Lauren Dawes's Blog, page 14

Australian Author Month: Jess Black

Jess Black  



Jess Black is an Australian author of children's books. She has written over twenty five junior fiction books and has two picture books coming out in 2016. Jess is the co-author of the hugely successful Bindi Wildlife Adventure series, the RSPCA Animal Tales series and The Kaboom Kid series with David Warner.Jess has a new four book series called Keeper of the Crystals. Book one, Eve and the Runaway Unicorn, is available from June 1st.








Three Fast Fun Facts about Jess...
I collect rabbits - figurines and art.I write children's books but I love to read crime novels.I laugh easily and cry easily and sometimes wet my pants from laughing too much.
Where to find Jess...
Website
Eve and the Runaway Unicorn (Book #1)


Eve is staying with her grandmother and her only choice in playmate is Oscar, the boy from next door. The lure of the forbidden attic in her Nan’s house proves too much for Eve and Oscar and they sneak upstairs to explore. 

When Eve finds a small crystal figurine of a unicorn it acts as a portal into another world. Eve and Oscar find themselves in the desert of Panthor where unicorns are now enslaved, land turned to desert and people forced to become desert nomads. 

How can Eve and Oscar survive in a land where panthers and people communicate and where an evil king has complete control of every living being? More importantly, how will they ever get home again?




 
Where to find "Keeper of the Crystals: Eve and the Runaway Unicorn"

Keeper of the Crystals Website

Giveaway
(Australia Only)

 

Australian Author Month: Troy Barnes

Troy Barnes

Troy Barnes was born in 1973 and has spent all of his adult life on the beautiful North West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.

Troy has written and published three dark fiction novels since 2007 and has seen his short fiction appear in print in the USA.
  .
His books have made it into the hands of actors Eric Bana and Leigh Whannell, TV presenter Rove McManus, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and the band Florence & The Machine.

He is a proud member of the Australian Horror Writer’s Association.

Troy Barnes is a self financed author and welcomes correspondence from interested publishers, agents and book sellers.

Five Fast Fun Facts about Troy... My day job is in radio marketing/advertising.My first novel, Deadlight, was handed across a dinner table to Steven Spielberg while he was in Melbourne filming The Pacific. I have a cat named BuffyI have been a Marvel comics fan since I was a child and I'm now 42 and still read comics every week.The town of Raven Beach in my second novel, Monochromacy, is based on my coastal home town of Penguin, located on Tasmania's NW Coast.
Where to find Troy...
Website | Facebook | Amazon


Zach stopped to survey the never-ending wasteland.
His exhausted companions waited by his side.
Their weary eyes followed the crumbling road that continued beyond the bleak horizon of the mysterious place they found themselves in. 
Ever. 
An odd reality filled with strange creatures and morbid mutations. 
In a world where nightmares reign, the unlikely group of friends must face the unknown and travel through the sinister heart of Ever in search of a way home. 
Friendships will be torn apart. 
Lives will be lost. 
Will anyone live happy after Ever?


Where to find "The End of Ever"

Also available from Troy Barnes' Website

Giveaway
(Australia Only)
 

Australian Author Month: E.J. Gore

E.J. Gore

 E. J. (Erica) Gore Erica grew up in Brisbane, Australia, in the 1950/60s. For an inwardly adventurous, but outwardly shy child, reading was a major part of life. Stories such as Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ adventures fired her imagination and created new worlds for her to explore. Making up stories of her own followed as a natural progression, with Erica holding storytelling sessions for her stuffed toys each evening before bed. Having overcome her shyness by taking drama classes at her mother’s insistence, Erica became a primary school teacher. She brought her love of story into the classroom, using narrative as a base for the units of work she planned for her students. Her core belief that stories provide children with a means of engaging with, and forming deeper understanding of, the world around them proved most successful in encouraging learning. When she retired from the classroom, Erica began to write her stories down. ‘It was as though the time was right to be writing. The ideas were there and I had to let them escape from my brain and sort themselves out on paper.’ Erica’s characters are average kids. They do not have any special powers. They do not live in any fantasy worlds. Quick wits and keen observation skills are their weapons. The main character, Taya, is the adventurous little girl that Erica longed to be. She has the adventures that Erica dreamed of having. She is a child who wonders about things and likes to figure out puzzles. She can be a scaredy-cat and she can be amazingly brave. She and her fiend, Chris, are likeable kids with whom young readers can easily identify. Who wouldn’t want to be out and about solving mysteries and having adventures? Erica still lives in Brisbane with her husband and their two mischievous dogs.

Five Fast Fun Facts about Erica...
I planted my little brother in the mangroves to see how Viking punishments worked. My cousin and I used my little brother as a crash test dummy for our experiments....but not for the explosive ones.I worked at a pub in Cornwall as a bartender in the winter and as a nanny during the summer.I worked as a typist for the British Army in Germany even though I couldn't type.My character, Taya, is the little girl I wished to be.
Where to find Erica...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog
Spending the weekend at the Comino farm turns out to be far more scary than Taya has expected.
While planning a joint birthday party, she and Chris come across several interesting items in the attic, including a carpet python.
Snakes are definitely not Taya's favourite creatures.
Taya thinks one of the items she has found could prove the innocence of Uncle George Comino who is in jail for theft.
Her persistence annoys Chris, but the hint of a mystery is irresistible to Taya. 
If George didn't steal the ruby cross, who did?
Who is Bryan?
Where is the cross now?
Taya has to face one of her greatest fears as she tries to put the clues together.
Could you charm a snake?



Where to find "Taya Bayliss - Snake Charmer"

Also available from Taya Bayliss Books

Giveaway
(International)
 

Australian Author Month: Vicki Griffin

Vicki Griffin
Vicki Griffin and her mob are from the – Tharawal tribe. Her Indigenous heritage inspired her to investigate her cultural and artistic talents and she began writing and painting.

Now her art hangs not only in local schools and daycare centres in the Brisbane area but also in Japan.

Discovering more of her talents in the realm of writing she enrolled at the University of New England and in 2006 completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Communication.
"Nanna’s Storm" was published in 2010 by Black Ink Press & 
"Nanna's Boot Camp" was published as an e-book in 2013.

Vicki Griffin is married with four children and lives in Queensland. In 2001 she became a guardian of a Torres Strait Islander child and is leading him into his culture.

  Three Fast Fun Facts about Vicki... I like to eat chocolate when I write.I like to have pinks and purple colour in my hair.As a child I would burst tar bubbles on the hot road!    Where to find Vicki...
Facebook


Can you help solve the mystery of the BIG boot hanging on Nana's veranda? A fun adventure holiday in the country for a group of teens.
 Picture book 24 pages in full colour.  


Where to find "Nanna's Boot Camp"  Buzzwords MagazineMorris Publishing
Giveaway
(International)
 

Australian Author Month: Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls

Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls



Rochelle Llewelyn Nicholls is the author of numerous journal articles on orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine. She also writes about the science of baseball and has worked as a sports scientist with junior players at both the Western Australian Institute of Sport and the American Sports Medicine Institute. She lives in Australia. 








Five Fast Fun Facts about Rochelle...
1. I hold a Ph.D. in Biomechanics and, before I became a writer, I worked as a biomedical engineer (I designed implants for hip and knee replacements)

2. I live on a large cattle station and, when I'm not writing, I compete in rodeo and campdraft and I work with problem horses

3. I represented Australia at the World Cup of fencing on four occasions.

4. My writing idols include Miles Franklin, J.K. Rowling, Richard Flanagan, Tim Winton, and John Marsden.

5. Although I'm a non-fiction writer, I read tonnes of fiction, and I'm a particular fan of fiction for kids, as the sheer joy and creativity therein is a wonderful stimulus for my own imagination.
Where to find Rochelle...
Website | Facebook | Twitter


"A gentleman when the game was hard-bitten, played by rough-and-ready lads out to win, whatever the cost...."
Australia had few sporting heroes in the years preceding its federation in 1901. But before its 20th-century Olympic trailblazers, and Depression-era icons such as Phar Lap and Don Bradman, came an Australian sporting pioneer who was celebrated on the most glamorous stage in the world--American major league baseball. Joe Quinn's story has long been lost in the land of his birth. This tale gallops from the deprivation of famine-ravaged Ireland through colonial Australia to the raucous ballfields of 19th-century America, with their unruly players and owners, brawls and adulation and backroom betrayals. Through 17 seasons in the major leagues, "Undertaker" Joe Quinn earned his place among the colorful characters who pioneered the modern game of baseball, as much for his ability to stand apart from their bad behavior as for his steadfastness on the field. Meet Australia's first professional baseball player and manager, whose willingness to "have a go" in the grand Australian tradition will live long in the minds of sports fans on both sides of the Pacific.

Where to find "Joe Quinn Among the Rowdies"

Also available from McFarland Books

Giveaway
(International)
 

Australian Author Month: Jane Routley

Jane Routley

I’ve had a variety of careers, including fruit picker and Occult librarian and lived in Germany and Denmark for a decade.  Now I’m back in my beloved Melbourne and working for the railways.

I’ve published 3 books as me – Mage Heart and the Aurealis award winners Fire Angels and Aramaya, and one book as Rebecca Locksley – The Three Sisters.  My short stories have been widely anthologized, appeared in Meanjin and read on the ABC. My favourite writers are Jane Austen, Angela Carter, Sara Douglass, Janet Evanovich, and Gail Carriger.

My current life ambition is to see an erupting volcano




Five Fast Fun Facts about Jane...
I once worked as an Occult librarian for the Theosophical Society  I lived in Copenhagen, Denmark for 7 years. But no I didn't meet Princess Mary I now work at the railway station at the zoo I have won 2 Aurealis awards for Best Fantasy novel of the yearI would like to see an erupting volcano  


Where to find Jane...
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LinkdIn | Ticonderoga Publications | Clandestine Press

Three Tari Sisters estranged from the Society they are destined to save.

Elena, more beautiful than any man can resist, is kidnapped, her destiny controlled by the men who desire her. 
Yani, warrior woman, brave, strong, able to pass as a man, who will do anything to find Elena.
Marigoth, powerful female mage, determined to never grow up, equally determined to find her missing sister.

In a country oppressed and cruelly ruled, the fate of many people lies in the unsuspecting hands of these three women.




Where to find "The Three Sisters"

You can also get your copy from Clandestine Press

Giveaway (Australia Only) Giveaway (International)

New Release: Wicked Fall (The Wicked Horse Series Book #1) by Sawyer Bennett

Wicked Fall (The Wicked Horse Series Book #1)

Sawyer Bennett

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Synopsis
Never in your wildest dreams could you begin to imagine all the filthy and depraved things that go on inside The Wicked Horse. Step inside and Woolf Jennings will make every one of your dirty fantasies come true.

He’s covered in a facade of deception. An enticing blend of multi-millionaire and hot-as-hell Wyoming rancher, those that think they know Woolf Jennings admire his abilities to preside as CEO of his family’s cattle and oil empire. But only a privileged few truly understand what fuels the glitter of depravity in those gorgeous blue eyes. Only a few know he’s opened up a sinfully erotic and private sex club named The Wicked Horse right at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain range. 

Sweet Callie Hayes has returned home to Wyoming and is looking forward to starting her life over again. After a night of impetuosity, she’s managed to put herself right in Woolf’s line of sight… the man who she foolishly offered up her virginity to years ago and was flatly turned down.

Now Woolf is seeing that Callie is all grown up and has a kinky side to her that leaves him as confused as it does turned on. Worse yet, both Callie’s dirty desires and sweet heart are getting under his skin, and making Woolf question everything he’s ever believed about himself.

Goodreads



Purchase Wicked Fall
Amazon | iBooks | Google Play | Audible 

Enter to WIN!


(entries accepted until 11:59 pm EST on August 3, 2015)
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. 

Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series.



Connect with Sawyer
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter

Australian Author Month in August

Starting on Friday, I will be featuring some amazing Australian authors right here on my blog. These authors write in all different genres and have very interesting lives. There will be at least two giveaways running each day, and I will tweet about them, so if you're a follower on Twitter, make sure you keep up with the latest giveaway. 
I hope you all participate and enter to win some great novels ranging from kids' books to more adult ones.

Giveaway: A signed copy of Half Blood

If you're a regular on my blog, you may have seen me posting chapters from my debut novel Half Blood every now and then. If you've liked what you've read, here's your chance to get your own copy. I will be giving away a signed paperback of Half Blood.

 A FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES
A battle for werewolf territory and rights has Rhett fighting for his life and for the survival of the pack. The last Half Blood --a half human, half vampire hybrid--has been found and Rhett has been chosen as her unlikely Guardian. The pack's survival hangs on her completing her transformation, but a Sicarii--a vampire assassin--is hunting her to ensure that never happens...
A DARK SECRET REVEALED

Indigo's hard exterior is nothing compared to the dark secret she carries within her. Her haunted eyes alone tell of her struggle and desire to live. But what she doesn't know is that she is hard-wired for survival; the very blood in her veins and the legacy of her father demands it. But when her life takes a violent turn, her heritage and her fate may be the very thing to get her killed...

Book Review: "Close Liasons" by Anna Zaires

  ***Book 1 of a completed trilogy from a USA Today bestselling author***
In the near future, the Krinar rule the Earth. An advanced race from another galaxy, they are still a mystery to us—and we are completely at their mercy.

Shy and innocent, Mia Stalis is a college student in New York City who's led a normal life. Like most people, she’s never had any interactions with the invaders—until one fateful day in the park changes everything. Having caught Korum’s eye, she must now contend with a powerful, dangerously seductive Krinar who wants to possess her and will stop at nothing to make her his own.

How far would you go to regain your freedom? How much would you sacrifice to help your people? What choice will you make when you begin to fall for your enemy?
   
My review...
I didn’t really know what to expect when I read Close Liaisons by Anna Zaires. All I knew was I wanted to read it. Close Liaisons is set in a time in the not too distant future where Earth as we know has changed irrevocably. An alien race from Krinar has come to Earth to coexist with humans. Little is known about this alien species, although a number of rumours whisper about vampirism. Despite the ‘invasion’ as some humans called it, the ‘Ks’ actually bring with them advanced technology and a desire to improve the health of the planet for humans by restricting the number of farms producing meat. Now a predominately vegetarian society, humans are reaping the benefits of a healthier diet.
I really enjoyed the world Zaires created for this future Earth. Although many things remained the same for Mia—a psychology student at NYU—her life is turned upside down when she meets the compelling yet predatory Korum. Identified by his muscular body, golden skin and amber eyes, Mia finds herself unable to escape his notice. Korum is intrigued by the human girl, making it his business to make her his own.
Their relationship is a turbulent one. Korum insists on dominating the young and naïve Mia, stripping her of her innocence in perhaps the most realistic loss-of-virginity scenes. There were no tears of wonderment and joy as she was taken by this male. Pain, hatred, the desire to escape—this is what Mia felt. Zaires took the act and made it a reality, not a fluffed up version other books make it out to be. 
As I read, I couldn’t help but see a comparison between Korum and Christian Grey. This domineering, pompous, egotistical man takes over Mia’s life to the point where it almost becomes abusive. He controls when she can leave his apartment, when she can see her friends and even what kind of clothes she can wear. Korum’s mercurial treatment of Mia left me hating him and loving him, but I was glad to see Mia not just rolling over and taking it. She did try to fight for her freedom, but Korum’s will and desire was simply too strong.
There was one thing that cannot be ignored. The sex between Mia and Korum was hot. Zaire’s had me turning the pages, the words consuming me. Everybody loves to get lost in the passion between two characters you both love and hate for different reasons. My only complaint would be the use of vocabulary when describing the male and female body. Sometimes it was too clinical which was slightly off putting. However in saying that, I was glad certain words were not included that are sometimes used to describe female anatomy. 
Loved it and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Where to get your copy of "Close Liasons"



About Anna...
Anna Zaires is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of contemporary dark erotic romance and sci-fi romance. She fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.

After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.

Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.

In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.

She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to drop her a note through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com, and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.  
Where to find Anna...
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads