Monday, February 24, 2014

Fire Country birthday celebration!


Today, Fire Country by David Estes turns one year old. In the first year since Fire Country was born, so much has happened. David signed with an agent, sold more than 10,000 books, wrote five more books and published a further three). He knew he just had to celebrate and he'd love for you to be a part of it! David owes so much of his support to the blogger community, and he wants everyone to have the chance to be a part of the Fire Country Birthday Bash.

Everyone goes home a winner, simply follow the prompts below and swipe your eCopy of Fire Country from Smashwords. Read and leave a review on Amazon if you enjoyed it. Feel free to share the code with your friends, family, neighbours and literary inclined pets.
Coupon Code: WH62C
Expiration: March 1, 2014

What's a party without prizes? Yes, David is not only giving everyone a chance to download their own copy of Fire Country, book one in the Country Saga for free, but he's also giving you stuff too. You could win an Amazon giftcard open internationally, U.S residents can win a signed copy of the David Estes book of your choice, or a handful of David Estes eBooks of your choice. Awesome.

Visit David via his Blog  Facebook • Twitter and via Goodreads
Pay Perry the Prickler a visit on Twitter and Goodreads


Excerpt:
“Why would the Wilds whisper lies in my ear if they’re going to kidnap me anyway?” I ask Circ the first chance I get after leaving Veev’s tent. My voice sounds funny ’cause I’ve pinched my nose shut with my finger and thumb.

Circ laughs at my voice, and then says, “They’re not going to kidnap you, Sie.” I snort, ’cause his voice sounds even funnier with his nostrils clamped tight. My fingers come off my nose for a second and I get a whiff of the blaze pit that sits a stone’s throw to the side. Screwing up my face, I pinch harder, until it hurts. A little pain is better’n the smell.

“I don’t mean me me. I mean hypothetically speaking. If the Wilds were to try to kidnap me”—I look at Circ, trying not to laugh at the sight of his squashed nose—“or any other Youngling girl, why wouldn’t they just grab her from behind, put a hand over her mouth, and carry her away in a tugskin sack?”

“Maybe they’re all out of tugskin?” Circ says, cracking up and losing the grip on his nose. He sticks out his tongue as the foul odor sneaks up his nostrils. The tips of his moccasin-covered feet are touching mine as we sit cross-legged across from each other. We’ve sat this way since we were Totters.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Eon's Door

About the book (from Goodreads):
The Dark Forest is moving and a horde of bloodthirsty monsters is on the hunt. For the peaceful denizens of Erla, time is running out.

Two thousand years after three clans flee the world of humans through Eon's Door to find sanctuary in a realm called Erla, a prophecy left to them by the ancient race that created the tree portal is coming true. A trusted sage has stolen the portal's key and is using the awesome power that separated the worlds to tear apart the very soul of Nature. The key must be taken back and Eon's Door closed--before it's too late.

Hope lies with a "child of doubt" from the world the clans left behind and the courageous young Erlan who's been sent to find him. Together they must retrieve the key to Eon's Door. It won't be easy; abominations of beasts and trees stand between them and their goal. Even worse, the sage knows the prophecy and is waiting for them.

EON'S DOOR is a fantasy adventure recommended for readers age 12 and up

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

I was eager to begin this story. As a lover of fantasy novels, this held the promise of everything I enjoy reading--a new world, new creatures, quests, and special talents (telepathy). McKenney thought through each of these elements and the result is a wonderful adventure story for kids and teens.

Before the story begins, McKenney provides a map of the Erlan world as well as a list and description of the main characters. This really helps readers to understand the new setting and to keep track of which main characters are part of which clan. Each clan can communicate with different parts of nature--either animals, trees/plants, water/aquatic life, or all three.

McKenney has the ability to paint with his words and allows readers to "see" his world clearly. Characters and landscapes are brought to life. He creates an epic style story where characters must travel to far off places while braving dangerous creatures so they can retreive an artifact--in this case a key-- in order to defeat an evil foe.

Althouh the story is geared to kids/teens (one of the main characters is 12 years old), I would recommend it to older teens due to McKenney's complex writing style and vivid descriptions. Adults will also get a lot out of the story. Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series will probably enjoy this story.

About author J.G. McKenney:

For his critically acclaimed breakthrough novel, EON'S DOOR, J.G. (John) McKenney received the 2012 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award, and was also a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award. John's fascination with fantasy and adventure began at a young age when he discovered works like THE HOBBIT and THE CALL OF THE WILD. That early love of reading has matured into a need to tell stories that transport readers into worlds full of wonder and enchantment.

Find J.G. McKenney:   Website   Goodreads

Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Huntsman's Prey releases today!

About the book:
Rumors abound in Wonderland, of a dark princess named Chrysalis who bears the Moon's curse. Her beauty is beyond compare, and her madness… even greater than her father’s, The Hatter. Death follows wherever she roams, and Danika—fairy godmother of all villains—knows this task is too great for her to handle on her own. She has no choice but to seek out the one they call Huntsman, his mission is simple: Find the creature, and destroy it.

But nothing is ever so simple in Kingdom. The moment the hunter Aeric steps foot in the mad, twisted realm he's enveloped in a reality that is neither wholly true nor fantasy. The key, the Cheshire explains, to ending the madness is for one to become mad themselves. The Huntsman has one chance to figure out the riddle before the beauty destroys them all…

The long anticipated spinoff to the Bad boys series if finally here, the Dark Princess Saga begins with Hatter and Alice's daughter...

Find the book:   Goodreads   Amazon

About Author Marie Hall:
Marie loves books that make you think, or feel something. Preferably both. And while she’s a total girly girl and loves glitter and rainbows, she’s just as happy when she’s writing about the dark underbelly of society. Well, if things like zombies, and vampires, and werewolves, and mermaids existed. (Although she has it on good authority that mermaids do in fact exist, because the internet told her so.)

She’s married to the love of her life, a sexy beast of a caveman who likes to refer to himself as Big Hunk. She has two awesome kids, lives in Hawaii, loves cooking and occasionally has been known to crochet.

Connect with Marie:   Blog    Facebook     Twitter

Excerpt:
The rustling of leaves sounded like the rattling of dry bones. Trees—their trunks twisted and distorted from the magic imbued within the very soil of Wonderland—reached long, gnarly branches out toward Danika.

The stars shone a brilliant silver, winking from within the navy blue sky. A sickle shaped smile of sharp teeth gleamed from inside shadow and somewhere a voice howled. The haunting sound raised goose bumps on her arms and the fine hairs on the back of her neck.

She flew within the shelter of a hollow, staring at the ground below littered with the twisted, distorted bodies of sightless carcasses. Hundreds of dead animals, with limbs torn off and throats ripped open. A brutal slaughter that brought tears to her eyes.

It’d been eighteen years since she’d married off the last of her Bad Five, eighteen years of peace and quiet, eighteen years of being lulled into a false sense that all was well within her world.

But all was not well. She’d suspected this time was coming, had seen a glimpse of the future first time she’d laid eyes on the child. Danika had tried to deny it, tried to wish it away, to hope that desire could stop reality.

Her heart bled to hear the sounds of the lonely, constant cries shuddering through the woods. The teeth returned, floating right in front of her face.

“Cheshire?” Dragonfly wings buzzed softly behind her back.

A face materialized around the teeth, a ghostly distortion of fur and stripes. Then a body followed suit, until finally, a fluffy tabby stared back at her with eyes the color of an inkwell.

“Godmother?” His lazy drawl echoed with laughter. “What are you doing in my woods?”

She scoffed. “Your woods. You wish you fat alley cat. These woods belong to the Hatter.”

Cheshire did a strange rolling shoulder lift while he licked his paw. Danika shook her head, much as she loved Hatter, his woods were one she rarely visited and dreaded staying inside of for too long. The sensuous curl of white fog wrapped itself around the cat’s body, as if he were readying to vanish into the ether once again.

She may not like the cat, but she preferred his company to being alone in this warped portion of Kingdom.

“Have you seen the creature?” she asked quietly, heart thumping loudly as she strained to hear every creak, groan, and whistle surrounding them.

“Mmmm. I have,” he purred, long and loud and low, the rumbling vibrations of it causing his fur to stir and fluff. “Beautiful madness.”

“Where is it?” She hugged her arms to her chest, the howls had stopped, which meant it could now be anywhere. She wanted to leave, wanted to leave now.

“It? You mean she. Do you not?”

She closed her eyes. To think of it as anything other than an it would make this task impossible. Oh goddess, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to Alice and Hatter, they’d gone through so much, this shouldn’t have happened. How she wished she had Miriam’s wise guidance once again, her truest and best friend would have known what to do, how to fix this.

“I meant exactly what I said. Where did you see it last?” She lifted her chin, voice stern, refusing to allow an ounce of sympathy to leak into her words.

His smile stretched from ear to ear, full of nothing but sharp, little teeth that made him look frighteningly macabre. An impossibly long tongue licked at the fur around his eyes.

“Silver girds her loins, fire ripples at her feet.”

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Scream For Me releases today!

About the book:
Nothing is deeper than the desire they can’t fight—or deadlier than the evil they can’t escape.

They were only supposed to have a professional relationship, but FBI agent Kyle McKenzie has been fantasizing about his sexy partner, Cadence Hollow, from the moment they first moment. It takes the darkest case of their careers to finally bring their hidden desire bubbling to the surface. Once they’re in each other’s arms, though, they swear that nothing short of death will part them. The Night Hunter—a cunning stalker whose four-state, fifteen-year abduction spree began in Paradox, Alabama, with Kyle’s sister—may be only too happy to oblige.

In the small town, Kyle must confront the painful past he’s been hiding from Cadence. Kyle vows to put the Hunter behind bars…or in the ground. But the one thing that obsesses Kyle more than his sister’s grim fate—his furious love for Cadence—is the weapon the Hunter will use to lure his pursuers into the mouth of a murderous trap.

Find Scream for Me: Goodreads   Amazon   B&N   Books A Million   IndieBound

About author Cynthia Eden:

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil. (Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people). Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

Find Cynthia Eden:   Website/Blog   Twitter   FB Author Page   Goodreads

Excerpt from Scream for Me:
“We can’t do anything else out here,” she said. “Not tonight.”

She was being so careful with him. Too careful.

“Don’t,” he bit out as he stalked toward her. The others weren’t close enough to overhear, so he could lower his guard and let some of his fury out.

Cadence shook her head. “Don’t what?”

He wanted to wrap his hands around her. To pull her close.

No, I just want to touch her. To feel her.

“Don’t handle me with your damn kid gloves, Cadence.” The words were snapped. “I’m not some victim you have to coddle.”

He’d rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt—like that had done much good. He was covered with grime and sweat and plenty of insect bites.

I fucking hate summers in the South.

Insects were chirping all around them, and he’d had to dodge snakes in the bushes for most of the evening.

“I never thought you were a victim.” Cadence turned from him and headed for the car.

She knew he’d follow her. Wasn’t he always trailing after her?

Wasn’t he the one who always kept the need in check? The desire he damn well knew they both felt.

After today—after this hell—why couldn’t they turn to each other for some comfort and release? Let that desire burst free?

Replace death with pleasure.