Showing posts with label Excerpt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Excerpt. Show all posts
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Friday, April 14, 2017
Monday, April 10, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Book Tour and Giveaway: The Rhynan Saga by Rachel Rossano
Duty
Novels of Rhynan Book 1
by Rachel Rossano
Genre: Historical Romance
Duty to King
Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king and the recent civil war. When his benefactor demands Tomas marry the cousin of a noble, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.
Duty to Others
Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation under the new Lord Wisten, her cousin. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a dire winter if they do not find a solution soon. When she learns her cousin sold her into marriage to save his life, she isn’t surprised. However, she is taken aback by Lord Irvaine’s unpolished ways. Was this man a noble or a foot soldier?
Duty to Each Other
Bound by the words of their vows, they face a rough future. They must forge a marriage while battling betrayal, accusations of treason, and villains from the past. Survival depends on their precarious trust in each other. Failure could mean death.
Honor
Novels of Rhynan Book 2
The Earl of Dentin excels in his position as Securer of the Realm. But the king’s order to pluck an orphaned child from a loving home unsettles Dentin. When a dark-eyed woman challenges his honor regarding the mission, Dentin finds himself unable to justify his actions or get her out of his mind. Something about her lack of fear intrigues him.
Lady Elsa Reeve attempts to avoid the marriage of convenience her brother and mother demand of her. She understands the need to pay off her brother's massive debt. She only wants her family to consider her wishes in the process.
As Elsa becomes further entangled in a snare of her brother’s creating, only one man defends her. But can she trust Dentin, her unlikely champion, and his motives? With a murderer on the loose, Elsa’s fate in jeopardy, and a traitor plotting against the king, Dentin finds his priorities shifting in an unexpected direction.
The Making of a Man: A Short Story Anthology
(Novels of Rhynan)
This is a short story anthology.
The Earl of Dentin returns. Eight stories ranging from short story to novelette in length give us greater understanding into why Dentin is the complex and enigmatic man he is. It also includes new adventures that happen between Honor and the next Rhynan novel.
Passing the Mantle – An ill-fated hunting trip
Forging Friendships – Recruiting able-bodied men ineligible for knighthood
The Sword of Korma Monroe – A sword made for trouble
Turning Point – A duke and an earl plot treason
The Bittersweet Pear – A marital misunderstanding
Isbeth’s Redemption – Dentin doesn’t make a good first impression
A Squire’s Love – Reginald’s quest
Restoration – A trip to Braulyn produces unexpected company
Duty
First Novel of Rhynan
First Novel of Rhynan
By Rachel Rossano
"The red one is mine," he said.
I didn’t raise my head although instinct urged me to. Father had called me Red. He said I was born screaming, skin deep red like the beets in the garden and hair fiery like the setting sun. The man who spoke was not my father.
I glanced at him from beneath my cloak’s hood. Arrogant in his size and superior mass, his eyes picked me out of the writhing mass of captives. Early morning sunlight glinted off plain armor and an unadorned helm, yet the unwashed barbarians treated him with the respect due a commander.
The crowd of women around me parted for the soldier fulfilling his order. Mothers moved back with babes in their arms, toddlers clinging to their skirts. Their fingers clutched older children’s hands or shoulders. A living mass, their voices silenced by the army surrounding them. Their faces spoke eloquently of their fear.
The soldier, smelling of sweat and sour wine, grabbed my left arm and dragged me out from among them. I didn’t want to bring harm to the women around me. The soldier would injure many before subduing me. I allowed him to pull me toward the commander with only minimal resistance.
Once free of the captives, however, I yanked from the man’s grip in an attempt to run. Three pairs of rough hands caught hold of my arms before I managed more than a few steps. The stench of their unclean bodies turned my stomach. I gagged as I fought them. They dragged me through the dust and dumped me at his feet.
I struggled up only to be brought down again. Pressure behind my knees forced me to kneel.
I lifted my face to glare at the commander.
“Remove her hood.”
Someone pulled my cloak half off my shoulders in his enthusiasm. Red curls fell free in a wild mass about my shoulders.
Silently I cursed the color. If only I had been blessed with plain brown or even blond tresses, I could have hidden in plain sight.
“My Lady Brielle Solarius, I presume.”
What inspired you to write the Novels of Rhynan?
Duty was inspired by a single sentence, the opening one. “’The red one is mine,’ he said.” Lord Irvaine is referring to Brielle, my red-headed heroine. From there, an adventure was born. Initially I planned on writing a short story, but the story ended up needing a larger canvas and became a novel.
Honor was inspired by a reviewer falling in love with one of my secondary characters, Dentin. He appears and plays an integral part in the last parts of Duty and he made such an impression that the reviewer begged for me to write his story.
The Making of a Man, the anthology short story collection, was born out of the writing of the first two Novels of Rhynan. So many secondary characters were catching my readers’ notice that I felt compelled to delve deeper into the world and give more of them their own story. The stories seemed to fall into place around Dentin, so the focus quickly became him, his past, present, and future. Also included are hints that will be picked up in the final three planned novels of the series.
Rachel Rossano specializes in clean romantic fiction set in historical-feeling fantasy worlds. She also dabbles in straightforward historical romance and not-so-strict speculative fiction.
A happily married mother of three small children, she divides her time between mothering, teaching, and writing. She endeavors to enchant, thrill, entertain, and amuse through her work. A constant student, she seeks to improve her skills and loves to hear from readers.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Giveaway: Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking
Today I have an excerpt and a giveaway of Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking! This is the second in her new series - scroll towards the bottom for the giveaway!
Publishers: St. Martin's Press
Published: May 5th, 2015
Pages: 288
Bryn Aven has always longed to be a part of the Kanin world.
Though she has no social status because she’s a half-breed, she refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm . . . the glittering palace of the Skojare.
The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal rival who’s been threatening the Kanin, and, being half Skojare herself, it’s a chance for Bryn to learn more about her heritage. Her boss Ridley Dresden is overseeing her mission and wants to help. He’s always been her most trusted friend—but as their undeniable attraction heats up, he becomes a distraction she can’t afford.
Brynn is about to discover that the Skojare world is full of secrets, and as she’s drawn in deeper and deeper, she doesn’t know who to trust. As she gets closer to Ridley, she realizes she may not even be able to trust her own heart.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Spotlight: The Frost Series by Liz DeJesus
Publication Date- June 22, 2012
Published By- Musa Publishing
Fairytales aren’t real…yeah…that’s exactly what
Bianca thought. She was wrong.
For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship
from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”
Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.
She’s about to find out how wrong she is.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Excerpt: Coral and Bone by Tiffany Daune
Hello everyone! Today we have an excerpt for the blog tour of Coral and Bone by Tiffany Daune! Let me know what you think if you've read it - or if you think you'd like to read it!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Excerpt: Honey Queen by Christina Mercer
Release Date: 05/31/14
Love is honey sweet, but it comes with a fatal sting . . .Buy Links:
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family’s ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers. She won’t let the same fate that killed her father befall another. She refuses to allow her goddess-created bloodline to continue. But there’s no easy way out, especially after the curse turns her into the Honey Queen—savior to honey bees—intensifying her charms.
To help her fulfill the curse’s demands in the least harmful way, her grandmother takes her to mate with terminally ill Boyd. But Boyd’s gay. And an expert in mythology. Instead of having sex, Melaina learns how she might summon the goddess who created the first ancestor bee-charmer and cursed her bloodline. Melaina's magic—tears to save honey bees from endangerment—could be enough to persuade the goddess to end the curse. But an unexpected discovery soon changes that hope, spinning Melaina into a swarm of love, friendship and death.
http://www.amazon.com/Honey-Queen-Christina-Mercer-ebook/dp/B00KP3TLX4
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Blitz: A Midsummer Night’s Fling by Beth Matthews
Synopsis:
After dating her childhood sweetheart Max on and off for years, aspiring actress Nicola Charles is finally ready to move on. It’s time for her to focus on her stage career and stay away from Max–before he can break her heart again.
Max regrets hurting Nicola, but he wants another chance. So when his play loses its leading lady, giving Nicola the part seems like the perfect opportunity to win back his old flame.
But the course of true love—and a theater production—never do run smooth. As Max fights to reignite Nicola’s love, the onstage antics can’t rival the bedlam backstage: a neurotic cast, a prickly crew, and an evil diva of a director who’s got designs on Max.
As Nicola and Max battle to keep the drama onstage, Max can’t help wondering if their romance will end with the last performance. Or have the two of them finally captured what they’ve dreamed of all their lives? True Love.
A contemporary romance that should appeal to fans of the wry humor and playful sexiness in the works of Julie James and Victoria Dahl.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Excerpt: The Tesla Gate by John D. Mimms
The Tesla Gate
When a cosmic storm enters Earth’s atmosphere, scientists are baffled by its composition and origins, but not nearly as much as they are by the storm’s side effect – anyone who has died and chosen not to cross over is suddenly stranded here, visible, and can interact with the living.
With the world thrown into chaos, Thomas Pendleton is eager to make up for many broken promises to his six-year-old son, Seth. Soon after the storm, they set out on a road trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, completely unaware of the social and political maelstrom they’re heading into that will change their lives forever.
Author John D. Mimms
John D. Mimms is a business owner, paranormal researcher, and author. John served as the Technical Director for the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST). During his four-year tenure with the organization, he helped supervise over 100 investigations and wrote more than sixteen technical articles. One of John's articles, titled "A Christmas Carol Debunked," was read live on Parazona Radio by Paul Bradford of Ghost Hunters International fame. John also wrote the ARPAST technical/training manual which is a comprehensive guide on equipment usage, investigation protocol, and scientific theory for paranormal research.
In 2009 John decided to couple his knowledge of paranormal phenomena with his lifelong love of literary fiction. Among his titles are The Great Keep, Death Theory, and The Lemonade Girl. John is currently working on book two of The Tesla Gate trilogy.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt
I had the dream again last night. It was a recurring nightmare worse than any monster I could conjure in my sleeping brain as a child. I have been an adult now for a number of years, but time and experience don’t make our nightmares any less terrifying, in some ways it makes them more real. As the father of a mischievously precocious six year old boy, I share the same fear as a multitude of parents, a fear that their child may one day disappear. This worry seems more and more justified each day with another smiling angelic face on the news, snatched from their innocent existence by another real life monster. These monsters are not the ones under the bed, a product of juvenile imaginings. No, these monsters are real and they could live next door; a fact that makes them all the more terrifying.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Excerpt: Endre by S.T. Bende
We're celebrating the release of Endre; (Elsker Saga #2) by S.T. Bende!
Endre (Elsker Saga #2) by S.T. Bende
Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Excerpt: Winter's Demon by Eric R. Asher
Winter’s Demon (Vesik Series # 3) by Eric R. Asher
Some things can never be undone. The horrors I've defeated—or even caused—with my own hands … they are nothing compared to what’s coming. Philip Pinkerton has brought his madness upon my family, my own blood. His army of necromancers is on the move, harbingers of a great darkness. I fear the war has begun ... and damn, I don't get paid enough for this.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Excerpt: He Found Me by Whitney Barbetti
May 29th, 2014
When I was seventeen, I disappeared. I walked out the door of my apartment with a backpack and never looked back. I left the life of Cora Mitchell behind, seeking freedom from my real-life nightmare.
But my freedom came with a cost. I lived a fictitious life for the next six years, never letting anyone close enough to see underneath the façade that was Andra Walker.
I was content with my simple little life
Until I met Julian.
And the moment I started allowing myself to open up, allowing someone to see through the superficial, was the very same moment the Monster from my past would return to find me.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Excerpt: Elvis Presley CIA Assassin by Andy Rausch
Title: Elvis Presley, CIA Assassin
Author: Andy Rausch
Genre: Comedy, Satire
Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Burning Bulb Publishing
Release Date: May 4, 2014
Links: Goodreads + Amazon + Barnes and Noble
In 1970, singer Elvis Presley secretly met with President Richard Nixon. This new comedic novel imagines that Presley became a Central Intelligence Agency operative, eventually moving up through the ranks to become a skilled assassin.
Release Date: May 4, 2014
Links: Goodreads + Amazon + Barnes and Noble
Presented in an oral history fashion, the book tells us about Presley's secret transformation by the people who knew him best.
Did he fake his death in 1977? Was Presley involved with the Watergate scandal? The Iran hostage crisis? Communicating with aliens?
Read this book to find out the answers to these and many more questions.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Excerpt: Book of Bart by Ryan Hill
Title: The Book of Bart
Author: Ryan Hill
Genre: Paranormal
Age Group: Young Adult
Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Links: Goodreads
With a mysterious Black Cloud of Death hot on the shard’s trail, a desperate Heaven enlists the help of Bart, a demon who knows more about the shard than almost anyone. Six years ago, he had it in his hands. If only he’d used it before his coup to overthrow the devil failed. Now, he’s been sprung from his eternal punishment to help Samantha, an angel in training, recover the shard before the Black Cloud of Death finds it.
If Bartholomew wants to succeed, he’ll have to fight the temptation to betray Samantha and the allure of the shard. After an existence full of evil, the only way Bart can get right with Hell is to be good.
Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.Links: Website + Goodreads + Twitter
Samantha burst out of The House of the Rising Sun, trying to catch up to me. “Wait. Where
are you going?”
I waved her off. “You’re on your own, kiddo.”
“Where are you going?”
“Wherever the day takes me. Disney World. The moon. I don’t know and I don’t care.”
I lit a cigarette and took a drag. “I’m not messing with a female demon, or whatever it is,” I said,
exhaling through my nose. “You think I’m bad? I at least have fun when I’m working. Those harpies
just…they take things way too seriously.”
Female demons are the worst. So insecure. One look at another woman and next thing you
know, the Titanic is sinking. Believe me, I know from experience.
“How can I stop one of them from getting the Shard?”
I stopped and turned around, moving within inches of her face. “They probably already have
it. Why else would Pierce have attacked me? Why do you think we got jumped at the museum?”
Samantha shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Right,” I snapped. Lies. Or as angels call it, distortion of the truth. Anger boiled in my
veins. I considered letting my horns out to play. It would be nothing to ram them through her chest,
ruining her perfect C-cups. “So tell me, little miss angel face, why should I help you when you won’t
tell me what you know?”
Samantha bit her lower lip, like she carefully considered what to say next. A wise move. I
wanted to impale her like a matador.
“Well?” I pressed the button on my keyless entry to unlock my car. “I don’t have all day. I’d
like to deflower a virgin or two before sundown.”
Her expression became stolid. “I can’t believe you’re scared,” she said derisively. “You. A
demon. Afraid of a girl.”
She laughed and laid a hand on the roof of my Benz, adding to her offense.
I’d have removed her hand from her body, but she’d called out my demonhood, and
addressing that took precedence. Nobody accused me of being afraid.
“Scared?” I spit out my cigarette. “I’m not scared. I’m just smart enough to know when to
close up shop. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Samantha’s lips curled upward. “Maybe they did send me the wrong
demon. Next time I’ll make sure they send me someone who knows how to finish the job.”
Oh, that burned. This girl was good. And I bought into it, because to be fair, why should I
stand idly by and let somebody else succeed in my stead? I wanted to pat her on the back for such a
fine manipulation, but thought better of it.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Spolight and Playlist: Ride of Your Life by Shevi Arnold
Publishers: Createspace
Published: May 30th, 2012
Pages: 296
Seventeen-year-old Tracy Miller met the love of her life...thirty years after her own death.
Tracy was working at the House of Horrors at the Amazing Lands Theme Park when the fire broke out. Instead of running, she lost her life trying to save eleven-year-old Mack. Now thirty years have passed, and suddenly everything changes with the arrival of two new ghosts: a little girl named Ashley and a cute seventeen-year-old boy named Josh.
Josh would do anything for Tracy, but can he help her let go of the past and accept his love?
RIDE OF YOUR LIFE is a bittersweet, romantic, YA ghost story that was inspired by a true event: the Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire, which killed eight teenagers in 1984. It is a fantasy novel about undying love, and it won third-place in Smart Writer’s Write It Now (W.I.N.) contest in the YA category, which was judged by Alex Flinn, the author of BEASTLY and CLOAKED.
In the ghost world, what you believe is what you get. The only question is...do you believe in love?
Hang on. Love can be as terrifying as a roller coaster, but it could also be the RIDE OF YOUR LIFE.
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