Welcome to the blog tour for DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH, a stand-alone adult contemporary dark romance, by New York Times bestselling author, Skye Warren. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis I’m on my way to meet my birth parents when it happens. A white van. A dark hood. Every woman’s worst nightmare. Now I’m trapped in an abandoned building. The man who took me says I won’t be hurt. The man in the cell next to me says that’s a lie. I’ll fight with every ounce of strength, but there are secrets in these walls. I’ll need every single one of them to survive.
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH is a new dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren. Finding yourself has never been so dangerous…
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Guest Post Thank you so much for having me on Adventures in Writing!
I’m Skye Warren, the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance. I’m excited to be here to talk about my new release…
My new book, DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH, is a dark and sexy and very dangerous romance.
I’ve always loved books that had a happy ending, but I didn’t know there was an entire genre devoted to them. I used to shop in the regular “Fiction & Literature” section and peek to the back of the book to make sure it wouldn’t end in tragic deaths before checking out. Once I found out the romance genre existed, happy ending guaranteed, I found home.
I love that romance novels are mostly written by women, for women. My background is in Computer Science, which is an extremely male dominated field. In fact I rarely had female colleagues. So it’s great to work in a community of women who support each other.
Of course, DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH isn’t a traditional romance novel. It’s a dangerous romance. That means it explores the darker side of fantasy in fiction.
Don’t only take my word for it…
“Diamond in the Rough is masterfully written, sinfully sexy, and utterly addictive! Skye Warren proves why she is the queen of dark and delicious romance.” – Giana Darling, USA Today bestselling author
“A novel full of intrigue, secrets, lies, and a love that won’t be denied, Diamond in the Rough is easily a top read of 2020.” – Celia Aaron, author of The Bad Guy
“Five glowing stars! Diamond in the Rough is the dark and dangerous world that I love from Skye Warren. You will be completely caught up in Elijah and Holly’s story from the first page to the last.” – New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig
This is the first book I’ve written where the heroine is also an author, so I was able to draw on some personal experiences since I’ve been writing full time for about 9 years now.
It may seem like computer programming and being a novelist are very different professions. In some ways they are. At their cores, though, in both of them I’m writing, creating something from nothing, and using my creativity to solve problems.
Now I’ve sold over 1.5 million books, and I’m so grateful to my readers.
Thank you for letting me drop by to talk about my path as an author, and my new release. Pick up DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH for a sexy thrill ride that will leave you breathless.
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Author Skye Warren
About the Author Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance. Her new book ESCORT is out now!
“ESCORT is perfection only Skye Warren can deliver—a poetically erotic tale of exquisitely damaged characters, devastating secrets, revenge and redemption.” – Samanthe Beck, USA Today bestselling author
“Hypnotically romantic…this book reads like a sensual dream and I didn’t want to wake up.” – Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author
Welcome to the blog tour for TWO THOUSAND LINES, a stand-alone upper young adult/new adult contemporary, by Michelle Jester. See below for information on the book, buy links, a guest post, and details on her giveaway.
TWO THOUSAND LINES by Michelle Jester
About the Book Title: TWO THOUSAND LINES Author: Michelle Jester Publisher: RopeSwing Press Genre: Upper Young Adult/New Adult Contemporary Release Date: November 21, 2019 Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Olivia Brooks has been able to keep her life in Sugar Mill, Louisiana held perfectly together, far away from the small town where she grew up. Even though her past still haunts her, she has found a perfect process of surviving, until a string of events brings Luke Plaisance to Sugar Mill and turns her organized life upside down.
While Olivia fights to hold on to the life she’s created, unraveling it may be exactly what it takes for her to truly survive. She must accept her past in order to live, or let it threaten the only future she’s ever wanted. Because some secrets can’t stay buried… and shouldn’t.
An inspiring and heartbreaking tale of abandonment, survival, and purpose. A harrowing journey of self-discovery and perseverance.
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Guest Post How I survived writing emotionally dark subject matter
Writing about emotionally dark subject matter is difficult. I cry a lot. I am truly a joyful person, which makes it difficult for people to understand why I write what I do, but that’s why I write. It’s my safe place. I can express emotions and feelings that I don’t typically express elsewhere. I take a lot of breaks and mentally have to wellness check myself every now and then. My husband helps me and when he sees me really pained, he reminds me that I may need to step away for a bit. Many people don’t realize that authors connect as much as they do to their characters because authors usually write what they know, be it emotions, hurt, pain, humor, love, etc.
For me, being happy doesn’t mean I don’t understand deep pain. I am an emotionally charged, hyperactive person; understanding the pitfalls on dwelling on dark emotions is critical for me. So is writing. Writing is my outlet; my process. I never thought to publish until my daughter found one of my manuscripts and pushed me to do so. All I knew was I loved to write. It is so much my passion I have helped others publish their own works through the years.
A few reviews mention that I talk about too many types of dark issues within one book and they think I should focus on one at a time; however only having one issue at a time, well to be honest, that isn’t real life to me. I am writing to express that. None of us have just one problem or have others in our lives without problems of their own. Truth of it is we have to navigate our own as well as those around us in order to have compassion and live together. Rejection, abuse, neglect, and sorrow are things we all share. So are acceptance, love, consideration, and joy. I think sharing our own pain and stories of overcoming crisis is the main key that helps others start the healing process.
While my novels are fiction, they are all based on real emotion and experiences, which hurt to write about, but also is cleansing. Cathartic.
So, for me, I don’t think I would survive without writing about emotionally dark matter.
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Author Michelle Jester
About the Author Michelle Jester lives in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana with her husband, high school sweetheart and retired Master Sergeant. Together they have a son and daughter. She is a hopeless romantic and has been writing poems and stories for as long as she can remember.
One of her prize possessions is a bracelet with only a yellow, Rubber Duckie charm on it; which she wears every day to remind her to enjoy the fun and happy things of life!
Welcome to the book blitz for A DIVIDED MIND, a stand alone adult psychological thriller, by M. Billiter. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Sometimes that little voice in your head isn’t always yours.
What if the only friend you have isn’t real? When the voices in his head begin to make sense, high school senior Branson Kovac turns to the one friend he’s still got… only to discover he’s not really there.
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“This tightly crafted thriller tricks you – it carefully assembles everything you think you know, and then reveals what you didn’t see coming. A smart, searing novel.” -Nina McConigley, author of Cowboys and East Indians, Winner of the Pen Open Book Award
“A Divided Mind is a raw emotional drama about a mother’s worst nightmare…A gripping page-turner I couldn’t put it down until I read the final gasp-inducing line.” -Tiffany Reisz, USA Today Bestselling Author
“An emotional page-turner, A Divided Mind redefines what a “normal” family looks like.” – Angela McQuay, Foreword Reviews
“A haunting psychological thriller that will stick with you long past the final chapter.” – Best Thrillers
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Guest Post: The Stories We Live “A Divided Mind” started with a phone call. It was the day before a major college kickoff event I had helped plan for more than a year. I was crazily finalizing last-minute details when my son, Kyle, called saying he needed to talk. I still remember my exasperation from being bothered at work. What? What could it be now? With four children to support, I was finally getting my boots on the ground as an adjunct professor. My placement on the planning committee was a huge step forward in my career. An interruption at work meant a disruption in what I was trying to build.
When I pressed Kyle for an answer, he started to back away from the conversation. That’s when I knew. I knew it was more than a phone call. And suddenly, I couldn’t breathe or stop my mind from racing – pregnant girlfriend, drugs, failing a class? What I heard in reply wasn’t at all what I expected.
“I’m hearing voices.”
I didn’t understand what was happening to my son. I only knew I wanted it to go away. The campus event no longer mattered. In trying to build “something,” I let what truly matters – family, children, home life – break down. As I sat in the waiting room at the counseling center while my son saw an emergency intake specialist, my only focus was on my little boy. At, 6’1 my 18-year-old was far from little. He was my gentle giant, my brave heart. Together we navigated the world of mental health without any clue what was ahead. During this time, the journalist in me surfaced. I asked a lot of questions, which I wasn’t always sure I wanted to know the answer.
By delving into the darkness, Kyle shared with me demons I never knew he battled. It was heartbreaking and heroic. The story we lived became the story we told – with a twist. What started out as a quest for answers, turned into a fictionalized, chilling story of what could happen if a divided mind was left untreated.
The book wrote itself. Yet, the manuscript for, “A Divided Mind” stayed on my desktop for four years. Kyle wanted the book published the minute we finished, but I wasn’t as brave.
It’s taken me four years to allow this story to be released into the world. I wasn’t about to just place it in anyone’s hands. Every member of the publishing team at Tangled Tree is family to me and my son. They get it. I have been included and have had a voice in every aspect of this process.
So when I considered authors I’d approach for a cover quote, I was equally as selective. Two authors, whose work I have long admired and have met personally, which only heightened my respect for them, topped my wish list.
I knew it was a big ask. But it was one I was willing to make.
Tiffany Reisz and Nina McConigley answered my request with kindness, heart, and professionalism. It’s more than I asked for and nothing short of awesome.
The first person I shared their generous endorsement quotes with was Kyle, who texted back, “Hell yeah!”
Four years later, my son is set to graduate from the University of Wyoming in May. I’ve never known anyone who has worked harder for their future than Kyle. In July, “A Divided Mind,” the story we wrote during the darkest period in our lives will take flight.
I’ll let Tiffany and Nina’s advanced praise do the rest of the talking.
“A Divided Mind is a raw emotional drama about a mother’s worst nightmare… A gripping page-turner, I couldn’t put it down until I read the final gasp-inducing line.” —Tiffany Reisz, USA Today Bestselling Author
“This tightly crafted thriller tricks you – it carefully assembles everything you think you know, and then reveals what you didn’t see coming. Taut and deftly rendered, Billiter delivers a smart, searing novel. This well-paced story skillfully shows a mother’s love and the levels we will go to protect our families. The narrators keeping you reading, and questioning everything we hold true in our own minds. This book is an uncompromising view of the bond between mother and child, and the stories we tell each other in order to survive.” — Nina McConigley, author of Cowboys and East Indians, winner of the PEN Open Book Award
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Author M. Billiter
About Author M. Billiter is the alter ego of contemporary, award-winning romance author, Mary Billliter.
After writing more than a dozen love stories, she is exploring the other side. Best known for her emotional honesty, Mary doesn’t write about well-adjusted people, but rather the wounds in life.
M. Billiter writes with clarity and raw emotion to explore difficult subjects and issues close to her heart.
Welcome to the blog tour for STRANGER RITUALS, the first book in the new adult dark fantasy series, by Kali Rose Schmidt. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis A fighter with a venomous grudge.
A monster with an immortal curse.
A girl with a terrible gift.
All three out for blood in a land torn apart by harsh gods and holy wars. Each entwined with the other, on their own quests for vengeance, and yet held together by strange links to sinister pasts. As their fates unravel, a dangerous romance blooms, and violent darkness beckons.
At turns both darkly humorous and utterly morbid, STRANGER RITUALS is the startling first novel in Kali Rose Schmidt’s dark new series.
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Guest Post: Creating the Perfect Villain Hi! I’m Kali Rose Schmidt and I am the author of Stranger Rituals, a dark adult fantasy that blends blood magic and religion to create the perfect recipe for horrible people and heartbreak. And that leads me to our topic of Creating the Perfect Villain.
Stranger Rituals is full of villains. Nearly everyone is a villain, and even though I tried to warn my early readers about this, they were still astounded at the end of the book. That’s not a spoiler, just a…warning.
I’m a self-proclaimed villain lover, and I think creating the perfect villain is at once extremely difficult and very easy. It’s difficult because it can be hard to get readers to care for the bad guy/girl, when they’re doing awful things. It’s easy because everyone does awful things. Even you. Yes, you.
And that’s the trick, isn’t it? Humans (or elves or faeries or vampires) are capable of both good and bad, and the trick with a villain is to tip them over the scales to evil, while also remembering they’re still human (even if they’re not, you know what I mean). They still have wants and needs and desires, and even the most confident of villains has moments of self-doubt, which can go a long way in getting your reader to empathize with them.
They might kill an entire town with seemingly no remorse, and that’s awful, of course, but the key to empathizing is asking why? Sometimes you might wish to really hurt someone who has hurt you, and even though you’re a law-abiding citizen so you never would, of course, it’s helpful to dig into your own motives in those moments. Did someone mistreat you as a child? Did someone lie to you in a way that deeply wounded you? Do you feel justified in your thoughts of vengeance?
If so, you’re well on your way to becoming a villain yourself. I’m kidding, kind of, but those are the kinds of things readers will be able to understand (even if they don’t condone it). The villain takes what they want with no regard for laws or humanity because they’re villains, but their hurts are very human and very real.
Hanging on to those human qualities goes a long way in writing an at once despicable and yet somewhat likeable villain.
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Author Kali Rose Schmidt
About the Author Kali Rose Schmidt is an author, mother, and villain lover. She likes bloody tales of monsters, yoga with the lights off, and anything that goes bump in the night.
Welcome to the blog tour for IMMERSE, the third book in the young adult fantasy romance series, Mer Chronicles, by Tobie Easton. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, a guest post on the author’s top ten vacation destinations, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Immerse is the spellbinding and breathless final installment of the Mer Chronicles series where descendants of the Little Mermaid must face deadly magic, shifting alliances, and the dangers of forbidden love.
Lia can’t wait for her parents’ coronation. Now living in the sparkling palace beneath the waves, she sneaks off to Malibu whenever possible to see Clay. Tucked away in an abandoned seaside mansion, Lia and Clay devise a plan to ensure they can stay together forever.
But when an old enemy resurfaces and Lia is restricted to the palace for the safety of all Merkind, she and Clay are ripped apart once more.
She fears not only for Clay, but for her best friend Caspian, who seems to be swimming down a dangerous path. He has invited the conniving Melusine to the coronation ball, convinced she’s capable of change. And no matter how hard Lia fights it, showing up on Caspian’s arm is just the start of Melusine’s insidious return to her life.
With threats Below growing more ominous by the day and a powerful ancient ritual looming, soon the two girls can’t escape each other. As their fates grow increasingly intertwined, Melusine might be the only one who can help Lia find the answers she desperately needs to save everyone she loves and to achieve her happily ever after. But can Lia trust her?.
About the Author Award-winning author Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. Her debut novel, Emerge, is a Gold Medal Winner (Young Adult – Sci-Fi/Fantasy) of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and is Book 1 in the acclaimed Mer Chronicles series. The trilogy follows the descendants of the Little Mermaid and offers fans a peek into a world where Mermaids aren’t just real, but live secretly among us on land.
She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Tobie loves chocolate chip cookies and Oxford commas. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie splits her time between Los Angeles and Boston..
Welcome to the blog tour for RIGHT GIRL WRONG TIMING, the third book in the young adult contemporary romance series, Offsides, by Natalie Decker. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and details on her giveaway.
RIGHT GIRL WRONG TIMING (Offsides #3) by Natalie Decker
About the Book – Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Title: RIGHT GIRL WRONG TIMING Series: Offsides #3 Author: Natalie Decker Publisher: Swoon Romance Release Date: March 12, 2019 Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | BAM! | IndiBound | Book Depository
Synopsis Adaline Frost’s life officially sucks. Now that her BFF has found her true love, Addy is constantly stuck being the third wheel. On top of that, she hasn’t started her junior project yet, so her advisor pairs her up with what could only be described as the “Reject Breakfast Club.” Instead of the weirdo and the troublemaker, Addy is forced to work with two stoners, a popular girl, and her crush, Austin Reed, the jock who broke her heart.
Austin Reed is sick of being labeled “dumb jock.” If he doesn’t get an A on this project, he can kiss his future goodbye. Austin thought he’d gotten lucky being partners with the very nerdy Adaline Frost, but boy was he wrong. Addy jumps down his throat about his being late and calls him names like “manwhore” on the daily. She has no idea Austin works before and after school in order to help his mom with the bills. Yeah, he’s made mistakes and has had lots of girlfriends, but he doesn’t need Adaline Frost to remind him of it every time he sees her.
Can Austin and Addy ever be a thing?
Right Girl Wrong Timing is book 3 in the Offsides series by Natalie Decker.
About the Author Natalie Decker is the author of the bestselling YA series RIVAL LOVE and NA Scandalous Boys Series. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Avid reader of everything. She’s a huge Denver Broncos fan, loves football, and fuzzy blankets. She’s a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and misses her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she’s not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she’s off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!
Welcome to the blog tour for THE CRUSH COLLISION, the second book in the young adult contemporary romance series, Southern Charmed, by Danielle Ellison. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, and an exclusive guest post.
THE CRUSH COLLISION (Southern Charmed #2) by Danielle Ellison
About the Book Title: THE CRUSH COLLISION Series: Southern Charmed #2 Author: Danielle Ellison Publisher: Entangled Crush Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Release Date: February 18, 2019 Link: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo
Synopsis Haley Howell has had a hopeless crush on her brother’s best friend, Jake Lexington, for as long as she can remember. Too bad to him, she’ll forever be off-limits. But with senior year and acceptance to a college outside their tiny southern town of Culler, South Carolina, comes new confidence. Haley’s ready to get Jake to notice her—whatever it takes.
No one in Culler notices the real Jake anymore—to them, he’s nothing more than the star football player or the kid with the family tragedy. When one mistake lands him in community service, he’s shocked to find his best friend’s little sister there, too, looking cute as hell and threatening all his no-friends-with-benefits rules. But Jake isn’t ready to take a chance, no matter how crafty Haley’s willing to get to prove him otherwise…
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Guest Post
Top 10 Favorite TV shows
I can watch movies, and I have a few that I always turn to, but TV is my favorite past time. I could talk about it for hours. There’s not much I wouldn’t try. So, instead of movies, I’m going to share my favorite TV shows. And this is totally random, not researched, and off the top of my head. I don’t even know what’s going to come out so here we go…
Supernatural Veronica Mars Boys Meets World Parks and Recreation Friday Night Lights This is Us Parenthood Merlin One Tree Hill The 100 Shameless Jane the Virgin Crazy Ex Girlfriend Gossip Girl New Girl Gilmore Girls Friends Orville
…I think that’s more than ten, but who’s counting really?
About the Author Danielle Ellison is a nomad, always on the lookout for an adventure and the next story. In addition to writing, she’s the founder and coordinator of the NoVa TEEN Book Festival. When she’s not busy with books, she’s probably watching her favorite shows, drinking coffee, or fighting her nomadic urges. She is newly settled in Oklahoma (for now) with her cat, Simon, but you can always find her on twitter @DanielleEWrites.
Welcome to the blog tour for THE TELLING, the first book in the young adult fantasy series, The Spinner Sagas, by K.J. Moullen. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
THE TELLING (The Spinner Sagas #1) by K.J. Moullen
About the Book Title: THE TELLING Series: The Spinner Sagas #1 Author: K.J. Moullen Publisher: Mascot Books Release Date: May 1, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Barnes & Noble
Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Blaine was a normal teenage girl. Sure, she moved around a lot, but that wasn’t completely weird, right? Then her mom tells her she’s actually from another dimension called Renault, whose inhabitants can do magic. Um, what? Suddenly, Blaine is running from an evil she barely understands. Blaine is thrust into the confusing, beautiful, and magical world of Renault with a mysterious boy she just met. There, she begins to discover her own unique abilities and her place in the universe..
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Guest Post – What I Hope Readers Take Away From The Spinner Sagas: The Telling
Before the journey of writing a book begins, I think every author strives to create a story that will intrigue the reader’s imagination and keep them turning the page to find out what happens next. My hopes did not differ from those that had taken pen to paper before me and achieved that goal. When I began writing The Telling, It was not my intention to share it with the world. Writing as well as reading had always been a great escape from everyday life for me.
While I was writing about Blaine and her journey I wanted her to be someone that people could relate to. It is my belief that everyone at some point in their life has felt as if they don’t fit in. We are faced daily with choices and decisions from the trivial all the way to life changing moments. Some of the choices forge a completely different path for us bringing on new challenges and allowing us to grow as a person. At times a decision of another impacts our direction in life and that can make you question who is truly in control. Blaine faces many of these adversities that many of us can relate to.
I hope that when readers finish reading the book, they want to know where Blaine’s pathway ultimately leads her. I hope they can visual the beautiful worlds, fantastic creatures and magical elements in their mind. I hope they long to pick up another book, whether it is mine or that of another author. I also hope that they are able to take away from it a sense of empowerment, a deeper sense that we are all connected at a higher level and we all have a purpose. I hope Blaine’s journey shows that our choices, right or wrong, can and do affect the world around us. Finding our purpose may be more difficult than it seems or maybe it just takes looking deep inside and believing in something that has been there all along. Mostly I hope people understand when they believe in themselves, the key to knowledge is theirs for the taking.
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Author K.J. Moullen
About the Author K.J Moullen started her life as an adventurer. She always loved the outdoors, whether it was playing king of the hill with her pet goat in southern California, playing hockey on the frozen lakes of the Kenai peninsula of Alaska, or snorkeling and surfing off the shores of Maui. Amongst the breathtaking places she lived, her imagination and love for writing knew no limitations, allowing for a lifetime of plotlines and characters to be created and written about. She now shares her life’s adventures with her husband and two children in their home in North Texas..
Welcome to the blog tour for HARDWIRED, the first book in the adult romantic suspense series, Navy SEAL, by Andrea Bills. See below for information on the book, buy links, a guest post on the top ten songs that remind her of the plot, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis When Navy Seal Operative Luke Kiersey is finally granted leave after five years, he finds himself driving to a house he doesn’t recognize in a town he’s never been to. The house is home to a beautiful woman and a little girl with big blue eyes. Day after day, he drives back only to hide in the shadows and wonder why he can’t seem to walk away from them.
His therapist says is PTSD.
His handler tells him he’s just not cut out to be part of the civilian world.
Luke can’t help but feel like it’s more.
The dog tags that once hung proudly around his neck, now feel like a collar; leashing him to a life that he fears he didn’t choose. After the terrible things he’s done in the name of freedom, could he possibly be worthy of something as precious as the woman and child he continues to watch?
When the two worlds collide, Luke needs his mind to be stronger than the implant the government placed in his back. They’ve told him he can’t survive without the implant they use to control him, but Luke’s wondering if he can survive without the little girl with big blue eyes and the gorgeous woman she calls mamma.
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Guest Post – Top 10 Songs That Remind Me of the Plot Just know that I’m rubbing my hands together with excitement over discussing my playlist for Hardwired. When I was first asked for a playlist for the first book I wrote I had no idea that was a thing. I of course listened to music while I was writing, but I didn’t make a playlist, but now I’m much more in the know so I’m prepared.
First and foremost to the song that gave birth to this entire book. Halsey’s Gasoline. I heard this song while on a road trip, and pulled off the interstate to get my thoughts written down so I wouldn’t lose them. Luke was born on the side of Interstate 70 just outside of Washington, PA.
Taylor Swift- I Know Places– Perfect on the run song.
Eric Church- The Outsiders– This song makes me think of Luke, Dean and Kip as a unit.
Taylor Swift- This Love– I love all the ocean elements of this song, it just fit so perfectly. It’s definitely Luke and Jen’s love song.
Miranda Lambert- Tin Man- This song personifies Jen for me while she grieves.
Kenny Chesney- Wild Child– Bella has to have a song too, coincidentally enough I always think of my own daughter when I hear this song.
Cody Jinks- Loud and Heavy– The opening of this song gave me all the feels when writing Luke’s SEAL scenes. The lyrics are powerful.
Brett Young- Would You Wait for Me– This one just seems to obvious for a military romance
Thank you so much for having me here and helping me celebrate Hardwired!
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Author Andrea Bills
About the Author Andrea is a wife, mother and writer from small town West Virginia. She spends her time while she’s not dreaming up lovers and villains alike chasing after her two kids and husband.
Her overactive imagination and her husband’s wacky dreams attribute to her love of the written word. Guilty pleasures include reading all night and Reese Cups.
Welcome to the blog tour for LOVE AND OTHER SECRETS, a stand-alone young adult contemporary romance, by Christina Mandelski. See below for information on the book, buy links, a guest post on why she loves her book’s cover, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Star lacrosse player Alex “Kov” Koviak has it all. Or so everyone thinks. He’s real good at pretending his life is perfect…until he meets Bailey. The girl challenges him and pushes him and makes him laugh like he’s never laughed before. Their friendship is their little secret, and he’s happy to keep her to himself.
Between school, two jobs, and trying to get into NYU film school, Bailey Banfield has zero time for a social life. But then she meets Alex in her express lane at the grocery store, and their secret friendship becomes the only place she can breathe. She refuses to complicate that with more. No matter how charming Alex can be.
When Bailey decides to film outrageous promposals for her NYU application, she enlists Alex’s help to plan an over-the-top, epic promposal to someone else. Too bad the only prom date Alex wants anywhere near Bailey is him.
For a guy who seems to have it all, he’s about to lose the only thing he’s ever wanted.
Disclaimer: This Entangled Crush contains a cocky lacrosse player in over his head with his secret best friend, unexpected midnight kisses, swoon-worthy slow dancing, and movie-night cuddling that’ll make you ache. You’re going to want an Alex of your own!
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Guest Post – Cover Love I love the cover of my newest release, Love and Other Secrets, so much! Entangled does a fantastic job of creating covers that match the stories behind them. In this case, I think the photo of the guy (main character Alex) and the girl (main character Bailey) does a great job of showing the friendship that is the base of their relationship–but also is a bit of foreshadowing (as all good covers are) because obviously, this is NOT how you sit on a couch with someone who is only a friend!
I’m a sucker for aesthetically pleasing colors too, and this palette gives me all the feels. And of course, the discarded Converses on the floor (Alex’s family housekeeper would never allow them on the sofa!) are just a fun extra detail.
I hope this cover makes everyone who sees it want to get to know these two characters much better. Thanks for having me on the blog!
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Author Christina Mandelski
About the Author Christina Mandelski was born in South Florida, where her love of reading was cultivated in a house full of books. Stories like The Little House series, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Island of the Blue Dolphins and The Secret Garden, filled her imagination and fueled her dreams to be a writer. That dream came true when her first young adult novel, THE SWEETEST THING, was published in 2011, and she’s beyond thrilled about her upcoming series for Entangled Crush. Chris lives in Houston with one handsome husband, two beautiful daughters, and two freakshow cats. She has a fondness for the beach, her family and friends, and she still loves to read (especially curled up with a good cup of coffee!) She also enjoys shopping, traveling and eating, especially cake. Always cake. When she’s not doing these things, you can find her holed in a cozy spot with her laptop, writing. Visit her at www.christinamandelski.com.
Welcome to the blog tour for HARBINGER, the second book in the young adult fantasy series, Dragonrider Legacy, by Nicole Conway. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
HARBINGER (Dragonrider Legacy #2) by Nicole Conway
Synopsis Victory is written in the blood of the brave. As the armies of the Tibran Empire continue to march across Maldobar, a path of scorched destruction and despair is left in their wake. Even with the formidable princess, Jenna Farrow, leading the charge, the strength of the dragonriders is waning. Tibran victory appears inevitable—especially after Princess Jenna and Prince Aubren are taken hostage by the infamous Lord Argonox. Separated from her brother and tortured for information, Princess Jenna refuses to bend to the iron will of Argonox. But her strength and resolve may only last so long. Held prisoner in his dark tower, it would take a miracle to set her free—or perhaps a pair of demigods and their dragons. With revived dragonrider legend, Jaevid Broadfeather, at his side, Reigh must now make a choice: face the truth about the origin of his dark powers, or turn his back on world in need. But throwing off a lifetime of shame and self-doubt is not so easily done—especially when the cost of failure means the destruction of the world. The long-awaited hero has awakened. The ancient spirits are stirring. The dark goddess has chosen her champion. But is he ready to embrace that rite and become the HARBINGER Maldobar needs him to be?
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Guest Post
Dear Reader:
I hope you’ll enjoy reading HARBINGER half as much as I enjoyed writing it – because if you do, you’ll have a blast! I’ve always liked stories with lots of action, touches of humor, and characters that felt comfortable and like people you could be friends with in real life. I tried to bring these elements into this series. I wanted you to relate to Jenna, laugh with Eirik, roll your eyes at Reigh, and feel true sympathy for Phillip. And of course, I want you all to want to be a dragonrider! I know I do!!
About the Author New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time re-watching Game of Thrones and Sex and the City. When she’s not binge watching, she’s usually enjoying the Oregon rain with a hot cup of coffee and a book.
Welcome to the book blitz for ANGEL BLUE, the first book in the adult urban fantasy series, Seven Deadly Sins, by Jennifer Silverwood. See below for information the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
ANGEL BLUE (Seven Deadly Sins #1) by Jennifer Silverwood
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: ANGEL BLUE Series: Seven Deadly Sins #1 Author: Jennifer Silverwood Release Date: August 17, 2018 Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Vinny Bucci and Tommy Stecker are almost cousins—their mothers call themselves “sisters of the heart,” so that sort of makes them cousins, doesn’t it? Since childhood, they’ve shared holidays and Sunday services and their passion for soccer. But now they’re eighteen, high school seniors, and what has always been devoted friendship—the next best thing to family—has started to feel like something else. Something more….
Unfortunately, the Steckers can’t accept their son’s same-sex romance, and upon recognizing the teens’ mutual attraction, they push Tommy into dating a girl from church, then compel him to attend a Christian College far away from Vinny’s school. The Buccis and the Steckers—once a family of choice—clash over what’s right and go their separate ways.
Forced into separation, Vinny and Tommy are both devastated, but while Vinny hardens his heart to love, halfway across the country Tommy becomes emotionally and physically ill. Their passion for each other hasn’t diminished, let alone died, but they lose contact, and for the first time in their lives learn what it is to live with a broken heart.
Will Tommy and Vinny find their way back to each other, or will they accept the rules dictated by family and try to live severed lives, their love forever unfulfilled?
A Mature Young Adult Romance
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Cast of Characters Season 1
CHOSEN
EANNA Anu, the Eanna: The last of her house, Anu is a little over 1200 human years. Her features were once common to the Eanna, with waist-length black hair, amethyst eyes, and bronze skin. Since her miraculous escape from the fire that destroyed her family, Anu has suffered through episodes that put strain on her immortal body. She has been promised to Malku, the future sarrum, since her youth. Forced to train for a position she never wanted, Anu hasn’t given up seeking the truth behind what happened to her family.
Emim: Deceased ruler of the Eanna and Anu’s grandfather. Rumored to be the last watcher. His death has been difficult for Anu to bear.
EEMURANNA Etlu: Once the leader of the sarrum’s legions, Etlu has made empires rise and fall. The exact year of his birth is unknown. He is extremely tall, built by centuries of honed muscle instinct. Where he goes, war inevitably follows. No wonder he sought absolution saving and protecting Anu. Over the centuries, their relationship has evolved into something he both fears and needs. Etlu’s power stems from his ability to manipulate chosen and cursed minds, if they aren’t aware of his gift. Only Eanna knows his secret. He carries a slightly curved black sword etched in runes, rumored to have been bathed in the blood of a 10,000 cursed.
Belum: Older in appearance, Belum has served as Etlu’s second in command since the fall of the Roman Empire. He is married to Nina, the much younger daughter of Lady Tiamatu. Belum is cousins with Etlu’s mother. Part of his gift includes influencing his people’s emotions. Contrarily, he allows his young bride free reign to cause mayhem. To quote Belum, it keeps him young.
Malku: kin to Etlu; the future sarrum and son of High Lord Ninazu. He is known for his ruthlessness and cruelty, a cause for fear among both chosen and cursed. Upon Eanna’s birthday, Malku comes to claim his bride at last.
GISNU
Nina: The daughter and heir to Lady Tiamatu’s seat of power, Nina considers herself Eanna’s best friend. She is young, a mere 600 years old, she willingly married the older Belum, because of the sex of course. Nina wants to lead their house into a new era, where they blend with humans. She’s not highly ambitious or ruthless like her mother. Nina only wants a good life. While she’s very loyal to Eanna and Etlu, she often spies on Eanna for Etlu.
Lady Tiamatu– Born five hundred years before Vikings came into power in Norway, she has been ruler of House Gisnu for the past millennia. One of the few pureblooded Gisnu left, Tiamatu is highly ambitious, despite the dissolution of her house.
CURSED
SHADE Charon: She has forgotten her exact age but remembers the rise of the first Roman Caesar. Though she is small, with short silver hair and trusting crystal-blue eyes, she is far from innocent. Charon has been an assassin for her father as long as she can remember. For the past few centuries, she’s considered herself a free agent, moving beneath her family’s radar. She’s developed quite a reputation as a death dealer among the cursed, to the point children are threatened by a visit from the Charon, should they misbehave.
Gabriel: The “golden prince” of the cursed is somewhere around 1200 years old, and looks more like a chosen, with golden hair and eyes that glow in his passion. However, he is the son of Elder Lord Rama and little brother of Charon. Currently, he is the leader of the underground resistance, waging a secret war against the chosen. He seeks to remove the chosen from power and make Isabol his queen, uniting their peoples again.
Elder Lord Rama: Born in Egypt during the early Ptolemaic Era BCE., Rama has long fought to destroy and undermine the chosen houses. His abuse of power has corrupted him physically, though this hasn’t lessened the respect of the shades, who call him king.
SEEKER
BITTERHELM CLAN Wilhelm: At a little over 500 years, Wilhelm has seen the end of the Red War and countless atrocities committed by chosen and cursed alike. After his parents’ deaths, he sought refuge with his clan in the Canadian wilderness. But his little sister Isabol drags him into the war he abandoned years ago. Like many in his clan, he is marked by curling auburn hair, and sun-kissed freckled skin. His chest is tattooed in Nordic runes with the first Nephthys prophecy. He is the leader of the Bitterhelm Clan, though defers to his grandmother, the current Nephthys. Wil has always seen the world for what it could be. As Isabol would put it, he is a believer.
Isabol Nephthys: At a young age, she chose to become her elder brother’s first sword, forming a bond that made her feel older than her 200 years. What’s worse is she was marked as the next Nephthys, thanks to her blood-red eyes. Though she’s small, Isabol is extremely fast for her kind and admittedly trigger happy. She fell in with the shades and Gabriel after her mate Jakob died. She has wandered ever since, but Wilhelm’s supposed death changes her. She decides to find him, alive or dead, and bring him home where they belong.
ICEVEINS CLAN Volney: The eldest seeker in the Iceveins clan, Volney lost an eye during the last war. He fought at Wilhelm’s side in the last New World skirmish two hundred years ago. It doesn’t take much to convince him to join the Bitterhelm siblings. He is one of the few who knows what Isabol’s legacy as a Nephthys truly is. He killed the redum tracking Wil, but not before learning “an angel” picked the cursed up and flew away.
Devona: Corwin’s mate; she was eager to join her family in seeking the prophecy and hopefully finding a cure for the sickness plaguing their kind.
Corwin: Like Wilhelm, Corwin was a true believer, and convinced his father and mate to join the Bitterhelm siblings in their quest. He dies when he trips over a mine sensor, before Isabol can stop him. His death breaks what remains of their makeshift pack.
A Game of Houses The Last Seven
KURGAL – House of the Mountain Led byNINURTA – Lord Who Completes the Foundation The Kurgal live deep in the Himalayas. Here they are still revered by neighboring humans who make effort to protect them. The chosen keep the outside world from coming in. Etlu brought Eanna here a century after fleeing the Carpathian Mountains. It was a place familiar to them both with its impossible peaks but far more dangerous and foreign. Ninurta taught Eanna how to inflict pain and then heal it, he taught her self-control for her rage. Etlu meanwhile learned all he could of the cursed movements in the countryside. He built allies and led their armies for a time to prevent the giant beasts from destroying human villages. He began to realize that his house did not have far-reaching enough abilities of control and began to grow discontent even more with the sarrum. SHIIMTI – House Where the Wind of Life is Breathed in Led by NINLIL – Lady of Airspace The Shiimti, live deep in the jungles of India. There they still live, where they began a lost civilization man has yet to unravel. Their palace holds many of India’s treasures and clues that might possibly be directed back toward the chosen. Here Etlu and Eanna come to visit after they leave the Kurgal, to find a far larger house. Yet even more secretive. The only reason they are allowed inside is that both are considered pure blooded, but Ninlil sees secrets in Eanna’s heart. She is the first to have any inkling of just who Eanna is. Among the Shiimti, women rule over the men, and there are three layers to every member. The first, is the outer persona they show strangers, welcoming but aloof and cool. The second, to those in the inner circle, the secrets deemed worthy to share. The third is kept guarded above all else, the soul. Shiimti is the only house that believes they all lay claim to their own souls. Because they face the present darkness every day in their jungles.
EBABBAR – House of the Rising Sun Led by NINGISHZIDDA – Lord of the Artifact of Life It lies hidden in a small oasis within Iran where Sumer, the society the watchers created, began. It is an underground city mostly, beginning from the base of a lost Ziggurat. The underground world is a paradise and a world of beauty. It is here that the Ebabbar keep most of the old relics and scrolls. It is the best defended and considered a haven by others of their society.
EKUR – House Which is Like a Mountain Led by NINHURSAG – Lady of the Mountainhead The Ekur are the most numerous of the houses. They are also the proudest, for most lesser come from this house, and serve the “pure-blooded” chosen. To the Ekur, to serve is the greatest honor. Most of the soldiers and weaponsmiths also come from this house. Ninhursag, their Lady, is a proud warrior herself, and of extremely high stature, eight feet in height. Their base of operation is in Siberia and extends far into the north in lands that man deemed inhabitable.
EMEURANNA – House of ANU’s Hero Led by The Sarrum – High Lord of the Annunaki The Emeuranna are led by the sarrum himself, and his people. This is the only surviving chosen castle in the Carpathian Mountains, sheltered far from the outside world. The old ways are kept mostly intact here, as is custom for the High Lord’s seat. Here the Council of Seven makes overall decisions for the rest of the chosen. They now have the best defense against the cursed.
ERESH – The Scented House Led by NINIGIKU- Lord Bright Eyed One of the last New World houses left in power, hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest, and source of the legends of El Dorado. The richest of all the houses by far. They have not intermarried with the humans hardly at all, there is no need. Unique to all other houses save the rumored lost eighth house, their memories are shared collectively if they desire, their movements always calculated. Any time they intermarry with other houses it is a very chess-like move, to bring back strength to their kind. While staying among them, Eanna learns she is closely related to them.
GISNU – House Causing Light Led by TIAMATU – Lady of the Abyss The Gisnu were the first of the thirteen houses to journey across the lands to the ever growing and developing New World. They were also the first beings to settle there, after the Native Americans. Once based in the Northlands among the Vikings, the Gisnu set up their home in the north of what is now Canada. It is here that they have remained, and for a thousand years protected the forests, and peoples around them as best they could. They are more advanced than any of the other houses, keeping themselves updated with the latest technology.
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Author Jennifer Silverwood
About the Author Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time, she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it’s the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador, or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of three series–Heaven’s Edge, Wylder Tales and the Borderlands Saga–and the stand-alone titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight. She plans to release her first serialized Urban Fantasy, Angel Blue in August 2018.
Welcome to the book blitz for LETTING GO OF GRAVITY, a stand-alone young adult contemporary by Meg Leder. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis “The anticipation and slow burn of Parker and Finn’s relationship is electric…[an] absorbing novel that will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell.” —Booklist
Parker struggles to reconnect with her twin brother, Charlie—who’s recovering from cancer—as she tries to deal with her anxiety about the future in this powerful new novel.
Twins Parker and Charlie are polar opposites.
Where Charlie is fearless, Parker is careful.
Charlie is confident while Parker aims to please.
Charlie is outgoing and outspoken; Parker is introverted and reserved.
And of course, there’s the one other major difference: Charlie got cancer. Parker didn’t.
But now that Charlie is officially in remission, life couldn’t be going better for Parker. She’s landed a prestigious summer internship at the hospital and is headed to Harvard in the fall to study pediatric oncology—which is why the anxiety she’s felt since her Harvard acceptance is so unsettling. And it doesn’t help that her relationship with Charlie has been on the rocks since his diagnosis.
Enter Finn, a boy who’s been leaving strange graffiti messages all over town. Parker can’t stop thinking about those messages, or about Finn, who makes her feel free for the first time: free to doubt, free to make mistakes, and free to confront the truth that Parker has been hiding from for a long time.
That she keeps trying to save Charlie, when the person who really needs saving is herself.
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Guest Post In my new book Letting Go of Gravity, my main character Parker struggles with anxiety, even though she doesn’t quite know what’s going on until the end of the book. As someone who also has a hard time getting out of her own head, like Parker, I’ve discovered a few ways to help manage my busy mind. Here are some of the tricks Parker and I have used to calm ourselves:
Immerse yourself in the words of others. For Parker, it’s listening to Taylor Swift. For me, it’s finding a book that I can lose myself in. Sometimes, the mere act of letting yourself spend time with other voices is enough to give your worried mind a break.
Get busy. In my book, Parker starts helping out at a local ceramics shop, working with a group of old women while discovering the joy of making things with her own two hands. For me, it’s writing and being a reading buddy at a local elementary school. Creating and volunteering are both great ways of slowing the worry train, letting your mind focus on other avenues.
Be kind to yourself. It’s very easy to be mad at yourself when you’re anxious. You know that you’re not thinking rationally, but that doesn’t stop the anxious thoughts. But being mad at yourself doesn’t help you feel better—in fact, it makes Parker (and me) feel worse. Instead of being hard on yourself, be kind. You can’t always stop the thoughts, but you can at recognize that anxiety is hard and you’re doing the best you can.
Talk to your friends and family. Throughout the book, Parker’s new friends Ruby and Finn encourage her to talk about her feelings, and it’s only when she starts to tell people that she’s worried and scared that things start to get better. I’ve found that being open about my worried thoughts with people I trust—my family, my best friends, my therapist—is often the first step toward owning and overcoming my anxiety.
Know that it’s okay to seek help. It takes Parker a long time (a whole book!) to recognize she needs help in managing her worry. It took me twenty-plus years. More than anything, I hope that anyone who sees a little or a lot of themselves in Parker knows it’s okay to ask for help, whether it’s from a teacher, trusted adult, therapist, or good friend. Anxiety can be a hard road, but having someone on your side can make the journey a lot easier.
I hope you enjoy Letting Go of Gravity, and if you’re anxious too, please know you’re not alone—Parker and I are both with you.
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Author Meg Leder
About the Author A former bookseller and teacher, Meg Leder currently works as a book editor in New York City. Her role models are Harriet the Spy and Anne Shirley. She is the coauthor of The Happy Book, and spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Welcome to the book blitz for SEARCHING, the second book in the young adult fantasy romance series, Fading, by Cindy Cipriano. See below for information on the book and series, buy links, an guest post, and details on her giveaway.
SEARCHING (The Fading Series #2) by Cindy Cipriano
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: SEARCHING Series: The Fading Series #2 Author: Cindy Cipriano Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing Release Date: July 20, 2018 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance Link: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis A fast-paced fantasy romance with rich characters and immersive storytelling,Searching is the second book in theFading series by award-winning author Cindy Cipriano.
To say Leath is traveling light is an understatement. She’s only bringing three things on her trip. One is a silver heart locket—a gift from her longtime best-friend-turned-boyfriend Victor Santana. Next is a wedding token in the shape of a J, from James Turner. And of course, she’s packing her pistol. That’s it. She knows that when she leaves Woodvine, even her own mother may not remember her in the shifted reality that will be left behind. Bringing anything else would be pointless. But she’s driven now, by something that eclipses everything else, something she just got back: her memories. And now that she remembers James—she won’t stop searching until she finds him.
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Guest Post Thanks for hosting me today on Adventures in Writing. I’m thrilled to be here to talk about the second book in my paranormal romance series Searching. I’ll also pass on some tips I’ve learned in my journey as an author. First, a little about Searching, which is the second book in The Fading Series.
Searching To say Leath is traveling light is an understatement. She’s only bringing three things on her trip. One is a silver heart locket – a gift from her long time best friend turned boyfriend, Victor Santana. Next is a wedding token in the shape of a J, from James Turner. And of course, she’s packing her pistol. That’s it. She knows that when she leaves Woodvine, even her own mother may not remember her in the shifted reality that will be left behind. Bringing anything else would be pointless. But she’s driven now, by something that eclipses everything else, something she just got back: her memories. And now that she remembers James—she won’t stop searching until she finds him.
A fast-paced fantasy romance with rich characters and immersive story-telling, Searching is the second book in the Fading series by award-winning author Cindy Cipriano.
And, a reminder about book one in the series, Fading.
Fading Seventeen-year-old, Leath Elliott lives with her mother in the microscopic town of Woodvine, North Carolina. Leath’s father was killed in a tragic accident when she was fourteen, and her friend Victor Santana has been there for her every step of the way since. But the friendship starts to change when Victor develops deeper feelings for Leath. If that wasn’t complicated enough, newcomer James Turner, an emancipated minor with a dark past, wanders into her sights. Leath is captivated by him and wonders if he might be the boy of her dreams—literally.
The Fading Series – Insider Info (or as much as I can tell you) ☺
I often think of the series as the VLJ story. As in Victor-Leath-James.
Being in love is wonderful, heartwarming, and can leave you breathless. But, sometimes, it is so confusing! If you have ever loved two people at the same time, you can relate to what Leath is going through in The Fading Series. Although some readers have expressed their choice (Victor or James), many feel the way the same way Leath does; she loves them both.
Feeling Extra? Readers are often surprised to learn that one of the settings in The Fading Series is a real place. Judaculla Rock is a 2,000-3,000 year-old petroglyph located in western North Carolina. Several legends surround the origin of the rock as well as the images that are carved into its surface. I’ve had the opportunity to visit Judaculla Rock a few times and have really enjoyed incorporating this setting into Fading.
Which brings me to writing.
I’m often asked if I have any tips for new writers. The best suggestion I have is to join a critique group.
Now.
No, wait. Join one yesterday.
Learning how to give and receive thoughtful criticism will make your writing stronger. Writing is often an isolated endeavor. Being a part of a critique group helps foster a sense of community. It’s great having someone to turn to when you need to bounce ideas around. And, having a group discussion about your writing will help you see your story from a different perspective.
I’m also asked about the editing process. I’ll leave you with my best tip for editing.
Read your entire manuscript aloud. That really helps you notice mistakes and helps you smooth out the rough spots. If necessary, I suggest you record yourself as you read aloud the more difficult sections.
About the Author Cindy Cipriano lives in North Carolina with her husband, son and their 27 pets.
Not really.
Just three dogs who think they are children and three cats who think they are raccoons. It only seems as if they make 27. When Cindy isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and the avoidance of cooking.
Cindy’s first novel, The Circle, Book One of The Sidhe won the 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Silver Award for Pre-Teen Fiction – Fantasy. Other titles in the series include The Choice, Book Two of The Sidhe (2015) and The Lost, Book Three of The Sidhe (2017). This seven-book series is published by Odyssey Books.
Miller’s Island Mysteries #1 The Case of the Toxic River (2017) is the first in her eleven-book science mystery series (Vulpine Press). #2 The Case of the Catalyst will release in 2018.
Look for Fading, the first in her young adult series, in April 2018. (Clean Teen Publishing). Fading is the tale of first loves and the consequence of dreaming up Mr. Right.
Welcome to the blog tour for STRICKEN,a stand-alone middle grade/young adult dystopian adventure with a scifi twist, by C.K. Kelly Martin. See below for information the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post by the author, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis Naomi doesn’t expect anything unusual from her annual family trip to visit her grandparents in Ireland. What she expects is to celebrate her thirteenth birthday, hang out with her friends Ciara and Shehan, and deal with her gran’s Alzheimer’s. What she finds is a country hit by an unexpected virus that rapidly infects the majority of the Irish population over the age of twenty-one.
Amnestic-Delirium Syndrome (ADS) starts off with memory loss, but the virus soon turns its victims aggravated, blank, or violent. Naomi and her friends must survive on their own, without lucid adults, cut off from the rest of the world, until a cure is found.
But there are whispers that ADS is not terrestrial, and soon Naomi and her friends learn the frightening truth: we are not alone.
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Guest Post – Cover Love Seeing a new book cover for the first time is always exciting for an author– it’s a visual representation of your work that will (hopefully!) have an immediate impact on whoever sees it. Stricken is my first middle grade book and my first book cover that wasn’t a photograph. Those things alone made me giddy. An original cover illustration!
The first I saw of the Stricken cover art was a black and white sketch that I instantly fell head over heels in love with. Canadian visual artist Nick Craine adapted Bruce McDonald’s, Dance Me Outside and Hard Core Logo into graphic novels and his illustrations have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Republic.
To me it’s no small thing that Nick Craine also designed the best book cover I’ve ever had. I’m in absolute awe of main character Naomi’s defiant posture atop an overturned car. Seeing Dublin’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street (a place central to the Easter Rising of 1916 and the Irish Civil War of 1922) pictured behind her gives me a thrill every time I see Stricken. If you ever go to Dublin, there’s no way you’ll visit the place without seeing O’Connell Street and O’Connell Bridge, which spans the River Liffey. The Stricken cover vividly portrays more than a familiar city street though; it shows a place in trouble, a place where life has been turned upside down. It makes me want to snatch up the book and find out what happens within the pages, even though I’ve already read it. It’s a cover that sets up delicious expectations, which I dearly hope I meet.
I was twenty-one the first time I landed in Dublin, but there was something about it that nearly instantly felt like home. That makes this book and its fabulous cover very special to me. I can’t thank Nick Craine enough.
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Author C.K. Kelly Martin
About the Author Long before I was an author I was a fan of books about Winnie the Pooh, Babar, Madeline, Anne Shirley and anything by Judy Blume. Throughout high school my favourite class was English. No surprise, then, that most of my time spent at York University in Toronto was as an English major—not the traditional way to graduate with a B.A. (Hons) in film studies but a fine way to get a general arts education.
After getting my film studies degree I headed for Dublin, Ireland and spent the majority of the nineties there in forgettable jobs meeting unforgettable people and enjoying the buzz. I always believed I’d get around to writing in earnest eventually, and I began writing my first novel in a flat in Dublin and finished it in a Toronto suburb. By then I’d discovered that fiction about young people felt the freshest and most exciting to me. You have most of your life to be an adult but you only grow up once.
Currently residing near Toronto with my Dub husband, I’m an aunt to twenty-one nieces and nephews, and a great-aunt to two great-nephews. I became an Irish citizen in 2001 and continue to visit Dublin as often as I can while working on novels about young people.
My first young adult book, I Know It’s Over, came out with Random House in September 2008, and was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and sci-fi thriller Yesterday. I released Yesterday’s sequel, Tomorrow, in 2013 and put out my first adult novel, Come See About Me, as an ebook in June 2012. My most recent contemporary YA books, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing and Delicate, were published by Cormorant Books’ Dancing Cat Books imprint in 2014 and 2015.
Welcome to the blog tour for BLOOD OATH, the second book in the young adult historical romance/fantasy series, Blood Oath, by Amanda McCrina. See below for information on the book, buy links, a guest post on the author’s road to publication, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis The aftermath of what happened in the capital has shaken Torien to the core. Battling self-doubt and bitterness, he must find his resolve as he is sent back to Tasso to quell a violent uprising on the Road.
But Torien will need more than resolve to navigate the deadly path before him. His troops are inexperienced and his new adjutant untrustworthy. A series of murder attempts leaves the whole camp on edge. As the threat of mutiny builds, the mission seems doomed before they even reach Tasso—and Torien is beginning to suspect it was meant that way. He and his men are being set up to fail.
With his best friend in the hands of the rebels, his commanding officer refusing to negotiate a peace treaty, and his own men ready to turn on him at any moment, Torien must decide once and for all how much he’s willing to sacrifice for an empire he no longer believes in.
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Guest Post
Road to Publication The Blood Oath books weren’t the first books I queried. Back in 2012, while I was still in college, I’d actually queried another fantasy manuscript set in the same world as Blood Oath. (That manuscript eventually ended up self-published and is now, thankfully, out of print.) So I’d already had a little bit of experience with querying by the time I wrote Blood Road in 2014-2015.
Still, I queried Blood Road for eight months before the manuscript generated any interest—and then, a bit unusually, I received a publication offer and an offer of representation from an agent almost simultaneously. I signed with the agent, and a few weeks later, in January 2016, we accepted the offer of publication from Month9Books.
The road hasn’t been without its bumps since then—I parted ways with that first agent and have since shifted genres, too—but Blood Road was released in April 2017, and I’m glad to be able to share the sequel with you now!
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Author Amanda McCrina
About the Author Amanda McCrina has studied in Italy, taught English in Japan, and currently tutors Latin in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in History from the University of West Georgia, and is now pursuing her MA. She writes stories that incorporate her love of history, languages, and world travel. She drinks far too much coffee and dreams of one day having a winning fantasy-hockey season.
Welcome to the blog tour for CINDERELLA’S INFERNO, the second book in the young adult fantasy romance/fairytale retelling series, Cinderella, Necromancer, by F.M. Boughan. See below for information on the book, buy links, a guest post on the author’s road to publication, and details on her giveaway.
CINDERELLA’S INFERNO (Cinderella, Necromancer #2) by F.M. Boughan
It’s been two years since Ellison defeated her stepsisters and sent her evil stepmother back into the Abyss.
Though she’s learning to control her dark magic and has spent time traveling with Prince William and bringing peace to the kingdom, one fact remains. She is a necromancer and he is a paladin of light. And so, the king refuses to give his blessing for them to marry.
To appease his father, William has begun to avoid her. But when even her younger brother Edward grows distant, Ellison learns her mother’s spirit has been visiting Edward in secret, threatening to overwhelm him with her own loneliness and longing. When Ellison accidentally touches her mother’s spirit, her tainted touch condemns her mother’s spirit to eternal damnation.
Ellison resolves to descend into hell to save her mother’s soul and bring her physical body back to the world of the living. William hopes this good deed will bring Ellison into favor and finally allow them to be wed.
But the journey through hell is fraught with peril. Temptations abound and the demons Ellison sent back to the Abyss are thirsty for revenge.
Evil cannot be defeated without sacrifice—but when that sacrifice means choosing between the ones Ellison loves and her very own life, how far is she willing to go to make her family whole again?
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Guest Post
Road to Publication
Last September, I told you about the road to publication for my debut. I think where we landed in that post was a loose and possibly mixed metaphor about a gravel road, smooth sailing, and chunky rocks.
Let’s just pretend that was an intentional choice… a metaphor within a metaphor for my publishing journey, okay? Ahem. Moving on.
The road to publication for CINDERELLA’S INFERNO, the sequel to Ellison’s story in begun CINDERELLA, NECROMANCER, was a much shorter path. More like a little side street instead of an unpaved gravel road.
The thing is, a writer has all the time in the world to get that first book done before their debut—it’s okay that the road is long, because there are no deadlines or constraints or people sending angry emails to their inbox asking when their draft will be done. When it comes time to write the second book, however, there usually is a deadline. Which means your road is short, much shorter, and you don’t have time to grab a donut at the cool little diner on the side of the highway. Heck, you don’t even have time to eat, let alone stop for gas, or take a selfie at that quirky antique shop you’ve always meant to visit, or brush your teeth, or… or… or…
Er, this might be getting a little too real.
Here’s the thing. I wrote CINDERELLA’S INFERNO in less than two months. Sorry, let me clarify—I handwrote it. In two journals. And then I typed it up and started hacking it apart.
I had very little time to complete the novel due to Circumstances (which I can’t really go into, but please trust they were legitimate and unavoidable), but the good thing was that I’d been researching and planning out the story for about a year prior to that. So when it came time to sit down and actually write the book, the process was much shorter than if I’d had to start from scratch.
After I handed in my revised draft—which at that point was probably the third or fourth version—I sat back and waited for my edit letter. When it arrived, there were some excellent points to consider, and I took the time to carefully fix things like phrasing, language, description, and emotional impact.
After that was handed back in, I waited again. And got more revisions. And made more fixes. And then got more revisions. And made more fixes. And got even more revisions (though these were mostly minor edits to grammar and word choice). Made those fixes. There might have been another set before first pass pages, but I’m not sure. The versions basically start to bleed together after a while…
Then I handed in the last version, after which I sat back and waited. Actually, I’m still waiting, because it’s almost book release time! Soon I’ll get to hold the result of this journey in my hands, and thank my brain and fingers for enduring what I put it through on the road to this sequel’s publication.
About the Author F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic.
Welcome to the blog tour for STANLEY & HAZEL, a young adult historical mystery/romance, by Jo Schaffer. See below for information on the book, buy links, an exclusive guest post about her road to publication, and details on her giveaway.
Synopsis A great depression has gripped the city of St. Louis in 1934. Stanley, an orphaned newsy, lives in a poor part of town hit especially hard by the economic downturn. One night, Stanley runs into Hazel, a restless debutante in waiting who has begun to question her posh lifestyle in the midst of the suffering she sees. She’s out and about without an escort and against her father’s wishes.
When they discover the body of a girl with her head bashed in by a baseball bat, the very different and separate realities of the two teens inform their decision. Together they will figure out what happened to her and bring those responsible to justice.
But getting involved with each other and digging into the secrets behind this murder earns them some powerful enemies, including a secret group seeking to rid society of all they deem “undesirable.” They’ve put into motion “The Winnowing,” a plan seeking to take over the city and enforce their will.
As Stanley and Hazel’s forbidden feelings for one another grow, their investigation turns deadly. Now, it is up to Stanley and his gang of street kids to stop Hazel from becoming the next victim.
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The Road to Publication I have always written for myself. And then about ten years ago I got invited into a writing group that changed everything for me. Their support and encouragement made me feel like maybe my stories could be published. So I wrote a lot. Five novels and a lot of rewrites and detours before I was published.
It has been a long road to publication. I’ve gone through four agents and countless submissions. My first book went through an agent to a small publisher that never compensated me.
For the Stanley and Hazel trilogy, I represented myself and it was picked up by Month9Books. Georgia McBride is a forward thinking, savvy publisher who took a chance on me and I have enjoyed working with her.
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Author Jo Schaffer
About the Author Jo Schaffer was born and raised in the California Bay Area in a huge, creative family. She is a YA novelist, speaker, writer at Patheos.com, works in film production and is a Taekwondo black belt.
She’s a founding member of Writers Cubed and co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, one of the largest conferences in the nation for youth ages 13-19. She and a crew of local and international bestselling authors present writing workshops to hundreds of attendees at the Utah-based conference as well as hundreds of others worldwide who view the conference online.
Jo loves being involved in anything that promotes literacy and family. She is passionate about community, travel, books, music, healthy eating, classic films and martial arts. Her brain is always spinning new ideas for books and sometimes she even gets around to blogging.
Jo is a mom of 3 strapping sons living in the beautiful mountains of Utah with a neurotic cat named Hero..
Welcome to the blog tour for FRACTIONS OF EXISTENCE, the first book in the new adult scifi/fantasy romance series, The Existence, by J. Lenni Dorner. See below for information the book, buy links, a deleted from the book, and details on her giveaway.
FRACTIONS OF EXISTENCE (Existence #1) by J. Lenni Dorner
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: FRACTIONS OF EXISTENCE Series: Existence #1 Author: J. Lenni Dorner Release Date: September 19, 2017 Genre: New Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Once they were humanity’s exalted protectors— now they are being hunted.
Xavier will weigh all human life against Gwendolyn’s ignorant happiness. The good news is that her choice can blow his away.
Omnipotent beings find each other while playing an online game. Xavier has been searching for Gwendolyn, his true mate and the missing member of the Existence. Only if reunited can the group regain the rest of their memories and access all of their powers. Hidden in plain sight, disguised as humans, they help who they can, as best they can, when they can.
The Eyes in the Shadows, a religious sect, has been trying to free humans from the “prison” of life on Earth for millenniums. The Existence has always been able to thwart them… until now. They’ve discovered a way to end the world that no one will see coming.
Gwendolyn has her future all laid out. There is a plan. She knows what her parents want for her and how to get it. Then Xavier, a friend from a virtual game, makes her question everything. He’s full of secrets, one being an understanding of her fear of the wind.
She tries to suppress her intense attraction to the mysterious and frustrating Xavier. She’s engaged, after all, and the thoughts she’s having aren’t proper. Gwendolyn is swept into a whirlwind of secrets, danger, and a forbidden attraction. She’ll drive across the country in her beat-up old car, not knowing if he is genuinely interested or just being polite. (He refuses to kiss her!) Gwendolyn’s journey is full of self-doubt, sacrifice, and dark visions that invade her sleep. Will she uncover the truth about herself?
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Deleted Scene The following scene was once part of the opening of Fractions of Existence. It was cut because it puts the reader into the head of a minor character who does not appear again in Book One of the series. There is also a paragraph from the narrator. And it felt too much like an info dump about Xavier. The editing eventually came down to cutting it out.
However, I love the way she describes Xavier as, “one shaken-not-stirred martini away from being a legend.” #LaughingAtMyOwnJoke
Fingers played in the chilled water of the elaborate fountain. Many had speculated, but none had correctly guessed, how this indoor oasis came to be and functioned without a power supply or attachment to the city’s water system. Echoes of the splashes bounced throughout the cavernous three-story-high lobby. Ophelia, the security guard, turned a blind eye. She opened her rumpled copy of the New York Times to scan the same stories she had perused during her lunch break.
Earlier in the day, Ophelia scolded a child for playing in the fountain; but the fingers now dipping belonged to the luscious man who owned this high-rise building and the business headquartered within. Ophelia wasn’t daft enough to yell at the boss.
Besides, Xavier Doyen was a rare sort. His lucrative acquisitions company could amass enough money to propel him to the ranks of the ten wealthiest citizens of the world; but it probably never would, since every week another check was written out to a different charity. Many thought the wealthy twenty-two-year old was mad, allowing benevolence to rule rather than greed. Ophelia thought it much more peculiar that her boss daily greeted nearly every employee, by name, and put so much effort into taking care of the entire staff. Nowhere else in this city was there a boss who cared so much. So what if Mr. Doyen wanted to be the eccentric sort who splashed his hands in a fountain?
Xavier was known for his smile (not this odd childish behavior). Sometimes it served as a diplomatic tension breaker; other times it was a perfect tool to charm the ladies. It was at its finest when it appeared because of consummate love. Sadly, that particular smile was stricken from his being for far more years than Ophelia could have possibly guessed.
Peering around the edge of her newspaper, Ophelia imagined what it would be like to be the object of his affection. Such a fine man should not have to accept the solitude of bachelorhood. Her boss was one shaken-not-stirred martini away from being a legend. Yet, Mr. Doyen seemed disenchanted with the fine women he dated. Ophelia had come across more than one of those ladies in the pages of magazines. If her boss could so easily acquire women of such enviable beauty, yet continue to wear such a lonesome expression when no one (except the security cameras) was looking, what chance would she have with him? A woman of substance, Ophelia thought, perhaps that’s what he desires.
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Author J. Lenni Dorner
About the Author J. competed in Write Club 2014 & 2016. The Creative Writing Institute held writing contests that resulted in J Lenni Dorner being published in “WRONG!: A themed anthology 2014” and LOST!: A themed anthology 2017. J self-published “Preparing to Write Settings That Feel Like Characters,” in 2015. Winner of the Write Edit Publish Now flash fiction “Youthful Frights versus Adult Fears” Halloween challenge 2015. Signum University’s Mythgard Institute held a creative writing contest in the autumn of 2015 called “Almost an Inkling” in which J Lenni Dorner was the Popular Vote Winner of week 6, resulting in publication in The Soul of Wit. The Operation Awesome Flash Fiction Contest 12 win in April 2016 went to J Lenni Dorner.
A to Z Challenge co-host as of 2017.
When not reading or writing, J enjoys video games, laughing at funny cat videos, finding drawings of dragons on Pinterest, and watching movies.
Welcome to the book blitz for THE SWEET LIFE, a stand-alone adult contemporary/cowboy romance, by Dakota Star. See below for information the book, buy links, a post from the author on main character’s bucket list,and details on her giveaway.
THE SWEET LIFE by Dakota Star
About the Book – Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited Title: THE SWEET LIFE Author: Dakota Star Publisher: Limitless Publishing Release Date: April 3, 2018 Genre: Adult Contemporary/Cowboy Romance Links:Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU
Synopsis Alexis takes her job very seriously. As one of the younger account executives, proving herself in the workplace is much more important than having a love life. And now that she’s been assigned a dude ranch account, she’s more determined than ever to show her doubters that she has what it takes.
Unfortunately there’s a tall, hot-tempered, brown-eyed cowboy who manages to distract Alexis from her goal by grabbing her attention…in a non-professional kind of way.
Mitch is the cowboy of her dreams—and also a distraction her career can’t afford.
And the real doozy? He also happens to be the ranch owner’s son, and this little fact alone has the potential to ruin everything for this city girl.
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Mitch Johnson’s Bucket List (In a totally random order)
Go to Australia
Mitch is always up for adventure, and where can you find more adventure than Australia. Exploring the Great Barrier Reef, seeing how a working cattle station differs from a dude ranch, and watching for cassowaries and crocodiles in the rainforest are high on his list of great vacation activities.
Go Skydiving
Mitch believes in conquering challenges big and small. He’s already fallen head over heels for a feisty red head, why not fall from the sky.
Make Alexis Happy
He met the woman of his dreams and fell in love. He wants nothing more than to prove it to Alexis every day. Hey, if she’s not up for Australia, he’ll even change his vacation plans.
Own a Working Texas Ranch
Mitch grew up in Texas and would someday love to return. He never wants to give up the country life. A home on the range with Alexis at his side sounds like a great option.
Horseback Ride across the United States for Charity
Mitch knows he’s been blessed, and now Alexis has made his life even better. One day he would like to pay it forward a little bit. Horseback riding across the United States would be an amazing adventure, but since few California to Connecticut horseback rides exist, hell settle for a shorter cross-country jaunt as long as he doesn’t have to ride in a dressage saddle.
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Author Dakota Star
About the Author Dakota Star likes worn-in cowboy boots, a well-trained horse, a cold beverage, and trails to ride in the woods.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters. Both her daughters have finished college and moved away so her dogs, cats, and retired horse now keep her busy. When not outside hiking or horseback riding, she loves to read and travel.
She has worked as an editor, a freelance writer for local newspapers, and an educator at local environmental non-profits like aquariums and The National Audubon Society.
