Cherie Colyer's Blog, page 10
October 13, 2022
Guest Post: D.V. Stone author of Jazz House
I'm delighted to welcome D.V. Stone back to my blog for a guest post and a peek between the pages of her new book Jazz House.
Without further ado, please help me welcome D.V. Stone.
Standing The Gap
Several years ago, I took the NaNoWriMo challenge. November is National Novel Writing
Month. Thirty days-fifty Thousand words. Long story short, I accomplished the task only
because of writing what I knew. What did I know?
I’ve been surrounded by blue uniforms, okay, sometimes black, for forty years. Some with
stripes, some without. Some have helmets, and some don’t. But all have one thing in common.
They willingly give of themselves twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year.
Leave the family gatherings on holidays. Snow, ice, temperatures either too hot or too cold. They
protect, rescue, and often pick up the pieces of someone’s life.
Early in the 1980s, I began my First Responder life as a professional and volunteer Emergency
Medical Technician. One of my strongest memories is responding to a call in my coverage area.
My partner and I were the only all-female crew at the time. The tones went off, and so did we. A
short while later, a simple unconscious male became a potentially violent situation. The man
woke, and people from all the housing around us came out and egged him on to strike out at us.
My partner got rolled by him, but I was able to radio for help. Let me tell you, I was never so
happy to see red lights and blue uniforms.
First Responders, from EMTs to Firefighters and Law Enforcement, have a special bond. When
things go south as they often do, we count on each other to protect, minister, and save each other
from tricky situations.
One of my long-term positions was as an EMT in an NJ State Prison. In 1994 I married a
Correction Officer and volunteer Firefighter. Now we’re both retired.
My first book Rock House Grill was the fifty-thousand-word novel I alluded to above. It’s
considered romantic suspense and has, you guessed it, EMTs, paramedics, and police. The
second book now under contract is titled Jazz House. Police Officer Michael Machau is the main
character.
Michael is a composite of so many officers in my life. He’s honorable, compassionate, and kind.
He loves friends and family. He goes above and beyond to help his community. In today’s
climate, so many believe the opposite. One evening, in a chat with other authors, another writer
stated she was researching in a county jail. She said she was more afraid of the cops than the
inmates. I called her out on it because if we don’t as a society hold people accountable for their
reckless vernacular, they can influence others.
You know, not every cop is great. Neither is any EMT, Firefighter, or citizen. The fraction of a
percent who are, unfortunately, are the ones we hear about. That’s what makes the news, news.
Because the other ninety-nine percent are a Michael Machau. Honorable, compassionate, and
kind.
Shh, I’m going to tell a secret. I know you. Most of you anyway. You love, care, and run to
danger every day despite the world’s ugliness. You make a difference even when others don’t or refuse to see it. Through my writing, sorry but I’m going to out you, tell the world you all are big
teddy bears. Many are grizzlies on the outside, but inside, where it counts? Koala bears.
Though I no longer respond to calls (I gave it up quite a few years ago), the blue uniform
continues to be a constant in my life. My son is now a correction officer as well. Many of our
friends still suit up every day. Hubby is a Life Member of the fire department and, until last year,
still taught fire prevention in the local schools. Me? I tell stories about superheroes. Ones who
don’t wear capes but uniforms. Who don’t leap tall buildings but rush into those buildings. Who
when others are running from danger, run to it.
Thank you to all those who stand the gap. Protecting, serving, consoling, and keeping the rest of
us from harm.
About the book
Jazz HouseAuthor: D. V. StoneGenre: Romantic SuspenseHeat level (if over PG13): PGBlurb
Jordan Vasilakis is on the run, living under an assumed name. After a disastrous marriage to a notorious Greek business tycoon, she flees to the States and starts rebuilding her life. But her ruthless husband is determined to destroy her…once he finds her.
Michael Machau is drawn to the new singer at Jazz House restaurant, but the guarded woman is harboring dangerous secrets. The dedicated police officer may have to risk more than just his heart to forge a connection with the woman he knows as Madeline Cielo, especially when he discovers she’s living a lie.
Worlds collide. Lies entangle. Survival, much less love, is in question. They must quickly distinguish friends from enemies or risk losing everything—including a future together.
Grab your copy today!Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Book | Other Book Sellers
Peek between the Pages
Jordan scrambled to the other side of the limo.
“You sing good tonight.” He scrolled through his phone.
“Yes, Kyrios.”
Outside the window, massive cruise ships docked in the port. Happy older people made their way up the gangplanks toting bags filled with souvenirs, while the younger ones debarked dressed for the nightlife. Sparkly sequins flashed like diamonds as one young woman twirled on the pier.
God, how had she come to this life? She willed her hovering tears not to fall. Kyrios wouldn’t approve.
When she was offered a place in the touring group ten years ago, she thought it was the beginning of great things. Standing in the cabaret with the lights shining down was her dream come true. When she was the woman in the sparkly dress.
Until he showed up.
Each night, Kyrios Vasilakis, Greek business tycoon, sat at the front table watching her. Yes, he was older but so very handsome. Dark hair with silver at the temples, he cut a dashing figure in his black suits.
Jordan began to sing to him. It was the beginning of the end. After a whirlwind romance, she found herself a prisoner in marriage to a brute.
About the author:
D. V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author. She writes books people want to read. Whether romance or fantasy, her stories are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming obstacles while doing it with humor.
Around the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life.
After retiring, she is now a full-time author and incorporates her life experiences into her books.
A former Emergency Medical Technician, she volunteered in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, she worked as a professional EMT in a women’s state prison. She was the proprietor of a coffee shop and a small restaurant/ice cream stand in the years that followed. The years following were as a manager in an animal emergency hospital, while her last position was in a human medical office.
When not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41 foot long 13.2 feet high 5th Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.
D.V. is wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she believes and trusts in God.
“My greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family, cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”
Hali, her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof, woof.” Which is loosely translated as support your local animal rescue.
You can find out more about D. V. by following her on Social Media.
Connect with D.V. StoneWebsite | Links | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | TikTok | Newsletter
October 11, 2022
NBM Book Tour & Giveaway: Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman
I'm excited to be hosting a spot on the GRADY WHILL AND THE TEMPLETON CODEX by Carole P. Roman Blog Tour hosted by Goddess Fish Tours. One randomly drawn winner will win a $50 Amazon/BN Gift card. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Grady Whill and the Templeton Codexby Carole P. Roman
Genere: YA Adventure
BLURB:
Templeton Academy- the superhero high school is finally open!
The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body.
The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive.
Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade.
However, his best friend, Aarush Patel has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff.
Even school bully Elwood Bledsoe is attending.
If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend.
Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be?
Peek between the pages...
There Whill Be Blood
A barely cooled lump of lava hardened under my feet. One of my sneakers was stuck between two small rocks in the solidifying mess. I stared at my foot in disbelief. Instinct told me I should be a human torch, my legs nothing more than toasted stumps. I glanced up, my heart beating wildly. We were trapped on the side of the mountain facing our school, separated by a burning sea of molten rocks.
The world around me steamed, the lava staining the sky burnt orange. Trees swallowed by molten rock looked like skeletal hands emerging from a grave that glowed beneath the blackened crust. I saw heat waves shimmering from the earth but felt none of its intensity. I pulled fiercely, feeling my ankle twist. Aarush steadied me as I nearly toppled over. He was shirtless, his back slick with sweat and covered with scrapes. His fingers worked feverishly to free my foot.
Overhead two helicopter-sized pterodactyls circled the craggy summit. The wind from their leathery wings buffeted the two of us. I think the air they circulated stopped the patches of lava from cooking us alive, but what do I know?
“We better get moving, Grady. Leave your sneaker. We are risking getting burned by staying too long in one spot.” The ever-practical Aarush reasoned as he pulled the velcro releasing my foot. I wobbled, then fell to one knee.
“Do you think they’re real?” I hollered to my friend over the noise, pointing upward.
About the author:
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.
Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then.
She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren.
Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman.
Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium.
She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors.
Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the 'mother of reinvention.' She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren.
Enter the Giveaway!
October 7, 2022
Spooky Middle-Grade Books You Don't Want to Miss
Hello, autumn! And with it all things mysterious, unexplained, and, well, spooky. It's the time for ghosts and goblins, mystery and suspense, witches and werepenguins. Oh, yes, they exist! I'm delighted to share with you a few middle-grade books that are perfect reads this time of year, both for kids and adults alike!
Title: The Curse of the WerepenguinSeries: The Curse of the Werepenguin
by Allan Woodrow
Bolt Wattle is sent to live with a Baron in the far-away country of Brugaria. Unfortunately, the Baron has a secret: he turns into a penguin monster at midnight. Bolt must defeat the Baron and his penguin army, or be doomed for eternity. An NPR Best Book.
Why Allan loves this time of year: The costumes! Kids door-to-door or marching in school parades; adults at parties.
Read it today!
Title: The Ghostly Tales of the Midwest; of Michigan’s West Coast; of Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses; of PittsburghSeries: Spooky Americaby Diane Telgen
These spooky tales relate local legends of ghosts and hauntings. Read about the real people and historical events whose supernatural echoes live on, even 100-200 years later. Remember, ghosts are just history trying to get your attention!
Why Diane loves this time of year: The cooler weather and lengthening nights of autumn are perfect for gathering around a fire and sharing scary stories!
Read it today!
Title: Friends to the Endby C.L. Colyer
When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach's not worried. He doesn't believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what's real and what's not.
What I love about this time of year: We have a stack of movies we save for this time of year. Goonies, Hotel Transylvania, and Scooby-Doo are included in the must-watch pile.
Read it today!
Title: 1-2-3-4 I Declare a Thumb War
Series: The Graveyard GirlsBy Lisi Harrison, Daniel Kraus
Misery Falls, Oregon is abuzz as the 100th anniversary of the electrocution of the town’s most infamous killer, Silas Hoke, approaches. When a mysterious text message leads the girls to the cemetery—where Silas Hoke is buried!—life can’t get any creepier.
Read it today!
Title: Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings
Series: Harley James Adventuresby Leah Cupps
Amateur cryptologist Harley James has just landed in the sticky jungle of Tikal, Guatemala—home to the famous Mayan ruins. She’s made a few friends, a few mistakes…and a ground-breaking discovery.
The legendary statue of the long-lost Mayan King.
Just as she is about to impress her father with her discovery, the statue is stolen. Right from her own room!
Read it today!
Title: Spell Sweeper
by Lee Edward Food
Cara Moore attends magic school, only she lacks what it takes to be a wizard. Instead, she's a spell sweeper, sweeping up the mess left behind by real wizards.
When spells begin to leave behind something far worse than spell dust, Ii will take more than magic to clean up a mess this big. Fortunately, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.
Read it today!
Title: The School Between Winter and Fairylandby Heather Fawcett
Twelve-year-old Autumn Malog is a servant at the enchanting Inglenook School, where young magicians study to become the king's future monster-hunters. When she isn't mucking out the wyvern stalls or coaxing the resident boggart to behave, Autumn searches for clues about her twin brother's mysterious disappearance.
When Cai Morrigan, the "Chosen One" prophesied to one day destroy the Hollow Dragon, comes to her for help, Autumn agrees on one condition: Together, they'll search for her brother and uncover the dark truth at the heart of enchanting Inglenook School once and for all.
Read it today!
I hope you saw something you like! Thanks for stopping by!
Have you read any of these books? Do you have a favorite middle-grade novel you recommend? Are you dressing up this year?
October 6, 2022
Chatting with Darlene Fredette, author of Derailed Hearts
With me today is Darlene Fredette, author of DERAILED HEARTS. She answered the speed round of questions, so without further ado, let's get to know her better!
Morning or night?
Morning to enjoy the day and night for sitting by the fire and looking at the stars.
Favorite food?
There’s a restaurant an hour away from town that makes the best three-cheese lasagna. It’s heaven in a mouthful!
Favorite beverage?
I have a cup of hot chocolate every evening. I order flavor packets or use plain hot chocolate with a flavored syrup. I then add a spoonful of whip cream on top. Yum!
Favorite season?
Summer, but lately the second half of summer turns too humid. Just give me a regular warm summer day and I’m happy.
Dogs or cats?
I love all animals big and small, but my favorite are dogs. I have a one-hundred-pound yellow lab who believes he is a lapdog.
Favorite holiday?
Christmas! I love decorating the tree, the twinkling lights, listening to holiday music. Everything about Christmas is special.
Favorite movie?
How to choose just one when there are so many good ones, but my top five are: Tombstone, The Proposal, Transformers (with Mark Wahlberg), Star Trek (live long and prosper), and Grease (with Olivia and John).
Cake, cookies, or pie?
I’ll take one of each please! 😊
Survivor! I have watched every season.
Favorite vacation?
Cottage by the lake.
Thank you, Cherie, for hosting me and letting me share my new release. I really enjoyed your speed round of questions!
~*~
Thanks, Darlene for being here, and letting us get to know you better. I love that you have hot chocolate every night. Sounds heavenly!
About the book
Derailed Heartsby Darlene FredetteGenre: ContemporaryHeat level: Clean/SweetBlurb
Single father and ER doctor, Ethan Marley, is ready to put down roots. He and his daughter embark on a train adventure across Canada from west to east coast. Boarding the train, he meets a woman who steals his breath, and he learns that she too is headed to Redford Falls. He is intent on maintaining a friendship only, but Jenn makes his heart race faster than the train.
Fashion designer, Jenn Martini, travels by train to Redford Falls to visit her father. Her plan for a solitude escape derails after meeting Ethan and his daughter. Sharing a confined-spaced cabin sparks an immediate attraction, and by the end of the trip, she longs to be a part of their family. Only as she opens her heart to love, do the scars from her past begin to heal.
With more in common than relatives in Redford Falls, is their love strong enough to overcome the truth behind the accident…and save their future?
Grab your copy!
Peek between the pages...
Avery pointed to herself, Ethan, and then Jenn.
Ethan rested his forehead against his daughter’s. “You want Jenn to come, too?”
Avery nodded.
The little voice in Jenn’s head told her to return to her cabin and to stay clear of Ethan and his daughter. They were as enticing as strawberry ice cream. “I would love to join you.” The words fell from her lips.
Ethan stood and set Avery on her feet.
The child held onto her father’s hand and reached outward with the other.
Jenn accepted the tiny hand and in doing so, she sensed a comfortable connection to this family—a connection she suspected would be incredibly hard to break.
About the author:
Darlene resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. An avid reader since childhood, Darlene loved to develop the many stories coming to life in her head. She writes contemporary romances with a focus on plot-driven page-turners. When not working on her next book, or painting, or drawing, she can be found with her husband, her daughter, and her yellow Labrador.
Connect with Darlene:Website ~ Blog ~ Amazon Author Page CA ~ Amazon Author Page US ~ Instagram ~ Twitter
October 3, 2022
Book Tour & Giveaway: Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT by Nick Brooks Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT Author: Nick Brooks
Pub. Date: October 4, 2022
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 205
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
Something cool happening in Ferrous City? Not a chance.
Until one day . . . when self-proclaimed genius inventor Ethan Fairmont runs into an abandoned car factory to avoid a local bully and accidentally stumbles across his ex-best friend Kareem, new kid Juan Carlos, and an extraterrestrial visitor. Cheese (the alien) is stuck on Earth in need of some serious repairs, spicy snacks—and absolute, total secrecy. That’s easier said than done when mysterious agents descend on Ferrous City to search for Cheese. With time running out and their family and friends in potential danger, can Ethan, Kareem, and Juan Carlos pull off an intergalactic rescue before they’re all found out?
E.T. meets Stranger Things in the kickoff to Nick Brooks’s middle-grade series that weaves contemporary issues of racial profiling, industrial community struggles, and everyday life in a fast-paced out-of-this-world adventure.
Review:
“An inventive story with a lot of heart.” — Kirkus Reviews
Peek between the pages...
“Handy-Bot, online,” the machine said. “Dirt detected. Now cleaning.”The robot zoomed around the room on its wheels, scrubbing and cleaning.
I grinned. “Trial thirty-two seems to be a success!”
Handy-Bot beeped and turned to look at me.
“Cleaning you next,” the machine said.
“Oh, no. Oh, no-no-no-no-no!”
I’d committed the ultimate unthinkable. The cardinal sin of science. The gravest of goofs.
I’d spoken too soon.
Nugget squeaked in dismay.
Handy-Bot raised both arms. The winking red light on its head lasered in on me. “Dirt detected. Eliminating.” The robot rumbled across the floor toward me.
“Power off,” I said.
But Handy-Bot kept coming. It avoided a pile of clothes near its wheels and then rolled over one of my plant-powered lamps.
“Handy-Bot, off!” I shouted. “Handy-Bot quit! Handy-Bot halt! Freeze!”
The robot didn’t listen. I ran around and hid on the opposite side of the bed so I wouldn’t be cleaned out of existence by my own creation.
Handy-Bot rounded the end of the bed. I jumped over the bed and fell face-first onto a pile of dirty towels, sending my Piggy Pack flying. Gross.
I peeked over the bed. Handy-Bot had stopped and was trying to vacuum something. I let out a sigh of relief. At least I had time to think now.
An indignant squeak came from on top of the bed. My eyes nearly fell off my face.
“Nugget!”
The guinea pig scampered around over rumpled sheets and lumpy pillows, dodging and ducking as Handy-Bot tried to vacuum it up.
Whump.
Handy-Bot held up its suction-tube arm. There, on the end, sat Nugget, the vacuum tube stuck on his butt.
I’d had enough. No one cleaned my guinea pig. Not even me.
“Handy-Bot,” I yelled. I grabbed a ruler off my desk and a pillow off my bed. My sword and shield. “HANDY-BOT. Stop cleaning that pig’s butt!”
I charged. “AHHH!”
I tackled Handy-Bot with a thud and used the ruler to flip the backdoor power switch I had installed on this model.
Nugget popped out with a plop.
“That was a close one, right, Nu—”
“Ethan Edgar Fairmont! You know I’m trying to sleep! Have you lost your mind?”
Mom stood midway up the stairs of the attic. She looked angry.
About Nick Brooks:
Nick Brooks is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. His short film Hoop Dreamin’ earned him the George Lucas Scholar Award and was a finalist in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Film Fest. His short film Bee won the James Bridges and Jack Larson Award for Writing and Directing and premiered at the American Black Film Festival. In 2016, Nick created and launched his children’s books series, The Adventures of Yani. The series gained national attention and is currently used at schools across the country. This is his debut middle-grade novel. Nick currently lives in Los Angeles, California; he’s originally from Washington, DC.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube| | Goodreads | Amazon
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of NOTHING INTERESTING EVER HAPPENS TO ETHAN FAIRMONT, US Only.
Ends October 11th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
9/26/2022
Guest Post
9/27/2022
TikTok Review/IG Post
9/28/2022
Interview
9/29/2022
Review/IG Post
9/30/2022
Review/IG Post
Week Two:
10/3/2022
Excerpt/IG Post
10/4/2022
Review/IG Post
10/5/2022
Review/IG Post
10/6/2022
Review/IG Post
10/7/2022
IG Review
September 29, 2022
Guest Post: Author Dan Rice
I'm delighted to welcome Dan Rice back to my blog. Today, he's sharing his writing process and a sneak peek at his upcoming YA fantasy, The Blood of Faeries.
~*~
Hi, Cherie! Thank you so much for having me on your awesome blog to dish about The Blood of Faeries! What author doesn't love discussing or writing about their books?
The first thing to know about The Blood of Faeries is that it is the second book in The Allison Lee Chronicles. Its precursor, Dragons Walk Among Us, came out to some positive reviews last summer and even won first place in the National Excellence in Storytelling Contest.
Now, when it comes to my writing, I'm a planner. I create a detailed plot outline that will undergo several revisions before I start writing the rough draft. This makes banging out the rough draft go pretty smoothly and quickly. I wish the same were true for the editing!
So you might wonder how much effort I put into planning The Allison Lee Chronicles as a whole. The answer: probably not as much as you might think. I have a roadmap, so to speak, which tells me where the story will ultimately end. The great thing about roadmaps is that they allow for numerous detours.
Right now, along with buttoning up the final galley—this is what goes to the printers—for The Blood of Faeries, I am sprinting through the rough draft of book three, guided by a painstakingly created outline. How many books will follow number three? One. Maybe two. I'm honestly not sure because it depends on how many detours Allison and I decide to take.
Thank you so much for reading my ramblings. If you find the blurb and excerpt below intriguing, consider purchasing Dragons Walk Among Us, so you'll be ready for The Blood of Faeries when it comes out this winter.
Thanks, Dan, for taking the time to share your process. I thoroughly enjoyed Dragons Walk Among Us and am looking forward to The Blood of Fairies.
About the book
The Blood of FaeriesAuthor: Dan RiceGenre: YA FantasyBlurb
Allison Lee wilts under the bright light of celebrity after being exposed as a shape-shifting monster. She'd rather be behind the camera than in front of it. Being under the tooth and claw of her monstrous mother is even less enjoyable. All she desires is for everything to go back to the way things were before she discovered her true nature. But, after she accidentally kills a mysterious man sent to kidnap her, she realizes piecing her old life back together is one gnarly jigsaw puzzle. When Allison's sometimes boyfriend Haji goes missing, Allison and her squad suspect his unhealthy interest in magic led to his disappearance. Their quest to find Haji brings them face-to-face with beings thought long ago extinct whose agenda remains an enigma.
Read it today!
Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks
Peek between the pages...
“I’ll shoot you in the leg.” He adjusts his aim.
“What if you hit my femoral artery? I’ll bleed out.” What did the gunman do to Dad? How in the world did he overcome Mother?
He frowns. “It doesn’t matter where I shoot you as long as it’s not immediately fatal. I know you heal fast. Now, stand up. Hands behind your head.”
I comply. “How do you plan to escape with me as a prisoner? Since you know I can heal quickly from a gunshot wound, you probably know I’m faster and stronger than you. Do you really think you can walk out of here, avoiding the security detail, with me in tow? Take your eyes off me for a second, I’ll disarm you and break your arm in the process.”
Sweat rolls down his brow. “Stifle it. Turn around. Keep your hands behind your head.”
“You’re making a mistake.” I can’t believe he overcame Mother. Taking me by surprise is one thing, but overcoming Mother, a battle-hardened, magic- wielding, full-fledged skaag, is next level.
“We have your parents downstairs. You don’t start doing what you’re told without giving me lip, they’ll get hurt.”
Dad shouts from downstairs, followed by a loud thud, but no gunshot. I drop my hands and dart toward the intruder. Before he can pull the trigger, I’m on him, wrenching the gun up and to the side. Burning pain lacerates my right shoulder, and the crack of the gun is deafening. I’m more surprised than hurt because the sleeper’s prowess courses through my veins.
About the author:Dan Rice pens the young adult urban fantasy series The Allison Lee Chronicles in the wee hours of the morning. The series kicks off with his award-winning debut, Dragons Walk Among Us, which Kirkus Reviews calls, “An inspirational and socially relevant fantasy.” To discover more about Dan’s writing and keep tabs on his upcoming releases, visit his website: https://www.danscifi.comand join his newsletter.
Connect with Dan: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ BookBub ~ Instagram ~ Tiktok ~ GoodReads
September 27, 2022
Happy Book Birthday, Friends to the End!
Wow! It's hard to believe that it's been a year since the release of my middle-grade action/adventure FRIENDS TO THE END! This was such a fun book to write. It went through many revisions before it finally found a home, and then even more revisions. But the journey was so worth it! To celebrate its book birthday, I'm hosting a giveaway on Instagram. Pop over to Instagram to learn more!
What readers have said about Friends to the End...
2021 Best Middle-Grade Finalist – N.N. Light Book Awards
“A compelling, gripping nail-biting page-turner. You’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting...dreading?... what happens next. I know you won’t be able to put the book down (I couldn’t).” ~ Allan Woodrow, bestselling author of over 30 books for children
“Friends to the End is a wonderful middle-grade paranormal mystery from start to finish ~ N.N. Light Book Heaven, Amazon Vine Voice
Full of danger, adventure, grief, friendship, loss, atmospheric writing, hope, & survival. Highly recommend! – Reviewer, Belles Middle-Grade Library
Reluctant Reader Approved.
Peek between the pages:
One more peek between the pages...
My bewildered gaze slithered from Dom to Josh, finally coming to a stop on Morgan as I tried to decide if they were crazy.
“If the house is invisible, how do you expect to find it?” I asked.
Morgan sat on the stoop next to me. “It’s not always invisible. My brothers saw it once. They said it’s a big house with a long porch. It vanished before they could set foot on the first step, and I’m glad, too.”
“Why? What would have happened if they were on the steps?” I asked. Not because I believed an old ghost story had any truth to it, but I was curious to know what she’d say.
Morgan had to pick her jaw up from the walkway before she could answer, and when she did her voice came out in a high-pitched squeak. “If they had been on the porch or worse—” she swallowed loudly “—inside, they would have disappeared with it.”
About the book
Friends to the End
C.L. Colyer
Genres: Action, Adventure, Middle-Grade, Ghosts
Zach doesn’t believe in ghosts…but he should.
Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he’ll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach’s concerned, it’s his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.
When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach’s not worried. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what’s real and what’s not.
Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY ON INSTAGRAM
Release Day Blitz: GHOSTER HEIGHTS by Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, & Lisa Larose
I am so excited that GHOSTER HEIGHTS by is available now and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for 2 finished copies of the book courtesy of Wonderbound & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.
About The Book:
Title: GHOSTER HEIGHTS Author: Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, Lisa Larose, Becca Carey, Rebecca Taylor (Editor)
Pub. Date: September 27, 2022
Publisher: Wonderbound
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 208
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
A haunting and hopeful Middle Grade graphic novel about a girl, ghosts, and grief. For fans of Sheets, Small Spaces, and Ghosts.
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOOHOOD!
Eight-year-old Ona has lost just about everything: her home, her possessions, her mother, and almost her life. When she and her father move into her Baba’s apartment complex after these traumatic events, they had hoped for a clean start. But a mysterious specter follows her, and Ona befriends the ghost she discovers haunting the boiler room. When her new friendship starts allowing her to see other ghosts—the ghosts who haunt the other residents of her building—she decides to use her ability to help her new neighbors face their troubles and free themselves from their specters. In doing so, however, Ona must eventually come face to face with a much darker foe—her own trauma and grief. The earnestness of Judy Bloom meets the raw emotion of I Kill Giants in this beautifully hopeful story of childhood tragedy.
An original graphic novel for Middle Grade readers about grief, loss, and the ghosts that haunt us all.
For fans of Brenna Thummler’s Sheets and Delicates.
Excerpts:
About Corey Landsell:
Corey Lansdell is a multiple award-winning illustrator and animator. He is a skilled communicator, expert storyteller and passionate collaborator. Corey heads up a SCBWI illustrators group in Edmonton, Alberta.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
About Kelly Mellings: Kelly Mellings is an award-winning art director, illustrator, and designer. His work has
appeared in comic books, TV commercials, magazines, apps, museum exhibits, and video
games. He is the co-writer of Ghoster Heights and illustrator of the Canadian best-selling
graphic novel, The Outside Circle. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
About Lisa Larose:
Lisa LaRose is a pop surrealist painter, illustrator, and comics artist in Vancouver, Canada. She is best known for her paintings: Bizarre and Colourful artworks. She creates lively and exciting colour palettes and is always making something a little weird. Lisa loves middle-grade fiction (books, comics, cartoons, you name it) and so she also moonlights as a middle-grade comics artist.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads
Giveaway Details:
2 winners will receive a finished copy of GHOSTER HEIGHTS, US Only.
Ends October 11th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawaySeptember 24, 2022
Book Tour & Giveaway: Kingdom of Broken Iron by Mallory McCartney
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the KINGDOM OF BROKEN IRON by Mallory McCartney Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About the book:
Title: KINGDOM OF BROKEN IRON (Black Dawn #3) Author: Mallory McCartney
Pub. Date: September 19, 2022
Publisher: MM Books
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 350
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
"Together they will rise."
Something sinister is sweeping across Kiero, and war threatens to rip apart the remains of Black Dawn Rebellion.
Distraught by the decisions she made while in the Draken Mountains with Adair, Emory Fae, Queen of Kiero, is hiding a deadly secret, and now, Emory is seeking aid from Marquis Maher, King of the Shattered Isles, in the looming war.
With Brokk by her side, they search for answers and aid from the Shattered Isles, a country that has remained protected from Adair's wrath across the Black Sea. While there, Emory will learn the weight of what it means to be Queen, but what will she sacrifice to save the ones she loves?
Since the Academy fell and the Black Dawn rebellion scattered, Brokk Foster's past and the truth about his lineage has come to light. Brokk and his newly found immortal fey warriors are skeptical of Marquis and his terms to a new alliance. Being torn between love and Brokk's loyalty to the rebellion, he will have to decide whether to remain true to his cause or follow a destiny he never wanted.
Together, can Emory and Brokk make an alliance in time to return to Kiero and aid the rebels?
Nyx Astire, new clan leader to the raiders in the Risco Desert, has lost everything. With no word on if the town of Pentharrow has survived under Azarius Walsh's command, Nyx tries to rally the Dust Clan and prepare them to ally with any remaining members of the Black Dawn Rebellion. But tradition and her past throws Nyx into a dynamic ruling. Will she do anything to ensure Kiero's survival from her new point of power?
Kingdom of Broken Iron is the third installment in the bestselling Black Dawn series. Can friendship, love, and fellowship defy an enemy Kiero has never seen before?
Grab the first 2 books in the series now!
HEIR OF LIES
About Mallory:
Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband, their two dachshunds Link and Leonard and two sphynx cats Luna and Legolas.
When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found daydreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking.
Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Group| Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Giveaway Details:
One lucky winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.
Ends October 7th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
9/1/2022
Character Card Post/IG Post
9/2/2022
IG Post
9/3/2022
Excerpt/IG Post
Week Two:
9/4/2022
Character Card Post
9/5/2022
Character Card Post/IG Post
9/6/2022
IG Post
9/7/2022
Character Card Post
9/8/2022
Character Card Post/IG Post
9/9/2022
IG Post
9/10/2022
Character Card Post/IG Post
Week Three:
9/11/2022
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Character Card Post
9/12/2022
Review/IG Post
9/13/2022
Review/IG Post
9/14/2022
Review
9/15/2022
Review/IG Post
9/16/2022
Review
9/17/2022
Character Card Post/IG Post
Week Four:
9/18/2022
Excerpt/IG Post
9/19/2022
Review/IG Post
9/20/2022
Review/IG Post
9/21/2022
Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf
IG Review
9/22/2022
IG Review
9/23/2022
TikTok Review/IG Post
9/24/2022
Character Card Post/IG Post
Week Five:
9/25/2022
Review/IG Post
9/26/2022
Review/IG Post
9/27/2022
Review
9/28/2022
IG Review
9/29/2022
IG Review
9/30/2022
Review
September 22, 2022
Chatting with author C.B. Clark
C.B. Clark stopped by for a fun round of speed questions and to celebrate her newest romance, suspense novel, Forging Forgiveness. Enjoy!
Speed Questions:
Morning or Night? Morning
Favorite beverage? Definitely red wine!
Coffee or Tea? Tea
Plotter or Pantster? Pantster
Favorite season? Fall
Dogs or Cats? Love my pooch!
Favorite movie? The Longest Ride starring Scott Eastwood and Britt Robertson
Stilettos, flipflops, or sneakers? Sneakers
Favorite junk food? Sunflower seeds (spits)
Favorite thing to do to relax? Hike or canoe
Hot or cold? Cold
Favorite vacation? Jordan
Beach or mountains? Mountains
About the book
Forging ForgivenessbyC.B. ClarkGenre: Romantic SuspenseBlurb:
When small-town college instructor Candace Cooper discovers bloody, bare footprints in the snow while running in a state park deep in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, it brings back the horrific nightmare of her past.
Detective Aiden Farrell is determined to redeem himself in his new position in Colorado, even if that means ignoring his growing feelings for the beautiful professor he meets during an investigation. His fear that the footprints she saw are connected to a recent spate of missing teens intensifies when Candace is assaulted on campus.
Aiden and Candace join forces, but as they start unraveling the truth, they get closer to each other—and to a killer who'll stop at nothing to achieve his nefarious goal.
Caught between duty and love, Aiden fights in a race against time to save the woman he loves.
Grab your copy
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ Apple/iTunes ~ Google
About C.B. Clark:Forging Forgiveness is award-winning author, C.B. Clark’s eighth novel published by The Wild Rose Press. When she’s not busy traveling around the globe or hiking and camping in the wilderness near her home in northern British Columbia, she can be found in front of her laptop plotting her next story.Connect with C.B. Clark:
Instagram ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Book Bub
