Archive for April, 2013

I’m thrilled to be a part of the cover reveal for Sawyer Bennett’s upcoming new release, Off Limits.

You’re going to want this on your TBR shelf!

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Title: Off Limits

Author: Sawyer Bennett

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Cover Designer: Vitalink

Expected release date: April 16, 2013

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“There is a vulnerability there, hovering just below the surface. And I want to pick at it until I expose it. Then I want to kiss it.”

Two years ago, Emily Burnham, had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life. And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman. Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time. And she likes it.

Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation. It’s certainly the easiest way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down.

When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms. He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart.

Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all. But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering? Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits?

About the Author
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Sawyer Bennett is the pen name for a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer Bennett | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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WWW Wednesday

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Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next

~

What are you currently reading?

What Lies Beneath

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Description

When Blair Lewis is left for dead in a freezing lake, she can’t get over the fact that her boyfriend tried to kill her. And when she begins to receive disturbing gifts and letters from her supposed dead boyfriend, she attempts to figure out what is going on before the darkness consumes her. Nothing is as it seems and the startling truth is going to rip Blair right out of this world. Is Blair simply losing her mind? Or is something vicious and dark after her sanity and soul?

~

What did you recently finish reading?

Four Tales for Midnight

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Description

Four tales of extreme suspense and mystery aimed at getting the heart pumping. Hard. A soldier on D-Day finds an enemy soldier acting very strangely indeed; a jilted husband creates a grisly scavenger hunt; a marriage reconciliation service ABSOLUTELY guarantees positive results—the question is, how? And more!

Turn out the lights and enter a bizarre world, but remember—don’t go in the basement!

Look for my review on Friday, April 5th!

~

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Clearing of Travis Coble

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Description

Travis Coble didn’t kill and eat his family. At least that’s what a jury decided twenty years ago. But like Lizzie Borden, Travis Coble was branded guilty by an angry public and consigned to a life of suspicious whispers and sidelong stares. Now, Professor Dick Myers wants to clear Travis’s name once and for all. An interview with the reclusive mountain man would not only bring Myers fame—it could save his job.

But Myers will find more than a good story in Coble’s isolated shack in the Smoky Mountains. He will find the truth about what happened twenty years ago…and the true meaning of horror.

A new work of terror from the author of the worldwide bestseller Old Order.

~

So, whatcha readin?

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The minute I saw this cover art, I had to read this book. I wasn’t able to get Megan’s new release read before this tour, but you can bet I’ll be telling you all about it soon!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway after reading the killer excerpt!

Attractive young woman

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Now Available on AMAZON / Barnes and Noble

 

Title: Bitter Angel

Author: Megan Hand

Release date: April 1, 2013

Genre:  Contemporary/Thriller

Age Group:  New Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

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Book Description:

Torn between two realities.

A choice that will mean life or death.

She won’t know anything… until she wakes up.

College sophomore, Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. She doesn’t know how or why, just that she did. As if she split in half and went in two different directions.

Out clubbing with her friends, Heather and Nilah, the girls rock it out and party hard. What begins as an innocent night will lead to a deadly fight for their lives, and Lila might be their only chance for survival.

In bed with her boyfriend, Jay, Lila is safe and warm as she drifts to sleep in the arms of the man she loves. Until she is sucked into a horrifying nightmare of her friends’ deaths.

As the sunlight warms her face on Saturday morning, the two scenarios collide. But there can be only one outcome. Will she wake up in her warm bed with Jay by her side, devastated and grieving for her friends? Or was she there to save them?

The answer is just the beginning.

Enjoy this exciting excerpt.

Unfortunately, my words didn’t faze him. He just laughed and wiped his hands on a dry piece of his shirt. “Oh man. We haven’t had one as feisty as you in…” He rested his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Well, a long time.”

My heart hammered, but I put venom in my tone. “Where are my friends? I want to see them.” I strained forward, listening for anything that would tell me they were okay and alive.

I could hear music, loud and vulgar. Voices, all male. Laughter. Bottles clinking. I could smell the crusty scent of cigarette smoke.

He pointed to the closed door. “They’re out there, being taken care of. Don’t worry. They’ll be fine. It’s you that I’m not so sure about.”

“You sick son of a bitch. My friend could be on the brink of death, and you’re just gonna do nothing? If she dies on your hands, I swear—”

“Relax,” he cut me off. “She’s still breathing. Enough. We’ll drop her somewhere when everyone’s done. She’ll be fine.”

As I had kicked the driver’s seat earlier, I just as frantically pulled on my arms. “Let me out!” I screamed, hoping beyond hope that someone, inside or out, upstairs or down, could hear me in this hellhole. I had no idea if we were in a house or apartment building, if this was the only bedroom, or if there were others. From the looks of it and guessing the age of these guys, my bet was that this was their place of business where they brought all the girls just for this purpose. I highly doubted that they lived here, but I had nothing to back up my theory.

He rounded the bed. It creaked as he sat on the clean side. He caressed my jaw, my bloody lip. I cringed, ripping away from him, and he gripped me harder. From his pocket, he retrieved a knife. The blade winked at me in the dim light. I swallowed.

He grinned. “Still wanna scream?”

Didn’t I tell ya it was a killer excerpt!

*****Giveaway*****

I have one e-book of Bitter Angel to giveaway!

It’s International! Everyone can enter.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:

“Have you ever wished you could live a day over again?

Giveaway ends April 11th.

Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

 Books will be gifted from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

 All winners will be sent to the author at one time after the 14th. Winners should not expect to receive the book prior to April 21st. AToMR Tours will need time to notify duplicate winners for blogs and receive new winners.

About the Author

megan hand

At twelve, Megan decided to write a novel. A month later, she quit. A reading junkie by nature, she started writing again in her twenties as a way to get the voices out, because who wouldn’t want to create a Real Living Person out of thin air? Megan also plays the piano and sings. She teaches little kids and takes pictures of pretty butterflies. She eats way too much chocolate, is sort of a mad scientist with her blender, and spends an unhealthy amount of time LOLing on Facebook and Twitter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and very smiley son. Bitter Angel is her first published novel.

Author social media links:

Website: http://meganhandwrites.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meganhandauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6868683.Megan_Hand

Twitter: @MeganHandWrites

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Jack Templar and the Monster Hunter Academy (Book 2)

After barely surviving the onslaught of monsters that tried to kill him the day before his fourteenth birthday, Jack Templar leaves his hometown on a quest to rescue his father and discover the truth about his past. Joined by his friends Will and T-Rex, and led by Eva, the mysterious one-handed monster hunter, Jack sets out for the Monster Hunter Academy where he hopes to find answers to his questions. Little does he suspect that the Academy is filled with dangers of its own, many of them more terrifying than anything he’s faced so far.

It’s a blast! Keep reading for more about Jack. But beware. There be monsters!
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
WARNING

Yeah, you read it right. I’m a monster hunter. Back before I actually became one, I would have thought that sounded totally awesome. And don’t get me wrong, in a lot of ways it is. But most of the time, I’m either running for my life or hiding in the shadows, praying the monster chasing me doesn’t pick up my scent. And I’m almost always scared to death. In a few pages, I think you’ll see why.

But there are a few things I need to warn you about before I tell you my story.

First, this isn’t a cartoon. These are bloodthirsty creatures who will stop at nothing to kill. They are scary. Very scary. Second, the only way to stop them is to kill them first…and that gets gross and messy. Third, this is all real.

You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I can almost see you smirking as you read this. But this isn’t a joke. Monsters are real and the story I’m about to tell you really happened. If you’d rather walk through life believing that monsters are only found in books or on the movie screen, then you should shut this book right now and go do something else.

I give you these warnings because the story I’m about to tell you isn’t for everyone. Not everyone can handle it. The blood. The gore. The monsters.

This life was thrust onto me. I had no choice but to take up a sword and fight. But you can still walk away and pretend this dark world doesn’t exist. Or you can walk through the door that I’m about to open and find out the truth about the world around you.

But I warn you (and this is a big warning), if you read this book, if you learn about the monsters that roam among us and the hunters who fight them, if you decide to learn the truth, then you will become fair game for the monsters to chase.

Make sure you understand what I’m saying.

If you read this book, you will be part of this world and the monsters will come after you too. You will start to see things that no other humans can see. The shadows will move when you walk near them. The creatures of the night will seek you out, testing the doors and windows of your house, looking for a way in.

And, at some point, they will find you, just like they found me, and you will be forced to defend yourself.

So, think carefully before you turn the page, because once you do, there’s no turning back.

Ever.

Once a monster hunter, always a monster hunter.

See you on the other side.

If you’re brave enough.

Jack Templar: Monster Hunter

Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack’s fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it’s great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend “T-Rex” from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he’s the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he’s destined to be in the family business. Second, that there’s a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits…until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.

As if that weren’t enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the “One?” Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.

Jack Templar Monster Hunter was chosen as a Book of the Year Finalist by Foreword Reviews.

Praise for Book One: Jack Templar Monster Hunter

 

Gunhus brings young readers a monster-filled romp to read at their own risk. In the first few pages, Jack, the storyteller and main character, warns readers not to read about these real-world monsters that would seem to only exist in fiction. The tone is set–sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek and likable; rooting for Jack is easy…Gunhus masterfully introduces fully realized characters with whom readers can connect almost instantly. The pacing is quick but not rushed, and events seamlessly progress, complete with action, cliff-hangers and surprise reveals. ” – Kirkus Reviews
The action starts right from the first chapter and doesn’t let up until the book ends. This is the first book in a series, and I look forward to reading the rest of them.” -The DMS 

 
Jeff Gunhus has made a terrific fast paced fantasy. I even wanted to bolt my doors and lock my windows! Five stars for the best book of the year.” -Elizabeth A. Bolt
Everything in this book was something a reader could love – action, adventure, mythical creatures, mystery and even a touch of romance. Not bad for fourteen-year-old Jack Templar. There were so many messages to take from this book – messages of love, self-sacrifice, faith and and having the belief that you can be so much more than you are if you just believed. The words poured from the page and I just couldn’t help lapping them up.” -Sandy @ Magical Manuscripts

This was fun read with non-stop adventure. Reminiscent of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, Gunhus creates an interesting world and characters that are easy to root for. Very good pace, lots of fun and a solid start. Already anticipating the next story!” -M. Profant

 


Purchase

Book Trailer

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Author Jeff Gunhus

Jeff Gunhus grew up in Cyprus, Greece, and Saudi Arabia where there was a distinct lack of television. He quickly found books were the gateway to incredible adventures, fascinating characters and unbelievable discoveries. Now, with five children of his own (all who watch too much television, in his opinion), he has enjoyed revisiting his old books and reliving those adventures all over again.

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Book Blast $50 Giveaway

Ends 4/19/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go here.

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It’s that time again.

Time to announce the winners!

Off Sides Cover

The winner of a book of their choice  is

Trish

Congratulations!

All winners have been notified.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

I do love reading them and hope you continue to visit fuonlyknew!

Thanks so much to Sawyer for her wonderful books and for letting me host her giveaway.

*****For all of my giveaways go here*****

I’d love to keep telling ya’ll about some really great books.

Subscribe by email and lets talk!

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
~

My tease for today is from Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

I’m cheating a bit because I really loved this whole scene and couldn’t pick just a piece of it.

Blue Hearts of Mars

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With my eyes closed I could still see Hemingway and his perfect jaw line that swept up to his ear, his cheek bones molding the bends of his skin in all the right ways, the curve of his bottom lip when he smiled, his brown-gray close-cropped hair. And his laugh. I could hear it. His steel-blue eyes were looking at me in my mind, tap-tapping into my brain, his eyes alight with electric galaxies.

I stared into his eyes in my mind. Could I ever get close to him? I needed to. There was so much I didn’t know about him. What was it like when he slept? How did his body feel to hold? How did his hair smell? Did it have a fragrance the way a human’s would? I needed to know.

Oh man, I am so hooked on this book!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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I love stories about angels and demons. Hunted promises to deliver both! It’s on my list of must reads and I’ll be reading it soon. I’ll be sure to tell you all about it when I’m finished!

Hunted by Ednah Walters
Bran and Lil may have escaped an attempt to lure Lil to the dark side, and recovered the contracts damned people signed with Bran when he was a soul collector, but someone forgot to tell them that no one switches sides or cancels contracts without consequences.

Hunted by an unknown but powerful enemy, Lil, Bran and the Guardians must seek help from unlikely sources to avert total annihilation of the Guardians. When they finally face their enemy, one of them may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Purchase a Print copy for just $5.85!

Praise

All in all, Hunted is a very enjoyable read, especially for those who enjoy angel/demon books. This one has everything you want in an angel book while still maintaining its own distinct feel.

~TeresaMaryRose

This series is addictive.

~Author Kate Kaynak

AMAZING! There is not enough words to describe how much I loved Hunted. Ednah Walters has outdid herself if that is even possible.

~Megan McDade

Author Ednah Walters

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries, hence Stratemeyer influence, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily’s Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn’t enough. So I started to write.

I’ve written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. Awakened is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. I’m working on book 2, tentatively named Betrayed. When I’m not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my series.

 
Tour Schedule

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Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/25/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

TerraBanner

On Tour with Prism Book Tours…
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gretchen-001Hello there! My name is Gretchen Powell. I am 24 years old, half-Chinese, and the owner of two adorable miniature schnauzers. I am an occasional drinker of classy wines, and I wrote a book.

By day, I work for a government contractor in our nation’s capital.
By night, I binge on episodes of Doctor Who and sleep fitfully.
Sometime in the mid-afternoon, I write another blog called Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen! about weight loss, food, fitness, and my life.
Some of my favorite things include polka dots, Harry Potter, pretty much any TV show that airs on Thursday nights (yep, I’m talking Vampire Diaries #notashamed), and playing the ukulele.

Terra (Terrestrials, #1)Terra

by Gretchen Powell

Paperback, 286 pages

Published December 12th 2012 by Hopewell Media

Premise:

A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.



A discovery that will change everything.



In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth’s population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial–a denizen of the barren groundworld–who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra’s world is turned upside down.



Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam–a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything–a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.

~

Terra Collection #2:

You found something while scavenging in the fields! Quick, hide it in your bag! What is it?

                         

Excerpt:

“Ooh,” I moan. My neck is stiff from the hours of staring straight at the ground. I cock my head from side to side in order to work out the kinks, and I hear a dull series of pops as my vertebrae resettle. I hang my head to the right for a few moments, stretching my neck muscles; from this new sideways perspective, something catches my eye. I see the vague outline of a small silver lump tucked under a raised root about a yard over.

I crawl over and gently dig around the object. After a minute of maneuvering, I pull out a small machine, comprised of dozens of little interlocking tubes and shafts. The device is slightly larger than the palm of my hand and surprisingly heavy. Underneath the caked-on dirt, it looks shiny—brand new, in fact. It’s missing that matte sheen, a telltale sign of having been processed through the recycling center. Some small pieces might be missing—a few loose wires hang out, a lonely peg sticks out from the side—but, for the most part, it seems intact.

“Jackpot,” I whisper aloud. This thing has got to be worth at least a hundred credits, easily. Enough to cover an entire month of Rations. Between this little machine, the plastic, and the myriad of generics already lining my bag, this is going to be a stellar Collection Day.

~

In Terra‘s world, resources are scarce and many people make their living as “scavs,” hunting for scraps to turn in on Collection Day in exchange for credits. For this tour, YOU are a scav, and there are scraps all over the blogosphere for you to find! On each participating blog, there will be one of 9 possible questions. Answer the question to receive a keyword that will get you an extra entry in the awesome giveaway!

~

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~

Giveaway April 1 – 26

One lucky scav will win a Terra prize pack! Get a signed copy of Terra, along with three exclusive (and gorgeous!) bookmarks, as well as a delicate silver watch–just like Terra’s!–all packed up inside a scav bag of your very own! US only.





An additional five (FIVE!) winners will get a digital copy of Terra in the format of their choice. International.

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Gretchen Powell. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway



Terra on Tour!!

April 2013Check out the Reviews of Terra!! And become a “scav” and track down all the answers to the Collections questions hidden in the excerpts. 🙂  Plus, celebrate Gretchen’s birthday by bringing something fun to the party!!

1 – April Fool’s Day LAUNCH!

Colorimetry

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer  – Excerpt 1

fuonlyknew  – Excerpt 2

2 – A Tiffyfit’s Reading Corner –  Review

 – Pause TimeReview

3 – Jessie’s Book Place –  Excerpt 3

4 – Mel’s ShelvesReview

– The Reading Diaries – Excerpt 4

5 – Lovin’ Los LibrosReview

7 – Christy’s Cozy CornerReview

Total Book Geek Excerpt 5

8 – The Quiet ConcertReview

9 – LDS & Lovin’ It – Review

10 – Jessabella ReadsExcerpt 6

11 – Gretchen’s Birthday Party!!

Passion & Life – Excerpt 7

12 – Tressa’s Wishful EndingsReview

14 – Living a Goddess Life – Review

Books, Books and More BooksReview

15 – Marked by BooksExcerpt 8

16 – Blood, Sweat and BooksReview

My SerynitiReview

17 – Bookworm LisaReview

Mortality BitesExcerpt 9

18 – Getting Your Read OnReview

 –The Broke Book Bank –  Interview 10

19 – Grand Finale Blast!!

lichgates tour

Lichgates promises to take you to another world. One filled with danger and adventure. I for one, am not going to miss out!

Read further to find out how to get a FREE copy of your very own!

.,

Lichgates

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things–Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict–a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Enjoy this excerpt. It’ll grab ya!

The air in the submerged library stalled, stagnant and suddenly heavy. The muscles between Kara’s shoulders tightened, and her neck tensed.

Hidden deep within the desk before her was a thick sheet of parchment paper. Kara set this aside, covered as it was in an illegible, spidery script. The book’s faded red leather was porous and soft, its title written in gold lettering that had long ago begun to chip so that now, only spotted lines comprised the runic letters.

The chains wrapped around the cover like metal vines, and instead of a padlock, they had all been fused together in the book’s center. In this mess of iron was a small silver pendant, hung from a short chain and set into the fused metal like a key in a lock. It was the same symbol that had appeared on the door: a crude four-leaf clover comprised of thin crescent moons. A brilliant diamond glittered from its center.

Her hands inched along the pages trapped beneath the odd lock and brushed the silver vines in the process. The metal burned her fingertips. She dropped the book, which thumped on the desk. Pain shot through her arm.

Someone whispered in her ear.

She whipped her head around and held her breath, but the library was empty and quiet once more. Her shoulders tensed, and her body told her to run, run! But there was nowhere to run to. The library had no door and only one inaccessible window.

Maybe she wasn’t supposed to open the book. The thought alone made her want to open it even more.

She sat in the chair, tore off a bit of her sleeve, wrapped it around her hand, and dug her thumbnail beneath the pendant. It shifted. The cold vines stung her thumb through the fabric, but she gritted her teeth and jiggled the pendant again. The necklace moved above her finger and finally popped. Something else clicked.

The sound of metal slithering over fabric made her freeze. The iron vines unwound themselves and fell from the book, and for the second time that day, she suppressed a scream as inanimate things moved. The metal twisted away, clattering to the floor.

The air thickened again, weighing on her neck. A shiver raced down her back. Her hips pressed into the chair, as if someone was pushing hard on her shoulders. Another whisper chorused in her ear. Even though her breath caught in her throat, she didn’t try to find the source. She doubted anything would be there if she looked.

This couldn’t be real.

What a great choice in excerpt! I have to read this now. Have to find out what happens to Kara and enter this new world.

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Praise for Lichgates

Wow, the world building on this one was breathtaking. The world of Ourea is just full of so many things. Surprises are around every corner.

~Alexia P.

From the first few pages into this story, it was obvious that Boyce has a way with words.

~Author Becca Campbell

Author S.M. Boyce

International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

Contact

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/25/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Make sure you visit all the stops on the tour.

Follow the schedule link below to learn more about Lichgates!

Tour Schedule