Cathrina Constantine's Blog, page 22

Prah, Constantine, Baryeh Review #speculativefiction #paranormal

After a short reprieve the team is back! Some months are harder than others to choose a book we all agree on reviewing. This month of May, after much consultation we picked GUARDIAN OF THE GRAIL (Immortal Blood-Book One) by Elena Bryce

Before vampires, they were Guardians, drinking the sacred blood of the Holy Grail, and sworn to protect it through the ages. 

When Lachlan Thorn is entrusted with the task of relocating the Grail to a castle in the Scottish Highlands, he requires the help of a witch to conceal it on the perilous journey. Unfortunately for him, the only one available is Ivy, who is untrained and a descendant of the woman who broke his heart. 

For Ivy, helping to protect the Grail gives her a chance to do something good with her magic and learn more about it. But once the Grail is out in the open it draws the attention of both vampires and vampire hunters alike, and before long Ivy is facing an ancient and powerful foe that she has no chance of escaping. 

Forced to tap into the deeper magic, Ivy must travel through time, linking with her ancestors and experiencing witch trials to take on the power that is her heritage. She might also learn the startling truth about her connection to Lachlan. 

A Grail Quest, a deadly enemy, and a love that transcends time. 
Action packed Urban Fantasy. Grab your copy now! 

Cathrina's Review:

Over the years I've watched dozens of vampire movies. Some good,  some great, and some not so great. Even as far back as the old black and white versions with the famous Bela Lugosi. However, I've only read a handful of vampire books, including the Twilight Series. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Christian twist that the author, Elena Bryce incorporated into her book. It was totally unique and refreshing to read. The pace is fast and action packed and a romance which helped to keep my interest. 

We have a young pretty witch, and a handsome man who looks like he's in his twenties, but in actuality he's ancient, and another immortal that's willing to kill everything in sight in order to acquire the holy grail.

The story goes all the way back to Joseph of Aramethea, a disciple of Jesus, and his quest to keep the holy grail safe from evil hands. Guardians drink blood from the grail which make them immortal. Their main purpose is to protect the grail. They become known as vampires, but not all vampires are good. The sections of the book where it explains the different kind of vamps was intriguing and like I said before~unique, which is why this story stands apart from the rest.

Now off to read Nana and Empi's reviews...

New Release: Hero Lost Anthology

Hero LostMysteries of Death and LifeAn Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Anthology
Can a lost hero find redemption?
What if Death himself wanted to die?
Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering
become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever
the caretaker of a house of mystery?
Delving into the depths of the tortured
hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and
thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay,
Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth
Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and
Sarah Foster.
Hand-picked by a panel of
agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes
who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption!


Print: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books A MillionEBook: Nook | iTunes | Kobo | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA


Hero Lost Website

#IWSG

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.htmlJoin Alex J. Cavanaugh and a multitude of writer's in this monthly hop to help support one another!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Alex's awesome co-hosts are Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Michelle Wallace, and Feather Stone!
Two weeks ago I buckled down and started to add words to my WIP, which has been sitting dormant for a long time. It was all good~ for 3 whole days, writing in spurts. Then I lost concentration and my train of thoughts...

I know what I have to do, but for some reason I keep putting off my dedication of sitting my butt in a chair to write. For me, Social Media is a terrible procrastination. Every time I get stumped, which is a lot, I head over to Facebook and Twitter. I need to stop this lunacy!
Do you have any good suggestions for me? 

May 3 Question: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story?
The coolest things I ever had to research was for my story Incense and Peppermints. I liked learning the basic history of the Vietnam War, the years, and the peace demonstrations...etc. Also I researched the draft and the drinking age for the various states. What was fun, was hitting the popular music charts of the sixties, and then You Tubing the songs. That took up much of my time because if I loved the songs I had to listen to them all the way through. 
New Release: Hero Lost Anthology

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Lost-Mysteries-Death-Life-ebook/dp/B01NC0JNHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493580773&sr=8-1&keywords=hero+lost+anthology

#CTST

Celebrate the Small Things

Hop over to Lexa Cain's and join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrating decent weather. 
Last weeks torrential rains have made quite a mess of our back yard. Yesterday we had a spike in temperature, thankfully to dry out some of the muck, enough for me to get into my gardens. But then in the evening we had another rainfall. 
This week I haven't been productive in the writing department. To tell the truth, I wasn't in the mood for writing. I kind of shunned my storytelling. I don't know why, but my characters are on hiatus.

I hope you all have a pleasant Weekend!

Blog Tour #Giveaway #romance #YAlit

Today marks the beginning of the blog tour for INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS. I felt I should jump on board and offer my blogger friends a chance to participate in the Rafflecopter Giveaway.

Peace demonstrations, sit-ins, and burning the U.S. flag following the escalation of the Vietnam War are leading to a catalyst known to the world as the Sixties. A musical revolution, flower power, hippies, marijuana, and drugs are carrying the generations—young and old—into a new decade. All the while sixteen-year-old Mary Monroe is caught between being an innocent good girl and an autumn of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
When her brother offers a solution to her dilemma in the form of a little pill, Mary ignores the rumba in her brain and takes a walk on the wild side. Plunged into popularity and a life she’s only imagined, she meets Michael Covington, the hot newcomer, and she’s instantly drawn in by his less than flawless exterior and bad boy sex appeal. Caught up in the danger and excitement as they drift from party to party, into underground fight clubs, and through a series of drug and alcohol fueled adventures. Mary follows her new crush into a world where young girls are never truly safe from the predators lurking in the shadows and where young men are hiding from the harsh reality of war.
Feeling buzzed and as if her life is spinning out of control, Mary is assaulted by an unknown man at a party, and she’s left questioning if the enigmatic Michael is truly her hero or if he is the face behind the terrible attack. With every piece of information Mary learns about Michael, her doubts grow deeper, but with every minute she spends in his presence, so does her love.
With the war and her fear threatening to separate Mary and Michael forever, only the death of a friend, a crushing confession, and her own sensibilities can carry her over the threshold between adolescence and adulthood.


AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Incense-Peppermints-Cathrina-Constantine-ebook/dp/B06XH81QJT/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1492599430&sr=1-1&keywords=incense+and+peppermints+cathrina+constantine

Reviews have been favorable: 

"The gritty realism of the many struggles she deals with makes this book so compelling. Plus, just when you think you might be reading a romance, the author takes a completely surprising turn. This book is more of a coming-of-age story that keeps you guessing until the end!" ~ Stephanie Faris, Best Selling Author.

"From its psychedelic beginning to its sweet, poignant ending I loved this story." ~ Nana Prah, Best Selling Author.

"I was fascinated by this story and all that happened within its magical pages, soaking up every moment as if it was on a wide screen TV. Everything was so vivid in my mind. The feelers really came out in this story. So much pain, heartache, love, and hate just flowed out of the pages. The story-line was solid and fast paced and had quite the lesson behind it. I highly recommend this read." ~ Jenny Bynum

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#CTST

Celebrate the Small Things Hop over to Lexa Cain's and join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
I was able to add 3k to my WIP this week. It's not a lot, but I'm hoping these little writing stints will add up.  

Yesterday it rained over 2 inches. Our backyard was literally a swimming pool. We're having drainage problems and it doesn't help when rain water from our neighbors yard streams into ours.  

 April showers bring May flowers. 

#CTST

Celebrate the Small Things Hop over to Lexa Cain's and join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog



Celebrating Easter


Have a Blessed Day

#IWSG ~ New Release:PIPER MORGAN MAKES A SPLASH by Stephanie Faris #childrenslit

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.htmlJoin Alex J. Cavanaugh and a multitude of writer's in this monthly hop to help support one another!
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Alex's awesome co-hosts are Christopher D. Votey, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, and Chrys Fey!
I don't have any major issues this month as far as writing insecurities. I'll probably unload next month.  





***** Piper Morgan Makes a Splash By Stephanie Faris
Piper Morgan tries her hand at acting in the fourth book of the charming Piper Morgan series.
Piper’s mom is helping out at a local pool shop, and the owner wants to shoot a commercial for his store. Piper thinks it’s the PERFECT opportunity to get in front of the camera and experience a little bit of showbiz. But will Piper’s contribution to the TV commercial make a splash—or will it go belly-up?

Buy Links: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Piper-Morgan-Makes-Splash-Stephanie-ebook/dp/B01GD9CQC6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/piper-morgan-makes-a-splash-stephanie-faris/1123861540?ean=9781481457170
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781481457170

Stephanie Faris is the author of the middle grade books 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the Piper Morgan chapter book series. An accomplished freelance writer, her work has appeared in Writer's Digest, The Writer, Pacific Standard, Mental Floss, and The Week, among many others.
Stephanie's Social Media Links:
WebsiteBlogFacebookTwitterInstagram 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#CTST

Celebrate the Small Things Hop over to Lexa Cain's and join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
I'm celebrating the sunshine and warmer weather is on the way. And yesterday in the early morning I heard birds singing a cheerful tune. I know for some of you that's not special, but here in Buffalo where we've been hibernating with the windows and doors shut tightly, its joy to my ears.
Can you believe tomorrow is April 1st. Have a great weekend!!

#CTST

Celebrate the Small Things Hop over to Lexa Cain's and join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

I went to see The Beauty and the Beast and Loved it!!! 
Two days ago I found out that my book, Don't Forget to Breathe received the New Apple Medalist Award for YA/Mystery-Thriller. While the mornings are still in the lower 30's the sun has been shining! Have a great weekend!