Friday, March 31, 2017

BOOK TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Ren Garcia for "Turns of the Shadow Tech Goddess: The 6th Turn: Kat"



Lord Belmont’s life ended in Clovis, in the impenetrable darkness beneath the ground where forbidden rites were once held. Lady Gwendolyn was his love, body and soul, and the Demon in Blue Light killed her.

Every year, on the anniversary of Gwen’s death, he returned to Clovis to stand in the cold desolation, hearing the wind moan through the lonely passes, feeling her loss all over again.

On this anniversary, he wasn’t alone in Clovis. He heard the noises rustling in the brush. He smelled the raw river of Shadow tech. Then he saw it:

The claws …

The flicking tail …

The maniacal, glittering eyes fixed on him …

“I’ve been waiting for you,” it said in a grating voice as it attacked.

* * * * *

Far away, across the cosmos in a city of wondrous crystal towers, two people watch in horror as the desperate scene at Clovis unfolds. They had worked so hard, sacrificed so much, even argued for it before the gods. They convinced the gods they were right, that they knew best, and everything would go well.

But, things weren’t going well at Clovis.

If this situation went poorly, then ages worth of work would be lost, and, just possibly, the universe might come to an end.

 This book will be published next year,
in the meantime find all of 
 Author Ren Garcia's books, 
including the first books in this series, 
below:

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon UK


Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of
anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing.


Connect with the Author here: 

Facebook ~ Website ~ Amazon ~


~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Ren Garcia~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline? 

I can’t really pinpoint any one thing that inspired this storyline. As with most of my stories, the genesis of it takes a fair amount of time, simmering in my head in bits and pieces of clashing images for years. For all of these Shadow tech Goddess stories, I wanted to explore differing versions of Lord Belmont, usually being paired with a different love interest. I found this simple angle was problematic, as I seemed to be simply spitting out rehashes of the same story. For this tale, it was doubly so. In the beginning, I simply pulled Kat out of the pages of Book 8 and dropped her into this one “as is”. The result was flat, uninteresting, a retread of previous books and pretty much an unfulfilling read from beginning to end. I was so put-off, I considered deleting this tale several times. I set it aside and thought about it for a while. I did receive inspiration from my wife taking up running as a hobby — I thought she looked cool running in her little running clothes. Given that, I thought I had a few modifications for Kat to give her a little life. Forty thousand words later, I had completely overhauled the book. I’m pleased with the results — the changes to Kat made her a complete character and focus of the book, whereas, previously, she was a side-character.   

2) Are there any hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

I think a theme that comes up quite often is Beauty through Endurance. I wanted Kat to be a rather unassuming character, possibly a person one might pass on the street and think nothing of it. Many of my previous characters, both male and female, are exaggerated and bigger than life. I wanted Kat to be small, outwardly uninteresting and unimpressive, nothing that would generate a turned head or two. But, take a moment, and what do you see, a person driven by that rare flame, that simple call that will not yield. A person with the  unspoken strength to endure, to carry on no matter what. Just like Atha wasn’t impressed with her at first, once she had a glimpse of what was hidden under the surface, she was convinced A-Ram and Alesta had made the right choice. Professor Shurlamp was appalled with Kat — couldn’t make heads or tails of her. That theme carries on later with the whole Belmont dress fiasco, when Lord Belmont’s sisters were terminally unimpressed with Kat, but grew to respect her drive and determination very quickly.    

3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

Yeah, quite a bit. I’ll not say who in particular — don’t want to give them a big head or anything, lol. 

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

I consider Michael Moorcock my greatest influence. His writing is always uninhibited and unabashed. That always impressed me, made the reading experience so much better. He could also handle a gigantic battle scene incredibly well, breaking down the doings of the units and various personalities in a way I’d never seen any other writer do it. I always wanted to emulate that style. I also always found it interesting that the villains in his books are, almost always, variations of the United Kingdom, his homeland.

5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why? 

Oh, I’d probably have Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser from Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar series. I’ve always loved them and the city of Lankhmar. I’d also have Laika from the Bloodstein books over. I know I created Laika, but I had a huge fascination for her while writing Book 11. We would all sit down and play Talisman, 2nd edition, which is the best. I have all the various add-ons and side pieces for Talisman — a game can last forever now, it seems. I have all the old Games Workshop offerings from when I was in college — I totally love them. I’d serve the tried & true lluegos con carne as a snack. One can never go wrong with eggs & weenies. Laika likes meat, so gotta’ keep her happy.


Make sure you visit the Official Event page 
where you'll find games and a chance to win even more prizes!



Thursday, March 30, 2017

REVIEW of "Bloodthorn (Olive Kennedy, Fairy World M.D., #3)" by Tamara Grantham

***(3) out of 5 stars
Synopsis:

Olive Kennedy doesn't believe in fairy tales.

In a desperate attempt to earn income, fairy world therapist Olive Kennedy resorts to finding clients at the Texas Renaissance Festival. When she discovers the corpse of her client's husband discarded in her booth, she realizes that earning her next paycheck is the least of her worries. Even worse, Olive learns the murderer may be a magical monster from the fairy realm. The fae and their escorts arrive from Faythander to aid in the investigation, but they do not travel alone. Olive must confront the one person she never wished to see again. Kull — her ex.

After months with no contact from Faythander, Olive hoped the magical drama was over. Yet it seems she'll never escape the beings who haunt her nightmares, or be free from the man who took away her happily ever after.




~

REVIEW:

Once again, although I adore this series, I didn’t care too much for this particular volume.  Most of it entailed the continued breakup of Olive and Kull.  What was so hard to take at the end of the last book actually encapsulated about 99% of this work.  And not only did Olive end up having to work with Kull to resolve the storyline, she was also brought under the authority of her other ex, Brent, now a police officer investigating a murder she is caught up in.  It was all rather dreary and depressing and tiring. 

That being said, the basic plot of the story was good, with twists and turns, some you see coming and others that you don’t.  There is more explanation of the world of Faythander, a bit more about some of the players' past, and a look into the future, particularly in regards to the Deathbringer prophecy around Olive.  The writing was lovely, with the dialogue as sharp and witty as always, including interactions with some new characters that we are introduced to, including a couple of wingless fairy siblings. 

Once more, the ending is wrapped up by the brave action of Olive, but has unintended and unforeseen results.  There is a dark shadow over everything though, that she tells no one about, a fact that really bothers me.  Hopefully at some point in the future she will share this secret with her step-father Fan’twar or Kull or someone.  I can’t wait to read the next book and find out! 


I received a free eBook copy of "Bloodthorn" from the author 
and have willingly provided an honest review.  

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

BOOK BLITZ for "The Animal Under the Fur" by E.J. Mellow


The Animal Under the Fur
by E.J. Mellow
Publication date: March 30th, 2017
Genres: Action, Adult, Romance
From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes an action romance dripping with vengeful delight. 
Orphaned on the streets as a baby, Nashville Brown, a.k.a Kill Operative 3, knows better than to rely on anyone. With heightened senses and superhuman strength to survive, she’s been raised as the perfect assassin. The trick to her success? Keeping everyone, even her best friend, at arm’s length. 
Losing his entire family in the span of a year, Carter Smith left his ability to love buried deep in their graves. His only concerns now are completing his missions and effortlessly charming the next temptress to warm his bed. The key to his accomplishments? Working alone mixed with a Casanova smile.
But when a deadly weapon needs to be stopped from falling into the wrong hands, the lone wolves find themselves thrown into an explosive partnership. Can Carter and 3 lower their guns aimed at one another long enough to succeed, or will their unwillingness to compromise end up destroying more than their perfect records? Whatever their differences, both agree on one thing—in the game of lies and deceit, the line between friend and foe is often blurred by blood splatter. 
The Animal Under The Fur is a hate-to-loath-to-love standalone novel filled with savagery, secrets, and enough angst to wrinkle the pages you’ll find gripped in your hands.


Author Bio:
E.J. Mellow is the award-winning author of the contemporary fantasy trilogy The Dreamland Series and The Animal Under The Fur. With a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, E.J. Mellow splits her time between her two loves – visual design and writing. Residing in NYC, E.J. is a member of Romance Writers of America and their Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter. She has no animals but loves those who do. 
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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

BOOK BLITZ for "Marked (Apocalypse Assassins trilogy, #1)" by D. Laine

Marked
(Apocalypse Assassins trilogy, #1)
 by D. Laine
Publication date: March 28th, 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic
For trained assassin Dylan Romero, business is good. As the agency’s top warriors, he and partner Jake Walker are the last two people evil wants to see on the other side of a gun. 
When a mission takes them to the college town of Bozeman, Montana, they discover that there is more than just another mark in another town to keep them there. With a heavy concentration of vessels doing their demon masters’ dirty work and flesh-craving monsters lurking around every corner, the secluded Midwest town is set to become the first battleground of the apocalypse. 
The last thing Dylan needs is a distraction. With the fate of the world at stake, the life of one girl shouldn’t matter – until the day she changes everything.

EXCERPT:

Seconds later, the bartender set two matching drinks on the counter in front of the guy from the parking lot.
He wordlessly slid one of the glasses toward me. My eyes darted to his in surprise, and he shrugged. “You look thirsty.”
I picked up the glass with a grateful smile, and helped myself to a sip of the cool liquid. Jack and Coke—exactly what I wanted. He was observant. “Thank you.”
As he nodded, his eyes moved over my shoulder, in the general vicinity of Vivian. A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. He glanced up at me briefly before giving undivided attention to his drink. “How’s your boyfriend?”
“Who? You mean the guy from earlier?”
“Well, I’m not talking about him.” His head nodded across the bar, where David was doing his best to catch the waitress’s attention. “That poor fucker doesn’t stand a chance, does he?”
“David is my friend,” I responded defensively. “And Kyle isn’t my boyfriend. You’re wrong on both counts.”
His eyes snapped to mine, then slowly lowered. Heat followed his gaze as it swept across my lips before settling on my neck. I was forced to sweep the hair off my shoulders in an attempt to cool off. It didn’t help.
He squinted at my neck like he considered devouring me right then and there. With the hot ball of lava tumbling through me, and ultimately settling in my core, I considered letting him. One look. That was all it took.
No guy had ever . . .
Oh, God. Vivian was totally right.
His mouth curved like he had read my thoughts. Then his hand shot out to mine as he stated, “Dylan.”
I accepted his hand with a smile. “Thea.”
His head angled closer to mine. “Thea?” When I nodded, he leaned back with a smirk. “Are you a librarian, or something?”
“What?” I demanded, suddenly on edge.
“Hot librarian,” he corrected with a lazy shrug, as if that somehow made his comment less insulting. At my unamused glare, he used his hand to cover the smile spreading across his face, and muttered, “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Thea before. It’s, uh . . .”
“A librarian’s name, apparently,” I finished for him sourly.
He chuckled. “I like it, alright? I do. In fact, you’ve given me a new standard to associate with the name Thea. Next time I hear it, I won’t imagine a ninety-year-old librarian. I’ll picture you instead.”
He somehow made me like the sound of him thinking about me, despite the example he used. Some small, gullible part of me liked it. The rest of me reared back with revulsion.
“Need to picture me to get you through the night, huh?” I quipped.
His lips pursed as he considered my question. Then a broad grin turned his lips up. “Never really gone for a good girl before. Unless it’s an act . . .” His eyes swept down the length of me with obvious interest, and I folded my arms over my chest to interrupt his uncensored gaze. When he finally made it back to my eyes, he hooked an inquisitive brow.
“It’s not an act,” I stated firmly, “and I don’t play games.”
He shook his head at the counter, and muttered, “I didn’t think so.”
“Not like it would matter anyway.” My eyes lowered to his lap in mock consideration, then to the drink in front of him. “You’ve had so many of those, I doubt you could even play your part at this point.”
Dylan’s head rolled back as a deep laugh rumbled through him. I refused to acknowledge how sexy it sounded.
“First of all . . .” He lifted a finger in the air. “I’m always up to playing my part. Got it?” I kept my arms folded, my face unreadable, as he lifted another finger. “Secondly . . . I find it interesting that you know how much I’ve had to drink tonight.”
My arms slowly uncrossed under his amused and knowing gaze. His eyebrows shot up in silent inquiry, and when I offered no explanation, his grin broadened.
“I thought so.” With a flirty wink, he turned in his seat to face the bar.



Author Bio:
I write relationships. Whether contemporary or fantasy, they are always real and never easy. 
When I'm not writing, you can usually find me with my nose in my Kindle - reading romance of course - or running around after my three little boys, or catching up on an episode of Supernatural or This Is Us. 
 GIVEAWAY!
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RELEASE DAY CELEBRATION for "Summoner Rising (Laws of Summoning, #1)" by Melanie McFarlane



Happy #BookBirthday to SUMMONER RISING by Melanie McFarlane!


Stop by next Tuesday, April 4th, to learn more and
to read my exclusive interview with the author!



Title: SUMMONER RISING
Author: Melanie McFarlane
Pub. Date: March 28, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Format: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 300

Excerpt from, The Book of Summoning:
Law One: A summoner is responsible for all creatures it lets through from
the netherworld.

Dacie Cantar wishes someone had explained the Laws of Summoning to her
before she watched a shadowy creature crawl out of a painting at the local
arcade. At least it explains the strange things she's witnessed since moving in
with her great-aunt, after her mother’s untimely death. But who wants to be
followed by shadows the rest of their life? Add that to being stalked by a
strange boy at school, who just might be her Tovaros (aka soulmate), it’s about
all Dacie can handle in her new life.

As she nears her seventeenth birthday, will she be ready for her new
responsibilities, or will the shadows that stalked her mother until her death,
finally consume Dacie, too? And then there’s Law Two…

Get a free preview of Chapter 1 HERE!


#McFarlaneBooks

Monday, March 27, 2017

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Christina Bauer for "Angelbound" Audiobook

 TITLE: Angelbound Audiobook
(Angelbound Origins series, #1)
AUTHOR: Christina Bauer 
GENRE: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
AVAILABILITY: Audible and iTunes
LENGTH: 14 hours and 48 minutes
LIST PRICE: $24.95

About The Book

Eighteen year old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet.

But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds. What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is?

Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.

~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Christina Bauer~

What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?  

I was raised a Roman Catholic, and ANGELBOUND all started with a spiritual question: “What if in the after-life, everyone was pretty much as confused as we are here and now?” In other words, what if angels were only more likely to be good, but they could still have their not-so-great moments? The reverse would be true of demons.

At the same time, I became really interested in the ideas of lust and wrath as sins, especially for women. I realized that there are times when both emotions are completely appropriate, but we don’t really talk about that too much, especially for teenage girls… And that got me wanting to have a teenage heroine who didn’t only have wrathful feelings against evil souls and demons, but one who actually liked “getting her wrath on” and fighting the bad guys. In this scenario, she’s not really evil, so long as she has it under control.

With those questions under my belt, the world building got super-interesting. In the end, I decided to highlight the whole idea of “what’s good and evil” by pairing my heroine with a part-angel Prince who thought that anyone with a touch of demonic DNA must be wicked, through and through. And so, ANGELBOUND was born!

Are there any hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?

To answer this question, I need to share a little about my day job in high-tech marketing. When I first got into the workplace, there were no real templates for women who wanted to kick ass — you were seen as either a dragon lady or a den mother. And as hard as that was, I soon discovered that the situation was even worse for men. My guy friends told me they felt pressured to show their killer instinct or be seen as weak. If you weren’t a sadist or a sociopath, it wasn’t a great situation. Long story short, there weren’t any templates out there for how to team, be aggressive, and have fun while you’re doing it.

One day I realized that part of the problem was that we had few (maybe no) stories along those lines. How did we expect anyone to be prepared for anything else than the status quo? So if folks find a hidden meaning from my books, I’d love for them to vicariously experience two people who act as a team, share information openly, fight side by side, and love every minute of it.

Are any of the characters based on real people you know?

Oh, yeah! The character of Cissy (Myla’s best friend) is PARTLY based on my own best friend. To be honest, I've been somewhat dreading ANGELBOUND coming out on audiobook because now my BFF would finally be able to read it. In particular, I'd been sweating 1) if she'd figure out that she's Cissy and 2) if she’d hate me for it forever. Why? People don't generally like to be characters in books, especially if that character is part demon. Long story short, my bestie recently called me about precisely these two topics. Here’s a recap of what happened:
BEST FRIEND CALLS, WE SAY OUR HELLOS AND THEN:
BEST FRIEND: I've been listening to Angelbound.
ME: Oh? (Thinking: please don't ask me if you're Cissy)
BEST FRIEND: I have a question for you.
ME: Shoot.
BEST FRIEND: Am I Cissy?
ME: Um. (Thinking: Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck)
BEST FRIEND: Well, am I? Because she really sounds like me sometimes.
ME: Well, partly. I mean you look like her and maybe talk like her, but you don't have envy issues. 
BEST FRIEND: Oh. 
ME: (Thinking: that response could mean a lot of things) Are you mad?
BEST FRIEND: No, why would I be? You got me the hot boyfriend with the huge house.
ME: Oh, good. (Thinking: that's my Cissy 🙂)

Who has influenced you most as a writer?

Without question, the writer that influenced me the most was JRR Tolkien. Reading LORD OF THE RINGS as a teenager was a life-changer for me. I adored the combination of character, plot and world building. I also liked how it wasn’t corporate and there were tons of pages of characters walking through the woods and chatting about elves, dwarves and stuff. It felt real to me.

If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?  

Ooooh, this is a good one! Since it’s a hypothetical, let’s start this off by saying that I don’t care if my house is destroyed. In that case, the game would be an epic battle of wits and magic. For that purpose, I’d invite over Smaug (dragon from THE HOBBIT), Grendel’s mother (badass monster from BEOWULF) and Hermione Granger (wizard from HARRY POTTER). So you know, I’d invite Harry Potter, but honestly? Hermione knows all the good spells.

After the battle was over, I’d serve everyone a big meal of their choice so they can recover from the fight (it’s not “to the death” in my hypothetical). And I’d definitely get video.


 About the Author

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. It is now available as an audiobook on Audible and iTunes.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates.

Stalk Christina on Social Media – She Loves It!

·         Blog: http://monsterhousebooks.com/blog/category/christina
·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorBauer/
·         Twitter: @CB_Bauer
·         Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_cb_bauer/
·         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-bauer-481b12139/
·         Web site: http://monsterhousebooks.com/authors/cbauer 

GIVEAWAYS and GOODIES!

Audiobook sample: https://youtu.be/yADVDpUK8I8


Video of author doing the voices: https://youtu.be/6mfmw1VT1IU


Discounts on the entire series: http://wp.me/p7Tzb3-2L5


Rafflecopter Giveaway: http://gvwy.io/filhpau






BOOK BLITZ for "Digging in the Stars" by Katherine Blakeney

Digging in the Stars
by Katherine Blakeney
Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication date: March 28th, 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
A lost ancient civilization and the tomb of a legendary king lie buried beneath centuries of ash on the volcanic planet Thror, but that’s not the only reason sixteen-year-old Carter has tricked her Archaeology of Outer Space class into coming here. Her best friend Conrad has just disappeared on a trip to Thror, leaving behind little more than a broken vintage camera. The strange and disturbing photographs she manages to extract make her suspect Conrad’s disappearance is somehow connected to the hidden tomb of the last king of Thror. 
Unfortunately, the ludicrously over-friendly ‘Furry Giants’ who have taken over the planet’s barren surface would rather offer her cheap souvenirs than answers, and the local officials insist they have no record of Conrad’s existence. Inspired by fear for Conrad’s life and the chance to make the greatest archaeological discovery of the century, Carter and her friends follow Conrad’s footsteps deep into the mountains of Thror’s forbidden Black Zone and launch an illicit excavation. 
Coded messages, stunning ancient ruins, and clues left by Conrad himself begin to surface as the young archaeologists fall victim to an alarming series of accidents staged by the increasingly hostile Furry Giants. Piecing together a history of dictatorship, terrorism and disguise, Carter glimpses the horrors beyond Thror’s flamboyant façade and startling revelations about the friend she thought she knew. The masks of Thror hide devastating secrets, and the golden tomb buried deep in the frozen core may claim the lives of everyone she loves.
TEASERS:
“Please remain seated as we begin our descent into Thror. Welcome, and enjoy your stay.”

The time for action was at hand, and she still didn’t feel ready. The flight felt much shorter than she’d expected.

The girls exchanged bewildered looks across the aisles. Stunned silence. They couldn’t have missed that final announcement. Avoiding Professor P’s gaze, Carter still felt the look of shock the professor shot across the cabin. Once, Carter had seen herself arriving on Thror as a great explorer. Instead, she would be remembered as a half-baked deceiver and kidnapper. The Throrians would have called her a scent-changer.
* * *
Carter had been so close to her goal. She saw that crack with her own eyes, a portal into a lost ancient world, chambers filed with carvings, images that had never been recorded or reproduced. The greatest discovery of this or any other century, waiting less than twenty feet away. Waiting for her. And Conrad had been there first. The moment she thought it, she felt guilty. She was allowing herself to get carried away by archaeological fervor, mentally competing with Conrad, when he might have paid a terrible price for his discovery.
Author Bio:
I am an author and independent filmmaker/stop motion animator with a BFA in Stop Motion Animation from the School of Visual Arts in New York and a PhD in Film Studies from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, UK). My thesis focuses on silent film adaptations of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Gothic novels, with a special emphasis on psychological and aesthetic representations of the Monster figure. My debut novel, a YA Sci-Fi adventure called Digging in the Stars, is forthcoming with Blaze Publishing on March 28, 2017. 
Raised by an Egyptologist mother, I grew up among museums and excavation sites, where I developed an unhealthy fascination with ancient art and mythology. I divide my time between bringing 12”-tall people to life in my studio in Edinburgh, excavating ancient tombs in the Egyptian desert, and researching Gothic literary monsters in silent film. I have worked for more than 10 years as photographer and videographer for the South Asasif Conservation Project, an archaeological expedition in Egypt and I have published numerous articles on film and archaeology. 
I write, direct, design, and animate short films and commissioned projects in my studio in Edinburgh, Scotland and have been employed as an animator, screenwriter, modelmaker and art director for studios in Edinburgh, South Korea and Qatar. I have produced commissioned projects for IdeasTap in London, the Arts Trust Scotland and the British Library. My shorts have won competitions and screened at various international festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2015, my short film The Burglar With the Yellow Hand was nominated for an Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) Research in Film Award. 
You can find out more about all aspects of my work on my website, http://yorwickcastle.com.
My new blog at http://KatherineBlakeneyStardigger.blogspot.com is all about Digging in the Stars and my references and inspirations as a writer. 
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MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY book suggestion: "Scenes From The Epic Life of a Total Genius (Arthur Bean, #2)" by Stacey Matson


Lights. Camera. Action! Arthur Bean’s life has taken a turn for the adventurous — two girlfriends to deal with, and a blockbuster film to co-write, produce and direct. How crazy can one school year get?

Arthur and Robbie have called a truce now that the writing contest and school play are over…but plans go astray when Arthur’s new girlfriend Anila gets jealous of his friendship with Kennedy. And then there’s that little problem of the movie camera Arthur and Robbie borrowed to film their upcoming blockbuster movie.

As Arthur’s life goes off the rails all over again, laughs for the reader are right on track. Emails, doodles, texts, newspaper articles, AV Club rules (which Arthur and Robbie usually break) give the story the same engaging look as A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

COVER REVEAL for "Claimed by Power (Empire of Angels)" by Zoey Ellis


Claimed By Power
by Zoey Ellis
Publication date: April 3rd, 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Not all angels are angelic… 
Thea Robinson has never needed anyone’s charity. Sure, her impoverished existence isn’t desired by most, but her ability to manipulate people’s emotions helps her to blend into the shadows of an unforgiving city. When hideous creatures threaten her life, a surly but gorgeous stranger shows up revealing a world she didn’t know existed. She refuses to put up with his rude, arrogant attitude, but how do you dismiss a warrior angel? And does she really want to when his stormy gaze sends delicious thrills straight to her core? 
Cam is one of the most ruthless Power angels in the fight against evil. His devotion to kill demons has made him a celebrated warrior in the Angel Realm, even though his motivation stems from grief. When he is assigned to train and protect a half-angel just coming into her abilities, his rage is unparalleled. Until he realizes Thea isn’t like any others. She stirs a carnal passion in him that he can’t shake. He never counted on her being so beautiful… so fierce… so most definitely his. 
 
Claimed by Power is the first book in the Empire of Angels series, a paranormal alpha angel romance series. If you’re a fan of alpha heroes, powerful heroines, paranormal worlds and falling in love, Ellis’ riveting, sexy tale is perfect for you.
Sexual scenes & strong language included. Not suitable for readers under 18.  About the end: Although this book can be read as a standalone, Cam and Thea’s story does continue over the next two books.

EXCERPT:

“What exactly are my powers?” Thea asked.

The angel stood up. “Not now. It’s time to go. You have your answers.”

Frustrated, she exhaled loudly. She went to her wardrobe and grabbed a bra, top, and another pair of jeans. The angel turned away, allowing her to dress. She eyed him from behind. So angels were real. And they were handsome and powerful and stern. Nothing like she would have ever imagined them to be. He couldn’t even crack a smile and yet mocked her like a child. Were all angels like that? Maybe he didn’t like humans.

“At least tell me why they sent you,” she said, smoothing down her top. “Why you?”

“Why not me?” he said, almost in a growl. “Who would you prefer?”

“I don’t know,” Thea said, lifting her shoulders. “Someone able to smile once in a while?”

He turned to face her, his plain expression flavored with annoyance. “I’m not here to entertain you. You need someone to train you and help you learn how to control your abilities. I’m the best there is. You should be honored.”

Thea shook her head, annoyed. Trained? Like a puppy? Not happening. Especially not by this man, who’d been abrupt with her from the start, despite his careful treatment of her wounds. “I should be honored? Honored that I was attacked by those creatures? Honored that I almost got ripped apart? Honored that you had to come and save me, a poor damsel in distress?”

His face hardened with each word she said, but she couldn’t give a fuck.

“I don’t need to be saved by a warrior who can’t stop the horrors happening in this city every day. Or by a God that keeps himself hidden from those he’s supposed to inspire? People are raped and drugged and killed every day; where are you then? Where is He then? I’ve gotten this far without the help of you or God, and I’ll be fine to continue without you.”

The angel’s stance didn’t change. The only indication of his agitation was in the grounding of his jaw. “You’re being irrational. If I was able to find you here, the demons will find you here. You cannot escape them. Pack. Now.”

“No.” She grabbed her phone. “You go. Thanks very much, but I’ll be fine.”

With a low grunt of frustration, the angel grabbed her around the waist quicker than she would have thought possible. He flew up to the ceiling, his rock-like arm digging into her stomach, pressing her against his chest. He swept his free hand over the length of the room. The room began to glow and then burst into flames, smoke eating up the remaining air.

“No!” She struggled to get out of his arms while her home and everything she owned burned.

He leapt out of the window, holding onto her as he flew over the city.



Author Bio:
Zoey Ellis spends her most of her time thinking up stories that explore how love and romance can be tested by the darker side of our personalities and the heart-wrenching challenges that must be overcome for love to win, even if two people belong together. 
A lover of the fantastical, Zoey enjoys how intense and vast the challenges can be for couples in the paranormal romance genre. Her goal is to build a body of work depicting thrilling, fantastical romances between demanding alpha heroes and fiery heroines hoping the love they make will scorch ereaders and melt hearts. With a soft spot for angels, dragons and alpha shifters, Zoey blends her love of a Happy Ever After with strangely unique worlds and complex plots. 
If you're interested in hearing about Zoey's new releases first, as well as her bonuses and giveaways, sign up to her newsletter. 
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