Friday, March 21, 2014

Our One Click Addiction Scavenger Hunt …Win a Kindle Fire HD!


Our One Click Addiction Scavenger Hunt …Win a Kindle Fire HD! 

Hello hunters and readers! The scavenger hunt is hosted by Our One Click Addiction. All of the clues can be found on Facebook. The contest takes place from 9:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM today only!


Here is the link to start at the beginning.  https://www.facebook.com/ouroneclickaddiction

Before clicking away to find the clue you must “like” each page you visit and “like” the post with the clue. At the end there will be a Rafflecopter to enter.

Now I have never been involved in a Facebook based scavenger hunt before, so I am not sure if the clue’s link you directly back to Facebook or not. I guess we will learn together! There are 21 stops.

Due to shipping costs the Kindle Fire giveaway is for US only. Good luck and happy hunting!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Recently Released...A Special Love

A Special Love by Krissy Bells
When Robert Adler and Meredith Conrad fall in love, all that is left for them to do is prepare to live a fairy-tale life. With the blessing of their second child, a son named Michael, everything they have always dreamed of begins to become a reality. But his autism diagnosis is something they never anticipated. The struggle they face after the diagnosis puts a strain on their family that begins to tear them apart. Years later, Michael begins high school, and the true love his older sister Ann Marie finds there helps bring her insight and appreciation of Michael’s unique gifts and identity. It might be just what is needed to put their family back together.

Add to Goodreads
Check it out on Amazon

A Special Love, by Krissy Bells, was published February 2014. Though this story is outside of my usual genera, it sounds very interesting to me, and I have already added it to my TBR shelf.

Monday, March 17, 2014

I Miss The Days Before Blogging


Now before you go and get the tar and feathers, hear me out. I love the blogging community. It has enabled me to connect with like-minded people and has given me a place to talk about what I love most in the world…books. That being said, there are certain things I miss about shopping at the bookstore.

Before I was introduced to the world of blogging the only way I knew how to find a good book was browsing the stacks at my local Borders. Every Saturday morning I would go to Borders, grab a white chocolate mocha, and then get lost in the sea of books. I would wander around the store for at least an hour.

What I miss the most is finding the unexpected treasure. I never knew what was coming out until I saw it on the shelf. I never read a review or had any idea what the masses thought. I had to let good old fashion advertising drive me and entice me to give it a shot. I would read the blurbs, summaries, or ask an employee if they had a recommendation.

Now we all know what’s going to be published about year early. There are no more surprises. Plus I have to admit, I let reviews sway my decision if I’m going to buy a book or not. I think I let a lot of books I may have enjoyed slip by based on what others think. But on the other hand, those same reviews have saved me time and money. If the overall consensus is negative, I trust what the reviewers say and give it a pass. (Here’s looking at you Allegiant)

I know there are more pluses than minuses to this modern day way of book buying, but I still kind of wish it could be the old way too. But then again, if it was not for Amazon, I would not have been able to publish my own books. Go figure.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Book Blast...Transformed, By E.V. Fairfall


Transformed by E.V. Fairfall 
                                                   Publication date: January 1st 2014
                                                        Genres: Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:Since the beginning, two entities have had complete, unquestioned control over Thea: the Earth and God.
But when Thea suddenly figures out that the Earth has  trapped her within a forest, she discovers that the only way to set herself free is to break God’s one rule; she must forsake her animal form and become human.
The result is nothing she could ever have expected. Lost within the torrent of human emotions, Thea starts to lose who she is and even begins to fall in love with the one thing she always hated: a hunter.
As her act against God proves more problematic than anticipated, it is only a matter of time before her punishment may prove to be worse than Earth’s entrapment.

Here is a Q&A and guest post by the author, E.V. Fairfall. I hope you enjoy it.

What makes Transformed a unique story? 
            Well, let me first ask you this: how often have you read a book in which God and Mother Earth are siblings? Or a book in which Earth itself is an entity of its own, and prevents God from doing anything he wants? How often have you read a book in which Mother Earth is able to take any form except for that of a human because it is forbidden? Though Transformed is a story about finding one's self, it also explores the foibles of being human and the value of all life. It is about making mistakes and finding a solution, even if that solution isn’t what was originally intended. 

Where does the story take place? 
            Transformed takes place in a small mountain town in Colorado. This fictitious town resides next to a forest and is green and lush (Colorado can get very dry), and because of its high elevation, it has strange weather patterns. 

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on the way they sound or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend? 
            Names! Names are so important to me, mostly because I can’t actually write a character without first knowing their name. I can have the perfect scene in my head but until I find a name that I know fits the character, I just can’t write them in. I don’t pick names based on the sounds, but sometimes I pick a name because of its meaning. Mostly I just know when a name works for my character. As for resources, I tend to use lots of baby naming websites.

Who is your favorite character from Transformed and why? 
            Oh gosh, I’m going to say Cricket. I love Chamber of course, but Cricket is just so fun. Cricket is a girl who Thea turned into a squirrel because she needed to borrow her apartment while she was human. Even though Cricket is now a squirrel, she insists on taking special care of the clothes that she reluctantly let Thea borrow—more like take. Thea, who doesn’t understand why Cricket cares about the clothes, tends to leave them wherever she might drop them. Here is a quick excerpt from the book: 
            “'You have a squirrel in your sweater.' Brice cocked his head to the side. 'Actually, I think it’s stealing it.' 
Thea looked over her shoulder to see the little squirrel dragging the sweater across the floor toward the closet. If Brice saw a squirrel put a sweater on a hanger, she would never hear the end of it. She shook her head toward the squirrel, causing the ball of fur to stop and glare before continuing to drag the sweater out of sight. If Thea didn’t start hanging up the squirrel’s clothes, she had a feeling the little rodent would attempt to kick her out."

Give us some insight into your main character. What does she do that is so special? 
Thea is God's sister and has spent her life filling the role of Mother Earth, creating the plants and animals and serving as their guardian. Alongside her brother God, the two siblings used their light to create for hundreds of years. She doesn’t understand humans, and she likes them even less. It isn’t until she takes a human form that she begins to understand what she has been missing out on, and ultimately she gains a deeper understanding of her brother and what it means to be a part of a family. 
Did you have a specific song or playlist that you listened to when you were writing Transformed?
             I actually can’t listen to music when I write. I wish I could. Sometimes a song will inspire me or motivate me, but while writing I need quiet. Of course, that never really happens because I live in an apartment with paper thin walls—but that is part of the adventure. 

What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
             Never give up, and go to writers conferences! I wish I had gone to a writers conference earlier. They open your mind to a side of book writing that you normally wouldn't consider. You can meet people who love what you love, and it is a great chance to break out of your shell and read some of your work out loud. Not only that but you will meet other writers who will help you through the hard times. 

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful? 
            Reviews! Social media posts on Facebook, Tumblr, Goodreads and so on. Word of mouth is huge for any author. There are so many great books in the world that people haven't discovered, but they only need to be pointed in the right direction. 

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Exploring the subplot of Transformed with E.V. Fairfall:
Hey you guys, E.V. here. I wanted to tell you a little about my book Transformed because, aside from the typical coming of age story, it is a book of self discovery in many other ways. The subplot of Transformed has an aspect of religion. Religion is a huge part of the world; not only are there many religions out there, but also within each religion people believe and adopt different practices. That is the reason why I felt compelled to incorporate it, even though another part of me wanted to leave it alone. Through the course of writing Transformed, I’ve studied religion. I’ve taken cultural diversity classes and religious studies classes. It was a mind opening experience and it also led me to the thought of bringing them all together. The subplot of Transformed does just that. Some aspects of different religions are stronger than others, while some are quite subtle and may be passed over without a second glance. I’ve also incorporated Earth, who isn’t a character in the book per se, but more of an omnipresent figure that forces God and Mother Earth to let their creations evolve. Overall the subplot of Transformed presents a new type of creation myth while demonstrating the way in which the characters navigate their life, and how their different religious upbringings influence them. If a reader can take anything away from Transformed, I hope it is a broader understanding of the world and a fun love story. 


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AUTHOR BIO
I love to write just as much as I love to read. I try to read a book per week, which doesn't always work out, but it's the thought that counts. Aside from all that I am a huge animal person.

Transformed is my first novel, but it isn't my first publication; I've had several short stories published over the last two years. My main goal as a writer is to explore humanity and to give people something fun to read.

Author links: 



Friday, March 7, 2014

Cover Reveal...The Lost Kingdom


The Lost Kingdom by Stephanie Beerden
(The Elements Series #1)
Publication date: May 28th 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult


Synopsis:
A Prophecy made long ago, announced the arrival of the new Ladies of Elements.
And now almost a millennia later, it finally came true …
All her life Arima thought she knew who and what she was. That is until the day of her sixteenth birthday came and her world is turned upside down, when she’s told she’s not a White Witch but Lady Spirit. And that she is the one that has been foretold, will unite the Five Ladies of Elements once again and save Ilendia and the Other Lands from Ahriman, the Demon King.
At first Arima refuses to accept her new fate, but when Shanums come and destroy her village and kill her loved ones, she has no choice but to flee and fall right into the destiny she never wanted.
As she grudgingly starts her journey into the unknown, she is accompanied by her unicorn familiar Sirrim, Blythe, a Vampire with a dark past and Myrddin, a mysterious Ljosalfar.
And the longer her journey lasts, the more Arima begins to realise that she can’t escape her own destiny and she must learn to control her powers and learn to be a Lady for the sake of the Sisters she doesn’t know and the people of Ilendia and the Other Lands.
However, things get more complicated when Arima comes into the possession of a key. Her instincts compel her to go towards danger when she discovers that the key she holds, can unlock the legendary kingdom of Eléssima, the home of the Ladies of Elements.
She will have to make the choice to follow her instincts …
…or stay on the path that has been laid out for her.

Stephanie Beerden was born on Friday the 13th (no joke, she really was) in a small city called Genk and has always been fascinated with the occult, magic and books. Her childhood and teen years were filled with reading lots and lots of books and imagining what life would be like as a Vampire. Until one day she decided that she wanted to try her hand at writing her own books and that was the beginning of her writing adventure.

Her first book is a YA Fantasy called De Elementen – Het Verloren Koninkrijk and after many, many trials and tribulations, one small Dutch Publisher, named Jaylen Books decided “Hey, let’s give this girl a shot”. Her second book De Elementen – Archandir has recently been published by same publisher and she couldn’t be happier about that.

Stephanie hopes to keep writing as long as she can and already has several writing projects in the works for the future.


Author links:

Monday, March 3, 2014

Look At All The Pretty

I am a huge fan of Kiersten White. I enjoy her character's, quick wit, and her writing in general. I have yet to read the Mind Games books, but I plan on it.

When I saw this cover my jaw dropped. I love it! After reading the summary I decided this book is definitely for me. Unfortunately we have to wait until September 9th, 2014. BOOO. But as with all good things it will be worth the wait.

From Goodreads~

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.
 
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