Book Blitz + Giveaway: Streets of Glass by Michelle D. Argyle

Streets of Glass
Michelle D. Argyle
Publication date: May 1st 2017
Genres: New Adult, Suspense, Thriller

Eighteen year-old Starry is destined to take over her father’s powerful drug syndicate. But when she finds out he has kept her only sister a secret from her, she can’t trust him anymore. Furious, Starry vows to find Emma, even though she knows her defiance could lead to losing the position she’s worked so hard to inherit.But Emma isn’t quite the sister Starry hoped for. She’s a straight-laced good girl who wants nothing more than to take down the syndicate that destroyed her family. Starry, willing to do anything to secure her place in the syndicate, accepts her father’s ultimatum to kill Emma and everyone helping her. But the more Starry gets to know Emma, and the more secrets she uncovers, the more she questions whether the price of saving the syndicate is too high—even for someone as cold-blooded and vicious as Starry. 

*Streets of Glass is considered clean New Adult/Upper YA fiction**

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HOW WRITING A NOVEL CAN HELP YOU HEAL

I first started writing STREETS OF GLASS, I had no idea the journey I was about to take. The novel was a normal project, but my life was about to become not-so-normal. As I was workshopping the book with my writing group (a 9-month process), I learned something that turned my world upside down. I was betrayed by someone very close to me, and suddenly every priority in my life shifted into a different place. I no longer trusted anybody. I didn’t even trust myself. Lies and deceit became a very real thing. Interestingly enough, here I was working on a book about just that!

I think one of the most interesting things about writing is what authors end up pouring into their work subconsciously. I don’t know if I really knew what was about to happen in my life as I was drafting the book, but as I worked on revisions and edits after the big change in my life, I realized how deeply I value truth and honesty and those people in my life I can count on for anything and everything.

My main character, Starry, is me in a lot of ways. She might not be the person I want to be. She’s kind of horrible, actually, but she shares a common value with me, and that’s honesty. One of my favorite quotes in the book is this:

“Nothing was more important to her than trust and loyalty. The syndicate was a world thick with secrets and lies and deceit, but those things could not be allowed to taint personal relationships.”

And it’s true in every facet of our lives, I think. Trust and loyalty mean everything in our quiet, personal lives. Without those, how can we be with anyone?

Looking back now, I realize how much writing STREETS OF GLASS has healed me. It helped me sort through a lot of the emotions I’ve had to deal with. I’m still learning how to face those who have hurt me, but writing is something that has truly saved my life in more ways than one.

Author Bio:

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She's a foodie and also adores anything Star Wars related. She loves to read and write books in the time she grabs between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life. Michelle mainly writes contemporary upper YA fiction, but occasionally branches into other genres.

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Book Tour: Heir of Locksley by N.B. Dixon

 

Title: Heir of Locksley

Series: Outlaw’s Legacy, Book 1

Author: N.B. Dixon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: December 1st, 2016

Genre(s): Historical, M/M

Words: 108,000

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About the Book

Blurb

 

 Robin of Locksley is a rebel, more comfortable roaming Sherwood Forest with his longbow and courting the village girls than learning how to run a manor. An innocent flirtation with a peasant girl soon lands Robin in trouble, and worse, he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Will Scathelock, his best friend since childhood. Robin must decide whether to follow the rules of society or his own conscience. Meanwhile, his neighbour, Guy of Gisborne, is anxious to get his hands on the Locksley estate and he will do anything to make it happen - even murder.

Buy Links

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About N.B. Dixon

Author Bio

N.B. Dixon is an author of historical fiction. Her love for the Robin Hood legend began in a neglected corner of the school library and has continued ever since. She is a self-confessed bookworm and also a musician. She began work on the *Outlaw's Legacy* Series in 2013, and was accepted by Beaten Track Publishing in 2016. *Outlaw's Legacy* is a historical series based around the Robin Hood legend. The author describes it as Exciting Historical Adventure with GLBT romance.

Connect with N.B.

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Quest Post

Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?

I’ve loved the legend of Robin Hood since I was a small child. But is it merely a legend? I believe it was J.K. Rowling who said in 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' that all legends have a basis in fact. The question of whether or not Robin Hood was a real person is still a hotly debated subject. Even today, he continues to influence popular culture. From his first written appearances as the star of early ballads, he has graduated to novels and from there to film and TV, and even more recently, the radio.

To find out whether or not Robin Hood was a real person, it’s best to start with his origins. The first known written ballad of Robin Hood was entitled 'Robin Hood and the Monk'. This was followed some years later by other ballads such as 'The Gest of Robin Hood', perhaps the most well known and certainly one of the longest. In this ballad, the story of Robin Hood is set in Barnsdale Forest, not in Sherwood. He is also a peasant, not a nobleman, and his story is set during the reign of Edward II, not Richard the Lionheart. During the reign of Edward II, Robert Hood of Wakefield rebelled against the King when he joined his cousin, Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, in his attempt to overthrow Edward. The rebellion was unsuccessful and Robert of Wakefield, like so many, was forced to go on the run. Not much is known about him, but it is interesting that a Robin Hood is recorded as working for the King, which also occurs in 'The Gest of Robin Hood'. So were these men one and the same?

If only it were that black and white. The name Robin Hood is in fact a fairly common one. Though there are a variety of spellings, it was a universal term given to thieves. Robin was also a common enough name or just a shortened version of Robert. There are several men with the name Robert or Robin Hood who pop up throughout history, but were there any Robin Hood’s during the reign of King Richard? A knight named Robert Fitz Odo lived during the reign of Richard’s father, Henry II. Next to nothing is known about him, but it seems he lost his lands and title, much as the Robin Hood of legend did.

In the stories, Robin is famous for being a “different kind of Outlaw”. He steals only from those who can afford it and gives the money to those who are poor. Outlaws were predominantly made up of merchant’s and labourers, but some nobles did end up outlawed. While they were away on crusade, their lands were often stolen by enterprising neighbours. The crusading knights would return to find their home and lands gone. As the justice system moved slowly, they often had little option but to turn to outlawry, where they would be forced to steal in order to survive. It would be a very special man indeed who would give away what he stole to those less fortunate than himself. One theory has it that this was just a very clever piece of propaganda to convince the working classes that the nobles were not as cruel and heartless as they were believed to be. What better way to do this than to have a noble look after the poor?

Then there is the question of Robin Hood’s grave. According to the ballads, he dyed and was buried at Kirklees Priory in Yorkshire. A stone supposedly marked the spot, bearing the following inscription:

Here beneath this little stone,
Lays Robert Earl of Huntingdon.
Never was an archer so good as he,
And people called him Robin Hood.
Such outlaws as he and his men,
Will England never see again.

This gravestone has long since disappeared, although a drawing of a very similar stone was discovered in Locksley in Warwickshire. The original grave where Robin Hood was thought to be buried was found to be empty, but that begs the question, who wrote the inscription? Why was the stone removed?

The story of Robin is shrouded in mystery. Whether he was a real man or just a clever piece of propaganda, we may never be destined to know, but Robin Hood continues to fire the imaginations of all who read his story, and he remains alive in the hearts and minds of people long after any of the men he could have been were laid to rest in their graves.

Giveaway

Three lucky winners will receive an e-copy of Heir of Locksley, the first in the Outlaw's Legacy series by N.B. Dixon, a highly original retelling of the Robin Hood legend. To be in with a chance, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The contest closes at midnight EST on May 6 and is open to entrants worldwide. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops

April 24 Exclusive Excerpt at Bloggers from Down Under

Guest Post at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

April 25 Exclusive Excerpt at Books, Dreams, Life

Guest Post at Love Bytes Reviews

Exclusive Excerpt at Shh, I Am Reading

April 26 Book Review by BFD Book Blog

Exclusive Excerpt at Bayou Book Junkie

April 27 Author Interview with Stories that Make You Smile

Character Interview at Drops of Ink

April 28 Exclusive Excerpt at MM Good Book Reviews

Author Interview with MM Book Escape

April 29 Guest Post at Making It Happen

Character Interview at Boy Meets Boy Reviews

April 30 Guest Post at Howling for Books

Tour Hosted by LoveBound Promotions

Quest Post: Three Types of Research by Saruuh Kelsey

I'm really glad to host Saruuh Kelsey for a quest post at the dawn of her new book's, The Powers of Callaire, release. It'll be available tomorrow.

You can find Saruuh on twitter or on her website.

Three Types of Research
by Saruuh Kelsey

I have three types of research whenever I’m planning or writing a book. There’s the mass bulk of research I do before I write a book, which consists of internet research, checking a whole lot of relevant books out of the library, and any first hand research I can do where it’s possible. This takes around two to three months of heavy research.

While I’d have loved to walk around Romania for The Powers of Callare research, it wasn’t exactly feasible. Instead I turned to one of my favourite methods of location research.

Google Maps

Google Maps, especially Google Earth, is a fallible mess at the best of times. I’ve had a hundred messy experiences with it—being dumped in bypasses, somehow being stuck in a shop in Mumbai I can’t get back out of, being placed in another city entirely—but I could never have made the places in my books as detailed as they are without seeing it through Google. I use travel journals and blog posts from people who live and have visited the area to get authentic details and information—local culture, events and, a super important one for me, sounds and smells—but without the map and Google Earth, I’d never be able to build the setting properly.

Another type of research I do is while writing the book. It’s a more urgent type of research than the initial bulk, where I just gather information and sort through the relevant stuff. At the writing stage, I’m looking for a quick answer to a question my manuscript has thrown at me, or a way to fill in a gap I’ve suddenly found. When this happens, I turn to internet research. When I’m trying to fill in a gap (for example in my next book, The Revelation, I needed to know how the poor lit their homes in the late 1800s) I turn to a specialist website or a handy archive.

Archive. Org

This place is brilliant … for some stuff. It’s not so hot on others, but for a lot of subjects it’s amazing. You just type what you want to know about in the search bar and it pulls up a myriad of helpful things. Books, websites, and my person favourite—sounds. I didn’t find what I was looking for in regards to poor lighting their homes, but I found an AMAZING sound clip of Victorian life. Having that playing in the background while researching and planning the book has given it life and detail previous books lacked.

The last kind of research I do is rushed and hectic and takes place while editing the already-written book. If I’m editing and I come across a place in my book that lacks detail or a fact to flesh out the story, I’ll usually reach for whatever book I have to hand on the subject. If that fails, it’s back to the good ol’ internet research, and rinse and repeat until I’ve fixed the problem.

The Powers of Callaire (The Legend Mirror, #3), out August 16^th
YA Urban Fantasy
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Summary:

Yasmin’s girlfriend is dead, but she will stop at nothing to bring Fray back. Even if that means going to the Otherland and making a bargain with the Ruler of All Souls. If Yasmin finds Pluto’s lost power, they’ll return Fray’s soul to her body. 

Yasmin’s search takes her, and two of her friends, from Bucharest to France to Wales, and exposes a horrifying secret with Venus, Yasmin’s mother, at the heart of it. With a murderous, fiery god and the incarnation of death in her way, Yasmin will have to compromise her morals and harness the Legendary power in her veins. If she fails, Fray’s soul will be lost forever. 

The Powers of Callaire is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Blog Feature + Quest Post: Wicked Song by Saruuh Kelsey

Wicked Song
Saruuh Kelsey
Publication Date: May 31st
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Romance

A demon’s eye glitters in the harp’s reflection… Rosenfay Marsh can steal your soul with her Song - but can she save Hell from an angel invasion? 

After helping her demon father harvest the souls of her human schoolmates, Rosenfay is kidnapped by a cruel angel. With her skin burning and peeling in Heaven, escape is impossible. But if she doesn’t find her way to safety, the angel will torture her father’s location from her. And all Hell will be in danger. 

Wicked Song is a paranormal novelette (12,000 words) with reluctant demons, brutish angels, and a gender fluid romance.

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GUEST POST by Saruuh Kelsey:

10 Facts About Wicked Song

1 – Rosenfay, the main character, is bisexual and Indian

2 – Karel/Karellin, the love interest, is gender fluid, and their name and pronoun changes accordingly

3 – Rosenfay and Karel are both demons

4 – By using magic, Rosenfay can sever someone’s soul and send it to Hell

5 – She can also manipulate satisfaction and contentment (emotions she’s the demon of) until a person is delirious

6 – Rosenfay’s father can appear in any reflection in the world

7 – The story crosses Earth, Heaven, and Hell

8 – There are good angels and angels who have a little bit of Hell in them

9 – The air in Heaven scorches a demon’s lungs

10 – It has a happy ending

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Author Bio

Saruuh Kelsey is the author of several novels for young adults, including the Lux Guardians series and The Legend Mirror series. Her latest releases include WICKED SONG, a paranormal short, and THE DRYAD OF CALLAIRE, the second novel in a YA mythological fantasy series. Find her online at saruuhkelsey.co.uk.

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Aurelious Forty by Dianna Beirne

Aurelious Forty; Volume One

by Dianna Beirne 

Release Date: 12/20/14

252 pages

Aurelious Forty has led a lonely, troubled life. He stays disconnected from the world around him with no family and no friends. He lives merely to exist…to survive.

Aurelious’ life changes in an instant when an impulsive decision forces him to abandon everything he has ever known. Choosing to follow strangers into a new world, he discovers he was born with a gift so strong, so unique; it could give him the power to change humanity.

But the shadows of his childhood are long and dark and run through every fiber of his soul. Can Aurelious break the chains of his past and use his gift for good? Or will the nightmare of his tormentors set him on a path of revenge so fierce it could destroy us all?

Buy Links:
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Playlist inspired by Aurelious Forty; Volume One

I think the thing that stands out for me most with Aurelious Forty is how emotional it is. The characters and, as a result, the readers go on an emotional journey that can be pretty extreme at times. Much like our own lives, there are highs and lows for each person that we meet on the pages. 

I listen to music all the time. I mean all the time. Driving, cooking, doing laundry, taking a walk, daydreaming, you name it and I’ll have music on while I’m doing it…even if I’m doing nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I love silence, I think best when there is no noise at all and I can’t write with music on but I often use music to get into the mind or soul of a character. 


When I was writing the last two chapters of Aurelious Forty; Volume One I listened to It Will Rain by Bruno Mars about a million times simply because, to me, it sounded like the intensely emotional scene that I was writing. So anytime that I wasn’t actively writing that scene on the day I wrote it, I was playing that song so I could stay in the mindset of my characters. I’m pretty sure my son thought I was nuts, but the process worked for me, it’s an intense scene to say the least!


So, that song is on my playlist inspired by Aurelious Forty; Volume One along with a whole host of others. The songs are either representative of a particular character or situation they are in and they all evoke some emotion, well for me they do and maybe they will for you too. And in case you were wondering, I listened to a lot of Mumford and Sons while writing Volume Two!


A Simple Man by Shinedown
If I Tremble by Front Porch Step
Too Close by Alex Clare
Sail by Awolnation
Drowning by Banks
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked by Cage the Elephant
Pompeii by Bastille
It Will Rain by Bruno Mars
Now and Forever by Drake
Jar of Hearts by Christina Perry
More Than Words by Extreme
Round Here by Counting Crows
Centuries by Fall Out Boy
Handlebars by Flobot
Lightning Crashes by Live
The Wolf by Mumford and Sons
Where Are You Now by Mumford and Sons
Timshel by Mumford and Sons
Plain Sailing Weather by Frank Turner
Say Something by A Great Big World
Stay by Rhianna ft. Mikky Ekko
Headstrong by Trapt
Outside by Staind
Just Breathe by Pearl Jam
Uprising by Muse 

About the Author

Dianna Beirne lives in a fantasy world. Okay not really, but part of her wishes she did and, since that’s technically impossible, she writes about fantasy worlds instead. Her first Young Adult novel entitled Aurelious Forty; Volume One quickly turned into her first Young Adult series with the addition of Aurelious Forty; Volume Two and, Aurelious Forty; Volume Three.

When not writing, she’s generally daydreaming which morphs into wondering if that last daydream could turn into a book. She has also recently discovered podcasts but doesn’t exactly understand what they are or why they’re different from regular radio shows. So it’s safe to assume that her next book won’t be about a podcast. Instead she’ll just keep listening to the ones that she finds that hilarious because laughing is one of her favorite pastimes and she finds way too many things funny!

Prior to dedicating her time to writing, Dianna taught undergraduate and graduate courses about using literacy in the elementary, middle, and high school classroom. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in Literacy and a Doctorate in Education specializing in Curriculum and Teaching.

Dianna lives in New York and is the grateful mother of a son whom she misses terribly when he is away at college.

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Book Blitz + Quest Post + Giveaway: The Heartbeat Thief by A.J. Krafton

The Heartbeat Thief

by A.J. Krafton
Publication date: June 12th 2015
NA, fantasy
 

Haunted by a crushing fear of death, a young Victorian woman discovers the secret of eternal youth—she must surrender her life to attain it, and steal heartbeats to keep it.

In 1860 Surrey, a young woman has only one occupation: to marry. Senza Fyne is beautiful, intelligent, and lacks neither wealth nor connections. Finding a husband shouldn’t be difficult, not when she has her entire life before her. But it’s not life that preoccupies her thoughts. It’s death—and that shadowy spectre haunts her every step.

So does Mr. Knell. Heart-thumpingly attractive, obviously eligible—he’d be her perfect match if only he wasn’t so macabre. All his talk about death, all that teasing about knowing how to avoid it…
When her mother arranges a courtship with another man, Senza is desperate for escape from a dull prescripted destiny. Impulsively, she takes Knell up on his offer. He casts a spell that frees her from the cruelty of time and the threat of death—but at a steep price. In order to maintain eternal youth, she must feed on the heartbeats of others.

It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allen Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time…

How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?

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Author bio

AJ Krafton is the author of New Adult speculative fiction. Her debut The Heartbeat Thief is due out on Kindle in June 2015. Forthcoming titles include Taking' It Back & Face of the Enemy. She's a proud member of the Infinite Ink Authors. AJ also writes adult spec fic as Ash Krafton. Visit Ash at http://ashkrafton.com

 

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Quest Post
Time for Tea: Victorian Tradition and its Place in THE HEARTBEAT THIEF

Victorian tea time wasn’t always a thing.

Tea has been around for thousands of years. In many cultures, it was customary to share tea with company. Tea was ceremonial, a sacred part of social law.

In England, mealtimes evolved to include two main meals: breakfast and dinner. Dinner became an evening phenomenon, which was held after the work day. In the case of the upper classes, dinner was an event that lasted hours into the night. Afternoon meals tended to light and on-the-go and had no real structure.

What we’ve come to know as “tea time” began with Duchess Anne of Bedford. Anne experienced a “sinking feeling” around three or four o’clock and would ask her maids to sneak her tea and pastries, since supper wouldn’t come until much later in the evening. At first, she had tea alone but eventually the practice was expanded to include her close friends.

Thus, a tradition was born and tea time became a thing.

Less food, more talking
Victorian tea time carried on the tradition of offering tea to guests. Tea was served in wide-mouthed shallow cups (nothing like our 16 ounce paper cups from the coffee shop). That way, tea could be sipped without waiting all afternoon for it to cool (or blowing on it, which could lead to sloppy accidents). Tea time became synonymous with company and socializing and was, in itself, a social event.

And Victorian events were elegant, spectacular things.

It was customary to have tea in the parlor or garden. It provided a chance to show off the hostess’s best china and linens, as well her abilities to command the skills of her kitchen staff.

Tea served not only to quiet the rumblings of a belly, it was food for the social soul. Dishes were customarily light and easy to eat without worry of a catastrophic mess. Eating was a dainty dance in itself.

Tea sandwiches, cakes, scones, biscuits, candies and nuts were usual fare for low tea (named for the low tables around which guests gathered—think “coffee tables” in the living room). I found a website with loads of recipes here: http://whatscookingamerica.net/HighTeaRecipes.htm I refer to it often when I’m looking to create a special little something.

Trays of snacks were laid out so guests could serve themselves. Affluent hostesses could afford an elaborate tea service such as http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/f9/4a/f8/f94af81ddcca5b29c0fc64c386e2d8bd.jpg (By comparison, my tea service looks like this: http://www.adagio.com/teaware/triniTEA.html Not quite as shiny J but it makes a perfect pot, every time.)

The overall goal of these tea parties was to ensure that guests enjoyed themselves so thoroughly that they completely lose track of time, ensuring the hostess’s graceful place in the hearts and esteem of all invited.

Senza and her Tea
In The Heartbeat Thief our heroine, Senza Fyne, took much comfort in the ritual of tea time. Despite her longer-than-usual life, she never lost her affinity for a well-set tea. It connected her to precious memories of family and friends and times long gone by. Here’s a brief excerpt from The Heartbeat Thief, in which Senza prepares tea for company for the first time in a very, very long time.

The Heartbeat Thief

The tea kettle hissed, the steam building up to a whistle. She plucked it off the heat before it could reach full shriek. She didn’t like noise. She’d become far too accustomed to quiet and stillness. It had been ages since she made tea, a proper tea with a full service and decorative sugars. She’d missed the routine.

 

Grandmother had always taken three lumps of sugar in hers. She’d preferred a Darjeeling, earthy and fragrant, over the milder Assams and startling Keemuns that Father would bring home. Darjeeling, she’d insisted, was an expression of liquid divinity. If you could taste the earth, you could touch the stars. Be one with everything.

 

Senza blinked, stirring herself from the hazy memory. Grandmother had always told her to live in the moment. Senza seemed only to live in the past.

 

Wrong moments in which to live.

 

She rubbed her temple with the bend of her wrist and spooned tea leaves into the pot. Funny that he’d procure a tea service for her in this rustic shanty, a proper set with a silver empress tea strainer and matching sugar and creamer pots. Odd that he’d provide a service for two people, especially since she’d always been completely alone.

 

Senza arranged the service on a broad silver tray and arranged a spread of biscuits onto a saucer, next to a plate of cucumber and spread cheese sandwiches. A small bowl of candied fruits completed the tea. All had been conveniently located in the small pantry, as if she’d shopped the list on her own.

 

Stepping back, she surveyed her work. Grandmother would approve. A good host always saw to the tea herself, taking every pain to ensure her guests lost track of the time of day.

 

Hefting the tray, she carried it into the front room, still startled by its shocking transformation. A small but cozy fire blazed in the simple brick fireplace, near to which an unfamiliar tea table stood. Hand-embroidered flowers trimmed the edge of the linen, matching the elegant bunch of flowers that topped a grey ceramic vase.

Senza enjoyed a small tea in that scene, but I love this post here http://www.thethriftygroove.com/2010/05/victorian-tea-party.html because it shows a full elaborate spread that Senza would really have enjoyed. Now, THAT’S what I call a happy tea time.

Perhaps the next time you’re experiencing a “sinking feeling” you’ll treat yourself to a cup of Darjeeling and a cinnamon scone and have a happy moment to yourself (or, better yet, with a friend). There’s no reason to let go of the past when it’s full of sweet traditions like tea time. No wonder Senza Fyne never surrendered her fondness for the practice, even as the years took everything else away from her, bit by precious bit.

For more images of tea time and the book THE HEARTBEAT THIEF by AJ Krafton, visit https://www.pinterest.com/demimondeash/the-heartbeat-thief-by-aj-krafton/

 

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Saving London by Taylor Dawn

Saving London

by Taylor Dawn
Published by: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: June 9th 2015
Adult, urban fantasy
 

The List. That Signified Finality.
The Journey. That Would Span The Globe.
The Sacrifice. That Would Decide The Outcome.
The Choice. That Could Unleash Evil On Earth.
The End Is Only The Beginning…

“You have terminal cancer.”

London Patterson, a seemingly healthy young woman, had her entire life ahead of her. That was until four little words brought everything to a screeching halt. As the shock and grief begin to fade, London decides to map out her last year and embark on an epic journey to complete a bucket list. She wants to do the things she’s been afraid to do in her life, step out of her self-contained box, and see the world. What she didn’t expect was for a mysterious stranger named Adam to breeze into her life like a breath of fresh air.

Adam offers to help London complete her list on one condition…that she sees it through to the end. Agreeing on those terms, the two set out on an adventure of a lifetime. But London soon realizes that Adam isn’t quite…human. Along their journey odd occurrences happen that cause London to question who or what Adam is and why he’s helping her.

Follow London as she checks off her bucket list in this inspiring new Urban Fantasy novel from Taylor Dawn.

 

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Author bio

C.D. Taylor/Taylor Dawn began writing as an item to check off her bucket list. She resides in the southernmost part of Illinois, right on the mighty Mississippi river. She enjoys the quiet country life with her husband, son and the many farm animals that make up the rest of the family. She decided that farm life was just a little too mundane, so she started writing erotica and fantasy to liventhings up, so far so good. C.D./Taylor entered cosmetology school right out of High School and practiced the art of hair styling for 12 years. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found sitting around a table making people laugh. She has always wanted to be a standup comic. She loves pulling practical jokes, dresses up in a costume every Halloween and believes that dancing is the key to a happy life (even if you aren't a good dancer). She believes that life shouldn't be taken too seriously, we will never get out alive anyway. More than anything, she is a kid at heart, she doesn't believe in bedtimes, eating everything on her plate, or having ice cream only for dessert. Her favorite quote is by Dr. Seuss..."Why fit in, when you were born to stand out."

 

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Quest Post:
“What’s On Your List?”
Taylor Dawn

How are you using your time on this earth? 

In the giant picture that we call life, many of us tend to forget what all of this is really about. We are so caught up with trying to find success and happiness, that we miss the things that are right there in front of us. We fail to do the things we’ve always wanted to do because they become daunting tasks that might involve some sort of pain, or even sponge too much of our time. But what if you found out today that you only had a certain amount of time left? What if you were able to look at your life’s clock and see the remaining minutes tick by? Would that make you stop and think about the things you haven’t done? Would it make you kick it into high gear and get to it? I choose not to wait until I hear the tick of the clock hands as they pass by each number. So much so, that this entire premise inspired a book. A book that took on a new life and morphed into so much more than I could’ve ever imagined. So I ask you…what’s on your list?

I’ve had a bucket list for quite some time now. On it are items that some would say are completely out of reach for someone like me. What type of person am I? Well, I’m the person whose spine is partially made up of rods and screws. I’m the person who shouldn’t be able to do much, but I refuse to cave to the fact that I am not the same as I was years ago. My body may be broken, but my spirit burns bright. For my character, London, in Saving London, the same holds true. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She was handed a death sentence and expected to go home and wait for the end to find her. But London is a lot like myself. She refuses to rot away and compares herself to a banana. Sitting on a counter and rotting away like a banana won’t do. Embarking on an adventure for her last year is the only way she wants to live for the rest of her time. Would you do that? Would you sell off your worldly possessions to fund the adventures on your bucket list? Me? I most likely would. Like I said before, London and I have a lot in common. We also share some of the items on our lists. Funny how that happened. She was supposed to have her own list, but when you write a
character, sometimes they turn out more like you than you expected. And I know the question burning in your mind right now, I can practically see it spinning so fast that smoke is barreling out of your ears. You can slow down that thought process because I’m going to put you out of your misery.

Yes, I will tell you what my bucket list consists of. Not the entire thing, but some of the items. 
The first thing on my list is to fly a plane. London and I have this one in common. Now, I’m not looking to get behind the wheel of an American Airlines Jet, we have enough issues with crazy pilots as it is. For me, a crop duster plane will do. I don’t want to do the whole takeoff and landing part either. I’d just like to hold the controls for a bit while I’m in the air. I want to feel like it’s me keeping the bird in the air. Wouldn’t that be amazing? 

Secondly I wanted to visit what I consider one of the most beautiful places on this earth. A place where I could stand and just take in the environment around me and appreciate it for what it was. I was able to actually check this item off my list in 2010. My family and I visited a tiny island off the coast of Belize called Goff’s Cay. Now, mind you, this miniature island was literally no bigger than a football field. White sand beaches, crystal blue waters and breathtaking scenery below the water. The amount of life bustling beneath the surface was a sight to behold. I can still remember standing on the edge of the sand, letting the clear water lap over my toes, thinking “this is it, this is my most beautiful place on this earth.” When the realization hit me, it was difficult to hold my tears at bay. Checking this item off my list was a spiritual experience that I shall not soon forget. 

Number three on my bucket list could be comical to some and confusing to others. Here goes…I wanted to make and decorate a three tiered cake. Yes, you heard me right, a cake. I still giggle when I think about it. I’m still not sure why I threw that on my list but there it was. Did I get to do it? Yes I did. It took hours of my time but by the end, I had a slightly lop-sided three tiered cake. But to me, it was beautiful. And hey, topsy-turvy cakes seem to be in style lately. Since I completed it several years ago, I consider myself a trendsetter.

London and I also have “climb a mountain” in common on our bucket lists. In Saving London, she gets to complete this one. And I’ve been able to do so as well. Traveling to Colorado I took on a chunk of rock that was a little over 12,000 feet above sea level. Talk about tiring. But I made it to the peak. I stood there looking down at the tiny town below me thinking “I feel so big, but yet so small.” It was an eye opening experience. You stand at the bottom thinking there’s no way you’ll make it to the top but when you get there, you let out a sigh of relief. I learned a valuable lesson when I climbed. It’s not about the view from the top. It’s the view from the bottom because from the bottom, there’s only one way to go. Up. I took a lot away from that experience that I hold with me to this day. And yes, when I found myself on the top of my mountain, I cried tears of joy. How could you not?

I think I’ll round this out by telling you just one more thing on my bucket list. I don’t want to share the entire thing that somehow doesn’t seem right. But the 5th item is to dance with my son at his wedding. He’s only 10 right now, and I truly hope I get to have him lead me around the dance floor on his big day. But as with everything, we will never know what the future holds.

Life doesn’t offer guarantees. Its rules aren’t written in black and white somewhere for us to find. I believe that we must live each day as if we may not wake tomorrow. Smile plenty, love with all your heart and take stock in the little things that life has to offer. Someday you’ll look back and realize those small things were actually the big things. 

Peace, Love and Pages
Taylor Dawn

 

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Quest Post: How My Characters Get Their Names by Saruuh Kelsey

I'm really glad to host Saruuh Kelsey, and so thankful that she agreed to do a quest post! You can find her on various places such as her blog, Syntax Reviews, her website, Twitter, and Goodreads. Saruuh's Lux Guardian series is free, and first two books (The Forgotten, The Wandering) has been released. She has also published fairy tale anthalogy, Love In The Gilded Age, and first book of the The Legend Mirror series, The Beast of Callaire.

Now, let's hear what she has to say about naming characters!

How My Characters Get Their Names
by Saruuh Kelsey
 

First, many thanks to Henna for featuring me on her blog. I’m delighted to write a post for Howling For Books.
 

Naming characters is one of the most important elements of building a novel. Without the right name, a book can fall short. When we remember books, or certainly when I do, I recall the characters before anything else. There have been times when remembering a book that I can’t for the life of me think of a character’s name. Because I don’t want my readers to forget the characters of my books, I aim to make their names memorable and unique—and as important to the book as its own title.
 

I’m drawn to things that are uncommon, unused and obsolete, be that a name or the meaning of a name. I like names that are a little different because they allow a reader to imagine someone entirely new, without associations to friends or family or sworn mortal enemies. Because of this I find the majority of my names on the internet, where my desired weird names exist on a bunch of different websites, just waiting for me to find them.
 

That being said, unusual names only work for a certain kind of story. High fantasy and uncommon names go hand in hand—Celaena Sardothien of Throne of Glass for example—and dystopias tend to have unique names too. My own dystopian series, The Lux Guardians, follows that trend, with names like Honour and Alba and Yosiah (a name that doesn’t even exist outside of my books, as far as I’m aware). But having too many unusual names can sometimes overload a book or its readers with alien words and names, which is why the books are also peppered with ordinary names—Miya (Mia), Timofei (Timothy), Hele (Hayley). It’s a curious balance, and one I struggle to find, between the normal and extraordinary. Too much normal and your characters aren’t memorable, too much unusual and your characters are too difficult to recall.
 

My process is not terribly exciting—just a naming website and a little common sense—but I hope you enjoyed this little insight into how my characters got their names.

Book Blitz, Quest Post + Giveaway: Gingerbread Man Serial by Lee Strauss

Gingerbread Man Series

by Lee Strauss
NA, science fiction, suspense

 

FRINGE meets CASTLE in this New Adult Sci-fi Mystery Suspense.

College girl meets boy online.
A killer targets girls like her.
She’s next on the list.
The boy wants to save her.
She thinks it’s him.

It’s worse than they both think.

RUN RUN RUN is the first part of a three part episode – Gingerbread Man – in the romantic suspense series, A Nursery Rhyme Suspense by Amazon best-selling author Lee Strauss. 

Episode release dates:

Run Run Run – December 31st

As Fast As You Can – January 7
You Can’t Catch Me – January 14
Gingerbread Man (ep 1-3) complete – January 28

 

Purchase your copies!

Episode 1: Amazon

Episode 2: Amazon

Episode 3: Amazon

Box set will be available on January 28th.

 

Author bio

I  write mixed genre Romance, most recently The Minstrel Series.

I also write fun, lower YA fiction (time-travel and fantasy) as ELLE Strauss. I divide my time between BC, Canada and Dresden, Germany and enjoy drinking coffee and eating chocolate in both places.

 

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Lee Strauss Guest Post

 

Why Serials?

What is the fascination with serials? It seems like everyone is writing them now. And readers are reading them. I can tell you from a writer’s perspective why I’m writing A Nursery Rhyme Suspense, and as a reader I can tell you why I like to read them.
They are like literary TV shows. I think most people would agree that television writi
ng in the past decade has been outstanding (for the most part). Think Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Gilmore Girls. There is a reason why these shows were so successful. The writing is terrific.

There has also been a trend in TV shows that follow one long story arc, rather than each episode being it’s own arc. These have seen recent success as a result of streaming TV and sites like Netflix that allow for binge watching. It’s easy to start from the beginning and watch right through to the end. Breaking Bad is written this way as is Terminator: The Sara Connor Chronicles and the first season of Veronica Mars (VM was a hybrid: a season long story arc mixed with episodic short story arcs)

Serials are like literary TV shows. Some authors write whole seasons of six or more volumes to tell one story. Some write short episodes, each 10k to 15k each. Others, like myself, write longer episodes of more than 20k that would also qualify as novellas.

Episodic writing takes a lot of thought. Whereas a novel as a beginning, middle and end, when writing serials, each episode has to have a beginning, middle and end (that’s not to say the ending won’t be a cliff – it most likely will – much like TV shows do, to entice the viewer to tune in again next week or to click the next episode on Netflix.) Episodes have to make sense on their own. I think that makes for tighter and more interesting writing. At least it makes it a challenge to the writer.
And like TV, each episode can be slightly different in tone or style from the others, if the author choses. With the Gingerbread Man, episode 1 is told from the Victim’s and the male protagonist’s point of view with very few scenes from the female protagonist. In episode 2 the point of view alternates between the male and female protagonist and in the third episode, it’s told entirely from the male protagonist’s point of view. These are devices that maybe wouldn’t work well in one novel, but are fine in episodic writing. 

Readers love serials for the same reason they love their favorite TV shows. They can consume episodes in a short amount of time, they anticipate the next installment and they grow attached to the characters and their unique world and personal struggles.

If you’ve never tried reading a serial before, I hope you will give Run Run Run – Gingerbread Man a chance.

Lee

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Book Blitz, Quest Post + Giveaway: My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling

My Ex From Hell (The Blooming Goddess, #1)

by Tellulah Darling
Publication date: April 1st 2013
YA, fantasy, mythology

 

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:
a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)
b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy teen yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a YA romantic comedy, Greek mythology smackdown. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book one of this teen fantasy romance series. Compared to Kai and Sophie, Romeo and Juliet had it easy.

My Ex From Hell on Goodreads.

 

Purchase your copy! Only 0,99c on Kobo, iTunes and Amazon!

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Author bio

Tellulah Darling
noun

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

1. YA romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she's compensating.
2. Alter ego of former screenwriter.
3. Sassy minx.

Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.

Tellulah Darling is a firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy. Which is why she has so much fun writing YA romantic comedy books. Her books span contemporary, teen fantasy romance, and YA Greek mythology, and range from stand alones to series. For Tellulah, teen romance is the most passionate, intense, and awkward there is – a comedy goldmine. Plus smart, mouthy, teen girls rock.

 

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Quest post from Tellulah Darling:

 

10 Things You Didn't Know About Tellulah Darling

1) I am too lazy to learn songs properly, choosing instead to just fit whatever word seems closest to the phonetic sound I hear. This means that nothing I sing makes any logical sense. However, they are all wildly creative. Every once in a while I actually figure out what the words are supposed to be and realize how much sense the song now makes. What's funny is that there are certain songs I'm suck in a perpetual loop with. I learn what they are, promptly forget and go back to my nonsense, and then have that deja vu moment when I understand them again. Maybe I was dropped on my head as a child.

2) I love to travel but hate flying. As a result, I spent much of my life gripping the arms of my airplane seat while whispering "please don't fall" for hours on end. Happily, my doctor informed me a couple years ago (while staring at me like I was an idiot upon hearing how I coped) that since my way didn't work, I might want to try drugs. Miracles of modern science, indeed!

3) Speaking of travel–the first time I went to Italy, I was 15 yrs old. We were in Heathrow waiting for our flight to Rome and I'd fallen asleep stretched out across the chairs at the departure area. I woke up to the sight of the Italian National Football (Soccer) team seated around me. Even at that tender age, I was partial to that particular flavour of man candy. So I shot up and might have tried to shove my little brother under a seat in an attempt to look like a worldly solo traveller. Yeah, right. I wish you all a similar wake up call with *insert group of hot men of your choice*.

4) I was a professional screenwriter for 12 years. Crazy things happen in writers' rooms. On one of my favourite shows to work on, the showrunner and I plotted out the entire season arc's battle using Smurfs. This was for a kids' show. We'd renamed them with our characters' names and did their voices and everything. On another, not a kids' show, there was an actual meeting to discuss the star's wife's Playboy photos. There can be this intimidating mystique around film and television. Don't believe any of it.

5) I forget that my husband is one of my followers on Twitter. This leads to a lot of head shaking when I've been a bit too vigorous discussing hot guys - fictional or otherwise and steamy reads. I try to push the excuse that it's simply ways of interacting with social media friends and readers. I think I’ve gotten

away with it but I’m not sure because I am no longer able to make eye contact with him.

6) I hold a Masters' Degree in Film Theory. Yes, you read that right. In watching movies. Okay, and criticizing them. Possibly the most useless degree known to mankind. Not only that, I did my Master's thesis on Gender and Spectatorship in the animation of Chuck Jones. Which means that I watched Bugs Bunny Cartoons for two years. My family despaired. They used to lie and say I was studying journalism. I share this with you so that if your family gives you any grief about your area of study, you can use me as an example of how it could be so much worse. You're welcome.

7) I think that the right shade of lipstick and a great head of hair can be a woman's finest accessory. Who's with me here?

8) I think the world needs more choreography. I have a constant soundtrack in my head and like to tap dance my way through the day. Which in my head comes off like a brilliant Gene Kelly-esque routine. I take no responsibility for how it looks in reality. Obviously, you all just need to see things in my special way.

9) I love my Kindle because it allows me to read my steamy romances to my heart's content without the constant judging I get from haters who obviously are down on love. I've found that if I nod my head sagely whilst reading, people think I'm engrossed in some deep literary classic and perhaps feel bad for not reading such a weighty tome themselves. I feel no guilt for this. I've had too many years of snotty reactions to all the genre reading I've done.

10) Since I write romantic comedies, I'll share a couple of my favs with you. Book: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. This is the smexiest book around. (Ha - autocorrect wanted it to be the smelliest book around.) Film: When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride. Don't make me choose. It could get ugly.

If anyone wants to chat books, romcom or otherwise, let's friendvite on Goodreads or email me on my site www.tellulahdarling.com.

 

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