Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 62

Cover Reveal Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart

Publication date: December 2014
Synopsis:The one whose emotions I can’t feel is the one who makes me feel the most.
I was a sensitive, at least that’s what I was told by the boy who saved me from the overwhelming emotions that consumed my soul, the boy who saved me from myself when my gift became stronger. Through the years, he was my redemption, my reason to take my next breath…then, he was gone.
Jensen always told me I was strong, but I didn’t believe him until I was forced to be strong on my own, and I kept breathing without him. I’ve taken 42 million breaths since the moment he sent me away. Now, four years later, he’s standing in front of me, and I can barely breathe.
This isn’t just a story about the abilities I possess; it’s a story about something much stronger…the love of the man who possesses every part of me.
***Disclaimer – Feel is intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23352590-feel



AUTHOR BIO:Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards and is a nominee for the 2013 RONE Awards.

When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity.
Author Links:http://www.karen-annestewart.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6920317.Karen_Anne_Stewarthttps://www.facebook.com/SKarenAnnehttps://twitter.com/SKarenAnne

Cover Reveal: Bittersweet (Love Edy #2) by Shewanda Pugh

Publication date: December 9th 2014
Synopsis:In the aftermath of one tragic and uncertain night, Edy and Hassan shut out the chaos with a kiss. But when Hassan’s traditionalist mother sees that kiss … well, a nightmare of a different sort begins. After all, he still has an arranged marriage on the horizon.
Love attacks the glue of their two bonded families; while the slow tug of success pulls Edy and Hassan in opposite directions.  After denying their feelings for so long, they now have each other, but are forced to ask themselves if being together is worth it.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23252115-bittersweet?ac=1
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AUTHOR BIO:Shewanda Pugh is a tomboy who credits Stephen King with being the reason she writes romance. In 2012 she debuted with the first novel in a three part contemporary adult romance series, Crimson Footprints. Since then, she's been shortlisted for the AAMBC Reader's Choice Award, the National Black Book Festival's Best New Author Award, and the Rone Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2012 and 2013. She has an MA in Writing from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Political Science from Alabama A&M University. Though a native of Boston, MA, she now lives in Miami, FL, where she can soak up sun rays without fear of shivering. Her first young adult romance, Love Edy, is scheduled for release on June 24th, 2014.
Author Links:https://www.facebook.com/Author.ShewandaPugh?ref=hlhttps://twitter.com/ShewandaPhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906321.Shewanda_Pughhttp://www.shewandapugh.com/

Blog Tour: A Mighty Good Man by Rebecca E. Neely

Hank Jerry…

Her personal and professional life on the skids, a family emergency forces her to return to the small town, and the aunt, she left behind.

Jack ‘Gent’ Darcy…

Fresh out of prison, he’s bent on cutting ties with the Creds, but when you're a war counselor in a national gang, they don't let you just walk away.

Injured and on the run, Jack lands on Hank's doorstep, and makes her a proposition she can’t refuse: write his story about life inside one of the most powerful gangs in the country.

It’s simple – she’ll get her career groove back, and he’ll bury the gang, then disappear – his version of freedom.

Only problem is, they can’t help falling for each other, and they’ve both got something to hide that could blow up in their faces.

With time running out and gang enforcers closing in, will the trust they’ve forged survive the ultimate test?
Where did the idea come from for Jack and Hank’s story in A Mighty Good Man?

Until I was about sixteen, my family ran a Mom and Pop restaurant, serving up homemade spaghetti and meatballs, soups and He-man breakfasts. I grew up there, working, cooking and eating, and meeting all kinds of interesting people. That hallowed place is long gone, but lives on in my memory, and inspired me for the setting in A Mighty Good Man. It’s a cool, retro style diner, and that’s where a lot of the action takes place.
The heroine, Hank Jerry, is a tough talking, twentieth century broad. The hero, Jack ‘Gent’ Darcy, is a strange combination of gentleman and hood. Together, they smooth out each other’s rough spots, and rough out some of the smooth J
I think all writers form impressions every day they carry into their writing at some point or another, even years later. For example, about two years ago, when I was out to breakfast one morning, our waitress struck me as a character, physically. She was a young woman in her early twenties, dishwater blond hair, bordering on dredlocks, tattoos, slender, skin tight jeans, wearing Ugg boots – the perfect combination of grit and polish. I already was forming ‘Hank’ in my mind, and it’s like I was looking at her that morning. I love those kinds of moments.
The idea for Hank and Jack’s story had been part of my imagination for several years before I got to write it. Above all, I wanted the story to be a fast read, one that people could escape to while they waited for their kids to finish soccer, or sat in the doctor’s office, or were stuck in the airport. I’ve always loved short stories, and I aspired to that in telling this story.


Rebecca E. Neely was born and raised in a small town in western Pennsylvania. Her father, an English teacher and a writer, instilled in her a love of words, and literature, especially short stories, at a young age.Her mother, a voracious reader, gave her Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild as a Christmas gift when she was nine, and Rebecca’s been hooked on reading stories of all stripes ever since.Rebecca’s parents also owned and managed a restaurant until she was about sixteen, and she grew up in the family business, working, cooking, and eating.Rebecca enjoys finding, and reading new authors via her Kindle. Live music inspires her, as do the characters she's blessed to have in her life, including her daughter, her boyfriend, and her mother.She loves drawing, crafting, walking, and camping. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, going to summer music festivals, and exploring cities she’s never been to before with her daughter.In a former life, she earned a B.S. in Accounting, and worked in that field for about a decade. Since 2001, Rebecca has freelanced, writing a wide variety of copy for local magazines, and businesses all over the country. She is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America.Visit Rebecca at www.rebeccaeneely.com, or stop by her Facebook page, at, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-E-Neely/740166889351411

Papina Teasers

So along with the Branded Teasers I made over the Retreat weekend, I made some for Papina too! Papina is a standalone novel, but I do have a follow up novella series coming up soon, so get your hands on it now ;)






Forrest and Braydon Miller moved to the small town of Papina to follow their dreams and start a family. Braydon loves her new life in the quiet town, kept alive by the prestigious boarding school overlooking the valley. She is so proud of her husband's work, helping the teens on the reservation.
Until one day, Forrest doesn't come home.
Scandal spreads when one of the teenagers is found missing, too. But Braydon refuses to believe her husband would leave her. When the teen is found, she isn't talking—literally.
While Braydon's heart is breaking, she needs to hold her crumbling life together, raise her son, and find a way to love the teenager enough to find the truth of what happened to her husband.

Amazon

Cover Reveal: Take Them By Storm (Angel Island #3) by Marie Landry

Take Them By Storm (Angel Island #3)by Marie Landry Release Date: 01/06/15
Summary from Goodreads: This book is a standalone companion novel to Waiting for the Storm and After the Storm. The books do not need to be read together or in order, but please note that this synopsis contains mild spoilers for After the Storm.
Sadie Fitzgerald has always been different, and not just because she makes her own clothes and would rather stay home watching Doctor Who than party with kids her age. When it’s time to leave Angel Island for college, Sadie is eager to put her old life behind her. Small-minded people and rumors have plagued her for years, but with the love of her adoptive family, the O’Dells, Sadie has learned to embrace who she is. Now she’s not afraid to admit the rumors about her are true: she’s gay.
For the first time in her life, Sadie feels free to be herself. She dives into college life and begins volunteering at the local LGBT center, where she discovers her small-town upbringing left holes in her education about life outside Angel Island.
The world is a bigger and more accepting place than Sadie ever imagined. She’s finally found where she belongs, but with the reappearance of someone from her past, an unexpected new friendship, and a chance at love, Sadie soon realizes she still has a lot to learn about life, friendship, and love.

Book in this series:(cover linked to Goodreads)
About the AuthorMarie Landry is the author of BLUE SKY DAYS (contemporary YA—January 2012), THE GAME CHANGER (women's fiction—November 2012), WAITING FOR THE STORM (contemporary YA—April 2013), and THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR (a new adult holiday novella-November 2013). Marie has always been a daydreamer; since early childhood, she's had a passion for words and a desire to create imaginary worlds, so it only seemed natural for her to become a writer. She resides in Ontario, Canada, and most days you can find her writing, reading, blogging about writing and reading, listening to U2, wandering around with a camera in her hand, watching copious amounts of TV on DVD, or having grand adventures with her nephews and niece.
Author Links:        

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Fall Into Fantasy Week #12

Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!

Week 12: The Dark Intent Series
Book One: Between
By Lisa Swallow


What do you do when you are attracted to two men and both have the power to kill you with a touch or a kiss? Can Rose trust either of them - or anyone in her new life?

Ghosts? Demons? Angels? Or something more? The supernatural you find living and working in this English city are a little different to those you usually find in the genre...
Rose survived the accident that killed her friend. The problem is the life she returns to scares her more than the night she almost died.
When Alek and Finn enter her world, Rose discovers the after-effects of the accident are worse than she thought. The slow recovery and fogged nightmares aren't the only changes she needs to cope with.
Rose has an immediate and intense attraction to arrogant housemate Alek. This confuses her as much as the chilling effect of her enigmatic work colleague Finn. As Rose struggles to cope with her new life, she learns that her connection to the two men threatens all their futures
Alek has lived years closed off from people. He didn't expect someone like Rose to come into his life and challenge the reality he grips onto.
If Finn doesn't fix the mistake he made, his life is in danger. His desire to help and protect Rose makes his task difficult, especially when she's the mistake he needs to fix.
When Alek's past catches up, Rose disappears. Trapped between the living and the dead, on the edge of Hell, Rose is unable to find her way back. Alek and Finn could help her - but are they prepared to risk the consequences?
Buy it from: Amazon  Amazon UK  Kobo  Apple  Barnes & Noble

ABOUT LISA SWALLOWLisa is an author of new adult romance and writes both paranormal and contemporary, often with a side of snark. In between running a business, looking after her family and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. Lisa is originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2001 and now lives in Perth in Western Australia with her husband, three children and dog.
Find Lisa online: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Mailing List

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Branded Teasers

So this weekend I've been up at a Writer's Retreat in a cabin in the mountains. It's been wonderfully peaceful, and provided me with the reset I've badly needed. Most of all, I've had the free time to do things I've wanted to do for a while, but with my busy life, I haven't. One of those things is making teasers for my books.
Today, I have for you some images and excerpts for Branded.




Yay!!! I've meant to do these for so long that I'm really excited! So don't forget to get your copy and leave a review ;-)


Terrorists have invaded Sydney, and Allison King barely escapes her brother’s wedding reception alive. She and her siblings flee, but their parents are killed by firing squad. 

Now Ali’s on the run and terrified. While searching for other survivors, she is captured by the General who leads the invasion. He’s smitten by Ali, and when she refuses to submit to his whims, he brands her for death. In a wild act of defiance, she snatches the branding rod and sears the mark onto his face. Marking not only him but also sealing her fate. Ali manages to escape and flees into the bush once more where she finds a group in hiding. Even with the scars left by the General, Ali learns to love and falls in love with the young man who found her—Damien Rogers. 

But the General is hunting her. When he discovers their location, and finds her with another man—Damien—his wrath is kindled and his obsession is inflamed. Ali must put herself on the line or the General could kill her family, those who help her, and most significantly, the man she loves.

Amazon

Cover Reveal: Sing For Me by Gracie Madison

Publication date: January 23rd 2
Synopsis:
Madeline Noel fled war-torn Heaven to hide within the mortal world, but the blessing that could protect her from evil is the holy realm’s forbidden power.
As a talented soprano for the Eden Theatre Company, Madeline hides among prima donnas and tone-deaf flutists. Her perfect voice may entertain audiences, but a careless laugh may shatter glass, and her greatest scream can kill. To control her unrestrained voice, the angels forbid Madeline from embracing the emotions that strengthen her song. Anger. Fear.
Love.
The demon-hunter Damascus vows to defend Madeline from Hell’s relentless evil, but he cannot protect her from her own feelings. Though they deny their dangerous attraction, her guardian becomes her greatest temptation.
Surrendering to desire may awaken the gift suppressed within Madeline’s soul, and neither Heaven nor Hell will allow such absolute power to exist.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23314885-sing-for-me



AUTHOR BIO:Gracie Madison would spend every day, all day writing...if it were socially acceptable.  Ever since she was a little girl scribbling with a crayon, Gracie's dedicated herself to her books and all the supernatural and paranormal, creepy and beautiful stories and characters born within the pages. Now Gracie is committed to finally sharing those books with the world.  When the laptop is pried from her hands, Gracie is probably working her day job, rooting on the Steelers, or out with her husband searching for Pittsburgh’s best sushi.
Author Links:https://twitter.com/authorgraciehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Gracie-Madison/1531494023761655http://eepurl.com/7zCnvhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8620804.Gracie_Madison


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DeadGirl by B.C. Johnson Blog Tour - Updated!

Date of Publication:November 6, 2014
Cover Artist: Andy Garcia
Goodreads
Description:
Dead is such a strong word …
Lucy Day, 15 years old, is murdered on her very first date. Not one to take that kind of thing lying down, she awakens a day later with a seemingly human body and more than a little confusion. Lucy tries to return to her normal life, but the afterlife keeps getting in the way.
Zack, her crush-maybe-boyfriend, isn’t exactly excited that she ditched him on their first date. Oh, and Abraham, Lucy’s personal Grim Reaper, begins hunting her, dead-set on righting the error that dropped her back into the spongy flesh of a living girl. Lucy must put her mangled life back together, escape re-death, and learn to control her burgeoning powers while staying one step ahead of Abraham.
But when she learns the devastating price of coming back from the dead, Lucy is forced to make the hardest decision of her re-life — can she really sacrifice her loved ones to stay out of the grave?
No Plans, No Problem: Writing By DesperationIf you count fully completed works (at least 3+ drafts and all wrapped up with a bow), I've written four books. I've left about six more half-finished along the way, lying in the dirt, choking on their own crappy story ideas. One of the finished ones (Deadgirl) comes out today, which is all that stuff above the text here. However, if I were to look at all my manuscripts, cram them into bikinis and make them walk around on the stage, here's how I would judge them – the ones I like the best, the stories I finished, were the stories I was telling to myself.Fighting procrastination and lack-of-energy has been a problem my entire life. If you took all my teachers from Kindergarten to College and put them in a room and asked them if I ever procrastinated, their combined sigh would blow the walls off the room. Some of my books I've thoroughly outlined, breaking it down by chapter and slicing those still smaller into detailed scenes. Whenever I start pounding away at one of those, I get about halfway and kind of meh the whole thing into the trash. Why? Because I feel like I've already "heard" it, like that weird uncle who keeps telling you the story about that time he slapped a cassowary. The books that last, for me, are the ships I sail with only a few guiding stars to navigate by. Step 1 of the "free-form" novel – have something in mind. Trying to write a book with nothing in your head but a couple characters and an idea is an awful way to start. You'll write a couple fun scenes in the beginning, sure. However, once enough scenes start piling up without any rhyme or reason, you realize the plot looks like it was glued together by a blind raccoon on ecstasy. Then it all becomes nonsense and you pretty much have to stop. So, if you're going to write by the seat of your pants, make sure you're actually wearing pants. For me, I  find knowing the beginning, the end, and at leastthe main character's personal arc will keep me on track and churn out a book that's actually worth reading.Step 2 of the "free-form" novel – know when you have to stop and work things out. Plowing ahead is noble and all that, but if you honestly don't know where to go next don't just start shoving alligators through the transom. It's great for word count, but those filler scenes can become a crutch, and you end up with random action scenes strung together between interminable navel-gazing. If you're lost, it's okay to pull out your compass and figure out where to go next.Step 3 of the "free-form" novel – write it as fast as you can. With the themes, world, plot, and characters all basically existing only in your mind, you have to keep the romance going or else you lose it all. Put those thoughts down quick – sketch the first draft on paper and carve it in stone on the second and third drafts.
If outlining has always made you feel stale and icky, try the "free-form" novel. It's hairpullingly crazy, but it's the most fun you can have at a keyboard. 

About B.C. Johnson:Born in Southern California, B.C. Johnson has been writing since he realized it was one of the few socially acceptable ways to tell people a bunch of stuff you just made up off the top of your head. He attended Savanna High School in Anaheim, and an undisclosed amount of college before deciding that weird odd jobs were a far greater career path.This lead him to such exciting professions as: aluminum recovery machinist, lighting designer, construction demo, sound mixer, receptionist, theater stage hand, wedding security, high school custodian, museum events manager, webmaster, IT guy, copywriter, and one memorable night as the bouncer at a nightclub. He is trying very hard to add “vampire hunter” and “spaceship captain” to that list.He currently lives in Garden Grove with his supernal wife Gina, his half-corgi, half-muppet dog Luna, and his new half-grayhound, half-living-tornado-of-destruction Kaylee. He also spends time with his two brothers, his parents, and his close friends, whose primary pursuit are usually healthy debates about movie minutiea. When he’s not working or writing, he’s been to known to pursue all conceivable geeky avenues of interest including but not limited to video games, the sort of TV shows/movies Benedict Cumberbatch might star in, graphic novels, podcasts, funny gifs, the whole thing.He’s also been known to apply his special brand of hyperbole and mania to pop-culture humor essays for various websites that can be found on his homepage, bc-johnson.com. B.C. also has a high school noir short story called “The Lancer” available on Kindle.Deadgirl is his first novel. Find B.C. Johnson Online:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

DeadGirl by B.C. Johnson Blog Tour

Date of Publication:November 6, 2014
Cover Artist: Andy Garcia
Goodreads
Description:
Dead is such a strong word …
Lucy Day, 15 years old, is murdered on her very first date. Not one to take that kind of thing lying down, she awakens a day later with a seemingly human body and more than a little confusion. Lucy tries to return to her normal life, but the afterlife keeps getting in the way.
Zack, her crush-maybe-boyfriend, isn’t exactly excited that she ditched him on their first date. Oh, and Abraham, Lucy’s personal Grim Reaper, begins hunting her, dead-set on righting the error that dropped her back into the spongy flesh of a living girl. Lucy must put her mangled life back together, escape re-death, and learn to control her burgeoning powers while staying one step ahead of Abraham.
But when she learns the devastating price of coming back from the dead, Lucy is forced to make the hardest decision of her re-life — can she really sacrifice her loved ones to stay out of the grave?


About B.C. Johnson:Born in Southern California, B.C. Johnson has been writing since he realized it was one of the few socially acceptable ways to tell people a bunch of stuff you just made up off the top of your head. He attended Savanna High School in Anaheim, and an undisclosed amount of college before deciding that weird odd jobs were a far greater career path.This lead him to such exciting professions as: aluminum recovery machinist, lighting designer, construction demo, sound mixer, receptionist, theater stage hand, wedding security, high school custodian, museum events manager, webmaster, IT guy, copywriter, and one memorable night as the bouncer at a nightclub. He is trying very hard to add “vampire hunter” and “spaceship captain” to that list.He currently lives in Garden Grove with his supernal wife Gina, his half-corgi, half-muppet dog Luna, and his new half-grayhound, half-living-tornado-of-destruction Kaylee. He also spends time with his two brothers, his parents, and his close friends, whose primary pursuit are usually healthy debates about movie minutiea. When he’s not working or writing, he’s been to known to pursue all conceivable geeky avenues of interest including but not limited to video games, the sort of TV shows/movies Benedict Cumberbatch might star in, graphic novels, podcasts, funny gifs, the whole thing.He’s also been known to apply his special brand of hyperbole and mania to pop-culture humor essays for various websites that can be found on his homepage, bc-johnson.com. B.C. also has a high school noir short story called “The Lancer” available on Kindle.Deadgirl is his first novel. Find B.C. Johnson Online:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads