Monday, October 24, 2011

Blog Tour: Give Me by L.K. Rigel

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 present L.K. Rigel and Give Me.
Author Bio:
LK Rigel lives in California with her television-watching cat, Coleridge. (His favorite show is Castle, but he was enthralled by Game of Thrones.) Rigel wrote songs for the 90's band The Elements, scored the independent science fantasy karate movie Lucid Dreams, and was a reporter for the Sacramento Rock 'N Roll News. Her work has appeared in Literary Mama and Tattoo Highway.

Rigel writes the postapocapunk "Apocalypto" series about the end of the world and the new reality in which the gods return to save humanity from itself - and end up fighting with each other.Her short story "Slurp" about an author with muse problems on Halloween is included in DEADLY TREATS, Anne Frasier's Halloween anthology published by Nodin Press.Her latest book, GIVE ME, is an adult fairy tale about possession.website: http://www.lkrigel.com/ 

Give Me: a fairy tale
Copyright 2011 L.K. Rigel
Published by LK Rigel
Edited by Debra L. Martin
Cover by Robin Ludwig Design
A young witch with a good heart. Two lovers in mortal danger. A spell that ends in disaster. 



Lilith Evergreen lives in the California desert, an ordinary woman until her fiancĂ© returns from London with a ring he bought from a street vendor. When Lilith puts it on she dreams of a green land that's anything but desert, a tree at cliff's edge, a ruined castle, and a handsome prince. 



Then she discovers that it's all real. 

When Lilith visits the ruins of Tintagos Castle, she discovers a world of magic and love - and its dark side when she's entangled in the remnants of an ancient spell gone bad. From the moment Lilith sees Cade Bausiney, she's overwhelmed with desire for him. Cade is drawn to Lilith too - but their feelings might only be sparked by dark and dangerous magic.

Lilith and Cade must break the old spell or be forever possessed by spirits who've waited a millennium to consummate their love.
 You can buy a copy at any of the links below:

Give Me excerpt, about 1000 words
Copyright 2011 L.K. Rigel
This is the scene where the heroine Lilith first meets the hero Cade.
“Give me your hand.”
The deep, self-confident voice sent a flutter of excitement through Lilith’s solar plexus. A man emerged from the mist and steam, his gloved hand outstretched. He was tall and red and big-boned. His ruddy complexion looked like it had rebelled once but had given up the fight. He had shaggy chestnut hair and green eyes that hinted of dangerous sex.
“Lilith Evergreen, I presume?” The West Country accent was tinged with humor.
His face was rough and unhandsome. His voice was jagged like a demon lover’s – low and crushed velvety, promising things no good woman should wish for.
He tipped his moss green hat, a Mad Hatter’s bell crown topper, and bowed with a flourish. “Cade Bausiney, tour guide extraordinaire. Ian has commandeered my rig to haul the lot of you to the Tragic Fall.”
“Very generous of you to comply.”
“I thought so.”
His duster reached mid calf, and his long scarf was also the color of dark moss, identical to the one Marion had been knitting. Again he offered his gloved hand. Lilith’s hand disappeared in his, so tiny and pink in its little glove. Beside him, she felt downright delicate.
A hot current of desire zapped through her as he handed her down. Their eyes met. She was sure he’d felt it too. She pulled her hand away – or maybe he’d dropped it. The urge to grab this man, this stranger, was almost overwhelming. It was as if she’d become a different person. She wanted to kiss him, tear his clothes off and pull him inside her.
She looked around the platform, needing desperately to think of anything else.
Tintagos Halt consisted of an old stone building anchored to a wide wood platform. A rusting iron bench at one end looked unused for a generation. Garish posters covered the ancient building’s walls. You Might Be Next! Visit Famous Tintagos Castle! Who Will Be Chosen? A Once in a Lifetime Event!
Bausiney brushed his hand over Lilith’s upper arm. He wrinkled his nose at her bare skin and said, “Dumnos is a land of mist and rain. We put so much effort into our literature, and no one reads it.”
One side of his mouth curved down. She must have imagined that he had felt the same bizarre heat. He draped his scarf around her, and she caught her breath as he gave her a slight squeeze and said, “That’s better now.”
The steam whistle blasted the air, as startling as a physical assault. She and Bausiney jammed their hands over their ears until it stopped. Fortunately, the shock of the blast drove away Lilith’s sex-fiendishness.
“It’s this way,” Bausiney said.
At the end of the platform the footman loaded luggage into a waiting horse-drawn carriage. His ornate uniform made more sense now, all part of the show. The vehicle was as white as Cinderella’s coach with polished brass fixtures and a gold coronet with pearls and strawberry leaves painted on the door. The top was down, and Marion and Ian were seated inside with the laptop ladies. All of them had wool throws over their legs.
“This is Bella and Cammy.” Marion handed throws to Lilith and Bausiney. “Sisters from Maidstone. They’re stopping at the Tragic Fall for the Handover.”
Lilith sat down on the same side as Bella, the older of the two. If they’d been named in honor of Mr. Trollope’s French sisters – a mean trick by a parent – they’d rebelled against the author’s description. The younger Cammy appeared shy and sweet. Bella regarded Lilith with a distinctly sour expression and a furrow between her eyebrows.
Bausiney eased in between Lilith and Bella. He pushed his hat back and stretched his arms over the back of the seat with a happy grin. He looked less the Mad Hatter and more a glam rocker from the ‘80s, sans mascara.
The footman climbed up to the driver’s perch. “Walk on,” the driver said to the horses.
It felt like being in a story out of Jane Austen – for the first minute. In the next five they hit three ruts in the dirt road, throwing the passengers against each other. This trip was going to be more picturesque than comfortable.
The one-lane road from Tintagos Halt down to Tintagos Village wound down a small hill to a village at the edge of the sea. Dusk had only begun. A few lamps came on in the cottages and shops spread over the few streets, but there was plenty of natural light left in the day.
“It gets dark later here,” Lilith said absently. Bella and Cammy stared as if she’d said a green cow is dancing on the fencepost. Lilith decided they were the very image of Trollope’s French girls.
Bausiney said, “That’s because we’re at higher latitude than you’re used to.” Just then the carriage hit another rut, and the jolt threw Lilith against him.
The desire returned, hot and bittersweet. She had the feeling she knew him, knew his body, remembered it, wanted to press closer, to feel his arms around her. His chest was so broad, his eyes so … actually, he looked happy. Happy to find her practically in his lap.
“Hello there.” The corners of his mouth twitched with ironic amusement.
She pulled away and closed her eyes to concentrate on her breath. Her heart raced. Her body was on fire. This made no sense. She wasn’t even attracted to the great ruddy hulk. Despite the electric sizzle in his touch. She wasn’t attracted to anybody. Not now. She doubted her feelings for Greg – now. But she had believed she loved him. Now she didn’t trust herself.
Gradually the world came into better focus. Seagulls screamed over the bay. Horses’ hooves clump-clumped on soft dirt. Marion chattered with Ian about Sharon. Lilith opened her eyes. No one had noticed.
She could feel Bausiney watching, but if she looked at him she’d lose it. Instead, she looked at the village and the cliffs beyond.
Great gods! Again her heart was in her throat. Just past the village, the oak tree from her dreams clung to the cliffs’ edge. A woman stood beside it.
Despite the distance, Lilith knew it was Elyse. Watching her. Waiting for her.
You’ve come at last.

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop! (International)

The Spooktacular Giveaway Hop is being hosted by 
You can click on the link above to get to the main giveaway post.
I am #126 on the linky - - - there are over 400 blogs participating!
What am I giving away?  My favorite kid's Halloween book, Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.
and
Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree, which I haven't read, but want to!
Please fill out the form below - - - Good luck to all and Thanks for entering!

Follower Giveaway!

I have the greatest followers!
Currently I have 1035 followers - Amazing!
I have had a number of giveaways, but haven't had a follower giveaway in a bit, so I have decided to have one now!!!!
There will be two giveaways!
International: Any ONE book - $10.00 or less from The Book Depository
(they must ship free to your country)
U.S:  SIGNED copy of Extras by Scott Westerfeld.

Rules:
1. The Giveaway will run until I have 1050 followers.  If I get more than 1050 followers I will add a pack of swag for another US winner.  If I get 1100 followers, I will add a second swag pack for yet another US follower.
2. You MUST be a follower (it's a follower giveaway after all!)
(old followers will get 2 entries/new followers will get 1 entry)
3. You must be 13 years old or older.
4. You must fill out the form completely.
Winners will be drawn by random.org and notified by email.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Winners!

Congratulations to:
Jessica B and krysykat!
Jessica has won an ecopy of Hunters: Taking Back the Night by Gregory Marshall Smith
and 
krysykat has won an ecopy of Expendable by Maggie Jaimeson

Thanks to all who stopped by to support the authors and this blog!  Thanks for entering - Happy Reading!

Blog Tour: Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow (Giveaway too!)

This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
You can see the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.
You can see my review by clicking HERE.
Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!
It is my pleasure to feature: 
Jennifer Harlow's Mind Over Monsters.

About Jennifer Harlow:

Jennifer Harlow earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Virginia. She has been a bookseller, radio DJ, lab assistant, and government investigator. She lives in Northern Virginia and is hard at work on her next book.


Jennifer Harlow spent her restless childhood fighting with her three brothers and scaring the heck out of herself with horror movies and books. She grew up to earn a degree at the University of Virginia which she put to use as a radio DJ, crisis hotline volunteer, bookseller, lab assistant, wedding coordinator, and government investigator. Currently she calls Northern Virginia home but that restless itch is ever present. In her free time she continues to scare the beejepers out of herself watching scary movies and opening her credit card bills.



Jennifer is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and Sisters in Crime.

Visit Jennifer at www.jenniferharlowbooks.com
Please welcome Jennifer Harlow!
The Soundtrack to Our Lives (Or a Book) by Jennifer Harlow
I don’t do silence. I can’t. I grew up surrounded by chaos instrumented by three demons by the names of Ryan, Liam, and Trevor, my three younger brothers. These were not, and still aren’t, studious, well behaved darlings who liked nothing better than to sit down with a good book or play with her dolls like their angel big sister. No, these boys had enough energy and testosterone to supply an entire Starbucks and bodybuilding gym with some still left over to attempt to “kill” or “wrestle” their sister and each other. Screams, whining, and loud bangs on the television were staples of my youth. So when I moved out on my own, I soon discovered I needed the noise. There is always a television or radio on, even as I fall asleep. This is true when I’m writing as well. I can write pretty much anywhere (if you have a strong desire to stalk me, see the acknowledgments page of my book Mind Over Monsters to see where I write), but the one thing that helps get my creative juices flowing the most is music. The right song can make or break my scene, even inspiring me on some occasions.
As I was writing Monsters, I found that certain songs really helped pump up the visuals and mood. They helped me get to a place where I needed to get inside my head to convey what was going on in my imagination and translate that to the page. Music just adds so much more to the experience. So I started compiling playlists for the books. Like the book, the soundtrack has a narrative flow in line with the book. You don’t have to like all the songs, I have eclectic taste, but at the very least if you sample them, you’ll get a feel for the book. So here it is:
MIND OVER MONSTERS: THE SOUNDTRACK
1.      Magic to Do- Ben Vereen from the musical Pippin
2.      Edge of the Ocean- Ivy
3.      Cold- Annie Lennox
4.      If It Wasn’t For Bad-Elton John & Leon Russell
5.      Shadows of the Night-Pat Benatar
6.      Four Minutes – Madonna fet. Justin Timberlake
7.      Tainted Love – Soft Cell
8.      Say It Right – Nelly Furtado
9.      Fields of Gold – Sting
10.  Ordinary World – Duran Duran
11.  Savin’ Me – Nickelback
12.  Precious – Depeche Mode
13.  Home – Depeche Mode
Please download legally. All songs are available on iTunes.
Excerpt:
Oliver is oblivious to my plight. He’s busy with the veritable wall of walking dead surrounding us. The moment he knocks one into a tree or tombstone another seems to take its place in the line like a zombie Pez dispenser. Two of them, one a man and the other unidentifiable, grab Oliver but he pushes them away. Another grabs my arm and tries to bite, but I kick it away. My martial arts trainer would be so proud. His buddy behind me grabs the other arm and chomps down on it. I scream. The gun in the other hand reaches her forehead and a second later, her head is nothing but puzzle pieces. Enough of this.
Something I’ve never felt seizes control. My body turns warm then hot in an instant, like someone’s switched on my boiler. My breath becomes ragged and then stops. The breeze stops moving and everything but the dozen soldiers surrounding us turn black. There are no screams, no moans, no Oliver. The air moves toward me, inside me, through every pore of my body. What feels like two hands squeeze either side of my brain, but it doesn’t hurt for once. I don’t know what’s happening to me…but I like it. I close my eyes and feel the blood trickle out of my nose. I release. Power explodes out of me like a fiery gust of wind in a hurricane. It knocks me on my back. Several daggers plunge into my brain. I cry out, clutching my head. Oh God, it hurts! Just stop it! Hands grab my shoulders.
 “Trixie!” a familiar voice shouts. I know that voice…who… “Open your eyes!” I do. It’s blurry at first, but I blink until I see Oliver kneeling beside me. God, he’s good looking when he’s worried. “My dear, can you speak?”
“Huh…”
“Never mind. Can you walk?”
“Um…” Without letting me finish he hoists me up by the arms, my injured one throbbing. When I’m up the sight before me draws a gasp. Oh…my…lord. There’s nothing left but the kind of destruction I see on TV after a tornado. Trees lie on their sides, tangled roots above ground. Every headstone within forty feet around rests on its side, a few older ones are now nothing but pebbles and dust. The zombie horde is literally nothing but pieces. Twitching legs, arms, jaws still trying to make their way toward us litter the grass. Every piece bigger than a foot still tries to continue on their mission, but I doubt any of them is a threat to us anymore. A few fresher corpses remain intact but shuffle far in the distance.
“Did I…”
“Remind me never to anger you,” Oliver says, serious as death. I’ve scared a vampire. Holy heck. And we take off running.
There are five (5) copies - tour wide - being given away - please fill out the form below to enter! Good Luck!

Review: Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow

Mind Over Monsters

A F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation
By Jennifer Harlow

ISBN-10: 0-7387-2667-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-2667-0
US $14.95 • CAN $16.95

Trade Paperback Original • 53/16 x 8 • 288 pp.
October 2011

Paranormal heroes take on zombies in this funny and thrilling debut. Very few people know the truth about Beatrice Alexander. She’s no ordinary schoolteacher with a fondness for classic movies. Beatrice can move objects with her mind, an embarrassing and dangerous skill that she’s never learned to master — or embrace. After nearly killing her brother by accident, she joins F.R.E.A.K.S. The Federal Response to Extra-Sensory and Kindred Supernaturals is a top-secret offshoot of the FBI that “neutralizes” ghouls, trolls, and other monsters threatening humanity. Beatrice has no desire to become Buffy the vampire slayer. But F.R.E.A.K.S. offers training to control her power. Also, she doesn’t feel like such a freak next to the other supernatural members, including a cute former detective who’s a werewolf and an unbearable vampire determined to seduce Beatrice. Despite a natural instinct to flee from hideous, bloodthirsty zombies, Beatrice must prove herself on her first mission to find a cunning necromancer.
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review and participation in the virtual book tour being presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

My thoughts:
     I loved this story!  I'm not a huge zombie fan, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book.  
     The writing is wonderful.  The author's use of the language is superb, giving her words life and making the scenes into images as well.  I easily pictured every character and place in my mind through her vivid descriptions and attention to detail.
     The characters are cleverly created and so very easy to invest in.  As a licensed elementary teacher, I was thrilled to find one as the main character.  
     We are given a little bit of everything paranormal with this story!  Each is well developed and given a unique personality.   
     The plot is original and entertaining.  The reader isn't spoon fed the ideas, but neither is the reader left hunting for them.  The story is easy to read, but not elementary in it's development.
     This was my first Jennifer Harlow read, it will not be my last - can't wait for more!