Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts

Monday, December 16, 2013

Excerpt & Giveaway ~*~ Atlas by Becca C. Smith




Genre: Urban Fantasy
 Publisher: Red Frog Publishing
 Date of Publication: 11/14/13


Book Description:

Kala Hicks is part of a covert elite military team that answers directly to the President of the United States. But during an emergency mission aboard Air Force One, Kala is shocked to discover that the real threat is none other than the President himself. Defying her commanding officer, Jack Norbin, Kala takes the shot, and her life changes forever.

The moment the President is killed, a supernatural force speaks to Kala, telling her that she has to commit one act of atrocity every four days… or the world will end. Thrown into a reality she never could have imagined, Kala faces off with creatures of legend; from demons determined to make her fail and plunge the Earth into chaos, to angels who don’t trust her to do the job and are willing to kill her to claim it for themselves.

Pitted against the forces of good and evil, Kala must choose whether to save the world by doing the unthinkable, or sit back and let it burn. And four days later, she’ll have to do it again.

Excerpt End of Chapter 3:

Very carefully, Jack opened the door that led to the President’s office.
What awaited them was terrifying.
President Jareth Wilton stood behind his desk. He was wearing a vest that held five grey bars of C-4 wired into a bomb. Wilton was a tall man, well over six feet with stark black hair and a long face. He was a young President, only fifty years old, but he looked like he’d aged twenty years since the last time Kala had seen him at a press conference, with dark rings under his eyes and worry lines on his forehead.
But his smile was what made the scene surreal and horrific. His thin lips were grinning as if he’d just climbed Mt. Everest.
President Wilton stared directly at Jack as the door swung open the rest of the way. “I figured it out! I figured out how to break it! No one will ever have to do what I’ve had to do again! Do you realize what this means?”
Kala knew then and there that the man was cracked. Figured what out? Break what? He was rambling like a mad man.
But the more frightening moment came when Jack responded back to Wilton. “Killing yourself is impossible. People have tried that in the past.”
Not only was President Wilton talking crazy, but apparently Jack knew his language and was responding accordingly.
Kala noticed that Wilton’s eyes lit up when Jack spoke. “You’re the one they sent to replace me.”
Jack nodded.
What? Kala was seriously confused.            
Kala spoke up, “What’s going on Jack?”
Replace him for what?
Jack didn’t acknowledge Kala or the rest of the team, which was shifting uncomfortably behind him.
Wilton shook his head, serious. “You can’t do it. You have to let me detonate this bomb. We have to crash the plane! It’s the only way to stop it!”
“You can’t stop it!” Jack yelled back.
“I can and I will!” Wilton talked into an earpiece. “NOW!”
The plane nose-dived.
Everyone jolted forward and stumbled from the force of it.
Jack barked orders, “Lali get up to the Flight Deck and by any means necessary take over this plane!”
Lali paused for a second, she looked more confused than Kala felt, but after a moment to gain her bearings as the plane was falling fast, she managed to high-tail it out of the room and up to the Flight Deck.
Kala was sure they’d hit ground at any moment.
Jack aimed his gun at the President’s head.
Wilton was frantic. He ducked behind his large oak desk that was bolted to the ground.
“You can’t kill me! You’ll ruin everything!” Wilton yelled.
Jack turned to Kala and Derek. “No one shoots him but me!”
Kala kind of nodded, but she was in shock at the fact that they were about to flatten a part of the capital with Air Force One. She really didn’t care what Jack was saying. She couldn’t let President Wilton set off that bomb and kill thousands.
Jack shot at the desk, trying to hit the president, but he didn’t come close.
Only Kala could make a shot like that and not get them all killed from shooting a hole through the plane.
Kala and Derek made eye contact. Kala could tell Derek was thinking the same thing. He whispered so only Kala could hear, “Do it.”
Kala’s nod was barely perceptible.
Jack saw her and his eyes went wide. “Kala STOP!”
Kala shrugged. “I can’t let him do this, Jack. I’m sorry.”
Only the top of Wilton’s head was showing.
It was enough.
      Kala took her shot.

Buy Links ~
Amazon   Kindle   B&N  


About the Author:

Becca C. Smith received her Film degree from Full Sail University and has worked in the Film and Television industry for most of her adult life. In 2010 Becca published her first novel, Riser followed by the sequel, Reaper, in 2011, and the finale, Ripper in 2013. In 2012 Becca wrote the children’s novel Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale’s Treasure. She is also the co-author of the teen graphic novel Ghost Whisperer: The Haunted.

Becca currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, Stephan and their two cats Jack and Duke.












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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Guest Post & Giveaway ~*~ Scorched Treachery by Rebecca L. Ethington



Top 10 Favorite Books and Why

1.  Angela’s Ashes – I found this book when I was in high school, I picked it up at a bookstore when on a church trip. I thought it looked good, but in some weird way, I saw my life mirrored in it. I have had a hard life growing up, and reading about another’s trials, and knowing that he made it through, and that I wasn’t alone was very big difference in my life.
2. Playing the Jack Before e-readers I frequented a library about twice a week. I devoured books and I got to the point that I was just pulling books off of the shelf in the hopes that they were good. That was how I found this book. And I love it. It has been out of print for about twenty years, but I really believe that it deserves to see the light of day again. It was my first foray into historical fiction and probably put the idea of writing back into my mind.
3. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – This book was my first introduction into chapter books in second grade, at least the first book that I remember. I guess it made that much of an impact on me that it erased the memory of all previous chapter books. I love the humor and the craziness. I think this was the first time that I realized that I could get lost in a book. That feeling is so addicting.
4. MacBeth I was in sixth grade and my school was putting on a Shakespearean festival, the play of choice was MacBeth – The Scottish Play – and I was determined to be cast as the lead. I memorized that monologue and climbed out a window to audition (I wasn’t allowed to audition) and snagged the lead. This may just seem like another bond with a show I had once performed; but it is so much more than that. This play was my first experience with Shakespeare. I think everyone remembers their first introduction to Shakespeare, be it good or bad. For me I remember how the words fell into my mind and stayed there, lingering to create worlds and images that I could only dream about. To me, Shakespeare was a magician.
5. Alice in Wonderland – When I was in third grade my teacher Ms. Flowers was in charge of the school play. And that year it was Alice in Wonderland. I was ecstatic. I devoured the book, twice, before auditions. Prepared a one line ‘monologue’ and was cast with the fifth graders as the Iris in the Flower garden. I read the book several times since then and when my first daughter was born I proudly named her Alice. I probably love Alice in Wonderland more for nostalgia sake. But I still love it.
7. Wizard of Oz – Everyone has a first book love, the book your parents read to you at night. This was mine.
8. Significance- Significance was my first introduction to indy publishing. My husband got me a Kindle for Christmas – he saved all year and so I was limited. If I remember the book was free or at .99 I bought it, and gobbled it up. I loved it, but what was more it put in the back of my head and when my sister dared me to publish Kiss of Fire, I knew what I was going to do.
9. The Sea of Tranquility – Not many recent reads are on this list – but this one definitely deserves to make it. It was so well written and well thought out. I think I read it twice, right in succession my desire to devour it was the high. I still recommend it to everyone.

10. I’m torn between something religious or a book that truly made my life better for number 10. I am not sure which one fits, so I will leave you with something I heard two nine year old discussing during a rehearsal in the late 90s. I’m not sure what book they were talking about but one small child said to the other “You should read it. That book changed my life.” I laughed at the time. But, even at ten books changed my life too.


Scorched Treachery by Rebecca L. Ethington
Series: Imdalind #3
Publication date: July 12th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:
While Joclyn is trapped in the tormenting hell of Cail’s mind, the battle around her only continues to grow and spread.
*
Edmund has infiltrated the underground hallways of Prague, guiding the massacre that would end the lives of the last of the great magical race. In her attempts to stop him, Wynifred has been captured and her magic restrained. Chained up in the ancient dungeons of Prague, her fate is left in the hands of her father, who has tried to kill her before.
With Ryland’s screams and Sain’s fragmented sights as her only company, Wyn must rely on something that has been hidden deep inside of her for centuries to help them break free.
*
Ilyan’s whole life has been building up to one purpose. Protect the Silnỳ. He knows what he must do, and he has no doubt in his ability to do so. But when his father’s magic removes Joclyn’s mind from her body, he is left protecting the shell of the one person he loves. Desperate to find a way to break her free of her prison, he makes a choice. And that one choice changes everything.
Now, Ilyan finds himself bound to Joclyn in a way that he never knew to be possible.
They say that blood is thicker than water, but Black Water burns, and Ilyan’s heart may not be strong enough to keep it pumping through his veins and give the girl he loves back into his brother’s care.
Even if he can, it may not be safe to do so.

Scorched Treachery is the third book in The Imdalind Series

Clean Young-Adult Paranormal Romance
Language: Low
Violence: Moderate
Sexual Content: Low to None

Goodreads  

Buy Links ~*~
--Amazon   ~    B&N 

Author Bio ~*~
Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter





~*~ Giveaway ~*~
Comment to win your choice of eBook 1, 2 or 3 + a swag pack from Rebecca!  
Winner will be selected by random.org on August 23. 
 Prize will be sent the week of August 26th.



Thursday, July 25, 2013

Promo & Excerpt ~*~ Copper Girl by Jennifer Allis Provost


Title: Copper Girl
Author: Jennifer Allis Provost
Series: Copper Legacy
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Spence City
Release Date: June 25 2013


Blurb/Synopsis:
 Sara had always been careful.
She never spoke of magic, never associated with those suspected of handling magic, never thought of magic, and never, ever, let anyone see her mark. After all, the last thing she wanted was to end up missing, like her father and brother.
Then, a silver elf pushed his way into Sara's dream, and her life became anything but ordinary.


Book Trailer


Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE, Part I


It seemed like a good idea at the time.
My office, like most modern offices, cranked the air conditioning down to Arctic proportions during the summer months. Consequently, we workers arrived in the morning dressed in sandals and sleeveless tops, donned heavy sweaters upon reaching our desks, and ended up shivering by noon. Ironically, when our workday ended we were hit by a wall of oppressive heat the moment we stepped outside the main doors. No, this wasn’t a flawed system in the slightest.
That day, I wasn’t having it. I had the grand idea of spending my lunch hour outside, away from the icy wind stiffening my fingers and chilling my neck. After I unwound myself from the afghan I kept in my desk (and only used in the summer months), I gathered up my lunch and my phone and headed out for an impromptu picnic in my car.
What I hadn’t considered was that the office runs the air conditioning so cold because it was, well, hot outside. Very hot, in fact. So hot that the cheese was melting in my sandwich and the lettuce looked like something that had washed ashore months, maybe even years, ago. I was parked in the shade and had taken down my car’s convertible top, but I still couldn’t manage to get comfortable. I’d already shed my sandals and cardigan, which left me wearing my sundress and…
Dare I?
I glanced around the parking lot of Real Estate Evaluation Services, the ‘go-to firm for all your commercial real estate needs’, according to the brochures. No one, human or drone, was taking a noontime stroll, and, by virtue of my being on the far side of the lot, no cars were near mine. Most of my coworkers didn’t even have cars, so the lot was rarely more than half-full. What was more, from where I sat, I couldn’t even see the office.
I dared.
I took a deep breath and channeled my inner wild woman, then leaned the seat back and slipped off my panties. Removing that small bit of cotton made an incredible difference, and the heat became somewhat bearable. Enjoyable, even. Was that a breeze?
Ignoring my decrepit sandwich, I fully reclined the seat, set the alarm on my phone, and closed my eyes. A nap. Now that would make today bearable.
***
Suddenly, he is there.
Here.
Kissing me, holding me.
I know I'm dreaming, because he's perfect. His lips are soft but insistent, his hands gentle. I glide my fingers across his back, feeling thick cords of muscle, before sinking my fingers into his hair. It’s superfine, like cobwebs, and when I crack an eyelid, I learn that it’s silver. Not gray or white, but the elegant hue of antique candlesticks and fine flatware. Cool.
I squeeze my eyes shut again, not wanting the dream to end any sooner than it has to. He kisses me once more, and I can’t help melting against him. His hand travels up my leg, up past my hip… shit! No panties!
I try twisting away, but he already knows. I feel his mouth stretch into a smile, and he moves to nuzzle my neck. "What’s your name?" he murmurs.
"Sara," I reply. "Yours?"
"Micah." By now, his hands have traveled to my waist, and he slides one around to stroke the small of my back. "Why did you summon me, Sara?"
"I didn’t," I protest. "I don’t know how." I would say more, but he nibbles a trail from my neck to my shoulder, and pushes my dress to the side. As for me, I let him.
Micah raises his head, and I get a good look at him for the first time. His eyes are large and dark gray, like thunderheads, his features chiseled into warm caramel skin, and his unruly mop of silver hair seems to float around his head. He wears an odd, buff-colored leather shirt, made all the odder in this heat, and matching leather pants and boots. Boots?
"You did summon me," he insists. "My Sara, you must tell me why."
"Does it matter?" I ask. I pull him back to me, kissing him with all the passion I’ve never felt with anyone during my waking hours. Micah kisses me back, fingers deftly unbuttoning my dress while his other hand rubs my lower back. I’ve never felt so free, so alive as I do in Micah’s embrace, and I have no intention of rushing this. None at all.


Author Info ~*~
Jennifer Allis Provost is a native New Englander who lives in a sprawling colonial along with her beautiful and precocious twins, a dog, a parrot, two cats, and a wonderful husband who never forgets to buy ice cream. As a child, she read anything and everything she could get her hands on, including a set of encyclopedias, but fantasy was always her favorite. She spends her days drinking vast amounts of coffee, arguing with her computer, and avoiding any and all domestic behavior.


Author Links 

Blog   |   Facebook   |   Goodreads
Twitter   |    Website   |     Book Trailer

Book Links 




Monday, July 8, 2013

Review & Giveaway ~*~ The Cat's Meow by Stacey Kennedy



Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 256 pages


Amazon   Goodreads      BN     Kobo     iTunes

Blurb ~*~

When a magical presence is detected around a recent string of feline slayings, Libby, an enchantress, is determined to discover who is behind the odd deaths. But being a witch gifted by the Goddess won’t protect her from the talented warlock the Coven sends to assist her. Kale weaves a spell more powerful than any she’s ever seen–and he’s sexy as sin. But why he’s even needed for such a simple mission is beyond her.

While having some muscle around can’t hurt her investigation, fighting her growing attraction for Kale is worse than a hex, especially considering she knows he—and their Coven—are hiding something from her. When she turns up clues that point to something far more sinister than slaughtered cats, though, the elusive warlock isn’t the her only concern. She now has a political rebellion on her hands, too. And when the truth about who she really is begins to surface, the only person Libby can trust is herself.

Excerpt ~*~

Click Here to read Chapter One

4 Star Review ~*~
Okay, as most of you are aware, I am a big fan of Stacey Kennedy's and have really enjoyed all her books to date.  The Cat's Meow is probably my least favorite so far, but I still enjoyed it.  I love stories with witches and magic so I was really excited to read it.  I can't put my finger on exactly what didn't work for me, but something was lacking enough that it didn't rate 5 stars, but not lacking so much that I would give it less than 4 stars.

Libby was an interesting character. Less than perfect ~ which is a nice change ~, a bit mouthy, witty, and still a strong and capable woman who cares for her friends. Kale, while seXy and intriguing, really felt like an unknown at times because he keeps a lot of secrets from Libby for awhile.  Things come together in the end, which is a little predictable yet still enjoyable.

Overall, I am looking forward to whatever else Stacey Kennedy might be bringing us as her voice and style are unique with each series as the characters take over.  If you like witches, magic, and intrigue, definitely pick up The Cat's Meow and let the wild ride commence.  It's a fun story that while I can't rave at 5 stars, I didn't want to end.

Review copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review

About the Author:
Stacey Kennedy is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones.

Website - http://www.staceykennedy.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AuthorStaceyKennedy

Facebook Fan Page - www.facebook.com/StaceyKennedyFanPage

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/Stacey_Kennedy

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3473046.Stacey_Kennedy

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