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Monday, April 29, 2013

Spotlight and Giveaway - The Sacrificed by Jordan Link

Genre: YA Fantasy
Release: May 6, 2013
Length: 56,000 words
Publisher: Entranced Publishing

Book Description:
Emerald Hayden lives in the City of Centsia, a half-winged among the other walkers. She has no family, friends, or food: only a grim future filled with tiresome labor in the upper level’s factories.

But everything changes when she meets Dusk, a winged from the place that she previously scorned. He opens her eyes to a new possibility: the possibility of the unity of winged and walkers, of freedom, and of love.

Together, they decide to challenge the upper level’s supreme, winged council. But when a friend betrays them, they must choose whether to sacrifice their beliefs and save their own lives, or to remain along the thin line that divides the city in two. Success could mean liberty; failure, death.

Excerpt:
Slowly, ever so slowly, she dropped to her knees and peered around the corner.

There was a winged boy standing there, muttering something to a few walkers. It was impossible to distinguish the color of his eyes, or even his expression from her sheltered position, but his features were still rather shocking. His hair was a creamy white, a pigment that Emerald had only ever seen on the heads of other winged. His skin was pasty and faded. She wondered between pounding heartbeats how the winged remained so pale when they spent so many days in the sky above Centsia, arcing near the curve of the sun and circling back around again as they went to and from their duties. The boy’s wings, however, were by far his most striking feature. The feathers seemed to form intricate pictures as they fluttered in the midnight breeze. Emerald continued to stare as the boy withdrew something from his pocket.

It was bread.



About the Author:
Jordan Link is currently contracted with Entranced Publishing for her novel "The Sacrificed", which will be released on May 6, 2013. She won first place in Jack L. Chalker's Young Writers Contest of 2012 for her short story “The Bubble”, and attended Balticon 46 last year. She earned an honorable mention on December 3rd for the Young Voices Foundation Short Story Contest and will be published in their anthology "Oh, the Stories They Tell!" which will be available on Amazon. Her early love of reading inspired an equivalent passion towards writing, and she plans to continue doing so.

Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter


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K x

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Guest Post - Elsker by S. T. Bend

Today I'd like to welcome Author S. T. Bend to my blog. She's here to tell us a little bit about her upcoming release, Elsker, and her characters.

The Cast of Elsker
Thanks so much for letting me visit today. As a debut author, it’s been amazing to be embraced by such a lovely group of bloggers. Y’all have made me feel so welcome!

Elsker, Book One in The Elsker Saga, follows twenty-year-old Kristia Tostenson as she leaves her small town to find adventure at Cardiff University in Wales. Kristia gets a lot more than she bargained for when she falls in love with Ull Myhr. He’s not just a graduate student—he’s an Asgardian Assassin and the Norse God of Winter. Kristia’s orderly life is about to get seriously complicated.

I’m madly in love with my cast of characters, and I’m beyond excited to introduce you to them. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Ull – An Asgardian Assassin and Norse God of Winter. Ull’s taking a break from Asgard by enrolling at Cardiff with his two best friends, Gunnar and Inga. When he’s not moonlighting as a graduate student or fulfilling his god duties, he’s doing typical guy things with Gunnar. He’s stubborn, stoic, and ridiculously good-looking. (If you’re into the 6’5” muscular blonde type.) I’m a teensy bit in love with him.
Theme Song: It’s Time, by Imagine Dragons
Thing we have in common: We both love Olaug’s Norwegian waffles. (See Olaug, below.)

Kristia – A twenty-year-old college student from a one-stoplight town. Kristia values family (she wears her grandmother’s necklace every day), art (she’s hoping to land a job as a junior curator), and good manners (she’s read Emily Post cover to cover). It’s fun to watch her world turn upside down when she meets Ull.
Theme song: Brighter Than The Sun, by Colbie Callait
Thing we have in common: Kristia and I have the same favorite play, Much Ado About Nothing. Yep, I’m super excited for the Joss Wheldon movie. Send me a tweet if you want to talk about why Benedick is awesome.

Olaug
– Ull’s sort-of-grandma, she follows her boy from Asgard to look after him. She’s everything you’d think a grandma would be—sweet, nurturing, an excellent cook and keeper of the world’s best Norsk waffle recipe. But she’s also an immortal goddess with a whole lot of sass.
Theme Song: Ja Vi Elsker, the Norwegian National Anthem. Because nothing says patriotism like a lady baking waffles.
Thing we have in common: Hello. The waffles. If you haven’t already guessed, they’re my absolute favorite food. Ever.

Inga – A Norse goddess and one of Ull’s best friends. She’s a fierce fencer, fabulous dresser, and queen of the kitchen. She likes to say that Odin forgot to give her the title of Domestic Goddess, and she’d do anything to get her hands on Olaug’s waffle recipe. She doesn’t realize I give it away at the end of Elsker, so be sure to read until the very last page! Then let me know if you prefer your Norsk waffles served with tart jam or Nutella. Mmm, Nutella…
Theme Song: We Are Young, by Fun.
Thing we have in common: Inga and I are both huge IndyCar fans. Though while Inga usually roots for Ryan Hunter-Reay, I divide my loyalties between Ryan and Helio Castroneves.

Book Title: Elsker
Series Title: The Elsker Saga
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Word count: 61,000 words
Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Blush

Book Description:
Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting. He’s an honest-to-goodness Norse God — an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.

Her orderly life just got very messy.



Author Bio:
Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired The Elsker Saga. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.

You can follow ST Bende on Twitter @stbende, or send an e-mail to stbende(at)gmail(dot)com
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest

The Elsker Saga is available now from Entranced Publishing. 
Tur, the prequel, can be downloaded for FREE
Elsker, Book 1, is available from Entranced, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

K x

Thursday, April 25, 2013

We Will Remember Them - ANZAC Day 2013

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

ANZAC Poppies

Lest we forget

K x


Tuesday, April 23, 2013

COVER REVEAL Sacrifice - A Fall For Me Prequel

The day has finally come for the cover of Sacrifice to be released into the world. I'm very excited about this project, and I can't wait to get it out there for my readers.

Make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of this post for your chance to win an Amazon gift card.

And now, check out the awesomeness of Sacrifice.



Title: Sacrifice - A Fall For Me Prequel
Series: The Tate Chronicles #0.5
Word Count: 21,000
Tentative Release Date: May 27th 2013

You can add Sacrifice to your TBR on Goodreads

Book Blurb:
Seth’s heart is breaking. He knows his decision will hurt the one person he keeps breathing for, but he can’t take it anymore. He can’t be near Grace knowing she will always be just out of reach.

Grace is oblivious to Seth’s turmoil. She loves him unconditionally, but not in the way he wants. They both know that in Heaven physical love is forbidden, and to break the rules is to defy everything they’ve ever been taught.

When Grace and Seth are sent on a mission to save a young mother and her unborn child, Grace must face the fact that Seth won’t be returning home. She doesn’t understand Seth’s decision and hates him for it. But what neither of them realise is how big a part that single decision will play in shaping their entire future.

What would you sacrifice for the one you love?




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Goodluck!
K x

Monday, April 22, 2013

COVER REVEAL - The Return by Nicole R. Taylor

Today I'm excited to be part of the cover reveal for Nicole R. Taylor's next book, The Return. Feast your eyes then go and add it to your TBR along with the first installment of the series, The Witch Hunter.


Title: The Return (#2 in the Witch Hunter Saga)
Author: Nicole R. Taylor
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Age group: New Adult/Adult (17+ some language and violent situations)

Synopsis:
I've wandered my afterlife believing that I was the monster my maker told me I was. It was the only thing I knew. Not even my brother, Sam, could convince me otherwise.

Not until her. Not until Aya. She walked into my life like a hurricane of destruction and nothing would ever be the same again. None of us could have known what would happen next. What fate had in store...


I finally grew a heart, only to have it ripped out.


Now, I will stop at nothing for revenge.


Zac's afterlife is just going from bad to worse. He grew a heart only to have it torn out by the founding vampire, Arturius.

Nobody is sure what he wants, but Zac doesn't want to know. He's more interested in finding a way to end him for good. But, it might just be that he's after Gabby, who's harbouring a secret of her own, one that Arturius would do anything for.

Aya's past will come back to haunt Zac in ways he never thought possible and what he finds out will alter everything he ever knew about her. He will uncover a deadly secret that should have remained buried. A secret Aya has fought to keep for thousands of years. One she has killed for.

In the end, who's secrets will betray them to the one man who wants them all dead? Aya's or Zac's?

They'll need to figure it out sooner rather than later, because death is not an option.

The Witch Hunter on Goodreads | The Return on Goodreads



Author Bio:
Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian born paranormal, fantasy and contemporary fiction author. She is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser.

She currently lives in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia with a two year old rescue cat named, Burger. She enjoys reading, writing (of course!), traveling and a little too much chocolate. One day she hopes to sky dive, but has to work up the courage first.

The first in her new paranormal fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga is available in e-edition and print from March 20th 2013

Author links:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

K x 

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Love is a Magical Thing

For a long time I’ve wanted to write a blog post about insta-love, and that other YA trope, the love triangle.

WARNING: Fall For Me contains both these elements.

I’ll start with the love triangle.

When I first set out to write Fall For Me, I actually didn’t want it to have a love triangle. At the time I thought it was something that had outstayed its welcome in YA books. A lot of readers probably think this is still so. But… I ended up having no control over it.

Any author who is a pantser (and even some plotters) will know exactly what I mean when I say that my characters just took over the story. To me, they are real people, and Fall For Me ended up being the story they wanted to tell. I didn’t fight it, I just went with it.

In my opinion, the love triangle is a good way to create conflict. What teenage girl wouldn’t want two guys vying for her attention? Good conflict will then hopefully lead to a good resolution. It’s an open slather to lay emotions on the table, and I love being given the opportunity to decide for myself whose team to barrack for. I also love getting caught up in all that teenage angst.

I was even involved in my own teenage love triangle which resulted in me marrying my husband seven years later.

Now, for the insta-love.

Love at first sight has been used in literature for a very long time. Romeo and Juliet springs instantly to mind.


ROMEO AND JULIET, Leonardo Di Caprio, Claire Danes, 1996, TM & Copyright (c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.

Some readers detest the notion of insta-love, arguing that it couldn’t be anything more than lust, or just a way to get two characters to like each other quickly. Well, I would have to disagree. We are all different, and that’s what makes the world an exciting and diverse place to live. What works for some, doesn’t work for others. How I think is different to the way my best friend thinks. What makes her interested in someone doesn’t necessarily work for me. Insta-love is definitely not for everyone.

If it weren’t for the notion of love at first sight I would never have married my husband. The day I met him I was instantly attracted to him. I was a few months shy of my seventeenth birthday. Within a week I knew I wanted to be with him (at the expense of my boyfriend at the time). As soon as we officially started dating I knew he was the man I would marry. We dated for seven years and have been married for ten. I have a hard time not believing in love at first sight.

Some would agree with me, and some would argue against insta-love. That’s fine because as I said, we are all different, and we are also entitled to our opinions.

Love is a magical thing. If it comes at us like a tornado and it’s scary and blows us away, who’s to say it’s any less valid than love that grows slowly over time? We are lucky if we have love in any way, shape, or form.

I particularly love this post by Amy Plum who is one of my favourite authors. 

What do you think? Do you enjoy reading books containing love triangles and insta-love?

K x

Thursday, April 18, 2013

COVER REVEAL - KIYA by Katie Hamstead

Today I'm excited to share with you the cover for Katie Hamstead's novel KIYA Hope of the Pharaoh. Katie is a fellow Aussie Owned and Read blogger, and the excitement about her upcoming release has been bouncing around my email inbox for a few weeks now. Make sure you head over to Goodreads and add it to your TBR.



Title: KIYA Hope of the Pharaoh
Expected publication: April 30th 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press
Format: eBook and paperback

Book Description:To save her younger sisters from being taken to the cruel life of the palace, Naomi intervenes and gives herself to be a wife of the erratic Pharaoh Akhenaten.

In the palace, Naomi finds herself thrust into the intrigues of the royal family, and has her name changed to Kiya. She becomes beloved by the Pharaoh, who declares that she will bear him his heir. But the Great Queen Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Naomi and even brings her fidelity into question, which could cost Naomi her very life.

Naomi must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. And if she does bear an heir, she will have to fight to protect him as well as herself from Nefertiti who is out for blood.

About the Author: 
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.

Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

Stalking Links:
Website | twitter | Facebook

K x

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Indie Life - A Train Ride, Toasted Sandwiches and Good Conversation


Welcome to my Indie Life post for April. This is a monthly feature posted on the second Wednesday of the month and hosted by the Indelibles. The aim is to promote, encourage, and support indie authors.

Today I'd like to tell you about my first trip on a train in a very long time. I have no reason to catch the train. I work in an area I can drive to with parking available. My kids go to school around the corner and we walk, or drive when it's raining (or I'm being lazy). So, when I organised to go to the city to meet a fellow Indie author, I was not only excited to be meeting with her, I was also excited to be travelling on public transport. (I knowI'm weird!)

The downside was the rail system decided to throw a rather large spanner at me, and the trip that should have taken an hour actually took an hour and a half. The trip home was worse, taking two hours and three trains.

Anyway, I got to have an early lunch with fellow Sydney-sider and Indie author, Dionne Lister. Dionne has self-published two fantasy novels and a book of short stories and I was really excited about my opportunity to chew her ear off about so many things.

We talked, we laughed, we exchanged books, and I had a fantastic time. So much so I didn't want to go home. There were so many other things we could have talked about, and so many questions I wish I'd asked her.

Until I met with Dionne, I've felt somewhat alone in the Indie publishing world. Don't get me wrong, I've had a tremendous amount of support, and I've made many friends since I decided to embark on this journey, but most of them are overseas, particularly in the States. When the chance came to actually sit down and talk to someone who is doing what I'm doing, jumping over the same hurdles as me, and experiencing the same roller coaster ride that is being an Indie author, I took it.

The train ride may have been hell, but it was so worth it. Plus I had time to read.

Right now the one thing I love about being an Indie is the support and enthusiasm of the people I've met so far. Thank you, Dionne, for making me feel like I'm not alone, and that I can achieve anything!

K x

Monday, April 08, 2013

Enchantment - It's Finally Here!


The much anticipated conclusion to 
Nikki Jefford's Spellbound Trilogy
99c from April 9-11
Snap! your copy up now




Entangled (Spellbound #1)

Now FREE in ebook

Download your complimentary copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, or the Apple iTunes store.



CLICK HERE to visit Nikki's website and enter the giveaway for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

K x

Thursday, April 04, 2013

COVER REVEAL - NORTHERN BITES, Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 2


SUMMARY:

Love bites.

Probation sucks.

Thanks to Dante’s recklessness, Aurora is now partners with Valerie: the redheaded, backstabbing vixen.

Dante is in full flirt mode. Fane’s tactics are far more ruthless. Something carnal has awakened in Aurora and neither boy is helping tame her cravings.

When a member of the unit’s team is found dead, Aurora and Valerie are sent after a vampire in Sitka, but Aurora suspects the killer’s much closer to home.


ADD it at Goodreads.

Expected Release Date: June 27, 2013

On SALE: Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter Vol. 1 is on sale for 99 cents until April 7th for Kindle and Nook.

Enter to WIN: Signed Aurora Sky paperback, Blood Bath cherry scented shower gel, and a Blood Transfusion mason jar with straw (US) or an Aurora Sky ebook, 3 winners (INT). Ends soon!


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New Year's Resolutions - An Update

On January 1st pretty much everyone makes a list of new year's resolutions. So, how many of you have kept them? Or are they something that's already been forgotten about?

I just had a quick look back over mine, and I must admit I'm pretty proud of myself. I've kept almost every single one of my resolutions.

Here they are and how I'm going with them:

1) Write more!
Yes! I have definitely done this, and if you've been keeping up with what I've been doing you'll know that Sacrifice - A Fall For Me Prequel is due to be released by the end of May.

2) Read More
I set myself the challenge to read a book a week in 2013. So far I'm on the mark. Yay me!

3) Listen to my Kids
I'm a lot better at this than I used to be, and I'm making sure they get all the attention they deserve. I love my little people.

4) Disconnect to Reconnect
Ok, this one has been hard. I need Facebook to stay alive (I don't really, but you know what I mean). I'm in a routine where once I get the kids to school, I check my emails in the morning and attend to everything that needs it. Then I do stuff: clean, write, wash, talk to friends, sometimes I even go to work. Then I check emails again once the kids are in bed. Ok, and I also check here and there throughout the day, but no one is watching. The hardest thing is Facebook. I do most of my promoting on Facebook, so to not have it open in the background is difficult. But I'm starting to exhibit the minor symptoms of self-control, which is good.

5) Use my Calendar
I love my calendar. It is beautiful and I love looking at it. Because I love looking at it I am actually writing things on it. What I do need to do now that I'm so busy with new releases, guest blog posts, cover reveals, and another blog tour around the corner, is find a solution for everything to do with my writing schedule. If any of you have ideas I'd love to hear your suggestions. I've tried diaries in the past and I never end up using them.

Please let me know how your resolutions are going. Have you stuck to them, or are you already waiting for next year?

K x