A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 43
September 12, 2023
Day of Death – Blog Tour #Sci-fi #Fantasy #DarkRomance
I will stop at nothing to get to the truth, no matter whom it hurts or whom I have to kill.
Day of Death
A Rise of the Dread Series Novel
by LaVerne Thompson
Genre: Dark Romance, SciFi Fantasy
My name is Piper Adams. I’m young for a special agent to the king, but I’m very, very good at what I do—which is finding the truth. I can temporarily take over and inhabit the mind of another. The Day Walker king knows this and values my gifts. He uses me when others fail. Like in a rare once-in-a-lifetime murder case. There is unrest in the Kingdom of Day. One of the King’s Men, was brutally murdered just a block away from the palace. The victim is a high-ranking officer of the King’s Men. Local corruption control say he’s a spy and traitor to the Day Walkers and our king. The King’s Men call bullshit. The king has tasked me with figuring out what really happened. Both sides will try to stop me from getting at the truth. No matter what, I’ll find their dirty secrets. I will stop at nothing to get to the truth, no matter whom it hurts or whom I have to kill. By writ of my king.
LaVerne Thompson is a USA Today Bestselling, award winning, multi-published author, an avid reader and a writer of contemporary, fantasy, and sci/fi romances. She also writes romantic suspense and new adult under the pen name Ursula Sinclair, her alter ego, who likes her relationships a little more complicated. http://www.amazon.com/Ursula-Sinclair/e/B00415YAVK/
Her stories are highly sensual with erotic elements but she has a few that are considered erotic. Most of her books also have a touch of violence and a few more than that. She enjoys good action scenes in movies and has incorporated some of those elements in quite a few of her books. She is also a certified chocoholic.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
Swift Six Character Interview – Argent
Character Name: Argent
Which book/world do you live in? I live in the story known as, “Last of the Usurpers”
Tell us about yourself:
I am an ancient warrior, the one solely responsible for the death of the dragons. It is through my actions I raised the legend of my race, the half elves, to that of myth, earning us the name Usurper. The world grew to know us as invincible; we were thought to be so powerful that a single one of us could bring a kingdom to its knees. But this was a lie. While my race was powerful, I alone hold that power, for I alone killed the dragons. My kind’s desire for power grew so fiercely that I did to them that which I had done to the dragons. I fought them and drove them to the edge of extinction, now I am the only Usurper left. I am the ancient warrior that no weapon can hope to harm, that no person could hope to defeat. But all that changed the moment I found an orphaned girl, alone on a dying woman in the mountains. Now, I am a father.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
My greatest strength would be that when I kill those who bear magic, I take their power as my own. Not their ability to use magic, but their mana infuses itself into my body allowing me to become far stronger, faster, and nearly indestructible.
My greatest weakness would be my young daughter, Sylphaya. I try to do my best for her, I try to give her all of the love I can possibly manage, but for all my power, I am still imperfect. It is due to this imperfection, and my own carelessness, my daughter is taken from me leaving me half dead.
Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).
In my world, “Last of the Usurpers” there are many powerful and influential people, unfortunately I only care for a few of them.
The White Monarch, or as I call her, Freya. She is one of the oldest of the Dragons, the only one, thankfully, I couldn’t kill. Freya is an immortal, no wound that harms her can last, and no strike will prove fatal. But above all of this, she is the woman I love. I met Freya when I was gravely harmed trying to save my daughter, at first I was ready to have a duel to the death with her, then she took her human form and I fell in love instantly, though I did not know that’s what it was at first.
The Black Emperor, Freya’s brother. The Black Emperor was the most powerful of the dragons, and the first that I slew. While I regret what I have done, I would never change the path I have taken. His strength gave me the power to forge my own path and eventually, meet the only people I have been allowed to love.
Finally, Bosallia. The damned kingdom that stole my daughter from me. When I thought I was finally going to be allowed to live in peace, to live a normal life, she was taken from me. I was struck down when I was at my most vulnerable. Bosallia is now one of the most prominent of the human Kingdoms with a powerful king to match. The only thing greater than their lust for power is my vengeance, and I will stop at nothing to reclaim that which they have taken from me.
What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?
Heroism is a word I think only average people are allowed to dream of, but if I had to describe it I would say this: heroism is an act of selflessness, done by one who often knows not what they are doing. It is an act of kindness, of love, of sacrifice. Heroism isn’t always done by a hero, sometimes it’s done by a simple person who just wants to do what’s right.
What do you think of your ‘creator’?
My creator is a young man, only twenty-four years of age. While he still has a lot of life to live he has experienced and been through a lot, but there is one thing about him I can say for certain, stories are his passion.
Give us your favourite piece of advice:
Find something living for. Everyone dies, but not everyone lives.
Links to book
Last of the Usurpers: Seale J R, William: 9798887292779: Amazon.com: Books
Last of the Usurpers – Dorrance Bookstore (dorrancepublishing.com)
September 10, 2023
Enter a World of Forbidden Magic!
Sizzling sorcery! Magic and Mayhem! Romance and Revenge! Dare you adventure with the mages? Adult #darkfantasy adventure #Fantasy #Lightbeyondthestorm #ebook #print #audiobook #largeprint https://www.books2read.com/Lightbeyondstorm1
Available in all the ebook stores and print on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Excerpt from the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I
The Archmage rested: dozing, replenishing, and dreaming. Archos had spent an active day and night studying and trying to finish the spell he was creating. Even with his Power, something had unsettled him, so he had given up and gone to rest. As he dozed in a chair in what he called his “workshop,” the Mirror he owned began to sing. Pulled from his sleep, he rose and walked to it. “What is it that you disturb me at such an hour?” he murmured. The Mirror’s song began to wail the strange, haunting song of the Arcane Realms. Touching the edges of the Enchanted Silver frame, he watched as the Mirror shimmered, and the mists cleared.
Archos watched as the view of the chamber in the ruins flickered into view. The image was weak, so he channelled some magic into the Mirror, and Archos saw the other Mirror in the tower and a glimpse of something red as the image flickered out. “Damn you,” he muttered, “must be a weak one.”
Concentrating, he channelled another small bolt of magic into his own Mirror. These artefacts had many uses, if a mage knew the correct spell, one of which included finding other such Mirrors. It was almost as though they spoke to one another, communicated in the Arcane Realm. They fed on magic, although Archos was not sure if “fed” was the correct term. Demanded, needed, or desired were perhaps more accurate. His Mirror could be fickle, but it was old. It had cost him a good deal some years ago, but he smiled as he caressed the silver. He saw the image flicker back up and as it did so, a bolt of magic, of pain, of Power, and of the most intense desire shot down his arm and right across him. Suddenly his head spun, for just a moment, and the Power made him drop gasping to his knees.
“Gods, what was that? Such Power! That cannot have been from the other Mirror!”
He had never felt such intensity as the Power of the woman who called to him across the vast Magical Realms. Breathlessly, he gripped the edges, surprised and deeply intrigued. As he pulled himself back to his feet, Archos saw her: the flame-haired elf woman touching the Mirror in the ruins. He watched as she ran her fingers down the glass and murmured something. Again, he cursed that he had never been able to get the thing to transmit sound. Archos gazed, transfixed, at the beautiful young mage. She could not be more than twenty-five summers, although with elves, it was hard to tell. It had taken him years to learn Mirror magic, yet before him stood this young mage activating an old, dying Mirror.
The image faded, and he snapped at the Mirror, “Show me. Do not play games.”
The mists swirled, and he tried to reach through the unyielding magical fog. “Damn you, so be it!” Archos continued, glaring at the Mirror.
September 4, 2023
Love is in the Air #SecondChance #Romance
This limited edition romance collection features 20+ stories of hope, happy ever afters, and the second chances it took to get there.
Love Is In the Air
A Limited Edition Second Chance Romance Collection
An Amaryllis Media Collection by various authors
Sometimes we don’t get it right the first time around. That’s why life gives us second chances.
This limited edition romance collection features 20+ stories of hope, happy ever afters, and the second chances it took to get there.
In this collection you will find stories of second chances at love and life as our heroes and heroines embark on life changing journeys, whether changing careers or moving half way across the globe.
What second chance have you been longing for? These stories just might inspire you to go out there and grab it.
About the collection:
All NET Author proceeds are being pledged to Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the highest rated breast cancer organization in the United States and largest private funder of breast cancer research worldwide.
The organizer of this collection, Mandy Melanson of Amaryllis Media, LLC, watched her aunt go through diagnosis, treatment, remission, then it returned as Stage 4. It was in that moment she watched her aunt refuse additional treatment because it made her so sick she felt the alternative was a better choice for her and she resigned herself to her diagnosis.
It is our collective hope no one will ever have to feel that way again. That is why she’s brought together these 20+ romance authors, who build their careers on hope and happy ever afters, to write this collection of second chances.
Our mission, as the participating authors in this collection, is to use our voices to help BCRF in their mission to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world’s most promising research.
Scroll up now and claim your copy of this collection to help us make a difference in other people’s lives!
Participating authors in this collection are:
Tara September
Kat Long
Sierra Gamble
Danielle Jacks
Serenity Rayne & Cassandra Featherstone
Jeanine Lauren
Sharon Wray
Angela Scavone
Anne Lucy-Shanley
Carrie Jacobs
Roxie Clarke
Bobbi Claire
Helen Walton
Heather Silvio
Rose Fresquez
CJ McKnight
Q Marlowe
Shauna Jared
Kristen Fray
Mandy Melanson
Colleen Key
**Only .99cents!!**
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It Might Be You
by Tara September
Serina Spring is trading in her blossoming real estate career in Manhattan and an ex-boyfriend to start anew in Naples, Florida. But playing cards with her matchmaking grandmother was not exactly the exciting new life she had in mind.
So, when Serina spies a handsome stranger at an open house, she thinks her luck just might be changing. Then again? Maybe not.
Fortunately, while on the white sandy beaches of Southwest Florida, Serina discovers that all is not what it seems if you just open yourself up to fate and second chances.
Bestselling, multi-award-winning romance author of steamy & sassy Contemporary and New Adult stories that will leave you “grinning like a Cheshire Cat.” Residing in NYC and Southwest Florida, Tara holds a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and is the proud mom to twin boys and four writing distractions, I mean cats.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
September 3, 2023
In The Midnight Hour – Blog Tour #Paranormal #Womensfiction
Werewolf Queen wasn’t on her middle aged bingo card…
In the Midnight Hour
A Midnight Madness Nightcreature Novel Book 3
by Lori Handeland
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Just when I thought it was safe to go home…
I’ve been running too long. I’d gotten sloppy. Sloppy gets you captured. But it turns out, the very one I thought I had to hide from, saved me.
I just want to live peacefully. But happy family, er, pack reunions don’t seem to be in my future. When my secret is used against me, I’m forced to run again. This time, help comes from the most unexpected source, the greatest werewolf hunter of all time, Edward Mandenauer.
To get what we both want—the end of the sadistic, yet sexy, werewolf Zane—Edward and I join forces. But Zane isn’t working alone. Nor is he who or what he says he is. He’s much, much more…
All I want is the life I believed I’d lost, but at this rate, I’ll end up captured, imprisoned, enslaved . . . or dead.
From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, the final installment in the Midnight Madness trilogy takes you deep into her Nightcreature world, complete with the humor, depth of characterization and fast-paced plot lines the author is known for while showcasing her incredible range.
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Blame It On Midnight
A Midnight Madness Nightcreature Novel Book 2
I saved my daughter. But how do I save myself?
I did what I had to. Try and kill my girl? I will end you faster than you can say have mercy. Sure I broke a cardinal pack rule, which will get me executed by my mate. If they find out. If they find me.
Saved from capture by Zane, the sexiest of sexy werewolves, my rescue comes with a price. Zane wants a favor, one that could cause an all-out pack war. The last thing I need is to make more enemies, but lives are at stake if I don’t make a stand.
Not only that, but I have a secret. An impossible secret that is going to turn the entire werewolf world upside down.
From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, a new volume in her Nightcreature world, complete with the humor, depth of characterization and fast-paced plot lines she is known for while showcasing the author’s incredible range.
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Nothing Good Happens After Midnight
A Midnight Madness Nightcreature Novel Book 1
They say a mother will do anything for her child . . . I’m living proof
This nightmare began when I got the call every parent dreads. My daughter, Jenna, was missing from her college campus. Of course, my mind went to the worst place. After all, my late husband was a powerful senator. Was this some political payback?
I call in a favor and soon I’m partnered with an FBI sex trafficking agent. He tells me local girls have been disappearing for some time now, and he finally has a lead. But what we find at that abandoned warehouse is something out of a horror movie.
Werewolves! Two rival packs, their alphas fighting, winner take all––the pack and the trafficked girls. The werewolves must replenish their breeders, recently decimated by a virus that killed only the females.
But Jenna’s been keeping a secret, which only makes two of us. Though I should be angry, I know the lies I’ve told play a huge role in why we’re here. I’ll do anything to make it right. No way is my girl going to become a sacrificial mate for the greater good––even if she is the ‘chosen one.’ So, I do what any mother would do, I take her place, offering myself to Gideon, the winning alpha, as his mate.
Gideon’s goal is to live in harmony with the human world, but there are others who exist for the power, for the violence, and they don’t plan to let peace prevail.
There’s a civil werewolf war brewing and I am right in the middle of it.
From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, a new volume in her Nightcreature world, complete with the humor, depth of characterization and fast-paced plot lines she is known for while showcasing the author’s incredible range.
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**FREEBIE ALERT!**
Get the first Nightcreature novel, Blue Moon for FREE!!
Lori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA
Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance, historical fantasy and women’s fiction. Her novel Just Once received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori set her sight on being an author at the age of ten. She remembers sitting at a typewriter before she knew how to type, pecking out a story about a family who went into space. As an only child her summers were spent with that typewriter, television, and, above all, books. As a young adult, she got sidetracked by the need to make a living. She worked as a waitress and later enrolled in college to become a teacher.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Stuffed Wolf Plush,
$20 Amazon giftcard
– 1 winner each!
September 1, 2023
Unfurling the Sales – Blog Tour #YA #Sci-fi
A storm. A plot. And a rivalry that spans generations.
Unfurling the Sails
A Grey Shima Adventure
by Sarah Branson
Genre: YA SciFi Adventure
A storm. A plot. And a rivalry that spans generations.
In this thrilling young adult novel, a storm sets the stage for a gripping tale of adventure, suspense, and unlikely alliances. Fourteen-year-old Grey Shima is unimpressed with growing up. So she throws herself into the things she loves: sailing, whittling, and losing herself in fantasy and adventure stories. When she qualifies to participate in the Great Sea Race, Grey is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.
Caught in a rogue storm, Grey and her sworn enemy, Ashton, are thrown together in the Great Sea. Their struggles are far from over as they uncover a sinister plot that threatens the lives of thousands. In a race against time, Grey and Ashton must confront their deepest fears to save themselves and protect their loved ones.
Prepare to be swept away as two reluctant allies discover the true meaning of resilience and the transformative power of friendship.
**Only 99 cents!!**
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Sarah Branson, an award-winning author and experienced midwife, weaves thrilling tales of action and adventure with airborne pirates amidst a world transformed by fires, floods, and pandemics.
Sarah first started conjuring stories of pirates when her family hopped a freighter to Australia when she was seven. She has since grown up, traveling the globe, raising a family, and teaching science and history to middle school and high school students in the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Her diverse life journey inspires her storytelling.
A Merry Life, her debut novel, received prestigious honors. It is the first book of her Pirates of New Earth series that has captivated readers. Unfurling the Sails is her first novel written for teen readers.
Sarah and her husband call Connecticut home. She firmly believes the strength and resiliency of the human spirit combined with the power of badass women will create a better world for all.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Signed Copy with Swag Pack,
$20 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!
August 30, 2023
Guest Post – How to Come Up With Intriging Character Backstories
Being able to get the protagonist’s motivations, goals, wants and needs right in a story is an essential skill to have in your writing toolkit. But one often overlooked, yet powerful skill, is backstory. When used correctly, the intriguing twists and turns of a character’s history is what makes a book sink its claws in as we read.
So how do we use backstory to create intrigue? While extensively developing our characters is important in the story, it’s also what you withhold from the reader, only to reveal later in a major insight at a critical point, which gives satisfaction.
Sound fun? Let’s look at some tips for coming up with intriguing character backstories and divulging them in a powerful way.
1. Establish the purpose of your character’s backstoryLet’s say you’ve written a character that pops off the page, and for the sake of your own sanity can’t figure out what drives them to do it. Or the character you’re writing could use some help — an awakening like Frankenstein’s monster more like it. Or maybe you’re wrestling with a flat character?
Creating an intriguing character backstory is all about understanding its purpose. In addition to being a way for readers to fall in love with or understand your character (and when done right, to plant opportunities for spin-off or prequel books from your much-loved cast), backstories also have to serve a larger purpose.
Figuring this out can save some headache. Often, what makes a character intriguing is their juxtaposition to the world they inhabit. Think Harry Potter, in a world of magic even he is interesting and stands out because he survived a killing curse. Or take Siuan Sanche from The Wheel of Time series: when we meet her, she is the leader of the Tar Valon women, formally trained witches known as Aes Sedai. Yet her beginnings can be traced to a poor fishing family, and that’s evident in her speech.
If a reader picked up your book for the promise of magic and beasts, adventures and curses, quests and epic battle scenes, part of the story’s fulfillment is learning about this world and your character’s history, as well as what makes them important in their world.
The more you ask yourself what the purpose of your character’s backstory is, the quicker you’ll learn when you’ve got a character that needs fleshing out. Will learning the backstory push the plot forward, or is it there to affect a character’s likeability? Does it explain something that happened earlier, or build suspense by making readers wary of a character’s past repeating itself? If your characters’ behavior hasn’t changed with time, why is that, and will they change over the course of your novel? All of these decisions will be crucial to your character development.
At the end of the day, intrigue is getting the reader to ask questions of your characters, and making sure you slowly supply the answers that help the story make sense.
Why is Demetrius always so callous to everyone?What made Samantha act that way towards the Guards of Light?Where is Phoenix headed if he knows they’ve taken his sister there? Why?Burke acts so odd at the sight of land compared to the others, where’d he’d come from?2. Deepen the character by asking questions about themOnce you know the purpose in which you’ll use your character’s intriguing backstory there are many ways you can proceed. What do you want to know? Everything? A character questionnaire can help you flesh out your characters into multifaceted people with complex pasts and psyches, getting you to consider multiple aspects of their lives and experiences.
Knowing your character head to toe can be handy, and I’m talking beyond hair color, build and vocabulary. Think good and bad memories, fears and quirks, favorite meals and funny phobias. There are also mannerisms which don’t just have to be ticks, catch-phrases, or a particular attire and gait to their walk, but behaviors which reflect where your character has come from, helping you broaden your world. Each character is going to speak and think differently depending where they came from in your universe, use it.
3. Consider changing an existing backstoryUsing inspiration from existing stories and changing character’s backstories can be a great way to dive into enriching your story. If you experiment with changing the past of your favorite character, how does it affect their personality and behavior? Change a few more things… How does it inform the text?
To give you an example: what if Katniss hadn’t been around while her sister was chosen? What if her story was trying to change places with another tribute but found the honor of being chosen was stronger in other districts? That would have a serious impact on how the readers see the character, her values, and her mission in the world of Suzanne Collins’ books.
Have fun with it.
4. Don’t overdo itKeep in mind that while deepening your character’s backstory helps create believability, overdoing backstory and exposition can cause problems (the info-dump bat is a heavy one — you’ve been warned!). It’s striking the balance that builds worlds of wonder and awe.
Also remember that there’s no need to make your characters perfect. No one is flawless. In fact, there can be things that we like in a villain and things we don’t like in a protagonist. What creates intrigue is that they’re like you and me — obviously awesome — but flawed in our own beautiful, interesting ways.
Intrigue is getting readers to ask questions about what you haven’t said yet. Ideally, you want to cast a spell over them slowly, so that they don’t know you’ve tricked them into reading your book until they reach the end.
Rose Atkinson-Carter is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace and blog that helps authors with everything from how to make an audiobook , find the best writing software, to hiring a ghostwriter and everything in between.
August 28, 2023
Meet the Kitchen Imps
Ever wondered where your socks go in the laundry, or why you can’t find your keys? The Kitchen Imps have the answer.
The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales – six short tales of mayhem and mischief.
Winner of the 2018 best fantasy on NN Light Book Heaven.
Naughty imps, missing socks, cunning thieves and baffled gods feature in this collection of short fantasy fiction.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/KitchenImps
August 25, 2023
Want some award-winning #fantasy fun? Check out #TheKitchenImps
The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales – six short tales of mayhem and mischief.
Winner of the 2018 best fantasy on NN Light Book Heaven.
Naughty imps, missing socks, cunning thieves and baffled gods feature in this collection of short fantasy fiction.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/KitchenImps
Check out the Legacy of The Mask Series
Award-winning #historicalfantasy based on the #PhantomoftheOpera.
Echoes of a Song:
A dozen tumultuous years after the dramatic events at the Paris Opera House Raoul, Comte de Chagny is still haunted by the mysterious Opera Ghost – the creature of legend who held staff at the Opera House under his thrall, kidnapped Raoul’s lover and murdered his brother. In Raoul’s troubled imagination the ghosts of the past are everywhere, and strange and powerful music still calls in his dreams.
Madness, obsession and the legacy of the past weave their spell in this short, tragic tale based on the Phantom of the Opera.
Best fantasy 2019 on reviewer site NN Light Book Heaven!
Available on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and many other stores on the link below.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/Echoesofasong
Tears and Crimson Velvet
Madame Giry finds herself embroiled in the tragedy unfolding at the Opera house; mystery and murder stalk the corridors and, it is said, a ghost haunts the place. Giry knows the truth, for she recalls the caged man she met so many years ago. This is her story, their story.
When murder and mystery begin at the Opera House one woman knows who is behind it, and what really lies beneath the mask. Secrets, lies and tragedy sing a powerful song in this ‘might have been’ tale.
Winner of the 2020 Best Short Story award on NNLight Book Heaven
A short, tragic tale based on characters from Phantom of the Opera.
A Legacy of the Mask Tale.
https://books2read.com/TearsandCrimson
