Deborah Jay's Blog, page 69
August 21, 2015
New Release – BLADE OF THE DESTROYER by Andy Peloquin – #DarkFantasy
Title: The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer
Official Launch Date: August 21st, 2015
Paperback Price: $15.99; Digital Price: $3.99
Pages: 298
ISBN: 1515038955
Book Blurb:
The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer
The Hunter of Voramis is the perfect assassin: ruthless, unrelenting, immortal. Yet he is haunted by lost memories, bonded to a cursed dagger that feeds him power yet denies him peace of mind. Within him rages an unquenchable need for blood and death.
When he accepts a contract to avenge the stolen innocence of a girl, the Hunter becomes the prey. The death of a seemingly random target sends him hurtling toward destruction, yet could his path also lead to the truth of his buried past?
Book Launch Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1625045874438351/
Excerpt
Thanks to Andy for providing a flavour of his book:
Here’s a taste from the book–one of my favorite parts of the entire thing. It gives you a pretty good idea of the world in which the Hunter lives, the types of people he encounters, his reputation, and his attitude toward the world around him.
Courier Balgos slunk through the slums of Beggars Row, gagging at the stench of the litter-strewn streets. He wore the simple robes of a messenger, but even his humble clothing contrasted sharply with the staggering poverty around him.
The smell of refuse, ordure, and death rose from myriad piles of the-gods-knew-what, hanging in a miasma so thick he could almost taste it.
By the gods, if only there was some way to block out this stench.
He placed his feet with care, studying the ground as he walked.
I hope I don’t step in—
“Shit!” he cursed aloud. Warm wetness filled his boot, causing him to gag.
Thank the Illusionist I didn’t have breakfast, or it might join the rest of the fragrances in this horrible place.
Two days had passed since the Feast of Illusionist’s Night, and Balgos still struggled with the after-effects of too much strong drink. His head had stopped pounding, but his stomach still recoiled at the thought of food.
“Please, sir,” a voice warbled from a nearby pile of rags, “a coin?”
From the heap emerged a scarred, pox-ridden face. The man’s mouth held few teeth, and a wart protruded from his broken nose. The eyes stared at him with a dull, listless expression. A grubby hand reached towards the courier, gnarled fingers covered in a thick crust of grime. Flaking flesh fell from the beggar’s arms and hands.
“Get away from me, filth!” Balgos yelled at the leper, his eyes growing wide in horror. The messenger made the warding sign of the Maiden and hurried away.
I have to get the frozen hell out of here before I catch something!
The messenger muttered oaths under his breath, cursing the Hunter and his need for secrecy. He desperately wanted to flee Beggar’s Row, but he had a task to complete first.
He scanned the street, searching for the sign of The Rusted Dangle. Relief flooded him as he rounded a corner in the street and spotted the inn.
I just have to deliver my message and I can take a very long bath!
The Rusted Dangle stood—barely, he thought—at the end of the lane. It appeared to be a nail away from collapsing. Its roof slanted at a dangerous angle, and far too many hastily constructed support beams held up the building.
Rust had worn away the phallic sign depicting the inn’s name, suspended on a rope so frayed that a light breeze could blow it down. The inn’s front doors hung from hinges older than Voramis itself, and Balgos feared he would rip them out of the wall if he pushed too hard.
The interior of the inn matched its dilapidated exterior. The furniture consisted of tables and chairs cobbled together from scraps of wood that had no right being used for construction.
Behind the bar, stood a balding innkeeper that looked as old as the inn itself. “What can I get you, lad?” the man asked, his tone pleasant.
I must be his first paying customer in years, thought Balgos.
The messenger strode toward the bar, opening his mouth to answer. A raconteur in bright clothing bumped into him, almost knocking him over.
“Watch where you’re going, fuckwit!” Balgos yelled at the man.
The traveling entertainer muttered something in response, and the courier gagged at the man’s putrid breath.
That swill he drinks must be brewed in a latrine, he thought, pushing the man away.
The drunk hardly noticed the insult and the shove, simply stumbling toward an ancient-looking table in a darkened corner of the bar.
Balgos wiped his hands on his tunic in disgust, trying to scrub away the filth from the raconteur’s clothing.
“Room four,” he demanded of the bartender.
The balding innkeeper waved a pudgy hand towards the hall at the opposite end of the tavern. “Right that way, sir. But first, might I offer you something to eat or drink?”
The courier summoned every shred of etiquette he possessed. “Another time, perhaps,” he replied with a forced smile as he turned away from the bar.
A quiet “ahem” sounded behind the courier. He turned back to see the pub landlord wearing an apologetic smile on his face, his hand held out expectantly.
“Two coppers for use of the room, sir,” the bald proprietor said with an oily smile.
Balgos rolled his eyes and fished a pair of copper bits from his purse. He deposited the coins in the innkeeper’s hand with a scowl, but the man appeared not to notice. The coins disappeared into a purse beneath his clothing, and he returned to his futile task of wiping the filthy bar with an even filthier cloth.
The floorboards of the dark hallway creaked beneath Balgos’ feet, and the scent of year-old unwashed sheets filled his nose.
No wonder the Hunter likes this place, he thought. No one in his right mind would ever stay the night here.
The door stood unlocked, and he hesitantly pushed it open. The room beyond was dark, the window covered with thick oilcloth to block out the light.
Balgos closed the door and waited in silence, trying not to inhale the foul scents of the darkened room.
“I hear you’re looking for me.” The deep voice echoed in the stillness.
“Keeper’s icy balls!” Balgos cursed, startled. The courier jerked back, instinctively moving away from the threatening figure materializing before him.
I didn’t even see him enter the room!
“What the f—?”
“You came for a reason, I assume,” the Hunter cut him off.
Balgos snapped his mouth shut, fighting to calm his racing heart. The Hunter towered over him, his silhouette framed against the dim light filtering through the covered window. Balgos couldn’t see the assassin’s face, nor did he want to.
“Sir Hunter,” he said, struggling to keep his voice calm, “I come with an unusual request.”
The Hunter could have been made of stone for all the response he gave. The silence unnerved the courier and set his hands trembling.
“Right,” Balgos stammered, “er…um…well…right.” He drew in a deep breath before continuing. “My…er…master requests that you visit him in his home. He—”
“I don’t make house calls,” the harsh voice of the Hunter interrupted.
“I know, sir, but I believe you will want to make an exception. My master is—”
“I don’t care who your master is. If he wants to meet me, he will do so on my terms. The door is behind you.”
“My master is unable to move around the city, or else he would meet with you in person.”
Silence answered him.
“But,” Balgos burst out in desperation, “my master will pay your normal fee just to hear what he has to say, and double if you agree to take the contract.”
The room remained silent.
Has he gone? Am I talking to an empty room?
“He-hello?”
“I am considering your master’s offer,” the Hunter intoned, his voice thoughtful.
Balgos’ heart pounded in his chest, and sweat trickled down his back as he waited for the assassin’s answer.
“Very well,” came the voice from the darkness. “The payment?”
Balgos removed a heavy purse from within his robes, extending it towards the Hunter. The Hunter roughly plucked it from his hands, and the courier heard coins clinking in the darkness.
“Tell your master I will call upon him tonight,” came the rough voice of the Hunter.
“Thank you!” Balgos gasped in relief. “My master will be pleased to hear it.”
“Where would your master like me to meet him?”
“At the Villa Camoralia, in the—”
“I know the place,” the harsh voice interrupted.
“Excellent! I will pass your message along to him, then. He will be pleased to hear it.”
“Now go.”
Without a backward glance, Balgos fled.
He rushed through the dim taproom and pushed through the front doors without even a nod to the bartender. In his haste, he failed to notice the fact that the inebriated raconteur in his outrageous bright clothing no longer sat at his table.
The foul streets of Beggar’s Row rushed by, yet still he ran, heedless of the voices crying out for coin, food, or drink. Only when he reached the Merchant’s Quarter did he slow.
“Fucking Hunter,” he cursed, turning his steps toward Upper Voramis and the Villa Camoralia.
AMAZON ebook AMAZON paperback GOODREADS
Reviews:
“Creative, gritty, and beautifully dark…fantasy addicts will love it!” — Peter Story, author of Things Grak Hates — http://peterjstory.com/
“The fantasy world has a compelling new antihero…the Hunter will terrify and captivate you.” – Eve A Floriste, author of Fresh Cut
“From the first words on the page this fantasy holds the reader spellbound even after the book is finished…his character is very well-defined even if his past is a mystery. Root for an assassin? Oh, yes, one must!” — Carol Conley, for InDTale Magazine
About the author
Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious
Andy Peloquin–a third culture kid to the core–has loved to read since before he could remember. Sherlock Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera, and Father Brown are just a few of the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.
When he discovered science fiction and fantasy through the pages of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card, he was immediately hooked and hasn’t looked back since.
Andy’s first attempt at writing produced In the Days: A Tale of the Forgotten Continent. He has learned from the mistakes he made and used the experience to produce Blade of the Destroyer, a book of which he is very proud.
Reading—and now writing—is his favorite escape, and it provides him an outlet for his innate creativity. He is an artist; words are his palette.
His website (http://www.andypeloquin.com) is a second home for him, a place where he can post his thoughts and feelings–along with reviews of books he finds laying around the internet.
He can also be found on his social media pages, such as:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin
www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/
https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about
https://www.amazon.com/author/andypeloquin
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloquin.1
August 18, 2015
Blog Tour & #giveaway – THE BANISHED CRAFT by E.D.E. Bell #fantasy #dragons #wizards
Welcome to my tour stop for The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell! The tour runs August 18 – September 1 with reviews, interviews, guest posts, excerpts and giveaways. The Banished Craft is a fantasy novel and is written for adults but is appropriate for mature young adult readers. This is the first book of the Shkode series and releases on September 1, 2015.
About the Book:
The Banished Craft is a genre-bending fantasy saga that follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who’s been asked to violate his own ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity, prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.
Goodreads | Amazon
Book Trailer
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“A wonderfully delightful and deeply imaginative tale of struggle and the quest for knowledge, set in a well-developed and complex high fantasy setting.”
–G. S. Jennsen, author of Science-Fiction saga Aurora Rhapsody
“I love Bell’s sensitive and insightful exploration of compassion, connection, and relationships. The Banished Craft provides layers of thought-provoking ideas as well as good old-fashioned escapism.”
–Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, bestselling author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge
EXCERPT
[Cor, after finding a book in the University library but not being able to retrieve it because it was lost in a sudden quake, has decided to return. She must disguise herself because women are forbidden from anywhere on the University grounds.]
Pulling the hood as far forward as it would go, Cor glanced back into the mirror, verifying that her features were now concealed. Women should all go in this way, she mused. See how long it takes them to notice. She smiled, imagining the library full of cloaked women, no one the wiser for it. Iohn worried too much. This really wouldn’t be difficult.
She had waited a couple of weeks to try and access the library again, stewing the whole time over Iohn’s refusal to help her. The delay wasn’t just to let the injuries to her face heal. According to Iohn, the staff had been hard at work cleaning and restocking the books after the quake, and Cor wanted to wait until the tower was less occupied. Though he had been too furious to discuss the incident, he had at least let her know the towers had been reopened and were operating normally.
Cor understood the fervor with which the library staff had worked to clean and repair each room. All of the world’s knowledge in one place. Thinking about it gave her chills. It was no wonder that men across Teirrah left their families to study here, toiling for years with little reprieve.
She was sure Iohn would not believe she would be foolish enough attempt to go back without him. He was wrong. She was exactly that foolish. Cor grinned, imagining Iohn’s outrage if he saw her now. She stifled a giggle as she slipped out of a side door into the dark alley.
It wouldn’t make sense for a pageboy to be sneaking around the alleyways, so she set out with a confident stride up the path leading to the University. She hummed a song to herself as firstsun rose, bathing the fields with warm light. It took effort not to hesitate as she walked under the arch marking the boundaries of the University grounds, noticing the large wooden sign to the side of the path:
University of Teirrah, Farmstate
Authorized Access Only
Women, Cats, and Weapons Strictly Prohibited
“Lovely,” Cor muttered as she strode past.
She took a turn, heading toward the library towers looming ahead in the blue autumn sky. Trying to shake her nerves, she named each tower to herself, one by one, as they grew larger. “Reference, Philosophy, Spirit, Culture, Communication, Science, Invention, Arts, Fiction.” Her eyes fixed on the final tower. “History.” She had been so close to a lead the last time.
Website | Facebook | Twitter @edebellauthor | Pinterest | Instagram | Wattpad
Bell will be releasing her first Wattpad story on 1 Sept to coincide with the release of The Banished Craft.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author E.D.E. Bell is a graduate of the University of Michigan with an MSE in Electrical Engineering, and works as an advisor in technical intelligence. A vegan and enthusiastic ignorer of gender rules, she feels strongly about issues related to human equality and animal compassion. Married with three children, she decided to pursue her dream of writing and is excited to share that vision with fans of epic fantasy.
AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Facebook | Twitter @edebellauthor | Pinterest
Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Sept. 9th
Prizing is provided by the publisher and hosts are not responsible in any way.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
August 17, 2015
Book Blitz & #Giveaway – ACCIDENTAL BUTTERFLY by Marisa Cleveland #YA #ParanormalRomance
Welcome to the Book Blitz for Accidental Butterfly by Marisa Cleveland. This is a young adult romance with light paranormal elements. It released on July 5th and is available for sale!
About the Book:
Author Name: Marisa ClevelandBook Title: Accidental Butterfly
Release Date: July 5, 2015
Category: Young adult romance
Sub Categories: light paranormal, coming-of-age
Original / Regular Price: ebook $2.99 — print book $11.75
Dead at sixteen. She was just another statistic. Until she became a guiding angel.
Book Description:
Alive, Kate Dunlap breezed through high school with meaningless friendships and relative ease. But after an accidental overdose ends Kate’s human existence, she’s granted the opportunity of a lifetime. Return to Earth. Save Jake Barton. Prove her worth.
Success guarantees Kate an all access backstage pass to heaven. But as she falls in love for the first time, the reformed superficial social butterfly must risk her chance at redemption to guarantee Jake’s life on Earth.
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
About the Author:Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. If she couldn’t express herself through writing, music, and dance, she would die. Cleveland, who has a Master’s degree in Educational Administration in Organizations, joined The Seymour Agency in 2011 after she ended an eight-year career teaching students in language arts, grades 6-12. Previous to teaching, Cleveland worked as an assistant director for a graduate school in Washington, D.C. before settling in Southwest Florida. She loves to connect with writers and readers through social media.
Website | Facebook | Twitter @marisacleveland
GIVEAWAY:
$25 Starbucks gift card (US/CA)
Ends Aug. 25th
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
August 14, 2015
#Readers, have you discovered ‘CONNECTIONS’ magazine yet?
CONNECTIONS is a magazine devoted to introducing readers to new authors – and yes, I am featured in there this month :D
It’s a multi-genre package, crammed with excerpts, author profiles and fun stuff, plus special offers on new and on sale books and ebooks.
Take a look for yourself:
https://view.publitas.com/mpsmith-publishing/connections-emagazine-summer-2015/
August 12, 2015
#Promo success! Rocketing up the #Amazon rankings :-D
Very happy tonight with the results so far of my celebratory sale
Desprite Measures is knocking at the door of the Amazon Top 100 in the highly competitive Urban and Paranormal category :D
Fingers crossed it continues to rise.
Once THE PRINCE’S MAN got into the Top 100 (Epic Fantasy) it stayed there for almost 6 months – nothing breeds success like success (and Amazon algorithms…)
I’d like to be able to track which ads worked best, but I’m not sure how many of the sites will provide this information. I took out 7 paid ads, totalling around $50, plus as many free ads as I could find.
I do know, based on promos I’ve run in the past, that the likely success factor here was scoring an ad with ENT (Ereader News Today). I have yet to try for a Bookbub ad – that might come later, when I have more books out to benefit from any knock on results. Always assuming I can get in with them; not easy, I know.
I’ve tried Desprite Measures with ENT before, but they refused it last time. It has a few more reviews now, and still a high star rating (4.5), so I’m guessing that might be why they took it this time.
So I’ve hit the facebook promo sites tonight, and boosted my post about the sale – first time for trying this, so let’s see how it works out.
Authors, what are your favourite promo sites? And readers, where do you like to find your next ebook?
August 11, 2015
Blog Tour, #Review & #giveaway – The Lioness of Kell by Paul E. Horsman #YA #Fantasy #KellTour
Title: Lioness of Kell
Author: Paul E. Horsman
Publication Date: March 16, 2015
Genre: YA Fantasy
Synopsis
Secure in his position as the Prince-warlock’s son, seventeen-year-old Basil is content with his solitary life of study and magic. He has a comfortable set of rooms in his father’s tower, he has his books and scrolls, and he is perfectly happy. Until the Warlockry Council summons him, and their demands sets his whole, safe existence tottering. Scared and unsure, he decides to run, and takes the first ship out of town. On board he meets Yarwan, the handsome midshipman, who awakens feelings he never knew existed.
Maud of the M’Brannoe, at eighteen already a mighty warrioress, is about to graduate as a Lioness, a special duty officer answering to the Kell Queen and no one else. The Prince-warlock asks her to fetch a certain boy from a pirate town, who could be double for his son. On their way back, someone sabotages their airship and the two find themselves marooned in an ill-reputed forest. Together, the young lioness and Jurgis the lookalike battle their way to the coast and a ship home, while finding solace in each other’s arms.
Then the four young people meet, and Basil learns of a spell that might help him. Only the spell’s creator, the infamous Arrangh Warlock, disappeared nearly a century ago. When the four young people decide to go looking for him, they start on a path leading to an old war and unsolved mysteries that will change the world. Or kill them.
A spirited fantasy story of high adventure and romantic love in a world where both magic and early modern technology flourish.
Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
My Review
Lioness of Kell by Paul E. Horsman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There is much to admire in the themes this book tackles: role reversals, homosexuality and prejudice, mixed race relationships, beauty and vanity – and it does a good job with them. The story is also truly epic in scope, and original in its world building, with steampunk elements woven into traditional fantasy, mixed with a pinch of fairy tale.
Having said all of that, for me, it didn’t quite hit the mark. Undoubtedly there will be plenty of people who fall in love with the diverse characters and tons of action, so don’t let me put you off. There were many small niggling things that didn’t work for me, but the core of my problem was a lack of emotional resonance with any of the main cast. There were bits I liked about all of them, and there is no question they developed through the story, and yet I found their portrayal short on emotional depth. That made the reading experience too superficial for me to fall in love with the book, despite so many good things about it.
My issues began with the title – the Lioness is only one of the characters. Although the book opens with her as apparently the main character, after a few chapters it transforms into an ensemble cast, with a viewpoint that shifts between characters, and sometimes becomes authorial. The many unwieldy formal titles in the opening chapter also slowed things down.
On the plus side, while the opening plot seems pretty predictable, it swiftly moves to frequent unexpected turns after the opening section. On the minus, much of the time the characters are reacting to events rather than being proactive, and for my taste there are rather too many plot coincidences. The challenges faced by our heroes tended to be rather easily overcome; never succeeding in convincing me they were really in danger.
There were a few small editing issues, but not enough to annoy, and vast amounts of the writing was grand. I’m guessing that a regular YA reader would probably not be bothered by any of the things that niggled me, so I suggest that if this sounds your sort of read, you take a punt and make up your own mind.
I received this book in return for an unbiased review – all thoughts are my own.
Author Bio
Paul E. Horsman (1952) is a Dutch and International Fantasy Author. Born in the sleepy garden village of Bussum, The Netherlands, he now lives in Roosendaal, a town on the Dutch-Belgian border.
He has been a soldier, a salesman, a scoutmaster and from 1995 till his school closed in 2012 a teacher of Dutch as a Second Language and Integration to refugees from all over the globe.
He is a full-time writer of light fantasy adventures for Y.A. and older. His books are both published in the Netherlands, and internationally.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
Giveaway
There is a giveaway for this tour for a $25 Amazon Giftcard, courtesy of the author. Ends 8/21.
August 10, 2015
#99c #SALE – Desprite Measures & new #release SPRITE NIGHT #ShortStory #UrbanFantasy
Yay! In celebration of the release of my new Caledonian Sprite Short Story, SPRITE NIGHT,
I am holding a 99c/99p sale of DESPRITE MEASURES, the opening book of the series.
DESPRITE MEASURES
Scottish water sprite, Cassie, lives a quiet life in human guise, along with her selkie boyfriend, until a magician tries to force her to power his crazy experiment.
Escape is only Cassie’s first challenge; she falls for her dangerous fellow captive, fire elemental Gloria, and somehow becomes the prize in a contest between rival covens.
Struggling to stay one step ahead of it all, her life and loves spiral dangerously out of control.
A unique eco-urban fantasy
Sale runs from 10th – 17 August (Amazon US & UK only, sorry to those not in either of those countries – pst., if you contact me directly, we might come to some arrangement…)
And hot off the press…
SPRITE NIGHT – a Caledonian Sprite short story
When Scottish water sprite, Cassie, volunteers for an anti-fracking protest, the last thing she expects is to find herself at odds with a druid. But with time running out for the local environment, she can’t afford to be distracted by the handsome hunk of a Highlander.
Intent on a minor act of sabotage, Cassie is totally unprepared to be caught in the cross-fire of a magical battle. Can she avert catastrophe? Or will she become the very agency of an ecological disaster?
OR – even better!
Take a look at the special offers on this page and grab yourself a FREE copy of SPRITE NIGHT!
Now what could be better than that?
August 5, 2015
#Review Tour & #Giveaway – THE EMPYREAN KEY by J.L. Tomlinson #EpicFantasy
Welcome to my tour stop for The Empyrean Key by J.L. Tomlinson. This is the first book in Ardentia series. This is a epic fantasy novel. The tour runs July 27- Aug. 7 with reviews only. Check out the tour page for more information.
About the Book:
The first book in a new epic fantasy series…
Jahna Mornglow is a thief, a liar and an unassuming misfit, a half-breed of the loathed and ostracized Narcean race, born with the abilities of prophecy and telepathy.
The dull monotony of her beachside home is eased by nights in the outer villages, scamming unsuspecting fishermen out of their hard earned coin. It is the most fun and profit Jahna and her friends, a brawling barmaid and a bullied bookworm, can expect from their lower class lives.
The land of Ardentia is vast and magical, carved by the Celestial gods and ruled by their mortal descendants. With a once great king now mysteriously ill, a hundred years war raging in the east and whispers of the return of an ancient evil, Ardentia’s fate balances on the tip of a blade.
The ghosts of Jahna’s past will call upon her, revealing hidden enemies, precious secrets and a fragmented artifact that will breath new life into the myths of old.
Can Jahna keep safe a world that has shunned and discarded her?
Amazon | Goodreads
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My Review
The Empyrean Key by J.L. Tomlinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story begins by introducing us to Jahna and her friends, the bookish Silko and the Amazonian Lilac, running a betting scam. Their desire for money and lack of morals was not, for me, the best introduction to a bunch of teenage protagonists, but once past the first chapter, the story moved into their regular home life in a quiet fishing village and their characters and relationships began to develop, making them far more likeable.
Jahna has a chip on her shoulder over her mother’s refusal to discuss Jahna’s burgeoning psychic powers, even though her mother’s bloodline is their source. Silko and Lilac develop nicely as diametrically opposed types, both physically and mentally, yet both are rough diamonds with great loyalty to the trio of friends.
The writing carries you easily forward, despite the niggling annoyance that the story proper takes so long to get going. This is a richly imagined world, with great depth to its culture and religion, and the people who inhabit it are equally well rounded, with clearly individual voices and understandable motives.
About a third of the way in, the plot kicks in with a vengeance, becoming a traditional quest story.
Only the first steps of the quest are completed in this book, and with 3 more of the 5-part key yet to find, there is plenty more to come. The villains are shaping up nicely, with a malicious god manipulating the queen and her daughter, the heir to the kingdom. This particular tome ends on a dark note, which felt right for the story, and I look forward to discovering how it all unfolds.
The version I read was provided for an honest review, and was sorely in need of editing, both in terms of correct word and punctuation usage, and a couple of those odd ‘excuse me?’ moments when the characters made stupid decisions for the sake of the plot. I understand it has been edited since then, so I cannot give opinion on how it now stands in respect of those items – better, I hope, as it deserves to be a fine book, for the scope of the writer’s imagination and her skill with dialogue and character.
Definitely some violence; no sex (as yet); I would class it as a YA/NA, read, and if you don’t mind the slow start in favour of excellent character development, highly recommended.
About the Author:
J.L. Tomlinson was born and bred in the mystical land of New Zealand.
She’s never had problems dreaming up people and their stories. It’s the getting it all down on paper part that was always a downer.
But at long last she has penned her debut novel, The Empyrean Key, which is the first installment of the Ardentia series.
Now the floodgates have been opened and her musings will wash over humanity like a tingly, tidal wave of words and emotion that will make you go, “Ah. Now that’s tingly.”
J.L. Tomlinson lives in bliss in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, two children and amazing bluehaired sister . She enjoys video games, terrible movies and also eavesdropping on people who argue in malls. She loves to write science fiction and fantasy of all sub genres.
Website | Facebook | Twitter @JL_Tomlinson | Goodreads
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Giveaway:
$10 Amazon gift card (INT)
Ends Aug. 12th
giveaway provided by the author, hosts are not responsible for prizing
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
August 3, 2015
#Review Tour – The Network Series by Katie Cross #YAfantasy #magic #witches
The Network Series is a YA fantasy
About Miss Mabel’s School for Girls:
Never Underestimate the Power of a Determined Witch.
Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.
Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.
Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?
Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.
My Review
Miss Mabel’s School for Girls by Katie Cross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Think Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games.
Or at least, that’s how it starts out.
Sixteen-year-old Bianca Munroe is determined to enrol in the famed Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, where the best witches in the area receive their training, and go on to fulfil important roles in the society of the Networks (regions, a bit like the Districts in Hunger Games).
Sounds simple so far, but Bianca is hiding an ulterior motive which she keeps hidden even from the reader for quite some time, although there clearly IS a secret, we are just not privy to its details. Or to the reason why Bianca must conceal the identity of her father at all costs.
Making it through a tricky interview, Bianca is enrolled in the school, but not content with that achievement, she then strives to become Miss Mabel’s personal assistant by entering a dangerous competition, pitted against witches older and more educated than she is.
Or are they?
I won’t go further as that would spoil the plot.
I was captured from the word go by the secrets and suspense of the tale, along with Bianca’s personality, which varies from strong and resourceful, to self-doubting and desperate as events unfold. The friends she makes at the school are interesting and unique characters, and clearly have roles to fulfil in the rest of the series, which I will most definitely be reading. This book sets up a far wider story to come, taking in politics, betrayal, and war across the Networks of Antebellum
I was also particularly taken with Katie Cross’s writing style, which never used a boring word or description, and yet succeeded in not descending into purple or flowery prose. It is also error free and well-presented – such a relief after some of the books I’ve (tried to) read lately.
Highly recommended provided teenage heroines are your type of read.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Audible | Smashwords
ABOUT ANTE BELLUM AWAKENING
Never underestimate the power of a volatile witch.
Still reeling in the wake of her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe is forced to move to Chatham Castle. Not even the sudden appearance of ancient dragons in haunted Letum Wood nor her two best friends can distract her from the strength of her deep, dark rage. Her grief puts her magical powers into chaos, endangering any witch around her. She has six months left to destroy the curse that will kill her and fulfill her contract with the most cunning enemy of all: her former teacher Miss Mabel. Bianca must make a choice: learn to control her restless powers, or let the powers control her.
Antebellum Awakening is the second book in the thrilling new fantasy collection The Network Series. It’s a haunting tale about tragedy, loss, and the power of moving on.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
ABOUT THE ISADORA INTERVIEWS:
Isadora is a quiet, old witch living alone in the fog-strewn forest of Letum Wood. Her magical power is great, but her foresight is even greater.
As a Watcher, Isadora has the ability to see into the heart of every witch she meets, a talent that makes her the perfect guardian of the prestigious Miss Mabel’s School for Girls.
Any witch that wants to enter the school must first pass an interview with Isadora. No secret insecurity or sinister motivation can be hidden from a Watcher, as four teenage girls will soon find out.
Join Leda, Camille, Michelle, and Priscilla, as they each encounter Isadora in their quest to join Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. It’s a collection of short stories that fans of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls can’t afford to miss.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes
About the Author
Katie Cross grew up in the mountains of Idaho, where she still loves to play when she gets the chance.If she’s not writing, you can find her traveling, working as a pediatric nurse, trail running with her husband and two dogs, or curled up with a book and a cup of chai.
AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter @kcrosswriting
GIVEAWAY
$30 Visa Gift Card
INTERNATIONAL
Ends Aug. 12th
TOUR PAGE
Please check out the tour page – http://www.cbbbookpromotions.com/tour-sign-up-network-series-by-katie-cross-july-27-august-7/ – for schedule and more information.
July 29, 2015
Blog Tour & #giveaway – DESCENDANTS OF THE ROSE by Juliette Harper #paranormal #detective #UrbanFantasy
Welcome to my tour stop for Descendants of the Rose by Juliette Harper! This is the first book in the Selby Jensen Paranormal Mysteries series and the tour runs July 20-31. Check out the tour page for more information.
About the Book:
Selby Jensen’s business card reads “Private Investigator,” but to say the least, that downplays her real occupation. Let’s hear it in her own words:
“You want to know what I do for a living? I rip souls out. Cut heads off. Put silver bullets where silver bullets need putting. You think there aren’t any monsters? . . . I have some disturbing news for you. You might want to sit down. Monsters walk among us. I’m looking for one in particular. In the meantime? I’m keeping the rest of them from eating people like you.”
In this debut novel of her new paranormal mystery series, Juliette Harper, author of The Lockwood Legacy books and The Study Club Mysteries creates a cast of characters, most of whom have one thing in common; they don’t have a pulse. The dead are doing just fine by Selby, who is determined never to lose someone she loves again, but then a force of love more powerful than her grief changes that plan.
Join Selby Jensen as she and her team track down a shadowy figure tied to a murder at a girls’ school. What none of them realize, however, is that in solving this case, they will enter a longer battle against a larger evil.
Goodreads | Amazon
My Review
Descendants of the Rose by Juliette Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, what a blast!
Although initially I was a bit put off by the blatant info dump at the start (the whole first chapter is the central character, Selby, filling you in on everything you should know about her world) I found Selby’s voice and character – tough-as-nails, yet vulnerable beneath – to be highly engaging.
Selby is a private investigator – or at least, that’s how her business card reads. She and her small team – best (dead) friend Helen, a ghost, and Johnny, a wealthy vampire with a passion for tech – peruse the internet for cases that might require their specialist attention. Thus begins what appears at first to be a ‘simple’ case of a demon invasion of a Fundamentalist Christian girl’s school, and rapidly becomes more complicated than they could ever have envisaged.
Lurking in the background throughout is Selby’s personal pain following the death of her cop husband, Dex, at the fangs of a spectacularly vicious werewolf, and with a murdered schoolgirl, a cheeky poltergeist (or is he?), the Virgin Mary, a Cajun bruja, reincarnation, and an evil shadow so powerful they have no idea how to stop it, it’s a miracle the author succeeded in wrapping this story line up successfully before the end of the book, but she pulled it off.
The secondary characters are all well developed, and more of them join the team ready for the next instalment which I will most definitely be reading.
At the end of this book is a teaser chapter from the start of the next, and yet again, we get the info dump. But for this, I would have been on a five star rating, as in all other respects the book is well written, fast paced and professionally presented.
Highly recommended, unless you are uncomfortable with the idea of mixing paranormal with themes that question religion.
About the Author:
Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. Descendants of the Rose is the first installment of Harper’s debut Selby Jensen Paranormal Mystery series.
Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan, worked as a journalist and university history instructor before becoming a full-time freelance writer in 2002.
Juliette Harper is also the author of The Lockwood Legacy, a nine-book chronicle of the lives of three sisters who inherit a ranch in Central Texas following their father’s suicide. Four of the novels are currently available: Langston’s Daughters, Baxter’s Draw, Alice’s Portrait and Mandy’s Father.
And don’t miss her hilariously funny “cozy” Study Club Mysteries, a light-hearted spinoff of The Lockwood Legacy. The books, set in the 1960s, take on the often absurd eccentricities of small town life with good-natured, droll humor. The first book, You Can’t Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet is available with the second, You Can’t Put a Corpse in a Parade, coming in Summer 2015.
Website | Twitter (@jharperbooks) | Facebook
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Giveaway:
One (1) winner gets a $25 Amazon gift card (INT) & one (1) winner gets the Lockwood Legacy books, Langston’s Daughters, Baxter’s Draw, Alice’s Portrait and Mandy’s Father (US)
Ends August 5th
giveaway provided by the author, bloggers are not responsible for prizing.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
