Leta P. Hawk's Blog, page 20

Justin Edison’s The Churning

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THE CHURNING

By Justin Edison

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON NOW!

Synopsis

In Justin Edison’s second novel, Persian-American soccer star Arman Hessabi wakes in chains in a house of enemies. Driven in part by an abusive older brother, the hero feels his life is complete with the glory, women and riches afforded by a Premier League striker’s lifestyle. But he meets his match in Fat Man, Captain, Huck and Kay—men who hold him in thrall somewhere in Europe. Through trials, Hessabi comes to question his own ego and position in life. But is it too late for a soccer star with no apparent power over his own fate?

Author Bio

Justin A. Edison has been writing fiction and stories fortwenty-odd years. A graduate of the Evansville and Hamline writing programs, he counts among his adventures a rocking semester at Harlaxton (in the British Midlands) and a tour of the Czech Republic. His pursuits include hiking, Web site design, trying to fix the world (in too many ways) and playing soccer (rather poorly). He lives in the Seattle area with his wife, two energetic kids and a vocal cat.

The Churning is his second novel.

Author Links

To contact the author: edisonchurning@gmail.com

www.jedisonwriting.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/ChurningBook?ref=hl

@jedisonbooks

BLOGGERS: REVIEW COPIES ARE AVAILABLE. PLEASE CONTACT THE AUTHOR.

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Author Interview: Apollo Papafrangou

Originally posted on The Writing Life:

The Writing Life is pleased to welcome Apollo Papafrangou, author of the upcoming novel, Wings of Wax.

Apollo Papafrangou is a writer from Oakland, California, where he pens novels, short stories, and, occasionally, poems. He is a 2010 graduate of the Mills College Creative Writing MFA program, and the author of “Concrete Candy,” a short story collection published by Anchor Books in 1996 when he was just 15 years old.

His debut novel WINGS OF WAX, the story of a shy, young artist seeking to reconnect with his ladies’ man father in Greece, will be published in March, 2016 by Booktrope.

HBO Films optioned the movie rights to his story “The Fence” from 2000-2004, and his fiction has appeared in the 1998 Simon & Schuster anthology entitled “Trapped. Apollo’s work has appeared in “Voices,” a collection of works by Greek writers published in 2013 by Nine Muses Press, Quiet Lightning…

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Review of Jennifer Felton’s Through Life and Death

As a rule, I’m not one for stories containing vampires, demons, or gods and goddesses, but Jennifer Felton’s Through Life and Death was a pleasant departure from what I view as the norm in those types of novels. Felton does a nice job of keeping her supernatural characters well grounded in the real world, and the reader has the sense that the events in this work of fiction could well occur in the real world.

Maya is the creator of The Council, a gathering of supernatural beings whose task it is to ensure the peaceful coexistence of humans and supernatural beings on earth. For too long, humans had blamed all manner of violence and riots on supernatural beings, resulting in the hunting of demons, witches, and others. The goal of the Council is to keep the supernatural aspect of these beings hidden from humans and to make humans believe that demons, vampires, and the like were either extinct or never existed in the first place. To do this, the Council has enlisted Enforcers who keep the supernatural beings in check and make sure they do nothing to call attention to themselves or their actions.

Maya and Sebastian, twin children of Katricne, Goddess of Time, and Tobias, King of Vampires/Hell, are more human than their supernatural parentage might suggest. Throughout the story, they struggle with the decisions they have to make and the actions they have to carry out as Goddess of the Unholy (Maya) and an Enforcer for the Council (Sebastian). These uncertainties help move the plot forward and make the characters believable and likable.

While much of the story seems to revolve around Sebastian and his duties with the Council, I was drawn to Maya’s personal struggle to belong. She especially seems to wrestle with who she is and what her place is, whether in the world of humans or in the heavens or Hell:

“Unfortunately, they [Maya and Sebastian] were half vampire and half god, so while they were too evil for the gods, the demons viewed them as too evil for hell. There had to be a happy medium, and living on earth amongst the humans was Maya’s solution.”

I really wish her struggle could have been developed further within this story, and I hope the author has a chance to do so in later sequels.

The main action of the story occurs as things in 19th Century England take a turn for the worse, and the tides of belief seem to be turning back to blaming supernatural beings for an increase in violence and rioting. This turn of events threatens the dual existence of the world of demons and the world of humans that Maya’s Council has worked so hard to achieve, and she realizes that she and Sebastian are no longer safe in England. Fearing for their safety and suspecting a traitor among them, she makes the decision that she, Sebastian, and Tobias must hastily leave England for the Americas.

One of the cleverest parts of this story for me happened when Sebastian set off to execute a woman believed to be a witch responsible for some gruesome murders. He and his manservant Watson arrive in the town where the accused witch is to be found, and he disguises himself as an officer of the law. He stops at a pub for a drink and to see if he can find out information about the accused, and he initiates conversation with doctor and would-be writer Mr. Arthur. When Sebastian introduces himself as Mr. Holmes, and regales him with toned-down stories of his experiences as an enforcer, it sets up the idea that he and Watson will come to be known in the future at the hand of the struggling writer at the pub.

An unexpected twist at the end of the story shows that Maya’s suspicion about a traitor in their midst was not unfounded, and Sebastian has to deal with the one he believes is the real enemy before he joins his father and his sister in the Americas.

This was a quick and enjoyable read, and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Author Interview: Jennifer Felton

Originally posted on Hawk's Happenings:

Who is Jennifer Felton? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in the country, now I love in the city. I’ve been in a relationship for almost seven years now, and last Christmas Eve, he finally popped the question.

With three kids and a dog, life is hectic. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time (quiet time where I can actually hear myself think) to write, but I do the best I can. Occasionally, the writing bug comes and the house gets ignored. Small price to pay, right?

I’ve always loved to write, so it’s beyond words, how it feels to be a published author. Then again, it’s terrifying because there are very few people who have seen anything I have written, prior to being published. Despite the fear I’m sure most newbie authors face, this is it. This is what I have to do, what I’ve always…

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Author Interview: Jennifer Felton

Who is Jennifer Felton? Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in the country, now I love in the city. I’ve been in a relationship for almost seven years now, and last Christmas Eve, he finally popped the question.

With three kids and a dog, life is hectic. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time (quiet time where I can actually hear myself think) to write, but I do the best I can. Occasionally, the writing bug comes and the house gets ignored. Small price to pay, right?

I’ve always loved to write, so it’s beyond words, how it feels to be a published author. Then again, it’s terrifying because there are very few people who have seen anything I have written, prior to being published. Despite the fear I’m sure most newbie authors face, this is it. This is what I have to do, what I’ve always wanted to do. I have no choice but to make it work- especially since the characters like to badger me until I tell their stories!

What made you write “Through Life & Death” and “Through Love & Hate?” This is a series I started working on a few years ago. Initially, it was supposed to be a trilogy. Through Life and Death started out as a character development exercise for my character of Sebastian! Eventually, it just took on a life of its own and the characters bullied me into making it a full-blown story!



3. They say that life imitates art, but in my own experience, I’ve found that art often imitates life. Was there any aspect of your life that found its way into your novels?

While it’s safe to say that the events of the book are purely fictional, Through Love and Death is very special to me.

This was written to deal with the pain I was feeling when I found out a loved one was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Suddenly, one of the most kind and generous women I know, went from vibrant and healthy to being diagnosed with a terminal illness. It was like a punch to the gut.

In this book, a lot of what Anya goes through is based off parts of her journey, in some shape or form. Here, we have Megan willing to do anything, include sell her soul, in order for her best friend to live.



4. What has being a writer taught you about writing? About yourself? About life?

Anything is possible, and mistakes will always be made. LOL.

And just for fun, what was your favorite plaything as a child? Do you still have it?

Honestly, notebooks and pens! *chuckles* I always preferred to be by myself in my room, and just write or draw. I wish I still had things I wrote from when I was young, but I think the earliest writings I still have are from my teenage years.

Jennifer Felton: One Hell of a Romance

 

 

Through Life & Death

Through Love & Hate

 

by Jennifer Felton

http://authorjenniferfelton.com/

 

Series: One Hell of a Romance, Prequel & Companion

 

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Booktrope Publishing

Cover Designer:  Scott Deyet

 

Release Date: November 13, 2015

 

 

Through Life & Death

 

One Hell of a Romance, Prequel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through Love & Hate

One Hell of a Romance, Companion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Runaway Goodness/Booktrope Pre-Funk the Holidays

Originally posted on Hawk's Happenings:

Have yourself a SCARY little Christmas; fill your hearts with FRIGHT…

If you enjoy a scary read, check out Runaway Goodness & Booktrope’s Pre-Funk the Holidays promotion. Lots of FREE ebooks November 9-14! Below is a list of the paranormal books offered during this promotion. Go to https://runawaygoodness.com/prefunk/ to check out these books, or search for your favorite genre.

Happy reading!

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Runaway Goodness/Booktrope Pre-Funk the Holidays

Have yourself a SCARY little Christmas; fill your hearts with FRIGHT…

If you enjoy a scary read, check out Runaway Goodness & Booktrope’s Pre-Funk the Holidays promotion. Lots of FREE ebooks November 9-14! Below is a list of the paranormal books offered during this promotion. Go to https://runawaygoodness.com/prefunk/ to check out these books, or search for your favorite genre.

Happy reading!

Booktrope Prefunk Promotion

Halloween was almost a whole week ago already, so you know what THAT means!

That’s right! Everywhere you look, Christmas trees and Christmas lights and Christmas decorations and Christmas songs on the radio

And…

Christmas sales!

Here’s something all you bibliophiles will appreciate: Free and discounted books! Booktrope Publishing and Runaway Goodness have partnered up for Prefunk the Holidays, a special promotion featuring Booktrope authors (myself included) and their awesome books (again, mine included). This week, featured ebooks are $2.99, and next week…

Well, next week is a surprise! No peeking! You’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, why not hop over to Runaway Goodness and check out what they’ve got? There’s a free book in it for you if you sign up for their newsletter!

https://runawaygoodness.com/

Cover Reveal, Misadventures of Princess Sydney

Cover Reveal:

Misadventures of Princess Sydney: Have Parentals, Will Travel is the second book in the Princess Sydney series. Readers call Minich’s writing, “fun-filled,” “insightful and creative,” and “heartwearming.”  If you are between the ages of 8-12, a dog lover, or a kid at heart, this book is for you! You can find Chris’s books on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Misadventures-Princess-Sydney-Parentals-Travel/dp/1513704710/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8) or BarnesandNoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/misadventures-of-princess-sydney-chris-minich/1122785847?ean=2940151042741)

Book Description:

“You’ll have a great time,” said the Parentals. But Princess Sydney knows better! America’s favorite crafty cockapoo reluctantly embarks on summer vacation, along with her bumbling brother, Buddy. She expected chaos, but she she never expected to lose her cool when the trip takes an unplanned turn. Silly boy dogs, leftover pizza, and fair maidens are just a few of the bumps along their travels that will keep readers laughing and in love in this second book in the Princess Sydney series. As Sydney would tell you, “Why wouldn’t it?”

About the Author:

Chris Minich is a writer living in Snoqualmie Washington. He enjoys spending time with his wife and their two precocious dogs, Sydney and Buddy. Chris is also a die-hard Seattle Seahawks fan. You can find out more about Chris and the Princess Sydney series on his website, www.chrisminich.com, twitter, @cockapoosyd, Instagram, https://instagram.com/cockapoosyd/ or Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cockapoosyd