K.N. Lee's Blog, page 51

Presenting A World of Joy!

A WORLD OF JOY: A SHORT YULETIDE STORY COLLECTION
The Authors’ Social Media Support Group (ASMSG) is proud to present:

A World of Joy: A Short Yuletide Holiday Story Collection. 

Brought to you by Grey Mouse Publishing and the authors of ASMSG, A World of Joy is a collection of holiday-themed shorts. It is a Yule-tide celebration of joy, hope, renewal, and love. With stories from multiple holiday traditions, geared towards all audiences, this anthology is meant to infuse the reader with the holiday spirit of good cheer.

The cover art for World of Joy was provide as a gift by cover designer Lauren Jolles, AKA Filmchild,
of Filmchild Creations on Deviant Art. You can find other work by Filmchild at her DeviantArt location, http://filmchild.deviantart.com/gallery/.
The authors who have made this collection of holiday themed inspiration are:
TIME—Andrew Lennon
ANGELS OF CHRISTMAS—Carole McKee
THE FIRST HOLIDAY—Claudia Burgoa
MASON AND BESS AT CHRISTMAS—Diane Major
WEEKEND WIFE—Elizabeth Rye (AKA Grace Rellie)
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…—Genevieve Dewey
SANTA’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE—Ginny Bryce
AXE MAN—Jessica Knauss
TOMMIE’S GIFT—James J. Murray


FROM SADNESS TO JOY—Joseph Ackerman
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES OF ROME—Judith Works
ANOTHER CHRISTMAS CAROL—Juliet Kincaid
SANTA’S VISIT—Kirstin Pulioff
THE TICKING RING—K.N. Lee
THE SNOW PERSON—Lorna Dounaeva
ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS—Ludy Pireel
BLEAK CHRISTMAS—Marcy G. Dyer
CHRISTMAS COOKIES— Gwendolyn Michelle
CHRISTMAS ON CALL— Olga Núñez Miret
JOHNNY’S JOURNEY AND REUNION—Oscar Wager II
AN ANGEL FOR MAGGIE—Rebecca Vance
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL—Susan Hawthorne
ABOUT THE COVER:This gorgeous cover was designed and created by Laura Jolles, AKA Filmchild, of Filmchild Creations on DeviantArt

Filmchild creates affordable and professional quality artworks, and you can find her other work at: Filmchild at DeviantArt

Available on Smashwords

Nightmares- A Poem

Nightmares
K.N. Lee

 

Cryptic messages Float through the darkStark contrastTo the forbidden arts
Tossing TurningStirring in sweatThe night has just begunYou haven't felt true fear yetStriped clean of innocenceAnd dipped into the pool of hateSated with poisonSet naked before the black gateClose your eyes and listenTo the call of the crowsBow in tense silenceTo the bleak images that are shown
Slithering snakes And snapping feral beastsGlittering stakesAnd bloody feastsDon't eat the fruit!Flies will surely fill your bellyTeeth will fall out like rainLeaving gums of mush and jellySuch deafening liesThump inside your headPeel your eyes open To escape this world of dreadCry for your motherAnd hide beneath your bed

Koa is Ready...To Tell Her Tale!

"I knew they would come for me. Mama warned me to control my cravings. She tried to protect me. But, she never told me why daddy left before teaching me how to be a vampire. I promise I tried to control myself. I really, really, did! Now, they’ve found me. I don’t know if the world is ready to hear my story. It doesn’t matter…there’s no more hiding now." --Koa Ryeo-won
Available on Amazon!

The Forest Bull **Book Blast**

Book Description Publication Date: August 30, 2013 Three lovers who stalk and kill the immortals that drift through South Florida (tourists are a moveable feast, after all) are living a simple life of leisure- until one of them is nearly killed by woman who is a new kind of lethal. When Ring Hardigan isn't making sandwiches for, and with, his two partners, Waleska and Risa (they're cool like that), he's got a busy schedule doing the dirty work of sending immortals to the ever after. Wally and Risa provide linguistics, logistics, and finding the right place for him and his knife-- together, they're a well-oiled machine, and they've settled into a rhythm that bodes ill for the Undying. Warlocks, vampires, succubae and the odd ghoul have all fallen to their teamwork. Life is tough, but they soldier on killing the undead, liberating their worldly goods for charity, and generally achieving very little.
-Until Ring wakes up after nearly dying at the hands of a woman who may or may not be the daughter of Satan. Ring's a tough character, for a boat bum (killing immortals sort of rubs off on you that way), but twelve days of comatose healing are enough to bring out the ugly side of his temper. When a letter arrives asking for their help finding a large collection of stolen heirloom jewelry, they form an uneasy friendship with the last Baron of a family hiding in a primal European forest. Cazimir, the Baron, has two skills: Jeweler and preserver of the last herd of forest bulls. It's an odd occupation, but then, Ring, Risa and Wally aren't your everyday career folks, and Cazimir's lodge might be sitting on something that looks a lot like hell, which, according to a 2400 year old succubus hooker named Delphine, is currently on the market to the strongest immortal. The Baron's impassioned plea to find the jewelry comes with some conditions-- he doesn't want the collection back as much as he does the thief, Elizabeth, who happens to be his daughter-- and the woman who nearly sent Ring to his grave. In a tapestry of lies, it's up to Ring, Wally and Risa to find out what is evil, who is human, and who really wants to reign over hell.  Reviews:   Five Stars By Matt Rubel Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase Vampires, succubi and ghouls. They've gone from medieval nightmares to brooding rockstars complete with pre-teen fansites. Somewhere along the line, these evil bastards duped us into making them celebutantes..kinda like the Kardashians with sharp teeth.

Not Mr. Maggert. He's out to turn this disturbing trend on its rear end.

This book is a return to the halcyon days where the undead and vampiric elite are straight-up bad guys and men with big knives stab them in their thoracic cavities. Did I mention said vampires and immortal demons tend to take the form of super hot Euro-trash rather than waifish and pale Pacific Northwesterners? Because they do, and they know how to use those forms.

It's engaging. Its got haunted lone ghoul hunters in the American Plains. Its got cyberchats with a sinister polyglot baron. There's some sort of spider-demon that will lay eggs in your gut while making out with you on the beach. Its even got fishing and beer.

Maggert writes a fast paced, first rate monster tale. He's obviously read his Faulkner and his Heinlein. The scenes are rich and fleshed out without being numbingly overcooked. His characters jump off the page. That is, when they aren't laying waste to the populace of South Beach.

Well worth the read. Can't wait for the next one.

Off to find my own Delphine, now. It would totally be worth it.


Five Stars
One word...WOW!, November 12, 2013 By  Bluerose1978 - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: The Forest Bull (Kindle Edition) The Forest Bull is a book about three friends, almost forced together for one cause. Each character is very well developed and unique. They form a family-like bond so that they survive and protect each other. They live in current times but have a different reality than those of us living out our day-to-day routines. The creatures living amongst us are deadly and have no shame. I don't want to spoil anything else because all the new information you learn throughout the book ties in together.
I'm not even sure where to start with this review. I'll admit it took me a few pages to get use to the author's writing style and I may have had to use the dictionary...but that's beside the point. This book is not a quick read that you can scan through while waiting at the bus stop. I found myself going back to re-read sentences because I missed something while being lost in the description. While that may sound like a negative thing, it is not at all. The author has such an imagination and can put you in a trance with his words. I'm hoping he'll write a government conspiracy novel or develop an entire kingdom of his own. Yes...he's that good.
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Outstanding, November 5, 2013 By  Matthew Keith - See all my reviews This review is from: The Forest Bull (Kindle Edition) I was hooked right from the first chapter. If you like television shows like Supernatural, or even if you're just a vampire buff like me, you will absolutely love this book. It isn't cheesy, humorous, or over-the-top like so many in this genre seem to be these days. It is straight-up action with the undead as evil as they're supposed to be.

Terry Maggert takes what, in my opinion, are the most unlikely kind of people to be vampire killers and sets them in a situation that is immediately and completely believable... at least as far as it can be when you're talking about killing the undead! The characters are vivid, their motives fully explained and explored, and quite simply--they all kick ass, each in their own unique way.

If you like your action intense and your characters to be anything but your regular run-of-the-mill glory hounds, this is the book for you. Exceptional writing, exceptional story line, and exceptional character development. I could easily see this becoming a blockbuster movie.

I strongly recommend The Forest Bull to any fan of horror.
5.0 out of 5 stars Hunt Monsters with Terry Maggert, October 14, 2013 By  Jada Ryker "Author of the 'Takes a Dare' Series" (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: The Forest Bull (Kindle Edition) Ring, Wally, and Risa are saving the world from monsters. When he was in the army, Ring "found [he] was average at taking direction, poor with guns, good under pressure, and able to kill with little lingering introspection." A World Cup soccer fan, Wally is a dangerously beautiful, tall blonde woman with an unexpected streak of compassion. The analytical Risa possesses "fearsome intelligence, [with a] taste in music on par with a cheesy disco rat." And last but not least, Gyro, the huge, drooling Great Dane, loves the other three members of his team as much as he loves ice cream.

This fast-paced, well-plotted work reminds me of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. I felt as if I was in the middle of the action, living it along with the characters. Characters like Sandrine, an excellent conversationalist who wears Chanel as well as a non-human scent, will take away your breath...if you give her a chance. (Sandrine is still giving me cold chills!)

While not for fragile, swooning Southern Belles (or guys), the book is an excellent read.   Available on Amazon!

Meet Author, Terry Maggert!

Author’s Bio:   
Born in 1968, I discovered fishing shortly after walking, a boon considering I lived in South Florida. After a brief move to Kentucky, my family trekked back to South Florida, and it was at this time that I made the first of my Big Career Changes, breaking from my daily fishing habit to play the saxophone in middle school. I took this leap of faith under advisement from my Consigliore/ Grandfather, who assured me that this was the way to impress girls.
      In a rare occurrence, he was wrong. This isn’t surprising considering he had been a Big Band leader in the 1930s, which, I have since learned, was a certainty for impressing girls. Middle School saxophone played by a cherubic pre-teen? Not so much.       I had the good fortune to attend high school in idyllic Upstate New York, where I learned the meaning of winter-- and how to seize the whole of summer.      After two or three failed attempts at college, I bought a pub. That was fun, because I love beer. However, I eventually met someone smarter than me (a common event), but in this case, she married me and convinced me to go back to school - which I did, with great enthusiasm. I earned a Master’s Degree in History and rediscovered my love for writing. I had written for most of my life, but it was only fatherhood and a herd of dogs/cats/etc. that gave me the time management skills necessary to finish a novel, and actually see several more in my future.      I live near Nashville, Tennessee with the aforementioned wife, son, and herd, and when I’m not writing, I teach history, grow wildly enthusiastic tomato plants, and restore my 1967 Mustang.


For More on Terry Maggert:

Author’s Blog: http://terrymaggert.com/


Additional Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerryMaggert
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrymaggertbooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/20617266-terry-maggert
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/terry68/terry-maggerts-author-swag/ Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Maggert/e/B00EKN8RHG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Signed Paperback: Contact author directly via Facebook, or at terrymaggertbooks@gmail.com

Something Awesome This Way Comes!!!

Imagine my shock and surprise when I checked my email and found my cool promo for The Chronicles of Koa was completed! Check it out! There are tons of fun things coming now that Lyrinian Blade's release date is approaching.


The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld, available on Amazon!
What would you do if a demon threatened your mother's life? If you're like Koa, you'd sharpen your enchanted sword and go after him...
Our world is threatened by the creatures of an alternate land called the Netherworld. Good thing Koa and the Netherworld division are there to keep the vampire population in check. Koa is a powerful half-blood with a mysterious past. Her best friend is her boss, she has a cursed mother, an enchanted sword, and an attractive human pet.
Koa also has a problem. A Netherworld serial killer, with a taste for little girls, threatens everything Koa has worked hard to protect. Not even Koa's boss, Halston can stop him. But he knows one prisoner that can. Too bad that prison is in the Netherworld.
Is Koa ready to journey to the Netherworld to release the one creature that can break her mother's curse and protect all that she holds dear?
**Bonus Material**
Someone has stolen classified documents from the Netherworld division's vaults. Read the secret interviews that were leaked to the press, and discover the hidden clues of Lyrinian Blade (The Chronicles of Koa #2)

Enchanted Winter (Chapter 4)

Enchanted WinterK.N. Lee

Chapter 4 Alexi scanned the surroundings. Trees stretched upwards into the black, star-lit, sky. They were a deep green with blossomed cona fruit flowers. The green sea surrounded the island, but he could see the towers in the distance. A single silver bridge was all that connected the lands.New Genesis was only separated from the Old World by the Wildlands, the boundary that once separated the land of the fairies and other creatures from the humans.Alexi stared into the jungle. He’d never been there before, but he’d dreamed about it since he was a child. Being half human and half Morai had made Alexi an outcast. There weren’t many mixed race children, it was illegal and frowned upon for humans to mate with the creatures they’d enslaved. Master Blakeney somehow thought he was above the law, and so, Alexi was the manor’s little secret.Alexi’s shoulders slumped. He held the reigns of his tetra and whistled for the others to follow.“All right,” Alexi said to Pasha. The black tetra nodded, made a sound much like a horse’s neigh, and lifted into the cold, night, air.Four other men did the same, riding their tetras through the sky. They hid their fear the best they could. There were tales of what creatures lived in the Wildlands. It was amazing that the humans even made it through years ago to the land they’d colonized as New Genesis. The history books would tell the tales of those brave, heroic, humans, leaving out how many were slaughtered in the process.Alexi pulled his goggles over his eyes and gave Pasha a nudge. Pasha darted across the dark sky at a speed of a jet. He saw the purple dust that Winter had left behind and tracked it. It sparkled against the black sky, shimmering as the moon’s light shone upon it. It laid out a path for him. Winter didn’t seem to get far from Blakeney Manor. He followed the path through the air, going higher and higher. Then, the path plummeted downward, into the thickest grove of trees…into the jungle. Alexi paused. Something had happened to her. She’d fallen. He felt his body go cold. That could only mean one thing. Someone had shot her, or worse, that she was dead.His face paled. The others had paused as well. They watched him. Alexi could barely control his expression. All he could think of were the times he and Winter would play as children, before they’d become teenagers and father had them separated. Winter would sing to him. Her silver eyes would light up with her smile and the most beautiful notes would escape her pale pink lips.He still remembered the sound of her sweet voice and the way her hair would dance to the melodies of the ancient Morai hymns. Alexi swallowed a sharp lump in his throat. He did not want to believe that she was dead. Something within his heart told Alexi that he would know if Winter had died. His eyes narrowed in determination as he watched the purple mist fade into the air. He was certain that he would feel it if Winter was gone. Alexi cleared his throat. He didn’t want the men to trace any of his emotion or feelings for Winter. He spoke with an authoritative voice. “Looks like we’re going right into the jungle, boys.”He glanced back. Governor Sworv’s men all looked down at the jungle with their pale faces glowing in the moonlight.“But the sun rises in less than 4 hours,” Frintz said. His voice wavered. His long black hair whipped around his face, getting caught in his mouth. He coughed and pulled the strands back. “I don’t know about this.”Alexi shook his head in mild annoyance. Time was wasting by the minute. Winter was getting further and further away.Cowards, he thought to himself. Then he shrugged. He had to remember that they were only human. It wasn’t cowardice to fear the sun, but logic. The sun would kill them. An idea came to him. “Did Sworv really think we’d find her in one day?” Alexi asked himself.The other’s grumbled. “And I thought you were supposed to be special,” Colton scoffed. He pulled his own goggles off and rested them on his thick blonde hair. His face was expressionless, but Alexi could detect the disdain in Governor Sworv’s younger brother’s voice.Alexi narrowed his eyes as he turned to Colton. “Excuse me?”Colton shrugged and rested his hands on the pommel. His blue eyes glared at Alexi. He looked at Alexi as if he were a disgusting bug on the floor of his palace. “I’m just saying, what’s so special about you? You’re an abomination…nothing more.”Alexi felt his face heat.Frintz looked from one to the other. “Let’s not be volatile, guys. Alexi can walk in the sun and the moon. We can’t, Colton.”Colton cracked an amused grin. “Oh, is that it?” Even as he flexed his gloved fingers, his eyes never left Alexi’s.Alexi ground his teeth. Colton was tempting him. He wanted Alexi to lose control. Alexi let out a long, slow, breath and smiled.He clicked his tongue and darted after the remnants of Winter’s trail. Alexi shouted over his shoulder, “follow me and I’ll show you what I can do!”

Now Recruiting Guests!

Captive Youth **Book Blast**

Book Description: Publication Date: November 11, 2013 Keith’s boring life becomes a fight for survival when a half-naked, handcuffed Mexican girl jumps into his little sports car. Events escalate to mortally dangerous when a man starts shooting at and chasing them.
Raised by his grandmother as a “Christian gentleman,” Keith quickly learns that behaving in accordance with those values is more difficult than he imagined. Not understanding the Spanish the girl speaks, he contacts his girlfriend for help in translation. She tells him members of a human-trafficking ring are pursuing them, and local police can’t be trusted.
When his girlfriend tries to help them find safety, members of the trafficking ring kidnap all three teenagers. Faced with the threat of abuse and death, the young people must depend on each other if they are to escape.
Set in the South of the U.S. during the tumultuous sixties, this thriller immerses one in the limitations, mores, and prejudices of the time.
Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  Great Suspense  November 7, 2013By Sherry Cashwell
I loved this gripping page-turner. The main characters range from innocent to victimized teens and trustworthy to villainous adults. Unlike the science fiction "Rehoboth," Monet Jones shows his tremendous flexibility as a writer by setting this story in the very real world of the South. As each character is developed through action and conversation, they become real people in the mind of the reader. The tension and suspense is palpable. The outcome is not a foregone conclusion. At various times, as the story unfolds, the reader may be tempted to skip to the end, but the reader gains nothing as the story has been crafted page by page to lead to the conclusion - DON'T SKIP A PAGE! Enjoy the good read!

Available on Amazon!

Top Amazon Kindle Book ‘The Chronicles of Koa’ Author Releases New Bonus Material for Readers

Top Amazon Kindle Book ‘The Chronicles of Koa’ Author Releases New Bonus Material for ReadersBeloved fantasy novel, The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld has been newly updated with additional bonus material in lieu of the next series.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  The Chronicles of Koa PRLog (Press Release) - Nov. 18, 2013 - CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- After reaching the Top 20 of Amazon’s Kindle Fantasy Charts for Urban Fantasy in both the United States and the United Kingdom during the month of July 2013, The Chronicles of Koa’s is at it again with the release of brand new bonus material for young adult and adult fantasy book readers.

The book, which was originally published in May 11, 2013, has been updated to feature the newest material that states, “Someone has stolen classified documents from the Netherworld division's vaults. Read the secret interviews that were leaked to the press, and discover the hidden clues of Lyrinian Blade”.  A sequel will soon follow the material suggests as previous readers crave the next installment of the series.

One reviewer by the name of Susan states on her 5-star Amazon book review saying, “The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld is creatively addicting. As a former English instructor and creative writing teacher, this book contains the ideal balance of adventure, suspense, and intensity coupled with eloquent descriptions that can keep up with the most creative minds. K.N. Lee has mastered the craft of drawing readers in with her words, yet infinitely keeping them hooked through this page-turner. She has the ability to construct ingenious yet cunning characters in a way in which the reader cannot help but love, yet often hate at the same time.”

The story is about a half-blood girl named Koa, who must journey to the Netherworld to release a creature that can break her mother's curse and protect the ones she loves the most. The book has been completely updated and is now available on Amazon.com on Kindle eBook format for only $4.99.

K.N. Lee is an American writer and author and currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. She enjoys writing fantasy and horror novels, along with the occasional short story. She is also an avid writer of poetry and does a great deal of promoting for other authors on her personal website. When she is not cooking traditional Asian meals for her friends, she travels the world and practices foreign languages. She lives with her two dogs, Raven and Rocco.

For media inquires please contact Author, K.N. Lee via email at knlee@thechroniclesofkoa.com. To learn more about The Chronicles of Koa, or to purchase the latest version visit: www.thechroniclesofkoa.com

Media Contact
K.N. Lee

***@thechroniclesofkoa.com