Wednesday 30 March 2016

Sygillis of Metatron Blitz


Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing.


My facebook author page: The League of Elder by Ren Garcia


For ages League mothers have told their children terrifying stories about the Black Hats: the enemy, eager to slay anyone who falls into their grasp, always searching for their next victim.

Only the League’s ruling body, the Sisterhood of Light, has been able to counter their evil. When a Black Hat is taken prisoner aboard Captain Davage’s ship, the Sisters have every intention of executing her, to put her to a slow, painful death. That is what’s done to Black Hats, and no one dares challenge the Sisters’ authority. They are astounded when the Captain refuses to allow it.

Using his Gift of Sight, Captain Davage, the Lord of the Great House of Blanchefort, has gotten a glimpse of the Black Hat’s face, and is shocked. Though no one but a Sister would ever willingly face a Black Hat and hope to survive, he enters her cell.  


Make sure you get your copy today!

http://www.amazon.com/Sygillis-Metatron-League-Elder-Book-ebook/dp/B00KHTDHS6/


Top ten about Ren:

10:  Ren was once engaged to a woman 25 years his elder.
9:    Ren visited New York City and admired the World Trade Center towers just a month or so before the tragedy of 9/11.
8:    The FBI once put a gun in Ren's face.
7:    Bad hearts run in Ren's family. He's already outlived most of his paternal grandfathers, all of whom died in their 30's.
6:    Ren's poor eyesight went undiagnosed until he was in the 3rd grade. Up until that point, he was considered "mentally challenged".
5:    Ren broke his neck playing volleyball in college.
4:    Ren often sleeps on the floor, finding it more comfortable than the bed.
3:    Ren was once held at gunpoint and frisked by the guards of the Prince of Saudi Arabia.
2:    Ren was introduced to his wife via Match Makers International.
1:    In a vast extended family of exclusively brown-eyed people, Ren somehow managed to get blue eyes.

Check out all the great blogs that are a part of this event by following along on the Facebook page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Fighting for Control Blitz

We are so excited to have Melynda Price back with us for the third book in her series.
Melynda Price is a multi-published author of contemporary and paranormal romance. What Price enjoys most about writing is the chance to make her readers fall in love, over and over again. She cites the greatest challenge of writing is making the unbelievable believable, while taking her characters to the limit with stories full of passion and unique twists and turns. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price adds immeasurable depth to amazingly well-crafted books.

She currently lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband and two children where she has plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with her Chihuahua and a hot cup of coffee to write.

"For Nikko “The Bull” Del Toro, an ex-marine turned MMA fighter, only two things quiet the demons raging inside him—facing an opponent in the cage…and the memory of his hottest one-night stand. But when his PTSD resurfaces, causing him to lose control at a CFA press party, it’s his career that may be KO’d.

Dr. Violet Summers is stunned to discover her newest patient is the man who rocked her world—and put her heart in a clinch after her nasty divorce. She’s determined to delve deep into the darkness that haunts him and to keep all further encounters strictly professional.

Nikko doesn’t want a shrink. What he needs is Violet. With the memory of their passion blazing between them, it’s only a matter of time before they give in to desire. Can Violet help save this surly fighter from his own personal nightmare? Or will he forfeit his career and his last chance at love?



Grab your copy today!
http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Control-Against-Cage-Book-ebook/dp/B017182AR4/


Check out all the great blogs that are a part of this event by following along on the Facebook page.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 21 March 2016

Saving Sarah May Review




Losing everything doesn’t mean you can’t start over again. 


Adventurous Sarah May had everything, the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect future. But when the love of her life is killed in Iraq, it plummets her entire world into darkness. Emily Frost never imagined an end to her abusive marriage. Now divorced, living with her mother, and raising her daughter, she vowed never again to give her heart to anyone. Food critic Kate Berkhill has jumped from bad relationship to bad relationship, and after her boyfriend dumps her for her sister, she’s decided to give up on men altogether. For three friends, a trip to Ireland seemed like the idyllic, carefree break from their troubled lives. Instead, the emerald isle forces each of them to face her demons head on, to discover herself, find healing, and possibly new love. 








S. J. Reisner began writing at the age of ten and never stopped. Because she loves to read everything, picking a genre didn’t come easy. This is why she has four different pen names and writes everything from non-fiction to horror to contemporary romance. Her non-fiction and erotic romances have been bestsellers on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.  Under S. J. Reisner she writes general fiction, contemporary romances, adventure fantasy, and YA paranormal stories. This is her first published contemporary romance novel.  When she’s not writing you can find her herding cats, wrangling vegetables in the garden, or engaging in one of her many hobbies. She lives along the front range of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and two rescue cats. To learn more visit www.sjreisner.com

      ~  Author Site  ~
4 out of 5 Stars

This book was a simple sweet read. The pacing of the story made me almost feel like I was floating down a river in a gondola; slow, relaxing, and I can see the sites without much effort on my part. There was a bit of drama but luckily not enough to put me off (I don't do drama). The story swaps from each of the women's viewpoints so you see each day from each angle. If you listen to your books with a book reader it can be a bit confusing if you are not listening closely for the break from one women to another.
There is talk of people having sex but it is all off screen keeping this a clean read. I don't know if there is swearing, I don't notice things like that unless it is really vulgar, but there were not any words that caught my attention. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a clean book that is easy to read and contains a lot of happily ever after. This is the perfect book to read while lounging out in the sun.

Author Interview

Tell us about your writing - What genre do you prefer to write? What books, stories, other

publications that you've written are your personal favorites? Anything new coming up?

I write in a wide variety of genres and keep four pen names because of it. As S. J. Reisner I’ve

written mostly fantasy up until now. Saving Sarah May is my first contemporary romance novel. 

So while this is my first published contemporary romance novel, it’s actually my eleventh

published novel.

One of my favorite current projects is an erotic paranormal romance series of novellas called

Dalliance with Demons that I write as Anne O’Connell.  But on the S. J. Reisner front, the next

upcoming project is the final fantasy novel in my Sorcerers’ Twilight trilogy, Eagle’s Talon

Gray.

What about you as a person? What do you do to relax? Favorite movies or tv shows?

Hobbies?

I’m a rogue alchemist and vegetable gardener.  Beyond growing things, making incenses, and

distilling oils, I spend a lot of time reading, walking, and binge watching British comedies. Vicar

of Dibley and Keeping Up Appearances are two of my favorites. Red Dwarf, Waiting for God,

Are You Being Served, Monty Python’s Flying Circus – they all rank right up there on my watch

list.

What gets your creative juices going? Do you write to a music, and do you want to share

your playlist?

Usually it’s doing non-writing things that gets the muse worked up. Especially when it’s

inconvenient. The more inconvenient the place – the better the ideas. As for music while writing,

I often do listen to music while writing, but the playlist isn’t fit for polite company. It consists of

mostly punk and thrash metal. My office probably sounds like Dante’s ninth circle of hell to

most people.

"All writers must have cats, especially if they write fantasy or speculative fiction." Do you

have a stand on this one? Any cute pictures of your kitty or other pet?

Yes. Cats are a must. They’re like mini-lions, tigers, leopards, and panthers. What could possibly

be cooler than that?  (Left – Amy, Right – Leela)

 

What organizations do you recommend for those wanting to become writers? Any advice

you'd like to share about writing?

I think joining a local critique group or local writers group is important for people just starting

out. There are a lot of great online groups out there, too. As for writing advice – 1. Write

something every single day, even if it’s just a paragraph. 2. Read something every single day,

even if it’s just a few pages. 


To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 



There are TWO giveaways this time around and TWO chances to win prizes!

Thursday 17 March 2016

Cover Reveal, Out of the Mists of Darkness

We are so excited to have Teya Peck back with us!!!!

Her most recent accomplishment started in the summer of 2015. Making her dad’s dream come true with publishing his works as well, as an emotional accomplishment. She is the 2016 local A.N.W.A. chapter (Snake River Writers) president, won NaNoWriMo and loves StoryMakers.
            Teya has been writing for as long as she can remember. At a young age she lived on a street she affectionately named Hill Street Blues, which helped her creative writing. Her Family moved to Menan where she continued her love of writing. Her father would always be and will continue to be her inspiration, even after his untimely death in 2006.
            She loves sitting in her soft chair next to the fireplace and watching out a big living room window. It gives her plenty of creative juice for stories.
            She met the love of her life in the loft of a barn. Yep, that set up some teasing from her father. They have been happily married since 2003. They have four children and all are loving and supportive of her writing.  Her oldest daughter is following in her footsteps as a writer adding her own illustrations. She refuses to comment on the trolls in the closets and under the beds. She is active in her church, has compassion for others, and a love for all life brings.  



Check out her pages:

http://teyapeck.wix.com/teyapeck  (sign up for my newsletter on my website and receive my poetry book free)

Let's take a look at this wonderful Non-fiction, inspirational book.

This book is an inspirational piece of work. It includes real stories of people, who have personally overcome and lived through abuse. It shares hope and a light for all in the darkness of this increasing devastation. There is a light and this book could be your grasp to the light.



Let's take a look inside the book!

Lying in the darkness, tears streaming down my face, I clung desperately to the blanket pulled to my chin, my only protection in the world—or so I thought. Could I do this any longer?   Would there be no end to the darkness?   How could I get out?   The answer came readily—I couldn’t. I had to face this darkness, and I thought I had to face it alone. What I didn’t realize was that I wasn’t alone, nor would I ever be alone. I just had to find the light within the darkness of my life. 
 I had to fight. I had to protect myself, and I had to find any strength there was to find, but it would not be easy. 
 This is the journey I took to find the light and the strength to go on. How long that would take and what I would have to go through before I found that light and strength, I did not know. 

Check out all the great blogs that are a part of this event by following along on the Facebook page.
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday 5 March 2016

The Nora Tierney Mysteries Review


The Blue Virgin 
(A Nora Tierney Mystery, #1)
Despite a planned move, the mysterious death of photographer Bryn Wallace keeps American writer Nora Tierney glued to Oxford in order to clear her close friend, artist Val Rogan, who has been wrongfully accused of Bryn's murder. Or has she?

Nora quickly becomes embroiled in the murder investigation, much to the dismay of two men: Detective Inspector Declan Barnes, the senior on the case; and Simon Ramsey, the illustrator of Nora's children's book. Simon's efforts to save Nora from herself become increasingly frantic as Nora is forced to push her way into Declan's case, using her wits and her wiles to prove Val's innocence.

The first in a series of Nora Tierney mysteries based in the UK, The Blue Virgin is a compelling story of love and intrigue. Nothing, Nora learns, is what it seems, and even the most innocent of choices can lead to murder and revenge. Set in the ancient city of golden spires, the setting lends itself to mystery, as any Inspector Morse fan will agree. The novel is written in classic English style, complete with a cast of characters and chapter epigraphs that add to its literary feel.


5 out of 5 stars
This was a really enjoyable read. The twists and turns were intriguing, the many characters you meet helped create a large pool of suspects. I honestly didn’t figure out who was the murder until near the end. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this book was written, and how well Author Marni Graff was able to bring up many subjects and scenes in a natural way without going into too much gory detail or hitting you over the head with it.
Even though the murder and the search for the killer are the main plot line you find yourself entering into the world so in-depth that it almost becomes a story about Nora and her friends, the Murder becomes just a supporting aspect. This is not a bad thing. It makes it an easy read pulling you into their world and rounds out the thrill of the chase nicely with practical things such as packing to move and deciding if Nora should find out the gender of her baby.
The only problem I had was that there are so many characters I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. But I am notoriously bad with remembering people’s names so the average reader might not struggle with this like I did.
Overall I enjoyed listening to this book. I am pleased that they chose a narrator with an English accent, it made it so much easier to enter the world when the characters sound right. That said there were a few times when a word or sentence was repeated or a pause was in the wrong place. It was distracting for only a moment and then you get pulled right back into the story.
Well done Marni Graff, I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good British cosy. For those who are more conservative readers be aware that there are some unsavoury characters (one in particular that creeped me out), same gender relationships, unmarried relationships and some swearing. Basically what you see in real life, however the details are all very vague on these aspects of the story.

The Green Remains 
(A Nora Tierney Mystery, #2)

Nora Tierney is living at Ramsey Lodge in England's glorious Lake District, anticipating two life-changing events: the publication of her first children's book and the birth of her first child. Choosing a name for her son and checking proof pages with her illustrator, Simon Ramsey, fill her days--until a morning stroll along the shore of UK's largest lake, Windermere, leads her to discover the corpse of the heir to Clarendon Hall.
When Simon is implicated in the death, Nora dives headfirst into the murder investigation to discover the real killer. As the body count rises, Nora and her unborn child will face risks and perils she could never anticipate in this second in a series of Nora Tierney mysteries.


5 out of 5 Stars
Marni Graff does it again. This book takes place only a few months after the first book. But this time we are out at Ramsey Lodge in the Lake district.
Good news, the books are written in such a way that it can be read as a standalone. The past book is touched upon to give back ground but it never gives any details that would give away the outcome to the previous book, should you choose to read them out of order.
Once again the calming details of day to day life are interspersed with the discovery of dead bodies and the race to discover the killer. Picking a baby name is of paramount importance, but the focus is nicely evened out between the realities of life and the search to solve the crime.

Again there were the same small snags and repeats in the Audio narrative, but I felt like the characters all had their voice which helped me sort out who was who.
Lovers of murder mysteries and British cosy’s  shouldn’t hesitate to grab these books at their earliest opportunity!
For those who are more conservative readers be aware that there are same gender relationships, unmarried relationships and some swearing. Basically what you see in real life, however the details are all very vague on these aspects of the story.

The Scarlet Wench 
(Nora Tierney Mysteries, #3)
In the third Nora Tierney Mystery set in England, American writer Nora awaits the arrival of a traveling theatre troupe who will stage Noel Coward's play Blithe Spirit at Ramsey Lodge in the Lake District. With her son six months old, Nora must juggle parenting with helping her illustrator and friend Simon Ramsey run the lodge. She's also hoping to further her relationship with the only lodge guest not in the cast: Detective Inspector Declan Barnes, ostensibly there for a hiking trip. When a series of pranks and accidents escalate to murder during a flood that traps everyone, Nora realizes her child is in jeopardy and determines to help Declan unmask a killer.




5 out of 5 Stars

I think this book is my favourite out of the series so far. The traveling theatre troupe brings a slew of larger than life characters. Each new character bringing their own backstory and personality quirks. Unlike the previous two books this one goes on for some time before you get an actual murder. It was a nice change because you get to know everyone and you are thinking the whole time ‘one of these people is going to die… who will it be?’ So it is almost like two mysteries in one, who is going to die, and then who did it.
I found it easier to guess who the murder was simply because I was use to how the Author works. But it was still enjoyable listening to the story unfold even when I knew the outcome. Again this book was as much about the things that makes life go round, like whither or not to tell Nora’s child’s grandparents they had a grandson, as it was about the murder and solving it.
I found the narrator much better for this book. I don’t know if it was because I was use to listening to her or if she just hit her stride on this last book. A few small glitches but very enjoyable.
If you enjoy any type of mystery especially murder mystery this is a must read. I highly recommend reading the series in order but if for one reason or another that isn’t an option I would put this last one on the top on the list.
For those who are more conservative readers be aware that there are some unmarried relationships and some swearing. Basically what you see in real life, however the details are all very vague on these aspects of the story


Excerpts 

"This song was playing on repeat for almost five hours after the murder." The detective kept his voice firm and emotionless. "I repeat the question, Miss Rogan. What is the significance of this song to you and the victim?"
    Hot tears traveled down her cheeks. "She had a name. Her name was Bryn Wallace. And a song that had significance of us is on this disc, but it's a different song. This disc is the soundtrack from Notting Hill about two unlikely people getting together." Val brushed the tears away impatiently with the back of her hand and struggled to compose herself. She would not let him get to her. She must remain in control. The weight of being under suspicion settled heavily around her shoulders.

~  ~  ~


"Don't touch anything, Nora," Simon instructed. "We shouldn't disturb things until the police get here."
   Nora surveyed the mess. "Poor Agnes--who would do this? She could have been killed!"
   Simon pushed his hair off his forehead. "Nora, it's your room that was ransacked. Somebody was looking for something. There's every reason to think it wasn't Agnes they were after--it was you."
~  ~  ~
    "Busted." Declan's quiet voice from the doorway startled Nora. She jerked her hand, spilling the pills all over the counter and floor.
     She bent down to retrieve them as her cheeks flamed. "I counted his pills to see if he could have given any to Gemma," she whispered. She stood and scooped the remaining pills off the counter back into the bottle, taking care to remove a thread from a cotton towel.
    Declan's whispered voice was shape. "And you would be doing what that would be helpful? Since you've successfully managed to put your fingerprints on that bottle, we'll have no way of knowing if someone else tampered with them." His low sound made his anger all the more menacing.

    Nora's mouth fell open. "Apparently nothing." She closed the bottle with a snap.



Marni Graff had a successful career as a registered nurse who wrote on the side before writing full time. She has a degree in English Lit and studied Gothic Mystery at Oxford University in England. She also wrote articles for Mystery Review magazine, where she interviewed many of the authors whose work she admired.
Marni is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney Mysteries, set in England. The Blue Virgin introduces Nora, an American writer living in Oxford. The Green Remains and The Scarlet Wench trace Nora’s move to the Lake District where murder follows her.  In process is The Golden Hour, set in Bath, England. Premiering in the next few months will be Graff’s new Manhattan series, Death Unscripted, featuring nurse Trudy Genova, a medical consultant for a New York movie studio. This new series is based on Marni’s favorite nursing job in real life.

Marni is also co-author of Writing in a Changing World, a primer on writing groups and critique techniques. She writes crime book reviews at Auntie M Writes and is Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, an author’s cooperative. A member of Sisters in Crime, Marni runs the NC Writers Read program in Belhaven which allows writers experience reading their work out loud and getting immediate feedback. 

                



To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page