Ally Shields's Blog, page 88

March Kindle Fire Giveaway hop

Here's an opportunity to win an ebook in the Guardian Witch series and a whole lot more! Need a Kindle Fire to put it on? Great books, great prizes!

The Guardian Witch urban fantasy series can be found at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.




Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!


The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)


Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)


Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)





Sponsoring Authors

Cascade Brides by Bonnie Blythe Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba The Return of the Dragon Riders by Kristian Alva Prison Nation by Jenni Merritt The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton For What It's Worth by Karey White Hidden Heart by Camelia Miron Skiba The Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke Shifting Pride by Laura Diamond Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) by Ally Shields The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs Kiss Me, I'm Irish by Bella Street Legend Unleashed by M. Latimer-Ridley Innovera Yakov- The Journey of a Thousand Eyes by Kia Garriques The Gifted by Deborah Andreasen Reflection by Kim Cresswell Forbidden Temptation of a Vampire by Jodie B. Cooper Family Magic by Patti Larsen Fall of Sky City by S.M. Blooding Blood Oath by T.L. Clarke Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens A Tale of the Other Kind by Leandi Cameron Alexander Drake by Elizabeth Parkinson Bellows Owlet by Emma Michaels Aura by Rebecca Talley





Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends: 3/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) release party!

Party time! Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) is now available!


Since my second book was released yesterday, I'm celebrating the continuation of my urban fantasy series, and my friends are helping with a blog bllitz. For the next couple of weeks I'll be visiting various blogs with excerpts, interviews of me or my witch Ari, and the occasional giveaway of an ebook copy of Fire Within. I think there are seven giveaways if you can find them all. :) I hope you'll visit their blogs and give my friends a shout out by commenting. Every site has something unique, and every excerpt is different. You can help by sharing the release news on Twitter or Facebook or even at your local grocery! :)

Oh, and if you comment on my blog- today or tomorrow's post on witchcraft (either one)- between now and Monday morning (March 11), you be entered in a random drawing for an ebook, either Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) or Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch #1), your choice! Just tell me which one you want!

Here is the list of party sites! (Some of the links may only worked on the date listed.) A huge thank you to each of these bloggers who donated their time and website to help me spread the word!
 
March 9:    Kirstin Pulioff
                    Kath Marsh
                    DR Racy blog or  DR Racey's Goodreads author blog
                    Dani-Lyn Alexander
                    Charley Descoteaux
                    Martha Emms
                    Milly Taiden

March 10   Cat Cavendish

March 11   Sara Hubbard

March 12   Joanne Stewart

March 13   Shannon McRoberts
                     Jerrie Alexander
                     Marie Carhart, The Kabrini Message

March 13-14   Tara Lain

March 15   Paranormal on Facebook

March 19   Susan Taylor

March 20   Linda Covella
                     Brinda Berry

March 21   Katya Armock

March 22   Anne Lange

March 23   Brinda Berry, Kick Butt bog hop giveaway

March 24   Dan O'Brien

                                                                 And this is what the partying is all about . . .
A hidden evil stalks the city…

Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. Her human partner Ryan thinks the case is a slam dunk, even though there’s no weapon and no witnesses, but Ari’s not about to let her friend take the rap without finding out more.

 When Ari attends a charity event on the arm of a handsome werewolf, she finds someone she never expected to see again—Andreas De Luca, the charismatic vampire she used to date. When their eyes meet across the room, memories come rushing back. His kiss, his touch, a savage death…and a terrifying magical bond. A reconnection is the last thing she wants. Only by staying away and forgetting Andreas
can she hope to avoid the Legend of Ramora.

 But when vampires keep dying, one thing becomes clear: Riverdale has a serial killer on its hands, and Andreas could be next. Ari begins to fear there’s more to it, though. Something truly evil is stalking the city, waiting to take control…

                                  Amazon                 Barnes & Noble                      All Romance Ebooks                        Kobo

Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) released today!

I'm thrilled to present book #2 in my urban fantasy series!

Book Blurb:

A hidden evil stalks the city…

Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. Her human partner Ryan thinks the case is a slam dunk, even though there’s no weapon and no witnesses, but Ari’s not about to let her friend take the rap without finding out more.

 When Ari attends a charity event on the arm of a handsome werewolf, she finds someone she never expected to see again—Andreas De Luca, the charismatic vampire she used to date. When their eyes meet across the room, memories come rushing back. His kiss, his touch, a savage death…and a terrifying magical bond. A reconnection is the last thing she wants. Only by staying away and forgetting Andreas can she hope to avoid the Legend of Ramora.

 But when vampires keep dying, one thing becomes clear: Riverdale has a serial killer on its hands, and Andreas could be next. Ari begins to fear there’s more to it, though. Something truly evil is stalking the city, waiting to take control…

Buy Links:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Ebooks

Characters Comment on the Upcoming Book Release

Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) releases tomorrow!

I wanted to know my characters' reaction to the new release, so I stopped by the Olde Town annex of the Riverdale Police Dept. I caught my fire witch cop Ari and her human partner, Lt. Ryan Foster, on their way down the front steps.

Ally: "Where are you headed?"

Ryan: "New case. And we're in a hurry."

Ally: "Can I get a few quick comments on the new book?" I keep step with them as the hurry toward Ryan's cruiser.

Ari: "Did you have to tell them all that stuff about the legend?"

Ally: "It is an important part of the story."

Ari: "Wasn't murder enough?" She gives me an impatient look.

Ally: "Your private life gives the story more depth. I've told you that before."

Ryan: "Well, you could have made my part a little bigger. How come I'm always the sidekick?" But he's grinning when he says it, and I know he doesn't like publicity anymore than Ari does.

Ari stops and gives me a direct look: "I guess it could have been worse, but I worry about what you'll reveal the next time."

She turns away; they jump in the police car and are gone.

Looking after them, I grin. Wouldn't they be surprised to know what their future holds...

Sneak Peek Sunday Mar 3

Hi, everyone! Welcome to our preview hop called Sneak Peek Sunday.

I have a short snippet for you today from Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2), an urban fantasy/paranormal romance, that will be released March 8!



My main character Ari, a supernatural cop, is worrying about her friend Eddie, who is under arrest after unexpectedly confessing to the murder of a vampire.

Here's my Sneak Peek:

Surely a human jury would be hesitant to convince on such slim evidence. Of course, nothing would help Eddie if he pled guilty. He’d never get to trial. The case would go straight to the penalty phase, and Eddie would be turned over to the vampires for disposition.

Ari’s gut clenched. Vampires could be very inventive.

                                                                                                            ~ ~ ~

Thanks for stopping. Be sure to catch all the other sneak peeks by returning to the main hop site. Just click on the banner above! See you next time!

Q and A on Ari's World

Hi, everyone! Welcome! It's great to see you here.

While waiting for the upcoming release of Fire Within (Guardian Witch #2) next Friday, March 8, I'm taking a break from the manuscripts and looking through email and reader comments today. I see some re-occurring themes, so I thought I'd try to address a few of them. I have a cup of Starbucks coffee (don't I always?), so let's see what I can do with these questions.



Q: What kind of knife does Ari use? Does it really look like the book cover, where it looks too big to carry easily.

A: Hmm, well, there was a little poetic license on the cover. The knife she carries is more like a stiletto. It was privately made for her and based on the F-S fighting knife once carried by British commandos and US Marines. She trains regularly with it to retain her hand-to-hand combat and throwing skills.


                                  This is a photo of a similar knife.

Q: Sometimes Ari carries a derringer. What kind is it?

A: She doesn't use it often, because small guns aren't very effective on supernaturals. The weapon is a pearl-handled Cobra D-22. It holds two silver bullets.



Q: Ari wears a charm bracelet. Why, and can you describe it?

A: Ari never goes anywhere without her weapons or her bracelet. The silver charm bracelet was given to her by her Great-Gran on Ari's sixteenth birthday. She wears it mostly out of sentiment and for good luck, but it does have some protective powers. The silver chain has five charms on it - a silver cross, a miniature vial of holy water, and three protection stones, including a crystal. The jasper and agate are also power stones and all three stones have been enchanted as amulets.
Ocean Jasper Snakeskin Agate Crystal
Q: How is Andreas able to be up before the sun goes down? Book one hinted at special powers.

A: He's not lying when he says it's partially due to his age in vampire years. He does grow stronger with time and experience in using his vampiric powers. Is there something more, as Ari seems to believe? (grins) Keep reading. All things are eventually answered. Just don't expect it soon! :)

Q: Will Ari and Andreas get back together? Will they become lovers?

A: All I can tell you at this point is Andreas is a continuing character. You will see him again, but as for his problematic relationship with Ari, you'll have to wait to see what twists or turns that will take.  March 8 isn't so far away! :)



I hope you've enjoyed this Q & A session. If you have other questions, please use the comments on this post or the 'contact me' page to ask them. I'll answer what I can as long as it doesn't involve spoilers!

           Happy reading! Check back later this week for all the release news. They'll be free copies you can win!

Guardian Witch Series News

Fire Within (Guardian Witch Book Two) ebook release date is confirmed: March 8! I'm so eager to get this next step in the story out to you...

On another happy note, Etopia Press and I just entered a contract for the already completed book four in the series!  I have begun work on book five, and edits will soon start on book three, working toward a release this summer.

                          Thank you to the readers who are keeping the series alive. Please continue to spread the word! :)

Coffee Chat with Marie Carhart, sister of author J.R. Egles

Do you have your coffee?

     (David, did you bring your cup this time? :) )

Marie Carhart and I are chatting about her brother Joe and The Kabrini Message.  Before we get started, I'm going to fill our coffee cups and give you a little background. Marie says she drinks coffee from WaWa (apparently a New Jersey thing!), especially their caramel flavor with Splenda, vanilla creamer and a splash of cappuccino! Since I have a magic pot, no request goes unfulfilled.

This interview is not like our usual coffee chat. Marie is not an author. She's here because of her brother's manuscript she recently found in her attic. Joe wrote the book in 1987, but Marie had never seen it. After he died in 2010, she found the manilla envelope simply marked "Joe's Book." Once Marie read it, she was determined to see it published. That goal was achieved just a few weeks ago.

I've given you the short version of the book's history. If you'd like to know more, Marie has written two blogs about it that can be found at these links:
                                 http://kabrinimessage.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-story-behind-story.html
                                 http://kabrinimessage.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-story-continues.html
BIO: J.R. Egles was born in 1949 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. From an early age, Joe developed a fascination of astronomy. He ground his own telescope lens from a big thick circular piece of glass about the diameter of a dinner plate. Day after day, he spent endless hours in the basement of his family's home grinding it with rouge. When it was finished, he installed the lens in a large telescope that he built himself from scratch. Joe was also an avid photographer whose favorite subjects were, of course, the stars and planets. With that telescope, Joe was able to combine his passions for astronomy and photography by capturing amazing photos of the moon, planets and constellations.

The one thing that surpassed even his obsession for astronomy, however, was his enduring love of ham radio. At a very young age, Joe joined the close-knit community of "hams" when a neighbor introduced him to this unique world of communication.

When the sky was clear, Joe would spend the entire night out in the backyard gazing upward. When it was cloudy, he would retreat inside where he'd chat with folks all over the world on his ham radio. Therefore, we should not be surprised that The Kabrini Message combines both of Joe's loves: outer space and communication.

In January, 2010 Joe passed away at the age of 60 from on-going health issues. Although he wrote a few short stories and did some freelance writing for a local newspaper, The Kabrini Message was his first and only novel. The story was an idea 25 years ahead of its time, and there is no doubt that Joe is very pleased his novel's time has finally arrived!

Ally: Marie, I can't tell you how delighted I am to have you here today and present the wonderful story of this book's journey to publication. You're a super sister to Joe, but before we get all teary, let's move on to our normal questions. What can you tell us about Joe that's not in his bio?

MARIE: There's one interesting fact that I only learned recently from his wife, Gwen.  Joe loved to play the harmonica!

Ally: I can almost picture him outside with his telescope and his harmonica. Music often feeds a writer's muse.
I bet by now you know this novel almost as well as he did. Tell us about the main character. What is his greatest strength and his biggest flaw. How do they influence the plot?

MARIE: Jeffrey Driscoll’s strongest characteristic is his interesting combination of high intelligence and intuitive sense that there is “something else” out there.  He really is a brainiac, but not at all the stereotypical science geek.  He’s much cooler than that.  Upon first meeting, anyone would take Jeff for a charming, good looking, and rugged adventurer.  He is all of those things, but there is also much more there than meets the eye. This combination of intelligence mixed with instinctive sentience is what draws the Kabrini to him in particular.

Jeff’s biggest flaw is probably his lack of patience.  He’s used to things coming very easily to him.  He sailed through school with very little effort (in fact, he became bored with his astronomy classes at Princeton because he was so far ahead of them), charmed all the girls and excelled in sports.  So he is not equipped to deal well with it, when certain things do not immediately go his way!

Ally: Could this story have been set almost anywhere or is the setting important to the storyline?

MARIE: The Kabrini Message could be set anywhere.  Jeffrey Driscoll is who the Kabrini want to help them get their message out, and I don’t think it matters where in the world (literally!) he lives - he is the one.

Ally: I think it's time to quit talking and share Joe's book and its cover with our readers, so here goes...
An alien race. A shocking message…

During an archaeological dig in Greece, Jeffrey Driscoll stumbles upon a miraculous find: ancient crystals with celestial coordinates that will connect humankind with the Kabrini, a highly advanced alien civilization. His discovery leads him on a quest from the jungles of Africa to the
Islands of Greece, from the streets of London to the tombs of Egypt, from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, Jamaica, and Vienna, and finally to the deepest depths of space and Earth’s first global space effort, the Legacy mission.

When Driscoll Mining and the U.S. Army complete deep space construction of the Kabrini communications network, the Legacy mission is deemed a success. But a dangerous terrorist group hungers for revenge, and Driscoll will stop at nothing to save the project. As his obsession with the Legacy mission spirals out of control, he risks losing everything—his company, his grasp on reality, and the one thing he’s ever truly loved: his wife. And when humankind finally makes contact, they discover the Kabrini Message isn’t exactly what they expected to hear…

Youtube trailer

Buy Links:

               Amazon        Barnes and Noble       Omni Lit

You can reach Marie by 'liking' her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kabrini.message
Following her on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/KabriniMessage
or visiting her blog: http://kabrinimessage.blogspot.com

MARIE: Thanks for the opportunity to visit on your blog and tell you about Joe's story.

Ally: My pleasure. I hope you find a million readers to share it with!

                     Thanks for being with us, everyone. Come back soon!

Coffee Chat with YA Author Brinda Berry

Brinda Berry and I are here with our Starbucks coffee (she takes creamer), and we're ready for another chat!
I have to admit, I don't think I've seen a briefer bio...

Bio: Brinda lives in the southern US with her family and two spunky cairn terriers. She’s terribly fond of chocolate, coffee, and books that take her away from reality.

Ally: So tell us something more about yourself, Brinda. Maybe something your readers wouldn't suspect. :)
BRINDA: I earned a second degree black belt in taekwondo when I was younger. I loved sparring.

Ally: OKay! I'll try not to get on your bad side! :) I know you write young adult fiction.  I've recently seen some of the lines blurring between YA and adult fiction. What rules do you believe still apply?

BRINDA: I'm not sure that any rules apply. Publishers Weekly says that 55% of YA is purchased by readers over 18 years old. You can see how  the themes in current YA appeal to adults. I think the only "rule" might be that the main character is a teen.  Also, the language in a YA novel has to speak to a young adult. I currently read more YA than any other genre. I love the intense emotion that I see in contemporary YA. There's also some great fantasy and paranormal YA fiction getting attention. You can see that by all the successful movies and television shows  based on these novels.

Ally: Although you wouldn't know it by the six to ten inches of snow outside my window, Spring will be here soon. Do you have typical spring activities? ie cleaning closets, planting a flower or veggie garden or deck pots, etc.

BRINDA: When spring hits, I get ready for a vacation. I love vacation planning almost as much as taking the vacation. It's sort of an illness. If you told me today that we would be going to San Diego, I would be on the internet trying to find the most interesting restaurants, day trips, and activities available. I should probably be cleaning out my closets instead.

Ally: Lol. I imagine your readers want you writing instead! So what book did you bring today?
Whisper of Memory (Whispering Woods Book 2)

Weapons training and winter formals… a deadly combination

All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard.   Mia's brother disappeared over a year ago, and now agents from the IIA are policing people’s movements through dimensions. She’d trusted Dr. Bleeker from the local university when he’d told her the IIA were the bad guys. But even a girl with an extraordinary ability to sense things can make mistakes.

Now two people are dead, and as a portal gatekeeper for the IIA, Mia needs to find Dr. Bleeker before he hurts anyone else. And her boyfriend Regulus, an Agent for the IIA, carries secrets of his own. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?  

 AMAZON          B & N      GOODREADS      OMNILIT          KOBO   

Whisper of Memory Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/PbZ_cjGsjA8

If you'd like to contact Brinda, you can find her at the following links:

WEB     BLOG     FACEBOOK    TWITTER   GOODREADS 

             Thanks for joining us today. I hope Brinda will be back to visit again!

Sneak Peek Sunday Feb 24

Hi, everyone!

It's time for snippets again, and I'm going to continue with another preview of my urban fantasy, Fire Within (Guardian Witch Book Two), which is on the verge of release.


Ari (my witch) has just been awakened by her human cop partner with a report of a new murder victim.

Here's the preview:

     While hot water cascaded over her body and the delicate smell of richly perfumed soap from the dispenser filled her nose, she tried to make sense of Ryan’s words. Goshen Park had been quiet enough last evening. What happened in the intervening hours? And what kind of a creature would be mistaken for a headless alien? Of course, maybe it was an alien. Given the strange things that already inhabited her world, why not aliens?
                                                                                                        ~ ~ ~
To return to the main hop and check out all the other great snippets, click on the Sneak Peek banner above. As always, thanks for stopping by. Please visit again!