Monday, March 30, 2015

It's Monday! What are you reading?



"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.


Book to Review



Mallory's search for happiness leads her to a faraway place. There she finds heartache, betrayal--and danger. Can the only man she's ever loved rescue her before it's too late? Mallory Hammond is determined not to let her boyfriend, parents, or anyone else get in the way of her #1 goal--to save a life. She had that chance when she was a teenager, and the opportunity slipped away, leaving a void she's desperate to fill. 

Then a new friend she met online offers her the chance she's dreamed of. But she'll have to leave behind everyone she loves to take it. Tate Webber has loved Mallory for years. He understands that Mallory's free spirit has to fly, and when he gives her the space she needs, he hopes that when she lands, the two of them will be in the same place and can marry at last. In a bold move--and with lots of resistance from Tate and those closest to her--Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dream. Tate begs her not to go, but Mallory embarks on the dangerous journey to Pakistan anyway, only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. Her new friend isn't who he says he is. And Mallory can only pray she'll make it out alive. 

Inspired by actual events, this riveting story will take you on a wild journey and have you asking yourself: How far would I go for love?


Currently Reading


How long can a person hold their secret safe? The agony alone is unbearable. This porch has a story, a life. It breathes with memories of love—and secrets.

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Mae Randolph, caught robbing a gas station with her boyfriend Gabe, avoids the juvenile detention center by accepting the Judge’s alternative: that she spend a year on a Nebraska farm with her grandmother, Lila, whom she has never met. None too happy at first, Sophie eventually settles into farm life and opens up to the love of her grandmother, a dog named Hunner, and a new boyfriend named Blake.

Along the way, Sophie realizes that not only does she have her secrets, but Lila does too.

When Gabe reappears, Sophie’s very life may be in danger. Will Sophie and her grandma share their deepest secrets, or will they hide in the shells they’ve created for so many year? Discover the transforming power of love and the Secrets of the Porch.



Lori Powers loved being a flight attendant because life at home was a constant nightmare of physical and mental abuse. But her own trauma paled in comparison to her husband’s sexual abuse of their only child. Emily’s suicide note blamed Lori for failing to protect her. Overwhelmed by guilt, Lori sought justice for her Emily. When she heard the voices, she murdered domineering, abusive men whose misfortune brought them across her path. 
The murder of Dr. Thaddeus Abrams, the precinct’s psychiatrist brought FBI profiler Mika Scott back to the precinct she began as a homicide detective and also face to face with her past partner and lover Detective Jake Roberts. Together they search for the killer. Michael Gates, Abrams’ lover, wanted to punish Lori. It cost Chief of Detectives Ed Fairchild his life. Airline captain Nick Parker had an insatiable, deviant sexual appetite. Things went desperately wrong when young flight attendant Megan joined him on a layover. Lori was part of the crew. When she met Parker, she heard Emily cry out from the grave. 

HOW ABOUT YOU? 
WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Book Spotlight: Noise by Brett Garcia Rose



Noise
by Brett Garcia Rose




Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: Velocity Imprints (June 17, 2014)

Kindle Edition
File Size: 543 KB
Print Length: 147 pages
Publisher: Velocity Imprints (June 12, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.





Noise, by Brett Garcia Rose, is a thriller/mystery centering on a deaf character's search for his missing sister. It's short, violent, but ultimately it's about love. Noise was published in June 2014 and is available for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble



Synopsis:

The world is an ugly place, and I can tell you now, I fit in just fine.

Lily is the only person Leon ever loved. When she left a suicide note and disappeared into a murky lake ten years ago, she left him alone, drifting through a silent landscape.

Or did she?

A postcard in her handwriting pulls Leon to the winter-cold concrete heart of New York City. What he discovers unleashes a deadly rage that has no sound.

A grisly trail of clues leads to The Bear, the sadistic Russian crime lord who traffics in human flesh. The police—some corrupt, some merely compromised—are of little help. They don’t like Leon’s methods, or the mess he leaves in his wake.

Leon is deaf, but no sane person would ever call him disabled. He survived as a child on the merciless streets of Nigeria. He misses nothing. He feels no remorse. The only direction he’s ever known is forward.

He will not stop until he knows.

Where is Lily?


Book Excerpt



About the author:



Brett Garcia Rose is a writer, software entrepreneur, and former animal rights soldier and stutterer. He is the author of two books, Noise and Losing Found Things, and his work has been published in Sunday Newsday Magazine, The Barcelona Review, Opium, Rose and Thorn, The Battered Suitcase, Fiction Attic, Paraphilia and other literary magazines and anthologies. His short stories have won the Fiction Attic’s Short Memoir Award (Second Place), Opium’s Bookmark Competition, The Lascaux Prize for Short Fiction, and have been nominated for the Million Writer’s Award, Best of the Net and The Pushcart Prize. Rose travels extensively, but calls New York City home. To learn more, go to BrettGarciaRose.com, or connect with Brett on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Guest Author: Tamara Branch (5 Book Marketing Ideas for the Self-Help Genre)



5 Book Marketing Ideas for the Self-Help Genre
by Tamara Branch

In June 2014, my first book, ITGIRL4LIFE was published. I had the paralyzing realization in that moment, that nobody in the Universe knows about this book. Seriously, no one on the planet knows this book exists, I thought. I had read articles and blogs that said you should be marketing your book 6 months before it comes out, at least. Well, I didn’t do that. Everything was new for me on this publishing journey. I was winging it. I did some of what was recommended and did my own thing in other areas, and made a few mistakes that I learned from. I would have started earlier looking back but I also know that there are no hard and fast rules, no black and white as a self publisher. You do what works best for your individual project, schedule and budget. Here are 5 marketing ideas that have really helped my book sales and increase overall awareness of my brand.

Get Social. You are IT. In other words, people, your fans, your target market want to hear from YOU. Your book - your platform! Share your writing journey, your personality, your truth, why you wrote your book. Talk about the messages you want to convey, the societal impact, who you want to inspire and why. Create a real ‘in person’ presence, beyond your book. Authenticity is your greatest marketing tool. Blogging, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are my go-to channels for promotion. Social media can have a tremendous impact, if used thoughtfully and with purpose.


Give Your Book Away For Free...Strategically. I wrote a self-empowerment guide for teen girls. My team of two reached out to hundreds of girls organizations, foundations, and philanthropists who are committed to the enrichment of girls. We also sent books to teen celebs, and young women in the entertainment industry. Countless pdf’s of my book went out to help spread awareness of how this book can be used as a tool to help build high self-esteem. Hard copies went out as well. It worked. We got a lot of support, reviews, shout-outs outside of customer reviews on Amazon. Think outside the box. Find people and organizations who will likely resonate with your mission and connect with them. It’s networking time. Don’t be shy!

Submit for Awards. Do some research - select the top awards for your genre and submit your book for a handful of them. Any award recognition is helpful, may bump up sales, add credibility and create a extra interest.

Check out Expo’s and Book Fairs. Good Expo's can draw a huge crowd and can be a great opportunity for YOU, the author to be seen, sell books and build your brand. I participated in The Ultimate Women’s Expo in Los Angeles, which exposed me and my book to hundreds of organizations interested in supporting girls. I gave it a whirl and it was a huge success - not cheap though. Book fairs are all about books. Traveling to Book Fairs can be very costly. There are companies that for a small fee will represent your book at fairs in the States and abroad. My book was represented in the Frankfurt Book Fair and Beijing International Book Fair and a few agents expressed interest while I stayed in the comfort of my home. That little move may turn into an international book deal. I do want ITGIRL4LIFE translated in several languages. We’ll see.

Set Aside Marketing Budget. You can do a few things with no money but you can do more with some cash. Put aside some money for your promotional budget. You will need it. You may have to hire an assistant, a marketing expert, pay a fee to submit your book for awards, get an intern, do a virtual book tour, or a traveling book tour, you will likely have to order your books in bulk to support your own events, etc. Make an early promise to yourself that you are going to give your book a fighting chance in the marketplace. Do whatever it takes to get it out there.

Let’s face it, there are a million ways to market your book and honestly, it can feel like a long uphill climb, at times. Bottomline, you have to promote from different angles. Some things will work and some won’t. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Keep building. Remember the joy and passion you had when you decided to write something and share it with the world. You need YOU in all your glory to be strong and committed to your success. Never give up. Your book just needs the right combination of buzz worthy activity to reach new heights.


ITGIRL4LIFE

Author: Tamara Branch
Publisher: Heart Project Publishing
Pages: 98
Genre: YA/Self-Esteem
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Writer, artist and speaker, Tamara Branch serves up 40 bite-sized chapters on how to build unshakable self-confidence, honor your life, and shine bright in the world, in ITGIRL4LIFE: How to bring out your special something and so much more. Packed with sage advice, life-changing insights and affirmations to help you soar, ITGIRL4LIFE offers ideas, tools and principles that you can reference and build upon, supporting you in becoming your best. Get ready to fall in love with your own wisdom, beauty and strength.

For More Information

ITGIRL4LIFE is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.


About the Author

"I believe in the power, beauty, strength and amazing potential of girls. I believe girls deserve to feel extraordinary. I believe that when girls shine their light, they are unstoppable!"

- ITGIRL4LIFE by Tamara Branch

Tamara Branch is from New York, born and raised in the Bronx. She is thrilled to share her first book release, ITGIRL4LIFE, kicking off the ITGIRL4LIFE self-esteem movement to empower girls to stand up, stand out and shine bright in the world.

Tamara has worked as a professional model and actor for almost two decades. She strutted down the runway for designers Calvin Klein, Donna Karen and Christian Dior, acted in a few independent films, co-hosted PBS New York’s education series, “What’s up in Technology” and appeared T.V. commercials and print ads for Levi’s, Old Navy, Hershey’s, Colgate, Kellogg’s Special K, Revlon, Hanes, Nike and many others. A Penn State alumnus and lifelong student of personal development, Tamara is deeply passionate about uplifting the human spirit.

After graduating from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, studying under Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weil and some of the top health and wellness experts in the world, she was inspired to raise the bar on her own ‘self care’ and support others in living more vibrantly. She is an abstract artist and teaches a dynamic dance class, where she gets to fuse her varied background, having trained in everything from jazz, ballet and modern to Afro-Caribbean and Salsa.

Tamara was recently asked to become a Female Visionary Author guest blogger for The Brave Heart Women Global Community.  She's a SAG/AFTRA member since 1998, a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is represented by Abrams Artists Agency.

Tamara currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband of seven years and offers ITGIRL4LIFE workshops to assist girls on their self empowerment journey.

Her latest book is the YA/self-esteem book, ITGIRL4LIFE.

For More Information

Visit Tamara Branch’s website.
Connect with Tamara on Twitter.
Find out more about Tamara at Goodreads.
Visit Tamara’s blog.
Contact Tamara.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Guest Author: D.J. Burr (I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict)

The Power of Rigorous Honesty by D.J. Burr



*****
I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict
by D.J. Burr

Paperback: 232 pages

Publisher: ABLE Counseling Services, LLC; 1 edition (December 31, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link


Kindle Edition
File Size: 495 KB
Print Length: 236 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link


*****

In my book, I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict, I learned that I needed to be religiously honest with myself and the world. I wrote about my trials and triumphs as a person in long-term recovery. It feels good to be honest. In active addiction, I learned to lie and manipulate to get my needs and wants met, although most of the time I was lying to myself. 

I learned to lie at a young age. It wasn't as if someone taught me how to lie, but in my less than nurturing childhood environment I was able to see others lie to get what they wanted. My stepfather used to lie about his drinking, but would stumble around the house drunk. My mother used to lie about not feeling hurt because my step-father was neglectful to her and us kids, but then she would lash out at anyone in her path. 


*****

D.J. Burr is a man on a mission; successful business owner, highly respected psychotherapist and survivor of a dysfunctional life. 


At a young age, all he wanted was to be loved, but instead found himself targeted by a sexual predator. D.J. slipped into a life of addiction and clawed his way through broken relationships and seedy sex clubs--looking for love in all the wrong places. D.J. will take readers on a roller coaster of emotions as he details his search for grace and love.


*****

I was often confused by adults and their lies and manipulations. I couldn't understand why everyone couldn't just be honest. I think I know now; to be honest, means to be vulnerable. I learned that to be vulnerable meant “cowardly,” “childish” and “gay.” Of course being called “gay” as a derogatory name was hurtful because I am gay. That was just another reason to keep my mouth closed. I learned it wasn't safe for anyone to be vulnerable, so I shut down, bottled up my feelings, and found a way to numb the excruciating pain of shame, guilt, and fear. 

One cannot live a life full of shame, guilt, and fear forever. It is too painful. My pain led to active addiction. I searched for other people, places, and things to numb my pain until I got to the bottom, which was when I wanted to commit suicide. I was desperate. I wanted thirty plus years of hurt and anguish to be over. Luckily, I sought treatment and learned about “rigorous honesty.”

The Twelve Steps of recovery talks about the importance of being rigorously honest, especially when writing. There is power in being truthful. The power I have gained from being brutally honest about the abuse I suffered as a kid and the pain I caused others while acting out my addiction has catapulted my life to new, sober heights. I no longer have to live in the shadows of shame. I am able to tell people my entire truth. I don’t leave out much – no need when I am rigorously honest. 

It really is true that the “truth will set you free.” I am free from active addiction, over two years now, and I am free from shame ruling my life. I became a sex addict to numb my pain because I couldn't be honest about my need for love, affection, compassion, and good parenting. Now, I am able to say that, yes, I am a sex and love addict, and my needs are valuable, necessary, and valid.  My life has changed for the better. Without being rigorously honest, my new book would not be the powerful tool that it has become for my readers. 

I encourage you to write with a feverish passion and be as rigorously honest as you can be. You will thank me later. 

Monday, March 16, 2015

It's Monday! What are you reading?



"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.


Book Reviewed




Willowgrove Hall is full of secrets, but soon everything hidden is brought to light.

Cecily Faire has a secret—and she intends to keep it. But when she arrives at Willowgrove Hall to serve as a lady’s companion, she comes face-to-face with the only person who knows the truth about her past.

As the steward of Willowgrove Hall, Nathaniel Stanton is dedicated to serving those around him. Nothing escapes his notice—including the beautiful new lady’s companion. He is certain the lovely Miss Faire is hiding something, and he determines to uncover it. But Nathaniel has a secret of his own: he is the illegitimate son of Willowgrove’s former master. Falling in love was not part of his plans . . . until he meets Cecily Faire.

When Willowgrove’s mistress dies, everything changes. Fear of exposure forces Cecily to leave under the cover of darkness, embarking on a journey to finally find her long-lost sister. When the will is read, Nathaniel’s inheritance makes him question his future plans. Cecily and Nathaniel are forced to make decisions that will change the course of their lives. Is their love strong enough to survive?




They met at the worst possible moment...or maybe it was just in time. David McClain was about to go to war and Lindsey Wood was there at his going-away party, capturing his heart when falling for a woman was the last thing on his mind. While David was serving his country, he stayed in close contact with Lindsey. But war changes a person, and when he came home very little had the same meaning that it had before – including the romance that had sustained him. Was love truly unconquerable, or would it prove to be just another battlefield casualty?

Gooseberry Island is the most nuanced, dramatic, and romantic novel yet from a writer whose ability to plumb the depths of human emotion knows few peers. 



Book to Review



Mallory's search for happiness leads her to a faraway place. There she finds heartache, betrayal--and danger. Can the only man she's ever loved rescue her before it's too late? Mallory Hammond is determined not to let her boyfriend, parents, or anyone else get in the way of her #1 goal--to save a life. She had that chance when she was a teenager, and the opportunity slipped away, leaving a void she's desperate to fill. 

Then a new friend she met online offers her the chance she's dreamed of. But she'll have to leave behind everyone she loves to take it. Tate Webber has loved Mallory for years. He understands that Mallory's free spirit has to fly, and when he gives her the space she needs, he hopes that when she lands, the two of them will be in the same place and can marry at last. In a bold move--and with lots of resistance from Tate and those closest to her--Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dream. Tate begs her not to go, but Mallory embarks on the dangerous journey to Pakistan anyway, only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. Her new friend isn't who he says he is. And Mallory can only pray she'll make it out alive. 

Inspired by actual events, this riveting story will take you on a wild journey and have you asking yourself: How far would I go for love?


Currently Reading



Prince Stephen came to America to escape responsibility. But what he found complicates his life more than ever.

Corina Del Rey is happy with her life in Melbourne, Florida. She spends her days engrossed in her career as a journalist and has her sights set on climbing the corporate ladder-if for no other reason, to distract herself from her dissolving family. But when she is confronted with the past she fought so hard to put behind her, she struggles to make sense of her future.

Prince Stephen of Brighton Kingdom has moved on since the tragic death of his buddies in Afghanistan. A star professional rugby player, he has no intention of looking over his shoulder at what could've been

But when a notice arrives in the mail requiring his and his wife's appearance before the courts to dissolve their marriage, he must deal with the questions rumbling around in his heart. He thought his marriage had been annulled long ago, but his memories of Corina Del Rey remain close. Does he still love her? Can he even find her? Above all, can he tell her the truth about that fateful night in Afghanistan seven years ago? If he does, he might really lose her forever.

HOW ABOUT YOU? WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Book Spotlight with Chapter 1: Dark Sun, Bright Moon by Oliver Sparrow



Dark Sun, Bright Moon 
by Oliver Sparrow



Dark Sun, Bright Moon, by Oliver Sparrow, was published in July 2014 and is available for sale on Amazon in both paperback and ebook

Dark Sun, Bright Moon describes people isolated in the Andes, without the least notion of outsiders. They evolve an understanding of the universe that is complementary to our own but a great deal wider. The book explores events of a thousand years ago, events which fit with what we know of the region's history,” says Sparrow.

In the Andes of a thousand years ago, the Huari empire is sick. Its communities are being eaten from within by a plague, a contagion that is not of the body but of something far deeper, a plague that has taken their collective spirit. Rooting out this parasite is a task that is laid upon Q’ilyasisa, a young woman from an obscure little village on the forgotten borders of the Huari empire.

This impossible mission is imposed on her by a vast mind, a sentience that has ambitions to shape all human life. Her response to this entails confrontations on sacrificial pyramids, long journeys through the Amazonian jungle and the establishment of not just one but two new empires. Her legacy shapes future Andean civilization for the next four hundred years, until the arrival of the Spanish.

Dark Sun, Bright Moon takes the reader on a fascinating adventure that includes human sacrifice, communities eaten from within, a vast mind blazing under the mud of Lake Titicaca, and the rise and fall of empires cruel and kind.


Chapter 1:




About the Author: 

Oliver Sparrow was born in the Bahamas, raised in Africa and educated at Oxford to post-doctorate level, as a biologist with a strong line in computer science. He spent the majority of his working life with Shell, the oil company, which took him into the Peruvian jungle for the first time. He was a director at the Royal Institute for International Affairs, Chatham House for five years. He has started numerous companies, one of them in Peru, which mines for gold. This organisation funded a program of photographing the more accessible parts of Peru, and the results can be seen at http://www.all-peru.info. Oliver knows modern Peru very well, and has visited all of the physical sites that are described in his book Dark Sun, Bright Moon.

To learn more, go to http://www.darksunbrightmoon.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22805356-dark-sun-bright-moon 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Book Review: A Lady at Willowgrove Hall (Whispers On The Moors) by Sarah E. Ladd


A Lady at Willowgrove Hall 
(Whispers On The Moors #3) 
by Sarah E. Ladd 

Series: Whispers On The Moors (Book 3)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 7, 2014)

Kindle Edition
File Size: 1343 KB
Print Length: 344 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 7, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 9 hours and 56 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from BookLook Bloggers. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I don't really choose books because of covers but this time I did. It was soooo nice to look at and very intriguing!  

Each character has depth, believable, interesting. Character building is the most important aspect of the book and in novels like this, it is even more important because readers are transported to a historical setting. Readers should be able to connect to the characters and setting and this one has both. Cecily, Nathan and some minor characters have their own back story which also made the book captivating.  

As much as I love the book, got one negative things to say. The appearance/revelation of one of the characters in the mid part of the book was so predictable. I was on denial this could happen to a book so good. 

Overall, it was engaging and well written. I'd definitely read more books from this author.  

About the book:

Her secret cloaks her in isolation and loneliness. His secret traps him in a life that is not his own.

Darbury, England, 1819

Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could expose her disgrace. But soon after becoming a lady’s companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face-to-face with a man well-acquainted with the past she’s desperately hidden for years.

Nathaniel Stanton has a secret of his own—one that has haunted him for years and tied him to his father’s position as steward of Willowgrove Hall. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breathe a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he’ll never be free to find his own way in the world. He’ll never be free to fall in love.

When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue running from the past . . . or will they stand together and fight for a future without the suffocating weight of secrets long kept?

About the author:


Hello, I am Sarah E. Ladd, author of "The Heiress of Winterwood", which is an inspirational romance novel set in Regency England. This book is the first book of the "Whispers on the Moors" series and will release April 2013. 

I would love to connect with you on Facebook and talk about all things Regency! Be sure to like my page for updates: http://www.facebook.com/SarahLaddAuthor

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Blog Tour: Risen II: The Progeny by Krystal Lawrence

Risen II: The Progeny

Author: Krystal Lawrence
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Pages: 281
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Format: Hardcover/Kindle

About the book:

Producers take note! Francis Barclay is back and he’s ready for prime time. 

Fans of horror/suspense masters Stephen King and Dean Koontz are sure to delight in the return of Francis Barclay, the vengeful and bloodthirsty vampire resurrected from the dead after 200 years, in RISEN, by the “Mistress of Macabre,” Krystal Lawrence. Barclay, cremated at the end of RISEN, has once again returned from the ashes -- and this time he’s not alone! 

In Lawrence’s riveting sequel, RISEN II: THE PROGENY, Barclay is working his slow and agonizing way back to Alder Lake, determined to save the child he accidentally sired.

RISEN began the tale of Francis Barclay’s return to Alder Lake to avenge the centuries old 
murder of his family.  In this spellbinding sequel, Barclay is determined to save his progeny. When last we left Alder Lake, seven year-old Lorna was waiting patiently by the window for her blood-father’s return. Her wait is now over. She has inherited Francis Barclay’s luminous glowing eyes as well as his taste for blood.

Alder Lake is once again plagued by murder. Only this time, the suspect will surprise everyone!


The “Risen” books may remind readers of the SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVELS by Charlaine Harris or Stephenie Meyer’s TWILIGHT series, but Lawrence reaches farther back for inspiration in the undead genre. She calls her novels “vampires for grownups,” in the manner of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, the most famous bloodsucker of them all. 

The main similarity of the RISEN novels to Harris’ and Meyer’s books lies in their rich potential to be adapted into the kind of theatrical or television films that can’t miss in attracting hordes of dedicated fans.

For More Information
Risen II is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

The sun was sinking behind the mountains as the dead boy walked on, every bone in his over-taxed body aching from strain. The constant cloud of dust and ash that floated about him like a grimy halo made flagging down car rides impossible. This journey would be made on foot, and there was a very long way to go, especially for a boy who should have been resting peacefully in his grave for some three hundred years.

As the boy felt the rising breeze lift his long hair from his brow, he raised his hands to his face and groaned. He watched in silent horror, as his fingers dissolved into fine grains of ash and floated off into the mild California evening. If he did not find shelter for the night soon, there wouldn’t be much of him left to lie down tonight at all.

Five years before, Francis Barclay had been cremated and interred in a vault one hundred miles east of his hometown. Though he was no stranger to rising from the dead, the first time around he was given a fully formed body to work with. This time he was comprised of hundreds of thousands of tiny flakes of burned ash, and they didn’t stay put when the wind grew restless. Worse was the odor clinging to him like an unwanted lover. He smelled like a poorly tamped-out brushfire, lingering cinders smoldering on his skin.

Francis stumbled. He watched with dismay as his left foot began evaporating into fine powder, swirling in the air before him. It turned to mist, and rose into the sky above him like a departing soul, taking that miserable burnt smell with it.

About the author:

Krystal Lawrence was born and raised in Southern California, where she was a child actress. In her late teens and early twenties she redirected her creative energy into radio, and hosted a successful talk show in Las Vegas for many years. She is the author of two previous books and numerous short stories. She now lives in Seattle where she is working on her fourth novel, PHONE CALL FROM HELL

Her latest book is the horror/suspense, Risen II.

10 Things You May Not Know About Krystal Lawrence

1. Born in Southern California, Krystal was inspired at a very young age to write.

2. In junior high and high school she wrote poetry and her work was published in a school publication.

3. As a child actress, Krystal appeared in a couple of major motion pictures.

4. She worked with such Hollywood greats as Sally Field and Jack Palance.

5. In her late teens and early twenties she redirected her creative energy into becoming a radio announcer and copywriter.

6. Krystal hosted a successful talk show in Las Vegas in the 1980's and has voiced over one hundred commercials. It wasn't until much later that she rediscovered her writing talent one day while looking out the picture window in her living room and watching a young man walk by. It was at that moment that the inspiration for Krystal's first novel, Risen was realized, and the vampire Francis Barclay was born.

7. She has always had a passion for reading suspense novels and thrillers, particularly in the horror genre, so it is not surprising that writing them is second nature to her.

8. Having always been interested in law enforcement, she majored in criminal justice in college. Working for the police department, Krystal gained valuable insight into how a department is run and particularly about crime scene investigation and police interrogation.

9. She has transferred that knowledge to her books creating a “True Crime Feel” to her fiction.

10. Receiving the inspiration for her second novel, Be Careful What You Wish For, gave Krystal the courage to quit work and devote herself to writing full-time. That book is a trilogy, and one of the stories ranked in the top three of The National Fantasy Writers Contest.

 For More Information
Visit Krystal Lawrence’s website.
Connect with Krystal on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Krystal at Goodreads.


Saturday, March 7, 2015

Book Spotlight with Excerpt: No Good Deed... (The Adventures of Elsabeth Soesten Book 1) by D.E. Wyatt


No Good Deed... 
The Adventures of Elsabeth Soesten Book 1
by D.E. Wyatt

Series: The Adventures of Elsabeth Soesten
Paperback: 132 pages
Publisher: Wyrmfyr Pr (October 15, 2013)
Paperback Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 2372 KB
Print Length: 132 pages
Publisher: D. E. Wyatt (October 16, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Kindle Link

About the book:

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED IN DEBUT NOVELLA

D. E. Wyatt presents his debut fantasy novella, No Good Deed... (132 pp., paperback). When a simple job to recover stolen Church property does awry, Elsabeth Soesten finds a good deed has rewarded her with more than she bargained for when she’s drawn into a conspiracy surrounding her employer, his church superior, and the local baron.

No Good Deed... draws upon D. E. Wyatt’s studies of Western Martial Arts, and presents a low fantasy swashbuckler with a focus on the reconstruction of Europe’s cultural arts, set in a world inspired by mid-15th Century Western Europe.

No Good Deed... was released on October 26, 2013, and is now available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble, in both print and electronic formats.

Book Excerpt:



to read more, buy here:





About the author:

D. E. Wyatt lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where he works in Information Technology and studies Western Martial Arts.

He is available for interviews, and can be reached at ambaryerno@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Blog Tour: Ribbons of Death by Edita A. Petrick


Ribbons of Death

Author: Edita A. Petrick
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 371
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Format: Paperback/Kindle

The ancients believed that once in a Blue Moon a child with Peacetaker powers is born. Such child, when grown to maturity, can seed murderous madness in people’s minds by merely walking amongst them. A simple amulet activates the Peacetaker’s powers. When a horribly scarred man knocks on the door of Stella Hunter’s ramshackle cottage in upstate Montana, she lets him in. What’s there to lose? The book critics killed her chances to warn the world about myths and legends behind the myths and legends.

But once the man pushes a book smudged with bloody fingerprints across the table, Stella sees a glimmer of hope. She may re-establish her credibility within the scientific community and vindicate her ‘peace-taker’ theory. She may also be murdered by anyone standing next to her if her theory is correct because the ancient curse is anything but extinct. In fact, the ancient curse has a new attitude….


Ribbons of Death is available at Amazon.

About the Author

By profession, I’m an engineer and ten years ago, I left a corporate job to concentrate on writing. It was perhaps the scariest thing I’ve done. Of course, there were other considerations at the time, life, kids, economy and my mother who was battling cancer. I wrote as means of staying grounded because I had to hold it together. There was no one else to pitch in. There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t have doubts about whether what I was doing was the right thing or not, but doubts come and go, while the need to write goes on forever. Since 2005 I’ve published 5 books and this year alone I have 6 new ones coming out. I live in Toronto with my family and our two pets – wheaten terriers. And whenever I’m tempted to look back, and start second-guessing my past decisions, I sit behind the computer and start another book. At least for me, that’s a cure-all.


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