Sharon Ledwith's Blog, page 49

YA Book Tour: The Wandering God by Joshua Pantalleresco...

Greater Worlds than These

Following the events of Stormdancer, The Watcher receives a vision in a dream of a city in turmoil. The dream haunts him, as does the voice that insistently repeats, 'Help me,' night after night. Leaving the safety of the tower of scientists behind, the Watcher and his friends embark on their final journey to locate the source of the message and come face to face with their most difficult obstacle yet: doubt.
Though they trust the Watcher, Kristen and the others can't help but fear that the voice in his head is driving him mad and leading them all to their deaths. Even the Watcher is afraid. He knows that listening to this voice risks everything he has obtained up until this point, but he can't help but continue to follow it, driven forward by curiosity and an  instinctive need.

Beyond volcanoes, rock people, and deserts of nothing but crystal, lies the City at the End of the World. And there, the Wandering God awaits...


Tags: Young Adult, Poetry, Epic, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dragons

Kindle version of the book is 161 pgs. long.

More info can be found on Amazon

Follow the book tour:

https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/11/schedule-wandering-god-watcher-book-3.html

Praise for The Wandering God:

“I can say with no hyperbole that The Watcher by Joshua Pantalleresco is, truly, an epic epic.” ~Dirk Manning, author of Tales of Mr. Rhee and Nightmare World

"Joshua Pantalleresco paints a stunning and vivid world through poetry and takes the reader on an adventure that is well worth a read." ~Christine Steendam, award-winning author of the Ocean series and Foremost chronicles

Read an Exclusive Excerpt:
this is a dreamI remember lying down, closing my eyesreuniting with them all againmy family
now I'm herelooking up at a magical structurepointing straight to the heavenslots of little structures stand alongside itall pointing upflying chariots shaped like birdssoar in the air
the scene shiftsgrounded chariots march with the birds in the skyrolling boxes point their cannons toward the chariotsand firepeople look around in fear and awe
they fight and fightspewing more fire from the tips of their gunsthe chariots stay still in the airdefying usno matter how much we fight themwe cannot hurt them
a blinding light shatters the skythe chariots, structures, and boxes are devoured inside itI hear a thousand screams of terror
and then all is still
the heaven-pointing structures tilt sidewaysthe boxes, chariots, and metal birds all forsakennot one breeze blows bythere is only desolation
everything changesI see myself atop the watchtowerlooking into the horizon
wondering just what is out there
Purchase Links:

Amazon CA
Amazon US

Mirror World

Indigo/Chapters
Meet the Author and the Illustrator of The Wandering God:

Author:



Joshua Pantalleresco writes stuff...and podcasts too. He writes poetry, prose, comics and other mediums as well as hosts his own podcast show Just Joshing available on Itunes. He lives in his own head most of the time, and likes ice cream and baileys.

The Wandering God is his third book through Mirror World Publishing. He lives in Calgary. His webpage is http://jpantalleresco.wordpress.com and his twitter is @jpantalleresco.

Illustrator:



Florence Chan is an illustrator, designer and 3D modeller from Calgary, Alberta, now living in Toronto, Canada. She is the illustrator of Marilyn Marsh Noll's 'Jonathan and the Magical Broomstick' and Joshua Pantalleresco's 'The Watcher' and ‘Stormdancer’ and has contributed to Jason Mehmel's comic anthology 'Fight Comics' as well as Damian Willcox's 'Dorkboy: 1995-2015 Two Dorkades and Counting'.

Her work can be found at www.florencechan.ca

Connect with Joshua:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Pantalleresco/e/B00N8SYGEW/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1508787310&sr=8-2

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8081541.Joshua_Pantalleresco

Blog: https://jpantalleresco.wordpress.com/ Author Website: https://jpantalleresco.wordpress.com/
Publisher Website: http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com

The Name’s Bond. Ravi Bond…

James Bond. The name invokes espionage, danger, martinis (shaken, not stirred) and a bevy of beautiful women with every spy adventure. Bond also conjures up something that men have drooled over for years (besides the women)—spy gadgets. In each Bond movie, master inventor Q hands James a few spy gadgets to ensure his safety, and save the world. In The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret , Book 2 of my tween and teen time travel series, Ravi Sharma buffs up his cufflinks and straightens his bowtie to pretend to be Double-O-Seven before he’s even imagined by his creator, Ian Fleming. It was fun writing the Bond culture into this book, and quite an eye-opener when I went to research all the spy gadgets that were really created during World War Two.
Here’s a look at some of those outrageous spy gadgets:
One plan was to create synthetic goat dung loaded with anthrax as part of PROJECT Capricious in 1942. By using flies, the government hoped to infect German troops in Spanish Morocco in an attempt to stop Spain from joining Axis powers. Now that just sounds baaaad!
Another plot was to introduce estrogen to Hitler’s food in the hopes of eliminating his trademark moustache and affecting his baritone voice. Wait…that could have been an improvement! A deadlier plot included hiding a capsule containing mustard gas in flowers to cause blindness among Nazi generals inside the German High Command Headquarters. Yikes, spying is a nasty business!
Cigarettes laced with tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (Indian hemp). The compound works similarly to morphine and was used as a possible none-lethal incapacitating agent. When given to someone, the cigarette would bring about uncontrollable chattiness. Hmm…didn’t they realize that loose lips sink ships? Knife in Pencil. Not great for a writer...
Knives concealed within shoes, lapels, pencils, sleeves and coins. Cameras small enough to fit into a match box; a cigarette case which exploded upon opening. Suicide pills (L-pills) hidden in necklaces or rings. Boy, these spy gadgets were playing for keeps!
This coal torpedo will warm you up!Explosive coal or the “coal torpedo”, as it was also named, was invented by Capt. Thomas Edgeworth Courtenay of the Confederate Secret Service. Originally, it was a hollow iron casing (to look like coal), that was intended to be shoveled into the firebox of Union steam transportation ships, where it would explode. While Courtenay had approached the British War Office to further refine his idea, they turned him down. However, both the American OSS and the British SOE used forms of his original explosive during World War II. Maybe Courtenay should had gotten a patent…
The next time you squeal when you see a rat, spare a thought to the men and women of the Second World War. One deceptively cunning way to blow up enemy bases would be to fill dead rats up with explosives. The rats would be placed in factories close to enemy camps. When factory workers discovered the dead rodents they would throw them into the fire, ignite the explosives and blow up everything and everyone in the vicinity. However, the Germans discovered the rodent bomb plan, and consequently left the dead rodents to rot and spread disease. Even the Piped Piper couldn’t help them.And finally, my favorite… The original stool pigeon.Today, we have satellite imagery and stealth airplanes for aerial reconnaissance. In the 1940s and 50s, we had pigeons. During the World Wars, carrier pigeons completed more than 95 percent of their missions—strap an automatic camera to one of those messengers, and you've got yourself a camera roll of discrete reconnaissance, ready for development. I can see Q cringe now. 

Book Tour: Building Your Author Platform Series by Tiffany Shand...

About the Series:

Titles: Building Your Author Platform, How To Write A Business Plan For Writers and The Author’s Guide To Book Blog Tours

Tired of hearing that you must start building your author platform straight away but having no idea how to get started? Becoming an author in today’s world has never been easier with the self-publishing revolution. But how does an author stand out in a crowded market?

Setting up and building your author platform before you even publish your first book is the best way for building a solid platform that will last and help you grow your tribe of fans.

In this series, I’ll show you all the fundamentals from building your platform from scratch, writing a business plan for long term publishing success and how to promote your book with a virtual tour.

Let’s get started on your publishing journey.

Tags: Business Writing, Web Marketing, Non-Fiction

Add to your shelf on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36341048-building-your-author-platform-series
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2yL6gUV

Follow the tour to read reviews, exclusive interviews, guest posts, and to visit the hosts:

https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/10/book-tour-schedule-building-your-author.html
Read an Excerpt from each book in the series:
From Building Your Author Platform
What is an author platform?

When I first started my publishing journey back in early 2014, I had no idea what an author platform was or how to build one.

So what is an author platform? An author platform, as the name suggests, is a launch site from where all your book marketing takes place. A platform encompasses everything from a website, social media to readership. A platform is basically the number of people you can broadcast your message to.

Publishers don’t usually gamble on new authors who don’t already have a platform and an audience ready and waiting. If you already have an established platform and a readership, they are much more likely to take an interest in you.

Essentially, a platform is built out of a website and/or a blog, social media channels, and an email newsletter. It’s a direct link to your readers.

It’s the amount of influence you have over your readership, the level of visibility and authority you have in your particular genre, and your connection to your readers.

Authors can easily reach their fans on a global scale, thanks to the Internet. Gone are the old days of having to write letters or press releases. Now you can reach readers with a click of a mouse.

Do you need an author platform?

My answer would be: yes. In my opinion, every author needs a platform, whether they are writing sword-fighting fantasy, historical romance, children’s books or business guides. Every platform is different for each author, depending on their genre.

New authors need to have a strategy to launch their book and create a hype for it. Without any kind of strategy, it will make it harder for you to sell books or gain any real readers and long-time fans.

Some authors may say that they don’t need an author platform to sell books, and this may have been the argument for authors 50+ years ago. Writers aren’t just authors nowadays, especially if you are an indie author. Now authors have to be marketers and entrepreneurs. Having a solid author platform can help you market your book and leave you able to write more in the meantime.

When should you start building your author platform?

Ideally, it’s best to start building your author platform as soon as you start writing your book or at least before you publish your first book. Many authors don’t do this. I didn’t start building my own author platform until after I had published my first novel and this definitely made things harder for me to start growing my audience and building a readership. So the time to start building your platform is right now!

From How To Write A Business Plan For Writers

Why you need to treat publishing like a business.

Writers write books, but in this new world of digital publishing, they have to be a lot more than that. Writers have to be marketers and entrepreneurs. They have to build themselves an author platform, grow their readership, engage on social media, network and so much more. Writing a book is really only the tip of the iceberg.

If you become traditionally published, you may think that your publisher will do all the work for you, but that’s rarely the case. Publishers expect authors to market their own books and build their own platforms. If you don’t have a strong author platform in place, a publisher is unlikely to take much interest in you. It’s harder to get a traditional book publishing deal now, but not impossible. EBooks have provided authors opportunities that have never been open to them before.

If you decide to self-publish your books you are essentially your own publisher. Publishing is a business and has to be treated as such. You have to sort out things such as editing, formatting, cover design and marketing.

Although you can do some of these things yourself, some of it does have to be outsourced, and like any business that takes time and money.

From the moment you decide to publish your book, you became your own business. That’s right a business. Most writers just think they’re writing when they write their book – I used to think the same thing. They don’t think of it as the product it is.

I’m a writer first and foremost, but I also have to be a lot of other things.

Yes, it takes a lot of work to publish books well and get some profit out of it. But it’s also a very exciting and rewarding job.

You put a lot of effort into your book, why not put a lot of effort into yourself as well?

Unless you only write as a hobby and expect friends and family to read your book, you are a business too. A lot of writers don’t think of themselves this way. They think they are just creatives who love the art of writing. But there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy writing your own business plan too. It can help you to focus on your business and life goals too.

If you are someone who likes plotting out their novel chapter by chapter, scene by scene, then you’re definitely going to love writing a business plan. It’s a very similar process.

If you’re the kind of writer who just likes writing on the fly then there’s something in this book for you too. Having a plan in place can help you become much more focused and produce books on a regular basis when you have clear goals in mind.

Why do you need a business plan?

You may ask why do you need a business plan. I used to think this way myself when I first started my publishing journey. You may claim that you’re not a small business, which isn’t true. Writing isn’t like starting up your own company, but you are essentially your own business. If you’re the kind of author who does local talks, goes to book signing, or does workshops you’re already promoting yourself as a business.

Having a business plan will help you plan out your goals and the future you want by building a business around your books. It will also help you to make some money. A lot of aspiring writers believe the old myth about being a starving artist, but this isn’t true. You can make money from your writing if you go about it the right way.

You want to get paid for your hard work, don’t you?

Don’t get me wrong, you’re probably not going to make millions just from your books alone, but there are plenty of people out there who do make a decent living from writing.

From The Author’s Guide To Book Blog Tours

What are book bloggers?

Book bloggers have only been around for the past few years since the use of blogs became much more popular and website platforms became much more affordable for the everyday user.

Since the growth in popularity of blogs over the past few years, dozens of booklovers have taken to writing about their favourite books. A book blogger is someone who loves reading books and writes blog posts about it on their blog. This can include thoughts on books, excerpts and posts about different books and reviews.

The different blogs reflect their owner’s tastes and vary in focus. Many readers will read a variety of different genres; other blogs will focus on a specific genre such as romance, fantasy, or young adult, etc.

Different blogs will have different kinds of audiences depending on what genre that blogger chooses to read. A blogger who likes to read a lot of different genres will probably have an audience who likes the same thing and chooses the type of posts they read on that blog.

Not every blogger will want to read your book, don’t ask a romance reader to read your sci-fi novel to help you promote your book. Choose a reader who enjoys your type of book. This may seem obvious but a lot of authors mass email book bloggers in any genre to try and promote their books, regardless of whether that blogger reads their book’s genre or not. There’s no point in trying to contact them if they don’t like your particular type of book, it’s just a waste of your time and theirs.

Who are book bloggers?

One author asked me who book bloggers are; they are, of course, people who love to read books. They enjoy sharing their thoughts about the books they have read and write about it on their blogs. They can be male or female, and range in age from teenagers to people in their 70s. A lot of teenagers love young adult books because they can relate to that genre of growing up and trying to figure out who they want to be in life.

Some book bloggers are aspiring authors experimenting with their blog to see what reactions they get to their writing. The kind of blogger to look for really depends on your target audience. For example, my urban fantasy and paranormal romance books are aimed at women, but my non-fiction books are aimed at both men and women.

For most book bloggers, blogging is just a hobby and something they do in their spare time. They don’t generally make money from their blogs – or if they do it isn’t very much. But there are exceptions to this, there are successful, profitable book blogs out there. It’s still worth approaching some of the bigger bloggers as they may still be interested in your book.

Exclusive Excerpt:

What do your ideal readers want?With fiction, they want to be entertained and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Reading a book takes them away from everything.With non-fiction books, readers want to learn something new. What do they want to know? What kind of problem do they need fixing and how could you solve it?Understanding what your readers like and need is an important step, and is something that most authors often miss when they are first starting out. Taking the time to get to know your readers and their needs can be very challenging, but it’s worth the effort in the long run.You must recognise the fact that not everyone is going to like your book. It’s not a “must-read” for everyone and won’t appeal to every single person on the planet.How to determine your author brandSome good ways of doing this are asking yourself:Why do you write what you write?What message are you trying to share?How do you want to be perceived and why is that important to you?Identifying your target audience requires an understanding of the characteristics of a particular group of people and the relevance they have to your work before you do anything to promote yourself or your book. You must be able to know why you write what you write and who cares about what you write.The key is to identify and research what the target audience cares about and recognise what you have to offer in order to benefit your ideal reader.
Meet the Author:



Tiffany Shand started writing short stories when she was a child. She has always done writing in one form or another and started writing novels in her early teens.

Tiffany loves to read books and discovered her love for fantasy and paranormal romance. She writes both non-fiction and fiction, and love helping writers to build their author platforms.

After doing a creative writing course in her early 20s, she is now a freelance writer and professional editor.

Tiffany lives in Essex with her two spoiled cats and one very nutty hamster.

Find Tiffany on:

Purchase link

Tiffany’s Website

Tiffany’s blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Halloween Treats and Paranormal Reads by YA Author Leigh Goff...

BEWITCHING HANNAH, an enchanting young adult fantasy set in Annapolis, Maryland, released its magic on September 17th, and is available in print and e-book on Amazon, BN.com, and MirrorWorldPublishing.com.

In the story, sixteen-year-old Hannah Fitzgerald enjoys her carb-loaded snacks, including an Annapolis comfort food favorite—crab dip pretzels piled high with creamy crap dip that incorporates fresh jumbo lump crab from the Chesapeake Bay. This recipe is a Maryland classic that even fictional characters love!

Crab Dip Pretzels
@sallybakeblog1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. horseradish
½ tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced onion
1 tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 (8 ounce container) jumbo lump crabmeat (not canned)
white pepper to taste
4 soft pretzels
2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350° F (175° C).

BEAT cream cheese, mayonnaise, and horseradish in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in garlic, onion, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce.

GENTLY fold in the crabmeat, and season with white pepper to taste. Spoon mixture evenly over the pretzels, and sprinkle each with ½ cup shredded cheese.

PLACE pretzels in oven until cheese is melted and the topping bubbles, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Here's a peek at both of Leigh Goff’s exciting novels.

Hannah, the thirteenth great-granddaughter of the Wizard Earl Fitzgerald, has always known she was descended from a troubled legacy of alchemy and dark magic. Although a stranger to her coven in Annapolis, she is no stranger to grief and denial; however, when an ancient prophecy reveals the rise of a young, powerful witch and the impending death of another, she realizes she can no longer afford to suppress the magic that has taken away so much. She seeks out the frighteningly scarred, yet mysterious W who is destined to change her life, but even he cannot prepare her for the secrets she must unlock – including one that reveals the location of an unimaginably powerful elixir.

Enemies will hurt her. Loved ones will make her vulnerable. And the impending prophecy that drives her to unleash her magic will cause her to unearth the sins of the past and doubt any promise of a future. Without knowing whom her true rival is, Hannah isn’t certain she’ll survive the game Fate is playing, and if she loses, she may lose everything, including the ones she loves.

Sophie Goodchild is a sixteen-year-old witch living with her eccentric aunt in the small town of Wethersfield, Connecticut—the sight of the first American Witch Trials. She is descended from a powerful black witch, but struggles with her erratic white magic while dealing with a mean girl witch clique known as the Glitterati, who love to make Sophie feel like she is less than they are.

Sophie is beautiful with wild waves of sable-colored hair, eyes the color of dark blue sapphires, and heart-shaped pillowy lips. More importantly, she is beautiful on the inside, although she hides it well behind her impatience and impetuousness, which makes her very relatable.

It is those heart-strong characteristics that lead her into trouble, and since she is ruled by her heart, she’s all in once she finds trouble. She is fiercely loyal, determined, and fearless and there is nothing she wouldn’t do or sacrifice for the ones she loves, especially when she learns of the true love curse her ancestor cast on the Mather family.

When Judge Mather, a descendant of the reverend who condemned Sophie’s witch ancestor to hang, finds out his handsome son (who has recently returned to Wethersfield with a sexy British accent and a face that could melt a black witch’s heart) has fallen hard for Sophie, things get even more dangerous for her. Dark secrets come to light and impossible choices are made as Sophie sacrifices everything, including her soul to save her forbidden true love.

Buy Links Disenchanted: Mirror World Publishing - Amazon

Buy Links Bewitching Hannah:  Mirror World Publishing  -  Amazon

Leigh Goff loves writing young adult fiction with elements of magic and romance because it's also what she liked to read. Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she enjoys the area's great history and culture.

Leigh is a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College and a member of the Maryland Writers' Association and Romance Writers of America. She is also an approved artist with the Maryland State Arts Council. Her debut novel, Disenchanted, was inspired by the Wethersfield witches of Connecticut and was released by Mirror World Publishing. Leigh is currently working on her next novel, The Witch's Ring which is set in Annapolis.

Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog . Stay connected on Facebook , Instagram , Pinterest , and Goodreads .

Book Tour: Goth Girl, Virgin Queen by JoAnne Keltner...

Welcome to the 2-week blog tour for Goth Girl, Virgin Queen by JoAnne Keltner.
Follow the tour and connect with bloggers, read reviews of the book, read guest posts, and meet the author.


Book Information:

Title: Goth Girl, Virgin Queen
Author Name: JoAnne Keltner
Genre(s): Young Adult Paranormal
Length: Approx. 298 pages
Release Date: December 3, 2015
Publisher:  Solstice Publishing
(http://solsticepublishing.com/)


Tour Schedule:

https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/10/goth-girl-virgin-queen-book-tour.html

About Goth Girl, Virgin Queen:
Calling Jackie Turov psychic makes her cringe. But Jackie’s no normal seventeen-year-old. She picks up emotions from people and objects like a freak. The emotions make her sick, and the guilt she feels for lying to her church when she was twelve causes her to deny her psychic abilities.
So Jackie goes goth to make others stay away from her and forget her past. But her past is soon resurrected when her jealous friend Trish invites a demon, a persecutor of healers, to steal away Jason’s love for Jackie. The demon causes Jackie to be bullied for the lie she told and puts her best friend, Jason, in danger.
Jackie must learn how to use her gift to protect Jason and herself and to heal the negative energies of those around her. To do so means she must overcome her guilt and accept who she is before the demon claims her soul.

Enter the Goodreads Giveaway (ends October 31, 2017)



https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/252425-goth-girl-virgin-queen

Grab Your Copy from Amazon for only $0.99 Oct. 23-25, 2017!



Amazon http://amzn.to/2yx3uCH

Read an Excerpt:
The medicine cabinet mirror—dotted with rust and turning gray—made the powder foundation on Jackie’s face look ashen and her jet-black hair, blurry. She looked like a shadow of a girl. She smeared black lipstick on her lips and shook out her shoulder-length hair. Her straight-cut bangs veiled her mascara-lined eyes, and the layered ends of her hair stuck out in defiant wisps.

Some of the kids at school—the ones she didn’t hang out with—called her Goth Girl. Some, whose memories wouldn’t die, called her VQ for Virgin Queen.

Jackie preferred Goth Girl, to be one of the living dead, to be numb to the emotions that plagued her. But this was what she wanted, not what she got.

Goth Girl or Virgin Queen, she was a freak, absorbing the emotions around her like a sponge. Sometimes the emotions made her sick. Sometimes they made her see things.

Because of this, she kept to a tight-knit group of goth friends—Jason, Zeta, and Trish—and avoided social activities. She attended high school only because Mom wouldn’t let her homeschool. Mom was afraid she’d hang with Babu all day, making piroshki and doing needlepoint instead of studying. Jackie, afraid of what life offered a freak like her beyond high school, had to admit that hanging with Babu all day was tempting.

Typically, Fridays were movie nights for Jason and her, but tonight would be different. Tonight, she’d subject herself to a hodgepodge of emotions from crowds and rides and the very ground she’d walk on to protect Jason. For this, she would need physical and spiritual strength, which she sought from Babu these days.

Babu’s door was cracked, and Jackie slowly pushed the door open. “Babu?”

The room smelled of beeswax and down. A candle burned on the shrine on the dresser. The flickering flame animated the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir and cast shadows across the picture of Babu, Grandma, Mom, and Jackie. Although Babu didn’t speak English, and Jackie didn’t understand much Russian, Jackie knew Babu kept that picture on her shrine to pray for Grandma, who passed away several years ago; for Mom, who divorced Dad; and for the girl who saw the Virgin when she was twelve—for the girl she had become as a teen.

Babu sat in bed, a country quilt spread over her legs, her thumb pressed against a knot of her prayer rope, her head bowed sleepily, and her lips wording prayers.

“I wanted to say goodbye,” Jackie whispered.

Babu crossed herself and then smiled at Jackie, her gold eyetooth shining from the light of the bed-stand lamp. She patted the empty space beside her. “Sadees.”

Jackie sat down beside Babu at the edge of the bed and took Babu’s hand in hers. Babu’s hand was warm and knotted with arthritis. Jackie rubbed her thumb over the bumps on Babu’s knuckles; her black fingernails were a sharp contrast to Babu’s flour-white skin.

She wasn’t afraid to touch Babu’s hands and absorb her emotions. Jackie got a good feeling from her. Babu filled Jackie’s inner vision with white light. She renewed her spirit. And this is what Jackie needed for the commitment she had made for tonight.

“Kooda eedyosh?” Babu asked.

“I’m going out,” Jackie said as if Babu understood her. This is how they communicated: Babu telling her stuff she couldn’t understand, Jackie telling Babu stuff she couldn’t understand. Somehow they carried on fine this way.

“Eedyosh sdroozyamee?”

“I’m going with Jason.”

Babu rubbed the top of Jackie’s hand and ran her thumb over black fingernails. “Fsyevo kharoshevuh,” she said in a comforting tone and gently squeezed Jackie’s hand. Then she cupped her hands around Jackie’s jaws and pulled her forehead to her lips. Jackie imagined Babu’s kiss imprinted on her forehead and carrying Babu’s blessings and love with her tonight.

Meet the Characters of Goth Girl Virgin Queen
Jackie:A psychic—oops, she doesn’t like to be called that—and the seventeen-year-old protagonist who denies her paranormal abilities and hides from her past. She’d do anything for her best friend Jason, anything except … well, you’ll have to read the book.Jason:Jackie’s best friend in the whole world, a total emo who wears his heart on his sleeve and a heavy weight on his shoulders. He’s totally in love with Jackie.Driving to the Oktoberfest, Jackie focused on the road. Sometimes she looked at Jason, but focused only on his mouth or his jacket. When he was around her, his aura turned from black to reddish purple, almost like his spirit had been bruised. She interpreted it as a mixture of pain and love—the love he felt for her pouring over his pain like salve. Yes. She sensed Jason was in love with her. But this relationship worked out well for the both of them, she supposed. Jason liked to suffer. It made him feel alive. Though, she knew he’d never admit it. And she was comfortable being around him, not just because he allowed her space, but because he accepted her as she was. He made the guilt she carried more bearable.—JoAnne Keltner, Goth Girl Virgin QueenTrish:Jackie’s brooding and fickle friend who draws Gothic crosses in her school notebook and loves the occult. Using her Ouija board, she unwittingly summons a demon and is the reason Jackie gets into the trouble she’s in.Zeta:Jackie’s sassy and most energetic friend. Always there to give Jackie moral support … no, seriously.Babu:Jackie’s great grandma. Once a devout Russian Orthodox Catholic, she now burns her holy candles at home, prays the chotki, and religiously watches Wheel of Fortune. She can’t speak a word of English, only Russian, but still she and Jackie (who knows only how to say “the soup is good” and “I love you” in Russian) communicate just fine.David:The smoking hot seminarian whom Jackie can’t shut off emotionally. He’s from her old church and shows up at her door one day looking for her help in understanding a paranormal phenomenon that occurred there.She wanted to shut the door in his face, but he was looking at her with those dreamy, mesmerizing eyes. She pressed her fingers to the business card. She was having a hard time reading him. She only got a feeling of him being hung in a balance, but maybe that was her.—JoAnne Keltner, Goth Girl Virgin Queen
If you’d like to get to know Jackie and her friends better, pick up a copy of Goth Girl Virgin Queen today!
Book Links:

Amazon http://amzn.to/2yx3uCH
Solstice Publishing: http://solsticepublishing.com/goth-girl-virgin-queen
Meet the Author:


JoAnne Keltner is the author of Goth Girl, Virgin Queen (Solstice Publishing, 2015) and Obsession. As an only child and avid daydreamer, she spent hours alone in her backyard on the South Side of Chicago, which she imagined to be everything from an alien planet to the Antarctic. She currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, four dogs, cat, and three chickens. When she isn't writing or freelance editing, she's obsessively streaming popular TV shows.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.joannekeltner.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/JoAnneKeltnerAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6896673.JoAnne_Keltner

Twitter: @JoAnneKeltner

Book Blitz: The Sun God's Heir; Redemption, Book 3 by Elliot Baker...

The Sun God's Heir: Redemption
Book 3
Elliott Baker



Book Details:

Print Length: 468 pages
Publisher: Pronoun
Publication Date: October 18, 2017
Sold by: Macmillan
ASIN: B074Y474QB
Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Add to your shelf on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36181772-the-sun-god-s-heir

Purchase your copy from Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2wXdxO3

About the Book:

Death is not life’s final stop. There are worse ends.

Two brothers, once disciples of the Pharoah Akhenaten, reincarnate in seventeenth century France. From Spain to Morocco to Egypt, one is determined to rule, the other to protect.

Horemheb, driven to destroy his brother and end their ancient rivalry, invites an African shaman to assist in recovering ancient artifacts of power that will ensure his dominance. Twice before, these artifacts have raised and then destroyed civilization.

René Gilbert escapes from the murderous sultan of Morocco, closely followed by the sultan’s personal guard, the Bukhari. Trained from childhood, these assassins live to kill.

Now, in the blockbuster conclusion to the Sun God’s Heir trilogy, René must find a way to fulfill a commitment made lifetimes ago. His long journey across the ages hurtles toward its climax, with the fate of his soul, and perhaps our very world, in the balance.

Meet the Author:



Award winning novelist and international playwright Elliott B. Baker grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. With four musicals and one play published and produced throughout the United States, in New Zealand, Portugal, England, and Canada, Elliott is pleased to offer his first novel, Return, book one of The Sun God’s Heir trilogy. A member of the Authors Guild and the Dramatists Guild, Elliott lives in New Hampshire with his wife Sally Ann.

Socialize with the Author:

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ElliottBakerAuthor/

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22835886-the-sun-god-s-heir?ac=1&from_search=true

Website and author page
https://www.elliottbaker.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Elliott-Baker/e/B00NUIJCFI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Blog
https://www.elliottbaker.com/blog

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ElliottBaker

Linkedin Public Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile

A Taste of the North from Chris Pavesic’s S’Mores Recipe and Book #2 of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls…

When you envision scenes of family or friends sitting around the campfire at the cottage or campsite, what food pops into your mind? Hot dogs? Marshmallows? Well, yes, but how about those gooey gobs of sweet joy children crave the most? Yup, I’m talking about S’Mores! Enter my author friend, Chris Pavesic who has a sure-fire recipe that will fill those campfire desires enough to sit back and enjoy a ghost story or two inside or outside. Take it away, Chris...

This kid-friendly recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s a little bit like a s’more, a little bit like a bird’s nest, and 100% yummy. Get those marshmallows and chocolate chips ready!

Ingredients
1 Package (12 OZ) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips½ Bag (5 OZ) Mini Marshmallows2 Cups Pretzel Sticks2 Cups Vanilla Wafers (broken into pieces)Materials
Baking DishLarge SpoonParchment PaperDirections
Pour the chocolate chips into an ungreased baking pan. Pop it into the oven at 250 degrees for about 5 minutes. (Basically until the chocolate chips get shiny. They should still retail their shape.)Take the pan out and immediately start adding the other ingredients. Stir as fast as possible because the chocolate will cool quickly.This can be a bit messy when stirring—you will get chocolate on your hands—but that’s part of the fun!When the other ingredients are coated, start spooning the mixture onto the parchment paper in serving-size portions. Allow to cool completely and serve.Thank you, Chris! While you’re busy devouring your treats, here’s a taste of what to expect in the next installment of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, Blackflies and Blueberries set to be released in 2018 through Mirror World Publishing…
Seventeen-year-old Hart Stewart possesses psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. He inherited this phenomenon from his murdered mother. Now a year has passed, and Hart has endured homelessness and hunger, as well as kept his secret of being illiterate under wraps. Then, through contact with a social worker, Hart learns of a great-aunt named Gertie Ellis living in a small northern community called Fairy Falls.

Seventeen-year-old Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls too. She lost her mother a year ago, through a senseless murder. This eats away at Diana until Hart finds her lost ring. The ring whisks him away to another place and time where he witnesses Diana’s mother’s murder. The ring’s vibrational memory informs Hart that she knew her killer. Now Diana has hope for justice, and through Hart’s psychic ability, Diana and her friends, Brook Bennet and Donovan Johnson, along with her younger sister Nancy MacGregor start their own investigative process that leads them into the corrupt world of a big development corporation easing its way into Fairy Falls, and of the treachery and greed that accompany it.
Meet Chris Pavesic:

Chris Pavesic lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends. She blogs on www.chrispavesic.com and Tweets @chrispavesic 

Let’s Get This Cookbook Party Started…

Who doesn’t love the holidays? You get to bond with family and friends, shop till you drop for that perfect gift, decorate the house to your heart’s desire, plan a meal worthy of gracing your table, and attend all those fabulous parties. Wait…hope I didn’t exhaust you already? Yes, we ALL love holidays and celebrations, no matter what time of year they fall, but it can get a little (okay, a lot) overwhelming when it comes time to prepare for those holiday meals and parties when you’re working a full-time job, and taking care of your family’s needs.
How about some relief from the stress and pressure of figuring out what to serve your hungry guests during holiday get-togethers, events, or celebrations?
Cue a holiday-inspired cookbook written by the following thirteen busy authors, of various ages and genres: Carol Browne, HL Carpenter, Sara Daniel, Dominique Eastwick, Leigh Goff, C.D. Hersh, Vonnie Hughes, Alicia Joseph, Emma Lane, Sharon Ledwith, Anne Montgomery, Chris Pavesic, and Sloane Taylor. These wonderful writers have created recipes that will make your life easy and simple when it comes time to prepare tantalizing appetizers, tasty beverages, mouth-watering cookies, and decadent desserts.
The ABCDs of Cooking with Writers is your go-to recipe book for entertaining over the holiday seasons, hosting events, or celebrating that special day. Compiled by Sloane Taylor—a gourmet cook in her own right—and designed by mother-daughter duo HL Carpenter, the included recipes have been tested and approved of by the most finicky family members.
Oh, and did I mention that it is FREE?  
So why not have your cake and eat it too? Yes, pun intended. You’ve got nothing to lose, and time to gain when you download The ABCDs of Cooking with Writers. There’s a recipe for every holiday, celebration, or event in your life. Give yourself a gift this holiday season with a cookbook from thirteen writers who share their favorite recipes and tips to help relieve the stress in your busy life.
Download your FREE E-Pub cookbook at Smashwords.

Thanksgiving Day(s) Goodreads Giveaways…

In the first book of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series, Lost and Found , the main character, Meagan Walsh has the psychic ability to talk to animals. Imagine possessing the power to be a diplomat between animals and humans? To bridge that gap, and find common ground. In the first book of The Last Timekeepers young adult time travel adventure series, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis , my main characters are given a ‘Babel’ necklace. The main purpose of this necklace is to break any language barriers while on a mission in the past so that my characters will be able to understand and talk to everyone they meet.
I believe books hold the power to not only transport readers to different worlds, but also translate the world for us. You don’t need a Babel or a psychic ability to crack open a book and let it take you on a journey. Books have always been a wonderful gift to give, so I thought why not pair the first two books in both my series, and schedule a Goodreads Giveaway starting on the Canadian Thanksgiving (Monday, October 9th) and finishing on the American Thanksgiving (Thursday, October 23rd)? It sounded like a solid plan, and a way I can give back to my readers, especially during the upcoming holiday season!
If you haven’t read the first books in The Last Timekeepers young adult time travel adventure series or Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls teen psychic mystery series, please consider entering both giveaways for a chance to win a signed copy and bookmark. We all need time to rest and rejuvenate during the holiday season, and I can’t think of a better way than relaxing with a good book, a comfortable chair, and cozy blanket. Good luck, and hope you get to escape to the past and have a blast with one of my books! Cheers and thank you!
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: inline-block; color: #181818; background-color: #F6F6EE; border: 1px solid #9D8A78; border-radius: 3px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-size: 13px; padding: 8px 12px; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { color: #181818; background-color: #F7F2ED; border: 1px solid #AFAFAF; text-decoration: none; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis by Sharon Ledwith Giveaway ends November 23, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway .goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: inline-block; color: #181818; background-color: #F6F6EE; border: 1px solid #9D8A78; border-radius: 3px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-size: 13px; padding: 8px 12px; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { color: #181818; background-color: #F7F2ED; border: 1px solid #AFAFAF; text-decoration: none; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway Lost and Found by Sharon Ledwith Giveaway ends November 23, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

Meet the Furry Residents of the Fairy Falls Animal Shelter…

During my year-long stint as an animal care attendant, I learned so much about the procedures and daily routines of working in an animal shelter. Then, one day, I found myself wondering what the animals would say if they could talk? How they would act and sound? What did they really think of humans? So, chasing down the animal voices frolicking in my head, I decided to write their story. The result is, Lost and Found, the first book in my teen psychic mystery series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls.
All the shelter animals in Lost and Found are based on an animal I cared for in some capacity at the shelter. Now, trying to come up with each animal’s unique voice wasn’t that hard for me, since I went by the personality of the cat or dog. I observed certain quirks, how each animal behaved, what were they afraid of, what they liked, and so on. What I found was that every animal (even kittens born in the same litter) was different. Just. Like. People.
When I was ready to sit down and write their story, I compiled a list of shelter animals that readers would emotionally relate to and connect with. Many came to me as a surprise, others were firmly planted in my imagination from the very beginning. Below are the names of the main shelter animals who I decided to animate in Lost and Found, and the roles that they played:
WHISKEY: The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter observer’s real name was Whiskers, but I thought that might be confusing when describing a cat’s anatomy. Whiskers was an old, calico cat who was on medication to keep her alive. She always tried to mooch food from us during lunch, and there seemed to be an air of wisdom about Whiskers, as if she truly was the sage of the shelter.
NOBEL: This bouncy Husky-Doberman cross was the pack leader of the shelter dogs, and was named for the town of Nobel where he came from. He was hard to handle at times, so we had to walk him outside and around to the kennel runs so he didn’t go off on the other dogs inside. Nobel had the most amazing blue eyes, and was truly a top dog in every respect. At least I think that’s how he thought of himself!
Good ol' LouisGEORGE: The little white cat with grey markings on his ears and tail was very timid and shy when I met him. He was left on the shelter’s steps, along with his twelve siblings, and was the last to get adopted. George got along with all the cats on the floor, and would go around and scoop up any meat leftovers in the cat bowls. He seemed the perfect choice to be the underdog, er cat of Lost and Found.
LOUIS: Everybody loves Louis! Seems people relate to his goofiness and the innocence that this big Rottweiler-mix exhibits. The real Louis used to spin around in circles when we let him out for a walk. He also had a hate-on going with some of the dogs on the floor, so I removed this part of Louis’s personality to make him more lovable and easy-going.
SHADOW: Yes, there was a vicious beast named Shadow at our shelter, though she came in with two friendly kittens. Whoever put Shadow and her family in that box and plopped a log on top must have pissed her off good. No wonder she didn’t trust us humans! We had to use welder’s gloves to handle Shadow because if we didn’t, she’d lunge and spit at us while we tried to clean her cage. Shadow made the perfect antagonist for Whiskey and George, and I truly enjoyed giving her a believable voice readers love to hate. The real Shadow eventually calmed down enough to get spayed, and found a nice home with an old lady.
Poppy - one of the leaders in the animal shelterBRUTUS: Found in a live trap, Brutus (known as Scar) came to us with red, raw ears infested with ear mites. Poor boy. At first, I was intimidated by his monstrous size, but soon grew to love him! Unlike his tough, fictional counterpart as the leader of the lost cats, the real Brutus won the hearts of the shelter staff with his charm and cuddly manner. Brutus ended up being adopted by a student studying as a veterinarian technician. Now that’s what I call karma, and it was a happy/sad day to see him go!

So there you have it, a glimpse at the shelter animals who inspired me to write Lost and Found. I wished I could have written all the animals into my book, but as you may guess, there was far too many. Which begs me to ask that if you’re thinking about getting a dog or cat to add to your family, then I urge you to adopt a pet from your local animal shelter. Trust me, there’s an animal with a personality type that will fit every household looking to give a forever home to an animal in need of tender loving care.