Thursday, May 15, 2014

NEW Release: THE HIDDEN CHILD by Camilla Lackberg


Book Details:
Publication date: May 15, 2014
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Genre: Psychological/Crime fiction

Synopsis:
Crime writer Erica Falck should be hard at work on her new novel, but there is something consuming her thoughts—a Nazi medal she discovered in her late mother’s trunk that was wrapped in a blood-stained baby’s dress. Also in the trunk is a set of her mother’s WWII diaries she hasn’t had the nerve to read.  Haunted by a childhood of family neglect, Erica resolves—with a little encouragement from her husband, Detective Patrick Hedstrom—to dig deeper into the past to uncover the significance of these items and answer the nagging questions she’s had about her emotionally distant mother. As she delves deeper into her own personal investigation, Erica comes to learn more about her mother’s circle of friends during the Second World War and is determined to track them down to find out more.

At the same time the local police department is trying to solve a murder that is connected to Erica. Local historian, Erik Frankel, was brutally killed in his home shortly after receiving a visit from Erica asking about her mother’s medal. As the investigations develop, the links between the present day murder and the dark secrets of Erica’s mother’s past are too strong to ignore. But who would kill so ruthlessly keep an old secret buried?

Early Reviews:
 
Part thriller, part family drama with a devastating love story at its core, THE HIDDEN CHILD is an engrossing and multi-layered novel that reinforces why Camilla Läckberg is one of the best writers of crime fiction today.

An Amazon Editors Pick for Spring 2014
“Fans of Nordic noir will appreciate this taut, twisty mystery enriched with historical detail.” ~Kirkus Reviews
“The Hidden Child will keep fans of Swedish crime guessing until the final pages.  ~Booklist

“[In] Läckberg’s excellent fifth novel…horrific secrets come to light as the author skillfully shows how the past has influenced recent events.”  ~Publishers Weekly (starred review)


About the Author
 
Camilla Läckberg’s novels have all been #1 bestsellers in Sweden.  She was the #1 bestselling female author in Europe last year and her books have been published in thirty-five countries. Her previous novels are The Ice Princess, The Preacher, and The Stonecutter. Camilla lives in a suburb of Stockholm with her family. www.camillalackberg.com

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Interview with Laury Falter


Q.  What inspires your writing?
A. It is incredibly fulfilling when readers get excited about any one of my books. To put it simply, I write for them.

Beyond that, I started writing my first book in January 2009, after Joyce Durham lost her battle to colon cancer. I am good friends with her daughter, Erika, who was then faced with the very difficult task of learning how to deal with the loss of her mother. Witnessing her struggle and that of the Durham family, I wished there was someone who could visit with those who had passed over to the other side and bring back messages to the living, reassuring them that all was fine with their loved one. And from it, Magdalene Tanner was born. I went on to write FALLEN in just under two months, releasing it in March 2009.

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?
A.  Bringing a couple’s love to life on the pages so that they can rouse the reader’s emotions. Along those same lines, knowing I’m taking my readers away from the onslaught of daily life for a brief vacation is incredibly rewarding.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?
A.  Deadlines! I try to turn around a book every few months and that can be a grueling schedule. Ugh!

Q.  If you could not be author, what would you do/be?
A. I was a full-time marketing professional until I lost my job last summer. To pay the bills, I wrote the second book of the Guardian Trilogy. Thankfully, people liked it! If they didn’t, I’d still be putting together marketing plans.

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?
A.  The Bridge to Terabithia. It was the first book I read as a child that made me cry, and it still makes me tear up when I think about it now. An absolutely wonderful read!

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?
A.  Margaret Simon, from Judy Blume’s book “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”. Like her, I have great inner dialogue that is constantly rambling through my head.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like?
A. Magdalene “Maggie” Tanner. I completely connect with her unwavering dedication to protect others.

Q.  What is your favorite season?
A. Fall. I LOVE Halloween. What other day of the year can you dress up like a zombie and no one will think you’re crazy, or run screaming from you?

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?
A. The online versions of the Guardian Trilogy have a lot of white space in the background because I sold Fallen first on my personal website and didn’t want to waste anyone’s printer ink when printing the book.  The remaining novels followed suit. This worked out, thankfully, because the colors (or lack of) represent a great contrast between good and evil.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?
A.  If you enjoy being taken away for a little while by a romantic story set in a paranormal world, check out Laury Falter’s books at www.lauryfalter.com.

Book & Author Details:
Messenger by Laury Falter
(Guardian Trilogy Prequel)
Publication date: May 8th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Maggie does not know she is a Messenger. She has never met her eternal lover. She has never survived a Fallen One. All this changes when a Messenger awakens in the Hall of Records only to die moments later, never to return.

As Maggie sets out to determine why the Messengers are suddenly beginning to die, she crosses paths with the infuriatingly appealing Eran and their story begins.

In this riveting account of Maggie’s first life on earth with Eran, the star-crossed lovers’ romance transpires amidst treacherous enemies, their friends’ resistance, and their own opposing wills. With the odds against her, can Maggie survive long enough to admit the feelings she has so carefully denied?

Messenger is the first prequel to the bestselling Guardian Trilogy – the breathtaking romantic saga about a love that has lasted centuries between a Messenger and her Guardian.

Purchase:
----

AUTHOR BIO
Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.

To learn more about Laury and her novels, visit her at:
Website: lauryfalter.com
Twitter page: twitter.com/LauryFalter
Facebook page: facebook.com/pages/Laury-Falter/196033543803745
Goodreads page: goodreads.com/author/show/4061922.Laury_Falter

GIVEAWAYS
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--The full Guardian Trilogy series in eBook


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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

#New urban fantasy release: THE VAMPIRE WEDDING by Regina Duke



Blurb:

USA Today Bestselling Author Regina Duke presents a paranormal romance!

Cassie Skyler is alone in the world, except for her BFF and a building full of tenants she cannot evict. She's looking for Mr. Right. Will she find him at a vampire fan convention? Her parents hid that part of their lives from her until the day they died. It turns out that's not all they kept from her.

Bear Laco is a vampire working for the Collection Agency. His main mission: locate and register any remaining illegal portals between Earthside and Vampside. So why has he been ordered to investigate Cassie? To make matters worse, he can't afford to fall in love with a human being. Not again.


Buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-Vampire-Wedding-Regina-Duke-ebook/dp/B00K7LF6D8

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-vampire-wedding-regina-duke/1119462061

Monday, May 12, 2014

#Excerpt: INTIMIDATOR by Cari Silverwood


Book & Author Details:
Intimidator by Cari Silverwood
(Preyfinders #2)
Publication date: May 7th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction

Synopsis:
This is Book 2 in the new Preyfinder series.
Book 1, Precious Sacrifice, is currently in the anthology, Kept.
Willow has her hands full scraping out a life in a grungy neighborhood where drugs and crime are the norm. Life is hard, but it’s about to get harder. Being transformed into a sexual pet for an alien warrior may be her only way out.
But Stom, the man she’s been awarded to as a battle honor, has no use for a female, not when his heart is still in a million pieces.
Though the need to be Stom’s mate is overwhelming her, mending his heart isn’t going to be enough. His enemies are searching, looking for the women who are more than they seem, and she’s in their hands before she discovers she’s more-than-human.
Sometimes it sucks to be a chosen one

Purchase:

AUTHOR BIO:
Cari Silverwood is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of BDSM stories and dark erotic fiction.

She writes the way the world should be - dangerous and sexy with bullets piercing the darkness and lovers wrenched close by ropes. When you need escape, when you need that rough lover to bring you to your knees, here you will find stories to singe your fingers. The taste of adventure, the tang of BDSM, the burn of fantasy run wild. Brace yourselves, if you dare to read.

And...in this real world, she has a lovely family in Australia, with the prerequisite teenager who dwells in the dark bedroom catacombs...a husband who raises eyebrows when he catches glimpses of what she writes, and a menagerie of other animals barking, meowing, and swimming about the place.

Author links:


Excerpt:
Stom has been observing Willow at a pub, waiting for his chance to kiss her, so he can claim her.
*****
He’d follow after a few minutes, see where she went. Then Stom’s warrior-enhanced hearing picked up a small shriek, far away, but close enough to be just outside this building.
Her.
As he ran for the door behind the bar, hurdling the counter and sweeping glasses and bottles to the floor with the tail of his coat, he left behind a thunder of smashing glass. People yelled for him to stop. But out of all this, apart from his anxiety over her safety, his one other concern was that he’d recognized that cry. Anyone else he’d seen here tonight could sing an entire song and he’d not know who it was.
Why was this so?
Be inconspicuous? So he guessed that meant he shouldn’t use the twin 357 Magnums he wore in a double underarm holsters, or the sub-compact Heckler & Koch MP5 slung at his back beneath the coat, or the... Pity. He could make such a mess with all these neat human weapons.
On his way through the kitchen, he snatched up a bunch of knives and forks and stuck them into a pocket.
He thrust open the back door and counted back the number of spectators he’d run past. Five, minus whoever was outside. It would do. He could hear the two men somewhere around the corner murmuring threats at Willow. He growled and stalked forward. If he killed these two, maybe that meant he didn’t have to count them?
The brick wall of the pub dog-legged to the right and he followed it into a short alley. At the far end, past a half-open dumpster, was a quiet street with a warehouse and a few cars. One insect-shrouded streetlight shed meager light. He kept going past the dumpster and found them.
They had her backed into a double door, with Turf holding her wrists above her head. Skull-head had his palm over her mouth and was shoving her T-shirt up above her bra. She was trying to kick them and screaming muffled curses. The man removed his palm from her face long enough to slap her hard, once.
A rage like he’d not felt for eons shrieked in and tore his notions of serenity into scrap-sized pieces.

Blitz-wide giveaway
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--25$ Amazon Gift Card

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Sunday, May 11, 2014

Fantastic #Mother's Day Gift for ONLY .99

Are you at a loss to find the perfect Mother's Day gift for that special lady? Why not fill her Kindle or Nook with 8 romance novels for less than a cup of coffee? Set includes stories from NY Times and USA Today best-selling authors.

SPECIAL Promotion Price of ONLY .99 for a limited time. 
Grab this boxed set now before the price goes up to $7.99!

Buy links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kick-Ass-Heroines-Hot-Heroes-ebook/dp/B00JNEX10U/ref=two-en

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kick-ass-heroines-hot-heroes-sandra-edwards/1119439087

ibookstore:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kick-ass-heroines-hot-heroes/id874561829?mt=11


The Wedding Wager
Regina Duke
Megan leaves the hospital whole, but in despair. Can Kevin heal her heart and save his fortune? Sweet romance from USA Today Bestselling Author Regina Duke

The Silver Cross
Debra L Martin
Detective Lacy Gardner is the best at what she does - hunting down vampires that prey on the good citizens of Boston. Her skills will be sorely tested when a powerful new adversary comes to town, but her greatest threat will be losing her heart to one she may have to kill.

Murder, Mi Amore
Cara Marsi
Jewel thieves, murder and terrorists intrude on American Lexie Cortese's Roman holiday; can she trust the sexy, mysterious Dominic Brioni who comes to her aid?

Kiss Me, Tate
Karen Cantwell, USA Today Bestselling Author
Tate Kilbourn was Bunny Bergen's secret high school crush, but that was 24 years ago, and a lot has happened since. When she lands a job at the nature center where Tate is the lead naturalist, will sparks fly, or will Bunny be disappointed all over again?

Eyes of Jade
Tess St. John
After multiple attempts on her life--that oddly mirror her action movies--America's sweetheart, Eve Knight, must put her faith in the FBI agents assigned to her case. After Agent Jake Dane's special care of her, not only is her life at risk, but so is her heart.

Target of Betrayal
Melissa Ohnoutka
Kathleen Landon thought her life would finally get back to normal after the bizarre death of her husband. But a "chance" meeting with an old boyfriend throws her and her family on a dangerous and emotional journey full of secrets and betrayal.

Love by Secrets
Debra Elizabeth
Emily Stanton is falling for the dashing and handsome Connor Preston, but when her father objects and forces her to accept the proposal from Lady Tisbury's shy nephew instead, her heart is broken. How can she love her new husband when her heart belongs to the man who wrote her such beautiful love letters?

Forgotten Soul
Sandra Edwards
A con-artist, hired to locate a buried treasure, finds more than she bargains for in this enchanting tale from NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Sandra Edwards.

Friday, May 9, 2014

#Excerpt: AGAINST THE DARKNESS by A.M. Griffin




Book BLURB:

Seventeen year old Sinta Allen has one objective, to get from Tallahassee, Florida to her mother in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Seems simple enough right? Wrong. Hostile aliens have invaded Earth—and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that we’re losing the fight. While the aliens bring devastation and destruction and take people away to God knows where in their spaceships, Sinta, along with some of her classmates must rely on their survival instincts, a little luck and each other if they want to survive the venture across the country. The last thing she needs is for Wade, her school friend and Jason, her rescuer, to distract her along the way.

(book intended for 15+)


Now available from Ellora’s Cave:


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A. M. Griffin is a wife who rarely cooks, mother of three, dog owner (and sometimes dog owned), a daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She’s a hard worker whose two favorite outlets are reading and writing. She enjoys reading everything from mystery novels to historical romances and of course fantasy romance. She is a believer in the unbelievable, open to all possibilities from mermaids in our oceans and seas, angels in the skies and intelligent life forms in distant galaxies.

You can find out what else I’m working on by visiting my website:
Like my FaceBook page for exclusive news and free books and swag giveaways!
Follow me on Twitter!


Excerpt:
He snaps his fingers, bringing my attention back to his face.

He mouths something that I can’t make out. I shake my head.

He creeps closer. I notice a few other things about him. Like the gun that he’s holding in one hand and some kind of knife in the other.

My eyes widen in understanding.

He’s here to save us.

I peer to my right and left. No one else is paying attention to him. I turn back to him.

“Where are they?” he mouths again.

I nod toward the cabin where Ms. Burgess is screaming.

“How many?” he mouths.

“Three,” I mouth back to him.

He nods and goes back into the woods.

No, I want to yell. Come back, don’t leave us here.

I’m about to do just that when he returns with another man, this one older, but similar looking. They creep closer to us, their eyes scanning everything around them. As they come closer I see the rifles strapped across their backs, the guns in shoulder holsters, the knives strapped around their legs and pistols in their hands. I want to cry.

If anybody can save us from the Tanners it’s them.

The tickle of a tear is on my cheek. I use a shoulder to wipe it away.

I don’t say a word as the younger one crouches behind me and uses his knife to cut through the ropes that bind my wrists. The other man goes behind MJ to do the same. I see him whispering something to MJ and MJ nodding in response. Once my hands are free, he moves down to my ankles and begins to saw away at the ropes there.

He glances up to me, his eyes focused squarely on mine. I have a hard time looking away and I think that’s his intention. “What’s your name?”

Instead of my name a cry escapes my lips.

“It’s going to be okay,” he says, still sawing away at the ropes. He takes a quick peek to his right, where the other man is working to free MJ’s feet. “My name is Jason, but all my fraternity brothers call me JC.” He attempts a smile. “You can call me JC.”

“I…I’m not your frat brother,” I say, in a stutter, as confusion clouds my mind. “I’m a girl.”

Why did I point that out?

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

“Huh?” I’m as confused as ever.

With my feet free, he crawls quickly up to my side.

“Are you still with me? You look like you’re about to freak out and bolt.”

I nod. Yes I’m okay and yes, I’m going to run.

“Stay with me sweetheart,” he says, in a rush. “I’m going to give you this knife and you’re going to free the other girls. After they’re free, I want you to take them where you first saw me, okay? Behind those trees are some backpacks, you wait there for us. Do you hear me?”

Yes.

“Answer me. Do you understand what I want you to do?”

“But what if you don’t make it. They can kill you,” I whisper. I can’t cover up the fear that is smothering me.

The smile he gives me this time is genuine, not at all forced, and all I notice are the deep dimples in his cheeks. “We got this.”

And for some reason I believe him. “Okay.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The author will be awarding a t-shirt, a wire bookmark, and a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 







Thursday, May 8, 2014

#Review: SHAMAN PRIESTESS PAWN by M. Terry Green



5 of 5 stars

The newest book is the techno shaman series features Olivia and SK traveling into the deep jungle searching for legendary Mayan shamans. When they do find the elusive group, things are not as they seem and Livvy and SK are soon fighting for their very lives.

I love this series and book 4 delivers an intense and engaging story, this time about SK. It was great to learn about the private man and his integral role in Mayan shaman history. Livvy's character is given great odds to overcome both in the Multiverse and the real world. She not only has to save herself, but also a way to save SK. The story is fast-paced and kept my attention throughout. The author does a superb job of letting the reader "see" the images/creatures in the Multiverse. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I had to find out the fate of both Livvy and SK. No spoilers here, but this is another wonderful installment in the Olivia Lawson Techno-Shaman series. Highly recommended.

Start reading this series with a FREE "Shaman, Healer, Heretic."

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Interview with E.C. Hibbs


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series? 
My latest book is called Tragic Silence and it’s a YA paranormal romance / thriller / suspense. It’s about a young woman called Bianka Farkas who is targeted by a vampire while trying to rescue her best friend. She eventually runs away to London so she can try to find some safety, but it soon turns out escaping is not quite that simple. It’s part of a series – it has two prequels which are unpublished at the moment. But the three books can be read individually and in any order; together they bring together a larger story.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all? 
It happened with Tragic Silence, because Frank was originally going to be quite a minor character. I honestly can’t imagine how I could have written it if I’d carried on that way. He really brought a warmth and sense of humour to the book, and it didn’t take me long to see that Bianka would definitely need more of his influence!
How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel? 
All in all, I think it took me about three years. The idea that I might someday be able to become a professional writer wasn’t something I really thought about until I was in my teens, but my family and teachers encouraged me to try. By that time, I had already written four novels and two novellas, and I originally approached publishers with one of them. I put off trying again for a while, but when I rewrote Blindsighted Wanderer from an earlier version, I decided to give it another shot, and that book turned out to be “the one.”
If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover? 
The Tragic Silence cover was done by the brilliant Airicka Phoenix, but I was very involved with it because part of the image was actually created by me! The background is a concept artwork which I created of the main character, Bianka, and I knew I really wanted to have her on the cover somewhere.
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you? 
I outline, but I don’t always stick to it completely. I tend to just use it as a general walkthrough, to remind me where the chapter breaks should be, or roughly when a certain bit of information needs to be fed into the plot. I hate tying down the story and not giving it room to breathe and grow by itself. But I do need to have some kind of ‘umbilical cord’ to make sure it can’t completely run away with me!
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)? 
The main sites that I use to keep people updated on a day-to-day basis are Facebook and Twitter, and every few weeks I write a post on my blog. I’ve recently launched a brand new website (www.echibbs.weebly.com) which is full of bonus material from both my books, including desktop wallpapers and some of my original notes. Last month I also took part in Vlog Every Day in April on Youtube, and I think I’ll carry on making the occasional vlog in the future!
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book? 
It can be a bit tricky, but I think it all comes down to time-management. I’m also at university studying for a Masters degree, so if I’m not working on stuff for that, I’m usually doing something for my two published books. I really enjoy writing, so I don’t have a problem focusing on that in my ‘spare time’, but the way I prefer to write means I can get most of the story done in 4-8 weeks. So I try to organize my time into blocks, to allow for university work, promotional work, and then writing intensely for a couple of months every year.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions? 
I’m a really big nature and animal lover, so I enjoy being outside, especially in the Lake District, which is one of my favourite places in the world! I’m very passionate about art as well, because I’ve been doing that for pretty much as long as I’ve been writing. Besides that, I practice Shotokan karate and archery, and collect old books!
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night? 
I can’t choose between dogs and cats because I love them both! In ice cream terms, I’d pick vanilla, but in all other terms, chocolate all the way! I can’t stand coffee or tea – hot chocolate always wins for me! And I’m definitely a night owl; I always seem to be more awake when it goes dark!
What’s next for you? 
This is going to be quite a busy year for me because I’m due to finish my Masters course, so I have to write my dissertation over the summer. But once that’s all done, I’m going to write a fantasy / steampunk novel in winter, and next year I’m planning to start a new high fantasy series! But the main thing I’m looking forward to is paying a visit to Royal Holloway University’s book club later this month! It’s all very exciting!

Book & Author details:
Tragic Silence by E.C. Hibbs
Publication date: November 19th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Suspense

Synopsis:
When tragedy strikes Bianka Farkas one night in her native Hungary, she loses more than a friend and her mobility. Some things are harder to understand. Waking up in a hospital, Bee struggles to remember exactly what happened the night she was attacked and witnessed a brutal murder. Memories of a mysterious figure plague her as well as bizarre and terrifying changes in her over the next few years. Facing this new horrifying reality with a surprising ally, Bee finally has the chance to take her revenge but at what cost?


Purchase: 

AUTHOR BIO:
E. 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.

Author Links:


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—$15 Amazon gift card

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