Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 11
August 14, 2018
#Win a Diana Hunter #Mystery #Prize Pack
Diana Hunter and Peter Hopkinson have been temporarily assigned to Task Force Indigo, a counter-terrorism group.Following the failed assassination attempt on a Canadian Senator, their mission is to interrogate a known associate of a new terrorist organization, ILIF.
What they uncover isn’t just a simple case of an angry young man, but a plot to claim the lives of thousands of people and change the political direction of two countries.
Can Diana and Peter intercept the terrorists to prevent the planned attack or will their pasts destroy their ability to trust each other and undermine their attempts?
Find out in the latest installment of this edge-of-your-seat series!
Available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited!
Alison Golden was born and raised in Bedfordshire, England. She writes cozy mysteries and suspense novels, along with the occasional witty blog post, all of which are designed to entertain, amuse, and calm. Her approach is to combine creative ideas with excellent writing and edit, edit, edit.
Alison is the creator of the Reverend Annabelle Dixon cozy mysteries, a charming, fun series featuring a female vicar ministering in the beautiful county of Cornwall, England. She also produces a Jersey-based detective series featuring Inspector David Graham and the Diana Hunter series, set in Vancouver.
Her books’ themes range from the humorous and sweet to harder hitting suspense. They are recommended for readers who like to relax and unwind with their books, who enjoy getting to know the characters, and who prefer the tougher side of life implied.
Alison is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and twin sons. She splits her time traveling between London and San Francisco.
To receive three free books, updates about new releases, exclusive promotions, and other insider information, sign up for the Cozy Mysteries Insider mailing list at: http://www.cozymysteries.com.
Enter to win a A Diana Hunter Mystery Prize pack. Hunted, Snatched, and Stolen Paperbacks along with a $10 Amazon GC. Ends 8/26/18 @ 11:59PM EST
Entry-Form
August 8, 2018
Cover Reveal: Hunters’ Academy 1: Entrance Exam by Ivy Hearne
Survive or Die.
It’s not much of a school motto–not as inspiring as, say, “Let us give light to the world,” or “Knowledge is liberty,” or even just “Light and Truth.” Those are all real school mottoes. So is this one. It belongs to the Hunters’ Academy. And now, so do I.
Since she was twelve years old, Kacela Jones has suffered debilitating migraines. Now, on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she’s been given a choice: continue to suffer, or leave behind everything she knows and join the Hunters’ Academy. The only catch: if she doesn’t pass the entrance exam, she’ll die.
A teen with blocked psychic powers, a panther shifter who can’t–or won’t–shift, a secret academy, and the power to defend the entire world…if only Kacela can unleash her potential before it’s too late. All part of a regular school day at the Hunters’ Academy…
Fans of Vampire Academy, Mortal Instruments, Harry Potter, and Dragon School will love Hunters’ Academy!
Entrance Exam is episode one of Hunters’ Academy – expect a new episode every month beginning Fall 2018!
August 7, 2018
Review: A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale
Maria Vale’s new series, The Legend of All Wolves, is some of the best werewolf fiction I’ve read in years. It’s right up there with Anne Bishop’s Others series, and I love Vale’s stories for much the same reason: they both explore what it might actually be like to be a werewolf, and the expression of werewolf psychology is fascinating.
In this latest installment of Vale’s series, the psyche at issue is Elijah Sorensson’s, and it’s under serious pressure. Werewolves shouldn’t live away from their packs at all–and they definitely shouldn’t live in New York City. But Elijah is nothing if not loyal to his pack, so he follows the rules. Mostly. . .
Right up until he meets Thea Villalobos, a human woman different from the ones who usually inhabit Elijah’s world.
What follows is a human-werewolf love story different from any others on the market today–and brilliant in its execution. I continue to be fascinated by the wolves of the Great North Pack and I can’t wait to read more!
Available on Amazon and other retailers
Can a human truly make room in her heart for the Wild?
Thea Villalobos has long since given up trying to be what others expect of her. So in Elijah Sorensson she can see through the man of the world to a man who is passionate to the point of heartbreak. But something inside him is dying…
Elijah Sorensson has all kinds of outward success: bespoke suits, designer New York City apartment, women clamoring for his attention. Except Elijah despises the human life he’s forced to endure. He’s Alpha of his generation of the Great North Pack, and the wolf inside him will no longer be restrained…
She sizes me up quickly with eyes the color of ironwood and just as unyielding.
“Thea Villalobos,” she says, and it takes me a moment to get my breath back.
Thea Villalobos. Goddess of the City of Wolves.
The Legend of All Wolves:
The Last Wolf (Book 1)
A Wolf Apart (Book 2)
June 18, 2018
An Alpha’s Captive by Amarie Avant and Deanna Richmond #NewRelease #99c #BookBlast #PNR #shifters
It’s been six months since Gerard Brandt lost his brother in a tragic accident. Gerard left home, years ago, after relinquishing his title as Alpha due to personal demons. He’s looking into the spike of deaths and deceit in his small town but in the center of it all is the dangerous and alluring Teegan Dean. He’ll do anything to keep her safe.
Teegan guards dark secrets and doesn’t believe she’s worthy of Gerard’s protection. While one wolf wants to save her another ruthless Alpha, Kano Hok’ee, has laid claim to her.
For centuries these two clans have been enemies; the Brandt’s – known for their unscrupulous manipulation and the Hok’ees – notorious for murder, lies and deception. Now a power struggle has finally erupted. As past secrets come to haunt the town of Silverton, the Heads of each clan must meet in order to cease this impending war.
Teegan is the key to one pack’s destruction, as she is strength to the other.
Available on Amazon and FREE on KU
June 13, 2018
One Thousand Tears: A Dystopian Mermaid Tale by Pauline Creeden #mermaids #ya #dystopian
Among mermaids and humans, cruelty has many faces.
One secret Adelaide has kept for as long as she can remember—her love for Jonas. She is the daughter of the clan’s elder; he is a bottom feeder. As Mer, they can never be together. But as humans, it might be possible.
When Jonas’s reckoning comes, he must go to land during the cycle of the full moon. But when the next cycle comes around, he doesn’t return. Fearing what might have become of him, Adelaide follows and gains legs for herself. But living life as a human is much more difficult than she imagined. And finding Jonas is just as hard. To follow him to the underwater city, she must endure the Initiate’s Trial. Her strength and resolve will be tested, if she wants to find Jonas and survive.
Adelaide must prove she’s more than just a mermaid princess.
Available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited
Pauline Creeden
Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.
Follow Pauline Creeden:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter
May 30, 2018
The Flame of Battle by Pauline Creeden & Melinda R. Cordell #dragons #fantasy
In the flame of battle, even the innocent get burned…
Dyrfinna is a born commander. She bests her peers in dragon riding, sword fighting, and battle strategy. So when the Queen calls the people of Skala to battle to revenge her murdered daughter, Dyrfinna outfits a ship and brings a crew.
Once in the field, Dyrfinna leads her troops to victory in a series of hard-fought battles against overwhelming odds. Yet a commander is raised over her, and because of his clumsy leadership, a great disaster results in the massacre of a quarter of the Queen’s army. Then the commander unfairly blames a second disaster on Dyrfinna. The wrong stroke of her sword could undo everything she’s ever worked for, earn her the fury of her friends … and exile to certain death.
But you can’t keep a true warrior down. When things are darkest, a flame rises out of the desolation.
Free in Kindle Unlimited or buy on Amazon
Pauline Creeden
Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.
Follow Pauline Creeden:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter
May 21, 2018
Review: The Last Wolf by Maria Vale #PNR #UF #autobuy #review
I loved The Last Wolf by Maria Vale. As I read it (in one day), I kept thinking of Anne Bishop’s The Others series–like Bishop’s books, this is a story with characters who are not and have never been human, and Vale does an excellent job of showing that essential inhumanity through her narrator, Silver, even as Silver comes to recognize and value of the parts of herself that are somewhat similar to humans.
I saw online that some other reviewers disliked the novel because it felt “flat”–although I understand why they might feel that way, I think that kind of review is a misreading of the character. She’s not flat–she’s simply not human. That difference leads to some fabulously funny moments in the novel, too; I laughed out loud when Silver congratulated a woman in a grocery store for surviving so many “live births.”
The use of Old English as the traditional language of the wolves was a nice touch, too, hinting at the similarities between the historical Anglo Saxon world and the wolves’ culture in the book.
Maria Vale is now officially my favorite new author of the year. I’m sharing her book everywhere and she’s moved to the top of my auto-buy list.
Seriously, y’all. GET THIS BOOK.
May 1, 2018
Trevor by Bonnie R. Paulson #newrelease #contemporaryromance #billionaire #cowboys
Trevor
(The Billionaire Cowboys of Clearwater County)
He needs a fiancée and he’s willing to pay.
Trevor Hart is in danger of losing his inheritance and that’s not an option. After visiting his friends in Two Rides, Montana, he’s determined to bring a girl back to the ranch and claim her as his own.
He grabs the first girl he passes outside of a bustling diner. Sassy and pretty, she’s more than he’s bargained for, but will his sudden proposal be able to win her over?
Will Jesse give up her in-demand position at the café? For a few million she might…
All she has to do is put up with Trevor for six weeks. Six weeks. But the more she’s around him, the more she realizes that her dreams to help others just might start with finding happiness herself.
Buy on Amazon
April 23, 2018
A Different Kind of Reunion by Joanne Guiodoccio #cozymystery #releaseblitz
Cozy Mystery
Date Published: Spring 2018 (will send exact day later)
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
While not usually a big deal, one overlooked email would haunt teacher Gilda Greco. Had she read it, former student Sarah McHenry might still be alive.
Suspecting foul play, Constable Leo Mulligan plays on Gilda’s guilt and persuades her to participate in a séance facilitated by one of Canada’s best-known psychics. Six former students also agree to participate. At first co-operative and willing, the camaraderie is short-lived as old grudges and rivalries emerge. The séance is a bust.
Determined to solve Sarah’s murder, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers shocking revelations that could put several lives—including her own—in danger. Can Gilda and the psychic solve this case before the killer strikes again?
About the Author
In 2008, Joanne Guidoccio retired from a 31-year teaching career and launched a second act that tapped into her creative side. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes cozy mysteries, paranormal romance, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
Contact Links
Website
Goodreads
Purchase Links
Amazon (US)
Amazon (Canada)
Barnes & Noble
The Wild Rose Press
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The Ancient Tripod of Peace by Kalen Cap #YA #mystery
Welcome to my stop on The Ancient Tripod of Peace blog tour!
The Ancient Tripod of Peace
by Kalen Cap
Genre: YA Mystery
Release Date: March 13th 2018
Summary:
Teens Lexi and Gil face relic-thieving secret societies.
Plagued by loneliness in her Lake Erie Islands community, vegan Lexi hopes to make like-minded friends in high school. But her dad’s job is jeopardized when relics are stolen from his museum, changing her priorities. And she finds her new teachers’ eerie dislike of her troubling.
His dad in jail, cipher enthusiast and bacon-loving Gil hopes freshman year will provide a clean slate. Soon, he discovers secret codes within a Shakespearean play while paired with Lexi, pulling him into an ancient mystery.
With the official museum burglary investigation stalled, the mismatched teen sleuths join forces to try and crack the case. Lexi’s inquiries and Gil’s codes capture their teachers’ attention. But these teachers have the stolen Tripod of Peace, a powerful relic sought by rival secret societies. Caught in these societies’ crossfire as thieves wield an instrument of astounding power, Gil and Lexi are in danger.
The Ancient Tripod of Peace is the first book in novelist Kalen Cap’s Teen Thief-Catchers Series. If you like stories with artifact treasures, fighting secret societies, and spirited protagonists, you’ll enjoy this novel.
Buy Links: Kindle | Paperback
Excerpt:
(2) Gil
“If you worked out more, you’d sleep better,” Brandon said, grabbing a protein shake from the fridge.
“You’re right. I should do that – workout more. Would you give me some pointers?” Gil asked.
“Uh, sure. But, I’m only here through Tuesday,” Brandon said. “College will be busy after that.”
“I’m all skin and bones. Any advice would be better than none.”
“Advice will only help if you actually do the workouts,” Brandon snapped.
“Really? Thanks for the tip. That one’s real helpful,” Gil said.
“Sorry,” Brandon apologized. “And you’re not just skin and bones, brainiac. You got your straight-A mind going for you.”
That surprised Gil. His brother neither apologized nor complimented often. “Were you at the gym?”
“No. Did a little jogging along the lake shore.” Brandon’s face reddened, beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.
“You all right?” Gil asked. That must’ve been some cardio. Though impressive with weights, Brandon was slower when it came to aerobic exercise. His struggles with it only made Gil admire him more, since Brandon did the cardio anyway.
“Sure. It’s just warm outside already is all. Now, spill it. Who are you trying to gain muscle for? Who is she?” Brandon asked.
“Uh, no she. I want to be fit for me. I’m not looking to date.”
“Good idea. Focus on school and then, the right girl will find you. Geeks are in, at least, that’s what they say. I could have avoided a lot of problems if I focused better during high school.” Brandon gulped down a green concoction that made Gil queasy simply looking at it.
“Yeah. Mom says to focus on school, too. Oh, guess what? Mom knows one of my high school teachers, called him an odd duck. Said she worked on a fundraiser for his bird sanctuary.”
Brandon spewed the protein shake across the counter.
“Dude! That was classic! What gives?” Gil couldn’t help snickering, although his brother looked like he might be truly sick.
“Ah. Nothing. Went up my nose is all.” Brandon grabbed a dish towel and wiped up the mess. “So, you said this bird sanctuary guy is your teacher? What’s his name?”
“Some old guy named Saffron.”
“Nick Saffron is not old.”
“If you say so. He’s at least in his fifties, older than Dad. You know him?”
About the Author
Kalen Cap is a writer living in Columbus, Ohio. Active in animal protection and environmental causes, he often brings such concerns into his fiction writing.
After having a number of poems and short stories published, as well as original plays produced locally, he took up novel writing.
Author Links:
Check out the author’s dream cast here: http://www.thebookcaster.com/the-ancient-tripod-of-peace/
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