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Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 161
October 11, 2013
Spotlight On: Echo Prophecy by Lindsey Fairleigh
Echo Prophecy (Echo Trilogy, #1)
by Lindsey Fairleigh
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![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000037_00039]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1381556214i/5027730.jpg)
BLURB
“…we only see what we want to see…what we expect to see…”
Discover what’s hidden—a powerful, mythic race, an ancient Egyptian prophecy, and a love strong enough to shatter the boundaries of time.
Alexandra Larson isn’t human…but she doesn’t know that. As far as Lex is concerned, she’s simply an ambitious and independent archaeology grad student with a knack for deciphering ancient languages, especially the various forms of Egyptian. When she’s recruited to work on her dream excavation, her translating skills uncover the secret entrance to an underground Egyptian temple concealed within Djeser-Djeseru—the famous mortuary temple of Queen Hatchepsut. Lex is beyond thrilled by her discovery…as is the enigmatic and alluring excavation director, Marcus Bahur.
As the relationship between Lex and Marcus heats up, a series of shocking revelations leave the young archaeologist reeling. Once Lex discovers the truth of her ancient Egyptian roots—the truth of her more-than-human nature—the people she trusts most make one final, terrifying revelation: Lex is the central figure of a four-thousand-year-old prophecy. She is the only thing standing between the power to alter the very fabric of time and an evil megalomaniac…who also happens to be her father. As events set in motion over four millennia ago lead Lex and Marcus from Seattle to the heart of Egypt, the fate of mankind depends on one thing: the strength of Lex’s love.
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Excerpt
PROLOGUE
“Meswett, know yourself and you shall know the gods.
Meswett, trust yourself and you shall trust the gods.
So it ends, from start to finish,
as found in writing.”
—taken from the Prophecy of Nuin, Old Kingdom, c. 2180 BCE
I thought I knew people. I didn’t.
I thought I could trust my family and my friends. I couldn’t.
I thought I at least had some idea of who I am. Wrong.
But here’s the real kicker: I never thought I’d be in the heart of an ancient temple, driven by desperation and hatred, ready to kill my own father.
Screaming, I launch myself at him. My rage and sorrow are so great that I no longer have room for any other emotions. Coherent thought is foreign to me. I have one purpose—to destroy him.
He doesn’t see me coming. He can’t see me coming. I’m moving too quickly, bending time to my will. It’s impossible, but that doesn’t make it any less real.
“How—?”
My father doesn’t have time to finish the question. I’ve already torn the gun from his grasp and pressed the muzzle against the side of his head.
I flex my index finger.
Click.
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Enter the Giveaway
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AUTHOR
Lindsey Fairleigh lives her life with one foot in a book–as long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she’s not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time reading and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She lives in the Napa Valley with her loving husband and confused cats.
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Links
Website: http://www.lindseyfairleigh.com/
Blog: http://lindseyfairleigh.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindsFairleigh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsey-Fairleigh/220345161400603
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18038336-echo-prophecy
Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/BSdK5
Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EIV14HK
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echo-prophecy-lindsey-fairleigh/1116424458?ean=2940148708094
KOBO: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/echo-prophecy
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/346983
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October 10, 2013
Spotlight On: Kate de Jesus and The Gateway Discoveries
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The adventure begins…
When four friends find themselves stranded on a beautiful tropical island in the famed Bermuda Triangle, they set out to discover why their parents brought them there in the first place and, hopefully, get themselves rescued. But when they almost become lunch for a bizarre creature and a strange boy shows up claiming to be from another world, Nick, Simon, Remedy and Owen quickly realize this picture perfect paradise is not what it seems. It’s the adventure of a life time, but will they survive?
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About the Author
Kate de Jesus is a wife and mother of two active boys who love to read. An avid reader herself, Kate set to work on Dark Fate Falling with her 12 year old son, Max. Max helped define the theme, many of the characters and all of the cool monsters in the books. In fact, the creature descriptions came directly from drawings Max created. Intended as a series of books that incorporate action and adventure to keep kids reading and yet still develops likable characters that an average 9-12 year old can relate to, The Gateway Discoveries has been a huge hit with the Middle Grade Readers. Kate lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and is a graduate of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. The first two books in the series, Dark Fate Falling and The Brutal Ones are currently available on Amazon.com. She is hard at work on the third book in the series, Arden’s War, The Gateway Discoveries Volume 3 due out in January 2014.
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Connect with Kate
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October 9, 2013
Character Interview: Garren Lowe from CK Kelly Martin’s TOMORROW
Please welcome Garren Lowe, a lead character from CK Kelly Martin’s new YA book Tomorrow, due out this month!
INTERVIEWER: When and where were you born?
GARREN LOWE: 2045 in Billings, Montana, the capital of United North America – the single nation that was formed from the merging of Canada and the U.S.A. in 2032.
INTERVIEWER Do you believe that what will happen in the future? That Canada and the United States will join together?
GARREN LOWE: It happened once already so it’s possible. But I don’t know. The future is subject to change. I’ve seen that firsthand.
INTERVIEWER: In your opinion what’s the worst thing about the future?
GARREN LOWE: Either the lack of freedom or people’s denial about our situation, take your pick. Androids do so many of the jobs that used to belong to people decades ago. That leaves over a third of the U.N.A. unemployed and living in social welfare camps. Then there’s the constant threat of terrorists attacks, the government’s abuse of eco refugees and crippling environmental degradation that meant our days were numbered. But we couldn’t talk about any of that back in 2063. The government controlled the media. If they didn’t like what you said or did they’d have your memory wiped and then covered with a profound desire to obey the state. Then they’d send you off to a toxic waste site to ‘clean-up’ until your body gave out from contamination. Meanwhile the majority of the population was addicted to “gushi,” a virtual reality system indistinguishable from real life. It had its roots in things like videogames and the internet. The technology got better and better, and lots of people couldn’t do without it. They’d rather live mostly in a virtual where they can have whoever or whatever they want than deal with unpleasant realities.
INTERVIEWER: That sounds brutal.
GARREN LOWE: It was.
INTERVIEWER: But there must have been good things about the future too? Were there any things you preferred to the place that became your second home, 1986?
GARREN LOWE: Yes, there were good things. The Bio-net for one. It meant most diseases were a thing of the past for citizens of the U.N.A. No more deaths from cancer or heart disease. No more AIDs, allergies or diabetes. All of those things were cured long ago. In the future people lived a long, long time. But there were a few things they couldn’t fix. The Toxo virus for one. And radiation levels from the Pakistan-India War meant women had begun to lose their unborn babies to damaged D.N.A. at an unprecedented rate. Also, many of the prejudices I’ve seen in the 1986 didn’t exist anymore by 2063 – racism, homophobia and sexism. Those were things of the past by then.
INTERVIEWER: It’s good to hear there are some positive things about the future.
GARREN LOWE: Well, I’m hoping that by the time 2063 rolls around again things will be better in a lot of different ways. Like I said, the future is subject to change.
INTERVIEWER: You seem to enjoy quotes so I picked one out to share with you for this interview. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
GARREN LOWE: That’s a great one, thanks. I like it, and I believe it.
INTERVIEWER: I do too. Okay, we’ve talked about the good and bad things about the future, now what are the best and worst things about living in 1986?
GARREN LOWE: I have to tell you, the food was disgusting. Full of fat, sodium and chemicals no one should be ingesting. But I started to crave the food anyway. And then cigarettes, which were even worse because with no Bio-net I didn’t want to get cancer, but smoking is a hard habit to break. People act ridiculously in 1986 – junking up the environment without a second thought and giving themselves skin cancer from oiling themselves up in the sun. It’s crazy in some ways and fantastic in others. All these amazing animals we lost to extinction later – rhinos, elephants, polar bears and whales – you’d only find those in zoos in 2063 but in 1986 they were out in the wild for people to see. There’s also an incredible amount of freedom for people lucky enough to live in the west. They can travel the globe freely, unlike in the future when environmental damage and terrorist threats made that impossible. People had to remain within their national borders. Finally, 80s music is pretty great. It’s incredible to be able to see the talented musicians I’d admired from the future live. In 2063 the musicians were mostly clones, genetically spliced hybrids like Chena (a Tina Turner/Cher clone) and Supreme (another female solo act who was an amalgamation of all the original members of the Supremes) created in Chinese labs.
INTERVIEWER: How old are you during the events that occurr in 1986 Vancouver in Tomorrow?
GARREN LOWE: Nineteen. Freya and I were in Vancouver a year after we were sent back in time to 1985. The future was doomed and our parents – especially hers – were powerful people. They thought they were saving us by having us sent back and in some ways, they were right. But things got messy. And U.N.A. security started to search for us. We stayed in Vancouver too long. They got to Freya.
INTERVIEWER: I’d ask you how what happened after that but it would be a major spoiler so instead can you tell me what was the hardest thing you’ve ever had to deal with?
GARREN LOWE: There are so many. What happened to Seneval (you’ll read about that), never being able to see either of my mothers again, the day Freya was taken and knowing that I might never see her again and that even if I did, she might be a vegetable. But the most painful thing was seeing what the Toxo virus did to my sister, Kinnari. She became a monster, and for a long time I believed I could’ve prevented that if I’d only been with her in Chicago when the virus started spreading. I’ve begun to forgive myself for that because so much has happened since and I can’t live in the past or the future. I need to make the most of my life and live in the moment. She would want that for me too, I know.
INTERVIEWER: After all you’ve been through, is there anything that still scares you?
GARREN LOWE: The same things as always – losing my freedom, losing my mind to a memory wipe and losing Freya. But you can’t live in fear. You always have to have hope.
INTERVIEWER: Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?
GARREN LOWE: Just the obvious message about taking care of the planet. And if you’re in a tough spot you think you can’t get out of, don’t give up. I don’t know who said it’s not over till it’s over, but that’s the truth.
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Tomorrow
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00021]](http://margobondcollins.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/tomorrowcover.jpg)
Synopsis via Goodreads:
The sci-fi adventure that began with Yesterday continues with a thriller that can also be read as a standalone.
2063, United North America: climate change has rendered great swathes of the country uninhabitable, the rise of robot workers has created mass unemployment, eco-terrorism is a constant threat and a 2059 nuclear exchange between Pakistan and India has torn large holes in the world’s ozone layer and pushed humanity’s existence towards a cliff.
Garren and Freya have managed to escape that nightmare world and lose themselves in 1986 Vancouver. But the future’s reach is long, and they’re no longer safe there. No one is. Shadowy forces are intent on influencing the past’s path. And when Freya is taken, it’s up to Garren to save both her, and the future.
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“I’m not gifted like Freya. I never saw what was coming back then and if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t remember my past now either.” —Garren Lowe, Tomorrow
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About the Author
C.K. Kelly Martin always thought she’d get around to writing in earnest eventually and began writing her first novel in a flat in Dublin, finishing it in a Toronto suburb. By then she’d discovered that young adult fiction felt the freshest and most exciting to her. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once!
Martin currently resides near Toronto with her Dub husband. She became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continues to visit Dublin often (although not as often as she’d like!) while working on teen novels.
http://www.ckkellymartin.com | twitter.com/ckkellymartin
October 8, 2013
Spotlight On: Tomorrow by CK Kelly Martin
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00021]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1381373527i/4773383.jpg)
The sci-fi adventure that began with Yesterday continues with a thriller that can also be read as a standalone.
2063, United North America: climate change has rendered great swathes of the country uninhabitable, the rise of robot workers has created mass unemployment, eco-terrorism is a constant threat and a 2059 nuclear exchange between Pakistan and India has torn large holes in the world’s ozone layer and pushed humanity’s existence towards a cliff.
Garren and Freya have managed to escape that nightmare world and lose themselves in 1986 Vancouver. But the future’s reach is long, and they’re no longer safe there. No one is. Shadowy forces are intent on influencing the past’s path. And when Freya is taken, it’s up to Garren to save both her, and the future.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.K. Kelly Martin always thought she’d get around to writing in earnest eventually and began writing her first novel in a flat in Dublin, finishing it in a Toronto suburb. By then she’d discovered that young adult fiction felt the freshest and most exciting to her. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once!
Martin currently resides near Toronto with her Dub husband. She became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continues to visit Dublin often (although not as often as she’d like!) while working on teen novels.
http://www.ckkellymartin.com | twitter.com/ckkellymartin
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Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQLEl4mOIug
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Enter the Giveaway
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October 7, 2013
The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr
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Synopsis
Behind-the-scenes secrets could turn deadly for Desmond and Riley
Life in the Heights has never been easy for seventeen-year-old Riley Frost, but when she’s publicly dumped and outed at the same time, she becomes an immediate social outcast at her high school. So Riley swears off romance and throws herself into solving the shocking murder of her favorite teacher, Ms. Dunn.
Riley turns to her best friend, budding filmmaker Desmond Brandt, for help. What she doesn’t know is that Dez has been secretly directing her life, blackmailing her friends, and hoping his manipulations will make her love him. When his schemes go too far, Dez’s web of lies threatens to destroy both of their lives.
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Book Links
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17393014-the-cutting-room-floor?from_search=true
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cutting-room-floor-dawn-klehr/1114856281?ean=9780738738048
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-cutting-room-floor
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About the Author
Dawn Klehr began her career in TV and though she’s been on both sides of the camera, she prefers to lurk behind the lens. Mostly, she loves to get lost in stories –in film, the theater, or on the page – and is a sucker for both the sinister and the sappy. She’s currently channeling her dark side as she works on her next book.
Dawn lives in the Twin Cities with her funny husband, adorable son, and naughty dog. The Cutting Room Floor is her debut YA novel.
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Connect with Dawn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DawnKlehr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawnklehrauthor
Website: http://dawnklehrbooks.com/
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Enter to Win
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Waking Up Dead is available on Amazon!
Today, Waking Up Dead was released on Amazon! Woohoo!
Be sure to join us for the Waking Up Dead Facebook Release Party on October 8, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. I have over 50 prizes to give away, including Waking Up Dead swag packs, free ebook copies of Waking Up Dead, and more than 20 books from other authors. That means you will be able to enter a prize every five minutes! I’m doing the drawings at the end of the night, though, so if you need to come in a little late, you can still enter to win every prize. 
Thanks to everyone for your support in making Waking Up Dead come to life. Y’all rock!
On October 9th and 10th, I have a few celebratory blog tour stops to make–watch for those; I’ll be announcing them on all my social media!
Now that the pre-release tour is over, I’m handing the promotional reigns over for a while to Enchanted Book Promotions. I know they’ll do a fabulous job; I’ll be announcing all of those blog stops, too!
For more information about Waking Up Dead, see below:
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Blurb
When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex. Now she’s witnessed another murder, and she’s not about to let this one go. She’s determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison. And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up in Alabama?
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When I died, I expected to go to heaven.
Okay. Maybe hell. It’s not like I was perfect or anything. But I was sort of hoping for heaven.
Instead, I went to Alabama.
Yeah. I know. It’s weird.
I died in Dallas, my hometown. I was killed, actually. Murdered. I’ll spare you the gruesome details. I don’t like to remember them myself. Some jerk with a knife–and probably a Bad-Mommy complex. Believe me, if I knew where he was, I’d go haunt his ass.
At any rate, by the time death came, I was ready for it–ready to stop hurting, ready to let go. I didn’t even fight it.
And then I woke up dead in Alabama. Talk about pissed off.
You know, even reincarnation would have been fine with me–I could have started over, clean slate and all that. Human, cow, bug. Whatever. But no. I ended up haunting someplace I’d never even been.
That’s not the way it’s supposed to work, right? Ghosts are supposed to be the tortured spirits of those who cannot let go of their earthly existence. If they could be convinced to follow the light, they’d leave behind said earthly existence and quit scaring the bejesus out of the poor folks who run across them. That’s what all those “ghost hunter” shows on television tell us.
Let me tell you something. The living don’t know jack about the dead.
Not this dead chick, anyway.
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. Waking Up Dead is her first published novel. Her second novel, Legally Undead, is an urban fantasy, forthcoming in 2014 from World Weaver Press.
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Buy Waking Up Dead on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Dead-ebook/dp/B00FOXWLM8/
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Connect with Margo
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Facebook Novel Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waking-Up-Dead/502076076537575
Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Be sure to add Waking Up Dead to your Goodreads bookshelves: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18428064-waking-up-dead
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Book Trailers
October 6, 2013
Cerberus by P.K. Gallagher – Book Blast
Cerberus: Book 1 of Parish by P.K. Gallagher
Paranormal YA Fantasy
For Kaeden Parish, life in Solace has always followed certain rules—everything makes sense, everything can be planned for, and everything is as it seems. Unfortunately, the secret harbored by his gorgeous, albeit guarded girlfriend is about to shatter all of that.
After a successful attack on his life opens his eyes to a world of war, shadows, and supernatural creatures—a world he didn’t plan for—Kaeden finds himself resembling the sort of monster he has always feared. As he desperately struggles to resist a new temptation, danger draws ever nearer, threatening the ones he loves most. A prophecy tells of a final battle and great destruction, and Kaeden must decide which side he is on, a choice that could mean the end of the world.
In Book 1 of the Solace Series, P.K. Gallagher pulls readers into a realm where good and evil are at war, and the outcome of it all rests on one young man’s decision to either go and live…or stay and die.
This is where the story of Parish begins.
Author P.K. Gallagher
Despite writing stories that take place almost exclusively in New England, speculative young adult fiction author P. K. Gallagher has lived in the suburbs of the south her entire life. It is to this that she attributes her love of the fantastic and the supernatural—writing such things was her only escape from the monotony of Suburbia. Gallagher graduated from Florida A&M University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a fervent desire to never set foot inside a newsroom again.
She currently lives in Atlanta and divides her time between working a day job, finishing her works in progress, and perfecting her plans for world domination.
BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/18/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Fall in Love with Reading $.99 Sale!
Check out these great deals!
Each one of the great novels showcased in the sale is from an independent author and features romance from a tidbit to a whole dollop. So go ahead, fall in love with reading this fall by picking up any of these titles from October 1-7th.
Love Exactly by Cassandra Giovanni
Emma Walker was a writer who’d lost herself to someone else’s anger–who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.
Evan Levesque was a rock-god–the one all the woman wanted, but he’d never gotten used to the loneliness between the stage and real life.
With just one cup of coffee they’ll begin a journey of self-discovery at each others sides, but can Emma handle Evan’s fame while dealing with her own demons? Emma’s checkered personal past, a bad relationship that haunts the edges of her memories, threatens to make everything implode on them when Evan takes matters into his own hands.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words…they’ll destroy my soul–Can Emma handle being put back together and facing who she’s become because of it?
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo
Casted by Sonya Loveday
Jade had spent the majority of her life running from the Triad. The Triad, are a powerful group, who would stop at nothing to obtain Jade and the missing spell book for leader, Lorenzo’s, nefarious plans. And now that she has absorbed the highly coveted magic contained inside the missing book, there is nowhere left for her to hide.
With the help of her friends, Jade steps out from the shadows and learns how to fight back. But no one is prepared for Elinor-the woman bound inside of the book that’s trapped in Jade’s mind. Now she not only needs to protect herself from the Triad, but from what’s hiding inside her mind as well.
Jade never expected the answer to it all would revolve around love.
Edge is dark, mysterious, and a sworn member of the Triad. He also hides a secret past that threatens the thin line he walks between good and evil. Lives are at stake when Jade and Edge’s two worlds collide. Can Jade learn to trust him when he says he is her pre-ordained and vows to do everything he can to protect her? But more importantly, can she trust herself and the woman in her mind?
Waterfalls Down by Danielle Rohr
What have they done to me here, to cause me to be unable to see beyond my cage?
Three teenagers committed and locked away in a mental institution act on impulse, and manage to escape. Without a plan, money, ore even identification Lynn, Chelsea, and Garret must find their way in a very big, and very predatory world. After a great deal of travel and agony, they find paradise in the form of Yosemite National Park. Battling the elements of nature, as well as mental illness leaves these three broken, and defeated. Will they find the solution that can save them, or will they fight against the current until they grow weak, and become just another statistic?
Mere Enchantment by Alicia Rivoli
A World Like No Other…
When a newly formed group of friends finds themselves fighting for survival, little did they know that was just the beginning.
When Chloe, Megan, Jason and Zach are forced to take cover in a nearby cave from a violent storm they find their new friend Preston there as well. Zach guides the group through the cave but as they go deeper strange things begin to happen and they find themselves separated in a magical kingdom surrounded by unusual people and wizards. Things get even more dangerous as they travel the kingdom in search of the city of Mere and each other.
As their journey unfolds, Preston discovers that the bedtime stories he was told as a child are true and that his rightful place in time must be realized. The kingdom itself has gone under attack as Jacan, a traitor to the crown, forces his armies through the magical borders.
Looking back Preston should have recognized that it was all real. He should have seen the signs. But how could he have known? After all, Jacan was just a villain in a story that took place in a far off mystical land. How could he have imagined that the stories that his father told him as a child were true?
How could any of them have known that their destinies were already written, and that to discover who they really are would take courage that they never realized they had?
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords
American Girl on Saturn By Nikki Godwin
The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom – but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys…in their house.
Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren’t happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can’t escape Emery’s fangirlisms for more than three minutes.
But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being “out of this world.” If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn’t want to come back to Earth.
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords
First I Love You by Genevieve Dewey
One part Godfather, two parts Emma and a dash of Casablanca mixed together, “First, I Love You” isn’t a detective novel, a gangster novel, a mystery, a romance or a family saga. It’s a little of all of the above.
Imagine being a detective with a mobster for a father, or a mobster with a straight arrow, good cop for a son. This is a relationship that is tricky on its best day. Add in some well-meaning meddling from a mob princess sister, an arrogant DEA agent, and gangsters running a human trafficking ring and you have a recipe for a book that refuses to follow the rules. Told from the perspective and point of view of each the six main characters this is the first novel in a trilogy about love, loyalty, revenge and redemption.
Omaha Detective Tommy Gates has kept his gangster father at arm’s length his whole life. Mickey Downey has spent the better part of the last two decades trying to find ways to get back the son he lost through Witness Protection. Now Tommy has taken an opportunity to work on a Federal Human Trafficking Joint Task Force in Chicago where his father lives. Tommy’s sister Kiki and his mother Mary see this as an opportunity to build a relationship between the two. Tommy’s new DEA partner James Hoffman sees it as an opportunity to gain leverage over Mickey Downey. Tommy’s other partner, FBI Agent Ginny Sommers wants to keep Tommy’s family as far from the case as possible. When Kiki and James join forces, sparks fly and it sets fire to a maelstrom of unexpected consequences for everyone involved.
A Construct of Angels by Andrew Toynbee
After accidentally triggering the spontaneous resurrection of a dead student, an ordinarily routine day for York-based paramedic Sara Finn erupts into a series of events that propel her on a terrifying journey, promising to forever change her pragmatic opinions of life and death.
Still haunted by her domineering and abusive stepfather and driven by a life-long search for her missing younger brother, Sara finds herself caught in the crossfire between warring forces, powerful beyond human comprehension, that threaten to plunge civilisation into hellish chaos and eternal darkness.
This, the first in the ‘Angels of York’ series, follows Sara’s increasingly dangerous adventures during the six days that lead up to the September Equinox, a time of increasing darkness. As the population of York is plunged into panic, overwhelming the emergency services, Sara finds her loyalties torn between her newfound companion, now incarcerated within York’s largest mental institution, and her sworn medical duties.
Should she lend any credence to his insistence that his purpose on Earth is to prevent an imminent catastrophe? Or that it is being orchestrated from within the city itself?
As her nights are filled with terrifying dreams and she is once again confronted by the memories of her abusive childhood, Sara is forced to accept that only one avenue remains open to her – to put her own life to one side in order to help prevent the rapidly approaching doomsday.
Deer in the Headlights by Staci Hart
Sweary, Sexy 18+ Romance
How do the Greek gods kill time? Because they’re always bored. It’s an unavoidable downside of being alive for thousands of years. So, they play games. Games with human players. Remember Shakespeare? Yeah, that was Apollo. Bonnie and Clyde? Aphrodite vs Ares.
It’s Aphrodite’s turn once again in the rounds of competitions, and she’ll defend her domain: Love. She hasn’t lost a competition on her turf in over three millennia, and she’s not about to start now. Apollo is her first competitor, and he’s on a mission to win. If he wins, he’ll get a token; a favor that Aphrodite must fulfill. And with that favor, he’ll finally get the one woman he’s never been able to have.
Aphrodite and Apollo will choose their human players, and if Aphrodite can’t get them together before the clock runs out, Apollo will get his way. And she couldn’t have that.
Lex and Dean are perfect for each other. They just don’t know it yet.
Dean is a perpetual bachelor, and a man-whore. A brooding, gorgeous, rock star man-whore. Lex always has a boyfriend, but she’s never let anyone in enough to let herself go. Not really. Not ever. Aphrodite has her work cut out for her, but if she can’t make it work, no one can.
But she has more at stake than just Lex and Dean. Apollo killed her mortal love, and that beef has been dragging on for thousands of years. Ares, the douchebag, is forever trying to start a fight, and get Aphrodite into bed. And Persephone, her best friend, is the one person she can confide in, laugh with, and always count on for a healthy helping of bacon when she’s having a bad day.
Follow the gods as they fight, laugh, cry, lose love, and gain power. Making a mess with humans has never been so fun.
Amazon ~ Smashwords
Snake in the Grass by Staci Hart
It’s Round Two of high stakes Love Connection on Olympus, and this time, everything has changed. For Aphrodite, at least.
Ares is on deck, and Aphrodite is nervous. As much as she loves to hook up with him, she doesn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, which isn’t very far. He’s a big dude. They haven’t been together in a very long time, but she can’t resist him. She never could. Even when every part of her screamed that he was a liar.
Ares has a plan to keep Aphrodite, for good this time. He wants to win the game, but he’ll hold back to get what he wants. He’s sitting on a chance that he’s been waiting thousands of years for, and he’ll do what he has to do to convince her to stay forever.
The only thing that could stop him is the secret that he’s been keeping from her for eons. If she finds out, it will destroy everything.
Kat and Dillon have been through a lot, and everything has been to protect their younger siblings. They have sacrificed everything to make sure their brother and sister are safe. The players are tough and loyal. Fierce and determined. But they become each other’s weakness, even though they fight it, and even though it means danger for Kat and her sister.
If Aphrodite can get the players over their egos and issues long enough to see that they’re meant for each other, the competition will be a piece of cake. One that she’ll eat a la mode, right in front of Ares, if she beats him.
What the Heart Wants by Staci Hart
It’s 1984, and Tanaka Katsu is paving his way in the Yakuza. His marriage to Yuki was a business deal, and one that he has paid for with his happiness.
Aphrodite can’t stand that he’s so miserable, and Hera, the goddess of marriage and monogamy, has a strong hold on Yuki, who will do whatever it takes to get what she believes is hers. Aphrodite won’t sit by and watch Katsu’s life slip away with no chance at love, so when he takes a trip to Vegas, she’ll introduce him to his match.
Kim never thought she’d be in the situation like the one that’s coming her way, but what the heart wants is a powerful thing, and one that’s impossible to walk away from.
October 5, 2013
Guest Author Interview: Amanda Bonilla
Welcome to Amanda Bonilla, my new favorite urban fantasy author! Confession time: when I read a description of Amanda’s new novel Vengeance Borne, I knew it was something I would want to read, so I did a little cyber-stalking sleuthing and tracked her down to beg her to let me review her book and interview her. Lucky for me, Amanda is incredibly generous and was gracious enough to answer my questions and send me a copy of Vengeance Borne! Check it all out, below:
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Interview
What do you write about? Tell us a little about your previously published works.
I’m the author of the Shaede Assassin series, a dark urban fantasy series about a former human-turned-Shaede (a creature that can become a shadow after the sun sets) who happens to work as an assassin. I love to write emotionally stunted, tortured heroines who need to be taken down a few pegs before they can truly stand on their own two feet. In September, the first book in my new Sentry of Evil series, VENGEANCE BORNE released. It’s also a dark urban fantasy series that focuses on Waerds who hunt down and kill evil supernatural creatures and Bearers who are their empath counterparts.
How do you handle bad reviews?
When my first book came out, I beat myself up over bad reviews. I’m a people pleaser and I felt like I’d let people down. But four books later, I’ve realized that reviews are for readers, not authors and that all I can do is to write the best book I can. I rarely read reviews and I never read negative reviews. One of my friends once told me, “It’s none of your business what people think of you.” The same goes for books.
Tell us a little about your work in progress.
I write contemporary romance under the name Mandy Baxter. I’m currently working on the second book of my US Marshals series. The first book, ONE NIGHT MORE, will release in September 2014 from Kensington. I’m also working on the fourth book in the Shaede Assassin series, AGAINST THE DAWN which will also release in 2014.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Read as much as you can. And write. A lot. But persistence is the most important thing. You can’t give up. If you love to write just keep writing and keep trying.
What is your personal writing process?
Silence and solitude. I work best without distractions so between the hours of 8 and 5 when everyone is gone for the day, I write as much as I can. That’s not to say our dogs and cat aren’t distracting. Oh, and the chickens, too. But I soldier through! 
What book are you reading now?
I’m currently in between books, but I just finished FIFTH GRAVE PAST THE LIGHT by Darynda Jones. Such a great book! I’m a huge Charlie Davidson fangirl. And Reyes? SWOON!
What inspired you to write your first book?
When I was sixteen I read SHANNA by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was at a point in my life where I was sort of isolated and felt alone. I fell in love with her characters and storytelling. That book started a reading obsession for me and gave me an avenue for escape and I wanted to write from the moment I read her books.
Have you ever used characteristics from someone you know in one of your books?
In VENGEANCE BORNE, Trish shares a lot of characteristics of both of my grandmas. They were both strong, dynamic women, and I wanted to honor their memories. Writing Trish is fun, because it’s sort of like hanging out with them again.
Where can readers find you and your work?
I hang out on Facebook and Twitter as both my Amanda Bonilla and Mandy Baxter identities. I love to chat with readers! If you’d like information on any of my series, hit up my websites http://amandabonilla.com or http://mandy-baxter.com
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Review
Jacquelyn is a monster hunter, a member of the shadow organization the Sentry, determined to protect her small town from the dangers she knows lurk nearby.
Micah has spent his life metaphorically running from his “gift” of feeling others’ emotions, and now he’s running for real–he has packed up an RV and is headed across the country. But when he meets up with Jacquelyn, he must decide whether to use that gift to help stop a supernatural killing spree or to just keep running forever.
Vengeance Borne has everything I love in an urban fantasy novel: a kick-ass heroine with a little emotional baggage (makes for great character development!), a love interest with some psychological depth, interesting monsters, and well-rounded secondary (and in this case, even tertiary) characters.
I loved everything about this book–Amanda Bonilla has created a wonderful, complete world and populated it with believable characters. I’m hooked. And I’m headed off to buy everything she’s ever written. I love finding a new-to-me author as good as she is!
Score: 10/10
5 stars
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Buy Vengeance Borne:
