Just Finished Reading...Chase Tinker and the House Of Secrets

Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets
 by Malia Ann Haberman

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In Chase Tinker's world, magic, lies and secrets can be a lethal combination...

After spending the summer at his grandfather's gigantic, incredibly magical house, thirteen-year-old Chase Tinker thought things couldn't get any more bizarre, or that the secrets and lies couldn't get any worse, but he was wrong.

As summer turns into Autumn, join Chase and his family for even more magical craziness. Craziness that will include: the sneezing of strange powers, the reappearance of the evil Marlowe family, another frightening kidnapping, the discovery of a mysterious, magical girl, a dangerous rescue mission, and a secret so mind-boggling, it will lead to a shocking climatic finish that will turn Chase's world completely upside down and leave him feeling like one of the worst people on the planet.

My thoughts~

Chase Tinker and the House of Secrets is a whimsical and fantastic read. I have been a fan of Malia Ann Haberman since I read book one, and this story is even better. 

Now I say this next part with caution, because sometimes this statement can be the kiss of death for a book. (The reason being, is that it sets a pretty high standard.) I felt certain parts of this book have some what of a Harry Potter vibe to it. Now I’m not saying this is “the next” Harry Potter, but throughout this book we get several scenes where the kids are learning and practicing their magic, and it is very creative and a lot of fun to experience it with them. 

Now it’s not all fun and games. Chase is hit pretty hard with conflicting family dynamics, all while dealing with a “rival” magical family over possession of the family home. The character growth is very satisfying and the plot clips along at a good pace. If you are looking for a well written and entertaining read, for yourself or middle grade child, I can recommend this series. Malia's imagination is boundless and I look forward to reading book three. 

Cover Reveal...The Vampire's Hourglass.

Today we're excited to reveal the cover of the newest book in the Of Light and Darkness series by bestselling author Shayne Leighton.  The Vampire's Hourglass is schedule to be published by Decadent publishing the end of this year or beginning of next.

Book Description:

After narrowly surviving a near-death experience in an effort to save Valek from yet another showdown with Aiden, Charlotte awakens inside the forsaken, crumbling walls of the Regime Palace. Though she finds herself surrounded by her closest friends, she is conflicted over her feelings of the sudden absence of her Vampire guardian from her life.

With Nikolai there to console her, Charlotte cannot shake the undeniable chemistry she feels for this familiar stranger. But they are running out of time. Charlotte’s peculiar ailment will return and Sarah, the witch, will sacrifice her youth and beauty in order to save her best friend, unless they find the secret, Dark City.

Charlotte, Nikolai, Sarah, and several other favored characters travel down to the underbellies of Prague to find Valek. But what they end up discovering are the dark and nasty secrets the elder Vampires have been hiding for centuries. Charlotte must overcome her mortal limitations to win back the heart of the one she truly loves and escape the gates of Abelim with her throat intact in this enthralling, highly-anticipated third installment of the Of Light and Darkness Series.

 Exclusive Excerpt:

           “Does it hurt? You know...when I’m around?”  

            He was talking about the scar that still thrived at the side of her throat. The one that appeared there after Valek left his first, initial bite months ago in Francis’ home. The one that had ailed her since and nearly killed her until she unwittingly saved herself by stabbing a hole in her own chest. Not her empty, openly bleeding heart and her feeling of abandonment and being alone, but a literal hole that she created herself some snowy weeks ago when she attempted to end it all to prove herself as something more than just an expendable mortal in this game of light and darkness. She wanted to finally be recognized as a hero, nearly having killed herself for the sake of saving her friends from Aiden. Knowing the tainted taste of the blood from her ruptured heart would drive him away.

            But what did she have to prove for it now? Another giant scar. And more than that, her nightmare came true. Valek was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard she looked. After everything he did, and everything that had happened because of his carelessness, she wasn’t sure how badly she wanted to find him. That thought made her heart constrict. But then again, Aiden had disappeared as well. At least there was that. 

       “Not really. Not as much as the emotional pain underneath it,” she finally answered Nikolai’s question honestly. “The heartbreak hurts worse than the scar ever could.”

About the Author:

In Shayne's first year out of high school she penned, co-directed, and starred in the feature film 'The Incubus', a paranormal romance, which obtained distribution and screened in over fifteen theaters across South Florida among major theater chains such as Regal, AMC, and Cinemark. 'The Incubus' has also obtained a passionate fanbase of over 100,000 girls online and has garnered the attention of reporters from the Miami Herald, CBS News, and NPR Radio. Leighton also starred alongside Scream Queen, Tara Cardinal, in the film 'Legend of the Red Reaper' which made its world debut at the 2012 AFM in Los Angeles. Twenty-Two-year-old Leighton is excited to release her debut young adult novel series, 'Of Light and Darkness', set in contemporary Prague, as well as developing the film adaptation of the novel series. Recently released songs can now be heard on ReverbNation.com with a full-length album in the works. Leighton is currently named #35 on the pop charts in Miami, FL. Named #26 in Boca Magazine's "Top 100 'It' People" for 2011. Shayne Leighton lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband and key inspiration, Frank and travels back and forth to the Czech Republic often. Find out more about Shayne at: www.ShayneLeighton.com

Check out The Vampire's Daughter, the first book, for only .99 cents on Amazon!

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Giveaway:

The Vampire's Daughter & The Vampire's Reflection by Shayne Leighton *signed*

Open Worldwide!

Must be 13 or older to enter (with parental permission).

Ends Aug. 8th, 2013

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Just Finished Reading...The Year Of The Great Seventh

The Year Of The Great Seventh by Teresa Orts

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Published July 6th 2013 by Drayton Press

Sophie has always felt out of step—an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages.
To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.

My thoughts~

3.5 stars 

The Year Of The Great Seventh was an enjoyable read, and I will definitely read more of Teresa Orts writing in the future.

I will start off with saying that Teresa is a talented writer. The images she provided for us were very easy to picture and I feel like I got to know the characters very well. I do think a lot of people will like this story, but I do have to admit, the book was not exactly for me. Let me explain.

This story is outside of my usual reads, as it is set in a modern, contemporary world. But the reason I was drawn to this story is the hint of the Egyptian mythology that was given to us in the summary of the book. The mythology was there, but in my opinion, for the first half of the book we only get little hints of it. The plot finally kicks in when we reach the halfway mark, and once it got started, it was exciting; it just took a while to get there.

Over all, I must have found it enjoyable, because it was hard to put down. Even when I felt like I was not really into the story, I had the desire to keep reading, and I cared enough about the characters that I had to know how it ended.

The Writer's Journey

One of the first things I learned when I began writing, was how to write the Hero's Journey. When I started this endeavor, one thing I never thought about was the Writer's Journey.

I have to admit, I was pretty naive back then. The only thing I knew was that I had a story that I wanted to tell and I was going to tell it. Looking back on that simple idea now, I laugh hysterically. "I'm gonna write a book," I proudly proclaimed to the world.

I will be honest here, I had no idea what I was doing, or how much work I was in for. I enrolled in a few classes at my community college, bought every "how to" book I could find on writing, internet stalked all of my favorite authors to scrounge up any writing tips that they may causally mention, joined a critique, and started my blog.

Like most writers I sacrificed time with friends, family, television, sleep, and even reading. *gasp* I KNOW! READING! In the mean time I found a professional cover designer, editor, proofreader, and formatter. Even though I was self publishing, I wanted to create the best and most professional book in my power.

The journey was full of surprises, some good, some bad, and most of time I was exhausted. But it was all worth it. Through all the hard work and stress I reached my goal and have a real book to hold in my hands with my name on the cover.

I just finished a blog tour, was featured in my local paper, and had a release party in a real book store.  People came and everything! I partnered up with my friend, Carolyn Rose, and together we did readings, passed out prizes, signed books and shoved cake and wine down everyone's throat. It was great!

So where does that leave me now? I'm starting all over again and working on book 2, Transcended. It guess you can say I came full circle. All the hard work is starting all over again, and I love every minute of it!

Release party at Cover To Cover Books

Carolyn Rose reading from, No Substitute For Money

photo by Victoria Lindstrom

Nothing like waiting till the last minute...Hello Bloglovin.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This is my mandatory Bloglovin sign up post. I'm really going to miss my Google Reader. Like all good things, it came to an end.

But I love and value everyone one my readers, so please follow along with Bloglovin. Or if you know of a better program, leave a comment and let me know what has been working for you.

Kriston

So, Kriston, what's going on now?

My favorite place to escape to after a long writing session.

Life has been pretty good lately. I just finished a two week long blog tour organized by Xpresso Book Tours. It was a great experience and if you are looking to have a book tour yourself, or if you want to be a tour host, I recommend you give them a try.

So Awakened has been available for over a month now and I have been working on book two, Transcended. If everything goes according to schedule, it will be available April 2014.

April you say? Yes, I know, it is a long time away. But life is busy and I'm a slow writer.

Myself, Carolyn Rose and Karen Gilb, will be hosting a release party this Saturday, the 29th, at Cover To Cover Books. If you are in the Portland/Vancouver area, I'd love to have you stop by. We will be reading from our most current works and shoving sugary treats down your throat. In other words, there will be snacks and wine involved!

Vancouver Authors Celebrate New Releases

Mystery writer Carolyn J. Rose (No Substitute for Money), and fantasy writers T.K. Gilb (Between Flame and Shadow), and Kriston Johnson (Awakened) will read from their latest works on Saturday, June 29^th, 3:00-5:30 PM, at Cover to Cover Books, 6300 NE St. James Road, Suite 104B, Vancouver. 360-993-7777, mail@covertocoverbooks.net

Rose is the author of several novels, including Hemlock Lake, Through a Yellow Wood, An Uncertain Refuge, Sea of Regret, A Place of Forgetting, and No Substitute for Murder, a self-published cozy which has reached nearly 30,000 readers. The just-released sequel, No Substitute for Money, is also set in fictional Reckless River, Washington and features substitute teacher and amateur sleuth Barbara Reed.

Gilb is an avid reader, writer, and blogger with a passion for the Northwest. In recent years, she has traveled from British Columbia south to the Oregon Caves and from the Bitterroot Mountains west to the Pacific. Check out her travels on http://www.wildaboutthenw.com/

Between Flame and Shadow is a tale of sorcery, betrayal, honor, and the quest to find and claim an ancient scroll of power and save a queen.

Johnson lives with her husband, teenage son, and miniature Australian Shepherd near a fringe of an old growth forest that she insists is the home of Jason Voorhees. Her husband thinks that’s a ridiculous assumption because everyone knows it’s really Bigfoot. Awakened is the story of seventeen-year-old Jade Rosenberg whose inherited power is kindled by the incantation in an ancient book. Thrust into an enchanted realm, she faces a terrifying choice—assassinate the sworn enemy of her people or sacrifice her soul.

Stacking The Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It is a place to show off our latest books. Wether it's ebooks, paper books or books on loan from a friend, feel free to share it on your own Stacking The Shelves

Oh look, I did my part in keeping my local Barnes & Noble open by buying more books to add to my ever growing TBR shelf. Why do we do that to ourselves?

I love, love, love, to infinity loved Shadow and Bone. Even though I read it on my Kindle, I wanted the hard copy of Siege and Storm.

I have been wanting to read Throne of Glass since, forever, and when I saw this updated cover today I grabbed it. I was going to read it anyway, but I love the new image.

The Myology book is for research. This is the fun part of drafting book two in The Legends of Elyndia series. At this point, half of the book is still an open canvas.

What new books have you got lately?

Look...I'm Famous!

I made the big time! Well, it's close to the big time. Okay, maybe it's down the road, or even a few county lines over from from big time, but I did make the local paper.

Last Sunday, The Columbian featured myself, Carolyn Rose, Lili Saintcrow, Sheila Simonson, Jane Elder Wolf, Karen Gilb, and the book store owner, Mel Sanders, in a two page spread.

We met at Cover to Cover Books, our local independently owned book store.

It was a real joy meeting with the ladies and listening to the different paths we all took to get to where we are today with our writing. I am thankful to have been a part of it.

And...on June 29th, I, along with Carolyn Rose and Karen Gilb, will be doing a reading and signing event at Cover to Cover Books. Stay tuned for more details.