Christina Bauer's Blog, page 39

Happy Book Birthday RHODES!

TITLE: Angelbound RHODES, Book 4 in the Angelbound Offspring Series

GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

AVAILABILITY: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Apple Books / GooglePlay

RELEASE DATE: December 17, 2019

FORMAT: eBook, 30,000+ words

LIST PRICE: $6.99

RAFFLE: https://tinyurl.com/cb19raffle

TOUR: https://tinyurl.com/rhotour

DESCRIPTION:

As dragon shifters, Rhodes and Zinnia should never have fallen in love. Why? Zin’s a princess while Rhodes is only the hired help. If the pair remain in the dragon realm, then age-old prejudices might tear them apart.

But returning to Earth isn’t any better. In the human world, Rhodes and Zin are a musical sensation … and fame’s an even bigger relationship killer. Not to mention the fact that their old nemesis, Killian, keeps hatching evil plots against them. Bottom line? Rhodes has huge decisions to make, both for himself and Zin.

Sadly, it isn’t clear what path—if any—will end with Rhodes and his love having a future together.

Angelbound Offspring

1. Maxon

2. Portia

3. Zinnia

4. Rhodes

5. Kaps

6. Huntress

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Published on December 17, 2019 05:45

New Book Trailer: RHODES

Dear Readers,

So excited to share another book trailer with you! This one is for Angelbound Offspring 4, which is the epic conclusion to the story of Zinnia and Rhodes! We’re talking dragon shifters, forbidden love, and fast-paced action galore!

Christina

If for some reason the video doesn’t show, please click on this link or enter the following URL into your browser: https://tinyurl.com/trailrhodes

RELEASE DATE: RHODES launches on Tuesday, December 17th!

SEE IT ON: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Apple Books / GooglePlay

DESCRIPTION:

As dragon shifters, Rhodes and Zinnia should never have fallen in love. Why? Zin’s a princess while Rhodes is only the hired help. If the pair remain in the dragon realm, then age-old prejudices might tear them apart.

But returning to Earth isn’t any better. In the human world, Rhodes and Zin are a musical sensation … and fame’s an even bigger relationship killer. Not to mention the fact that their old nemesis, Killian, keeps hatching evil plots against them. Bottom line? Rhodes has huge decisions to make, both for himself and Zin.

Sadly, it isn’t clear what path—if any—will end with Rhodes and his love having a future together.

***The epic conclusion to the story of Rhodes and Zinnia! 30,000+ words***

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Published on December 16, 2019 04:45

Meet The Bloggers: RHODES Launch Tour

The fourth book in the Angelbound Offspring series, RHODES, releases on Tuesday December 17th with the help of an amazing group of kick-ass reviewers.
Take a look at the list below; you may discover your next favorite book blog!

RHODES tells the story of dragon shifters Zinnia and Rhodes. The pair should never have fallen in love–Zin’s a princess while Rhodes is the hired help. Even worse, enemies from Zin’s past are out to destroy them both. There’s only one option left: fight back.

December 16th

–Smada’s Book Smack

–Liberty’s Literary Loves

–ACME Teen Books – Kids and YA Too!

December 17th

–The Bouncing Tigger Reads

–The Book Junkie Reads . . .

–Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!

December 18th

–Hurn Publications

–diary of a wannabe writer

–@___nimraaa

–Mythical Books

December 19th

–Shalini’s Books & Reviews

–Radioactive Book Reviews

–Haddie’s Haven

–Bookworm for Kids

December 20th

–My Life Loves and Passion

–Incidental Inspiration

–Bee’s Blog on Books

December 21st

–The Avid Reader

–Paper Safari

–Fiona Reads and FoodSpots

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Published on December 14, 2019 08:38

Sample Chapter – RHODES

Dear Readers,

I’m super excited to share more of Zinnia and Rhodes’ story! Check out Chapter One from RHODES (Angelbound Offspring Book 4), which releases on December 17, 2019.

SEE IT ON: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Apple Books / GooglePlay

Christina

ZINNIA

I may be a princess trapped in a tower, yet I am a happy one. Why? My Rhodes sits nearby, strumming a new rhythm on his acoustic guitar.

Ah, sweet music.

The tower itself is called the Dragon’s Claw, for it resembles a huge talon that arcs up from ground. All around it, red desert stretches off in every direction.

Yes, it is a prison.

Happily I am on good terms with the warden, who is my sister, Huntress. My parents placed me and my sisters in this tower—that means Kaps is here as well—along with specific instructions for Huntress. Mum and Da trust her judgment. When Huntress tells the guards to look the other way, that’s what happens. Tonight, Huntress ordered the tower’s rooftop terrace to be vacated. Now I may enjoy alone time with my fated mate, what we dragon shifters call our rhana.

It is much appreciated.

Leaning back on my lawn chair, I stare up at the night sky. My Rhodes plays on. The new tune wraps about my soul. Staccato notes pluck at my heart. Long chords follow, moving into a slow refrain that captures Rhode’s inner strength. The song ends. I sigh.

“That was lovely. ”

“Thank you.”

With the tune has ended, I refocus on Rhodes once more. He is tall and lean with whip-strong muscle. While I’ve been in the Dragon’s Claw, my Rhodes has been training to join the Kathikon, the Emperor’s Guard. The work has paid off. My rhana’s shoulders, arms, and legs now bulge with muscle. His brown hair is cropped short; I long to run my fingers across the shorter cut. He fixes me with his moss-green eyes.

How long have I just been staring at him? Too long, possibly.

I clear my throat. “I’ve no lyrics for you yet.”

“Not a worry. I know you’ll come up with something lovely.”

Usually, I must hear a new tune at least three times before lyrics appear. These first listens are the best, though. I am not torturing myself to find the right phrase or rhyme. The song simply moves through me.

“Please play it again and soon,” I say.

“Happy to oblige.”

My Rhodes grins, and his long lashes add extra emphasis to any expression. The sight makes my heart spark. Turning, he resets his guitar into its case. This is a careful business, by the way. My Rhodes worked hard to rebuild one of his old childhood instruments. Now, any scratch on that guitar would feel like a deep wound to both of us.

While my Rhodes finishes his work, I really soak in my surroundings once more. The roof terrace holds little. Huntress, Kaps and I dragged up a trio of lawn chairs. That’s about it. My parents say we must live here for our safety, yet they give few specifics. And Mum and Da rarely visit, so we’ve had little chance to get more information. Still, Huntress believes it is serious, and I trust her.

That’s when I notice something new.

“Is that a picnic basket?” I ask.

My Rhodes carefully closes his guitar case with a small click. “It is.”

I spent years being held by the Triumvirate on Earth. During that time, my sole source of nutrition was dried protein bars. When I first escaped, I tried all sorts of foods. That didn’t end well. Now I only eat plain burgers. My Rhodes has been worried. He wishes to expand my diet.

My Rhodes opens a basket. Small containers line the interior. “I brought things we can taste together.”

On reflex, my mouth scrunches into a frown of disgust. “There is no forgetting the last thing I tried.”

“Dried chili peppers are not meant to be eaten by the handful.”

I count off more culinary disasters. “Or pickles. Or salt. Or cinnamon. The things eaten here are disgusting. I like my burgers.”

My Rhodes shoots me a sly look. He knows that after that song, I’ll do just about anything he asks. “How about this?” He opens a small container and takes out a little red thing.

“Is that bloody? I won’t eat anything that drips blood.”

“It’s not bloody. It’s a strawberry.”

Vague memories sift through the back of my mind. I recall my life as a child, before I was taken by the Triumvirate. Sunshine spilled out over a bowl of red fruit topped with cream. Strawberries. Delicious. Sitting upright and sideways on my chair, I reach toward the fruit and stop myself.

Delicious, my foot. I also thought that about the dried chili peppers.

My Rhodes sits down beside me on the lawn chair. He holds up a strawberry and pops it in his mouth. “Mmmmm.” Then, he offers another one to me.

I scooch away from him an inch. “Still looks bloody.”

My Rhodes chuckles. I love the way the moonlight outlines his strong frame as his shoulders shake with laughter. “I’ve an idea.” My Rhodes reaches into the basket and pulls out a long checkered napkin. “Cover your eyes and you won’t see a thing.”

I am Furor. Our powers cover the mortal sins of lust and wrath. At this suggestion, something stirs inside me. All of a sudden, I can’t think of anything I want more than to have my eyes covered while My Rhodes does anything. I’d even try more chili peppers if he asked.

“All right.” My heart thuds faster against my rib cage.

With gentle movements, my Rhodes rolls the napkin into a band that he ties over my eyes. “Comfortable?”

I nod. To be honest, I’m perhaps a little intrigued here.

All right, far more than a little intrigued.

“Ready for your first taste?” asks my Rhodes. His voice is the perfect mixture of growly and sweet.

“Yes.”

I open my mouth and my Rhodes sets a round something on my tongue. I try to speak past the shape, but it’s not easy. “Isth bumpy.”

“Those are tiny seeds. They don’t taste like anything. You need to bite down to get the real flavor.”

What kind of taste will I find?

I test the item out on my tongue. It certainly doesn’t have the coppery tang of blood. Little by little, I bite down. The flavor bursts with the sweet taste of summer. I chew quickly and swallow. “I remember! Huntress, Kaps, and I ate these when we were little! Great bowls of strawberries and cream!”

“Ready for another one?”

“Oh, yes.” I open my mouth. This time, my Rhodes sets something hard and flat on my tongue. I bite down right away. It is starchy and salty. “Not bad.”

“That’s a cracker. Ready for another?”

I merely open my lips in reply. My Rhodes pops a small square in my mouth. I bite down into the most glorious flavor ever. It is smooth and sweet, creamy and dark, all at once. I stop chewing so I may savor the taste. Without meaning to, a single sound escapes me. “Mmmm.”

“That, my lovely Zinnia, is chocolate.”

With my right hand, I lift my blindfold up a little so I may shoot my Rhodes a sly look. With my left hand, I crook him closer. The meaning is clear.

Let’s share.

–End Of Sample–

SEE IT ON: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Apple Books / GooglePlay

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Published on December 09, 2019 03:31

Review Roundup – SLIPPERS AND THIEVES

Dear Readers,

Ever since I was a kid, Cinderella was my favorite story. As in, I played a TON of Cinderella Barbie. Over the years, I had a lot of questions, starting with: why didn’t she just leave her evil stepfamily? It’s not like Cinderella didn’t have marketable skills in rodeo management and house cleaning. I noodled this and other questions over for years, and the result is SLIPPERS AND THIEVES. All of which is why i’m thrilled that the reviews have come in so positive from some of my favorite bloggers!

Check out the quotes below and see SLIPPERS AND THIEVES on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo and GooglePlay.

Best,

Christina

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Published on December 07, 2019 16:03

Best and Worst Fairy Tales

My new book, SLIPPERS AND THIEVES, retells the Cinderella story. As part of the launch tour, the brilliant folks at Jazzy Book Reviews asked me to discuss my most and least favourite fairy tales. I love this question so here goes…

THE THREE WORST FAIRY TALES IN THE HISTORY OF EVER, IMHO

Three. Princess and the Frog

In this story, the princess is a witch-with-a-b who chucks a defenseless amphibian against a wall. Not okay. She’s then rewarded for this violent behaviour (I’m making finger quotes while typing rewarded) by getting a prince. Eew, eew, eew.

Two. Princess and the Pea

Here the so-called princess is identified by her ability to whine about bedding. Being a high-maintenance guest should not be equated with royalty. That’s just being a douchebag.

One. Goldilocks

This is another tale that I place in the category of high-maintenance behaviour mistaken as cool. Breaking and entering is against the law, end of story. If one is in need of support, then it’s appropriate to wait outside the home for the family to return before helping yourself to their shit.

THREE SUPER-COOL FAIRY TALES THAT I ADORE

Three. Athena

This one is more of a myth than a fairy tale, but this is my list, so nyah. Athena is the Greco-Roman goddess of war. Even though she is the only deity (other than Zeus) who can wield the infamous thunderbolt, she normally uses clever ruses to defeat her opponents instead. That’s class.

Two. Isis

The Isis myth was a top story in northern Africa for more than 40,000 years. Its lessons even informed ancient Egypt, a culture that survived 3000 years (that’s more than ten times longer than the US, for those who are counting.) The tale is all about doing the right thing over materialism. Yes. I write about Isis in more detail here.

Three. Cinderella

This is my all-time favourite story and I adore the Grimm’s Fairy Tale version. In the original, Cinderella gets her own ass to the ball. No fairy godmothers involved. I adore this take on the character and definitely was inspired by that approach when writing my own Cinderella book.

So there you have it—my worst and first fairy tales. Hope you enjoyed my list!

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Published on December 04, 2019 17:43

My Playlist: SLIPPERS AND THIEVES

As part of the launch of my new book, SLIPPERS AND THIEVES, the lovely folks at What Is That Book About asked me to share the playlist that helped inspire this novel. So you know, SLIPPERS AND THIEVES is the fourth book in my Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. It reimagines Cinderella in (what I hope is!) a fresh, funny and kickass way.

Now on to the playlist!

While writing this book, I obsessively listened to a Youtube playlist of thirteen awesome tunes. Here are the top ones that really inspired me.

One. The Wallflowers – One Headlight

First of all, how cute is Bob Dylan’s son, aka the lead singer of the Wallflowers? So cute. In fact, Jakob Dylan is an inspiration for another character of mine, Rhodes, who’s both a dragon shifter and a guitar player (in the Angelbound Offspring series). But I digress. This particular tune has a line that goes: “me and Cinderella, we put it all together.” Every time I’d hear this song in years past, I’d think, damn! One day I got to write me a version of Cinderella. And now, it’s here! Yay!

Two. Elastica – Connection

To me, this song is all about the in-your-face feeling when you really connect with another person. In particular, this tune inspired me while writing the scene where Alec Le Charme first sees Elle Cynder. BOOM!!!!

Three. Lady Gaga – Paparazzi

This one was another inspiration for Alec Le Charme. As a celebrity, Alec’s life involves a lot of dealing with press and fans. As this song hints, being in the public eye can attract some real kooks! As lyrics go, Paparazzi is right up there with Sting’s Every Breath You Take as a true stalker anthem.

Four. Destiny’s Child – Survivor

This song may be on virtually every book playlist that I create. It’s just the best anthem for chicks kicking ass while still keeping their dignity and kindness. I want my characters to be strong, not douchebags. It’s easy to cross the line and this tune helps me stay on track.

So there you have it – my playlist for SLIPPERS AND THIEVES!

The launch tour for SLIPPERS AND THIEVES lasts until December 6th. More info here!

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Published on December 02, 2019 05:36

New VLOG: Writing And Rocking

Readers often ask me about the playlist I use when writing, so I thought I’d share some live video showing one of those playlists in action. This is for my upcoming book, RHODES (Angelbound Offspring 4). Enjoy!

Video not showing for some reason? So. Irritating. You can click on the link here: https://tinyurl.com/cb-rooocks

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Published on December 01, 2019 04:28

TRICKSTER Cover Is Here!

I am so excited to share the cover for the upcoming Angelbond Lincoln Book #3, TRICKSTER!!! The description is below … along with the front and full covers!!! And be sure to check out the amazing sites that are sharing the cover today! You may find your next fave blog!

ABOUT TRICKSTER

***A hilarious adventure after the events of Angelbound SCALA … and it’s all from Prince Lincoln’s point of view!!!***

With the drama of the Ghost Towers and Lucifer’s Orb behind them, Lincoln looks forward to sharing some quality time with Myla. Maybe they’ll even do a ‘regular couple thing’ like a dinner date. Or they could kill more demons together. Lincoln isn’t picky.

Then a trickster gets loose inside Antrum. And by trickster, we’re talking a giant orange monkey with magical powers and a love of causing drama with uptight thrax.

Looks like date night is on hold.

Author’s Note To Readers: You can read this book after Angelbound Origins SCALA or not. I wrote it to work either way.

Author’s Note to Self: Why do I write things out of sequence? Wasn’t SCALA published a while ago? To which I say to myself: self, this is how our gift works. Just be happy it does. And go eat more cookies. We like those.

See It On: Amazon / GooglePlay / Apple Books / Kobo / Barnes & Noble

ANGELBOUND LINCOLN

1. Duty Bound

2. Lincoln

3. Trickster

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Published on November 30, 2019 06:07

Meet The Hosts: TRICKSTER Cover Reveal

The third book in the Angelbound Lincoln series is coming in March, but the cover will be revealed THIS SATURDAY 11.30 with the help of an amazing group of kick-ass bloggers. Find out more about TRICKSTER here.
Take a look at the list below; you may discover your next favorite blog!