Blogfest 2012

Presented by A Journey of Books.

Welcome to The Wormhole and Blogfest 2012!

Giveaway details:

US and International

Must be a follower of The Wormhole.

Must be 13+ years old.

Must fill out the form below.

Prize: Any ONE book ($10.00 or less) 

from either book depository or amazon

as long as shipping is FREE to the winner's location.

Good Luck to all who enter! Thanks for following!

Blog Tour: Katrina ~ The Beginning by Elizabeth Loraine

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature Katrina and Elizabeth Loraine.

Elizabeth has joined us for an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Just three years ago.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

So many, a secretary, receptionist, decorator, decorative painter, wife and mother.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

About three months depending on the story.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I have to have the TV on. I don’t like silence to write.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

It’s like my job, a great job, but still I work five days a week unless something is going on, and work from about eight to three or four in the afternoon. Then I also do promoting, marketing and social media throughout the day and evening.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

I have all these ideas stacked up in my head just waiting to get out.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

I love YA and I’ve always loved fantasy, especially vampires, so that’s what I chose to write about.

? What books have most influenced your life?

Lord of the Rings, Interview with a Vampire, Wizard of Oz.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?

The Elves and the Shoemaker

? What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Yellowstone Heart Song, by Peggy Henderson

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I love to cook, I garden and I love to travel.

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Meatloaf or spaghetti

? What do you think makes a good story?

For me I like a character you can relate to and come to care about. I like to have twists and turns, I want the plot to keep moving.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

J.R.R. Tolkien, to weave such an intricate story with a cast of thousands is such a gift.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

That one, and Twilight, the entire series.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? I love both, but cats right now.

·        Coffee or tea? Tea

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Dark

·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers

·        Night or day? day

·        Favorite color? blue

·        Crayons or markers? Crayons

·        Pens or pencils? Pens

More About the Author:

I grew up in a small northern Minnesotan town married my high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children and as soon as we could we moved to a warmer climate. I have worked with my husband building and decorating custom homes for years. After loving every kind of vampire book, movie and series I decided that I wanted to know more. I can write a book I thought, how hard can that be? Well.... But I stuck to it and finished my first book Royal Blood Chronicles Book One in August 2009. I now have six books in the series and am about to release book two of my new series Phantom Lives.  My parents always told me that I could do anything that I wanted, work hard, study and do it right. I believe that and live that way every day.

I started writing this new vampire series for teens and their moms because I myself wanted something different to read. I was tired of all the modern versions of vampire books, there had to be more to these long lived beings. Where had they been what had they seen? I wanted, no I NEEDED to know more so Royal Blood Chronicles was born!  As in Royal Blood Chronicles, Phantom Lives features strong female characters and action and adventure mixed with romance, friendship and a historical backdrop. 

Katrina: The Beginning

By Elizabeth Loraine

Blurb

As a Vampire being hunted was nothing new. Finding out that I had to save those that were hunting us was!

Katrina, a young royal blooded vampire, chronicles her life from the age of seventeen beginning in the 1800's forward in the series Royal Blood Chronicles.

Katrina is thrust into something she never could have imagined growing up in the aristocracy of Europe. Once the fashion of the day, and girlish gossip filled Katrina and her new friends days, but their lives changed the instant their race was threatened and they were chosen as the Five, and the protectors of not only the vampire race, but all the peaceful races of the world!

If you are looking for a new, exciting vampire series, with strong female characters you've found it in Royal Blood Chronicles. It starts here with Katrina, The Beginning!

Barnes and Noble

Amazon http://t.co/4tzyqGzZ 

Book Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTObw06aJFo

www.royalbloodchronicles.com  

www.elizabethloraine.com/  

https://www.facebook.com/eloraine#!/eloraine

@bloodchronicles

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Royal-Blood-Chronicles/135355462710

Book Launch: Uncontrollable (Book 2 in The Nature of Grace series)

Yay! Uncontrollable is out today!

Uncontrollable is the second book in "The Nature of Grace" series by S.R. Johannes. Untraceable, the first book in the series, has won and been nominated for several awards including Winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Award (YA), 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (YA Nominee), and a finalist in The Kindle Book Review's "Best Indie Book of 2012 (YA)".

Kirkus reviewed Untraceable as "A thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance.  The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page."

If you like a page turner, you will love this series!

Head over to Mundie Moms for a Big Uncontrollable Launch Party with tons of prizes and then over to SR Johannes blog for even more.

To continue on with the blog tour, check out the line up! Where SR talks about anything from marketing to writing to her books to personal interviews and giveaways.

Book Summary

As 16-year-old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants. 

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

Little does she know, she is being hunted too. 

On Sale Now! 

Uncontrollable is on sale in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, iBooks/Apple (coming soon),  Smashwords, and B&N. If you haven't read Untraceable, you can get it in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

Author Bio

S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes.  Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.

S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult) and was also recently nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult). Untraceable was also recently named a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Indie Book of the Year (YA)

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. 

Connect!

Follow S.R. online on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest

You can also sign up for her newsletter to keep up on author or book news.

Review: Irish Rover by L.M. Pruitt

Irish Rover by L.M. Pruitt

Book 0.5

Cheating husband?

Call Frances "Frankie" Post, a private investigator with a trick or two up her sleeve.

In this flash fiction piece (approx. 1500 words) join Frankie as she spends the afternoon in Queens masquerading as a member of the "personal entertainment" business community. A note to cheating husbands - never use the joint checking account.

My thoughts:

This is a super short introduction to Pruitt's style and to Frankie Post.  I am already a Pruitt fan so this was a, "I want to read it so I have read all her stuff," read.  Fast few minutes of your day to get the feel for this wonderful author.

About the Author:

L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. She is the author of the Jude Magdalyn Series as well as New Moon Rising, featuring Cari Gravier, and Taken, featuring Frankie Post. She is currently at work on the next book in the Moon Rising series, Harvest Moon Rising, due out April 2012. Ms. Pruitt makes her home in Florida with two cats--one smart, the other not so much.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LM-Pruitt/364776895104

Blog: http://www.lmpruitt.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lmpruitt

Don't Miss Book one - Taken

Taken: Book One

Cheating spouse? Stolen jewelry? Missing person?

Call Frances--Frankie--Post. A private detective with a trick of two up her sleeve and a few skeletons of her own.

What starts out as a simple missing person's case dumps Frankie and her lover Jack right in the crosshairs of a dangerous human trafficking organization. With lives on the line, bad blood and old wounds finally see the light of day. And Frankie and Jack are forced to realize: The past always catches up with you.

Always.

Click HERE to see my review of Taken.

Blog Tour: The Red Serpent Trilogy by Rishabh Jain (Giveaway too - U.S. only)

This virtual book tour is presented by Tribute Books. 

The official tour site is HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is my pleasure to feature:

Rishabh Jain and The Read Serpent Trilogy.

Rishabh Jain was born in the city of Kanpur, in India, in 1990. From a young age, he displayed remarkable traits of creativity and inventiveness. When a young boy of 8 or 9 years old, Rishabh left his father (himself an electrical engineer) shocked and speechless one day, when he managed to make an asymmetrical and unbalanced structure made of blocks, with which he was very fond of playing, stand stable for 2 to 3 minutes, blissfully unaware that the laws of physics and mechanics made it impossible.

Rishabh entered Pathways World School in 2003, an International Baccaulaureate School on the outskirts of New Delhi, in the 8th Grade. Here, his multidisciplinary talents and interests blossomed in the creative environment of an International Level School. He was awarded an Academic Merit Scholarship from Pathways World School, for the academic years 2004-05 and 2005-06 (his 9th & 10th Grades). Being an absolutely ardent fan of and enamored by theLord of the Rings trilogy, and the Harry Potter series, it was his dream to write a story of his own as a “Trilogy.” This was the inspiration from which he conceived the genesis and plot of this current book The Red Serpent Trilogy, and he finally realized his dream and completed the book in 2006 and was issued the copyright to the same in January of 2007.

Rishabh completed his High School (10th Grade) in 2006, with an award of Distinction from IGCSE, Cambridge. He participated in “Harvard Model Congress Asia” (a three-day student conference organized by Harvard University, where selected students were invited from around the world to take part in simulations of the United States Congress) in Bangkok, in September 2006. He also was a participant in Ryan International School’s Indian Model United Nations (INMUN) in 2006, which was a three-day simulation of the United Nations, wherein he received a Certificate of Achievement.

While studying for the International Baccaulaureate Diploma (11th & 12th Grades) in the same school, Rishabh participated in and won 1st prize in two competitions (one for extempore speaking and the other for debate) in VIVUM Bangalore (India). He also built a Bio-Gas plant during a Community Service Project in a village of Rajasthan near Rathambore National Park. Rishabh was democratically elected by the student body for a period of two years (2007 & 2008) as a member of the Student Council (consisting of a total of twelve members representing the whole school) — a most responsible and keenly contested and coveted position.

Due to the peer recognition of his multidisciplinary talents in Creative Writing, English, Literature, and General Knowledge, and his unique ability to relate to people, Rishabh was also elected as the Editor of the Annual School Magazine Rewind. In June 2007, Rishabh participated in “GLOBAL YOUNG LEADERS CONFERENCE” (GYLC) in Washington & New York. This was a global conference, where approximately 200 international students from various countries around the globe were invited to attend. The conference lasted two weeks, with one in Washington and one in New York. He was awarded “Youth Leadership Award” in recognition of meritorious achievement in scholarship, leadership and citizenship.

Due to his exemplary performance in GYLC in 2007, he was invited to attend a week-long program, and as a special guest among a very few selected international students, attended the appointment and swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA, in January 2009. After earning his International Baccaulaureate Diploma (11th & 12th Grades) in 2008, from among a large number of offers from various prestigious Universities, Rishabh entered the Mechanical Engineering program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he presently resides and is currently pursuing his engineering degree. Amid his grueling schedule of Engineering studies, Rishabh has almost completed a 2nd book, which is a space science fiction adventure & love story.


The Red Serpent Trilogy Book Summary (condensed)

The Red Serpent Trilogy presents a highly evolved vampire to fear: cold and callous, powerful and dangerous, possessed by mystic promises and destroyed only by silver. It is the year 2021 — the human world has degraded, its inhabitants unworthy of the supernatural gifts bestowed upon them. Compelled by ancient prophesy, an ancient vampire army takes the human race by force, sparing few lives. They await the second coming of their king, Anaxagoras, which will hurl the world into a final battle that will free the vampires from their infinite hiding. But by the hands of fate, there is one human who may save his entire race.

The Red Serpent Trilogy is a celestial fusion of science fiction and fantasy, unfolding conflicting intentions for the survival of both the human and vampire races. But in a world ruled by supernatural and mythological forces, there is only room for one race, and neither will go easily. The few survivors of the fatal vampire onslaught escape to an asteroid space station, Regnum, where they thrive as they keep an attentive watch on the vampires on the earth below. But unbeknown to himself or anyone else, Alex, half human half vampire, holds the keys to secrets that will help him realize his duties and cement his fate as either a human or a vampire.

The Red Serpent Trilogy Book Summary (full)

“The evils of the World in which Anaxagoras shall come will be caused by the unworthy people of the world. Our race shall come unto the Earth and bravely wage war with them . . .”

In 2021, the Vampires attacked Earth and decimated the human population. After a fierce and bloody battle, war commander John Howe led the forced evacuation of the humans to the gigantic orbiting space station Regnum, and the human refugees have been there ever since.

Then one day, General Howe’s orphan nephew, Alexander, uncovers a terrible secret about his past — and that he may be the subject of prophesy.

“Two decades later, a new kind of evil, a Falsifier, shall come unto the Earth . . .”

The boy’s world is turned upside down when Gareng, the Vampiric General, reveals his own family ties to Alexander. As the two grow closer, Gareng begins to question the wisdom of his people waging Vampiric war on the humans. But Gareng’s own son will stop at nothing to seize control and eliminate the humans once and for all . . .

“There will be a second coming of Anaxagoras, when the sun is blocked by the moon . . .”

After learning his true origins, Alexander finds himself in an impossible situation: he must choose whether his allegiance lies with his mother’s people, or with his father’s — and condemn the other to certain doom.

“In the End of Days, the Falsifier shall challenge Anaxagoras for the fate of the world...”

But migra is thicker than water, and as Alexander embraces his role as Falsifier, he begins to hope that there could be another way.

Can Alexander forge a peace between the two warring factions — could he and Gareng ever convince the Vampires to agree — or will prophecy reach its bloody final chapter as Earth is plunged again into unrelenting war?

Giveaway!

I have been granted permission to offer 

ONE paperback copy of The Red Serpent Trilogy 

to ONE random commenter US mailing address only.  

The rules are simple:

* Be 18+ in the U.S.A. 

* leave a comment on this blog that includes a valid email address.

Winner will be notified via email.

Giveaway runs September 21 - 25, 2012.  Good Luck and thanks for entering.

Blog Tour Review: Written in Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt

Written in Ashes by

Amazon Product Description:
Who burned the Great Library of Alexandria? When the Roman Empire collapses in the 5th century, the city of Alexandria, Egypt is plagued with unrest. Paganism is declared punishable by death and the populace splinters in religious upheaval. Hannah, a beautiful Jewish shepherd girl is abducted from her home in the mountains of Sinai and sold as a slave in Alexandria to Alizar, an alchemist and successful vintner. Her rapturous singing voice destines her to become the most celebrated bard in the Great Library. Meanwhile, the city’s bishop, Cyril, rises in power as his priests roam the streets persecuting the pagans. But while most citizens submit, a small resistance fights for justice. Hypatia, the library’s charismatic headmistress, summons her allies to protect the world’s knowledge from the escalating violence. Risking his life, his family, and his hard-earned fortune, Alizar leads the conspiracy by secretly copying the library’s treasured manuscripts and smuggling them to safety. When Hannah becomes the bishop’s target, she is sequestered across the harbor in the Temple of Isis. But an ancient ceremonial rite between a monk and priestess inside the Pharos lighthouse ignites a forbidden passion. Torn between the men she loves, Hannah must undertake a quest to the lost oracles of Delfi and Amun-Ra to find the one thing powerful enough to protect the pagans: The Emerald Tablet. Meanwhile, the Christians siege the city, exile the Jews, and fight the dwindling pagan resistance as the Great Library crumbles. But not everything is lost. . .

My thoughts:
     Wow!  Fabulously written.  The characters are remarkable and wonderfully developed.  The storyline is intriguing and compelling.  The language is vivid and descriptive.
     As a librarian's assistant and book hoarder I was thrilled with the opportunity to read this story and learn more about the famed Library at Alexandria and its history.  I was impressed with the way the author weaved the story.
     I have long been a historical fiction fan, but have gotten away from it in recent years.  This wonderfully written book was a fantastic way to jump back into the genre.  
     This is not a light read, but it is a great read.  It makes the reader stop and reflect upon the words on the pages and what they mean.  A truly fascinating tale.