Friday, April 27, 2012

Book Tour: Merlyn’s Raven by Rose Vanden Eynden

MerlynsRaven

I just love the blurb of this book – reading about Merlyn from this angle will be wonderful!

clip_image002Merlyn’s Raven
By Rose Vanden Eynden

Soul Mate Publishing

Back Cover Blurb:
Falling in love is the ultimate magic. For Gwendydd, a young woman in 5th century Wales, it seems an unobtainable fantasy. She dreads the day her chieftain grandfather will marry her off to increase his allies among the warring tribes of Britain. When she meets the mysterious and handsome druid apprentice Myrddin, Gwendydd realizes just how difficult falling in love can be. The ire of her disapproving grandfather is not her only obstacle. Myrddin’s clairvoyant visions of a king who will unify the battling tribes and bring peace to the land become a dangerous obsession that threatens to obliterate their union. Can Gwendydd support her beloved, the man destined to become the world’s most powerful enchanter, King Arthur’s legendary Merlyn? Or will her devotion destroy her and everything she holds dear?

Soulmate Publishing Amazon

About the Author:

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Rose Vanden Eynden has always believed in magic, which probably explains how she is able to be a writer as well as a wife, mother, medium, massage therapist, minister, and instructor. She resides in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, twin teenaged sons, and a dachshund named after Rudyard Kipling. In her spare (!) time, she enjoys performing in live theatre, watching films, reading, and walking in the woods. An avid believer in a balanced life, she meditates and eats chocolate daily.

Website:  www.vandeneynden.biz

Read Rose's blog, STANDING BETWEEN THE WORLDS www.vandeneynden.biz/blog

Do you Twitter? Follow Rose: http://twitter.com/RoseofAvalon

Rose on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RoseVandenEyndenOfficial

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/542711.Rose_Vanden_Eynden

Look for Rose's first novel, MERLYN'S RAVEN, coming April 17, 2012 from Soul Mate Publishing.

We are fortunate to have been given a little excerpt . . .

Excerpt:

The scream hung in the air like the waxing moon outside my window. I touched my face, expecting to feel the wound there, my skin cut somehow as Myrddin’s had been in the dream. My trembling fingers came away clean. My heart raced as my mind recovered, but I tore from my bedchamber nonetheless, darting through the shadowed hallways of Grandfather’s household, avoiding the guards that stood, dozing, at the ends of corridors. I knew I’d be beaten if I was caught, but nothing was as important as getting to Myrddin.

I reached the familiar door and slipped inside. He lay on his simple pallet beneath the window casement, but his eyes were open in the moonlight. They sparkled like dew on the grass, as did the sweat that dampened his hairline. His hand lay against his cheek, searching for the phantom wound.

“What is it?” I breathed, my heart still pounding as if it had never pumped before. “I had a nightmare about you.”

He sat up, his body shaking, and I pulled the blanket up over his shoulders as tremors wracked him. He gripped the cover with one hand and took mine in his other. It was not a fit, I knew, but an icy chill stole over me. “I had a vision.”

“It was you, was it not?” I forced the words out, even though they pained me to say them. “Trapped? Tortured?”

He nodded. I could bear it no longer, and flung myself into him, burying my face in his chest. He hesitated, but then his arms came around me, and I nearly gasped from relief, from knowing he was with me, warm and alive and safe.

“What does it mean?” I moaned.

“It is the future we see.”

I tilted my chin up to look at him, and he stared down into my face, one brow arched as if puzzling over a new plant he’d found while scavenging. “How is it that we see it together, raven? How is it that we are connected?”

“I love you.” The words, so sacred and yet sounding so simple, tumbled out. I did not care. Here in the dark, where there was no one else, the rest of the world seemed frozen, unimportant, and far, far away. Blaise, sleeping in the next room, was forgotten. I did not think of my grandfather and his plot to find me a husband, or of his threats to kill any man that stood in the way of that.

Only this moment between us mattered. Myrddin had to know that I thought of nothing but him, sought naught but his presence, heard only his voice with the pounding of my heart. It was bold and brash and dangerous, it was everything I wanted to be, my own true self, and I knew he understood that.

“I know,” he whispered. “And you should not.”

He tried to pull his hand away, yet I clung to it, my voice hardening. “Why do you say that? You are everything to me.”

“You speak of love, Gwendydd, and yet you have told me countless times how you long not for a husband, but for freedom.”

“You are my freedom. Do you not see? You, who have taught me healing and storytelling and magick. . .so many things. You are right—I did not know what I longed for until I met you, and then I understood.” I lifted my hand, daring to touch his cheek, and he allowed it. “This must be love, for it to seep so deeply into me, into my very soul.”

Softness settled into his gaze as he stared at me. “You are a poet, raven.” He teased, I knew, to turn the subject, but I would not be abashed.

“It frightened me, Myrddin. The dream. I cannot bear to be without you, or to have you hurt.”

“And yet there is no way to stop it, if it is my fate.” He gathered me against him and pushed us both up to our feet, shaking the blanket from his shoulders. He guided me toward the door but did not pull away, and I savored his closeness. “Come. You must go back to your chambers. If Brychan finds you here, or if someone sees us and informs him, he will kill us both.”

We shuffled in silence along the corridors, slipping past the sleepy guards undetected. When we came to my quarters, Myrddin placed his hands on my shoulders and looked at me sternly, as Betrys sometimes did when she preached her gospel of Jesus.

“Blaise has told me, Gwendydd, that unrest stirs in the land. The Cymry chieftains like your grandsire cannot quell it, and it will come to call here very soon. But these changes, all of them, no matter what they are, must unfold as they are meant to. We may never understand all that happens, but that is our challenge in life. And that includes whatever this vision may portend for me.”

I matched his seriousness with my own. “Whatever happens, we are meant to be together. I understand that much.”

His hand moved underneath my loosened hair, cupping the back of my head like a pillow, and his expression of wonder made me dizzy. “It is foolish and reckless, raven, but yes. I think I understand it as well.”

He left me standing there in a pool of moonlight, my mind spinning as the stars overhead, replaying his words over and over again to seal them permanently in my memory.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

South African author, Cat Hellisen has released her new book and it sounds FABULOUS!!  Just look here.

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After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it. 

About the Author:
Cat Hellisen
lives in Cape Town, South Africa, near the sea, and drinks a lot of tea. She tends not to start revolutions. This is her first novel.

PAN MacMILLAN

Friday, April 20, 2012

Book Tour: Revamped by Ada Adams

Revamped

Hello! Thank you very much for having me on your blog today!

Due to certain events which occur in “ReVamped”, I sometimes feel like poor Ethan didn’t get enough TLC. After all, there were a lot of twists and turns that everyone—especially Dawn—had to deal with. Not to worry! There will be much more Ethan (and Sebastian) and a lot more romance in the sequel.

However, for now, I thought that I would share some Ethan love by showing the balcony scene from his POV. It’s just a quick scene, which would undergo a million edits if I was to include it in the actual book, but I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into Ethan’s mind!

Balcony Scene from Ethan’s POV

I paused by the sliding doors, taking a moment to drink her in. Dawn was leaning against the balcony railing, her gaze focused on something far off in the distance. The bright moon bathed her dark hair in silver, as if shining a spotlight on the only girl in the world that truly mattered.

As I approached, she spun around, her eyes widening at the sight of my bare chest.

“Does it hurt?” she asked, motioning at the bandages.

Like hell. “Just a little. It’s healing very quickly,” I said, smiling reassuringly.

She exhaled, the tension in her shoulders dissipating.

“You saved me,” I said, moving closer. The balcony was narrow, its old, wooden platform barely large enough to contain two people.

“Actually, you’re the one who saved me,” she replied, taking a slight step back. “Without thinking, you jumped in front of an arrow that was heading my way. You’re definitely the hero tonight.”

“Still, if it wasn’t for you…” I trailed off, quickly closing the distance between us.

I wanted to be near her. To touch her. Without thinking, I placed my hand on her shoulder, and pulled her into an embrace. Her lips parted in a silent gasp, but she didn’t resist. She relaxed her body against mine, and for a brief moment, I felt like she was a part of me. Her skin was cool, but her touch radiated heat. I could feel her blood rushing through my veins, enveloping my entire body in its warmth. My wound burned and my chest felt like it was about to combust, but those particular sensations had very little to do with pain.

When we broke apart, I fought the urge to pull her back into me.

“You’re beautiful,” I said, my mind brimming with thoughts of the many ways in which she enticed me. It was much more than physical beauty that drew me to Dawn. She was strong, intelligent, and caring. Even her slight shyness was endearing.

Unable to restrain myself any longer, I slowly leaned in, bringing my lips toward hers.

“You’re under my spell!” she suddenly gasped, pulling away from me.

I chuckled, nodding. “A little bit.” More like a lot.

She shook her head. “No, I mean, you drank my blood. Sometimes, when a human drinks blood from a vampire, they can experience really strong feelings toward that vampire,” she sputtered nervously. “Back in the day, some vampires fed humans their blood just to enslave them.”

I tried to contain my laughter, but another chuckle escaped my lips.

“Do you really think you’ve put me under some vampire spell, Dawn?” I teased.

She had no clue how adorable she truly was.

She hesitated. “Just—I mean…” she exhaled, looking down.

I cupped her chin in my hand, gently lifting her face back toward mine.

“You’re right. Your blood.” I winked. “That must be it.”

 

clip_image002ReVamped

By Ada Adams

Blurb:

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

Kindle Print

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clip_image006About the Author:

"Many people sing in the shower. I, on the other hand, write scenes in my head and act them out."

At age five, Ada read her first chapter book - Pippi Longstocking. Ever since that moment, she developed an intense passion for the stories and characters found within the pages of literature.

In her career as an actress and a writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master's of Science in Education.

Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years. "ReVamped" is her debut novel.

She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo.

www.revampedbook.com

www.facebook.com/revampedbook

www.twitter.com/Ada_Adams

www.goodreads.com/book/show/13495198-revamped

 

Giveaway

There is a Kindle copy up for grabs!  Leave a message for Ada and I will draw a random winner on 27 April 2012.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Calling all authors!!

 

Ruby Lioness Press is having an open pitch session.

We are mainly looking for short stories and novellas but are open to novel length pitches as well. Please submit your pitch using this form… https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHBZSnRBNTYtWVBtRlphVWFTOEd1V0E6MQ

If you have any questions you can contact Marissa Dobson, co-owner of Ruby Lioness Press at marissa@rubylionesspress.com

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About Ruby Lioness Press:

Ruby Lioness Press is a semi new publisher, but all of our staff has been in the business for years. We are here to help authors reach their goals. Our release schedule is growing rapidly; be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to be a part of the Ruby Lioness Press family. Our standard royalty percentage is 50% of the sale price of your e-book and 40% for print.

Websitehttp://rubylionesspress.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruby-Lioness-Press/279190975451409

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We have a multi-author series (which you can pitch for also, just please mention that in the post). For more information on the multi-author series, follow these links:

Websitehttp://clearwaterrlp.wordpress.com/

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ClearwaterSeries

Monday, April 16, 2012

Book review: After the Snow by SD Crockett

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Title: After the Snow
Author: SD Crockett
Series: ?
Genre: Dystopian YA novel
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Publication date: 02 February 2012
Author’s website: http://www.sdcrockett.com/S_D_Crockett.html
Source: Review copy from Pan MacMillan South Africa

Goodreads blurb:
I'm gonna sit here in my place on the hill behind the house. Waiting. And watching. Ain't nothing moving down there.

The valley look pretty bare in the snow. Just the house grey and lonely down by the river all frozen. I got to think what I'm gonna do now that everyone gone.
But I got my dog head on.

The dog gonna tell me what to do. The dog gonna help me.

The house look proper empty – don't it dog?

You just sit quiet in these rocks Willo.

Set in the haunting and barren landscape of a new ice age, After The Snow is the story of fifteen-year-old Willo, a "straggler" kid who loses his family in the opening pages. Completely alone, he is immediately flung into an icy journey of survival, adventure, friendship and self-discovery – with only the dog spirit inside his head to guide him. Meanwhile, across Britain, outlawed followers of survivalist John Blovyn are planning an escape to the fabled Islands talked of in a revolutionary book.

My thoughts:
I was so excited to receive a review copy of AFTER THE SNOW. 

A dystopian story set in a snow covered “post-global warming” world sounded like something I would love. 

Unfortunately I had trouble connecting with the story from the beginning.  I am not quite sure if it was the strange narration style of Willo or just the slow moving story but I never quite connected with any of the characters or their plight. 

Willo lives in a white, snow covered world that has receded to primitive living in isolated parts of the country.  They live off the country, making their own coats and gloves to keep the ever-present freezing snow at bay.
He goes hunting one morning and returns to find an empty house.  His family has been taken but why and by whom?  He immediately suspects his neighbour of setting them up and sets off with only his sleigh and a few bare essentials to confront him.  Unfortunately he never makes it as he runs into a starving girl named Mary.  He tries to ignore her but his conscience get the better of him and he returns the next day to save her.

I thought that the story would developed further with the relationship between Willow and Mary but he soon leaves her in the strange and dangerous refugee city that is run by the (we suspect) corrupt government.

The twist comes in the final few pages when Willo finds Mary again.  But this just brings more questions.  And then it kind of just ends . . . lots of loose ends means there will probably be a sequel.

I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book.  I know the author worked hard on it and that they love it.  Looking at reviews, I can see that there are many others that DO love it too.  Unfortunately it just was not for me.  But don’t let me put you off, try it for yourself.

One_Cup_Rater

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Book Review: Somewhere the Bells Ring by Beth Trissel

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Title: Somewhere the Bells Ring
Author: Beth Trissel
Genre: Paranormal Fiction
Publication date: 08 November 2011
Source: ARC received for review

Goodreads blurb:
Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative's ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn't so bad.
To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope--until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.
As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe--in Bailey and the ghost--before the Christmas bells ring?

My thoughts:

Somewhere the Bells Ring is set in 1968 and starts when an injured Eric returns home from Vietnam and finds the lovely and young Bailey in his home.  The sixties were the time of free love and drugs and this is what has sent Bailey to the isolated estate in disgrace when pot is found in her dorm room.

I have been reading lots of glowing reviews of Somewhere the Bells Ring and as you can imagine, I really wanted to like it. When I read the blurb, I immediately liked Bailey and wanted to read more about the sweet love story that I was sure to follow. All started well and I was excited when the couple’s eyes met across the dining room. Unfortunately Eric showed his true colours when he accused Bailey of a drug hangover when she started seeing an old (deceased) resident of the estate. Well, maybe I would also be a bit sceptical . . .

Maybe I was just in the wrong mood but Eric really irritated me with his condescending treatment of Bailey. He seemed determined to put her down at every turn. Which made it worse for me, is that I starting resenting the fact that Bailey did not stand up for herself and still looked at him with doe eyes. It is always a bad day when you start disliking your heroine!

Saying that, the world that Beth Trissel created with all the wonderful supporting characters were a place and time I would have loved to visit.  I can just image walking the snow covered gardens that she describes and maybe pause for a cup of steaming coffee in Emma, the housekeeper’s, kitchen.

So if you don’t mind a single minded hero of the sixties and a heroine that worships him, you will probably love this book.  Join in the Christmas celebrations!

Two_Cup_Rater

Friday, April 13, 2012

Book Tour: The Dustman by SM Blooding

The Dustman Button

Don’t Feed a Dragon Bananas

Once upon a time, there were two little girls named Frankie and SistaPITA, and one night, their dustman came to their window. He opened his multi-paneled umbrella, a flowing picture on each section, and smiled at them both as they joined him. With a blink, they were off, zooming through the window, soaring over the city of Denver, the bright lights twinkling far below looking more like glowing ants on the march than a city.

And then it disappeared, clouds surrounding them, blocking the world below. Luk looked down and smiled, his blue eyes twinkling and tipped the umbrella downward, the wind rushing past them, taking away their breath.

Green. That’s the first thing they saw, which then became trees. They flew over Forever Forest, waving wildly to Dog as he tried to catch up to them. Luk stopped at the sea shore and helped Frankie and SistaPITA to the sand. “Telfgar wanted to see you.” With a grin, he rose in the air and disappeared into the dreamtime sun.

Frankie turned, searching the immediate area for her Dreamland friend, but he wasn’t anywhere around. She looked at her sister, who appeared just as confused. “He never asks for us and then doesn’t show.”

A strange sound hit their ears, a little like thunder, only wet. Frankie and SistaPITA stared at one another, their eyes wide. Dreamland wasn’t a scary place, though accidents did happen to those who weren’t careful. But what was that sound?

They turned and saw a giant tidal wave coming right at them.

Ohhhhh nooo!!!

They ran toward the forest as an eerie silence filled the air. They pushed their feet faster, their breath harsh.

Birds hit the air, squawking. The underbrush scrambled with the patter of hooves.

That couldn’t be good.

Their feet hit the forest. Frankie twisted around. The wall of water was almost on them. They weren’t going to make it to higher ground. “Luk, Luk, Luk!” She needed to think of something smarter than her dustman’s name in a chant. If he were away getting dreamers, he wouldn’t be around to save her and her sister.

SistaPITA flung herself at a tree and started shimmying up like a monkey. “Grab a tree. Get higher!”

At least one of them was thinking. Frankie stopped, looking up at the tall pine tree and started climbing.

The wall of water was on them.

With her eyes clamped shut, she took in one last breath of air and hugged the tree with everything she had.

The water hit her with almost more power than she had, but she held on. Barely.

Dripping wet, but still alive, Frankie peered out into the ocean. What had just happened?

And then it hit her, the smell. The air reeked, like something had died.

SistaPITA nearly fell out of her tree, gagging.

A large head appeared out in the middle of the ocean, blue and equine, one large eye blinking at them as the corners of his hooked beak rose in embarrassment.

Frankie scrambled out of the tree and headed toward shore, watchful of more waves. The ocean was restless, but not so bad that she had to run for her life. “Telfgar!” she shouted over the rush of the waves, and then covered her nose with her arm. Gads! It stank! “What are you doing out there?”

The dragon looked sheepish and didn’t answer.

“He obviously has gas,” SistaPITA said.

Frankie’s eyes widened as she said sarcastically, “Thanks. I hadn’t figured that out.” She raised her voice, pulling her arm away from her mouth and nose. “What did you eat?”

His head ducked down so far, only his eyebrow ridges shown over the rolling waves.

“That silly dragon.” Luk stood next them, a rueful grin on his face as he shook his head. “I told him not to do it.”

Frankie and SistaPITA looked at him confused. “What?”

The dustman laughed, looking down at them, his hands shoved in his pockets. “Word to the wise. “ He stared at the embarrassed dragon who was trying to release his toxic farts into the ocean. “Never feed a dragon bananas.”

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The Dustman
A Dreamland Story

by SM Blooding

Available: April 3, 2012

 

 

 

 

Blurb:

Dustmen are useless.

Meg has two kids, one of which is hell bent to land himself in jail. She’s about to lose her house, her home, her ability to support her children. Her aunt tells her to publish the story of her childhood friend, her dustman, her Luk.

Dreamland is empty.

He’s watching his world shrink, his friends blinking out of existence. Children no longer call for him. He’s watched his fellow dustmen disappear while their lands are eaten by a ferocious void.

There is no cure.

He’s next.

Amazon paperback
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble

And here is a little bonus!!

EXCERPT:

He looked at her, his eyes flaring, icy blue lights shooting from his eyes. “How is it you’re here?”

She took a step back. “What do you mean?”

“You exist. How?”

She frowned at him, her nose flaring. “I was born.”

He took one step toward her, his mouth set in determination. “So was I a long time ago.”

“Things happened, Luk. I had to grow up. I couldn’t—” She looked at the refrigerator case in frustration. “I couldn’t pretend anymore.”

“Am I pretend?” he growled, taking a step toward her.

She looked up and blinked. She was surrounded by the warmth of his body as he crowded her space.

His eyes, consuming and raw, sucked her breath away.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

Like the unborn wrath of a tiger unleashed, he grabbed her waist and head, crushing her against him. His teeth ravished her lips, demanding them to open. His hands dug into her hair, pulling it loose in unruly waves.

She couldn’t breathe. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to. This man, this solid and real man, made her feel something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Craved.

Needed.

Devoured.

She opened her mouth to him, pushing herself onto the balls of her feet to deepen the kiss. She ran her tongue along his, gasping as his teeth gripped it, raking it.

She molded her body into his.

He growled, pulling his lips from hers. His head against hers, he pushed her toward the glass door of the refrigerator case, pushing her back and up.

She cried out, her eyes opening in surprise. “Luk,” she said breathlessly, caressing his face with soft, needy hands. “My Luk.”

He growled again, deeper, claiming her, the intensity of his gaze, telling her without words she was his.

She looked into his eyes and met his lips halfway.

With a hungry, forceful sigh, he melted into her body.

They both felt the heat of the kiss, so different than the first. This was primal. This was about claiming. This was about territory.

This was about power.

They closed their eyes, letting the emotions rack their bodies as they rocked against each other. The heat built inside them, their bodies touching.

Her head came up as she sucked in air at the same moment the milk jugs in the case behind them exploded with a loud, multi-shot pop.

They looked at each other, the spell broken but the result still apparent. Turning, she looked in surprise and amazement at the milk-painted case.

His face was bright red.

About the Author:

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SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, their new addition, Mr. Bird, who’s a real bird. She likes to hike the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and is learning to play the piano and guitar. Currently, she’s trying to MURDER them both. Friends call her Frankie.

She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.

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She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!

 

 

Find out more about her at:

Twitter

Facebook

Website/blog

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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Fated (Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel

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FATED BY Alyson NOËL
SOUL SEEKERS 01

Publication date: June 2012

The spectacular new YA series from the phenomenally successful author of THE IMMORTALS.

Strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, glowing people appear from nowhere. Worried that Daire's having a breakdown, her mother sends her to stay with the grandmother she's never met, who lives on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico.There Daire crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes.

Her grandmother recognizes Daire's episodes for what they are - a call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, a person who can navigate between the living and the dead. Guided by her grandmother, Daire must be quick to learn how to harness her powers, because Dace's brother is an evil shape-shifter, out to steal them.

Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and discover whether Dace is the guy she's meant to be with . . . or if he's allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

  • Alyson Noël's sexiest YA series to date get ready for hot new characters and a sizzling storyline!
  • THE IMMORTALS is a bestselling series across the globe. There are 6 million copies in print in fifty different countries and thirty-six different languages
  • Film and TV rights in THE IMMORTALS and RILEY BLOOM series have been bought by the makers of the Twilight saga.
  • Alyson Noel speaks to her fans at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pan-Macmillan-South-Africa/284796235887

Book two, Echo, will be available in late 2012

To participate in the blog tour please contact Tarryn Talbot.

For publicity enquiries contact Tarryn Talbot at tarryn@panmacmillan.co.za

For marketing enquires contact Thando Nkosi at thando@panmacmillan.co.za

For orders contact Precious Legoabe at precious@panmacmillan.co.za

Or call 011 731 3440

 

 

 

Friday, April 6, 2012

Wish List: Tangle of Need (Phy/Changeling #11) by Nalini Singh

I revealed the cover of Tangle of Need a while back and I have to admit that I really do not like it.  I prefer the cover that will be used for the US version.

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UK edition

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US edition

Tangle of Need
Discover the exhilarating risks of passion in the breathtaking new Psy-Changeling novel by Nalini Singh, the New York Times bestselling “alpha author of paranormal romance”
(Booklist).

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past—one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno…and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

Excerpt from Nalini’s website.

Advance Excerpt from Tangle of Need. Because this is such an early excerpt, there are likely to be changes in the final text.

Chapter 1

Riaz caught a flash of midnight hair and a long-legged stride and called out, “Indigo!” However he realized his mistake the instant he turned the corner. “Adria.”

Eyes of deepest blue met his, the frost in them threatening to give him hypothermia. “Indigo’s in her office.” The words were helpful but the tone might as well have been a serrated blade.

That did it. “Did I kill your dog?”

Frown lines marred her smooth forehead. “Excuse me?”

God, that tone. “It’s the only reason,” he said, holding onto his temper by a very thin thread, “I can think of to explain why you’re so damn pissy with me.” Adria had been pulled into den territory during the hostilities with Councilor Henry Scott and his Pure Psy army a month ago, had remained behind to take up a permanent position as a senior soldier. She had fought with focused determination by Riaz’s side, followed his orders on the field without hesitation.

However, off the field?

Ice.

Absolute.

Unrelenting.

Frigid.

Folding his arms when she didn’t reply, he stepped into her personal space, caught the subtle scent of crushed berries and frost. A strangely delicate scent for this hardass of a woman,  he thought, before his wolf’s anger overrode all else. “You haven’t answered my question.” It came out a growl.
Eyes narrowed, she stepped closer with a slow deliberation that was pure, calculated provocation. She was a tall woman, but he was taller. That didn’t seem to stop her from looking down her nose at him. “I didn’t realize,” she said in a voice so polite it drew blood, “that fawning over you was part of the job requirement.”

“Now I know where Indigo learned her mean face from.” But where his fellow lieutenant’s heart beat warm and generous beneath that tough exterior, he wasn’t sure Adria had any emotions that registered above zero on the thermometer.

Adria’s response was scalpel sharp. “I don’t know what she ever saw in you, but I suppose every woman has mistakes in her past.” The slightest change in her expression, the tiniest fracture, before it was sealed up again, her face an impenetrable rockface.

Scowling, Riaz was about to tell her exactly what he thought of her and her judgmental gaze when his cell phone rang. He answered without moving an inch away from the woman who was sandpaper across his temper, rubbing him raw with her mere presence. “Yeah?”

“My office,” Hawke said. “Need you to head out to check on something.”

“Be there in two.” Snapping the phone shut, he closed the remaining distance between them, forcing Adria to tip back her head. “We will,” he said, realizing those striking blue eyes with an edge of purple had streaks of gold running through them, beautiful and exotic, “continue this later.”

That was when Adria’s cell phone rang. “Yes?” she answered without breaking eye-contact with the big, muscled wolf who thought he could intimidate her.

“In my office,” Hawke ordered.

“On my way.” Hanging up, she raised an eyebrow at Riaz in a consciously insolent action. “My alpha has requested my presence, so get out of my fucking way,” she said with utmost sweetness.

Eyes a brilliant dark gold that were more wolf than human, narrowed again. “Guess we’ll be walking together.”

Not giving an inch until he stepped back and turned to head to Hawke’s office, she walked in silence beside him, though her wolf bared its teeth, hungry to draw blood, to bite and claw and mark. Damn him. Damn him. She’d been doing fine, coping after her final separation from Martin. That had been a bloody battle, too.

“You’ll come crawling back to me. Maybe I’ll be waiting. Maybe I won’t.”

Adria bit back a raw laugh. Martin didn’t understand that it was over. Done. Forever. It had been over the night a year ago when he’d stormed out of their home, not to return for four months. The truly stunning thing was that he’d had the gall to be shocked when she’d told him to go find someplace else to sleep and slammed the door in his face.

“Cat got your tongue?” An acerbic comment made in a deep male voice that ruffled her fur the wrong way.

“Go bite yourself,” she muttered, in no mood to play games. Her skin felt too sensitive, as if she’d lost a protective layer, her blood too hot.

“Someone should bite you,” Riaz muttered. “Pull that stick out of your ass at the same time.”

Adria growled, just as they reached the open door to Hawke’s office. The alpha looked up at their entrance, unhidden speculation in blue eyes so pale, they were those of a wolf given human form. However, when he spoke, his words were pragmatic. “You two free to go for a drive?”

Adria nodded, saw Riaz do the same. “What do you need done?” Riaz asked.

“Mack and one of his trainee techs went up to do a routine service of the hydro station,” Hawke told them, “but their vehicle’s not starting, and they’ve got components that need to be brought back to the den for repairs.”

“No problem,” Riaz said. “I’ll take one of the SUVs, pick them up.”

Even as Adria was thinking the task was a one-person job, Hawke turned to her. “You’re now one of the most senior people in the den.” His dominance was staggering, demanding her wolf’s absolute attention. “I’d like you to get reacquainted with the region, given that you haven’t spent an extended period of time here since you turned eighteen.”

She nodded. Ranking just below the lieutenants in the hierarchy, senior soldiers were often called upon to lead, and as a leader she had to know every inch of this land, not just the section she’d been assigned to during the battle. “It’d be better if I do it on foot.”

“You can explore in detail later on.” Hawke pushed back strands of hair that had fallen over his forehead, the color a distinctive silver-gold that echoed his coat in wolf form. “I want you to have a good working knowledge of the area as soon as possible.” He handed her a thin plas map. “The trip up to the hydro station will take you through some critical sections—and you have certification in mechanics, correct?”

“Yes.” It had been an interest she’d turned into the secondary qualification all soldiers were required to possess. “I’ll take a look at the vehicle.”

“What about the replanting?” Riaz asked, his voice clawing over her skin like nails on one of those old-fashioned chalkboards the pups liked to draw on. “Felix’s team have enough security?”

“They’re fine.” Walking to the territorial map on the stone wall of his office, Hawke tapped a large cross-hatched section below what had been SnowDancer’s defensive line in the fight against Pure Psy. “Felix’s volunteers and conscripts”—a sharp grin—“are planting the area with fast-growing natives, but for now, it’s so open it’s easy to monitor, especially with the cats sharing the watch.”

Adria thought of what she’d seen on that battlefield filled with the screams of wounded SnowDancers; the cold amber and red of a flame so hypnotic and deadly, and wondered at the cost paid by the young Psy woman who held all that power—and their alpha’s heart. “What are the chances of another Pure Psy attack?” she asked, intrigued on the innermost level by a relationship that appeared so very unbalanced out the outside, and yet one that was as solid as the stone of the den.

It was Riaz who answered. “According to Judd’s sources, close to nil. They’ve got worse problems.”

“Civil war,” Hawke said, shaking his head. “If he’s right, there’ll be no avoiding the impact—so we make sure we’re prepared to weather any storms.”

Nodding in agreement, she left the office with the man whose very scent—dark, woodsy, with a sharp citrus tone—made her skin itch. “We should get some food.” The drive wouldn’t be quick, plus Mack and his tech had probably not planned to be up there this long either, would be hungry.

“Should be something in here,” Riaz said, walking into the senior soldiers’ break room.

They worked with honed efficiency to slap together some sandwiches, and were ready to go ten minutes later. Clenching her abdominal muscles as she got into the vehicle with Riaz, Adria told herself to focus on the route, the geography, anything but the potent, masculine scent of the man in the driver’s seat…because she knew full well why he incited such violence in her.

* * *

Riaz drove them out of the garage, and into the mountains, very aware of the cool silence of the woman with him. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how unlike Indigo she was, in spite of the superficial similarity of their looks. One of the reasons he’d always enjoyed the other woman’s company was her upfront nature—Adria, by comparison, was a closed box, with “Do not enter” signs pasted on every surface.

He understood that. Hell, he had his own “no go” zones, but with Adria, it was armor of broken glass that drew blood. “This track,” he said, doing his job because personality clash or not, he knew his responsibilities, “is the most direct route to the hydro station.”

“Not according to the map Hawke gave me.” A quick, penetrating glance. “So what’s wrong with the other road?”

Man and wolf both appreciated her intelligence, something neither part of him had ever doubted, even when she was slicing into him with her verbal claws. “Sheer cliff face right in the middle.”

Making two tight turns, he continued onward. “Meant to delay any aggressors if they ever get that far.” 

Adria didn’t say anything for several long minutes, studying the map and their passage into the mountains. “I’ll need to request another senior soldier go with me on some of my exploratory trips, so I don’t miss things like that.”

“I’ll take you,” Riaz said, because damn it, he was a lieutenant, even when it came to a prickly piece of cactus like Adria. “Indigo made sure I was familiar with the details after I came back from my posting in Europe. It’ll be good for me to go over the knowledge.”

Adria blinked, taken by surprise. “I appreciate it.” It was the only thing she could say without giving everything away.

Riaz snorted, his hands strong and competent on the manual steering wheel as he navigated a particularly steep embankment. “About as much as you appreciate a root canal, but whatever your problem with me, we have to work together.”

Setting her jaw, she focused on the view beyond the window—of the most magnificent scenery on this earth. Summer was fading, though autumn hadn’t yet arrived, and the land was swathed in dark green, the peaks in the distance touched with white.

A flash of movement.

“Who’s that?” She jerked forward to watch a big tan-colored wolf race across a meadow to the left, chasing a sleek silver wolf she immediately recognized. “He’s being rough with Evie.” Fury boiled in her blood. “Stop the car.”

Riaz’s chuckle held pure male amusement, fuel to her temper. “That’s Tai, and Evie won’t appreciate the interruption, Aunt Adria.”

Biting back her harsh response, Adria glanced at the two wolves again, saw what she’d missed at first glance. They were playing, all teeth and claws, but with no real aggression to it. Just as Riaz turned a corner, cutting off the view, the two wolves nuzzled one another and Adria realized Tai and Evie weren’t just playing, they were courting. “She’s too young.” While Indigo was very close to Adria in age, Evie was much younger.

“She’s still a wolf, an adult female wolf,” Riaz said, pushing the car into hover drive to negotiate a damaged section of the road. “You might have forgotten Ms. Frost, but touch is necessary for most of our kind.”

Her hand fisted, that nerve far too close to the surface.

A year.

It had been a year since she’d been in a sexual relationship, a rawly painful kind of isolation for a wolf in the prime of her life. But she’d been handling it, until Riaz and the raging storm of a sudden, visceral sexual attraction that terrified her.

“If we’re throwing stones,” she said, protecting herself by going on the offensive, “I’m not the only one who prefers a cold bed.” Riaz was a highly eligible male—the fact he’d taken no lovers was a point of irritation with the women who wanted nothing better than to tussle with him. “Maybe that’s why you’re such a prick.”

Riaz’s snarl was low, rolling over her skin with the power of his dominance. Wrenching the wheel, he brought the SUV to a stop on the side of the road. “I’ve had it.” Turning off the engine, he turned to her. “What the hell is your problem with me?”

“Drive,” she said, almost ready to crawl out of her skin with the need to rip off his T-shirt and use her teeth on all that hot, firm muscle. “Mack is waiting for us.”

“He can wait a few more minutes.” Golden eyes that were no longer in any way human slammed into hers. “You’ve had a hard-on for me since you transferred to the den. I want to know why.”

Gut twisting, she snapped off her safety belt and pushed open her door to step out into the cold mountain air. The chill did nothing to cool the fever in her blood, the need ravaging her body, threatening to make her a slave when she’d finally found freedom. Desperate, she concentrated on the majesty of her surroundings in an effort to fight the tumult inside her. In front of her lay tumbled glacial rocks, huge and imposing, beyond them the dark green of the firs that dominated this area. Above it all was a sky so blue it  hurt.

The slam of a door, followed by the thud of boots on the earth shattered her fragile attempt at control, and then Riaz was standing in front of her, blocking the view. “We are not leaving,” he said, his bronzed skin caressed by the sunlight that gilded his hair a gleaming blue-black, “until we work this out.”

Feeling trapped, suffocated, she shoved at his chest and slipped out to stand beside the car rather than with her back to it. “I’m not the only one who has a problem. You’ve been picking at me since the day I was pulled into the den.”

He growled and the rough sound rasped over her nipples, wrapped around her throat. “Self-fucking-defense. You took one look at me and decided you hated my guts. I want to know why.”

Jesus, Adria thought, how had she gotten herself into this? “Look,” she said, deciding to back down before her wolf took control and she found herself feasting on male lips currently thin with anger, “it’s nothing personal. I’m generally a bitch.” According to Martin, she was one with a stone heart.

“Nice try”—a harsh laugh that held nothing of humor—“but I’ve seen you with others in the pack.” He took another step toward her, invading her space and her senses.

Hell if she was going to allow him to walk all over her. “Get out of my face.”

“You sure you want me to?” he asked, a dangerous look to him. “Maybe the  reason you react like a hissing cat around me is because you want me even closer.”

She sucked in a breath.

Riaz’s eyes widened.

Publish date:  29 May 2012

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Wish List: Ashen Winter (Ashfall 2) by Mike Mullin

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Goodreads blurb:
It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.