Seventh Grave and No Body excerpt and giveaway!

About the book:
Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life.

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

We’re doomed.

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Excerpt:
I set Cookie to finding out everything she could on the missing suicide-note victims. There had to be a connection between them somewhere in their pasts. In the meantime, I would go talk to their closests, but first I needed to know if the victims were still alive. If they’d been abducted, this would quickly become a much different case. We would probably have to get the FBI involved, if they weren’t on to it already.

Reyes was still working, so I decided to cut out alone. I knew he’d freak. He wasn’t about to leave me alone for long, and neither would he put up with my running off without him, so I decided to pick up a passenger. Well, another passenger. The one I had at the moment would be of no help in a fight against hounds from hell, should they spot me in a crowd.

Jessica was harping again, this time about how her friends were at the restaurant, fawning over Reyes as though she had never died. She’d called dibs the moment she saw him, and they seemed almost relieved she was out of the way. I refrained from reminding her that (1) I’d had dibs long before that, and (2) she was as dead as the Twizzler I was gnawing on in an attempt to forget about my extreme caffeine depletion. Poor little Twizzler.

“She said that!” Jessica shouted. “Like, she said it. Right to Reyes’s face.”

“Wait, what?” I almost slammed on the brakes, then realized my foot was already on the brake, as we were idling at a stoplight. “Who said what to Reyes’s face?”

“Oh . . . my god. Have you heard a word I’ve said?”

“Not especially. Who said what?”

“She said she’d do anything, any . . . thing, for an interview.”

I turned to her. “Are you telling me you heard what Reyes and Jolene—I mean, that hooch—were talking about?”

“Duh. I was so upset with Joanie and the girls that I started to walk out when that—that ho practically assaulted our man.”

About author Darynda Jones:

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

Find Darynda   Website   Twitter   Facebook

Giveaway:
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The Watchers book trailer!

About the book:
In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her humanity. Filled with fairies, dwarves, pixies, dragons, demons, and monsters, Knight of Light is an enthralling tale that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old.

The Watchers Series has been described as Braveheart meets Supernatural. The mythology for the series is based on many theological texts from dozens of sects with correlating themes. Ancient writings include The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Traditional Apocrypha, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Kabbalah.

“The Watchers” are supernatural beings in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, as the Book of Enoch mentions, some of these Watchers go bad. Although the mythology is based on these texts, Deirdra Eden’s The Watcher’s Series is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl’s discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions
 

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Check out the book trailer for The Watchers Book 1: Knight of Light

About author Deidra Eden:

"My goal in writing is to saturate my books with intrigue, mystery, romance, and plot twists that will keep my readers in suspense. I want to see fingerprints on the front and back covers where readers have gripped the novel with white knuckles! Aside from writing, I enjoy jousting in arenas, planning invasions, horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, and going on adventures."
-Deirdra Eden

Find Deirdra Eden and The Watchers Series: Amazon    Deirdra's website   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads   Wattpad   Pinterest.

MIA for a Good Cause

Some of you might have noticed that my posts have become very sporadic over the past few months. I haven't been posting as much as I usually do and it has taken me longer to review books. That's because I've been training for the Susan G. Komen 3-day that was held October 17-19 2014 in Atlanta, GA. For those of you who don't know what the 3-day is, it is a walk that spans three days and 60 miles. Yup, that's right, this past weekend, I walked 60+ miles to spread awareness of and raise funds for breast cancer research.


You can only imagine the time it took in training for this event. As the time got closer, training became more intense, and the blog/reviews became less important to me. Instead, my mind focused on the journey ahead. It was a time to focus on the loved ones lost to this disease, the ones that have survived it, and the ones still fighting it. So for all of those affected by breast cancer, and those who will be, my time these past few months have been dedicated to you--whether I know you or not.


The 3-day allowed me to become personal friends with pain. Through the uneven terrain, the hills (OMG the unending hills!), and the seemingly ceaseless mileage, I learned how to draw upon my own determination, others' encouragement, and God's strength. Between blisters, sore muscles, hip pain, and tendonitis in my knee, making it to the finish line was the best feeling in the world. I was uncomfortable for 3-days. Those with breast cancer are uncomfortable for much longer. My journey can't even compare to what they are going through.


Since this is a book blog, and not a personal blog, I will make this short and relevant. I want to apologize to authors, publicists, and book blog tour operators that have seen me go MIA. I am back and am excited to get my life back to its normal routine. Thank y'all or being patient with me!

--Ivie

The perfect sign to sum up my experience with the 3-day!

Phantom's Dance excerpt, giveaway & more!

Welcome to my stop on the teaser tour for Phantom's Dance by Lesa Howard. Phantom's Dance is a YA modern retelling of Phantom of the Opera and it's available for sale, right now!

About the book:
Christine Dadey’s family uprooted their lives and moved to Houston for her to attend the prestigious Rousseau Academy of Dance. Now, two years later, Christine struggles to compete among the Academy’s finest dancers, her parents are on the brink of divorce, and she’s told no one about her debilitating performance anxiety and what she’s willing to do to cope with it.

Erik was a ballet prodigy, a savant, destined to be a star on the world’s stage, but a suspicious fire left Erik’s face horribly disfigured. Now, a lonely phantom forced to keep his scars hidden, he spends his nights haunting the theater halls, mourning all he’s lost. Then, from behind the curtain he sees the lovely Christine. The moldable, malleable Christine.

Drawn in by Erik’s unwavering confidence, Christine allows ​herself to believe Erik’s declarations that he can transform her into the dancer she longs to be. But Christine’s hope of achieving her dreams may be her undoing when she learns Erik is not everything he claims. And before long, Erik’s shadowy past jeopardizes Christine’s unstable present as his obsession with her becomes hopelessly entangled with his plans for revenge.


Links: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Goodreads   Smashwords   iTunes

Author Takeover:
I've let Lesa Howard, author of Phantom's Dance take over this next section to describe how the cover of her book came to be. She has given us some previous covers that didn't make the final cut, as well as her thoughts as to why they weren't the perfect fit for her story. So, without any more delay, Lesa, take it away!


Here are several cover mock-ups, with a pen name (I chose a pen name because this book was much darker than the ones I write for younger audiences.) that we played around with before choosing the current one. Ultimately, I used my first name with Howard, my grandfather, for the last. Also, I considered calling the book DANCING BLIND, omitting the reference to the phantom. But my awesome critique group convinced me otherwise.



This one is absolutely beautiful, but it didn't convey the darkness we were going for.

This photo looked nice until the designer placed it on the cover. With the title being what it was then, it made her look as though she were actually blind.










This one has the black tutu, but after a vote from the fabulous staff and Chambers County Library in Anahuac, TX (had to do the shout-out) I scrapped it, too, and went with the red. And of course, it's now called PHANTOM'S DANCE.






Phantom's Dance Excerpt:
“You scared the crap out of me—again!” I wailed, and a low chuckle rumbled from behind the heavy, velvet drapes.

With my hand pressed to my overexerted lungs, I breathed deeply. “I see you’re still behind the curtain. But I suppose that’s where a stagehand would be, wouldn’t he? Behind the curtain?”

“Ouch. And here I thought you were a nice girl—not like the Academy snobs looking down their noses at the hired help.”

“Ah-ha! So you are a stagehand.”

“I never said that. What I said was you’re a snob.”

“I am not!”

He half laughed half snorted.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“I came to see the ballet. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“Of course, but that’s not what I meant. The ballet has been over for an hour. Why are you still here?”

“I might ask you the same thing.”

The pink flower chose that moment to fall from my hair and float to the stage floor.

“You were playing the ballerina, weren’t you?” He teased.

His voice had moved from where it started at my right to the curtains behind me.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll keep your secret.”

My face heated and I bent to recover the flower then stood to face his voice.

“You won’t tell Mr. Darby or the theater manager?”

“I said I wouldn’t tell.”

Spinning the flower between my fingers, I asked, “Why do you stay behind the curtain?”

“I don’t like the stage.”

“But you said you’re a dancer. What kind of dancer doesn’t like to be on the stage?”

“This kind.”

He’d been yanking my chain long enough. Two could play this game.

“So, are you handicapped or what?”

An unpleasant silence stretched between us and I realized I’d stumbled onto something.

“Oh, God, you are.”

About author Lesa Howard:
Lesa Howard lives in the greater Houston area where she works as a writer-in-residence for the nonprofit organization Writers in the Schools, but her students know her as Lesa Boutin. Lesa was passionate about writing for teens before it was even labeled Young Adult, and her latest YA novel is PHANTOM'S DANCE, which is a modern retelling of Gaston Leroux's PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. She has two books written under the name Lesa Boutin: AMANDA NOBLE, ZOOKEEPER EXTRAORDINAIRE, and AMANDA NOBLE, SPECIAL AGENT.

Visit Lesa at www.lesahowardboutin.com or contact her at lesaboutin@gmail.com

Giveaway:

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Blade Singer review and giveaway!

About the book:
Manuel “Manny” Boreaux, a troubled adolescent from Texas, is magically transported into the body of a goblin pickpocket in an alternate world inhabited by faerie creatures. Manny must quickly adapt to the danger all around him and try to find a way to get back home, a feat complicated by the pickpocket’s association with a notorious gang of thieves. But when Manny uncovers a plot to assassinate a young king, he must enlist the aid of an elf cavalier and a cat burglar to thwart a Sidhe witch’s scheme to ignite a civil war between humans and the Fae.

Goodreads   Amazon

Review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After checking out the blurb of this book, I decided to read it because of all of the fantasy creatures in it. Mixing magical creatures can be a dangerous thing for authors. So much can go wrong in the process, but in Blade Singer so much went right! The mix of trolls, goblins, elves, humans, etc. really helped create the feel of another magical world.

The first thing that surprised me in the book is that the main character is not white or black, but rather he has a Hispanic background. I loved this. There is a lack of diversity in many books (or maybe I'm not seeking out the diversified books), and for the main character to be Hispanic, it was exciting. It really didn't impact the main story line, but the authors wove bits of it throughout the story.

I loved that Manny was able to reunite with his parents in Aquitania. After their deaths, he was having a difficult time coping. Even though they didn't know who he was, he was still able to interact and grow their relationship.

It was interesting to see how Manny changed over the course of the book. In the beginning, he was a thief in the real world as well as in Aquitania. But when he arrived in Aquitania and saw that being bad was changing him into a goblin, he changed his ways. He tried to do the right thing, even if it was harder to do than the wrong thing. Perfect lesson for the middle grade kids that the story is geared toward.

As kids are learning this lesson, the authors keep it interesting. Manny and Adriana face lots of danger. From sword fights and spies, to being captured and being chased by "bad guys", the action throughout the book keep readers interested and eager to turn the page.

The story is told through a single point of view, Manny's. Although it would have been interesting to get other character's take on what was going on and what was running through their minds, the single POV allows readers to show how Manny's mentality changes. This was definitely the most effective way to show that.

Readers looking for the next great fantasy adventure should pick up Blade Singer. This is a story that I'd recommend to kids, teens, and even adults!

About the authors:
Aaron de Orive
A graduate of the University of Texas’ film program, Aaron de Orive began his professional writing career in the video game industry, serving as a lead or senior writer on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, Tabula Rasa, Anarchy Online, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. He is also the creator of the fantasy role-playing game SHARD: World of the False Dawn. Blade Singer is his first novel. Aaron lives in Austin with his wife, daughter, and two very spoiled terriers.

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Martha Wells
Martha Wells is the author of a number of fantasy novels, including The Cloud Roads, The Siren Depths, The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer. Her YA fantasy, Emilie and the Hollow World, was published by Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry in April 2013, and the sequel, Emilie and the Sky World, was released in March 2014. Two collections of Books of the Raksura novellas will be published in September 2014 and Fall 2015. She has had short stories in Black Gate, Realms of Fantasy, Stargate Magazine, and Lightspeed Magazine, and in the anthologies Elemental, The Year’s Best Fantasy #7, Tales of the Emerald Serpent and The Other Half of the Sky. She has essays in the nonfiction anthologies Farscape Forever, Mapping the World of Harry Potter, and Chicks Unravel Time. She has also written media-tie-in novels, Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary and Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement, and a Star Wars novel, Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge.

Website   Twitter   Live Journal

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