Today we have author Dan Adams visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Dan Adams is a Sydney-based writer. When he’s not penning kick ass war stories, he’s working on his guns - the arm variety, rather than the weapons featured so prominently in his books. He loves slushies and always finds himself climbing too many stairs on Wednesdays. Follow him on Twitter at @DanAdamsWriter
A look into...
~ Blurb ~
* Alice is minding her younger sister when the Zombie apocalypse hits. She has to find safety but is thwarted at every turn - by a strange man, by two stoners. The world has gone mad and she doesn't know who to trust.
~ Excerpt ~
* Alice registered the confused look on her sister’s face and traced her line of sight along her outstretched arm to her finger that pointed to a man racing along the edge of the park. The sight was peculiar, if nothing else. Unlike the joggers Alice noticed on her way to and from school, who ran the circuit daily, this man was dressed in a fine grey suit. The perspiration had soaked all the way through the jacket, leaving a dark stain that was clearly visible even from this distance.
* The man was running toward them and Alice instinctively stood and moved in front of her sister, resting her hands on her hips in an attempt to look as intimidating as possible. Last term she had adopted the same stance in the playground when Susie P had stormed up to her and accused her of snitching. She had held her ground then and Susie was a proper bitch — this guy looked like he had nothing on a pampered schoolgirl.
* ‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ he muttered as he saw them, huffing between words to catch his breath.
* Alice didn’t know what he meant by that but even her little sister had risen, and now stood behind her, clutching her book to her chest like a makeshift shield.
* He slowed, glancing over his shoulder, then to his phone, then back over his shoulder again before slowing and changing his direction to come their way. Behind him the street was empty, and the air hung heavy with static, a shimmering haze warped the road in the distance.
* ‘What are you doing outside?’ he asked in disbelief.
* Alice thought it was none of his business and told him as such.
* ‘Didn’t you see the news?! It’s been all over the television and radio.’
* ‘Do you see any of either of those around here?’ she retorted, indicating with the wave of her hand the open expanse of the park.
* He looked at her like she hadn’t heard a word he had said. ‘The infection … it’s been all over the news. They are telling everyone to remain indoors and people who display symptoms are … dangerous.’
* ‘What do you mean infection?’
* The man was clearly getting frustrated, ‘The fatal kind.’
* Alice’s sister let out a whimper behind her. It probably wasn’t as bad as he was making out. People died all the time from diseases.
* At the sight of her questioning raised eyebrow, the man elaborated. ‘It’s worse than just death. Once they die, they get back up and start feeding on the closest human. If you don’t believe me check out YouTube. I’m sure someone’s posted something by now.’
* Alice skimmed her finger along the screen of her phone, quickly thumbed in her password without taking her eyes from his face. He was looking nervous; his fingers were shaking and he kept looking back in the direction he had come from.
* A moment later she had opened a browser and was skimming through videos labeled ‘zombie outbreak’, ‘woman eats child’ and ‘The apocalypse is here’. She clicked on the first and tapped her foot impatiently as the video loaded. The screen opened and was filled with a woman cradling a man in her arms, both covered in blood. At first it looked nothing more like some horrific accident, and the woman was grieving the loss. Until the woman leant down and tore a chunk of flesh from the man’s chest, ripping her head back and Alice could clearly see meat dangling from her mouth, her jaw moving up and down as she devoured it.
* Alice put the back of her hand over her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. The video panned down the street behind the meal and a crowd of blood-covered monsters were shuffling toward the filmer’s location. Then someone muttered ‘Oh fuck’ and the video cut off abruptly.
* Alice’s face was drained of colour as she slowly put her phone away. The man, who had stood patiently while she discovered the horrid truth for herself, was now jumping from foot to foot, scanning the distance.
* ‘Ok, I believe you now.’
* ‘Finally. They are evacuating the city at four different points. We’re closer to the south exit, at the school on Williams street. Do you know where that is?’
* ‘Yeah, I know.’
* The man pulled his phone back out of his waistcoat pocket and looked at the time. ‘We’ve got 20 minutes before they quarantine the city and no one else gets out. The army will probably fire bomb the city if ground troops can’t deal with it.’
* Alice wondered if he had formerly been in the military or if he was just repeating what he had heard on the news. It didn’t really matter, but she was curious, if only for a second. She was about to ask him when the sound of smashing glass resonated in the distance followed a split second later by a wailing car alarm. Then there was the high-pitched scream.
* ‘Fuck it, let’s go! I don’t want to be late,’ the man ordered, before turning and racing off south.
* Alice looked at her sister then back at the man. She grabbed Elizabeth by the hand and raced after him, risking a glance back over her shoulder. She immediately knew she shouldn’t have. The first wave of the walking corpses came around the corner where the man had come from and her heart leapt into her throat.
* Alice fixated on the man at the front of the pack. Perhaps ‘man’ was a loose description now.
* Half his face was missing, exposing the whiteness of the jaw and teeth underneath the skin and muscle. Blood dripped from the remains of his dark goatee and covered the front of his white shirt. His head hung to one side and he seemed to be dragging his left foot along with each labored step of his right.
* ‘Don’t turn around sis, just keep your eyes focused on the man in front of us, the man in the waistcoat,’ Alice pleaded, making a bigger push to catch up to him.
Buy Alice Through Bloodstained Glass here... (NOTE: Book is only $0.99)
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Find Dan Adams here...
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Thank you for joining us here today, Dan Adams! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Dan Adams will be awarding an eCopy of Alice Through Bloodstained Glass to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
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Today we have author Nicolas Wilson visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Nicolas Wilson is a published journalist, graphic novelist, and novelist. He lives in the rainy wastes of Portland, Oregon with his wife, four cats and a dog.
* Nic's work spans a variety of genres, from political thriller to science fiction and urban fantasy. He has several novels currently available, and many more due for release in the next year. Nic's stories are characterized by his eye for the absurd, the off-color, and the bombastic.
* For information on Nic's books, and behind-the-scenes looks at his writing, visit nicolaswilson.com.
A look into...
~ Blurb ~
* Knight, the sheriff of a local magical government known as "the Gambit," is called to recover a mutilated body, tainted with magic and dumped at a popular haunt. When the corpse is identified as a close associate of the Gambit, it threatens the safety of the community he protects, and those he cares about most. As the fragile peace amongst the city's magic-wielding factions disintegrates, Knight must track down a cadre of murderers before his friends are picked off, one by one- with each death used to strengthen the spells cast against the Gambit.
~ Excerpt ~
* “Tell me honestly, what do you think we’re going to find?”
* “Statistically, the safe money would go on Castle getting involved with the wrong woman- one of the two reasons people usually kill each other. The other’s ambition, but there’s no percentage in killing Castle; if this is the opening for something larger, I can't even imagine what the game is.”
* “So the all-points response is…”
* “Precaution. If we really thought the gambit was under assault, we’d have marshaled our forces and stormed the cabin with every mage who takes our calls. But that also means riding out here in a caravan of VW buses that reek of skunk weed- and burning a lot of good will if it's a false alarm. So you coming out of the car?”
* She hesitates for a moment, then gets out. A “V” of Canadian geese flies overhead. “Too bad you suck at divination,” she says. “Maybe they’d be able to tell us if we’re about to die.”
* I start toward the house, hating every crunch of gravel under my feet because they make me louder, and make it harder to listen for something amiss. “I dated an augur once; she was flighty.”
Buy The Necromancer's Gambit here...
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Find Nicolas Wilson here...
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Thank you for joining us here today, Nicolas Wilson! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Nicolas Wilson will be awarding a swag package with a pendant and bookmarks (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
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Today we have author R. L. King visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* R. L. King is an award-winning author and game freelancer for Catalyst Game Labs, publisher of the popular roleplaying game Shadowrun. She has contributed fiction and game material to numerous sourcebooks, as well as one full-length adventure, "On the Run," included as part of the 2012 Origins-Award-winning "Runners' Toolkit."
* Her first novel in the Shadowrun universe, Borrowed Time, was published in May 2015.
* When not doing her best to make life difficult for her characters, King is a software technical writer for a large Silicon Valley database company. In her spare time (hah!) she enjoys hanging out with her very understanding spouse and her small herd of cats, watching way too much Doctor Who, and attending conventions when she can. She is an Active member of the Horror Writers' Association and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.
Today R. L. King will be talking about how she handles balancing life and writing.
* Thank you very much for inviting me to your blog! You asked me to talk a bit about how I balance life and writing.
* I consider myself quite lucky that my situation makes it fairly easy for me to keep a balance between my writing and the rest of my life. For one thing, I have a good job as a technical writer that I like a lot, and best of all they let me telecommute! Since I live in the Silicon Valley and the roads are horrible during commute hours, that saves me about two hours a day where I’d otherwise be in the car.
* When I’m working on a project, I tend to write whenever I can: lunch hours, after work, evenings, weekends—and that’s the other area where I’m lucky. I have a very supportive spouse who loves the fact that I write and who’s proud of my accomplishments, so he’s (mostly!) patient with the fact that I can sometimes let other things slide when I’m in the middle of something. There are lots of reasons why he ends up in the dedications of all my novels, and putting up with my cluttered ways is by no means the least of them!
* We don’t have kids, which also makes things easier—I have a lot of respect for parents who manage to fit writing in around the edges of caring for kids, because I can see by watching them just how much work it is. That’s dedication! I don’t think I could manage that. My “kids” are a small herd of feline assistants, who most of the time either don’t bother me when I’m writing or sometimes even hang out with me (my tabby boy is my “mews”—he’ll sit on my desk and put his paws on my shoulders and go to sleep like that, which is nice.)
* I sometimes wonder if I’d be able to keep up the output rate I do if I had to deal with more obstacles in my life, honestly. I know I would still write—I can’t not write—but probably not as much as I do now. I’m in awe of other authors who manage to write as much as they do while juggling far more real-world responsibilities.
* Thank you again for the invitation!
A look into...
~ Blurb ~
* Dr. Alastair Stone, Occult Studies professor, powerful mage, and snarky British expat now based in Palo Alto, California, does his best to keep his academic and social lives separate from his increasingly frequent brushes with various malevolent forces from the supernatural side of the street. A little horror, a little humor, but mostly straight-up urban fantasy.
* Stone and a Hard Place
* Dr. Alastair Stone, Occult Studies professor and powerful mage, has his hands full trying to keep the two sides of his life separate as he trains a new apprentice, deals with a malevolent entity trapped in the basement of a wealthy old woman's massive home, and battles dark mages intent on enslaving it for their own ends.
* Debut novel of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.
* The Forgotten
* Dr. Alastair Stone is back, this time teaming up with Jason Thayer, a young man hunting for his missing sister. Embroiled in a web of odd homeless people, a growing conspiracy, and deadly danger, they soon realize that even if they find Jason's sister, they might not be able to help her.
* What do you do when you discover an extradimensional plot that threatens the safety of the entire world, but you can't tell anyone about it because literally anyone on Earth could be part of it?
* Book Two of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.
~ Excerpt ~
THE FORGOTTEN
* Jason let out a loud sigh, his natural tendency to want to move nearly overwhelming now. “How do we know if it doesn’t work? Do we have to stand in here forever?”
* Stone was about to answer when he stiffened, startled. “It’s back,” he said, pointing at the mirror.
* Jason spun around. Sure enough, the reddish figure had reappeared behind them in the mirror, looking as angry as ever. It said something to Stone in its bones-and-parchment voice, punctuated by many growls and other sounds of displeasure. The mage nodded. “She’s there now, then?” he asked.
* The figure snarled and glared at Stone. It appeared to be contemplating another lunge out into the real world, but eyed the mage warily and decided against it. Instead, it spat at him. The spittle flew out, contacted its own side of the mirror, and ran down toward the table with a sizzle. Then it reached out with a ropy, muscular arm and attempted to sweep all the objects off the table on its side of the mirror. The candles, knife, and chalice went, careening silently over the edge and out of sight. The book remained, and the creature screamed in agony as its arm contacted it.
* “It’s fighting me—” Stone said under his breath. “I’m going to release it now.” He reached up with both hands and put them on the mirror again. Loudly and clearly, he uttered a long sentence in the strange Latin-like language, then pulled his hands back abruptly and clapped them together in a sudden, sharp sound that made Jason jump. He stumbled, reeling back, realizing with horror even as he did so that he had no way of stopping himself. He was going to fall over backwards, taking out a good chunk of the circle when he landed.
* As he went over, he got a last look at the creature’s face. Instead of looking angry, it looked suddenly surprised and triumphant. That lasted about two seconds. It flung itself forward again, clawed hands eagerly reaching in front of it, reaching for Stone, for Jason—
Buy The Alastair Stone Chronicles series here...
Amazon - Stone and a Hard Place (Book 1) | Amazon - The Forgotten (Book 2) | Magespace Press
Find R. L. King here...
Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | Website
Thank you for joining us here today, R. L. King! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! R. L. King is giving away a $40 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
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Today we have author K R Yaddof visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* K R Yaddof was lucky enough to take a few writing classes at the University of Iowa Writer's Workshop when she was there as an undergrad getting her degree in cinema. Now she lives in Denver, CO with her husband, two kids, and one fat cat.
* KR is currently finds time to write while staying home with her two small children. If you want more MAGES, cross your fingers for her children to start sleeping through the night!
A look into...
~ Blurb ~
* Lauren Trinidad is the best private security money in the League of European Nations can buy. She's been trained by her father for her entire life to protect the good guys from the bad. But when the good guys seem to be working for the mad man responsible for blowing the world into chaos and her family is suddenly the bad, she is forced to choose between what she is taught to do and what she thinks is right.
* Captain David Trinidad is the best soldier the New Republic of Texas can find to pull off a secret mission that will decide the fate of the small country. He’s been raised in his military family to do anything to help his homeland. But when he discovers he is the only chance at saving someone he loves, he has to choose between the only two things in his life that he's never doubted.
* Meagan Trinidad is the best assassin the United Countries of America has for hire. She has walked the tightrope between making her father proud and protecting those she cares about for a while. But when her work threatens to destroy her friends, she must choose between the familial loyalty that has guided her whole life and the promise of being loved for who she is and not what she does.
~ Excerpt ~
* “I told you I was working.” Lauren tried not to snap. Zachary obviously wanted to forget their earlier fight about whether or not it was too dangerous for her to protect the new prime minister. But Zachary didn’t give up that easily. “I was doing my job.”
* “I thought you only had to stay through the prime minister’s speech.”
* “We both know you’re not going to college.” Jacob moved his mouth closer to her ear. “Why are you going to New Haven? To kill my sister?”
* “What?” Meagan jerked back to see his face, but he held her too tightly.
* “I know what you are, darling.” His voice was so quiet she barely could hear him. “An assassin.”
* “That’s not true!” She swallowed, her head spinning. How had he figured it out? Her father was going to be pissed. “I would never hurt Kayla.”
* “That may be true, but you have been hunting my brother for years.” Jacob’s hands crept up her body. They stopped on either side of her throat. He pressed harder against her. “Why do you think I’ve been keeping you so close?”
* Meagan didn’t say anything. Sliding a hand behind her back, she glared at him. She went for the knife hidden in her waistband.
* “I don’t think so, darling.” He grabbed her wrist and twisted it along with the other one above her head, pinning them against the door. She refused to cry out in pain. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “I kept you so close I know all of your little tricks. Didn’t you wonder why I cared? You should know by now that I don’t fuck the same girl more than once. I was keeping an eye on you instead of ending you.”
* She brought up her knee in a swift movement and hit him in the crotch. He grunted and doubled over in pain. She punched him in the face and pushed him off her. Spinning, she kicked him in the head and knocked him to the floor. She drove her boot into his stomach for good measure.
* “Don’t ever threaten me, Jacob Godard,” she whispered in his ear, kneeling over him. “Next time I’ll slit your arrogant throat.”
Buy Mage Assassin here...
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Find K R Yaddof here...
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Thank you for joining us here today, K R Yaddof! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! K R Yaddof is awarding a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $20 Amazon/BN GC and a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter all three books in the MAGE series! So be sure to leave a comment AND use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops for a greater chance of winning!
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Today we have author Elizabeth Einspanier visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Elizabeth Einspanier is the self-published author of the Weird Western novella Sheep’s Clothing and the upcoming sci-fi romance novel Heart of Steel. Her short stories have been published in Down in the Dirt and Dark Fire Fiction. She is a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild and an associate member of the Horror Writers of America. She lives in St. Louis, but frequently spends extended periods in worlds of her own creation.
A look into...
~ Blurb ~
* Wolf Cowrie is back in his second adventure! In the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory in 1865, tensions run high between white settlers looking for gold and the Sioux people who consider this region their holy ground. When Wolf is hired to find out what happened to the workers of a mining outpost in the area, the general theory in Goldwater is that they were slaughtered by the Sioux. Wolf discovers something far more sinister lurking in the Black Hills, an ancient evil whose unending hunger drives sane men to ghoulish extremes.
~ Excerpt ~
* Smythe greeted the two men with a horrified look and a startled oath.
* “Yar Doc is dead,” Wolf said. “Again. This time I think he might stay down. Ken we come in?”
* Smythe backed up, still staring. “You’re… you’re covered in…” he managed to squeak.
* “It ain’t mine,” Wolf said, wiping his feet on the welcome mat before walking into the front hall. “Now go get yar master so’s we can give him the good news. And… I need a basin of water to wash up.”
* The servant returned a minute later with a pitcher of water and a basin, and Wolf endeavored to scrub his hands and face until his flesh stopped crawling. He was halfway through when Hartford uttered a syllable that made his blood run cold.
* “Ma’am.”
* Wolf looked up, gory water dripping down his hands and chin, to find Susannah in the doorway. She was staring at him in a mixture of horror and concern, and he was acutely aware of the results of an exploded skull still clinging to him. He swallowed hard, wishing fervently that the ground would just swallow him up right there.
* “Miss Twohill,” he greeted her. “I… I took care of the problem ya had running around. He won’t get any more of the townsfolk. Don’t you worry none.”
* “What… what happened?” she asked. “Are you…? Did he…?”
* “No,” he said. “I ain’t bit. This is just… well... we, ah… blew his... brains out.” He glanced at Hartford for assistance, but the other man was steadfastly looking out the window. The message was clear: he was staying out of this conversation.
Hungry As A Wolf will be available October 31, 2015
Find Elizabeth Einspanier here...
Blog | Amazon Author Page | Google+ | Twitter | Website
Thank you for joining us here today, Elizabeth Einspanier! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
Elizabeth Einspanier is awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter via rafflecopter! So visit the official tour stops for a chance to win!
Today we have author Emily Kimelman visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Emily Kimelman is the author of the best-selling Sydney Rye Series including UNLEASHED, DEATH IN THE DARK, INSATIABLE, STRINGS OF GLASS, THE DEVIL'S BREATH and INVITING FIRE. This series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend, Blue. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!
* Emily splits her time between the Hudson Valley and traveling the world with her husband and dog, Kinsey (named after Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone), researching exciting locations for the Sydney Rye Series. You can follow along on their adventures through Instagram, Facebook, and on Emily's blog.
* The first book in the Sydney Rye series, UNLEASHED, is available as a free download on all major ebook retailers.
* If you've read Emily's work, and enjoyed it, please let her know. You can reach Emily via the links at the bottom of the post.
What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story Inviting Fire.
* Vigilante crime mystery with a dash of romance, early readers call INVITING FIRE “Excellent”
* Emily Kimelman's best-selling Sydney Rye series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend, Blue. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome mystery with tons of action that will keep you reading late into the night!
* New to Sydney Rye? The first book in the series, UNLEASHED, is FREE.
* The Sydney Rye Series:
* UNLEASHED (A Sydney Rye Novel, #1)
* DEATH IN THE DARK (A Sydney Rye Novella, #2)
* INSATIABLE (A Sydney Rye Novel, #3)
* STRINGS OF GLASS (A Sydney Rye Novel, #4)
* THE DEVIL'S BREATH (A Sydney Rye Novel, #5)
* INVITING FIRE (A Sydney Rye Novel, #6)
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* Recovering from a near fatal attack that has left her with residual trauma, including haunting dreams and flashbacks, Sydney Rye is regaining her strength at the jungle training camp of Joyful Justice, the vigilante network inspired by her now legendary acts of vengeance. However, when a routine reconnaissance mission goes horribly wrong Sydney Rye looses the trust of the leadership of Joyful Justice.
* Her good friend and trainer, Merl, warns that if she wants to be in the action she’ll have to follow orders like everyone else. Never good with authority, Sydney struggles to suppress her independent streak for the greater good.
* When she runs up against an old adversary he blows apart everything she has gained. With her and Blue’s lives at stake, as well as the future of Joyful Justice, Sydney must push aside her fears and take a leadership role before it's too late.
~ Excerpt ~
* Blue barked and I knew the man was still alive and coming my way. My eyes were stinging from the smoke and the sweat. My thighs burned from crouching and my right arm throbbed from its wounds. I thought I heard him moving away from me. Maybe he was just trying to escape. It was possible the man didn't want to face me. I stayed still, waiting to see him. Then I heard Blue growl, a body hit the ground. A gun went off. I was flying toward the sound. My fear for Blue stronger than any other instinct.
* There was movement in the grasses ahead and I was suddenly upon them. Blue had the man's arm in his mouth. The gun pointed in my direction. The man was wailing at Blue's body with his free fist, grunting with the effort. The man spotted me and was about to pull the trigger when I brought my machete down onto his wrist, almost severing his hand. Blood spurted out of the wound and I felt it land, warm and wet, on my hands and forearms. Droplets splattered my cheeks and forehead. He screamed, piercing and hardly human.
* Blue held onto his forearm as the man struggled. His face was growing paler. His blood soaked into the dust. I walked up to the man and aimed my gun at his forehead. He went to speak but I pulled the trigger. The bang was loud. His eyes were open, the wound between them oozing blood slower than the severed hand.
Buy Emily Kimelman's books here...
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Find Emily Kimelman here...
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Thank you for joining us here today, Emily Kimelman! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Emily will be awarding 8 separate prizes to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour: a Sydney Rye coffee mug, a $25 Amazon or B/N GC, 2 signed paperback copies of Unleashed, 2 personalized letters from author Emily Kimelman and 2 audiobook copies of Unleashed! So be sure to use the Rafflecopter below. Also, visit the other tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-blurb-blitz-inviting-fire) for a greater chance of winning!
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Those who know me, know I am a very eclectic reader, and I like to highlight a variety of authors on my blog.Today I'm happy to welcome, Graeme Ing, author of Necromancer, a dark fantasy, horror story.
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Graeme Ing engineers original fantasy worlds, both YA and adult, but hang around, and you’ll likely read tales of romance, sci-fi, paranormal, cyberpunk, steampunk or any blend of the above.
* Born in England in 1965, Graeme moved to San Diego, California in 1996 and lives there still. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 30 years, mostly in the computer games industry. He is also an armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with more cats than he can count.
What was your inspiration for writing Necromancer?
* I started writing stories even before I became a teenager. I devoured every fantasy and sci-fi book I could find, and not surprisingly my stories were very derivative, and not at all original. Once I started college, studying, career and life got in the way of my writing and I largely put it aside. I wish I hadn’t - I’d always dreamed of becoming an author.
* In my mid-forties, I started dabbling with a story that became my first book, Ocean of Dust, and my passion for storytelling returned in force. It took me 6 years of hard work to write that novel, but then I was hooked! I had a hundred story ideas swimming in my head.
* Necromancer was a book that begged me to write it. I’d always been fascinated by the necromancer character, except that I wanted to flip the usual trope on its head. I’d read so many books about ancient, malevolent wizards poring over forbidden tomes in the dark of night, and chanting lengthy spells to summon evil creatures to help them take over the world. No, I wanted a young hero. I wanted a necromancer that was trying to protect humanity from the monsters that crawl out of the dark.
* Maldren’s voice came to me so easily - a cocky, sarcastic youth who needed a lesson in humility. His dry wit demanded that I write the book 1st person, so that I could capture his deep thoughts on the page, and I think that worked well. Most readers tell me they enjoy the voice of my main character the most.
* I noodled over many plot ideas. I wanted a tale of betrayal; I wanted a secret society; a frightening, seemingly unstoppable creature; and I wanted Maldren’s apprentice to be a feisty girl - that’s Ayla. Yes, I love tension! She’s also more than she appears. That goes for many of my characters actually. It was important to me that the setting oozed with a sinister and foreboding mood, so I created Malkandrah, a city full of narrow alleys and “Dickensian London” tenement buildings.
* The inspiration for Caradan, the insanely powerful and murderous wraith that is central to the plot, came from watching countless Dracula movies, and reading Lovecraft. I wanted a brooding menace that seemed to reach through time itself. But not a vampire. No vampires were staked in the making of this book. :)
* Phyxia, the elfin seer, was a character that came to me late in the process, when I was considering a mentor for my young necromancer hero. She’s aloof and mysterious with frustratingly enigmatic advice, and I love that! I had such fun writing her character.
* So you can see that out of that tiny germ of an idea to write about a necromancer, I layered on material inspired from all sorts of places.
* What of the future? There will be more books about Maldren and Ayla. Not immediately, but I will definitely return to them. I have some neat ideas. I’m also planning another story set in Malkandrah about a swordswoman, and I think it’d be fun if Maldren, Ayla and Phyxia make cameo appearances, don’t you?
* Thanks for hosting me and my book on your blog. :)
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* A primeval fiend is loose in the ancient metropolis of Malkandrah, intent on burning it to a wasteland. The city's leaders stand idly by and the sorcerers that once protected the people are long gone.
* Maldren, a young necromancer, is the only person brave enough to stand against the creature. Instead of help from the Masters of his Guild, he is given a new apprentice. Why now, and why a girl? As they unravel the clues to defeating the fiend, they discover a secret society holding the future of the city in its grip. After betrayals and attempts on his life, Maldren has reason to suspect everyone he thought a friend, even the girl.
* His last hope lies in an alliance with a depraved and murderous ghost, but how can he trust it? Its sinister past is intertwined in the lives of everyone he holds dear.
* Can only evil defeat evil?
~ Excerpt ~
Underworld creature
* “This is dangerous,” I whispered. “I know what I’m doing.”
* Did I? I handed her the lightstick and crept forward, nudging loose stones with my boot to clear the way, never taking my eyes from the archway. The room was filled with heaps of rubble. The spectral rope snaked behind a huge fragment of a fallen buttress lodged against one wall.
* Come out, come out, wherever you are.
* I drew a sizable ball of magic from my core and blasted a massive Dispel into the room, bathing the entire area in a purple flash.
* The grak leaped onto the ceiling, sending rubble clattering in all directions. It scuttled toward me, upside down, hundreds of barbs along its ten legs clinging to the bare stone ceiling. A razor-ridged carapace protected an abdomen the size of a barrel, yet the thing stretched eight feet in length, counting its forked, bony tail and oversize head. Two spheres of flylike eyes reflected a distorted version of my look of horror. Saw-toothed pincers clacked repeatedly and its antennae quivered, probing the air in front of it.
* I stumbled backward, my heart thumping in my ears.
* Kristach. I’d hoped it’d be smaller.
Buy Necromancer here...
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo
Find Graeme Ing here...
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Amazon Page
Thank you for joining us here today, Graeme Ing! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Graeme will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-vbt-necromancer) for a greater chance of winning!
Today we have author Gregory Bellarmine visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Gregory Bellarmine is the author of the bestselling Monthly Roman Breviary. He lives a happy though sometimes sleepless life in the UK with his wife, two children and rather cheeky Parson Russell Terrier.
What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story The Blood That Cries in the Ground.
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* Italy. A tough master of novices, Father Dante encounters the bold young priest Antonio who challenges his identity and accuses him of being the Saint Nicholas. But despite the Father faking his death, a determined Antonio discovers a rather alive Dante arrayed in kilt and armor.
* In return for Antonio’s silence—and to protect the town from attracting all manner of darkness—Dante agrees to tell his life story. Without explanation, Dante orders Antonio to meet him at night in the abandoned Cathedral, the site of a former battle that the Church has kept secret for a generation.
* Until today.
* The Criskindl. Ice Steeds. The Unborn. Saint.
* From the Dark Ages’ when Poet-Sorcerers ruled kings, to the Holy Land when a new civilization was rising, to Revolutionary France where love is lost and gained, Father Dante pursues the one responsible for both his master and his mother’s deaths: Black Peter, his brother.
~ Excerpt ~
* I stood up and snarled. "All this for a romp?"
* Catherine walloped a blurring slap across my face. Though lights danced in my periphery, I fiddled with my jaw to click it back into place.
* "My flesh is pure, Nicholas. Is yours?"
* She spun on her heel and wheeled towards the night-dark palace. Wrath trailed her like her billowing fur, an anger punctuated by images that flashed into my mind. One vision showed Catherine as a girl: enraptured, she listened to stories of a man of powerful purpose; another had her beat an armored opponent twice her age in straight-sword combat, but her thoughts always wandered to a future where some day she would find me.
* A wind billowed my vestment. "Befana gave me a wife? Why?"
* Once the darkness had consumed my Catherine, a dread poisoned my heart. I ran after her, and the second I took my first stride, I partially understood why Befana had sent her. I was alone.
* "Catherine!"
* A giddiness filled me, only for a terrible fear to steal into my soul. What had I done?
* "Catherine please?"
* I headed for the balcony and midway up the stone steps, she paused in a half turn, her lips parted just so. I took a deep savoring breath.
Buy The Blood That Cries in the Ground here...
Amazon - Kindle | Amazon - Print | “The Blood That Cries in the Ground will grab the reader by the throat with a death grip from which it is impossible to break free.” -- Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite. Link to the full review: HERE
Find Gregory Bellarmine here...
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | E-mail | Booktrailer
Thank you for joining us here today, Gregory Bellarmine! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Gregory will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour! So be sure to visit the official tour stops, leave your name and email with your comment there, & use the Rafflecopter provided for your entry to count. Find the official tour stops here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-blast-tour.
Today we have author Clarissa Johal visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.
What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story Struck.
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* The shadows hadn't been waiting.
* The shadows had been invited.
* After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift--one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister... for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.
~ Excerpt ~
* A bolt of blue-white lightning snaked from the sky and hit the ground in front of her. The thunderclap that shattered the air was deafening. Gwynneth slammed on her brakes and skidded. It was a slow skid, or it seemed to be. Spinning around and around in a circle, she felt like she was watching herself from afar. Time felt like it was slowing. Oddly enough, she found herself wondering if there would be white or red flowers on Hannah’s casket. Or maybe none at all.
* Gwynneth’s face smacked against the steering wheel. Reality hit her along with the pain. She had forgotten to wear her seatbelt. She pressed her fingers lightly to her throbbing temple and winced. “Shit!” Thankfully, she was in one piece. Gwynneth opened the car door. Lightning lit the area and bathed her senses in a flash of blue-white. Icy rain hit her skin. Stupid! You left your jacket back at the funeral home. She ran around the car and checked all the tires. The back one was flat, and on top of that, her car was quite obviously stuck in a ditch. “Great.” She had no spare tire, she knew that for sure. She also had no idea which way led back to the retirement home. Her headlights cast a weak glow through the rain. Soaked to the skin and shivering, Gwynneth peered into the darkness. A muddy road meandered across saturated fields and off into nothingness.
* She sloshed back to her car and quickly turned the engine off. She certainly didn’t need a dead battery on top of a flat tire. “Okay, Gwen,” she said aloud, “you need to figure out what to do.” Rain ran in rivulets down her face and her tie-dyed T-shirt stuck to her like a second skin. I’m a soggy, shivering rainbow. She started to walk and cursed the fact that her cell phone wasn’t charged. Seth was always bugging her about that. “Suck it up, Gwen. It rains in Oregon too.” The inky blackness was disconcerting. Lightning intermittently illuminated the area like the flash of a camera. A snapshot of a road to nowhere. Gwynneth hoped that she was at least walking in the right direction. Her teeth were chattering so hard she was in danger of biting her own tongue. Thunder rolled up her spine and along her scalp like probing fingers.
* Her thoughts wandered back to Hannah. A diary. I wonder what she wrote about? She wouldn’t read it, of course, it was private. I’m sure she just wants me to throw it away so her children don’t either. A pang of loss sliced through the cold and Gwynneth shook it off. They had spent countless hours chatting and Hannah never mentioned a diary. She bit her lip. If she could only turn back time, Gwynneth would have told her how much their time together had meant. Hannah had always encouraged her to start painting again, but also understood why Gwynneth couldn’t.
* A loud ‘crack’ sounded and an iridescent white light surrounded her. Two things registered: a searing pain that ripped down her back and the ground which seemed to be pulled away from her at an alarming speed.
* * * *
* Blackness.
* Pain shot through the back of Gwynneth’s head as she opened her eyes. Somebody was standing over her. She tried to focus on the face, but it hurt too much. A cool hand slid across her forehead. She opened her eyes again.
* Pale, almost white eyes. High cheekbones, aquiline nose, and a well-shaped mouth. Long, white hair. Ageless. Beautiful, like a Michelangelo. All of those details registered with clarity before agony ripped through her body. She arched her back and cried out. The man murmured something into her ear which she couldn’t understand. She could feel the vibration of his voice and his breath on her neck as he gathered her in his arms. She opened her eyes and saw lightning fork to the ground silently behind him. She blacked out again.
Buy Struck here...
Musa Publishing | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Find Clarissa Johal here...
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author page
Thank you for joining us here today, Clarissa Johal! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
ANNOUNCEMENT! Clarissa will be awarding an ecopy of STRUCK to three (3) randomly drawn commenters during the tour! So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-blast-tour-struck) for a chance to win! [comments on this blog don't count toward the contest.]
Today we have author K.F. Breene visiting. Welcome!
What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* A wine country native, K.F. Breene moved to San Francisco for college just shy of a decade ago to pursue a lifelong interest in film. As she settled into the vibrant city, it quickly became apparent that, while she thought making and editing films was great fun, she lacked cinematic genius. For that reason, her career path quickly changed direction. Her next goal was a strange childhood interest, conjured at the dining room table while filling out a form. For some reason, her young self wanted to be an accountant. Thinking on it now, she often wonders how she had any friends. Regardless, it was the direction she finally took.
* While she could wrangle numbers with the best of 'em, and even though she wore the crown as the most outspoken, belligerent accountant in the world, her mind got as stuffy as her daily routine. It was here that she dusted off her creative hat and began writing. Now she makes movies in her head, not worried about lighting, shutter speed or editing equipment. Turns out, a computer is much easier to manage than a crowd of actors. She should know, she was an actor at one time.
What are you going to tell us about today?
* My story Into the Darkness.
A look into the story
~ Blurb ~
* I’d always been different. I saw objects in the night where others saw emptiness. Large, human shaped shadows, fierce yet beautiful, melting into the darkness. I collected secrets like other women collected bells; afraid to fully trust lest my oddities be exposed.
* Until I saw him. He’d been gliding down the street, unshakable confidence in every step. It wasn’t just that he was breathtakingly handsome with perfect features. Something about him drew me. Sucked my focus to him and then tugged at my body. As his eyes met mine, I was entrapped.
* No one had noticed him. He’d been right there, just beyond the light, but only I had perceived.
* I had to know if he was real. Or maybe I really was crazy. And even when my secret box was blasted wide open, dangers hurled at me like throwing knives, I couldn’t stop until I unraveled his true identity.
* I just had to know.
* “She was fated to live.”
* “Then why must you save her?”
* “Often Fate is struck down by dumb luck.”
~ Excerpt ~
* Stefen approached the wide bed, looking down on the limp human, her angelic face devoid of color. Her arms rested on her chest, her body so still she looked dead.
* A shot of fear pierced Stefen’s chest. “Will she make it?”
* Luke’s head shook before he sighed. “She shouldn’t have made it last time. Yet she did. Something is holding her to this life.”
* “My blood helped last time. Will it help again?”
* Luke sighed, raising his eyebrows in a facial shrug. “If you can get her to drink, she might pull out of it. Might. She should be dead already; she’s largely catatonic. But…well, she survived last time, so who’s to say?”
* Stefen nodded, allowing himself to bestow his gaze back to this woman that had a firm hold on his vitals for reasons he couldn’t understand or explain. The only thing he knew with certainty was that she could not die.
Buy Into the Darkness here...
Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
Find K.F. Breene here...
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Page
Thank you for joining us here today, K.F. Breene! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.
There's a contest where one randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card! (Comments on this blog don't count toward the contest.) So be sure to visit the official tour stops (find them here: Goddessfishpromotions-virtual-book-tour) for directions on how to enter!
