous readers can make or break a sale.
So how can YOU help? It’s pretty simple. When you read a book–whether it’s mine or any other author’s–go to the author’s page on Amazon and leave a review. It doesn’t have to be an in-depth analysis of the meaning, the plot or the characters; you can simply say that you liked it (or didn’t) and one reason why.
And while you’re there, read through the other reviews. If you agree, hit ‘yes’ at the end. If you don’t, hit ‘no’. This will bring the most accurate reviews to the top of the page and keep the less helpful ones to the bottom.
Thank you so much for every kind word, every recommendation and referral. It really does make a huge difference!
July 9, 2012
Author Olivia Hardin Guest Post!
Thank you to my fellow author Olivia Hardin for her guest post today. I hope you’ll enjoy it and read her new book, Bitten Shame!
No Regrets
It was a really, really bad day, but my wonderful friend and fellow writer Liz Schulte supplied some advice. Punch someone… she said. Make it a stranger, then run like hell because they’re gonna call the cops. As so often seems to happen with writers, I started spinning a little story around her suggestions. I weaved in a little something from several other off-hand things that had happened to me recently and here you have it. An appropriate title escapes me, but nevertheless, here is my short, corny bit of prose!
I’m too old to cry. That thought circled the runway in his mind a few times, desperate for some place to crash and burn into a fireball of emotion. He sniffed once, twice, then dropped his head and let loose a single tear. He refused to allow more than that. Any more than a single tear would be stupid.
Roger removed the wetness from his cheek with a swipe of his hand, then pressed his body forward to heave himself from the park bench. The sun shone bright overhead, but he kept his head down and shuffled along the city square. He wouldn’t be shuffling if she were with him. No, her ready excitement would have them springing this way and that. She loved the outdoors and her enthusiasm always rubbed off on him. Bees flitted and buzzed around the freshly planted flowers along the south side of the square and he remembered how eager she would be to smell each and every one.
Mentally he cursed the sun, the blue sky and the colorful blooms for their mere presence. His Katie was gone and all the rest of the world could just go to hell.
People were moving too fast. Their bodies edged close to him, the expressions on their faces proof enough that they thought he was just an old man with nothing to do except get in their way. He wouldn’t give them any quarter, just carried on at his steady pace so that they would be forced to skirt along either side of him to get by.
A brute of a guy appeared a ways down the walk in front of him. The broad-chested man was heading right for Roger and the look on his face said he wasn’t about to step aside if the old man got in his way.
The fellow reminded him of a sergeant who used to bully him when he was stationed on Okinawa. A tight ball of resentment grew in the pit of Roger’s belly and he harrumphed to himself as he watched “Brutus” get closer. Memories of long ago years clouded his mind and he remembered the pretty brunette nurse who chided him over a few beers about the sergeant’s harassment.
“Next time you should just punch him. Punch him hard and then run as fast as you can. You look athletic enough and he’s a big bulky guy. He’ll never be able to catch you. Just do it.”
He remembered her winking at him, those green eyes of hers–the feature that made her look so striking–glistening like emeralds. She’d laughed, “Think about what a great story that will be to tell your grandkids one day.”
He couldn’t seem to recall her name, although her lovely face was emblazoned in his mind forever. They had chatted along for a while longer that day and before they parted she touched a small, delicate hand to his cheek and smiled, “Hey, even if you never do punch him, it’ll still be a great story to tell your grandkids. People always believe what old people say.” He never saw her again and he never did punch that sergeant.
You’re too old for regrets he told himself.
Roger stopped in place and squinted up at the sun. Damn, I miss Katie. The pain assailed him again and he fought more tears. No tears.
“Omph!” the air rushed from Roger’s lungs as “Brutus” shoved his shoulder to force him out of the way. He stumbled a bit and heard another passerby dispute the big guy’s treatment of an “old man.” While the two exchanged words, Roger brushed his sweaty hands against his thighs and felt a sly smile curl his lips.
Calm and cool, he approached “Brutus” and stood a step in front of the big man. The years had shortened his height significantly, but Roger stretched his spine tall as he pulled his arm back and delivered a strong punch to the guy’s jaw.
It was anything but a knock-out blow. Still “Brutus” was so surprised he stepped back two paces. Laughter welled up in Roger’s belly as he turned, shook his throbbing hand and walked away. There was no need to run. The passerby had recovered his own shock and gone back to harassing the bully.
He could picture Katie laughing at what he had done. A life with no regrets was a great life; that’s the lesson he would impart to the grandkids.
So, thanks for letting me guest blog today! No regrets!
~ Olivia
July 8, 2012
Group Tour! Big Giveaway!
Welcome to Promotional Book Tours July 6 Group Tour. We have teamed up with 10 Amazing Authors and several awesome bloggers to bring you a $100 Amazon Giftcard and a $50 Amazon Giftcard!Please check out the Fantastic authors bringing you these GiftcardsDon’t miss out on these great reads even if you don’t have a kindle yet. You can download the kindle app for you phone, desktop, or ipad HERE. All of these books are less than a Starbucks Coffee!
Storm of Desire
Corporate attorney Samantha Greco needs some peace and quiet to come to a decision about her career. Instead, while an icy nor’easter rages outside, she finds herself trapped in a cottage on Fenwick Island with Aiden Rourke, a man she used five years ago when she ran from the heartbreak of her fiancé’s betrayal.
Aiden Rourke has loved Sam for years. For one glorious night she was his. But then she fled, wounding his ego and his heart. Thrown together again, they soon discover time hasn’t diminished their fiery passion for each other. Only Aiden has ever been able to melt Sam with just a look or a touch. But the fear that she’s like her mother, who used men mercilessly, scares Sam to death.
Read More.. Purchase on Amazon Here (FREE July 6)
UnboundToni went from being a doctor, to the lover of a god in an instant. Remembering who she was, she’s now torn between her past self and her current love. Ben is stunned when Toni leaves and at the arrival of his long lost love, Catherine, but her arrival doesn’t eradicate Toni from his mind. Unlikely allies will team up to get Toni back from the Lord of the Underworld, Hades, but it’s not Hades they need to worry about.
Purchase on Amazon HERE
Living Sensitive (Book 1 of the Delia Rhodes series)In the small town of Willow Eve, Arkansas, feisty bartender, Delia Rhodes, lives a pretty normal life; if you consider having a ghost for a roommate, pixies as best friends and being one of the rarest hybrids to exist, normal. Her life is turned upside down when someone or something begins kidnapping pixies and she is forced to find out who is behind it and why. If that wasn’t enough for her to deal with, Delia meets a delicious vampire hybrid with a very important event coming up; his registration. Will he survive? Will Delia solve the kidnappings or get dragged into the middle of something much deeper?
Purchase on Amazon HERE
Living Soul (Veiled Series)Veiled from her previous existence as a gifted Angel, Tess is now a mere mortal growing up in foster care with her autistic foster brother, Dorian, and a twisted foster sister, Agatha—whose main goal in life is to torture them both.
Tess’ life has been dull and average at best; but all that changes with one look. When she inadvertently gazes into the eyes of the most popular guy in school—Alex Preston—Tess sees a glimpse of her previous existence.
Uncomprehending, Tess, wonders what those memories are and why she now feels like she knows Alex better than anyone in this world. More importantly, why is he haunting her dreams? Dreams so vivid, that they blur the lines of reality, awakening a slew of inexplicable paranormal abilities she didn’t know she possessed. Read more and Purchase on Amazon HERE
Hunter Moon (Lupine Series)Bawling cattle tore Shelby Flint from her bed. With lawyer fees to pay in her struggle to keep her ranch from the clutches of her greedy cousins, she couldn’t afford the loss of even one calf. When she sees a large wolf circling her cows, she aims and fires. While the wolf escapes, Shelby can’t seem to get away from her troubles when a marijuana grower sets up shop on her land, sabotaging her property and eventually coming after her. Adding to that, a handsome game warden is poking his nose into her business and working his way underneath her skin. Shelby will have to fight harder than she ever fought before to keep from losing her heart and everything she ever loved
Purchase on Amazon HERE
Broken Wings (Soul Searchers #1) Rio Laraquette thought the legend was nothing more than an enchanted tale about star-crossed lovers who left behind a fortune. That is, until she figures out that she—in a past life—was the culprit who stole a shipment of gold and silver and buried it somewhere in the hills of northern Nevada.
While searching for the treasure, Rio’s heart begins to ache for a man who’s been dead more than one hundred years. They say time heals all wounds, but what if it doesn’t…?
Purchase on Amazon HERE
All the Blue-Eyed Angels (Erin Solomon Mysteries, #1)“On my tenth birthday, I am baptized by fire.”
So begins Erin Solomon’s story, on a remote island in Maine where the Payson Church and thirty-four of its members have just burned. When the smoke clears, only Erin and her father remain. The police rule the tragedy mass suicide, but Erin knows the truth: no one in the Church wanted to die. She just isn’t sure how much her father had to do with their deaths.
More than twenty years later, Erin is an investigative journalist still burdened with her father’s secrets. When she receives incontrovertible evidence that the Payson congregation was murdered, she can no longer hide from the truth. She returns to her hometown only to find an intricate conspiracy involving her parents, …. Read More and Purchase on Amazon HERE
Cheyenne (Timeless #1) Murder, romance, secrets and hidden pasts. Deception from every angle—who’s telling the truth?
Cheyenne Wilson’s life is thrown into turmoil after her adoptive parents are killed in an accident. With only her best friend Colt to comfort her, she scours through the family archives, hoping to quell her grief. Instead she begins to unravel the mystery behind her birth parents, and her secret heritage. She is a Timeless- a being that ages one year for every hundred human years when they reach their twenties- and of the royal line, destined to gain great power.
But Cheyenne has other problems. The ones who killed her parents want her too, and Colt is hiding something of his own. Surrounded by danger and with few she can trust, Cheyenne must face the dark truth of her past, and choose between a forbidden love that will forever hold her heart, or her destiny… Purchase on Amazon HERE
Promises (Timeless #2) Cheyenne is determined to seek the light of truth in a web of darkness, but at what cost?
Still reeling from the revelations of her secret birthright and fated betrothals, Cheyenne’s thoughts tumble over the whirlwind of life since the death of her parents. Vowing to close herself off to spare her heart more pain, she keeps her distance and seeks her own path. But Colt, Daniel and Callon are constantly at her side, not giving her room to breathe or let her come to terms with her destiny. At the same time, her transformation into a Timeless begins; a process that could very well kill her. As if that wasn’t enough, her enemies are still out for her blood, and no-where is safe. Though new allies appear to protect her from the unseen dangers, which ones are friend and which are foe?
And can Cheyenne stand the ultimate pain of all… Purchase on Amazon HERE
Finding Alice (Alice Clark #1) Cursed with an intense version of empathy Alice runs from a wasted life to start a new one somewhere no one will know her; Hell, Michigan. Alice works at a hole-in-the-wall bar in the middle of nowhere mostly keeping to herself to avoid the overwhelming emotions of those around her. Alice allows her best friend to convince her into taking a few college classes without realizing it would drastically change her life forever. From her first day of class she was hooked on him; his scent, his eyes, the way he talked to her inside her head.
Throughout her struggles she learns about true love, true pain and the truth of her own heritage. Alice must quickly find out who she is because after all everyone else is out to find her. With Angels and Bounty Hunter’s in constant pursuit she finds protection within a group of Fallen Angels. These Fallen Angels vow to do anything to protect her; for it is their belief she will save their kind and all of mankind. Purchase on Amazon HERE
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July 6, 2012
Free Book!
SPELL CHECKED by C.G. Powell is FREE today and tomorrow! Don’t miss this book by the author of the just-released Immortal Voyage. Download it today!
July 3, 2012
$100 Giveaway!
Together with some other terrific indie authors, I’m sponsoring a fabulous giveaway!We are giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to Oberon Design ! They have eReader covers, necklaces, and more![image error]
Here are the authors bringing you this incredible prize. Click to read more about their books.
Coming Soon!
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