Wednesday 30 September 2015

RELEASE DAY BLITZ & SERIES PROMOTION - DEVIL AND THE DEEP - CERULEANS BY MEGAN TAYTE

The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. 
Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint? 
Title: Devil and the Deep
Series: Ceruleans Bk4
Author: Megan Tayte
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
Release Date: 7th February 2015

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STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING, AND THEY WILL RAIN BLOOD. 
Scarlett is living her happy-ever-after, back in the real world. Only the ‘happy’ part is proving problematic.
For starters, there’s the isolation. Being a Cerulean among humans is fraught with risk, so her time with people can only be fleeting. Which means being with Luke but not being with Luke.
Then there’s her Cerulean light, her power over life and death. Less awesome talent, as it turns out, and more overwhelming responsibility. And it comes with rules – rules that are increasingly difficult to obey.
But what’s really pushing Scarlett to the precipice is something much bigger than herself, than her life in the cove. A force to be reckoned with:
Blood.

When long-buried truths are exposed, will Scarlett keep her head above water – or will she drown in the blood-dimmed tide that is unleashed?


PURCHASE LINKS

EXCERPT
It began with screaming. Shrill, ear-piercing, horrified screaming.
A girl shrieked, ‘Blood! Look, look – it’s everywhere!’ and pressed her hand to her mouth.
A man shouted, ‘Good grief!’ and another, ‘Great Scott!’
An old lady swooned gracefully and would have tipped over the balustrade of the riverboat had a lanky lad not caught her.
The cause of the excitement – a woman lying slumped on the long table on deck, cheek on her bread plate, headdress in the butter dish – twitched a little.
‘She’s alive!’ cried a lad beside her delightedly. ‘She moved!’
‘Did not,’ argued another.
‘Did too!’
‘Gentlemen,’ interjected a short, portly man with a twirly black moustache, ‘if you will forgive my intrusion, it must be noted that this woman has a bullet hole in her head and is logically, therefore, quite definitely deceased.’
Another old dear folded to the deck with a prolonged ‘Ohhhhhh’ and her husband grabbed a feathered fan and began wafting cool evening air in her face while calling, ‘Smelling salts – does anyone have any?’
I tried to keep a straight face. Really I did. I bit my bottom lip until I tasted my cherry-red lipstick. I pinched my leg through the cream satin of my gown. I dug my long cigarette holder into the sensitive flesh of my arm.
But it was no good.
The ‘What ho, chaps’ posh accents.
The buxom woman sagging in the arms of an elephant hunter wearing Converse All Stars.
The production of smelling salts in a bottle whose label read Pepto-Bismol.
The corners of the little round man’s moustache coming looser with his every word.
The fast-pooling puddle of pinkish blood on the bread plate, buffeted by the steady in-and-out breaths of the corpse.
Take it from a girl who’s really died – death on the River Dart, Devon, is hilarious.
‘Dear me, Ms Robson here appears to be quite overcome with shock,’ said the guy at my side suddenly, and he slipped an arm around me and turned me away. ‘Come, madam. Let us get some air.’
I smiled at him. Then grinned. Then choked back a guffaw. Thankfully, by the time full-scale hilarity hit me I’d been led to the rear of the boat, away from the rest of our party, and could bury my face in the bloke’s chest and shake mutely with laughter.
The gallant gentleman rubbed my back soothingly as I let it all out and said loudly, for the benefit of any onlookers, ‘There there, pignsey, there there.’
‘Pigsney?’ It was the final straw. My high-heeled sandals gave way and I melted into a puddle of mirth on the deck.
‘I’ll have you know, Scarlett Blake,’ hissed Luke, my boyfriend a.k.a. gallant gent, hoiking up his too-tight corduroy trousers so he could squat down beside me, ‘I Googled “old-fashioned terms of endearment” and pigsney’s a classic.’
I wiped tears from my eyes, dislodging a false eyelash in the process, and tried to catch my hiccupping breath as Luke went on.
‘Means pig’s eye. No idea why that’s appealing, but apparently in the seventeenth century, calling a lady pigsney was the very height of courting.’
Through his fake specs Luke’s blue eyes fixed me with a stare so earnest I almost managed to stop laughing.
‘But this is a Death on the Nile-Stroke-Dart murder mystery night, Luke,’ I managed to get out. ‘Set in the nineteen thirties, not the seventeen thirties.’
‘Ah,’ he said, ‘but my character tonight, Mr Fijawaddle, is a historical fiction writer, isn’t he? So as well as dressing like a brainy recluse – and I’m warning you now, I won’t hear another slur against this tweed jacket – he’d know all kinds of obscure terms. Like ginglyform and jargogle and nudiustertian and bromopnea and farctate and quagswag and philosophunculist.’
His showing off sobered me just enough to control the giggles. ‘You made those words up,’ I accused, poking a crimson talon into his mustard-yellow shirtfront.
He blinked at me innocently. ‘Did not. I told you before we left the house, I did my homework.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘All right then, Mr Fijawaddle, what does that last word you said mean?’
‘Philosophunculist?’
‘Yes, that.’
‘Er…’ Luke gave me a sheepish grin.
‘Spill it,’ I said menacingly. As menacingly as a girl dressed up as a vintage Hollywood starlet with cute little pin curls and rouge aplenty can be, that is.
‘Philosophunculist,’ recited Luke. ‘Noun. A person who pretends to know more than they do in order to impress others.’
I threw my head back and laughed. ‘Busted!’
Luke slipped an arm around me and pulled me close. Really close.
‘Bet you like it when I use long words,’ he said huskily, eyes fixed on my too-red lips.
‘Bet you like it when I wear a clingy nightgown as a dress,’ I replied, eyes fixed on his too-kissable lips.
‘Brazen hussy,’ he growled at me.
‘Randy boffin,’ I murmured back.
Then neither of us said another word for quite some time.

REST OF THE SERIES 
Title: Death Wish
Series: Ceruleans Bk#1
Author: Megan Tayte
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: 7th February 2015

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IN SEARCH OF THE MEANING OF DEATH, SHE’LL FIND THE MEANING OF LIFE. 

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Blake is haunted by death. Her estranged sister has made the ultimate dramatic exit. Running away from school, joining a surfing fraternity, partying hard: that sounds like Sienna. Butsuicide? It makes no sense. 

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Scarlett comes to an isolated English cove with grand plans to uncover the truth. Alone. But she hasn’t reckoned on meeting two boys who are determined to help her. Luke: the blue-eyed surfer who’ll see the real Scarlett, who’ll challenge her, who’ll save her. And Jude: the elusive drifter with a knack for turning up whenever Scarlett’s in need. 

As Scarlett’s quest for the truth unravels, so too does her grip on reality as she’s always known it. Because there’s something strange going on in this little cove. A dead magpie circles the skies. A dead deer watches from the undergrowth. Hands glow with light. Warmth. Power

What transpires is a summer of discovery. Of what it means to conquer fear. To fall in love. To choose life. To choose death. 

To believe the impossible. 


PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Forget Me Not
Series: Ceruleans Bk#2
Author: Megan Tayte
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: 1st April 2015

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IN THE FACE OF DEATH, SHE MUST PROTECT THOSE SHE LOVES.

Death is stalking Scarlett Blake. As if the encroaching darkness in her head wasn’t enough, she’s become disturbingly accident prone. Falling off a cliff isn’t ideal when all you want is as much time as possible to live, to love. 

Her fate is horrifying. Unbearable. And inescapable. No one can save Scarlett from The End that’s looming. Not Jude, the Cerulean who is intent on Claiming her. Not Luke, the boy who is intent on loving her. 

The clock is ticking, louder with every heartbeat. Now Scarlett must decide how best to protect the people she loves. Will she trust in Jude and the life-after-death he promises? Will she stand against the Fallen, who have her sister captive? Will she carry the burden of her death alone – every headache, every hallucination, every wrenching, aching emotion? 

And when the clock falls silent, when the darkness eclipses the light, will Scarlett fight for life? Or will she have no choice but to surrender?


PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Wild Blue Yonder
Series: Ceruleans Bk#3
Author: Megan Tayte
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: 31st May 2015

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IN A WARPED HEAVEN, SHE MUST CHOOSE HER FATE: OBEDIENCE OR REBELLION 

When Scarlett Blake chose life-after-death as a Cerulean, she expected to grieve for all she left behind: her boyfriend, her best friend, her mother, her home. But at least Cerulea, her heaven, would be… well, heavenly. Right? 

Wrong. 

The world in which Scarlett awakens is very far from her idea of a utopia. Picturesque, sure, and serene. But there can be no paradise within the unforgiving walls of a prison, be they of cold, hard stone or beautifully blue water. 

Now Scarlett faces her hardest decision yet: be a good, dutiful Cerulean, or be true to herself and fight for freedom. 

And if she can find a way to escape, what then? Can she finally reunite with her lost sister? Can she save Sienna from the murderous Fallen? Can she evade her destiny with the Ceruleans? 

Can Scarlett Blake ever reclaim her life-before-death… or must she let go of all she loves?


PURCHASE LINKS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction – young adult romance with soul – recently earned her the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in Robin Hood's county, Nottinghamshire. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she's not writing, you'll find her walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.


You can find Megan online at:

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SERIES PROMOTION - PHOENIX ELEMENT BY JENNIFER KIBBLE

Title: Normality Twisted
Series: Phoenix Element
Author: Jennifer Kibble
Cover Design: Eric White
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: 14th July 2015

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Could an entity from another plane of existence be inhabiting a teenage girl? The lines between good and evil are blurred when one wants to be freed. JB must discover who she once was and learn how to control her new founded magical abilities.


PURCHASE LINKS


Title: Mages Of Vane
Series: Phoenix Element
Author: Jennifer Kibble
Cover Design: Eric White
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Release Date: 24th August 2015

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Welcome to the Vane Magic School. The entity known as Ashima is no longer screaming within Anya's mind. Anya now begins her new life learning about magic, auras, and making new friends. Unbeknownst to Anya, she stands at the cusp of a war that has been brewing for centuries.

The mages of Vane must protect their home and school from The Order of Blood and their hidden leader. If Vane falls, other worlds will follow suit.


PURCHASE LINKS


AUTHOR INTERVIEW

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now? 
Jennifer Kibble...and yes, I did get picked on for my last name. Born, raised, and still currently live in South Florida. People tend to be shocked when they meet an actual Floridian. They tend to poke my arm with a three foot stick.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be? 
Yes and no. It was a means of escape. But to be a writer, I thought that was impossible, left to other people who are not me. You pour your heart into words in hopes that someone, somewhere will enjoy your work. It isn't easy but it is worth it.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work? 
It would be easy to spend my entire time to my writing but alas, it doesn't pay the bills. I have a "day job" as a cook.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say? 
Phoenix Element: Mages of Vane is the name of my latest book, released at the end of August. Anya isn't bothered with an alien speaking in her mind anymore. She's learning about magic but something is lurking, waiting...

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series? 
Phoenix Element is a series. I plan on stopping after the third book to work on another project. I'm not saying that I will stop with Phoenix Element, but the current story arc ends in book three.  

What genre would you place your books into? 
Fantasy adventure.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write? 
I started in the fifth grade when my teacher gave us the assignment to write something each week. I still have that notebook!

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration? 
Various video games, books, and Doctor Who.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair? 
98% of the time I must have music playing. I will seek out songs that fit the mood of the current scene that I am working on.

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books? 
No way. Not everyone is going to like your work. And if I can learn from a negative review, then all the better.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title? 
Write first, title later. I still have no idea what I am calling the third book, but I have started the rough draft.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books? 
I randomly type out letters. I'm serious. Tahsa (see, I just typed out those letters. But if she was a character, I would type it as Ta'hsa). Not all characters follow this rule. Some are nicknames from friends and family. Or names that I've always liked. When I meet someone new, and they have a name that I like, I try to think of a new character just so I could use said name.

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you? 
Yep. I was told "write what you know" and then exaggerate it!

What is your favourite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once? 
I loved Christopher Pike's The Starlight Crystal when I was a teenager. I've read it several times and still own my original copy. However the book is a bit worn out.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst  book to movie transfer? 
I watched the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies before I read the books. This is a great example of both movies and books being fantastic. Each have their strengths and weakness and both complement each other very well. The movies have long drawn out parts, as well as the books. However, overall, I love both. I've only read one Percy Jackson book, the first one. I then saw the movie based on The Lightning Thief. It was awful. I was screaming internally as I watch the movie. And the one character that I wanted to see on the big screen was cut! I want to read the entire series but I will be skipping out on any movies made.

What are you currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback) 
The Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. I've got a long way to go before I finish up the story of the dark elf named Drizzt. Once I start reading a series that I like, I still with it and I will not read another book until that series is finished. A bit odd, but I feel it takes me out of the fantasy book world that I am in when I attempt to read a book not in said series.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life? 
Yes! Programs like Book It! encouraged me to read more. I am competitive and I loved trying to read more books than the rest of the students. I wrote a lot in both elementary and middle school (I still have those notebooks!). I wrote short stories, series, and poetry.

Did you have a favourite author as a child?
Christopher Pike,  and R. L. Stine.

This or That...

Paperback or E-book? 
Paperback! Love the feel of a book in my hands.


Early Nights or Late Nights? 
Late nights. I could blame my work schedule, but I've been a night owl since high school.

Coffee or Tea? 
Why not both? I do find writing easier when I have a nice cup of coffee on my desk.

Mild Cheeses, Medium Cheeses or Strong Cheeses? 
All cheese! I am a huge fan of cheese. Except for swiss.



Where can readers follow you?
Blog

Facebook page
Goodreads author page
Twitter: 
Amazon
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Instagram


Tuesday 29 September 2015

BOOK BLITZ - CURSE OF THE SPHINX - SPHINX BY RAYE WAGNER

Title: Curse of the Sphinx  
Series: Sphinx #2 
Author: Raye Wagner
Genres: Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication date: August 9th 2015 

BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
How long can a monster stay hidden in plain sight?
Seventeen year-old Hope Nicholas has spent her entire life on the run. But no one is chasing her. In fact, no one even knows she exists. With her mom, she’s traveled from town to town and school to school, barely staying long enough to meet anyone, let alone make friends. And she’ll have to keep it that way. It’s safer.
When her mother is brutally ripped away from her, Hope’s life shatters. Is this the fulfillment of Apollo’s curse, murder from the shadow monsters of the Underworld, or have the demigods finally found her? Orphaned and alone, Hope flees again, but this time there’s no one to teach her who to trust—or how to love.
Set in a universe where mythology is alive and well in the modern world, Curse of the Sphinx irresistibly blends action, suspense and romance.


PURCHASE LINKS

Meet the author: www.smarturl.it/meetraye
Book trailer: www.smarturl.it/BNHRMS

EXCERPT
A warm breeze tickled the air, bringing with it the smell of honeysuckle and sunshine. A flash of light momentarily blinded him, and when Athan’s vision cleared Apollo stood in the doorway of the kitchen. The blond god of light, prophecy, and medicine arrived barefoot. His skin was sun kissed, and he wore a pale linen skirt trimmed in gold that fell to his knees. A bronze sash hung from his left shoulder to his right hip. Apollo was muscular, and his face was both beautiful and terrifying.
“Foolish girl.” His harsh words seemed at odds with his melodic voice.
The woman turned, and the phone slipped from her fingers.
“It is fulfilled.” He stepped toward her, his lips flattened in accusation. “You did not even give me a chance. One rash decision, and your fate was sealed. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, I can do. Do you understand?” His nostrils flared. “I would have made you happy.”
With a moan, she sank to the floor and buried her face in her hands. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raye Wagner grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction. As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing, and thought to help the world one patient at a time. 
One summer afternoon, a plot dropped into her head, and she started writing. 
Raye enjoys baking, Tae Kwon Do, puzzles, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.

Origin of the Sphinx is her first publication, and the beginning of the Sphinx series. 

You can connect with Raye Wagner via her website: www.rayewagner.com , or on Facebook.

AUTHOR LINKS


BOOK BLITZ - GET REAL - GET REAL SERIES BY TELLULAH DARLING

Title: Get Real  
Series: Get Real, #1
Author: Tellulah Darling
Genres: 
Comedy, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Publication date: September 26th 2015

BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
Magic and Mayhem in Manhattan
Francesca Bellafiore comes from a nice Jewish family — one that happens to have magical powers. Underneath her good-girl exterior, though, she’s a wannabe badass with dreams of becoming a paranormal detective.
Party boy Rafael Muñoz does everything possible to publicly disappoint his high profile father. Privately, it’s a different story. His carefully crafted bad boy reputation masks the fact he’s a master illusionist, forced into solo covert ops. The role is wearing thin and Rafael longs to be part of a team.
When Francesca and Rafael meet, it’s love at first sight… For about five minutes. Rafael is spectacularly attractive—and, Francesca discovers, fully aware of the fact. Rafael knows from experience that girls like Francesca are more trouble than they’re worth.
So it sucks big time when they’re caught in a web of magic, minions, secrets, and enough sexual tension to power NYC. Their only chance to save the city and survive is to team up, trust each other–and maybe even fall in love.
Provided they don’t kill each other first.
Get Real is a romantic comedy, urban fantasy whirlwind with sass, sex, and swoon.


PURCHASE LINKS 


EXCERPT
Get Real Teaser POV: Rafael
I shoved my hands into my pockets, jiggling the loose change and wanting some kind of confron- tation. I stepped outside. That girl with Byron who’d been staring and laughing earlier was candidate numero uno. Want to diss me? Do it to my face, chica.
I found her healing a gash on some guy’s cheek, holding a vase in her free hand while berating him for his choice in headwear. “Va bene. Go,” she ordered.
He slunk away with a sheepish look and I stepped up, my shadow falling over her.
“If you need medical services it better not be alcohol poisoning because I will not let you enjoy it.” She turned. Her fingers tightened on the rim of the vase at the sight of me.
“Hi,” I said.
She raised her chin, regarding me levelly with these amazing dark brown eyes. “It’s you.” Her sexy Italian accent hooked into me.
“Apparently.”
She fumbled the vase.
We both grabbed the same edge before it could hit the ground, my hand landing on hers. Her skin
was cool and smooth. The rest of her was twitchy and flustered. It cheered me up in a petty way. “Rafael. Call me Rafa. Official friend of the Byron–Jones hook up.” I patted my shirt down with
my free hand. “I had a badge but I lost it.”
“Next time ask for a lanyard.” She tugged the vase away with a slight smile, tucking it under her
arm like a football. What a mouth. ¡Dios mío! “I didn’t buy tickets to the event,” she said.
I pretended to look stern, mostly because I wanted to check her out some more. “You boycotting
the games?”
That got me a full–on grin, which hit me in the gut. Who was this girl and how had I never seen
her before?
“Seen one game, seen them all,” she said. She walked briskly past me back to the swing she’d been
sitting on earlier and set the vase on the table.
I followed, sinking into the chair beside her. “You know my name. It seems unfair I don’t know
yours.”
She hesitated for long enough that I wasn’t sure she was going to answer with anything other than
“get lost.” “Francesca,” she said at last. She flicked her bangs off her forehead. “My mom works for your dad. You’re Javier’s son, right?”
Those words were like a douse of cold water. “Yeah.” I waited for her next words. Her next look. Her obvious disdain. I stiffened, reminded of why I had come out here in the first place and ready to rip into her.
“She’s a Liaison.” Even for the simplest of sentences, her hands gestured madly. Cute. “Mirella Bellafiore.”
My heart sunk. Now I knew exactly who she was. And wished I didn’t. Francesca Bellafiore, golden girl. Latest pride and joy of the Bellafiore clan and totally off–limits to me. Javier would freak, which would be fun, but honestly? Good girls weren’t my thing. “Yeah, sure. I’ve met her. Guess you’re ex- cited to start all that healing stuff.”
Disappointment and contempt? flickered in her eyes. Apparently hot girl and I were natural ene-
mies. Figures. I wasn’t about to be an asshole to her though. It would ruin my façade.
I was about to make my excuses and go, but I noticed her twisting this hideous bracelet tighter and
tighter into her arm. “You okay?”
Her hand stilled. “Are you reading me?”
“No,” I said with exaggerated patience. “I don’t go around reading everyone I meet. Don’t need to
most of the time. People telegraph enough on their own.” I nodded at her reddened skin. She jutted her chin out. “People shouldn’t take everything at face value.”
Like me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tellulah Darling

noun

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?


1) YA & New Adult romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2) Firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy and awkwardness ensues.
3) Sassy minx.

Both a hopeless romantic and total cynic, Tellulah Darling is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. Her romcoms come in a variety of flavours and heat levels.

AUTHOR LINKS