Friday, February 3, 2017

VALENTINE COUNTDOWN BLITZ DAY #6 - Melanie Jacobson with "Southern Charmed"





Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She lives in Southern California with her husband and children and a series of doomed houseplants, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in writing for children and young adults.



Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ 

~ Twitter ~


Lila Mae Guidry is a Southern girl through and through. As a fourth-generation Latter-day Saint in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she's proud of her heritage as both a Southerner and a Saint—and she doesn't take kindly to people who disparage either. Ten years ago, Max Archer was just that kind of jerk. As the mission president's son, Max spent his entire three years mocking the South . . . and teenage Lila. After Max's family moved away, Lila forgot about her sworn enemy. Almost.
When a new job brings a grown-up Max back to Baton Rouge, Lila is less than thrilled with his reappearance, especially since everyone seems intent on throwing her together with this old adversary. Yet fight as she may, Lila soon realizes resistance is futile—their connection is undeniable. Max embodies everything she wants in a man—except perhaps the most important thing her life is rooted in the city she loves, but his dreams are bigger than Baton Rouge. With such mismatched visions of the future, Max and Lila are faced with a life-altering decision: jeopardize their aspirations or risk losing love.


~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ 


Snippet:


He had been an annoyingly good-looking teenager, and he’d grown into a
sexy man. He was a half foot taller than when he’d moved away, and the skinny
boy I remembered had become a sculpted piece of eye candy with broad shoulders, a strong jaw, and Ian Somerhalder cheekbones. The mess of black curls on his head had been tamed into a well-groomed haircut. If it weren’t for his eyes, I might not have recognized him.



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page:



FREE eBook Alert for Feb 3rd, 2017 ONLY -- "The Seer" by Jared Nathan Garrett

Click HERE for your FREE eBook copy on Amazon!
Available FREE Feb 3rd, 2017 only!


On a dig in an Egyptian tomb, graduate intern Nathan Eckhoff finds the ancient cloak of Joseph, the dream interpreter who became the Grand Vizier of all Egypt. 
Yes, that Joseph, the one sold by his brothers to slavers, who rose from grim servitude to the most trusted position in the Pharaoh's kingdom. 

Upon donning the ancient, extraordinary cloak, visions and perceptions assault Nathan - insights into the hearts of the people around him. At the same time, a mysterious being of strange power enters Nathan's life with words and warnings that terrify Nathan. 

Now Nathan must decide, is he the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Lamed Vovniks, also known as the Thirty-Six righteous people upon whom the fate of the world rests? Or is he just a young man who has to stop a murderer corrupted by a cursed relic of ancient power? 

Nathan had better find the answers soon, before the assassin on his heels catches him, or a cursed madman kills thousands of innocents. 
But will he be fast enough to rescue the love of his life?

See my review of "The Seer" right HERE on So Few Books!

For more exciting adventures in the Thirty-Six series, check out http://www.lamed-vav.com/.

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Shaila Patel for "Soulmated (Joining of Souls, #1)"


Title: SOULMATED (Joining of Souls, #1)
Author: Shaila Patel
Pub. Date: January 24, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 300
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | TBD

Two souls. One Fate.
  
Eighteen-year-old Liam Whelan, an Irish royal empath, has been searching for his elusive soulmate. The rare union will cement his family's standing in empath politics and afford the couple legendary powers, while also making them targets of those seeking to oust them.

Laxshmi Kapadia, an Indian-American high school student from a traditional family, faces her mother's ultimatum: Graduate early and go to medical school, or commit to an arranged marriage.

When Liam moves next door to Laxshmi, he’s immediately and inexplicably drawn to her. In Liam, Laxshmi envisions a future with the freedom to follow her heart.

Liam's father isn't convinced Laxshmi is "The One" and Laxshmi's mother won't even let her talk to their handsome new neighbor. Will Liam and Laxshmi defy expectations and embrace a shared destiny? Or is the risk of choosing one's own fate too great a price for the soulmated?

~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Shaila Patel~

1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline? 

I'd been thinking of how emotionally perceptive my mom was one day and thought that if there were such a thing as an EQ test (where the E stands for emotional intelligence), my mom would score through the roof. She's always had this uncanny ability to read my feelings, so naturally, my writer-mind imagined what it would be like if empaths (people who read emotions like psychics read minds) really existed. That was the nugget that inspired the story. Once that thought took hold, I couldn't let it go!

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

Mostly, that you always have a choice—even if you don't think you do. It's just that sometimes the choices you have aren't the ones you want, or they are, and you have to accept the consequences. To a lesser degree, I touch upon the theme of appearances vs. reality. I use several quotes from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare to allude to that. While Laxshmi and Liam navigate the world of expectations and free will, they have to decide which of their choices are real, and which are illusions. You could also say that as the reality of their relationship and connection is explored throughout the series, it's their differences—their race, religion, and nationality—that are the true illusion.

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

I can safely say Laxshmi and her mom were inspired by experiences in my own life, as well as the experiences of my Indian friends. My mother was never as strict as Laxshmi's mom, but I had friends whose mothers issued harsh ultimatums. (Of course, as a teenager, I couldn't see how lucky I was!) Laxshmi's mom's obsession about staying away from boys though? That was ALL my mom! Lol!

4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?

Probably my high school English teacher, Mrs. Bevilacqua. I wrote my first short story in fourth grade, but it was Mrs. Bev who taught me I could write. I chose a different career path in college, though, because my parents wouldn't have accepted an English degree—and I didn't have the courage to defy them. Despite all that, the dream to write persisted. It's only taken me—ahem—X number of years to achieve that dream, but I'm not complaining!

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?

Easy! Harry, Ron, and Hermione. We'd play Scrabble (think of all the extra legit words we could use!) and eat tortillas and guacamole. There's something casual and easy-going about the trio that lip-smacking tortillas and tangy guacamole would suit. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

As an unabashed lover of all things happily-ever- after, Shaila’s younger self would finish reading Cinderella and fling her copy across the room because it didn’t mention what happened next. Now she writes from her home in the Carolinas and dreams up all sorts of stories with epilogues. A member of the Romance Writers of America, she’s a pharmacist by training, a medical office manager by day, and a writer by night. She enjoys traveling, craft beer, and teas, and loves reading books—especially in cozy window seats. You might find her sneaking in a few paragraphs at a red light or connecting with other readers online at: www.shailapatelauthor.com
Find Shaila:

Giveaway Details:
(1) winner will receive a Perfectly Posh, Posh To Meet You Set ($20 value), US Only.
(10) winners will receive a SOULMATED Swag Pack, US Only.

Tour Schedule:

Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!


BOOK TOUR for "The Wood-Fairies of Estraelia (Sons of Elderberry, #2)" by Theresa Sneed



When Elias of Elderberry introduces his best friend Jaron Finley to his magical world of fairies and castles, wizards and yōkai shape-shifters, will Jaron ever want to go back to his dull world of school and homework, especially after meeting Elieli, the fairy princess of Estraelia? It’s doubtful, but he must — the mortal that he is. Will Elias have to alter his memory and erase all that his friend has seen, or will Jaron be able to keep the secret that Elias Rey — a sophomore at PVHS, is a wizard and the youngest heir of Elderberry?


Held captive by evil wraiths in the dungeons of Sirusas, Elias’s older brother Saulen struggles with remembering who he is. How will the sons of Elderberry battle the dark forces of sorcery and rescue him?

And finally, when Adalee trips and falls by a nest abandoned from a Swypht Dragon of Ural, she takes an egg, knowing it has little chance to survive on its own. How will she keep it hidden in the non-dragon fairy kingdom of Estraelia? And why should she?


 



Author Theresa Sneed graduated cum laude with a BA in education, and though she loves teaching, she is currently taking a break from it to pursue a writing career. 

Her books are unique; each story will take you to places you have never imagined before.
She writes across four genres—mystery and suspense, fantasy, historical fiction/time travel, and realistic paranormal. All of Theresa’s books have elements of sweet romance, and while none of her books have profanity or sexually explicit scenes, each book is intriguing and white-knuckle intense—the kind you can’t put down.

The No Angel series is the story about a guardian angel with an attitude, and the ever present, but misunderstood spirit world.  There are four published books in the series with many more to come. Book one is called Angel with an Attitude, book two – Earthbound Angel, book three – Destiny’s Angel, and book four – Earth Angel.

The Sons of Elderberry series has two books out called Elias of Elderberry, and The Wood Fairies of Estraelia.
Harry-Potterish — with wizards, fairies, elves, pixies, yōkai shapeshifters, and dragons, this book has it all! Theresa anticipates another three to five books to finish that series.    

Escape is the story of a 15-year-old girl abducted by a corrupt sheriff in the 70’s. He keeps her captive in his cellar for five years until she escapes with his truck
and his young daughter. Escape is book one in a three book series.

Salem Witch Haunt was intended to be a stand-alone book, until the shocking ending made it apparent that her characters were not finished telling their story. As the ninth great granddaughter of one of the women hanged as a witch in Salem, Theresa has a vested interest in this epic time-travel. Thoroughly researched, all interactions with real people from that era are based on primary sources—the trial scene with Susannah Martin is taken from Reverend Samuel Parris’s transcript verbatim. 

All of Theresa Sneed’s books may be purchased through Amazon or links on her website at www.theresasneed.com. She loves hearing from her readers and may be contacted through her website or through her email at tmsneed.author@yahoo.com. 

Connect with the Author here: 


Character Casting

Emma Watson! She would be the perfect Elieli, fairy princess of Estraelia and Chris Pratt for anything he’d want to be! Elias is in highschool, maybe Chris has a younger brother? Hahaha!

Snippet

From chapter twenty-one:

Gifts of the Sanction

The brilliant energy that had burst into the castle through the 6th Tower receded, the rumbling stopped, and the six moons returned to their rightful places in the heavens. Elieli was in shock. “I … this is only the second Sanction that I’ve watched from here, but I don’t remember it doing that — the loud rumbling, especially.”
      “That was freaky!” Jaron said. “Can I look through the stone now?”
      She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter … it’s over.”
      “Is Thorne, okay?” Samuel said concerned.
      “I don’t know.” She handed his stone back to him.
      “Wow!” Jaron held the stone to his eyes. “That’s so epic!”
      “What?”  Elieli said, fumbling with her stone. She gasped when she saw what Jaron was looking at. From the 6th Tower, Sigmund and the members of the Order emerged to Estraelia. “Oh, my gosh!” she said breathlessly. “I didn’t know you could see emergings through seer stones! It’s so beautiful!” Their bodies shimmered in hazy blues and greens, though their faces were blurry and distorted, as they passed directly over them on their way to Estraelia. “Come on!” Elieli called, pulling on Jaron’s arm. “Let’s go!”


To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Thursday, February 2, 2017

THROWBACK THURSDAY - "The Artisans" by Julie Reece


They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

#M9BThrowbackThursday

VALENTINE COUNTDOWN BLITZ DAY #5 - Brandon Gray with "The Soulstealer's Child"



Brandon Gray is the pen name of Braden Bell (Brandon writes YA fiction; Braden writes for middle grades). Braden holds a Ph.D. from New York University. He and his family live on a quiet, wooded lot in Tennessee, where he teaches middle school theatre and music. An experienced performer, Braden enjoys reading, gardening, and long summer afternoons writing in his hammock. His most notable skill is being able to eat a full rack of BBQ ribs with one hand on long drives.

Connect with the Author here:

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ 

 ~ Amazon ~ Twitter ~ 

 ~ Goodreads ~


Can a human heart overcome a demon soul?

When soul-eating demons overrun his world, Kaelis, a young seraph warrior, uses the Queen’s ring to open a portal in space and flee with the infant heir to the throne, landing on earth. Unbeknownst to him, the demon leader, Nsark, follows through the portal, determined to devour the soul of every last seraph, especially the Queen’s heir. After Kaelis hides the baby, Nsark creates the ultimate weapon by fathering a half-human, half-demon: a soul-stealer’s child. 

Sixteen years later, an awkward teen named James struggles to fit in with his peers. In a last-ditch effort, he joins the school play, where he meets Lucy. Something deep draws them together, and their friendship reveals their hidden pasts: one is an angel, one is half-demon. Lucy and James find themselves pulled into an age-old war between their peoples. Hunted by relentless enemies, and grappling with deep-seated instincts and strange new powers, they must fight for their lives, their souls, and each other.




Snippet:

James looked down at Lucinda’s head resting against his shoulder, her long tresses streaming down his arm and chest like a river of frozen fire. Her small shoulders rose and fell with each breath, but beyond that, she didn’t move. She looked like a sleeping angel fallen to the earth, and he had to fight the sudden urge to touch her hair. How it would feel to let his fingers run riot through those soft strands? 


To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



Wednesday, February 1, 2017

VALENTINE COUNTDOWN BLITZ DAY #4 - Donna K Weaver with Teapots & Treachery





Donna K Weaver

Award-winning author, wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Army veteran, karate black belt, and online gamer girl.

Connect with the Author here: 
~ Facebook ~ Blog ~
~ Twitter ~ Google+ ~



A Savage Ghost
Lia Savage reluctantly puts her dream of opening a dessert boutique on hold to help her dad remodel a castle he’s inherited in Washington State. Soon, a specter targets her younger sister.

Lia enlists the help of strapping Coop Montgomery, the head gardener and her former crush. As they search together for a way to rid the castle of its ghost, the romance she used to dream about with Coop kindles.

But Lia’s gentle giant means to stay in Washington while she’s determined to return to California. She must find the courage to face both the ghost and her future.

With Coop. Or without him.

Waves of Deceit
Twenty-six-year-old Shelby Nash wants to break free of her controlling, billionaire father. With the completion of one more project for his company, she can branch out on her own. However, her ex-boyfriend’s been appointed as the new lead architect. She has to find a way to protect her heart from him while avoiding whoever’s making anonymous threats.

Wade Masters did a poor job handling the news about the identity of his girlfriend’s father. Shelby walked out of his life without another word. Finally, four years later, Wade has a chance to win her back. As long as whoever’s targeted her doesn’t get her first.


~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ 


Snippet From "Waves of Deceit":

She tried to ignore Wade beside her. He wore her favorite cologne, the one she had first introduced him to. During the meeting, she’d managed to ignore it, but now ... It brought back so many memories. She’d liked the fragrance well enough at the mall, but when he’d put it on, he’d brought his own something to the smell.

Her pulse quickened at the memory. Irritated, she tried to analyze her reaction to the smell, thinking of the science behind it, of the molecules of the fragrance responding to a person’s skin and hormones, the complex mixture of all those chemicals—water, fat, acids, sugars, salts, proteins ...

What she really wanted was to snuggle against his neck and breathe him in.

Shelby leaned away from him, as far as she could, and rested her cheek in her palm. Didn’t she hate him? Hadn’t she told herself that over and over again for years? He’d rejected her because of who her father was. Like she had any control over that. It was absolutely ridiculous to still respond to him in this way. It made her feel weak, a simpleton who let hormones control her. She wouldn’t do it.

From the side, she sensed movement from him, and a whiff of his cologne hit her again. Was he doing that on purpose? She straightened, prepared to say something. He sat with his laptop open, earbuds already in his ears. He glanced at her and pulled out a bud.

“Sorry, is that blowing on you?” Wade reached up, shifted the air vent a little, and returned the earbud. He leaned over his computer, like he’d already forgotten her.

Shelby pulled the dagger from her heart. All these years she’d grieved the death of their love, vilified him, and agonized over what they might have had. Apparently, he hadn’t even given her a second thought.


To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 




BOOK BLITZ for "Rattle the Bones" by Eric R Asher


Rattle the Bones
by Eric Asher
Publication date: January 31st, 2017
Genres: Supernatural, Suspense, Urban Fantasy
Much has been lost in the conflict with the Fae king and his allies, a conflict we hadn’t known we were in until one of our own fell at his hand. And while a great Seal between realms may have been rebuilt, dark things slipped through in the chaos, creatures who would overrun this world. Our allies are many. Our enemies are terrible. And someone ate my last chimichanga despite the fact I had marked it with a note that clearly said it was mine.


—
EXCERPT:
“These are the best effects I’ve ever seen,” an older girl said, maybe a teenager or just out of those awful years. “It feels like stone.”
“Momma says all the people in that shop love Satan,” a little boy said.
“I have lived enough millennia to know evil,” Aeros said. “Despite any transgression those people may have committed, they are benevolent.”
A woman on a bench nearby started fidgeting. She either didn’t realize Aeros was with us, or she thought this was all for fun.
“You have him talking to people?” Edgar said. “They think it’s a show?”
“Some of them,” Zola said as she turned and lowered her voice.
“And not an advertising gimmick?” I asked. I raised my voice. “Maybe we should hang a sign around his neck, could get some extra business.”
The Old God turned to look at me. I was fairly certain he had a few choice words for me, but he kept them to himself. There were kids present after all.


Author Bio: 
Eric is a former bookseller, cellist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers. 

XBTBanner1