Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Kiss and Tell Tour: A Deadly Whisper by Stacey Kennedy

The Virtual Book Tour is hosted by Bewitching Book Tours.
You can see more information by clicking HERE.
You can read my review of Deadly Whisper by clicking HERE.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!
Please welcome Stacey Kennedy!

Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn’t plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she’s got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband.

Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com, Facebook and Twitter, she loves to hear from her readers.


Will destiny be enough to break her free of a lifetime of secrets?


Knox, the Seeker, has waited two hundred years for his Watcher and now he’s found her. Paxtyn, however, is unwilling to join him. The more he tries to prove himself to her, the more she pushes him away.
Paxtyn has spent a lifetime keeping her secret hidden from the world, but now, she must confront these deadly visions head on. When a string of murders brings her into New Orleans, she must come to terms with her personal demons and use her gift to communicate with spirits to discover who has ended their lives.
*WARNING:  Explicit sex between a sassy Watcher and a sexy Seeker, and a ceremony that will certainly raise eyebrows!
Teaser:
There was nothing odd about the woman in her late twenties. Her look was exactly what you’d expect in downtown Cincinnati—chic. She wore clothing that looked more like something off the runways in New York than from around here—her high stilettos were fantastically
matched with her cute rose cocktail dress. The black lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders indicated it was chilly, but being that it was June, Paxtyn knew it was more for show than anything else.
And she could appreciate the look. But at the same time, she wished the woman had decided on different footwear. Then, those fantastic heels wouldn’t be about to go to waste.
Paxtyn’s hands closed around the chair as she prepared herself for what she was about to see. Her visions of the past always came the same.
She knew what the outcome would be and it wouldn’t be a good one.
Normally, watching the moment a life was lost was hard for her, but tonight, it was more than that, it was gut-wrenching. The woman looked so much like her—athletic. Even her shoulder-length curly hair was the same, except were hers was jet black; Paxtyn’s was strawberry blonde. But the one thing this woman didn’t have was Paxtyn’s turquoise
eyes.
How many times had she heard “you have the most beautiful eyes”?
The line had run its course and she was sick to death of hearing it. The woman stopped at the curb, digging into her last season’s Gucci handbag and pulled out a cell phone as the street light beamed down. A smile grazed her face as she apparently received a text of interest. She raised her head, looking quickly, waiting for a moment to cross. When the cars cleared, she stepped off the curb, not bothering to look up as she continued to dawdle on her cell phone.
Paxtyn wanted to stand up from her chair, yell to this woman to stop, bang on the window for her to not move, but it was pointless. There was nothing she could do for her.
Within three steps, the life of this woman was forever changed.
A loud screech of the car’s tires, followed by a terrified scream, then the woman was about to discover those Christian Louboutin heels were going to be the only thing left of her.
She really didn’t have a chance. The car was going too fast for her to survive.
The moment the wheels locked, the woman’s ghost stood next to her broken body, shocked, scared and confused. The man who’d hit her jumped out of the car and, when he saw her body, smiled gloriously.
Paxtyn shuddered. Who smiled at such a thing?
Dying wasn’t how everyone thought it was. There wasn’t a flash of golden light with the soul drifting off to heaven. Most times, the spirit stayed, lingered. Couldn’t comprehend what had happened to them. And Paxtyn had witnessed moments of the past just like this a thousand times over.
“Earth to Pax,” Tate said loudly, snapping his fingers, completely unaware of the horror Paxtyn had just seen.
She glanced away from the window, but before she met his gaze, she did what she always did, found the smile to hide it all. “Sorry.” She laughed, but even to her it sounded shaky. The name was Paxtyn really, but Tate opted for the shorter form and she never minded.
“If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were a nut,” Tate said.
She laughed in agreement. He was right, if he did know her better, he’d believe such a thing. But he probably knew her the best out of anyone. Brought together at a welcoming party in their early days at the University of Cincinnati, they’d immediately hit it off.
A guy like Tate wasn’t to be passed over, and she hadn’t hesitated to try to snatch him up. It wasn’t his all-star bod, or his captivating baby blues, even those luscious lips that presently smiled at her that first caught her eye. It was his kind heart and loyalty. He was about as damn solid of a guy as she’d ever met.
They’d gone a round of it once after a blasted drunken night at a sorority shindig, but the next day, they’d woke up in bed, naked, and laughed. That was the end to anything romantic between them.
But what they had was better. Stronger. She could count on Tate for just about anything and there was no one else in the world who loved her more. Now, their relationship had blossomed into something found between a brother and sister. That was Tate, her protector.
Who just so happened to give her ear a flick. “Fuck, girl! Maybe you shouldn’t drink anymore.”
“I’m fine,” she said, grimacing from the throb of her ear lobe and shot him a look. It usually didn’t take this long to snap out of one of her horror moments.
She took a big gulp to drink away the sight of what she’d witnessed and kept drinking till the buzz settled in. Wasn’t ever a gift to see such horrible things, but one she saw often. Mom and Pa, back in Wyoming, had spent thousands on her as a child on testing and treatments to find out what was wrong with her. Why, as a child, she’d say that she was watching people die. She still couldn’t imagine what was going through their heads, knowing their child had this disability. But by the time she reached twelve, she realized it was best to keep her mouth shut. It ended the doctor appointments and saved her from being medicated or institutionalized.
Now, it was just something she lived with—suffered through. So, she put on her normal face and glanced around the pub. The crowd tonight was loud, as was the band blasting out the soft rock beats.
The O’Bryons Irish Pub had been their life while they’d bunkered down at University, and she guessed it had stuck with them, because they still came here every Friday night. Of course, it had only been two years since they’d completed their degrees so they really hadn’t had much time to grow and move on.
Tate, with his BS in Criminal Justice, had found a job right out of college with the Cincinnati Police Department. Paxtyn had majored in Business. Basically, because she liked the idea of being locked in an office where she could stare at blank walls and not have to look out windows or be anywhere she might have a vision.
When she’d seen the ad for Financial Specialist at the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, she’d jumped on it and, with some luck, she’d actually gotten it. Now, she spent her days glued to a computer, lost in numbers. As much as the job got to her, became a total bore, she couldn’t
really complain—it paid well.
Tate worked three times as hard as she did and his pay was nowhere in the numbers as hers.
“Looks like you have an admirer,” Tate said, drawing her back from her thoughts.
Paxtyn followed his gaze to see that she was in fact being watched, and the moment she met the man’s gaze she was locked in.
He sat off to the far side of the bar with a glass of brandy in front of him. He was older than the others in the pub, but it didn’t make him look out of place—it made him look distinguished. He wore a black dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves with the front unbuttoned showing a bit of smooth chest. His finger slowly rimmed the edge of the glass as his gaze was glued with hers. And those eyes were mesmerizing. Grey with a dark-steeled edge to them. But that seemed to be his thing.
He was all edge—hard and extreme. His features were made up of straight lines, including the squared jaw, high predominant cheek bones, perfectly shaped lips and even his mocha hair was buzzed with a hard look.
Tate knocked Paxtyn’s arm a good one. “Drool much.”
“Over him?” She nodded toward the hunk. “Doubt it.”
“Sure you weren’t.”
~*~
Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!
Happy Reading!!!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Cyber Monday Giveaway Blitz

This Giveaway Blitz is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Welcome to The Wormhole and this Giveaway Blitz!
There are 2 prize packs and 5 e-books being given away.  Enter by filling out the form below!
In the prize packs:
 A print copy of 2MOS

A canvas bag
A Pavarti T-Shirt
A copy of Hush Hush in one Fallen in the other
Shadow on the Wall Collectible Magnet
Shadow on the Wall Note Cards
Fighting Monkey Press Note Pad
Shadow on the Wall promotional post card


Follow Pavarti’s : Blog   FaceBook   Twitter
Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!
Good luck in the giveaway and happy reading!

Meet Rebecca McKinnon ~~~ be sure to check these out!


Rebecca McKinnon has spent her life in a world filled with books. Her best friends include Bekka Cooper, Lady Katsa, Will Stanton and Ron Weasley. She currently lives near Salt Lake City with her husband, three kids and a cat. To learn more about Rebecca, visit www.rebeccamckinnon.com


Annexed: The Refuge Trilogy: Book 1 by Rebecca McKinnon

Amazon Product Description:
Friends or family?
Desire or responsibility?
She thought she’d made her choice.

Now, finding herself trapped in a world splintered from her own, Narissa is determined to return home. Learning that the means of crossing between realities has been lost, she vows to find the elusive gateway.

Narissa doesn’t plan to make friends. She certainly doesn’t intend to fall in love.

Faced with the decision, will she choose the life she wants, or return to the world where she belongs?


Cantrip: The Refuge Trilogy: Book 2 by Rebecca McKinnon


Amazon Product Description:
She spent the summer in The Refuge.
Now, she’s come home.
Within days she realizes:
She wants back in.

Only two things stand in her way. The sister Narissa has protected for years can’t decide if she wants to go with her. And, of course, Narissa has no idea how to return to the splinter reality.

Complicating matters, Narissa discovers she can no longer avoid the problems her unexpected trip allowed her to escape.

Through it all, there’s one thing that keeps her going. She’s not the only person to have left The Refuge.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Blog Tour: Unnatural Law: Darwin's Children 2 by Natasha Larry

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE to see the entire tour schedule.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!
It is my pleasure to feature Natasha Larry!
Natasha Larry resides in Huntsville, Alabama with her daughter and fiancé. She graduated from Tusculum College with a B.A. in History and is currently working on getting her certificate in education. Apart from writing, she is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd and urban fantasy junkie. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in publications such as Writing Edge magazine and Escaping Elsewhere. Darwin’s Children is her first work of novel length fiction.
Want to know more about her?  
She has granted me an interview!
? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Well, I started writing when I was a kid, but I don’t think I ever wanted  to be a writer until I started this series. So,  in my late twenties =)
? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer? Dozens. My favorite of which was teaching American History.
? How long does it take you to write a book? Anywhere  from three  weeks,  to over a month, depending on whether or not I have to put any thought into it.  I started Unnatural Law as soon as I finished Darwin’s Children. It took five weeks to finish it because it was piecing together a puzzle carefully. Darwin’s Children took a month, and that story just wrote itself. I miss those days…
? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk? People seem to be really amazed that I don’t use an outline, but I ‘d have to go with sharpie markers. My publisher is rightfully appalled by the fact that I write my first draft in sharpie. It’s the pretty colors I think…
? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write? Coffee, a good graphic novel, a can of markers  and a nice journal. Music doesn’t hurt either.
? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters? People in my everyday life mostly. I tweaked personalities, and added some characteristics from some of my favorite superheroes, but mostly my friends and family serve as the inspiration for my characters. I can’t think of anything more inspiring than the people in my life. As for ideas, they either fall into my head or come to me from my characters, I know that sounds weird. =) 
? How do you decide what you want to write about? Hmmm, I don’t think  I really decide what I’m going to write about. Young adult-Paranormal fiction is the last genre I expected to be writing in, so I’ve  decided none of this is really up to me.
? What books have most influenced your life? There are so many. Kingdom Come, Frank Miller’s Batman series,  and anything by Judy Blume. Oh, and my favorite book as a kid was Where the Wild Things Are. I actually still love that book. “Oh, please don’t go! We’ll eat you up! We love you so..”
? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself? A short story collection by Edgar Allen Poe. That was when I was seven or something? Eight? Eh, I don’t remember how old I was.
? What are you reading right now? Burned  by Ellen Hopkins
? What do you like to do when you are not writing? Well, I have a three year old that is not yet in school, so I do a lot of running around like a crazy person. I love hanging out with the kid though, she’s very awesome.
? What is your favorite comfort food? Gummy bears.
? What do you think makes a good story? Yesh, hard one. I think that the best stories challenge the reader in some way: challenge your sense of morality, challenge how you define love or something to that effect. I also love a story with memorable quotes.
? Who would you consider your favorite author and why? Another hard one. Judy Blume is the author that instilled a love of reading in me, so I have to say her. Overall, though, I’d go with Frank Miller.
? What book, if any, do you read over and over again? Batman: Year One
Fun random questions: 
  • dogs or cats? Dogs. I think cats are kind of evil.
  • Coffee or tea? Coffee please!
  • Dark or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate
  • Rocks or flowers? LoL, this question threw me off a bit. Um, rocks!
  • Night or day? Night
  • Favorite color? Blue
  • Crayons or markers? Markers
  • Pens or pencils? Pens

Friday, November 25, 2011

Blog Tour: The Chosen by Sheenah Freitas (Giveaway too!)

This Virtual Blog Tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature author Sheenah Freitas!
Author Bio:
A neek at heart, Sheenah Freitas has a love for the whimsical and magical. She looks to animated Disney movies and Studio Ghibli films for inspiration because of the innovative twists on fairytales, strong story structures and character studies. When not writing, you might find her in a forest where she’s yet to find any enchanted castles.
 Find her online:
Twitter: @SheenahFreitas
Guest post from Sheenah!

I think music is critical to anything. It really helps set the tone and it’s something that everyone can relate to. I’ve compiled a playlist that I listened to while I was writing The Chosen and the music has to deal with the tone of a scene or I used it as a theme song of sorts for a character, a relationship, or how they might be feeling at a given time. And I think there might be a song or two that relates to something that happens in a future book, but I really enjoyed it and it helped me reach the end. This is part two of my playlist. Part one was posted JeanzBookReadNReview, earlier during my tour. Hope you enjoy!
2.     This is War/100 Suns — 30 Seconds to Mars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OW1rM_cHTY&feature=fvsr
3.     Audience of One — Rise Against
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MjLKjPc7q8&ob=av2n
4.     You Run Away — Barenaked Ladies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K8-t6-aTjM
5.     Maybe — Ingrid Michaelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKU3UuJhIxU
7.     Farewell — Alan Menken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhCYnAAjV0
8.     Love Remains the Same — Gavin Rossdale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No8e0OE9QAU

The Giveaway!  One commenter will win an ecopy of The Chosen (blurb below). Must be at least 13 years old and leave a valid email address.  The winner will be chosen by random.org on November 30, 2011.

THE CHOSEN: BOOK ONE

Kaia’s entire life has erupted in flames after an assassin appears and burns her village down.

She’s rescued by a god from another planet who requests her help because she’s the descendant of their last savior.

Together with Reeze — the only other survivor from her village and her appointed guardian — they set off on a quest to find the treasures of the gods in hopes of preventing a dire prophesy.

Kaia and Reeze quickly meet the Tueors, a group of people many thought extinct, who are searching specifically for Kaia.

Their intention: to protect the truth. As Kaia discovers more about the truth and her family’s past, she also learns of the Tueors’ bloody secret.

Will Kaia be the savior the gods have been waiting for? Or will she let the
prophesy come true?

Buy links:

Thursday, November 17, 2011

2012 TBR Pile Challenge!

This challenge is hosted by Roof Beam Reader.
The Goal: To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months).
I participated (and failed miserably at) this challenge in 2011.  Although there are still months left in 2011 - I know that there is no way I can finish my list and have resigned myself to the knowledge that I FAILED at this one, so.....I will try again in 2012.  I have moved many of my 2011 list to my 2012 list in hopes that the coming year will provide me with the opportunity to move them from the TBR stack to the Read and Reviewed stack.  Wish me luck!
Here is my list:
1. The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (have ALL her books, been to two signings and still this series is wasting away on the TBR in hopes of seeing the R & R stack).
3. Fallen by Lauren Kate
4. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
5. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
6. Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones
7. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
8. Betrayed by P. C. Cast
9. Chosen by P. C. Cast
10. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
11. Vesper by Jeff Sampson
12. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter (another FAILED challenge read)