I’ve read A.W. Exley’s Artifact Hunters Series and really enjoyed them so I had to read this fairy tale retelling, Ella, The Slayer.
Hey, there’s zombies in it!
Feast your eyes on the magnificent cover art.
Enjoy my review.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Ella, The Slayer
by A. W. Exley
My Review
I don’t read a lot of fairy tale retellings, so I figured it was time to do just that. And how could I resist a retelling of Cinderella, taking place after World War I, with zombies! Yep, zombies.
Now, the zombies don’t dominate the story. They are there, lurking in the background, threatening to burst onto the scene at any given time. Sometimes, they do. And that’s where Ella opens up a can of whoop ass.
Ella didn’t ask to be the town’s protector, executioner. She was kind of forced into it. Her and that katana she wielded so well. And that’s just one role she’d been forced into.
She didn’t blame her father for getting married again. She wanted him happy. She didn’t blame him when he came home from war catatonic. She hoped for and watched for him to recover.
She did blame her evil step-mother and two spoiled step-sisters. They relegated her to maid service, whipping her when she didn’t do something right or fast enough. Ella almost relished having to go slay a zombie or two.
Her world changes when she runs into tall, dark, and handsome. Seth, the Duke, is so far out of her league, but her heart wants what it wants. And that’s Seth.
Can Ella have a happy ever after? Or will her evil step family spoil her plans? Will Seth want a lowly maid ? Or will he want one of the snotty step-sisters? And can he see her as a protector, not a killer?
All of my questions are answered, and in such fun and delightful ways. Ella is no lightweight and she has some awesome friends who love and support her.
Seth, weighed down by responsibility, by proper appearances, steps into the shoes assigned to him with strength and fortitude.
And then there’s the zombie thing. The author offered a fresh take on them. I didn’t quite see where she was heading until the end. Very interesting.
I stayed up late and then got up early so I could finish this book and find out what happened. Such a fun retelling.
And did I mention zombies?
4 Stars
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Synopsis
The flu pandemic of 1918 took millions of souls within a few short weeks.
Except it wasn’t flu and death gave them back.
Seventeen-year-old Ella copes the best she can; caring for her war-injured father, scrubbing the floors, and slaying the undead that attack the locals. ‘Vermin’ they’re called, like rats they spread pestilence with their bite. Ella’s world collides with another when she nearly decapitates a handsome stranger, who is very much alive
Seth deMage, the new Duke of Leithfield, has returned to his ancestral home with a mission from the War Office — to control the plague of vermin in rural Somerset. He needs help; he just didn’t expect to find it in a katana-wielding scullery maid.
Working alongside Seth blurs the line between their positions, and Ella glimpses a future she never dreamed was possible. But in overstepping society’s boundaries, Ella could lose everything – home, head and her heart…
Books and writing have always been an enormous part of A.W. Exley’s life.
She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.
Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.
Turn the page, open the door, and step into Where Wolves Talk.
Check out the fun cover and a glimpse inside this tale.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Where Wolves Talk
by D.L. Lewis
Synopsis
Kitten, an American tabby residing in England, is a frustrated cat. He knows his place in the world: he was born to kill. Killing, after all, is what felines are supposed to do. Confined within his Lady’s house, however, the young fellow is deprived of the opportunity to hunt live prey. The mansion is a sterile playground for a predator; offering nothing more than furniture which allows itself to be brutalized far too easily. The ambitious cat is bored and hungry for a challenge.
Kitten learns of a passage hidden in his Lady’s library: the Door, which leads to an unknown world. The cat has been told that the source of all evil dwells openly in this place. The feline is eager to fight the sinister personage and goes through the Door with no hesitation.
The tabby finds himself in what appears to be a forest like any other in England. It doesn’t take long for him to learn that this is a very different place.
Written in the basic style of classic stories like THE LORD OF THE RINGS, WATERSHIP DOWN, and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, this novel can be appreciated on different levels. To some readers, it’s an allegorical tale: thought-provoking and filled with symbolism. To others, it’s an adventure-filled page-turner.
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Enjoy this glimpse inside the book!
Twilight was too short in this world; expressing itself in a brief moment of pale-purple light that came and went in a tantalizing flash. As the lavender glow vanished, darkest night swallowed the forest in a voracious bite; making it cry out in noises far colder than those of the warm pleasant morn: sounds dreadfully opposite to the birdsong and happy chatter that filled the wood earlier in the day. The force expressing itself now was redolent of hunger, fear, and longing: growls and whimpers punctuated by the staccato of scrabbling feet; whinings and whirrings that bespoke pursuit and flight; shrill screams articulating the futile desperation that comes before a violent end.
The fur along Kitten’s spine rose. Such terrors were foreign to a beloved house pet. In this wild, hungry place each and every bush could conceal a lurking predatory animal; a lion, perhaps, who would think nothing of making the cat into its evening meal. In his Lady’s house, the tabby had been king of beasts; the only beast, if truth be told, aside from an occasional mouse who might cross his path and flee at the sight of the tiny tiger. Excepting his Lady’s water atomizer, Kitten had found nothing to fear in his house. But this place: this wild, hungry place where a Shorthair counted as no more than a tasty dish; this wild, hungry place where rustlings and crunches seemed not mere noises but harbingers of impending death—this wild, hungry place was dreadful.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links
D. L. Lewis lives in northern California with a cello, four cats, and a crow named Harold. Where Wolves Talk is her first published novel; followed by Something in the House—California Gothic, Doppelgänger, and Fighting Back.
Where Wolves Talk is on sale at 99 cents (for a limited time) at Kindle and iBooks.
Sometimes I like to go for books a bit outside my normal reading material. This is one of those books I’ll be reading.
Check out the stupendous cover art! That’s what first grabbed me.
Then read the blurb and the excerpt.
And let me know if the glimpse inside this book made you blush. I did. And then I giggled.
Dragon’s Guide To Slaying Virgins
An Otherworld Realms Novel
by Isabelle Saint- Michael
Synopsis
Morgan had resigned herself to death. She had been ready to follow her true love into the afterlife, if only a certain Dragon hadn’t “rescued” her. She wasn’t grateful – after all, she was a full-fledged Lady Knight and perfectly capable of making her own decisions, without the help of arrogant Dragon Lords, no matter how good-looking everyone seemed to think they were…
After dragging Lady Morgan from a Troll’s lair and dropping her off in another realm, Vallen thought he’d never see her again. But then an old member of his Knight Order betrays her oaths and begins amassing an army of thugs and highwaymen – in the same realm he’d left Morgan.
Racing back with only his brother for a squire, Vallen finds Lady Morgan, accompanied by a teenage Werewolf, ready to take on this Dragon all by herself. But it will take all of them to defeat her, and little do they know that in this battle, the secrets of their broken hearts will rise up from the past and walk again…
“And like you, I lost the love of my life.” He reached up and absently stroked my hair down my back.
“Does it get easier and hurt less with time?” I asked.
“Yes, but it can take a very long time.” I closed my eyes at his words. I could picture Simon’s smiling face, his red hair falling free of its pony tail so that strands fell in his face. His eyes were so dark they were almost black, but they sparkled so when he smiled. A tear ran down my cheek. Vallen moved his hand and reached up to wipe it away. “I promise there will be justice for what Avery has done to you.”
I tried to smile, knowing he meant it. Right now, though, I didn’t want to think about Avery. “Thank you,” I whispered.
There was a knock on the door and then Young opened it without waiting for any word from us. He took one look at the two of us wrapped in each other’s arms and blushed clear through his scalp. He averted his gaze and walked close enough to set the clothes down on the chair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect… You and the Lady… and I’m leaving.” He grabbed the tray and disappeared back out the door before we could correct his misconception.
Vallen growled and lowered his arms from around me. “I’m sorry. He has the wrong idea and it’s my fault. I’ll go find him and explain.” He shifted and winced.
“Wait. You shouldn’t be up yet. I can go,” I offered.
He shook his head. “This is my fault.” With a deep breath he pushed himself out of bed and groaned in pain.
Without meaning to I raked my eyes over him. Every inch of his body was covered in thick muscle. He wasn’t bulging, but just looking at him you knew he was powerful. His body was covered in scars and bandages that told the tales of a life lived in the service of others. His dark hair had blue streaks in it, reminding me of a Fairy. His backside was like no backside I had ever seen in person. It looked like it should be made of stone and attached to a statue in Queen Mab’s palace. He turned, giving me full view of his manhood. I had always heard they grew when excited, but with his there in plain view I couldn’t imagine it growing larger, as it was already more than I would have ever known what to do with. He cleared his throat and my eyes flew up to meet his gaze. “My Lady, I believe my eyes are up here.”
I blushed and tugged the blankets over my head, wanting in that very moment to die after being caught staring. He must have finished dressing because I heard him cross the room, followed by the sounds of the door opening and closing. Only after my breathing had returned to normal did I push the blankets off of my head and struggle to the side of the bed.
Isabelle Saint-Michael currently lives abroad in Seoul, South Korea with a transition in process to the UK. Writing is now her full-time gig, but she spent a number of years working in the online media industry. (That’s when she upgraded her personality software from socialite to geek.)
Her hobbies include reading, shopping, travel, and medieval shenanigans with her closest friends. She has earned such coveted nicknames as The Fighting Smurf, The Iz and Wiffle Ball Monkey Slayer.From the author: “The Elven Life is a blog connecting a series of books and characters that I have created. So many times we buy books but then must wait a year at least to get another fix. In a world of immediate gratification I wanted to build an interactive way of storytelling for my readers. Each book, along with the blog, is a free-standing story, but they will occasionally have connecting themes, characters, and messages for our fans to catch. Check us out and keep watching! Books will be available through Amazon, Kindle, and a retailer near you.”
An errant elevator, Greek myth, and a girl who can fly. Each of these stories can stand on their own. Together they make a strong statement for making our own choices, seizing opportunities, and following our own paths.
As these are short stories, I can’t give much more description.
I did get a feeling that some of these stories were left unfinished. Could have been given a real ending. That brought me back to their messages which I mentioned in the beginning of my review. Maybe leaving an open ending was so I could choose how it would go.
What I enjoyed was putting myself in each character’s shoes. What would I do? Would I succeed? Could I have done something different?
When a book can make me do that. Make me pause, think, ask questions, I know I’ve been reading some strong writing.
4 Stars
***
Synopsis
Three interconnected short-stories set in Paris explore the issue of choice, survival and transformation. In the first story, a young man on his first business trip is waylaid by an aberrant elevator. In the pivotal tale, a young scientist re-imagines the Greek myth of Icarus and his fall to earth. In the final story, a young woman who cannot recall her own name relates the fantastical tale of a girl who can fly.
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Here’s a glimpse inside!
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About The Author
NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife and his house with seven cats, one dog and the subtropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors. He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and thirty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification. He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences.
You can enter the global giveaway here
or on any other book blogs participating in this tour. Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook,
they are listed in the entry form below.
The journey of a spellbound woman, her friends, and the men who vie for her affections as she falls headlong into a world of vampires, witches and Greek gods.
Who will she choose as her one true love and how many lives will be turned upside down in her quest to fulfill her eternal destiny?
Friends become enemies and enemies become deadly as each seek to find the one thing that will bring true fulfillment.
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Excerpt
Bound to Remember, Book One
“Hello.” I held out my hand. “I’m Doctor Toni Hollander, but you can call me Toni.”
He stared at me as if he was looking right though me, ignoring my extended hand. A wave of embarrassment washed over me and I pulled my hand back. Maybe I imagined that stare thing with him a minute ago. My thoughts retreated to Kevin. He had only been the last in a long line of failed relationships and I was starting to wonder if my terrible taste in men had struck again.
“Where are my manners? I am Benjamin, but you may call me Ben” He pulled my hand into his, with a toothy grin.
*****
Unbound, Book Two
Hades closed the space between us. “I will return soon, my sweet.” He took my hand, kissing my fingertips, before releasing it. Then the three gods and Dawn disappeared.
Ben and I stood alone in the hallway as I moved closer to him. The lust from our kiss still lingered thick between us.
“Ben . . . I—”
“Shhh.” His finger touched my lips, stopping my rambling. “We have only a short time, and I need to plead my case to you; so let me show, rather than tell you why it should be me you pick for eternity.”
*****
Bound to You, Book Three
“I’ve missed you already. I don’t know how I survived without you for so long.” His warm lips kissed the top of my hand. If my cheeks could blush, they’d be the darkest shade of red.
I had to clear my throat and shake my head from the swoon-worthy trance Hades had me in. “I’d like to have my place back, but Ben compelled my landlord to get me out of my lease.”
His lips trailed to my finger, then fingertips, creating sensations throughout my body. “My Antonia, I want nothing more than to fulfill every desire in your heart. It’s such a beautiful heart. I know that you love me, and that you will make your decision when you are ready. I can wait. I’ve waited so long for you, and I’d continue to wait an eternity to be with you.”
Imaginary butterflies fluttered in my stomach and I felt my heart slipping into his hands. I knew his words were true; he would wait.
*****
Bound by Fate, Short
“I have something for you.” It was the same line she sang every time. Her voice was the perfect pitch to allure any human and I felt my body being pulled toward her. I wouldn’t even greet her anymore when she came; I tried to block her out.
“Benjamin, I have something for you.” I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to possibly see Toni. She’d promised me that I could see her one day—to see if she was truly happy; so I gave in each time and went to Aphrodite. I always waited here for her to arrive, for she had me at her beck and call.
*****
Abound Christmas, Short
Snow was falling and I heard her charming giggle. The sound enchanted me. I looked down and I was holding her mittened hand in mine.
“I love you, Benjamin,” she said. I looked carefully, trying to make out her face, but caught only her profile bundled under a furry hood and scarf. I glanced around, noting that we were in a carriage riding through Central Park, passing snow-covered trees.
*****
Witch Bound, Book Four
My melancholy thoughts broke as I heard my name being called—I wasn’t paying attention to details anymore. I hadn’t left the building in the last 24 hours and I was exhausted. The sounds of the hospital continually echoed in the fog of my thoughts. I played Doctor Stevens’ words in my head on repeat, but the memory of Hermes’ first touch in Hades’ temple still sent chills down my back.
My daddy taught me better than to fiddle between boys. “Always pick the man, Dawn,” he would say. Thinking of my daddy reminded me that I needed to call him. I could only avoid his calls for so long.
*****
Rebound, Book Five
“Does beauty run in your family as well?” A nervous chuckle escaped me. What a cheesy pickup line.
“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” she asked, batting her eyelashes and making sweat swell on my forehead.
“Yes.” I nodded. Why was I being so honest? I cleared my throat. “I’m Ben, by the way.” I extended my hand.
She looked at me then my hand before gently wrapping hers in mine.
“And I am Thalia.” The warmth of her hand made everyone on the train disappear.
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About the Author:
Lola is a fool for a love story, a sucker for a cupcake, and let’s not talk about what she’d do for a Klondike bar. She enjoys long walks on the beach and movies that involve chainsaws. By day she’s the HR Lady and by nightfall she puts on a cape to become a romance writer.
I have so much to share about The Star Seer’s Prophecy Series.
There’s a great sale for Dark Innocence, Book #1. And Fierce Blessings, Book #2 is now available!
I have blurbs and spectacular covers to share.
Plus a wonderful guest post from the author.
And TWO Giveaways!
But first lets hear from Author Rahima Warren!
EVOKING A FANTASY WORLD
BY RAHIMA WARREN
When reading a fantasy set in a different (non-historical) world or time, I find it jarring if the characters’ names are old familiar ones from our everyday reality. Why would people in a strange time/place have names like Steven or Julia? Also, why would they use the same words to refer to time or distance that we do? Convenient for the writer perhaps, but too familiar for me as a reader.
TIME AND DISTANCE:
In my fantasy trilogy, The Star-Seer’s Prophecy, I tried to evoke a different world in subtle ways. For example, I avoid using our familiar measures of time. Instead of “minute,” I use “moment.” Instead of “week,” I use “quarter-moon.” Many cultures measure time by that clock in the sky, the Moon. For distance, I just referred to how many days a trip took.
And I had fun making up names and words to help evoke a different world. I used two methods for creating these new words: listening/intuition, and research.
LISTENING:
For most of my characters’ name, I start by ‘listening’ for a name, using my intuition. Sometimes, that’s it. I get it on the first try, like Zhovanya as the name of the Goddess in my trilogy. For others, I play around with the sound of the name until it fits the character. And for some, the name evolves as I get to know the character better. For example, originally Kyr’s name was Arik (which I believe relates to an old Nordic word for eagle). Somehow, I didn’t like the hard ‘k’ as the last sound of his name, so I changed it to Kyr (“keer” like “peer”), which to me sounds like the high, lonely cry of a hawk or eagle, and suits his character.
Over time, I noticed that there was a pattern in the way I was naming men vs. women, and changed a few names to fit that pattern, though there are some exceptions. You might check out the Cast of Characters (in Book Extras) on my website, and see if you can detect the pattern. I also ‘listened’ for the magical commands used by the Warrior-Mage, Rajani; for the names of magical potions; and for the sacred chants. (See the Glossary in Book Extras.)
RESEARCH:
In the case of the evil sorcerer-king called the Soul-Drinker, I found his name through researching the roots of words in the Dictionary of Word Origins by John Ayto. The Soul-Drinker’s name is Dauthaz, which comes from the Old English and Germanic roots of the word ‘death.’
This is also how I created the name of the land where the story takes place, and the terms used at the Sanctuary. The land is named Khailaz, which is a prehistoric Germanic word, ancestor of our word, ‘whole.’ Adding the suffix –itha to khailaz produced khailitha, the root of our words, ‘health’ and ‘heal.’
From this, I made up the words kailitha (divine healing energy); Kailithana (a priestess-healer); Kailithara (healing work of the Kailithana);Kailithos (one who is undergoing the Kailithara); and Kailithama (sacred chamber in which the Kailithana works with the Kailithos).
I don’t recall exactly how I tracked down the roots from which I constructed Aithané (Listener, Confessor), Phanaithos (Speaker, Divulger), orPhanaithara (Divulgence, Confession). I believe they come from Greek roots meaning to listen, and to speak.
A few other words, I just made up. For example, I derived zhan (life force energy) from Zhovanya.
Now, admittedly, I am not Tolkien, creating whole languages, and races of fantastic creatures. My focus is more on the inner world and healing ordeal of my hero, Kyr, than on detailed world-making. However, I did do my best to evoke a different place/time by creating new words and names, and avoiding overly familiar names and terms.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
As a reader, which do you prefer: familiar names and terms; or new and different ones?
As a writer, what is your approach to evoking a different world?
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Rahima is the author of Dark Innocence and Fierce Blessings, Books One and Two of The Star-Seer’s Prophecy trilogy. She is a third-generation native of California and resides with her husband in Northern California, where she periodically chases squirrels off the wild bird feeders, and deer away from her roses. Her life-long love of fantasy is her parents’ fault: they left sci-fi & fantasy magazines with fascinating cover art lying around the house, and they were the first thing she picked up to read.
Rahima is a retired psychotherapist. Her depth of experience with her own healing journey, and with her clients, merged with her love of imaginative literature and resulted in The Star-Seer’s Prophecy, an fantasy trilogy about the healing journey from evil and suffering to love and enlightenment.
In her work with clients, she was awed by the human capacity to heal from horrendous abuse, and to reach new levels of forgiveness, wholeness and happiness. This is the transformational journey she portrays in fictional form in The Star-Seer’s Prophecy.
Book 1: Dark Innocence, and Book 2: Fierce Blessings have been published. She is currently editing Book 3: Perilous Bliss.
This week you can grab the first book in the Star-Seer’s Prophecy Trilogy for just 99 cents. That’s right Dark Innocence is marked way, way down, giving you the chance to explore this thought-provoking fantasy series for yourself. Get your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBookstoday!
You can continue the saga with the newly released sequel Fierce Blessings.
The Banished Goddess saved his soul. Now he must restore Her sovereignty.
But how can he, when his worst enemy drags him back into hell?
No longer the dark innocent, Kyr hassurvived the first hell of the Star-Seer’s prophecy. After his deeply sacred and transformative year at the Goddess’s Sanctuary, he has become a man of compassion, courage, and integrity. However, the terrible crimes he committed as the unwitting slave of the Soul-Drinker still weigh heavily on his soul. To atone, he plans to help his slave brothers find the same blessings he received from the Goddess: healing, forgiveness and love.
But before he can begin, his worst enemy tears him from the safety of the Sanctuary, and away from all the goodness and beauty he has come to know. Now Kyr must face the second hell foretold by the prophecy. Left chained outdoors like a dog for months, Kyr is subjected to beatings and derision by his captors. When the rains come, he is taken inside as servant and whore by their leader, who subjects Kyr to sorcerous torture, aiming to turn him into his will-less, mind-bonded slave. Far from any help, Kyr struggles to protect his soul from the seductive pull of all-too-familiar depravity, fight the temptations of hatred and despair, and to continue on the hard path to forgiveness.
Will Kyr be able to keep faith with the Goddess Who saved his soulin time to renew the Sacred Balance and restore Her sovereignty? Or will he return to the foul slavery he has known most of his life? The fate of the land and the Goddess Herself depends on his choice.
Fierce Blessings is a deep, rich story that explores the ferocious challenges of life as a human being… takes you on a transformational journey… and portrays the kind of courage needed to endure and transcend the worst of experiences.
Oh, and don’t forget to enter our giveaway for your chance to win an autographed copy of Fierce Blessings or a Star-Seer’s Prophecy t-shirt. We have a total of 4 prizes for 4 lucky winners, hooray! Enter the giveaway right here: www.novelpublicity.com/dark-innocence
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About Dark Innocence:
In an ancient world of blood sorcery and healing magic, the Soul-Drinker, a vicious necromancer-king, is draining the life from the souls of the people and of the earth itself. Worse yet, he has banished the land’s rightful Goddess, and disrupted the Sacred Balance, sending the mortal and divine realms whirling toward destruction.
The only hope for salvation is a youth named Kyr, born and raised as one of the Soul-Drinker’s blindly obedient slaves. Kyr knows only the pain, evil and cruelty of the Soul-Drinker’s hell–and nothing of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy that declares him to be the long-sought Liberator.
Rescued by strangers, Kyr embarks on a bewildering journey into a bizarre new life, where kindness and love are real. If he is to fulfill his destiny, he must battle his inner demons and fight to find his buried capacities for compassion and courage. Will he be able to surrender the inner ice that has been his soul’s only protection in time to save the world from disaster?
Again, you can grab your copy for just 99 cents at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBooks as part of this special event!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.
Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.
To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.
In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.
Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series and the Element Trilogy. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs at www.project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogs…, a cooperative of published middle grade authors. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com and www.ElementTrilogy.com. Donna wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote a murder mystery screenplay at seven and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship (and has been writing fantasy ever since). She’s lived in other exotic locations, including her family-owned campground in New Hampshire and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse and dreams of returning one day to a castle.
Dead Jed is Shaun of the Dead meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jed’s not your typical junior high geek. He is, to use the politically-correct term, cardiovascularly-challenged. And while
his parents have attempted to shield him from the implications of being ‘different’ for as long as they could (Jed was 8 and at a friend’s sister’s birthday party when he blew his lips off onto the cake in front of everyone, finally prompting the “Big Talk” from his parents and an emergency SuperGlue repair by his dad), 7th grade at Pine Hollow Middle School as a target of Robbie the supreme school bully and his pack of moronic toadies is rapidly becoming unbearable.
From being stuffed in a filled trash can as “dead meat” and into a trophy case as the bully’s “prize,” to literally having his hand pulled off in the boys’ room (Jed’s always losing body parts. Luckily, a good stapler and some duct tape and he’s back in the action) and a cigarette put in it and try to frame him for the recent reports of smoking in the school, Jed’s had enough and is ready to plan his revenge. Besides, it’s awesome what you can do when you’re already dead!
The first part of seventh grade was rough on Jed, but things are looking up now that Christmas is almost here. As with past Christmases, Jed asks for the one thing he’s always wanted–a dog–and again, his parents tell him they’re not ready. But fate has a different plan when Jed sees a dog get run over by a car. Then, it happens. Jed suddenly has a pet, Tread, a zombie dog bearing his namesake–a tire tread down his back. Jed may have gained a dog, but he loses his best friend Luke, who fears the way Jed created his undead pet.
When Jed returns to school, he finds a mysterious group called the No Zombies Now Network spreading rumors of the dangers the undead pose to normal people. Forced to disprove Hollywood stereotypes, Jed has his work cut out for him as stories of a zombie dog begin to circulate. Jed could be expelled if he can’t expose the NZN Network as a fraud. Jed needs help from his kind of girlfriend Anna, especially after he discovers Luke has joined the shadowy group.
Once again navigating the treacherous waters of middle school, Jed does his best to stay in one piece. Only this time he’ll need even more duct tape and staples than usual.
For over a thousand years, the Tanoa have relied on their line of Earth Shamen to bring rich harvests, temper stone tools and weapons, and imbue pottery with strength like metal. Now, though, the bloodline has dwindled to one Shaman, Tuwa, who is trapped high in the mountains, holding bedrock together to prevent a volcanic eruption while the rest of her people flee to safety. The only way to save the village is for her to sacrifice herself and buy them the time they need to evacuate.
But her grandson, Ahote, refuses to abandon her to die. Rather than do as she asks—marry and bear daughters who might inherit her gift—he sets out to find the one person who might be able to save Tuwa’s life.
Kasha is a Tanoa girl in who lives in Solace, a city of the pale-skinned Andalanos. If the Engineers Guild ever discovers her gender or race, they could order her execution—for in violation of the King’s law, Master Engineer Seamus trained Kasha as his apprentice. She is a genius in all things mechanical and earned her master certification when only fourteen years old. Since Seamus’s death, she has been discreetly working his job as the City Engineer.
No engineer in history could save Tuwa; it requires an invention unlike anything the world has ever seen. Kasha believes she can do it, but when Ahote breaks the Andalanos’ most sacred law, she is caught between worlds. Kasha must choose between her Tanoa heritage and her Andalano friends who have risked their lives to give her the only career she has ever wanted. Choosing one means betraying the other, and in this world, betrayal means death.
I write as both Emily Mah (for science fiction and fantasy) and E.M. Tippetts (for chick lit). My short stories have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The Black Gate, and anthologies like The Dragon and the Stars, Shanghai Steam, and The Change: Tales of Downfall and Rebirth. My E.M. Tippetts novels have been on the Amazon Top 100 numerous times, and my novel, Someone Else’s Fairytale was semi-finalist for the Best Indie Book of the Year – Kindle Book Review, and a runner up in Romance for the Best of the Independent Book Awards – eFestival of Words.
When I’m not writing or chasing small children, I manage E.M. Tippetts Book Designs, my company which offers formatting, cover design, and editing services to authors and publishers.
The author is giving away an ebook of the first book in the series, Restless Earth, to everyone who signs up for her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/bitx49
By- E.C. Hibbs, Jacinta Maree, Victoria Escobar, Susan Burdorf, Luke McCallin, C.L. Matthews, Ruthi Kight, J.K. Radalyac, Bobbie Palmer and Heather Clawson
Genre- Mature YA/NA Fantasy
Description
Dragons are a race of mythical creatures shrouded in magic and mystery. Whether good or evil, countless stories have been written detailing their majesty. For centuries, mankind has searched for the facts regarding the true nature of these fantastic beasts.
Today, another quest for knowledge has struck our attention; a cure for diabetes. In this dragon themed anthology, ten authors have come together to create this collection of short stories to benefit the American Diabetes Association.
C.L. Matthews resides in Utah, the state with the best snow on earth. She is not a fan of the snow but loves her state just the same. She is known for her swag business and creative pieces. C.L. Matthews is a college student, swag maker, and new author, it isn’t an easy task but she wants to succeed in many things. Her hobbies consist of crafting, drinking coffee until she can’t consume any more, and reading until she falls asleep with books in her lap. C.L. Matthews is married to her childhood best friend, she got her happily ever after.
Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but with the ability to claim eight states as home; Victoria Escobar writes fiction from her current home in New York. She writes whatever comes to mind and because of such has a variety of genres written including Young Adult, New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, and Contemporary Fiction.
In spare time if not with family, and friends Victoria enjoys curling up with a book from a favorite author with music playing. If not reading or writing she spends time drawing, sketching, crocheting, or some other random art project. She enjoys staying busy, but most of all enjoys staying creative.
Self confessed chocaholic, Jacinta Maree was born and raised in Melbourne Australia with her loving family of five. Even as a child Jacinta had an itch to write. Writing was the one constant hobby she clung to, also trying her hand at piano, flute, tennis, horseback riding and drama.
Jacinta works full time in the family business and spends her afternoons either playing basketball, reading, writing or hanging out with friends. She is always happy to try something new; getting her real estate license, practicing ninjitshu, Zumba and parkour to name a few.
For her future, Jacinta sees herself writing. It is a large part of her identity and something she hopes to continue. Aside from her love of stories she loves Japan and its unique and beautiful culture and history. From their delicious sushi dishes right down to their wooden sandals and kimonos. She is also a huge cat person and loves to snuggle up in front of the fire for a good movie or book. Her favorite genres are paranormal and fantasy but she also loves anything written by thriller writer, Stephen King.
C. Hibbs has lived all her life in Cheshire, north-west England. A lover of stories from an early age, she wrote her first ‘book’ when she was five, and throughout school was a frequent visitor to the younger classes to read her tales to the children.
Living so near the coast, she loves anything to do with the sea. She studied Animal Behaviour at university and longs to work with marine mammals in the future. As well as nature and animals, she also has a soft spot for history, and loves paying visits to castles, cathedrals and museums.
There are many things she could be without, but writing isn’t one of them. She carries a pen everywhere, in case an idea appears, and takes pride in still seeing the world as brimming with magic. Besides writing, she reads obsessively, her favourite genres being the classics and all kinds of fantasy. She also enjoys Disney and horror films, practising Shotokan karate, drawing, archery, and playing with her very cheeky kitten.
Luke McCallin was born in England, grew up in Africa, was educated around the world, and has worked with the UN as a humanitarian relief worker and peacekeeper in the Caucasus, the Sahel, and the Balkans. His experiences have driven his writing, in which he explores what happens to normal people put under abnormal pressures, inspiring a historical mystery series built around an unlikely protagonist, Gregor Reinhardt, a German intelligence officer and a former Berlin detective chased out of the police by the Nazis. THE MAN FROM BERLIN was published in 2013, followed by a sequel, THE PALE HOUSE, in 2014.
Luke was surprised as anyone that his first book was an historical detective novel, seeing as he’d grown up with Tolkein, Donaldson and CS Lewis and Anne McCaffrey! A dragon story is just the ticket to get back to what he always thought he would write!
J.K. Radalyac lives with her awesome hubby and son in Northern California. Lunch lady by day and blogger by night, she fills the in between times with reading and scribbling down stories. She loves Harry Potter and is a huge advocate of indie authors and never tires of helping them in their endeavors.
Bobbie Palmer lives in Delaware and is very involved with NaNaWriMo and the local writing community. She writes anything from Paranormal to Historical Fiction to kids books.
Susan Burdorf is a lover of all things sparkly and can often be found spreading glitter everywhere in hopes the fairies will find her. She grew up reading about the Dragon Riders of Pern and does not understand why she cannot have one of her own. Some day, she is sure, they will find her and then you will hear her laughter in your dreams as she flies overhead. Residing near Nashville TN she spends her days at her normal job, or walking her dog, or stalking the animals at the Zoo in hopes of finding a fantastical creature or two looking for a new home. She asks that you contact her if you find any.
author of Knotted Roots and Burn Out, is excited to announce her involvement with the upcoming anthology Blood and Scales. The proceeds of which are being donated to the American Diabetes Association. She currently lives in South Carolina with her fiancé and two children, aged 7 and 10 months. After being away from the writing world for a while, she is happy to be back and ready for action. As long as it’s before 8 pm. Once the kids are in bed, all bets are off. The best way to reach her is through projecting mental images while she sleeps…otherwise she will most likely miss your message/text and have to apologize profusely for days. Don’t worry, she loves to hear from readers and friends, but don’t be surprised if you catch her sleeping on the job occasionally.
Heather Clawson is an incognito Valkyrie who’s been known to defy belief, imagination, gravity, death, and, on occasion, her mother. A big believer in knowing how to do the same things her characters know how to do, she can speak knowledgeably on the subjects of Tae Kwon Do, falconry, sniper shooting, swinging a sword, being chased by geese, creative swearing, motorcycling, origami, and baking.
An aspiring novelist and book reviewer for the San Francisco / Sacramento Book Review, Heather lives on the east coast with her long-suffering husband and two fluffy, mostly-obedient dogs.
Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!
Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!
This week, #T4T presents to you:
To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler and Crown of Ice by Vicki Weavil
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
*****
This richly-imagined universe from an acclaimed fixture of YA storytelling introduces a the young witch Bromwyn, a strong heroine who wields great power. Five years ago, Bromwyn refused a gift from the powerful fairy king. Tonight, on Midsummer, that decision comes back to haunt her. When her best friend Rusty picks the wrong pocket, he and Bromwyn are all that stand between their village and the rampaging fairies who have pushed through the World Door. If they cannot outwit the fairy king and queen before the World Door closes at sunrise, the friends will lose everything–their village, Bromwyn’s magic, and Rusty’s life.
“If you want to get lost in magic and spend some time away from this grey, dreary world of reality, then look no further.” – Nicky Peacock,Author
“his was a really strong little book–a wonderful start to a brand new series, and I think it’s safe to say I’ll be looking for more of Jackie Morse Kessler’s work!” – Kels, Literature Obsessed
“This is a great tale about the transitions in youth and of true friendship. It also depicts the emotional wounds caused from misjudgment and rejection.” – LuAnn,Rockin Book Reviews
Jackie Morse Kessler grew up in Brooklyn, NY, with a cranky cat and overflowing shelves filled with dolls and books. Now she’s in Upstate NY with another cranky cat, a loving husband, two sons, and overflowing shelves filled with dragons and books (except when her sons steal her dragons). She has a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature, and yet she’s never read any Jane Austen (with or without zombies). She also has a master’s degree in media ecology. (The living study of technology and culture. Which is cool, but she still can’t figure out how to use Tweetdeck.)
Jackie spends a lot of time writing, reading, and getting distracted by bright and shiny new ideas. (She just came up with a new idea right now.) She has a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to let her cat take over her office chair.
Thyra Winther’s seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can’t reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she’s doomed to spend eternity as a wraith. Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact.
Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal. A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three
missing mirror shards and Kai’s childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra’s willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts – to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast.
Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup’s devotion and the fire of a young man’s desire, the thawing of Thyra’s frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.
“Crown of Ice was great young adult fantasy novel. It offers an interesting and refreshing retelling of Snow Queen fairytale, but also so much more – realistic, confident and a bit bad heroine, magic, cute animals, subtle romance, …” – Dragana, The Paisley Reader
“Crown of Ice, is a luscious and fantastical retelling of the Snow Queen.” – Tina,Goodreads Reviewer
“A solid YA adventure with teenagers who learn so much about themselves, and each other. Even the expected happily ever after offers believable surprises that underscore the maturity and independence they each have gained.” –All Things Urban Fantasy
Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she’s gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She’s currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university. Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.
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