Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Kindle Freebie!--The Sour Orange Derby by Kristina Circelli


Kindle Freebie!

Magic, imagination, family legacies - all come to you in The Sour Orange Derby, a novel that takes readers into the heart of the Standridge family, and the game that holds them together amidst tragedy.

Best of all, The Sour Orange Derby is FREE June 26th-28th for the Kindle! Don't miss out on this great opportunity. 



Synopsis:

One lone tree is all that remains of the cherished Standridge family orange groves, a legacy that goes back as far as the Civil War. But for young Colly Standridge, that solitary tree is at the center of a magical world.

Inspired by real people, The Sour Orange Derby follows the lives of Colly, who dreams of becoming a professional baseball player, and K.B. Standridge, an imaginative old man who spends his days creating stories for his grandchildren to enjoy while searching for a new family legacy – and finds it in his last beloved orange tree.

A story about love and healing steeped in southern traditions, The Sour Orange Derby is a tale of one family joining together to celebrate life and history, and how their last remaining orange tree holds them all together when the young boy’s fight with cancer threatens to tear them apart.

Kristina Circelli, accomplished author of The Helping Hands and The Whisper Legacy series, is proud to take readers on a literary journey into her childhood, offering a glimpse of the magical worlds and imaginative stories created by her beloved grandfather.



Contact Kristina:
Blog: http://anawfullybigadventure-kc.blogspot.com/%3C/div>
Email: mailto:kristina@circelli.info%3C/div>

Hot New Release--Heart of Kylassame by Kristi Strong


This cover rocks my socks!!! I'm pleased to be part of the release of Kristi Strong's second book in what sounds like a great series!

Take it away, Kristi!

They stole your hearts in The Lady of Steinbrekka, now Rhea and Rowan are back!






Book Blurb:


    It has been two years since the reign of the tyrannical King Verikhan has ended, and the realm of Kaldalangra flourishes.

    Nyssa has taken her place as Queen of the realm, with her secret love, Sebast, now openly at her side. She rules with a fair hand, striving for justice and prosperity for all of her people.

    Rowan and Rhea travel the realm, spreading peace and healing wherever they go. In Kylassame, they have formed a strong bond with friends and spread deep roots in the community.

    The people of Kaldalangra are joyful, and life in their world is better than ever before.

    But a string of tragedies has the ability to bring Rhea to her knees, and with her, the entire realm. While Rowan struggles to recover the village of Kylassame from a devastating crime, Rhea’s faith in her own strength weakens, with dire consequences.



Re-enter the world of Kaldalangra, and join the adventure as Rhea and Rowan endeavor to continue upon their chosen destiny.


Heart of Kylassame is available for purchase starting June 26th, on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com



~ * ~ * ~


About the Author


Fixing broken computers, wrangling a very spirited little toddler, and creating a world with mysterious people are all parts of the average day for Kristi Strong.  A graduate of James Madison University, she uses her degree in anthropology and fascination of cultures to draw inspiration for her fantasy novels.

   When not writing or reading, Kristi can be found working on various crochet projects, gardening, or wasting far too much time on Pinterest.









Connect with Kristi





~  * ~ * ~



Do you want to read how it all began? The Lady of Steinbrekka is available for Nook, Kindle, or Paperback. It is also on sale for only $1.99 (for Kindle and Nook) for 1 more week (sale ends June 30!)



Book Blurb


    Rhea Aralia lived an uneventful life in Virginia, until the fateful day of her kidnapping. Taken to a strange realm of destruction, despair, and mysterious people with dark secrets, the young woman must learn a new way of life to survive.

    With the help of her new companions, Rhea discovers the courage to defy the tyrant King Verikhan and his heir, the cleverness to deceive the court, and the power within herself to transform this world of darkness into one of beauty and hope.

    Will Rhea triumph over those who seek her destruction, or will she be forever lost in the darkness known as Kaldalangra?


Where to buy:



What people are saying about The Lady of Steinbrekka



"A fantastic literary journey into another realm. Once you enter the world of Steinbrekka, you won't want to leave." 

The Lady of Steinbrekka, by emerging author Kristi Strong, tells the story of following one’s destiny, and how not all things are as they seem. Love, desperation, evil, mystery, and exciting other-worldly adventures are woven together to form a debut novel that reminds us of the bravery, inspiration, and inner magic that live within us all. 

Amazing!!! The Lady of Steinbrekka transports the reader into another dimension. 

It is an exquisite combination of The Looking Glass Wars meets Graceling entwined with The Last Knight. 

Adults and Teens alike will devour this book enjoying an exciting adventure that surprises and shocks the reader at every turn.


Sunday, June 23, 2013

Cover Love--The Thumbnail Challenge

Hi Gang,

I'm veering away from the freebies because, frankly, I couldn't find any under today's category that had great covers. I found a couple that were $2.99 and under, but where Gods and Goddesses are concerned, there aren't a whole lot of covers that I found mesmerizing, using Amazon's search for Fairytales.

Who doesn't love a good fairytale? I'm sure there are some of you out there that don't, but I love a good, magical story. So which covers made the cut in this search?

Only two, I'm afraid.

I like the colors in this one and the feel of the cover tells me this is likely a romance. I'm not quite in love, though.


This one is rather cool. I like the elements of the cover, although the title should stand out more. The author's name is hidden amongst the tagline, which is pretty good. Can you read it in this size? "Sometimes, even the Gods can't change their fate."


I happen to know there are more books out there about Gods and Goddesses than what showed up in this search, so I tried something else. I searched for Teens Gods and Goddesses and the results were horrible. I did come up with these two.



What I was looking for was Everneath. It's been on my too read, and I'm trying to decide if I want to pay the trad prices for an ebook when I can get a hardcover for cheaper! How does that work? Anyhow, I came up empty, even though I'm pretty sure Hades would count as a God...god of the underworld, anyone? Let's just say I am getting frustrated with this challenge.


Now, that is a beautiful cover. Still, the author's name is minuscule.

I started out wanting to find amazing books with great covers through the genre system look up tools available. Today left me with a few books I might pick up, but I'm still unsure about all of them. Covers are very important to me, and I've been trying to figure out the components that make a great cover.

The Goddess Hunt is a Novella listed at $1.59. I might give that a try to see if I like the story and writing.

How about you, do you know of any great, swoonworthy, God and Goddesses books, because this week, I've come up nearly empty.

Better luck next time, I hope.

Happy Reading, Everyone :)


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Double Cover Reveal--Sweet Oblivion and Sweet Escape



-About the Author-

Bailey Ardisone is a collaboration between two sisters who were born and raised outside of Chicago, Illinois. They combined their creative forces to write the first book in their series, called Sweet Oblivion. Though the name Bailey Ardisone applies to both of them, for the sake of answering questions they will each take on one of the names to make things easier.

The older sister of the two in Bailey Ardisone, has always loved getting lost in books, movies, music, and art. Fantasy is her favorite genre. She gets her love of words from their grandmother who together used to write poems, short stories and even greeting cards. Her biggest goal would be to travel and explore the world. She loves going to the beach, enjoys football sundays, and spending time with friends and family.


The younger sister of the two in Bailey Ardisone, has always held a strong love for anything art related. Whether it be drawing, music, or constantly day-dreaming, her mind never stops imagining wonderful stories and possibilities. She finally got to put some of those ideas to use with her new found love of writing novels. Some other things she is forever obsessed with are Japanese Anime and Manga, animals, traveling, her home city of Chicago and anything in miniature form. One thing she can never get enough of is sleeping/taking naps and sour skittles.


-About Sweet Oblivion-

Sweet Oblivion received a MAKEOVER! We truly hope you enjoy the new cover art!




When two worlds collide, nightmares become reality. And some secrets...are best kept in Oblivion.
...Until there is hope.


Have you ever wanted to forget? Nariella Woodlinn has. Many times. Especially when her already frustrating life gets turned upside down by a mysterious boy who randomly shows up in her small town. And she can’t seem to understand anything about him, despite how much she tries.
Nari hates everything about her life, except for her best friend Rydan, but now that they’ve been separated during their senior year of high school, she has to learn to make new friends without him. When strange, unexplainable phenomena start becoming an every day part of her life, Nari struggles to come to grips with reality. And with love.
~
Naminé has responsibilities. Duties. It is her obligation to fulfill all that is asked of her by their King. But when a glimmer of hope is introduced to her by a prisoner she tends to, it means life or death for her and her people. She does all that she can to turn that hope into reality, and finally end the vicious war that has been ensuing since she was born. Even if that means keeping it secret from her King. Even if it means carrying out the biggest betrayal against the King ever seen during her time.

She has hope. She will fulfill her duty. She will not let her people down.

-Excerpt-


~Nari~

I suddenly felt anxious, excited even, at the prospect of laying eyes on Mycah again. On being enveloped in his woodsy scent. The way my soul felt complete and whole again only his presence alone could accomplish. ...Were we really just friends?
And then there he was.
As I took the last stair, his eyes found mine from the "Greeting Room" he quietly sat in, drinking from an antique teacup.
He watched me carefully as he slowly put the cup to his alluring lips and took a sip. My heart danced wildly in my chest with every step I took, drawing closer and closer.
I waved at him, not able to speak just yet.
“Morning, beautiful,” he whispered. His English accent made the words sound musical. Or maybe it was his silky voice that did it. Or it could have been the combination of the two, I really didn’t know. Either way, my stomach did a flip.
And then I thought, it must have been the way he was looking at me, not even trying to hide the desire that flooded his aqua eyes as soon as they locked onto mine.
The sun played with his eyes, bringing out the unique colors and making them more vivid. Even though he was lit up by the streaming sun that shone brightly through the large bay window, he never looked more dangerous.
And he never looked more sexy.
Well, that could be debatable.
I mean, if you wanted to count the time he was dripping wet and practically naked, well then, one really couldn’t say.
But this moment was definitely a top contender for first place.

He stood up, keeping perfect posture and foreign demeanor exquisitely intact, and came over to me.
“You alright?” he asked, lips pulling up in a side smile. I nodded, half hating the spell he always put me under, half totally loving it.

He reached out and slowly slid his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers together and pulling me toward the front door. He chuckled and slightly shook his head at the ground.


Published: December 30, 2012
The Sweet Series, Book One


Fan art provided by Megan Elliott


Grab your copy everywhere ebooks are sold! Also available in paperback through Amazon.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes


And now....for the second book in the Sweet Series, we present: Sweet Escape!

-About Sweet Escape-


Life will never be the same for Nariella Woodlinn. Just when she thought she had it all figured out, her world comes crumbling down around her - yet again. She has no idea who she is. She has no idea where she came from.
She once thought her biggest problems were ones brought on by the mysterious man she had refused to fall in love with...Mycah. But she quickly discovers none of that compares to what she is about to encounter next.
This time, it isn't because of who Mycah is.
This time, it's because of who she is.
~
Naminé risked everything to save her people. Her goal was to bring their only hope back to their Kingdom. As the war rages on, Naminé gets thrown right into the lion's den - the false King's chambers. Forced to do his bidding, can she prevent the downfall of the only hope she worked so hard to bring home?

...Can any of them Escape?

-Excerpt-


~Nari~

I laid mesmerized from the position on my back, staring up at the cloudless sky. It was as blue as a Robin’s egg. If not more blue. The sun shown extremely bright, but the rays did not scorch my skin. The air was comfortable. Very comfortable. It was the perfect temperature. Warm, without being too warm, and no humidity.
I did not move.
I was afraid to move in case this was all just a dream and any slight stir would make it vanish, throwing me back into tormented reality. It must be a dream, right? Clearly, I had busted my head against the tree trunk and knocked myself out...And I was only imagining this while Zaylie, I was sure, was worried and trying to wake me up.
Right?
I could feel the grass beneath me. Soft, lush, exquisite. As if I laid against the perfect bed made just for me. I was Goldilocks and it was just right.
A colorful bird soared above me. But as it descended closer, obscuring my view of the sky, I realized it was not actually a bird at all. It was the strangest butterfly I had ever seen. Its wings were a rainbow of colors - and it was huge. Bird-like huge.
But I didn’t feel frightened or grossed out like I usually did by insects. This was different. It felt different here. The butterfly flapped its wings so gently and effortlessly. I numbly reached up while it landed weightlessly on my fingers.

The moment it touched me and started cleaning its antennae, even though I could barely feel it on me, I got the striking feeling that this was real. Very real. I quickly sat up, causing the vivid butterfly to take flight again and gazed around the beauteous expanse encircling me.

Coming July 25th, 2013!

In celebration of the new cover and the up-coming release of Sweet Escape, FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: Sweet Oblivion is now on SALE! Get started on The Sweet Series by reading the first book, Sweet Oblivion, now only 99¢!



Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Cover Reveal--Conjure by Jennifer Snyder

Love it!!!




Available July 1, 2013
Sometimes to understand the present you have to conjure up the past...

The last thing Addison Harmon needed was to become tethered to the broody, often seemingly cold, Theo Van Rooyen, but that's exactly what happened.

Forced to partner up with Theo to figure out a way to break the tether, Addison soon realizes she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

(New Adult/Mature Young Adult: Contains sexual situations, language, underage drinking, and drug usage.)







Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing new adult and young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.







Friday, June 14, 2013

Cover Reveal--Mark of the Dragon by Bill Morgan and M.R. Polish



We are so excited to be able and show off our cover to the first book in our Mysts of Santerrian series, Mark of the Dragon. It has been a fun journey writing together to create this story. We are a father and daughter team who write on our own, but meshed our voices together to give you this exciting story about dragons.
We look forward to sharing this story with you July 18th, 2013!!!


Mark of the Dragon

In a land of warriors and dragons, everything is about to change...

Countries are divided and war is raging, but none of that matters to Andra. She is destined to be a dragon rider. There has never been a woman rider, but that doesn't matter to her. After her father's death, she trains harder than any man to be a worthy candidate. Even when the Aquastrian leader wants her dead, she fights back. Can she over come traveling hundreds of miles on foot, surviving hunger, bandits, assassins and wild carnivores?

Liam is just another warrior who hopes he is worthy of the Mark of the Dragon. He must endure the long trek from Aquastra to Santerrian, avoiding all people, especially those who may be hired to kill him. Meeting Andra along the way changes everything. He admires her willful spirit and is inspired to do even more as a warrior and stop the war. He fights to help her, kills to protect her, but will it be enough to get them both to their dragons before it's too late?



You can find us here:
M.R. Polish - Facebook - Twitter - Amazon  - Goodreads

Congratulations to M.r. Polish and Bill Morgan. Neat cover and cool concept!

Cover Reveal--The Princess and the Stable Boy by Rebecca Rynecki





A graduate of Hollins University in southwestern Virginia, Rebecca has put her ancient history degree to good use with the Alaina Downs trilogy, a New Adult/Fantasy series. At least that’s what she tells herself. When she’s not writing, she lives in the Litchfield hills of Connecticut with her husband and young son. She dances, and runs, and upon occasion…sings very badly.



~ About the Book ~

Title: The Princess and the Stableboy
Author: Rebecca Rynecki
Published: Coming Fall 2013
Genre: NA Fantasy Romance
Content Warning: Some Sexual Content
Recommended Age: 17+

~ Synopsis ~

Once upon a time, before Alaina fell into Isleen… 
There was a kingdom devoid of magic… 
Until one day when Astra, the princess of Isleen is awoken by dragons flying by her window. She escapes with the help of Peter, a stableboy who is hiding a few secrets of his own. 
The land is thrust into peril. The wizards Uther and Avalon have returned from their banishment by unknown forces, and they are determined to take over once more…even if it means turning most of the people into ogres. 
Astra finds herself fighting for her home in an ages old fairy tale of good, evil…and love.

~ Excerpt ~

Astra nodded, and waved him off, turning her attention over to a small group of dancers. She tore off some more of the meat, and started to sway along with the soft music coming from the dulcimer. A light rain was beginning to fall, and she glanced up, opening her mouth slightly to take some of it in. Astra smiled, letting her eyes flutter momentarily across the night sky.
Peter turned around, the mugs of mead trembling in his hands. He watched her, his eyes roving over her body before they settled on her gently moving hips. His heart raced, and he panted, taking a sip of the mead before looking at her again. She had finished the turkey leg and was now standing on her tip toes, giggling as she let her tongue dart out to catch some of the rain.
They locked eyes, and she gave him a smile. Peter left the mead down on the table, and slowly walked over.
“You left the mead,” she murmured.
He exhaled. “You’re beautiful,” Peter blurted out.
Astra blushed. “Thank you.” She pointed up at the sky. “I think it’s starting to rain.”
“Is it?” he croaked. His eyes trailed down to her mouth. “I don’t think I noticed.” Peter let out a small groan as her tongue ran over her bottom lip. “Do you want to dance?”
“Oh.” Astra’s cheeks pinked once more as she nodded.
Peter wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him as the pace of the music increased. He could feel her heart beat against his and he sighed. “Astra…”
Her eyes flicked up. “Hmmmm?”
He kissed her. Astra gasped, her mouth opening as she felt the heat of his tongue searching for hers. She shut her eyes, her knees quaking as she moaned. She could feel the rain pelt down on them, and she sighed.
Peter shook, and he panted, gently releasing her. He swallowed, his jaw line clenching as he settled his hands on her cheeks and searched her eyes. “Astra…”
“Peter…” Astra closed her eyes, and tried to steady her heartbeat as they rested their foreheads against each other. “Peter…”

~ Giveaway ~

There is an event wide giveaway. One winner will receive an eBook copy (ePub or PDF) of book #1 in the series, The Secret World of Alaina Downs.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Rafflecopter Link:

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Cover Reveal--Indelible by Bethany Lopez


Christie says: Love this cover!

Title: Indelible
Author: Bethany Lopez
Expected release date: July 9, 2013
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: New Adult
Cover Designed by : B Design alliebbooks.wordpress.com – Photo by Kelsey Kukal-Keeton
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours



Book Description:
After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?


Author Bio:


Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. Since then she has published various YA and NA books. She is a lover of romance, family, and friends, and enjoys incorporating those things in what she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible.



Bethany Lopez social media links:
IAN - http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/bethany-lopez.html

Webpage - www.bethanylopez.blogspot.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/BethanyLopez2

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/LypEaO

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/bethanylopez2/


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Cover Love--The Thumbnail Challenge

It's been so hot where I live lately, I've brought you a few sizzlers today for my cover love challenge.  In keeping with exploring Amazon's new categories, I decided to go with Vampires today, and I wanted to keep it to the freebies like I did last week.  I have to say it was harder to pick this time.  Most of these have really great reviews, so I went ahead and picked a few that I didn't exactly love certain elements of the covers.

I was surprised this one was actually a vampire book. The cover is interesting with the play of shadow and light. It drew my attention immediately, even though I think the title should be a bolder type face.  When I clicked on the link, I realized the boy has blood dripping from his mouth.  Why does there always have to be blood? lol. I know, vampires.  It's a given, but does it really have to be on the cover?

 Amazon US

I love the colors in this one and both the author's name and title are easily readable, unlike some of these. It just goes to show how typography can make a huge difference in a cover.

 Amazon US

Here is one that is really cute, but the type face makes it difficult to read.  It all seems a bit out of focus, but I loved the fun atmosphere of this cover.

Amazon US

The typeface on this one is horrible. I feel like I'm going cross eyed every time I look at it, but the book sounds good, so I'm including this one.
Amazon US

I like the colors and the elements in this one, although the title is not readable in this size.  I was drawn to the cover and clicked the link.
Amazon US


I've decided that vampire covers could use some work. I love vampire books but many of the covers I came across didn't do the genre justice.

Okay, so which of these babies gets a closeup?


I like the dark mood set by the colors and the image. The tag line is fun and overall, I really want to read this book now.

How about you?  Which is your favorite.  Have you read any of these books, and did you enjoy them?

Happy reading, everyone.