Yes, my title is correct. So some of you know I’m a big fan of John Hundley… see his goodies HERE that’s his blog, where today he gave me shot out and introduced me to the world LOL … but anyways. I read book one, and loved it, and I’ve also done a beta reading for book 2, coming out soon 🙂 and he has a cajun werewolf… aaaaaand I wanted to make sure he got that accent right… so I videoed myself reading a small piece of book 2…. AND I’M ON YOUTUBE!! hahahahaa I’m not sure the world is ready for me just yet… I had some troubles. The first video I web-cammed myself, well, let’s just say I had to LEARN the hard way that you cannot just push one easy button. I recorded it, with NO AUDIO!! Then I couldn’t upload it. blah blah… well after like 5 tries, I got it right… so I present to you…
yes this is really me. Thank goodness my dogs were actually quiet for a few minutes. and it was one evening on the back porch that was actually nice. 🙂 pffft, I should also say we- all cajuns- talk a LOT with our hands and have lots of facial expressions. Now, I sometimes have a normal person accent. BUT, when I was in New Orleans, EVERYONE kept telling me they loved my accent…. I know I looked at them like they were crazy… WHAT ACCENT??? hahahahaha I forget how different we sound to people not accustomed to our ramblings 🙂 but anyways! I shall be doing another snippet again for Mr. John and his books 🙂 I love his cajun character. Even if he struggled with the accent part, he got our personalities down! Congrats Mr. John!! 🙂
On the house front, it’s been a mess. LAWD! People are getting crazy and want all kinda nonsense, so I am trying… well at least trying not to curse at people hahahaha I am saying prayers people get their things together and that I can work it all out… I only have a few more months until I need to be moved. I have also finally picked out my colors for walls and floors… so yay on that front hahahaha
Penny Lane is a NUT! She makes me and my mom laugh hysterically! she’s so very cute!
I pretty much work all the time now, but I have a TON of great things coming up! So don’t forget to enter into my giveaways! I’ve got several going on now, and a whole lot coming up 🙂 So I will leave you guys with that! Happy Reading everyone… And please, don’t laugh too hard at me! hahahahaha
Oh and one more thing… I have this joke going with Cambria Hebert… she is my internet giggle buddy 🙂 so I think you will laugh at this… I sent her this photo over the week 🙂 LOL
And on this… I forgot to post this… NO I AM NOT IN THE PICTURE *sigh* but he was soooooo awesome!!! 🙂 no I did not get to actually meet him, but I don’t care. What he did was FANTASTIC!!! I am appreciative no matter that I didn’t get to lick… I mean meet him hahahahaha
Let me just say right up front… I LOVE MR TOM!!! His writing is phenomenal-ps I don’t like vampires- BUT I LOVE HIS VAMPIRES hahahaha yes, I stalk him lots! and NOW HE HAS ZOMBIES!!! eeeeeeehehehehehe!!! 🙂 buuut, I will not be sharing my review of this… or at least not just yet! Mr. Tom loves me and specifically asked me to be the last chapter of the tour- so I COULD HAVE THE BEST SPOT hahahaha LOL ok, now that’s probably not true. Everyone’s spot is important, because this tour has a spot for each of the chapters. 🙂 yep, you are going to read the last chapter HERE! so first I’m going to give you an intro, then I’ll post the stops that come before me, so you can read it in order, and then I’ll post my chapter. And last, I’ll post a giveaway 🙂 Here we go!
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Bloody Chunks Tour!
I’m Thomas Winship, author of Vaempires: The Evolutionary War—a vampire series that explores the question: what if vampires evolved?
For this book tour, I decided to do something a bit different. Instead of sharing excerpts, reviews, interviews, and all the usual accompaniments, I’m giving you the book itself—piece by piece.
Or chunk by bloody chunk!
This tour is the only place where you can read Vaempires: Zombie Rising, the next chapter in the vaempires saga, before its official release!
The tale of The Evolutionary War resumes in Væmpires: Zombie Rising.
Væmpires have taken control of twelve major cities. Their leader, Vielyn, seeks the atomic weapons that will bring the rest of the world to its knees.
Vampire forces are reeling. As Linq and Ray race to the royal estate to rendezvous with Cassandra and Daniel, the princess is captured and Daniel falls.
With the fate of world shifting to their teenage shoulders, Linq and Ray must deal with tremendous losses while battling a most unexpected—and undeadly—new foe.
This tour wouldn’t be possible without the time and efforts of a very special group of people, beginning with Silvia and Franny at Dark Mind Book Tours and including everyone on the list below. Please show your support by stopping by, commenting, and spreading the word!
Tour Schedule:
Mr. Tom, you KNOW WE WILL!!! 🙂 How cool right! This whole tour gives you a chapter of the book 🙂 I thought that was brilliant! 🙂 so now without further ado, I need to show you my chapter! 🙂 here it is…
Vaempires: Zombie Rising book trailer:
Chapter 11
When he was a child, Linq had once watched—against his parents’ wishes—an uncensored documentary about the Great Devastation. Although several millennia in the past, the Devastation never stopped being of interest to the citizens of Tarados. For one thing, the birth of vampires was attributed to the actions and outcomes surrounding the cataclysmic event; for another, both humans and vampires seemed to share a deep-rooted and insatiable sense of morbid curiosity.
Although some information had survived the millennia, nothing had yet been discovered that definitively explained what had led to the Devastation. Theories abounded, but the average person had long since accepted the fact that the entire truth might never be known.
The documentary Linq watched hadn’t attempted to answer any questions; it had simply attempted to distill the event into a series of vignettes that captured the global horror on a smaller scale.
There were vignettes that showed skyscrapers toppling like dominos and bridges collapsing like children’s toys. There were vignettes that showed nuclear fireballs razing everything in their path. There were vignettes that showed the dead by the millions strewn around large cities.
Linq had watched them all. He hadn’t been unfazed, but he had been able to watch them with a certain amount of clinical detachment that prohibited scars from forming on his five-year-old psyche.
The final vignette had proved the exception. In that segment, the filmmaker had focused on a specific incident, an incident that paled in comparison to the others in terms of devastation, loss of life, and even overall impact.
The setting was an outdoor sports arena. It was filled to bursting with people, refugees from whatever devastation had been wrought upon the nearby city. A helicopter crew airlifting in pallets of food and essential supplies had taken the film.
The helicopter had hovered, trying to find a place to drop its pallets. The pilot had spoken into his headset, noting that the crowd wouldn’t move to clear the necessary room. In reality, the field had been so densely packed that the people couldn’t move.
The crowd had become impatient, and then violent, with people turning on one another like savages. Weapons were discharged. The pilot panicked. Bullets ricocheted through the cabin and the crew rushed to cut the pallets free so the chopper could ascend faster. They had released all but one pallet when a bullet struck something important and the chopper crashed to the field, crushing dozens of people beneath it.
None of the crew had escaped when the chopper exploded.
The scene then switched to a camera atop one of the pallets. The people closest were trying to tear it open while being crushed by the oncoming horde. Many were trampled.
A few yards away, a slight shift in the crowd created a small window of open space on the field, an area perhaps five by five wide, directly in the camera’s angle. A child lumbered into view—two, perhaps three, years old—a picture-perfect boy with hazel eyes and a bright smile. He was oblivious to the chaos around him.
The crowd surged toward the small clearing.
A woman jumped into view—she had to be the mother, because only a mother possessed that type of courage—reaching down and whisking the child into her arms a millisecond before he was crushed to death. The woman smiled.
And the camera stayed there, perfectly positioned to capture her face as the child was knocked from her grasp—the panic, the desperation, and the fear transforming her into something less than human—and she was swept away by the surging crowd.
And it was perfectly positioned to capture the child as he floated back to the ground, miraculously untouched and still smiling, to land on his feet, where he stood for an eternity—2.76 seconds, to be precise—before the wave of humanity washed over him, as well.
The last sight of the child was of his hazel eyes growing wide as he was driven to the ground, and then he was lost, buried beneath the sea of monster-sized legs.
At some time during the fracas, the camera had been destroyed. Linq had imagined it continuing to film, eventually capturing the aftereffects when the mother—who had undoubtedly survived, due to the cruel nature of fate—dug through the detritus to find her crushed, lifeless boy.
The images haunted Linq. He had been plagued by nightmares for months; nightmares in which he was crushed or trampled to death.
His parents had helped him through it. They hadn’t punished him for disobeying. They had never admonished him for watching the documentary. They had loved him, they had nurtured him, and over time, the nightmares had diminished. They never quite went away, though. He still suffered one now and again; even a decade later, his deepest fear was of being buried alive.
That original fear welled up inside Linq as the zombies washed over him. It was potent, despite the decade-long separation, raw and unfiltered, with the power to paralyze.
He had fought for far longer than possible, to no avail. There were just too many. He had been driven away from Ray, pushed and prodded and poked until he hadn’t known right from left, or even up from down.
At some point he had been driven to the ground, buried beneath a mass of undead bodies. He couldn’t move to fight back. A claw punctured his upper thigh. Fangs sank into his shoulder, his back, and his upper arm. And still the bodies pressed in, more and more, until there were so many that even the zombies were rendered immobile.
The pain was incredible, but nothing was as bad as being trapped and smothered beneath the weight of countless bodies. A scream welled up inside Linq. A scream of panic and despair and fear. The scream of that long-ago human mother mingled with Linq’s scream.
Linq could have died with the scream on his lips. He never found out. A sound, distant but familiar, reached him despite the sliding and shuffling of zombie bodies piled upon him. His fevered mind couldn’t place the sound, but it was repeated.
A ripple of warm air filtered down through the mass of cold, undead bodies, brushing against a cheek before dissipating.
He heard the familiar sound again. The mass of bodies shifted. He wasn’t certain, but it almost felt as if it shifted away from him.
Another sound. Another ripple of warmth. And then the mass definitely shifted, exposing a sliver of daylight. His heart leaped. The light winked out.
But not for long. Another wave of sound was followed by a deeper ripple of warmth and a stronger shift, exposing another sliver of light, which grew into a shaft of light.
And then the weight on him all but disappeared as Ray’s face came into view, framed between the remaining undead bodies.
“Hold on,” the blond teen said. Then he looked away, shouting, “He’s over here!”
Linq heard grunting as the bodies covering him were pushed, shoved, and blasted away. Now that he was back in control of his faculties, he recognized the telltale sound of laser and plasma weapons. The smell of scorched flesh drifted down, mingling with the rancid, cloying smell of undead væmpires.
In what felt like hours but were only moments, Ray and his mysterious assistant had cleared away all but the trio of zombies directly atop Linq. The zombies stirred as their limbs were freed, but Linq—channeling the residual energy from his near meltdown—exploded into a flurry of activity that sent the trio to whatever fate awaited them in their next life.
He rolled onto his stomach, and then climbed to a knee before pausing. He hadn’t the strength for anything else. Despite the battle around him, he closed his eyes for a few long seconds, happy to be alive.
Someone approached him. His senses recognized it as a vampire, so he didn’t resist when strong arms helped him to his feet.
“I’m good,” he said, nodding, and the hands released him. He stood on shaky legs, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes.
“I never doubted it,” a familiar female voice said.
“Jentice!” He turned to face his benefactor. She was short, perhaps five feet tall, and whipcord thin. Her military uniform was dirty and bedraggled, yet still looked good on her. Her cap, pulled down to just above her dark eyes, failed to fully contain the straight black hair poking out from beneath it.
“Hi, Linq,” she said, smiling. Her white teeth stood out in sharp contrast to her dark skin. They were dazzling. Then she threw her arms around him—as far as they could reach around his muscular frame, that is—and hugged him.
“Hey, don’t bruise him,” Ray quipped, causing them to step apart after a few glorious seconds. Linq may have stood there forever if he hadn’t said anything. “How are you?” Ray asked, concerned. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead and he held one arm tight to his side.
“About as good as you, I would imagine, more or less.”
Ray smiled, but a pair of soldiers ran over before he responded.
“Sir,” a soldier with an earnest face said, standing before Jentice and saluting. “We’re cutting them down, but I’ve never seen anything like it. For all intents and purposes, they’re—”
“They’re dead,” Linq finished. “But they won’t go down for good unless you cut off their heads. A plasma burst might work, as well, but your best bet is to kill the væmpire responsible.” He described the female and explained where to find her.
The soldiers looked to Jentice for confirmation. She nodded to one. “Spread the word.” To the other, she said, “Bring these men a handful of synth-paks, and then rejoin the others.”
“We should help,” Ray said, beginning to move away, but Jentice stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“I brought plenty of help. An entire squad. You’ve done enough for now.”
Ray opened his mouth to protest, but the diminutive soldier silenced him with a stern look. When she was satisfied that he wouldn’t run off, she turned to Linq, her dark eyes flashing.
“I’ve been calling you all afternoon.”
Linq gave her a sheepish smile. Although the look on her face was dangerous, it couldn’t detract from her dark beauty. Until then, she had only been a small face on a vidscreen, attractive but remote. Standing before him, though, she was breathtaking, almost painful to look at.
He shrugged, feeling like an idiot for wondering what she was thinking about him. “We kind of got caught up in things here.”
The set of her mouth told him she was about to dress him down, but he was saved when the soldier returned with the synth-paks.
No one spoke while Linq and Ray tore into the paks with a savagery most unbecoming. They drained them in a flash. It was the most delicious thing Linq had ever tasted. Meanwhile, the battle continued around them—seeming distant and near at the same time—as the synthetic fluid began its miraculous work.
Linq sighed, feeling better. He caught Jentice’s eye. “Are you here to search the palace?”
She shook her head. “We came for you. And now that we found you, we need to move out as soon as possible.”
“I don’t understand,” he said, looking at Ray. The blond teen raised an eyebrow. “Is the comm system down again?”
“No,” Jentice explained. “The work-around you created is working pretty well, all things considered.”
“Then why are you looking for me?”
“Orders,” she said, shifting her dark eyes away from his. “We’re retreating.”
“What!” Linq and Ray cried out in unison.
She cut off anything further. “The decision came down from on high, guys. We’re falling back to a secure location a few miles outside the city.”
“I’m not abandoning Orion,” Ray stated, shaking his head.
Linq grabbed Jentice by the arm. She stiffened, but didn’t pull away. “Who decided this? Cassie?”
“Princess Cassandra hasn’t been seen since the attack—”
“Cassie’s alive!” Linq said, pleased to see the excitement in Jentice’s eye. “I spoke with her less than an hour ago. She came in here after Daniel …” A wave of horror rolled over him. He let go of Jentice, spinning around. “Oh God, where’s Daniel?”
Ray spit out a curse.
“Daniel’s here?” Jentice asked. Linq ignored her, but Ray turned with a sigh.
“He’s probably dead, Jentice. We found his body when we got here.”
Linq heard Jentice’s sharp intake of breath. He turned in a slow circle, trying to get his bearings. He had been standing by Daniel’s body when the zombies attacked. He remembered almost falling beneath their weight, stumbling away, trying to fight back as their combined mass pulsed and pushed against him. He remembered falling over, being borne away by the wave of undead bodies. He remembered slithering and sliding to the ground, where they fell upon him like mindless, quivering lumps.
He shuddered, shoving the memory aside for another day. He looking around, scanning through the scores of burned and blackened bodies. Then he saw it. “Over there,” he shouted, pointing to a small pile of bodies some twenty yards away.
Before they took off, the earnest-faced soldier rushed up. “I’m sorry, sir, we searched the entire hill around the tower, but there’s no body that matches the description you gave us.”
Ray cursed again. “I’ll check it out,” he told Linq. “You take care of Daniel.”
So Linq made the lonely walk toward his friend’s body. He wasn’t alone—Jentice walked beside him, solemn and silent, as the situation dictated—but he had never felt so alone.
Dead zombies were scattered around Daniel. Two were on him—one headless man was stretched across his chest, while a headless female rested against his leg. With a growl, Linq pushed the female aside, but he yanked the male up by the black night-fighter uniform and tossed him a dozen feet away.
He sank to his haunches next to Daniel, checking the body over. Aside from a bit more blood and gore, his fallen friend was no worse off than earlier. He was no better, either. Even with a spark of life left in his body, there should’ve been some indication.
Linq looked at his friend’s face, knowing it was the last time he ever would, and silent tears flowed. Jentice placed a hand against his back. He didn’t know how long he sat there, but she didn’t interrupt his mourning.
Someone ran up, feet scuffing to a stop. Ray dropped to his knees beside Linq.
“She’s gone,” Ray said, his voice tired. “I sent teams to search the estate, but she’s disappeared.” He turned to Jentice. “I also sent a squad after some zombies that took off through the east ward. If our theory is true and this chick somehow calls to them, it’s possible the zombies are following her. With any luck, they’ll lead us right to her.”
“We can’t take too long,” Jentice said. “Command issued the retreat order two hours ago.”
“I don’t care about that,” Ray countered. “That girl is too dangerous to be left alive. Plus, there’s still a chance Cassie is around here somewhere.”
Linq ignored the debate. He stood, reaching down to take Daniel’s body into his arms. Ray and Jentice looked at him, their faces pinched in puzzlement.
“I’m not leaving Daniel here for the scavengers,” Linq said. “I’m taking him into the palace’s medcenter before I decide what to do next.”
Ray stepped forward, his face grim. “I agree. But let me carry him. You need to link up with the troops chasing down those zombies.”
Linq didn’t want to relinquish his burden, but he recognized the wisdom in Ray’s words. He transferred Daniel’s body to Ray’s arms and consulted his wristband for the first time in what felt like hours.
The screen flashed with an overwhelming array of information. He flicked most of it aside, hoping against hope for the indicator he wanted most of all—a message from Cassandra.
He trudged behind Ray and Jentice, besieged by emotions: lingering relief at his last-second rescue, heartbreak over the loss of Daniel, increasing despair over Cassandra’s whereabouts.
The situation couldn’t be any worse.
He realized it was a mistake as soon as he thought it. Although he wasn’t superstitious, he believed it was never wise to challenge the universe.
He flicked through his messages, freezing when he saw one that hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut. The situation had indeed gotten worse.
His mother’s biorhythmic detector had failed.
Linq’s knees went weak, threatening to spill him to the ground. He felt lightheaded as he struggled to process the terrible information.
“Linq!” Ray shouted, turning toward him, his face a mask of alarm.
How does he know?
“Linq!” Ray shouted, seeming to jump in place. “We have to hurry. Daniel just twitched.”
What?
Ray’s blue eyes burned. “He’s alive, Linq. He’s alive!”
HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!!! so I ALMOST DIED when I read the first book…. and now…. I’M STILL DYING!!! 🙂 oh and PS, if you missed my tour post for book 1, Ray is my book boyfriend- for real!!! 🙂 yep, I’m in fictional boyfriend lust! 🙂 hehehe one day, maybe, I’ll bribe Mr. Tom into giving me Ray as a book boyfriend LOL 🙂 If you’d like to check out the first book, and the prequel, here ya go:
Book Trailer, Vaempires: White Christmas:
book trailer, Vaempires: The Evolutionary War:
Mr. Tom also has this link on his blog, with anything you may want to know about his books, so you can check that out HERE
About the Author:
Thomas Winship
Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY (USA) and still resides in Orange County. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as an adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training. Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. His second novel, Væmpires: Revolution, was published in October and a follow-up novella, Væmpires: White Christmas, was published in December. He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show. He is currently working on the next installment of the “Væmpires” series, which is scheduled for a 2012 release.
and now, it’s time for me to off you a giveaway. Leave me a nice comment to win YOUR CHOICE of book 1, Vaempires: Revolution, OR Vaempires: Zombies Rising! 🙂 I know some of you haven’t read book 1, so you can chose which one you’d like. All you gotta do is leave me a comment. THIS GIVEAWAY WILL LAST ONE WEEK!. I am the end of the tour- except for the lovely Silvia, from Dark Mind Book Tours, with tomorrows wrap up post. But I want to make sure everyone has a chance to enter. So, I will pull a winner in a week.
BAD DOG MAGHON!!! I am so sorry, but I haven’t announced winners in AGES!!! I am so so so sorry! BUT today, I will be announcing a butt load of goodies and their winner components 🙂 So, since I need to get this out, I will just sprout them LOL
From the Biting Cold Blog Tour:
Madison swag
Michelle Long swag
Karla karlaihdez@gmail.com swag-you won for most original comment hahahaha
Martina Koleva swag- you won because you haven’t read this awesome series yet 😉
Last Summer Blog Tour
Amanda a signed paperback copy and signed book mark… PS- HAPPY HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY 🙂 you get this totally awesome pack as a belated gift lol, even if I didn’t know it was your birthday til after, it’s a great gift! 🙂
Blood Debt stop
S.A. -ebook, bookmark, and tattoo 🙂
what kills me blog tour
Kassandra Fuentes was my original winner, but she won for this tour from another host 🙂 lol she’s lucky!! I’ve offered her something special… So my winner is Sherlyn! ebook and bookmark
HereAfter Blog Tour
Barbed1951 choice of ebook or print copy
Blood Bond Book tour
latishajean ebook, you chose Blood Bond 🙂
Erin Book Tour
Brandy M ebook and swag
Cambria’s musical post
SA ebook choice of Masquerade and THE BIG SIGNED PACK 🙂
BN100 ebook choice of Charade
the luminary blog tour
Beth Watson ebook
SA ebook
within the shadows blog tour
Julie Witt ebook
Winners: you should have received an email from me already!
If you have not, something has gone wrong, and PLEASE email me ASAP! or I will chose another winner.
I want to congratulate EVERYONE! And if you didn’t win anything, don’t worry, I have more contests still going on & even more contests coming- starting tomorrow…. tomorrow is extra special for me so make sure to check it out 🙂 happy reading everyone! also I’m proud to say my best friend had her baby girl this past week! Congrats Jen!! Aunt Maghon is extremely happy and can’t wait to meet Ms Maci!! 🙂
well now… lemme tell you! I was all excited when my lovely friend, author Roxy Kade, sent me an email inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Even without a review copy, I WANTED IN… but the author so awesomely decided to gimme a review copy, which means you guys will get to enter into a giveaway to win this awesome book!!! So, now that you know I’m all excited, lemme share 🙂
Synopsis:
Red mirrored scales race up my arms as the haze of pain blurs my vision. My bones crack, breaking to realign. I scream. It is then that the realization of my unavoidable fate sinks in; I am of a dying race. I am dragon.
Aurora Megalos, orphaned and teetering on the edge of adulthood, thought finding her past would curb the sting of being an outcast .Having no memories of the time before she awoke on her foster mother’s doorstep, she yearns for the emptiness inside her to be filled. With her fellow orphaned best friend, Fenn, by her side, she has nothing to lose and everything to gain. But something powerful stirred within her that she couldn’t explain. Something wanted out.
In the dark of night, a crazed Seer, dubbed Mr.Creepy, erases everything she’s ever known with an impending prophecy. She now faces two paths. Return to her true home to protect a dying race against a growing evil, or stay hidden in the safety of our realm with a shot at a true love. With a vengeful Arch Enemy stopping at nothing to see her dead, she’s running out of time; a decision must be made. What would you choose?
As one of this year’s most anticipated releases, Born In Flames, has been met with rave reviews, adding a unique and refreshing voice to the YA Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy genre. Debut author, Candace Knoebel, was signed to 48fourteen Publishing, in December of 2011.
Juanita Samborski, of 48fourteen says, “Candace Knoebel’s debut novel, Born in Flames, is captivating young adult novel, perfect for all ages. Each character has a striking, well-developed personality. Aurora, in her search to find herself and in her struggle with the decision to step into a world unknown to her, takes you on a thrilling adventure. Knoebel’s words pull you to the edge of your seat as the first kiss between Aurora and Fenn lingers between the words. Knoebel takes you on an emotional journey that tugs at the heart as Aurora falls in love, discovers where she is from, what she is capable of, and rises above with such strength and determination that is inspiring. Knoebel paints a vivid picture with her words, as you click to the first page, you will enter the world she has created in Born in Flames.”
Praise for Candace Knoebel and Born In Flames:
“Born in Flames is SMOKIN!!” ~Kathryn, TSK, TSK, What to read?
“Candace weaves an emotional, action-packed tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat…” ~Shelley, TSK, TSK, What to read?
“This is one of my favorite books of the year and a 100% MUST READ!!” ~Terri’s Book Addiction.
“What a fantastic departure from the norm…If you’re a Sophie Jordan fan you will LOVE this book!” ~Tam’s Two Cents
Excerpt:
The call of the orb was strong now that it rested in my hands. A song thrummed in my chest as I felt the veins in my neck beating wildly. Looking at it now, the change wasn’t as scary as I had thought it would be. Even with knowing that I could be staring my possible death in the face. The question was—would I be strong enough to sustain these powers given to me? Maybe I was just scared of The Fates choosing my destiny, or maybe I was scared that what was about to happen would forever change my life. Either way, growing up I had always hoped that my life would mean something more than just being a foster child, but this, this was much bigger than anyone could imagine. And what lies ahead? Well if it’s anything compared to what I am going through now, then I expect my life to fall into a whole new level of crazy. And I think it may be just what I was looking for.
Well now, are you interested? If not, you should be… I LOVE dragons. Like, right behind my obsession with werewolves 🙂 so I know you understand why I waned this book so bad! 🙂 so now, I will let you in on my opinion 🙂
My Review:
Aurora, aka Rory and Fenn are foster siblings. At ten years old, they arrive at the same house with no memories of a single thought before that moment. Aurora always knew she was different, but never understood why. Her life’s goal is to find her and Fenn’s biological parents to find out why they were each in the same situation. And Fenn just wants to stay by her side and protect her. AND THEN some crazy things happen. Things literally are thrown out the window. Forget normal. Forget work. Forget the only life they’ve ever known. This is gunna be the craziest thrill ride of a lifetime. And it comes down to life and death. But not just for them, a whole lot of people. As things unfold, memories reveal themselves. Secrets are discovered. And lives are hanging in the balance. It’s hard to say much without giving spoilers. I’m struggling not to give spoilers to you, as I can’t wait to discuss this with my fellow readers!
I can’t believe how crazy this story made me. I was completely engrossed in this story. I should learn not to start reading stories at night before bed, because this one DEFINITELY had me up WAY TOO LATE! There’s so many things happening, that time has no constraints. And the writing… Breathtaking. I forgot who I was, where I was, and was taken to a different place an time. Aurora makes a reference about not believing things, and if it’s the Matrix. Well this was the closest to the Matrix for me 🙂 It’s descriptive without being an information dump, or so descriptive you forget what’s going on. There’s a lot of mysteries unfolding, so you learn things as Aurora is learning things. I love this. It makes me feel like I’m part of the story 🙂 IM DYING FOR MORE!!!
I have just a few words for the author… PLEASE PLEASE GIVE ME MORE!!! I’m addicted. I’m ready for my next thrill ride! I’m a dragon fan, but I’m also picky. Because I like dragons so much, not many stories keep my interest. Or they just disappoint me….. I saw a reference to Sophie Jordan’s Fans. Well as a fan of Ms. Jordan’s books, I will second that statement! YOU’VE WON ME! Forever! Please please hurry hahahaha and to Ms. Roxy- girl, I’ll slave for you in thanks of giving me this phenomenal story! I’m so proud to say- BIG 5 PAWS FROM ME!
Connect with Candace:
Candace Knoebel dreamed of being a dancer ever since she could remember. With a love of all things art, she saw herself moving to New York and pursuing her passion as an artist. But all that changed on October 10th 2002 when she met the love of her life. Her dreams diverged and after marrying her high school sweetheart and having two beautiful children, she realized she missed her creative side.
Growing up alongside the Harry Potter series, Candace found herself missing the epicosity of a story that pulls you in and won’t let you go. In 2009, she began dreaming up characters that would mold her first novel. Through lunch breaks and late nights, after putting her kids to bed, she built a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. She found her calling in life and knew this was more than dancing could’ve ever meant to her.
Once complete in 2010, she began the grueling process of finding a publisher. With relentless determination, she was finally able to realize her dream in December of 2011 when 48fourteen offered her a publishing contract. With a HUGE yes and a happy dance, she now continues her Trilogy.
The author is so awesomely giving away TWO ebook copies! YAY! TWO WINNERS. in your choice of format. SO I AM TELLING YOU TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY!! 🙂 Seriously, it’s a great book! Also, the tour ends on September 30, so you only have a very few days. GO GO GO! 🙂
The giveaway will run from the length of the tour.
This is a tour wide giveaway and there will be two winners chosen
Giveaway is International ( eBooks available in ePub, Mobi. or PDF format )
Entrants must be 13 years or older
The Winner will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends, and will have 72 hours in which to respond.
I wish you all extra good luck! I hope that this was a fun post for you today 🙂 I know I enjoyed it! Happy reading everyone. and as always, Later Gators! 🙂
Hello everyone! today I have a lovely author over, and I would love to share her goodies with you. Goodreads is sometimes the coolest place to be! I’ve met some great people there. This lovely author is now one of them. 🙂 So with that said, let me share the good stuff with you 😉
you can click on the cover photo above and it will take you the goodreads page 🙂 here’s the blurb:
from goodreads: Such is life, Jesca Gershon-Sera does not see this coming. Life is pretty normal for Jesca in Marrieta, Georgia. She is a sophomore at Southern Polytechnic State University and holds a part-time job at a local bookstore. Her life is predictable and comfortable; nothing out of the ordinary. Until, Jesca begins experiencing reoccurring childhood nightmares. Her reality is set askew. The terrors take on a stronger meaning, when dark looming auras, distorted beings, and her unnatural physical and mental abilities begin to seep out of the dream realm and into her real world. Jesca begins to question her sanity as these terrors increase and flood her reality. At the peak of what could be her mental breaking point, Jesca has multiple coincidental encounters with her professor, Ezra Kahn. Jesca is blind-sided as Ezra exposes how these terrors are part of a reality in our world set askew and that Jesca must claim her role in a battle to protect humanity from eminent catastrophe. Jesca begins her quest, discovering herself, her inevitable purpose, and the undeniable truth that she is part of humanity’s salvation whether she is ready or not. Book 1 of this series, Piercing the Fold brings forth “smart” science fiction reflecting on real scientific and spiritual endeavors of our time. Artfully intermingling science fiction, the paranormal, romance, and thrilling suspense leaving readers questioning where Jesca’s journey will take them next.
Piercing the fold book trailer:
Sounds so interesting doesn’t it. I recently just connected with this author, so she sent me a copy to review. I promise you guys I will get right on that 🙂 but since I haven’t reviewed yet, I figured you’d like to learn a little about Ms. Kimball, so I would like you guys to welcome her over for an interview! WELCOME VENESSA!!
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I wrote endlessly when I was a child and through high school. I always enjoyed unleashing my mind onto paper; putting it out there in my own way. In high school, I had an amazing creative writing teacher, Mr. Larry Gries. He helped me bring structure to my writing. Over the years between high school and pre-independent authorship, I wrote creatively through journaling. Nothing heavy, just daily inspirations and interactions. After having my first of three children, I started becoming more of a reader. I read everything. I joined book clubs. I devoured books for a good 9 years. I think through those years, I was living vicariously through all of the those authors I read. I always thought in the back of my mind, “I think I could write a book. I just need that singular idea that will turn into an amazing storyline.” Well, my thought came to fruition on November 23, 2012 when I began drafting Piercing the Fold: Book 1.
What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
Piercing the Fold: Book 1 is my first book. My inspiration was a singular idea. I was watching a show on wormholes and I started really contemplating the plausibility. From that one idea/concept a whole movie played out in my head, characters and all. Jesca’s character was very vivid to me in my mind. She was the muse that unfolded the entire storyline. Within days, I had a complete outline for Piercing the Fold Book 1 and a partial outline for Surfacing the Rim Book 2 (which will be released March 2013).
How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
I really don’t choose. I let the story speak to me and I listen. If the ending of a character makes sense based on the past and beneficial for the future of the storyline, then I follow the lead.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest or that you recommend, other than yourself of course? Rebecca Donovan, Jamie McGuire, and Abbi Glines are just a couple that have grasped my interest recently.
Who do you look up to as a writer?
There are so many authors I have looked up to. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, Lewis Carroll, Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and more recently Tracey Garvis Graves, Stephenie Myers, Suzanne Collins, Jamie McGuire, Rebecca Donovan, and Abbi Glines.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
As far as storyline, characters, plot? No. I wouldn’t. As far as hiring and editor for my first novel ever? Yes. I would change that.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Editing.
What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
I am reading Angelfall by Susan Ee
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
K.C. Designs designed the cover. Kate was amazing. She rendered the device, the Copula, from the book. Then, she and I collaborated ideas for the details surrounding it. We worked back and forth for about a week. She was so detailed and professional. A pleasure to work with. We will be working together again for the 2nd book cover as well as the 3rd book cover in the Piercing the Fold series.
Have you ever bought a book based on the cover?
Yes, if I haven’t heard of the book prior to seeing the cover. Most books I hear about by word of mouth. However, sometimes a cover just speaks to you.
Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
I learned to let my mind wander again. So many careers and jobs force that wandering out of you so that you can stay focused and conformed to the objective, the quota. I am very blessed and privileged to be able to wander creatively through writing again. Because so many don’t have that luxury, I’m not going to take a single day of it for granted.
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
Most definitely Jesca Gershon-Sera. Book 2 will show so many more layers of Jesca’s persona. Her character continues to amaze me.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I enjoy hearing from the readers. And, I love to hear how the book has effected them. I have gotten some great insight from readers on Piercing the Fold: Book 1 and it has definitely spilled into the second and third book in the series.
Check out Piercing the Fold Fanpage on Facebook! I’m doing an awesome 10 paperback signed copy giveaway right now! You still have time, the deadline is September 29 midnight. 5 steps in the contest…make sure and do them all!
Become a Fan on Twitter and Facebook and post your thoughts on my wall or message me. I am always posting updates on coming events and releases. Oh, and the most recent coming event. The Piercing the Fold: Book 1 Audio book will be released sometime in October 2012. It is going to be a unique experience. There will not just be one narrator/voice throughout the book. There will be multiple voice/characters speaking. Creating a movie in your mind through the audio…it’s going to be awesome!
Thank you so much Ms. Venessa! I enjoyed all your answers, and since you just talked about your giveaway… I am going to start talking about it as well!!
The FIRST giveaway is to ANYONE who likes the fan page on Facebook. The author will randomly pick THREE winners-aka anyone who likes the page- to get kindle copies of the book… SO GO HERE and click LIKE… and you are automatically entered to win!! 🙂 YAY!
This is the second giveaway part. So, here’s your links that you will need 🙂
GO HERE to get your copy on amazon… it’s $2.99 for a kindle copy-but if you are a prime member it’s FREE 🙂
If you already have this book, read it and write a lil review, and post it to amazon and goodreads, and send a link over to the author. She is giving away a ton of copies both digital and paperback copies 🙂 I know it’s kinda short notice, as you only have a few days left. 🙂
About the author:
Venessa Kimball, born October 21, 1975, is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin. Her hometown is San Antonio, Texas. She currently resides in Amarillo,Texas with her loving husband and 3 amazing children.
For 3 years, she taught at an Austin, Texas middle school. For 6 years, she was a full-time Texas Realtor in the Austin Metro Area. In 2010, she revisted her writing roots that were so prominent in her high school years. Piercing the Fold, her debut novel, was born on November 23rd of that year. Venessa is a full-time, independent author.
To find out more about Venessa Kimball and future projects, including the 2nd book in the Piercing the Fold series, visit www.VenessaKimball.net.
I would like to thank Ms. Venessa for sending me that awesome email, introducing me to a new book series! and for her wonderful interview! 🙂 I wish you guys all good luck on her giveaway! 🙂 and as always, happy reading! 🙂 Later Gators!
hehehehehehe!!!! I am so pumped to be a part of this tour! I LOVE this author! and after the first book, which I LOVED, I NEEDED to be a part of book 2 coming out! 🙂 So, since I have several goodies, I will not blab too much, at least until later LOL 🙂 here ya go…
BOOK TWO IN THE EDEN SERIES
BY JANELLE STALDER
SYNOPSIS:
New beginnings, new conflicts, and new adventures arise in the second installment of the Eden Series, Eden-West.
Months after his initial journey to Eden, Aiden is learning to cope with his own transformation. His social status has changed, his friendship with his best friend Ethan is in jeopardy because of it, and worst of all, he has heard absolutely nothing from his new friends in Eden. What has become of the world he fell in love with? Are his friends safe? Is the war over? With no answers, and no hope for contact, Aiden decides to focus on his life in his world.
Just as he makes this decision, he encounters a familiar bright light and thinks he knows exactly what it means. Except the light isn’t at all what he expects and neither is the person behind it. When Aiden returns to Eden, it is to a whole new part of that special world, and a whole new set of adventures.
Weeks after Aiden was returned to his own world, Elisa is sent to Nysa, the revered Southern city, to retrieve the one thing she’d rather avoid – Wolf. Captain Turk instructed her to get in and get out – but that is easier said than done. When she finds her missing friend, she also stumbles upon a great deal of trouble. This trouble goes by one name – Markus, the leader of the Sun People.
Follow all your favourite characters as they ready themselves for battle and fight for a world threatened to be destroyed.
GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy
AGE: 13 and up.
WHERE TO PURCHASE: Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Smashwords, Kobo
EXCERPT:
“We have bigger problems on our hands now.”
“Such as?” Logan asked.
“Well, she’s one,” Wolf pointed at Elisa.
“Now wait just one minute –” she began.
“No you wait!” Wolf interrupted. “We’ve both asked you now: what are you doing here? I expect an answer, and quickly, so we can send you back.” The antagonism in his voice stunned her. She was momentarily speechless. She had known it would be awkward to see them again, but this was something else.
When they had last seen each other it hadn’t turned out well. Wolf was upset over Felix’s death, blaming himself for not being quick enough to save him. He was also bitter about the fact that he had been unaware of the truth behind Aiden’s origin. He felt betrayed, especially by Elisa.
She remembered the night before he left for the south, when he had shown up at her bedroom door. She’d never forget the hate in his voice as he yelled at her: “Where were you? What were you doing in that tree? Watching the birds?!” He had screamed at her. Elisa had been speechless then as well, taken aback by his onslaught. “It was your job to keep an eye on everyone. You should have done something to save him!” He hadn’t been talking about Felix then. He meant the arrow that hit Aiden. Wolf believed she should have seen it heading toward him, and should have knocked it off its path with one of her own. It was true, she could have done that – she had done it many times in practice. But at the time she had been distracted by everything else that had been going on. The truth was, no one had noticed that arrow heading towards him, nor had they been able to figure out where it had come from.
“How can you blame me for something like that? We were in battle! How was I supposed to be watching all of you and still be doing my part?” Normally she had no problem yelling back at Wolf, but her chest felt too tight. Her voice came out quiet and shaky.
“Don’t act like you weren’t watching him the whole time,” he spat back, making her face burn. “You two were the best of friends, the only ones who knew the truth.”
“Wolf, that’s not fair –”
“I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!” His face was scarlet with anger, his eyes bulging. Elisa didn’t know what to say. After a moment, Wolf turned and left, leaving her alone. That was the last time she saw him in half a year. He had left the same night with Logan, travelling south to the City of the Sun.
Now, as they stood on the roof, she could see the same anger in his eyes, but he was more controlled.
“My father sent me,” she said, keeping her voice strong. There was no way he’d get the best of her again. “The King has sent numerous messages, asking for the two of you to return, with no reply. I’m here to make sure you receive the message.”
“Great, message received. Now you can go back home.” Wolf got up and walked to the opposite side of the roof, turning his back to both of them. Logan watched him closely.
“I’m not supposed to leave without you,” she said. “We need to leave tonight.” Unexpectedly, Wolf started to laugh.
“No one is going anywhere tonight,” he said, without turning, his voice betraying a sense of fatigue.
“Why not?” asked Logan.
“Because we still have our other problem.”
“Which is what?”
“Markus.”
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT BOOK ONE IN THE SERIES, EDEN.
Stuck in the cruel world of hormones and high school bullies, Aiden is convinced life has something more to offer. A stranger soon brings him to a world that co-exists alongside our own called Eden. Here he will learn to trust himself and those around him, as all of Eden finds itself on the brink of war. With the handsome rider Wolf, his sidekick Logan, and the beautiful archer Elisa at his side, Aiden will battle to save Eden and learn just what he is capable of.
Being the only girl in the King’s Army, and the Captain’s daughter, Elisa constantly feels the need to prove herself. It doesn’t help that she is betrothed to Wolf, who challenges her at every turn, and who she refuses to marry. With the new stranger, Aiden, now involved, Elisa finds her life even more confusing than ever.
Rose is a prisoner of the war, taken by the army from the North. Her captor, the exiled Prince Callum, intrigues her and terrifies her all at the same time. Now she must choose to either betray her heart, or the memory of her family.
Eden is packed full of romance, adventure, humour, and action.
GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy
AGE: 13 and up.
WHERE TO PURCHASE: Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Chapters, Kobo, iUniverse
PRAISE FOR EDEN: A NOVEL – BOOK ONE, EDEN SERIES
“The author pulls us into their world, and by the time the book is over, we want to go back. Go back to Eden and relive the experiences again. This is one of those books where when you’re through reading it, you miss the characters.”
– Emerald Barnes, Author “Piercing Through the Darkness”
“Stalder wrote Eden in a way that it became the perfect blend of Medieval, Magical and Modern. Her characters are so rich in texture and description that you can easily visualize them and the settings around them.”
– Tristen Calnan from Totally Booked Solid (totallybookedsolid.blogspot.com)
“This story has multiple storylines that some authors can’t pull off. Not Janelle Stalder. She takes it and runs away and as a reader you just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
– Terri Thomas from My Book Boyfriend (mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com)
“Wow. Eden was definitely nothing like I expected it to be. The more I read the more I fell in love with this book. There are so many books out there where romances develop way too quickly and the reader is left thinking whoa, how did that happen? So it is nice and refreshing to find a book where you can see the starts of relationships but where it is not rushed.”
– Kayleigh-Marie Gore from K-Books (k-booksxo.blogspot.com)
“The world created by Janelle is absolutely mesmerizing and I just could not get enough. I enjoyed all of the characters.”
– Heather from Nightly Reading (nightlyreading.wordpress.com)
So now, I would like everyone to welcome Ms. Janelle, herself, over for an interview 🙂 WELCOME!!
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I’ve always loved to read, so writing was a natural progression for me. I remember really being interested in writing in grade six. I wrote a “novel” for a class writing project, and that was the first time I had actually created a longer story of my own. I didn’t really write that often during my younger years. Often times I’d start something, but never finished. It wasn’t until I hit my early twenties that I started to take it more seriously. I think I’ve always known that I wanted to be a writer. Being a lover of books, you get so used to living in these other worlds that they become your escape. To create my own is amazing, and has always appealed to me. My Great Uncle, David French, is a well-known, brilliant play write here in Canada. Growing up hearing about him and all that he accomplished was definitely something I could look up to. It showed me that it was possible to make a living doing something you truly loved.
WOW! Famous writer in the family! I bet that was a blast to hang out with him 🙂What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
I honestly don’t remember what inspired me to write it. I had just started reading more YA novels, and thought I’d try my hand at it. The novel was originally called The Fallen, but I changed it to Balance afterwards. It’s a two part series, paranormal romance. I’m actually considering publishing it just as a free ebook, as sort of a gift to my readers. I haven’t read it in a long time though, so I’ll have to make some changes before it’s out.
Well, pretty please, gimme ANYTHING you write! LOL you are quite fantastic, if I do say so myself! 🙂Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
No, most of the events in my books are simply things I’ve made up. On occasion I’ll model a character after someone I know, but even then they tend to evolve into their own person.
How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
It’s kind of hard sometimes, but necessary. I wouldn’t kill someone just for the sake of killing them. If it is a major character, I need a really good reason to kill them. Sometimes it’s simply that the character has served its purpose. Certain persons in the book are there to help the story move forward in some way, and once they’ve done that to a certain extent they are no longer needed. I actually hate killing characters. I wish they could all live happily ever after, but sometimes it just wouldn’t make sense that way. There is a certain character I’m really going to hate killing, but I know it needs to happen. It’s never easy!
Dear sweet baby Jesus, woman!!! That is such a tease! and now I’m stressed LOLAre there any new authors that have grasped your interest or that you recommend, other than yourself of course?
Do you have an hour? There is a whole list of authors I would recommend! Here are a few that come to mind right away:
A.M. Hargrove Katie McGarry Jennifer L. Armentrout Tammara Webber H.D. Gordon S.C. Stephens Tahereh Mafi Moira Young
And so many more! Honestly I’ve read tons of new authors that are amazing.
HAHAHA, great list! and I always have hours for authors! I understand! I love so many 🙂Who do you look up to as a writer?
I look up to a lot of writers. There has been many times where I’ve wished I had written a certain book. Within the Fantasy genre I’d definitely say Kristin Cashore, Maria V. Snyder and Karen Marie Moning. All three are incredible writers, and create such amazing worlds and characters. I think the one writer I look up to the most is Guy Gavriel Kay. He is the best writer out there, in my opinion.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
I don’t think so. Maybe little things, but the overall storyline would stay the same.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The most challenging part for me is actually reading what I’ve written lol Going over my own work, and editing it to a certain degree is absolutely horrible. I dread it. I’m also my own worst critic, so to have to read my own stuff is just awful. I pick at it and pick at it, to the point where it would never end if I didn’t finally say “enough!”
Well, I think half of the author world agrees with you. A lot of authors hate the editing process. What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
Right now I am reading Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh, who is another amazing author! It’s the second in the Nevermore series. I’ve been waiting for it to come out for a LONG time, so I’m excited to see what happens!
Yep, I couldn’t agree more! I read the first one, and I WILL get to read book two, hopefully sometime soon 🙂 Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
My best friend, Marcio Sargento, created both covers for book one and two. We work on it together. I give him the general ideas, like the colour and the object I want as the main focus, and then he puts it all together so that it actually looks good lol He’s great at what he does. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for the next two.
HEHEHEHE, you so just told me you will have two more!!! YAY!!!!! Have you ever bought a book based on the cover?
I have actually lol Once I saw this cover that I thought was so beautiful, so I bought it even though I had never heard of it or the author. Turned out to by one of my favorite series of all time! Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I’m sure I’ve done it with other ones too, but this one sticks out in my mind the most. After I finished it, I saw that she had another series as well, and of course went out and got all the Mortal Instrument books that were available at the time.
LOL, well I’m glad your lack of inhibition turned out awesome! 🙂 she is pretty awesome…Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
I think I learn different things about my writing each time I write. I’d like to think I grow with each book. It’s important to take any of the negative comments reviewers say about your book and actually learn from it. When people point out what I’ve done wrong, it actually helps me more than if you just tell me what I did right. I can’t learn from my mistakes if you don’t tell me what they are, so I appreciate it when people do that.
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
I think I’d be Elisa. I’ve always wanted to be able to use a bow and arrow. It would be so awesome if I could, and I was actually good at it!
pffft, if I have a bow and arrow-RUN AWAY, QUICKLY! LOL hahahaha seriously! 🙂 Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Just to keep reading! If it wasn’t for the readers I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. 🙂 And to you Maghon, thank you for being a part of the Eden-West blog tour! Your support means the world to me xo.
just in case you didn’t know- I LOVE YOUR BOOKS!!! I was salivating at the opportunity to be on this tour! 🙂 You will always have a fan in me! 🙂 I THANK YOU for writing SUCH AMAZING BOOKS! 🙂 Authors like you make life a joy!
So now, I will give you my review!!! 🙂 YAY… I hope you guys are ready for this…
I’m going to start with this… Ms. Janelle, I HATE YOU… BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!! First, I hate you because it’s ALL YOUR FAULT THAT I HAVE SUCH STRONG ATTACHMENTS TO FICTIONAL CHARACTERS!!! I am so invested in this series, it’s crazy. And HOW ARE YOU GUNNA LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THAT!!! I am using lots of caps, because if I had a physical copy of this book, it would probably have gotten damaged hahahaha I do love me a cliff hanger, and you have just pulled off THE MOTHER of all cliff hangers!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE A WAIT FOR BOOK 3!!!?!
I LOVE YOU because you have literally given me a full fictional family!! It’s emotional, beautiful, heartbreaking, wonderful, spectacular, endearing, sweet, funny, amazing, dreadful, drool-worthy, and completely captivating! I’m officially addicted ! I learned after reading the first book to read this one when I can read the WHOLE BOOK in one sitting! There is no way I could have put this book down! There are so many things floating through my brain right now…. Aiden, Wolf, Elisa, LOGAN– umm could you make me his girlfriend!!- Lily, Moose, Hawk, Sunny Markus, Callum, Rose, Brutus, Diana, Jameson…. Yes Logan is my favorite character because I lust after him, BUT I love them all… Even some that I’m not quite sure about yet. You have taken me on a lifetime of thrill rides here!
I have really grown attached to Aiden. He has grown significantly as a character, person, warrior, and HAWT male piece! Hahaha I know he is destined to give me a wonderful world of magic 🙂 Elisa is pretty awesome, but the tension between her and Wolf had me literally yelling at them to stop that madness! Pride is not a good asset if you lose what you hold most dear! To both of you, I say BAD DOGS! Lol
Logan makes me drool, and then giggle like a school girl. I know he’s the Wing Man, but I lurve him!!! Like A LOT!!! He has become a serious contender for book boyfriend favorites! Moose is my new acquaintance favorite! His part of this story tells me he’s also meant for great things in the future 🙂 I appreciate his part in Aiden’s life.
Rose, Callum and Brutus have earned a spot in my heart… They are bringing the war to Eden, but all of a sudden I find myself finding reasons to cheer for them. I guess some bad guys and side choosing isn’t always black and white…
Markus…. Please forgive me, but I feel the need to stake him in his sleep. Hahahahaha no he’s not a vampire, he’s the leader of the Sun people. But I think he puts a really good front up, and I have serious doubts about his actions toward Elise. I do not trust him. I want him to have a not so happy ending- soon… AND YET… He hasn’t done anything BAD… He actually seems to maybe even care for Elise…. I’m going to continue to make scowl-ly faces at this point until he proves me wrong! 🙂
I’ve decided to give Ms. Janelle the nickname Leo… As she has become my Leonardo Di Vinci of writing!! Sometimes people are ridiculously talented and gifted- this woman is. Honestly. I never expected to like Eden, the first book. There are NO werewolves hahahaha hell, there’s no shapeshifters at all, but whooda thunk it!!! I am 100% a crazy stalker fan!!! she may write about a world with magic, but in this, she has created her own magic! Or at least she is an awesome illusionist to me 🙂
So now that I’ve said all this, I recommend this book to EVERYONE and their sister hahaha go read it to your dog if you don’t have a sister! LOL! Aiden finally returns to Eden, but he’s not with his friends or even where he thought he would be. And his friends are off on their own adventure… So I will leave you with this to ponder… Does Aiden save the day again? Will he finally get to see his friends again? Will everyone come out of this war time alive? If there are bad guys, why do I feel such compassion for them? And lastly, will I get Logan in the end?!! hahahahaha yeah, that’s my most important question! LOL 🙂
Now GO READ THIS SERIES- today, right now, this second… I’m going to wait while you get it… You better be going get them! Lol Ok, now off you go to read! 🙂 like I had any doubts it would less 🙂 but 5 PAWS… Damn… Maybe I need to change my scale to a 10 PAW… 🙂
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and now, THE GIVEAWAY! I would like for you to leave me a nice comment to win ONE COPY OF EDEN WEST! Yep, I am giving away this AWESOME BOOK!! also, if you would like to check out the other tour stops, you can also win Book 1, if you haven’t read this series yet 😉 I will leave the contest open through the tour, which is almost up 🙂 So here’s the other stops 🙂
Ok kids, I wish you all good luck and I am going to shut my yapper! 🙂 I hope you guys had as much fun today as I did! One more time, THANK YOU MS JANELLE!! I wish you all happy reading! 🙂 later gators!
Hello everyone! I’ve got another stop for you today 🙂 with goodies 😉 LOL so lemme get right into it!
Apocalypse Rising
Eric Swett
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Haileybug Publishing
ISBN: 1477524533
Smashwords: 9781476457451
ASIN: B0085HB9C8
Number of pages: 178
Word Count: 58,042
Cover Artist: Jan Marie Parupia
Book Description:
Long ago, an Angel surrendered his memories and his power when he left Heaven behind, so that he could make a difference in the real world. A couple thousand years walking amongst the teaming masses of humanity has left him disillusioned, but he refuses to give up. He spends his time with the forgotten souls of an urban slum, making a difference wherever he can.
When Justin witnesses the brutal murder of a woman at the hands of a ruthless business tycoon, he must run before his eternal life is cut short. Justin must swallow his pride in order to save himself, and the one friend he has left. The journey back to the fold is filled with danger and discovery as he finds himself in a race towards the end of the world.
Eric Swett started writing a story at 100 words a day in the spring of 2011 as an exercise while he worked on his novel. One year later and that exercise turned into his first novel, “Apocalypse Rising.”
He is the husband of Tracy and the father of Zachary and Connor. He works in the IT industry and is a recent transplant to North Carolina. He loves all things science fiction and fantasy and openly claims the title of geek.
And now I’d like to welcome the author over for a guest post- WELCOME!! 🙂
Whether you are a believer or not, the Bible is filled with incredible stories of the fantastic, and is an excellent resource for paranormal fiction. Almost as soon as I started my first attempt at Urban Fantasy, the idea of Angels and Demons walking amongst us came to mind, so I read through some passages in the bible to give myself a frame of reference to work from. Most modern translations are the most accurate, and the easiest to read, but when you read a King James Version…well it borders on poetry.
Of all the stories in the Bible, Revelations was the one that drew my attention the most. A vision of the end of the world filled with Demons, Angels and monsters with all of the mile high view of Tolkien’s Silmarillion. A couple weeks spent fleshing out the details and adjusting the setting provided a good portion of the inspiration I needed to get the ball rolling, but it was not the only source I used.
I melded some of what I read in the Bible with some concepts I loved in one of my favorite books of all time, On A Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony. If you have not read it yet, you should. In the near future world of that book you see Heaven and Hell actively trying to recruit souls. Gone is the passive game of otherworldly espionage that seeks to convert the people of earth; it has been replaced with billboard advertising and outright marketing campaigns. Heaven and Hell amongst the people, in a story centered on the Grim Reaper himself, makes for fantastic reading.
Somewhere in between the blatant openness of Piers Anthony’s modern era and the occasional directness of biblical times is where I decided to stay for this first book. I am a big fan of H.P. Lovecraft and much of his writing is predicated on the idea that people are terrified of the unknown, to the point of avoiding it if they can help it. In my book, Apocalypse Rising, the supernatural exists, and hides just below the awareness of normal people. Even when confronted with the truth, most people rather turn a blind eye to the reality that worries them, than acknowledge there might be monsters in the dark.
Inspiration can be drawn from any number of places when it comes to the supernatural and the fantastic, but using it in your writing requires a certain amount of modification to make it something of your own. Who knows, maybe someday someone will list my books, characters and worlds as inspirations of their own.
I would like thank the author for that pretty awesome post 🙂 THANKS 🙂
And now, THE GIVEAWAY! The author and tour host is offering 2 PRINT COPIES for the winners. Sorry guys, this one is US only. But if you would like to enter the giveaway, you can enter HERE via rafflecopter. 🙂 I wish everyone good luck. Thanks for stopping by, and don’t for get- Happy reading!! Later Gators! 🙂
First, I will say HELLO!! And now I will interrupt myself to show you THIS…
I got an email about a week ago for the MAGNIFICENT Ms. Suzanne Johnson… If you didn’t ready know this- I LOVE HER! I read her book Royal Street before I knew ANYTHING about her. Afterward, I found out she lived in New Orleans- NO ONE writes authentic Louisiana stuff like a native- so then I really liked her. Then I signed up for a blog tour for Redemption by Susannah Sandlin- which is her OTHER NAME. I didn’t know that at the time. Both books got a 5 PAW rating from me before I knew any of this. AND THEN I MET HER AT AAD2012… Fantastic woman. So then I found out that after Redemption, book 2 is Absolution, and it’s about MIRREN- my favorite character in the series- AND it is releasing ON MY BIRTHDAY 🙂 *for book release info only- that date is October 9th… Hehehehehe*
So this email, Ms. Suzanne so nicely asked me for my snail mail, she says she wants me to have something special. I got excited. Well today, I GOT THAT SOMETHING SPECIAL!!!
Mirren sent me a birthday wish!!! IN AN ARC PAPERBACK COPY!!! These are very coveted!
AND SHE SENT ME AN ARC PAPERBACK OF RIVER ROAD!! This is book 2 of her Sentinels of New Orleans series. These are SERIOUSLY wanted and quite scarce! Eeeehehehehehehe!!!! My excitement is completely out the roof! I cannot keep still. I have gone nuts! HOW AWESOME!! 🙂 she even sent me swag!! ummm, so Ms. Suzanne, if you ever need anything- a kidney, clothes washed, etc., it’s YOURS! 😀
No worries- I’m also on the Absolution blog tour, so you will be seeing those goodies REALLY SOON! But sometimes, that something small but so thoughtful is more meaningful than ANYTHING! I was so excited, but when I started thinking about it, I cried! She sent that just because she’s a sweet person! It just meant so much! I’ve had some bad things in the last few months. Not that my bad stuff is any worse than any other person goes through in life, so I shouldn’t complain. People can have it so much worse. But I promise, this little package had made that seem so small… So, Ms. Suzanne, incase you didn’t read my crazy in that email THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!!!
Forgive me, but I’m not letting that go! I’m so excited that I can’t keep still to take a non-blurry photo lol I would sleep with them if I weren’t scared to bend something! Lol
And with the bad news, comes some good news… For those who sent so many well wishes to Koda… Meet PENNY LANE…
I rescued a new pup for my mom. She will never replace my Koda Bear. But she has already gotten all of us completely wrapped around her little diva paw 🙂 lol! I think Koda is smiling from Puppy Heaven knowing she makes my mom feel loved. She gives real hugs. And I can’t help but tear up to say that. My Mom hates for people to see her pictures, so I’m only showing me LOL but Penny is hilarious! And sooooo lovable! Today she came to my clinic and she was spayed and vaccinated and all healthy! She’s so ridiculously cute! My mom is so in love and my step dad is tickled pink, she LOVES him. It’s so cute 🙂
She even has manners and rides well in the car. She loves my cats and Xander, but my two big ladies- Mysha and Baylee make her nervous, so she is a little more reserved 🙂 and she doesn’t really bark, which is so crazy as Poms are so yappy! But I LOVE my Penny.
And because I have one more author I LOVE and need to share my stalker abilities with you… Lookie what else I got this week…
If you don’t know, I’m on Ms. Cambria Hebert’s street team…I LOVE HER TOO! I stalk her, but she knows this hahahaha and I still have the read for swag contest going on for that… Which is exactly what it sounds like. Read and review her books and we’ll send you a lil swag 🙂 AND since she so awesomely sent me so many goodies, I’m going to give something away lol
If you would pretty please leave me a nice comment– or preferably, leave a nice comment to those TWO SPECTACULAR AUTHORS I’ve named above, you can win. Since they are large bookmarks- SIGNED- I will make this giveaway international 🙂 I may even add a little something extra lol 🙂
Ok last thing- I love my friend Ms. Bonnie- yo, Bon!! I set up your email subscription, so I know you are reading this lol- me and her LOVE to go to painting with a twist… Ps I HAVE NO ARTISTIC ABILITY WHAT SO EVER!!! Painting with a twist is this cool place you go to paint a picture along with a teacher, and other people… But look how cool…
Yes we painted those ourselves, and yes, I’m proud of myself hahaha With job crazies the last few months, we hadn’t been going, BUT it’s like an addiction that is SO MUCH FUN! Bring your favorite alcohol- or me And Bonnie don’t- trust me, we’re loud enough without it- and follow along to paint your own beautiful painting 🙂 it’s such a blast! I tell everyone they should try it at least once! And it’s YOUR PICTURE. This pretty flower will be going in my new house 🙂 well, eventually when it gets built. And I’ve finally gotten some good news on that front as well 🙂
This is me, giggle! A customer MADE that hat for me to look like my dog Mysha. She found out I LOVE WOLVES & have a dog who looks like a big white one 🙂 I thought you guys could laugh along with me. And yes, I WILL wear that hat! Lol
So, now that I’ve shown you those goodies… I will shut up hahaha don’t forget to comment, and in case I didn’t say it- THANK YOU MS SUZANNE AND CAMBRIA!!! Ps, to Cam- I’m seriously waiting for my thong… Hahahahahaha I will leave you with one last picture. Something beautiful I took as I was almost home. Rain makes me happy, so when this happens it’s a double plus! Happy reading everyone! Thanks for listening to me today 🙂 LATER GATORS!
Caleb Byrne is a bright high school senior who has enough to deal with between college choices, taking care of his single dad, and dealing with his headstrong girlfriend Joanna and an eccentric set of cousins in California. He was managing to get by until the day he woke up a Cocker Spaniel. Even if it only happens monthly and is more embarrassing than painful, the so-called ability is something that he’s anxious to be rid of.
He didn’t realize his transformations would drag him into a hidden society of canine and lupine shape shifters as well as a family legacy he hates. To make matters worse, after moving to Los Angeles to learn more about his heritage from his Aunt Moira and his cousin Kalista, Caleb now struggles through life-and-death matters. He keeps angering the werewolves in charge of the shifter world, especially Kalista’s boyfriend Peter, the Southern California alpha’s son, who also happens to be grade-A sociopath. Worse, Caleb’s floundering to keep his secret from Joanna.
While his family offers him some support, they may not be enough as Caleb realizes that the rules in shifter society—number one being don’t kill humans—are not so ironclad. Some werewolf out there is leaving a blood-soaked trail across the Midwest and it might just be with the alpha’s blessing…
J. Bridger has had an eclectic life. She’s worked in the psychiatric ward in a hospital in La Paz, Bolivia, been a veterinary intern giving all sorts of better-left-to-the-imagination exams to dogs and cats, and had her own spate in creating and running a television ad campaign. Currently, in her day job, she is getting her certification as a medical Spanish interpreter in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina.
By night, she’s a fledgling author, who has just penned her debut novel, Shifted Perspective; she is currently working on its sequel, the next installment of The Tails of Change Series. J.’s always loved things that go bump (or that howl) in the night and devoured Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker starting in middle school. Her favorite shows are no less preternatural and include Big Wolf on Campus, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Teen Wolf. While she’s been writing fiction for eight years and been published in several academic journals for her psychological research, this is her first venture into published original fiction.
J. Bridger lives in Raleigh with two Yorkies, a beagle, and a Schnauzer-Yorkie mix (as well as far too many dust bunnies).
I’d like to welcome the author for an Author Interview: WELCOME!! 🙂
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I was always into telling stories, even if it was just playing pretend as a kid. I really started writing in high school but I’ve spent a lot of time keeping stories private. I published some things when I was in grad school but they were scientific papers. Being a writer now publicly and professionally is totally new to me.
What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
For my debut novel, Shifted Perspective, I was inspired by a mix of things. I’ve always been into werewolves and that mythology, but I’d also seen a lot of incarnations of that. I wanted to do something different and a bit more tongue-in-cheek. Besides that, I have four dogs and adore them. So mixing werewolves with canine/dog shape shifters seemed like a natural fit.
I actually loved that part! Dog shifters 🙂 Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Sometimes for this books it was based on what I thought my dogs would say if they could talk, but I don’t base characters on real life people even composites of a few of them.
I promise, you probably wouldn’t want to know what my dogs would say hahahaha and they would give away all my secrets 🙂 How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
No one’s really died yet so I wouldn’t know!
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest or that you recommend, other than yourself of course?
Well, I’m still new to reading indie or smaller press authors. I do recommend Roxanne Smolen, whose book, The Amazing Wolfboy I just loved. I also have a standard list of more famous authors I love but if you’re into werewolves, I’d say Carrie Vaughn, Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, and Nancy Holder are great places to start.
I’ve read several of those!! And I love them 🙂 Who do you look up to as a writer?
Ernest Hemingway. I like his brevity and ability to paint a picture while still being a minimalist.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
I’d have integrated my lead’s cousin, Kalista, in more, but I just couldn’t get her in as much as I wanted as it didn’t fit the momentum of the novel.
I do really like Kalista too 🙂 Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Description. I’m more a dialogue person, but I know I need to find a better balance in descriptions.
I actually prefer more dialogue over description so I think it’s pretty darn good! What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
Glimpse, which is a young adult dystopian novel.
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
I had a great cover designer, Rebecca Weaver, and she takes commissions. I really enjoyed working with her. I mean, I pitched her the cover idea and offered some input on drafts but she did about 98% of it, no doubt.
I love the cover. The dog with a human shadow- so cool! Have you ever bought a book based on the cover?
Yeah I think so. The first time I saw an Animorphs cover, I had to try it.
Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?
That it’s a daily thing. It’s not like sitting down and doing 10.000 words in one sitting but just constant, daily effort. Breaking it down into little pieces results in it getting done in first draft before you know it!
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
Probably Sampson, the old blood hound offering running commentary in the novel. He seems to have it together and be very practical.
I LOVE SAMPSON! Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
That I really enjoyed this book, and I think it’s funny and charming. I hope they do too!
and now for my review ok, first, I gotta say the main character is the CUTEST shifter EVER!!! Umm, I wouldn’t chose a cocker spaniel, but they are still so cute! LOL! This is a special kind of story. I am calling it cute, because it is, but not like reading a 5 year old’s book. It’s got some romantic sides, some mystery, and even some action 🙂 I am trying hard to think of how to review without being spoilery… Ever have this issue? I want to tell you “this”, but then I’d give something major away 🙂 so I will talk about things in the blurb lol
Caleb is a typical teenage boy, who happens to be quite intelligent. All he wants is to go to Duke, which he got accepted early to, and see his dad on breaks, and be close to his girlfriend. But the end of his senior year is not shaping up this way. I actually really like Caleb. He’s got an interesting mind set, he’s pretty funny, and he’s got his own kind of sarcasm going on. he gets funnier when he turns into a cocker. I feel bad for him a good bit. I’d love to be a shifter, but maybe not with all of Caleb’s problems 🙂
Caleb’s maternal family out in California freak me out a bit. Let me say I like Kalista, and her mom, but the rest, oh if only you could pick your family- these are the ones you’d run from 🙂 and then things get darker and scarier, and real serious real quick. Excellent writing going on here 🙂
Caleb’s dad is pretty cool, if I must say so. And I LOVE SAMPSON- who is their bloodhound 🙂 he is the all wise dog encyclopedia lol and his personality is just great. First, I personally love bloodhounds! I love when they come to my clinic, so Sampson is an automatic like. But him being so funny, like the way he describes things or calls them funny names, he’s just so loveable!
The writing is great, as I got into the story and didn’t have any pauses or me trying to figure out a meaning or what was actually being said 🙂 easy flow! Interesting plots and an all around fun read!
I would recommend this to pretty much any one. It’s easy, it flows, and I can’t help but still call it cute Even if it’s got a dark side 🙂 I really enjoyed it. Especially the talking dog! 🙂 Sampson is my favorite from the book! I am looking forward to reading more of this series 🙂
4.5 PAWS from me 🙂 /span>
Well guys! I’d like to thank everyone who stopped in today, and the author for coming visit! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Happy reading! Later Gators!! 🙂
Hello my lovely friends 🙂 This is such an interesting book, so I had to jump on the tour. 🙂 so Since I have lots of things for you today lemme just show you!! 🙂
“The story is a page turner. I had to keep finding out what happened next and normally, I don’t like vampire novels. Ms. Lynch has given me a new love for vampire stories with this gem.” Erin Miller “It is not your average vampire story and brings a refreshing new take to the world of vampires. The characters are well developed and intrigue from the word go and the story doesn’t stop for you to catch your breath. It will astound, amaze and bewitch you.” Stacem “I would recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a great book with the ability to keep you guessing. I will have to say this is one of my favorites!” Gale Nelson Within the Shadows By J.A. Lynch Published July 18th 2012 Vamptasy ASIN: B008MZJB3W “Living on the razors edge, Giselle Burgman’s life is torn apart by her cheating boyfriend. Little does she realise that he is the least of her worries when her long term friend Alex introduces her to his family and a new, darker world. A world of lies, deceit and corruption. Thrown from one problem straight into another, the razors edge gets thinner and sharper, testing Giselle’s sanity and vitality. Not even she can hide when living within the shadows.” An avid reader, Julieanne has always had an encompassing fascination with folklore. When not writing, she enjoys crime series such as Criminal Minds, CSI, NCIS and Cold Case, and loves anything with Vampires, listening to metal, meeting new people, drinking lots of green tea, and sharing her dreams with her children. She is a self-professed goth wanna-be, and is happy when left to write into the early hours of the morning. Julieanne’s YA series, The Shadows Trilogy, is published by Vamptasy Publishing and thus far contains In the Shadows. It follows the war between vampires and shadow creatures. Giselle Bergman, an 18-year old human girl, falls victim to a scheme by one of her closest childhood friends, and embarks on a journey that sees her become the centre of a battle between good and evil.
Excerpt
Alarming as it might have been, I was quite excited. Sounds pretty crazy, but I think I got caught up in the moment, and being made a fuss of was definitely something I could get used to. But, as always, reality has a nasty way of hitting you hard in the face. I walked behind Atarah and Angelika as they led me through corridors that looked like something out of a gothic fairy tale. The walls were a strange shade of pomegranate, its boldness illuminated by softly lit candles. The wooden floors were temporarily covered with a bluish red runner that ran the whole length of the hall. Amaranthine drapes hung over the grand bay windows. The air had a distinct aroma, and although I could not quite place the smell I was sure it was incense. Its strong, fragrant smoke brushed the back of my nostrils, resulting in a few disapproving sneezes. I sniffled, “Excuse me!” as we entered the hall through a large set of oak doors. It was a very dramatic entrance. Standing below me were hundreds of unknown faces. A few stood out, but they were strangers all the same. They wore a mixture of black and purple clothes. The women were dressed in floor-length gowns, their hair pulled back tight and their hands covered by long lace gloves. The men’s attire consisted of black herringbone frockcoats with matching black trousers. All wore purple shirts with black cravats. I looked around, trying to find Alex, and there he stood with Leonid, in front of an altar. It was the most spectacular scene I had ever seen. Lighted candles and floral arrangements of violets, orchids, red roses, lilies and irises filled the entire room. The scent was overwhelming. Silence fell, and all eyes were on me. My stomach churned and panic set in. I wanted to run through the doors and as far from there as I could, but behind me were two large men, standing in front of the doors. They were not going to move for me. I stood alone and watched the smile spread across Alex’s face as he ushered me to him. I must have floated down the stairs, as I cannot remember walking down. The crowd moved as I walked down an aisle strewn with rose petals. Alex looked amazing. I had never seen him look so handsome. He wore identical clothes to the rest of the men, except that his cravat matched the grey marl in the sash I wore around my waist. His smile illuminated the whole room and in normal circumstances would have melted my heart, but there was something sinister in his eyes. A deep redness flickered in the light of the candles. I was so out of my depth. Taking my hand, he led me to a stone slab in front of the altar. Shaking, my voice quivered as I whispered to him. “What’s going on?” “It’s your consecration. Remember, you will be blessed tonight. Just follow my lead.” He was so calm, and it seemed that he expected me to mirror his demure behaviour. I was anything but calm. Sweat began to seep in the palms of my hands. So many eyes were upon me. Breathe Giselle, just breathe! Alex, directed me to lie down on the stone slab. I obliged, and rested my body on the coldness of the rock beneath me. Incense filled the space around me; no air just smoky fumes. There were four men, one standing at each corner of the slab and each holding a staff. Their eyes filled with the crimson tide that was visible in both Alex and Leonid. Alex stood back and disappeared behind his father. I was alone with the strange men, each mumbling to himself. From the altar came the voice of someone I knew. Atarah.
And now I’d like to welcome the Author over for an interview… WELCOME!!!
I just want to thank you again so much for taking the time to answer questions for my blog!
Thanks for having me. Hopefully you didn’t hate the book too much lol
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?
I’ve always been passionate about books and writing. From my earliest memories I was always creating something, poetry, lyrics, short stories; basically finding what worked best for me creatively. At the age of eleven, I had written over a hundred songs, and loved performing for my family. It wasn’t until I turned 16, that my love for writing went into overdrive, and I penned my first full length story ‘Dynamite’ and read it to my sisters and cousins, trapping them inside my creativity; for a while anyway. But I guess I always knew I wanted to write, there was something burning inside me, and now I have found my passion becoming my reality.
What inspired you to write your first book and what was it?
Vampires, the paranormal, horror and my love for all things Gothic inspired my first novel, Within the Shadows (something started nearly 3 years ago). It is no secret that I am a crazy, hardcore fan of vampire literature, and I suppose you could say that I wanted to put my own stamp on the genre. I wanted to create something completely different to anything out there, and I achieved that with my book. It is fast paced, edgy and something you won’t forget in a hurry.
How do you chose when/which characters die in your books?
For me, it all tends to happen all of a sudden; seriously. No matter how much I plan or story board my books, I always shock myself by doing something completely off the wall, and I did exactly that in Within the Shadows, and gave myself a case of broken heart syndrome. I was so overcome with emotion writing ‘the’ scene that my husband thought someone had really died.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest or that you recommend, other than yourself of course?
Oh there are tons. There are so many new and talented authors out there, as an avid reader, I am spoilt for choice. To name a few, I’d recommend, Rue Volley, a lady who writes some legendary vampire novels, as well as seriously hot erotica. K.B. Miller, who has captivated me with her spellbinding witchery, and Riley Steel who basically reels you in with her HOT erotic line.
Who do you look up to as a writer?
It is no lie that I am a fan of the classics and having studied them at length, I have an old fashioned love and respect for Dickens, Bronte, Shakespeare, Mansfield, Polidori to name a few. But my tastes are eclectic, and I have such respect for James Patterson (major fan), Stephen King, Richelle Mead, and Rachel Caine.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
Honestly, no! Why? because it wouldn’t feel right. There have been times people have said certain things to me, which made me consider revising certain scenes, but at the end of the day, I wrote the story the way I saw it, and wrote it the way that I like to read. After 3 years, the story still leaves me pretty damned proud that *I* wrote it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed that something I wrote would have this effect on me. So if it’s not broke, there’s no reason for fixing it.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
No. I tend to write freely, and never have suffered the dreaded writers block. I am one of those people who genuinely love what they do. My head is always working overtime, and dreaming up new stories, or new plots to enhance present works. I find writing enjoyable, and something I look forward to doing day or night.
What book are you reading now? Or what genre?
I am currently reading Starblood, by Carmilla Voiez, and it is vampires and wrath.
Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?
My publisher, Vampasy aka, Nicola Ormerod designed the cover. I told her what I wanted and she astounded me with the finished product.
Have you ever bought a book based on the cover?
Oooh, yes. Lol. I think we are all guilty of that, and to be super nice, it looked great, but just wasn’t for me, so gave it to my daughter, who appreciated it far more than me.
If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
Wow, good question. Well, I’d like to be Giselle, since I created her, I’d like to have a chance at kicking some ass. Or maybe it would be the fact that I’d love to have a chance at staring Antoine in the eyes, and having him do ‘his’ thing on me.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I would like to remind readers that the story I’ve created is fiction. It isn’t real and isn’t meant to portray ‘real’ life. The decisions made by my MC are made through her naivety, and obvious compulsion. I am also a BIG fan of Gothic elements in writing style and have incorporated much of that in my novel and have Giselle taking a journey. She’s not kick ass in your face, she makes mistakes, sometimes these decisions will annoy you, but she is a lovable character, but all in all, if you really love damsels in distress, suppression, oppression and fantastical elements, then Within the Shadows is for you.
About the Author:
Fiery Librian Julieanne Lynch is an author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Julieanne lives in Northern Ireland, where she works on her Shadows Trilogy and other series full-time. Before becoming a writer, she considered a few different career paths, a rock star being one of them. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at The Open University, and considered journalism as a career path. However, she decided writing was the way for her and believes all of her education and reading prepared her for it.
So now, here’s my review:
Hmmm, what if I say the leading lady makes me wanna slap her-hard! Hahaha ok, first, I totally get being scared of a vampire. I mean they are scary!! But Giselle is so submissive, yet she has a total mouth on her, lol! I will say I enjoyed this book for the mere fact that I STILL have no idea who exactly is a bad guy and who is a good guy! There is so many secrets going on!
Maybe my other advice to Giselle, is after you grow some assertiveness, you should pick better boyfriends hahaha not that it’s all her fault. BUT, there would be no forgiving Mark, I would be staking some vamps in their sleep, and I would totally make them kill me first hahaha
I have no nice words for Marc, but he’s a major character that plays a big role for the plot, so I will continue thinking mean thoughts at him LOL
Alex scares me, and he is a bully! I can’t tell you why I think this without giving too many things away, but I will say that you will love him, then love to hate him.
Leonid is still a little confusing to me, but I like him! And ANTOINE!! Yeah, I think he will be my book boyfriend for this series. I’m not sure I trust him, but I love him.
Alot of readers will probably like Giselle more than I do, but it’s not because she isn’t written well. In fact, the writing is pretty damn good- if I might say. But I know girls like her. And they make me mad, which is probably why I feel that way toward her. I will say, in the end she redeemed herself- at least for me. She finally started making some better decisions, and she is now seeing the big picture… To Giselle, I say-GO GET EM!! 🙂
There are so many twists, and turns, and heartbreaks! I can’t say enough about how fun this story was with all the crazy going on! Lol yeah it’s crazy! I would recommend this for the more mature ya audiences, as there are some more graphic scenes with violence. It’s also a very deep and complex story. but it’s very intriguing in this new vampire world 🙂
4 PAWS FROM ME! I can’t wait for this story to continue! I need to know where things go from here!
And NOW, here’s the giveaway: I would like to offer an ebook copy of choice in format a copy of WITHIN THE SHADOWS. All you have to do is leave me a nice comment, or a question for the author. 🙂 So now, go forth and comment! and good luck! Happy reading everyone! Later Gators! 🙂
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