Blog Tour: Blood and Bone by Don Hoesel

 

Blood and Bone 

More Archaeological Adventures from Popular Suspense Writer Don Hoesel.

A decade after Serpent of Moses, Jack is married to Espy and back teaching at Evanston University. They have two sons, one of whom has cystic fibrosis. Despite this challenge, life is comfortable. But that all changes when the CIA, while combing through the papers of the late Gordon Reese, uncovers the secret of Elisha's bones. Jack's world is then turned upside down by an urgent call from his old friend Duckey, who's been alerted to the CIA's probing by one of his former contacts. Jack and his family escape from their home just ahead of the CIA, and he decides to do what he should have done long ago: recover the bones and destroy them. Except the bones aren't where he left them. So now Jack is in a race, for the last time, to find the bones. And he's not the only one. Pitted against both the CIA and an organization that will kill to protect their secrets, Jack and Espy follow hard-to-decipher clues across the globe before arriving in the catacombs of Paris for a final showdown that will either save their family--or tear apart everything they hold dear forever.

 Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 

Tour Schedule

 

 
Author Don Hoesel

Don Hoesel is a Web site designer for a Medicare carrier in Nashville, TN. He has a BA in Mass Communication from Taylor University and has published short fiction in Relief Journal. He lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. The Alarmists is his third novel.  

Twitter * Facebook * Website




  

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 8/4/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Self-Publishing with Jasime Roy

The Highs and Lows of Self-Publishing

Challenges of Publishing: My Journey
Jasmine Roy

Becoming a book author isn’t a simple job. Though the entry barrier has been lowered in the past few years, sustaining yourself through the bumps isn’t so easy. Making contacts with various parties in the book industry and then proposing your manuscript to the publisher through a book agent. And then waiting for their approval and more likely getting rejections is all so disappointing. After you face a couple of rejections, you are soon on the track of negative self-talk, quick to label yourself as a loser before another publisher really starts to like your work.

This phenomenon is fairly common and has driven many book authors to walk the self-publishing pathway. And there’s nothing wrong with that. This is an age when relying on someone else to carry out your job is likely to land you in trouble and give your nothing but failures and disappointments; a DIY job is highly preferred even in the publishing industry. For new book authors, self-publishing is definitely a route worth taking.

I took up self-publishing when it became too much for me to handle the constant rejections and delays by various publishers. Some sane person who’s been here for quite some time gave me a wise piece of advice of going for self-publishing.  Looking at my initial record of publisher rejections, I felt his advice was well-meaning and a well-intended one.  

My Self-publishing Experience

I love my work, and I know deep inside that I possess the drive and passion to make my dreams come true. However, to make them come true and in the quickest way possible, I needed to make amends in the way that I do my work, not just writing but publishing too.

Since my first successful experience at self-publishing was for a short romantic novel which revolved around a couple who weren’t sure about the feelings they shared for each other but later ended up being together. I thought making an interesting eBook out of this with a touching cover page and a title that captivates and moves the hearts of all that believe in true love.

I hired a self-publisher and instructed them about the design and title text that I wanted to incorporate into the e-copy. I ensured that there was an intrigue factor in the book; nobody likes to read a book that has a tell-all synopsis.  This had happened with me for one of my comic books when my extracts summarized all that was in the book. No doubt that the EBook never found any readers.

For the romantic novel, I registered with all possible free eBook websites and made sure the copies of my eBook were available for downloading from there. I wrote the book extract in such a way that it appealed to the modern youth. When you are publishing a romantic novel, keep in mind the target audience. If the eBook cover page and layout represents the age when your grandpa met grandma, you are cooking up a recipe for disaster.

In the first month itself, my EBook picked up sales through Amazon.com. That was the moment of utmost happiness for me. After enjoying the first few readers for my eBook, I made it a paid version in the third month. And it surprised me to see that people were willing to buy the paid version of my eBook too. Remember to cash in on the success as it may not last. If you wait too long before converting the free version into a paid one, the readers will circulate the free eBook to their friends who will no longer need the paid version. I had committed this mistake while publishing my comic eBook.

Self publishing a book may seem interesting, but you have to be well-versed with a lot of things and be good at handling them all at once. It did not take me much time to find a self-publisher from the highly informative online databases to help me with the implementation part. But, the planning part was all mine; they grant you the freedom to choose whatever design and layout you want for your book. And yes, for a romantic novel, don’t forget to use that oomph factor for publishing!

Author Bio: Jasmine Roy has extensive experience in writing on a range of topic. These portals not only support publishers, new authors, freelance illustrators but they also provide valuable information and services to publishing agents and agencies.
Please visit the author's site:  http://pubmatchblog.wordpress.com/

Tuesday Tunes: A Change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke 1963

Now THIS is singing! This song brings back so many childhood memories of sitting in my grandmother's kitchen or relaxing with my mom. They both loved the music of the golden years. I call it golden because people actually sang about the meaningful things in life. Enjoy everyone and hope you had a wonderful and safe 4th of July weekend!

Guest Post: A Poet Name Fida

I love poetry though I have never really been good at it. So I admire anyone who is blessed with the talent to create poetry. I would love to introduce you all to a wonderful you lady who aspires to publish her very own collection of poetry. Meet Fida Islaih.  Fida will share her writing journey with us today. 
Take it away Fida!

 

~~~~~**********~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********

 

I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but I didn't get serious until I was in middle school. I have a drawer full of unedited stories. 

I was first into writing poetry. I was sitting in class with a poetry project. I enjoyed it and write extra poems for it. After that I continued writing poems.

I read Does My Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah. It inspired me to write a similar story. A few months later I gave it a major rewrite. After that I was inspired to put all the good and bad experiences in different stories I wanted to write. I could make the MC do what I couldn't do. It made me feel better in so many ways. 

I'm hoping to self publish my poetry in the next few months and years. I might self publish my novellas, too. I'm also trying to make them full novels and be able to query them and maybe get an agent. I know a few are interested in the concepts, but like I said, I have to work on length. 

Like I said I've been writing poetry for awhile and I get easily inspired by everything: my experiences and nature. I have more than enough for a collection. 

Recently I participated in the A to Z Challenge and saw that from previous years people self publish their posts. I thought I should do the same. I also thought 26 poems isn't enough. I decided to put in 100 poems. I did exactly that. Right now I'm crowdfunding the collection so that I could get help monetary and professionally for self publishing it. 

I hope you guys are willing to join in. You can find the synopsis, excerpt, and place to donate at poetfida.pubslush.com 

Thank you! 

Fida Islaih, Poet

fida-islaih.blogspot.com

Blind Sight Blog Tour: July 1 ~ 7th

The Inspiration for Blind Sight? 

Literature and Bad Table Manners

There are two sides to every story. That's the major premise behind how Blind Sight is written. Anyone who has ever listened to grandparents talk to each other without their hearing aids knows how funny those conversations can be. What one of them says is not always what the other one hears. Or trying to understand someone when their mouth is full, I wanted to capture the misunderstandings that occur when the perspective is limited to a single point of view, but I couldn't do it alone. 

I was first inspired by Tom Stoppard who turned Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet into the comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Tom Stoppard's play follows the plot of Hamlet through the point of view of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, giving them their own voice and own plot so that even though it is the same plot, it is a very different story. It was exactly what I expected out of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. I made a few futile attempts to write the same story from different perspectives and eventually let the idea drop. I couldn't get the two sides different enough to where it felt like two different voices, but then I met Ermisenda on an RP site of all places. She was a brilliant writer, but more than that, she made me a better writer. We played off each other in a way that I just can't explain unless you've ever found that other RPer with whom you just click. It was a true partnership, making Blind Sight a superior novel to anything we could have put together individually. It wasn't working from an already written manuscript and trying to put a new spin on it, we worked together every step of the way, literally RPing scenes over MSN and Skype since we live half a world apart. Eliabeth Hawthorne
 

This post is part of the Blind Sight Blog Tour. Blind Sight is an urban fantasy novel written in two volumes, each telling the story through a different character's perspective. Follow the tour and read reviews, guest post, book excerpts and interviews about Blind Sight and the Ermilia coauthors.

EverTaster: The Buttersmith's Gold Blog Tour by Adam Glendon Sidwell

Tour Schedule

 

The Buttersmiths' Gold

BATTLES. BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES.

TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA.

Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you'd want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you'd want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you'd stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all.

Young Torbjorn Trofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He's a Viking through and

through – he's thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That's what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers. When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan's muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and his clansmen to do the one thing they are ill-prepared to do: battle for their lives.

Purchase on

Amazon

About The Buttersmiths' Gold

The Buttersmiths' Gold is a spin off novella in the Evertaster series that tells the story of two Viking brothers and their adventurous past. The Evertaster series (Book #1 released June 14, 2012) is about Guster Johnsonville, who goes searching for a legendary taste rumored to be the most delicious in all of history. Along the way he meets a slew of mysterious characters, including two Viking brothers Torbjorn and Storfjell. The Buttersmiths' Gold is their story. 124 pages. By Adam Glendon Sidwell. Published by Future House Publishing.

Purchase on

Amazon

    Author Adam Sidwell In between books, Adam Glendon Sidwell uses the power of computers to make monsters, robots and zombies come to life for blockbuster movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Transformers and Tron. After spending countless hours in front of a keyboard meticulously adjusting tentacles, calibrating hydraulics, and brushing monkey fur, he is delighted at the prospect of modifying his creations with the flick of a few deftly placed adjectives. He’s been eating food since age 7, so feels very qualified to write this book. He once showed a famous movie star where the bathroom was. Adam currently lives in Los Angeles, where he can’t wait to fall into the sea.

Website Twitter Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/2/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $25 US.  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

My Review:

Young Torbjorn is sent to trade the delicious blueberry muffins for treasures that the clan is in need of.

But a merchant gets Torbjorn to tell him the real secret of the tasty butter which causes a terrible fate to come down on his clan.

Now, it is up to Torbjorn and Storfjell to save the day and the cows.

 

I read Evertaster, the first in this series and really enjoyed it so I was really happy to read The Buttersmiths Gold. Although I have to say, I kind of like Evertaster better, I wish could experience food the way Guster does!

While the Buttersmiths Gold was not my total favorite in the series, it was still a fun, engaging, and a sort of silly, read for kids who like vikings, adventure, animals and food. I could see my niece enjoying this story. I liked the way 'food' was used in the story, very fun and unique in my opinion. The overall theme of the story is loyalty to family and loved ones, an important lesson in life in general. In fact, the brothers in the story bond together while being chased! 

 

You Know You've Read a Book a Million Times When........

You know you've read a book a million times when you can say it by heart. But I guess, THAT is what makes a great book!

The Barnyard Dance is a favorite in my classroom. I did not realize just how many times I had read the story until I had a lap full of toddlers and could not turn the page but was able to continue the story without turning the page. 

#Readingwithtoddlers

Evertaster: The Buttersmith's Gold Book Blast

 

The Buttersmiths' Gold

BATTLES. BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES.

TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA.

Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you'd want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you'd want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you'd stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all.

Young Torbjorn Trofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He's a Viking through and

through – he's thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That's what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers. When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan's muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and his clansmen to do the one thing they are ill-prepared to do: battle for their lives.

Purchase on

Amazon

About The Buttersmiths' Gold

The Buttersmiths' Gold is a spin off novella in the Evertaster series that tells the story of two Viking brothers and their adventurous past. The Evertaster series (Book #1 released June 14, 2012) is about Guster Johnsonville, who goes searching for a legendary taste rumored to be the most delicious in all of history. Along the way he meets a slew of mysterious characters, including two Viking brothers Torbjorn and Storfjell. The Buttersmiths' Gold is their story. 124 pages. By Adam Glendon Sidwell. Published by Future House Publishing.

Evertaster, Book #1:

A legendary taste. Sought after for centuries. Shrouded in secrecy.

When eleven-year-old Guster Johnsonville rejects his mother’s casserole for the umpteenth time, she takes him into the city of New Orleans to find him something to eat. There, in a dark, abandoned corner of the city they meet a dying pastry maker. In his last breath he entrusts them with a secret: an ancient recipe that makes the most delicious taste the world will ever know — a taste that will change the fate of humanity forever.

Forced to flee by a cult of murderous chefs, the Johnsonvilles embark on a perilous journey to ancient ruins, faraway jungles and forgotten caves. Along the way they discover the truth: Guster is an Evertaster — a kid so picky that nothing but the legendary taste itself will save him from starvation. With the sinister chefs hot on Guster’s heels and the chefs’ reign of terror spreading, Guster and his family must find the legendary taste before it’s too late.

 

Purchase on

Amazon

Book Trailer

    Author Adam Sidwell In between books, Adam Glendon Sidwell uses the power of computers to make monsters, robots and zombies come to life for blockbuster movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Transformers and Tron. After spending countless hours in front of a keyboard meticulously adjusting tentacles, calibrating hydraulics, and brushing monkey fur, he is delighted at the prospect of modifying his creations with the flick of a few deftly placed adjectives. He’s been eating food since age 7, so feels very qualified to write this book. He once showed a famous movie star where the bathroom was. Adam currently lives in Los Angeles, where he can’t wait to fall into the sea.

Website Twitter Facebook

Tour Schedule

BookBlast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/30/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $50 US. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour and Review: The Circle by Cindy Cipriano

Tour Schedule

The Circle Calum Ranson is sure of three things: his cousin Finley is alive, Calum will find him, and no one knows Calum and his family are Sidhe. No one until Laurel shows up at his mother's bookstore wearing a dark clan's mark. When Calum learns the details surrounding the disappearance of Laurel's brother, he suspects the evil Hobayeth clan. Calum and Laurel work together in the Realm of Man and the Otherworld to rescue her brother - revealing a connection between Calum and Laurel that may cost Finley his life.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

Praise

"The Circle is full of magic and mystery. Readers will be engrossed in faerie realms, charming characters, and a state of wonder and imagination. The Circle is for those who delight in reading fantasy and exploring mystical worlds."

--Kathleen Fox, LibraryGames.com

Author Cindy Cipriano Cindy Cipriano lives in NC with her husband, son, and 27 pets. Okay, more like one cat, three dogs, and many, many fish. Cindy is an award winning science teacher, who this past August celebrated her 12th first day of sixth grade.

Website * Twitter

  Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/31/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Review

I am not really a big fan of stories about faeries but this story was not that bad. It was a bit slow from time to time but I loved the world building, the characters were well developed and the plot was interesting enough to keep me turning the page. I think it would make a fun read for middle graders as it deal with relevant issues most kids in middle school are faced with. Not to mention the added fantasy element. :) My only 'ish' is that there were a lot of characters. Not that it is a totally bad thing, but when there are too many characters in a story, I tend to forget folks. :/

Overall, this was a quick and fun adventure to read.  
 

Book Tour and Review: The Tale of Mally Biddle

 

Tour Schedule

Read my review below

The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn't know she'd find a family unlike any other. Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death ... a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers. Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything...

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Praise "To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so many quirky folks on her assignment. Very well written and engaging story! And an added bonus of a love triangle! I enjoyed it from beginning to end!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!" ~April Holgate  

Author Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright. The Tale of Mally Biddle is her second novel.

Blog * Facebook

Pinterest * Twitter

  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/5/13  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

My Review

The Tale of Mally Biddle was a quick read for me. It had all the elements of a good story, moving plot, interesting characters ( I loved Sam, the horse, I'm a horse person :D), and quite descriptive. 

Mally, a simple farm girl, is recruited by Ivan, a member of a secret group trying to overthrow the King Salir and his oppressive knights. When Mally enters the Bosc for the first time, she meets another member of the rebel cause, Galen. She learns that her mission is to infiltrate the castle as a maid, learn everything she can about the night the Princess Avona allegedly died. Mally learns quickly, with the help of Galen, how to be a maid. Off the bat she makes friends with the servants, especially, Lita, who eventually helps her with her investigation. Just as she makes friends easily, she also makes quite a few enemies. She isn't there long before an attempt is made on her life! Between her investigations and her maid chores, Mally is one busy girl. But when she discovers that the princess's remains are not in her tomb, she makes a hasty call to get in touch with the rebels to tell them the news. An ambush takes them all by surprise. The knights kill, wound and capture most of the rebels. It's when Mally talks with the doctor that she suspects her mother is not her real mother. Mally runs away, leaving the rebels licking their wounds. But it is when she get home and confronts her mother, she realizes she can't quit now. She has to help the kingdom and avenge the murdered royal family. 

There was a lot to like about the story, for one, the characters were fun to read about. I liked Mally and Galen, Lita was funny and Sam was fantastic! :D Of all the characters though, my least favorite was Ivan, his character felt off. He was inconsistent, overconfident and seemed to do the least amount of work. The story had a strong plot and some really engaging scenes. However, a few of the scenes  (well a lot of the scenes) were a bit predictable but then to be fair, there were some genuinely unexpected ones too. The author did a great job convincing me of the world she created. The setting, the characters and the politics of the kingdom were all descriptive.

The Tale of Mally is a nice quick read for someone who wants a fun, easy,  non-intense detective mystery.        

Book Tour and Review: The Storm Bottle by Nick Green

 

The Storm Bottle

Swimming with dolphins is said to be the number one thing to do before you die. For 12-year-old Michael, it very nearly is. A secret boat trip has gone tragically wrong, and now he lies unconscious in hospital. But when Michael finally wakes up, he seems different. His step sister Bibi is soon convinced that he is not who he appears to be. Meanwhile, in the ocean beyond Bermuda’s reefs, a group of bottlenose dolphins are astonished to discover a stranger in their midst – a boy lost and desperate to return home. Bermuda is a place of mysteries. Some believe its seas are enchanted, and the sun-drenched islands conceal a darker past, haunted with tales of lost ships. Now Bibi and Michael are finding themselves in the most extraordinary tale of all.  


 

Book Trailer

   

Praise 'I loved it... An absolute winner.' - LA Weatherly, author of the Angel Burn trilogy 'A writer who knows how to grip the imagination, make you sit on the edge of your chair, and make you laugh out loud.' - Michelle Lovric, author of The Undrowned Child, The Mourning Emporium and The Book of Human Skin 'If you only ever buy one Kindle book in your life (although that sounds a bit unlikely, now that I stop and think) this has to be it.' - The Bookwitch blog.

Author Nick Green Nick Green is a UK children's and YA author, best known for his trilogy The Cat Kin, published in the UK by Strident Publishing and in Germany by Ravensburger, and also as a BBC audiobook. He has appeared on BBC radio talking about his books, and has been shortlisted for two UK children's book awards. He regularly does school visits and other children's literary events. The Storm Bottle is his first straight-to-Kindle novel.

Twitter * Website

 

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/26/13

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

My Review

When I first started this book, I thought, oh no, I'm not going to be able to finish this book. The first chapter or so was a bit slow. Then, it happened. Nick Green introduced me to a whole new world under the sea! I guess from the book blurb, I was just really excited to get to the meat of the story.  Well, sucked into the story finally, the story follows the adventure of two siblings, Michael and his step-sister, Bibi. It is told from two points of veiws, Bibi's and Michael's. I normally don't like it when a story has multiple POV's but the author did a really good job with keeping it simple and easy to follow. 

On a boating trip, Michael gets his consciousness swapped with that of a dolphin's. The author did a great job in my opinion with creating a very interesting dolphin society. Loved the Bermuda mystery and history from the dolphins and sea life perspective. I adored most of the characters, though, I have to say, I did not really care for Bibi :/ I can't quite put my finger on it, but her character did not wow me at all. But Michael, Rodrigo, the Privateers, even the mean dolphin bullies were intriguing.  

In short, this was a fantastic read with great world-building,  interesting characters, wonderfully crafted plot and lots of suspense :D

Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop 5/13 - 5/19

Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop

May 13th – 19th

Hosted by

KidLitFrenzy, Mymcbooks

& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

What is Children’s Book Week?

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast!

For more information please visit: http://www.bookweekonline.com/

The Prize

The Rules

* Must be 18 or over

*Must be in the US

* Must fill out the form below



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast: The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette

 

Tour Schedule

The Tale of Mally Biddle 
by M.L. LeGette

When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn't know she'd find a family unlike any other.

Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death ... a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers.

Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything...

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Praise

"To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so many quirky folks on her assignment. Very well written and engaging story! And an added bonus of a love triangle! I enjoyed it from beginning to end!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!"

~April Holgate

Author Melissa LeGette

Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright. The Tale of Mally Biddle is her second novel.

Blog * Facebook 

Pinterest * Twitter

 Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/2/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: Alexander Drake by Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows

Tour Schedule

  Alexander Drake's Extraordinary Pursuit
Meet Alexander Drake, a curious young man living in a drab, oversized mansion with his secretive father. He spent his days playing alone. In the back of his mind he wondered what happened to his mother, and why his father was tight-lipped about the past; but secrets have a way of getting out. It all started with a stay at his grandmother’s cottage. Alexander found strange clues tucked away in his father’s old bedroom. With a mysterious key and several maps in his pack he set off on an innocent search for answers about his family. When he discovered a secret passageway the search took a dramatic turn. He suddenly worried about what was searching for him. Alexander was being hunted by a sorcerer from his father’s past. Answers lead to more questions and the journey of his life. Join Alexander for a thrilling adventure in Azra’s Pith, a place of beauty and magic… but beware—something evil lurks in the shadows.  

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The Return of General Drake

When Alexander arrived in Verhonia, something went terribly wrong. A dark spell delivered from the mountains of Acadia sent him on a dangerous journey in the middle of the night. As he marched into the mountains, the great city of Verhonia was ambushed and burned to the ground by Roman's army of vicious giant murks. With the safety of the realm in jeopardy, General John William Drake was asked to come back to Azra's Pith. He swore he would never return. But after discovering his son was under a spell and in the grips of a dark sorcerer, he had no choice. Things take a wild turn in the mountains, with runaways, a hungry wolf and a mysterious, young empyrean wizard thrown into the adventure. A tight race against time and evil is in full swing. With faith and a little magic, they just might come out on top.  

Publisher

    Author Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows
Being the frizzy-haired tomboy with buck teeth gave me a slight case of shyness as a kid. A colorful imagination meant escape and adventure at the drop of a hat. Over the years I learned that the insecurities I carried around were a waste of time. I still prefer a football game to a manicure any day of the week. That indispensable imagination has found its way into my writing providing a sense of joy and a true purpose.  

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Book Excerpt:

Ferdinand finally stopped, allowing Alexander to catch up. “Did you bring the key with you, young man?”

“Oh, yes! Is this what you’re talking about?” Alexander pulled the strange key out of his pocket. The sparkle and beautiful chiming intensified in his hands.

Ferdinand was mesmerized. “I haven't seen that key since....” The frog's eyes gleamed. It was apparent he had a connection to the key. “Let’s see if it still works.” The creature disappeared into a thick fern.

Alexander pushed the fern back to find him rubbing his long-fingered hands together with anticipation in front of a large dead tree. “Okay, it’s a dead tree. What are we doing here?”

“Hush!” Ferdinand whispered with a sting in his tone. “We must watch for the Passageway. It appears; then it's gone at the blink of an eye.”

Within seconds, the rays of the sun shot through gaps in the surrounding trees onto the thick trunk. A small portion at the base took on a brassy tone, and radiant emerald leaves instantly sprouted from every curvy branch.

“It’s—it’s—magic—it has to be! Amazing! ” Alexander gasped. This was the tree in his dreams.

A glowing light beamed through the center, forming a slit barely large enough for the key to fit in. Alexander brought his hands to his face, partially covering his eyes. “I—I can't believe this is happening!”

“Alexander, hurry—the key—put it in!”

Alexander fumbled with the key and quickly slid it in the slot. The key turned on its own, without the help of Alexander's nervous fingers. Almost immediately, a portion of the tree dissolved into the tiny specks of light Alexander knew all too well. They danced in celebration, creating an intense energy field.

“Come, Alexander—we must move quickly!” Ferdinand took a blind leap into the specks of light and disappeared.

“I'm afraid!” Alexander was frantic. He had visited this tree in his dreams many times before. Could his mother have been trying to tell him something? “This is crazy! What have I gotten myself into?”

This was far beyond anything Alexander could have ever imagined, but his heart ached for his mother, and he wanted answers. He knew if he truly wanted things in his life to change, this was something he must do. He closed his eyes and took a flying leap into the tree.

 

Book Tour: Fields of Elysium Guest Post: A Publishing Journey

A Publishing Journey

What is an author platform and how can you get one?

If you are a new author, getting ready to publish or one who has been published already, and you don’t understand why your book doesn’t sell, you probably haven’t heard about author platforms, as was the case with me when I published my first book.

Since there are dozens of articles and posts explaining the definition of author platforms, I’ve decided to share the personal experiences of my publishing journey with you instead. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and launch a very successful writing career.

It was in 2011 when I finished my first novel American Charm.  I was so excited about it that I couldn’t wait to see it in print. While my test readers (only family members back then) read it and criticized it, I researched literary agents and my publishing options. I considered the story to be perfect because it came from my heart, and I believed as such it deserved to be on the shelves of bookstores. I decided to find an agent who would represent me at the major publishing houses. I bought guidebooks, did more research online, and finally ended up sending query letters to two prestigious agents in the business. Very soon I had to face the reality that instead of agents fighting each other to get hold of my manuscript, one of them rejected me politely, the other never responded. My pride suffered, but not my enthusiasm.

Next, I did more research and found out about Amazon KDP and Createspace self-publishing. Eager to hold and smell my first freshly printed book, I submitted my novel to an online editing company, paying them big bucks to bring the manuscript into shape, only to find out a year later that they did a sloppy job. I designed the cover, wrote a synopsis, and finally uploaded my book to Amazon but priced it way too high. I didn’t want to be compared to other self-published authors. I thought myself better. Stupid of me. Then I shared the link with my three hundred friends on Facebook, believing that they would promote it for me and the news about my newly published book would spread like wildfire. Oh boy, how wrong I was!

While I wanted the world to stop and for everybody to concentrate on my super-duper amazing story, and download, review and share it, I received a monthly report with only a dozen sales.  My husband encouraged me, saying that, considering that I’m Hungarian and English is my second language, the fact that I convinced a dozen people my book was worth their money is pretty incredible. But I wanted more. I just didn’t know how to get it. Soon I became torn between spending my limited time working on a sequel or promoting myself. I started to read articles about successful self-pub authors with great envy, hoping to learn a trick or two, but whatever I tried only boosted sales momentarily.

But I kept going. I reached out to local papers and review companies, and created a little buzz once more. The book started to sell, then the sales died down again. Finally I gave up on self-promotion and concentrated on writing, believing that either my story or my writing style was not good enough. I wanted to get better. 

Four months later I published a short novella, and by early next year the second volume of American Charm. I knew I was not going to break the bank with the new releases, but I believed I had to continue the story for those who enjoyed my first book.

However, as time went by I never stopped collecting information about self-publishing successes, so by the time I finished my fourth book, Fields of Elysium, I had a well-detailed marketing plan. Due to the fact that Fields of Elysium is a young-adult romantic fantasy, a different genre from my first series, I decided to change my author name and start afresh. I even un-published my previous novels because they are nowhere near to my new standards, but I’m planning to revise them.

Fields of Elysium was completed, proofread, and edited by a retired English professor, test-read, designed and had a cover and synopsis. I only had to start building my author platform, bring awareness to my book, and create a demand for it. I opened an account on Goodreads and started a two-month-long ARC book giveaway. By the time the novel was published, close to a thousand people marked it ‘to-read.’

I submitted it to professional review companies, like Kirkus Reviews, Readers Favorite, Reader Views Kids, Young Adult and Teen Readers, etc. to gain creditability through their respected opinions. Then I started to send queries to book bloggers and book clubs, humbly asking them to accept a free hardcopy of my book in exchange for an honest review. When I ran out of books (you have to watch your budget), I offered free e-books. Truth be told, hardcopies were more popular than e-books.

In the meantime, I bugged the life out of my already existing Facebook friends and fans with news of my upcoming hot release. Surprisingly I received positive feedback. The number of my fans started to increase, so I began to post giveaways, funny posts, romantic posts, etc., aware that I’m not really good at connecting with fans through social media sites.

With the growing awareness about my book on Goodreads and Facebook, I started to receive five-star reviews from professionals.

The big day came. Fields of Elysium was published. Knowing my former sales numbers, I was very pleased to see the first monthly report. But my job was not nearly done. I reached out to other authors in the same genre; we did author exchange reviews, along with promoting each other’s work and exchanging information.

I’m still new to the business and I learn something everyday, such as how effective book blast and blog tours can be; how important it is to join forces with similar authors and do joint promotions; and even how to price your book right.

I have learned over the past two years that building your author platform takes time and it’s necessary for traditionally published and indie authors equally. Visibility and proven reach (number of fans, comments on your posts, reviews, target-audience posts and interactions, etc.) are what agents and readers look at first before they invest in you. You have to be open to new approaches, reach out and help fellow authors, open Facebook, Twitter, Google+ accounts, set up a Goodreads page to increase your book’s visibility. Create a trailer, join book clubs as a reader not a writer, reach out to bloggers, reading communities, and above all never give up.

I still have a lot to learn, but I never stop browsing the web for new ideas. After every book I published I learned something new, and I do better with each book launch. Today I know that it’s not enough to start building awareness of your book two months in advance, because receiving reviews and organizing book blasts and blog tours take months.

I hope you will learn from my mistakes, and will be patient and won’t rush into publishing your book. If you plan to write a series, I highly recommend finishing the second and third books before you publish the first one. You will still have time to polish them, or rewrite parts between publications, but that’s still less work than trying to write an entire novel in a timely fashion while you spend six-teen hours a day on the computer to promote your first book.

And I leave the most important thing for last. It doesn’t matter how much money or how many hours you spend on building your author platform if your book doesn’t talk to the readers. All successful authors – fiction or non-fiction – have one thing in common: they were all able to strike an emotional chord in the readers; and their books were most likely well edited and proofread as well. It’s not an easy thing to do; otherwise every book would be a bestseller

A.B.Whelan is a Hungarian born, American writer. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Southern California.
While growing up in a wealthy Eastern European family, she had a chance to travel Europe. Later as an adult, she visited Africa and the Middle East and lived in Ecuador and in Crete.




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$25 Tour Giveaway
 
Ends 5/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://www.iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway