24 June 2019

Great Summer Reads! Day 16



I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. 

Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. 

Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.


 If they fail...
She could die over 3300 years from home!



Tackle the elements & evil of Ancient Egypt...
A history-changing battle & Time Travel Thriller...


Fifteen-year-old Rosa doesn't see dead people...
She hears them & talks to them.

When she agrees to help King Tut's ghost find his lost queen & clear his family's name, she doesn't count on falling for him.

She & Tut must also outwit an evil pharaoh determined to stop them...
Even if it means one of them must die.

Get it today and see who triumphs.


2015 IAN Book of the Year Finalist YA
2015 CAL Book Award Finalist YA Fiction
2014 Literary Classics Seal of Approval
2015 Readers' Favorite Finalist YA
2014 Literary Classics Silver Medal for PreTeen/Tween

Top Ten List:

1.      Things I like to do when not writing:

I enjoy traveling—I will travel anywhere, any time; reading; spending time with my family; and working in the yard. I’m definitely not a housekeeper.

2.      How I relax:

Sitting on the beach in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico!

3.      My favorite color:

Blue’s always been my favorite color. It’s the color of my eyes, of the sky, and of the ocean.

4.      My favorite drink:

Just can’t pass up a good margarita!

5.      My favorite snack:

I devour nachos and Auntie Anne’s pretzels!

6.      My your favorite movies:

Star Wars, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and The Mummy. I’ve watched each of these so many times that I’ve lost track, and my husband shakes his head when he sees one on and says, “Really?” I just smile.

7.      I am a night owl:

I don’t usually go to sleep until midnight, and now that I’m retired, I’m comfortable not seeing the sun come up in the morning:)

8.      My favorite food:

That would be a smothered shredded beef burrito followed by coconut ice cream.

9.      My favorite concerts:

Elton John, Sting, Paul McCartney, and Mumford & Sons.

10.   If I could live anyway, it would be in Colorado.

We have the best weather—All four seasons. I live next to the foothills, and a drive up in the Rockies is a cure for any ailment. I can see the world famous Red Rock Amphitheater from my couch, and if the wind is just right, we can hear the concerts. My immediate family is all here, except for one sister who lives in Texas, poor soul. In addition to being a retired teacher, I’m also a retired airline employee. So, when I need a change, it’s so easy just to hop a plane and go to the beach.



 To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 




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23 June 2019

Rosinanti (The Rosinanti Series Book 1) by Kevin J. Kessler Book Spotlight and Giveaway!

Rosinanti (The Rosinanti Series Book 1)

The Rosinanti Dragons are no more. Since their extinction nearly one thousand years ago these primal powerhouses have fallen into the obscurity of history’s forgotten lore. In that time, humans have come to dominate the world of Terra, peacefully ignorant to one horrifying truth: ancient evil stirs around them, waiting to reclaim its lost world. For Valentean Burai, animus warrior of the kingdom of Kackritta, the details surrounding humanity’s victory over the Rosinanti are more than just a history lesson. The long-buried mysteries of this archaic conflict may hold the answers that he has so desperately sought regarding his own past. As the awful truth of the Rosinanti’s supposed demise comes to light, Valentean must stand together with Seraphina, a magically gifted princess, to embark upon a mission to maintain order and light throughout Terra. Only together can these two lifelong friends face down the resurgence of the Rosinanti legacy, and combat the greatest threat their world has ever known.

COMPLETED YA Series by Kevin J. Kessler
When the dark truth of the Rosinanti comes to light, Valentean & Princess Seraphina must face down their resurgence Ebook, PB & FREE on KU!


  Enter to win a $25 Amazon GC from Lavish Publishing. Fill out the form below to enter. Open INT where you can receive an Amazon GC.
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Overture by Vanesa Couchman Blog Tour! @Vanessainfrance @rararesources

Overture

 What if you had a unique talent, but everything conspired against your dreams? 
France, 1897. Born to a modest farming family, Marie-Thérèse has a remarkable singing voice and wants to become a professional singer. But too many obstacles, including her parents' opposition, stand in her way. And, through no fault of her own, she makes a dangerous enemy of the local landlord.
When the family circumstances change suddenly, Marie-Thérèse and her mother must move to Paris to work in her aunt's restaurant. Her ambitions rekindle, but the road to success is paved with setbacks until a chance meeting gives her a precious opportunity.
She is close to achieving all her dreams, but the ghosts of the past come back to haunt her and threaten Marie-Thérèse's life as well as her career.

 Purchase Link
http://mybook.to/OvertureBook1 

 Author Bio 
Vanessa Couchman is a novelist, short story author, and freelance writer and has lived in an 18th-century farmhouse in southwest France since 1997. French and Corsican history and culture provide great inspiration for her fiction. She has written two novels set on the Mediterranean island of Corsica: The House at Zaronza and The Corsican Widow. Her third novel, Overture, is Book 1 of a trilogy set in France between 1897 and 1945. Vanessa’s short stories have won and been placed in creative writing competitions and published in anthologies.  

 Social Media Links  

 Website: https://vanessacouchmanwriter.com 

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessacouc

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessacouchman.author/  

 Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Vanessainfrance  

 Amazon Author Page: http://author.to/VanessaCouchman

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Deco Dames, Demon Rum and Death (Jazz Age Mystery Series) by Ellen Mansoor Collier


Deco Dames, Demon Rum and Death (Jazz Age Mystery Series) by Ellen Mansoor Collier

About the Book

 
Cozy Mystery 5th in Series 
Decodame Press (December 28, 2018) 
Paperback: 249 pages 
ISBN-10: 0989417042 
ISBN-13: 978-0989417044 
Digital ASIN: B07LGGKPKZ
When young Galveston Gazette society reporter Jazz Cross hears rumors of grave robbers at the Broadway Cemetery, she and photographer Nathan Blaine investigate, hoping to land a scoop. The newshawks witness meetings held by clandestine gangs and enlist the help of her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, who attempts to catch the elusive culprits red-handed.
Meanwhile, the supernatural craze takes Galveston by storm, and Jazz is assigned to profile the society set’s favorite fortune teller, Madame Farushka. Sightings of a ghost bride haunting the Hotel Galvez intrigue Jazz, who sets up a Ouija board reading and séance with the spiritualist. Did the bride-to-be drown herself—or was she murdered?
Luckily, Sammy Cook, her black-sheep half-brother, has escaped the Downtown Gang and now acts as the maître d’ for the Hollywood Dinner Club, owned by rival Beach Gang leaders. During a booze bust, the Downtown Gang's mob boss, Johnny Jack Nounes, is caught and Jazz worries: will Sammy be forced to testify against his former boss? Worse, when a mystery man turns up dead, Sammy is framed for murder and Jazz must solve both murders and help clear Sammy's name.
As the turf war between rival gangs rages on, Jazz relies on her wits and moxie to rescue her brother and her friends before the Downtown Gang exacts its revenge.
Read an Excerpt!
 Nathan and I arrived a few minutes early, to allow him time to set up his camera equipment. Madame Farushka, dressed like a Cleopatra clone with flowing scarves and arms of jangly bracelets and huge hoop earrings—probably real gold, with her fees—seemed to enjoy playing dress-up.  With a dramatic flourish, she flung open the double stained-glass doors and led us down the dark hall past a beaded curtain entrance into her parlor, filled with massive carved Victorian furniture and ugly gargoyle bronzes.
A new Ouija board sat in the middle of a round oak table, with four chairs evenly spaced apart, a candelabra in the center. Madame rose to untie the thick silk cords and closed the heavy burgundy velvet curtains trimmed with long fringe, blocking out any twilight in the already-dark room.
Nervously I eyed the flickering candles. Sure, they helped set the supernatural mood, but to me they represented a fire hazard.
The flames cast an eerie glow: shadows and misshapen faces and figures of statues and religious icons seemed to magnify and flash like images in a fun-house mirror.
I got the shakes, feeling as if I’d stepped onto the set of The Phantom of the Opera. All we needed was an enormous swaying crystal chandelier to complete the Gothic scene....

Lily briefly described her encounters with the ghost bride, Marilyn, but didn’t mention murder. She glanced at the Ouija board, exclaiming, “I’m so excited.  How exactly do these work?”
After Madame explained the rules—we must remain silent during the reading while she asked the questions—we solemnly took our seats, scooted our chairs closer and placed our fingers on the celluloid triangular-shaped planchette, or pointer.  Then she chanted in low tones: “Oh, dear spirit, why do you haunt the Hotel Galvez? What unfinished business must you resolve?”
The planchette was still.  No vibration, no movement. I stole a peek at Nathan, who tried not to laugh. The women seemed so intent on the Ouija board’s powers that I felt guilty, and obediently shut my eyes. Madame again attempted to summon the bride.  “Tell us, spirit, why did you seek out Lily?   Do you have a message for her, for all of us? Why is your soul so troubled?”....

Madame Farushka’s eyes were closed and she swayed back and forth to a silent rhythm. Tilting my head, I signaled Nathan to start taking photos. No one paid attention as he quietly moved around the dark room and took a few shots. His flash added to the atmosphere, the puffs of smoke creating a cloudy haze.
The planchette vibrated and kept sliding across the board. Wary, I watched Lily and Madame for any evidence of trickery or manipulation, but everything appeared above board, so to speak. Slowly the planchette picked up speed and floated across the Ouija’s surface, spelling out a familiar, frightening word:  M-U-R-D-E-R.

About the Author


Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles and essays have been published in a variety of national magazines. Several of her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World. During college summers, she worked as a reporter for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.
A flapper at heart, she’s worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine and as president of WICI (Women in Communications).
She lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts and visits Galveston whenever possible.
“When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. Finally, I had to stop researching and start writing, trying to imagine a flapper’s life in Galveston during Prohibition.”

Author Links:
Website: http://www.flapperfinds.com/ 
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452242.Ellen_Mansoor_Collier 
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/artdecodame/flappers/ 

   Purchase Link: Amazon 



TOUR PARTICIPANTS
June 12 – Michelle’s Romantic Tangle – REVIEW
June 12 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – 4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ – SPOTLIGHT
June 13 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
June 14 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW
June 15 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 15 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
June 17 –  ❧Defining Ways❧ – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 18 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
June 19 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
June 20 – Ascroft eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
June 21 – Ruff Drafts  GUEST POST
June 22 – Author Teresa Watson – REVIEW
June 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 23 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW by Guest Reviewer

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Book Tour Grand Finale for The Thirteenth Guardian By K.M. Lewis with Giveaway!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for
The Thirteenth Guardian
By K.M. Lewis

 ***For a limited time, grab this on sale for $0.99
(will go up to full price three weeks after release)!***

 We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you'll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Author Interview

 What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?

 The book is a fictional work. So my primary hope is that readers just enjoy reading it and connect with the story and the characters that start to develop in Book 1. Book 2 and 3 really get into the characters more, so readers can understand why they are who they are and how that literally changes the world. I wrote the book really fast, it just poured out non-stop. Sometimes, I would stand up and stare back at the page that I just wrote and wonder where all this stuff was coming from. Its a bit of a daring book, so I think people will either hate it or really like it. For those who really like it, I hope it strikes a cord inside them, like it did for me when I finished writing the book.


Remi had always dreamed that he would do meaningful work in his life. His parents repeatedly told him that he had a great destiny ahead of him and that one day he would do amazing things. Remi believed that perhaps one day he would become a senator or congressman and would change the lives of millions of people. The fact that at twenty-one, he was now in a room with the President of the United States, and his chief of staff, working on a plan to keep the United States government functional, left him with mixed feelings. It was awe inspiring on the one hand, but on the other, the circumstances around which it was happening were terrifying.
Splashes of Joy - Excerpt

 Eli stared at the floor then looked back up to his new friends, who sat in a semi-circle, facing him. “I have a lot I need to tell you.”

Eli described his trip to get to Innsbruck and how close he was to never finding Florianne. He told them about the Vespa ride up the mountainside and his companion, Urich. He told them about finally finding Florianne’s estate and spending the last two days, getting the full history of Florianne, her family, the Guardians, and their secret organization.
Eli watched as the group of three men very meticulously opened the crate and pulled out a smaller box made of a strange, reddish brown wood. The box looked to be hundreds of years old. They opened it and unrolled a parchment that had peculiar writing on it. Eli craned his neck in an effort to read what was on it, but it was in a dialect he was not familiar with.
Mel's Shelves - Review

 "This book is intense! There are lots of characters to meet and I was hoping I would be able to keep them all straight. It starts fast as the world is undergoing drastic changes and it never let up. There is a small group of people that are important and one woman has the task of bringing them all together. It takes a while to find out why and what they are expected to do. . . . I look forward to reading more of this series and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a dystopian, apocalyptic thriller!"
Bookworm Lisa - Excerpt

 Something about standing in the shadow of the Archangel Michael this evening caused Eli to stop and stare at the statue. He noticed, for the first time, that Archangel Michael appeared to have just unsheathed his sword—as if the time for that final battle, prophesied in the Bible, had finally arrived. Eli observed that Michael had a calmness etched on his face that evoked both sadness and resolve.
“Remi, where have you been?” The voice on the other end of the line was frantic. “We’ve been trying to reach you for the last half an hour.” It was one of his colleagues that was working on the Emergency Bill with him.

“Sorry, Brooke. I planned to take a shower and lay down to rest for thirty minutes before I came right back in. I must have been completely exhausted. I’m getting up. I’ll be in the office in an hour or so.”

“No. You’ll be here sooner. . . "
Meagan Davenport - Spotlight
Wishful Endings - Excerpt

A couple of seconds later, the computer screen blinked and cleanly displayed a data extract. Neatly arranged on the monitor was a list of eight names, along with contact information which was generally not publicly available—home address, mobile phone number, mobile phone password, email address, and last known GPS location—with longitude, latitude, and elevation.

“Please print that out and bring it to me in the study. I have to get in touch with these people right away.” Florianne turned around and hurried off with deliberate purpose to the adjoining room.
Life as Leels - Review

 "I have to admit right off the bat that this was an anxiety inducing, scary read for me personally. Apocalyptic, end of the world, death type things have a way of throwing me into an anxiety attack and make me incredibly fearful and that is exactly what this book did."
Her husband couldn’t help but notice the expression of pain and despair in her eyes. A year ago, she had told him about a construction project that she had commissioned in the Rocky Mountains. They were building a bunker that they could use in the event of an emergency. He felt blessed that they had the means to ensure their family's safety but gave it little thought beyond that conversation. Kathy had been very careful not to give her husband the impression that there was a looming concern.
By The Book - Excerpt

 Mariko walked down the dimly lit passageway that opened up into a well-appointed bunker. The lights automatically came on when she and her three daughters walked in. The space was designed like an apartment with couches, beds, a kitchen—everything that one would need over a period of several months. In the middle of the kitchen was a black phone.
"I believe many readers would enjoy this book, especially those like to read apocalyptic tales. I recommend it. I would love to see what the author comes up with in their next release."
“What is going on, Soki?” Mariko cried hysterically as soon as her husband picked up. “We are locked in some bunker in the middle of nowhere. I think we are in China.”

“Mariko, please listen to me…” General Soki tried to project as much calm as he could muster. “I have spent the last year building the bunker you are in. The world is about to change, my love, and I fear that Japan might not make it.
Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of this post, if you haven't already...

 The Thirteenth Guardian
(The Thirteenth Guardian #1)
By K.M. Lewis
Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Thriller
Paperback & ebook, 307 Pages
June 11th 2019

 DA VINCI'S SECRET PALES. Michelangelo concealed an explosive truth in his famous Creation of Adam fresco in the Sistine Chapel. Eve did not cause the fall of man. She carried a far more devastating secret for millennia—one that will change the world forever.

 As the modern-day world suffers the cataclysmic effects of the “Plagues of Egypt,” Avery Fitzgerald, a statuesque Astrophysics major at Stanford, discovers that she is mysteriously bound to five strangers by an extremely rare condition that foremost medical experts cannot explain. Thrust into extraordinary circumstances, they race against time to stay alive as they are pursued by an age-old adversary and the world around them collapses into annihilation. Under sacred oath, The Guardians—a far more archaic and enigmatic secret society than the Freemasons, Templars, and the Priory—protect Avery as she embarks on a daring quest that only legends of old have been on before. Avery must come to terms with the shocking realization that the blood of an ancient queen flows through her veins and that the fate of the world now rests on her shoulders.

 The Thirteenth Guardian is Book One of a daring new Trilogy that will shake you to your core.
About the Author

 K.M. Lewis has lived in multiple countries around the world and speaks several languages. Lewis holds a graduate degree from one of the Universities featured in his book. When he is not writing, Lewis doubles as a management consultant, with clients in just about every continent. He does much of his writing while on long flights and at farflung airports around the globe. He currently resides on the East Coast of the United States with his family.
Tour Giveaway


Two winners will receive an ebook of THE THIRTEENTH GUARDIAN
Ends June 26, 2019

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The Jewel Garden by Marilyn Pemberton Blog Tour! @mapemberton54 @hfvbt #TheJewelGarden #MarilynPemberton #HFVBTBlogTour

The Jewel Garden by Marilyn Pemberton

Publication Date: February 28, 2018
Williams & Whiting
eBook & Paperback; 388 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1912582037
Genre: Historical Fiction
It was a time when women were starting to rebel against Victorian conventions and to strive for their independence. This is a story of Hannah Russell’s physical, emotional and artistic journey from the back streets of the East End of London to the noisy souks and sandy wastes of Egypt; from the labyrinthine canals of Venice to the lonely corridors of Russell Hall in Kent. Hannah thinks she has found love with Mary De Morgan, a writer of fairy tales and one of William Morris’s circle of friends. But where there is devotion there can also be deceit and where there is hope there also dwells despair.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Marilyn Pemberton has always worked in IT and is still a full-time project manager, but is hoping to retire very soon. At the age of 40, she decided she wanted to exercise the right side of her brain and so commenced a part-time BA in English literature. This progressed to an MA and then to a PhD on the utopian & dystopian aspects of Victorian fairy tales. During her research, Marilyn “discovered” Mary De Morgan, a Victorian writer of fairy tales, amongst many other things. She became somewhat obsessed with De Morgan and as she wanted to share her research she wrote Out of the Shadows: The Life and Works of Mary De Morgan, which was published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing in 2012. Despite her intensive research, there were still many gaps in her knowledge and because she just could not let De Morgan, or the act of writing, go she decided to write a fictional novel based on De Morgan’s life – the result being "The Jewel Garden." Marilyn is currently looking for representation for her second novel, "Song of the Nightingale," which is set in 18th century Italy and tells of two young boys who are bought from their families, castrated and then trained to be singers. The fate of the boys as castrati is an integral part of the tale, of course, but it is also a story of adulterous passion, deceit, murderous revenge, guilt, and enduring love. Marilyn is now working on a third novel called "Grandmothers' Footsteps" that will tell of four generations of women and their attempts to tell their “herstories” to a world deaf to the female voice.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 17
Excerpt at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, June 18
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Interview at Maiden of the Pages
Wednesday, June 19
Feature at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Thursday, June 20
Interview at Passages to the Past
Friday, June 21
Review at Book Reviews from Canada
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Saturday, June 22
Guest Post at Book Reviews from Canada
Sunday, June 23
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Monday, June 24
Review at Coffee and Ink
Tuesday, June 25
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads


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