Sunday, March 31, 2013

Infernal Machines Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway!


Today, I'm posting for the Infernal Machines Blog Tour! Infernal Machines is written by Will Millar and I'll be posting the blurb for the book, my review, and a giveaway!

The Blurb:

Paulie and Stoner aren’t bad seeds; they’re just a little too smart for their own good. They stole their first car in kindergarten, and as for the homemade rocket launcher in Stoner’s garage … well, it’s best just not to ask.

With 9th grade just around the corner, Paulie and Stoner find themselves on the wrong side of some real bad kids, an older band of w​hite supremacists that go by the name of “Twisted Cross.” When a rumble at a high school keg party turns fatal, it sets off a chain of events that test the limits of Paulie and Stoner’s friendship, and their very sanity.

Welcome to Chapel Harbor, a town where everybody buries their secrets deep, and nobody is quite who they seem. A town where the ghost of a serial killer known as The Junkman is rumored to stalk the woods at night, and where an unassuming magic shop and its mysterious proprietor, Arthur Cardiff, may possess the key to an ancient and terrible evil.

Packed with hairpin turns and twists that will keep you guessing until the very last page, Infernal Machines is a blood drenched, adrenaline fueled, roller-coaster of a horror story that’s at once a paean to the Pulp Horror classics of the early 80’s and a meditation on the enduring power of friendship.

Available Now:
Amazon
All other formats

My Review:

Infernal Machines has a lot of elements to it. It's a long book, but the author keeps you interested with action, mystery, horror and the P.O.V. switches help too.

The characters: There is a large cast of characters, but I feel that they each were developed very well. Getting into their heads is easy when you can see things from their P.O.V.  Each character has a whole world of their own while they are simultaneously dealing with the strange happenings in their town.

The setting: The town almost seems like a character on it's own. The setting is described so that you can understand the type of world these characters are living in and easily picture the town in your head.

The story: Infernal Machines is filled with a lot of different elements, as I said above. There is a lot going on, but I feel that the way the story is told, it's easy to keep up with everything. It takes talent to work so much into a story, yet still have your reader be able to keep up and Will Millar has this talent.

The action: This story has some great action and these scenes are written very well. The book as a whole is written well, but the action scenes are some of my favorites.

Overall I'd recommend this to those who like horror from 20-30 years ago. It seems to be set in that time period or before and that is also another great thing about the book. I'm going to give it four stars, just because I felt the length could have been cut down a bit and there were also some minor editing mistakes peppered through-out. Nothing that really detracts from the story or writing, just things like double words, transposed words and some little oddities here and there that could have been caught with one last read-through.

The Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Find the Will Millar on Twitter or on his blog!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

You've read paranormal fiction, but have you watched paranormal non-fiction?

I have something really exciting planned for you today! This week, I interviewed the founder of a team of paranormal investigators that are based in my home state, Nebraska!

T.R.I.P., short for Tri-City Research and Investigation of the Paranormal, is a team from Hastings, Nebraska who have traveled all around the state to investigate strange happenings and tales of ghosts.

I've visted their website many times, and I've found that this team remains very professional and truthful. Nothing is staged and everything is real. At the end of each video you'll either see that they have declared the investigation site haunted, or declare that they were unable to gather sufficient evidence of a haunting and must return to the site at a later date to try to gather more evidence.

Here are my questions, and the answers from the founder, Nate Raterman:




[Me] First, can you tell us a little about your team and what you do?


[Nate] Well to start off, I'm Nate Raterman and I'm the founder of our team, Tri-City Research and Investigation of the Paranormal (T.R.I.P.) We started back in 2009 in Hastings, NE. We are a team of paranormal researchers that conduct paranormal investigations for free to educate the community by providing truthful facts and evidence to our clients and the public.


[Me] So, what kind of equipment do you use?


[Nate] We have lots of equipment that we use such as a DVR system with 8 IR Cams for darkness, KII meters, Audio recorders, Video cameras, Digital cameras, Laser grids, EMF meters and much more!


[Me] What are the most common types of evidence of activity?


[Nate] Intelligent haunting, they interact by: opening a door, footsteps, voices, things being moved.


[Me] How long do you spend at an investigation site on average?


[Nate] 7 to 10 hrs


[Me] What goes though your mind as you investigate these places?


[Nate] To keep an open mind and see if anything can be disproved.


[Me] If you were offered your own television show on a major network channel, would you do it? Why or why not?


[Nate] Yes, I would under TRIP guide lines. TV shows like to fake some things and the only way we would ever go on TV would be if it's done by providing truthful facts and evidence to the viewers.


[Me] So, what got you started in paranormal investigations?


[Nate] I had a paranormal experience years ago, I was living in a old home and seen a figure and since then I have been wanting to find out more and to show everyone else.


[Me] In all of your experiences, which one has shown you the most compelling evidence that the paranormal exists?


[Nate] Well there are many that we have been on that have shown compelling evidence but the main one would be the Arrow Hotel in Broken Bow NE We got a figure on film and many personal experiences such as seeing shadow figures and things being moved etc.


Check out the video from the Arrow Hotel in Broken Bow, Nebraska:



For more videos and info, visit the T.R.I.P. website at www.tripparanormal.com.

You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/trip.para

Follow them on twitter at: @Ghosthuntersneb

. . . and "stalk" them on Tumblr: http://tripparanormalteam.tumblr.com/

Oh and don't forget about their newly renovated blog! http://trip-paranormal.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Ruby: A Mystic Stones Jewel Release Day Blitz!

Ruby: A Mystic Stones Jewel is now available! Ruby is a short story companion to the novel Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1 and can be read before or after the novel. The story will be listed at $.99, but I will be offering FREE copies for anyone interested. First, I'll post the blurbs for Ruby and Obsidian, then a little teaser from Ruby and last but not least, 4 ways to get Ruby for FREE!




Ruby: A Mystic Stones Jewel

Attraction pulls Ava Tanner to her client Tom Walker, but her professionalism prevents her from making any moves.
Tom wants Ava in more ways than one and his desires are almost too much to keep inside. He needs her, but he doesn't want to scare her away for fear of angering the council.
Will the spark between Ava and Tom turn into something more, or will Ava allow it to fizzle out?

Available Now
Amazon
Smashwords




Obsidian: Mystic Stones Series #1

Ava Tanner finds herself in a world without satellite technology in a time of GPS, Smart Phones and Tablets. When she discovers that a corporation headed by vampires with a sinister motive is to blame, her world is turned upside-down. After a narrow escape, she learns a mystical secret about herself that could aide her in her fight against the vampires. Unfortunately, the vampires see her either as a valuable asset or a target for destruction.
When the world is on the brink of complete social and technological devastation, one must ask themselves: Would I give up my blood for the modern ideal way of life, or will I wage war with the overlords of chaos?
Available Now



Here is a  little teaser from Ruby:



The metal elevator doors glided open to the luxurious seventeenth floor of the Herrick-Peyton building. Fresh, colorful hibiscus flowers welcomed Ava as she stepped into the reception area. She glanced around and made eye contact with the man she was looking for: Tom Walker. His face lit up when he saw her, and his handsome grin made Ava’s own smile spread across her face.

“Miss Tanner, what brings you up to the seventeenth floor?” Mr. Walker asked.

“Well, it’s been almost a year since you signed your last lease, and since you seem so comfortable up here, I thought I’d bring up the renewal papers,” Ava said as she looked around the lobby.

“Wonderful! Let’s step into my office, shall we? I’ll sign them right away. Otherwise, they’ll get lost on my desk.”

Ava nodded and followed Tom to his office. He stopped short and let her enter first as he gently placed a hand on the small of her back. Butterflies erupted in her stomach.

He closed the door behind them and gestured at one of the guest chairs while taking the packet of papers from her. She could smell his cologne as he approached her. It reminded her of rain and fresh cut grass. He took a seat behind his large desk, which shined in the sunlight from the window behind him.

“So the papers would get lost on your desk, huh?” Ava asked.

“Well, I might have exaggerated a bit,” he replied. Silence followed as he flipped through the pages of the lease.

He cleared his throat, “So, since I’m signing papers—”

“Oh, no. Let’s not start that, Mr. Walker. You know I can’t work for you,” Ava said, before he got the question out.

“How did you know?” He grinned.

“You ask me every time we see each other.”

“I wish we would see each other more often. Then maybe I would wear you down.”

“I just don’t think I’d fit in at Psytech, and I like where I am now,” Ava replied.

Tom sighed. “I know you do. I just can’t figure out why.”

The pen dragged on the last page of the renewal papers as Tom signed his name with a flourish. He stood and rounded the desk with a predatory look on his face. It was one that Ava had seen often. She couldn’t convince herself it was only the look of a man who wanted her to work for him. To her, it sometimes seemed that he wanted so much more. She took a deep breath as he came closer. She was about to stand, but he surprised her by sitting in the guest seat next to her.

“I hope that one day you will say yes to me. Psytech could really use you—I could really use you.”


There are four ways you can get Ruby for free and these offers will stand for an UNLIMITED TIME. Here is how to get Ruby for free:

Leave a review of Obsidian.
Buy Obsidian.
Post about Obsidian/Ruby on your blog.
Post about Obsidian/Ruby on Facebook or Twitter everyday for one week.

Just pick one of the options above and fill out this form:




About the Author: Kayla Curry
Kayla Curry, author of Obsidian: The Mystic Stones Series, lives in North Platte, Nebraska with her husband and two children.

She likes spending time with family and friends when she’s not writing or marketing.

Her other hobbies include reading and arts and crafts. You can visit her website at http://sites.google.com/site/kaylacurryauthor/ to keep up on her progress in the Mystic Stones Series.

Links to Kayla Curry:
Website
Blog

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Release Day Blitz! Gateway to Reality by Becca J. Campbell!

Today I'm hosting Becca J. Campbell for her release day! Gateway to Reality is available now! I must say that I'm reading this book right now and I'm so impressed thus far! See my review on April 8th as part of the Gateway to Reality Blog Tour! Be sure to enter the giveaway too and do the scavenger hunt starting on April 1st!!

Gateway to Reality: A Mind-Bending Urban Fantasy Tale by Becca J. Campbell



I’m thrilled to announce the publication of my second novel, Gateway to Reality, now available at Amazon US and Amazon UK. Keep reading for a chance to win one of three prize packs!

Gateway to Reality

Here’s a little more about the story:
Talented artists shouldn’t be waiting tables, scraping by, and living mediocre lives. But that’s exactly what art school graduate Wes Teague is doing.

Then he wakes from a bizarre dream, haunted by the sense that his life isn't real. A harrowing truth presents itself—the real world lies in his dreams, not when he's wide awake.

The dream world he enters each night is rich and vibrant. Chicago appears the same on the surface, but chaos runs rampant as gravity, physics, and other laws of nature become fluid, changing unexpectedly. There, Wes's parents, brother, and sister are strangers. His girlfriend Emily doesn’t recognize him. Wes longs to return, to unlearn the truth about his dual reality.

Wes would sacrifice almost anything to get back to blissful ignorance in a false world.

But now he has feelings for the real Emily.

The Matrix Meets Inception

This book explores ideas similar to two of my favorite movies, though it wasn’t directly inspired by either. Dreams are key in the story, as is the idea of two worlds—one that’s real and one that isn’t. Gateway to Reality merges the two concepts and fuses them together with good dose of romance in a way that is fresh and vibrant.
Genre-wise, Gateway to Reality is a New Adult novel that walks the line between Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. It is a topsy-turvy, reality-bending, relationship-driven tale that explores the relationship between truth and fantasy.

Giveaway

I’m giving away several prizes to celebrate the book’s release. The Grand Prize is a Chicago-theme prize pack and it will include:
  • An autographed paperback of Gateway to Reality
  • A journal with an artistic representation of Chicago on the cover
  • A Cloud Gate button
  • A Gateway to Reality button
  • Three postcards: Gateway to Reality, Cloud Gate, and Crown Fountain
The Second Prize is:
  • An autographed paperback of Gateway to Reality
  • Gateway to Reality postcard
The Third Prize is the full Becca J. Campbell ebook library (your choice of Kindle or ePub version):
  • Gateway to Reality ebook
  • Foreign Identity ebook
  • Not the Norm (Sub-Normal #1) ebook
  • Unmasked Alloy (Sub-Normal #2) ebook

Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour

You can enter the giveaway now, but to really amp up your odds at snatching one of these prize packs, bookmark this page and come back in a week to check out each site along the blog tour. Follow the schedule below: collect a clue at each stop on the correct day and put them all together to reveal the answer. Plug that into the giveaway below to win TEN BONUS ENTRIES.
April 5th Write for Life
April 6th S.M. Boyce
April 10th Jade Kerrion
April 12th Now is Gone
April 15th FU Only Knew
April 17th Sarcasm and Lemons
April 18th Brandon R. Luffman
Good luck!


Where to find Becca

Thursday, March 21, 2013

After the Fear Blog Tour: Review and Excerpt!

I have had the opportunity to read a very good book recently. It's not paranormal, but you might want to check it out anyways, especially if you are a fan of The Hunger Games. The title of the book is After the Fear by Rosanne Rivers. This novel is set in a Dystopian world that is described by the author in a way that makes you feel like you're there. Before we jump head-first into the review, let's read the blurb and the excerpt.

Blurb:


You have not attended a Demonstration this month.

In Sola’s city, everyone obeys the rules. Stay away from the trigger cameras and regularly update your Debtbook, and you just might survive. But having to watch the way criminals are dealt with—murdered by Demonstrators in the Stadium—is a law Sola tries to avoid. When a charming Demonstrator kisses her at a party, however, she’s thrust into the Stadium and forced into the very role she despises.

Armed with only natural resourcefulness and a caring nature, Sola narrowly survives her first bout. Her small success means she’s whisked off to a training camp, where she discovers a world beyond the trigger cameras and monitoring—a world where falling in love with a killer doesn’t seem so terrible.

Yet life as a Demonstrator has no peace. Sola must train her way through twenty-five more Demonstrations before she can return home to her father. At the end of each battle, only one survivor remains.

Sola could face anyone in the Stadium . . . even a loved one.

Buy:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
All other formats

Excerpt:


The low voice sends sharp impulses through me. I jolt up, trying to find purchase with my hands on the trampoline. They skid on the leaves, making my whole body bounce. After what seems like an age of making a fool of myself, the springs steady and I look out toward the voice. The outline of the Demonstrator’s jagged hair is silhouetted from the lights of the house. He stands at the edge of the trampoline, facing me.

‘You startled me,’ I tell him. Witty, I know, but it’s all I can think of.

His eyes are on me once again, and I get that same gasping excitement he stirred in me earlier. I try, unsuccessfully, to lean back onto the trampoline with grace.

‘Aye, but you scared me too,’ he replies.

‘How on earth did I scare you?’ I hope he doesn’t notice the wobble in my voice or that my breathing hasn’t calmed yet. He moves around the trampoline, getting closer.

‘Well.’ The leaves rustle once more. The trampoline dips slightly. Risking a glimpse over, I see he’s leaning both elbows on the surface, palms cupping his face. ‘I saw you jumping around with all those leaves and I thought you were being attacked by some sort of bush monster.’
I laugh a little too hard.

‘So you came out here to rescue me then?’

‘Hmm. Unfortunately, I came out here to rescue myself.’

Ah, Coral and her gaggle. No doubt they’re scouring the house to try and find him right now.

‘She’s not that bad really,’ I say. I don’t know why I’m defending her, but I know how horrible it is to like someone only for them to dismiss me.

‘I think you’re being kind, Sola.’

He remembers my name. The sound of it in his voice makes my skin tingle, like every hair on my body is jumping up. For some reason, I’m not even surprised that he’s nothing like the other people from Victor. I wonder what they say about our city where he’s from.

Dylan pats the surface beside me.

‘Can I?’

I swallow and shuffle over. Suddenly I don’t know what to do with my body. How was I lying before? Everything seems unnatural; nothing fits into place like I want it to. Thankfully, he doesn’t lie down, just sits up near my head, his legs dangling over the edge. He brings with him the faint smell of dirt and metal. I sense his eyes are on mine so I look directly ahead, acting as though I don’t notice.

‘Grand night, isn’t it?’ he asks. I keep my gaze upwards. I can’t believe a killer is making small talk with me. Then again, he doesn’t act like a killer. Ignoring him would be rude.

‘It would be nicer if we could see the stars.’

‘Aye. You’re not wrong there.’ He tilts his head back so I take the opportunity to glance over. His wild brown hair sprouts in layered tufts, sticking out in an adorable way. His cheekbones are high, his jaw set, and those deep blue eyes look through such long, thin eyelashes. His only imperfection is what looks like a twice-broken nose. Unfairly, it makes him more beautiful.

Without warning, he brings his gaze back to me. I let my lips part in surprise, unable to take my eyes from his. Maybe it’s the leaves which surround us, the night which hides us away, but when he whispers that maybe one day he could show me the stars, I close my eyes.

His lips are on mine.

I don’t have time to think, I just move my mouth gently. He tastes sweet and bitter all at once.

With a jolt in my stomach, my senses kick in. What on earth am I doing? One sweet line and I’m kissing a stranger? I push him off me in a violent movement and sit up straight, my breathing quick and shallow.

His eyes dart around wildly. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was—you just looked so—ah. I’m sorry.’ He grabs the edge of the trampoline and pushes himself off in a fluid motion, before turning to me once more. His mouth opens. Nothing comes out. Eventually, he runs his hand through his hair and hurries back inside.

For the second time tonight, I’ve been left alone. But for the first time in my life, I’ve been kissed. I touch my bottom lip. When I look up, I swear I see two stars twinkling in the distance.

The stars move. An outline solidifies and Coral steps out from the shadows. She stares at me with eyes so narrow all of the light I saw before disappears.

A moment later she stalks back inside the house and it’s as if I had never seen her at all. Yet I know I’m going to pay for my kiss with the Demonstrator.

A million different words jam into my mind, vying for my attention. Demonstrator, killer, murderer, sweet-talker, party-goer, rule breaker?

Or maybe, a strange part of my brain murmurs, just Dylan.

Review:

This book was on my mind so much as I read it; I actually had a dream about it.

Let's start with the characters:
Sola is likable, caring and smart. She makes some mistakes along the way, but that just shows the reader that no one is perfect.
Dylan is also likable. He's strong and we don't always know what is going on in his head, but we know he always has a plan. His character is also very consistent and he's unlike any other hero I've read. I love it.
Coral is the antagonist. Obviously, we hate her from the get go and she proves to be evil over and over again.
As for the rest of the characters, they all seemed very real.

The story and pace:
The story is unique. Even though it is similar to The Hunger Games in some ways, it's also very different. A world of politics and secrets is behind the scenes and we occasionally get a glimpse at it through Coral's father and Shepherd Fines.
The twists that happen both in Sola's life and in the demonstrations are creative and well-thought out by the author. There is so much going on, but the way that Rosanne Rivers writes makes it easy to understand.
Pacing was perfect. The story moved along at just the right speed.

The writing:
I thought the writing was great. One thing that threw me off at first was the use of single quotes instead of double, but I quickly got used to that and didn't even notice it by the end of the book. The romance scenes were great, the action scenes were great and everything in between was great!

The ending:
I did foresee part of the ending, but I feel that it was the only ending for this book. There were a few pieces of the puzzle that kept me guessing and made the ending very enjoyable

Overall, I would give this book 5 stars. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes dystopian, romance, action, science fiction or books like The Hunger Games.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Dark Dates By Tracey Sinclair: Excerpt Feature


Happy Monday everyone! Today we're hosting Tracey Sinclair and her very interesting book, Dark Dates. Check out the blurb and read the excerpt because this book looks really good!

BLURB:

All Cassandra Bick wants is to be left to get on with doing her job. But when you’re a Sensitive whose business is running a dating agency for vampires, life is never going to be straightforward – especially when there’s a supernatural war brewing in London, a sexy new bloodsucker in town and your mysterious, homicidal and vampire hating ex-lover chooses this moment to reappear in your life…

Witty, sharp and entertaining, Dark Dates is a heady mix of vampires, witches and werewolves – with the occasional angel thrown in – and introduces Cassandra Bick, a likeable heroine destined to join the ranks of fantasy’s feistiest females.

Dark Dates is Book 1 in the Cassandra Bick Chronicles. Book 2, Wolf Night, has just been published.

Excerpt from Dark Dates:

SO, WE’VE all seen Buffy, right? I mean, you didn’t pick this up because the shop was out of Jane Austen and this looked like the next best thing. It’s just that this story will go a whole lot faster if I don’t have to spend too much time convincing you of the whole ‘they walk among us’ scenario, and we can all just accept it and move on.

Don’t believe me? Just look around you. OK, not so much if you’re sitting reading this on the sofa on a Sunday night – though that might not be a bad idea. Was that a shadow I saw there? (Made you look, right?) But if you’re sitting on the bus or the tube or in the office canteen, take a good look around you and tell me, hand on heart, that everyone you see is 100% human. You’re honestly saying you’ve never wondered? Look at them. Really look. Properly, go on, risk it, they won’t be paying any attention to you anyway; they’re too busy trying to pass as normal. Come on, don’t some of them look a little… undead, maybe? Witchy? A little less than normal? A bit… Other?

Of course, it’s easier for me. I’m what you’d call – if you were in a generous mood and we’d got past all the denial and the labels like ‘nutter’, ‘delusionist’ and ‘freak’ – a Sensitive. With a capital S, if you don’t mind, because I didn’t go through all this crap for all these years to be lower case. What’s a Sensitive? Well, it’s probably easier to tell you what it’s not. I can’t give you the lottery numbers or put you in touch with your dead aunty Betty, and you won’t see me doing mindreading tricks on TV anytime soon. But I can walk into a room and know it’s haunted. I can look into someone’s eyes and know they are a bad, bad person, even if I’ll never be able to articulate why. What it means, in a nutshell, is that when you look at the woman with the saggy grey skin and the cracked fingernails and the slightly red eyes and you’re wondering if, now that I mention it, there isn’t something a little weird about her, or if she’s just another zoned out commuter, one of life’s lost losers with more on her plate to worry about than skincare and a manicure, I would know. Don’t ask me how. I don’t understand the physics or the history of it – as far as I’m aware, I come from a long line of Normals, with nary a sixth sense between them, but there’s no one left anymore I can ask. Like most people I’ve got my own backstory but I’m not sure I know you well enough yet to share. But trust me on this one thing – I’d know. It’s not her, by the way. It’s the guy at the back in the suit.

I’m in my office. As these things go, it’s quite a nice office – small, of course, because I’m always on a budget, but well-located and tastefully if slightly blandly furnished. The windows may only look out onto the other side of the street, but they are large and let in a lot of light. Not now, of course, because this meeting, like most of my work, is taking place at night.

“So, tell me a little about yourself.”

He’s nervous, but that’s not unusual: most first timers are. Scared of what they’re telling me, scared of what I’ll say, scared that this is all some elaborate set up and I am biding my time, waiting to spring a trap. He folds and refolds his pale hands in his lap, looking up at me through an unfairness of lashes that are as long and dark as a girl’s.

“Um, I like the cinema. Westerns, action movies. I like Clint Eastwood. The older ones.”

I nod, my professional smile glued firmly in place. Though my Sense is buzzing slightly, it’s not in alarm: there’s nothing here to worry about except that, in his anxiety, he might knock something over and break it.

“OK, that’s good. Anything else?”

“Books. History books.”

I nod again, encouraging. I have his file open beside me – despite being a few months shy of my 29th birthday, I’m fairly old school in some ways and I like to do everything in hard copy first – and he’s looking at my pen like it’s some sort of weapon. Then again, it is silver, so that’s not an entirely incorrect assumption.

“OK. How old are you, exactly?”

“Um, do I have to say… exactly?”

I try my best to look unthreatening, but I’ve been holding this ‘harmless and professional’ smile so long that my face is starting to hurt, slightly.

“A ballpark figure usually helps.”

His head bobs, as if accepting the reasonableness of this, then he runs a slightly shaking hand over his face.

He’s not quite handsome – there’s an almost crooked slant to his features – but he’s not unattractive, with boyish looks and skin so smooth you could believe he had never had to shave.

“OK. Um… 60. About 60.”

It’s my turn to nod: I’m not surprised, that’s the age I tend to cater for. Not so old to be stuck in their ways, not so young they don’t need me. I make another note on my file, and he winces at the sound of the pen scratching on paper.

“And do you have a particular type of person you’d be interested in?”

“A girl, obviously.” A short, embarrassed laugh. “Well, not obviously, these days, I suppose. But yes, a girl. Blonde, or brunette or… well, it doesn’t matter. Colour… of skin, I mean… that doesn’t matter, either. But maybe… a bit older? I mean, older than I look?”

I laugh kindly, still trying to put him at ease, though I am starting to think that particular task is beyond me. No wonder he needs my help.

“I’m sure we can find a nice cougar for you.”

I’m not sure he understands my terminology, but like a puppy he is soothed by my tone, and he nods again in sheer relief that this part of his ordeal is over. Part of me is wondering how he managed to stay alive at all over the last few decades. He watches me fill in his form as if I am signing his death warrant – a not uncommon reaction. They tend not to like things being written down.

“Anything else?”

He pauses, frowns, then licks his lips, before leaning forward slightly as if confiding a terrible, embarrassing secret.

“Um… O positive?”

I nodded and made a note.





Trailer:



Author Bio:

Tracey Sinclair works as freelance copywriter, editor and legal directories consultant.  A diverse and slightly wandering career has included writing factsheets for small businesses, creating web content for law firms, subtitling film and TV and editing one of the UK’s largest legal directories. A keen blogger, she regularly writes for online theatre site Exeunt and science fiction site Unleash the Fanboy and her blog Body of a Geek Goddess was shortlisted in the Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards 2011. Her work has been published in a number of magazines and anthologies and her short play Bystanders was premiered in 2011 as part of the CP Players New Writing Season at Baron’s Court Theatre, London. She has published two small press books (Doll and No Love is This, both Kennedy & Boyd) and is now dipping a toe in the digital self-publishing world with her new urban fantasy novel, Dark Dates.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Merkabah Recruit by L.Z. Marie: Feature and Excerpt!




Today I'm hosting L.Z. Marie and her book The Merkabah Recruit. I've posted the blurb and an excerpt from this awesome paranormal book!


Blurb for The Merkabah Recruit:


Myth, history, and science collide in this sassy-smart paranormal suspense!

 A fresh kill. An ancient evil. And the only person capable of preventing the next murder is an unwitting and anxiety-prone recruit.

Divorced, depressed, and dissertation-less, Daphne Sites is stunned to learn that a unique empathic ability allows her to identify otherworldly life. So when a mystical organization asks for her help, it’s difficult to refuse.

Serik Jalani is the man who must convince the reluctant recruit to assume an awesome mantle of responsibility. There’s only one way to do this. Reel her in slowly.

Except Daphne suspects Serik is not being entirely truthful. About the organization. About the mission. About his identity.

As Daphne attempts to keep her new life secret from two sassy sisters, one jealous ex-husband, and her Bimbo-Barbie neighbor, she struggles to embrace the mysteries of a cosmic technology and realize her own self-worth.

If Daphne hopes to stop the murderer she must first confront her biggest problem. Herself.

At a time when recent theories like Quantum physics confirms the existence of the fantastical, The Merkabah Recruit flirts with the links between treasured legend and scientific possibility. A story that blurs the shadowy line between myth and fact.

It's the first in a 5-part series.

Available Now on Amazon!


Here is an Excerpt from the book:

I've included a scene from the middle of the novel. The first 8 chapters are also posted on my website ( www.lzmarieauthor.com)

The creature gazed hungrily at an adolescent female who staggered down the dark residential street. Marveling at human recklessness, he tracked the youth, noting the headphones in her ears and the faltering gait of the inebriated.

The creature did not comprehend a human’s proclivity to intoxicate or anesthetize oneself. Blood alcohol level on this prey was minimal and the contamination could be rectified. Sweet, young, practically unpolluted, unsullied by years of chemical additives and contagions. The creature could not resist. An easy mark. Another  teenager who disappears without a trace.

The creature swooped down, landing lightly on the ground behind her. The girl, music blasting from her headphones, was oblivious. With a quick movement, he grabbed the girl by her ponytail, clamped a hand over her mouth, and dragged her into the bushes.

Feisty, this one, the creature thought, as his victim struggled and thrashed about.

A quick punch to the stomach took all the fight out of her. He slapped duct tape over her mouth and bound her wrists together. Annoyed by her whimpering, the creature smashed her skull against the concrete sidewalk; his mouth watering from the metallic scent of blood as it oozed from her head.

After hoisting her over his shoulder, he ascended high into the sky before heading toward the beach. Moments later, he deposited the young girl on the damp sand. Awake now, the girl began to stir and moan. Her horror increased as she became conscious, her head rolling back and forth, as the creature lifted up her shirt and used a knife to slice away a lacy bra. Wide eyes followed the blue blade as it traced the skin above her left breast, blood flowing from the shallow incision. Bending over, the creature delicately licked the blood from her breast, savoring every drop of the precious fluid. Annoyed that her silent screams ruined his enjoyment, he decided to finish his task. With the next cut, he opened the chest cavity.

Containers secured and filled with the organs, he grasped the dead girl by one ankle and flew skyward. Several miles out to sea, he let go.

The body of the young woman would never be found.


Author bio:
 I'm an author, blogger, wife, mother, dog-owner, and an International Baccalaureate Language Arts teacher.

I love wine, chocolate, ice cream, cheese, cheese puffs ( see the trend?), and ethnic food–from Indian to Ecuadorian to Greek to Italian. Actually, I just love food!  Exercise? Not so much. The treadmill sits in the garage and I manage to get on it a few times a week while watching Bones on NETFLIX.

I’ve always been amazed by the links between ancient history and mythology. The two are so closely intertwined we don’t often make a distinction between them. And modern scientific theories only continue to prove the existence of the weird and fantastical!

An avid reader, I savor well crafted, witty prose that makes me laugh, challenges conventionality, and stirs the imagination. An intriguing mystery-thriller, historical fiction, or urban fantasy will have me reading into the wee hours of the night.

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Monday, March 11, 2013

Embraced by Darlene Jones! Excerpt and Feature!

Hello! Are you paranormal fans also fans of aliens? Well, if you are, today is your lucky day. I'm hosting the book Embraced, by Darlene Jones. Take a look at the blurb and then an excerpt from the book!

EMBRACED by Darlene Jones





The Blurb:

When Principal, Abby Davies, shows Curtis a page of scribbles and asks him to try to figure it out, Curtis isn’t sure what to think. He likes Miss D and all. She isn’t too bad for a school teacher. You can talk to her and she doesn’t make fun. But, sheesh, a secret code from aliens? That’s just too scifi for him. To keep her happy, he says he’ll help. Thing is, once he starts studying the scribbles, he can see messages.

Coder Guy, as Abby calls whoever is sending the messages, wants her to fix things. What things? Abby and Curtis find the answer when letters with Abby’s signature appear in newspaper offices. The things asked for come true. But, who’s writing the letters? Coder Guy?Or Abby?

Then the reporter shows up. What is a war correspondent doing in their little town? He says he loves Abby, but he sells her story to the world; her face splashed over every television and computer screen. The next day Miss D and Curtis are the only ones who remember the reports.

That’s when real fear sets in.

Meanwhile, Yves, who fell in love with Em, has loved her through her life as Jasmine, still loves her in this life as Abby. He fumes as one of the rookie gods fumbles communication with her. Once again, Yves breaks the rules to help Abby, but with deadly results.

The Excerpt:
 
“More drawings?” Curtis gestured at the papers she held.
 
Abby looked down at the pages and willed her hand to stop trembling. The three pages of code drawings seemed to shimmer and shiver with a life of their own. “Yes. Three pages. From Friday, Saturday, and last night. They’re pretty … they’re … pretty well done, I’d say.”
 
But Curtis was no longer listening. He waved the papers she’d just handed him and almost shouted with excitement. “These are amazing. Way better than the first drawing you brought us.”
 
Abby stifled a small grin, but she had to agree. The drawings outclassed her scratches a million times over. “My friend developed instant artistic talent.”
 
“I’ll say.” Curtis shuffled the pages back and forth. He shook his head slowly and muttered “wow” over and over. Finally he looked up at her. “Miss D, thanks for getting so many. Now we have four to compare. We’ll see if there are any repeated patterns or sequences of symbols. Your friend is great to share these with us.”
 
“No problem.” Oh God, I’m such a liar. Of course there was a problem, and not just because she was lying to Curtis. My friend. How lame was that? The mere existence of the pages was the real problem. Some nights the clickings chattered incessantly in her fillings, almost driving her crazy. Those were the nights of very little sleep. The weekend had been eerily silent. That was a new phenomenon since Friday, no clickings, instead Coder Guy had begun leaving the pages filled with drawings. Either way—no escaping the code.
 
A while back, she’d grown tired of sharpening the pencil she used each night and replaced it with a pen, which was now almost out of ink. She’d have to remember to get out a new one tonight. Or maybe not? What would happen if there was no writing utensil?
 
“What’s so funny?” Curtis asked. Abby hadn’t realized she’d laughed out loud. The lack of pen wouldn’t stop her night visitor. She stifled another burst of laughter she knew bordered on hysteria. Truth was, much as the pages of code scared her, she’d be devastated if no more came. The person—being, alien, Coder Guy—was an integral part of her life now; his existence had established a rhythm that kept her balanced. Or so she thought. Maybe she was completely off her rocker.
 
Whatever the case, she didn’t want to lose that contact. Coder Guy’s presence warmed her, kept her from feeling alone and lonely. Oh, man, I am losing it here. Really losing it.

Amazon



Find out more about Embrace and the other books in the series on Darlene's website: www.emandyves.com



Darlene Jones' Bio:

A long time ago, I lived in Mali. Every single day, I wished I could wave a magic wand to relieve the heart-wrenching poverty. The story line of my books reflects my desire to wave that wand and make the world a better place. If only wishes could come true. And of course, every novel needs its love story, so along with the sci-fi magic, I’ve added the requisite romance.

Initially, I intended to write “a” novel. The story and characters took over and the ending of the first demanded another. Two books became three and three became four.

I've always believed we can't be the only beings existing in the vastness of the universe. There must be others “out there somewhere” and I brought some of them along for the ride. The setting stays, for the most part, within the realities of our world, but I've found that I love the magic the sci-fi element of other beings can bring to the story.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Calling all paranormal authors! Guest posts needed!

I'm running out of things to write on here, so I need you guys to submit some guest posts to me. You can feature your paranormal books in any way you wish. Just send 'em over to lil87blue@hotmail.com and I'll schedule you as they come in. If you would like a certain date, feel free to request it.

I'm hoping this will jump start the blog a little. I'm really looking forward to hearing from authors of paranormal books! Thanks guys! If you are needing fresh content for your blog, I'd love to do a guest post in return, so let me know if you're looking too!

Friday, March 1, 2013

An Eternity of Roses, $.99 book for a good cause!

Hi everyone! Today I'm posting about a very important cause. An author I met on facebook is putting her book on sale for $.99 and donating 10% of that to a woman struggling with Lymphoma. The author's name is Natalie G. Owens and she is doing her part to help Vicky Rose Stewart by offering her book at a discount for one week. You can learn more about Vicky Rose Stewart, her battle and how else you can help by going to the facebook event page A Good Deed for a Friend in Need.

The book is titled An Eternity of Roses (The Valthreans, Book 1). It's a book that I think you paranormal fans will enjoy, so take a look at the blurb and pick it up on Amazon where it will be $.99.

Two lovers separated by an evil curse.
A desperate quest through time.
A love that wants to beat all odds.
And all the while, deadly danger brews around a two-thousand-year-old secret society and the enemy that lives to decimate it.
"...'Til the end of my life, I shall belong to you as your husband."

That was the promise Adrian made to Emmaline. And then, he was gone forever...
It is 1807. Adrian Segrave, Viscount Bournemouthe, and Lady Emmaline Deramore are about to wed and British Society teems with excitement at this imminent love match. But Madeleine de Brandeville, a mysterious Frenchwoman, has her lustful and ambitious sights on the groom. When she sets her cruel plan in motion, she leaves devastation in her path.

Heartbroken, Emmaline embarks on an adventure she'd never imagined having. As the world changes and chaos brews, her fate becomes linked with the Valthreans, a group of immortals who must learn to face a deadly enemy that threatens their place in the human world. But all the while, there is one thing she wants more than any other--to get back her man.

When she finally finds her prize, her worst nightmares are far from over and the toughest battle is yet to begin. Will love win the war in the end?

Disclaimer: Do not read this novel if you dislike drop dead sexy heroes, strong heroines, intriguing immortals, magic, spells, mystery, amazing adventures, exotic settings, secret cults, and sensual love scenes.



Author Bio:
Natalie G. Owens got her first taste of serious writing by penning award-winning poetry, short stories, and articles for college and local publications. She sold her first book to a small publisher in 2007 and is currently indie published. Her favorite stories to write are romances with a dark edge featuring brooding heroes, strong heroines, and a good dash of fantasy.
Social Media links:
 
One reviewer described it as “a fast-paced, loving, lovable romp through time and character and romance … with characters who are so fully fleshed that I felt they were standing beside me.”
More info and free chapter at http://bit.ly/V0eCy4
Download from:
 
The book is on sale on AMAZON for a limited time, please grab it up to help out a great cause!
 
Amazon (all territories), copy and paste: viewBook.at/B00AXLAUMO
 
Other links to buy it for $3.99
 
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/WGD7wC
All Romance eBooks: http://bit.ly/13vbYmX