Monday, December 30, 2013

Blog Tour: Eternal Flame by Valerie Twombly (Tourwide Giveaway)

This virtual book tour is presented by Paranormal Cravings.
Click HERE for more tour information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Valerie Twombly and Eternal Flame.

Eternal Flame

By Valerie Twombly

Genre: Paranormal RomanceISBN: 978-1-600735-700-1Book Length: Full novel (84,000 words)Publisher: Resplendence

DESCRIPTION

A woman he cannot have, a man who is only a dream…
When guardian Marcus Dagotto, discovers the Gods have gifted him with a mate, he is pissed. He has no room for love and even less for a human who has no idea he exists.
Cassandra Jensen, has a shattered heart and has given up on men. Only one man can set her body on fire, but he is a fantasy that haunts her sleep
Two worlds, one desire.
When the two collide, fate will rip them apart and test their resolve. Will darkness and evil prevail? Or, will love conquer all?

My thoughts:
Wonderfully done.  This story is fast paced and keeps you turning the pages.  Read in just two sittings, while wishing that I could have taken the time to finish it in one, but the holidays... 
The characters are great; I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite as they all held me for one reason or another.  The story itself is both intriguing and entertaining; filled with a multitude of emotions and entwined fates.  


Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, December 27, 2013

The Wind Whisperer by Krista Holle

Amazon Product Description:
At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious. Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks. But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent. 

As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him. It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior. Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief. 

Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated. Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light. 
While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes. Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.

Click HERE to buy a copy of The Wind Whisperer.
Click HERE to check out The Lure of Shapinsay.

Krista Holle has stopped by for an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing but I knew I wanted to seek it as a profession when I sent The Wind Whisperer to a fifteen-year-old girl I’d never met.  Her father told me she stayed up all night to read it.  That was the best feeling in the world.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
I’d have to say one.  I’m a registered nurse by day and a writer by night.
 
? How long does it take you to write a book?
About six months.  I think I’m slower than the average author.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I write wearing sound silencing head phones.  I figure this is pretty neurotic.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
My main character Anaii was inspired by Pocahontas.  I was living on land once owned by her when I wrote The Wind Whisperer.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?
I’m interested in all sorts of love stories, but the theme has to be unchartered territory.  I have no desire to write about vampires.

? What books have most influenced your life? 
The huge success of Twilight  made me realize that there is a huge audience of women and girls who crave good old-fashioned love stories just like me. After reading the series, I started writing again after a decade of busy motherhood.

? What are you reading right now?
I just finished Dead Beautiful.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I collect sea shells, watch movies, and sometimes paint pretty pictures.

? What is your favorite comfort food?
Tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

? What do you think makes a good story?
I heard somewhere that every great book has three important elements: a great plot, interesting characters, and factor X.  If you figure out what factor X is, please let me know.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
I have lots of favorites but I’m going to go with Shannon Hale.  Shannon has a beautiful way of writing stories from other lands.  They feel like modern fairy tales and usually have a touch of sweet romance in them.

Fun random questions: 

  • dogs or cats? Cats
  • Coffee or tea? Water with lemon, please.
  • Dark or milk chocolate? Milk
  • Rocks or flowers? Rocks
  • Night or day? Day
  • Favorite color? Pink
  • Crayons or markers? Markers
  • Pens or pencils? Pens

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Blog Tour: Christmas in Dogtown by Suzanne Johnson

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE for more tour information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Suzanne Johnson and Christmas in Dogtown.

About the Author:
Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance (under the name Susannah Sandlin) from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities—including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis' birthplace, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick. She’s the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series and, as Susannah Sandlin, the Penton Legacy paranormal romance series.


Christmas in Dogtown
Suzanne Johnson
Genre: Sweet Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Story Vault
Date of Publication: December 2012
ASIN: B009RBKTSG
Number of pages: 30
Word Count: approx. 11,000
Book Description: 
A woman who spent years escaping her rural past learns that Dogtown, Louisiana, hides more family secrets than just the recipe for boudin blanc…..
Resa Madere’s on the verge of losing it all. The boyfriend’s gone. The job’s history. Her beloved house is on the brink of foreclosure. She’ll do anything to save it—even spend a long Christmas holiday working in St. James Parish, Louisiana, helping her uncle run the family meat business. But the community of Dogtown, which has been home for seven generations of the Madere and Caillou families, has deep roots and deeper secrets. For Resa, going home is one thing.
Getting out might not be so easy.

My thoughts:
This is a giant sized story held in a super little book.  The characters are great, the setting is wonderful - of course since I too live on the Mississippi River, I am biased.  I was thrilled to find a completely new spin on shifters.  The storyline is clever and entertaining.  I was sad that it was so short, but it read like a novel - if that makes sense.  I am hoping that there is more to come from Suzanne Johnson and Resa and Chan and their world.  

Monday, December 23, 2013

Blog Tour: The Longest Night by Alyxandra Harvey (giveaway)

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE for more tour information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Alyxandra Harvey and The Longest Night.
Alyxandra has stopped by for an interview:

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
A gazillion. And now you see why I never went into maths. I volunteered for an archaeologist cleaning artefacts, I worked at the Body Shop and selling movies in a mall. I also made jewelery, had my own bead shop and used book store. 

? How long does it take you to write a book? 
Anywhere from 6 months to a year. I have one book I’ve been writing and rewriting since for almost 20 years.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
I love writing routines but I ignore them just as often as I use them. I like writing in notebooks. Having a cup of tea. Taking a long walk if I’m stuck. Napping. Napping has to be my favourite!

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
My characters tend to pop into my head as they are and then I write the book to find out more about them.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?
Sometime I have a few ideas and I try to write them all until one sings the loudest. Or until it makes me feel a little insane.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?
That is a great question! But I have no idea! French is my first language and we moved to Ontario when I was 5. I remember reading the Cat in the Hat but I don’t remember if it was my first English book or not.

? What are you reading right now?
 I have moved a few books up on my TBR: finishing Holly Black’s Curse Workers series and I’m always eagerly anticipating the next Eloisa James!
 
? What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I go for long walks in the fields with my giant dog, watch movies, make art, and of course, read.

? What is your favorite comfort food?
Mashed potatoes. And my mom’s apple pie.
 
? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
I have several favourites: Terri Windling, Charles de Lint, Laini Taylor, Holly Black, and Mary Oliver. They all have such a great sense of place, quirky characters and delicious vocabulary.

Fun random questions: 
  • dogs or cats?  dogs.
  • Coffee or tea? both! but vanilla tea especially and gingerbread lattes
  • Dark or milk chocolate? milk
  • Rocks or flowers? flowers. unless we’re taking standing stone circles!
  • Night or day? night
  • Favorite color? plum
  • Crayons or markers? markers
  • Pens or pencils? pens
More about the author:
Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners.
 
She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.
www.alyxandraharvey.com
www.twitter.com/AlyxandraH
www.thedrakechronicles.com

The Longest Night: Drake Chronicles: Book Six
Alyxandra Harvey

Genre: YA Paranormal, YA vampire
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date of Publication: Dec 17/2013
Word Count: 20 000

Book Description:
The Winter Solstice—the longest night of the year—is the perfect holiday for a vampire family to gather. But this year, Lucy and Nicholas and Solange and Kieran get unexpected guests. And they haven’t come to deliver presents . . .



Giveaway- 10 Kindle copies of “A Killer First Date”, Drake Chronicles E short
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Blitz: Snow White and the Vampire by Marine Myles

This book blitz is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE for more Blitz information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the blitz.
It is my pleasure to feature Marina Myles and 
Snow White and the Vampire.
About the Author:

Although Marina Myles lives under the sunny skies of Arizona, she would reside in a historic manor house in foggy England if she had her way. Her love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy tale and eventually led to degrees in English Literature and Communications. Now, with her loyal Maltese close by, she relishes the hours she gets to escape into worlds filled with fiery—but not easily attained—love affairs.

She’s busy being a wife and a mother, but she is never too busy to hear from her amazing readers.

Visit her at www.marinamyles.com

Snow White and the Vampire
The Cursed Princes
Book Two
Marina Myles

Genre: Historical/paranormal romance
Fairy tales retold

Number of pages: 244

Amazon     BN     iTunes     eKensington    Blio

Book Description:

Fog and Fascination

Alba Spencer thought her past in Romania and the dark magic that haunted it was behind her forever. She is one of the first female barristers now, safe in London. But London has its dark side, too. A man called the Ripper stalks the midnight streets. There are rumors that her hated stepmother has found her again, suggestions that the nightmares of her childhood are returning. And with them appears the cursed Gypsy boy she once loved, grown into a man more seductive and more terrifying than she ever could have dreamed…

Dimitri Grigorescu has become a surgeon, a gentleman—and a vampire. The lusts that drive his body are scarcely under control, and even he does not truly know what he is capable of. To fight evil and confusion, Alba must rely only on her wits—and a desire that overwhelms her doubts…




Excerpt from SNOW WHITE AND THE VAMPIRE

“I’m very grateful for Teddy’s friendship—and for the opportunity to be introduced to the people he’s acquainted with.” The surgeon lowered his tone. “People like you, Miss Spencer.”
His words encouraged the spattering of nervous blotches across Alba’s chest. “You’re too kind,” she murmured. “So you find this city a pleasant enough place to live?”
“Pleasant but for the brutal murderer who lurks in the Whitechapel District.”
“Are you referring to the killer the newspapers are calling ‘Leather Apron’?” she asked.
He evaluated her with interest yet said nothing.
“I understand this monster killed two unfortunates by ripping their abdomens wide open,” she went on, making no attempt to sugarcoat her words since she was speaking with a surgeon.
“Where did you hear that, Miss Spencer?”
“It said so in the penny dreadfuls. Oh, not that I read them frequently…”
Drake raised an eyebrow.
What am I saying? She didn’t normally babble on so, but this man had lit a fire beneath her, though she couldn’t say why.
To her great relief, the doctor didn’t seem to notice her jittering nerves. “Nasty business, preying on those unknowing women,” said. “I can’t imagine a man treating any female that way. After all, women are beautiful creatures to be coddled. Admired. Cherished.”
“That’s a lovely thought.” Alba repressed a girlish sigh. “It’s a shame the killer does not share your school of thought.”
Drake wrapped his hands around his back. “I daresay the police believe this murderer will strike again.”
“I fear that is why fewer people came to your party this evening than Teddy anticipated. The city is gripped with fear.” She paused to take a sip of champagne. “Perhaps we should talk about something more uplifting than murder.”
“Yes.” The surgeon took her glass and deposited it on a servant’s tray. With his hand pressed to the small of her back, he guided her to a quiet corner of the drawing room. As she turned to face him, she could smell hot liquor fumes and the scent of expensive aftershave. Surprisingly, she found that she liked the mixture of aromas.
“Teddy tells me you hail from Romania as well, Miss Spencer. What are the
chances of that?”
“Slim, I daresay.”
“You’ve lost a great deal of your accent, but if I had to guess, you are from Bucharest.”
“I am.” How did he know?
His features darkened. “It appears we were destined to meet. And since we have, I’d be fascinated to know more about you.”
Although Alba was taken aback by his boldness, nerves propelled her to continue their conversation in a blabbering rush. “I came to London when I was fourteen—to live with a family friend who runs the dormitory apartments of the Royal Opera’s corps de ballet. Just this year, I graduated from law school. That’s where Teddy and I met—at King’s College. Recently, I’ve been assisting Teddy’s father, Harold Rollingsworth, in the hopes that—”
“—you will become London’s first female barrister.” Drake completed her thought. Tilting his head to the side, he gazed at her with admiration. “Lovely, intelligent, and a pioneer. You are a rare gem, Miss Spencer.”
The Romanian’s hungry stare closed the small distance between them. Alba’s cheeks burned. We hardly know one another!
Desperate to steer the conversation away from herself, she cleared her
throat. “I have yet to wish you a happy birthday, Dr. Griffin.”
“Thank you.” The guest of honor did a cordial bow. “But ‘Griffin’ is merely my professional name.”
Alba frowned. “What is your real name?”
“Dimitri Grigorescu.”
Alba’s limbs froze and the room started to take on a slow whirl. “That’s curious,” she murmured. “I knew someone by that name in Romania.”
“And I once knew a girl named Alba ZÇŽpÇŽda,” Dimitri said as a curtain of desire passed over his face. “You.
His lips thinned into a familiar smile and Alba’s hand flew to her gaping mouth. Curse my poor eyesight! Now that she was this close to him she knew precisely who he was: Dimitri, the handsome Gypsy boy she’d fallen in love with at the tender age of fourteen.
Words escaped her while she gasped for air.
“Life is too short to be without the ones you love,” Dimitri purred. “Don’t you think?”
All at once, memories of the summer Alba spent in the Balkan countryside flashed through her mind:
The first kiss she and Dimitri shared amid a field of white poppies.
Simona, Dimitri’s raven-haired friend.
And the terrifying night the three of them spent in a haunted graveyard.
Her blood raced and the room spun in faster circles.
“I’ve been waiting an eternity to return this to you,” Dimiti whispered as he slipped a dried white poppy into her hand.
“But I thought you were dead,” she said before everything went black. 
 
20 free downloads of SNOW WHITE AND THE VAMPIRE
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Blog Tour: Three Rules by Marie Drake

This virtual blog tour is presented by Red Bird Publicity.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to present Three Rules by Marie Drake.

Marie Drake

About the Author:

Marie Drake lives with her husband and their four wonderful sons in a small town near Lake Ontario. They take advantage of what others deem a vacation spot all year long. Camping and hiking are some of their favorite family activities. They also enjoy volunteering at the local animal shelter together, and recently rescued a Jack Russell/Corgi mix who made their family complete.
Marie is a crochet fanatic. She designs her own patterns and enjoys crocheting for friends, family, and charity. She loves to cook and bake, especially when making up a new recipe. Marie is an avid reader of romance, mystery, and suspense thrillers.
She is a woman of many interests - and maybe talents - but will be quick to tell you that her most important and proudest accomplishment is the part she played in the lives of children. She provided daycare for over ten years, and she and her husband fostered more than fifteen children over a five year period.
While juggling all her boys' sporting events, academic, musical, and other extra curricular activities, and running a small home based business designing crochet afghan patterns, Marie tries to squeeze in some time for writing each day.

“Life is good, and a good story makes life better.” ~Marie Drake

Three Rules - The Blurb:
Hope Wellman has a childhood full of horrific memories, a bone chilling recurring nightmare, and a persistent paranoid sense of being followed that she would rather keep repressed. Is evil reaching from beyond the grave to capture the tattered remnants of her soul once and for all, is it only a machination of her disturbed mind, or is there something happening more sinister than even she can imagine?
Attending the funeral of her abuser is the first step in putting her life back together. She struggles with the fact she never told anyone what happened to her, and that the grave they are mourning over is empty. She'd find it a lot easier to move on and believe in the future if he were in the box, ready to be covered with dirt. She fears the last thread of her sanity has snapped when she sees Lucas everywhere she turns, and can't escape a recurring nightmare. Is her tormentor alive, or is she imagining it? Is her dream triggered by past fears or is it a prediction of the future?

Quoted from Three Rules:
“I have learned three rules in my life: 1.) The most dangerous people in the world are not always strangers. 2.) The scariest things imaginable are not those that can kill you, but those you can live through. And probably the most prominent: 3.) The most horrible possibility is not what could happen to you, but what you could become – I became a killer.”
~Hope Wellman


Page Count:296
Genre: Fiction, Suspense
RedBird Book
Publication Date: Sep 24, 2013
Copyright Marie Drake
2013ISBN/EAN13:1492772909 / 9781492772903
RedBird Digital Book
Kindle AISN: B00F0OO6WO


My thoughts:
Frightening and disturbing.  An edge of the seat read.  The story is fast paced and written well.  You fall into the life and the struggle and find yourself lost, waiting for the end.  Interesting and thought provoking - this one will linger in my memory.