A Life Through Books

Monday, January 13, 2014

Cover Reveal: The Transmigration of Cora Riley
2:00 AM1 Comments


Urban Fantasy
Date to be Published: 3/4/2014

Average family. Average job. Average existential crisis.

After thirty boring years, nothing about Cora Riley’s life has measured up to her childhood dreams of being truly extraordinary. It’s too bad that the night she decides to seek out her specialness she crashes on a rural highway.

Cora wakes in the clutches of the Mistress of the underworld who sets her a seemingly impossible quest. If she wants a second chance at life, Cora must find her way through the dozen heavens and return to the castle in three days.

With the help of an unusual guardian angel named Jack and a little boy named Xavier, Cora navigates the afterlife doorfield and quickly learns that gods and monsters are very real indeed. Terrifying and tempting obstacles litter her path; only the power of belief – in the Otherworld, in her companions, and in herself – will return her to the land of the living.


EXCERPT


Face hot with anger, Cora takes a few shaky steps forward, looking anywhere but at the eyes that see through her. The orc guards, previously slouching and entertained by the spectacle of her humiliation, become suddenly alert and close rank in front of the dais. The Mistress smirks from behind them, almost daring her to come closer. 

“You know I’m right, my lady,” she says, taking another, more determined step. “The legends are all the same. The ruler of the underworld makes a bargain with the hero, sets him some monumental task in exchange for a second chance, and then has to keep their promise when the hero succeeds.” She takes another step forward. The guards cross their weapons into a barrier between her and the Mistress. Cora just smiles; it widens the split inside her cheek, but she doesn’t care. She holds out her arms and gestures grandly around the throne room. “And since I don’t see anyone else here asking for a ticket back to civilization, I guess that makes me the hero. And you owe me a quest.”





Ellie Di Julio is a nomadic writer currently living in Hamilton, Ontario with her Robert Downey, Jr. lookalike husband and their three cats. Between nerd activities like playing Dungeons & Dragons or watching Top Gear, she enthusiastically destroys the kitchen and tries to figure out what it's all about, when you really get down to it. She also writes urban fantasy novels riddled with pop culture references and sexy secret agents.

Her first novel, Inkchanger, could easily be considered Forgotten Relics #0, and as such, rewards readers of the rest of the series, sort of like watching Thor before The Avengers. Her second novel, Time & Again with Kyeli Smith, has nothing to do with super powers or secret agents but is very cool nonetheless.

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

Blog Tour: Saying Goodbye by Mahima Martel
2:00 AM0 Comments

Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 9/24/2013


No matter how strong the relationship, or powerful the attraction at some time we all must say goodbye. 

In 1964 the winds of change blows across the Atlantic from England to America and sparks a cultural and social revolution. Traditional values of the past are replaced with more modern attitudes caused by the hottest tunes and the latest dance craze. 

Vivacious Hollywood starlet Frankie Robinson has no romantic expectations when she meets the dark and introspective Alex Rowley, guitarist for one of the hottest British bands—The Dark Knights. During their first dance, they step into each other's rhythm, as though partners in another life. 

For an eager young couple, neither Frankie nor Alex anticipates the scandal their public relationship will cause—reputations must be protected and images need to be maintained. As Frankie and Alex dream of a life together, agents and managers worry of the monies lost and the dangers to their perspective clients. Frankie and Alex are to be kept apart no matter what tragic cost.
Behind the closed curtains of celebrity life, Frank and Alex find a way to keep their private love alive despite all obstacles. 


INTERVIEW

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Answer: I would have to say the emotional attachment I have to the story and the characters. I cry often for their (characters) issues.

What songs are most played on your IPod?

Answer: The songs most played on my iPod are, “Take it Easy” by the Eagles. “Life is a Highway,” by Tom Cochrane and “Fool in the Rain,” by Led Zeppelin


Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

Answer: My father. He is an avid reader, and extremely smart. It helps especially in writing about the 1960’s. He was able to give me personal experiences that help enhance the story.


What book are you reading now?

Answer: None. I am in the process of writing two books right now.


How did you start your writing career?

Answer: It is a difficult question, because I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I just started writing and didn’t stop. I think of writing as more than a career; it is a way of life.




Answer: I have several books up coming in the next couple of months. All of the books have been in works for many years, and I am in the process cleaning up old drafts and edits. I have a fantasy satire about the ecology and the end of the world, a drama about the journey of a Vietnam Veteran and part two of “Saying Goodbye”.



Mahima Martel - My premierre focus in writing is love within drama, or dramatic love. I am fascinated by the human condition and what drives people to do what they do. Mostly, I have found it is love, or lack of love that motivates people, whether it is to inspire to greatness, or to the depth of depravity. “Saying Goobye, What the World Doesn’t Know,” is based on a true story I uncovered hidden deep within the tabloids of the early 1960’s. I could definately see how the love of these two characters could inspire each other to great heights...and it did so.
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Friday, January 10, 2014

PROMO: Baby Bumps by Amy Sprenger
2:00 AM0 Comments

Baby Bumps - PROMO Blitz
By Amy Sprenger
Non-Fiction / Parenting / Humor
Date Published: 7/27/2013


From the author of the award-winning blog Snarky Mommy comes a book that will make every woman who has ever been pregnant pee with laughter (not that that's hard).

Wearing her highest heels and hottest pregnancy jeans, Amy Sprenger marched into her doctor's office, latte in hand, ready to finally see whether her baby was a boy or a girl. Sure, sure, this appointment was supposed to be about checking the health of the baby, but everyone who's ever been there knows it's really about looking for what lays, or doesn't lay, between the legs.

So when the doctor tells her she has an incompetent cervix, Amy does what any woman would do. She becomes immediately offended. Is that a politically correct way of saying her cervix sucks? Unfortunately, as she's soon to learn, it's a lot more than that. The only way to keep that baby from falling out on the sidewalk (probably in front of Starbucks) is for her doctor to stitch her cervix closed and for Amy to stay in bed for the next four months.

Four months that are carefully detailed in this "memoir." A memoir that, while basically true, has been embellished with Amy's signature brand of humor and hilarity.

With more time off than a castoff contestant on "The Bachelor," Amy took pen to paper and settled in for the ride. But instead of sitting around eating bonbons, she's popping hypertension drugs to stave off preterm labor. And complications? Oh, she's got your complications. She's gut-rehabbing her house. Her mother moves in to care for her. Her husband takes a "mancation" while she's stuck in the hospital. And every time she has a contraction, she's convinced it's The Big One.

Living by the adage that laughter is the best medicine, Amy fumbles her way through a series of sometimes serious and usually embarrassing situations. And just to be clear, using a bedpan qualifies as both serious and embarrassing.

EXCERPT

(The set up for this is the main character, Annie, has been hospitalized with pregnancy complications and the nurse wants her to use a bedpan. Annie most definitely does NOT want to use a bedpan, her husband, Jake, is not being at all helpful, and hilarity ensues.)

The nurse comes back an hour later and stares pointedly at my untouched water. I stare pointedly at the bedpan. It’s a pee standoff at the O.K. Corral. She adjusts the belts holding the monitors in place and hands me the glass. I take the tiniest sip I can possibly take and slam it down with a fake smile. She sighs and leaves.
“Don’t forget to call Dr. Thornton!” I yell as she walks down the hall.
Another hour goes by, and by this time, Jake has arrived and he finds the whole thing to be highly amusing. He keeps trying to get me to pee.
“You know what I could go for right now?” he asks. “A swim in a cool mountain stream. You know what I’m thinking about right now? A crashing Hawaiian waterfall. And a lazy brook, bubbling along in the woods. All that cool, clear water. Would you mind if I let the water drip in the bathroom? I just love the sound of moving water.”
“Can you kindly shut the hell up about water?” I snap. “I don’t know why you would even want me to have to pee. Because you would have to help me. And that wouldn’t be so funny anymore, would it? Just stop talking.”
“But we haven’t even talked about the Trevi Fountain, Hoover Dam or Old Faithful. There are so many topics that I feel are really important to cover right now.”
“Cut it out! I have been holding it for the last three hours and I really have to go.”
“Then by all means, let me get you the bedpan.”
“I can’t. I’m scared.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of. Except getting it all over yourself. And smelling like pee for the next three months because you’re not allowed to shower. Oh, and me telling everyone we know that you’re incontinent.”
At this point, I am jiggling my foot and trying to cross my legs because I have to go so bad. The pain in my bladder is unbearable. It would be way worse to pee myself seeing as there’s a bedpan an arm’s length away from me, so I admit defeat.
“Just give me the damn thing and get out,” I snarl at Jake.
“Your wish is my command. Now, where’s my camera? I need to get a picture of this,” he says, with too much enthusiasm. I grab the pink bowl from him and point to the door. I line the bowl up under my butt and somehow contort myself so my nether regions are somewhat inside the bowl and I wait. And I wait. And I wait some more. Of course, I couldn’t hold it before and now I have stage fright. My bladder is all “Give it up! Give it up!” and my brain is all “Does not compute, body not in the sitting-on-toilet position!” After a full minute of lying there thinking about peeing, I feel a first trickle, which quickly turns to a gush. I’m uneasy about the capacity of this thing, but figure it will serve the nurse right if she has to clean up a pee-soaked bed.
As soon as I finish, I feel immensely better. I buzz the nurse’s station and they ask what they can do for me.
“I peed in the damn bucket,” I reply. “Can you send someone in to dispose of the evidence?” A woman’s voice says my nurse is helping another patient right now, but she’ll be right in. Jake knocks on the door and asks, “Everything coming out okay in there?”
“Shut up and come in,” I respond. “The deed is done. I am completely shamed and will never again make fun of Depends commercials because I’m pretty sure an adult diaper would be preferable to this. Get this thing out from under me, would ya? I can’t move it without spilling it.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s a biohazard. I’m not coming anywhere near you. You can wait for the nurse.”
On cue, she strides in and smiles at me.
“I’m glad to see you’re more comfortable now,” she says, motioning for me to raise my hips and sliding the bucket o’ pee out from under me with practiced ease. “Oh, and your doctor called. You were right, you didn’t need to use the bedpan. You have full bathroom privileges. Sorry for the confusion.”
Perfect timing, bitch. I swear she almost laughed as she said it. If there’s a Yelp category for nurses, this woman is about to get smacked down with negative reviews. I am planning to ruin her nursing career and have no qualms about it. Although, if there’s any karma in this world, her next patient will be someone with a horrific case of diarrhea that she needs to collect for testing. 



About the Author

Amy Sprenger
Author Links

Buy Link


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Thursday, January 9, 2014

Blog Tour: Lunangelique Anniversary Tour
11:16 AM0 Comments
  
YA Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 2012

Lunangelique: 
For Alexis and Alex life has been great. They have loving parents, great friends and live a life every teenager dreams. However, they are adopted and Alexis struggles with wanting to know who their real parents are and not wanting to hurt her adopted parents. Then, a stunning guy moves across the street from them. One who has a secret past and seems to know things about Alexis. One who does mysterious things and leads her to other mysterious persons. One who pushes her to discover her extraordinary birth family and the truth between mythology and religion.

Sleeping Gods:

Alexis must pick up the broken pieces of her heart and pull herself together because she has a mission: To awaken the sleeping gods. When she is at the point of giving up, wearing her pretend smiles and feels like there is nothing left of herself, her friend becomes her savior. Patryck helps put Alexis back together again and in return Alexis sees him as something more than a friend…
Together with her brother, Alex, her father, Edmund, and a team of angels they make their way to Mount Latmos, to awaken the gods. But obstacles are in their way, one of them being Cole, the traitor, the one who shattered Alexis’ heart.
New friends and family she never thought she would meet will come to aid Alexis.
…And a love will blossom that will redefine the saying, “Love you forever.”

 Awakened Gods:

Lexi has fulfilled her destiny and now the gods have awakened, but is that a good thing?
Now, Lexi lives in a world that is on a global collapse. The gods are angry that they have been forsaken and are seeking revenge on humanity. The oceans are in turmoil, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions and famine are causing global chaos, and the sun is being held hostage in an astrological phenomenal, never-ending solar eclipse by the avenging Helios. 
Then, there is the problem of Zeus’ threat. Lexi must choose between giving herself to him or watching the “abominable” angels die by his hand. Not to mention, Hera, Zeus’ wife, is proposing her own jealous-driven proposition to Lexi: stay away from her husband or the angels and everyone dear to her will die. Lexi sees no way out of either predicaments and it puts a strain on her relationship with Cole. Will she lose him either way?



Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Probably starting. You get this whole idea in your head. You know where you want the story to go and how it ends, but getting to that climatic part that you are so excited to write can be hard. 

What songs are most played on your Ipod? 
I mostly play Muse because I go running daily and they are the best to run to. I like the high energy to their music. In the car I listen to The Phantom of the Opera or the Chicago soundtrack because I can sing on the top of my lungs and blare the music as loud as I want. At home, cleaning or showering, I listen to The Killers, The Avett Brothers, The Smashing Pumpkins, and I like a lot of Punk music like The Sex Pistols, The Misfits, Ramones, Dropkick Murphys, etc.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Yes, mostly friends and family.

What book are you reading now?
Effortless by S.C. Stephens for like the millionth time!

How did you start your writing career?
I started out as an editor, which I still am involved with and why I never have time to write anymore. As I edited, I thought, “I can do this,” so I did. It was so much fun to create a world of my own. Very addicting and obsessing. I didn’t worry about criticism for the Lunangelique series because it was just so much FUN to write. I wrote Lunangelique for myself and loved every minute of it. A month later, several people convinced me to publish it so I did.

Tell us about your next release.
Who knows. I have too many unfinished books at the moment. I just can’t find the time to write much when I have two to three books a week to edit. I love my job though, and can’t have any complaints.

The story I am currently working on will span years, and it’s a story based on misunderstandings, heartache, and the value of ethics.


Kristin R. Campbell currently lives in Utah with her husband and two children. She is prior military and has pursued Religion, History and Legal Studies before finally settling with a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice. She is a self-proclaimed workaholic, who also loves hiking, traveling, spoiling her babies and, of course, reading and writing.

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Monday, January 6, 2014

Blog Tour: Loving Her by C.M. Hutton
6:47 AM0 Comments
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 10/15/2013

Boring, but completely gorgeous. That was my first impression of him. My next two thoughts were ‘pompous ass’ and ‘cocky jerk.’ And, I had the glorious pleasure of sharing a table with him for the entire night. He didn’t speak, didn’t grunt….he just nodded and stared. If I weren’t taking my bosses place at this dinner, I’d have found another place to sit and escape Rylan Daniels.
‘Absolutely beautiful’ was what I thought when I found her at my table at the Ad Execs quarterly dinner. She wore a black strapless dress and exuded confidence from every part of her. I nodded to her, but didn’t speak. I really didn’t have much to say anyway. I couldn’t quit staring and had to excuse myself at one point to stand across the room and watch her. It was a strange, unwelcome feeling I was having about this stunning woman. It had been five years….five years since Kristen…..and I still couldn’t move on. That kind of hurt you just don’t get over so easily and I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to get over it. But, here I was, completely intrigued and unable to stop thinking about Jen Bailey.
My Review
Wow, I wasn't expecting the emotions this story evoked. It truly is a beautiful love story. My favorite books are ones that can take me through so many emotions but still leave me giddy and smiling. That is this book in a nutshell.

The characters are very well developed, I liked that they embodied real people and had real feelings that I could feel through the pages. That always helps me connect as a reader.

The story itself is an emotional ride that if you are not prepared for it, it can knock you back a few steps. The plot was smooth and flowed effortlessly. 

This is a magical book and I highly recommend it! 

C M Hutton
Twitter: cmhttn39




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Sunday, January 5, 2014

Blog Tour: Tragic Love by M.S. Brannon
2:00 AM0 Comments




New Adult Romance
Date Published: 11/6/2013

“From the moment I locked eyes with hers, we've had this undeniable connection that was and will always be wicked. A love that would literally kill me if it didn't survive, but lately, could kill me if it did.” ~Drake Evans.

For Drake and Presley, life has handed them more challenges than any one person should ever face in a lifetime. Together, they've survived Presley’s captivity from her deranged uncle, but now they must learn how to live with the events that surrounded her time spent with him, while keeping the details of her rescue a secret. 

For Presley Quinn, living the last two years has been practically unbearable, constantly drowning in nightmares put there by a man responsible for the violent imagines continually playing in her mind. She keeps moving forward, but is barely clinging onto the edge when she’s faced with another obstacle from her past that is so unavoidable, so tragic, it threatens to break her apart—herself.

Drake will do anything to protect Presley from ever feeling pain again. His love is irrefutable. He walks side by side with her, vowing he will never let anyone harm her again. However, when an unexpected event turns Presley against everyone she’s ever loved, Drake is faced with trying to save the only woman he’s ever loved or severing the only lifeline she’s ever had—himself.

**Mature Content Warning** 17 years and older for language and sexual content.**


BUY LINKS


Interview

What is the hardest part of writing your books?
I’m an author that immerses my entire self into the story. I have to experience every emotion the characters feel to be able to translate their feelings into the story. Tragic Love is very intense and ran my emotions through the gauntlet. By the end of the story, I was so drained emotionally; I had to take a week off from writing to collect myself again. It completely wiped me out.

What songs are most played on your Ipod?
It’s hard to pinpoint particular songs because I have way too many favorites. Here are some of my favorite artists: Citizen Cope, Chevelle, Black Stone Cherry, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Shinedown, Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Dead Sara, The Pretty Reckless and Alabama Shakes

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Yes, I do. My sister, Cindi, has been a big critique partner and I often bounce ideas off of her to get a better scope of where I want the story to go. My media slut and close friend, Michele, helps me a great deal and is a part of the small group of beta readers I have. Mostly, my beta readers are bloggers I’ve grown a relationship with since my introduction into the world of writing.

What book are you reading now?
Sadly, I’m not reading anything at the current moment due to deadlines I’m trying to meet. However, I just read Carter Reed and fell helplessly in love.

How did you start your writing career?
My writing career started very abruptly when my sister and I were venting over a bad day. Once we started talking, the conversation transformed and she said we should write a book. Immediately, I went to my computer and started hammering out a story then ideas started to flood, and my writing career took off from there.

Tell us about your next release.

Blind Love is my next release and will be available in late January 2014. This is the third book in the Sulfur Heights Series and a continuation of the other books. However, this book will be told in Jake and Delilah’s POV. Like the other books, Blind Love is filled with grit and dark story lines. However, it’s not as emotionally heavy as Scarred Love and Tragic Love. I don’t want to give too much away, so stay tuned.


M.S. Brannon was born and raised in the Midwest. She still resides there today with her wonderful husband and son. When she is not writing or reading, M.S. Brannon spends time with her family, watching movies, and discovering new music. She writes romance because she believes love and heartache is the rawest emotion one can experience.
Email: MBrannon16@gmail.com





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Friday, January 3, 2014

PROMO: After Alex Died by Dakota Madison
1:00 AM1 Comments


After Alex Died - Week Blitz
Dakota Madison
New Adult Romance
Date Published: 11/28/2013


"Don't be someone who defines her life by someone else's death."

Dee Dee DeMarco's brother, Alex, was funny, free-spirited and creative. He was also gay. Tormented by bullies, Alex killed himself on his 15th birthday. 

Two years later, and now in college, Dee Dee believes getting a summer job working with a college-prep program for disadvantaged high school students is a stroke of luck, until she discovers that the guy assigned to co-lead her group is Cameron Connelly, a star basketball player and one of the bullies who tormented her brother to death. How can Dee Dee possibly spend the entire summer working so closely with one of the boys she blames for her brother's death?


EXCERPT
I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I entered the auditorium. The kids were talking and messing around as they waited for the class to begin. The other counselors, with the exception of Cameron, were also seated in the audience with the kids. Cameron was standing at the podium with Dr. Jones.
When Cameron saw me walk in, he winked at me. I didn't know whether to slap him or hug him. Therein was the problem. 
Dr. Jones waved her arms to get everyone's attention. "Quiet everyone. We have a special presentation today. Cameron is going to talk to you about bullying and how it impacted his life."
"Who would bully him?" one of the kids cracked and the other kids laughed.
"Enough," Dr. Jones reprimanded. "I expect you to give Cameron your attention and utmost respect."
Cameron took the podium. "Thank you, Dr. Jones. I'm here today to talk about bullying. Not because I was bullied when I was your age but because I was a bully. And it ruined my life."
When I looked out over the sea of faces, all eyes were trained on Cameron.
"I thought I had everything. I was one of the school's first string basketball players. We were all-state champions. I already had a full basketball scholarship to Penn State. I was popular. I had tons of friends. I could get a date with any girl in the school. And I lost it all."

Dakota Madison

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