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Thursday 28 February 2013

Book Blast w/ $100 Gift Card/Cash Giveaway ~ Guardians Inc - The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain {Giveaway}


GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER

A chance reading of a newspaper ad will send 16 year old Thomas Byrne into the world within our world.

Following the ad he will find Guardians Incorporated. A seven thousand year old organization charged with protecting the balance between Magic and technology.

Through their guidance, technology has kept Magic at bay since the Renaissance, but the balance is shifting and soon all those creatures we've driven into myth and legend will come back with a vengeance.

To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future and to unlock the future
they need a Cypher.



Book Trailer






Guardians Inc.: The Cypher is FREE on Nook & iBooks


Praise
USA Book News 2012 Finalist -Young Adult Fiction

"Rosado-Machain brings a light, humorous touch to themes of teenage love, loss and betrayal wrapped up in a tasty package of magical coming-of-age."
~Kirkus Reviews

"It's like Julian Rosado-Machain took everything that I love about middle grade children's fiction and slammed it into one awesome, well-paced fantasy"
~Emi London Oktopusink.blogspot.com

"The Cypher hooked me from the beginning. And kept my attention right through to the very end."
- Heidi Roth reviewthebook.com




Get Your Copy for FREE




About The Author 

Julian Rosado-Machain


       Website | Facebook


Julian has enjoyed pizza in three continents, holds a degree in graphic design, built armored vehicles and computers, handcrafted alebrijes and swears has seen at least one ghost.
He is the Co-owner of Hacienda de Vega Restaurant in San Diego, California and enjoys the sun with his wife, three children and cat.







Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 3/13/13

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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event is presented to you by 

Book Blast w/ $50 Gift Card Giveaway ~ Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan


Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan


How can love mend a heart full of hate?

Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers. While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly's life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings.

Fields of Elysium is a suspenseful, romantic tale full of forbidden secrets, unimaginable danger, deception, and the never-ending fight for true love.




Reviews


"The novel's take on otherworldly travel is a compelling one, and the romantic plot will likely appeal to Twilight fans." - Kirkus Reviews

"I expected a good love story with a paranormal twist. I got so much more. I think you should take the chance and read it. Let this book take you on the adventure, fall in love." - Young Adult and Teen Readers

"Fields of Elysium is a fabulous read. ... Whelan paints her faith into the fabric of her story with deft, light brushstrokes, making her work accessible to all, no matter their spiritual beliefs or background." - Readers Favorite

"I escaped into this fantasy world, author, A.B.Whelan, created and I didn’t want Molly to go. From detailed descriptions, to sweet romance, and to all the twist and turns in the story, it had me captivated from page one." - Mary Ting, author of the Crossroads Saga

"Whelan's writing is very vivid and descriptive. It's more formal than the average YA novel, but I enjoyed the lyrical and mesmerizing quality to it. I thought the overall story read like a fairy tale--very sweet." - Megan Thomason, author of Daynight







About The Author

A.B Whelan



A.B.Whelan is a Hungarian born, American writer. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Southern California.

While growing up in a wealthy Eastern European family, she had a chance to travel Europe. Later as an adult, she visited Africa and the Middle East and lived in Ecuador and in Crete.



$50 Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash plus a gift bag of one signed copy of Fields of Elysium, a scrabble-tile pendant with a butterfly image on a chain necklace, and a fridge magnet.

Ends 3/11/13

Gift Bag open to US only.  If winner is international they will receive only the gift card or paypal cash.
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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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This event is presented to you by 

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #11 ~ Authors that I'd put in my Auto-Buy list


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & The Bookish

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This week is an extremely easy topic for me so I was very excited. I had to actually cull my list down, it was hard to do but I went with the Authors that I don't even think about...as soon as I see a book by them, I don't bother reading the synopsis I just buy it. I just wanted to give special mentions to John Marsden, Markus Zusak, Michelle Zink and Roald Dahl.

This list is in no particular order. Please click on each Author's name to view their book list, courtesy of Goodreads. All bio's are copied from Goodreads unless otherwise stated. 

Top Ten Authors that I'd put in my Auto-Buy list


1. Melina Marchetta


Melina Marchetta was born in Sydney Australia. Her first novel, Looking For Alibrandi was awarded the Children's Book Council of Australia award in 1993 and her second novel, Saving Francesca won the same award in 2004. Looking For Alibrandi was made into a major film in 2000 and won the Australian Film Institute Award for best Film and best adapted screen play, also written by the author. On the Jellicoe Road was released in 2006 and won the WAYRBA voted by teenagers in Western Australia in 2008. It also won the US Printz Medal in 2009 for excellence in YA literature. This was followed up by Finnikin of the Rock in 2008 which won the Aurealis Award for YA fantasy, The Piper's Son in 2010 which was shortlisted for the Qld Premier's Lit Award, NSW Premier's Lit Award, Prime Minister's Literary Awards, CBC awards and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. Her follow up to Finnikin, Froi of the Exiles will be released in Australia in October and the US in March 2012.

2. Cecilia Ahern


Before embarking on her writing career, Cecelia Ahern completed a degree in Journalism and Media Communications. At twenty-one years old, she wrote her first novel, P.S. I Love you which instantly became an international bestseller and was adapted into a major motion picture starring Hilary Swank. Her subsequent novels,  Where Rainbows End, If You Could See Me Now, A Place Called Here, Thanks for the Memories The Gift, The Book of Tomorrow  were also bestsellers along with her collection of short stories,  Girl in the Mirror.

Cecelia co-created the ABC Emmy Award winning TV comedy Samantha Who?, Hallmark's Three Wise Women, and adapted her own novella,  Mrs Whippy, for the stage. Cecelia’s books are published in forty-six countries and have collectively sold over 13 million copies. She lives in Dublin with her family.  ~ Wikipedia

3. Sophie Kinsella 


Madeleine Wickham  (born 12 December 1969) is a bestselling British author under her pseudonym, Sophie Kinsella. Educated at New College, Oxford, she worked as a financial journalist before turning to fiction. She is best known for writing a popular series of chick-lit novels. The Shopaholic novels series focuses on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The books follows her life from when her credit card debt first become overwhelming ("The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic") to the latest book on being married and having a child ("Shopaholic & Baby"). Throughout the entire series, her obsession with shopping and the complications that imparts on her life are central themes.

4. Charlaine Harris 


Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.

Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, she had the opportunity to stay home and write, and the resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of writing mystery series, and soon had her own traditional books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden,  garnered an Agatha nomination.

Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.

When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark  broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The Southern Vampire books are published in Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France, and Russia.

In addition to Sookie, Charlaine has another heroine with a strange ability. Harper Connelly, lightning-struck and strange, can find corpses… and that’s how she makes her living.

In addition to her work as a writer, Charlaine is the past senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, a past board member of Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance. She spends her "spare" time reading, watching her daughter play sports, traveling, and going to the movies.

5. Richelle Mead 


Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

6. Scott Westerfeld


Scott Westerfeld is a New York Times bestselling American-born author of YA sci-fi literature. He was born in the Texas and now lives in Sydney and New York City. In 2001, Westerfeld married fellow author Justine Larbalestier.

His book Evolution's Darling was a New York Times Notable Book, and won a Special Citation for the 2000 Philip K. Dick Award. So Yesterday won a Victorian Premier's Award and Midnighters 1: The Secret Hour won an Aurealis Award. Peeps and Uglies were both named as Best Books for Young Adults 2006 by the American Library Association.

7. Laini Taylor 



Hi there! I'm a writer of fantasy books for young people, but my books can be enjoyed by adults as well. My 'Dreamdark' books, Blackbringer (2007) and Silksinger (2009) are about faeries -- not dainty little flowery things, but warrior-faeries who battle devils. My first young adult book, Lips Touch, is a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award! It's creepy, sensual supernatural romance. . . about kissing. I am also an artist with a licensed gift product line called "Laini's Ladies."


8. Maggie Stiefvater


All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.





J.K. Rowling (Joanne “Jo” Rowling) is the writer behind the best selling Harry Potter series. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies and been the basis for a popular series of films.

Aside from writing the Potter novels, Rowling is perhaps equally famous for her “rags to riches” life story, in which she progressed from living on benefits to multi-millionaire status within five years. The 2008  Sunday Times Rich List  estimated Rowling’s fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in Britain.  Forbes  ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007, and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fandom. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and the Children’s High Level Group. Rowling’s mother died of multiple sclerosis, and because of this she became severely depressed for a period of time.  

Real people are the basis for her characters, including one of her most famous, Gilderoy Lockhart, though she refuses to say on whom he is based.

Harry Potter is her most famous debut, though she has written other books branching off of Potter, including, Quidditch through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them.

In 2012, her novel for adults  The Casual Vacancy  was published. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction. 

Rowling has millions of fans and is a household name all around the world, so if you write her a letter, don’t expect her to answer it. Please note that she doesn’t have an email address.

10. Isobelle Carmody


Isobelle Carmody began the first novel of her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while she was still in high school. The series has established her at the forefront of fantasy writing in Australia.

In addition to her young-adult novels, such as the Obernewtyn Chronicles and Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle's published works include several middle-grade fantasies. Her still-unfinished Gateway Trilogy has been favorably compared to The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Narnia. The Little Fur quartet is an eco-fantasy starring a half-elf, half-troll heroine and is fully illustrated by the author herself.

Isobelle's most recent picture book, Magic Night, is a collaboration with illustrator Declan Lee. Originally published in Australia as The Wrong Thing, the book features an ordinary housecat who stumbles upon something otherworldly. Across all her writing, Isobelle shows a talent for balancing the mundane and the fantastic.

Isobelle was the guest of honor at the 2007 Australian National Science Fiction Convention. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including multiple Aurealis Awards and Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.

She currently divides her time between her home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad with her partner and daughter.

Next week @ Top Ten Tuesday

Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet


Don't Fear The Reaper by Michelle Muto {Giveaway}

Title: Don't Fear the Reaper
Author: Michelle Muto
Series: Netherworld #1
Publisher:  Dreamscape
Published: September 23, 2011





Book Description 

  
Haunted by memories of her murdered twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her only ticket to eternal peace. 

But in death, she discovers the afterlife is nothing like she expected. Instead of peaceful oblivion or a joyful reunion with her sister, Keely is trapped in a netherworld on Earth with only a bounty-hunting reaper and a sarcastic demon to show her the ropes.

When the demon offers Keely her ultimate temptation--revenge on her sister's killer--she must determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, the reaper and demon have been keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true--that her every decision changes how, and with whom, she spends eternity.

Teaser


My heart thudded wearily, like it’d been broken into a million shards of glass. I’d never felt so lost. So vulnerable. I wanted my parents. I wanted my sister. I wanted our lives back. I wanted everything the way it was before Jordan died.

“I miss you so much, Jordan. I only wanted to be with you again. Please, Sis. Tell me what to do.” I hung my head. “I need you.”

“It’ll be okay, Keely.” Not my sister’s voice. Not even close.

I jerked my head up and looked around. He was just as mysterious as I’d remembered, in his black shirt, pants, and duster. All that black was in stark contrast to his wavy blond hair and those eyes. They were what I’d call a forever blue—the kind of eyes that seemed as though they could read souls. I’d never seen irises like his—bright, like they were lit from behind. He was handsome for someone of my parents’ age—early forties. What was it about those eyes that calmed me when I should have been terrified at finding a complete stranger in my room? For all I knew, the effects of the tequila and sleeping pills hadn’t worn off. He definitely wasn’t a paramedic. But, he had saved my life, and then politely waited for me to clean up and get dressed. 
 
“Thanks,” I said. “For what you did.”
He shrugged.

“I have no idea what you see in her, Banning. Doesn’t seem worth it to me,” another voice said.


A second guy entered my room. He was about my age, packing pure attitude and a lean, fit physique into a red Harley Davidson t-shirt and a pair of faded Levi’s. His short brown hair was perfectly mussed, and he had fierce, dark eyes. And apparently, an equally fierce tongue. 
 
Who were these two? They almost acted as though they knew me, yet this felt all wrong. My first semi-coherent thought, based on the man in black’s attire, was that he worked with Dad at the District Attorney’s office and the younger guy was his smart-ass son, or maybe his assistant. Dad had done this before—had someone from the office stop by to pick up a brief or some notes. But who’d let them in the house? 
 
With a bit of effort, I managed to lift my head in the newcomer’s direction. “And you are?”


Instead of answering, he simply rolled his eyes. What a jerk. Maybe he’d be a bit more cordial over that pot of coffee I wanted. Or not. I stood and shoved past Mr. Attitude.
He grabbed hold of my arm. “Relax, Sunshine.”


His grin creeped me out. I pulled away, but he blocked my path. “Who the hell are either of you?” I asked, finally becoming a bit freaked out now that the ice in my brain had started to thaw. I no longer cared that the man in black had saved my life. This was weird.
He turned and walked out of my room into the hallway. “You explain it to her, Banning. This is your deal, anyway.”


The guy in black, Banning, apparently, motioned for me to follow him from my room. “Come on, Keely. Let’s talk.”


Even in my current dazed state everything felt wrong. Maybe these men weren’t who I’d first thought. I shook my head in an attempt to jump-start my brain. The motion only made my vision blur. I really needed that coffee. 
 
“I’m Banning,” he said, extending a hand. “I’m here to help you.”


I didn’t take his hand. I wanted to sit down and collect myself before I vomited or fell over. I steadied myself against my desk instead. “No offense, but you look like the mafia. Or an undertaker.”


He laughed and his blue eyes lit up his face again. “Neither. This isn’t going to be easy to hear, Keely.”


Great. He even sounded like Dad. I paused, my brain finally clicking into gear and setting off an alarm. It dawned on me why he was here. Something horrible had happened to my parents on the way home from the dinner party. “My mom and dad—are they okay?” 
 
Banning raised a hand. “They’re fine, Keely. Really. But I do have a bit of bad news.”


“Are you from Dad’s office?” I asked, now certain again that he was, and certain, too, that he was lying about Mom and Dad’s well being. After all this, I couldn’t imagine something happening to them. I was still having some minor difficulty unscrambling all my thoughts. That did it. Tomorrow, I was becoming a health freak.


“Five minutes, I think. Then they’ll be here,” Mr. Attitude called out. “Tell her, Banning. What are you waiting for?”


“Tell me what?” I asked.


The younger man returned, still in his perpetual state of annoyance. “You’re dead, Sunshine. Banning here is a reaper. I’m Daniel, the demon who’ll be escorting you and him to hell at the end of next week

About the Author

 Michelle Muto




Michelle Muto lives in northeast Georgia with her husband and two dogs. She loves changes of season, dogs, and all things geeky. Currently, she’s hard at work on her next book.

Story Behind "Don't Fear the Reaper"

I first came up with the idea for Don't Fear the Reaper after several agents had rejected another novel I’d written and asked if I had anything, darker – more edgy. Oddly, it’s been years, but I still recall coming up with the concept so vividly.

 I was cleaning house and mulling over new ideas when Blue Oyster Cult’s iconic 1976 song, Don't Fear the Reaper, came up on my iPod’s playlist. There were several parts that truly inspired me: “Take my hand,” “40,000 men and women everyday,” “Love of two is one. Here, but now they’re gone,” and “the candles flew and the mist appeared, the curtains blew and then he appeared.”

From there, it was a matter of ‘What If’s’ that made my idea unique from the song. What if it wasn’t star-crossed lovers? What if it was family? What if the main character met up with a bounty-hunting reaper and a handsome, but sarcastic demon? And what if all the odds were stacked against my main character and yet, she still found hope and assistance in the most unlikely of fellow characters? What if all it took to save a soul was sacrifice, one born of undying love and devotion? And yet, what if the price of that salvation came at a high price?

 I couldn’t wait to write it. What I hadn’t expected was how it’d rip open old wounds, how the pain of writing Keely’s grief meant revisiting my own. I’d lost my grandparents, my parents, my uncles, all my aunts except for one. I’d lost friends and beloved fur babies, all of whom I’d loved with every fiber of my being. I’d witnessed four of their deaths. I even held the head of two in my arms as they passed. Two loved ones died in the house I currently live in.

 Up to this point, I’d managed my grief. Now, by sitting down to write about love that went beyond death, I was getting ready to stick a hammer and chisel into the wall I’d built and bring the entire thing down—and with it, all the painful memories I’d carefully placed behind it.

Tell me about Heaven, Dad 
I really want to know,
Because ten long years have passed,
 And I miss you so…

The above stanza is from a poem I wrote to my father ten years after his death. I cannot begin to describe what it was like to lose my father, whom I loved more than my very being. All these years later, I’ll freely admit it: I’m a Daddy’s girl. We’re so much alike, he and I.  I was robbed of him far too soon by multiple myeloma, a brutal and incurable cancer.

For those who have read Don’t Fear the Reaper, it’s easy to see the real life example I used. It’s easy to spot the grief, the emotion I used for my main character, Keely Morrison. All scenes I drew from real life.

Oh, and about those agents? I had several tell me that the opening was one of the best they’d read in a long time and that the concept was truly original. But, in the end, they felt the subject matter was too dark. That’s okay. I think the person best qualified to make that choice is the reader.

That’s my heart on a sleeve, Dear Reader. The story behind the story. Thanks for reading about the journey.


Tracy Deebs & Emily McKay Signing!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!


presents


Hello everyone!

As you can see above Tracy Deebs aka Tessa Adams and Emily McKay will be signing at Barnes and Nobles in Houston/Humble Tx. 

Deerbrook Mall
20131 Highway 59
Humble, TX

We invite everyone to come out, chat and get your books signed by these wonderful authors. Tracy and Emily will bring lots of swag and would love to see all your lovely faces there so don't miss out!
 
For all you fans who can't make it to this event but would still like signed copies of books by Tracy and Emily you are in luck. A pre order sale has been set up HERE!


Deadline to order is March 7th midnight CST

GIVEAWAY

We are giving away an exclusive signed tote bag and one signed book of your choice just by helping us spread the word. Enter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview Part 2 ~ Rhiannon Hart

Today we have the second part of Rhiannon Hart's Interview, focusing on her debuting series The Lharmellin Trilogy. Click here to view the first part of the Interview and click here to read her response to the Australia Day Feature Fun Quiz.


Who/What inspired the story of the Lharmell Trilogy?

I was at work (naughty) and daydreaming, and I had this idea that someone was going somewhere with someone, and it was going to turn out to be far more important a destination for them than the other person. As vague as that. Stories never arrive fully formed. They're the slimmest of ideas and then you tack other things onto them. 

How long did it take from the ideas conception to the first publishing of Blood Song?  

From March 2009 to September 2011 

From the beginning did you know it was going to be a trilogy? Or did you write Blood Song first and then the rest followed once you got Blood Song published

It was always going to be a trilogy. I love series.

Did anyone reject you for publishing? 

Oh gosh yes. Dozens of agents. Plenty of publishers.

I don't really know much about covers and how much input the authors have in the cover-making process, did you get any input? Do you need to approve the covers of your books?

Not a huge deal, but my publisher did ask my opinion about the covers and I had some input. It was a fun process.

Are there any plans for a box set once the trilogy is complete?

Oooh I really hope so. They have been various ideas floated along those lines.

Can you please explain how/why you called your books what you did?

Blood Song was originally called Lharmell, but that wasn't going to fly. So I created a huge list of alternative names and sent them to my publisher. Blood Song was at the top and she loved that. The 'song' is for the eerie song the Lharmellins sing. Blood Storm came naturally from that and is based on Zeraphina's powers that she gains in the book. Blood Queen ... well, that would be telling *evil grin*

Can you give us any sneak-peek for Blood Queen? What to expect?

I can tell you that it will definitely be the last book. I can tell you that the setting will be in Amentia, Pergamia and Lharmell. I can tell you that there will be several surprises ... and I can tell you that no one knows what really happens but me (and my publisher and agent). Not even my family!

Is there a release date? 
Not yet. But I hope to be able to announce one really soon. I can say that if you're in Malaysia and Singapore, the book should be out there now (or really soon). I'm meeting with the distributor there tomorrow. And of course, the electronic copy is available everywhere now.

Any future projects we should keep an eye out for? 
Yes indeedy! I'm working on two standalone novels. One historical with supernatural overtones, and one fantasy. The historical one is short and sweet, and the fantasy could become quite epic in its scope.

Do you think you will continue to write for the Young Adult genre or will you try your hand in Adult Fiction?

For the moment YA.

What's your favourite genre to read?

It's so hard to choose. I love to read widely. I'm interested in everything.

In hind-sight, would there be anything that you would change in the Lharmell Trilogy? If so, what?

Nope, I love it just how it is :)

You're to be stranded on a deserted island; which one character from your books would you take and why? 

I would take a brant, and get the hell outta there.
Thanks so much for having me!

Thank you Rhiannon for participating in my Australia Day Feature albeit late LOL and looking forward to reading the third book in the Lharmellin Trilogy. 

Please also keep an eye out for my review post of Blood Song and Blood Storm which is coming very shortly. 

Guest Post ~ Forged in Grace by Jordan E. Rosenfeld


Forged in Grace

by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

Published: February 2013
Publisher: Indie-Visible Ink
Genre: YA/NA Psychological Suspense

Forged in Grace



Book Description


Grace Jensen survived a horrific fire at age 15. The flames changed her: badly scarred in body and mind, Grace developed an ability to feel other people’s pain. Unable to bear human touch, she has made a small life for herself in Northern California, living with her hoarder mother, tending wounded animals, and falling a little in love with her former doctor. Her safe world explodes when the magnetic Marly Kennet reappears in town; Grace falls right back into the dynamic of their complicated friendship. Marly is the holder of many secrets, including one that has haunted Grace for over a decade: what really happened the night of the fire?

When Marly exhorts Grace to join her in Las Vegas, to make up for the years they have been lost to each other, Grace takes a leap of faith and goes. Although Marly is not entirely honest about her intentions, neither woman anticipates that enlarging Grace’s world will magnify her ability to sense the suffering of others—or that she will begin to heal wounds by swallowing her own pain and laying her hands on the afflicted.

This gift soon turns darker when the truth of Marly’s life—and the real reason she ended her friendship with Grace—pushes the boundaries of loyalty and exposes both women to danger.

Excerpt 


When I look up, I see that I’m in front of a gallery. The photo in the window display—as big as the entire square of glass, is of a woman, naked except for black underwear, her body classically hourglass, hugging herself as she looks down a row of books in a tiny library, lit by one tiny, mushroom-shaped lamp.

I shake off coffee from my hands, toss the empty cup into the garbage can on the sidewalk, and enter the gallery as though it was my destination all along. Every photo, each one nearly as big as me, is a black and white of people’s backs standing in states of partial dress before different corridors—a young boy in pajama bottoms looking down the dark hallway of a home framed by family pictures, ostensibly at night, lit only by the moon. An elderly person in a hospital gown, knobby edges of spine showing through—it’s impossible to tell if the subject is male or female—staring down a hallway marked “surgery.”

“Do you like them?” a voice at my right ear says suddenly, and I jerk around, glad the speaker is on my good side. The squeak of surprise comes out of me before I can stop myself. I know he’s a man because of his deep voice, but I’m looking into a cartoon page, an ancient map—I’m not sure frankly what I’m seeing, so bold and all-consuming are the tattoos upon his face. There’s not a centimeter of actual skin left that isn’t inked. The design is somewhere between aboriginal and comic book. Bright blue, green and red—black stripes that look like skid marks left by a car, symbols crowding the spaces between the lines. His dark green eyes blinking out of the face make him look as though he’s peering up at me from beneath a child’s toy chest.

If he’s as surprised by the terrain of my face, he doesn’t register it, or perhaps surprise is simply lost in a face like his.

Fortunately, Ma raised me to be polite. My nod is so vigorous my neck muscles pinch. “I do like the photos.”

“My show’s almost over. Glad you got to see them.” He sweeps a hand around the gallery.

“Oh, they’re yours!” I point at one dumbly.

The tattoos over his top lip rise to meet those of his cheeks, and I realize he’s smiling.

“Gus.” He puts out a hand and I chuckle, both because it is so smooth and unblemished by ink, and to hide my own anxiety at showing my thumb.

“Grace.” I shake quickly, and detect a strong, kind energy in him that makes me feel instantly at ease, releasing my hand before my serpent gets too curious.

“Why do you photograph them from behind?” I ask.

He gazes at me for a long moment, and I force myself not to trace every image—Egyptian ahnks, God’s eyes, the infinity loop, all vibrating just slightly with the life in his cheeks.

“This series is about shame,” he says. “Hiding and fear, and frailty.”




Girls, A Love Story

by Jordan E. Rosenfeld


When I first began writing FORGED IN GRACE, or rather, when the character of Marly whispered in my ear while I stoked a fire in a little cabin overlooking a wild river, I knew right away this would be a story about female friends. I didn’t know it would be a dark exploration, but when all was said and done, I continue to think of this novel as a “dark love story of friendship.” That is to say, it’s a story that celebrates the powerful bonds that young girls forge with one another as they act as surrogates to each other for the mature relationships that will come down the road.

I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of friends in my life, but as a girl, I only had one best friend, Sacha. The tried-and-true bestie who was part sister, part romantic stand-in, part keeper of secrets. She could make me feel good or break my heart all in the same day. She was an athlete to my bookworm, daring and brave where I was timid. She came from a loud family with brothers and two European parents. I was a latch-key kid from a “broken” home with two hippie parents.

Like Grace does Marly in the novel, I adored and was slightly in awe of Sacha. She bounced back from sleights while I wilted. She took the world head on, while I crept at it from the shadows. We fought, sometimes for days, but always came back together. Not until high school—though Sacha was a year older than I was—did a wedge come between us, and that wedge was, natch, another girl, named Shawna. A prettier, more sophisticated, worldly girl than me who didn’t use “too big” words and needed to wear a bra. Quickly I became replaced. It was a theme that would repeat in my life as part of the messy geometry of friendship. A theme that seems to happen to so many girls, teaching the painful lesson of jealousy and self-esteem, of loyalty and betrayal.

In FORGED IN GRACE, Grace has an unhealthy bond with the bold, beautiful Marly. Grace wants what Marly seems to have. And yet Marly is all pretense and façade. Her external world hides the darkness she keeps tucked away. What Grace thinks she wants, Marly may not actually have, and vice versa. And it’s up to Grace to realize her own talents and power in order to come to see the friendship for what it was, and is. A lesson many girls can use.

Many of my favorite books and movies about dark female friendships touch upon an overt or indirect sexuality between the girls. As an adult I can see now that most of these friendships are not, explicitly, sexual—barring those that really are, of course, and that’s not what I’m talking about in this piece—but rather girls, with their fluid and often early developed emotional lives, need to start exercising these feelings before the boys get around to it. They test them on each other, for better or worse. They project things onto one another that will someday be meant for their mates. In the best of scenarios, they forge life-long friendships; in others, jealousy and competition draw them apart.

As an adult, lucky to have a circle of dear, trusted women friends with whom I can talk honestly and show my dark and messy sides, I now look back on the friends of my youth with a clearer eye.  It was my girlfriends upon whom I first tested the strategies of what would someday become my grown-up relationships at slumber parties where we whispered to the night sky our deepest desires and fears. Like Grace, those early friendships are important artifacts that reveal precious information to me about myself.

About The Author 

Jordan E. Rosenfeld


Website | Goodreads | Twitter



Jordan E. Rosenfeld learned early on that people prefer a storyteller to a know-it-all. She channeled any Hermione-esque tendencies into a career as a writing coach, editor and freelance journalist and saves the Tall Tales for her novels. She earned her MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and is the author of the books, Make A Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books) and Write Free! Attracting the Creative Life with Rebecca Lawton (BeijaFlor Books). Jordan’s essays and articles have appeared in such publications as AlterNet.org Publisher’s Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle, The St. Petersburg Times, The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazine. Her book commentaries have appeared on The California Report, a news-magazine produced by NPR-affiliate KQED radio. She lives in Northern California with her Batman-obsessed son and Psychologist husband.

Monday 25 February 2013

Know Me Better (KMB)



Know Me Better is a new weekly feature hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer. Weekly, Kathy will post 5 questions (from Author Interview Questions) which she will personally answer. Participants can do the same by either commenting on Kathy's Know Me Better post for the week or by doing a blog post like I have and link to it at  the end of this post. 


1. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? 

US, Paris and Venice, in no particular order.

2. Favorite Literary Characters? 

I don't really have any favourites. Here's a link to my Top Ten Tuesday where I noted 10 favorite characters from the Paranormal genre.

3. In your wildest dreams, which Author would you love to co-author a book with? 

Maggie Stiefvater, Isobelle Carmody and Melina Marchetta. 

4. Things that bring a smile to your face? 

Being in love, family and friends and good memories. 

5. Do you have a favorite saying? 

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle, I just wish he didn't trust me so much
~ Mother Teresa


Review ~ The Moonsongs Series by EJ Wesley {Giveaway}


Welcome to Paperback Princess' stop for The Moonsongs Series tour, hosted by CBB Book Promotions. I'm so very excited as this is the first tour I've participated in that was for an entire series...well so far anyway. In my stop you'll find my review for Blood Fugue (Moonsongs #1) and Witch's Nocturne (Moonsongs #2) and of course fantastic giveaways! There are not one but TWO giveaways, so TWICE the chance and the tour wide prize is HUGE! So don't miss out. Please follow the remaining stops, tour schedule can be found here.

About The Books




Title: Blood Fugue
Author: E.J. Wesley
Series: Moonsongs #1



Blood Fugue (Moonsongs, Book 1)


“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”

Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried. 

Life has pummeled her heart into one big, lonely callus. She has no siblings, both parents were dead by sixteen, and her last grandparent—and caretaker—was in the ground before she turned twenty-one. She’s the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thinks…

“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.

”Suddenly, instead of burying it with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.



Title: Witch's Nocturne
Author: E.J. Wesley
Series: Moonsongs #2

Buy It Now: Smashwords | Barnes & NobleAmazon


Witch's Nocturne (Moonsongs Book 2)

After receiving an ancient tribal journal from her grandfather, Jenny is sent on a mission of discovery in an attempt to unravel clues to her family's monster hunting past. The journey becomes more than academic when she is asked to confront a coven of dangerous witches who plan to cast an insidious spell on the plains of West Texas. 


Witch's Nocturne is the second of the Moonsongs Books, a series of paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley. These stories contain language and content better suited for mature readers.



Paperback Princess Review

"Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness  for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted. For me, dwelling on the past was akin to keeping a picture of an ex-boyfriend who had cheated on me with the town whore, stolen my favourite t-shirt,and given me Chlamydia. There'd be no value in holding onto that kind of torment. Personally, if I bumped into yesterday at the grocery store, I'd punch it in it's shitty face and take my shirt back."
That was the first paragraph of Blood Fugue, seriously...who can't continue to read on from there. This paragraph had me in absolute stitches. 

Jenny Schmidt is quite alone in this world, her parents have both passed and her last Guardian, her Grandmother had also recently passed. She hadn't known any other relatives until her Grandfather, Billy Moonsong, Facebook messaged her. The arrival of Jenny's Grandfather is what Blood Fugue is about, the tumultuous journey that changes Jenny's life forever. 

Blood Fugue is the first book in the Moonsongs Series. The series is about the Moonsongs, an Apache tribe of monster hunters! When Jenny's Grandfather contacts her for help, she is thrust from her boring life into a paranormal world she didn't know existed. 

This first book in the series was over before it even began, it was more of an introduction into the new world that Jenny is entering. Don't let the fact that it's an introduction fool you, it was still filled with action and a very surprising ending that really has you wanting to grab the next book immediately. Lucky for me (thanks to the Author and Candace from CBB) I was able to grab Witch's Nocturne straight away.

Witch's Nocturne commences where Blood Fugue left off. Jenny is inspired to start an online paranormal investigation business, after all, she's part of the Moonsong tribe, some of the best monster hunters blood runs through her veins. This book is about Jenny's first clientele, IpsWitch, and their first investigation. IpsWitch's coven is planning to taint the water supply of Jenny's town. The coven wants revenge on the town they held responsible for the burning of one of their founders,  Felicia. 

Witch's Nocturne like Blood Fugue is fast-paced, straight to the point but still filled with mystery, twists and turns and an explosive ending. The story has you turning the pages quicker than you can finish reading the last sentence. Things are not what it seems and all these elements are what made me enjoy this book maybe even slightly more than Blood Fugue, I'm guessing that's because I already knew the characters. Witch's Nocturne did not waste any time, it went straight to the plot of the story.

The Moonsong series are written as short individual stories with the same main characters. Each story has a fairly conclusive ending with no major cliff hangers. The writing is fantastic and I wish that EJ Wesley will write an entire novel as I just couldn't get enough of this story! Blood Fugue and Witch's Nocturne are both fun, fast-paced reads, well written and the adventure and mystery level are perfection. Both books are straight to the point with the story and the ending coming far too soon for my liking...yes you heard right, I wish that these books were longer than what they were. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the consecutive books in the series. 

Loved It! A Must Read!



About the Author





Born and raised in Oklahoma, E.J. grew up in a land of good earth and better people. He holds degrees in psychology and counseling, but prefers to spend his time in the heads of imaginary people to real ones. He writes and lives in South Texas, and loves to chat about movies, books, music, food, and family.

~ Giveaway ~  


This is one special tour as there is not one, but TWO giveaways! 

Giveaway 1 ~ TWO winners will win TWO ebooks; a copy of Blood Fugue AND Witch's Nocturne each. For your chance to win, just comment below and tell me:

a) What appealed to you in this tour post that made you want to read The Moonsongs series?
b) How do you like these types fo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This tour is presented to you by



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