Suzanne Schultz Pick's Blog: bookblogarama, page 22
November 11, 2015
Release Day Blitz for Bound by Prophecy by Stormy Smith
Purchase on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/26jybt
Purchase on B&N: http://smarturl.it/pmop5c
Purchase on iBooks: http://smarturl.it/3yso88
Purchase on Kobo: http://smarturl.it/5k5f40
Amelia Bradbury is finally free from Queen Julia and Cresthaven, but she isn’t safe yet. The Keeper power runs rampant inside her and it will take an ultimate act of selflessness to contain the darkness that threatens Amelia’s sanity and the future of the Immortal race.
Aidan Montgomery refuses to give up on Amelia. Once she’s rescued from the Keeper’s hold, he intends to prove his love is more than a side effect of the prophecy, even if doing so leads him away from his pack and on a journey that will irrevocably change them both.
When the past and the present collide and the shocking origin of the Immortals is revealed, Amelia and Aidan are forced back to Cresthaven to end a war that never should have started.
Have you read the first book in the Bound Series? Bound by Duty is FREE!
Free on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Q9EGRo
Free on B&N: http://bit.ly/1XGAAp2
Free on iBooks: http://apple.co/1JOoJL5
Free on Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Uo2Tcx
Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she’s an Elder, but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control, but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she’s betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and doesn’t even know his name.
Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky southern girl, or fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is, not what she will become.
As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head win the battle, or her heart?
Join Stormy Smith and Alys Arden for a LIVE Google Hangout to celebrate their latest releases! Here’s the Facebook event link. They will have ten guest authors, tons of book chat and lots of giveaways!
About Stormy Smith 
Website Facebook Twitter
A word nerd from the very beginning, Stormy Smith has always had her nose in a book or a pen in her hand. From a journalism degree to a public relations career, manipulating words has always been her forte. She never expected her love of stories to translate into writing them, but one day the words were there and couldn’t be stopped.
Stormy lives in Iowa’s capital with her husband and two crazy cats. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.
November 3, 2015
Cover Reveal of The Killer Contract Agency by Jessica Samuels
The Killer Contract Agency
by Jessica Samuels
Release Date: November 30th 2015
Summary from Goodreads:
Salina Sinclair hunts Malians, an alien species that preys on weak teenagers, making them crazy enough to kill themselves. But after being nearly burned alive by one, Salina is contacted by The Killer Contract Agency. Wielding the powers of The Bracelet and with her mentor, Carter, by her side, she exacts her revenge by taking out the Malians responsible for her near death.
But something big is happening with the Agency and operatives are dying. Will she find out what it is before it’s too late, or will the Agency be destroyed?
About the Author
My name is Jessica Samuels.I am an author addicted to caffeine, and I have imaginary friends that keep me up at night begging for me to tell their story. I love writing in my spare time a long with reading books since I have been an avid reader since elementary school.
Author Links:
October 27, 2015
Cover Reveal of The Witching Hour Collection
The Witching Hour Collection
by Various Authors
Release Date: November 30th 2015
Summary from Goodreads:
Good witch. Bad witch. White magic. Black magic. Kitchen magic. Pick your potion. Ready for Halloween? The authors of the Blazing Indie Collective, who brought you the Falling in Deep Collection, are brewing up something new. Check out all the novellas in The Witching Hour Collection coming October 2015:
Melanie Karsak: Witch Wood
Claire C. Riley: Raven’s Cove
Eli Constant: Sleeping in the Forest of Shadows
Elizabeth Watasin: Charm School: The Wrecking Faerie
Erin Hayes: I’d Rather be a Witch
Carrie Wells: Playing with Magic
Evan Winters: The Witch of Bracken’s Hollow
Minerva Lee: Spun Gold
Blaire Edens: The Witch of Roan Mountain
Poppy Lawless: The Cupcake Witch
The Authors
Melanie Karsak Carrie Wells Claire C. Riley Elizabeth Watasin
Eli Constant Poppy Lawless Blaire Edens Erin Hayes
Evan Winters Minerva Lee
October 25, 2015
Interview with Ana Huang – Author of All I’ve Never Wanted
Author Interview
1) I’ve been writing informally since I was six or seven. However, I didn’t complete my first novel-length story (All I’ve Never Wanted) until I was seventeen, and I didn’t share my stories until I was about nineteen and discovered Wattpad.
2) AINW was inspired by a Taiwanese drama I watched called Meteor Garden. I really loved the premise of the show and decided to write my own story based off of the general plot (aka an ordinary girl gets mixed up with a group of popular guys and drama ensues). However, the original drama was a little depressing at points for me, so I decided to make my story more humorous. I love stories that make me smile!
3) It depends. When I first started writing, it was mostly for myself and I didn’t share it with others, so I didn’t have a daily word count or page number to reach. I just wrote whenever I felt inspired. After I started using Wattpad, I aimed to write a new chapter every three or four days. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time to write now, since life has just gotten really hectic, but I try to write at least a few paragraphs each day.
4). Seeing people actually enjoy and comment on my stories on Wattpad gave me the motivation to keep writing and push through any writer’s blocks I had. Plus, posting chapter by chapter on there also forced me to not procrastinate and actually come up with a timeline for finishing my stories. In addition, the readers’ comments and suggestions were incredibly helpful in gauging what worked and what didn’t, and they gave me a better sense of how to improve my future writing.
5) This is such a hard question to answer, but I generally enjoy works by JR Ward, Gena Showalter, Rick Riordan, JK Rowling, and Larissa Ione. I also love Elle Kennedy’s The Deal, Kate Brian’s Private series, and Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss series.
6) Right now I’m rewriting another story I had posted on Wattpad called If We Ever Meet Again. It’s more realistic and mature than AINW–which, in addition to featuring younger characters, was also written when I was younger–but it’s actually my favorite story I’ve written so far, so I’m really excited to finish the rewrite and share it with everyone!
Title: All I’ve Never Wanted
Author: Ana Huang
Genre: YA
The Scions were the four richest, most powerful guys at Valesca Academy, and they ruled the school with iron fists. Everyone wanted to date them or be them…everyone, that is, except Maya Lindberg, who just wanted to avoid them until she could graduate.
She almost succeeded, until an ill-advised outburst on her part put her right in the Scions’ path. Just like that, one became her fake boyfriend, one her unwanted matchmaker, one her guardian angel, and the one she couldn’t stand the most? Yeah, he’s her new housemate.
Author Bio
Ana Huang, better known as ACRL37 on Wattpad, primarily writes Young Adult and Romance. She started writing her first novel, All I’ve Never Wanted, when she was sixteen; it was originally inspired by the Asian manga Hana Yori Dango. Her second novel, If We Ever Meet Again, was loosely based on her own study abroad experiences in college. Her stories currently have a combined view of over 20 million on Wattpad.
Besides reading and writing, she also enjoys shopping, brunch, and traveling.
Links
October 21, 2015
Interview with GiselleSimlett – author of Girl of Myth and Legend
– How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I could hold a crayon … or at least not put it into my mouth. I really began writing seriously when I was 15 – 16 though. That was the time when I thought, ‘You know what, this writing thing isn’t so bad! I like making my own rules, my own worlds.’
– What was your inspiration for GOMAL?
GOMAL? You know, that’s really caught on! I like it.
My inspiration was fairy tales. I loved fairy tales, but wanted something gritty. I didn’t want a princess who existed purely to show how brave the prince was. I didn’t really want a princess at all. I wanted a character who seemed real and who could mirror the reader. That’s when the main character, Leonie, kind of burst into my head and said, ‘FINALLY! Are you going to be the one to tell my story?’ I honestly had no choice but to write it then.
Another inspiration was the theme of immortality. It’s always been perceived as something exciting and wonderful, but what if yo spend your forever in a cage, obeying a master who thought you were nothing but dirt? That wouldn’t be so much fun, would it?
I also wanted to explore loss and grief, but also hope within it. Loss and grief are horrible but necessary feelings. You’re truly alive when you have known them. But one thing a lot of people forget is that in those feelings, you can find hope, you can find light, and I think this is the building blocks between the two main characters.
– What is your writing process? (Do you have a daily word count or page number you aim to reach?)
I have absolutely no process. I write when I want to write, when I have an absolute need to. I know that writers do have goals, but I feel that forcing myself to write makes my narrative stunted and boring. I always write when I HAVE to write. Of course, this does mean that I don’t get my manuscripts finished as quickly as other writers!
What really helps me is music. Never underestimate instrumental music or James Newton Howard!
– How did social media help you with the writing process?
To be honest, I was never big on social media. I hate that it took over everything, but just like music, don’t underestimate it. Without social media, I would not have met BETA readers that I will value until the end of days. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to connect with other writers with tips and inspiration. I would have never read blogs that helped me understand self-publishing and marketing. Truly, social media is a far bigger help in writing than you’d expect.
– What are some of your favorite books or authors?
By far Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. I also really enjoyed The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon). The worlds are in-depth, the characters are delicious and the plots are unique. In my opinion.
– What are you writing now?
I’m staring on the sequel to GOMAL and the second book in The Chosen Saga – Order of Ashes!
Thank you for the interview! It was great being here :)
by Giselle
Simlett
Summary from Goodreads:
Leonie Woodville wants to live an unremarkable life. She wants routine, she
wants repetition, she wants predictability. So when she explodes in a blaze of
light one morning on the way to her college, it’s enough to put a real crimp in
her day.
And things only get weirder…
Leonie learns from her father that she is last of the Pulsar, a phenomenally
powerful member of a magical species called the Chosen. It will be her sole
duty to protect the Imperium, a governing hierarchy, from all enemies, and to
exceed the reputation of the Pulsar before her. So – no pressure there, then.
Leonie is swept away from her rigorous normality and taken to a world of magic.
There, she is forced into a ceremony to join her soul to a guardian, Korren,
who is both incredibly handsome and intensely troubled, a relationship for
which ‘it’s complicated’ just really doesn’t cut it.
But Leonie is soon to learn that this ancient world is no paradise. With
violent dissidents intent to overthrow the Imperium, and dark entities with
their own agenda, she and Korren find themselves caught in a war where they
will have to overcome their differences if they are to survive.
Dare to dream. Dare to hope. Dare to be a legend.
Book One in The Chosen Saga.
Trailer:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/140497407?color=ff000d&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0
CHOSEN GIRL OF MYTH AND LEGEND by Giselle Simlet from Red 14 Films on Vimeo.
About the Author
October 19, 2015
Book Blitz for Sweet Liar (Candy #2) by Debra Doxe
by Debra Doxer
Summary from Goodreads:
Beauty is alluring; it can disguise the ugliness beneath. But scarred beauty is
even more potent to a girl who vowed never to let her heart be broken again. It
was an easy vow for Candy to keep until she met Jonah, an arrogant boy with a
face that would be too perfect if not for the scar that marred the skin beside
his eye.
That imperfect boy earned her trust and won her heart, but the ties that bind
people together are fragile, especially when lies are told. Trust is also
fragile, and once broken, doesn’t heal like a heart. Trust has to be earned
again, and Jonah desperately wants Candy’s trust back.
But Candy has more than Jonah to worry about. Her father is in trouble, and she
intends to help him whether he likes it or not. People tell her he’s a bad man,
and that may be true, but he’s not all bad. Deep down, she understands his
brand of badness because she’s so much like him.
When Candy finally learns the truth, she’ll have to grow up fast, let go of old
grievances, and realize that being vulnerable doesn’t make her weak. In fact,
opening herself up may be the very thing that makes her whole again.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes
& Noble│Kobo
Books
Book One:
(cover linked to Goodreads)
Buy Links (only
$.99 for a limited time!)
Amazon│Barnes
& Noble│Kobo
Books
About the Author
Debra Doxer was born in Boston, and other
than a few lost years in the California sunshine, she has always resided in the
Boston area. She writes fiction, technical software documents, illegible
scribbles on sticky notes, and texts that get mangled by AutoCorrect. She
writes for a living, and she writes for fun. When her daughter asks when she’ll
run out of words, her response always is, “When I run out of time.”
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:
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October 18, 2015
Release Day Blitz for To Be Honest by T.C. Booth
To Be Honest
by T.C. Booth
Release Date: July 21st 2015
Clean Reads
Summary from Goodreads:
A freak accident left Starla Emerson with a deformed hand, low self-esteem, and a need to fade into the background. However, she finds it impossible to be invisible at her new high school where she is pushed front and center by a behind the scenes internet bully.
She joins forces with newfound friends to launch a counter attack in order to expose the cyber bully, aka grizzlygirl2015. Part of the plan involves the school’s bad boy Chase McFall. Star feels more for this golden eyed boy than she should as the plan progresses. The plan backfires and lands Star in a mountain of trouble.
Will she have the courage to be honest about her part in the plan and her true feelings for Chase? Or will she be left heartbroken? Once the truth is out…there’s no turning back.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│Smashwords
About the Author
TC Booth was born and raised in a small town in Northeast Ohio where she currently teaches. She lives with her husband and four children ranging in ages from 13-23. Her pets include one dog named Sammy, and two cats- Sheldon and Sasha. They all match in color-orange and white. True story.
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:
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October 11, 2015
Web of Hearts and Souls – Boxset Sale – YA Fantasy
FREE on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jhp6IZ
Box set contains 4 novels: Insight, Embody, Image, & See. Insight Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow Haywood is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a blissful, silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she is haunted by a painful nightmare shared with a different boy, who’s always hidden by the shadows. In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were her own. This insight is exhausting and frustrating causing her to draw inward, only trusting her family and few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere. With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion she changed. One August night a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with star, leaving her father no choice but to sha re a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow’s life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her. In an attempt to lure her, the shadowed figure captures her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths, half truths, and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. With each step she takes Willow comes to realize that she has lived before, her path is one that she chose, and this trial is simply the beginning. Embody Not many Scorpio’s are known for their patience, and Willow Haywood is no different. Her only desire is to love Landen Chambers and redeem the lost souls of Esterious, but the path to that desire is long, dark and dangerous… Before Willow’s life had a chance to balance the sudden revelations and grief she had to endure to get to Chara a disturbing discovery is made. A photo, one that shows Willow blissfully embracing the flawless image of Drake Blakeshire; giving her not only proof that she had lived before, but that she had loved him. Running away from the memory of Drake’s hypnotizing touch, and the prophecy set before her seemed like the logical thing to do. That is, until a dark dream reignites her passion to save the hopeless dimension of Esterious. Willow struggles to find patience – to learn everything she needs to know before she faces Drake again, but her eagerness is dangerous and one step in the wrong direction takes everything and everyone away from her – the only way to survive this trial is for Willow to remember who she is and what she really wants out of this life. Image There is an ominous darkness; one that is so dense and mind-numbing that you can feel the chills race across your skin as the energy of its hatred hovers near you. They thought that it was over… that he was dead… they never imagined that he was more powerful dead than he ever was alive. The dark dimension Esterious is on the brink of war, the victory Willow had a few days ago is nothing more than a vague memory. With each thought she has, she fights the images of Drake’s dark eyes and his words… his promises. Doubt seeps into her soul as she faces what could be the hardest battle she has faced so far. Every prediction and theory is about to be proven wrong… and the choice before Willow’s heart holds the lives of millions at stake. The question is: will she be able to see through the illusions before her and make a choice… she can live with? See The heart never forgets… After a tragically haunting night out with her friends Charlie Myers knew that part of her was stolen. She was missing memories. Those memories were sacred. They held the key to her sanity. They told her that the sinister whispers, and the shadows that came to life before her, were not as ominous as she felt they were. They caused her to forget the one talent that allowed her to face the darkness that haunted her every waking hour. They also masked a much deeper bond, the face of the one that had stolen her heart, long before that disastrous night. Her story begins now. Special note to the reader: The INSIGHT series is part of the “Web of Hearts and Souls Universe,” where several series combine into one large story. All series can be read independently or as one. The reading order for the Insight Series: • Insight • Embody • Image • Vital • Vindicate • Enflame • Imperial (Story of the Sovereigns) • Blakeshire (Drake’s Story) • Emanate
About Jamie Magee
Website Facebook Twitter
Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.
October 8, 2015
Cover reveal for YA/NA Fantasy – Pirate Princess by Catherine Banks
About the Book
Title: Pirate Princess
Author: Catherine Banks
Genre: YA/NA Fantasy
As the daughter of the Pirate King, Tilia Swanson has an unusual upbringing learning skills that aren’t often available for women. As the heir apparent for the Kingdom of Crilan, her skills set her apart as she is trained by the best in the land and taught to harness her magic. However, piracy is in her blood, and draws danger to Tilia in the way that treasure draws pirates. Some treasures are more valuable than others. Will this lesson be learned in time or will the betrayal of those around her be her undoing?
Author Bio
Catherine Banks is the author of the Artemis Lupine Series, Little Death Bringer Series, Ciara Steele Novella Series, and the novel Daughter of Lions. She began writing fiction stories when she was only four years old and finished her first full length novel at the age of fifteen.
Catherine is a Northern California native and has lived within a twenty mile radius her entire life. She plans to travel to as many places as possible in her thirties to make up for her lack of traveling experience. She is married to her soulmate and best friend, Avery, who blessed her with two amazing children. After her full time job she reads books, plays video games, and watches a lot of anime shows and movies with her family to relax.
Links
October 7, 2015
Book trailer reveal for YA Fantasy Romance – The Girl of Myth and Legend by Giselle Simlett
Book Trailer
https://player.vimeo.com/video/140497407?color=ff000d&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0
CHOSEN GIRL OF MYTH AND LEGEND by Giselle Simlett from Red 14 Films on Vimeo.
About the Book
Title: Girl of Myth and Legend
Author: Giselle Simlett
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
A girl with a past she tries to forget, and a future she can’t even imagine.
Leonie Woodville wants to live an unremarkable life. She wants routine, she wants repetition, she wants predictability. So when she explodes in a blaze of light one morning on the way to her college, it’s enough to put a real crimp in her day.
And things only get weirder…
Leonie learns from her father that she is last of the Pulsar, a phenomenally powerful member of a magical species called the Chosen. It will be her sole duty to protect the Imperium, a governing hierarchy, from all enemies, and to exceed the reputation of the Pulsar before her. So – no pressure there, then.
Leonie is swept away from her rigorous normality and taken to a world of magic. There, she is forced into a ceremony to join her soul to a guardian, Korren, who is both incredibly handsome and intensely troubled, a relationship for which ‘it’s complicated’ just really doesn’t cut it.
But Leonie is soon to learn that this ancient world is no paradise. With violent dissidents intent to overthrow the Imperium, and dark entities with their own agenda, she and Korren find themselves caught in a war where they will have to overcome their differences if they are to survive.
Dare to dream. Dare to hope. Dare to be a legend.
Book One in The Chosen Saga.
Author Bio
Giselle Simlett was born and raised in England. She has studied Creative Writing at both Gloucestershire University and the Open University. She has a diploma in Creative Writing, Language and Literature and will soon complete her BA Hons Open Degree.
She does not as yet have a degree in the power and responsible use of magic, but she does have a young son, which amounts to the same thing. She currently lives in Australia with her husband and son.
Website: http://www.gisellesimlett.com/
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