Zenobia by Russ Wallace Book Blitz! @Zenobiaseries

Russ Wallace is life-long student of history, religion, politics, and social issues. As an instructor, he came to value the critical thinking so necessary to navigate the minefields of propaganda while searching for truths. As a world traveler, Russ learned the opposing views and prejudices underlying many of the problems in human society, ancient and modern.

He employs a vivid imagination to fill in the life of Zenobia, a real historical figure and one of the most fascinating women who ever lived. He is working on future books in the Zenobia book series.

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Amazon ~
~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Google+ ~ Goodread ~

Sequel to the award-winning Zenobia - Birth of a Legend.

The continuing saga of the deadly young warrior who will one day challenge Rome for the supremacy of her world. As the dynamic girl continues her education in Egypt, for a time she is diverted from her warrior path. Complicating Zenobia's life is a budding romance with her brilliant and charismatic instructor. The challenge - he is the scholar, she the warrior. Can they blend their worlds to become the most exciting couple in Alexandria?

Learning of a slave trade in kidnapped young women, Zenobia determines to free the oppressed. Warrior skills will not be enough. Her new challenge - to become a pirate, then a temptress in her fight for justice.

              

~ Amazon ~ Official Site ~ Amazon UK  ~ 

~ Amazon Canada ~ Amazon Australia ~

Character Casting

Zenobia- Born in the Syrian Desert; Educated in Alexandria, Egypt. History describes her eyes as captivating, almost like they sparkled. She’s strikingly beautiful with black long hair to the middle of her back, soft brown skin that appears flawless.  Zenobia has a strong love of justice. She’s a critical thinker, calculating, and deadly.

Zelina is Zenobia’s mother. She’s pretty with dark features and very intelligent. She’s married to Sheik Zabbai, the leader of the Syrian tribe. Zelina likes the finer things in life but she isn’t too worldly.

Cam is a Syrian warrior and the Sheik’s right hand man. He’s powerful and wise and a deadly archer. He’s seen many battles. He mentors Zenobia.

Longinus is a professor in Alexandria, Egypt. Most days you will find him philosophizing in his white toga and sandals. He’s known as a walking encyclopedia. Zenobia is the most extraordinary woman he’s ever met.

Salim is a Syrian warrior. Zenobia and Salim became friends while training as warriors.

Tyrianna is kidnapped into a sex slave trade. She is trying to escape and return to her family in Nubia.

Patricia is kidnapped into a slave trade. She becomes friends with Tyrianna.

Shanzar is a Syrian warrior and Salim’s friend. He’s a great cook. 

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

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Summer Lovin by Jacquie Biggar Release Tour! @JacqBiggar @MoBPromo

Welcome To The In Shape Giveaway! #Giveaway

Celticlady's Reviews is pleased to bring you The In Shape Giveaway!

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Tales From A Southern Mom / Frugal Exerciser / Deliciously Savvy / IMHO Views, Reviews & Giveaways

I want to send out a special Thank You to all the amazing bloggers helping to promote this giveaway!

Fitness and being in shape is very important. The human body was designed for activity, and by exercising regularly and making smart food choices, you’ll look and feel better—every day. Being in shape is connected to success in every other area of our lives. It helps you focus on your goals and seeing results will be the turning point of your journey to success. When you see results you will realize that you can actually achieve something and improve yourself. This will then motivate you to work even harder, accomplish more and you will believe in yourself more than ever. All this will affect every other aspect of your life and you will soon see big changes.

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Tangled Sin, A Dark Realm Novel by Georgia Lyn Hunter Release Tour! @MoBPromo @GeorgialynH

Someone Must Die by Sharon Potts Spotlight!

“Resourceful and emotionally strong characters boost this satisfying domestic thriller from Potts (The Devil’s Madonna)… Readers will applaud her [heroin’s] courage.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Potts provides a relentlessly readable plot”

—Booklist 

Someone Must Die by Sharon Potts  (June 28th; Thomas and Mercer)

When her six-year-old nephew vanishes from a neighborhood carnival, Aubrey Lynd's safe, snow-globe world fractures; it shatters when the FBI's investigation raises questions about her own family that Aubrey can't answer.  Aubrey picks apart the inconsistencies to expose the first of many lies: a ransom note—concealed from the FBI—with a terrifying and impossible ultimatum. Aubrey doesn't know what to believe or whom to trust. The abduction is clearly personal—but why would someone play a high-stakes game with the life of a child? The more she presses for answers, the more Aubrey is convinced that her mother is hiding something.

Desperate to save her young nephew, Aubrey must face harsh truths and choose between loyalty to her family and doing the right thing. And she'd better hurry, because vengeance sets its own schedule, and time is running out.

Amazon

Sharon Potts is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of five psychological thrillers, including In Their Blood—winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award and recipient of a starred review in Publishers Weekly. A former CPA, corporate executive, and entrepreneur, Sharon has served as treasurer of the national board of Mystery Writers of America, as well as president of that organization's Florida chapter. She has also co-chaired SleuthFest, a national writers' conference. Sharon lives in Miami Beach with her husband and a spirited Australian shepherd named Gidget.

Website

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Higher Ground by Nan Lowe Cover Reveal! @NanLoweAuthor @SagesBlogTours

Higher Ground

By Nan Lowe

Genre: Women's Fiction, Romance

Nearly a decade after leaving her tumultuous high school years and New Orleans behind, Dr. Violet Foster is thriving in Atlanta. She’s landed a job in the English Department of a prestigious school and shares a home—and her heart—with Wade Price, the love of her life.

Everything’s going according to plan.

Until a phone call from Violet’s younger brother thwarts her holiday plans and upends her carefully constructed life. She’s managed to avoid her hometown for years and dance around the secrets she left buried there. A wedding reception and an ailing grandmother beckon her return to The Big Easy, but as her departure nears, Violet is forced to reconcile the person she was with the woman she’s become.

Even if it means losing everything she holds dear.  

Author Bio

Nan Lowe grew up in Memphis with barbeque and blues in her veins. She’s married to her high school sweetheart and is raising a son and daughter in a tiny town north of Graceland that has more cows than stoplights. Half farm girl and half city chick, she’s a little bit country and a whole lot of rock and roll. Most days, you’ll find her reading, writing, plotting, or listening to Pearl Jam, usually with a dog or two on her lap.  

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/NanLoweAuthor
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NanLoweAuthor/

Website: http://www.nanloweauthor.com

Amazon: http://amzn.to/28N2I4S

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/28NPkjR

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/higher-ground-28

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/642870

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30623643-higher-ground

The Lord of Ireland (The Fifth Knight, #3) by E.M. Powell Excerpt/Giveaway! @hfvbt @empowellauthor #TheLordofIrelandBlogTour #Historical #Thriller

Publication Date: April 5, 2016 
Thomas & Mercer Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook; 370 Pages 
Series: The Fifth Knight 
Genre: Historical Thriller

      

England, 1185. John is a prince without prospect of a crown. As the youngest son of Henry II, he has long borne the hated nickname ‘Lackland’. When warring tribes and an ambitious Anglo-Norman lord threaten Henry’s reign in Ireland, John believes his time has finally come. Henry is dispatching him there with a mighty force to impose order. Yet it is a thwarted young man who arrives on the troubled isle. John has not been granted its kingship—he is merely the Lord of Ireland, destined never to escape his father’s shadow. Unknown to John, Henry has also sent his right-hand man, Sir Benedict Palmer, to root out the traitors he fears are working to steal the land from him. But Palmer is horrified when John disregards Henry’s orders and embarks on a campaign of bloodshed that could destroy the kingdom. Now Palmer has to battle the increasingly powerful Lord of Ireland. Power, in John’s hands, is a murderous force—and he is only just beginning to wield it.

Praise for The Fifth Knight Series

"With her fast-paced mysteries set in the tumultuous reign of Henry II, E.M. Powell takes readers on enthralling, and unforgettable, journeys." -Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown “Both Fifth Novels are terrific. Benedict and Theodosia are not merely attractive characters: they are intensely real people.” -Historical Novels Review “From the get-go you know you are in an adventure when you enter the world of E.M. Powell's 12th century. Peril pins you down like a knight's lance to the chest”-Edward Ruadh Butler, author of Swordland

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Chapters

Context: Sir Benedict Palmer has arrived in Ireland amongst the ranks of John’s men. John has ordered castles to be built as part of his campaign, including one at Tibberaghny in Co. Kilkenny, where this scene takes place. Although John’s men have had an early victory, the threat of retaliation from the Irish has been growing by the day.

Chapter 11

Palmer climbed the mud-slicked steps of the wide ladder that led to the wooden watchtower above the bailey gate, careful of his step. The low clouds of the last few days had brought yet more rain, and the soaked treads might as well have been oiled.

A forlorn voice floated down to him. ‘The blessings of the feast of Saint John the Baptist to you, Sir Benedict.’

‘And to you, Simonson. How goes the watch?’ He climbed onto the planks of the floor of the tower as the younger man, hunched against the coolness of the damp, nodded a greeting.

‘All quiet, Palmer.’ He held a spear but used it as a leaning post. ‘Don’t think it’ll be like that at Ardfinnan Castle. The Lord John’s men looked out for more Irish blood when they left.’

‘That they did.’ Palmer had watched them depart earlier in an orderly formation, sent on their way by an excited John. No question of the Lord of Ireland joining them to swell the ranks at Ardfinnan. John remained secure behind walls as he always did, his fighting words never more than empty bluster.

‘I swear I regret not being picked to go with them. Or with Theobald Walter: he’s gone to claim his new lands in Munster.’ Simonson gave a wistful sigh. ‘Think of the glory they’ll bring.’

‘Glory? Not always the case, I’m afraid.’ But the call of battle had tugged at him too. The mailed knights, the keen horses, the shine of ready weapons, the gleam of polished shields: all brought an urge he’d thought behind him. No mind. His place was here.

‘Hard to believe it’s summer.’ Simonson stamped his feet, a long shiver passing through him. ‘Can’t wait to finish my watch. My belly’s empty. The only thing filling it is cold. Hot food and a warm tent. That’s what I need.’

Palmer caught back a smile at the wistful look on Simonson’s big face. So much for the man’s urge to go into battle. ‘You’ve only a couple of hours to go. And those fires aren’t cooking much at the moment.’ From where he stood on high, he could see each sulking pile of wood in the bailey, belching smoke into the wet air. Except for one. One that sent up a stronger plume. Behind a group of tents. He frowned. ‘Who’s built a fire so close to the wall?’

‘Oh. I don’t know.’

Of course you don’t. Palmer set off along the wall walk to get a better look, Simonson trailing behind him.

A movement in a huge, heavily leafed oak tree a few yards beyond the ditch caught his eye. A branch, moving abruptly, though the rest of the tree stayed still. Then he saw it. A man daubed in mud, his gaze locking on Palmer’s.

‘Down!’ Palmer dropped.

Too late.

A wooden dart flew through the air, its wicked point burying in Simonson’s shoulder.

Simonson squealed, his eyes wide in shock as his hands flew from his spear.

Palmer yanked him to the floor, as dart after dart whipped over the wall.

Screams and yells shrilled from the bailey below.

Tibberaghny was under attack.

About the Author

E.M. Powell’s medieval thrillers The Fifth Knight and The Blood of the Fifth Knight have been number-one Amazon bestsellers and on the Bild bestseller list in Germany. Born into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State) and raised in the Republic of Ireland, she lives in north-west England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog. She reviews fiction and non-fiction for the Historical Novel Society, blogs for English Historical Fiction Authors and is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers’ The Big Thrill magazine.

Find more information at E.M. Powell's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Giveaway

To win a paperback copy of The Lord of Ireland please leave a comment below and include your email address or alternate way to contact you should you win.

Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on June 24th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, June 9 
Review at Impressions In Ink 
Friday, June 10 
Excerpt & Giveaway at Passages to the Past 
Monday, June 20 
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book! 
Tuesday, June 21 
Interview at Layered Pages 
Friday, June 24 
Review at Dianne Ascroft's Blog 
Monday, June 27 
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book! T
uesday, June 28 
Excerpt & Giveaway at CelticLady's Reviews 
Wednesday, June 29 
Review at Book Nerd 
Thursday, June 30 
Guest Post at The Writing Desk 
Tuesday, July 5 
Excerpt at What Is That Book About 
Thursday, July 7 
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books 
Monday, July 11 
Review at A Book Geek 
Saturday, July 16 
Review at Bookramblings 
Monday, July 18 
Review at Just One More Chapter 
Friday, July 22 
Review at Broken Teepee 

The Dragil: Broken Magic by Holly Barbo Release Blitz! @HBarboWriting @MoBPromo

Summer Chips Giveaway Sponsored by Boulder Canyon Foods!

 

Celticlady's Reviews is pleased to bring to you the Summer Chips Giveaway!

Summer is here! How will you make your summer entertainment memorable? Boulder Canyon offers unique chips that are perfect for summer entertaining and the new Backyard BBQ line is ideal for when you’re looking for BBQ flavors but don’t want to grill! See what Emilee at Pea of Sweetness thought of some of their unique chips in her Boulder Canyon Chips Review! 

Would you like to try Boulder Canyon Chips? Two winners will each receive three (3) full product value coupons for Boulder Canyon Chips. This giveaway runs through 7/10/16 at 11:59pm Eastern Time and is open to US residents ages 18+. 

Winners are subject to eligibility verification and will have 48 hours to confirm before a new winner will be drawn. 

For any questions/concerns please email emilee.roberts (at) peaofsweetness (dot) com (consider adding this email to your “Safe List” as winning email notification will be sent from this email). Please read the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools. 

By entering the giveaway you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

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  Disclosure: Emilee at Pea of Sweetness received complimentary products to facilitate her review. No additional compensation was received. Pea of Sweetness is solely responsible for prize fulfillment. Any additional participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment.  

My Pineapples Went to Houston by Lee Gaitan Book Blitz! @LGPineapple @lovingthebook

Lee Gaitan is a wife, mother, teacher, author and speaker, but above all she is passionately committed to overcoming life’s obstacles, surviving sometimes by the skin of her teeth, but always with humor and optimism. She shares her experience with anyone who will listen with the intent to encourage others to use humor to their benefit.

In the past twelve years Lee has had to deal with more than a healthy helping
of “are you kidding me?” moments. In 2002, she hit rock bottom. It was so bad shelovingly refers to it as a year of “shock and awfulness.” That year her father died,her mother was in the hospital, semi-comatose from grief, and her husband of 22 years lost every penny of their money BEFORE running off to Arizona with his girlfriend, who just happened to be a former stripper. 

That was just the beginning. She spent the next decade struggling with loss and challenges on every front, from finances and family to health and career.

While there have been many bounces up and down over the years, Lee has finally
bounced back and it was well worth the effort. She has happily remarried, working at a job she loves and has published her second book. She even has children on three continents and a granddaughter far too far away!

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Twitter ~
~ Pintrest ~ Stumble Upon ~

Heartbreak, Humor and, ultimately, Hope

That’s the message that comes through loud and clear in My Pineapples Went to Houston,  Lee Gaitan’s personal and powerful tale of surviving a decade of relentless chaos and loss. The “shock and awfulness” began in 2002 when her father died, her mother teetered on the brink of a coma and her husband of 22 years secretly lost all their money and ran off with a stripper. And it was all downhill from there!   

 Then one day in the midst of all the chaos—somewhere between loud cursing and crying—she recalled an amusing anecdote she’d heard about pineapples that spoke to her circumstances in such an unexpectedly humorous way that she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“That moment of laughter was a small epiphany for me. I realized that I had allowed my sense of humor, which had always mitigated the bad breaks in my life and enhanced the good ones, to fall victim to the machete my ex-husband had taken to my life. I determined right then and there that I could no longer permit that. I instinctively knew that humor was the most potent, and just about the only, protection I had at my disposal to survive the crises unfolding around me, and I vowed to keep it alive.”

Told with honesty and insight—and, of course, humor—My Pineapples Went to Houston both inspires and entertains readers and offers hope and encouragement to those struggling with their own “plans gone outrageously awry.”

~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 
~ Universal B&N Link ~

Top Ten List:

1.       Peanut M & Ms

2.       Ice cream—I mean, I LOVE ice cream and if I could eat stracciatella gelato in Italy every day, I would be in paradise. I’d also be in an XL muu-muu!

3.       Massages—head, body, hands or feet and preferably all of those!

4.       DOGS!

5.       Music

6.       Sleeping in

7.       Movies, especially foreign films

8.       Eating outside

9.       Hart to Hart reruns on The Hallmark Channel, seriously.

10.   The Grilled Market Salad at Chik-fil-A—I’m kind of obsessed with it right now, actually. I ate it four times in one week and didn’t tell my husband.

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

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Full of Wonderment: a novel By Josh Greenfield!

Full of Wonderment: a novel

By Josh Greenfield

Genre: Young Adult

Full of Wonderment: a novel, is a story of romance and adventure.  Jordan Fineman has completed his sophomore year at Cornell University, and resolves to set off for Alaska.  By the time he returns, in time for the fall semester, he is an experienced cannery worker, who has met travelers from around the world.  He has hiked through Denali Park and visited his girlfriend in Berkeley, California.  All the while mental illness is setting in.  It was a summer to remember.

Author Bio

Josh Greenfield is a graduate of both Phillips Andover Academy and Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. He holds two masters degrees from the City University of New York, one in History and one in English Literature. He also completed the better part of a doctorate in English at Fordham University. His desire in writing is to tell an entertaining and engaging story, to look for laughs in dark places.

On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/fullofwonderment/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ZMMpcM

On B&N: http://bit.ly/1OmCYA1

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1S3gy1n