Firebird Vengance teaser and giveaway!

I'm excited to present the teaser tour for Firebird Vengeance by Orren Merton. This is the third book in the Sedumem Chronicles, a young adult urban fantasy series. Today we have a teaser for you to give you a taste of the authors style. This is not included in the book, but gives you a taste of it. And while you are here, don't forget to enter the giveaway. Without further ado, here is the teaser:

BRIEFING GIVEN BY COMMANDER LLAMAR WALTERS, 4TH PRECINCT COMMANDING OFFICER, SOUTHWESTERN DISTRICT, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Walters: Thank you for assembling on such short notice. I realize how extraordinary it is to be called from your beats, but this is pretty extraordinary. I’d like to start by taking a moment to lower our heads for Officers Herrera and Nguyen, killed in the line of duty.

Officer Julie Conklin: Sir, what are those things?

Walters: If you’ve seen Lady Firebird’s video, you know as much as I do. She’s calling them “Possessed.” That’s important, people—remember, it’s not grandma any more, or your buddy from down the street. I know how much it hurts to think of them as walking lasers in a meat wrapper, but that’s basically what they are at this point.

Officer Frank Lee: Why here? I mean, why Detroit, not that I want them to be blowing up the 7th District or anything.

Walters: We’re not sure. She said something about those things trying to destroy the purest among us. Maybe there’s some really pure nuns or rabbis or imams in our district. I don’t know. But I do know that they’re here, and we have to do what we can to protect our citizens.

Officer Jennifer Maiz: But they can shoot through anything—cars, body armor, buildings, you name it. What are we supposed to do?

Walters: I’m getting to that Maiz. I just got off the phone with Sergeant Hector Godinez in California. He’s the detective who’s got Lady Firebird on speed dial. He says that any minute now, we can expect a couple of her…I dunno what the hell they are. I think he called them “Marzipan”—

Officer John Dunn: I think it’s “Mazzikim,” sir.

Walters: Thanks, Dunn. We’re getting a couple of those in a minute or two. They’re bringing specially treated shields, swords, and bows and arrows they say can protect against the blasts and hurt the possessing spirits inside. I don’t suppose we have any sword and bow experts in our precinct, do we?

Officer Brent Jeffers: I go bow hunting with my cousins up north sometimes, does that count?

Walters: Right now it does, thanks Jeffers. You and any others who have training, you’ll try to take out those Possessed things. The rest of us will try and clear out as many citizens as we can, and if you’ve got a clear shot, go for their eyes—that won’t kill them, but it will keep ‘em from firing at us. Then we can take ‘em out with swords.

Officer Gill Fernandez: How, sir?

Walters: Well, I’m not an expert, but I think we need to stick them with the pointy end.

Fernandez: Yes, sir.

Intercom: Sir…I…we…there’s two large beings at the counter right now. One looks like a gorilla with an alligator head, and the other some kind of bear with a tiger head. They’ve got huge bags over their shoulders, that firebird lady’s symbol on their shirts, and they’re…they’re talking, sir. They’re asking to see you…What do we do?

Walters: Okay officers, we’re up. Everyone grab a shield, and lets get these Possessed. Keep safe, and let’s hope that Lady Firebird knows what she’s talking about.

About the book:

When eighteen-year old half-demon Alexandra Gold uses her firebird spirit to save the soul of a murdered girl, it brings her to the attention of the most powerful beings in her parallel universe.

At first, she believes this is a blessing. When she discovers that she has been the unwitting pawn of an ancient vengeance that intends to destroy every living human and demon in both universes, she realizes that she's been cursed.

This ancient vengeance has the power to re-animate the dead and use them to murder the living—and for each of the thirty-six most righteous human beings it murders, the more powerful it becomes.

Alex is determined to protect the thirty-six and save both worlds, but she cannot defeat Vengeance alone. All she has is her demon blade, her spirit fire, and her wits—to prevail, she must convince those humans and demons who are terrified and blame her for this catastrophe to help her.

Find the book:  Goodreads   Amazon 

About author Orren Merton:
Orren Merton started writing fantasy and science fiction at an embarrassingly young age, mostly for

his own amusement. In high school, he listened to a lot of dark and moody rock, which inspired him to pick up guitar and start playing up and down California in a few bands, culminating in his Industrial rock group Ember After releasing their debut album, Grasping At Straws, and subsequently The Misery EP. During that time, magazines, developers, and corporations began to pay him to write and edit music software related articles, manuals, and books.

Since then he has written the urban fantasy novel The Deviant and the science fiction novel Skye Entity before working on his current series of YA novels. He lives in Southern California with his family, pets, collection of sci-fi/fantasy memorabilia, and curiously large stuffed animal collection.

Find Orren:  Website   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads

Giveaway:
Enter to win one of five ebook copies of Firebird Vengeance by Orren Merton. Open worldwide. Ends Feb. 24th

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

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:

Enter to win a$20 gift card to choice of book store.

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