Release Blast Lost on a Page

About the Book

Title: Lost on a Page

Author: David E. Sharp

Genre: Fantasy / Science Fiction

Some genres were never meant to cross.

Joe Slade is a detective with a hot lead and a warm gun. He no longer believes in happy-ever-afters, but his faith in plot twists is devout. Good thing.

He is about to discover the biggest twist of all.

Joe Slade is not real.

He is a character in a series of mystery novels. And when he discovers all his pain has been in the name of book sales, there will be hell to pay. Vowing revenge on his author, he will set off for the World Where the Books Are Written. The road will take him through genres foreign and treacherous: High Fantasy, Bodice-Ripping Romance, Intergalactic Sci-Fi, and others even more awful and terrifying.

But what if this new life is about more than just living? And will Joe still come out on top when all the rules have changed?

Get the book today from:

Amazon 

Black Rose Writing

Author Bio

David E. Sharp is a noisy librarian. He is fond of theatre and got his start in writing by producing original plays in his hometown. He has also published short stories in various anthologies. David is a member of the Northern Colorado Writers and frequently contributes to their blog. He lives in Greeley, Colorado with his wife and family.

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Lost on a Page won the 2021 Maxy Award for the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Category

Lost on a Page recently received a score of 4.6 on IndieReader.

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Book Excerpt Refraction

Book Excerpt

When he saw his mother for the final time, she was lying in a coffin, dressed in a high-necked blouse to hide the rope marks. Ryder was overcome with emotion. She looked still and peaceful and, for the first time since Ryder was an infant, she actually looked like a mother. A tear slipped down his face and landed on her cheek, making it appear as if she were crying, too. He bent down and kissed her forehead.

“I forgive you, Mum, and I love you. I hope you finally find peace.”

After the funeral, Ryder had taken a few days off to sort out his mother’s belongings before heading back to the army, all without a word to his grandparents. He blamed them for her death as much as he blamed himself for not being with his mother in her last few months.

He decided that work would take his mind off everything, but he couldn’t concentrate on his job. The more he tried to put the thoughts of his mother to the back of his mind, the more they resurfaced and distracted him from his work. Work which put his life and the lives of a hundred cadets at risk.

It was this lapse in concentration that had almost gotten him killed when he drove his Jeep into an area covered with landmines. Luckily, no-one else in his battalion had been near the blast and he was the only person injured.

Doctors told him that he was lucky to be alive, but Ryder wished he wasn’t. The army was his life; all his friends, his colleagues and his future had been taken from him that day. Now, he was doomed to live out a new, unwanted existence. Ryder’s legs would never work again, and he had no training or experience that didn’t involve them. The pay-out from the army was decent for a thirty-five-year-old, but he hadn’t counted on his disability restricting him as much as it did.

About the Book

Title: Refraction
Author: Terry Geo
Genre: Science-Fiction / Fantasy
Most stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.
Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .
The world you know is only half the story.

Author Bio

Born in Derbyshire, raised in Yorkshire, resides in London, Terry learned from a young age that he was different from his peers. He preferred the company of girls over boys, didn’t like sports and would write at every opportunity. He was bullied throughout his school life both physically and verbally and had to deal with the cruelty of others from an early age.
Terry Geo wrote and directed his first play at age eleven. At sixteen, he started work in television, writing scripts and becoming the youngest director in the country. Terry applied for a job while taking his final exams and started work in television the week after he finished school. For the first time in his life, he found a world where he could shine and be accepted for who he was. He came out as gay to his parents the following week and never again hid his sexuality from anyone. At seventeen he became the youngest director in the country, producing a light entertainment show for Yorkshire Television. After a short stint in a boyband, Terry went back to writing, editing two national publications. He toured the world as an actor, moved to London and in 2017, wrote and directed a musical for the London stage. A year later, Terry married Ken, the love of his life, in London. After their honeymoon in Thailand, he returned to a book he had started some years before. In January 2019, his cat Megara sadly passed away. This hit Terry hard and in memorial to her, he wrote her into the book he was writing. She is now a part of Terry’s debut published novel, Refraction.

Links

https://refractedworld.com/
https://twitter.com/terryjgeo
https://www.facebook.com/refractedworld
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XDC1PPS

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Book Excerpt Julian Fox: The Dream Guardian

Book Excerpt

Excerpt of Chapter 1: The Fox Family

 

      There is no perfect family. This is a universal truth, but if the imagination of a pair of mischievous minds is added to reality, the result can be an explosive combination that shuts the door to normalcy.

Sonia and William’s marriage is an example of how patience can be extended to the absolute limits. After all, parental love can only tolerate so much nonsense from the ingenuity of their children, especially when they happen to be Julian and Nicholas Fox.

       This outlandish story begins at the crazy end of a pleasant vacation. The two brothers, Julian and Nicholas, were enjoying the afternoon heat near the banks of the river that crossed their ranch. They lay in the shade of an enormous tree, listening to the torrent of water as if it were a magical lullaby.

            Julian, the eldest, was twenty-one years old. He had just completed his university studies and the memories of experiences with his classmates were still fresh in his mind. Nicholas, the youngest and last of the two children, was twenty years old and he was still studying in college.

            They stayed silent for several minutes with their eyes closed, hoping that a miracle would occur and the family vacation would continue for a while longer. But, resigned to returning home in just two days, they decided to make the most of nature’s sweetness.

             Nicholas broke the peaceful silence to make an interesting proposal to his brother.

            “Hey, Jul! What do you think about the idea of staying another week? We just convince Mom and that’s it. You know that Dad will take our side.”

A slight smile crossed Julian’s lips before he gave his opinion. “Sounds good to me Nico, but when you talk to Mom, even though I support you, I'd rather stay at a safe distance in case she decides to give you one of her maternal speeches about missing classes.”

Nicholas opened his eyes and sought some kind of solidarity in Julian’s face, but Julian was resting peacefully. Annoyed by this, Nicholas closed his eyes in surrender, and told his brother:

            “You're right, I would suffer an eternal telling-off. But, who could blame me? I think we’ve regained our sanity here. We're almost like angels—no fighting, no insults, and no jokes or pranks.”

     He quieted immediately, and bit his lip, feeling sorry for what he had said, but it was too late. Julian’s beautiful gray eyes had become large and full of rage.

     Nicholas's last remark felt like an unpunished mocking memory to Julian. His heart raced and started running towards the inevitable. He felt like demanding they forget about this shameful situation, and even more so, requiring a fair rematch to Nicholas’s last prank. Shrewdly, Julian cautioned self-control to his heart to avoid hinting its intentions to his recently condemned brother.  He mastered his instincts and decided to wait. The gray gems hid again, and a slight sideways smirk appeared on his lips, presaging the beginning of a new battle between the brothers.

            Nicholas closed his eyes so Julian wouldn't see the nervousness erupting in them. He knew he had awakened a sleeping monster and, from that moment on, he should be careful.

About the Book

Title: Julian Fox: The Dream Guardian
Author: E.J. Miranda
Genre: YA Fantasy
It is said that dreams are just that: only dreams. But believe me, this is not always true. Some dreams are as real as the dreamer.
Thanks to their dreams, dreamers can receive the special visit of eternal wisdom that has inspired the creativity of great inventors, scientists, musicians, and even writers throughout the ages.
This creative wisdom is not always the type that appears to the eager conscience. Sometimes, a Defiler, a destroyer of dreams, is the one who tries to appear before the dreamer. These creatures were once humans, but they allowed their pain and desire for revenge to take over and seek the same miserable fate for the one who dreams.
You must not fear — Dream Guardians, also known as Kelsdrant, will always protect the one who dreams, even with their own life. They are people of flesh and bone, just like you and me, or at least they are on Earth.
The following story is dedicated to the fun, extravagant, and enlightening life of Julian Fox, the Dream Guardian.
Be prepared, dear reader. It is time to dream, laugh, reflect, and even maybe cry.
Welcome to the Land of the Wise Dreams.

Author Bio

E.J. Miranda is an avid reader, an enthusiastic traveler, and a passionate author. Her great sense of humor and love for nature have granted her a rebellious writing style: her approach describes the adventures of life, but in such a way that each reader can have an individual take on the matter. Her inspiration comes from her curiosity about other countries’ cultures and peculiarities. A few countries in particular which spark her curiosity are Colombia, Italy, Costa Rica, England, Belgium, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Her favorite places to visit are historical sites and museums, locations that allow her to explore important and even overlooked details. She currently lives with her husband in Colombia, but frequently travels to Houston to visit her daughter and son. E.J. Miranda has a degree in tax accounting, but she prefers interacting with people to calculating their taxes. To learn more about her life and work, visit www.ejmiranda.com.

Links

Amazon
Goodreads

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Release Blitz Anathema

 

About the Book

Title: Anathema
 Author: Yoshiyuki Ly
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance

Prepared to die for her country, Solaire Copeland is drafted to the Drakengard knighthood at twenty-two years old, and vows to stop running away from the one she loves. Guarding over her dark secrets in shame, she nevertheless takes a leap of faith and entrusts herself to her intelligent equal in Stella Azrith, an alluring, measured, and methodical young woman of magic. Solaire elevates her love for Stella in romantic showmanship and subservience, even as the two of them struggle to understand one another through their temperamental differences. Anathema is a historical fantasy romance that tells the tale of Solaire and Stella’s courtly relationship in their youth, as they grow into their characters—Archangel Vespair and Mistress Fury—from The Scorpion’s Empress, Venus and Lysander, and Black Waltz as a prequel to the existing trilogy.   Desperate to keep Solaire at home, Stella conspires to prevent her from getting sent off to fight in an unjust war for their country, the Monomyth of Astora. In her scheming at the highest levels of government, she forms an unstable alliance with Fey Murasaki, the wicked and wily ambassador from Astora’s closest foreign ally. Stella and Fey’s influence across the land slithers in the darkness while Solaire’s knightly powers shine to alarming levels in the light, causing them to become targets—for both good and ill—of the nation’s most powerful leaders. Through intensifying mortal perils, Solaire’s love for Stella deepens to maddening levels, restrained only by her distinct sense that her free will erodes more each time she kneels in fulfilling servitude.   Independent streaks contradict religiosity in service of loving a woman with a will so strong—Solaire bears both the light and the dark of enlightened empathy and burning hatred, with her secrets fueling her rise as the strongest knight of an age.    

Author Bio

Yoshiyuki Ly was born in San Diego, CA. Her pen name represents her multiracial heritage and a unique, diverse outlook that reflects in her work. She is a writer and a gamer, primarily inspired by thought-provoking, well-written video games such as the Shin Megami Tensei, Dark Souls, NieR, and Drakengard franchises.  

Buy the book: http://mybook.to/anathema
Website: http://yoshiyuki-ly.livejournal.com/  

Links to previous publications:
mybook.to/blackwaltz
mybook.to/venusandlysander
mybook.to/thescorpionsempress

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Release: Dreams Illuminate

About the Book

Title: Dreams Illuminate Author: Michelle Iden & Emerson Miller Genre: Middle Grade Urban Fantasy Mystery “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." --Albert Einstein What could possibly be happening to Emerson Hill? When she touches an index card, the first color in a rainbow (red)---she's whisked away to another domain--and given a glimpse of her first dream illuminating. She finds herself in a very hot desert having fun sand-boarding. This mystery unfolds within a three year period. Emerson gets six more exploding dreams and experiences that coordinate with the other colors of the rainbow. Emerson has headaches from keeping her secret. She's afraid to tell her parents that secret because they might commit her to a psych facility. She finally lets her best friend, Morgann Stone know what's going on. A mystical creature named Mondulalore follows and records Emerson's movements without her knowledge. He's able to make himself invisible with a touch of a button. And at times morphs into a human. He reports to his bosses, King London Dolloway and Queen Cortex Dolloway of the Kingdom Galen which is perched on a faraway planet, Bamore. This planet is unknown to the whole world. Time's ticking as EM and Morgann attempt to solve this mysterious force. They research sixteen areas, such as, witches, domains, realms, planets, telepathy, etc., to help them uncover clues of these unexplained events. In the end, Emerson, now a junior in high school is faced with a difficult choice. Will she keep living her present life or forever have her entire past erased from memory to be handed a bright future? Which one will she pick? Which one would you select? This electrifying, jaw-dropping urban fantasy mystery will bedazzle you. Get reading. Join Emerson on her journey of magic, excitement, fear, and mystery.    

Author Bio

Michelle Iden is a retired counselor. She is published in her area of academia. She penned her first fiction novel, Emma Beware, Book One in her YA suspense series. Book Two, Clara Beware soon followed. She is currently working on the final book in the series, Helen Beware. Michelle loves God. She likes spending time with family and her two grand-daughters, traveling, writing, reading, researching, cooking healthy dishes and working out. Emerson Miller lives in the Midwest and attends middle school. She lives with her parents and two cats. She likes to dance, hang-out with friends, travel, bake, camp, run, read and write.   Website: Website Facebook/Suspense Thriller Books: Facebook / Suspense Twitter: Twitter Instagram: Instagram     Get the Book Amazon Kobo B&N B&N Print    

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Book Promo The Sacred Artifact

About the Book

Title: The Sacred Artifacts
Author: Caldric Blackwell
Genre: Middle Grade
Determined to uncover the secrets of a mysterious artifact, fourteen-year-old alchemy student Craig Pike and his teacher, Cornelius, journey to the birthplace of alchemy to seek the advice of a wise, ancient alchemist named Quintus. With the help of a witty archer, Audrey Clife, they trek across dangerous lands, compete in a cutthroat tournament, and reunite with old friends. They soon find out the artifact is more powerful than anticipated, and they aren’t the only ones seeking to discover its secrets….

Author Bio

Children’s book author Caldric Blackwell first realized he loved reading when he read about a bunch of people (with single-syllable names) and their pets (also with single-syllable names) in kindergarten. From that point on, he was nearly inseparable from books.
His interest in reading culminated in him studying English at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Exposure to a host of great authors inspired him to begin writing fiction and started his journey to becoming a children’s book author. Although he began writing short stories for adults, he was drawn to the whimsical, imaginative nature of children’s literature and began working on his first book for children.
Blackwell’s debut work is an adventure-filled early chapter book, titled “The Enchanted River Race,” which follows a team of children as they compete in a river race. His next release is the beautifully illustrated picture book “The Boy Who Couldn’t Cry Wolf,” which revolves around a young werewolf who is self-conscious about his inability to howl.
His most recent work is the two-part Young Alchemist series, which is targeted at a middle grade audience. The first book in the series, “The Missing Alchemist,” follows alchemy student Craig Pike and clever archer Audrey Clife as they travel across mysterious lands and battle other-worldly creatures in a quest to rescue a famous alchemist. The second book in the series, “The Sacred Artifact,” centers on Craig’s attempt to uncover the secrets of a mysterious artifact, which entails journeying to the birthplace of alchemy to seek the advice of a mysterious, ancient alchemist.
Outside of reading and writing, children’s book author Caldric Blackwell enjoys jiu jitsu, gardening, and playing bass and guitar. He currently resides in Southern California.

Links

Author Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon

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Book Review From Frights to Flaws

Title: From Frights to Flaws
Author: Sunayna Prasad
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Originally published in 2013, the book has been updated to its full potential with edits, while keeping the storyline the same.

Twelve-year-old Alyssa McCarthy longs for a better life. She lost her parents at age seven and her aunt at nine. Her uncle also enforces unfair rules. But Alyssa discovers something she has never thought existed before… magic. A wicked sorcerer hunts her down. He kidnaps her from her ordinary New Jersey town to Yanowic, an enchanted island in Fiji.
Alyssa is trapped in the country due to a giant shield covering it. She must defeat dangerous creatures and the evil wizard in order to leave. But with sorcerers and enchanted technology getting in her way, can Alyssa succeed?

Review: Alyssa is twelve years old, and she longs for a better life. Because she lost her parents, she's forced to stay with her uncle, but his rules are more than little unfair, and she longs for more in life. Then, she uncovers that magic is real. On top of that, a wicked sorcerer is hunting her down and kidnaps her to Yanowic, an enchanted island. 

If Alyssa wants to leave, she'll have to defeat a horde of magical creatures and the evil sorcerer keeping her locked up. 

Adventure, magic, this book reminds me of Harry Potter but with a completely different setting and different characters - it just has the same magical vibe. 

Author Interview

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing stories since I was 6.

What is your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy. I enjoy world-building. I’ve also been attracted to that genre.

Which genre have you never tried before, but would you like to try out?

Probably Paranormal.

Please tell us about your book.

It’s about a girl who is unhappy with her uncle when magic strikes her life. A sorcerer kidnaps her to Fiji, where she is stuck unless she defeats danger.

Which character is your favorite, and why?

Alyssa is my favorite major character. But her godfather, a minor character in this installment, is more favored to me. He is sweet and caring, and will be more major in future installments.

Author Bio

Sunayna Prasad has published a few books between her late teens and her mid-twenties. She has won a Pacific Book Review Award for her novel, Wizardry Goes Wild, which will return as a new edition, like From Frights to Flaws. Sunayna also has a blog on different creative and entertaining topics, including writing and fiction. It is called “Sunayna Prasad’s Blog”.

Aside from writing, Sunayna also likes to cook, do art, and watch videos online. She has graduated from college in May 2017 and is looking to continue more writing as well as hold a graphic design job soon. Sunayna lives on Long Island, NY.

Links

Amazon

Website

Goodreads

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Book Review The Monster of Selkirk Book 1: The Duality of Nature

Title: The Monster of Selkirk Book 1: The Duality of Nature

Author: C.E. Clayton

Genre: Fantasy
Links: 
Goodreads
Amazon
Website
The Monster of Selkirk Books series available now!

Monsters come in many forms, and not everyone knows a monster when they see one. After three hundred years of monstrous, feral elves plaguing the island nation of Selkirk, everyone believes they know what a monster is. Humans have learned to live with their savage neighbors, enacting a Clearing every four years to push the elves back from their borders. The system has worked for centuries, until after one such purge, a babe was found in the forest.

As Tallis grows, she discovers she isn’t like everyone else. There is something a little different that makes people leery in her presence, and she only ever makes a handful of friends. But when the elves gather their forces and emerge from the forests literally hissing Tallis’s name like a battle mantra, making friends is the least of her troubles. Tallis and her companions find themselves on an unwilling journey to not only clear her name, but to stop the elves from ravaging her homeland.

Review: I loved this book!!!! It's one of my favorite books of this year, hands down, which is why it's incredibly hard to review this, because I don't want to give the plot away. The main character is named Tallis, and there's something very special about her. She kicks butts like there's no tomorrow. The elves not being the standard, typical good guys for once is a nice change. Like the title, "The Duality of Nature", there's a lot of duality, a lot of good and bad, a lot of grey in the book, and I love that! Fantasy fans really NEED to read this book. Like, now. I mean it! 

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Book Review Curse of the Sea

Title: Curse of the Sea
Author: Joni Parker
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A NATO training exercise goes terribly wrong when five warships from different countries are mysteriously transported to Eledon, the Realm of the Elves. The warrior, Lady Alexin, is charged to escort the troops back home to London in the year 2031 with the aid of the Wizard Ecstasy and a magic shrinking potion. Yet, when the authorities question her story, Alex is detained and imprisoned under suspicion of terrorism. Caught in a web of politics, betrayal and bungling bureaucracy, the confusing world of the future will push her magical gifts to their limit, and her own future will hang in the balance, caught between “justice” and the place she calls home.

Review: 

I love this book! It's a fun, original, well-researched fantasy about five warships that, during a NATO training exercise, get transported to the mysterious Realm of the Elves. Alexin, one of these elves, is charged with the task of bringing the soldiers back home, to the year 2031. But when she tries to complete her mission, things go horribly wrong, and she ends up being caught in a web of politics and betrayal, not knowing who to trust.

I'll definitely check the other Eledon books from author Joni Parker, because I'm curious to discover more about Alexin and her world.



Giveaway

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Book Excerpt Sanctuary

Book Excerpt

“Hold still for just a second . . .” Victor Greene, doctor for the United Patirots, muttered under his breath. He filled the syringe with the contents of a MediPal bottle. My heart sped up more and more the closer it got to full. No matter how many times I’m stuck with that damn needle I never seem to be able to stop fearing it.

I think Garth might’ve seen something on my face that betrayed my apprehension. He pulled up the seat next to me at the table where Dr. Greene and I were seated and held onto my hand. The sudden sensation of him brushing his thumb in little circles around my knuckles was enough to shock my attention away from the needle. I thought he was still mad at me for what happened in the library . . . God, how long ago? It seemed like an entire lifetime by that point.

Yet there he was, holding my hand, trying to soothe me away from watching as the needle drew closer. Maybe I was wrong. It wouldn’t have been such a news bulletin if I was.

Dr. Greene put the needle into my vein and pumped the medicine in. A swallowed cry of pain hummed in my throat, fighting hard to get out, wanting to be birthed into the air. But I fought against it. I closed my eyes tight. I tried with everything inside of me to focus not on how much it hurt but instead on Garth’s gentle touch. On the way he squeezed my hand tighter and tighter with the progression of pain on my face.

Then before I knew it Dr. Greene took the needle out of my arm. “There, all done. See? Not so bad—”

“What are we going to do about the guard in our basement?” Mimi snapped, interrupting the doctor’s bedside manner. “I think we ought to talk about that instead of sitting here watching her get a MediPal.” She glared at Garth. “Are you quite ready to talk about it? Or do you still want to play nursemaid?”

“Come on, Mimi,” Walter said with a grin. He stood on the other side of the kitchen counter, drawing his fingernail along cracks in the marble. “Don’t be such a bitch.”

“Oh I’m sorry! Am I being a bitch?”

“Kind of a huge one, yeah.”

She flipped him a very unladylike finger.

Instead of being offended, Walter just laughed. “That helps.”

Just when Mimi pushed herself off the wall and started to charge at Walter, perhaps to fight, perhaps to scream in his face, Jack stepped forward. He put a hand on her shoulder. All at once she went rigid and I thought I saw a slight blush creep across the bridge of her button nose. “Okay, okay, let’s not fight among each other. Remember, we’re here to fight Bram.”

About the Book

Title: Sanctuary

Author: Makayla Love

Genre: Steampunk / Post-Apocalyptic

Shiloh isn’t adjusting well to her new life in Ironbridge. Life isn’t how she always imagined it would be, and every day is harder than the last. Things only get worse when a small family on their way to a settlement called “Sanctuary” shows up on Shiloh’s doorstep looking for an escort the rest of the way. But Sanctuary isn’t all its supposed to be.

When they find themselves trapped, every second becomes a fight for survival. Can they find a way out before one of them falls to a mad tyrant? Or will their little group be broken up forever?

Author Bio

Makayla Love is an aspiring Harley Quinn-esque super villain who has decided to spend her time between nefarious schemes by writing paranormal novels in her lair somewhere in the general Kansas area. She enjoys sit-coms and doesn’t have enough shelf space for her ever multiplying collection of books.

Links

Instagram: @agirl_unwritten
Facebook: Facebook
Blog: Website
Twitter: @AGirl_Unwritten
Amazon: Amazon

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Book Excerpt Feathered Swan Maiden

Book Excerpt

I move to sit up but my limbs feel off-kilter. Since waking, I’ve known something is wrong with me. I don’t know what, but something’s happened to my body. It takes me a few minutes to work up the courage to look down, and when I finally do, I’m greeted with a shock that nearly kills me for the second time today.

I scream. I want to run. But it’s hard to escape when the only thing you’re running from is yourself.

In place of my arms, white, feathered appendages stretch out to my sides: wings. And where my feet once were, orange flaps of rubbery skin now take their place. I appear to be some kind of . . .

“Ah, Princess. I see you are awake.”

My eyes—feeling strangely out of proportion on my new face—narrow at the familiar voice. Only one person I know uses that nickname.

“Elward,” I say. Well, that’s what I mean to say, but what comes out is more of an angry honk. “I should’ve known you’d be behind this.” I still have little control over my new body, but manage to turn my head towards the man in the velvet waistcoat. His face is twisted into the same smug smile he gave me at the guillotine. He understands my animalistic noises just fine.

“Behind what?” He raises a straight black eyebrow. “I believe I have just saved your life, Princess.”

“By doing what?” I squawk back. “Turning me into some sort of . . . duck?”

Elward rubs at the stubble on his chin—a gesture I’ve always despised. I wish he wasn’t so young—then I might hate him a little less. As it is, our proximity in age only heightens my dislike for him. To think I might have anything in common with the sorcerer is enough to make me want to retch.

“The term, my dear, is swan. There is a big difference. I transferred your soul into its body. I found it dying on the bank. Some sort of heart disease, I think. Be thankful it wasn’t a skunk I saw first.”

 “You turned me into a swan?” I blink. “A dying swan?”

If I still had hands, they would be clawing through my hair by now. Well, feathers. Curses, has my whole identity been stripped from me?

About the Book

Title: Feathered: Swan Maiden – Book 1
Author: Rachel Wollaston
Genre: Fantasy
The light and the dark were never meant to be separated.
When her bargain with a malevolent wizard goes terribly wrong, Marion DuVal finds herself trapped between two forms: a beautiful but darker parallel of herself, and a swan. Somehow, she must adhere to the wizard’s wishes, but it’s hard to perform epic magic when your feet are flippers and your neck’s the length of a small fishing pole. Caught up in a lie of royal proportions, her task is to get close to the queen, and such a thing is difficult when a certain handsome prince keeps getting in the way.
One girl; two identities. Marion must stop the darkness inside her before it’s too late.
Based on the classic tale of Swan Lake.

Author Bio

Born and bred in Gloucestershire, UK, Rachel Wollaston is a huge lover of all things fantasy. From an early age, her dream was to be a fairy, but the pay was no good, so she decided to become a writer instead. A Creative Writing student, Rachel is the author of young-adult fantasy and loves to build worlds that she wishes she could be a part of.
Besides writing, Rachel also enjoys a range of other artistic hobbies, including dancing, drawing, and an unhealthy amount of arts and crafts. You will almost always find her with a cup of tea and a cat watching old ‘70s comedies.

Links

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest

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Book Excerpt Goddess of the Wild Thing

Book Excerpt

Unending man dramas weren’t necessary to life and well-being. She was educated, had plenty of common sense, and was street-smart. Countless members of the male species spoke of her in hushed tones at the cantina, in university hallways, and at social events when friends and colleagues were relaxed and enjoying themselves during the cool, high-desert nights. The thought of hooking up with the most desirable of fantasy felines for the evening rippled through the undercurrent of verbal exchange. She should be able to attract the right kind of man, one who was kind and caring and didn’t bring tidal waves of emotional drama.

Eve had no time to waste. She needed the counsel of her trusted friend and spiritual guide. This turn of events was unlike any she’d ever encountered. It was violent and bloody and made her fear for her safety.

This new fellow had seemed genuine, courtly, romantic, and hot. He gave off a world-wise and street savvy vibe. There was a gentleness and sensitivity to him, more so than the typical single, middle-aged male on the lookout for female companionship and mind-blowing times.

However, she’d unwittingly found trouble and needed guidance from Graciéla, a seventy-eight-year-old wise woman, crone, and seer into confusing matters of the heart. Graciéla waited for Eve at the Sage Metaphysical Bookstore where she served as resident manager for an absentee owner. Even after an exhausting day of seeing one desperate soul after another, Graciéla agreed that Eve’s situation was critical. She’d stay late for a friend and frightened soul.

Eve had to park blocks from the store because lately, downtown had become a hub of clubs, theaters, and trendy restaurants appealing to a congestion of new money and hot times. Close-in parking was locked up by happy hour, so blocks away was her only choice. She caught herself looking nervously from side to side and down twilight-shadowed alleyways as she hurried along the cracked sidewalk. She felt safer along these edgy streets with Shirley by her side, a genuine person and mystic cohort.

“Eve, honey . . .” Shirley paused before going on.

Eve knew Shirley hesitated because she was trying to be conciliatory—not an easy talent for a hard-bitten woman.

The pause passed. “On the other hand, maybe if bad love is what we get, bad love is just what we take. If there’s something better, I’m in . . . just saying I’ve never seen it. Till I do, I for one gotta go with what I get.” Her look toughened. “It’s just not come my way, and I’m not holding a sure-to-turn-me-blue breath.” A tough attitude toward life, love, and men was her stock-in-trade.

Eve smiled a bit. She loved her friend and all her rough spots and edges. There were people who were mean but not nasty, malicious, or toxic. Shirley was hardened and mean but only when and if she needed to be.

Shirley’s hair floated a few inches away from her shoulders, static currents conjuring magic. Eve’s peripheral vision caught the streaks of what she imagined as a bonfire during a war dance. Shirley spoke from experience, a woman smitten by man potential going south quicker than a rattler hisses and bites.

Eve kept up her pace as she contemplated Shirley’s words. Settling for less than what she wanted was no good. It left her cold and empty. It was definitely no good. Plus, Shirley didn’t know the whole story, only that gloom about the prospect of men and love had descended, and Eve was taking it hard.

“Bad love’s a risk, Shirley. No good for me. If I need to cut this thing short, so be it. But I’d rather see it through. Maybe there’s a chance that the bad I’m afraid of isn’t there. Maybe I’m blowing it up into something it isn’t. Maybe there’s good and I’m thinking it’s bad. So if the good is down deep, real deep—I want to hold on and give it a chance.” Eve pondered the words as a light rain started up. Then she went on, “I need to hear what Graciéla has to say. I’d like to give things a chance. I’m not giving up unless there’s no way out of emotional dead-ends and never-ending heartache.”

Mists formed along the edges of the potholed asphalt and cracked sidewalks. They twisted and curled, arising out of a subterranean ether sphere. Usually, they arose during the early morning and hovered inches above the downtown park’s green expanse, hardly ever at night with its fading daytime desert heat, and hardly ever along the paved spaces. Darkness descended and pressed down like a heavy hand, edgy and ominous.

About the Book

Title: Goddess of the Wild Thing

Author: Paul DeBlassie III

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Goddess of the Wild Thing is a dramatic tale of one woman’s spiritual journey where magical happenings, unexpected turns of fate, and unseen forces influence her ability to love and be loved. Eve Sanchez, a middle-aged woman and scholar of esoteric studies, encounters a seductive but frightening man who introduces her to a supernatural world in which the wicked powers of a surrogate mother’s twisted affection threaten love and life. In the mystic realms of Aztlan del Sur, Eve and three friends struggle with whether bad love is better than no love and discover that love is a wild thing.

Author Bio

Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D. is a depth psychologist and award-winning writer living in his native New Mexico. He specializes in treating individuals in emotional and spiritual crisis. His novels, visionary thrillers, delve deep into archetypal realities as they play out dramatically in the lives of everyday people. Memberships include the Author’s Guild, the Depth Psychology Alliance, the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, and the International Association for Jungian Studies.

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Website: pauldeblassieiii.com

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Promo Post The One Apart

About the Book

Title: The One Apart
Author: Justine Avery
Genre: Paranormal
Only one obstacle stands in his way of enjoying a normal life. He remembers—every life he’s lived before.
Tres is about to be born… with the biggest burden any has ever had to bear. He is beginning again—as an ageless adult trapped in an infant body.
He and his teenage mother face life filled with extraordinary challenges as they strive to protect, nurture, and hide how truly different he is. But Tres alone must solve the greatest mystery of all: who is he? The answer is linked to the one question he’s too afraid to ask: why am I?
In his quest, Tres discovers that all is considerably more interconnected and dynamic than he could ever imagine—and fraught with far more danger. He cannot hide from the unseen threat stalking him since his birth.
Life as he knows it—as all know it—is in peril. And Tres is the only one aware.

Author Bio

Justine Avery is an award-winning author of stories large and small for all. Born in the American Midwest and raised all over the world, she is inherently an explorer, duly fascinated by everything around her and excitedly noting the stories that abound all around. As an avid reader of all genres, she weaves her own stories among them all. She has a predilection for writing speculative fiction and story twists and surprises she can’t even predict herself.
Avery has either lived in or explored all 50 states of the union, over 36 countries, and all but one continent; she lost count after moving 30-some times before the age of 20. She’s intentionally jumped out of airplanes and off the highest bungee jump in New Zealand, scuba dived unintentionally with sharks, designed websites, intranets, and technical manuals, bartered with indigenous Panamanians, welded automobile frames, observed at the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo in Noba, Japan, and masterminded prosperous internet businesses—to name a few adventures. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree that life has never required, and at age 28, she sold everything she owned and quit corporate life—and her final “job”—to freelance and travel the world as she always dreamed of. And she’s never looked back.
Aside from her native English, Avery speaks a bit of Japanese and a bit more Spanish, her accent is an ever-evolving mixture of Midwestern American with notes of the Deep South and indiscriminate British vocabulary and rhythm, and she says “eh”—like the Kiwis, not the Canadians. She currently lives near Los Angeles with her husband, British film director Devon Avery, and their three adopted children: Becks, Sam, and Lia. She writes from wherever her curiosity takes her.
Avery loves to connect with fellow readers and creatives, explorers and imaginers, and cordially invites you to say “hello”—or konnichiwa.
www.JustineAvery.com
Twitter: @Justine_Avery
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JustineAvery
Book buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076B7RDWY

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