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Sunday, June 1, 2014

2014 Hot Calender Reads: June

It's 2014 and we're celebrating with an awesome fantasy themed calendar. This calendar is for the background on your computer and you can get this month's image below.

Each month will feature a different book or series, so if you want to challenge yourself, try reading each book or series that is featured before each month is over. The book for June is Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel. She is also giving away a cool swag pack, so enter the rafflecopter at the bottom of the post!


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Daughter of Chaos

There comes a time in every witch's life when she must choose her path. Darlena's friends have already chosen, so why is it so hard for her to make up her mind? Now, Darlena is out of time. Under pressure from Hecate, the Queen of all witches, Darlena makes a rash decision to choose Red magic, a path no witch in her right mind would dare take. As a Red witch, she will be responsible for chaos and mayhem, drawing her deep into darkness. Will the power of Red magic prove too much for Darlena, or will she learn to control it before it's too late?

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in a YA paranormal trilogy




Author Bio:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.


Giveaway:

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Review: The Breakers Code by Connor Kressley

Today, I wanted to show some love for another indie author. Connor is a great author and hilarious to follow in Facebook.

So, on to the book:



Blurb (from Amazon):

Where were you when the world ended? 

Three weeks shy of her seventeenth birthday, Cresta Karr wakes to find her world is falling apart. The necklace her father left her is mysteriously missing, a black sedan is stalking her and her friends, and her house is minutes away from exploding. To top it off, she finds out that Owen, the enigmatic, if slightly off-kilter guy of her dreams, is both not interested in going out with her and a superspy sent by a clandestine organization to keep tabs on her. 

Turns out Cresta is the subject of a 500 year old prophecy, and if Owen and the other “Breakers” can't find a way to circumvent the future before the sun comes up on her birthday, Cresta is destined to bring about the end of the world -- something she'd rather not have on her college applications. That is, of course, if the gun-toting cult members piling onto her front porch don't get to her first. 

The countdown is on. Secrets will be revealed, relationships will be tested, prophecies will be fulfilled, and fate will fight free will in a battle so intense that it won't end until the world itself does. 

Happy birthday, Cresta.

Review:

The first chapter drew me in and didn't let go. I think it was the fast pace of the novel. I LOVE fast paced novels. Of course, fast pace can't completely hold my interest. The story itself was intriguing. It was based on the debate of free will vs. destiny. Can one really fight the events that unfold and seem to lead them down one path?

The characters themselves were pretty deep and enjoyable. I would have liked to a little more about some of the antagonists, but that was minor. I can say I am a major Casper fan and can't wait to see more of him in the next book.

In fact, I'm really looking forward to the next one. Get to writing, Mr. Kressley.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Enter this easy rafflecopter #giveaway to win any #paranormal #pnr book of your choice! #amreading

Enter the JEN MINKMAN Giveaway

Check Out More of Jen's Books!

The Space in Between
Coming Soon
When Moira helps out her sister and brother in a Wiccan ritual on Halloween, the last thing she expects is to be swept away to a mystical wilderness. Sitting within the stones of the ancient circle of Penmaenmawr, Wales, she's convinced it's an illusion. But the dark-haired, handsome man with amnesia that Moira meets during her trance cannot be blinked away like a dream.
Hayko, the mysterious stranger, won’t let go. After returning home from her stone circle adventure, she is beckoned back night after night to the outlandish dreamland by an invisible force. But the hardest part isn't having to fight the terrifying creatures of these nightmares--it's realizing she’s falling for a guy without a past who isn’t real.
What if you really can fall in love with the man of your dreams?
All Hannah needs is a nice and quiet vacation after her first year of teaching French at a high school. She joins her brother Ben for the summer in their mom’s log cabin in Arizona. There, she meets Josh again, Ben’s childhood friend from the Navajo reservation. The little boy from the rez has grown up fast, and Hannah can’t help but feeling more for him than just friendship.
But fate apparently has something else in store for her. And it’s not peace and quiet. Night after night, Hannah is plagued by strange nightmares about the past of Navajo Nation and terrifying shadows chasing her. They seem to come closer – and why is Josh always present in her dreams?
Sometimes, the past has a way of catching up with you.
 
*****
Julia has been in love with Michael for years. He’s the hottest guy in school, and she can’t believe her luck when they finally hit it off during Senior Prom. Her dream doesn’t last, though: after a few dates, he callously dumps her out of the blue. Summer vacation starts with Julia feeling heart-broken and miserable.But then she rescues Michael in the woods when he has a motorcycle accident in a heavy thunderstorm. From that point onward, her life is turned upside down. Michael has changed completely after the blow to the head that nearly killed him... and he wants her back. But why is he so different? And will she be able to trust him this time around?Can the boy who broke your heart ever win it back again . . ?
 
*****
#1 The Island Series
'I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.
Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.
If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier - the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that's what everyone says. I have never seen one.'
Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason - they believe in illusions. That's what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?
Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?
 
 
*****
#2 The Island Series
The first memory I have of my grandfather is of a moment that we share together. I'm sitting on his knee looking out over the harbor. Grandpa is smoking a pipe. He points at the horizon.
"Look, Walt. Our ships are out there. And one day, another even more beautiful ship will appear at the horizon. A mighty ship to take us all away. And Annabelle will be at the front deck with open arms, inviting us all to join her on board."
"Why don't we sail to her ourselves?" I inquire wide-eyed.
"Because she promised she would come," granddad replies. "And in that promise we trust. It's only the Unbelievers who think they can do everything themselves. They have no faith in the Goddess."
Walt lives in Hope Harbor, an island community that has put its trust in salvation from across the sea. The townspeople wait patiently, build their ships to sail out and welcome the Goddess, and piously visit the temple every week. Horror stories to scare their children are told about the Unbelievers on the other side of Tresco.
But not all is what it seems. Walt has questions that no one can answer, and when his best friend and cousin Yorrick is killed in an accident, he digs deeper to find out the truth about the origins of Hope Harbor's society... and the secrets of the temple.
Return to the world of The Island and discover what Walt's life was like before and after he met Leia!
*****
 
#3 The Island Series
‘The world is never-ending.I never realized just how much space there is – how far and wide the water around our island stretches out. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I may have believed that a second Wall ran around Tresco, containing the infinite waters so we wouldn’t all wash over the edge and plummet down into the depths.’
Leia and Walt are on their way to the Other Side, where the legendary land of Cornwall awaits them. Tony, their new friend, has told them that all wars of the past have been forgotten and the citizens of Bodmin and Dartmoor live in peace. People adhere to the tenets of an old religion that preaches forgiveness and non-violence.However, Walt and Leia soon discover that even a peace-loving, ideal society like this one may have its flaws. While on a forbidden trip to Exeter, the old city of their ancestors, the two Islanders discover more about the new world than they ever bargained for.
Secrets run dark and passions run deep in this thrilling conclusion to the Island novella series.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Hot Calender Reads: May

It's 2014 and we're celebrating with an awesome fantasy themed calendar. This calendar is for the background on your computer and you can get this month's image below.

Each month will feature a different book or series, so if you want to challenge yourself, try reading each book or series that is featured before each month is over. The series for May is The Age of Alandria Series by Morgan Wylie! This month also marks the one year book birthday for Silent Orchids, the first book in the series. Morgan is also giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Card, so don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post!



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Silent Orchids (The Age of Alandria:Book One)

A dying realm.
The ancient evil of the Droch-ShĂșil has been unleashed.
The Orchids have been silenced… but for how long?

Daegan, elite of the Ferrishyn warrior tribe of Faeries, is charged with a mission to find the Sol-lumieth, a mysterious new power that could change the fate of all in the realm of Alandria. But he is conflicted by his purpose, and he cannot trust the motives of those he serves. He has too many questions and they must be answered.

Kaeleigh, a girl abandoned as a small child just outside Missoula, Montana, is now 18. She is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. In her heart, she feels she has family out there… somewhere. Desperate to unravel the mysteries of her past, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her along with her two best friends, Finn and Chel—who have secrets of their own.

Get your free ebook copy!



Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book 2)

Shadows linger where light is obstructed, and truth is veiled.
Evil is an untreated disease in the once beautiful realm of Alandria.

Kaeleigh is faced with a revelation that she must reconcile. She will decide if discovering the truth is worth the unknown consequences to both herself and her friends.

Daegan, the Ferrishyn warrior, is conflicted by more than his loyalties, and is confronted with emotions he doesn’t know how to deal with. A choice must be made. A choice… that may cost him more than he ever wanted to give.

The Droch-ShĂșil—enforcers and servants of the ancient darkness—continue to cast their shadow over Alandria seeking those who can be turned to their side.

The magic of The Orchids is growing, but not everyone will survive what is to come.

Veiled Shadows is the second installment in The Age of Alandria series: the story of the Sol-lumieth’s quest for freedom of self and the power to battle the evil of the Droch-ShĂșil.




Daegan (The Age of Alandria: A Companion Novella)

Everyone has a story, and Daegan's began with darkness...

As a child, Daegan WaethnĂ­ witnessed the murder of both his parents. He buried the tragedy in the past, desperate to forget, but the past seems to be haunting him from the Beyond.  Now he is an Elite in the royal guard for the Paladin, the rulers of FeraĂĄnmar. A loyal Ferrishyn Faerie warrior, he battles the darkness that is once again stirring in Alandria.

Things are not what they seem in Alandria, and Daegan must find light before the darkness consumes himself and all he cares about. Against his will, the darkness is using him to destroy his own people. Daegan is determined to fight it with all that he is, but will it be too late? And if he can’t stop it, who will he hurt next?





Author Bio:

Morgan Wylie, originally from the Pacific Northwest, now resides near Nashville, TN with her husband and daughter. She and her husband work everyday at their individual and combined creative pursuits while she learns to balance being “Mama”, wife, and mediator to the many voices and muses constantly chattering in her head.



Giveaway:
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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Win a #KindleFire and Get Some Great Books

WIN A Kindle Fire!
Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire! Also, to help start you out on your new Kindle Fire, you'll also win a kindle book from each of out Sponsors. Here's just one of the great books you'll win.

Chasing Azrael (Deathly Insanity)
By Hazel Butler


When Andee Tilbrook's husband died, her preoccupation with death turned to obsession. Thanks to her unique ability to commune with the dead, her husband remains all too close, yet never close enough. Mired in grief, she clings to James's spirit, slowly losing touch with the world, her friends, and any desire to continue living. 

But when her friend Josh becomes the target of Natalya, a jealous, capricious and violent Russian beauty, Andee somehow finds the strength to free herself from her misery long enough to help him. They soon discover that Natalya is wanted by the police for her involvement in a series of grisly murders, and Andee is dragged into the inquiry by the same man who investigated her own husband's death. 

Torn between new feelings for Josh, and fear that he might be involved in the murders that seem to threaten anyone who comes close, Andee must face the realities of her life, her past, and her very nature-and do it all in time to save her own life.


About the Author:


Hazel is a twenty eight year old author, artist and archaeologist from Cheshire, England. She is currently in the final year of her PhD, which focuses on Gender Dynamics in Late Iron Age and Early Medieval Britain. She has been studying archaeology since she was sixteen, attending The University of Manchester for her Undergraduate course in Ancient History and Archaeology, then Bangor University for an MA in Celtic Archaeology and on to her PhD. She spent two years between her MA and PhD doing corporate archaeology and research excavations, both in Britain and in Austria, and has two papers published in international journals.
Since 2010 she has been working on a series of Gothic Literary novels, the first of which, Chasing Azrael, was released in April 2014. The Deathly Insanity Series are a set of Paranormal Mystery novels with overlapping character and plot-lines. While her primary interests are in Gothic and Fantasy art and fiction, she reads a wide range of subjects and enjoys most forms of art. She also has a great love of dogs, and her King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, Dexter (yes, after the serial killer), is her near-constant companion.

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Saturday, April 12, 2014

Fractured Truth Blog Tour A Review


It's finally here!

Fractured Truth, the final novel in the paranormal, YA Fractured Light trilogy, was just released! Follow the blog tour to find out more about Fractured Truth and enter below for a chance to a signed copy or a $25 Amazon gift card!




Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow—the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

Noree's Review: This series quickly moved up on my list of favorites. I have been waiting with semi impatience for this book to come out. I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. This story is full of twists, turns, and heartbreaks.

The story starts out with a bang and just keeps running from there. Old friends are enemies, and you’re not sure who Llona can trust. McClellen introduces us to the new supernatural beings and we get to see more in depth about the creation of the Shadow.  Llona herself is still as headstrong and feisty as ever. I love that about her. She’s so determined to save the other Auras. I love how her strength affects the other girls around her.

This book had me reading into several late nights. Get it!

Buy Fractured Truth
  
Amazon     |     Barnes & Noble     

Contact Author

Website     |     Blog     |     Facebook     |     Twitter

If you haven’t read the series, here are my reviews for the first and second books.

Fractured Light (Fractured Light #1)

Blurb:
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.

I LOVED the concept of primordial forces given consciousness that was in this book. I have to say that MccLellan's idea stands out. Yes, they’re a type of vampire here, but 1) their concept was also different, 2) they're monsters, which I always like to see. The pacing felt a little slow, but that may be because I prefer books with a faster pace. A lot of this book played up the struggling romance between Llona and Christian and stretched the suspense about who the Vyken was. Usually, I like a little more action in a book, but there definitely is some action in the end.

Fractured Soul (Fractured Light #2)

Blurb:
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!


So, this book starts off with Llona arriving at Lucent Academy. From the surface it seems that it’s a school for pampered girls with powers, so of course Llona stands out like a sore thumb there. I do always admire her rebellious side. That’s pretty much what drives her through this story.  I liked this book more than the last one. The pacing was better and it focused more on the paranormal instead of the romance.  Though there were times it did drive me crazy.

Click the pictures below to find out more about Fractured Light and Fractured Soul, book one and book two. 

http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Light-Rachel-McClellan/dp/1599559420/ref=la_B005RFFM9M_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396458040&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Soul-Rachel-McClellan/dp/1462111807/ref=la_B005RFFM9M_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396458040&sr=1-3
















About Rachel:

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel's love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was...


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The Making of Nebraska Brown Review and Guest Post


Today I'd like to welcome Louise Caiola to Trip the Eclipse. Her new book The Making of Nebraska Brown has just been released.

Blurb (From Amazon):
The last thing eighteen-year-old Ann Leigh remembers is running from her boyfriend in a thick Nebraska cornfield. This morning she’s staring down a cool Italian sunrise, an entire continent from the life she once knew. The events of the eighteen months in between have inexplicably gone missing from her memory. 

All at once she’s living with Tommy, an attractive, young foreigner asking for her continued love. Though he’s vaguely familiar, she recalls a boy named Shane in America who she reluctantly agreed to marry. Juggling a new world while her old one is still M.I.A is difficult enough without the terrifying movie scenes spinning a dizzy loop in her mind: glimpses of a devastating house fire, a romance gone wrong, an unplanned pregnancy, and a fractured family – each claiming to be part of who she once was – a girl and a past somehow discarded. 

Ann Leigh must collect the pieces of herself to become whole again, but she doesn’t know who to trust especially when Tommy’s lies become too obvious to ignore. And above all, her heart aches to discover what became of the child she may or may not have given birth to. 

The Making of Nebraska Brown tells the story of one girl’s coming apart from the inside and the great lengths she’ll go to reclaim herself and find her way home.

Review:
This isn't my usual genre. As all of you who come to my blog know, I’m more a paranormal type of girl. However I found the story to be highly engrossing. We have a whole mystery to discover who Ann Leigh or Ana Lisa really is.

Ann Leigh has quite a few flaws. She’s spoiled, impulsive, and a bit brash, but I still liked her. She wasn’t going to let herself be sidetracked by the honeyed words of her boyfriend Tommy, especially when she suspected something was wrong. Tommy himself had me on ups and downs. I was torn between thinking her really loved her and that he was playing her in some way.

This book kept me reading into a couple late nights just so I can find out what truly happened. This one had me guessing until the end. If you like a cozy mystery and a story about self-realization, then you should really pick up this book.

The Making of Nebraska Brown is Published by Immortal Ink Publishing.

Guest Post: The Joys of the First Draft

There's something inherently beautiful about the firsts of the world. I can rattle some right off the top of my head that are pretty dang cool. The first date followed swiftly by the first kiss.  First place (in pretty much everything.) First words. First steps. First birthday. First car. Okay, you get the gist.
But what about the writer’s first draft. His/her maiden voyage on the literary sea? How goes it?
Typically – not such a beautiful thing.
Most times the first drafts are fraught with plot holes, unintended character flaws, typos, grammar grunge and repetitive words enough to fill an entire second draft. However, there is something naturally pretty about this initial piece of work. Something joyful. Now, before you assume that I must be inhaling those glue fumes again, I will explain.
Let’s call it abandon. For some writers the first draft is where we get to clomp around in our mommy’s shoes. This is our chance to try the story on for size. To experiment with the phrases until we stumble upon the exact right ones. The first drafts allow us to spew forth from our creative gut those lovely lines that feel so right before we are forced, via editing and revision, to discard those very same lovelies. This is the place for our mistakes to see the light of day – if only long enough for us to learn from them.
Each and every writer strives for that perfect end product. Their masterpiece. These results are nearly never just our own doing. Just as it takes a village to raise a child – it takes a team to raise a book baby. But those first drafts are our proof that we had the what-for to set pen to page. To make our mark. Bravely and alone.  An important first among them all.

About Louise:
As a young girl who spent her allowance on Nancy Drew mysteries, Louise realized that one day, she might have a story of her own to tell. Maybe even more than one story. After years focused on raising her children she eventually reconnected with her passion for creative writing. She soon began to craft a large collection of short stories which were published in the inspirational online magazine, Faithhopeandfiction.com. Shortly thereafter, she authored her first novel, Wishless, a contemporary YA, released in 2011.

Louise devotes a portion of each day to honing her skills. She has several other novels currently in various stages of development. A confirmed bibliophile, Louise enjoys reading outdoors on a warm spring day and watching her pup chase leaves on a breeze. She looks forward to meeting others who share her love of the written word and invites you to visit her blog, her website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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Blog
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