Friday, August 18, 2017

Blog Tour: Salt

Title: Salt - a mermaid tale Author: Pauline Creeden Genre: YA Fantasy/Myth Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR
 
Blurb: Her kind treats her as less-than-human, but she’s always been so much more.
Mermaid life has never been easy for Verona. Her scars give evidence of her abuse. When her day of reckoning arrives, she is determined to endure exile. According to her father’s experience, exile is better than becoming a land-walker and risking her life among the humans.
However, when she saves the life of a drowning human boy, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events which force her to choose a path: stay with the humans she has become attached to or return home to a life of scorn. A savage hunter draws closer, threatening even the humans. Her only hope is to keep everyone safe until the next full moon, but those around her devise their own plans.
Pauline Creeden is an award-winning author of inventive fiction.
Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie's Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Reader's Choice Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel. Chronicles of Steele Raven won the 2015 Grace Award and IndieBrag Medallion.
Author Links: Website: http://paulinecreeden.com FB: http://facebook.com/PaulineCreeden Twitter: http://twitter.com/P_Creeden Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/PCreeden Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2vcVtkR Buy Links:Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vfg32k iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/salt/id1237773302?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/salt-pauline-creeden/1126414650?ean=9781537889511 GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Pauline_Creeden_Salt?id=egYkDwAAQBAJ Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/salt-32 FREE Coloring Book with purchase: http://subscribepage.com/SaltPreorder
Bryce shot out an arm in front of Logan, stopping him from his search. “Wait. Alex told you, right? Or were you completely fooled?”
Logan glanced toward Alex whose eyes were downcast, cheeks burning red. Logan spoke through his teeth. “Told me what?”
Now he had Logan’s attention, Bryce stepped toward Alex and slapped him on the chest with the back of his hand. “That whole neighborly deal was all part of the plan. I told him to make sure you came to the party no matter what.” He offered a hyena-like toothy grin. “And here you are.”
Blood rushed to Logan’s own cheeks. This was a set up? So what was the rest of this plan? His hands fisted. “Yep, here I am. What now?”
Bryce pushed on Alex’s shoulder, forcing the boy to sit, and then sat on the cushion next to him. “What now? Nothing. Enjoy the trip. Recognize what a tool you are and how I always get what I want. Oh…and stay away from Jessica.”
It took all Logan had not to roll his eyes. His interest in Jessica was non-existent, but there was no way he’d tell Bryce. In some ways, it was a relief the alpha in this town only wanted to play games and give warnings. It was better than some of the beatings in alleys Logan had endured in middle-school. Things could definitely be worse. His lip pulled up into a half smile. “Whatever you say, Bryce. Awful expensive way to send a message. What did it cost you?”
Alex’s gaze still had not risen from the deck of the boat. The slump of his shoulders and the way he squeezed his hands around that sorry beer can kept Logan from feeling angry with his new pseudo-friend. All he felt for the guy was pity.
Bryce shrugged and pulled a plastic bag from his pocket containing an old-style pocket watch. He eyed it and gave a mock-frown. “It was fun carrying around this old thing…”
The sudden lift in Alex’s shoulders and gaze made it clear the item was something he cherished. The lanky boy couldn’t take his eyes off the glinting silver.
Bryce tossed the watch to Max with a laugh, causing Alex to start from his seat in the same direction. He dropped his beer can when Bryce gripped his shoulder and pushed him back down. Alex’s eyes dropped momentarily, but rose again as if drawn to the item. He whimpered. “Give it back.”
“So you were holding that thing hostage until Alex agreed to get me here?” Logan asked.
Alex’s eyes met Logan’s, wide and pleading. “It was my grandfather’s.”
Bryce shrugged. “It’s not like I stole the piece of junk. Alex lost it in a bet.”
“I did not,” Alex cried.
Bryce smacked him in the back of the head. “Nothing I hate more than a liar.”
Alex whimpered. “I did…but I didn’t mean to.”
They had probably forced a bet of some kind on Alex. It wasn’t surprising. Thugs came in all sizes and social backgrounds. It didn’t matter the size of the town…or the island.
Logan took a step toward Max who held the bag between two fingers and tossed it toward Ben when he saw Logan coming. The tack Logan was taking needed to change. He rocked back onto his heels and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you a man of your word, Bryce?”
Bryce’s smile faded, replaced with a frown. “Are you calling me a liar?”
Logan shrugged. “Well if you made a deal with Alex to return the watch, why does Ben have it?”
The left side of Bryce’s lip curled as he nodded toward Ben and raised a hand. “Toss it here.”
With a laugh, Ben lobbed the bag underhand toward Bryce’s upraised hand. The sneer on Bryce’s face grew into a smile that would make the Grinch proud as he lowered his hand just before the watch got there. The bag flew over the railing of the yacht into the darkness below.
A yelp went out as Alex scrambled across the bench seat toward the railing on his knees.
Several people lunged in the same direction, all looking over the railing. Logan was surprised to find they’d developed an audience with their little skit. The low hum of the motor and the music both cut off. He shook his head and joined the group. Someone produced a flashlight and shone it across the dark waves. The silver on the watch glinted, several yards away.
“There it is!” Bryce declared and smacked Alex on the back. “Now you just have to hop over and go get it.”
Alex backed away from the railing, his shoulders shuddering and his voice cracking. “But I…I can’t swim.”
The spectators all spit out in various fits of laughter. Bryce literally slapped himself on the knee before he could get a hold of himself. “No worries.” He grabbed a flotation device and tossed it in the general direction of the watch.
“There you go,” snickered Ben.
Laughter erupted in the crowd.
Alex hugged himself with his arms. He had broken out into a panicked sweat. Logan had seen this look before, dozens of times in dozens of towns. Poor Alex had fallen into the trap of being a victim of this alpha over and over again, but this time, he was on the verge of breaking. Tears welled in the lanky boy’s eyes. His grandfather’s watch. If Alex’s grandfather had meant half as much to Alex as Mama Wend meant to Logan, the watch would be worth more to him than just about anything. But if he couldn’t swim, Alex was powerless to recover it.
“I’ll get it.”
Alex’s head shot up and his wide eyes met Logan’s.
Logan was as shocked to hear the words come out of his mouth as Alex was, but he was already pushing his Vans off his feet.
Alex blinked.
The rest of the crowd had grown quiet, but Bryce laughed harder. “You’ll get it? Seriously? Alex put on an act to be your friend just to get you on this boat and now you’re going to get wet for him? What kind of idiot are you?”
Logan pulled his socks off and then his shirt.
An audible gasp went up from several of the girls when he bared his abs. Logan smiled at Bryce’s glare and pushed his shirt and cell phone into Alex’s hands. “Since you spilled beer on it anyway. You can wash it for me.”
“Are you for real?” Bryce leapt to his feet.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Logan said and nodded to the guy with the flashlight. “Keep that on the watch for me, will you?”
The guy nodded and concentrated his beam on the silver gleam.
A light drizzle started, and Logan decided he’d better hurry before the storm really kicked up. With a laugh and two steps forward, Logan leapt over the railing and down into the darkness.

Friday, July 28, 2017

The Opal Blade: Cover Reveal

Title: The Opal Blade
Author: Kristy Nicolle
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Editor: Jaimie Cordall
Publication Date: Oct. 13, 2017
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: When Sephy Sinclair is forced to sign a contract taking over her father’s business empire, she’s not happy. What she doesn’t know though, is that in having her Father’s legacy thrust upon her, she’s about to discover the secret lives of her parents, and most importantly that her lineage is steeped far deeper in ancient myth and magic than she ever anticipated.
Journey, with Sephy, through The Hollow and find yourself among the sinners of Mortaria, The Underworldian City ruled by a council of Gods made mortal. Here, she will seek sanctuary beneath a purple sun and vermillion sky, ruled by Haedes, a man broken beyond repair by an incident far too close to home.
Unfortunately for Sephy, it is Haedes alone who can teach her how to wield her newfound powers. Will he overcome his personal loss in time to save Sephy as she is hunted by the Demon Lords of Ancient, or will Sephy be used as a bargaining chip to bring Mortaria to its knees?
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Kristy Nicolle is a 23 year old writer living in the historically beautiful English city of Norwich. She is a full time writer and a graduate of The University of Lincoln in English literature & language, as well as an avid collector of first editions.
Having penned her first novel length piece at age thirteen, Kristy has been writing daily ever since and is particularly drawn to Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance and Science fiction. Kristy Nicolle's Queens of Fantasy Saga is a collection of 3 trilogies, following the lives of three extraordinary women and their journeys, both personal and fantastical, into three unique but interconnected fantasy worlds. The first trilogy in the saga, 'The Tidal Kiss Trilogy', captures the fantastical underwater world of the Occulta Mirum and its scaly tailed residents as their world, which seemed stable for so long, begins to shift. The Second and Third Trilogies names- The Ashen Touch Trilogy and The Aetherial Embrace Trilogy are currently a work in progress.
Kristy is also an animal lover and has a cat, Mitsy, who she has lovingly dubbed Doctor Moo after harboring the belief that all cats are secretly Time Lords. Kristy's reading preferences are wide, spreading from William Gibson to William Golding and encapsulating multiple genres, though her favorites include Science fiction, Adventure stories and Postmodern narratives such as Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children', and numerous Angela Carter titles.
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Home of Her Heart: Pre-Order Blitz and Giveaway

Title: Home of Her Heart
Author: Shanna Hatfield
Genre: Romance
Editor: Eliza Dee from Clio Editing
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: All he needed was a bride…
Who said anything about falling in love?
     Orphaned at birth and a loner all his life, the last thing Sergeant Klayne Campbell needs is for feisty Delaney Danvers to entangle his thoughts.  Bravely volunteering for a top-secret mission almost certain to get him killed, Klayne can’t bear the thought of dying utterly alone. All he wants is to face death knowing his life meant something to at least one person. Offering Delaney a marriage of convenience, he plans to leave behind a war bride as his beneficiary. After just one night as her husband, Klayne realizes he’ll do anything to survive and return to her.
     The moment she met handsome Sergeant Campbell at a holiday party, Delaney’s whole world shifted off kilter. Full of fun with an unquenchable zest for life, she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. And what she wants is Klayne. When he prepares to join a hazardous mission, she seizes the opportunity to give him a reason to fight his way back home — to her heart.
     A tender, sweet romance rich with history and enduring love, Home of Her Heart captures the era and emotions prevalent during America’s entry into World War II.
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with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Romance Writers of America, Sweet Romance Reads, Cowboy Kisses, and Pioneer Hearts.
Author Links:
Buy Link: Garden of Her Heart: http://amzn.to/2cVw4ED
Home of Her Heart (Pre-Order): http://amzn.to/2v0ZdX7
Delaney gazed at the ring, holding it up so it caught the afternoon sun streaming in the window behind her. A sunbeam refracted in the diamond, sending splinters of luminescent light dancing on the wall near the fireplace. She released a long breath then pinned Klayne with an angry glare.
     “How could you? How could you buy the most perfect ring I’ve ever clapped my eyes on and ask to marry me with such a pathetic, stupid, horrid proposal. No, I won’t marry you just so you can go off and get yourself killed. Don’t be an idiot!” The length of several heartbeats passed as she glowered at him. His eager look of expectation wilted into one of wounded surprise.
     Finally, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, softening her harsh tone. “If you can come up with a better, more compelling, convincing reason for me to marry you, I might change my answer.”

Thursday, July 27, 2017

In the Fading Light: Sale Blitz!

Title: In the Fading Light
Author: Tara Brown
Genre: YA Fantasy
Blurb:
This isn’t the story I wish it were.
It isn’t a love story.
It isn’t anything close to love.
I am sorry for that.
Please try to see the light in the dark.
Because it is there, hidden and frightened it will always be overshadowed.
In the fading light of dawn, Estelle feels the magic set upon her, changing her, allowing her eyes to meet his for the briefest of moments.
Where fingers cannot grasp and lips cannot meet, love still somehow grows.
But what is love if it is based on lies?
Cursed by a creature of legends, Estelle and her love Edmond must find a way to free themselves so they may be together finally.
Of course, not everything is as it seems. In fact, very little is.
From the madness in the monastery of the Silent Brothers to the bedroom in the rolling hills where her sister died, Estelle finds herself on a mission for redemption and revenge.
Dressed as a pleasure house whore, she must find a way to repay the blood debt owed to each of her siblings before she can ever escape the curse and rule her lands.
Unfortunately she discovers each tale she is told is a lie.
For every bit of truth there is a side she is not told.
Prepare yourself for the fantasy ride you have been waiting for.
Tara Brown weaves a tale meant to mess with your mind and leave you breathless.
If you loved Vengeance or The Roses, you will find yourself pulled in, desperately lost, and left broken with this one as well.
This is a standalone fantasy novel, mature readers recommended.
I believe growing up in a really small town gives a person a little advantage when it comes to the imagination. You need one or you go mad.
Needless to say, mine saved me. After it got me into trouble first, that is. That's the problem with a vivid imagination, all the lies you tell.
I am happily married with two daughters.
I have two giant dogs, two savage cats, and a penchant for a glass of red.
Also, I drag my bread through the sauce. I can't help myself, bread is life.
According to my age, I am meant to be a responsible adult, but it isn't going well at all. I would still head off to Hogwarts tomorrow and I suspect there isn't a single wardrobe I haven't crept into, hoping to find the door to Narnia. And don't even get me started on the King's Road, I get lost.
Fortunately, I am an international bestseller so I have wormed my way into a quirky or eccentric category.
Thank God for that.
I am represented by Natalie Lakosil from the Bradford Literary Agency and am published traditionally with Montlake Romance.
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Faith in Sweetwater County: Cover Reveal!

Title: Faith in Sweetwater County
Author: Ciara Knight
Genre: Sweet Romance
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Blurb:
Cline Grant, a man with a checkered past turned preacher has dedicated the last ten years of his life to making up for past sins. But when he is faced with removing a young girl from her abusive uncle he must face the calling he never expected. He escapes with the young girl to the safety of a small town until a beautiful and dedicated social worker asks too many questions, questions that put his faith to the ultimate test.
Kinley Stafford refuses to accept the new preacher’s credentials as a father because he claims to be a man of faith, not after she failed to protect a boy only months earlier from a dead-beat dad. And when the preacher’s little girl runs away, Kinley makes it her personal mission to expose whatever secrets Preacher Cline is hiding.
Ciara Knight writes with a ‘Little Edge and a Lot of Heart’ with her contemporary and paranormal romance books. Her most recent #1 Amazon bestselling series, Sweetwater County, has topped the charts and received acclaimed reviews. Her international best-seller, Pendulum scored 4 stars from RT Book Reviews, accolades from InD’Tale Magazine and Night Owl Top Pick. Her young adult paranormal series, Battle for Souls, received 5 stars from Paranormal Romance Guild and Night Owl’s Top Pick, among other praises.
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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Malefica: Book Blitz!

Title: Malefica
Author: Katie H. Weill
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Satin & Stone
Cover Designer: Dark City Designs
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Blurb:
Claudia Matthews turns 18 tomorrow – as long as she can make it through the first day of classes at Oakley High School. It’s more than her inherent strangeness that keeps her from fitting in. Her ill-tempered service dog, Luca, isn’t winning her friends and her class schedule is even less welcoming, dropping her into the government- mandated, “The History of Witches”.
They are real, she's been told. They are powerful, and evil – yet Claudia wants to know if that's actually a universal truth. Are all witches really that bad?
When a mysterious gift appears, dark secrets are cast into the light, and the world as she knows it may change forever. Now armed with questions, Claudia will need to figure out if it's truly worth finding the truth when textbooks don’t hold all the answers. Drawn into a world of hidden covens and regulated magic, she may learn more than she bargained for. Now Claudia has to fight the lure of power and a temptation much more passionate…or lose herself to both. The truth could set her free… or damn her forever.
Katie H. Weill is the descendant of a witch - descendant of Ann Pudeator, a wealthy woman in her seventies who did nothing but care for others, and one of the last women accused and executed in Salem, Massachusetts. Katie was inspired by the hard fought findings of her Aunt to create a story that started with a sprinkle of history and unraveled a tale from there. With her husband and her rescued dog at her side she is enthralled by the idea of creating new stories and worlds and looks forward to sharing them with the world. Ann Pudeator was exonerated in 1957 by the Massachusetts General Court of all charges.
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She could turn the demon over, and she could find out about her father…
                “Can I help you?” A skinny cop in uniform sat, bleary-eyed, and clutching a giant cup of coffee between his two hands as he shivered against the cold which drifted in through the briefly open door.
                “I need to speak to,” she paused; who did she ask for?
                Claudia reached up once again to brush her fingers over her eyes as if that would help clear the haze from her mind, and felt her brows furrow down as the name of the department her father worked for came to her.
                “Someone in the Department of Occult Enforcement.” She lowered her hands as the officer slowly lowered his cup to the desk, his eyes widening.
                “T-this is just a local P.D. miss,” he extended his hand, pressing a button firmly on the phone on the desk, picking up the receiver while never looking away from her. “But I’ll get you my superior,” he was already starting to mumble, and when he spoke into the phone, it was a blur of words her tired brain didn’t feel like deciphering.
                “Thank you,” Claudia had considered turning to sit down in one of the chairs, but the slap of shoes on the linoleum brought her attention to a door off to the right that swung open, and she watched a large man in a suit and undone tie step forward. Instant recognition crossed his face, and his hand snapped towards his side arm.
                ‘Run,’ her mind whispered, but she couldn’t make herself head for the door.
                Her feet felt rooted to the spot as if the ivy from outside had curled up around her ankles and held her in place; the perfect target for a full clip of bullets. “I’m Claudia Matthews,” tears clogged her throat suddenly as she watched him, voice thick, tired and desperate. “And I really need your help.” She managed and then her knees buckled in their exhaustion, sending her tumbling to the floor.
 
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