Thursday, June 18, 2015

What would your #timetravel destination be? The Last Timekeepers #ya #mg #GIVEAWAY


Please join me for the release blitz for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis. Sharon would like to share some totally awesome comments with us. Read through - there's a giveaway below!

If I were a Timekeeper…
The job a Timekeeper should not be taken lightly. I mean, after all being summoned into the past puts a lot of responsibility on a person’s shoulders. First, you have a riddle to solve. Why did you arrive in that time period in the first place? What is the Timekeeper’s task? And when will it take place? Don’t forget, you’d be out of your element, and most likely not familiar with the customs and beliefs of the people and their culture. Say or do the wrong thing and you could get thrown in the dungeon, or worse…cue the scary music.
So if I had a choice of where I wanted to go, rather than sent to where I needed to be like my characters are in The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, I would choose to go to Atlantis. I know, go figure, but I believe it was a real place and not a myth. I’ve done too much research to know this. My gut tells me Atlantis existed. I’d love to check out the City of the Golden Gates and the Temple of Poseidon and see if Plato’s descriptions are bang on. However, I wouldn’t want to go back there when things, let’s say got little shaky and wet, for the Atlanteans!
But for the purpose of factual history, I think I would choose Ancient Egypt. Now this timeline is very hard to pinpoint. I’ve done a bucket load of research in this era for the prequel to my time travel series, Legend of the Timekeepers. Egypt, it seems, was rumored as a place where many Atlantean refugees settled after the destruction of Atlantis. So if there’s any truth to these myths, I’d love to go back and see what the Atlanteans did with their clean slate.
There you have it. My top choice(s) I’d love to visit if I were a Timekeeper and could travel back in time. So if you suddenly found you could time travel, where would you spiral into the past to visit? Love to hear your choices!
Blurb:
When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.
Buy links:
Mirror World Publishing:
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and is represented by Walden House (Books & Stuff) for her teen psychic series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, GOOGLE+, and GOODREADS. Check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.




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Saturday, June 13, 2015

Eden by Kate Wrath #ya #dystopian #paranormal #giveaway

Don't forget the giveaway below and my weekly blog roundup is below this post.

Announcing the release of the third book in the E series, Eden, by Kate Wrath:

THE THIRD BOOK IN THE E SERIES Both friends and enemies are keen to get their hands on the information inside Eden’s head—information that could take down the Sentries and change the world. But there are costs that no one realized, and Eden’s not so sure she’s willing to pay them. Refusing to do so could create dangerous problems within the tribe she’s only just come back to. Eden has her own agenda for learning Lily’s secrets. With hope refusing to die, she’s spurred forward by memories of Oscar and thoughts of finding him again. But Lily’s hold on her is greater than she knows, compelling her to chase after strange clues and confusing visions. With love and longing weighing on her, Eden must determine the reality of her fractured identity in order to decide which path to take. The choices she makes could tear her away from Jonas and Apollon, from everything she’s ever known. Eden’s future will not be determined solely by choices. Fate has her own cards to play, and they just might take the game.

Cover of Eden An excerpt from Eden:

I glance at his face. He's not looking at me, but off down the street, taking in everything in that relaxed sort of way one does when everything is good and at ease. He looks at me now, sensing me looking at him. His smile is so easy. So real and natural. It's the perfect time to ask him, when he's like this. But that would bring all the weight back in. His smile would disappear. Maybe we'll walk just a moment more. But a moment, and a moment, and a moment. It's not enough of this. When I let all my thoughts go—when I let them float away on the breeze like a cobweb—there's just the filmy sparkle of their passing. And behind, sunshine. Smiles. Something warm and good inside me that I don't want to give up. Yes, there are tuggings and pullings and longings deep within, but if I pay them no attention, I can just be here in this moment. I can just feel what it's like to be smiled at by him. I sigh and lean into his shoulder as we walk. He murmurs something—some wordless something—an unimportant comment or offhand observation. I feel outside of language, right now. It's the tone that's important. The being. So we walk, and I drink it all in. Forever later—an instant later—we find ourselves at one of the warehouses with the trees. "They're mostly in bloom," he says, drawing me through the door. Inside is a secret forest of blossom and nectar and sunshine. We walk through the rows of trees, observing their flowers and the occasional fruit. It's a quiet place in and of itself, and our voices are gone for a long time. There is a single orange dangling off the end of a branch, right at face level. We stop, and I caress it with my finger tips, leaning in to smell it. There is something about that smell. My eyes flutter closed as I inhale, drinking in the perfume of citrus. When I draw back, exhaling slowly, opening my eyes, Jonas is looking at me from the other side of the orange. A soft, soft smile is painted across his face. And I don't want to let go of this moment. But I have to ask. He knows so much more about everything here, than me. "What can you tell me about oranges?" His eyebrows go up a touch with surprise. He considers. "They're our main source of trade." "Yes." I suppose I knew that. But what does it mean? "...And you like them," he adds. "A lot." He takes hold of the orange and plucks it from the branch, holds it out to me. It rolls off his palm and comes to rest in the cup of his curved fingers. I look at the orange for a moment, a little chill running up my spine. "Yes," I say again, taking it from him and raising it to my nose. I meet his gaze as I breathe in the lovely smell one more time, smiling behind the orange. "I do." He laughs and turns away, touching a dangling branch of blossoms from the next tree over. "We used to come here," he murmurs, and though the words are quiet, I hear him well. He glances back over his shoulder at me, and a line has etched itself across his brow. "I wish we had a place just for us," he says. "That wasn't ever anyone else's." "We have a river," I say, before I know what I'm saying. "And a spot on a raft in the morning, with the sun just rising." An open-lipped smile stretches slowly across his face. "Next time I take you back there, it will be just you and me on the raft." Now I laugh and move because I'm blushing and if I don't move I might pass out. And because there's too much pain in this joy. And too much uncertainty. We walk for the door like we've made an unspoken agreement. You can purchase Eden on Amazon.

Kate Wrath About the Author:

Kate Wrath lives in the Southwestern US. Much like other authors, she has both a [family] and a [pet]. [family = three crazy-but-lovable, exceedingly adorable people with longer eyelashes and better sense of humor than Kate] [pet = lovable-but-crazy giant German Shepherd who seems to be able to read, but pretends not to understand when something is required of him] Kate is the author of the E series: E (Book #1), Evolution (Book #2), Eden (Book #3, June 13, 2015), and Jason and Lily (prequel, July 23, 2015). She has also written two fantasy novels that are soon to be released. Kate believes in literature as an art form, world peace, and animal rights, but aspires to write total trash that is full of senseless violence, with characters who eat house pets. website banner    
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Best in Blogs June 7-13 #amwriting #amreading

Here's my weekly roundup. Did one of these speak to you? Let me know in the comments!

Project Mayhem
A look into the confidence of iconic authors
"A few years ago I went to a writing conference and the most memorable breakout session was taught by Bill Kenower from Author Magazine, who interviews tons of authors about their writing process. He chose a clip from an interview with Louis Sachar to share with us."

Operation Awesome
Looking for a marketing tip?
"I'm going to an event cross-country in Nashville, UtopYA Con, and one of the things that's been stressing out all of the authors attending is how many books to bring with us to sell and/or sign. "

Emblazoners
Not sure what to do with Pinterest?
"I’ve finally found a use for Pinterest. I’d heard several authors mention that they use the site for collecting images that inspire their writing or for organizing their ideas. Neither worked for me, so I wrote Pinterest off as a place to browse recipes."

Janice Hardy's Fiction University
Three new vocabulary words (for me at least!) and three strong writing techniques
"I'm a huge fan of Aaron Sorkin, who writes some of the best dialog in the business. If you’re a fan of The West Wing, you’ve seen a particular trio of literary devices used in almost every speech President Bartlett gives."

Marcy Kennedy
A post perfect for new writers and a reminder for everyone else!
"Here are 10 writing mistakes that kill your first chapter (in no particular order). Get them before they get you!"

Writing from the Peak
An excellent writer's group in Colorado
"We writers often linger too long in the beginning of our books, bogged down in what turns out to be a warm up. We are fascinated by what we are learning about our characters and the world they live in. We swim through tons of history – it’s all relevant, right?"



Thursday, June 11, 2015

Counter Clockwise by Elle Strauss #ya #timetravel #sci-fi

Welcome to today's cover reveal! Then scroll down to a second post with two great books and a giveaway!

Counter Clockwise by Elle Strauss
(Clockwise, #5)
Genres: Time-Travel, Young Adult

Synopsis:
High school senior Casey Donovan is in trouble. Again. If only she had trusted in Nate’s loyalty when he traveled to Spain with his college basketball team – despite the accompaniment of the cheerleading squad and Fiona the Floozy who’d made it super clear she wanted Nate for herself. Then she wouldn’t have made that impulsive trip to Hollywood and let Aiden do that stupid thing that threatened her relationship with Nate, and triggered a trip into the past. Only something is wildly wrong. She’s not in the 1860s like she should be. It’s 1929. And she didn’t come alone.


Purchase:
Counter Clockwise is available for pre-order exclusively through the boxed set - Daring Hearts. 
The fourth book, CLOCKED, is free with subscription to Elle's newsletter:
The first 3 books in The Clockwise Collection will be on sale for 0.99 (from 5.99) until June 15.


AUTHOR BIO:
Hey!
I'm author LEE STRAUSS.

I'm the author of the Minstrel Series (contemporary romance), A Nursery Rhyme Suspense (Sci-fi Mystery Romantic Suspense), the Perception Series (young adult dystopian/science fiction) and young adult historical fiction.

I also write fun, lower Young Adult (teen) fiction to do with whimsical things like time-travel, fairies and merfolk (with a nice helping of romance!) as ELLE Strauss.

I love to connect with my fans. I'm on facebook (author pages for both Lee and Elle) and twitter: @leestraussbooks.

Other trivia about me: I'm a married mother of four; I sometimes live in Canada and sometimes Germany; I'm fond of dark chocolate, and soy lattes; I like yoga, cycling and hiking in good weather.

contact: leestraussbooks@gmail.com

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#T4T Got a dark obsession? @chapterxchapter @tydrago @kitforbeswrites @Month9Books #ya #giveaway


T4T-Banner
Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!
Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!
This week, #T4T presents to you:
Secret of the Corpse Eater (Undertakers 3)by Ty Drago and
Shadows Fall Away by Kit Forbes
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Undertakers 3
The Corpses are up to something.
U.S. Senator Lindsay Micha has been kidnapped and replaced with a “dead” ringer, the sister to Lilith Cavanaugh, the Queen of the Dead. Now Will Ritter must go undercover in our nation’s capitol to ferret out the truth and try to stop this ambitious deader. But his mission becomes even more dangerous when he learns of a mysterious ten-legged monster that prowls the halls of the Capitol Building — a lethal monster with a taste for Corpse flesh.
The Undertakers: Secret of the Corpse Eater is book three in the wildly popular The Undertakers series from Ty Drago.
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WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

Ty Drago has done it again. This series gets better and better!” – Jackie Morse Kessler, Author

“I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading "exotic" zombie stories!”Erika, WS Momma Reader's Nook

“Percy Jackson-caliber middle grade with a new twist on zombie/aliens. Excellent world-building!” – Katrina, Goodreads Reviewer


about-the-author
Ty Drago
Ty Drago does his writing just across the river from Philadelphia, where the Undertakers novels take place. In addition to The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses,The Undertakers: Queen of the Dead, and The Undertakers: Secret of the Corpse Eater, he is the author of The Franklin Affair and Phobos, as well as short stories and articles that have appeared in numerous publications, including Writer’s Digest. He currently lives in southern New Jersey with his wife and best friend, the real Helene Drago née Boettcher.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Shadows Fall Away 1600x2400

Mark Stewart is one incident away from becoming a juvenile delinquent, and his parents have had enough. They ship Mark off to London, England, to stay with his eccentric aunt Agatha who is obsessed with all things Jack the Ripper. After a strange twist of luck, Mark is struck by lightning, and he wakes to find himself in 1888 Victorian London. His interest in a string of murders Scotland Yard has yet to solve make him a likely suspect. After all, why would a young boy like Mark know so much about the murders? Could he be the ripper they've been searching for? Convinced the only way to get back home is to solve the murders, Mark dives headfirst into uncovering the truth. Mark's only distraction comes in the form of the beautiful Genie Trembly, a girl who is totally out of his league and who may have already caught the attention of the infamous ripper. To save her, he'll endanger both their lives, and risk being trapped in the past forever.
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WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“If you enjoy YA time-travel mysteries, I think you'll like this fast-paced novel.”Kimber Leigh Wheaton, Author



“I found Shadows Fall Away to be extremely engrossing. It's the type of book you want to start and finish in one day because you can't put it down.”Jennifer Bardsley, Author

“'Shadows Fall Away' is a gripping and imaginative young adult novel that mixes time travel, historical fiction, and mystery to keep readers on the edge of their seats.” – Stephanie, A Dream Within A Dream
about-the-author
Kit Forbes
Kit Forbes has been a lover of books, history, and all things paranormal for as long as she can remember. She lives in Western Pennsylvania with her youngest daughter and an assortment of cats who give new meaning to the world bizarre.


Giveaway
Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Um, yeah, this is HOT! The Power by Jennifer Armentrout @InkSlingerPR #ya #myth #fantasy

We are over the moon about this Cover Reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's THE POWER!! THE POWER is a New Adult Paranormal being published by Spencer Hill Press, and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Titan Series. It is being released on February 23rd, 2016!!

 

The Power - Cover

“You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

Official Description To Come…

   

Don't miss THE RETURN, the first book in the Titan Series....

  The Return - Cover

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Booksamillion

THE RETURN Synopsis: The Fates are cackling their bony asses off... It's been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody--which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet. Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her. But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all. Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Booksamillion

  Author PhotoJennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads ** THE POWER Goodreads ** THE RETURN Goodreads

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Monday, June 8, 2015

Review and excerpt: Wonder Horse by @anitadaher #mg #giveaway #horse@chapterxchapter @RebelightBooks



~~ About Wonder Horse ~~
Wonder Horse by Anita Daher
Publication Date: May 8, 2015
Publisher: Rebelight Publishing
  
Fitting into a new school in a new city isn’t easy, but dreams come true for Sera with a gift from her parents: a gorgeous and spirited American Paint horse. Sera’s bubble bursts when a mean girl, Brittany, tells her that neither she nor her less than well-trained horse belong with the rest of the “reiners” in their riding class. As Sera sets out to prove Brittany wrong, she risks losing her passion for training and the friendship of Dev, another girl who truly understands her.


An earlier version of this story was originally published by Stabenfeldt (Stavanger, Norway) in 2011 as Wager the Wonder Horse and distributed in six languages: Norwegian, Hungarian, Czech, German, Finnish and Swedish.

~~ My Review ~~
Wonder Horse is a delightful story about a young girl and her new horse, Wager. As Sera struggles to fit into a new school, she and her horse are snubbed for his less than perfect bloodlines for the sport of reining. But Sera is determined to prove her special boy can do anything, including a few tricks she teaches him.

Along with her goal to show her horse’s abilities, Sera must also decide what’s important to her – sucking up to the mean girls, being childish and fighting back, or choosing her reactions to become the person she wants to be.

This is a book that will appeal both to girls who love horses and those who know nothing about them. The horse lingo is well explained in a natural way, and Sera’s difficulties are universal. But she’s a smart girl who handles even a spooking horse analytically and finds the ability to use her parent’s psychology experience in her own way.

I loved that Wager’s antics were based upon a real horse. I’ve known a couple horses that would have been his best friends and delighted in learning tricks from their owners as well.

The editing of Wonder Horse was top notch, no grammar nazi complaints from me! The only nit I found was Sera’s extremely calm reaction to her horse running away with her. It took away from the drama of the situation. Or maybe I’m just jealous cuz when my horse bolts, I panic. No thinking at all!

I heartily recommend Wonder Horse to middle grade readers or anyone who wants to enjoy a low-key, but very cute, horse story with a likeable main character who comes to terms with nay-sayers and proves them wrong. 


Link to Goodreads:

Purchase Links:


~~ Excerpt ~~
As we walk our horses toward the arena door, I see Brittany watching us, and she doesn’t look happy. Talk about jealous! As usual, her mare flattens her ears at Wager. That mare might benefit from Mom and Dad’s lecture on actions and reactions.
                “Dani,” Brittany calls, “have you seen some of the other things Wager can do?”
                “What do you mean?” Dani asks.
                “Yeah, what do you mean?” I echo.
                “He’s a good looking horse,” she says. “Flashy.”
                She looks at me, as if expecting me to say something. Like what? I’m way too surprised.
                “Since they’re going to be at the winter show anyway, why don’t they enter a showmanship class?”
                Dani cocks her head to the side. “I wonder,” she says. “Sera, what do you think?”
                I’ve watched showmanship classes in Calgary. It wouldn’t be like our lesson. Wager would have to be groomed to look like a million bucks—not a problem for my boy—and must respond instantly to my cues to walk, trot or halt. He’d also have to stand still for very long periods of time.
                “Honestly? I don’t think he’s patient enough.”
                “Well let’s see,” she says. “Go ahead and walk a small circle with him.”
                I feel like today’s lesson has been three-in-one! We walk, trot, stop, and start and backup on Dani’s cues. Finally she calls us in. “I think you’ll do fine if you’d like to try it,” she says. “Good idea, Brittany.”
                “No problem,” Brittany says, and I see a strange glint in her eyes. “Wager’s a good boy.” She looks at him. “Aren’t you. Wager? Such a good boy!”
                I’m so busy thinking about the show that I don’t notice how closely Wager is listening to Brittany. I catch on just in time to watch Wager offer a vigorous “yes” head-bob, which unfortunately catches Dani’s chin on the upswing.
                “Son of a gun!” she shouts after a sharp cry of pain. She’s holding her chin, but manages to look at me and spit out, “What is that?”
                “A trick,” I say, my voice small.
                She shakes her head. “Bad idea, Sera. Does he always do that when someone tells him he’s a good boy?”
                “Pretty much,” I say. “You have to be looking at him.”
                “And what if a showmanship judge tells him the same thing?” She lets go of her jaw and gives her head a roll, as if to work out the kinks, and I get the sense she’s not really waiting for me to answer. Her chin is red where Wager whacked her. “I’m not confident that we can train that out of him in one week. Stick to reining this time around, Sera. We’ll work on showmanship another time.” She turns and—muttering the whole way—leads Spike out of the arena.
                “Why did you do that, Brittany?”
                “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she says, smirking. “Clearly, Wager is a special boy, but that doesn’t mean he can be good at everything.” She sniffs. “You don’t have to show him, you know. He’s a nice riding horse. Why don’t you stick with that?”
                My heart and every bit of happy I had in me drops to the arena floor. I don’t know what I did to turn Brittany against us, but it’s pretty clear she doesn’t want us in her world.
                We’ll show her, Wager. We’ve got to.
                I stroke Wager’s nose. Brittany’s right about one thing. He is a nice riding horse. We used to have so much fun together. When exactly did riding stop being fun?

~~ About Anita Daher ~~
Anita Daher has been entrenched in the publishing industry since 1995, and is (thus far) author of fourteen books for children and teens. Aside from short stints as grave-plot seller, tour guide, and children’s party clown, she’s worked in aviation, publishing and broadcasting. When not word wrangling, she enjoys inhabiting characters on stage and screen.


Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Information:  Winner will be drawn June 26, 2015
·         Two (2) winners will received a physical copy of Wonder Horse by Anita Daher (US/Canada)
·         Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Wonder Horse by Anita Daher (INT)


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